MollyRN

I posted this on my blog: http://aleadsinger.blogspot.com/2011/01/how.html I don't obsess about food. I don't even think about it anymore. Just that I need Protein. And, like others have said, I work out religiously. Check out my list.

They totally say that weighing yourself everyday is good for those in maintenance. I go through periods where I weigh myself every day and I know it is not good. I have put the scale in the closet and it does slow it down a bit. The thing I always tell myself is that if I weigh myself once a week, I will be OVERALL more excited than if I weigh myself everyday.

Ok - I have a completely different response. Mine are 7 and 10 - and they certainly knew I was fat, certainly knew I felt uncomfortable, certainly knew I did not coach soccer. What they, nor I didn't know was that I could take charge of my life and change this situation. And I have proven that to them. Before the surgery, it was hard because I didn't want to scare them, but at the same time I wanted them to understand the gravity of my choice - of my final decision. I think I balanced it well. But since, they are my biggest supporters, it has had so many positive effects on them and their habits. I actually took them to their pediatrician to talk about the surgery and he was so great. He said, do you know how long mommy has been fighting her weight? For 15 years longer than you have been alive!!! And he talked about them making good choices now to avoid my dilemna. It was a really great discussion. And now, honeslty, my 10 year old son always asks me if there is something on the menu I can eat. My daughter always asks me how the gym was. I mean, we're a team. I make sure they don't see me weigh myself obsessively and I really don't talk about numbers in front of them. I don't want them to focus on that - I want them to focus on being healthy WITHOUT surgery. ANyway....a different tact.

Yes - I have wondered about what happens when we get to goal. My nurse has had the band for 10 years and he doesn't really get fills anymore. He said they made an adjustment when he got to goal so that he would stop losing weight - and he said he has had one small fill in the last 5 years. I try to force myself to think past goal - but it is so hard. I have about 6.5 or 6.75 ccs now and I only get these little .15 cc bumps every 6-8 weeks just to keep me in my sweet spot. At that rate, I will only have about 7 ccs by the time I get to goal (if everything goes as planned). That leaves plenty of room I hope. My nurse says that these .10-.20 cc bumps are more than sufficient once you get to your sweet spot. But I am also envious of people like you who really can make it work with less fill. I had 4ccs put in at my one month checkup post op so I started out with more than you have even now. That's really amazing and impressive Thanks for your response though, it makes me feel like less of a freak

Don't get my wrong, I am not complaining, but I posted something about this on my blog and found that it is not common among my followers. So I thought I would ask here... Since hitting my sweet spot somewhere in October, every time I get a fill, I experience a pretty dramatic weight drop in the week following. I have averaged 2.35 lbs per week since surgery - but this is mostly because of these drops. I got .15 ccs last Thursday and have lost 7 lbs in the week following. In January, I got .15 ccs and lost 6 lbs in the week after. I asked my fill nurse about this and he said that I am just in my sweet spot and I get a fill and it is tight and I drop weight and lose some of the fat around my organs and it gets loose again and I am diligent about getting these little fills so I keep going. But honestly, that doesn't make sense to me... I do the liquid 2 days after (but my calorie intake stays the same as when I am eating food) and then I do the 2 days mushy (but again, my calorie intake is the same). So why does this happen? I AM NOT COMPLAINING - I am just trying to understand the science of it. Any input?

It's not too late! Monday is the first weigh in so get on the list now!

I totally FINALLY get this whole issue of eating because you want to - not because you are hungry. I think I have felt physical hunger 2 times in the last 3 months. And that's only because I was out and went like 6 hours without eating. If your band is appropriately tight, you won't be hungry. The other thing for me is that my band is so tight that eating is a pain in the ass - and that sure has an affect on mindless eating. Get your band tight enough to ensure that there is NOTHING mindless about eating....make it a chore. It was then that I realized that I had to have some precision about what I was eating. The other thing is to go easy on yourself - celebrate your 40 lbs and move on to the next step.

I totally cannot eat the day before my period starts and maybe the first two days of it. It is a major struggle. And then, poof, back to normal. Periods suck.

I am currently at 2.54 per week - that's my cumulative average over the last 7 months since I was banded. But I am an irregular loser, meaning each week is different. I have noticed a slowing lately but as long as we are going down, it's all good

I DID IT - try it again....I missed that last step about allowing anyone to edit it. My first time!!!

I am so hooked on these things.... they actually keep me focused and off the scale all the time. I hope I did the form right. Just enter your nickname, current and goal weight and then first weigh in is next Monday, March 14. You just enter your change - for example, -2. https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Aiox4VvE1kLndG55WjFQTG1CODY4MUx1YTJCUS0xR3c&hl=en&authkey=COCzroQB#gid=0

B: Protein shake, coffee L: 2 ounces of turkey, one slice of cheese and pretzel crips S: coffee with protein D: 3 ounces of tilapia, 2-3 spears of broccoli and a tablespoon of hummus Maybe I am not eating enough.... I don't follow any diet. I just focus on protein and make sure I see a veggie on a daily basis. But as I posted on my blog yesterday, I am worried that I may not be eating enough. I ran 3 miles this morning and had to have burned at least 400 calories.... I just don't want to be fixated on food anymore... where's the balance...?

I intended to tell no one.... and then I had the surgery. I realized how brave we are to have SURGERY to fix this major problem. I also realized that I was not telling people because I was afraid that they would think I was looking for an easy way out. Anyone with a band knows this is not easy!!! The easy way out was staying FAT. I tell everyone. Some people are shocked, some I am sure think I cheated. But I will tell you, most are inspired. Most recognize my committment to my health - and honestly, I need whatever push I can get and this comes from the nay-sayers. The other day at the gym a man who I know from my kids' school came up to me and said, wow, you look great. You've lost a lot of weight - and I said my typical response - THANK YOU!! I had some help. And I told him about the band - and he said, yeah, I know some about the band - but what I know is that it doesn't work if you don't do the work. NICE!!!!!!!!!! and RIGHT ON!!!! I am doing the work - and I have a partner. BE PROUD - and don't be afraid to be an inspiration to others.

