julie.ann

It is time to blog. I have been away far too long. Let talk about my band. My band is perfect. I have restriction (or whatever you want to call the perfect adjustment) I get full quickly. My hunger is controled. So now you get to hear about what happens if you don't do your part. You gain weight! I have gained. I don't know how much. I don't want to step on my Wii Fit to find out. So here is the perfect example of why you have to work the band. It doesn't do all the work for you. I have only been hitting the gym about twice a week. I have been eating unhealthy food and I have been eating when I am not hungry. I haven't been keeping track on what I am eating. I know that I can come here and no one will judge me, but I also know that I need to start blogging again and getting back to the rules. -Keep track of what I eat (on sparkpeople) -Cardio at least 3 times a week -Don't eat unless I am hungry -Solid protien first then a health side until I am full I have heard plenty of storied of people that say that the band doesn't work. Well I lost 115 lbs in one year. The band works for me, but I know if I don't work at it I will fail. The band helps. It makes it easier, but if I don't want it bad enough I will gain the weight back. I can lose more weight and all I have to do is follow the rules. I have found that since I have given up almost all bread, pasta, rice and potatoes that I have developed a killer sweet tooth. I have to get that stuff out of my system. I am really looking forward to the New Year to jump start my loss, but I am starting right now! I also have to admit and face the fact that I am an emotional eater. I have been banded over a year and lost over 100 lbs and I am STILL and emotional eater. We are looking at putting our 16 year old daughter in a Christian based residential program because of her bad choices and everytime I think about it and have to deal iwth it I want to eat. I feel it like an alcoholic looking for a drink. I am looking to pick up a part time job to make an extra $2000 a month to put her in this 15 month program. I work Monday through Friday days and now I may have to work Friday and Saturday nights (RN). I worry about working more and working out less and emotional eating. I guess every day is a new set of challenges. I know blogging with help and I am so glad that I have this place to come!

It is time to blog. I have been away far too long. Let talk about my band. My band is perfect. I have restriction (or whatever you want to call the perfect adjustment) I get full quickly. My hunger is controled. So now you get to hear about what happens if you don't do your part. You gain weight! I have gained. I don't know how much. I don't want to step on my Wii Fit to find out. So here is the perfect example of why you have to work the band. It doesn't do all the work for you. I have only been hitting the gym about twice a week. I have been eating unhealthy food and I have been eating when I am not hungry. I haven't been keeping track on what I am eating. I know that I can come here and no one will judge me, but I also know that I need to start blogging again and getting back to the rules. -Keep track of what I eat (on sparkpeople) -Cardio at least 3 times a week -Don't eat unless I am hungry -Solid protien first then a health side until I am full I have heard plenty of storied of people that say that the band doesn't work. Well I lost 115 lbs in one year. The band works for me, but I know if I don't work at it I will fail. The band helps. It makes it easier, but if I don't want it bad enough I will gain the weight back. I can lose more weight and all I have to do is follow the rules. I have found that since I have given up almost all bread, pasta, rice and potatoes that I have developed a killer sweet tooth. I have to get that stuff out of my system. I am really looking forward to the New Year to jump start my loss, but I am starting right now! I also have to admit and face the fact that I am an emotional eater. I have been banded over a year and lost over 100 lbs and I am STILL and emotional eater. We are looking at putting our 16 year old daughter in a Christian based residential program because of her bad choices and everytime I think about it and have to deal iwth it I want to eat. I feel it like an alcoholic looking for a drink. I am looking to pick up a part time job to make an extra $2000 a month to put her in this 15 month program. I work Monday through Friday days and now I may have to work Friday and Saturday nights (RN). I worry about working more and working out less and emotional eating. I guess every day is a new set of challenges. I know blogging with help and I am so glad that I have this place to come!

Well I just weighed for the first time in 2 weeks and I put on 1 pound. I am pretty happy with that considering how I have been eating and drinking (parties and such) gives me hope again! I hit the gym again yesterday and had a great day following the bandster guidelines. I know if I get back on track I could lose the 6.5 lbs that I have gain in the past few months. My problem???? Not following the guidelines!!! Back in the saddle......

Just catching up. I wasn't part of the social thread either, but it would be nice to see some activitiy with those of us that were banded last October!

