Hello and good morning my friends. Welcome to Banders #7. So, I guess I'll start it off by saying how grateful I am today and every day for the new lease on life that I have. I walked to the office today from the train station. That was something I couldn't do before the surgery. I always say how light I feel and I realized it's not a state of mind, but a physical reality. We are weighed down by the excess weight and all that goes with it. When we don't rumble and jumble as we walk, our steps are lighter. I was listening to my ipod and started to dance a little as I was walking. I'm sure I looked ridiculous, but who cares? When one is thin, even looking ridiculous seems OK.

I am grateful for my for my beautiful grandson who I was able to tuck into my lap last Saturday morning so we could play while Mommy and Daddy got to sleep in a bit. I'm grateful that I fit anywhere and everywhere. No more worrying if I will break a chair, or be able to navigate a booth at the restaurant, or walk down a narrow aisle without having to suck it all in just to get past someone/something.

I'm grateful for my health. I take alot of pills, but many of them are supplements and not prescription for chronic ailments. I'm grateful that I can walk again...that I can swim, bike, climb, and yes....enjoy sex. I am surprised at how flexible I can be now that I'm thin.

I'm grateful that I earn enough money that I can indulge my new found love of shopping. I really think I'm one of the best dressed ladies in the office these days...and I know I've upped the game for others. I am definitely seeing more dresses than I did a year ago.

I'm grateful to Alex for having this site available...and I'm grateful to all the folks on it who are part of my success. I know I would not have been as successful as I have been if not for all of you. I talk about things here that I don't talk to anyone else about. You all know the struggles of being fat, and immobile, and feeling like a failure regardless of what we've accomplished..and I know now how much we 'hidden' people have accomplished. It's helping me to not turn that self hatred towards others still struggling with obesity. It also reminds me that I will always struggle with obesity. Under this thin person still lurks the fat girl. She is the one who whispers in my ear all the time that I'm not worthy of the good things out there and I should just order a pizza and eat the whole thing. She and I clash daily and it's why I still go every Tuesday to the therapist who listens and helps me to navigate this new world I inhabit.

Well...I think I've posted enough for today. Feel free to comment on the above, or share your stories, or say hi, or just lurk. Enjoy your day today...enjoy the upcoming holiday, and looking forward to a wonderfully robust Banders #7 thread.

Liz

How's everyone doing? I'm trying to get this final 30 pounds off. I gave up cheese most recently. Grrrrrrr.....

How's everyone doing? I'm trying to get this final 30 pounds off. I gave up cheese most recently. Grrrrrrr.....

I need to give up more than a few items.
And I'm overdue for a fill.... almost empty right now....still need my crutch apparently...
kinda thought I could depend on just me.... not true in my case. About a month or so in, little adds creep in
I can do this... again

Hi All!!

Back on the boards these days doing some revision research....cause I am still very undecided about what to do.

I had the band removed on August 9th and recovery has been a road let me tell ya! It actually was a bit more painful due to the muscle dissection to remove the port. The incisions healed nicely no infections just muscle soreness for a few weeks. Of course though with my father in law in rehab, hubby got super sick with bronchitis and brought that home along with a wicked stomach flu virus and you know I caught that in a heart beat and we have been sick since! Horrible bug really. I am back to work now after having to take another week off for that illness and honestly feeling better now.

For some reason my body did not like having the band inside, it just kept rebelling against it with inflammation all over the place. It was making me so sick, and the reflux and prolapse of the band was just the final straw in a two year battle to get things to calm down.

So...here I am post band removal...and wondering if doing another surgery is something to consider given all the issues I had with this one. Who knows if my body will accept being altered and rewired it didn't accept the hardware

Hi Everyone. I don't know that we need a Banders #8 as there are so few of us left here. If I need to start another one, I will. Sorry you and Ken are having a hard time Lisa. I saw on FB...

So for me...I'm having trouble getting my food intake under control. I've had another fill but I find myself stress eating. I'm around 150 lbs. now and that's too much. I keep saying I'll lose 10-15 lbs but so far, I'm not doing what I say I will.

I even eat when I know I'm likely going to get stuck. I do and still don't seem to learn my lesson. I just have to re-dedicate myself and not use work, or other stresses in my life as excuses.

When I had my back surgery and recovery, I went off track. It's been six months since and I'm still not focused. Will have to do better...

FYI, all my family and friends in Florida are well. Some a little worse for wear but no one got hurt and no one is dealing with major damage. It was scary for a while with my folks especially as they have health issues but again, everyone got through it better than we expected.

Thanks for checking in and letting me have a place to talk about the realities of maintenance.

Liz

Hi Gowalking the same here , I think I will call for a fill also , I was doing so good but I went to my country for a week and gained 5 pounds and I was eating carbs and sugar stuff again and now is getting hard to be back on track, our fat brain is a traitor ? But I will go back to my 1,000 calories at day watching my carbs and sugar intake good luck to us!!

