shonette

<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">I do appreciate everyone's support and encouragement. Yes, Judyjones having this band is not the easy way out. If someone wants to see real results they have to put real work into their band. That means working out when you don't feel like it and not over eating because the temptation is there. Learning to respect the decision you have made to have a different life. Understanding that the band is only a tool to help assist you with you weight lost goals. I have learned that every single decision I make will affects my weight loss in a positive or negative way. This road has not been easy but it's worth ever thing I have been confronted with. God has truly blessed me through this entire process! </SPAN></P>

I was banded on June 21st 2011 and my starting weight was 325 / 6’1 tall and my current weight is now 250. I am very sensitive to fills and I only have 4.25 in a 10cc standard band. I have had three over fills in which fluid had to be removed. There are times when the least bit of food is too much for me to handle so I’ve learned to deal with eating by chewing my food really well. There are a few times that I can enjoy a reasonable meal without getting the stuck feeling. There are the majority of times I can get very little down without having to throw up. It's like my band has a mind of its own every day it’s not the same for me. Before my surgery I was wearing a size 24-26 and today at work I have a size 14 dress. Those are the things I feel the most proud about. I feel like the scale is not always moving but my clothes are fitting differently every single week. I learn not to pay that much attention to the scales but what size do I currently fit into on weekly basis. I guess each person has to determine what they consider to be success. I do wish you the very best with your band

It's so hard for me to believe that it's almost been a year since my lap band surgery. I can remember like yesterday anticipating what it would be like and how much weight I would actually loss with the band. I have never been happier with the way my life has changed since I had my band. I am wearing a strapless dress today that's focus on my waist area and the amazing thing it's a size 14. If anyone would have told me almost a year ago I could get myself into a size 14, I would have laughed endless and tell them they must be out of their mind. The entire way that I dress now is so much different than I ever could have imagined it to be. I am dress in much attractive clothes that shows off my figure. OMG- I never imagined me having a figure again. I had given up on the way my body uses to be, and I accepted that big girl look. Everything I wore in the past was oversized to cover up my huge butt and all the fat rolls in my stomach area. I have always tired to look very nice but buying clothes was a limited option. Now I look the way my body uses to look over 14 years ago in almost everything I put on. This summer I am able to wear the cuties’ summer dresses and sleeveless shorts. I would never have shown my bare arms off in the past for nothing in the world. People are always making little remarks to my husband about my weight lost and asking do he like the new me1 He just smiles and says I look really nice. Over all, this has been a very good decision that's definitely changed my life for the better. I feel like I am living the good life in many areas of my life. I do love my band!!!!

<P>I do appreciate everyone's words of encouragement and suggestions. I will continue to workout at the YMCA or at home with the equipment I have collected. I know if I continue the weight is going to come off soon. I guess we all need to stay encouraged and focused on the big picture. For me the big picture is overall good health and a better outlook of the person I am working towards becoming. </P>

I want to start off by saying- I do thank God for all that he has allowed me to do, but I can't help but feel that things are at a stand still for me with losing weight. I work out faithfully at the gym. I have never been so committed to working out as I have within the last couple of months. People are constantly coming up to me saying how good I look and how very proud they are of me. I have learned to just smile and tell them how much I really appreciate their kind words of encouragement. Honestly, I do like to hear those encourageing comments from people, but I question who is this person they are talking about. I have even had people to come up to me that has not seen me in a very long time telling me how they didn't reconize me at first. I am thinking what in the world are your looking at because I am the same person. I start to think to myself do I really look that different. I try really hard to see all the nice positive things being said to me, unfortunately I just don't see that person everyone else is talking about. Sometimes it's a mental struggle for me to be happy and proud of all these things I've accomplished but it's very hard for me to accept. One thing I am the most proud of is my mother deciding to join the YMCA through the silver sneaker program. Her medical insurance plan covers her membership and enrollment fees. She has beome so excited about her water aerboics because it takes the stress off of her joints which enables her to workout in the pool. It is so wonderful to see how much she is enjoying the workouts. I can really see how the inches are starting to come off. She is more moble and she is starting to regain her life back. I just don't see myself being this new and improved person as others do. I can identify some changes from my clothing size but overall I do see myself as the same. I know inches come off before the actually weight dropps, but I need the scale to do it's thing. Overall, my life is a lot better than it has been in a very long time.