One day during the summer of 2008 I was talking to a friend that has RnY surgery. I told her if I could have surgery then it would be LAP-BAND®®. I had researched options and decided that it would be the best for me. She told me that only thing she ever regretted was that she didn't do it sooner. I hate regrets and that was when I decided that I didn't want to look back and say that I should have done this when I was in my 30's. It was months later that talked to my husband about LAP-BAND®® again. Other times he had brushed off the idea. He has always told me that he thinks I am beautiful. He would never comment against my weight. One night after being intimate...and embarrassed about how I felt I opened up to him. I told him about how I felt moving in bed to get comfortable with pillows. I told him how it is for me to fly and how I am always worried that the seat belt won't buckle or that people are worried they will have to sit next to me. I told him that I hate to sit on the bleachers and watch the kids because I feel like a lump on a log. I feel like no one wants to talk to me because of my weight. I hate the way I feel. I can't cross my legs or walk up the stairs without becoming winded. After bearing my soul he agreed to supporting me in getting the surgery. I didn't realize that within 3 months I would have that opportunity. I had a phone consult in September and was scheduled for surgery on October 29th, 2008. I lost 14 lbs on my pre-op diet. Dr. K said something that just clicked. If you aren't hungry don't eat. That sounds simple, but it is the one lesson that has helped me more than any other. Within weeks I could start wearing clothes that had been too small for me. In a couple of weeks I was more comfortable with my husband. It took months for people to notice my weight loss because I had to lose 40 lbs before it was obvious. Six months after surgery I walked onto an airplane, walked down the isle without turning sideways sat down and crossed my legs. I almost cried. I have learned where to shop for good clothes that you only wear 2 months. Where am I one year later? I have lost 115 pounds. It is completely unreal to be a person that can say something like that! I am no different than you are. I follow the guidelines. I work hard. It is not an easy way out. The band dims your appetite. It helps you get full faster. I can tell you if I can do it then you can do it too. I hope you will take the time to read my blog. If you want to know how I did it...that will tell you all about my journey. I am still working hard. I love life. I love to dress up and dress down to go to my kids ballgames. I love to travel. I love to see myself in pictures with my family. It is all possible. If I can do this then you can too! Much love!

WOW! Great job!

He Kansas Girl. I am from the great wheat state too! Where are you from? I know what you mean about re-committing. I have been off track for a very short time, but I am always worried about whether or not this will be the time I lose my way. I am just over a year out from my band.

Hang in there! A couple of days is going to make such a difference!

Try different protien shakes. Found one I really like. The others suck! I like the AdvantEdge milk chocolate from EAS. I buy mine at Walmart. Get some protein in your body. I used protein "shots" for the first week or so. You can get it at GNC or a healthfood store and it looks like a gian test tube. It is just liquid protein. Tastes gross (drink it fast) but it will help with weekness and light headedness. Are you a cafiene drinker? If so your headeache maybe from cafeine withdrawl. Have some tea. I know you ar tempted to eat something solid but you need your stomach to rest so the band heals in place. The more your stomach has to work at digestion the more it will move around. Hand in there. Welcom to Bandster Hell. You'll make it through!

Mine is up higher. It is sore at first and not comfortable to lay on. As I have lost weight if I am laying down and look at my tummy (without a shirt) and do a crunch I can see my port. (maybe someone explain this as "sticking out". ) It just looks like a little bump under the skin. When I have a tummy tuck for my extra skin and final tummy fat I hope to have it moved deeper to make it harder to see. It isn't gross and hubby doesn't notice it unless I bring attention to it. I have lost 115 lbs so it is easy to feel now. When they give your band a fill (inject saline in to make it tighter around your stomach to curb your appitite and make you get full faster) they use a needle and go right through the skin. Just a pin prick. It hurts more when you give blood. It is a common type of port that is used for long term IV medications for people with chronic illness. They call it a Port-a-Cath. That goes into your vien, but this is hooked up to the band. You might go to the lapband website. I think they have some good videos about the band and how the port works when you get a fill. www.lapband.com. It isn't easy, but it is easier to lose the weight if you use the band they way it can be used.

