Llyra

I added my name to the spread sheet. Greetings, sister and brother challengers! May we all triumph.

I had breast reduction surgery in 1995 and a tummy tuck in 1999. I'd do either again in a heartbeat. As for post weight loss surgery- hmm. I'm 55 and some parts are going to sag just because they're tired of defying gravity, but in the best of all possible post-weight loss worlds, I'd get my upper arms and my lower face done.

Congratulations!!!! I now fit in clothes that only have one X on the size and am pretty pleased about it, though I find I am sort of betwixt and between the womens sizes and the misses. That's okay- the situation will resolve itself as I do what I am supposed to do. :ohmy: I can hardly wait to never set foot in the womens size section of Macys again! No wistful nostalgia happening here.

That is a major triumph! No time and energy wasted, just on to the next day- good for you. I find myself deliberately staying at a new weight for a couple of weeks at a time. When I feel comfortable and confident that I can stay there, I'm ready to drop a few more pounds and do. I know I can lose weight faster if I restrict my diet more, but too much restriction sort of panics me and I risk a binge, which would probably hurt like hell at this point. Right now, I am down about 28 pounds. I vacilate between the idea of stopping at 175 or dropping to 155, which is the healthier weight for me on paper. In the past whenever I dropped to 165 or so, my old anorexic thinking starts to kick in and all of a sudden I find myself back in the crazy land of binge/starve. Maybe it's because I always hit a plateau about then and get frustrated and scared. Last time I was on WW, I lost 72 pounds- and simply could not make it to 75 pounds. Back up I went, and the regained pounds all brought friends. Well, I need to drop below 200 before I start worrying about 175, but somehow my fingers got to typing and that story is what came out. I'm glad there is somewhere I can write that without having skinny civilians commenting on what they can't possibly understand. :ohmy:

Good luck!

This is also true for me. Has anyone ever explained why this is so? If they have, will you please share the information? Thanks.

Until I came across this thread the possibility never even occurred to me. Now that it has occurred, my answer is not just no, but hell no.

It depends on the time of day for me. When I first get up in the morning, I don't do so well with any kind of food. By midday, though, I'm good with pretty much everything as long as I don't get too big a bite. French fries don't do too well, which is GOOD since I love the things. I still drink diet soft drinks occasionally, though not with food- that's guarenteed pain. My problem food is ice cream, of all things. I never liked it much before, but it feels so nice sliding down.

Working out (as in spinning, treadmills, weight lifting, repetitive exercise) bores the holy hell out of me. I like to walk, I ride my horse (and anyone who thinks the horse gets the exercise hasn't posted a trot for any distance), I clean stalls and haul hay and water, I garden, and I teach a three hour dance class each week along with whatever practice I do in prep for the class.

I haven't decided yet this time around. The things I don't like anyway are definitely on their way out and I hope I can take in or cut down some of the things I really like.

Thank you for the encouragement, Stevie, and congratualtions on your own progress!

Interesting. It's cheating during the pre-op and merely a mistake afterwards. Nothing like putting the screws on. Perfect pre-op adherence is certainly a goal to strive for, but imperfection during pre-op is not an indication of ultimate failure. This whole adventure is difficult enough without criticizing slips from grace and sneering at those who fall short. Add a little compassion and common sense to the pride you take in speaking frankly. A hard-assed attitude will eventually put saddle sores on your soul.

I found this thread a bit late, but my banding was done March 3, 2010. I've had two fills and am down 28 pounds as of this morning. My goal weight is 155, but what I'm really looking forward to right now is going under 200 pounds- 12.5 pounds away.

Well, I'm glad we are clear about that. :smile2: Your question: "If you can't go without cheating for a relatively short time, how the hell do you expect to follow the rules for the rest of your life?" Answer: One day at a time. If you "cheat" (stupid word, that), fall off the wagon, or choose to eat incorrectly one minute, there's nothing stopping you from making better decisions the next.

I didn't imply my doctor's instructions are appropriate for anyone but me. Please try not to read more into a post than is actually there. :smile2: In the interests of full disclosure, I was on liquids for several days post surgery, but never was on mushies, etc.

I live just outside Casper. Dr. Todd Becksted did my band on March 3; I am down 26 pounds and would be more except ice cream goes down soooooo easy. I am happy with Dr. B and Deb Miller, the RN who is in charge of the weight loss program at WMC, is an angel.

Banded 3-3-10. Weight loss was slow until second fill, which seemed to "take." I have gradually been adjusting to new ways of eating and have not put serious restrictions on myself since those always backfore on me. PB 3-4 times, pain from overbites more often- my own dumb fault when I get to thinking about something else and subconsciously return to old bad habits of gulping my food or (horrors) taking a sip of soft drink during meals. Ouuuch. Down 26 pounds, 58 pounds to goal.

Since I'd read a lot about liquid, mushy, etc. diet post surgery, I was very surprised when my doctor told me I could eat whatever I wanted as long as I took small bites and chewed them well. He's the doc, so I did as he instructed. I lost some weight post surgery, but it didn't really get going good until after my second fill.

I have cut down on diet soft drinks but not eliminated them completely. I quit for a while pre and post banding, then picked up the habit again. I substitute iced tea most of the time, but after reading this thread, I realize that I really need to quit all together. After all the trouble I went through to get this band approved by my insurance, I sure the heck don't want to displace it. At 26 pounds down, I am just getting started on the road to good health. Okay. That's it. The diet soft drinks are a thing of the past. (Schnivel, sob, weep.)

I want to do a solo dance performance that is NOT a comedy routine, and I want a pretty costume to wear for it. (I teach belly dance, but quit performing when my weight ballooned the last time.)

I am happy to see this thread has been reactivated. My name is Llyra and I have thirteen years of clean time. My banding was done on March 3 of this year and I have lost 26 pounds with approximately 60 more to go. Until I got the second fill, I was afraid I was in line to be one of the lap band failures- the weight simply was not coming off. The second fill helped immensely as has a gradual adjustment to a new way of eating. I teach belly dance, garden and maintain two horses so exercise is not as big a problem for me as for some, though I do tend to spend too much time on the couch if I am feeling low. After six years of not attending meetings, I returned to the rooms in October. The catalyst was the death of a friend in a motorcycle accident. I saw so many old faces at his funeral and realized I missed them. Didn't expect to be recognized after so many years and a 75 pound weight gain, but I was welcomed back with open arms.

My name is Llyra and I had lap band surgery March 3. After a slow start my weight loss picked up and I am now 26 pounds lighter than I started out. I love the suggested question in the guide to introductions: "Have you been banded?" It makes me feel like a rare bird or endangered wild cat. I look forward to connecting with others who are on the road to recovery from life within a wall of flesh.