elcee

2.5 years out and you can hardly see my scars except the port one, most of them are concealed under my boobs! Even the port one is just a thin white line. There are not too many people who get to look at my stomach so it's really not an issue.

Correct the scale can't give you validation and being thin does not make you beautiful
BUT
A lot of people are blind to how fat they really are. And being overweight is one of the main causes of premature death. Overweight is unhealthy.
So beautiful or not people should wake up and take note of that number because if they don't they may find they won't be around for as long as they could be if they did sit up and take notice! And they may not also be able to do a lot of things that they would like to do if they lost some of that excess weight.

Correct the scale can't give you validation and being thin does not make you beautiful
BUT
A lot of people are blind to how fat they really are. And being overweight is one of the main causes of premature death. Overweight is unhealthy.
So beautiful or not people should wake up and take note of that number because if they don't they may find they won't be around for as long as they could be if they did sit up and take notice! And they may not also be able to do a lot of things that they would like to do if they lost some of that excess weight.

Collect Pandora/Lovelinks/Troll beads. 1 for each 5lb or 10lb (or whatever amount you set as a small goal) lost. And then an extra special 1 when you get to goal

Collect Pandora/Lovelinks/Troll beads. 1 for each 5lb or 10lb (or whatever amount you set as a small goal) lost. And then an extra special 1 when you get to goal

Collect Pandora/Lovelinks/Troll beads. 1 for each 5lb or 10lb (or whatever amount you set as a small goal) lost. And then an extra special 1 when you get to goal

Collect Pandora/Lovelinks/Troll beads. 1 for each 5lb or 10lb (or whatever amount you set as a small goal) lost. And then an extra special 1 when you get to goal

Excess wind does seem to be an issue post band. But at least you are burping and not farting.
You can reduce the amount of burping by the way you eat and what you eat.
Make sure you are eating slowly, chew well etc. Always making sure you chew with your mouth closed as well because wind is caused partly by swallowing excess air.
Avoid foods that ferment in the stomach and cause lots of gas. Onions, Beans, eggs, cabbage
Also low carb diets often result in excess gas. Herewith a link to an interesting article from livestrong that explains why
http://www.livestrong.com/article/300356-gas-bloating-in-a-low-carb-diet/

No that's not my weight, that's my reputation score. Still trying to figure out how I got to the top of the "leaderboard" ahead of people like Jack who has been here for ever and always gives such wonderful advice.
It's probably a case of I just post too much, according to my Mother( and others) I never could keep my mouth shut! Maybe it's time I kept quiet and let some other people get a word in..............
Thanks guys for appreciating some of my comments, it feels good to know that I may have helped others even if only in a small way.

Or you might find that you choose to eat cake instead of lunch whereas before you would have had both.

If you are anything like me you've lost weight successfully many times in your life. You've NEVER kept it off and you probably did it by some ridiculous means or something you just could not keep up for the long term. It's okay to NOT be perfect! We all cannot cook everyday from scratch, we all can't measure every food we eat all the time, we all can't log in and count our calories everyday, and most importantly we all can't resist our favorite foods (all the time), whether it be something sweet, salty, processed, prepackaged, filled with fats and butter or whatever tickles your fancy. For some reason, people that I know see me as the health guru. Like I have all the questions about weight loss and eating healthy. Think again. LOL! I have practically broken every bandster "rule" there is. The reason I have rule in quotation marks is because they vary so much. Being on these message boards, I have heard so many ridiculous, strange, true, absurd, scary, intriguing, interesting, etc. information about eating, food, dieting, etc. I've always searched for the magic cure for my obesity (since about 5). I cried because I was always large. Then I started to think it was okay to be big and nothing would happen. Then I got depressed, high blood pressure, and out of shape (even being over 200 lbs. I could keep up with the skinnys in the gym). I hit bottom, got LB started eating healthier, exercising etc. and have lost over 100 lbs. Have I eaten burgers? YES! Have I eaten ice cream? Oh, hell yes! What about pizza, wings, Cookies, cake, etc.? You name it I've probably eaten it in the last year after my WLS. You might say well that's not on the "plan"! Well, what is on the plan? No sweets, no carbs, Proteins, and veggies only? LOL! If I could eat that way I don't think I would have needed Lapband. Prior to the surgery that's how I ate because that's how you lose weight. Right? Of course, but that's also how you gain it back. You are always hungry. You can't even have cake on your birthday. You feel guilty for picking up fast food after having a long day at the office, busting your ass at the gym, and picking the kids up from some practice. You have to be realistic about your goals, your diet (what you consume on a daily basis), and living with the band. You CANNOT be perfect and someone who is expecting to be perfect is setting themselves up for major disappointment. I just wanted to share what I read on another website. It's my mantra for weight loss! You don't have to be a perfect bandster all the time (just most of the time) LOL!
for a while, I was seeing an abundance of "what's gonna happen to my boobs" threads. new batches daily, it seemed. but, lately, I'm seeing new folks coming in and asking if they can eat so-called 'normal' food. and, of course, soon thereafter they are informed by various members that, no, all of that food is terrible and they must stock their fridge with organic lettuce grown under the sunshine reflected off a tropical rainbow.

