SpideyMom

A good suggestion from our fearless leader, John337, who has already hit the 100+ pound mark! See his cross-post below: .....Congrats to all.......Everyone is doing great. :scared2::biggrin: Collectively, how much has the Mayo Banditos lost ????? We need to figure it out. __________________ John - L/B 5/11/09, Fill -8/26/09 - .25cc = total 6.45 cc So, come on, Mayo Banditos, let's find out! Tell us how much you have lost total since you started your weight loss journey. Round to the nearest number, please. (0.5 and above go to the higher number) So, if John has lost 105, and I have lost 70, that makes a total of 175. So, now add yours! :mad::thumbup:

Wow! Everyone is doing SO well! Congratulations!!! This calls for the Dancing Vitamins!!! :scared2::biggrin: :mad:

Congratulations, John and Carrie! Woohoo! :scared2: I didn't weigh in last week (traveling) so in the last two weeks, I lost 3.5 lbs, for a total of 69.5. John, try not to worry too much about those extra 3 lbs. the doc wants you to lose. Think of it as a good buffer.

Thanks, Mamadot! You look fabulous yourself! I see a big difference between the first and third photos. Isn't it an awesome feeling? :mad::biggrin: Keep up the great work! Anyone else care to share their before and after (during) photos? :tongue2:

Aw, thanks, everyone! I feel great. It wasn't until I saw that picture and compared it to my old pic that I realized how much I had changed. Really excited now about how I will look when I get to goal! :tongue2:

Taz, the WLS helped because I don't have as much weight to carry around and cause more pain. Also, I can now exercise, whereas before, I couldn't. It hasn't really changed anything with my meds, except that I take half the dose of Flexeril now and I am about to start taking half the dose of trazadone. The trazadone helps with sleeping. It is a very old antidepressant that's really only used for sleep problems anymore. I have a dear friend who has fibro and Cymbalta did nothing for her, either. For me, it was a God-send! Take good care! :bored:

Want so bad, I was diagnosed four years ago. I am on Cymbalta, Lyrica, trazadone, Flexeril, and Vitamin D on a daily basis. I take Vicodin for break-through pain. I agree with the pp's that this is a progressive disease. I have gotten worse since my dx in 2005. However, I have gotten better since losing weight!!! :bored: My favorite place for info is the National Fibromyalgia Association (National Fibromyalgia Association: Welcome to the national fibromyalgia association). They have some really great advice and if you get on their email list, they will send you all the latest news about medical trials, breakthroughs, etc. Here is a link to a bunch of articles about fibro and relationships. There are some really good ones on here about how fibro affects a marriage. You might want to print some out and have your dh read them. National Fibromyalgia Association: Fibromyalgia and Relationships Good luck!!! :smile2:

Ok, I'm finally ready to show off. :smile2: I went to a wedding this weekend, and I was so pleased with a photo someone sent me, that I thought I would share. The first photo was taken on 4/29/09, the day I started my pre-op diet (size 20/22). The second photo was taken 9/19/09, about 4 1/2 months later and 64 pounds down from that date (size 14). :bored:

Oh, boy, do I know what you mean!!! Good luck! :bored:

WOW! Awesome, everyone!!! :bored:

Wow, thanks for all the suggestions. I will definitely check for the ring guards. Eventually I will get them sized, but I want to get to my goal first. :thumbup:

Carrie and Less of Me, I had the same experience with my first three fills. I would be starving after two hours! I found something called South Beach "Tide Me Over" that helped a little bit. It's a water mix-in that adds fiber and protein to your water. I like the strawberry-banana flavor. It is sugar-free, 30 cals, 5 g. fiber, 3 g. protein. You can find it near all the other mix-in packets at the grocery store, WalMart, Target, etc. However, I did just bear with a lot of hunger until my next fill. Hang in there as best you can! Good luck!!!

