MollyRN

Dr. Fielding did mine and I have to say that I have been nothing but impressed with them. 8 months out, I can tell you that their followup and attention to the patients is VERY different than many other offices.

Hi - checking back in. Same issues, nothing has helped.
Starting seeing the nutritionist in my surgeon's office last week. She did the BMR test and it shows my basal rate to be 1800 calories. So that is reasonably accurate. She says I need to eat more, and more meaning more complex carbs. I signed a contract with her -promising to increase my daily caloric intake to 1200-1400 calories and get more than 100grams of carbs. It has been such a struggle that I am honestly thinking I might have an eating disorder But, I have complied. I have felt a little more energetic and I think I am more hydrated in general but... you guessed it.... I gained a pound. I go tomorrow to see her again so we will see what she says. If she wants me to each more or continue eating this amount, I will need my band loosened.
I wore my body media armband yesterday. Here's my numbers... which are pretty normal for me:
Calories burned: 3204
Calories consumed: 1292
Protein: 69 grams
Carbs: 127 grams
Fiber: 13 grams
Total Fat: 52 grams
I feel like I am at the end of my rope.
My 950 calorie day was generally:
Protein: 63 grams
Carbs: 54 grams
Fiber: 9 grams
Total Fat: 44 grams
On April 28th, I have hit a year at the same weight, exact same weight, while eating 900-1100 calories per day and exercising for at least an hour 5 days a week. JEEZZZZ

Hi - checking back in. Same issues, nothing has helped.
Starting seeing the nutritionist in my surgeon's office last week. She did the BMR test and it shows my basal rate to be 1800 calories. So that is reasonably accurate. She says I need to eat more, and more meaning more complex carbs. I signed a contract with her -promising to increase my daily caloric intake to 1200-1400 calories and get more than 100grams of carbs. It has been such a struggle that I am honestly thinking I might have an eating disorder But, I have complied. I have felt a little more energetic and I think I am more hydrated in general but... you guessed it.... I gained a pound. I go tomorrow to see her again so we will see what she says. If she wants me to each more or continue eating this amount, I will need my band loosened.
I wore my body media armband yesterday. Here's my numbers... which are pretty normal for me:
Calories burned: 3204
Calories consumed: 1292
Protein: 69 grams
Carbs: 127 grams
Fiber: 13 grams
Total Fat: 52 grams
I feel like I am at the end of my rope.
My 950 calorie day was generally:
Protein: 63 grams
Carbs: 54 grams
Fiber: 9 grams
Total Fat: 44 grams
On April 28th, I have hit a year at the same weight, exact same weight, while eating 900-1100 calories per day and exercising for at least an hour 5 days a week. JEEZZZZ

Thanks everyone.
I like the carb cycling idea but I don't have a clue what I would eat... sweet potatoes?
I had all my labs checked and they are pretty normal - a little high on prolactin.
I did read two interesting things today. One was a completed study on post-bariatric patients about metabolism. It said that metabolism slow more dramatically for bariatric patients who get to goal and that the only way to combat that is working out - quite vigorously, and weight lifting. Make sense.
The other thing I read about is an ongoing clinical trial for ephedrine and coffee, where they are testing if post-bariatric patients benefit from this combination as they get to goal. Results have not been released yet.
I feel desperate. 1200 calories burned at the gym this morning, 425 consumed (should get to about 750 today). Weight? Up two pounds this week. Nice.

I remember what it felt like to start realizing that I wasn't fat anymore.... it was crazy, and it was a process.
This Tummy Tuck thing.... you are TOSSED in - the change happens in a few short hours - and POOF, a tummy I never thought possible. Consider these psychological impacts if you decide to have one.
I am 5 days post op - posted some pictures on my blog.
http://aleadsinger.wordpress.com/

I remember what it felt like to start realizing that I wasn't fat anymore.... it was crazy, and it was a process.
This Tummy Tuck thing.... you are TOSSED in - the change happens in a few short hours - and POOF, a tummy I never thought possible. Consider these psychological impacts if you decide to have one.
I am 5 days post op - posted some pictures on my blog.
http://aleadsinger.wordpress.com/

I remember what it felt like to start realizing that I wasn't fat anymore.... it was crazy, and it was a process.
This Tummy Tuck thing.... you are TOSSED in - the change happens in a few short hours - and POOF, a tummy I never thought possible. Consider these psychological impacts if you decide to have one.
I am 5 days post op - posted some pictures on my blog.
http://aleadsinger.wordpress.com/

I remember what it felt like to start realizing that I wasn't fat anymore.... it was crazy, and it was a process.
This Tummy Tuck thing.... you are TOSSED in - the change happens in a few short hours - and POOF, a tummy I never thought possible. Consider these psychological impacts if you decide to have one.
I am 5 days post op - posted some pictures on my blog.
http://aleadsinger.wordpress.com/

