HilaryInRC

Did anyone create the WW facebook group? I'm interested in joining it. I'm doing much better at noticing and listening to my soft top these past two days. I do eat all of my points in a day though plus some weekly points. I do really well with not feeling hungry after lunch, but I've noticed that a few hours after dinner I am hungry again, and then a few hours after that I'm hungry yet again. I am pretty sure I could use a fill (probably a pretty good sized one), but am really dreading the 4 hour drive to go get it. Also, if I'm being honest with myself, I'm afraid I'm going to get in trouble because I've gained weight over the past year since they've seen me. I'm also afraid that if I get another fill I'll be too tight and then have to do another 8 hour round trip drive to get an unfill. But, I think my desire to be successful is stronger than my fear of being reprimanded and the inconvenience of driving out of town (which I totally hate doing).

I only have 4.something ccs in my 10 cc band. I've tried going tighter, but then I can't get much down, definitely not solid protein. Sometimes even soft and mushies and liquids would come back up. My dr's nurse thinks it is weird and is always trying to get me to get fills. Although now I live 4 hours away and haven't seen her in a year. But, now that I am paying attention, I've noticed that sometimes food keeps me full for 4 hours, and other times it is more like 2.5. I'm wondering if I should try a fill. Although, since I've gained weight, I'm afraid to go back.

Whoa! Four pounds! That's awesome! I ate a lot of points today. I went to a very good friend's house for a small dinner party. I was really really hungry when I got there. I ignored my soft stop and ate more than I should have. I considered stopping, but felt like I should finish the food on my plate and not waste since I was a guest at someone else's house. Plus it just tasted so good. She made Breakfast for dinner. Cheesy egg cassarole, sausage, bacon, biscuits, the works! The only thing resembling a fruit or veggie was orange juice. While it was delicious, the meal came to a whopping 32 points! That is more than I get for a whole day! Jeesh!!! So, I ended up using some of those extra weekly points, which I really didn't want to do. Luckily my lunch was pretty small. Just coffee, a banana, and a few bites of left over chicken stir fry. So, tomorrow I'm focusing on chicken, veggies, and fruit. And, no ignoring the soft stop! Next time I should just ask to borrow a tupperware to put the rest of my plate in, or be sure to serve myself less. I knew it was going to be a lot of points, but I had no idea it was going to be that many!!!

Wozzicat, I was banded in 2008 and just joined Weight Watchers. My band and my habits haven't been a slam dunk for weight loss like others seem to experience. I went to my first WW meeting today (since like 2007) and I felt so good going there. My leader is this amazing lady, who I already really like. The ladies in the meeting were supportive, and I even ran into a dance teacher I used to have, which put a smile on my face. I live 4 hours away from my surgeons office and every time I leave there I do not feel positive. I think WW is going to give me the local support I need to be successful. I just need to modify their eating plan a little for portion size and tell myself it is okay if I don't eat all the points every day. For example, today it is almost 8:00pm and I've only eaten 12 of my 30 points. I think this is because I focus on fruits and veggies which have a 0 point value. Anyway, if you aren't getting good support from your surgeon, I recommend a nutritionist (some people on here swear by it), finding another surgeon for after-care, or WW meetings (not just online). -Hilary

I had a co-worker who did nutrisystem. I heard from her that some of the food is really gross and that some of it is okay. I never heard from her that she loved what she was eating. I love to cook and can't imagine eating packaged food every day. I'm too much of a foodee. But, I can see the temptation to do nutrisystem because it is convenient - especially for people who don't like to cook. It kind of reminds me of my horrible experience with Jenny Craig, though. One thing that is good about WW (besides the food) is that you have a weekly meeting in which: 1) they weigh you (so, it isn't just you who knows your weight, it is your leader/receptionist too), 2) they give you tips for success, and 3) you make friends and support one another. I could easily count calories by myself instead of doing WW, but then I wouldn't get the benefit of the meetings and support. Since I live 4 hours away from my sugeon's office, I need local support. It is expensive though. About $10 a week at the cheapest.

