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

Hi Guys...its been a long time! Just wanted to jump in here quick and say hello. AllThingsArePossible: Sorry about your stomache virus...its pretty scary now that we are banded, to have to vomit for any reason, especially for a virus...I've had a couple of "stuck" situations that were just horrible and had to vomit and was SO afraid to, so I can only imagine what you must have went through...I hope you are feeling better now and can get your 2nd fill soon! I was doing the South Beach Diet for some time last year...the first couple of weeks are hard but then it gets easier...but there are some carbs to this diet, just not a lot...maybe you could look into that? You guys are all doing really well, very proud of you! My weight loss from January through most of February consisted of losing and gaining the same 2-3lbs...it was so frustrating! Then I got my 2nd fill on Feb. 8th and doing much better now...down 7lbs since that fill so I'm finally seeing the scale move again...now I just have to move my a-- and start exercising more!!! Keep up the great work, everyone!!!

I remember that first week post-op all too well! It does get better, so just hang in there! The doctor never spoke to me about any fill in the operating room...I found out at my first appointment that they did put a small amount in (didn't tell me how much)...I had restriction for about a week or so then started to get hungry...I didn't get my first fill until January 2nd (surgery was 11/20)...again, not sure how much was in there to start but I ended up with 3.7cc's in my band...that fill didn't do anything for me and I only lost about 1lb between that visit and my second fill, which was February 8th...at that time they put in another 1.5cc's so now I'm up to a total of 5.2cc's (in a 10cc band) and I definitely feel restriction now...I'm down 7lbs since February 8th...so I think I'm done with fills for a little while! I hope each day your feeling so much better and before you know it, you'll be well on your way to losing all your weight! Best of luck to you!

Name___________StartWeight___CurrentWeight______Goal_________ToGo *****:cool2:************************:tt2:***********:hurray:* ********* :party:*** AmethystJade.......231.8..........212.........150.......62.0 Babe...............308............294.........199.......95 Bellaperdente......196............189.........150.......43 Bklyn1984..........317............261.........165.......96 Bostongurl.........190............190.........133.......57 Brandy.............198............189.........166.......21 Cappy..............240............231.........130.......105.5 Chocolate_Snaps....244............224.........175.......49 CubsGirl17.........147............138.........130.......8 Clarebear08........192............176.5.......160.......16.5 Donna113...........183............177.........126.......51 Ebonie.............307............307.........200.......107 FalloutGirl........282............278.........165.......112 FeliciaLevy75......200............194.........140.......54 FlordiaPete........413............391.........300.......91 GratefulHeart......226............211.........135.......76 GuyMontag..........325............295.........200.......95 health4life........279............239.........150.......89 janesays...........225............214.8.......160.......54.8 kimaly.............194............191.........160.......31 Lindar172..........246............228.........150.......78 Linksmom...........234............234.........145.......89 LocomotiveEngineer.311............311.........220.......91 Long2BThin.........216............199.5.......169.......30.5 lotzasunshine......270............262.........180.......82 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............192.........130.......62 Under200...........242............199.........155.......44 vzghj3.............202............202.........150.......52 Wendy_Wo...........242............218.........142.......76 WOWOX7.............173............161.........125.......36 __________________

Sue, sorry I'm getting back to you so late on this...I haven't been able to get to this site as often as I'd like. Anyway, thanks for wanting to include me for dinner...I feel bad, I really don't want to hold you guys up....my hubby's schedule sucks! Anyway, if you guys are interested in meeting this week, I can make it Tuesday night (7:00ish), Wednesday night (8:00ish) or Thursday night (7:00ish)...if this doesn't work, then you guys just pick your dates and let me know what they are and the time and hopefully I'll be able to make it! Sorry this has been so difficult! Maria, wishing you all the best on your surgery today! Everything will go just fine! Let us know how your feeling as soon as your up to it! Candle, sorry your having abdominal discomfort, but glad it isn't your band! Your doing fantastic on your weight loss journey!!! I pray I do as well as you! How many cc's do you have in your band? I got a fill on the 11th of this month and I definitely feel the most restriction now...not sure if this is my sweet spot though...I have 5.2cc's in a 10cc band. Keep up the great work! Hi Lisa...good to see you on here again....I haven't been on here much either, I try but there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day anymore! Hope your foot feels better soon! Like Lisa, I too hit a plateu from January up until my fill on February 11th...I would gain and loose the same 3lbs during that time...after my fill, I'm down another 4lbs so I'm very happy! Finding it harder to eat Breakfast in the morning now, I seem to be more restricted. But overall, doing well and so happy I'm banded!! Hope everyone else is doing great! Talk to you all soon!

