julie.ann

I have gained 1.3 lbs in the past 2 days. I guess I haven't been as good as I wanted. The past few days I have gone to ballgames and had some tootsie pops. With 60 calories it isn't bad, but the 15 carbs in each one probablly didn't help. I guess I need to get back to the basics and stop eating it just because I want it. That has always been my downfall. If I'm not hungry I can't eat it! Another week down and this next week will be better!

This is a great site! It is a HUGE support for me because I have decided to only share this journey with my hubby and one friend. Look around. You can find people that had surgery as the same time as you. I like that alot! We are glad to have you!

2-7-09 *Results not typical (???) I have seen that little asterisk next to all of those people that have supposedly lost weight on all of those diet programs. If those results aren’t typical then why are they telling us that we can do what they did? If that isn’t the expected outcome for the majority of people then why are they shoving them in our face? I was banded in October. I am almost 4 months from the time I started my pre-op diet. Four months ago I weighed 285 lbs. Today I weigh about 222 lbs. Is that typical? I have seen others in my Smashing Pumpkins group (that is what we called ourselves that where banded in October) that have done just as well if not better than I have. Some have not lost as much as I have, but are doing GREAT! I think that most people can do great with the band. Then every once in a while I run into a thread where people say that they can’t lose weight. They have tried, but they are hungry and they haven’t lost much. Is that typical? I ask myself have I done something they haven’t. I have had to really listen to my body to find the difference between head hunger and true hunger. I think that is the hardest thing to do and the biggest hurdle to climb. Telling the difference between the hungers. Well that is getting off of topic. My question is what is typical? Everyone is different. Are my results typical? I think they are because this isn’t has hard as I thought it would be. It is tough and lately I have been eating more. I need to go back to watching my calories a little closer although I still keep track of everything. Pick a day in the past 4 months and I could tell you what I ate and how many calories I had along with carbs and protein. It is that cookie I decide to splurge on a couple of times a week. That is the little stuff I need to watch. I think I have had a cookie 5 times in the past 2 weeks. It tastes good. I don’t feel deprived, but is that taste and feeling worth the extra 22 carbs that are in that little cookie? No I guess not. I am down to a size 18. I’m glad I kept these from 5 years ago. These are the last pants I have left before I have to start buying smaller sizes. I have a suitcase full of clothes that don’t fit me anymore. I have lost 63 lbs. Is that enough? Am I happy with the weight I am now? NO! So next time I have to put that damn cookie down and ask myself ARE YOUR REALLY HUNGRY? IS IT WORTH LOSING 2 LBS THIS WEEK INSTEAD OF 3? IS THAT TASTE OF CHOCOLATE WORTH NOT FEELING AS GOOD ABOUT MYSELF LATER? Are my results typical? For me I guess they are and if I want to keep it coming I better not use my great results as an excuse to slow down now!

Congrats! Welcome. It is a great place to live!

Hang in there BG! I believe in you. You can overcome anything. Even GS cookies!!!

Sure I would be happy to take a turn. After we finish this challenge we could do a 4 week St. Patrick's Day and then a 4 Week Easter Challenge. I think those numbers work out about like that. Is that long enough for a challenge or do you guys like them longer than that? I will take the St. Patrick's Challenge. We finish up on Saturday so next week when you post for the week give us your new goal.

Adorkable (8lbs): -2.0:smilielol5: Amethystjade (15lbs): -7.0, -2.0, -4.0-2.0:tt1: Bahotmomma (10lbs): -1:wub: Bella (12lbs): -2.0, -0.0, +0.0, -3:heart: Deboregon (10lbs): -8.4, +5.0, +4.0-8.2:tt1: Jmegirl (10lbs): -1.8, -0.4, -1.2-1:tt1: Julieann (15lbs): -3.9, -3.1, -3.1, -4.0, -2 :cursing: KayleighsMommy (15lbs): -2.0,-2.0, +0.0-1.0:tt1: Lapdancer (20lbs): -1.04, -8.0, -4.02-3.0:tt1: Lotzasunshine (13lbs): -4.0, -1.0, +0.0+0.0:tt1: Magaines (15lbs): -4.2, -2.0, +1.9:smilielol5: Minidriver (10lbs): -4.9, -1.5, +0.0+.5:tt1: MissMom: -5lbs:wub: PrtyAntOvrYt (11lbs): -2.0, -0.0, -2.0-2.4:tt1: Shelbi (7lbs): Well I gained .4 overnight. That is okay it all evens out. I lost -2 lbs which I am a little dissappointed with, but that is ok. I have already reached my Valentine's Challege I gave myself and besides I lost 4 lbs last week. That keeps me to an average of 3 a week. I increased my clalories a few too many days this week and Super Bowl was only part of the reason. I'm headed to the gym now. Great job everyone on their progress so far. We have one more week to go on this challenge. I am only about 8 lbs away from being halfway to goal! I can't wait to hit that spot. I also cancelled my fill for yesterday. I am pretty great right now. As long as I keep making good food choices I'm hoping onderland will be right around the corner or me. I am about out of the 220's! I was 205 8 years ago when I graduated from nursing school. I can't wait to be there again...only long enough to wave goodbye as I keep losing!

