Cappy

Catherine, Awesome story! You are an inspiration to many! Congrats on your weight loss and for feeling fabulous! I was banded last November...unlike you, I haven't lost as much weight and do get depressed about it at times...I have been stuck at the same weight now for almost three months...not by fault of the band, only my own doing...like most people that are overweight, I struggle with the mental part of weight loss...I've had trouble with over eating, still wanting the larger portions even though I know I can't finish them...so what I do is, I eat what I can and then an hour or so later I eat some more...I eat too many slider foods and too many foods that don't give me any restriction...I thought by this point, almost 10 months into this, I would have this under better control...did you have any struggles throughout this past year? If so, what were they and how have you managed to handle them? I need to start journaling my food and exercising more...I know that this is key and I will stay stagnant if I don't make these change...the band works great, I just need to focus less on the food...I was afraid of this issue before I was banded, thinking "how am I going to handle the mental issues I have with food...the band has no control over that!" I still haven't figured this out...I'm proud of myself for the 36lbs I've lost and I know that eventuallly, I will get to where I want to be...I'm NOT giving up...but it has been a struggle and although I know what I have to do, I'm struggling with actually DOING IT! Can you relate to any of this? I would love to hear your thoughts...what motivates you, how do you stay focused?

Hi Lovinglapbandliving! I am just starting the 5-day pouch diet today....I would love to join you and do this once a month! I need to be accountable! I was banded Nov. 08 and have only lost 36.5lbs...I could be so much further along but haven't been following the bandster rules very well!!! A little disappointed in myself, but whatever...I'm not gaining, just stagnant! Anyway, I'm hoping this will give me the kick start that I need! The first of the month works for me! I go on vacation September 26th through October 3rd...so I won't be able to start until I get back from my cruise....would you mind waiting until the 3rd to start??? If not, no biggie...I just start when I get back and we can keep tabs on each other! Looking forward to doing this with you...and whoever else wants to join us!!!

Restlessmonkey and glorybee are right. According to my doctors, if you get stuck and PB then you have to go on liquids for the next 24hrs because you need to let your stomache heal...so trying to eat more food just irriated you even more. I just got my third fill this week and I'm having trouble eating most food...this morning, for example, I had ONE bit of a Breakfast sausage and ONE bite of a western omlet and I felt like I was slightly stuck, like it was having trouble passing through...it took about a 1/2 and I finally can eat a little more of my eggs...with this fill, I really have to eat TINY pieces, something I'm still learning and working on and I've been banded since November 20th. Go on liquids for the next 24 hours and then eat some soft foods after that and see what happens...if your still having a problem, call you doctor! Hope this helped!

Name********Starting weight*****Current*******Goal******To go ******************************************:thumbup:******* 1RockinMom.........254............220.........145.......75 Alleycia...........255............220.........152.......68 AmethystJade.......231.8..........212.........150.......62.0 Babe...............308............278.6.......199.......79.6 Bellaperdente......196............177.........150.......27 Bklyn1984..........317............241.........165.......76 Bostongurl.........190............186.........133.......53 Brandy.............198............181.........166.......15 Cappy..............240............223.5.......130.......93.5 Chocolate_Snaps....244............224.........175.......49 CubsGirl17.........147............135.........130.......5 Clarebear08........192............171.........160.......11 Donna113...........183............172.5.......126.......46.5 dublingirl.........224............209.........145.......64 Ebonie.............307............298.8.......200.......98.8 EmmaWang...........241............210.........140.......70 FalloutGirl........282............278.........165.......112 FeliciaLevy75......200............194.........140.......54 FlordiaPete........413............378.........300.......78 GratefulHeart......226............193.........135.......58 GuyMontag..........325............276.........200.......76 health4life........279............239.........150.......89 inri09.............287............254.........185.......69 janesays...........225............189.........160.......29 kaninag............210............210.........170.......40 kimaly.............194............183.........160.......23 Lindar172..........246............219.6.......150.......69.6 Linksmom...........234............234.........145.......89 LocomotiveEngineer.311............311.........220.......91 Long2BThin.........216............183.........169.......14 lotzasunshine......270............247.5.......180.......67.5 Loveislovely.......216............185.........175.......10 ltgordon...........284.8..........250.5.......185.......65.5 lucyavery..........205............205.........140.......65 Mair...............231............222.........140.......83 Mamanmidwife.......264............260.........200.......60 mdgarcia31665......220............220.........165.......55 MissNilsa..........180............180.........132.......48 nicolerose.........365............288.........258.......30 Pink...............230............152.........145........7 Rhea2d.............283............233.........185.......58 Sandra267..........220............220.........165.......55 Tabithan...........240............240.........200.......40 Tuger..............192............187.5.......130.......57.5 Under200...........242............199.........155.......44 vzghj3.............202............202.........150.......52 Wendy_Wo...........242............218.........142.......76 WOWOX7.............173............147.........125.......22

I, too, weigh myself almost everyday...I need to be accountable to myself, so weighing in each morning helps me do that...I don't get upset if I don't loose anything, but I know when I've eaten a little too much and I put on a little weight, the scale will let me know! That helps keep me in check, it brings me back to reality and helps me get my a-- back in gear...its been working for me, you have to do what works for you!