Hi lcoughlin, Haven't heard from you since you started this topic. How is your WW experience going? -Hilary

Hi Schampange, I tried paleo on and off since July 2012. All in all, I gained weight. While I do believe in the science behind it, I've finally given up on it. It also felt restrictive with what I was allowed to eat. Somehow it was better in theory than in practice for me. I have since joined weight watchers. I had my first meeting today and am hoping I'll have success on it. Best wishes to you finding what works for you. Lord knows I'm still trying to figure it out! -Hilary

I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting today. I am happy to say that my meeting leader is awesome! I had a really good time with the ladies at the meeting and my leader. I even saw an old friend there. One thing that I was really impressed with is that they have a device called ActiveLink. Basically, it is a fancy USB drive that you wear close to your body (clipped on your bra, belt etc). It spends 7 days collecting data on your activity level. Each day, you put it in the USB port on your computer and it puts that data into their system. Then, the ActiveLink program sets up a 12 week activity goal for you. You will put on your ActiveLink every day and wear it. Green lights on the ActiveLink light up as you are moving around doing your daily routines. The goal is to get the green lights to light up to the 100% mark or more. At the end of each day, you plug your ActiveLink into the computer and it downloads activity points that can be used on food (if you so wish) into your Weight Watchers account. By using ActiveLink, there is no way you will over-estimate your activity and sabotage your progress in that way. Also, similar to a pedometer, it gives you a goal to work toward (getting to that 100% light).

Hi Mytimenow53, Congratulations on taking the steps to get the band. I know you must be very excited! 1) I think there are certain people for whom the band makes them feel a lot different than pre-band. These people just naturally do well eating less with the band. 2) Other people find that they need to track and count their nutrition to be successful. For these people the band is simply one tool in their toolbox for weight loss. Following a specific diet plan is another tool in their toolbox. 3) Then, there are people like me who will overeat the band. For me this is because I have a habit of eating when I'm not hungry (grazing) or eating too much, albeit slowly. I haven't been perfect at following the band rules (not since the first year anyway). For me, re-learning to follow the band rules and being accountable for exactly what goes into my mouth is absolutely necessary for success. If I'm not counting/recording, I'm gaining. There are a lot of people who have had great success on this website. And, I know that Mis73 is really well respected on here. She's probably a good resource for you as she seems to have a really good perspective on what the band is all about. Best wishes and again congratulations! Best, Hilary

Hi Hely88, I am not looking forward to overeating, but I am looking forward to being able to enjoy foods that I wasn't allowed to have on Paleo - primarily grains, dairy, and legumes. I also would feel guilty when I would eat fruit because of the carbs. And it would make me sad to eat certain foods without some cheese on top (homemade turkey chili, homemade burger, omelet). I think I will be happier on a diet in which I am allowed to eat whatever kind of food I want, but in my appropriate portion. Also, I am on Day 2 now (I know, not very far along) and find that I do have more points than I want to eat in a day. I remember when doing WW pre-band always feeling hungry. I am pleasantly surprised that my experience is more positive this time regarding hunger, which is I guess exactly what the band is supposed to do (although it is only the very beginning). Anyway, I really do thank you for your concern. I know it comes from a caring place in your heart. But, I think I'm making a good choice for myself by going on WW again. Best, Hilary

I joined weight watchers today. I was doing a strict paleo diet and after completely failing to lose weight on it, and always feeling like I was missing out on foods that I wanted, I decided that it isn't a way to live. I need to get weight off, I need to do it safely, I need something sustainable, and I need a diet that won't leave me feeling deprived. I love that I can have a slice of pizza, or a bowl of icecream if I am mindfull. I also love that I can eat as much fruit as I want with no consequences! I am expecting success. Best wishes to you other WW gals.

I have always had this problem with my band where I can eat a significant amount of food. I feel ready to stop, but not too full after I eat about 2 cups of food. My band seems to be at a good spot right now. I do end up getting food stuck frequently or have discomfort eating. I throw up about 3 times a week. If I go any tighter I won't be able to get much of anything down without throwing up. I'm confused as to why I have not enough restriction so that I can eat so much, but a little too much restriction in that I throw up all at the same time! What is going on? I really don't feel like my band is helping me at all and am considering having it removed. I weight more now than I did when I got the band back in 2008. Help!

