I'll kick us off for May. I have been absent again. My world was rocked when I found out I had been laid off, so I have been looking for a new job. The silver lining is that exercising has been extremely helpful in keeping my spirits up, so I have been doing it. I only started exercising about a month ago -- around the 50 lb mark. It's amazing how much easier it is to exercise without the extra weight. I don't hurt all over like I did when I exercised at my heaviest weight.

I also got a fill recently. Interestingly I had lost a couple of cc's, and when she re-filled me, I actually have less than my last fill. Go figure! My band has its own personality -- sometimes it lets me eat a particular food one day, but not another. I feel tighter sometimes and looser others. I am at 2.4 in a 4 cc band. I am hoping this fill will be the one that gets me to my goal.

When anyone asks if I would do it again, I say "in a New York minute!" Even with the PB's, no sodas, a very shallow port now, and the few other inconveniences, I am so happy I did this for myself. It was the best money I ever spent on myself.

Robin, I have lots of time now -- I'm calling you!!

Best,

Jessica

Sorry to hear about your layoff Jessica. My hubby got laid off from a Ford parts plant back in SEPTEMBER and still hasn't found anything. He's even applying at gas stations and fast food resturants at this point. I don't understand it.

Welcome back!

Jessica, hang in there! What kind of job are you looking for? Since I live in Houston area I could keep my ears & eyes open!

I've had a rough couple of weeks with family stuff. Haven't lost anymore but haven't gained either. I'm trying to remain upbeat but I think we all have our days of the blah's. I'm working on getting my 14yr old son's facial reconstruction set up for this summer (we hope)! Scary time for us all!:nervous

I need to get back to walking or at least moving. Thanks for letting me vent!

Same here! I've been concentrating more on Family stuff and not much on my weight loss. Thankfully, I haven't gained either.

I've decided to get back to work also. I figured my son is three years old, it's time.

I'm there too guys, I think I'm getting too comfortable in my own skin because last month I only lost 2lbs But hey, its better than none I guess. I've been focusing on school, I have my last final tomorrow and then I hope to be able to focus on ME more. I bought a tankini bathing suit for this summer and I love it so thats my NSV for the month Anyone else started shopping for that yet??

Ok... am I at the right site??? I swear you never know what you're gonna get when you come to lapband talk anymore! I'm so confused.. hahaha

Yeah...I thought that I was at the wrong place too!! LOL!!! Well, at least the constant changes make things more exciting.

Sorry to hear about your lay-off. It happened to me back in '93 and it was the best thing. I moved from private practice to the corporate world and had the best years of my life. What is your field of law? I have friends at several firms and I can give them a call.

I was unfilled last month and I am so glad! I was pbing every day for almost 5 weeks. I thought it would ease up but it didn't. I was not eating much of anything - literally only a bite or two of Protein, and I felt tired. I was slightly unfilled and I am able to eat small meals again and have more energy.

I lost 5 pounds last month but then regained 3. I am holdiing steady because I stopped exercising for awhile. With the kids heading into the end of school and getting ready for summer, it seems I sit forever in front of a computer or on a phone making summer plans.

I am heading to the gym tomorrow since I still have 33 pounds to go. Jessica, I can't believe you are 13 pounds from your goal. That is amazing!

Are we Houston gals going to get together or what????

Hi There, When Did They Change The Format? I Thought I Was In The Wrong Place. I Was Gone For Over Two Weeks Because I Had A Hole In My Retna And Had Sx. Just Now Back To Work And Using A Computer Again.

Sx Went Well. I Had To Keep My Head Down For 10 Days. Could Not Lay Down To sleep. So, I Turned My Chair Around And Placed A Mirror On The Floor And Watched Tv That Way. Also Listened To books On Tape. I Had A Pillow That Kept My Head In One Place When I Slept. The Time Went Faster Than I Thought It Would.

I Find Out On Wed If All Is Well. Dr Says Only 30% Of Patients Will Improve Their Eyesight. I Went From 20/20 To 20/80 In Less Than A Yr.

Ladydi

Ladydi,

Hope all is well with you! Sounds like an interesting experience!

Thanks for all the support on the layoff front. It really helps to know that others can relate and care. It means a lot.

I have been working out a lot because it is helping me mentally and defintely physically. I think I need to increase my caloric intake. I almost feel like my body is holding on to weight, but maybe it's just the muscle building thing.

