Hi everyone - I just wanted to find out how the rest of you are doing... I feel like I've recently turned a corner. So I lost about 44 lbs total in just under a year - and then plateaued. I checked my records, and it looks like I was steady for about 3 months. I've got to say that I was giving up hope. Then...

- I went up to the mountains to ski and the altitude did something to tighten up my band.

- I started having tiny meals (instead of the bigger ones I'd been forcing down)

- that in combination with the skiing every day - and I ski pretty hard - for 5-7 hours a day helped me to lose some.

- So I came home and got my band tightened up and now I've lost about 17-25 lbs in the last 2 months.

So now...

- I'm just in overweight instead of in the obese category:thumbup:

- I look at myself in the mirror and don't see a fat girl anymore! I'm still bigger than I'd like to be, but not fat!!:thumbup:

- I'm in a size 12 trouser from banana Republic:thumbup::thumbup:

- ...and I'm just feeling generally positive about finishing up the journey.

I guess I'm writing this to encourage those of you who are struggling to go get tightened up. I was thinking back to my plateau, and there was a lot more Ice Cream binges than I needed and also I was clearly trying to eat things I shouldn't have been because there was a lot of PBing. Now, I'm much more careful and I don't throw up barely at all.

Any stories from you guys?? Advice, tips, successes?

We have the same band date!

I plateaued in Sept. I've been staying between 145-148. Finally, two weeks ago the scales started moving again! I was at my lowest this morning (142.2). I have 7.2 pounds to go to be at my goal!

I'd been staying at the same intake on calories and decided to play around with it to see if I could get the scales moving. I had to increase my intake and then lower it to shake my body up some and get the scales to moving. I guess I was just in a rut!

Congrats on your success!

I need to turn the corner! Thanks for posting because I am back on this website to see if there was anyone going through the same thing as me??? I was banded 12/14/08 and I have been struggling with the last 20 or so pounds. I have been eating around my band and just got comfortable with being at 145 pounds BUT I am only 5'1" so I am still in the overweight category. And I have been the same weight for about 4-5 months. Uggg.

Today I am heading to the store get the foods to start the 5 day pouch diet. After that I might head in for a fill but the last time I was there he said I couldn't handle anymore without being too tight, that was in Dec. I know when I eat better it is tighter and I eat less.

Thanks for both of you for posting and I don't feel as alone.

Michele

thanks for posting - i'm so glad that i'm not the only one... I've read a lot of statistics recently that say that a lot of peple with bands don't lose the weight - and only achieve a minimal level of weight loss, but I think that it's not a magic bullet - rather it's a tool and you have to do the work to make the changes.

now i'm certain that i'll have more plateau's and more struggles - but eventually I'm pretty sure I'm going to get there... it's just a matter of doing the right things most of the time and minimizing the bad days...

anyone else??

Yeah, me too!!! I've been a little too pleased with the fact that I don't have to think all the time about what I eat, how much to eat, etc. But then again, nothing has happened for a long time, my weight is still a lot higher than I want it to be. On the other hand, I haven't been gaining, so that's a good thing, and before the band it was all I could do to just prevent gain!

Anyway, I think I need to get more than the one hour per day exercise I'm getting now and start on a more controlled diet to get rid of the excess weight. I keep thinking "next week I'll start..." but maybe it IS next week, now. Maybe by summer I can wear a bathing suit without cringing?