I haven't read all the pages to this forum. I guess that my first thought is that you SHOULDN't be bping all the time. That means you are eating the wrong foods or eating it in the wrong way. The band is only a tool. I would ask if you are eating soft foods or your solid protein first. Another big problem is head hunger. There was one time that I thought I was hungery. I stopped and asked myself if I was really hungery (that is what I had to do the first 3 months) and the answer was a resounding and very loud YES!!!! Then I stopped and tried to quiet all the thoughts, and work and family and stress going on im my head and just listen to my stomach. Guess what. I wasn't hungery. I could have sworn I was....but I wasn't so I didn't eat. Are you keeping an on-line journal? www.sparkpeople.com keeps me accountable for what I put in my mouth. If I decide to have a cookie it goes in my log. EVERYTHING goes in there and I watch my calories, protein and carbs!!!! It has taken 3 months, but it has really become a habit, or lifestyle. I know some people hate that word. I believe that head hunger is the biggest hurdle with the band!

Down another 3.7!!!! That make the scale 221.8. I can't wait to get out of the 220's! Good luck to everyong. I can't wait to hear how you have done this week.

I get about 800-1000 calories a day and I try to keep my carbs at 30 and protein above 60. If my carbs his 50 I try to double that for my protein. I start out in the morning eating something early to get my metabolism going.

I agree. Sparkpeople is the second best thing I have ever done to lose weight. If I keep track of what I eat it helps SO MUCH!!!! I too have routine foods now. I can't wait to hit that halfway point!

1. No his price does not cover any revisions that may need to be done, but hit rate of complications are EXTREMELY low as far as I know. 2. Dr. K is very nice and I have driven 14 hrs round trip for his fills because it cost just as much if not less than establishing with a different doctor. 3. I haven't had any problems. The first 3 months of fills are free and then they are just $15 each. I also like the way he does his fills. He doesn't put in a set amount he fills til you have restrictiction and then pulls back just a little so you aren't too tight. I think that is why I had restriction so quickly. A different doctor may have insisted on .5 or 1 cc each time. I am so happy I found Dr. K. I wouldn't have been able to afford it otherwise.

Karen, That's great! Way to go!

Good luck...keep us updated!

Great job BootyBee! Isn't banded life great!

What a difference! Great job!

Awesome Wendy! I am right there with you. It is so beautiful to be out of the 20s. I can't imagine getting smaller than this....but I will and so will you!!!

Wow You look Great too!! What a difference it can make!

You look GREAT Faith!

I do have support from my husband in so much as I talk to him and he listens. That is what I need and this sight gives me the rest of the support I need. I don't know if I will ever tell the people I work with. You can do it sarge!

Thanks Faith. At 5'4" I certainly would love to look taller!

11/14/08 I thought I would put down the guidelines I have gotten from other bandsters that have been successful. I have to remember these. I have been told over and over you don’t have to follow all of the guidelines all of the time, but most of them most of the time. So far so good. Here are the guidelines: Guidelines: • No liquid calories [except 2 servings of non fat milk (2 x 8 oz = 16 oz/day)] (16 grams of protein) • No soft foods • Two 3-4 ounce servings of protein/day (2 X 21-28 = 42-56 grams of protein) I have been getting about 80-120 a day. • Always eat the protein first, then the vegetables • Avoid bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and other starchy foods • 20-25 grams of fiber a day (Examples: bran cereal, fruits, vegetables, beans) • Eat only three small meals a day with maybe one small planned snack • Eat slowly and chew thoroughly • Stop eating as soon as you feel full • Do not drink while you are eating (This is the hardest for me.) • Do not eat between meals except for a planned snack • Eat only good quality foods • Avoid tough stringy foods • Drink plenty of liquids during the day (48-64 ounces) between meals • Drink only low calorie liquids • Exercise at least 30 minutes per day (I have to still work on how to fit this into my full time mom/wife, full time work, full time student day.) Your surgeon may have different guidelines

