Band_Groupie

What a great way to give and get support! -BG

If you're losing anything and not gaining at this point, then you're doing great!!! LOVE the new hair...so cute! Have a blast on vacation next week and keep the attitude/indifference about food and you'll do well! I'm starting to see that family events revolving around food is what got me fat in the first place...it's really just the time we spend together that matters! Keep it up! -BG

It's really a life changing event, which came out loud and clear in your blog! Glad you're doing so well! -BG

The only thing that helped me with the hunger during liquids was when I started on my own to add more liquid protein. I think 20 pounds is awesome...I'm only down about that in over 2 months! Make sure you're getting at least 1000-1200 cals/day as your weight loss will stop if it's lower (starvation mode). -BG

Thanks DB (must be nice to live near a lake)! I, for one, came home with 'more' of me:sad:. Had a great time though!

Sorry I'm late...depressing Bandster Hell!!! I was suddenly down 4 pounds last week by Thursday and then I went home for the 4th...back up 3.5 >:-( Put me down for 206.:tongue_smilie:

No, it's not a football stat… We had a great long weekend back home with my family. We left Thursday night (DD had to work until 7pm) in the sedan rental car (my car still getting fixed from the accident) and it was tight quarters. We upgraded to a somewhat bigger car, but they had no vans/large cars available (we thought about taking 2 cars, but didn't want DD driving in the horrible holiday traffic; especially on the return Sunday). Three tall teenagers/21 year old cheek to cheek in the back seat did not make for the most pleasant ride. They're spoiled with riding in my minivan where they each get their own seat and a built in screen to watch videos or play games. We gave them DH's laptop and an earphone splitter so they could still watch movies, but DS2 in the middle had to hold it as still as he could and it gets hot on the bottom. DD kept saying "Kill me now!" every time one of the boys would whine. I tried to entertain them with stories of how my Mom wrecked our station-wagon the morning we were leaving for a camping vacation and after a family vote, we squeezed the whole family of seven and the bare essentials of our week long camping trip (with a huge canvas tent) into a Dodge Dart and rode for 8 hours each way (3 in the front bench and 4 of us in the back seat). They weren't sympathetic. Then I tried to enlighten them on their comfy quarters with the tale of how when we drove to NY to visit my uncle's family once my parents caught the antiquing bug from them and bought a grandmother clock, several chairs and other assorted antiques. Yeah, we had the station wagon with the third flip up bench in the rear, but I still had to ride home 9 hours with my head through the rungs/seat of a chair…still, no sympathy (OK, suck it up…it's a 3.5 hour ride…they settled into the movie and all was quiet again). We stopped at Phantom Fireworks once we got inside Ohio at about 11pm (along with half the state) and loaded up. We arrived around midnight and started dropping kids at different sister's homes and then we went on to stay at Mom and Dad's with my older sister and her two boys. Friday we slept in and then I got to see all 4 siblings, two of whom I haven't seen in about a year (we went to lunch with them). We helped Mom and Dad get ready for the 4th and shopped a little and then we had a big family rib dinner. *Portion of Post Deleted for Lap Band Book We got ready on the 4th with finishing decorating the roofed golf cart my parents were riding through the parade with 3 of the grandchildren (as past parade chairmen – first ones). Then we were off to watch the parade at noon. DS1 carried the banner with his cousin for the street float. It was the nicest parade weather in years (it's usually fry-an-egg-on-the-pavement-hot). I got choked up as usual as we all stood and clapped for the flag and the old veterans marching by. We all went to the street picnic for dinner and then lots of backyard fireworks before walking up to the golf course for the big show. Sunday was just as busy as we ran to pick up food orders at several places for the 80th surprise birthday party my Mom was hosting for Dad at my youngest sister's home. We told him we were having brunch there before my sister from Chicago and my family departed for home (a normal thing we would do). There was a great turn out of about 75 people and he was so surprised…even their best friends surprised us all by coming from Indiana driving out and back Sunday for the event. He got all teared up, so I know he was happy. We arrived back home after a harrowing drive on packed roads last night.

I'd kill this summer for a pair of great legs! I'm holding you to that (because I know you CAN do it!). LOL...Blonde=formerly, now from a bottle (I don't even want to know), Smile= my dentist and Zoom teeth whitening, Body= a work in progress (aka LB)...for that kind of cleavage=cutlets (and not the chicken kind).

What? I thought that was you right in front JT!?

