abailor

Hello Fellow Bandsters!:thumbup: Wow, we have reached one year! All of you have done so well! Congratulations! This was a good thread starter! I have lost 70 lbs so far and need to lose another 25 lbs to reach healthy BMI which has been my personal goal all along. For NSV I have given away countless bags of clothes and lost 8 sizes I went from a 22 to a 14 and my 14's are getting loose too! I have no more clothes in my closet that I can wait to wear at this point I need to buy new clothes! What I have learned is PORTION control and what I still struggle with is overeating sugars! I can still get candy bars down and rely on them when nothing else works and I know that this is not an healthy habit. Well keep up the great work everyone! Angie 6 cc in a 10 cc band 12/16/08 Date of Surgery

Hi Everyone, I wanted to check in and see how everyone is doing. I am down 55 lbs now! Yeah! But, I did hit a 4 month weight loss plateau I did not lose any weight for 4 whole months and did have two fills during that time. My last fill was on 9/14/09 and I believe that this fill I may finally be at the "sweet spot" I was starting to think that was just a myth the sweet spot but I do believe I am there now. I am closer to being under 200 lbs than I have been in 4 years! I just pray that I can keep it up. I am also walking/running I have never been a runner but I am competing next Satuday in a 5k for a dear fried that lost her sister to cancer. My goal is to run 80% of the race - I think I can do it! I have to be honest I thought at 9 months out from the date of my surgery that I would be further along with my weight loss but I have learned to accept it as it comes. My body seems to be a "chunker" meaning I lose weight in chunks. I wanted everyone else to update with their celebrations and challenges because we are all in this together! Angie:lol:

Hi Tina~ Your story is inspirational! I am very smiliar to you too~ I am 34 yeras old soon to be 35. I was banded 12/16/08 to date I have only lost 25 lbs. I have had two fills and do not feel restricted. When will I feel the way I did after surgery? I h ave not really lost any weight at all in 2 months and really need too! I am starting to feel like this is not going to work for me and this is not the attitude I want to have at all! I hate being overweight it limits me in so many ways, I avoid social situations with people who knew me when I was "skinny" at this point I just want to be HEALTHY for my two little boys. So as of today I am 3 months out and 25 lbs lost any timeline.......should I start losing again soon? I get another fill on 4/1??? Thanks! Angie

Hi, I would love to hear more about your experience with Dr. GArcia so far. I just had my first fill and I have no complaints but I wish that I would start losing more weight. I lost a lot with the preop and right after surgery but then slowed. Where are you at? How many fills have you had? Are you at your sweet spot? I go back 3/4 for my second fill. I am really hoping that I lose weight between now and then. I just had my first fill on 2/4 and at first did not think that it did anything for me but now I am realizing that it did help restrict me a little. Thanks! I would love to talk with you!:thumbdown:

Hi Girls, I live in Jim Thorpe but work in the Poconos. I was banded on 12/16/08 at St. Lukes in Allentown by Dr. Garcia. He is great, young, caring, soft spoken. He is very flexible too his office is located off of the Cedar Crest Blvd. Here is his information: Dr. Guilleremo Garcia: 610-366-7700 Hope that this helps. Angie

okay this is so helpful! I am experiencing the same thing and thought that I was doing something wrong. I lost 23lbs initally (banded 12/16) but now I have not lost at all in the past 10 days. It seems like we are all in the same boat and it sounds like we have to ride it out. Good luck!

So I lost 23 lbs pretty quickly but now I have gone a full week without losing any weight at all. I also started soft foods this past week but I am writing down everything I eat and sticking to a 1500 calorie or less day diet. I am also drinking Water and exercising. Can I really hit a plateau this early or is it possible that my body is overreacting as I know that I am still not getting all of the needed nutrients. My dr told me not to expect to lose at all between now and my first fill but jeez with eating way less than I used to I thought that I would see some lbs. lost. Any ideas? Thanks, Angie

Hello Fellow December 2008 Bandsters, Welcome to 2009 and a new us all of us! This is it this is the year we will say good bye to the extra fat that holds us back! I am so excited to think about where I will be and all of you will be next year this time. I hope that in the next year I am out and more active with my family, learn to do something new and obtain a healthy BMI. Congratulations on the first step and now we all have to stay strong strong strong! I love this group thanks for creating it Pete! Angie

