Ok guys, I just dont understand, I am doing exactly what the doctor asks me, Im going to crack down harder tomorrow, but as far as I can tell I would swear that I was doing it right????:think

Ive been crying for about a week in realization that Im not losing weight and I havent lost a pound since October, and now my bandiversary is coming up and I have only lost like 30 lbs, which is a lot I know, but its not enough ya know???? And my sister is just a downer about everything because she admires ppl who drop weight fast, and I know she doesnt know any better (shes not the brightest in the world, but she makes it alright) and my mom thinks I am making it up when I cant eat certain foods and have to go throw my food up if it gets stuck because she cooked something that I cant eat. I have first bite syndrome so I drink something warm b4 meals to open up the band, which works well as long as I drink it well enough in advance and dont eat stuff Im not supposed to. I really hate that I am having to have one of these entries, but I really need some support. I may start keeping an online eating journal so that I will have to post and will have to do right so I can post and not be embarassed. I had my blood tested and everything came back normal as usual. I just really need to LOSE WEIGHT, Im 18 it should be falling off.

I dont eat white bread, rice, oatmeal, or anyhting that is on my list (I understand that some of your lists allow different things, but for my surgeons purposes I try to avoid what he says to so that if its not working in a few months I will have something to show him that he cant disprove).

Im not eating snacks (Im only supposed to have 3 meals a day, and 3 meals only.)

Im working on the water situation now Im up to about 3 glass which is about half of what I should be drinking, but its an improvement from none.

I have 3 of the longest weeks in my life left with my parents before I move and I dont want to fight with them anymore. Mom swears Im lying and making up problems, and Im not, I wont even tell her anything is wrong with me anymore. She thinks that because I have the surgery then I dont get hungry allllll day, but I get hungry when its time to eat (breakfast, lunch, and supper) And Im finally eating the right portions, but its been a month of this and I still havent lost a pound!!!!!!! Nor a size, or anyhting, in fact I feel bigger than I ever did before. I guess Im more aware of it. Im afraid if this isnt fixed then Im going to dive into depression again and I dont want that, Mom threw away my anti-depressants she said that she didnt think I needed them anymore, or ever, that they are a bunch of crap and have no affect. When I know I need them to function, tonot her the negativity in my head..

Ill tell yall right now August 17 will NEVER come soon enough!! Ill miss em' but I wont miss the nagging and (pardon me) bitchin that I have to take from my mother, she needs antidepressants and I need them also, and until then we will never get along.

P.S. my skinny friend that has never worried about her weight EVER gained 10lbs (taking her from 107 to 117) during the pregnancy that she is trying to lose and all she does is call herself a fatass now, and she never did that before so now I cant hardly stand to be around it....I mean I weigh twice as much as she did while she was pregnant!!!!! Id give anything to be that healthy. Im supposed to weigh about 115 after I lose ALLLLLL of my weight, and at 210 (on a good day) I dont see that happening, and life's just not worth living when you spend and whole year's worth of tuition on a surgery and its not working for you. I want to be healthy, I dont care about how I look anymore, I just want to be healthy. Im tired of spending weekends alone because I dont get asked out on dates by anyone that someone in their sane mind would go with (and that is seldom). Even people with mental and physical handicaps have made fun of me when I would NEVER have said one negative thing about them! Im just on a pity party tonight, its been a bad day with my sister claiming herself to be fat when she could go on trimspa for a damn month and lose every pound and look like a super model.

I dont even like junk food. I like tofu and seafood (just not catfish) and grilled beef and venison and stuff and Mom doesnt like it so she doesnt cook it to help me out and fries EVERYTHING and claims shes on a diet! And she has no idea what healthy is..........

I dont know, kudos to anyone who reads this all the way through I appreciate your support in just reading it.........:faint: :faint: :faint: :faint: :faint: :faint: :faint: :faint:

Hello,

But what about fill? Did you have a fill?

