123crod

I have a butterfly above my ankle so I doubt it will change much. Although it is a barometer for shaving my legs when it turns into a moth.

I have loved reading about each of you. We are all so different and so much alike too. I wish you all the best of luck on this journey. Thank you to all the Military wives and moms for your sacrifice for this country!! Also there are a lot of Texans on here me included.
Cheri

No way! I always knew what I wanted from it, but I learned early on to keep it to myself as various people (health professionals included) would protest that it was unattainable, unmaintainable, not necessary.
What exactly, may I ask is unattainable about aiming for a weight within the healthy range for my height? It baffles me.
It wasnt like I wanted to weigh 100lb at 5ft 10.
I remember my girlfriend of similar height to me saying "but I'm 80kg (180lb or so) and I'm the same height as you". I love her dearly, but I was privately thinking "yeah, and you're a bit fat!". I didnt say it of course, but to me, if you can pinch a roll on your middle (deflated weight loss tummies excepted of course), you've got a fair bit of weight to lose.

Let's face it...the primary 'relationship' in our life was to food and all other relationships revolved around it. Some people grieve over the loss of that relationship but I don't see it as a 'loss'. I see it as a relationship that had to change. I still love food and that's never going to change. What has changed is that it is no longer my primary relationship. I can get together with friends and family now and I don't need to have a plate in front of me to enjoy their company. I can go to the movies without getting a big bucket of popcorn. I don't need to buy the munchies for long car trips. None of that happened overnight and sometimes it still rears its ugly little head but I'm getting better at squashing it down.
So don't grieve the loss...just change the relationship.
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You dont know me. You just cant handle real honestly when you see it. I assume.
I can handle real honesty but I do not think we are getting it from you and think you are lying to yourself.
Cheri

You dont know me. You just cant handle real honestly when you see it. I assume.
I can handle real honesty but I do not think we are getting it from you and think you are lying to yourself.
Cheri

When someone finds the answer please let me know too. I also want to be able to eat Cookies, chocolate,cake etc without putting on weight. I don't want to exercise and I don't want to take responsibility for what I put in my mouth - that's too hard.
I'm looking for a magic wand - maybe I should go to Ollivanders?
Please don't tell me there isn't one. I can't lose weight by making healthy choices the same way everyone else has to. There has to be a surgery that makes it possible to do things my way. I'm happy to do what it takes - if not the lapband,then a bypass, sleeve or whatever so long as it doesn't involve me having to do the work!

I went to counseling for probably 10 years total. I have been a part of dozens of support groups. I have taken specific therapy sessions. I have done all different kinds of
I also have a BS degree is Psy, with some work beyond that. (they dont offer financial aid for masters programs or I might of gone further) And used to council at women centers and Rape crisis, ect.. Myself..
You dont know me. You just cant handle real honestly when you see it. I assume.
I KNOW what is going on... I KNOW why I am fat... and KNOWING is not the key...
That is another thing I wont wait another 20 years for, WAITING to be Mentally fit enough to stop eating too much.
I been working on myself inside and out, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year.... and I have failed. JUST LIKE everyone else here who might still be obese 20 years later.
Just because I cant get a hold of "whats eating me" doesnt mean I dont deserve to lose the fat.

omg wow

I'm 54, mom to 3 adult sons, 2 cats and 2 ferrets. I'm a 'constant student'. I think I've been in school, taking at least 1 class every semester since I graduated from high school. Love books and love learning. As a result I hold several degrees, a master and a doctorate. Currently I'm halfway through a program on naturopathic and holistic medicine and finishing up a program as a master herbalist. I'm also the founder and owner of a 16 year old essential oil import company that sells essential oils to pharmaceutical companies, naturopathic doctors and aromatherapists.
I'm not holding my breath for grandchildren since my two older sons and their wives are in one state or another of working on their masters or doctorates and focusing solely on careers. Normal for mid-20's and they have time but I am looking forward to being a grandma some day.