I read your post and I really think that your band is just too tight. I was over filled on two different occassions and once the right amount of fluid was removed I did not have any more problems with throwing up. A lot of people are under the impression that tighter equals more weight lost, but that's really the opposite with most people. When you become too tight poor food choices are more than likely picked and the weight lost does stop. I do think it would be a very good idea to have some fluid removed from your band, and allow your system to heal from all the truma of throwing up. I really lost the majority of my weight once I started working out on a more consistant basis. I go to the gym at least 3-4txs weekly and I try to average around 8miles from cardo excerises per week. I have lost a total of 75 pounds in 9mons. I have a total of 25 pounds to go before hitting the 100 mark. I am 6'1 and my ideal weight would be 200 pounds.

My weight lost is slow in my eyes but others have a different out look. I have started working out more at the YMCA and I think its making a slight difference for me. I thank God for all the pounds lost, because it could be the total opposite (gaining as I did in the past) Keep the faith and just keep it moving and the weight is going to come off for you.

Don't get frustrated because every single person lose weight at a different rate. Always remember that you did not gain your weight in one day or even a month. Just be constant with portion control and doing so type of workout. Find something that you enjoy doing and stick with it or change things up if your are easily bored by the same things. I really don't write down my food or count calories like a lot of other people have suggested you to do. Maybe that works for them, but honestly, I don't have time for all of that. I just make sure that I cut my portions in half whenI do eat and I drink as much Water as possible. You want to eat your Protein first , veggies, and so on it you have room. Please don't judge your success based on the things you read or see about other people on this site. Each person on here have a different story and no one story is the same. (We are all different and our bodies are too)! Just stay focused and be honest with yourself daily. I know when I have good or bad days with my food choices, therefore I can work really hard not to make the same errors the next day. You just need to figure out how to make your band work for you. Don't give up because all of this was not for nothing. Good luck and it will kick in before you realize it. Don't focus so much on the scales- pay more attention to your inches lost and how your clothes are fitting you. Remember if you are working out muscles weigh more than fat and the scales may change due to your body structure changing. On this site you will get so much input, you just have to figure out what's best for you.

OMG- I am so very excited for you and you have done a wonderful job. The band is a wonderful tool inspite of it's up and downs with me!

Well, I was experiencing the same thing last week ,and I was throwing up a lot and I started experiencing heartburn. OMG- I knew something needed to be done so Monday morning I called and got a little removed. I can eat and drink again but my heartburn continues to linger with me. Please don't wait too long to get something done because you can cause damage to your band. You don't want that to happen!

Last week I was experiencing a lot of difficulty getting things down, and I started throwing up "a lot"! That was my warning sign that something was wrong, and I needed to see my doctor. I prayed to struggle through the weekend and I gave the office a call first thing Monday morning. Thank God, Dan the PA was able to see me that afternoon. I explained to him some of the things I had been experiencing with throwing up and that awful stuck feeling with almost everything I placed into my mouth. I was advised due to the throwing up and pressure of things getting stuck my band was swollen and very irritated due to the forceful trauma I was putting it through. He took out .2ccs and immediately I was given relief! Every single person is different when it comes to their fills and the amount they are able to tolerate in their bands. I happen to be the type of person who’s not able to tolerate a lot of fluid in my band. I am 8 months post band and I only have a little less than 5 ccs in my band. I had my hernia repaired and in eight months I was free of zero signs of heartburn, but this week that weird feeling of heartburn has begun to linger in my upper chest area. That is very disappointing for me, and I feel like it's due to all the throwing up I experienced last week. My PA explained the acid from the throwing up cause’s damage in your esophagus which results in the feeling of heartburn. I honestly thought heartburn was apart of my life I would not have to experience never again. Thank God- I did not throw away all of my acid reflux medication. My symptoms are nothing like I had before, but it's just the fact I have any heartburn symptoms at all. I do thank God for things being as well as they are, but I just feel a little down hearted about the thought of experiencing heartburn in any way. So far so good- I have not had any more major throwing up episodes. So many people on the outside think having any type of weight lost surgery is the easy way out, but OMG they don’t have any idea of the many ups and down we all go through.

God will do just what you ask of him. He just want us to do our part to make the pieces all come together. This road is not easy but honestly, there is not one thing I would trade. I thank God every single day for giving me this opportunity to have my band. This is a very personal journey that only you alone can do with encouragement and support, but the rest is up to you. The tool has been put in place and it's up to you to use it to your advantage! You can do this. Like the nike logo "just do it"!

Well, for whatever it was worth I was just adding my 2 cents in! However, you are correct about this being a personal journey!

I read your FAT GIRL MOMENT blog and I do understand why you would write this blog, but venting your feeling to the world opens your situation up to be viewed and judged by others- always! I do love reading your blogs and I think you have done and excellent job.

