Hi all Crazy Ates Bandmates!!!!

Congrats to all of us! Not only for coming this far but for staying with this group and being such wonderful supporters to each other. Everyone here is just wonderful!!! Thanks!!!!

It's hard to imagine that I have lived as a banded person for going on 8 months!!!! I really could not have done this without this group!! Sooooo....

Yesterday I had a dr appt and "we" decided not to get a fill. And, since I am going on a cruise in May, she said she would not fill me until after that.....June 3. She said that would be the safest course. I currently have 2 cc's in a 4 cc band. I just hope that's enough to get me through until then!!! Right now, I'm not overly hungry, I am not eating a ton of food and I'm pretty sure my fill is okay. I do not feel deprived and I'm living my life without constant thoughts of food, eating, needing to loose weight, etc. That is what we want! Right? My weight loss has been

62 lbs since my surgery date.....averaging out to 7.75 lbs per month. I wish it were more! Now that I'm heading into bathing suit season (going to Bermuda in 2 months!!!), I really want more weight OFF!!! LOL!!!

Trust me, I am not complaining......I'm positive I could have gained at least 1/2 of that 62 lbs if I didn't have the band!!! I was headed in THAT direction. But, I'm getting anxious now that I know I'm heading into warmer weather, vacations and lighter clothes. And, I have finally figured out that on the path I am on, I will not loose 100 lbs by my bandiversary. Is that okay? It will have to be, I guess!!! So....am I a slow looser? I voiced this concern to my dr and she said that I am exactly where I should be. Hmmmm. And, then I come here and see such higher losses. I'm doing exactly what I would advise people NOT to do....judging my sucess by the success of others!!! Shame on me!!!

But, honestly, for those of you who have really LOST at a much higher rate.....what did/are you do/doing that you believe is/was the secret to your success???? All I want is to loose 10 lbs a month instead of 7.75!!!!

Thanks for hearing me out! I'm just crazed with the idea that I have to go out and buy a few bathing suits!!!!!

Judi

You really are doing great! I've been frustrated with a slowdown the past few months myself, but I know the reason for me - I'm nowhere near as strict, and i'm not doing the heavy workouts others are doing here. I give them a TON of credit!

In all honesty, you're right on track, and when you play averages, you're right where you should be, as your doc said. Comparing yourself to faster losers won't do you a bit of good and will just make you feel bad. If that doesn't work, I'd suggest checking some of the other boards - it may make you feel better seeing you're ahead of a lot of others that haven't lost as much as you in a year or more. Sounds weird to compare to those behind, but it may give you some perspective (something I have to seek out a bit myself now and then).

You're doing great!! Keep in good spirits and enjoy all that upcoming travel!

Judi, first of all I think that you have done extemely well. Yes, there are those of us who have lost more, but there are also plenty of people who have lost less. As your doctor said, you are right on track. Remember too, one of the up sides of losing a little more gradually is that you will be better equiped to maintain when you do get to goal.

As far as the secret to my success, I think that an active lifestyle has been key for me. I started walking in June before my surgery and have kept it up faithfully since then. I try to get in about an hour of cardio (now its a walk/jog combo) five times a week. I recently added strength training twice a week (thanks to Frangi) and it seems to have given me another boost. All of the exercise and weight loss has also increased my energy level and I find that I am overall much more active throughout the day. Lastly, I am a tall woman (5'9") with a naturally speedy metabolism. I've always been able to loose pretty fast. I burn more calories just breathing than someone who has a smaller frame than me. That's why comparing ourselves with others is pointless.

I guess I should add that I've also stayed very faithful to a healthy diet. Sweets have always been a weakness for me so I decided that I can do without them. I don't trust myself to moderate my intake. I've found that the longer I've stayed away from that kind of stuff the less I crave it. My life has definately not been stress free since I've been on this journey. My parents are still staying with me as my mom recovers from a broken hip. Thanks to my band I've had to replace my old stress related eating with healthier coping methods - mainly exercise.

I've said it before and I like to say it every time I can - the band is not magic, but it certainly is the tool that has finally allowed me to change my life. Also, for anyone reading this and looking for some help, I say read these boards and try to connect with other people who have the same goal. I was always so uncomfortable talking about my weight problems that I never would seek out support. This forum has given me an outlet and support system that I've never had before. I think that too has been invaluable.

Ok, that is enough out of me. Good luck and much continued success.

I have to echo what the others have said. You really can't compare yourself to anyone else. There are a lot of people that would kill for 62 pounds gone.

However I do attribute my success to

1. Exercise: I work my butt off...infact I have been told several times now by several different medical professionals that I need to back off the amount of time I spent at the gym. I have been fairly steady with the amount of exercise that I have been doing from the beginning. However even though I was VERY FAT when I started this journey I have always been muscular, so that helps in burning off even more fat.

