stateofzen

I have no regrets. All of the changes I've made in my life have been for the better. I feel better, I look better, I'm more active and more willing to try new things-- and I don't miss food because I still eat what I like (just not as much or as often if it's unhealthy).

I don't eat fries anymore. Have almost gotten stuck one too many times so now I don't bother trying. I consider this a good thing.

I'm 35 and have lost 90-some lbs. I'm going to have to have plastic surgery on my stomach, no doubt. My arms are starting to get a little turkey waddle going on too, but it's liveable. But the saggiest part of me? My boobs. That was pretty true before (I was a 46 H), but it's definitely true now that I'm down to a 38DD. All that fat-loss has left them sagalicious. Creams/etc. are a waste of money on this type of problem but if it's something cheap, why not use it anyway.

The cabbage as pasta kinda makes sense to me- same texture, right? And the taste is "bland" enough not to be unpleasant with the sauce. I'm with Heather above though-- I've found a good meatball marinara with cheese makes me happy enough to forget about the pasta. But this cabbage idea is worth a try.

I think the best piece of advice I can give is this: stop comparing yourself to your friend. I think it's only going to be a source of disappointment, and I'm not sure that her experience is going to be a close enough match to yours to make her comments helpful. If there is one thing I've realized in the last 6 months, it is that no two banded experiences are alike. Here's what I think: some people are slower losers than others and short of making themselves completely miserable with overfills and self-induced starvation, there isn't much they can do about it. If you are slowly but steadily seeing the scale go down, then you're doing fine. Certainly take a look at WHAT you are eating, and if it makes sense, experiment with calories or carbs or whatever. Be honest with yourself no matter what. And if you are honest and eating healthfully, then the odds are highly in favor of the weight coming off. It might take 3 years. But in the end, it will be gone and you will be healthier for it.

Well I'm glad it's back! I'm feeling it right now too-- I think it's because I flew this weekend. I'm not gonna complain though, that's for sure! Not when a snack pack of peanuts was enough to fill me up for lunch yesterday

The ONLY thing that I can't eat is french fries. Hallelujah for that! I have no idea why (though I suspect it is speed), but the only times I've almost gotten stuck were with fries and I can always feel them going down slow. Now I don't eat them. It's random. My band works well at a low fill level, so I don't have problems with anything else.

Yay! Congratulations Lisa

Awesome!

Hi September folk. Just a quick post to let you know that today's weigh in marked onederland for me! I weighed 198.2 this morning, which is 94 lbs down from my pre-op high and 65 lbs down since surgery!

Try propping yourself up with lots of pillows. I wasn't able to sleep on my stomach for probably a month, but I could sleep on my side after about a week.

First, don't beat yourself up. Just treat today like a new day with increased determination. I certainly don't know your daughter and her temperament, nor do I want to tell someone else how to parent, but I'm wondering if this might be a great opportunity for you to help your daughter be healthy for life by bringing her along for the healthy eating ride? I don't blame my parents for my obesity (well, except for the genetic contribution), but I do wonder if my life would have been different had we as a family had a different eating history. We had the "clean plate" rule, which we all know is a bad thing for setting up the habit to keep eating even after you're full, and then there were the delicious but completely unhealthy foods we regularly indulged in. I'm not suggesting that you not allow your daughter (or yourself!) pizza ever again-- I certainly still eat it. But maybe it can be something your daughter learns to eat only occasionally in favor of other more healthy foods. Or, at least this can be the case while you are healing?? Again, I don't pretend to know your situation, but it might be nice to look at this as an opportunity to teach your daughter healthy eating right alongside yourself.

i don't have any additional suggestions, but I want to offer you my support as you go through this time with your mother. Internet hugs to you :huggie:

I was told that picking up anything more than 10 lbs was a problem, but that regular activity would not do harm. I think you can relax!

This is completely normal. It will go away, though I had port pain longer than any other kind (not constant though-- like you said, when I moved a certain way or when I tried to lay on my stomach). If you put the heating pad on your back you should still get some help in the stomach area-- at least I always did/do. One thing about heating pads-- recently I've found that I can't put one on my stomach over my port because I've lost enough weight that it heats my port up (the metal parts) and youch! Putting it at my back still works great though.

Name, real or screen~ Stateofzen Age~ 35 Weight on February 28th~ 201 Goal Weight for March 31st~ 191 Exercise Goal for March~ Zumba every weekend I'm in town, BD on Mondays, Hot Yoga on Wednesdays Dietary Goal for March~ no overeating just because it tastes good (it sure doesn't feel good) Personal Goal for March~ no more clothes shopping Date Banded~ 9/17/2010 Total Weight Loss Since Banding~64 lbs

Grilling usually dries things out pretty quickly. What about baked meats? "Wet" meats or slow-cooked meats in the crock pot? If you can't get down solid proteins and veggies, then it sounds like you might be too tight. I know, it's a delicate balance-- too loose and you're hungry, too tight and you can't eat anything so you lose, but you're still hungry. I've heard of plenty of bandsters who get just a little taken out and find huge relief and the ability to eat healthy foods again. It definitely requires some patience, and perseverance. The fact that you've lost so much tells me you have both inside you, maybe hiding behind the frustration. That's ok-- I'd be frustrated too, but frustration run amok never did anybody any good, you know what I mean? I wish you the best.

Yay for you! I noticed today for the first time that the stairs I have to walk to get to my office (a lot of them) did not leave me at all winded. It was great to realize it-- I wonder how long it's been that way and I've been taking it for granted

Only the perfect can identify one another. It's the advanced eyesight

Hahahaha-- oh I've been there. I am not a crying-type. I am pretty emotionally laid back overall. But the first time I cut out carbs, on day three, I had a hysterical crying fit when I realized that the seasoning I put on my chicken had 4g carbs. I'm talking sobbing, snotting, crying. I was INSANE. My husband talked me off the ledge, ate my carby-seasoned chicken and made me more with a no-carb seasoning. But now I know that for 3 days of carb detoxing, I am not in my right mind.

Gotcha. All I can say is, I AM perfect. I am the most perfect formerly 293-lber to ever walk the earth

I'm confused. It seems like you are saying that people who live by the "it's a tool" mantra are pretending to be perfect. Am I reading that right?

I'm with Cleo's Mom on this one. Ask 10 different surgeons you'll get 8 different answers. Mine says don't drink 30 minutes before to one hour after eating. He says don't drink before because it may make you feel "full" and you won't get the nutrients you need from food. Don't drink after because it washes the food through. I think they have no idea what they're talking about in this particular area, but I still follow it to the best of my ability. However, if I have a glass of wine or a cocktail, I drink it while I'm eating (so I don't get sick or drunk from drinking on an empty stomach) and I can tell absolutely no difference in how hungry/full I feel nor how much food I eat. If anything sometimes I think a glass of red wine with dinner makes me get full on LESS food, but since my bloodwork is good and I get plenty of Vitamins I'm not going to worry about it. I have to say, drinking enough fluids is my primary challenge with this band. I just absolutely get nowhere near 64 oz a day, especially since coffee is my drink of choice and since it has caffeine I'm supposed to drink even MORE Water to counteract it. If I didn't have to spend so much time worrying about whether or not I wanted to eat soon and thus avoid liquids, this would be a whole lot easier.

You are not a failure! The quoted success of the band is 60% of the weight you need to lose. If you need to lose 190 lbs, then anything more than 114 lbs is *beating the odds*-- you've done better than the average banded person already even if you never lose another pound! Still, I know that doesn't mean you don't want to lose that last bit. I think the above suggestions are exactly right. You might consider the 5-day pouch test (google it)-- I've seen some plateaued bandsters swear by it.

I think that there is a level of "negativity" on support boards because it is where people go when they are having problems. I have had an amazing experience with the band so far, and I'm considering taking a short-or-very-long break from the boards because my experience is so different than many people who post here and for me, the cynicism can be too much. If my experience is anything like those who have come before, that means that people who are doing really well just don't visit the board that much which leads newbies to see a misrepresentation of the positive vs. negative. I do not feel mislead, but compared to some, I've had an easy time of it. I have had only 2 small fills (2.5 cc in a 10 cc band) and I've lost 63 lbs in 5 months (rest of my loss was pre-op diet). My doctor told me lap band patients lose 60% of their excess weight. I am at that point now, and still losing, so I'm doing better than average. I haven't had any pain, I can eat almost anything I want (for some reason french fries are the one food that regularly goes down slow), and I've never vomited, PB'd, slimed or foamed. I also am losing without exercising or counting calories (though I do pay a lot of attention to what I eat and make healthy low-carb choices). Based on these boards, I am a huge exception to the rule. But, through my experience with blogging I see more people out there "like me". This leads me to believe that the boards may be a misrepresentation of the general experience of lap banders.