Hi Missy, Wow! Thanks for the response. That was a great article. I think I should print it out and read it before meal times. A part of me feels sad that I never knew the information that Dr. Simpson says even though I have had the band for about 4.5 years. Honestly, I'd love to read an even more scietific explanation on how the band works. Thanks for the help! -Hilary

Schampange - I'm sorry to hear you are having trouble with your band. It sounds like you are way too tight! I hope you get in to see the doctor soon. Update about my progress: I know I'm eating way too much. My band lets me eat a good sized dinner. For example, tonight I had a slice of meatloaf and about a cup of sweet potato. That is about 2 cups of food. I know I shouldn't be able to eat 2 cups of food! But, if I go any tighter I end up on soft and mushies and throw up all the time. As it is I throw up a few days a week now. I'm confused about how it is so hard to get food down sometimes, but I also have such little restriction as far as how much I can eat. If anyone has any thoughts on this, I'd love to hear. I fell off the wagon with my super strict paleo diet. I've made a few adjustments to make it a little more do-able (added dairy back in) and am back on track as of today. I'm also committing to track my calories every day. I waffle back and forth about what is more important to count, carbs or calories. I'm still not sure. I also didn't exercise last week. I tweaked my back on Sunday and took a few days off. I'm headed back to yoga tomorrow and took a 45 minute walk today. I'm miserable in this body. I'm weighing in between 204 - 209 depending on the time of day. I hardly have any clothes that fit, my face is fat, I feel icky. I've got to get some weight off! I feel so frustrated! I thought I had weight loss surgery so that I'd quit having to diet all the time and quit being fat! -Hilary

Aloudwhisper, Please don't think I know it all. I certainly don't. There are people on this website that have had great success with losing weight. I am not one of them. Even with the band I yo-yo. Weight lost, then gained, then lost, then gained. My paleo diet experiences are experimental. I actually lost weight the fastest when I was on a vegan diet. But, my triglycerides, cholesterol, and blood sugar were really out of whack. I don't have blood sugar crashes on the Paleo diet. I've also managed to cut my triglycerides in half. But, my doctor did put me on Lipitor now, despite these changes. She says I only have to stay on it for a few months, until my cholesterol comes down. In two weeks on a clean Paleo diet, I've lost about 3.5 lbs, which is okay. I think if I exercised more, cut my carbs lower, or cut my fats that I could lose weight faster. Anyway, I would recommend the books: Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes Wheat Belly by William Davis The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson It Starts with food by Dallas And Melissa Hartwig Best, Hilary

Hello aloudwhisper, A Paleo diet cosists of meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, butter/ghee, olive oil, and coconut oil. You are not supposed to eat grains, legumes, dairy, processed food, alcohol, and starches (including potatoes other than sweet potatoes). Sugar-substitutes, honey, agave nectar and the like are a gray area. I personally think they are bad for us and keep us eating dessert-like foods which is a psychological habit we need to break. I am trying to break the dessert habit now, but I find that instead of icecream, I'll go for nut butter, dates, or oranges. Grrr...it is a hard habit to break. Some people who eat Paleo limit their carbs from fruit and sweet potato, and other watch fats and limit nuts/coconut products. Others don't worry about carbs or fats. -Hilary

I am doing the Whole30 right now, which is a strict form of Paleo. I was unable to lose weight eating Primal (paleo + dairy + natural sugars + almond/coconut flour). But, now that I have stripped down to just eating meat, veggies, a little fruit, a little nuts, eggs, ghee or olive oil, and green tea, I'm starting to lose some weight and my carb cravings are dying off. I am not a crossfitter, I do yoga. But, I think a super-clean Paleo diet is really healthy. Primal may not be strict enough to cause weight loss.

You are going to be more likely to stick with your exercise plan if you choose something you enjoy doing. For me this is walking, yoga, and water aerobics. Right now I'm back at yoga after recovering from an injury. I am considering taking a weight lifting class so I can be stronger for my yoga class.