Jodie..... you have to remember where you started. You were lower in the "scales of crisis" then some. I lost most of my weight the first 8 months then have been maintained ever since. The band took me to its goal, now I have to take it to the next level. I honestly believe that those of us that are banded at lower obesity levels notice that we don't lose as fast because we don't have as much to lose. Plus, I know I haven't been exercising as much as I should, okay... I admit it.. none at all. Try doing a different work out schedule or a different type of exercising. (ie if you are doing strength, switch it up to cardio, or if you are doing cardio, switch it up to toning and conditioning)

I just got another fill in June, I have had fills and then in Jan. an unfill because I was too tight, now Im to a good fill. I stopped losing weight a about a month after I got the band tho...I havent lost anything since like September (ofcourse I was dealing with the hurricane and stuff) but you woulda thought I woulda lost so much more, the surgeons thinks I shoulda lost about 80lbs by now. I dont exercise because my knees are so bad I cant. I tried last monday, I did a low intensity workout just to get me started and Im still limping around and stiff, cant go out and do nuffin because my knees froze up AGAIN....But I know people who started at my weight and build and lost 100 lbs without the exercise! I dont get it!@Q

God bless your heart, Jodie. :bananapartyhat: Please don't give up. YOU can do this! Do this for yourself. It's apparent your mom isn't capable of giving you what you need, so you will have to take this in your own hands. Take yourself shopping, get yourself some tuna lunch kits, breakstones cottage cheese snack size, boil yourself some eggs, they have chicken breasts you just throw in the oven for 30 minutes. This is up to you girl! and you have come this far! If you need those antidepressants, please see your doctor. Are you exercising?? Get yourself a LARGE water container, 64 oz and don't stop drinking until you've finished it. Prove to everyone you WILL SUCCEED!

The only thing is I have used up all my money preparing for college, and my parents too. Just to go to town to see a friend (about 10 minute drive) I have to use money from a scholarship from my deceased Grandfather, that was meant for tuition. Ive already spent almost $1000 in scholarship money, let alone all my money from graduation gifts that I had to use to buy stuff for college. Im BROKE! I dont have the money to see my psychiatrist, to go to my lap-band doctor, to do anything but sit around the house. Mom gave me $20 out of spite today just because I asked her 2 weeks ago for a little gas money to go buy her groceries! We are so broke that MY PARENTS OWE ME $500! Thats how bad it is around here, so you all can understand my predictament. But Im going to buy some food stuff tomorrow and try to get enough to live off of for 3 weeks on that $20 and maybe some change I have. I have never had to live like this, I have to get to Corpus and get a job ASAP so that I can buy groceries and school supplies let alone a shower curtain, soap, and all that other stuff you need to start up (plus parking permit, lease agreement fee, and lab equipment). My clothes dont fit and I dont have the money to buy anymore and I have spent probably 2000 or MORE just getting ready to go to college....WITH NO BIG SCHOLARSHIPS! Ive never dealt with all this, and its all recent. I thot about going to the doc and asking for more anti-depressants, but I cant afford it, its terrible! and it just makes me more depressed about it. I wish I could exericise, its a natural anti-depressant, but it hurts my knees too bad. Im going to try and find some easy meals so not to bother Mom shes so grouchy and wont take the medicines that the doctors give her for her poor health, if she cant take care of herself how can she take care of me?

life's just not worth living when you spend and whole year's worth of tuition on a surgery and its not working for you.

This statement really concerns me. If that's truly how you feel, I would strongly suggest you find a therapist in your area and make an appointment ASAP. You have things going on that need medical/professional help outside of your weightloss.

It sounds like you've been put on a low carb diet. Try some ketostix and see how they read. Maybe you're sneaking in enough carbs unknowingly, that combined with your portions, balanced against your weight/height, is just enough for maintenance (sounds like you've maintained very well).

And maybe you have rocked your band hard. I know I got a lot of crap on a different "support" when I was talking about how I couldn't lose weight. People called me a lier, saying that I wasn't being honest with myself or anyone else. that I needed psychologocial help to get me over my lies around food bla bla bla...

Jodie, familes can be really toxic. I mean, really toxic sometimes. I was raised by wolves, and right now I'm not dealing with my mother simply because I have enough crap in my life with my Cushing's that I don't need her garbage on top. ("this is my middle daughter Crystal, she flunked Calculus" or ".. she just dropped out of college" is not how I want to be introduced to her firends. )

Since you have worked you band, it is time to find a doctor that will look at the underling causes. It is important to find out why you are not loseing weight. You know that you are working your band (DRINK MORE WATER) and you should be losing weight.

