willowcat

Years ago, when I was at my thinnest (after nearly starving myself and losing 30 lbs in 6 weeks), I bought a denim mini skirt. That mini skirt attracted male attention--attention that I was not comfortable with! I unconsciously put on 5lbs--just enough that the mini skirt no longer fit--and then I felt a wierd sense of relief that I didn't have to wear that skirt again! Fat has some benefits that we often don't want to admit we're ok with: fat lets us be in the background; fat says I don't have to compete fashion-wise, sex-wise, friends-wise, work-wise; fat says I'm off the market sexually and will be a faithful wife; fat says I can get by with just being the funny one; fat says I'm motherly and nurturing; fat says I'll be the one that survives a famine; fat can make me feel larger that life; fat can make me feel protected and shielded...! Fat can bury so many emotions and protect us from ourselves and/or our pasts. As the weight comes off, we begin the excavation of our past selves, and that can be very uncomfortable. Yes, if you have access to affordable therapy, by all means do so! If you get help from reading, I would recommend anything by Geneen Roth (I might not have spelled her first name exactly right), The Dance of Anger (don't remember the author), and a book that I think is called, The Fat is in Your Head. We are all so much more than just our bodies. Good luck!

Crossing my legs
Fitting in economy seats on planes (plus not having to ask for a seatbelt extension)
Not sweating profusely from moderate activity
Wearing shoes without orthotics (I had to because of all the weight my poor feet had to carry)
Sitting in any chair I want to without having to gauge whether or not I am going to fit (chairs with arms were the worst!)
Eating in public without feeling like people are thinking "No wonder you're fat."
Pain-free knees
Wearing clothes picked for aesthetics rather than for camouflage
No more sleep apnea
No more insulin resistance and fear of diabetes
Feeling normal
Some of these I'd forgotten about. Wow! I don't ever want to go back! That was horrible! Thanks for the opportunity to be oh-so GRATEFUL for where I am now!

Crossing my legs
Fitting in economy seats on planes (plus not having to ask for a seatbelt extension)
Not sweating profusely from moderate activity
Wearing shoes without orthotics (I had to because of all the weight my poor feet had to carry)
Sitting in any chair I want to without having to gauge whether or not I am going to fit (chairs with arms were the worst!)
Eating in public without feeling like people are thinking "No wonder you're fat."
Pain-free knees
Wearing clothes picked for aesthetics rather than for camouflage
No more sleep apnea
No more insulin resistance and fear of diabetes
Feeling normal
Some of these I'd forgotten about. Wow! I don't ever want to go back! That was horrible! Thanks for the opportunity to be oh-so GRATEFUL for where I am now!

Crossing my legs
Fitting in economy seats on planes (plus not having to ask for a seatbelt extension)
Not sweating profusely from moderate activity
Wearing shoes without orthotics (I had to because of all the weight my poor feet had to carry)
Sitting in any chair I want to without having to gauge whether or not I am going to fit (chairs with arms were the worst!)
Eating in public without feeling like people are thinking "No wonder you're fat."
Pain-free knees
Wearing clothes picked for aesthetics rather than for camouflage
No more sleep apnea
No more insulin resistance and fear of diabetes
Feeling normal
Some of these I'd forgotten about. Wow! I don't ever want to go back! That was horrible! Thanks for the opportunity to be oh-so GRATEFUL for where I am now!

Crossing my legs
Fitting in economy seats on planes (plus not having to ask for a seatbelt extension)
Not sweating profusely from moderate activity
Wearing shoes without orthotics (I had to because of all the weight my poor feet had to carry)
Sitting in any chair I want to without having to gauge whether or not I am going to fit (chairs with arms were the worst!)
Eating in public without feeling like people are thinking "No wonder you're fat."
Pain-free knees
Wearing clothes picked for aesthetics rather than for camouflage
No more sleep apnea
No more insulin resistance and fear of diabetes
Feeling normal
Some of these I'd forgotten about. Wow! I don't ever want to go back! That was horrible! Thanks for the opportunity to be oh-so GRATEFUL for where I am now!

