Hi!

Ive come to this site for encouragement during low moments and I want to join in.

I'm Gail, 44, in California and had lap band surgery mid-June of this year. My first fill was last week.

I started the process last November and had the surgery June 14. According to the home scale, (which is painfully close to the doctor's scale) I've dropped from 243 in May to 209.5 this morning. I'm 5'4" and my goal is to drop back down into the 130s, where I was for most of my 20s.

I've been seriously battling my weight for 14 years and am eager for these pounds and bulges and bags to let loose!

Right now, what I'm struggling with most, is battling old habits. I'm a spec. ed. teacher, mom and grad. student and now that school is back in session, I see how much time I spent actually eating every evening. I'm also struggling with exercise right now, too, working it into my schedule and seriously committing to it.

I'm also struggling with redefining myself and finding comfort in something more than food. I'm fine during the day, downing Water mixed with Crystal Light and Protein shakes, but it's those hours from 5-11 that may do me in if I don't turn it around.

I'd love any advice that anyone may wish to share.

I've got 5 CCs in a 10 CC band and feel some restriction. My doctor is conservative and does fills only every eight weeks max.

I'm happy to have lost this much, and today had a mild NSV when I realized that a pair of capris I couldn't even get over my butt pre-op were getting a little too loose today, but I'm feeling just a little blue right now, especially as I face my old high caloric habits square in the face.

Thanks everyone! I have been soooo inspired by all of you!

Kipper - sounds like you are doing AWESOME!!! 34 pounds down, is a HUGE accomplishment.... Congratulations!!!... NSV victories are huge also - good for you....

5-11 are hard - have you thought of starting a hobbie or going to the gym? I'm sewing like crazy and loving it... Try picking up a new skill...

Keep on track, you are doing super great!!!

I don't really have any advice or tips for you as I am not banded yet... but I just wanted to say that what you've lost in such a short time is amazing! And NSVs, to me, are just as important as seeing that scale drop.

Congratulations on the new capris. :]

I have some encouragement for you, I was banded in Oct 09, and I thought that if I could get to 150 pounds and size 10 I would be happy, but I have always been overly ambitious and I set my goal at 130. I had used diet pills and Adkins to get down to the mid 130's before but I was still a size 10.

Well I am now at 133, I went clothes shopping at 135 and I was scared to try on a size 6 because I would be disappointed if they didn't fit, and they were too big, I ended up buying a size 4! So I decided not to lose the last 5 pounds and maintain at 135 or so. Following the band diet and exercising has brought me back to the size I was when I was 20. Of course there is flabby skin involved now but at least it isn't filled with fat.

So the moral of my story is 130 is doable! Find an exercise that you enjoy and follow your eating requirements. Your already 30% of the way there!

Thank you everyone for the friendly welcomes! I should have clarified that I was 243 when I started the process, and came in somewhere around 233 when I had surgery- so the loss isn't as dramatic as I first made it sound. It is exciting to feel restriction.

One thing that is helping with the urge to eat is adding sugar-free flavorings to ice cold Water bottles (it's super hot here right now). I've discovered Wylers light singles to go in raspberry and (for the moment) they are delicious!

I've never been big on exercise, but now is the time to really jump in. My 9 year old wants to do Wii Fit with me every night, and that may just be the ticket during this busy season, and a bonding time, too!

Thank you for the words of encouragement. I can't even imagine making it to a size 4!

Gail