that really bothers me. people join this site, often, after years of failed attempts. many are frustrated ... discouraged. so much so that it probably wouldn't take much for them to just throw it in and give up. and you know what just might be that push? the organic rainbow lettuce brigade.

you know what, that food is certainly nutritious. no one is really going to argue that point. and is nutritious food better for your body than not-so-nutritious food? well, yeah. but here's the thing, ORLBs (Organic Rainbow Lettuce Brigade). that's an extreme change many -- if not most -- people can't make. and, yes, I said can't -- not won't. it isn't always as simple as just throwing away all the food you've got and restocking with fresh produce and tofu burgers. the first obstacle is cost. the second is ease/feasibility. and that's not even figuring in the fact that many -- if not most, again -- don't like to eat that food!

I get the concept that food is fuel. sometimes you have to eat things you may not like. but I'm not going to make it long by making that kind of food my only kind of food. that's no way to live, dreading your next meal. and most people won't. that's why diets fail. and that's why MFP (My Fitness Pal) works. because a calorie is a calorie.

Yes. You CAN eat 'normal' food. I'll eat pizza. I'll eat chocolate. I eat Pasta and bread and even, now and then, a cookie or some candy. I lost 3.5 pounds this past week. I've lost more than 17 pounds in less than two months. and it's because I'm learning to keep my food portions under control. I keep under my calorie limit. I plan ahead if I know I'm going to have a larger meal or a higher-calorie treat that day. and if it just happens without planning and I decide to take that treat? that means a longer stint at the gym to burn those extra calories off.

the ORLBs will now start sputtering, 'but that's not healthy!' and to that, I'd like to ask if being obese is healthy. I think ... no. so. let's move to basic food math:

eating less of most the food I like, keeping calories under my limit = weight loss;
weight loss = a healthier me;
therefore, eating less of most the food I like, keeping calories under my limit = a healthier me.

shedding that extra weight automatically makes you healthier, no matter what it is you are eating. there's simply no way around that fact. now, that isn't to say that you shouldn't make smart decisions. that isn't to say that you shouldn't work to find 'healthy' foods that you like, working them into your daily life. but, like weight loss, that's a process. it doesn't need to happen overnight.

focus on what works. turn yourself into a better you. and do it in a way that will allow it to be a life change. and if, for you, that means 'normal' food? do it, and do it without any of the guilt you've been programmed or pressured to feel.

Have you ever stopped at 1 Gummy bear?

Have you ever stopped at 1 Gummy bear?

Have you ever stopped at 1 Gummy bear?

My husband decided to cook chocolate chip muffins not long after my surgery, maybe I should have got a new husband!

1300 - 1500 calories is still a lot for weight loss. Whether they are good or bad calories doesn't make any difference they are still calories. The old recommendations for weight loss used to be 1000 cal per day. I would suggest you cut your calories and see what happens.

I find risottos and pastas to be the safest dishes for me.

1300 - 1500 calories is still a lot for weight loss. Whether they are good or bad calories doesn't make any difference they are still calories. The old recommendations for weight loss used to be 1000 cal per day. I would suggest you cut your calories and see what happens.

Aren't you the lucky one! LOL
I think for most people getting stuck is far worse than this, especially the first couple of times.

Why do you need to get your own needles? I hope you are not thinking of doing your own fills.

