Ok... sooooooo apparently i am the only one getting this done in Nov! Insannitttttttty. Im very new to this... so if anyone could help me making my thing a lil prettier.. i'd appreciate that too. :help:

It looks like the last post was in May...So wanted to see where everyone was and how everyone was doing??

I am doing wonderful and couldn't be feeling better! I am almost to my goal only another 35 pounds that I would like to loose but I am happy at my current weight of 163. I haven't had any issues with my band which has been nice.

My boyfriend of 8.5 years and I have decided to get married and try for a baby in about a year and a half. So all is well here...how is everyone??

Can't wait to hear from you all!

Rachel

Rachel,

Wow so close to your goal, but all that matters is how you feel now, if you are happy at this weight than this might be your new goal for now!

As for me I am doing well, finally back on track. I have started losing slowly again after a 6 pound weight gain over a 2 month time period. I had the unfil in May and then almost a whole refill in June, now I am where I was when I was too tight and I still don't have the best of restriction. I did for the first week or so after my last fill on the 1st of July, but now I am getting more hungry more often. I am thinking I am going to need another small fill in August when I go for my follow up with my surgeon but we will see, he is really good aat listening to how I have been and comparing that with my weight loss to see if I need another fill. And he really does take into consideration what I say I think I need, so that helps too.

Glad to hear your back on track...it's been weird as I have gotten closer to my goal weight...my band gets tighter and tighter...

I talked to my doc about this because for a while I was maintaining around 175 to 180 and was doing good. Then my boyfriend and I went on a hiking trip and I lost 10 pounds. While I was on my trip and when I got back I noticed that my band was feeling tighter and that foods I was able to eat before I could no longer eat.

My doc said that as you loose weight you loose fat around your organs and sometimes the fat around your stomach is lost and then the band can squeeze tighter on your stomach cuz all that fat isn't there resisting against the band...So I've gone from having 6 cc in my 10cc band to having 3.5cc and I am going in next week to get .5cc taken out because it's getting tighter agian...so watch for this...

SmilinApple...have you been working out at all or just watching food intake? What are you able to eat and how much? I usually eat 1/2 cup to a cup of food 2 times daily with no snacks and I'm working out with a trainer 3 days a week and the other three I go and do 30 min of cardio...I think this is just another reason why I was able to loose it so fast. Congratulations on your weight loss so far!! That is awesome!!

I'm lucky that I was able to have the surgery before I just kept going...I was definiatly on my way there! I graduated in 2002 at 127# and the maximum weight I got up to was 220 and that was in June of last year.

Take Care!!

I don't exercise consistently, I average 1 or 2 times a week. The beginning of this week I went out and played basketball and soccer with a friend and my daughter for about 2 hours - 2 and a half hours each day, 2 days in a row. Of course we took water breaks and didn't do it for the whole 2 hours straight but pretty much the majority of the time we were moving.

My downfall is when I went back to work the next day, I did all this on my 2 days off work and I haven't done ANYTHING except housework the rest of the week. My work hours are so screwy that I lose all motivation during those days, I just want to sleep, work and watch TV. I work 1pm - 11:30 pm and when I get home I just do some housework and veg in front of the TV for 2-3 hours and go to bed around 4 am. Then I sleep in until 10 in the morning and do it all over again. Then on my days off I have more energy.

The other problem I am having again is eating late at night. I find myself eating when I get home, almost a full meal. To top it all off I can eat about 2 cups of food at each meal.

I am going to stop eating when I get home starting today as my next step to getting back on track.

Hope you are doing well, take care.

Hi all! I was banded on November 19th,07 and I have lost 66.5 lbs so far...How are you guys doing?

Good on you guys for the great losses. I have now lost 42.6 lbs but had to be rebanded in July because my first band was placed incorrectly which is why I was still able to eat even though I had 9cc in a 10cc band. All is good now so I'm hoping to get to my goal weight or close to it by the end of the year.

Congratulations Rachel on your pending marriage and baby.