Bill, first thing, you are doing the right thing -- asking for help and refusing to give in! Pat yourself on the back for that! Second, not everyone gains during bandster hell. In fact, most people just go through a slow down in weight loss or a plateau. Don't give yourself *any* excuse for a milkshake. That was one thing my surgeon was adamant about before I had surgery -- I had to say goodbye to milkshakes and ice cream because he saw too many people gain back their weight due to ice cream. It is easy to get down (slider food), tastes so good, but is so full of fat and empty calories. It's just not worth it. :drool: You will get through Bandster Hell. You got through the awful liquid diet right before surgery, right? And the liquids and mushies afterward, right? Now it is time to move on to solids. Follow your surgeon's advice. S/he knows what is best. And be sure to exercise as much as you can. It won't be long before you get your first fill, and then the weight will really drop and you'll be so glad you didn't give in to the ice cream. Don't sabatoge yourself -- especially this early on! Also, you may want to start tracking your food, Water, exercise, and weight on a free online tracker such as Daily Plate. It's easy to use and really helps you get a good grasp on what you're eating every day. And come on here for support! Most of us have gone through it and many are currently going through it. We will help you day by day if you need it. Just hang in there!!! Good luck!!!

Have you eased up on exercise? I've found that when I gain weight suddenly it's usually either a Water fluctuation like the pp's said, or it's because I stopped exercising as much. Once I start drinking more water and get moving again, it usually comes off pretty quickly. Good luck! Just keep your chin up and don't throw in the towel. This happens to everyone. Your progress so far is amazing!

Hello, Banditos, I have a question for you. Are your rings getting too loose? My wedding bands are spinning on my fingers. I still want to wear them, but I don't really want to put ugly masking tape on the back like girls used to do in high school if they wore a guy's class ring. Anyhow, where can I get something to tighten my rings until I am ready to have the resized? Aren't there little clear plastic things you can buy? In one way, I love to see them spinning, but in another way, it's annoying, ya know? Oh, the "problems" we have with with weight loss. *sigh*

Well, good news -- even though my hair is still coming out in my hands, I can feel teeeeny tiny peach fuzz growing on my scalp! hooray! :tt1: I think that taking Biotin and Vit. D for a couple months now has helped. And I just upped my Biotin from 300 mg to 1000 mg (thanks to the tip from Sarahbellz) and hopefully, it will speed up (despite the nearly-platinum blonde highlights I had done yesterday). Oh, and speaking of Biotin, did anyone notice that it is supposed to boost metabolism? My first bottle didn't say that! Hey, a little bang for your buck! :thumbup:

Hey, Happy Birthday, Mac! That certainly is a way to celebrate! That is fantastic about getting off the hbp pills after so many years! Hooray! :thumbup::sad:

John, that is so awesome! :sad: You must have been on cloud nine!

Hi, everyone! I have been low-carbing it since I was banded on May 7, 2009. Years ago I tried Atkins and South Beach, with very limited success, but this time I took my own approach. I don't count how many carbs I take in, but I do limit them considerably! After two consultations with my surgeon and a few sessions with a therapist, I realized that I was *truly* addicted to sugar, just like an alcoholic is addicted to alcohol. During the time between my first consultation and my surgery, I made the very difficult decision to completely give up sugar and all white carbs (bread, Pasta, rice, potatoes). It's been going good so far, and the longer I go without those items, the easier it is. I guess you would say my diet is closer to South Beach. My foods include: unjury Protein shakes in the morning (when my band is usually tight); fat-free Greek yogurt (really high in protein); lentil Soup or black bean soup with low-fat cheese melted in; refried Beans topped with low-fat cheese, fat-free salsa, low-fat sour cream (eat with whole wheat baked pita chips or just with a spoon!); hummus & tahini with fresh veggies and sometimes a few All Bran Multigrain crackers or pita chips; low-carb "sandwich": any deli meat, cheese, condiments, etc., between two slices of low-fat swiss cheese (the swiss allows you to hold it without getting your hands wet or sticky :thumbup:); Breakstone's 2% high-fiber cottage cheese mixed with 1 small container of pre-made sugar-free Jell-o (don't knock it till you try it -- got the idea from someone else on this board! :thumbup:); scrambled eggs with cheese; and if I'm out at a fast food restaurant, I choose a salad with grilled chicken on top, or I get a cheeseburger with all the toppings, take off the buns, use a fork and knife, and cut it all up into "cheeseburger salad." :thumbup: I have a question for you all: Has anyone found a good whole wheat/whole grain low-carb bread? :mad2: I was shocked to see to sugar content in most whole wheat breads! TIA! PS - A big hello to Minxz and LindaD, my fellow Mayo Banditos! :thumbup:

