julie.ann

Has it really been over a month since I have blogged? The newbies won't even know me! Well let me introduce myself. My name is Julie. I was banded 8 months ago in October and have lost 107 lbs.

Yay me! Now let's talk turkey.....

The band and I just had our first big battle. Now don't get me wrong. The band is in charge, as always, but for the first time I started to get a little pissy at it...always thinking he knows just what I can and can't eat.

My son left today for overseas on a 10 day trip, I have hit a plateau the last few weeks and I was feeling like I needed a little old fashioned comfort food. For me that is pizza.

What a coincidence.... I just happen to have some homemade (from scratch) pizza in fridge left over from last night. The first time I cooked pizza from scratch in 8 months! Last night I just picked off teh toppings and such. Well none of that sissy crap for me today. I wanted P-I-Z-Z-A dipped in sauce!

So the band said no. .....then I said "DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A BET? I'LL EAT SLOW AND YOU CAN'T STOP ME!!!!!"

Then the band said in a small yet confident voice..."Go ahead honey. Just give it a try. You will regret it. I wish you would listen to me....but if not we'll see what happens."

So the band won...then I tried another battle and he won that one too. :confused: It wasn't pretty. So I sat down with some ice cream and HE couldn't stop me from eating that so I feel like crap now. Blah.....

So I am going to lay off of the weight training and get back to more cardio and add some Zumba classes. I have been at the gym 5-6 days a week all summer and I need to be careful I don't burn out.

I'm going to surprise my family at the end of this month. They still don't know I have lost all this weight and I want to tell them I had surgery.

I have been just a couple of pounds away from no longer being obese, but that might have to wait while I realign my routine.

Stay cool this 4th of July!

High /Surgery/Current/Goal

285.5/ 271 / 177.5 142.5

Banded - 10/29/08 Four fills - 4.7cc/10cc

Read My Blog: My Secret Journey

Touch Below To View My Pics (More on my profile)

[ATTACH]151[/ATTACH]

BG- I know I've been away from the blogs for a while. I still check in with my forums everyday. I hear you talking about knowing what it is like to PB and I just feel like a proud momma. You are growing up so fast.

I'll try to keep in touch. How much have you lost so far in what amount of time?

First of all you can eat ALMOST anything. Second...what does she think will happen if you can't eat something? Is she worried about depression? Is she worried that you won't be happy? Is she worried about what will happen if you change? Is she worried about what will happen if you lose weight? If you are healthier and more outgoing?

I would be very honest with her. The type of honesty that is difficult to give because it hurts. Why do you want to lose weight. What can't you do that you want to do. My husband didn't realize the worries and pains I had because of my weight because he had never experienced it. Once I really showed him my feelings and was honest he began to understand that her really couldn't every completely understand what it was like for me.

Let her know what your goals are. Just be very open.

People say that I follow South Beach. I don't know about that. I've never read about South Beach. Follow the bandster guidelines. They are posted towards the beginning of my blog. I also have a blog entry that lists some of my favorite foods.

Here are the basics.

No bread, pasta, rice or potatoes.

No water 30 min before or after meals.

Eat Lean protein first to fill you up.

I eat lots of protein every day. 70-120 gms per day. (turkey breast, chicken, I am addicted to cottage cheese..I know it is soft food, but I mix it with my meat and it helps things go down easier.)

I work to keep carbs low. usually 30-50 daily...more towards 30.

WORK OUT! I started to commit to 3 times a week for 30 minutes a day. Now I go about 5-6 days a week.

If you log onto www.sparkpeople.com and look me up (nursemom5) you can find my food diary and see what I eat.

Good luck. If I can do it anyone can!

Cut our ALL carbs (stay under 10-20 a day) and eat only protein. that will drop you pretty quickly. All lean meats (Chicken breast and turkey cooked in a health way...baked) This will also kick cravings by the end of the two weeks too. get on a site like www.sparkpeople.com to keep track of what you eat. It will count your calories, carbs and protein for you!

You can vomit or "PB" which stands for Productive Burp. This can happen if your band is too tight and/or you take too big of bites or eat the wrong kind of food.

It really matters how much you listen to your band. If you continually make bad decisions then you may vomit alot. The more you vomit the better chance you have for a slipped band. You ahve to listen to the bands. She is in control! If she says no then don't you can't force it. If you test the issue to prove YOU are in control then she will push back and prove that ultimately she is!

I was a Diet Coke Addict and drank Coke up until the night before surgery. it wasn't hard for me to quit because I dont' want to take the chance of stretching out my band. My doc even said that people will try to sit a soda out until it goes flat and then drink it, but there is still carbonation and so they could stretch their pouch.