I'm not suggeting you have Cushing's, but if you haven't been losing weight, then there is something else going on.

I know you have bad knees, so you might want to try pilaties and/or Water aerobics.

And it may just be that you will just have to wait until you get to school before you can do anything but bide your time.

Jodi I am sorry to hear about all that you are going through but you have lost weight and that is a great accomplishment in it self. Keep moving forward and let nothing stop you.

As others have said Water is vital to your weight loss. If you are not have a medical condition water and exercise can help you get those last 55 pounds off.

Push real hard to get your 8 cups of water in a day and here is some info I found on the web for helping bad knees.

Good luck dear, you can do this!!!!

What exercises tend to be easier on the knees? Swimming, except for butterfly stroke, is fairly easy on the knees. Walking is excellent because you don't have high impact. Jogging isn't bad if the person hasn't had an injury. Bicycling is not that bad on the knees. Any activity where there's a reduced impact or you don't have to worry about changing motion.

Best and Worst Exercises for Bad Knees Sidestep injury by perfecting your form

by Michele Stanten

Exercise may be the best medicine for chronic achy knees. "Strengthening the muscles around the joint protects you from injury by decreasing stress on the knee," says Willibald Nagler, MD, chairman of rehabilitation medicine at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell Campus in New York City. But you must use good form and technique.

The First Commandment

Never bend your legs to a point where your knees stick out past your toes. That puts a lot of pressure under the kneecap. This not only applies to the following exercises but also when you're stretching or doing aerobic activities such as step aerobics.

Except where stated, do 10 to 12 repetitions of each of the following, two or three times a week.

Best Exercises to Do

Partial Squats

Stand about 12 inches away from the front of a chair with your feet about hip width apart and your toes forward. Bending at the hips, slowly lower yourself halfway down to the chair. Keep your abs tight, and check that your knees stay behind your toes.

Stepups

Using an aerobic step bench or a staircase, step up onto the step with your right foot. Tap your left foot on the top of the step, and then lower. As you step up, your knee should be directly over your ankle. Repeat with your left foot.

Side-lying Leg Lifts

Wearing ankle weights above the knee, lie on your left side, legs straight and together, with your left arm supporting your head. Keeping your right foot flexed and your body straight, slowly lift your right leg to about shoulder height, then slowly lower. Repeat with your left leg.

Inner-thigh Leg Lifts

Wearing ankle weights above the knee, lie on your left side, slightly back on your butt. Bend your right leg and place it behind your left leg with your right foot flat on the floor and your left leg straight. Support your head with your left arm. Slowly lift your left leg about 3 to 5 inches, then lower. Repeat with your right leg.

Calf Raises

Using a chair or wall for balance, stand with your feet about hip width apart, toes straight ahead. Slowly lift your heels off the floor, rising up onto your toes. Hold, then slowly lower.

Straight-leg Raises

Sit with your back against a wall, left leg straight and right leg bent with your foot flat on the floor. Slowly raise your left leg straight up about 12 inches off the floor. Hold, then slowly lower. Repeat with your right leg.

Short-arc Knee Extensions

In the same starting position as the straight-leg raises, put a ball (about the size of a basketball) under your left knee so that your leg is bent. Slowly straighten your leg. Hold, then slowly lower. Repeat with your right leg.

Hamstring Stretch

Lie on your back with your left leg flat on the floor. Loop a towel or rope around your right foot and pull your leg as far as comfortable toward your chest, while keeping a slight bend at the knee. Keep your back pressed to the floor throughout the stretch. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds and then release. Repeat three or four times with each leg. Do this stretch five or six times a week.

Worst Exercises--Avoid These

A few of the following exercises can be done safely if you have chronic knee problems; they're on this list because they're more likely to be done improperly. The exercises above are safer, while still giving you similar results.

Full-arc knee extensions

Lunges

Deep squats

Hurdler's stretches

Hi Jodie,

“Im going to crack down harder tomorrow”

“I may start keeping an online eating journal so that I will have to post and will have to do right so I can post and not be embarassed.”

“Im working on the Water situation now Im up to about 3 glass which is about half of what I should be drinking, but its an improvement from none.”

I’m really glad you had the blood work done and it came back normal. That’s a good start!