Awesome, OntheWay! :mad2:

This is great that everyone's trying to get some exercise in here and there. I think it has made a big difference for me compared to other times when I have lost weight. This is the first time I've really made a point to add any exercise. I don't do a lot compared to some people, but considering I have fibromyalgia and arthritis and I used to never be able to do anything without severe pain, I'm happy to be moving at all! I use a pedometer and walk wherever/whenever I can. Now that school has started, I walk my son to school, which is 1 mile round trip every morning before work. That helps wake me up! lol I also try to get in a 30-min. walk around the neighborhood at least 3x/week. Over the summer, I started doing Water aerobics (*loved* it) and water walking/jogging. That was awesome exercise. I'm looking into joining the rec center so I can continue my pool exercise throughout the winter. Oh, and I take the stairs now instead of the elevator -- that is huge for me. I injured both knees when I was 19 and now they are full of arthritis, so stairs were impossible for me -- up or down. Now I can do them! I'm slow as a turtle, but who cares? I'm doing it!! :thumbup: ValJean, that's amazing the amount of exercise you do. That Bikram yoga is wild! My boss does it and he swears by it -- tries to convince everyone in the office to try it. I'm afraid I would pass out! Keep up the great work, everyone! :mad2:

I was also told it was okay to break them in half. Good luck!

YES! I totally agree! And congrats on your other NSVs, also.

Hooray for everyone! :seeya: Great job!! :thumbup::thumbup: I :frown: this week, putting me in ONE-derland. Hooray! :thumbup: And John, WOOHOO!!!! MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED POUNDS LOST!!!! Fantastic work! Let's celebrate! :thumbup::party::thumbup: (No, those are not M&Ms, they are dancing Vitamins.)

Hey, Sarah, don't waste your money on the Rogaine! That's for people who are losing their hair because of genetics, not weight loss reasons. When I have had hair loss from weight loss in the past, I have always been deficient in Vitamin D also, which is why my doctor just ordered a blood test for that (and Iron levels). Vitamin D supplements are sold over the counter also. It's also important to get all your other Vitamins in, so make sure you are taking a Multivitamin with iron. And, about all that hair you are seeing, just to let you know, it is less that what you think it is. If you were to take the hairs that come out in your hands, count them one by one, there won't be 100 every time you shower. How do I know? Well, this is actually the fourth time I've lost my hair. And the first time I lost it, I lost all of my hair -- to chemo. When I started losing the second time (due to weight loss/Vit. D deficiency), I was freaking out, as you can imagine, having been truly bald before! That's when the doctor explained about hair (esp. long hair) looking like so much more in your hands than it really is. So, I started counting (think tweezers), and she was right. I wasn't losing 100 each time. And, the majority of your hairs fall out when you shampoo, so you aren't losing that much all day long. So breathe a little sigh of relief for that! :w00t: However, all that said, it's still no fun to lose any of your hair, ever! But, it will grow back, believe me!! Been there, done that enough times to know! :blushing: But it does take patience. And maybe some Vitamin D and Biotin. Never tried Biotin those other times, so I'm anxious to see if it helps this time. You might want to ask your doctors about getting a blood test done for Vit D and iron levels. Could be more to it than you think! Good luck, everyone! PS - My surgeon said the hair loss is stemming from rapid weight loss, not from lack of Protein. God knows, we're all getting lots of protein!