They have added a forum for us - let's post here... So we can share with the new people....

Petunia, You'll get there, your ticker says you have 116 to go, I lost 126. Just follow the rules of the 'tool' and keep plugging along. I never thought I'd get there and here I am. I love my band!!

If, I am for sure not quite thin, but probably 'normal' looking. I have some curves for sure. But I do know I have to work on the body image, and it's come along way but has some work to do.

GOAL!!!!!

I officially hit goal today!!! I had my one year post op finally with my surgeon, it had gotten rescheduled a few times. Anyhow, he said how fantastic I looked, weighed me, looked at my frame, looked at my lab results (excellent like a 16 yr old he said) and said I was at goal. The BMI chart is a guideline and for my height and frame he liked where I was at. He wants me no lower than 176 and no higher than 185, I like that he gave me a range, he said he could tell I was a number person that would get too hung up on a single number if he gave me one. He also asked what size I was when I began and was now, I went from a 26 to an 8. WOOHOO!! I feel like a tremendous weight has literally been lifted from my shoulders. I was stressing so much about getting to 169 and that normal BMI and hadn't lost hardly in over 2 mos. He wants me to visit the nutritionist now and fine tune things in my diet to maintain. I will be changing my screen name soon, probably to Great2bThin, though that sounds odd as I still don't consider myself thin and don't want to sound like I am bragging so not sure.

Big Ole CongaRatz to you! Way to go. I am very happy for you.

Corliss:hurray:

Hey guys, this is a video of a student of mine. He has an incredible story to tell and I was part of it. I taught him to read and do math and you'll see me teaching him in the video. I helped interview him but you won't hear my voice.

This is part of why I got the lap band. I didn't want to have to retire early from a job where I can make this kind of a difference. I teach at-risk children on the South Side of Chicago.

Here's the link: http://cltv8.com/rcs/micro4v2/

Congrats! Long. I have been watching your ticker slide down at a steady clip this last year. I had hoped I would have followed you, but I just never had that restriction until yesterday. I plan on reaching goal next year. I am so happy for you.

Congrats! Long. I have been watching your ticker slide down at a steady clip this last year. I had hoped I would have followed you, but I just never had that restriction until yesterday. I plan on reaching goal next year. I am so happy for you.

Thanks Arlene, you will get there! Glad ou got a good fill and are at that sweet spot, that will help tremendously! BTW, how's DH doing??

Congrats Long on reaching goal!:thumbdown: That is awesome. I can't wait till I reach goal. I still have a very long way to go. But I am very close to my 2nd mini goal. 7 lbs away in fact. Every time I get near a goal it seems like it takes forever to reach it. LOL

Congratulations, Lori! It is so good to hear your good news! I respect your doctor and his plan for you. I, too, think we get too hung up on numbers and we have to look at the whole picture and what is good for the individual. You are a size 8!!! Baby, that is thin! The fact that you have not lost in 2 months makes me feel as though you are where you should be. You are now officially an ADVISOR to this thread!

I'm in Korea - with DD and her boys. These boys are absolutely beautiful and fun - and I am enjoying the time with them and their mom. DD and I are working out at a gym on post - got started this morning bright and early. The 2yr old DGS is in his first gymnastics class and we went to that following our workout. Very funny watching 2 year olds starting their gymnastics experience - kinda like trying to herd cats! Then an hour at the park, home for lunch and naptime for everyone but me. Even the dogs are asleep. I know if I nap I will not sleep tonight. Jet lag is not bad this time, but I don't want to disrupt the normal sleep pattern anymore than I have to. The flight here is brutal. From wake-up time on Thurs morning (3a.m.) to arrival time in Seoul was about 28 hours. I slept (dozed) about 2 of them. ugh. I'm so happy to be with this little family, though. DD is enjoying being on the larger post - lots more activities for the kids, and for her, too. She is getting back into working out - hires a babysitter 4 mornings a week so she can run with a running group or workout at the gym. She is looking great and is back to pre-baby weight.

Back to chasing a 2 year old is good for me... I've already started to lose a little faster than at home. A month of working out here will make a huge difference for me. DD is my "coach" - will NOT let me off the hook. Good for her! I'll be well prepared to continue when I'm back on home soil.

I hope everyone is doing well today and having a good week.

Hi Indigo and other friends!

I have been going this band experience alone, really alone, since I was banded in Mexico Feb 28, 2009. Have lost 20 lbs and I dont think it is because I am 52. I had a great surgeon and he did a great job on my band, I have a really good fill doc here in the austin area, but no real support. I want to be part of this wonderful discussion group. I have 8.1 cc in my 10 cc band. I have alot of trouble eating protein. Why does stuff with sugar in it go down so much easier? I am baffled by that. I want to get serious about my food program and stay on high protein diet, but when i eat protein, i burp, have pain and sometimes pb. i get so hungry cause i am not able to eat much at a sitting unless i eat soft stuff, am trying to eat slow and take small bites, but not helping. I am wondering if i need an unfill...

i do exercise on a regular basis. So hard to know what to do. Is it me or is the band to tight? I have to say I love my band! I want it to work for me and I am ready to take this program seriously-since I have been banded I have been sliding by , losing a little weight because i dont eat at much, but now i am ready to do my part, and find i cant.