Edited September 14, 20178 yr by Yadiordz

Went to schedule a fill... dang, Dr retired... trying to find a new Dr to fill... all are about 45 minutes away. Some do not adjust bands..

Harder task than I thought

Back to mixing protein drinks.

I swear I am not going backwards... too far ...

Harder than I thought.

Still apparently have "fat brain "

"syndrome. Sigh

And I'm trying to track down surgery documents from almost 11 years ago, and my original Doc has retired.

Life still goes on. Choices to make every day

But WLS is the "easy way out", right?

Nope. Nope. Nope. The struggle is real.

It's much better for me banded than without, but I am eating between 1200-1300 calories a day and I can't get below 178.

If I'm not vigilant or if I make too many exceptions, five to ten pounds comes on immediately.

Lisa, I do love my band, but if I were doing this for the first time today, I would opt for the sleeve.

I just had to get a new general practitioner because my other one retired. I will miss him. He was the one that approved me for weight-loss surgery. So I found another doctor in the same location, and I told her I was a bariatric patient. I asked her if she had other lap band patients in her practice. She said oh yes but you must be the poster child for LapBand. Most of my patients do not have success with the band.

I was taken aback by that comment. It also made me a bit nervous. In terms of long-term success I mean.

Well, I just keep thinking that Alex here has had success for over a dozen years. So far, I have not had one stitch of trouble with my band. I know I am at the right restriction level because I still do get stuck if I eat too quickly or don't chew well enough.

So for today I guess I'm in good shape. This final 30 pounds won't come off unless I up my exercise, and I am just too lazy and unwilling to do that. So for that, I have nobody to blame except myself.

Hey girls , bet you thought I had dropped off the earth.. still here still doing well, I am a little bit over my goal weight, now 135, I think I have been happy in love and eating out too much. had my skin surgery in March, feel so much better without the apron. my guy has had a few health issues but overall we are still doing great, went to Vegas in June going to go again in January.

I will try to attach picture . I think about all of you often, we also had a hurricane and were without power for 5 days It was difficult but no damage and no injuries. keep praying for the people in Puerto Rico it must be horrible for. them, . I had a hard time logging in , forgot my password but finally figured it out.

I will be checking in more I need all the support I can get.

Hi folks. Does anyone still read this thread? I’m doing okay but struggling with ten pounds I added this summer. It’s not a fill problem. I’m overdoing salads big time. Anyway, how is everyone?

HI

I am myself also fighting regain but I I already lost 30 pounds doing 4 shakes and one meal you should try and you will see your 10 pounds regain drop in a few weeks, good luck ?

I'm still here!! I'm struggling with weight gain and am not at all happy about it. I'm stress eating and also finding it hard to watch my intake especially as Corey is all about the food. I'm not blaming him....this is my responsibility to be accountable for my food choices but I am indeed having a hard time at the moment. The good news is that I am happy as can be in my relationship and am looking forward to co-habitating sometime next year hopefully. Work sucks and that is the cause of much of my stress but I am looking at the big picture which for me is three more years in the workforce and then early retirement. Couldn't come fast enough for me...lol.

I’m trying to get used to the idea of dating. I’ve met a half dozen men on Match for coffee, and I think something is subconsciously sending me back to the food. I really love my new life, my new home, and the freedom of being a true empty nester. I’m not even sure why I feel the pressure to find a partner. I like the attention, I suppose. Man, this is complicated.

Best of luck JWM

The last guy that flirted with me worked at a grocery store and I think cut his own hair. He was really trying to engage me with his offers of 1/2 off sandwiches....
nice enough guy. not quite
What I was thinking
I ignore 99% of the other sex.... (truly not interested since hubby passed)
You go find a decent match and I'll live vicariously through you[emoji95]

How are my peeps? I’m frustrated with ten pounds that won’t budge since summer. I did a two-day P rotein S hake reset this week and I thought I’d never make it. lol. How the heck I managed six weeks post-op on l iquids is beyond me.

On ‎12‎/‎8‎/‎2017 at 10:04 AM, JustWatchMe said:

How are my peeps? I’m frustrated with ten pounds that won’t budge since summer. I did a two-day P rotein S hake reset this week and I thought I’d never make it. lol. How the heck I managed six weeks post-op on l iquids is beyond me.

Hey girls , bet you thought I had dropped off the earth.. still here still doing well, I am a little bit over my goal weight, now 135, I think I have been happy in love and eating out too much. had my skin surgery in March, feel so much better without the apron. my guy has had a few health issues but overall we are still doing great, went to Vegas in June going to go again in January.

I will try to attach picture . I think about all of you often, we also had a hurricane and were without power for 5 days It was difficult but no damage and no injuries. keep praying for the people in Puerto Rico it must be horrible for them.I'm like you Liz, no exercise and no control over sugar again. long term success is difficult. I still am happy I Had it done and have restriction, too much sometimes not enough other times. I had a hard time logging in , forgot my password but finally figured it out.

I will be checking in more I need all the support I can get.