I want to recommed the wal-mart brand of Crystal Light---- Pink Limade. It is my favorite! No calories and I drink it more than I drank water and I used to LOVE to drink just water. It also helps me satisfy my sweet tooth and gives me taste so I don't notice the hours I go without food.

Ready to be thin - I started right away (with pre-op) working not to eat unless my stomach was empty. I hope you will read my blogs from the beginning. High protein helped with hunger too until I had restriction. I thought I was lucky and the band started working early, then after the first or second fill I really started to know how the band worked. It really dimmed my hunger. After fill 4 I KNOW restriction. I have to be CAREFULL. It is getting better now 2 months after my last fill. Work on getting in your protein. Keep your carbs low to keep the cravings away and keep track of everything you eat. I use sparkpeople.com. You can find me on there with the name of NURSEMOM5.

Julie - You almost made me cry with your message. Thank you. I blog for me and for others just like you. It is scarey at first! What if it doesn't work for me? What if I am wasting my money?

You can do it. Watch the hunger. Learn the difference. That is the most important thing I have learned that I will always know now wether I have the band or not!

Was it hard? Not as hard and I thought, but I wouldn't want to do it again.

Browse my blog to find out more about my journey. I kept it a secret for most of my journey so far and just about a month ago told some friends. People are now starting to talk about how I did it. A few have wondered out loud if I had surgery.

I know someday I will get PS, but I have another 4 1/2 years until I have my lapband surgery paid off so I will have to wait until then unless something else happens.:thumbup:

Depressing to know that it will be 5 years before I can get this extra skin taken care of and my breast will keep sagging until then too. I want the headlights back on bright instead of pointing to my toes. I think I would even be happy with my body now if I could have PS. I think I would be able to fit into a size 10 then (I am wearing a size 12 now) and I never even thought about wearing a size smaller than that. I remember wanting to wear a size 16 and couldn't imagine fitting into a size 14. (Don't get me wrong I would rather have extra skin than 100 xtra pounds!!!!)

I am getting to the point where I can tell a difference in my shoulders and face. I look in the mirror now and think, "Wow! Is that me?" I think my double chin has practiaclly dissapeared and I have cheek bones. I even wore a tank top when I went golfing with my hubby yesterday!!! That is a NSV! :w00t:

While lying in bed last night on my side my hubby started to "caress" (for lack of a better word) my hip bone. Not like when I started to feel my hip bone when I tried, but it is really THERE!

I was kind of complaining about being fat last month and DH tapped my rib cage. I told him that hurt and I rubbed the spot and he said, 'That's because I hit bone, not soft stuff." It kind of surprised me that he was right.

Another NSV.....I like the way I look in my swimsuit. Now don't get me wrong, I don't have a two piece or anything. It is a solid one piece with a little skirt, but I feel good in it! Who would have ever thought. :eek:

This week end has been a bad one for me. I am dealing with a lot with my daughter and I used food. I will be okay. Weekends are the hardest for me. I will be back on track starting now and the scale will keep moving.

[ATTACH]126[/ATTACH][ATTACH]127[/ATTACH]

High /Surgery/Current/Goal

285.5/ 271 / 182.8/ 142.5

Banded - 10/29/08 Four fills - 4.7cc/10cc

Tig,

You are doing great. It is funny that each one of us seem to have our own little vices that sneak back up on us. It is a life long battle.

Keep up the good work.

Only down 25 lbs???? You've done great! keep up the great work. Keep track of what you eat. I love using www.sparkpeople.com for my on-line journal. It is the second best tool I have.

Thanks guys for the kind words. BG you are are great support person on here for so many!!!!

Life is throwing me some curveballs and I need to remember to be happy for what I have done and what I still will accomplish. 42 lbs to go! I'm still losing...slow and steady now.

I think that I can make a couple of points about this. First let me say I have the Lapband brand and I too wondered about the Realize band for different reasons. Some say you lose faster with Lapband than Realize. I think part of that is because you need more fills. If you have a doctor that is quick with the fills then it may not make a difference. My doctore fills until you feel restriction and then backs off until you can drink without any problems. You may get several cc put in a time. If you doctor only puts in .5 cc at a time then, yes the weight loss may take much longer.

As far as the high vs low profile port....when that was my concern until I realized that if I loose enough weight for this to be a problem then it is a problem I would much rather have than the extra weight. I am planning on PS in the next 5 years (after my WLS is paid off) and they can reposition my port then and maybe give me a lower profil port or put in deeper.

