Well here it is December, our one year bandiversary is fast approaching.

I had a colonoscopy last week, everything is good, but had a complete unfill. I wasn't feeling hungry so I was happy about that. Since I was unfilled for a few days I was worried. I got back 4cc's and go for the balance on Dec 22.

I am still stuck at 73 pounds down, but I am ok with that. When I look at my pictures now, and see the weight off, I am happy. Never in a million years did I ever anticipate losing 73 pounds in 11 months.

I am attaching a photo from this past Friday when we were leaving for the office Holiday party.

Christmas Party 12-12-08.bmp

You look awesome!!!! Congratulations!!

Mimi

Thanks, I hate posing I look like a deer in the headlights sometimes.

The doc wants me to increase my activity because I am eating the right foods and the right quantities. It was warm here in NYC yesterday, so went walking, today overcast, rain/snow mix, so don't want to walk, but will anyway.........:blushing:

I Have been stuck on a monster plateau. Same +3 -3 pounds for the last two+ months. Finally I decided to cheat. I went to a fat Dr and got a prescription for phentermine. I used to take this stuff all the time, and usually showed a decent result for a short period of time. I am getting sufficient exercise, but my appetite has been really bad lately. I went to the doc to get a fill, and was told I was where I needed to be, and the rest was upto me. DOH!!

So anyway after about 1 week on the phentermine I have lost 7 pounds. I am pretty sure over the next month or so I should be able to drop 10 more. Then I just have to work to keep it off.

Still have 40 pounds to go till goal.

So close yet so far away. I have a stretched pouch and I earned myself a week of liquids to get it down again. Not exactly what I had in mind to make goal by my band-iversary but that is the price I pay for overindulging myself recently. I am a bit crabby but I keep telling myself to suck it up.

I am doing good but not really losing weight just maintaining. I am pretty much at goal anyway so I am OK with this and my doctor told me not to keep losing since I am pregnant.

I did however notice that my size 8 pants are getting tight in the waist.

I know that pregnancy can do that, lol . . . but it has been so great watching my clothes get smaller and smaller and smaller this year. I was working my way into a size 6, but I know that won't be happening anytime soon.

Looking great Chrisann! Can you believe your bandiversary is in less than 2 weeks?!

When was everyone else's banding dates?

B-man- good luck with the med, but if you feel like you're appetite is bad, doesn't that indicate you need a fill? Will the weight just come back when you go off the phentermine?

Gingerbug, how do you know you have a stretched pouch? From a flouro? My doc doesn't use x-ray/flouros so I have no idea if I've stretched my pouch. I assume our pouches stretch a bit over time, but what determines it? If it exceeds a certain volume capacity?

Heather- that's great that you're maintaining thus far! Hope you're feeling good!

I can't believe it's almost been a year since banding! This year has flown by so quickly! I've been bouncing around with the same 5lbs since rebanding 3 months ago. I was eating well, but not extremely strict and I've been exercising great, but I just had to buckle down and watch my calories with my carbs and I finally got down to 170. I have restriction, but needed just a tad more so I got a fill on Thursday. I'm hoping the weight loss will stick and I'll be below 170 soon enough. I wanted to be 160 by my bandiversary, but it's not going to happen and I'm okay with it. Losing 135lbs in the last 16 months is a lot to be thankful for!

I wonder how all the other 50+ people who were banded in Jan. and were posting on LBT are doing. It would be interesting to hear how they're doing too.

Merry Christmas Everyone! I'm doing well and thankful for a year with my band. It has been an amazing ride-- lots of ups and a few downs. My weight loss has slowed but it is my own fault. I still have good restriction and the band works great IF I FOLLOW THE RULES! Unfortunately I haven't been following the rules as consistently as I should the last couple months. The great thing is that I haven't put my weight back on!! This has never happened to me before. I'm plotting an all out post-Christmas rededication to get my weight loss back on track. I had an appointment with my doc the other day for a periodic flouro check of my band. He said it looks great and cautioned me strongly, as he always does, to limit my intake to <4 oz. (by volume) per meal to avoid band slippage. If I'm eating the right foods, I find that quantity to be enough. Problem is, I love those "food lubes" (sauces, sour ceam, condiments, etc.) that limit the effectiveness of my band. Ah well-- I've come a long way and have along way yet to go, but I'm going to keep plugging away. Hope you do too!

Gingerbug, how do you know you have a stretched pouch? From a flouro? My doc doesn't use x-ray/flouros so I have no idea if I've stretched my pouch. I assume our pouches stretch a bit over time, but what determines it? If it exceeds a certain volume capacity?

We do flouros/xray each and every time we get a fill so they check then. I had gone in for a fill and she wanted to make sure so she checked before she gave me the fill. Apparently, i was twice the size that I should be but she also told me that she has seen them 4 times the size the should be and that will the liquid diet I would be back down to where I should be. I think our pouch is supposed to be the size of an egg. It can stretch to accomadate a meal but will go back down unless we consistantly are stretching it out. In my case, I went on vacation, then had thanksgiving, then dh and i went out to ear a lot and were cooking yummy foods and i went overboard for about 3 weeks to a month or so. Never again.

