A friend from another board told me about LapBandTalk and I had to come and check it out. A forum just for us bandsters!!! What a great idea.

I had my surgery on June 18, 2007 at Emory / Crawford Long Hospital. I have been heavy most of my life and all of my adult life. I'm 41 years old and procrastinated on surgery for several years. My PCP kept encouraging me to look into it and finally yelled at me about 18 months ago saying, "When your health becomes as much of a concern for you as it is for me, maybe you'll do something about it!" I have never had a doctor yell at me before. I consider that my "wake up call". Obviously my weight was more of an issue than I was willing to admit to myself. At that point, I was 322 lbs.

I attended the weight loss seminar at Emory in December of 2006. They talked about how less than 3% of people who've been heavy for any extended period of time will keep weight off using traditional methods (diet, diet & exercise and pills). Less than 3%! WLS patients were much more successful. Most lose 80% of their excess weight within 2 years and a large number keep a bulk of that weight off for 10+ years. That sounded alot like my previous experiences with dieting. I must be a great detective because whenever I lost weight, I always found it again!

I had my surgery in mid June and decided, if I was going to let someone cut me open and alter my body, I was going to do everything I could to maximize my results. I felt I needed to change my life and learn to eat healthy balanced meals, learn the bandster rules and incorporate exercise into my daily life.

My journey has been the hardest thing I have ever done but also the most rewarding. Today, I eat 3 balanced (lean Protein, whole grain carbs & a fresh fruit or vegetable) meals and a snack between lunch & dinner.

I've gone from 322 lbs to 173 lbs in 8 months (including the month prior to surgery) and have transformed my body & my life. I've come to realize the band is just a tool that helps me feel satisfied with smaller portions. It does not change what I eat or make me exercise. That falls on my shoulders. I've had to get honest with myself about emotional eating, bored (mindless) eating and grazing. I've had to be willing to listen to my dietician and be honest with her as well.

I still have much to learn on my journey toward long term health! Hopefully, some of you can help me keep growing and maturing as a bandster who keeps their weight off for 10+ years!

Way to go Mick!!! You have done really great with your band. I love mine too.I still have trouble in the evenings, trying not to graze, but I am doing pretty good.Welcome to the site.

This is my first attemp at multi-quote! Sorry if it's confused. I eat 3 planned meals they consist of a lean Protein, a whole grain carb and a fresh fruit or vegetable. I also have a planned snack in the afternoon between lunch and dinner. I drink 2 - 10 oz glasses of skim milk and I do not do protein supplements. All protein from real food here. Do not graze. It does not allow the band to work effectively. If you have the right fill, you should not be hungry between meals. Stop that! Congratulations on your success. Tighten down the ratchet on the grazing and you'll do even better.

Great job Mick. You seem so happy and proud of yourself. As you should be. I wish you continued success. And I just have to throw in this sexist statement...I'm jealous...The guys always seem to do so good!!!

Thanks for the vote of confidence. Girls can lose alot too! I have seen some giving me a run for my money. 1) you have to eat food to lose weight. the trick is eating high Fiber healthy foods / low in calories and not high calorie foods. 2) you have to burn off more than you consume. That biotrainer thing is a great tool to figure out if you are burning more than you consume. YOu can also use FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal to get a handle on it. Don't let me get away with that! Prove me wrong! I would love for you to lose more, quicker and look better! Trust me. It's only fun if we all succeed.

Hello all,

Mick I'm so impressed with your weight loss!!! I awaiting approval .Hopefully this week!! Good luck on your continued success!!

jaunderwood

Good luck on your approval. My suggestion, get started NOW. Start eating smaller portions, more often. 4 small meals instead of 3 large ones. Eat all your meals on a salad plate (I do this now all the time). It makes smaller portions seem bigger. Lean protein, whole grain carbs & a fresh fruit or veggie with each meal. No more than 1500 calories for men and 1200 for women (pre op) the numbers go down post op. I lost 30 lbs doing that before surgery. Start exercising now. It will make your recovery better and it'll make getting yourself moving after surgery easier too. It has been the biggest difference in my progress post op. When I plateau it is for a couple days. Never weeks. I just keep pedaling through it. You can too!

HI Mike

Great job. I am proud of you. I have not been banded yet and I am a little frightened. I am afraid I can't make all the right decisions about food like you have. It is scarey because I know how out of control with food I am not. I am a little under 200 pounds and have 50 to lose. If I can;t do it now how am I going to do it later.