Thanks gals...we're off tonight! Kathy- so glad you're having a better day! -BG

Good blog Ben. I've seen many threads here with people who are upset or ashamed of getting their band, and I think it's good 'food' (heehee) for thought (made me think). I agree that I think we all go through the initial shame in looking at this that we need help and couldn't do this on our own...for me, that was quickly followed by the excitement that I'd finally found the answer and the help I needed. I made the personal decision not to share this. Even at my highest weight I was the thin one in my family (4 obese siblings, none who would EVER get the band) and my inlaws (thin; doctor and a nurse who have already made it clear that losing weight is a matter of willpower as they've watched me struggle up and down). I don't have an ounce of doubt that I would get a LOT of negative feedback on my decision. I decided that I wanted this journey to be nothing but a positive step and I couldn't do that if many of my extended family members were involved...I don't want anything to jepordize my success. Please don't take this as being defensive as I'm obviously a 'sharer' too and would love nothing better than being able to talk about all this with those around me. I think that's why I started blogging as I do want to shout out the benefits and show others what this really is and help others who might need the band. I may be ready to do that someday further into my journey and 'face the negativity', but not now as I'm just starting (and I have the added benefit that everyone has seen me near my goal weight several times on my yo-yo dieting the past 20 years). I'm glad there are others like you who are able to spread the word and clear up some of the misconceptions about the band...keep on sharing! Thanks! -BG

...because I don't think you can stay on an appetite suppressant forever. I've got a little bit of restriction after my 2nd fill (4.5 ttl/10cc band) and can't wait until my next fill. Good luck and I hope this one does something for you! -BG

Hey there...if you haven't already joined the June Group here on LBT (under groups, 2009, June), do so as they're all in the same place you are 'Bandster Hell'. Your doc should expect that you can eat anything at this point as your band isn't giving you any help right now (this period is for healing and not losing weight...many GAIN weight until they get good restriction). Don't expect your first fill to get you there, but if you're lucky it might (most need several fills before they feel a change). Bandster Hell is a tough period and can be frustrating...just remember, it's not a race, your 'tool' will be helping you with a few fills so hang in there! I've had 2 fills now and only have a tiny bit of restriction, but I'm working it. You're doing great! Good luck. -BG

