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).

Has anyone read the lastest Suzanne Somers book? It was awesome. She recommends treatments for high cholesterol. I tried the bio-identical hormones, best thing I have ever done for myself. I had to have a hysterectomy when I was 35 and all I was on was estrogen. Started losing lots of bone and read in her book about testosterone and how that builds bone and muscle. I had spinal surgery in Oct. and I was not healing took the hormones and in weeks they healed. I am just suggesting about the book but I thought it was amazing.

Has anyone read the lastest Suzanne Somers book? It was awesome. She recommends treatments for high cholesterol. I tried the bio-identical hormones, best thing I have ever done for myself. I had to have a hysterectomy when I was 35 and all I was on was estrogen. Started losing lots of bone and read in her book about testosterone and how that builds bone and muscle. I had spinal surgery in Oct. and I was not healing took the hormones and in weeks they healed. I am just suggesting about the book but I thought it was amazing.

What is the name of the book? I would like to read it.

To Mich:

When I read your post, I felt like it was written by me. Your story sounds almost identical to mine. It took forever to even feel restriction, my band is practically full, and I have only lost 50 lbs. in the past year.(And that's on a good week!) I have 50-70 more to go. I don't eat much at all, but I must admit that I don't make healthy choices. It is just so easy to eat junk!!! I walk at least one mile every day--usually around three miles. I also must admit that I just started doing that this summer. The weight is just not coming off. What I have noticed lately is this: For a while, I really had saggy skin under my chin and on my neck. Now it is gone. I don't know if it has filled with fat again or if the slow weight loss has allowed my skin to adjust and tighten some. I am hoping it is the latter. So, I am trying to be optimistic. I am told by everyone everywhere that slow weight loss is best. It is just frustrating!!!! I have worked all summer to be back at the weight I was in May. Three pounds to go. Anyone who thinks banding is an easy fix is very mistaken. I work hard!

Edited July 30, 200917 yr by penturn

Hi everybody! Hope you are all doing okay this summer. I got good news from my primary care doctor this morning. I went in for a six month check to see if I needed any meds changed. My blood pressure was 116/64. It hasn't been that good since I was in my 30's. My cholesterol was 147. A couple months before I was banded, it was completely off the chart, they couldn't get a reading. My bad cholesterol this time was only 64 (should be less than 100). Needless to say this band has worked for me.

Some of you were talking about how slow you've been losing, I've lost most of my weight this first year and because I can't exercise like I should the skin on my legs and arms looks like an elephants with skin sagging. Losing the weight fast is nice, but it's got its drawbacks too. Keep going folks, you have the rest of your lives to lose this weight.

We're heading for San Antonio, Tx tomorrow to set up at a Gun and Knife Show. A real test for me is to stay away from the River Walk and the Mexican food places. My real down-fall. Have a great week and God bless everyone and hang in there.:thumbup:

To Mich:

When I read your post, I felt like it was written by me. Your story sounds almost identical to mine. It took forever to even feel restriction, my band is practically full, and I have only lost 50 lbs. in the past year.(And that's on a good week!) I have 50-70 more to go. I don't eat much at all, but I must admit that I don't make healthy choices. It is just so easy to eat junk!!! I walk at least one mile every day--usually around three miles. I also must admit that I just started doing that this summer. The weight is just not coming off. What I have noticed lately is this: For a while, I really had saggy skin under my chin and on my neck. Now it is gone. I don't know if it has filled with fat again or if the slow weight loss has allowed my skin to adjust and tighten some. I am hoping it is the latter. So, I am trying to be optimistic. I am told by everyone everywhere that slow weight loss is best. It is just frustrating!!!! I have worked all summer to be back at the weight I was in May. Three pounds to go. Anyone who thinks banding is an easy fix is very mistaken. I work hard!

Ditto for me too! I just got a fill yesterday of .4 and now I am back to 5.9. I think it might be what I needed. I could only eat a half of cup of food at one meal. I tried to eat protein. I have been walking all summer and the ticker has not moved. I have lost inches. My doctor wants me eating 800c. a day..........a half cup of food six times a day. I have been eating 1200 to1500 a day. Today I just ate 700. So, hopefully, this fill helped.

Have a great weekend. Take care!

It's one year since I was banded. I've lost 54lb (25kg) I have about 20 lb to go. I'm happier and healthier than I've been in years. Love my band - it's not easy but a hell of a lot easier than doing it on my own.

I would like to have lost in faster and to have lost 70lb in the first year but hey, this is so much better than where I was a year ago.

Wow, they tell me 1200 but I find that to difficult at 3 meals a day and a half cup at a time. I try to get a protein drink in here snd there but am not that great at getting all the water in.