I remember what it felt like to start realizing that I wasn't fat anymore.... it was crazy, and it was a process.
This Tummy Tuck thing.... you are TOSSED in - the change happens in a few short hours - and POOF, a tummy I never thought possible. Consider these psychological impacts if you decide to have one.
I am 5 days post op - posted some pictures on my blog.
http://aleadsinger.wordpress.com/

I remember what it felt like to start realizing that I wasn't fat anymore.... it was crazy, and it was a process.
This Tummy Tuck thing.... you are TOSSED in - the change happens in a few short hours - and POOF, a tummy I never thought possible. Consider these psychological impacts if you decide to have one.
I am 5 days post op - posted some pictures on my blog.
http://aleadsinger.wordpress.com/

I remember what it felt like to start realizing that I wasn't fat anymore.... it was crazy, and it was a process.
This Tummy Tuck thing.... you are TOSSED in - the change happens in a few short hours - and POOF, a tummy I never thought possible. Consider these psychological impacts if you decide to have one.
I am 5 days post op - posted some pictures on my blog.
http://aleadsinger.wordpress.com/

Hey everyone! I moved my blog if any of you are interested in following my trials in maintenance
http://aleadsinger.wordpress.com/
2.5 years out, 136lbs down.

Hey everyone! I moved my blog if any of you are interested in following my trials in maintenance
http://aleadsinger.wordpress.com/
2.5 years out, 136lbs down.

Hiya! I moved my blog in case any of you are interested in following my maintenance
http://aleadsinger.wordpress.com/
2.5 years out, 136 lbs gone.

Hiya! I moved my blog in case any of you are interested in following my maintenance
http://aleadsinger.wordpress.com/
2.5 years out, 136 lbs gone.

I write about this stuff on my blog. The band does not EVER help me make good choices, I have to do that. But I have mine tight enough so that eating requires thought and patience, and once thought and patience is added to the mix, I tend to make better choices. My theory has always been that the challenge (for success) is to see HOW LITTLE you can consume, not HOW MUCH. Making this mental shift is critical. When someone says I can eat anything, I think, but why are you? The challenge is not to see what you can still eat. The challenge is to diet until you get great restriction, which can take some time.

I agree - I should have done it years ago. But I also think that you have to make an agreement with yourself - and agree that this is your FINAL option and you will commit to it completely. This is surgery. This is not Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig.
I feel like I am always saying this - but my mentality has always been to see HOW LITTLE I could eat with a band, not how much. And in my experience, success with the band depends pretty heavily on this distinction. It meant a painful breakup with my friend food and a super tight band for a while, but I have to say, I enjoy food so much more now because it is not my crutch, my consoler, my friend - it is something far more healthy for me now.
It is a personal decision - but the question is not really should I be banded or not - the question is ultimately, am I ready for success or not?

Everyone on here has been part of this journey for me - AND THANK YOU AND LOVE YOU ALL. Just wanted to share my news.... I've hit my personal goal of 160 lbs. Lost 126 lbs in just a little more than a year. SO INCREDIBLY HAPPY and feel so good. Take a look at my blog if you have a moment: http://aleadsinger.blogspot.com/
Here's my picture for the WALL OF FAME at my surgeon's office:

Everyone on here has been part of this journey for me - AND THANK YOU AND LOVE YOU ALL. Just wanted to share my news.... I've hit my personal goal of 160 lbs. Lost 126 lbs in just a little more than a year. SO INCREDIBLY HAPPY and feel so good. Take a look at my blog if you have a moment: http://aleadsinger.blogspot.com/
Here's my picture for the WALL OF FAME at my surgeon's office:

I have no interest in food at this point - 10 months out. I have to force myself to get the calorie and Protein goal.

Just a followup comment....I think they we all make a personal choice about our good fill level. Can you physically eat bread? (or donuts?) and choose to employ your will power to not eat those things? Then okay. Or do you choose to let the band and the fill help you make that decision? As bandsters, we have this flexibility. I am a great dieter, for about 3 weeks. That's my 20 year tread. 3 weeks great - 2 months crap. Back on the wagon. I chose to have the band help me with my lame will power. I cannot physically eat most things that I should not be eating. They make me sick. Sick being a PB or slime or something. If I ate a bite of a donut today, I would see it in about 2 minutes. Makes me hate donuts. But we all can make this decision. The trick is the hunger control. If you are physically hungry, then you are not tight enough.

Jealousy.....jealousy. We women are interesting aren't we? Now we compete to see who was fatter? Who was more deserving? I would call her on it.
On a similar note, I wrote on my blog yesterday about a women at my gym who came up to me and asked me how the heck I was losing so much weight, and I wrote that I was tempted to say, I eat very little and work out a lot. But I couldn't bring myself to not tell her the whole story. ONLY BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT HER TO FEEL LIKE SHE SUCKED at dieting. I wanted her to know that I had some ADDITIONAL help - and not to feel discouraged.
We are supposed to support and cheerlead eachother. It's not a competition.

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.