Maybe your band was just too tight. A small unfill may have made a huge difference. Where are you at now - are you completely unfilled or do you have some Fluid back in your band? You need to get back to your Dr ASAP. If you don't go back he can't help you.
You haven't failed. All you have to do is go back to your Dr, start getting filled again and recommit to the healthy eating and exercise that helped you lose the 65lb

If I remember correctly you are the same person that posted not that long ago about wanting to have an unfill before going on holiday so that you could eat more. I am wondering if you have had you band too tight for a while which may have caused the slip or if maybe you kept pushing the limits because your head and stomach were no longer in sync.
And i may have also read in another thread that you throw up daily but again I'm not sure.
You could get another band, you know it has worked for you previously but it seems as though you have some issues that you should be sorting out first. The sleeve is also a good option but you won't be able to take a holiday from that when you think you want to. That is permanent and once it is done there is no going back.
This would be a tough decision to make at such short notice. I hope you manage to make the one that is right for you.

I'd like to modify that statement slightly
The band works because you simply cannot overeat if you choose the correct foods.
So what the hell does that mean?
That if you eat foods such as solid Protein , veg and a small portion of carbs you cannot overeat. The band will work in the way that it is designed to work and you shouldn't be hungry for a period of a number of hours afterwards. What it won't do is choose those foods for you so if you decide that you are going to drink milkshakes and eat candy and icecream and Cookies and other so called slider foods your band won't stop you , you will be able to eat enough of these that you can still gain weight and you will get hungry again sooner than you should. The band also won't force you to exercise.
Often people that think they are physically hungry aren't. People lose touch with the true hunger signals and interpret stomach noises and grumbling etc as hunger which in most instances isn't. There are lots of reasons people eat other than true hunger.
Having said that I think most of us have had a similar experience to you. We have tried every diet know to man ( and then some) and not been able to keep the weight off. I know I have even tried hypnotism, injections etc. I have lost all my excess weight and have been maintaing now for approx 2 years. This is the easiest diet I have ever been on.

Struggling with infertility is difficult. I know it is. Having to have sex at certain times of the month, sex becoming all about trying to have a child, your self esteem takes a beating. Add to that now that your husband is trying (rightly) to get into the mindset he NEEDS to not only get this surgery but follow through with what needs to be done, I can see why you're struggling with feelings of self-worth. I know, because I was there just 6 years ago. I tried to have a baby for 5 years with my ex-husband. Infertility is one of the most stressful, difficult things I have ever faced.
My ex-husband was a personal trainer, and took great pains with his appearance, and I was the heavy one. When we were trying to conceive, every time he mentioned my weight as a possible reason for us not having a child, it felt like a stab to my heart.
But let's face facts. Being overweight hurts your chances of conceiving. That's the truth. He needs to be able to say that to you without you taking it as a personal attack. Be objective. Infertility is a painful subject, and there seems like there is so much blame that gets flung around. But put that aside for now, and think about what YOU need to do to increase your chances of conceiving, and not only that, but being there for your child, running and playing with your child, being healthy enough for your child for years to come. I know it's hard to not get hurt, but it doesn't mean you don't rise above it. I wish I had.
Your husband has a big event ahead of him. He should be concentrating on doing this, and doing this right. Don't begrudge him that. He needs your support and in turn, I would hope he supports you too.
And just as a note: my ex is now my ex because, very generally speaking, infertility was something that left an indelible mark on us we could not overcome. The story is long and complicated but there are things I wish I'd done differently, despite the fact that I am glad now that we split. But if you love your husband and he loves you, then work at it.

It depends on how heavy you are and how much you have to lose. If you are 60lb overweight then no it would not be normal. If you are 160 or 260lb overweight then it is probably not unheard of. A lot of that weight could be Water as well. You may find that your weight loss slows down or even stops for a couple of weeks whilst your body catches up. If it does don't panic.
No it is not OK to zoom through the steps the way you have unless you have been given the go ahead by your Dr.. I have just explained in another thread the reason why following your Dr's instructions postop are so important.
I don't understand why people go through this process, trust the Dr with their lives and then as soon as they are out of surgery decide that it is OK to ignore what he/she has told them.Doing what we wanted prior to surgery is what made us obese in the first place. If we carry on thinking we know better and doing what we want then we are likely to stay obese.
So hard is it may be i think you need to ensure that you are doing what you have been told you should do. Nobody said it would be easy, it's not, but we have all been there and got through it so I am sure you can too. It is such a short length of time in the big scheme of things and as soon as you start getting fills it will get easier.