NewBeginnings2018

Hi everyone! Hope you all enjoyed your weekends! Monday is back to work - ugh! Pat - I LOVE the tree! It's beautiful. Eileen - I'm feeling great thanks! I get my first fill the Wed after Thanksgiving. I can't wait!!! Welcome back Darcy! Glad you had fun!

Hey Dez! Great to hear from you. Glad the scale has started to move for you again. It gets frustrating when it doesn't, that's for sure! I'm feeling good and looking forward to my first fill. I get that fill the Wed after Thanksgiving - perfect timing if you ask me. Late enough that I'll be able to enjoy a bit of stuffing at thanksgiving, but early enough to get me through the Holidays! Sherry and I started taking country line dancing classes together on Tuesday nights. It's a lot of fun and good exercise. I've got to get that exercise piece in gear! I'm game for meeting up! Who else is interested??

aaamom - congrats on your tummy tuck! Glad your feeling better! I can't wait to see some pics of that little middle! dreaminbig - welcome home and congrats on your new band!! Can't believe that mix up! I would have been pissed too if I was the doc, but it wasn't your fault. They've had some changeover in personnel there - and I'm sure some heads rolled for that one! Keep us updated on your progress.

Welcome pinksoprano! A local girl! There have got to be some single bandster men out there. What are some issues you have dealt with, or future concerns?

BPM - it's not a matter of being uncomfortable, just about the right timing. Missy - I understand what you mean. I have seen other posts about newly slender bandsters dating guys who tell them they would never date an overweight woman. Ouch! I think we all want someone who is going to accept us for who we are, even at our heaviest. I also think guys want the same. Susan - I have been casually dating someone for a little over a month and haven't told him. As of now I'm taking the road you mentioned - not telling unless we get more serious. Once things get physical it will be harder to keep a secret. Kind of hard to ignore the red scars on my belly.

Awww Mandy - what a cute kitty! Congrats on the new addition to your family!

I thought it might be a good idea to have a thread where we could discuss the different challenges/issues we face as being single and banded. I'll start with introducing myself. My name is Chris, I am 32 and live in a suburb of Boston. About a year ago I got out of a 5 year relationship and have just casually dated (online dating) since then. I have decided to take a break from dating for a bit, so I can focus on myself and adjust to living life as a bandster. (I was just banded on 10/2). One of my biggest concerns when I start dating again is if/when to tell that I am banded. It's not that I don't want to tell people, it's just that my idea of great dinner conversation does not include discussing my weight. Overall I would say that I have a great life. I have a good job, a very supportive family, and lots of friends. I am happy to be taking control over my weight and issues with food, and am excited at the prospect of my future as a not-so-fat woman. I look forward to meeting more single bandsters and hope this thread takes off! Chris :cocktail:

Hope everything went well Pahvarti. Let us know how you're doing when you get the chance!

Kimberly - as far as I know the no food for an hour after eating does apply to mushies. You'll notice that the mushie food keeps you full much longer as well. Liquid stage was very, very tough but keep at it. It will definitely pay off when you get weighed in. Keep up the good work!

Douglas - I completely agree that Richard Harris was a much, much better Dumbeldore. The new actor is not calm and collected and angers too easily. Truthfully he almost ruins the movies for me. Wheetsin - the curtain was a pretty interesting phenomenen in book 5. I'm not sure if it holds any greater signficance, but you never know. I am going to start re-reading the sixth book. It was not my favorite by any means, but I liked the fact that it gave us some history on Voldemort and tied up a few loose ends. I read through it so fast the first time, I wonder if I'll pick up on anything new this time.

Cassandra - I was banded on Monday, stayed at my parents house Tuesday night, and then was home on Wednesday and did just fine (I live alone). I was just slow getting up and down.

By this time you're banded dreaminbig! Congratulations!!!!