I bought a new bathing suit -- it's also a tankini, and I can't believe that I actually don't HATE the way I look in it. I won't go so far as to say that I am totally comfortable in it, but it's been a long time since I could say I am okay with it. Shopping for bathing suits is still not a fun experience, though!! I don't think it ever will be for me.

Hang in there, everyone -- this is a tough month with the end of school, start of summer, etc. Maintaining seems to be a good goal.

J-

I'm looking forward to the bathing suit shopping...sort of! I'll be thrilled with the idea of a smaller size but with a bathing suit there will be more out there to jiggle, which seems to be my problem now that I've lost! LOL!

How many of you folks out there have alot of loose skin? Losing weight in your late 40's after you have been heavy all your life is tough on the skin. I have so much loose skin on my legs and stomach that no amount of exercise will stop the wiggle and jiggle. Being in a size 12 suit is great but my legs look a mess. And forget about my upper arms - they wave all by themselves!

I'm looking forward to the bathing suit shopping...sort of! I'll be thrilled with the idea of a smaller size but with a bathing suit there will be more out there to jiggle, which seems to be my problem now that I've lost! LOL!

Mine is sagging some but not too bad. My lower stomach is hanging bad now though. I unfortunately think I'll be needing a tummy tuck eventually.

I bought a swim suit in the winter and it fit great and I swam in it the other day and it's getting too big. Makes me kind of sad because I love my suit.

Now I'll have to go out and find another.

It's FRIDAY!!!!!

You guys are all close to goal...I feel like such a slow poke. HELP!

I haven't lost a pound in MONTHS. Truthfully, I have sucked at choices. I eat too much ice cream and soft crap. But you'd think it would balance out with how much trouble I have with solids sometimes.

Since the last fill, I have PB'd with some frequency...a few times a week. It's more of a stuck issue than a fullness issue --- but are those the same? I don't know!

I can eat 1/2 cup and sometimes a cup. But I have to go super slow. Once I get past the initial stuck-ness, I can't eat a decent, satisfying amount. But if I CAN'T get past the first few bites and I PB, I get super bummed and feel deprived. Then...I eat ice cream. I know, bad girl.

THE AGE OLD QUESTION:

So, do I need another fill? Is the logic that if you're PBing *at all* then you are fine? Or am I PBing b/c I am slacking on the supersmall bites? (Since the PB is almost always within the first 5 bites. Is that how it is for eveybody?)

I feel like this is so new to me (!!) -- even though I've been banded since Aug 06 - only in the last few months have a really felt what every one is talking about.

Help, you guys! More fill, less, about right? At one point in a meal do you guys PB?

PS. Oh AND my port is all 'wonky' and tilted towards my feet as opposed to flush on my abdomen. That's freaking me out, too. They can still give me a fill but I have to get all Yoga for them to access my port. Anyone have wonky port issues, too. I press on it all the time and say "PLease, port, no flipping over!"

Hey Pelo! In my own opinion I think you're just making the wrong food choices. The first time I REALLY felt restriction I was PBing everyday for 2 weeks. Some times three times a day. On a Sunday night after two weeks of misery I said to myself "OK Josette... what are you doing wrong???" I knew I wasn't too tight. SO I decided to think about what I ate when I'd get stuck and I realized it was usually with anything that had bread. Sliced bread, a bun, anything like that. Eggs too. So I decided starting the next morning I was going to be VERY observant of everything I ate and how I chewed it and how big of a bite. I was still taking too big of bites. If you take a big bite of something and chew the heck out of it and swallow it's still too much at once and I get the stuck feeling. So the next day I made it through the day without getting stuck. Then the next day. Then a week. Then two weeks. Then I got something stuck but I stopped and waited and got up and moved around and it eventually got unstuck so I didn't PB. It's all a big learning process. Maybe you need to look over what you're eating and how you're eating it. There's certian meats I can't eat anymore either. After PBing on some of my favorite things they are no longer something I want anyways. I haven't touched a french fry in probably 6 months now because no matter how I tried to eat it or how small the bite it'd get stuck. Anyways I probably PB twice a month now. It's rare. Good luck!

Hang in there and if you do this and still have no change then maybe you need a tiny unfill.

I would NOT get a tighter fill if you're already PBing that much.