Hi Liz, I do yoga three times a week and love it. I mostly enjoy challenging positions and hip openers. I love to be amazed when my teacher has me contort into a position and I'm like, "OMG, I can't believe I'm doing this!" It makes me feel awesome. My favorite pose is Pigeon because I get such a good stretch out of it. I have had to take a year off yoga due to a severe back injury last spring. I am glad to be back to my yoga practice now. I enjoy my yoga classes so much that I actually look forward to them. Another favorite pose is Savasana, because I can get some meditation in and get truly relaxed. Keep at it! Namaste

Well, I've been on a super strict Paleo diet since 1/1/13. Ask me for details about what I'm eating if you are curious. I am down to 203. So, I've lost about 3.8 lbs in 11 days. I know that isn't some mega number, but it is approximately 1.5 - 2 lbs a week. So that is good. I went out to eat at a restaurant for the first time since my new eating plan started. Normally I would have gotten Pad Thai, egg rolls, basil chili pork, and God knows what else. Tonight, I ordered a grilled shrimp salad in a Thai vinagrette. You know what? It was freaking delicious and I didn't feel deprived at all. I'm proud of myself for choosing the food that was high Protein, low sugar, wheat/cornstarch free, not fried, etc. This week I also started taking yoga again. I'll have yoga class for 1.25 hours, three times a week. I love yoga and know I won't fall off the wagon with it because I enjoy it so much. Toward the end of the month, I'm considering adding a 45 minute body sculpting class in twice a week as well. I think I might do a trial class of the body sculpting to see if I am fit enough to take it. If I end up liking the class, that will put me at a little over 5 hours a week of challenging exercise, plus my little mellow 45 minute dog walks. The scale should start really moving at that point. I think aloudwhisper makes a good point in reminding us that it may take both diet and exercise to see movement on the scale. I personally, have a hard time doing both, unless I'm really interested in/enjoying my exercise routine. The only types of exercise I've ever stuck with as an adult for an extended period of time are walking, Water aerobics, and yoga. Usually, I can be really strict on a diet and then not exercise at all, or go crazy on exercise and eat a way too many calories and carbs. I've recently had a wake-up call from my general physician. She just put me on blood pressure medication and Lipitor to lower my cholesterol. Hmmph. I didn't really want to be on either of those. I am only 32!!!! I shouldn't be having heart problems at such a young age! My goal for myself is to make lasting changes. I would like to continue to make smart choices with my food, and continue to take and enjoy my yoga class. I would like to get off the cholesterol meds (have to stay on the bp meds to prevent migraines). Ultimately, I want to be able to get to a point where I am not afraid or embarrassed to go out and meet new people, date, go on a hike, etc. I want confidence in myself! I am at a point where I'm willing to put in the hard work. So, my questions to you all are: 1) What is your health goal? 2) What committments are you going to make to reach your goal?

Hi Ladies, I have found that when I limit the types of carbs I eat, that my cravings for those carbs seem to disappear. I am not sure if this will be helpful to anyone. But, since I have gone Paleo (am doing a Whole30 now) I have found my sugar and carb cravings are gone. I am currently eating meat, veggies, fruit, nuts, hot tea, Water. Eliminating grains/dairy/processed foods/sugar has made more room on my plate for veggies and Protein too. I used to have horrible sugar cravings and now I feel like I'm in control of the food. Just food for thought. Best, Hilary

I think we need to remember to be kind to ourselves. Love ourselves. I don't like to see women who are on here and say they are disgusted with themselves or they feel like a failure. Acknowledge your weaknesses and strengths, make a plan, and give yourself an emotional hug!