Hi all!

It's been so long since I have posted on here. Things have just been so crazy for me lately and it never fails I get distracted and I start to fall away from my support groups and not doing what I am suppossed to be doing to stay on track with my eating and exercising. Now I am just over a year out and I am still not doing what I need to do all the time and I get so discouraged with myself.

But I am looking forward to logging on here more often to help get my spirits up. I feel like I am carrying around a hugh weight on my shoulders because I have stopped eating right and losing weight. Not to mention I am having a hard time sleeping...I get on average only 3 hours sleep each night. It has gotten so bad my doctor has prescribed me some Ambien CR but in the last 4 months I have only gotten up the nerve to take it 2 times. I am so afraid of becoming dependant upon sleeping pills for sleep. Not to mention on top of all this I have been at a "plateau" for the last 2 months and really need to be back on track with my weight loss again.

I am not even at the half way mark yet, and it is just too soon to stop losing already, it has only been 14 months since surgery.

Well I hope everyone else is doing well!

I know this will probably be stuff you already know, and may not want to hear, but perhaps you need it anyway:

1) Congrats on 100lb loss!

2) I've hit a plateau too. I've only lost 2 pounds since early October. UGH.

3) Take the Ambien. You need to sleep. You can't expect your body to work properly on 3 hours per night. You have control of yourself. If you don't give in to the emotional and mental addiction, it will not take over you. Besides, getting back into a normal routine will help you not get attached. 1) Take pills. 2) Sleep. 3) Feel refreshed and alert. 4) Make better food choices. 5) Get outside, do some walking, move your body. 6) Feel better--physically and emotionally. 7) Get a natural full night's sleep. YOU CAN DO IT.

4) Stay focused on your weight loss. I always say: Who cares how long it takes? You have the rest of your life to lose weight and be healthy. However, it is true that most people lose their weight in the first 18-24 months. That means, there is still plenty of time for you to lose. Just stay focused. Appreciate what you have accomplished so far, and remember you goal.

I really really really hope this helps.

I know this will probably be stuff you already know, and may not want to hear, but perhaps you need it anyway:

1) Congrats on 100lb loss!

2) I've hit a plateau too. I've only lost 2 pounds since early October. UGH.

3) Take the Ambien. You need to sleep. You can't expect your body to work properly on 3 hours per night. You have control of yourself. If you don't give in to the emotional and mental addiction, it will not take over you. Besides, getting back into a normal routine will help you not get attached. 1) Take pills. 2) Sleep. 3) Feel refreshed and alert. 4) Make better food choices. 5) Get outside, do some walking, move your body. 6) Feel better--physically and emotionally. 7) Get a natural full night's sleep. YOU CAN DO IT.

4) Stay focused on your weight loss. I always say: Who cares how long it takes? You have the rest of your life to lose weight and be healthy. However, it is true that most people lose their weight in the first 18-24 months. That means, there is still plenty of time for you to lose. Just stay focused. Appreciate what you have accomplished so far, and remember you goal.

I really really really hope this helps.

Thank you...yes it really does help. I needed to hear that from someone else other than my family! It would be nice to get a full night's sleep for once. And the thought of having energy again....I can almost feel it!

Thanks for the congrats, sometimes I forget how great that is so far. I could only imagine if all that weight was still on me and I was still at square one, then how would I feel.

I don't know about everyone else but when you're the one losing weight everyone else might see a difference (don't get me wrong I do see a difference) but it's not as empowering from my view for me until I reach my bigger goal. I am trying to get past that too.

I definitely understand what you mean. Then, there's also the feeling that maybe my big goal isn't enough and perhaps I should be shooting for more. I really get a lot of comfort out of encountering people I haven't seen since "before" or just after. They are always STUNNED. It really reminds me of how far I've come. But, then, there are still the people who say, "What's different about you?" And I'm like, "uh, I've lost 60 pounds!!!!" Kinda makes it seem like they've noticed something different, but I'm still fat or something....probably all just in my own head--who knows.