Please forgive me for being blunt...
You need to get an unfill. If you're having days where you can't even drink the necessary fluids to keep you hydrated and you're living on slider foods...you are *too full*. If you're unable to eat Protein and vegies...you are *too full*.
Frequent episodes of ejecting stuck food may not 'technically' be called vomiting, but it is still damaging to the esophagus which was not designed for that kind of frequent abuse.
The band was designed to put pressure on the vagus nerves which tell the stomach to stop producing 'ghrelin' (hunger hormone) so we can eat a normal meal (e.g. 3 oz of Protein, 1/2-1 c vegies) and be satisfied for 4 hours or so. It won't stop you from eating as there is very little 'restrictive' component.
No WLS will do what you want it to. You can eat your way around all of them...including the bypass. Just ask those who've had one and now weigh more than when they first had the surgery. WLS is only a tool...and I know people hate that word...but that's what it is. *WE* still have to be willing to make the necessary changes in our eating. We have to be the ones to choose to eat the right food and choose to put that fork down.
My .02...get your band completely unfilled and allow your band area to rest for 3-4 weeks. My guess is you're probably dealing with swelling from the stuck episodes. Then I'd do several days of Protein shakes...again, to let the band area rest *and* get the sugar out of your system.
You need to stop eating the junk and get yourself on some type of eating plan that you can follow. Most importantly...you need to stop expecting the band to do all the work. No WLS is going to fit that criteria. Don't look for the band to stop you from eating. Look for it to stop the 'hunger'. *That* is the sweet spot.
No...4 years of not complying with the rules of the band are not 'proof' that you will comply with the rules of bypass. I am sorry if that seems harsh, but in this instance, I really feel it is best to be blunt.
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I think I can actually address your situation from my own personal experience. A little background...I was banded November 10, 2010 at 307 lbs. (I'm 6'1") I have had over a dozen surgeries in the last few years, including two knee replacements and had gained over 70 lbs during that time.
Flashback to 1985...I weighed 340 lbs at 26 and hadn't been in a serious relationship in forever. I had a date with a girl I had a crush on and we had a great time. I got mad at myself and determined to lose weight so that I could be "normal". I joined Weight Watchers and lost 140 lbs in 6 months. I too had extra skin. It will return to normal eventually, but in the meantime, you need to live your life. You are who you are and if this new person in your life is a "keeper", they will accept you - extra skin and all. They should be proud of you having lost all this weight and not get hung-up on a temporary issue.
By the way, after six months, I had another date with the same girl. We have now been married 25 years and have two kids. Extra skin? Wear it like a badge of honor! (Not to flaunt it, but don't let it dictate your life choices.)

Atkins is very flexible and the 1 cup of vegies is a recommendation and not a problem for most people...including those who have the band. If it is for you, then obviously eat less. My own surgeon's plan is pretty much the same thing (3 oz Protein and 1/2 c. vegies) although he's into the whole low fat thing.
Also, neither Atkins or Beach are fad diets as you seem to be implying. Fad diets are generally not nutritionally balanced and are not sustainable for more than short periods of time. Neither definition fits Atkins or South Beach.
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hi,
I am going to share my story, and what I do, and take from it what you want. I am not going to preach to the choir, because we all know what we're doing right or wrong....
I was banded July 1, 2010, and as of right now, I am down about 125 lbs...still have prolly 75 to go still....I have a wonderful surgical practice, where this is all they do....I have had several fills, and actually keep my band a wee bit tight to be honest, although no reflux, if I give myself too much room to eat, I will
as a rule, I dont do white carbs. I eat tons of Beans (chili, bean Soups, etc) I still have a Protein shake every day, eat Peanut Butter every day (in my shake), buckets of cottage cheese, (full fat, chive, sometimes with soy crisps), nuts, cheeses, eggs, lean Proteins, fish. tons of salad, small amounts of fruits. I actually dont eat a whole lot. I dont get hungry very often. I will say I probably drink too much wine, but hey, I have 4 yr old triplets, and a 6 yr old.
the biggest thing though is that I exercise. A LOT, I am at the gym most days for around 2 hours. I lift weights every other day, I do Zumba, and walk, and that crazy eliptical trainer....I could starve myself, but if I didnt move, it wouldnt matter.
again, this is only a tool....but if you use it correctly, it does work...I read some of the previous posts by folks who think this is all a scam.....125 lbs in 10 months. yeah, not a scam, and frankly, I dont care how much my surgeon got from my insurance..I am healthy, no longer a diabetic, and have added years to my life. I cant put a price tag on that, and I wouldnt be where I am now without this sometimes really annoying piece of plastic
hang in there!