Yeah, I was doing good until our jr. high halloween party here last night. I ate so much crap I felt nauseas going to bed last night. How did I ever do this on a regular basis? Yuck!

That is awesome! It is so much fun. Wait until you get to the point that you really like your wardrobe and your almost pleasantly frustrated that clothes are not fitting right because they are too big. You will get there!

Hey I just left you a message wondering where you had gone off to. Now I know. Welcome back. Good job on a tiny gain and losing it so quickly. You know before the band that might have been when you would have continued to stray. Great job at getting right back to it! Bless you for your kind words by the way. You are awesome too! Take care and keep in touch!

Thanks girls.BG, Working with a trainer to sculpt may be a good idea....it's like $15 an hour, but maybe I can make it a Christmas present to myself. xavier - Maybe you are right the tree trunk waist (perfect way to describe it by the way) will be the last to go. That means if I want to lose it I have to keep going, but eventually it has to come off right? At some point I can't look like a tree trunk. *big sigh*.....

You know I want to start out by saying that I am going to get a little whiney and for those of you who cannot sympathize with Goal Limbo then you are going to hate this post. But I come here to voice my NSV, my SV and so I will post my whining too. I will attach a couple of pictures here. These are my 1 year full body pictures. I have my pre-op pics on my profile page if you want to see. I'm not at my home comptuer or I would upload those. I am so very not happy with my body. I'm not talking about the drooping girls in front. I have to expect that after losing 115 lbs. I am talking about my "big" tummy and the fact that from the side I have no waiste. AT ALL! How depressing is that? When I see myself in the mirror and in pictures (which is the real test) I am actually pretty happy with my front view. I have never had to worry about hips like one of my sisters. I am broad acrose the back, but that has gotten more propotionate lately and with my "sucker-inner" as I call my cami-body hugger I don't have a lot of loose looking skin and it help keeps the girls up. (without the sucker-inner it isn't quite as pretty ) From the side I have absolutely no waste. Infact I think my belt in is direct allignment to the girls up top. People at work call me skinny, which doesn't tick me off like it used to when I thought they were kind of making fun of me. I had a girl at work that thought I weighed 130 lbs. Okay that made me wonder if she was making fun of me again, but I don't think she was. I weigh 170 and I told her so, but I am pretty fit and wear a size 11/12. I would LOVE to go down one more size and hit a 9/10 comfortablly. But I digress..... What is wrong with me? What is wrong with my body. I am a short little thing. Only 5'4". I know that makes a big difference in the way I carry my weight. I know that one year ago when I was wearing a size 22/24 I would have swore when I fit into a size 11/12 that I would be estatic with my body. Now all I see is fat when I look at my profile in the mirror. Oh another thing on these pictures is that I still have a !@#$% double chin! WHAT? I thought I got rid of that. I will have to walk around with my nose in the air so that thing isn't as noticable! Oh I know what some of you are thinking....."What is she complaining about? If I could lose that weight I would be so happy I would never complain" Yeah, I hope that is true because it is what I thought a year ago. Maybe this is good. I have been so happy with my weight and my body that I have gone into maintaince mode. I guess maybe I needed to get to point where I am not happy to get my weight loss moving again. I am so frustrated, but on the bright side it makes me want to go to the gym. It is funny when I first hit this weight and this size I thought I looked good. I am starting to see how skinny girls can actually with a straight face say they think they are fat. I always kind of thought that it was a ploy to get attention, but they actually look in the mirror and don't see a nice figure. Oh this sucks. I guess I will ride the rollercoaster, hopefully get a few more pounds off of my body and hope for a waist line. I have to wait another 4 years before my surgery is paid off and I can get a tummy tuck/ lipo and a breast lift. I hope the next four years seem to go as fast as the last one!