WOOT! Made it! And feel GOOD no matter what your progress...Bandster Hell is so unpredictable and frustrating...we'll all get to our goals eventually (and remember I had the lowest goal LOL!). Have a great 4th of July all (or a great weekend for our other countries!). I'm off on a roadtrip home. What's next? Labor Day Challenge? :tongue2: Bunny Banster's July 4th Challenge Bunny's name ------ Bunny's target loss --- Bunny's start weight --- Current date --- Bunny's Current weight --- Bunny's target July 4 weight PharmaGirl -------------- 20lb --------------------- 276lb ---------------- 20 June --------------------- 276lb -------------------- 256lb NY Lady ----------------- 20lb --------------------- 253lb ---------------- 20 June --------------------- 249lb -------------------- 233lb lingling ------------------ 20lb --------------------- 279.6lb --------------- 1 May --------------------- 279.6lb ----------------- 259.6lb JayTee562 --------------- 20lb --------------------- 272lb ----------------- 19 June --------------------- 259lb -------------------- 252lb MrsMitch ---------------- 25lb --------------------- 242lb ------------------ 1 May --------------------- 242lb -------------------- 217lb ALuv82------------------ 35lb ---------------------- 297.5lb --------------- 14 June --------------------- 273lbs ------------------- 262.5lb Band_Groupie ----------- 15lb ---------------------- 218 lbs -------------- 2 July --------------------- 202.5lbs -------------------- 203lbs kaner ------------------- 20lb ----------------------- 275lb --------------- 19 June --------------------- 261lb ---------------------- 255lb scoobydoo -------------- 25lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? TerriLynne -------------- 15lb ----------------------- 296lb --------------- 26 June --------------------- 281.2lb ---------------------- 281lb hopeful41411 ----------- 18lb ----------------------- 260.8lb -------------- 1 May -------------------- 260.8lb -------------------- 242.8lb IsabellaP84 ------------- 20lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? hannahj914 ------------- 20lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? JWL08 ------------------ 18lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Abbie-pie --------------- 30lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? poconomom -------------20lb ----------------------- 212lb --------------- 8 May --------------------- 204lb --------------------- 192lb myturn2bhappy --------- 30lb ---------------------- 288lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 286lb --------------------- 258lb DM Chef ---------------- 20lb ---------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------- ? FutureSize10 ------------ 25lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------- ? doodlebug11 ------------ 20lb ---------------------- 207lb --------------- 1 May ---------------------- 196.5lb-------------------- 187lb tcbgirl ------------------- 15lb ---------------------- 202.8lb ------------- 1 May --------------------- 202.8lb --------------------187.8lb twinmamma1130 -------- 20lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------- ? mi_illusion_st ----------- 15lb --------------------- 211.6lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 211.6lb----------------- 196.6lb Babygirl_68 -------------- 20lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------- ? kittygirl ------------------ 22lb ----------------------2031b ------------------ 31 May ---------------195lb---------------------- 181lb jukeBox81782 ----------- 40lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May ---------------------- ? ------------------------- ? Losing for me ----------- 20lb ---------------------- 189lb ---------------13 Jun ---------------------- 176lb --------------------169lb early -------------------- 15lb ---------------------- 202lb ------------------- 1 May --------------------- 202lb -------------------- 187lb lapband-AP-redo -------- 20lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May ---------------------- ? ------------------------- ? pottergirl----------------- 20lb----------------------- 280lb ---------------- 1 May---------------------- 280lb -------------------- 260lb shakia90 ---------------- 20lb ----------------------- 285lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 285lb -------------------- 265lb txdj --------------------- 20lb------------------------ 205lb ---------------- 11 June --------------------- 186lb --------------------175lb ThinWithin -------------- 27.4lb --------------------- 297.4lb -------------- 8 May --------------------- 297.4lb ------------------ 270lb help1977 ----------------20lb----------------------- 251.8lb ---------------- 14 June -------------------- 245.0lb ------------------- 231.8lb vcatalina1 -------------- 20lb------------------------ 255lb ------------------1 May -------------------- 240lb --------------------- 220lb Auddie ----------------- 20lb------------------------ ? -----------------------1 May ------------------- ? --------------------------? lapbandgirl2009 -------- 25lb ---------------------- 259lb -------------------25 May ------------------- 256lb --------------------- 234lb swkrp ------------------ 20lb ---------------------- 219lb ------------------- 1 May ------------------- 199lb --------------------- 234lb Shellynnrn --------------20lb ---------------------- 260lb--------------------1 May ------------------- 260lb-----------------------240lb kath17268 -------------15lb ----------------------- 236lb--------------------1 May ------------------- 214lb ------------------------ ?b knighmo -------------- 25lb --------------------- 298lb -------------------- 4 May-------------------- 298lb ------------------- 273lb jannyboo -------------- 29lb -------------------- 219lb ---------------------1 May ------------------- 219lb ------------------- 190lb lilith ------------------ 20lb -------------------- 249lb---------------------6 May ------------------- 244.7lb ------------------- 229lb

(Pics from my blog, link below) Happy 4th all! I see we have our vehicles and costumes ready for the big 4th of July parade! Look at our guy Bunnies...good sports, and great exercise...lookin' good! We're getting thinner gals...keep peddling! Have a great weekend all!

