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

It's been a mighty long time since I've checked in here...probably over a year. I had to have my band removed last year due to a slip and other complications.

It took a while but I gained back the weight I had lost I've given myself time to heal and deal with some of the other personal issues life has thrown my way. Though you can't put your life on hold continuously just to cope with other issues. It's still so important to take care of ourselves, and I often forget that allowing myself to get bogged down in other people's health and wellness issues. Even my dogs get top billing.

I'm currently scheduled for bypass surgery in October. Right after my sons engagement party as a matter of fact! Party is Saturday and Monday will find me in surgery provided I make it through the liquid diet for 2 weeks and don't eat at the party but be good with my shakes and such.

My father in law just recently passed away and I have been helping my husband cope with the loss as well as clearing up all the legal/medical stuff. His Mom is very sick as well...and yeah it's been a hell of a month here. One of my dogs ate a rock and he needed gastric surgery before me! They had to resection part of his intestine to get the rock out...and repair the damage so now he's recovering and I hope I can be just as brave and bounce back just as well as he seems to be doing.

I think of putting the surgery off a couple more weeks to clear the hurdle of all this...and the engagement party, but that might be just me putting myself on the back burner yet again. So...the diet starts in a couple of weeks...Sept 24 is the start date, and by then I'll know if I can give this my all or if I need to push it out a couple weeks.

So that's what's up and what's new on this part of Long Island NY.

On 8/9/2018 at 8:42 PM, Julie norton said:

Ok. August is upon us. It would be nice to see a few posts ... however brief... from some veterans Successful or not quite, I miss you!!

I still trying to be successful with my band, I was doing so good but

Good luck in your incoming surgery Lisa ! I am also thinking about a revision surgery, I try very hard but I keep failing to get to my goal with my band , I am always hungry I do not know what is wrong with me ?

Hello friends. Welcome back, Lisa. You’re brave and I know you’ll do well with the surgery prep. I’ve been struggling and decided to check in here today. I am glad i did. Yadiordz, we can do this together. October is an emotional month for me so i decided to take a vacation and make some happy memories for October. I want my f ood in order before i go.

Yes!! We can !❤️

My hubs is still banded. I had to have mine removed a year ago from complications. Not everyone’s body likes the band and none was one that was rejecting it every which way. Trying to expel it like you would a baby but the wrong way. Kept causing nausea cramps no matter if it was empty or full.
Hubs has his struggles but the tool still works as long as the choices are good the weight comes down. It stops the over eating to excess and that’s a plus I have really missed this last year.
This prep is horrible for me right now. Day 3 and I slip and slide liquids only is torture. I try to stick it out...but you know everyone needs to eat around me and make me hangry.
My seat mate at work is eating a quesadilla yummy onion and chicken smell and me... yougurt and protein shake! Do you hear the silent scream????
Tummy rumbles with gas and irritation so I sneak some cheese it’s. Bad Lisa

So happy to see posters here again.
We all have successful/ non- successful months or years... (I stopped saying days/weeks). Just hearing someone else who really KNOWS how this banded life is a bit different helps me.
Please keep posting.
(And Lisa...a hundreds $ plus rock??)

Looks likes it been awhile since anyone has posted.

I have gained 9 lbs since August 2018 had once again reached my lowest weight of 178. which for 6 months is not to bad. In years prior to the band I would of lost 50 lbs in a year and put back 70 lbs in 6 months.

Still walking at least 10,000 steps a day. My A1C for the second time in a year is at 5.2.

Still appreciate that the band keeps me somewhat in line.

Hoping to hear from others.

43 minutes ago, jfc193 said:

Looks likes it been awhile since anyone has posted.

I have gained 9 lbs since August 2018 had once again reached my lowest weight of 178. which for 6 months is not to bad. In years prior to the band I would of lost 50 lbs in a year and put back 70 lbs in 6 months.

Still walking at least 10,000 steps a day. My A1C for the second time in a year is at 5.2.

Still appreciate that the band keeps me somewhat in line.

Hoping to hear from others.

Hi

I am glad that we still post in this tread?, I also gain weight due to health issues and surgeries but now I am back on track eating healthy and drinking my shakes, also doing walking 2 miles at day hopefully the weight It will melt again ?,

Happy to see some of us are just working our program as life goes on
Nothing is perfect, yet we are still here. Wonderful

I haven’t posted in a long tine either. I’ve not been as successful with the band as some of you. Banded 4/21/2012 and still 57 lb short of my goal weight. Went to the medical weight loss doctor at my bariatric surgeon’s office and starting on phentermine to hopefully get (back) on track. Looking forward to summer when I can swim but meanwhile plan to go back to walking a half hour each day to start. I love reading your posts; I feel that we’re all in this together. Let’s keep it up!

So I saw Dr. McClendon on Monday Feb 25, got my EKG and green light for Phentermine. I'm back on low carb, high protein diet. I have been tracking intake on MyFitnessPal and have had 6 successful days so far. I'm back to not drinking while eating - a hard habit to break for the second time! No exercise yet because it's too darn cold and wet but I did get new batteries for the elliptical and stopped using it as a clothes hanger so maybe I'll actually use it this week. I feel I'm getting back on track so we'll see. I'll keep updating as I go.

That is great! Keep going , I am doing the same and is working I am loosing again and my clothes feels loose again! You should try to exercise at home , in “you Tube” there is a program “walking inside home” you can walk 1,2,3,4 miles at day without going out in the cold , I started at 1 mile and now I do 3 every day (45 minutes), never thought I will do that it feels great ? !

I started Phentermine and low carb on Feb 27. Weight was 240, today I am down to 232. Not a lot but at least trending in the right direction. The elliptical remains an unused reminder but I’m not giving up on it. Stay tuned for future developments.

On 3/4/2019 at 6:29 AM, Yadiordz said:

That is great! Keep going , I am doing the same and is working I am loosing again and my clothes feels loose again! You should try to exercise at home , in “you Tube” there is a program “walking inside home” you can walk 1,2,3,4 miles at day without going out in the cold , I started at 1 mile and now I do 3 every day (45 minutes), never thought I will do that it feels great ? !

I do walking inside my house early in the morning since it is still dark, and while traveling either in my motel room or in the hotel.

Walking is my exercise of choice and have over 440 days in a row of 10,000 steps or more.