You know I want to start out by saying that I am going to get a little whiney and for those of you who cannot sympathize with Goal Limbo then you are going to hate this post. But I come here to voice my NSV, my SV and so I will post my whining too. I will attach a couple of pictures here. These are my 1 year full body pictures. I have my pre-op pics on my profile page if you want to see. I'm not at my home comptuer or I would upload those. I am so very not happy with my body. I'm not talking about the drooping girls in front. I have to expect that after losing 115 lbs. I am talking about my "big" tummy and the fact that from the side I have no waiste. AT ALL! How depressing is that? When I see myself in the mirror and in pictures (which is the real test) I am actually pretty happy with my front view. I have never had to worry about hips like one of my sisters. I am broad acrose the back, but that has gotten more propotionate lately and with my "sucker-inner" as I call my cami-body hugger I don't have a lot of loose looking skin and it help keeps the girls up. (without the sucker-inner it isn't quite as pretty ) From the side I have absolutely no waste. Infact I think my belt in is direct allignment to the girls up top. People at work call me skinny, which doesn't tick me off like it used to when I thought they were kind of making fun of me. I had a girl at work that thought I weighed 130 lbs. Okay that made me wonder if she was making fun of me again, but I don't think she was. I weigh 170 and I told her so, but I am pretty fit and wear a size 11/12. I would LOVE to go down one more size and hit a 9/10 comfortablly. But I digress..... What is wrong with me? What is wrong with my body. I am a short little thing. Only 5'4". I know that makes a big difference in the way I carry my weight. I know that one year ago when I was wearing a size 22/24 I would have swore when I fit into a size 11/12 that I would be estatic with my body. Now all I see is fat when I look at my profile in the mirror. Oh another thing on these pictures is that I still have a !@#$% double chin! WHAT? I thought I got rid of that. I will have to walk around with my nose in the air so that thing isn't as noticable! Oh I know what some of you are thinking....."What is she complaining about? If I could lose that weight I would be so happy I would never complain" Yeah, I hope that is true because it is what I thought a year ago. Maybe this is good. I have been so happy with my weight and my body that I have gone into maintaince mode. I guess maybe I needed to get to point where I am not happy to get my weight loss moving again. I am so frustrated, but on the bright side it makes me want to go to the gym. It is funny when I first hit this weight and this size I thought I looked good. I am starting to see how skinny girls can actually with a straight face say they think they are fat. I always kind of thought that it was a ploy to get attention, but they actually look in the mirror and don't see a nice figure. Oh this sucks. I guess I will ride the rollercoaster, hopefully get a few more pounds off of my body and hope for a waist line. I have to wait another 4 years before my surgery is paid off and I can get a tummy tuck/ lipo and a breast lift. I hope the next four years seem to go as fast as the last one!

That would be awesome. Great job! Hasn't this been great! Keep loving life and working the band!

That is awesome. I remember hitting that goal. I couldn't wait. I cross my legs all the time now. It is more comfortable. Weird uh?

Cottage cheese is my staple! I eat it with everything. If you have something a little dry it helps to break up the texture and tastes great. I have to admit I am picky about my cottage cheese. I guess I am a cottage cheese snob! ;-D

20 lbs since August is a great amount! Keep up the good work. Protein first then healthy veggies. Work on not eating unless you have real tummy hunger. You will get there. High protein will help the weight come off.

Wow Lovely! I am so jealous. Sure I have seen 168, but at 5'4" I am still in a 11/12. I can't imagine a size 4!!! Way to go! One year!

THANK YOU! That is absolutely right! The perfect word and one that will stick. I have been feeling this way for months!!!! It is hard to keep the momentum up and hard to complain when I haven't worn these sizes since jr. high! It does help to have a word for it!

Thanks guys....you are the best!

Phil....I love it! You are so witty! I don't know how you do it. I know when I stop in you can make me smile!

Yes. You want to rest your stomach to give the band and your stomach around the band (where it is stitched into place) time to heal. Imagine having stomach surgery (not hard to imagine at this point) and doing sit-ups. Now that doesn't make any sense. Yes it would hurt, but you would probablly also be afraid of pulling or straining the stitches. When your eat solid food your stomach moves, contracts, and generally "works" more. That gives your band a better chance to slip or move around before it is healed into place. Let your body heal. No it wasn't hard for me to eat either, but take it easy. I got to start on soft food pretty quickley but be careful. Number 1 rule is to follow the advice of your doctor. Get your protein in and don't eat unless you are hungery. Really hungery. If you start to look for food ask yourself if your stomach is hungry. Now is the time to get used to the guidelines. Do that now and when your hunger is more controlled after you have had a few fills you will be well on your way! Good luck!