I remember how looooooong summer’s seemed as a kid…as long as at least a couple of years of my life now…it’s like the opposite of dog years, time was just on super-slow-mo as a kid. We’d spend the days running all through the neighborhood with the ‘gang’ of kids. Mom’s generally had no clue exactly where you were, but weren’t worried as long as you showed up for lunch…my Mom with 5 kids, she just knew we were together. The only time I had to ask permission to go somewhere was ‘going to the creek’ because it was a little further away in the woods down the hill. My kids love hearing stories about all the ‘now dangerous’ things we did ‘way back when’…they never seem to hear the end of some of the stories when we sometimes got injured, but only all the fun we had doing things I wouldn’t allow them to do now…simple things like no bike helmets (I still have cinders in one knee) and no seatbelts (before there were seatbelts I broke the front windshield with my head as a child in an accident sitting in the front bench seat between my parents…I was fine), or products like metal lunch boxes (my left front tooth, now a cap, was chipped by a kid swinging one of those as we ran to line up after recess), and DH’s ‘Red Rider’ B-B gun (looks like a rifle for a toddler…my kids and my middle sister’s kids were never allowed to have even a plastic gun…my sister swears that’s why her 2nd son is now becoming a police officer LOL). They love hearing all the stories…about how my oldest sister built a go-cart/soap box and rode it down our street; a very steep hill my parents still live on…it was her first and last trip down. The piece of wood she’d nailed in for a ‘brake’ popped off the second she touched it to the ground…she lost all six of her front teeth (now capped). Our guys from the 'April Bunnies' group have tried this as well (good sports aren't they...getting stuck with the 'Bunnies', and good exercise)...they won the Derby! Times were different then for kids…you’d never know it from the injuries, but it was a safer time (and no wonder I’m the ‘safety police’, right?). We’re off to Columbus for the 4th to be with my (foodie) family (yes, all the phone calls have been about what everyone is making for the different events and meals). The 4th is a HUGE deal for all of us. My parents have been in the same house for 43 years. They built a house in the first ‘phase’ of an enormous development built around a golf course…so large it has its own Elementary school. My parents have always been really involved in the community…Dad was President of the Civic Association and the PTA way back, and they started and were the first Chair’s of the 4th of July parade that travels part of the main road through the neighborhood. They have entered a float for just our street every year which always involved months of planning and putting it together. Back in my youth we had engineers and welders who lived on the street and they concocted some pretty elaborate floats…one with a moving Ferris wheel and another with two turnstiles each with a center wall so 2 ‘scenes’ with people on them turned. We loved riding in the parade. Now my kids have that tradition as well…they’ve ridden on the floats, they’ve decorated their bicycles and won trophies and t-shirts, they’ve ridden with their grandparents (as past parade chairs they do this every year) on the golf cart through the parade, they’ve been at the street picnic every 4th after the parade (every year some of the old ‘gang’ of kids I used to run with come back to the picnic), they’ve gone to the big neighborhood fireworks display and the even bigger one the night before downtown (I always cry start crying at the first patriotic song...that's what this is about after all!) and after we set off fireworks in my folks backyard (yeah, not so safe, but we keep the kids on the patio…and more importantly, of course they’ve heard all the stories of years ago when all the dad’s had bottle rocket wars on the street with pop bottles armed with ammo aiming them at the enemy strongholds…yeah, until my youngest sister got one planted into her thigh). Yeah, we'll be stopping in Ohio for our fireworks enroute. they’ve gone to the big carnival the day after at the Elementary school and played the carnival games and ridden the ponies. My kids are really looking forward to it. Whenever I get together with my 4 siblings and parents the kids will always ask us to tell stories of all the crazy things we used to do (like the above), so there will always be several stories they’ve yet to hear each year. Apparently my middle-sister and I have the same laugh and when we get hysterical it gets to the point of no sound at all…just tears running down our faces and gasps now and then…the kids love to ‘get us going’. It’s going to be an extra special 4th weekend as Mom’s (shhhhhhh) having a big surprise party for my Dad’s 80th birthday on Sunday with over 60 guests. So get your seat early for the parade and have a great 4th of July all!

I know we're off topic here, but even though sizes DO fit different weights/bodies differently, I can attest to the fact that sizes have become WAY more generous. I have tons of old pants, some from college 30 years ago and a size 12 then is much smaller than a size 12 now. My DD can't fit into my wedding dress, or some of my old pants (I wore an 8 -10 then) but she wears a 4 or 6 in pants now, nothing larger. The good news is that us old folks will feel even skinnier when we go buy our new clothes in even smaller sizes! :redface:

It's like age...it's all relative isn't it LOL. Even starting as a low BMI'er I've have moments similar to yours...just with my own weight history as a big yo-yoer (after losing 40 pounds I realized I was now at the weight I was at when I started looking at the LB, so it made my 40 pound loss a little sad.). Like you said, 'keep working'...it's all about getting healthy and happy no matter where you start. -BG

Sending you a PM Kath...hang in there.

You can see from my ticker I started off at a 37.7 BMI (248# and I'm 5' 8.75"). I set my goal at 90-100# and I gave myself 2 yrs. to do it. I lost about 5 pounds during the first 5 months of the pre-op diet. I've lost 40 more since the 6th month of my pre-op diet and I'm now 2 months post-op (15 more pre-op and now 25 post-op). So 45# total now and I don't have good restriction yet (had my 2nd fill). I know the weight loss will slow down eventually (I've lost 50# more times than I can count), but I'm OK with that...I just want it to stay off! I don't exercise enough consistently enough yet, so that will help you a lot.

I've been stuck several times, even after only one fill where I really felt no restriction (but I wasn't chewing any more than normal). I know I need another fill and I just got stuck the other day on a piece of lettuce that I hardly chewed. Some things can block the stoma even when it's got a pretty wide opening. Keep us posted! -BG

CONGRATULATIONS!!! -BG

You go girl! Way to take charge and I'm hoping you'll get there soon (every 2 weeks is great!). I'm sure we're much less 'a pain in their ass' coming in for fills sooner rather than later and bitching and moaning about gaining weight at that point! -BG

WELCOME TO LBT!! -BG

Glad today is better. Prayers for you and your Mom. -BG