Way funny comment, Dave.

I watched the show and thought that Dr. Oz did a fair job of putting forward the works of the band and band surgery and interviewing the two guests that are contemplating LB surgery. What I did think was not a realistic portrayal of the "norm" was the amount of food eaten by the two guests that have had LB surgery. Not saying what they laid out on the tray is not what they eat on a daily basis...just saying I doubt it is the norm. The one showed that she ate maybe 4 small teaspoons of yogurt for BF, 1 cup of broth for lunch and what looked like 4 small teaspoons of pudding for dinner. By far.... way less than I eat on a daily basis almost 3 yrs out.

Havent been on the site in while... Since my last unfill the first of february I have been living like a free bird..lol
I WAKE daily with the intentions of doing what's right but can not resist the temptations of sweets. I went to get a fill 2 weeks ago and because I said I was not making great food choice but still could not eat a large plate of food the clown felt I didnt need a fill.... Well i really took notice to my eating habits after leaving an I can eat a plate of food and some... Now that requires a fill... Nevertheless I should be able to control my outcome without a fill, so I am vowing to start fresh and get it right. I beating myself up with the mindset dieting still ... How can I live the rest of my life worrying about everything i eat..I am a prisioner to my body:(

I know just as many people who've done Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, yada yada. They did it temporarily and enthusiastically and gained it all back and then some after the stopped doing it. So by that criteria, *EVERY* manner of losing weight becomes temporary and a fad.
I've been a member of various low carb lists for about 18 years or so and yes, I know quite a few people who've been doing Atkins successfully for decades. I've gone to a number of their real life get togethers and have seen in person how successful they were at taking off the weight and keeping it off. My son's future mother-in-law has been doing Atkins consistently for 30 years. She started out at 420 pounds. It took her almost 3 years to lose all the weight and she has maintained that weight for 27 years...doing Atkins. At the time she was on blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetic meds. She hasn't take any for more than 27 years.
The only reason people don't stick to Atkins is the same reason they don't stick to any 'diet'. The only difference between Atkins and the diet that most lap band doctors prescribe is that they advise low fat as well as low carb. Otherwise there's no difference. So I guess the band doctors must be prescribing a fad diet, hmmm?

I was wondering how you were doing. Apparently the LBT has been having a few problems and it looks like they've reset the system back to Feb. 2nd...so a lot of the responses are gone.
I don't know what a 'rasher' is (slice?) but until my last fill, my normal breakfast was 2 sl of bacon with 2 eggs fried in just a bit of butter. It made all the difference in my hunger levels through the morning.
You can't have milk in your coffee but you can use heavyweight cream or half and half (both have less carbs). I think cream is too greasy, so I use the half and half. In the newer Atkins books they allow artificially sweetened drinks like Crystal Lite. I go by the '72 version and avoid artificial sweeteners.
A note on the reagent strips. They're a waste of money. On Atkins, you need to make sure you're drinking 64 fl oz of Water per day. If you do that, those strips won't turn any color even though you're in ketosis.
Also, what I don't see on your menu are vegies. Even in the induction phase of Atkins, you're supposed to eat vegies. I don't know about later versions, but in the '72 version that includes 2 cups of salad a day which can include leafy greens, celery, cucumbers and radishes. After the 2 weeks it includes any low carb vegie (asparagus, green Beans, etc.). If you're not eating vegies, you're not doing Atkins. That's ok...but it's not Atkins.