WAY TO GO CATHERINE! 25LBS IS AWESOME! WE'RE ALL DOING THE HAPPY DANCE FOR YOU...KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!!!! :tongue2:

I can't do Wednesday, Thursday or Friday nights this week, Steven is working...if you guys decide to go tonight or tomorrow night, let me know. Fran

Hi Everyone! I feel like I have been on here in weeks! I try and pop in when I get a chance, but I haven't had time to sit and post! I would LOVE to meet up with you guys for dinner...Sunday afternoon probably won't work for me...hubby has a couple of estimates to go on and doesn't know when he'll be home...so next week I'm available on Monday and Tuesday nights...does that work? I don't care where we go, I'm flexible! So, I just had my 2nd fill yesterday...she put another 1.5cc's in so I think I'm up to 5.2cc's now...wow, I just realized it was that high...I don't feel any different at the moment...on liquids for now and tomorrow I will start mushies...I'm at a stand still with my weight loss...still at 23lbs, I've been at this weight now for all of January up until today...but its my fault...I'm not exercising like I should be and I've been snacking in between...although I am eating very healthy and weighing out my Protein, I guess I'm still eating too many calories and not burning them off since I'm not exercising! So, my goal this month is to MOVE MY ASS! I haven't had a chance to read all the back posts...so to all the newbies out there, welcome!!! Maria, I did see your post...congrats on your 2/23 surgery date! As far as the pre- op diet, I actually started mine an extra week early...I knew it was going to be hard so I wanted to give myself some extra time to get use to not chewing...its really important to follow the diet exactly as it will help shrink your liver...I had read some scary stories on here about people whose liver didn't shrink enough so they couldn't proceed with surgery...and believe me, when you KNOW you have to do something strictly, you just do it! It was hard, I'm not going to lie, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be...I love Soup, especially tomotoe soup, so I drank lots of this...I also found a Protein shake that I liked...its called Pure Pro and I got it at GNC...as far as chewing, I agree with the gum suggestion...that definitely helped me! It didn't make me hungrier. Okay, I gotta run for now...I will come back on here later and check to see if we came up with a date for dinner! I hope everyone is doing great and losing...talk to you all soon! Fran

Name___________StartWeight___CurrentWeight___Goal______ToGo AmethystJade.......231.8..........214.0.......150.......64.0 Babe...............308............297.2.......199.......98.2 Bellaperdente......196............189.........150.......43 Brandy.............198............189.........166.......21 Cappy..............240............235.5.......130.......105.5 Chocolate_Snaps....244............224.........175.......49 Clarebear08........192............181.........160.......21 Donna113...........183............178.5.......126.......52.5 Ebonie.............307............307.........200.......107 FalloutGirl........282............278.........165.......112 FeliciaLevy75......200............194.........140.......54 FlordiaPete........413............397.........300.......97 GratefulHeart......226............215.........135.......80 health4life........279............239.........150.......89 janesays...........225............218.4.......160.......58.4 kimaly.............194............191.........160.......31 Lindar172..........246............234.........150.......84 Linksmom...........234............234.........145.......89 LocomotiveEngineer.311............311.........220.......91 Long2BThin.........216............201.........169.......32 lotzasunshine......270............265.5.......180.......85.5 Loveislovely.......216............210.........175.......35 ltgordon...........284.8..........262.8.......185.......77.2 lucyavery..........205............205.........140.......65 Mair...............231............225.........140.......85 Mamanmidwife.......264............260.........200.......60 mdgarcia31665......220............220.........165.......55 MissNilsa..........180............180.........132.......48 Tabithan...........240............240.........200.......40 Tuger..............192............192.........130.......62 Under200...........242............199.........155.......44 vzghj3.............202............202.........150.......52 Wendy_Wo...........242............218.........142.......76 WOWOX7.............173............163.........125.......38 Rhea2d . . . . . . . . . . 283. . . . . . . . .33. . . . . . . 185 . .58

Its funny you should ask this question because today was the first time I had a toasted english muffin since I've been banded. I had no problems eating it...however, I'm only banded 2 months and I'm not at my "sweet" spot yet, even though I do have restriction. The only bread that has given me a problem so far, and as sad as it is that I will probably NEVER eat it again, was Italian bread! HOLY MOLY, did that hurt--I never want to feel that pain again! I've been able to eat whole grain breads, wraps and even pizza (which was always one of my favorite foods but I rarely eat it anymore) without any issues. I just have to always remember to take small bites and chew.