I think when people on this site or anywhere else write blogs/post they open themselves up to be judged, encouraged, and for others to find a common thread in what you have said! Therefore, I do think it's very important for everyone to be opened to the various remarks that may come your way. When it becomes public knowledge others feel free to say as they wish. <BR><BR>Personally, I enjoy the different remarks or out of the box remarks from others, because it keeps me open to viewing my situation in a different perspective. Just remember- when something is shared it's no longer your own, but it's opened up for everyone to judge!<IMG class=bbc_emoticon alt= src="http://cdn.lapbandtalk.com/public/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif">

I am so sorry to hear what you have been going through, but I do know just how you are feeling. I have been there before and it's not a good place to be with your band. It sounds like you are over filled and being to tight is worst than being too loose. I hope you find the right restrict to get into the green zone.

Good for you.

For some bandsters this may sound like the silliest thing you have ever heard, but this is my story. I had a fill about 31/2 weeks ago, and I am finally at 5cc's in my band. I think I am very sensitive to fills because I have experienced 2 overfills in the past. This last time I was very careful to follow the post fill diet and eat small bites and chew very well. Ooooh okay, I could really tell my restriction was there but on a good day I could eat a decent meal. Well around the second week I could only eat maybe 4oz at a time. Don't get me wrong because I can hear someone saying- What's your problem? I really don't have a problem but the fat girl inside of me is unable to eat a third of my small meals. I find myself trying to constantly over eat. Honestly, I have prayed for this day and its here! I thought about asking my Doctor to take just a little out, but that is a crazy thing to do. There are some days, I am only able to eat once per day and mentally I am having a hard time handling that! I have to be so careful about the first couple of food choices I eat because I may not be able to eat anything after that. Lately, my energy level is very low because of my low calorie intake. Yes, I do my vitamins but it's also hard for me to do my protein shakes due to feeling full so quickly. I do know some people will kill to be in my situation and Lord it's an experience like none I have ever gone through! From my last fill until now my fat mass has gone from 106 to 79 is that crazy or what. My whole life my mother have always taught me to be careful for what I ask God for, because he just may give it too me! I am going to have to learn to have more self control and remember why I am doing all of this! Physically, I can eat one okay meal a day and not have a need for food for the rest of the day. However, my mind continues to tell me I need food when there is no actually hungry present. I feel like I am missing something but I know I everything is fine. The FAT girl in me is trying so hard to wreck my success! I have faith and will power to put her in check and keep this train moving.

Girl you look great and you are well on your way to wearing that size 14 jeans.

A week after my surgery, I would chew sugar free gum to give me that chewing pleasure. That was my fix!

I was saying the same thing about my body today. I really hate the way I look without clothes. My husband can't understand why I am always covering up when he comes into the bathroom. I do get many, many compliments throughout my day, but boy things don't look so good when I undress. I was thinking that I really needed to do a lot of toning workouts. I have lost a total of 61 pounds, and I have never lost this much weight before in my entire life, but I would love to have a tight body! Honestly, I can not afford to have any type of surgery to correct my body at this point.

You may want to change your workouts system. Don't do the same things all of the time. I use something called muscle confusion. I don't allow my body to get use to the same routine because the body remembers what it's accustomed to doing and then you hit workout plateau! I have learned it’s the same thing with foods as well. I change up every single day what I eat and the calorie intake. I eat more or less daily to keep my body off balance. It sounds crazy but it has worked wonders for me. I was banded 7 months now and as of this morning 60 pounds down. My husband purchased these P90X DVDs, and his entire program is build around muscle confusion. You have done a wonderful job and you look great.

Honey, be kind to yourself because change first starts within your mind and the thought process your develop creates your future actions. You are on your way!

Always remember every single person's body does not respond the same way with this band. Don't weigh yourself so often because it can be discouraging. Pay more attention to the inches lost and not the numbers on your scale. You should try to drink lots of water, get your protein in, and keep moving as much as possible. You can get a work out in alot of different ways so just keep it moving and don't stress out. That alone is very harsh on the body. Good luck.

You are a beautiful person who knows there is a problem and you are making every effort to change your situation. Change does not happen over night so don't be so hard on yourself. It's going to take time to reach your goal(s), but stay focused on the things you want to change. Seven months ago I was 325 pounds and today thank God I am 268 lighter. I have never felt so good in a very long-long time. Most of all of my clothes are too big and I need to buy some more, but that small victory is a blessing that I have prayed for many years. Always remember slow and steady wins the race! You are doing it just believe in yourself!