Ditto for me too! I just got a fill yesterday of .4 and now I am back to 5.9. I think it might be what I needed. I could only eat a half of cup of food at one meal. I tried to eat protein. I have been walking all summer and the ticker has not moved. I have lost inches. My doctor wants me eating 800c. a day..........a half cup of food six times a day. I have been eating 1200 to1500 a day. Today I just ate 700. So, hopefully, this fill helped.

Have a great weekend. Take care!

I am interested in hearing what you eat if you try to eat six times a day. What, for example, made up the 700 c. you had today? I have not counted calories in several months. Maybe I should start again. 800 just seems to be so few. I love to count calories at LiveStrong.

At this point I think I may just give up. I am thinking about having all the fill out of my band. Can't eat pasta, rice, bread and maybe a few other things. The other night I ate a piece of chicken breast and all of a sudden I had to throw up. Boy, I threw up so hard I wet myself. Thought I was going to choke to death by myself, no one was home. I have been reading The End of Overeating by David E. Kessler, MD and that has helped me more than the band has. I am just tired of spending money on the band and taking away from my family.

the book by Suzanne Somers is called Breakthrough.

Edited August 1, 200917 yr by joiful

Penturn, thanks. It's nice to hear I'm not the only one going through hard times. I just keep trying to remind myself that I am making progress. I do remember very clearly a time when I was desperate to get to 40 lbs lost. And now I hit 50lbs lost. It may seem like I have so far to go, but I sure don't want to go back.

At one point I made a goal of just getting under 200 by the end of the year. So if I just remember that I should feel very good about being 206 in August. But for some reason I forget that and just see a woman in the mirror who needs to lose lots of weight. Some days I feel smaller. Other days I feel as big as ever, like I haven't achieved anything yet.

I am interested in hearing what you eat if you try to eat six times a day. What, for example, made up the 700 c. you had today? I have not counted calories in several months. Maybe I should start again. 800 just seems to be so few. I love to count calories at LiveStrong.

Well, I have been eating more than 800c......that is why I am not losing. This is what I ate today.

breakfast 1 chicken patty from the Southern Chicken biscuit at McDonalds.....150c

Lunch.....chicken thigh I baked....150c

snack........100 cal snack

dinner.......chicken salad with grapes and nuts.....five crackers.....350

snack........100c...........so that was 850c

Like I said I have been eating more, but with this new restriction i might can do it. One day, I drank protein shakes for a snack. It may take this week to cut my calories back.

I also track my calories on Livestrong. I put the app on my Iphone. I have found it is the best calorie tracker, and good for counting protein.

Well, I have been eating more than 800c......that is why I am not losing. This is what I ate today.

breakfast 1 chicken patty from the Southern Chicken biscuit at McDonalds.....150c

Lunch.....chicken thigh I baked....150c

snack........100 cal snack

dinner.......chicken salad with grapes and nuts.....five crackers.....350

snack........100c...........so that was 850c

Like I said I have been eating more, but with this new restriction i might can do it. One day, I drank protein shakes for a snack. It may take this week to cut my calories back.

I also track my calories on Livestrong. I put the app on my Iphone. I have found it is the best calorie tracker, and good for counting protein.

Jeez, I eat 1200-1500 everyday. I consistently lost weight on that until 3 months ago. Now, I need to start moving to lose again, but I don't want to drop the calorie intake lower than 1200. You must have really good restriction to be satisfied with that. I am not willing to be tighter than I am, I will just have to move to lose, dangit.:thumbdown:

Jeez, I eat 1200-1500 everyday. I consistently lost weight on that until 3 months ago. Now, I need to start moving to lose again, but I don't want to drop the calorie intake lower than 1200. You must have really good restriction to be satisfied with that. I am not willing to be tighter than I am, I will just have to move to lose, dangit.:thumbdown:

I think 1200-1500 is a great calorie intake to lose on. I just can't lose on that much. I am tighter than I have been in awhile, but if it becomes a problem I will get an unfill. I had just reached a plateau I could not get off of. We will see how it goes. I had cream of wheat for breakfast and chicken salad is for lunch. I am giving a baby shower today. I will try to stay away from cake..........and boy do I like cake!

At this point I think I may just give up. I am thinking about having all the fill out of my band. Can't eat pasta, rice, bread and maybe a few other things. The other night I ate a piece of chicken breast and all of a sudden I had to throw up. Boy, I threw up so hard I wet myself. Thought I was going to choke to death by myself, no one was home. I have been reading The End of Overeating by David E. Kessler, MD and that has helped me more than the band has. I am just tired of spending money on the band and taking away from my family.

the book by Suzanne Somers is called Breakthrough.

It's a good thing you can't eat pasta rice or bread because they're on the no no list, Sometimes I get stuck on chicken also mostly white meat so I started cooking it in the crockpot and add different seasonings to go with what ever mood I'm in. It seems to stay a lot more moist and goes down better.

YEA! less then 20lbs to go. I had enough calories yesterday to last the week, Chillin in the pool and drinking wine with my girls and man do I feel it today YUK!