Crossing my legs
Fitting in economy seats on planes (plus not having to ask for a seatbelt extension)
Not sweating profusely from moderate activity
Wearing shoes without orthotics (I had to because of all the weight my poor feet had to carry)
Sitting in any chair I want to without having to gauge whether or not I am going to fit (chairs with arms were the worst!)
Eating in public without feeling like people are thinking "No wonder you're fat."
Pain-free knees
Wearing clothes picked for aesthetics rather than for camouflage
No more sleep apnea
No more insulin resistance and fear of diabetes
Feeling normal
Some of these I'd forgotten about. Wow! I don't ever want to go back! That was horrible! Thanks for the opportunity to be oh-so GRATEFUL for where I am now!

Newsho posted this a long time ago, but it's worth reviving. These are Newsho's words not mine--I just copied and pasted below.
LENGTH ALERT! (This has very detailed tips and tricks, so this is not a short post. Just a "heads up")
People asked me a lot how I went from Slow Loser to getting to goal. I did better my second year of banding and when the weight came off - it really came off.
This is something that worked for me, and I recommended to other Bandsters.
Granted, these are tips that's not in any LapBand brochure or doctor's manual, and YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY - but if you already think of yourself as a Slow Loser like I was, then maybe you will be open to trying something to shake things up a bit.
When I needed a weight-loss push, I didn't cut down on calories much (if I'd recently had a fill adjustment, that's different) but in general:
I *added* Protein to every thing I ate.
This helped me to lose steadily (although it sped up my weight loss, more importantly it kept it steady). And it worked! Some Bandsters in my same banding date were better at counting calories - I wasn't. Some were better at counting carbs, I wasn't, but I excelled at ADDING Protein. And I did well and later, other fellow Bandsters were asking me for help and tips.
How did I do it? I did not reduce calories or the amount I consumed (without a fill it wasn't much need to try that) and yet, I still lost. (I added a little bit of Beans, or a sprinkle of cheese (my favorite), or eggs - whatever I could. I didn't reduce what I ate, but I "upped my protein" - and it worked.
With the band, if you eat more protein, you generally will find yourself eating less overall - it doesn't feel that way but you do.
Every single time I added more protein to my regular Band-friendly meals, I lost more weight, even though I wasn't eating less calories sometimes. Sounds crazy - but in my particular case, if I didn't keep my protein levels up, my body held on to calories a lot more. Who needs their bodies "hoarding" calories?
If adding a bit of food meant I would lose more, it was worth a try. It worked.
And I paid attention to the TYPE of protein I ate. (Even before banding, I didn't eat beef or pork at all. And the band was developed in other countries where the pork and beef consumption is a lot lower than it is here in the 'States. I'm not a vegetarian, I just eat seafood and poultry only. My doc said this helped my weight loss a lot because the protein I ate was leaner, not fattier protein like pork/ham/bacon or beef/hamburger/fatty red meat. So I didn't have to regulate my portions as much as some Bandsters did. My can of tuna did more for me than a hamburger ever would have.)
Also, I'm a single/childless Bandster who lives alone, so I eat out for almost every meal. If I could make it to goal - while eating out - ANYBODY can.
How did I do it? Here were some tips.
