julie.ann

Toots, I'm glad you checked in. You look like you are doing great!

HUMM.... Do you keep track of everything you eat on a site like sparkpeople or the dailyplate? Those are great to see where you are doing well and where you need to improve. Do you know your calorie intake? I think it sounds like you are doing the right things. Do you need a fill. It sounds like you aren't in the "green zone" if your weight loss has slowed or stopped. That might jumpstart you again!

I know what you mean. I am a ways away, but I too am worried about maintenance. I've never been there before. It is a challenge I can't wait to take on!!! :confused: That is AWESOME! I wish i would hit -100 by 6 months, but I've got another 13 lbs to go. Oh well it will be here by month 7! You have done great! I can't believe that the 190's are on my scale! I'm sure you feel the same way. Seeing the 180s will be surreal!:thumbdown:

Thanks! Change mine to 13.6

I did take my friend and it was great! My 7 hour drive FLEW BY! I told her about it and she was very curious and I loved answering questions about it. I don't answer questions since I keep this to myself. I think I made the right decision to share it with another friend. I have one more that I will share with when the time is right. Thanks for asking. Funny thing with this fill....it is my noon meal that seems to be tight. Morning and night is no problem generally. Strange. I'm glad your fill is doing great things for you too!

nrpnrp: Wow look how close you are to goal! That is amazing! Way to go!

I'm not sure what to put down. I weigh 198.6 which is still kind of unbelieveable! So I have 13.6 to lose to hit goal so I guess I might have been off on my goal to lose. So I guess put me down for -4.9 unless our weigh in starts next Monday. I just got a fill on Friday and usually it take about 10-14 days to kick in. Not this time! It has kicked in. I have to watch my bites and chew. I haven't had to do that in a long long time. We'll see what this next couple of weeks has in store!

I drank a shake a day or more as directed. It helped to get my protein in. I also started keeping track of my food on an on lin journal. I use www.sparkpeople.com. You can also use the dailyplate.com or lapband has one too now. I baked my chicken and also baked turkey breast for the week. I loved to eat my turkey breast with cottage cheese and peas. I love it, although it might sound gross to some. :thumbdown:

I am so sorry that you had this experience and I'm glad the next fill atempt was better, but please don't tell the newly banded an unbanded that the doctor always has to push in a bunch on your stomach for a fill because my doctor never had any problems at all finding mine with a tiny bit of palpation. Good luck on your latest fill. I know the one I just got kicked in immediately which was a big change for me. Keep us updated on progress!

I stuck to chicken breast, pot roast, red meat and allowed myself some carbs but absolutely positively NO BREAD, PASTA, RICE or POTATOES!!!

It is a mother's dream for their children to be the best they can and as happy as possible. That is what is in her mind. I have a 15 year old and as stupid as we mothers can be that is usually the basis of most of the stupid, idiotic, unfeeling, rude comments made. With that said I know it doesn't make it hurt any less. Let her know. "Mom, I know you want me to be as happy as you know I can be and as comfortable as I will be when I reach my goals, but in the mean time just support me. 'You look great! I know you can meet every goal you have.' will be the best thing you can say to me to support me." It might not help, but at least you have done what you can and carefully and lovingly voiced your feelings. You can do it!!!!

Okay....so much for it taking 10 days for the fill to kick in! I had a fill two days ago and I can tell!!! I even have to really watch my bites I haven't had to do that in months. I have to admit that I am a little worried about how tight I will get in the next 10 - 14 days. I guess we will see. Maybe this will get me just where I need to be. For the first time I didn't schedule my next appointment. We will play it by ear. I am hoping that it will be 2-3months or more before I need to go back. My six month banniversary is coming up. I will post pics soon. I can't believe that my next goal is the -100lb mark. So far I am down 86!!!

Okay....so much for it taking 10 days for the fill to kick in! I had a fill two days ago and I can tell!!! I even have to really watch my bites I haven't had to do that in months. I have to admit that I am a little worried about how tight I will get in the next 10 - 14 days. I guess we will see. Maybe this will get me just where I need to be. For the first time I didn't schedule my next appointment. We will play it by ear. I am hoping that it will be 2-3months or more before I need to go back. My six month banniversary is coming up. I will post pics soon. I can't believe that my next goal is the -100lb mark. So far I am down 86!!!