I am like you, an overeater...even when I was full I would still eat...the band definitely helps with this because when your full you KNOW it and you can't eat more or you can hurt yourself...the thing that I found myself doing recently though, was waiting a little while and then having something sweet...that I can do...its not that I was hungry, but I wanted something sweet (usually when I'm expecting my period, cravings are really bad then)...so I waited about a 1/2 hour and when I didn't have that "full" feeling anymore I would have my sweet treat...I wasn't hungry, just "wanted" it...this is why for the past 5 weeks I wasn't losing any weight (kept gaining and losing the same 3lbs)...I just got my 3rd fill on Friday...since then I've already lost 4 1/2lbs...the past few days I'm feeling fuller faster then I was with the last fill...the thing is, those cravings are not just magically going to go away...I still desire sweets, its just that I have to always consciously make better choices and if I desire a sweets, maybe have some fruit or maybe have a little fruit juice...I'm much better than I use to be, but its a work in progress and I can't expect to change in a few months...I just know that if I give in and have that cake or Cookies or even my coffee with LOTS of sugar, then I want MORE sugar as the days go by...I really have to keep my sugar intake to a limit...so with that, and adding in exercise, I should see some dramatic differences over the new few weeks. Baby steps, that's all I can do! If you have any other questions, please just ask! Hope this helped a bit...good luck!

Hi Manda! I wasn't banded at St. Catherine's but I am a fellow Long Islander, banded by Dr. Geiss (North Shore) on November 20, 2008...I had to stay overnight also...everything went well, the worst day for me was after I got home...by day 3 I was in considerable pain but it really only lasted a full day...took me a full week to feel "myself" again...my weight loss has been slow, but that is my own fault...not always following the bandster rules and haven't done much exercise, so I need to work on this...I love my band, its doing what its suppose to...but it doesn't work on your "mind", that part you have to do on your own which is the hardest part for me. But overall, I'm down 34lbs and I'm very happy about that...just had another fill yesterday so hopefully this will be the jumpstart I need to start losing consistently again. Just wanted to say hello and wish you all the best on your upcoming surgery! I was very nervous but excited, just like you, when I had my surgery...don't worry, you will be fine! For me, the band has been well worth all the struggles! Best of luck to you:biggrin:

For Breakfast I either have cream of wheat (with 1%milk) or one egg with cheese...sometimes I'll have a 1/2 slice of Arnold Sandwich Selects Whole Grain Bread with the egg (its pretty thin and only 100 calories for the whole thing)...but I can't always eat that first thing in the morning; for lunch its either chicken salad, grilled chicken breast or a turkey burger/hamburger (no bun) and veggies; dinner is either some kind of steak or chicken, a veggie, and if I can fit it, I'll have some kind of starch but only a little. If I need to snack in between, I have mozzarella cheese stix or wasabi peas (I've been a bit addicted to the wasabi peas) or even some cashews or almonds. My weight loss has been slow...frustrating at times because I go through these periods where I start to loose and then I hit a plateu...then I will gain and loose the same couple of pounds for WEEKS! But it will come off, I know it will...so I'm trying to be very patient! Best of luck to you!!! Keep us posted on your losses!

Congrats!!! Welcome to bandland! It took me a full week to feel myself again, its good that you have minimal pain! I drank a lot of tomatoe Soup from Trader Joe's...its in a carton, tastes very good! I also added some Greek yogurt to the soup to give it some extra protein...but its hard at the beginning to get all your protein in, so do the best you can...I pretty much lived on soup and shakes until mushies! I did have Cream of Wheat a lot also, but that was after a couple of weeks. Good luck to you...your off to a great start!

Name___________StartWeight___CurrentWeight______Goal_________ToGo *****:cool2:***********:thumbup:*************:tt2:************ ********* *** AmethystJade.......231.8..........212.........150.......62.0 Babe...............308............286.4.......199.......87.4 Bellaperdente......196............184.........150.......34 Bklyn1984..........317............256.........165.......91 Bostongurl.........190............188.........133.......55 Brandy.............198............181.........166.......15 Cappy..............240............227.5.......130.......97.5 Chocolate_Snaps....244............224.........175.......49 CubsGirl17.........147............136.........130.......6 Clarebear08........192............176.5.......160.......16.5 Donna113...........183............174.5.......126.......48.5 Ebonie.............307............307.........200.......107 EmmaWang...........241............220.........140.......80 FalloutGirl........282............278.........165.......112 FeliciaLevy75......200............194.........140.......54 FlordiaPete........413............391.........300.......91 GratefulHeart......226............203.........135.......68 GuyMontag..........325............295.........200.......95 health4life........279............239.........150.......89 janesays...........225............208.........160.......48 kimaly.............194............185.........160.......25 Lindar172..........246............225.........150.......75 Linksmom...........234............234.........145.......89 LocomotiveEngineer.311............311.........220.......91 Long2BThin.........216............192.........169.......23 lotzasunshine......270............260.5.......180.......80.5 Loveislovely.......216............210.........175.......35 ltgordon...........284.8..........250.5.......185.......65.5 lucyavery..........205............205.........140.......65 Mair...............231............222.........140.......83 Mamanmidwife.......264............260.........200.......60 mdgarcia31665......220............220.........165.......55 MissNilsa..........180............180.........132.......48 Rhea2d.............283............233.........185.......58 Sandra267..........220............220.........165.......55 Tabithan...........240............240.........200.......40 Tuger..............192............187.5.......130.......57.5 Under200...........242............199.........155.......44 vzghj3.............202............202.........150.......52 Wendy_Wo...........242............218.........142.......76 WOWOX7.............173............157.........125.......32