At breakfast, with my morning egg(s), I added a bit of cheese on top. Or I would have cottage cheese added. For protein and hunger reasons, cottage cheese did better than yogurt for me - unless I just had a fill or was very very filled or adjusted. The most filled I am, the less I eat in the mornings. So especially if you are not at your sweet spot, try Proteins that "stick" with you more to keep hunger away. Yogurt alone was not good enough of a breakfast for me, with the band it just went through, and wasn't really filling. Now if I charged up my yogurt with lots of nuts, seeds, and wheat germ - then BAM! I'm not much of a cold cereal eater (I prefer hot cereals) but if I had one I made sure it was a protein-packed one (I LOVE Grape Nuts cereal best. Go Lean is awesome, and several of the Oatmeals & Cream of Wheat cereals have good protein content. I also added a few nuts to those, too. If I had a yogurt smoothie drink as a snack, I had them had a half scoop of Protein Powder (a full scoop can make it too thick sometimes) or some soy or nuts.
Lunchtime was easy to get more protein in. I'd eat a scoop of tuna salad or chicken salad for lunch - and have them add some shredded cheese, some seeds and/or some nuts. I also love Soup. Usually a cup is a nice start to my lunch if I'm having a scoop of salad or tuna. If it's my whole lunch I get a bowl of soup and eat what I can from it. My band will tell me when to stop. Almost any kind of any soup is great with a sprinkle of cheese or nuts added. Beans, too!
With my dinner I always like a cup of soup to begin. Gets me going, jump starts & 'primes' my band and it's a great protein opportunity. Then if I could, I concentrated on seafood. ANY type of fish worked great with my band - From catfish to salmon to snapper to Tilapia. Or even shrimp or my all time favorite, calamari. I enjoy oysters in season and clams all year. The weeks that I ate more seafood, I lost more weight - across the board. Usually grilled is a good choice to be honest I even ate it fried (sorry, weight loss experts) and I still did well. And with my seafood, if I could I added beans to almost everything. With my steamed veggies, I added nuts and a sprinkle of cheese sometimes. I know it's not very It really does work!
See when I restrict my calories or even when I try to cut down on fat - I usually just end up cutting down on protein. And no matter how "well" or how much less I eat, if I cut my protein my body won't 'burn' up the fat. It holds on to it. I know that protein is the fuel that helps the LapBand machine work and not trying to diet or 'cut down' was a blessing to me.
I've had other Bandsters try this, and yes they are skeptical at first but when they start seeing inches lost (muscle really does weigh more than fat, so your clothes tell you before the scale ever will) then they get on the bandwagon. So don't just 'cut down' - ADD some food on your plate. That's right. ADD MORE nuts, boiled/diced egg, beans, cheese, seeds and other yummy forms of protein. Your body and your LapBand will thank you for it. Also adding protein allowed me to eat fewer carbs and save them for what was really a nice treat - a nice martini or occasional glass of wine, with dinner. Yes, I'm a drinking Bandster. All the successful European Bandsters I knew drank a glass or two now and then and they were my role models. I can't drink a lot AT ALL - a little goes a long way, but it was nice to get to goal weight without ever missing a Friday Happy Hour. I got the band to enhance my life, not take away some of the things that make it enjoyable. I eat out at restaurants, I go have drinks with friends - and I feel and look great. BRAVO!
Good Luck to you. (And since so many people asked me the same question in private posts - that's why I am posting it on the Slow Losers board too...)
Keep up the good fight. I did it - and you can too.