It does sound like you are dealing with a lot right now. It sounds like you are moving to go to school? If so, most campuses have a student health center that will treat students for free or on a sliding scale, at least they did when I was in college in the 80’s. Check into that.

You know that you can’t depend on your mom, so you’ll have to keep thinking about how to take care of yourself. Hard lesson.

I included the quotes from your first post above that I did because they kind of jumped out at me. You’ve said that you are doing all you are supposed to, but those statements might give you an idea of what else to look at. Just a thought, not trying to be mean or anything.

Hang in there Jodie. I am in a similar boat where for what ever reason the weight is not coming off...right now. Keep doing what you're doing and it will work out weight wise. Make sure you are getting enough calories in because that could be a problem also.

As for the mom situation hang in there. It can be rough I know, my best advice is to hang in there and work as hard as you can to pave the way for you to get out of the house and be on your own...successfully. Life will get better things just don't always happen when we want them to. Feel free to IM me any time though my board visits are sporadic. I'll be thinking about you.

You need to quit comparing your weight loss to anyone elses. Just because other people your age lost weight without exersizing doesn't mean your body will let you do the same thing (trust me, I went throught he same stage, and it sucks). You are maintaining right now, which is a hell of a lot better than gaining, and while I know it's not 'good enough' because you want to be losing weight, just ride it out for now until you can get into your place, and get a job and then manage your own food stuff, you know? Do your best to try and find a job with benefits, so that you can get your antidepressants back, and maybe see your therapist again.

Also, (again when you have money) see a doctor about your metabolism. Have it checked, and your thyroid and all that good stuff. Crystal is right, if you are working the band, there has to be something else behind it.

*hugs*

Thanks guys....I went to wal*mart this morning and bought a lot of low calories, balanced food to prepare for myself, a lot of it is the frozen kind so that I can fix it quickly. Surprisingly the food is REALLLY good. Its the Michelina's Lean Gourmet for 98 cents a piece. I got 10 with the money Mom gave me, and I got 2 32 oz bottles so that I would drink my Water, and Im going to keep a food journal starting today so that even if the crack down doesnt work, then I can show my doctor what I am eating and he can tell me what to eat that will help. The knee exercise thing was really helpful...I love LOVE swimming (just not that much in public) the problem is I dont own a pool nor do I know anyone who does...I would love to get in on the water aerobics thing I think I would really like it. Next semester Im going to try to lose enough weight to enroll in a kinesiology course for exercise. I just wish I wasnt so broke, but I bought about 2 weeks worth of food for less than $20 today, so thats not too bad right???? I just hope that treating this thing a lot like weight watchers (Except count calories instead of points) will help.

Hey, since me and Oprah are addicted to chocolate popsicles and I live in a podunk town I found some for only 35 calories a piece (blue bunny, sugar free!) and also, for a day when I didnt wake up for Breakfast I bought some Italian Ice cups (92 calories a piece) to satisfy my sweet tooth! I was surprised at how much health food prices have gone down in the last 2 years.

Im going to try my own tofu tomorro, I dont really like it in restaurants, but maybe I can find a good recipe for home to cook it with...

Wish me luck...I feel pretty good about this, I think lol (in french MDR)lol

I just dont wanna look like this anymore

Jodie,

Go to the fitday.com to track all of your food and exercise and it even has a journal to track how your feeling at certain times. Do all of that and then you can copy it to let some experienced seasoned bandsters on here see if they see a problem or print it out to take to your surgeon.

Maybe a little antidepressant might help too. I not saying your crazy mind you, almost everyone in my famiy takes paxil, or something mild and it does take the edge off. I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt you can do this. If I can be of any help please pm me. I would love to try to help in some way. If you need to talk just email me.

YOu can do this and you will do this. Plus, I think once you get back to school alot of stress from you family will be off of you and maybe you can put yourself first for a change.

Dont give up girl,

jodie, i'm so glad to see that in the space of a few hours you were able to go from complete exasperation to doing some great things for yourself! i am inspired. i wish you all the best with making 2 really difficult transitions. going to college and learning to live with the band (especially with a family who can't support you) is a lot on your plate and it's wonderful to see you take control of your life! you go girl!

Jodie... You have gotten a lot of great advice for everyone and I just wanted to add...

I think you look beautiful right here... right now. I know you have a wonderful future ahead of you! (((Hugs)))