Neither is going to be a "bad decision". You have already made the right decision by getting banded.

Why did I decide to get the LB? Well I decided that if LB would get me quicker results then that might help me keep on track. 7 months later and 100lbs gone, I am happy with my decision. I think I would have been happy either way. I guess only time will tell how things go.

Just dropping in to say YAY! I have lost 100 lbs which makes my Memorial Day Goal!!!!

The weight is coming off more slowly becuase I haven't been sticking to my high protein diet like I was. I am still losing and that what matters and it really is more on a lifetime diet. I know I have been eating in a way that will drop the weight off quickly. I have still been working hard, but high protein will drop the weight faster than any other type of diet that I have found. I have lost about 7 lbs this month instead of 10-13lbs.

I love dropping the weight fast, but I feel like I am starting the point in my journey that really gets to the real life eating. Sometimes I don't make the best, most nutritious choices, but I have been very rare breaking a single rule until after my first 6 months. Working out continues to be a major part of my journey. I have started a weight training program at my gym. It is giving me variety and that is what I need to keep it interesting.

Is losing 6 or 7 lbs instead of 10-12 lbs a month worth the extra here and there that I am eating? I guess that is the question. Everyone needs to aswer that for themselve.

I am really happy with how I look, but I know I am not done yet. I saw myself in pictures this weekend. (BSN Graduation) and I was very unhappy with what I saw. I guess maybe I need to see more pictures to get me motivated again.

I am still following most of the bandster guidelines most of the time. I am less than 43 away from goal so I could still make my goal of being half the person I was just one year post op. We will see what happens.

That's okay. In Bandlandia dreams really do come true!

You know what I have found? Anytime I have looked at the numbers and at the goal I slow down. If I look at doing what I am supposed to each day. One day at a time then the weight melts off.

Good luck. I know how you feel. I can't wait to see the 170s!

Also, she told me to learn the difference betweeen a LAPSE, RELAPSE and COLLAPSE. That I need to be conscious of those three stages and to understand that the first one WILL happen, the second one will happen if I let it and the third one is a choice that I am making.

This is a great way of looking at this. Thanks!

Great post! Cheers to the band. Our best friend!

That is great MyMy! Remember what it was like just 6 months ago? YUCK! Those days are behind you now!

Wendy,

I KNOW! Still blows my mind. I look in my closet and I don't know which pair of cute jeans to wear! I'm used to having ONE pair of jeans I like because they are comfortable.

American Eagle......Tommy Hilfiger....Maurices....Old Navy.....WOW! Are those really in MY closet?????

I love to just go and try on clothes. Of course they are second hand because who can afford to keep buying new clothes?

i think it is funny after almost 100 lbs people say "So have you had to buy a new wardrobe yet?" I want to say...Ah,.....YA THINK!

HE HE it is so much fun now. I am starting to have to be careful because I am starting to spend too much on clothes!

Have fun!!!

I have heard some people say that they open the band with a warm drink in the morning to get her going. I have had some problems that have resolved as long as I mix textures. I love to mixe cottage cheese with roast beef or turkey although the turkey has been giving me a harder time lately and I am not doing very much of it anymore.

If you are gravitating toward soft foods it is sounding like you have soft food syndrome and my need a small unfill. Too tight is just as bad or worse than too lose. Soft food will slide right through without doing it's job.

I suggest you call your doctor.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Go (or send a friend) to get some miralx. Watch the amount of pain meds you are taking and get plenty of hydration. You don't want to get completely constipated. Stool softners help and are not adictive.

Did I ever regret? Never. It has been 6 months. I have lost 98 lbs. It has been hard work. Really hard work, but worth it!

I too have found that I traded one addiction to another. Mine was of course eating....I traded it for following the bandsters guidelines. It has been great because that is how I have had such good results, but I know that I need everything in moderation.

I know how you feel about keeping this a secret. I didn't tell anyone until about 5 months post-op (I had lost 80 lbs) and I still haven't told my family that live halfway across the country.

This is the best support group. Keep blogging. It has been a lifesaver for me.

You will meet people on here that you will consider friends. I hope you have found the forums and get with a group of people that were banded this month. It is a great resource because they are people that are going through what you are going through at the same time....then you have the blogs and other forums for advice from the people that have been banded a while and doing great.

The best advice I can give you is in my blog. My Secret Journey. Start at the last page first and you'll find things like Banster's Guidelines and What My Band Does Form Me and How I am doing what I am doing. I hope they will be helpful.