You are eating a whole chicken? ??? Looks like maybe you need to take a look at your Portion Control.< /p>

I'd never want to say there's one right way of parenting, its such a volatile area and its just not true anyway. Different things work for different families and different children and you have to find your own groove. I'm personally a little uneasy with sticker charts and other rewards when it comes to food, it strikes me as a little too close to "oh, hurt your knee? Here, have a cookie to make it better". Perhaps I need one for myself though, lol. Chemo has affected my taste buds. At the moment my entire diet revolves around vegemite on rice cakes, Tomato Soup, toasted ham cheese and pineapple sandwiches and very cold salad vegies and fruit. Maybe if I eat some steak I can have those true religion jeans I want? I already got a diamond ring, a new car and a new kittencourtesy of a very doting DH, lol, and I didnt even have to eat anything to get those!

I was selfpay and even if you have insurance that covers it, you are still paying monthly payments for the insurance so either way it cost all of us to do this.
Cheri

I had/have a very similar attitude and experience to Jodie.
Moderation and exercise were the keys. I vowed never ever ever to "diet" again and I havent and I truly believe giving up dieting has been a major factor in my success. Like Jodie, I weigh every day and that guides me on how to approach the current day - weight up a bit, I am a bit more mindful of what I eat, make sure I eat no Snacks and dont allow myself to miss my exercise session if something comes up like I might on another day. Weight down and I'm encouraged to keep up the good work.
Not dieting but learning to listen to my body - eat appropriate amounts (and that's where the band does its job), choosing healthy foods (not necessarily low carb ones for me!) and really analysing when, where and why I might feel like a treat (and this guides whether I will indulge or not), simply making the best of non healthy menus and situations where I'm not in control, planning for really big indulgences and simply working very hard to not think about calories, fat, carbs or whatever. I know this has worked for me because I lost about 130lb (which has taken me to a BMI of 19 which may be a bit TOO skinny), but because my band is now totally unfilled and i am having absolutely no trouble maintaining my loss and have no plans to fill my band again. I eat absolutely normally, my mind has been retrained in how I think about food and what sort of portions I consider normal, I have relegated sugar, alchohol and fat to an appropriate part of my eating habits and vigorous high calorie buerning exercise is an everyday part of my life, no willpower required. I basically eat what I want when I want but what I truly WANT is 3 healthy meals a day with the occasional indulgence and what I really WANT is to run or go to the gym every day. That to me is success, and I would never want to pretend that my definition of success is the only right one, but to me, living on a plan, journalling, counting calories, avoiding carbs - that would not be success to me, it would be a life sentence. I have what I consider success - I maintain my weight without really thinking about it. I dont need fill to do that, but if someone does,well, that's what the band is for.

Hi,
Im going to say you are not getting enough calories. At rest your body will use around 1200 in a day. You said you on liquids. smoothies maybe? Hate the store bought mixes? Try this. its awesome and filling, and good for you! Its my Breakfast everyday. With variances on occasion, sometimes i put kale in, or add pineapple, sometimes blueberries or cherries,,anything I feel like at the time that I have in my fridge. It helps with my cravings too. If you use kale dont use as much, its very fibery and makes the smoothie thicker. It takes me the FULL half hour to get this in. then im good for about 3 hours.
4 or 5 or 6 strawberries
1/2 an orange, no seeds
1 banana
BIG handful of spinach, (you cant taste the spinach)
1 teaspoon coconut oil, or not of you dont have it.
1 packet stevia sweetner
1/2 cup Water and 4 or 5 ice cubes
BLEND this all together on high until creamy smooth, it is sweet and filling. and makes quite a bit. It will be green and not look very good but it tastes good. If you like fruit.< /p>
Either way, up your calories. You will probably see a difference. It gets better. Dont forget to stay hydrated, the more you drink the more your body will get rid of. By the way, this smoothie may make you pee quite often! Lotsa fruit, lotsa greens,,,and all filled with Water, very good for you, almost like a natural diuretic.

This sounds stupid even typing it but I buy the plain Greek and add a small amount of sugare free Jello powder to it to get whatever flavor I want. The greek with the fruit has 27 carbs where the plain only has 6 carbs. I like it!
Cheri

How can you go through all of this, actually let someone cut your body open and then the first two weeks not have the willpower to stick to your diet? Maybe you should have got RNY....
Not trying to be mean but you should have found the willpower before you got the surgery IMO...