Terry

Terry- Thanks for the great note! I used to think food was my friend. My constant companion. Always there for me. It didn't do sh** for me! All it did was make me fat and miserable. How can we let food have such a huge control over us? I would say... do you enjoy being fat or morbidly obese? I don't enjoy exercise. I do it because I want to get the most out of this wonderful gift I've been given (my lap band). It can only do so much... help me eat less. It goes around our stomach not our lips. We OWN what we eat. If I ate 1 cup of M&M's every meal, I wouldn't lose any weight and the band would be working PERFECTLY. You have to come to the party with something. I say this is 30% what you eat, 30% moving your body and 40% attitude. Wrap your mind around Food for fuel not for comfort. My favorite saying has been Nothing TASTES as good as skinny FEELS. What that really means to me is that one moment of pleasure that you get from eating something really tasty or savory isn't worth the hours you have to sweat on a treadmill or exercise bike to burn off those calories. I'd rather find tasty foods that are low calorie and really delicious. I have found alot of recipes that are high in flavor very filling and very good. I don't feel like I am on a diet anymore. I feel like I am eating more healthy and eating to live. I control what I eat, food doesn't control me anymore. You can do this too. I know you can! Buddy, if you need a friend, email me at mickatl@earthlink.net I am here to listen, give you advice or just be a shoulder to lean on. Just understand, I'm not a soother. You know... It's okay, I've been there too. Or, you think that's bad? I ate a ...... I try to be a mentor which means I hold you accountable for a certain level of comittment and behavior. I can't eat the food for you, I can't go shopping for you and I can't make you exercise but I can encourage you to make healthier choices. But I know, with the right attitude, you can change your life!

150 pounds is a great weight loss, but I have to wonder. In 8 months that's a little less than 20 pounds a month. Did your doctor or anyone ever express concern that it was too much too fast? How did you manage to keep up your protein and stay healthy?

I asked my surgeon and he said, "Mick. I would be worried if you lost 4 lbs a week without exercise. I'd know you were starving yourself. But you look GREAT! You're healthy, you're strong, you are taking your Vitamins and you are rocking this program! Keep doing what you're doing. You are an inspiration to the Gastric Bypass patients who think we "eat less to weigh less". It's obvious you are making healthy eating choices, exercising daily and your labs look fantastic!" I took that feedback and ran with it. My labs have all been excellent. I'm not below goal and couldn't be happier. Again, if I had lost that kind of weight by starving myself, they'd be freaked out right now.

Welcome to the forum Mick! I've seen you over on OH and have always been really impressed with your journey and your posts. You are definitely an inspiration for those of us about to take our journey.

Make sure you check out all the various SIG's and sub groups. Believe me, you will spend a LOT of time on here reading. I know I do!

Thank you! Feel free to shoot me an IM. I wish you MUCH success on your journey. If there is anything I can do, please feel free to ask. I am here and willing to help in any way I can. Many people have given me wonderful advice and I believe in paying it forward.

hi,

congratulations on your wt loss,it must feel real good to see the rewards of your hard earned work, to maintain should be the easy part,just look at some old pictures that is my plan whenever i get to my goal which is 90 lbs from now but i have lost 40 lbs so far i was banded on nov 27,07.i lost 15 lbs prior to surgery. ziahmama.

It is truly amazing to me everyday. My GI said, "Michael you are 1/2 the man you used to be... literally" and I said, "I like to think I'm twice the man I ever was!" We both laughed. I have kept a photo of myself at my highest on my computer's desktop/screensaver as a motivator. NEVER AGAIN. Maintenance is more about figuring out how many healthy calories to keep adding to slow the weight loss but keep exercising. That way you stay healthy, heart strong and keep your stamina up instead of giving yourself a green light to stop exercising and start eating garbage again. So I have been thinking of it as a science experiment in terms of adding calories. So far, I've dropped 2 more pounds and am at 171. I would have been fine at 173. So I have a ways to go to figure this part out.

HI Mick

You are an inspiration. I have been feeling scared about this and you have motivated me. Thanks. I have a question. Have you choked on your food or gotten it caught. That is my big fear of the whole thing. I hear people talk about that and it sounds scarey.

Terry

Mick,

I really enjoyed reading your story, thanks for sharing you are quite an inspiration. I was banded on Jan 16, 2008 and I have lost 14 pounds since. I haven't received my first fill yet but I think I will get it when I go to my post op on Feb 7th. I am can't wait! I am walking 3 miles on the treadmill about 5 days a week and am looking for ways to add activity throughout the day. I am a software engineer so I spend most of the day on my tush. Do you have any suggestions? Also, have you had problems with extra skin? I am already feeling flabby...not that I would trade fat for flab, I'll take flab any day, but I would like to minimize this as much as possible:)

Terry- Don't be scared. Just get serious & comitted to following the rules and you'll do great! To answer your question, no. I have not had anything get stuck but... I chew my food very thoroughly, I take very small bites and I eat slowly. I don't eat foods that I have heard cause other people problems. Other people have to try it for themselves to see if it's a problem for me. My philosophy is... You don't have to tell me twice! You say pasta's a problem, no problem. You say soft doughy bread can get suck. I hear ya! There are far too many other foods I can eat without the chance of getting stuck. So I stick to what works and so far, no problemo. I also try to focus on what I CAN eat and not what I CAN'T. It makes me happier that way.