Meliwriter, That is the best post I've seen in a while. I am fed up with my band. I got banded at 202 lbs (5'2") in October of 2008. At first I starved myself and lost 30 lbs effortlessly. But, my hair was falling out, I was exhausted, and my anxiety was through the roof. Psychologically, I was a mess. Then, I gained and gained and got up to 206. At 206, I said, this has got to stop! I got back down to 174 by again starving myself. I was so hungry and I just would starve and be miserable and hungry all the time. This time I had more energy and my hair stayed. I was doing a strict vegan diet and that took the weight off, but put my triglycerides and cholesterol through the roof, caused me to have blood sugar crashes, and caused high blood pressure. I would have stayed starving myself, but I hurt my back pretty badly and moved back in with my parents. Food is plentiful here. I have gone back up to 206 again! I spent three months doing the Paleo diet. I corrected my triglycerides and blood pressure, although my LDL is still a tiny bit high. I did not lose any weight eating Paleo. But, my blood sugar didn't crash out the whole time and I was feeling better than I ever had. My sleep was good, my body felt good. Slowly, I fell off the wagon with Paleo and that is how I ended up gaining back up to 206. Now, at this weight, I have quit menstruating (I'm only 32) and my sleep apnea is at a record high. I am not convinced that my band has helped me at all. What seems to have worked is not eating to the point of being hungry all the time. Being poor and not being able to afford food was the most effective diet I've ever been on! I do believe my band is adjusted correctly. I have some restriction and do throw up a few times a week, but am not too tight that I can't eat solid food. I have made some significant life changes since I injured my back and moved back in with my parents last spring. I have changed career paths, am doing much better with my depression/anxiety which can get severe, and my back is completely rehabilitated. I feel like I am in a good place in life to address my weight problem. Right now I just want to have the band removed and have gastric bypass or gastric sleeve. I hate this band! All it makes me do is throw up! I do want an easier way. But, I haven't been doing right by my band. I have been eating whatever I want, lots of sugar and carbs. I have only been walking for 45 minutes about 3 times a week. I haven't been doing yoga, lifting weights, or jogging lately. I get intense sugar cravings in the middle of the night. I wake up and eat sweets and then go back to sleep again. Sometimes this will happen twice in a night. I am not wearing my CPAP (which I also hate). I drink liquids with meals. I drink carbonated diet soda. I drink through straws. I do only eat about 1 cup of food at a meal, but at times have more, up to 1.5 cups at dinner if I am really enjoying the veggie or meat I've cooked. I think I will give my band one last shot before I contact a surgeon about revision surgery. Tomorrow I'm starting the 5 Day Pouch Test, and after that I am going to immediately do The Whole 30. I'm going to continue walking and also go to yoga twice a week (Christmas present from my mom). After those 35 days I will see where my weight is. If I have lost nothing or have continued to gain, I will be seeing the surgeon. Any thoughts or words of advice would be much appreciated! Best, Hilary

I had my lap band done in 2008. Since then I have lost weight, gained it back, lost weight again, and then gained it all back again. I believe the weight loss that I have experienced has been due to me starving myself, not to the band. Starving myself is not sustainable and as soon as I start to eat regularly again, I gain about 30 pounds. I am currently at my highest weight (even pre-band. I was banded at 202 lbs) 206 lbs. I have had some trouble with my band. I can only be filled about half-way before I have trouble getting food down. My band doesn't have much liquid in it and it causes me to vomit/pb frequently. Right now I still vomit a few times a week even though my band isn't filled much. Food gets stuck daily for me. I used to have terrible guilt feeling that I had failed my band. Everyone knew I had the band done, so why hadn't I been able to lose a substaintial amount of weight and keep it off? Why was I such a failure? Well, after doing some research, I have come to the conclusion that I haven't failed the band, THE BAND HAS FAILED ME!!! Surgeons are starting to find that the band isn't as successful as they thought it would be. Many people are having their bands revised to the gastric sleeve and some RNY gastric bypass. My surgeon is at the top of the field, a famous weight loss surgeon. His staff is nice to me, but they make me feel guily when I go in. I need to eat less and less, they say. My surgeon recommends for me to eat 900 calories a day. 900 calories! This is madness!!! I am now in the process of contancting a different surgeon about gastric bypass and gastric sleeve. I have severe obstructive sleep apnea, high LDL cholesterol, and have stopped menstruating (I'm only 32). I believe my weight is a contributing factor in these issues. Ladies, I know that some of you feel you could have done better. You feel you could have followed more of the rules, eaten less, snacked less, starved yourself, whatever. But, I want you to seriously consider this idea that maybe the band isn't all it is cracked up to be. Maybe it works for some and not for others. Maybe, the band has failed you!

If you don't care which procedure, consider this. If you get the lap band you have work HARD for that weight loss. For example, my body only burns 1300 calories a day. So I have to eat 1000 to 1100 calories a day to lose weight. This is hard! I write down everything I eat, blog about my feelings, and actively make hard dieting/lifestyle choices to do this. Also, my weight loss is slooowwww... like 4 lbs every 6 weeks. So, are you willing to do the work? Are you willing to excercise at least 4 times a week? Will you be upset if the loss is slow? If the answer is no to those, consider the RNY.