Thanks for your feedback- I look forward to hearing from you and all the ladies. Happy Monday!

Luchay

Thanks, JoAnn, glad you are enjoying your time in Seoul. How great for you to have your daughter as your workout coach!

Luchay, Yes I think you are too tight. If you can't eat solid proteins and are resorting to softer foods, that generally means you are too tight and that isn't allowing your 'tool' of the band to work for you. As you have found out the soft foods good down pretty easy, and they don't keep us full or satisfied so then we tend to eat more. You should be able to eat at least 1/2 cup of solid protein at a meal. Plus it's not good to be too tight, it can cause reflux or even your band to slip. Check with your doc and see what he says. And Welcome!! Good luck to you.

Hi Indigo and other friends!

I have been going this band experience alone, really alone, since I was banded in Mexico Feb 28, 2009. Have lost 20 lbs and I dont think it is because I am 52. I had a great surgeon and he did a great job on my band, I have a really good fill doc here in the austin area, but no real support. I want to be part of this wonderful discussion group. I have 8.1 cc in my 10 cc band. I have alot of trouble eating protein. Why does stuff with sugar in it go down so much easier? I am baffled by that. I want to get serious about my food program and stay on high protein diet, but when i eat protein, i burp, have pain and sometimes pb. i get so hungry cause i am not able to eat much at a sitting unless i eat soft stuff, am trying to eat slow and take small bites, but not helping. I am wondering if i need an unfill...

i do exercise on a regular basis. So hard to know what to do. Is it me or is the band to tight? I have to say I love my band! I want it to work for me and I am ready to take this program seriously-since I have been banded I have been sliding by , losing a little weight because i dont eat at much, but now i am ready to do my part, and find i cant.

Thanks for your feedback- I look forward to hearing from you and all the ladies. Happy Monday!

Luchay

Luchay, I would say you have gotten into soft food syndrom. I would talk to my fill doc about it and request a tiny bit of fill taken out. I don't know how much you have but just a little can make a big difference between you eating healthy protein and veggies instead of sliders. The sliders are almost always sweets, fats and starches.

Don't give up,

Corliss

Luchay,

I've been wondering about why carbs and fats go down so much easier. I think they are softer than protein and mix and dissove more quickly and actually start to digest with just saliva. Carbs are also usually combined with fat which is soft and makes its slide. Think greasing the pipes. Protein doesn't digest right away. I don't know enough to talk about your fill. I do know that someone's Dr. advised eating the protein in bites no bigger than an m&m, then chewing it do death to get plenty of saliva mixed in with it before swallowing. Maybe add just a little gravy to get some moisture and grease into the protei? I like turkey franks cause they're protein but softer protein. The same with fish or ground turkey. I made taco seasoned ground turkey layered with refried beans, a little low-fat cheese, and a touch of guacamole. mmmmm. My DH loved it too and we ate it for days. I hope you find a solution. I'm waiting for a fill and can't wait to experience more restriction again.

JoAnne, so good to hear from you from Korea. I was there for about 2 hours 1x on a stopover on a trip to the Phillipines. The plane trip is awful and I slept only about 2 hours. Hey, I read a couple of articles on a study about ADHD and compulsive overeating. I talked about it in my blog yesterday. I know the subject interested you.

IF YOUR STOMACH OFFENDS YOU, TIE IT OFF

Great2Bthin......it is isn't it? Congratulations! I'm honored to be here when someone has reached their goal. Have a great time shopping.

Joann, wow it sounds like this is a great trip for you. How cool it is to have your daughter coach you and push you in your workouts. How wonderful to spend time with your grandkids too.

I've been on vacation...two of them. Both vacations were short (long weekends) but back to back and I'm tired. We went to the mountains to celebrate my youngest brother's 40th birthday. It was fun and cool there. I hiked until I was very sore, but it felt good. I had just started eating solid food and was able to eat everything. It was pretty cool because my niece (who is very small and pretty) split meals with me. It was perfect. The last weekend we went to Oshkosh, WI for the EAA airshow. I've never been to WI and it was lovely. I was enchanted with the area. My eating wasn't that great somewhat because of the situation. The airshow just didn't have much in the way of healthy diet type foods. Oh well, I'm still doing okay and it's teaching me I can still eat smaller portions and be satisfied. I also walked a lot.

Now that I'm back, it's time to buckle down and start exercising for real. It's very hot here, so I'm going to continue with the pool work, but I think I'm going to add a day of DVD workout.

Hope everyone has a good day/night!!

ee

OCO, sounds like you handled your vacations super!! I am originally from Wisconsin, beautiful country I love the lakes and trees, not so much the humidity in the summer and the super cold in the winter though. As for the food, sometimes we gotta do the best with what we have or what is available. Sounds like you did. Congrats!

I still have to pinch myself that I weigh now what I weighed almost 10 years ago and I feel 10 years younger. My numbers all have improved as well. I am free of the constant hunger and free of the constant feeling of shame and always tying to cover up. I have more energy that I've had in decades and my life is more in order.

thanks me for a great 50th Bday present.