Hi Hope09! I just wanted to add that I've been banded since Nov. 20th and overall, I'm happy with my band. I would say that the hardest thing for me has been the mental issues I have with food. I still have a hard time recognizing when I am satisfied as opposed to being full, which is probably something most people that are overweight will struggle with when it comes to the band. When I'm eating something I'm really enjoying, sometimes I don't want to stop even though I know I should, and I've been frustrated by that. But this process takes time and I'm slowly learning to re-train the way I think about food. The band is definitely the tool that I needed to help me, but it won't perform miracles...I need to do my part, and together, I believe it will work! Good luck with whatever you decide...I'm sure you'll make the right decision for YOU!

Sorry I couldn't get out before 7:00 on Monday!!! I was so bummed, I really wanted to hang with you girls! Well, one of these days I WILL make a meeting!!! Glad you had a good time, even if it was without me:frown: Hope everyone is doing well!

Hey Chris: Monday afternoon might be doable for me...I'll check with my husband to make sure he's going to be around to watch the kids and I'll get back to you later on today (its 3:15 a.m. right now, having trouble sleeping). I hope I can make it, I really need the support!!! Talk to you later.

Hi Everyone! Sorry its been so long since I've posted! Have lots of drama going on right now, I "may" be getting laid off from work...my company is "restructuring", its been so stressful! We are all waiting on pins and needles to see who is getting the boot! So I've been a little preoccupied! However, I just read through the posts quickly, thanks for the encouragement from everyone...I really appreciate it! My weight has been fluctuating by 2-3lbs...up one day, down two days later....I'm not writing anything down, which I probably should do, I'm just eating my three meals and sometimes I have one or two snack in between....I'm still having trouble recognizing when I'm satisfied....how friggin' long does that take to get? You would think that that would be a simple thing to recognize, but I still "think" like a big eater...I know, baby steps! I haven't been exercising enough either, maybe twice a week. But, overall, I guess I'm not doing bad...just want to see results a little faster and wish I could do that by just blinking:tongue: I hope you guys are all doing well with your bands! I'm exhausted and need to feel my bed soon....just wanted to let you know that if you guys want to get together soon, next week I'm available on Monday (day or night), Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evening (after 7:00)...let's try and get something planned, sounds like we all need some group support! Also, you guys are welcome to come to my house anytime...I live in Lake Grove...if this isn't too far for some, please just say the word and you can come by me! Otherwise, Starbucks or Chris's office works fine too! Hope to hear from you guys soon! Night night!

Count me in too! Thanks to whomever started this! Name___________StartWeight___CurrentWeight______Goal_________ToGo *****<?xml:namespace prefix = v /><v:shapetype id=_x0000_t75 coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" filled="f" stroked="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe">:w00t:</v:shapetype>***********:glare:*************:tt2:***********:thumbup:********** :thumbs_up:*** Brandy.............198............196.........166.......28 Cappy..............240............239.........130.......109 Chocolate_Snaps....244............234.........175.......59 Clarebear08........192............189.........160.......29 Donna113...........183............181.5.......125.....55.5 Ebonie.............307............307.........200......107 FalloutGirl........282............282.........165......116 FeliciaLevy75......200............194.........140.......54 FlordiaPete........413............413.........300......113 GratefulHeart......226............223.........135.......88 Lindar172..........246............246.........150.......96 LocomotiveEngineer.311............311.........220.......91 Long2BThin.........216............212.........169.......43 lotzasunshine......270............270.........180.......90 Loveislovely.......216............216.........175.......41 ltgordon.........284.8..........262.8.........185.....77.2 lucyavery..........205............205.........140.......65 Mair...............231............231.........140.......91 Mamanmidwife.......264............264.........200.......64 Tabithan...........240............240.........200.......40 Under200...........242............199.........155.......44 vzghj3.............202............202.........150.......52 WOWOX7.............173............170.........125.......45

So proud of you too!!! Good job on dealing with the gain and then loosing it! The same thing happended to me...I had put on 6lbs in less than two weeks when I transitioned from mushies to solids (started solids Dec. 18th)...I was a little upset, but didn't freak out! As of today, I've lost those 6lbs PLUS another 1.5lbs! I couldn't be happier! Your doing a great job....keep it up!!!