How is weight loss for people over 50? Can we still expect to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week with the band?

Denise and Donna- Thanks so much for your input! Makes me feel better about myself in some ways. I laughed outloud about the chocolate rice cakes! I can identify. :embarassed:

My DH just retired and we came back from a vacation where I was a bad girl. I'm thinking I'm going to do better next week when he leaves town for a two-week business trip. :tired

I sure hadn't thought of an unfill. I just keep thinking if I am more restricted I will eat less. Maybe you're right - if I weren't so restricted I wouldn't be quite so obsessed about getting FOOD (especially chocolate) all the time.

Bjean: I totally understand what you are saying. It's a mental thing. My doctor told me I should only eat 1/2 c. of food or I could stretch my pouch. I just can't do that. Mentally, I can't do it. I would probably feel full now that I have some restriction, but mentally it's not enough. I found myself cheating more when I thought I might be depriving myself. It's a mental game. I've been able to relax more lately. I think that my band has also loosened a bit, since my last fill. I know I'm not going to starve and so I've been able to eat more slowly and go back to being a good bandster. Just give yourself and little room to experiment and feel comfortable with your new restriction. I bet you'll do better and start losing again. Also, try to keep ice cream etc out of the house!

karey: You're absolutely right about keeping it out of the house. Sort of out of house, out of mind. Right now, the house is full of stuff I have been previously not buying. It really IS a mind game. I bought it because of company and to have snacks in the car for our cross country trip - ostensibly. Truth be known those things were only an excuse for me to have ready access to them.

I am so much happier when I am not all bloated from sugar and carbs! I feel so much better physically, plus when I avoid the addictive behavior, I feel good about myself emotionally. Going down a size in clothes is awesome too. I think I've figured out that I am a stress eater. I never seriously took responsibility for that until all the stress lately that has made me turn to food. I found myself thinking about finding something good to eat yesterday when we were having to talk to my MIL about putting her back into a nursing home. I was shocked to have the realization of how my "hunger" was so tied to that stressful situation.

Everytime I find myself thinking about my head hunger vs. real hunger, I think about Sharon Osborne and wonder if I should be getting psychological counseling.

Believe me, this forum helps a lot! Thanks for taking the time to respond and help me out of this slump!

I hope your slower eating is working well for you. It's been my experience with fills that the restriction isn't bad right after the fill, then it gets tighter for a while (couple of weeks or so) and then eases up again. I sure as heck don't want to stretch the pouch! I hope that isn't the reason I've had this experience with fills.

I totally relate to eating under stress. The first thing I want when I am under ANY kind of stress is chocolate. I know once we get that "sweet spot" everyone talks about, it's all head hunger after that. Like I said, the only way I can eat right is not keep anything in the house. I can tell myself all I want when I buy it that I will eat it sensibly, but then I just go crazy. For instance, the 100 calorie snacks are a good idea in theory, but not when you eat three (or more) bags of them each time.

It's really hard to socialize too. It's almost like I don't want to go anywhere because there is too much temptation out there. I have some of those kinds of friends that love to bake and eat junk food but don't have a weight problem. NO FAIR!

I have a date!!! May 8th!!!

Congratulations!

Well all you oldies but goodies out there - i did it! Yep ! I am banded!

I am doing very well. It is a lot to go under anesthesia, but wonderful that I am no longer hungery every minute and am welcoming new lifestyle changes. This isn't the easy way out, but the only way for me to change.

I am now on mushies, but going slowly. I wish everyone luck and good health.

Congratulations DynamoMini!!! Way to go. Sounds like you're well on your way to a more healthy lifestyle. Hope you're feeling fine and you get great results!

I am banded!

Great! Congrats! Glad to hear you're doing well.

Congratulations DynamoMini! I had to be on liquids for 4 weeks before starting mushies. You're lucky!

Congratulations DynamoMini! I had to be on liquids for 4 weeks before starting mushies. You're lucky!

Yes, I had a month before I graduated to solids (how did you ever do liquids for 4 weeks? I thought 2 was bad) but ooooooohhhhhhhh, do those solids taste good after so many weeks of liquids + mushies! Yummmmm. (Can you tell it's my first 2 days of solids?). Have a good weekend, everyone.

Yes, I had a month before I graduated to solids (how did you ever do liquids for 4 weeks? I thought 2 was bad) but ooooooohhhhhhhh, do those solids taste good after so many weeks of liquids + mushies! Yummmmm. (Can you tell it's my first 2 days of solids?). Have a good weekend, everyone.

I am confused because it says you got banded 4-16. Did you end up getting your band sooner?

:straightDynamoMini has 4-16 as her band date. So I guess I replied to the wrong person. :phanvan

I am confused because it says you got banded 4-16. Did you end up getting your band sooner?

Hmmmm. Where does it say 4-16? I can't find it. I was banded March 19. Let me know so I can fix it. Thanks, Karen

:straightDynamoMini has 4-16 as her band date. So I guess I replied to the wrong person. :phanvan

Oh, I see. Thanks for clarifying. Karen