Wow - it's amazing how differently our doctors treat the fills, huh? Thanks for keeping us updated as to how things are feeling. It's good to know what to expect. DaniX - awwww...thank you! I had no idea, but I'm glad if my posts have been able to help you in some way. I get a lot of motivation and inspiration from my fellow October Bandsters as well! We rock!!

Oh wow Dianne! I feel your pain! I had a reduction about 13 years ago, and was probably around the same size as you are now. It was never fun trying to find a bra or simple things like dresses and bathing suits. Ugh! Let me know how it goes at Nordstroms. So Sherry and I went to line dancing tonight. It was a lot of fun! We've got some new moves. WATCH OUT! lol

Hey Roxy!! I'm doing great thanks! How about you? You seem to be doing really well. That's my girl! I think the best thing about this site is that we all understand what each other is going through. Liquid stage is really, really tough. Mushie stage is great, food wise, but then you have to work at not eating too much and then there is the emotion of beating yourself up if you do overeat. I think this is all normal and part of the process. So no matter where you are in your journey, don't get down on yourself if you weren't perfect. Try your best to follow your doctor's orders because they are there for a reason (like to prevent slippage or erosion), but know that we won't always be perfect. Just kep trucking along! We'll get there! :clap2:

Hi everyone! Glad to see everyone is doing well and tooting along. lmao. I have had the busiest couple of weeks in creation but I wanted to make sure that I popped into say hi! Eileen - glad to see you're back is feeling better. Cindy - sorry to see yours is hurting! Darcy - have fun quilting! Mandy & Patty - good luck with the IEP's. I will keep you in my thoughts! Kat - how is your DH doing these days? Betty - I would have DIED if I ever tooted in my bosses office. I'm so private about that kind of stuff! lol Cassandra - good luck!! I was just banded on Oct 2nd and it has been great so far! Diane - not to be nosy, but what size/kind of bra are you looking for? I wear a bra from Lane Bryant called "The Balconette". It lifts without smooshing the ladies together in the middle. I had Sherry try them and now she is addicted too. lol. They start at a 36C I believe. And did I mention that it lifts??!! So I had a few Melontini's this weekend and OMG I'm in love! lol. They were soooo yummy. Hopefully my 3+ hours of dancing helped me work off the drinks. My legs are still sore! Hopefully they'll feel better for my line dancing with Sherry tomorrow night! Well off to do some dishes. Yuck!

Glad to see everyone is doing well. Soniacan - sorry to hear your first day back has been rough. I'm glad I took my two weeks off. It took me longer to recoup than I thought! I have been eating regular food, but have been making sure my meat is either soft (eggs, scallops, fish, etc), ground (turkey, beef), or shredded (chicken). I'm allowed to have crackers on the mushie stage, so I've also had cheese and crackers. I do not feel deprived on mushies at all. I will admit that it has been hard to not see the scale move for two weeks, but I'm told that is very common once the mushie stage is started. I track my calorie intake on fitday.com, and have been sticking very close to 1200 calories a day. I consider this a victory. I'm trying to face my food deamons, eat when I'm hungry, and stop when I'm full. I consider the band to be the tool that will help me change the eating habits I need to change. It has not been a walk in the park, but I find my attitude towards food is already changing. I am adding in exercise this week and hopefully this will help get things moving again. As much as I'd love for it to fall off, I'm ok with it coming off slowly as well. I'm more concerned with chaning how I look at food. Since we've already seen a couple people get fills, when are the rest of you going in for your fill appt? Mine is 8 weeks out, which is the Wed after Thanksgiving.

Sorry raynie, can't help you there. Threebeauties - no word yet, but I'll see if we can try and set up something informal before the holidays. I think it would be a perfect time to get together. We will need all the willpower we can get over the holidays! I am scheduled for my first fill the week after Thanksgiving. Perfect timing! What are your thoughts on fills? I want to take the slow and steady approach. I'd rather have to add a little more than to take some out. I know now that I can stick to a 1200 calorie diet without a fill, and that is a big confidence booster. I'm curious if others have thought about how they want to approach fills?