2-1-09 Now I hope that I don’t have people throwing things at me after I say this. I don’t know if I’m more afraid of having heavy objects thrown at me or food thrown at me. I could dodge the heavy items, but I might not try so hard if it is ice cream or pizza people are throwing at me. I‘ve been thinking the last few days that this should be harder than it is. Oh don’t get me wrong, in the beginning and post-op it was hard enough! But now it appears that I have hit my sweet spot. About 1 -1/2 cups of food and I am good. I don’t get hungry until my next meal. I follow all of the bandster guidelines that I posted here. I was even able to refuse free pizza last night (the best pizza in town even!) and I stopped to get the guys Sonic when we were in town but I ate the healthy food I had packed with me. Yesterday morning I worked out and as I was running all over doing stuff with the kids I couldn’t believe that my work out was done for the day. What I needed to do to lose weight was done for the day already and I was showered and dong family stuff at 9:45am on Saturday. How easy was that! I guess because I have gotten to the point that the food choices are a lifestyle I don’t really think that much about the diet factor anymore. I have to work on getting to the gym. Maybe that is why it seems so much easier. I have half as much to worry about. I’m not saying that I never eat anything that isn’t healthy. Last week I had a cookie after lunch and I also had a tiny square 3 musketeers, you know the bite size kind. I worked it into my calories for those days. Today might be tougher because I am going to a super bowl party today. I know they will have chili there so I will be able to eat that or else I would take some healthy choices myself. I might eat before we go over there so that I’m not hungry looking at all of the food. (I will probably do that!) Anyway I guess I know that it could become more challenging when I need another fill for if (knock on wood) something would happen and I would need a band revision. That scares me the most because this surgery won’t be paid off for another 5 years. Anyway I will take the feeling that this should be harder but is pretty easy at the moment because I knwow the closer I get to goal the harder it will be to lose. I talked to my family practice doc a couple of days ago. I told him that I was going to wait until I was halfway to goal to let him know but since I was working in his office I just couldn’t keep it to myself since I had lost 60 lbs already. He was shocked and asked what I meant by not being halfway to goal. How much did I expect to lose. What was my goal? That really surprised me. I told him my goal was a healthy BMI. I don’t think he ever expected me to be able to lose that much. Yes, I am his first lap band patient. (I’m pretty sure.) My sister and I had a conversation a few years back about people in my family not being able to be “skinny” and weigh anything close to 140 because we are ….”big boned” (yeah don’t stop me if you’ve heard this because we have all heard this or thought this at one time or another) “We just aren’t built to be skinny.” I disagreed with her and now I am going to prove her wrong! I will be surprising them with my weight loss in July. I can’t wait. I should be down 100 lbs by then!:smile:

2-1-09 Now I hope that I don’t have people throwing things at me after I say this. I don’t know if I’m more afraid of having heavy objects thrown at me or food thrown at me. I could dodge the heavy items, but I might not try so hard if it is ice cream or pizza people are throwing at me. I‘ve been thinking the last few days that this should be harder than it is. Oh don’t get me wrong, in the beginning and post-op it was hard enough! But now it appears that I have hit my sweet spot. About 1 -1/2 cups of food and I am good. I don’t get hungry until my next meal. I follow all of the bandster guidelines that I posted here. I was even able to refuse free pizza last night (the best pizza in town even!) and I stopped to get the guys Sonic when we were in town but I ate the healthy food I had packed with me. Yesterday morning I worked out and as I was running all over doing stuff with the kids I couldn’t believe that my work out was done for the day. What I needed to do to lose weight was done for the day already and I was showered and dong family stuff at 9:45am on Saturday. How easy was that! I guess because I have gotten to the point that the food choices are a lifestyle I don’t really think that much about the diet factor anymore. I have to work on getting to the gym. Maybe that is why it seems so much easier. I have half as much to worry about. I’m not saying that I never eat anything that isn’t healthy. Last week I had a cookie after lunch and I also had a tiny square 3 musketeers, you know the bite size kind. I worked it into my calories for those days. Today might be tougher because I am going to a super bowl party today. I know they will have chili there so I will be able to eat that or else I would take some healthy choices myself. I might eat before we go over there so that I’m not hungry looking at all of the food. (I will probably do that!) Anyway I guess I know that it could become more challenging when I need another fill for if (knock on wood) something would happen and I would need a band revision. That scares me the most because this surgery won’t be paid off for another 5 years. Anyway I will take the feeling that this should be harder but is pretty easy at the moment because I knwow the closer I get to goal the harder it will be to lose. I talked to my family practice doc a couple of days ago. I told him that I was going to wait until I was halfway to goal to let him know but since I was working in his office I just couldn’t keep it to myself since I had lost 60 lbs already. He was shocked and asked what I meant by not being halfway to goal. How much did I expect to lose. What was my goal? That really surprised me. I told him my goal was a healthy BMI. I don’t think he ever expected me to be able to lose that much. Yes, I am his first lap band patient. (I’m pretty sure.) My sister and I had a conversation a few years back about people in my family not being able to be “skinny” and weigh anything close to 140 because we are ….”big boned” (yeah don’t stop me if you’ve heard this because we have all heard this or thought this at one time or another) “We just aren’t built to be skinny.” I disagreed with her and now I am going to prove her wrong! I will be surprising them with my weight loss in July. I can’t wait. I should be down 100 lbs by then!:blushing: