amylovescookies

My daily eating plan! Thats easy, because it hardly varies. Mocha made with skim milk, half sweet, no whip. 16 oz. (I have sugar in the chocolate but a very tiny amount.) I have my own high end Espresso machine so I can make my drinks everyday. I haven't had a solid food in the morning since I was banded. Strawberries and blueberries for morning snack A few pieces of watermelon if I'm hungry A low calorie frozen dinner for lunch- 300 calories or less. (I only have this meal because it's small and fast. If I didn't have this everyday I probably would skip lunch often and that wouldn't be good either.) A handful of goldfish crackers for afternoon snack- I'm craving something crunchy and salty. An hour later a small apple I eat whatever the family has for dinner. However, we only eat chicken as our protein. I haven't eaten a steak in almost 10 years. I eat cheese like it's disappearing the next day. (I weigh a lot less if it wasn't for my cheese addiction. I put that stuff on everything.) We eat: tacos, fajitas, (no shells for me.) spaghetti, tons of casseroles, chilli, stir fry, roast chicken and in the summer tons of chicken barbecue. My portions at dinner are a little larger because my band has opened up slightly. Dinners are never ever diet foods but they are never 'junk' foods either. I try not to night eat. I drink peppermint tea with skim milk and Splenda instead. But if I'm dying of hunger I usually eat chicken. It's not a comfort food I get no pleasure from it. It just gets the job done. I find that if I'm really warm in the summer I make strong Crystal Lite and add fine crushed ice to make a homemade slurpee. It's really fun to drink, takes care of your sweet tooth, cools you off, and fills your tummy. I rarely eat out. I can't control what's in the food plus it's really expensive, plus they never give you enough cheese! I NEVER go to a fast food restaurant. That's non-negotiable. I will go to a supermarket for whole foods before I will go to a fast food restaurant. I haven't had pizza or a cheeseburger in years. Not because I'm on a diet but because they are not band friendly foods. That's why bread is off the menu as well. My band is old and I have to baby it. I'm not loosing it because I wanted a cheeseburger. Note: I choose not to eat sugar but I will have it sometimes. I never deny myself of anything. It turns out that when you give up sugar most things that have huge amounts of sugar in them taste bad. Very bad. I drink crystal lite and eat fruit instead. okay so I fall down on my veggies. My husband does cook some every night but it's not enough if I'm being honest. I find vegetables too fiberous for my band. I take chewable vitamins and I know that that isn't enough but I'm trying. That's why I eat a lot of fruit. im not perfect but I'm good for me. I am not on a diet whatsoever that's why I can do this long term. I'm also never hungry because if I am hungry I eat. I always eat what makes me happy- except the stupid chicken at night. I hope this helps!

Here are my pictures: (You can see my lap band port in my 'after pictures'. I love my port belly!

So I did it!!! When I was banded my doctor said the average person losses between 40-50 pounds. I thought that was fantastic! I was 255 pounds and the thought of loosing 50 pounds was amazing. But it after I got the surgery I decided that I wanted to go all the way. I wanted to lose everything. It's been 9 1/2 years and I am 103 pounds!! I went from a size 22 to a size 0, from a 2x to a XXS. I went from, 'Sorry nothing fits you in this store because you're too big.' to 'Sorry nothing fits you in this store because you're too small.' I went from 52% body fat to 13% body fat. Am I happy? It took me a long time to be happy to be honest. I fought happiness every step of the way. I thought that I didn't deserve to be successful and thin. I stil had a mental image of my former self so it was a challenge accepting the new image in the mirror. It took a long time but I have accepted myself as I am now. I'm no longer afraid of being thin. (I was very afraid of becoming thin when I started this process. I used my fat to protect myself from the world. I felt safe being overweight- not happy, but safe.) But today I am very safe, because I am strong and accomplished! I realize now I worked hard for this outcome. For the the record I lost the weight walking every day, portion sizes, cutting out bread and sugar That's it, that's all. I have maintained the weight all this time doing the same things: I eat small meals and snacks often, and I drink tons of water. I never skip exercising either. I get up everyday at 5:30 and hit the road. It's not complicated, it just takes dedication. I didn't post this sooner because I have been waiting to see if this was just a fluke. Was I going to go back to my old ways in a few years? Plus for the past couple of years the feedback that I have received hasn't always been positive. Most people tell me to eat more instead of congratulations. Some people think that I have an eating disorder and they say really nasty things to me. But I figure those are the people that said nasty things about me when I was bigger; it's just that they said it behind my back instead of to my face. When you go from the biggest personin the room to the smallest person in the room things can get a little weird for other people, sometimes they flip out. I was the fat friend and the fat family member. I made people feel better about themselves. 'Oh, at least I'm not as bad off as Amy. Whew!' Where is their touch point now? But now I feel strong enough to post because damn it I worked really hard to accomplish my goal. I keep working hard to maintain it. I'm the one who passes up on the cake, cookies, and ice cream. I am the one who is up at the crack of dawn to exercise. I deserve to be proud of my accomplishments now. I did it! Yes, I reached my goal and more importantly I have been maintaining it for years. I did what I first thought was impossible. If you've done it too, then great job! If you're reading this for inspiration then please know this: I fell on my face so many times. I cheated and sabotaged myself but I always kept on trying. I never gave up. It was not easy. I used every support tool there was to get this done. I just kept being honest with myself and I kept going. I found the easiest thing to do for me and then just stuck with it. I also leaned a lot on my husband and daughter. Use everything you have to to get this done. You are worth it!

I have taken a lot of preop pics. There is no way I'm forgetting what this belly looks like.

36 hours to go, and I'm going insane. I'm still v-logging on youtube, and blogging on my blog, but as the moment I have really lost my mind, and it's really starting to show. This is like winning the lottery. I mean I'm finally going to be free of my belly flab. I want to again say thank you. I'm all emotional...

It's been 2.5 years since I had my lapband installed, and I can't be happier. The time has come to raise it to the next level. In three days I will no longer have a flabby belly, or muffin top. YAY! I'm posting my progress on youtube. Yes, I'm going for a full tummy tuck, muscle repair, and lipo on the flanks. So far I have 5 pre-op videos. This is going to be the ride of my life. I wish I would have done this with my lapband op. I couldn't have survived my lapband journey without this site, and all of your support. XXOOXX Cookielover

Hi Guys, We did it. we lost the weight, and now its time to get a tummy tuck. If you are getting a tummy tuck, or considering getting a tummy tuck please PM me. I'm not trying to sell you anything. I just have some stellar information for you.

Bipolar here! The meds I take have made my weight loss slower but not impossible.

Keep working the program, make sure your not cutting your calories too much, and relax plateaus happen. (I stayed at 185 for six months.)

Awww...sweety...I'm giving you a great big hug right now. Give yourself a few moments to catch your breathe. Take it one step at a time. (I know its easy for me to say, and a very difficult thing for you to do.) When you stablize out from moving, changing doctors, and losing your father your weight loss will come back on track. (The worse thing you can do now is feel guilt.) Sending you love and prayers...

I met my husband when I was sixteen. I married him when I was 21. He is the only one I have ever been with. He has never strayed from me either. We spend every waking moment together, also he is crazy in love with me. (I feel the same way about him too!):frown:

Long time watcher- first time poster. I love BL. 1. I'm sick of the ad placements. 2. I admit it; I love the drama, however I am not a Melissa fan. I believed the producers rigged the challenge to give her an edge. 3. I can't wait for the day that Michael is voted off. Did you hear how he welcomed Victoria to the campus last night? "I want to be the first one to welcome to welcome you MY team." Yeah I guess it is your show Michael; after all you did stack the teams.

I was banded in October of 2007. Lost 30 pounds out of the gate. Went to a size 16. Still a size 16. Sometimes a 14. Total weight loss 83 pounds. I carry all of my weight in my tummy. Hence why I can't change sizes 'belly apron'. But that's nothing plastic surgery cant handle!

I have this friend- I don't know how much longer I will have her, because she has so many health issues that are related to her weight. She can't walk now because she is too heavy, and it puts too much of a strain on her. It scares me. My friend is amazed with the results that I have achieved with my band. We have sat down many times and talked about the possibility of her getting one too. She refuses because she believes that she won't be able to stay away from food, she doesn't want to get 'stuck', and she doesn't want her diet restricted even more than it is now. (She's a diabetic.) ...even as I write this I'm pulling out my hair! In the end she isn't going to get a lapband instead she has opted for a casket. She said so herself. If you get a lapband what will you fail? Are you afraid that you won't get 'thin', or your life won't be saved? Because I'm betting that the lapband is going to save your life no matter what. As far as thin goes...I have no idea. Keep your eyes on whats most important. Everything else falls into place:lol:

First of all let me say congratulations from going from morbidly obese to just overweight. Some people would die for that opportunity. This site has so many benefits and it's the perfect place for lapbanders to go when we need information, and support. Having said that sometimes this site motivates me, or it can bring me down because I find myself comparing my successes to other people. Losing weight even with a lapband isn't a race. You will go through highs and lows. Some days we will be motivated and some days we won't be as much. My advice is lose the weight pound by pound, and Celebrate your success past, present, and future.