I just remember, when properly restricted the band creates an opening the size of a pencil eraser. So I take small bites and chew thoroughly. If it doesn't feel like it chewed up in my mouth (dry chicken for example) I spit it out. Otherwise, you can look at my journal for examples of what I eat. I think it's very flavorful, balanced meals that don't feel like I am on a diet or going without anything.

Good luck on your journey!

Hey Butterfly- First, congratulations on your surgery AND the 14 lbs gone forever! I bought a bio trainer (https://www.biotrainerusa.com/default.asp?PROMOCODE=WLS) that's like a pedometer but it counts actual calories burned. It will keep 9 days worth of data in it's memory. It has been very motivating for me to incent me to find ways to burn more calories. I am big proponent of the device and the web service ($9.99/month) but the device works without the service. Just looking through the day at how many cal's you've burned can be an incentive. Gonna call Sue? Walk over! Gonna go to lunch? Maybe walk over.

You should check out craigslist or play it again sports for used equipment. I bought a recumbent exercise bike and parked it in front of my TV in the bedroom. My rule: No TV or Computer until I have exercised. I started out with 20 minutes a day on the bike and am up to 60 minutes. I also purchased a body by jake ab/back machine and I do crunches on it. Started with 50 a day and now I do 500. That's why my stomach is rockin right now.

The walking on the treadmill is VERY smart. Think of the 14 lbs you've lost. That's 1 1/2 sacks of potatoes. Your legs don't have to carry that anymore. You wouldn't even walk around a grocery store carrying ONE sack of potatoes let alone 1 1/2. Your legs get the biggest break from weight loss so walking, swimming or biking are excellent. The next is your tummy. So sit ups, crunches and leg lifts will all help!

In terms of finding things... taking the stairs, taking a walk at lunch, getting up every hour and walking around the cubicles or a mid morning 10minute walk. My goal was 60 minutes of activity a day not necessarily exercise and not at one time. So your walk on the treadmill, another at lunch, maybe stairs (going down is fine). Another idea... they sell a set of small bicycle pedals that go under your desk and has resistance or... a squeeze ball for your desk. Something that works your hands/forearms. I like the mini bike pedals under your desk.

In terms of excess skin. Of course I do. You can't lose 155 lbs and not have some. Although I have noticed it is retracting as time goes by. If you click on my blog (ObesityHelp - Gastric Bypass, LAP-BAND® System, DS and Other Surgical and Non-Surgical Weight Loss Options. - Profiles - Mick's Corner) I post pics of myself without a shirt and you can see my pancake stomach. It is what it is. My thighs also have saggy skin but it's not as bad today as it was 2 months ago. Biking and crunches help. I've heard, if you put the money you save on food in a jar and the money you save not having to buy clothes at a big & tall store (or lane bryant) in a jar... you'd probably have enough money for plastic surgery in a year or two. I believe it!

I hope this information was helpful in some way. Don't stop pushing yourself! Try the Bio Trainer. It's only $49.99 and they give WLS patients a 10% discount.

Hi Mick I am glad you took time to not come check this site not only to look at it but to sign up as a member as well. It is here where I have found many friends and good information.

Everyone Mick is such an inspiration. His journey, experiences and sucess make him a great gem!

Hello, Mick. Or can I call you Mr. Inspiration? :frown:

I'm so glad you joined this forum, I know who I'm going to turn to when I have any moments of doubt or need some "inspiration." I'm not banded yet, but well on my way... waiting for a few more test and then the actual surgery to be scheduled. I have learned so much about lapband from my surgeon and from the very kind souls on this site. I read everything on this forum... the good posts and the bad. I want to be prepared for anything.

It's those like yourself that have been successful that I love to hear from the most... not only because you achieved your goal.. but because I want to learn from your success!

Thank you so much!

WOW! That is phenomenal! Great job!!

Hi 4jin! Thank you for your vote of confidence. I am really enjoying this site and the people on it. It's just hard getting used to how to post and respond to people. Practice makes perfect!

Lattedah- It's nite to meet you. I am only a question away and always more than willing to answer questions or help my fellow bandster or pre-bandsters. Success is that much sweeter when you have friends to enjoy it with! I read alot of blogs on OH to learn the good, bad & ugly parts of WLS. It helped me know what I was getting into before I signed on the dotted line and I applaud you for doing your homework! It increases your likelihood for success exponentially by being informed.

Keep me posted on your progress as well!

Mick, you have done an extraordinary job! What an inspiration!!