2. My diet. If I shouldn't eat it...It wasn't in the house. I have that luxury as I don't have kids and my BF was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO supportive that he just wouldn't bring stuff into the house and leave it where I could eat it. Didn't hurt that I became lactose intolerant after surgery and couldn't eat ice cream! I allowed myself to have small pieces of goodies...but not at home. Only if I was out at a restaurant. On top of that I followed every bandster rule almost to a T only breaking them on VERY rare occasions. I had specific times when I ate (6:30, 10:30, 2:30, 5:30) and I didn't eat anything else. I was an Atkins girl so I went mostly low carb...but that is just because carbs scare me more than an ax wielding psychopath! Getting Proteins was easy for me and I NEVER drank those AWFUL Protein drinks except after fills.

So while this is all great and my neurotic, obsessive, controlling ways worked for me, I will guarantee that they would drive some to the point of insanity. So I have to agree with your doctor that you are right on track. Besides your weight is A NUMBER...and I am pretty certain that you are more than 1 single number. I am at 162 now...2 pounds away from my HIGHER revised goal because I am excited and elated over what I look like. I don't care what the damn scale says. If it doesn't think I am skinny enough that it can shove it cause my size 8 pants say a totally different thing. We were consumed by food, and now we are consumed by the scale. It has taken me a lot of long nights, boxes of Kleenex and 10.5 hours of talking to myself while driving in the car to realize that if I NEVER lose those last 2 pounds or I NEVER hit 150 that I have done an amazing job and that I am proud of myself.

So in my opinion...keep doing what you are doing with the food and maybe pick up the exercise...but do it for size or for health...not for the scale.

Great post, Salsa!!!!

I am inspired!

Were you a cheerleader??

:thumbup:

Great post, Salsa!!!!

I am inspired!

Were you a cheerleader??

:thumbup:

Nope I was a fat, science nerd! Now I am thin, science nerd!:crying:

Thanks Bandmates! Yes, that's what I needed......a kick in the butt, a shot in the arm, a rally cap and a that-a-girl! Everything you are all saying is what I already know but need to hear it again and again and again!!! I had a sneaky suspicion that the secret to most people's success is EXERCISE!!!! You see, I hate it. Now, don't get me wrong.....I do it. I go to the gym 3 times a week and go through the circuit training program that my trainer put together for me. Due to my distaste for it, I never really upped the workout like I should have. It's still challenging. Although any type of workout would be challenging for me since #1--I hate it and #2--I spent 8 solid years as a champion couch potato!!! Now that the weather is inching towards getting nicer, I want to add walking to my regimen. I just need to figure out how to wedge it into my day. Age old problem---too much to do and too little time to do it. Yes, excuses, excuses!!! As for my food intake---I'm actually pretty good about that. My diet consists of a good balance of foods and reasonable portions. I'm proud of how food has almost become a non-issue with me. I eat to live not LIVE to eat....what a turn around that is!!!! Don't get me wrong....I really do enjoy food and I have some favorites for sure. But, eating is not the major obsession that it had become! Of course---I have the standard excuse----I'm pretty sure that my metabolism is sluggish.....always has been. I probably need to up my thyroid meds at some point.

Thanks all for reminding me what I need to be thinking and doing. That's exactly why I posted!!!! All of your successes are so inspirational. Believe me, I am sooooo grateful for my own weightloss. It's a huge thing in my life. And, I'm really do not worship the scale. But.....sometimes, when I need a little reminder of how far I've come and far I have to go.....that scale is the barometer that I turn to.

And, I will admit, going on this cruise is really a huge thing for me. It's not just the bathing suit thing....although that goes along with it. It's so much more. It's the first time in a very long time that I agreed to actually go away on this type of trip with my husband. It has been an ongoing source of problems for us for several years. It's been the "elephant in the room" so to speak. Even though I had every excuse in the book, I always knew it was my weight that kept me from the trips, the dinners, the events, etc. Please forgive me and tolerate me if I'm getting completely unglued over things that I normally wouldn't----this is very, very emotional for me. So, I am not surprised I'm getting a little crazed by it all!!! I'll be writing more about it in my blog.

Anyway.....you all gave me wonderful stuff!!! Please forgive me and try to tolerate me if I act a little wacked out about things I normally wouldn't.....Thanks!!!! Onward bandmates!!!!!

Wow - great thread, guys! Yet again, I'm reminded that this is a SPECIAL group and a rare combination of support and encouragement that hasn't been as available in other message boards.

I love you guys!! :-)

Judi, glad you got the gentle reminder from all your buddies here. You are doing so well and you're going to continue doing well. I posted this on another thread too because I wanted to spread the word for everyone to read your blog entry "My Ship is Coming In". It is beautifully written. Stories from the road.......

Thank You Becky! And, thank you so much for staying up with my blog!! And, I do appreciate it when people tell me they read it. When I see the # of people who do, I often wonder who they are and if something I said may have touched them or helped them at all. I really love doing my blog. Every once in awhile, I get a little braver and share deeper things....such as that particular piece. And, it seems like when I do that, people do respond---which should not surprise me since writing from the heart is really the best writing!!!

Thanks again!!! Judi

Becky, thanks for posting the link to Judi's blog.

Judi, what an inspiring post! You're an amazing writer!