Hi everyone...

Don't know if anyone will even see this....has everyone else kinda stopped logging in too? Now that I'm so close to goal, I feel like I will never really get there. We'll see.

I had a little set back last weekend. I don't know how, but somehow after no fill for 4 months, I got super-tight. I must have eaten something that got stuck forever, because by Monday morning, I was in the doc's office. I got 2cc pulled out, so now I'm down to 4cc in my 10cc band. It's unbelievable what a difference it makes to reduce restriction. I pretty much had thought that my new habits were permanent, but man oh man, I sure have been eating a lot more in the past week! I think I've gained about 2 pounds. And I cannot help myself. It's the weirdest thing. I get hungry between meals now, and I eat more in a sitting. It's like I know when I would have stopped eating before I got an unfill, but for some reason, I eat right past that point. Clearly, it's enough food, but it's just not enough to satisfy. It's quite obvious that I NEED my band! I have a fill scheduled for Thursday--I'm hoping I can control myself a least a little bit until then. If I go back above 170 I'm certain I will feel terrible. Plus, I'm going to Costa Rica in less than 3 weeks!!! I DO NOT need to take any extra pounds with me!!!!!!

Boy am I on the right thread! Cant sleep- Do not want to become addicted to meds + hit a plateau. AHHHH!!!

Don't know if anyone will even see this.... I pretty much had thought that my new habits were permanent, but man oh man, I sure have been eating a lot more in the past week! ... I cannot help myself. .. I'm going to Costa Rica in less than 3 weeks!!! I DO NOT need to take any extra pounds with me!!!!!!

I saw it, strangeratx... there are still some of us around. I am also dealing with post-unfill issues, it's been somewhat of a rocky road for me as well. I have to believe that I can help myself, that I have learned new eating habits during the last year and four months - habits that can sustain me if I sustain them. Your trip to Costa Rica can be a good motivator. Lets both try to have a good week. Stay in touch.

Hi all!!!

I just just got back from my UGI to see if there was an issue with the band (slipped, or something) sinc eI had been having this pressure and slight pain everytime I ate. Not to mention the continuous throwing up (at least 1 time a day). The results look good, no issues with the band itself. Dr.Alami said if I continue to have issues to come in to get a slight unfill. Any thoughts? I have had this issue off and on for the last 5 months; very little weight loss (if any), throwing up at least one meal a day, cannot eat anything more than greek yogurt for breakfast (sometimes not even that), the easiest time of day to eat (literally) is after 8 pm.

I am trying to be really honest with myself about this band but I am sooooo afraid of getting fluid out and being able to eat too much, but on the other hand I leave for a cruise in 1 week and I am afraid I will not enjoy myself because I might have to get up in the middle of our fancy dinner and make a run for the nearest restroom to throw up. Some people think I will be more relaxed there and should have a better opportunity to eat easier while on the cruise but I just don't know.

Please ANY advice would be GREATLY appreciated!!!!

Hi smilin,

Your story is so similar to mine with regards to throwing up and eating late in the day. I've been throwing up way too much ever since my last fill but if I'm really honest with myself the problem is I choose the wrong foods.

When 'real life' gets in the way then I just want to eat and not think about what I should be eating (emotional eating) which is why I'm throwing up so much.

I was relying on my band to do all the work for me thinking I didn't have to make any choices because I would just throw up if I ate too much (I know but I'm trying to be honest).

I've learnt that I needed to listen to myself more and now I'm making more of an effort to listen to my body because I know when I am too tight and it's not because I'm overfilled but my emotional status and also when I'm in certain weeks of my monthly cycle.

So my advice to you is - think about the fact that you will be on ship with no expert help available if you get really stuck will you be able to cope? If not, get an unfill - you will not enjoy your holiday if you spend days unable to eat because of one bad episode. I'm not suggesting you unfill and binge but you should have peace off mind on your holiday. Be honest with yourself.

Have a good time :thumbup: