Hi everyone--I thought I'd listen to some advice from one of the other monthly groups and start one master thread in which we have an ongoing discussion/updates. I don't know about you all but I certainly spend most of my time on these boards on the pre-op forum and the general forum, not here. It would be nice to have just one thread to go to once in this forum.

We can maybe start out with introductions?

As for me, I'm going the "online privacy" route for now (paranoid that people I haven't told about this will somehow stumble across me on this site I guess, which is crazy, I know) but I can give you the big picture:

You can call me Penny, I'm 27, single and live in the Washington, DC area. I have a background in politics (which is why I live in DC) but now I'm a librarian which is much cooler and way more fun (trust me on that). Oh, and there's no "Marion the Librarian" thing with me either. One of the things I hear most frequently (besides the cliche "you have such a pretty face") is "but you don't LOOK like a librarian", which is another one of those bizarre backhanded compliments that you never really know how to take.

Personality wise, I'm kind of dorky, big into public radio and books and popular science. Oh, I'm also a little on the paranoid side (as you may be able to tell from earlier in this post). Beyond that I'm just kind of silly and friendly, VERY much so into traveling and I'm an aspiring "green" domestic diva (but that's not going so well).

lovegrapes, I hope you feel better soon and it's just an irritation of your stomach that will ease up after being defilled.

BTW, I joined the local gym yesterday and have my first appointment with the trainer next Tuesday to go over the machines and the workouts.

Hi everyone -

I haven't posted in awhile. Mostly, because I am so sad and discouraged. I needed to come back to this group and hear how all my fellow July bandsters are doing.

Lovegrapes,everyone, you are writing exactly how I am feeling. I can't figure this band out. I know I need to make good choices and eat correctly, but I'm so tired of food getting stuck one meal, and then being able to eat whatever and how much I want the next.

Anyway, I'm making a commitment to myself to check in here often. I think it will really help me.

Thanks to all of you

lovegrapes, I hope you feel better soon and it's just an irritation of your stomach that will ease up after being defilled.

BTW, I joined the local gym yesterday and have my first appointment with the trainer next Tuesday to go over the machines and the workouts.

Thank you.

Hope the workout goes well.

Boos02, I feel like you do. I had quit even coming to this site. I love being inspired by everyone, but I also get discouraged when I see how much weight others have lost. I never even felt one bit of restriction until I had 7cc's. 8 cc's worked well for a while. Now with 8, I can eat way too much. I need a fill, but I hate to fill the band up completely when I've only lost 42 lbs. I feel like once it is full then I have nothing left to work with. Does that make sense?

I continue to have pain issues which may be realted to the band. I had an appointment with my surgeon yesterday and he removed all the Fluid. He said if the problems continue he wants to do an exploratory laparoscopy. I really, really dont want to do this. He mentioned that he may want to convert to a gastric bypass if this persists. There is no way that I will consent to this. I fear that if he even goes in to do the laparoscopy that I will come out of surgery without a band.

What kinds of pain are you having? I thought my pain was because I was too tight and it turned out to be gallstones. I had my gallbladder taken out last week and get to start fills again on April 27th (I have been completely unfilled since Feb 4th).

Peeps, sounds like we are in that part of the journey where we are seeing the glass half empty and not half full. I am going through this stinkin thinkin where I don't see progress so I start going back to bad eating habits. We need to start a July Butterfly challenge! How much should the challenge be?

Peeps, sounds like we are in that part of the journey where we are seeing the glass half empty and not half full. I am going through this stinkin thinkin where I don't see progress so I start going back to bad eating habits. We need to start a July Butterfly challenge! How much should the challenge be?

I set a bandiversary goal for myself. Maybe we can set an end of july challenge or everyone join the july 4th challenge.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/july-4th-challenge-120-days-88900/index4.html#post1174573

I set a bandiversary goal for myself. Maybe we can set an end of july challenge or everyone join the july 4th challenge.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/july-4th-challenge-120-days-88900/index4.html#post1174573

Oh, now I see. I am going to set a challenge up for the end of July. I can see I won't make the Easter Challenge I set for myself. I want to lose 25lbs by the end of July.......so that would be........approx. 1.4lbs a week.

There, I set mine for 25lbs by the end of July. I am a butterfly climbing to success. Sounds corny, but climbing is hard for me and flying is impossible. I was just being REAL.

I think this is a great idea. I will commit to 20 more pounds by July 4th. I am excited about my journey so far. I feel like a new improved me. I am almost where I want to be. This will be the "icing on the cake!!" (so to speak).

I can not believe how far I have come in the past 8 months. I have control on my eating, exercising, attitude, confidence, and I have the job I have always wanted. As sad as it might be.. I know I would not have gotten this promotion without the weight loss. (sad; but true) My husband of 31 years has a new twinkle in his eye. (once again, sad, but true!!) I think self awareness and attitude has a great deal to do withit too.

How are you all feeling about society and the new body image?

Yes, that happens a lot. I really tossed it around because my insurance wouldn't pay for any weight loss surgery. I went to Mexico. But the sleeve was only $1500 more then the band. I just hope I made the right choice because I can't afford to do it again. knock on wood, so far so good.

There, I set mine for 25lbs by the end of July. I am a butterfly climbing to success. Sounds corny, but climbing is hard for me and flying is impossible. I was just being REAL.

That's a good idea, I also am not going to make the easter one but maybe I can do 20lbs by the end of july so I'll go with that.

It's amazing what losing those 40 lbs has done for me emotionally. I feel sexy again and it must show since I'm starting to get a lot more attention in public. My DH has always been into me at any weight so that's still the same. :frown:

quick update from me:

we seem to have finally (last month) gotten the fill to a level that is not too tight and where it is effective--there was a little difficulty with that and i wound up having most of the fill taken out in early december because it was so tight and my stomach was swelling making it tighter.

anyway, through all of that my weight held steady at -15lbs (very frustrating, but at least it wasn't a gain) and now a month later, i'm -25lbs! i'm very pleased, and while i still feel bad that i wasn't able to be this successful much earlier, i know that this is a process, not a race and that as long as i keep working at it it will work out!

so i just got below 250 (a nice landmark), and am 2lbs away from being under a 40 bmi. i've lost 4 inches off my waist and my face looks much thinner. so hooray for me!

quick update from me:

we seem to have finally (last month) gotten the fill to a level that is not too tight and where it is effective--there was a little difficulty with that and i wound up having most of the fill taken out in early december because it was so tight and my stomach was swelling making it tighter.

anyway, through all of that my weight held steady at -15lbs (very frustrating, but at least it wasn't a gain) and now a month later, i'm -25lbs! i'm very pleased, and while i still feel bad that i wasn't able to be this successful much earlier, i know that this is a process, not a race and that as long as i keep working at it it will work out!

so i just got below 250 (a nice landmark), and am 2lbs away from being under a 40 bmi. i've lost 4 inches off my waist and my face looks much thinner. so hooray for me!

Yes that's great! Hooray for you!!!!