Crossing my legs
Fitting in economy seats on planes (plus not having to ask for a seatbelt extension)
Not sweating profusely from moderate activity
Wearing shoes without orthotics (I had to because of all the weight my poor feet had to carry)
Sitting in any chair I want to without having to gauge whether or not I am going to fit (chairs with arms were the worst!)
Eating in public without feeling like people are thinking "No wonder you're fat."
Pain-free knees
Wearing clothes picked for aesthetics rather than for camouflage
No more sleep apnea
No more insulin resistance and fear of diabetes
Feeling normal
Some of these I'd forgotten about. Wow! I don't ever want to go back! That was horrible! Thanks for the opportunity to be oh-so GRATEFUL for where I am now!

XXX to a Small! Wow! That's life-altering! Good for you! You look great (down right yummy!)

Last night I was laying in bed just surfing this web site and came across the post here and I have to tell you guys, it touched my heart. It made me do some deeper soul searching then what I have been doing.
I was banded in Oct. 06. I fought long and hard for my band. I wanted it and wasn't going to let the insurance company stand in my way. I beat them. But I had started Weight Watchers before attempting to get the band and I continued to follow WW's while I was on my Quest and even after I got my band.
So I was on my way to loosing the weight that I had let get out of hand. I had a long road to go and I was well on my way. I walked almost everyday and even joined Curves. I even ended up getting a job as a trainer at Curves. People were impressed with my journey. I had got to about 3 pounds away from having lost 200 pounds. And then all hell broke loose. I ended up having 3 surgeries within a year and a half. And now another one back in January. It has really taken the wind out of my sails. Through all of it I managed to put back on about 90 pounds. I am totally pissed at myself for letting it happen.
During this last surgey, one thing that I have always feared had happened. I had to be transported from one hospital to another to have surgery. I have always feared having to be picked up and possibly hurting someone. The two EMT's couldn't have been more gracious and luckily I was able to get on and off the stretcher by myself. So after the surgery the Doc comes in and talks to me about my surgery and that when I lose another 100 pounds to come see him and he will do more surgery because he was not able to do all of it then. He said that he felt the band had let me down and that I need to look into having the sleeve done.
I talked to my husband and we both agreed that I was not going to get a sleeve. My band didn't let me down, I let my band down. I'm the one who chose to eat around it and not follow the band rules.
So after reading your post here, I have gotten the courage to call my band Doc and go into see him. It's been over 16 months since I have had a fill. I'm not going to lose a thing if I don't get myself back to the restriction I had prior to all of my surgeries. I need to get back to that girl that was so gung ho about getting her band and so proud of my accomplishments with it.
Thank You so much guys for posting. I really hope that we can come here everyday and encourage each other like you guys have with me. Thanks for posting and I will do my best to let you guys know how I am doing.
Thanks, Suzanne.

Yes! It's normal! My Dr said that its my port and when you lose weight rapidly it tends to bother. Thanks... I hope this helps too!!

I am a person struggling to become aware of my unique body's needs and to treat my self and my body with loving kindness.

To those who have written that they have struggled with the band because either they were too loose or too tight: When you re-try using this this tool, please tell your doctor that you want to start getting fills SLOWLY! And then every subsequent fill only get .5 cc's put in (or less)
It's annoying and tedious, I know, but this way you can be sure that you will not "miss" your sweetspot by being too aggressively filled.
I find that many doctors do not give such tiny fills, but be honest with him/her and really speak up about this

I am a person struggling to become aware of my unique body's needs and to treat my self and my body with loving kindness.

I am a person struggling to become aware of my unique body's needs and to treat my self and my body with loving kindness.

I am a person struggling to become aware of my unique body's needs and to treat my self and my body with loving kindness.

I am a person struggling to become aware of my unique body's needs and to treat my self and my body with loving kindness.

I am a person struggling to become aware of my unique body's needs and to treat my self and my body with loving kindness.

I am a person struggling to become aware of my unique body's needs and to treat my self and my body with loving kindness.

Fifteen years ago I purposefully had my only tattoo put on the top of my foot because that was the only place I figured wouldn't be affected by weight gain or weight loss--and it wasn't (but it WAS so painful to have it done there!). Good luck.

Fifteen years ago I purposefully had my only tattoo put on the top of my foot because that was the only place I figured wouldn't be affected by weight gain or weight loss--and it wasn't (but it WAS so painful to have it done there!). Good luck.

Well, I figured out what to do. I chose to have taquitos for lunch today. No more being bushwhacked, I am allowing myself a little of the old food now and there. I had a couple of hot dogs for lunch yesterday. Funny thing is, I used to love those things and all I could think of while eating them was, why am I eating this crap, it tastes terrible. The taquitos today were very disappointing as well. But the real point is that I took the power these foods had over me by exercising a choice.
Thanks for all the input guys, just another day in the journey to be fit.

the other posters hit the nail on the head for me.
welcome and congrats on making a great decision.
i started out at your weight (336) so yes, it can be done.
sure i know some saggy skin will occur, i am down with that as i'd rather have that then be afraid of breaking chairs..eating.. you can eat what you want (but in smaller amounts) and i almost bet that once you see how much better you feel, those (i cant eat no more foods) will be a thing of the past..is for me and i had a mcdonalds gold card and should own coors light..but that is another story...
so the first step is took
you made decision to have surgery
so do it...and get on with your life.
do what you have to do to make it work.
you can do this if you want to.