Hi, I was banded on 12/16 and as of today two weeks later I fel 99% excpet today I got hit with the darn shoulder pain again I had thought that it was gone but whammo I was driving and it came back with avengence. Is this still gas from the surgery or is this a new thing? I read a couple of place where some people suffer with this long term. I am really hoping this is not me. Any suggestion? Thanks, Angie

Hi Auggies, I would not feel so guilty about eating a small piece of pizza. Although I am amazed that you were able to, I tried one tiny piece of beer bread with appetizer on X-mas and almost instantly puked. I see that you are down 34 lbs that is a lot of weight when did you start losing (pre op diet?) You should be proud of you 34 lbs and remember that nothing tastes as good as thin feels at least that is what I keep telling myself. I am glad to meet you! Angie

Hi China~ I would love to join the weight loss challenge too! What a great idea! What happens when you drink too much do you feel sick? I was starving on mushies/liquid. I ate a very small meal of chicken, potatoes and carrots tonight all totaling 4 oz. But is was yummy and I do not feel sick. I really need the restriction. What size band do you have? I have the 10cc. Keep up the great work! How do you feel otherwise? Any port pain? I am still feeling tenderness at the port. Angie

Hi December Bandsters! I wanted to share I saw my Dr. today for my two week post op (technically I am two weeks tomorrow but they are closing for the week for the holidays.) anyways as of today I am down 23 lbs! My doc gave me permission to slowly begin to introduce solid foods! I have been so hungry on the mushies and not feeling satisfied. My first fill is also scheduled for 1/28/09. Hopefully, some of you who had your surgery earlier in December will be able to share your first fill experience. I am also able to start exercising so tomorrow I am going to start using my gazelle again! Whoo-hoo. My biggest concern at this point is I am definetely hungrier and worried about eating too much. What's going on with everyone else?

Thanks for all your support. I think that there are two major things that I need to do drink more water and get out to walk~ I have definetely not done these things yet. I see my Dr. tomorrow and he is to clear me to start exercising; as I pulled a stitch and had to take it easier. But the water is something that I can start today! Yes, we are back home from the holidays and I did not gain and I did not lose so that is a win in my book! I really appreciate your support! I am down 21/5 lbs.! Take Care~ Angie

Hi, I was banded on 12/16. I have a little residual pain under my one incision still but other than that feel pretty good. I am concerned about the scale at one point i was down 21 lbs but now I am only down 18 lbs and I really do not know why other than going to soft soft mushies and eating very little of it. Would my body be hanging on to weight now that I am eating a little more? thoughts?>

I too was banded on 12/16 and I am 8 days post op today and I am so damn hungry that I feel like I could eat a cow. So, yes I feel the same way! I am also I say 90% recovered but I still have lingering shoulder/gas pain this was the worst part of the whole procedure for me was this gas pain other than that I am healing very nicely. I returned to work on Monday but I am luck as I am a teacher and I am off now for 2 weeks. I notice tenderness where the port is. I love the food suggestions all of this is so helpful my dr is one of those that kind of gave me in the instruction book and said, "do this" ummmmmm so not a lot of directions. My friend is a nutrionist and she helped me to come up with a very pureed soup and a smoothie I took him these recipes and he said they were fine a few days after surgery. I am down 20 lbs today since starting the liquid pre-op diet on 12/9. Let's hope and pray that we can all stay strong over these upcoming days!

Hi Cee~ Thanks for reaching out! Well I should be able to post to yuou on the 18th and then when you return home we can be helpers to each other! Good luck!

Hi~ Thanks for the reply's it is nice to meet others that are beginning this jounrey at about the same time as me, I just saw my surgeon today and did all the final pre-op testing @ the hospital. My surgeon requires the lovely liquid diet for 7 days before the surgery. He explained it to me that it is not to concentrate on losing weight it is to help your organs that are near the band placement to decrease in size to decrease the surgeon's chance of nicking them. WEll ladies here we go I hope and pray that this is a great success for all of us! Angie

Hi i am a 34 year old mother of two; I have been trying unsucesfully lose weight for about 8 years. I lose 20 and gain 30 lbs back. I see my surgeon this week on 12/3 for all of the pre-op clearances. I am really looking forward to a new healthier life style. Angie