Hi everyone! Hope everyone is doing well with their healing! Well I had my one month anniversary earlier this week (the 2nd). It's so hard to believe so much time has passed! I feel great and am happy to report that the scale FINALLY moved for me this morning! I had been stuck at 252 ever since I started mushies two weeks ago. I told myself not to freak about it, and just stick to my 1200 calorie diet. I did, even though I did have a day where I indulged in waaay too much chocolate, and I'm happy that the scale decided to move. Sometimes we need that little extra motivation. So I am starting my excercise next week. I am going to start off with 3 days a week and try and work up from there. Anyone else already exercising? If so, what are you doing?

Dez sorry to hear you've been having a rough time. Angie is gone, sniff sniff, but still here with us in spirit. I would call the office and talk to someone. I'm no expert, but if you're having trouble getting more than 4 bites down then you may need a slight unfill. Please give them a call and let us know what they say. Hey Rainbow -- how are you??!! I hope all is well. Nana - how are things going with the process? Where are you at? Sherry - you know I love ya babe! Keep up the good work!! So I just finished my first full week of mushies. Life is good. lol. I've been able to stick to a 1200 +/- diet, but my scale did not move this week. I know it's totally normal so I'm trying not to fuss over it. I did have a bit of chocolate today and yesterday. Grrrr... I've still been sticking within my calories, but I wish I was stronger and could have said no. Baby steps I guess. lol. I would love to shake these last two pounds so I can make it into the 240's. Hopefully I'll get there this week! Sherry and I are going to start taking a Country Line Dance class together on Tuesday nights starting next week. It should be a blast and will be a good 1 1/2 - 2 hrs of exercise. We then promised each other we'd at least do one more night of exercise each week. Baby steps with the exercise too. lol. Well I hope everyone is doing well!

Oh I love, love, love Harry Potter! I have some theories on Dumbeldore. I think that he knew that Harry had to face Voldemort while he was still under the protection of his mother's love, which will only last until he's 17, and that this would not happen while Dumbledore was around. So he and Snape developed a plan where Snape would "kill" Dumbeldore, but first Dumbeldore created his own horcrux, which I believe to be Fawkes. I've been to a couple book release parties as well. There will be one more left so make sure you get there Douglas. They are a hoot!

Well it's official - all of our October Bandsters have been banded by now! Congratulations to you all, and I look forward to going through this journey together! Let's kick some butt and lose some pounds!!

Roxy - I didn't lose a pound in my second week. Not an ounce. I then went on to lose 3 lbs in my third week, even though in my third week I had upped my calorie intake to 1000-1200. I know it's hard not to focus on the scale, but your body is adjusting to the big change you have put it through. Try and think of the time up until your first fill as your time to heal and your time to work on changing your habits. I just finished my first week of mushies, and again didn't lose a pound. As much as I would have loved to have lost something this week, I know it will come. Just keep at it, and it will speed up again. Hope everyone else is doing well! Kstar glad to hear the infection is doing better!

Hi everyone!! It has only been a few days since I've visted LBT, but man it seems like I've missed so much!! Hope everyone is doing well and enjoyed their weekend. Where-o-where did it go? lol. So today I marched in a Halloween parade with my 2 year old neice. She was so cute! I will post a pic once I get them on my computer. I was a bat, and she was Cinderella. It was a great way to get in some exercise too. Speaking of exercise....Sherry and I are going to start taking Country Line Dancing lessons together once a week. How fun! I've taken a couple classes in the past, and it's a great workout. I'm all about the work outs that are fun. So this was my first full week of mushies. It was wonderful! lol. My weight fluctuated a lot over the week, but this morning when I weighed in I was the same. That is fine with me, especially considering I have my TOM anyway. I figured mushies would stall things a bit, so I'm not concerned. I need to take it easy though. I overdid it yesterday moving around a bunch of clothes. I was a little sore this morning when I woke up. Well I think I'm going to head to bed early tonight. I'm wiped! Talk to you all soon!

Congrats on your success swirligirl! Keep up the good work!