Katy517

I live in the near west suburbs and was banded 4/15. No regrets and down 80 pounds from my high pre-op diet weight. Dr. Fred Tiesenga did my surgery.

Most often I'm free on Saturdays.

Navigate to the forum that you want to post a new thread in and click on the 'new thread' button that is located upper left above the thread listing.

Funny, but I picked 13 out of the blue just because it's my lucky number and I knew it would get me to a nice round goal number of 185. Little did I realize then just what a milestone it will be. 185 will bring me over the hump to an 'overweight' rather than 'obese' BMI category and that is something that I haven't seen or felt in a very long time. I'm super motivated now.

How long ago was your last fill and how much weight loss since that time? In my experience, I tend to lose pretty steadily after an adjustment and then plateau right before I need a fill. The plateau is accompanied by an increased appetite. My doc says that is perfectly normal because my band loosens as I lose weight. You mention that you can eat 1 1/2 cups and I'm assuming you mean at a single meal. Since being banded I haven't been able to eat more than 1 cup at a sitting and 1/2 cup is more typical.

Chili and soups - even the chunky variety - are definitely slider food for me. I'm able to eat quite a lot without filling up. My doc doesn't want me eating either, but I still do sometimes. They are tasty, healthy and easy to eat. I just try to keep the quantities in check and eat them sparingly.

I weigh myself daily first thing every morning and have since my surgery date. It helps me to stay focussed and be mindful of my goal. If I find myself having gained a pound or two I know that my short-term goal is then to get back to my prior low weight and I like that constant feedback from the scale for that reason especially. After prior successful weight losses I found myself straying away from the daily weigh-ins and I feel it was detrimental to my overall success. It's just too easy for me to let a two pound turn into 20 and then the floodgates have opened.

I work Monday through Friday so could only do a weekday lunch if nearby. Early evenings on weekdays would work better for me.

I'm still reading it. Can you PM me the lunch plan details please?

I'm in and have updated the spreadsheet. Am starting the challenge today at 198 and hope to lose 13 pounds by the new year.

I hit my goal of 199 yesterday and have updated the new version of the spreadsheet with each week's loss. On to the next challenge!

This is my situation now too. I still go out and still enjoy foods that I like and can tolerate just in much smaller quantities. I look at it as being economical.

Thanks guys. I appreciate the support and wish you all the same good fortune on your weight loss journey. Banding is a great tool, but sure doesn't make this easy. It's still a daily struggle.

I hit 199 this morning. It feels really good and I'm proud of the accomplishment. I'm over 1/2 way to goal now and realize the 2nd half of the journey will probably be quite a bit tougher than the 1st was, but I'm up for that challenge too. 133 pounds and a normal BMI - here I come.

I was banded about six months ago and am down 77 pounds now from my highest weight. I've got quite a lot of loose skin especially in my breasts and neck area. I haven't decided yet if I'll do any kind of cosmetic surgery to address it. It seems a pretty small price to pay for better health, but I do realize that the neck skin in particular makes me look older than my years. Good luck.

In my case, I asked my surgeon. He told me that he only uses one type and size of band and told me what that was. I had not choice in the matter, but knowledge is power.

I officially weigh in at my Weight Watchers meeting once weekly. I also weigh myself at home each morning. I know that daily weight fluctuations aren't something to get overly concerned about, but it's interesting to me to see how different foods affect daily weight changes and water retention.

I said 'get rid of them' and I really hope that I will do that. I find though that I continue to wear them now even though I'm swimming in them and my skinny clothes from years ago were never given away. So, who knows really?

Your accomplishment while faced with such adversity is something to be proud of. The advice to find some way to celebrate is a sound one. Congrats and good luck to you in your weight loss efforts and I hope that your other health concerns improve soon.

I have restriction now and only since my 3rd fill, which was 4 1/2 months post-surgery. I have had 9.5 cc in a 14 cc Allergan band for the past ~4 weeks. I now am satisfied with very little food, but also PB with very little of the wrong type of food. Slider foods still go down with no problem for me so I work on eliminating those from my diet as I encounter them. It's definitely a process.

Congratulations on your successes during this past year. It sounds like you have embraced banding and your new lifestyle and good health with great commitment. I love your comment about being able to paint your toenails again! The little things mean so very much.

Congratulations! You've lost an incredible amount of weight in a very short time frame. Nicely done. I'm so happy for you that you'll be able to return to horseback riding.

Congratulations Jen - that's one heckuva milestone to pass into the 'lower' 100s. I'm sure that it will be very much a motivator for you to continue to be successful too. Nicely done!

It might not be the protein shakes at all, but rather just after-effects of surgery. I had pretty bad gas for 2-3 weeks and it looks like you're just 10 days post-op so could be post-surgery. which does go away - thankfully. Good luck.

I was five pounds short of meeting my Labor Day goal. On to the Christmas challenge where I hope to be more successful. Should be a bit more support from my band as I feel like I finally have decent restriction after my 3rd fill. Good luck everybody in your own weight loss and maintenance efforts.