Thank you for all of these posts - I have spent the last couple hours reflecting on where I am now. I really eat only Protein - some veggies at least on a daily basis. I am very careful about the protein because I was losing my hair and it freaked me out. I get about 60-75 grams of protein a day and I really really have to work for it. Often, after a long day trying, I just have a Protein shake in order to make sure I meet the minimum. But.... I am going to start tracking my calories starting tomorrow just to re-check where I am - that's a great suggestion. I also think you may all be right - that I could use a little UN fill rather than a FILL I also have to accept the fact that I no longer have 130 lbs to lose!! Good point I am super careful not to resort to Soups and slider food - but I do also see the point about eating AROUND the band. Thank you all, really truly, for some great input.

It is pretty clear when it happens. I am not sure anyone could miss it. It is basically when something is stuck and your saliva backs up in your esophagus. You feel your mouth fill with saliva. Sometimes the feeling will pass quickly - and sometimes it is the precursor to a PB. Personally, I hate it.

Hi - I have about 7 or 8 ccs in my 10 cc band. I have been moving along nicely - about 11-14 lbs per month. Last month I did not get a fill because I was still struggling a lot to eat slowly and keep things down. Now I am okay as long as I am VERY SLOW and if I drink something warm before I eat. But I have noticed in the last 10 days, that my weight loss has slowed and I find I am hungry more frequently. I work out a lot and I actually contemplated cutting back a little for a week just to see if the hunger stops. I have a fill appt on January 25 but I am kind of confused and wonder if the experienced out there could give some guidance about these later fills. If I am hungry and the weight loss has slowed, that says FILL, right? But if I often have issues eating at all or keeping things down, I am scared about being any tighter. I try to remember that my surgeon says that PBs are because we make mistakes in eating and chewing, not because the band is too tight (I tell myself this every day when I sit down for one of my hour long attempts at eating). So do I get a fill? In what kind of increment? I am sure my doc will have a recommendation but I wanted some input from the experienced masses Thanks

Totally agree.... until you hit restriction, you should almost feel like before - but you have to police yourself during this period and use the time to PRACTICE for when restriction really kicks in. I don't think people realize what happens. Every bite becomes a chore and a task and there becomes no room for errors. Take this time to practice - I mean it. Otherwise you end up really struggling when you get tight.

I love this thread. My husband picked me up tonight - I mean it - in his arms. We've been married for 13 years and he could not even carry me across the threshold when we can home from our honeymoon. My kids were laughing and cheering - even they know how remarkable it is. I don't remember ever not feeling fat. Today, I weigh 229 lbs and I have 74 more pounds to go and I feel amazing. I have not weighed less than 235 lbs in the last 15 years and I have weighed 200 or more for more than 20 years.... 229 feels so amazing, and probably mostly because I am still on my way down - this is a short visit in my 220s I have a strange view of myself - told my therapist this pre-op. I have always felt like a skinny person trapped in a fat, unattractive body. Each pound that I lose, I feel like I am one step closer to reconciling my inside with my outside. I CANNOT WAIT - and I have NO IDEA what I will look like. SO EXCITED

I agree with the science stuff - IN A NORMAL BODY. But none of us would be on LAPBANDTALK if we had normal bodies I am one of those people who can gain weight on 1500 calories a day. But I also stop losing weight at 800 calories a day. We all have some sweet spot calorie wise- we just have to find it. And finding it takes patience because you can't eat 800 one day and 1500 the next and say the 800 didn't work for you. You need to stick to one thing for a couple of weeks and see if that does the trick. Personally, I am horrible at that. The other trick is not weighing ourselves compulsively (again, I fail here), because we expect day to day results. Two weeks ago, from Friday to Friday, I had no weight loss and then from Friday to Monday, I lost 4.5 lbs. OBVIOUSLY something was going on.... Again, I agree with all the math and I also know that statistically, we tend to overestimate calorie burn and under estimate consumption. But the reality is, all of us want to lose weight - but not all of us do it the same way. Make love, not war

7/27/10 and 56 lbs down.... CONGRATULATIONS FELLOW BANDSTERS!

4 months ago, I was reborn I am so happy. So happy with my decision, so happy with me new lease on life. So happy with how well this is working for me. And also, SO INCREDIBLY grateful for this website and all of the people on it who are so supportive. My journey is not nearly over, but I am certainly in a great place and well on my way. Cheers to all of us who were brave enough to make this commitment

Thank you to you all.... I feel calmer now reading all of this - plus that great article. I think I will get my blood work done and change my multivitamin (just in case) - but the whole thing about the different phases of hair growth makes complete sense to me. And, as I said, I would rather be skinny :eek:

I love these things!!!!!!

My hair is still falling out.... I am about 3.5 months out from surgery - it started at the end of the first month and it continues. I eat about 80-95 grams of protein a day so the doc says I am getting enough. She thinks it is rapid weight loss and told me to take biotin. I take about 5000 mg of powdered biotin everyday - and to no avail. And now it is starting to really show... I am distressed..... can someone provide some comforting feedback on this? My weight loss has been pretty rapid I guess, I am loosing right now about 3 lbs per week - and I guess I would take skinny over my hair - but I am freaking out....

HIT MY GOAL THIS WEEK! I love these challenges!!! Where's the christmas one?