Hello everyone,

It is so good to see that everyone is keeping on track.I had to have a slight unfill right after halloween and am slowly getting filled back up. The last month and a half has been very slow for me. I did gain a little when they did the unfill. I had less restriction. Plus, I am trying to get back to regular eating. I had restricted myself on so many foods and am now eating potatoes, rice, starches a few sweets. Just trying to ease back into it. I went today for another fill, so hopefully I will really start to lose again. I am very happy with my progress so far. I did not take pics of my surgery day. I took them the day I started my Liquid Diet 12/20/2007, had surgery on Jan 3rd of 08. So I have taken year shots from when I started the Liquid diet. I am going to try to add them. if it does not work, They are on my signature. It has been quite a year, No regrets. Happy Holidays to all, and looking foward to a slimming new year.

Happy Holidays everyone. Like many of you, I am fast approaching my band anniversary (only 2 weeks away). I feel really good about the progress I have made in the last year. I'm in a size 8/10, and can even fit into some of my pre-pregnancy clothing which has been sitting in boxes for the last 5 years.

I've been fairly consistent with eating, but exercise has been minimal the last few months. I've recently started again, so hopefully I can start losing in the new year and finally get down to a "normal" bmi.

I had a slight unfill about a month ago because of heartburn, but I have been able to continue losing, at a slow, but at least steady, pace.

It's been really nice taking this journey with the Knockouts. I want to thank everyone for sharing their experiences and lessons learned over the last year. When I need inspiration, I always know where to turn.

Look forward to hearing more from everyone as we begin year 2.

I was just browsing through everyones weight tickers . . . and all I can say is that we have done awesome as a group. What a difference almost a year has made!!!

WOW0X7, your pictures are amazing. If only you could have seen those pictures as you were contemplating surgery, lol.

Banding works and it is the best thing I ever did for myself. I never would have believed I would be where I am today weight-wise. Even after banding I wasn't quite convinced, but now I have no doubts.

I love my band and the new lease on life it has given me!!!

01-17-08 WILL BE MY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY. i REACHED MY GOAL IN OCTOBER. I HAVE LOST 95 POUNDS. NOW I AM JUST MAINTAINING MY WEIGHT.. ONE OF THE BEST THING I EVER DID. THE DOCTOR SAYS I DON'T NEED TO LOSE ANY MORE WEIGHT, BUT I THINK AFTER THE HOLIDAYS IM GOING TO LOSE 10 MORE POUNDS.. HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY...

CallMeJim- It's great that even when you're not 100% on track, you're not regaining your weight so quickly. (That's not to say that one can't gain the weight back with the band, because one can). 91.5lbs is great! Just keep on pluggin' away at it!

WOWOX7- You look AMAZING! Keep up the amazing work!

SB0233- You're doing great! Congratulations

grantmeneely- Welcome to the New Years Knockouts! Congrats on your weight loss!

Hi Everyone,

So I came back from Spain, did not gain any weight, but did not loose any. He still cannot get fluid from my band, I have NO restriction, and I had an x-ray and my tubing at the port is still kinked, exactly as it was before he replaced it September. Can anyone tell me if they have seen a picture of their port? The web site shows it as a gradual u curve and mine is like a ^ so there is negitive pressure when he tries to remove the fluid. I want him to fix it and he said people don't usually have the fluid removed anyway. I told him the whole idea of the band was that if you needed to have fluid removed, you could. He said well maybe we can take out your gall bladder and your insurance will pay for it. I dont have any problems with my gall bladder and think since I PAID THE FIRST 2 x HE SHOULD PAY THIS TIME. I haven't had any use of this band for the past 3 months. I have an appoitment tomorrow to ask outright if he'll pay to fix it. I like the band, and I want it to work as it should. he is afraid to overfill it since he can't get fluid out, but I have no restriction and I want it back. I am frustrated. Any suggestions? Happy Holidays everyone. Diane:mad:

Wow Diane, how completely frustrating. The only thing I can give you is support, so just hang in there. Maybe you can complain to your insurance company and see what happens.

I got 1.5cc's in on Monday, bringing me to 6.5cc's. Still not where I was before the complete unfill, but will be back up at my next visit.

I had an allergic reaction to the drugs from the colonoscopy, broke out in rashes everywhere, and my primary care doctor put me on prednisolone. What he didn't tell me was that this drug causes you to gain weight. I started the drug, and two days later had the fill and gained 6 pounds. In 2 days. I was stunned.

My fill doc said that once I am off the drugs the weight will come off in a few days. They weren't concerned with the gain, but hell, it bummed me out because some of my clothes were tight.

Christmas Eve I didn't eat alot, and couldn't eat anything Christmas Day. Some relatiives there hadn't seen me since last Christmas and were aware of my weight loss, but hadn't seen me. Their reactions were stunning to me. Seems everyone brought old pictures of me to compare and it was wild seeing the old "fat" me.

I go for my annual esophogram on January 16th. Never had a fluoro, so are they the same?

Well, I hope everyone had a great Christmas!