Cindy C

I know its very frustrating. I've been through the same thing. The first year I lost like crazy. 110lbs. The second year I lost 15 more and 10 of that was the skin removed during my tummy tuck. It'll be 3 years the end of this week and I've lost another 18. I'm not complaining. I've lost a total of 143lbs and I couldn't be happier about it but the last 2 years I've had to fight for every single one of them. I have the same problem as you. I'm great during the day but at night all I want to do is pick! Unfortunately,what works for one person won't necessarily work for someone else. But I will share some of the things I've tried. I quit my incredibly high stress job. (I worked in a mental health facility and had 40 patients that ranged from mild mental retardation to full blown paranoid schizophrenia. Most of them had violent tendencies.) I loved my work but was so burned out. I've actually lost about 8lbs since I left 2 months ago. So you might try to eliminate anything that's causing you stress. I made copies of my before picture and put them on the fridge and inside the cupboards. Seeing that makes me think twice before I reach in and put something in my mouth. Someone here said recently "Nothing tastes as good as skinny!" It's soooo very true! Now that it's baseball season (I just LOVE my Detroit Tigers!) I go to the ballpark a couple times a month. I always park about 6 blocks away and walk over. I get there 1 1/2 hrs before game time and walk laps around Comerica until the game starts. I try to do some kind of physical activity every day whether I go to the gym or do yard work or just exercise in my living room. I think that staying on a consistent diet causes the body to go into survival mode. It will hold on to every calorie. Mix it up. Every once in a while give yourself a "pig out" day. If you normally eat 1000 calories, kick it up to 1500. You don't want to go to crazy. Just want to confuse your metabolism. And drink lots of Water. The more you drink the less you retain. Do you log your food and exercise? This is a great place to do it: https://www.lapband.com/en/mylapband/dashboard/ I'm so sorry about your infertility problems. I understand how difficult that can be. I wish you nothing but the best. Be strong. You'll get through this. You said you had a great support system. That's good. Don't be afraid to use it.

I keep a bag of Hershey kisses in the freezer. When the craving gets so bad i cant stand it i can have one. The rule is I can have ONE...no more. The other rule is I have to suck it, no chewing allowed. I get the taste for several minutes which is long enough to satisfy the craving and its only 25 calories....20 if you get the dark chocolate ones!

I always sip on something with my meals.

Mini tacos.

Smaller clothes are the reward for all the hard work!

I was in the local gas station/pizza joint today and they had supreme slices in the case. I thought, "Boy, I can remember when I would have eaten the whole darn pizza. Now the sight of it makes me nauseous!" So I guess my answer is NO. I don't miss it!

Lost it?????? Heck no! I FOUND it!!!!

It is 46 lbs. 1 stone = 14 lbs. WTG, Shaun!

You can have several symptoms including: Muscle weakness, edema, more easily sunburn, difficulty sleeping, headache, nausea and my personal favorite.....hair loss!!! Get your protein!!

OMG, you just described me to a tee!!! I told absolutely everybody who would listen since day one! Like you, I'm not gonna lie, I wanted accountability and most importantly, I wanted to help and educate others. I'm a big believer in giving back. The only person I didn't tell in advance was my elderly mother but that was for her benefit, not mine. I didn't want her to feel she had to hang around the hospital and I certainly didn't want her to worry about me undergoing surgery. She's always been a worry-wart and has plenty of health issues of her own (Parkinson's and early stages of dementia). When I got home from the hospital the day after surgery, the first thing I did was call her and tell her what I had done. She was hurt and pissed at first but quickly got over it. She has since become my biggest cheerleader! (Except for when she's trying to force feed me. Old habits die hard!) I've always been someone who didn't particularly give a rat's pa-toot about what anyone else thinks. I live my life the way I see fit. You know the saying...."those that matter don't mind...those that mind don't matter!" I say, good for you! Shout it from the rooftops and ignore the naysayers! On a side note, I had a friend who was also morbidly obese. I said to her one time that I wanted to have lap band surgery and maybe we should do it together. Her exact words were; "Oh, I would never do anything like that!!" Then she went and had it done. She not only didn't tell anyone, she lied to everyone saying that her weight loss was strictly from diet and exercise. We found out by accident when another friend went to a seminar and she was the former patient there to speak. Needless to say, she lost alot of friends because of it! Lying is always a bad idea!

I know the feeling. I miss mine like crazy too. Having something else to focus on helps to take the edge off tho.

You think you had it bad? I had a southern father AND a Jewish mother! I was doomed from the start! LOL!!!

Good Job!

Thanks everyone for the kind words. It was a long road that I'm not at the end of yet. My main incentive in posting these was to inspire others. Hopefully I've done that . If I can do this anybody can. Fran, what school is your son going to? Mine will be a Sr at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO.

Honestly, it was the best journey of my life and couldn't have come at a better time. My life was already doing a complete 180 (no pun intended!). After 20 years of my life revolving around my kids, they were finally heading out on their own. My surgery was 9 days after my youngest graduated. So I had nothing to concentrate on but myself. I absolutely loved me able to be self-centered for a change! LOL! Thanks, girls. If I can do this...thrust me, everyone of you can do it too. I'm beginning to think that life begins at 50. (OK>>>51) BTW, I'm 5'9" which is probably why you think I look thinner.

In case anyone is interested! 5/15/08. 324# Size 4X 6/5/11. 180# Size 12. ">

GET RID OF EM!!!! Keeping them implies that you anticipate needing them again some day. Give them away, throw them away, have a bonfire!!!! Just get em out of your house!

HALLELUJAH, SISTER!!!!

I'm 3 years post op and had a fill about 7 weeks ago! Think I'm probably good for a while!

I agree with elcee. You are definitely too tight. As for marys....everyone is different but I absolutely CANNOT eat pork. I don't care how tender or juicy it is it's just not gonna go down. Don't worry about your current plateau. It's normal. I had months in the beginning where I only lost 2 or 3 pounds. Then all of a sudden I would lose 15-20. It catches up. Just keep on doing what you know you should.

Just like everyone else.....Grew up being told "Eat everything on your plate. There are children starving in the world!" (I remember offering to mail it to India.....They weren't amused! LOL!) I got it under control in my late teens/early 20's but then was in a horrible marriage, then a nasty divorce and finally 2 kids to raise with no help from their father. The weight just came and came. But those aren't excuses. There are no excuses! The bottom line is we all got fat because we consumed more calories than we burned. Thank G_d (and Dr. Bhesania) that it's under control again and it's gonna stay there!!!!!!

Good for both of you. You have to do what's right for yourselves. By the time my BMI was where yours is now, I had lost 100 pounds. I wish I had had it done sooner. I never would have ballooned to over 300 lbs if I had. Good luck to you both.

Gas pains are usually in the shoulder blades. The pain your having is from your port. Give it some time to heal. Don't lift anything heavy and be especially careful with bending and twisting.

My rule is, once its too big...ITS OUTTA HERE!!!! I don't care how much I paid for it, how much I liked it or what memories are associated with wearing it! In the beginning I kept boxes in a spare room and threw them in there as I shrunk out of them. I tried having a garage sale...that was a flop. So I loaded them up and donated them to the local "Helping Hands" organization. My best friend is about a size larger than me. From now on if she doesn't want them, they are going in the garbage.

I had my surgery 9 days after my youngest graduated from high school. Bandster Hell didn't stop me from throwing a great big graduation party/pig roast in his honor! No, I could not eat but it didn't bother me in the least. I had fun just socializing with our friends and family. I just had a yogurt or something and a couple cocktails! Can't let the good times pass you by because of food!