April 4, 2009 Well the day is here! It is time to do the ONEderland Happy Dance!!!! I can’t believe it!!! I want to scream it to the heavens! I had this grand goal to hit it by April 1st. It happened a few days late, but who am I to complain? I just can’t believe it! In under 6 months I have gone from 285lbs to 199lbs. I just can’t believe it! My next goal is to get to the century mark and lose 100 lbs. That is about 15 lbs and my next goal is Memorial Day. I have big news on top of that. I shared my experience with a friend. This sounds like a small thing, but it isn’t for me. I have a 7 hour drive one way for a fill and I asked a friend to go with me. About 45 minutes into the drive I told her why we were headed out to Denver. I was very nervous about sharing with someone else. I’m not ready for everyone to know. I guess I am more ready than I have been in the past because it isn’t a question of whether or not I will be successful. She told me that sooner or later people or going to start to wonder if I had something done because usually people plateau and I haven’t yet. She might have a point, but have to tell people on my terms when I am ready. She even came back and saw me get a fill. I did get a fill yesterday. I was on the fence about whether or not to get one. I have been doing pretty good. I was surprised that I needed 0.6cc. Everything went down without a hitch after that….water, lunch, supper. No problem and we will see how things set in about 10 days when the fill takes effect. I still find it funny that it takes that long to kick in. Well this fat girl will keep doing the happy dance all day and someday I might realize that I’m not the fat girl I used to be. I still have a long way to go, but I’m not sure when my head will catch up with my weight.

April 4, 2009 Well the day is here! It is time to do the ONEderland Happy Dance!!!! I can’t believe it!!! I want to scream it to the heavens! I had this grand goal to hit it by April 1st. It happened a few days late, but who am I to complain? I just can’t believe it! In under 6 months I have gone from 285lbs to 199lbs. I just can’t believe it! My next goal is to get to the century mark and lose 100 lbs. That is about 15 lbs and my next goal is Memorial Day. I have big news on top of that. I shared my experience with a friend. This sounds like a small thing, but it isn’t for me. I have a 7 hour drive one way for a fill and I asked a friend to go with me. About 45 minutes into the drive I told her why we were headed out to Denver. I was very nervous about sharing with someone else. I’m not ready for everyone to know. I guess I am more ready than I have been in the past because it isn’t a question of whether or not I will be successful. She told me that sooner or later people or going to start to wonder if I had something done because usually people plateau and I haven’t yet. She might have a point, but have to tell people on my terms when I am ready. She even came back and saw me get a fill. I did get a fill yesterday. I was on the fence about whether or not to get one. I have been doing pretty good. I was surprised that I needed 0.6cc. Everything went down without a hitch after that….water, lunch, supper. No problem and we will see how things set in about 10 days when the fill takes effect. I still find it funny that it takes that long to kick in. Well this fat girl will keep doing the happy dance all day and someday I might realize that I’m not the fat girl I used to be. I still have a long way to go, but I’m not sure when my head will catch up with my weight.

That is great BG! When is the date?

Thanks Don, You know I have been really lucky in that I have had pretty good results without needing to REALLY watch my bites and such. Today we had a covered dish dinner at church and I had to excuse myself for a few minutes. I was more careful with my bites and chew, chew, chew....but it has been a long time since I had to worry about chewing everything so well. I guess I will see over the next week or so how it goes. I am out of town on business all next week. I'll just have to be careful.

I have a question for you. Usually after a fill it doesn't start to kick in for about 10 days. This one is pretty obvious right away. What is your experience? I am happy to feel a difference right away, but in the same breath I am afraid I will get too tight in about 10 days since that is usually when I get the most benefit. What is your experience?

No, don't have regrets yet. Once you get to the sweet spot it is great! I do track everything I eat on www.sparkpeople.com. Lapband now has something that will do this too. I have heard people like thedailyplate.com as well. It really helps me see what I am doing and where to improve. Get another fill if you still have hunger less than 4 hours after eating and watch the difference between real hunger and head hunger. The craving went away once I took bread, pasta, rice and potatoes out of my diet. It took a couple of weeks, but then what a difference! Hang in there. Find the green zone. You can do it!

:thumbup::cool2::scared2: ONEderland happy dance!

Well my goal is to hit the -100 lbs. That would put me down for 18.5 lbs.

Down 1.5 lbs. I weigh 201.5 I just got a fill today. We'll see how that goes.

I am so close to ONEderland and my goal weight for this challenge is a big milestone. My goal weight is 185 and that will put me at the -100lb mark. I can't even imagine!:wink: I like weighing in on Monday's that is when I do my personal weigh in so it is ideal for me. Thanks for keeping track Bella!

YAY!!!! That is awesome! Three weeks and we will see you on this side! That is GREAT!!!

Sounds to me like you need a fill too! The band is a tool, yes. And just like any other tool it won't work without you. If you buy a hammer because you need to pound a nail into the wall and then lay it on the table it isn't going to get up and do the task for you. The band is the same way. Just having it isn't enough. You need good follow up care and get fills until you are where you need to be. I remember wondering for my first two fills if I needed a fill. Boy I had no idea how much I needed a fill. When you hit the sweet spot.....well it is SWEET!