Hi all, boy I can really get depressed reading all the posts about how much everyone has lost! Good thing I am usually upbeat. I have had 5 or 6 fills (cant even remember my #s now!) and at the last fill I was so happy because I felt restriction. Well, it lasted maybe 2 weeks,only in the morning. Once in a while I feel it at lunch. I think my food choices are pretty good, though like any normal person, I fall off my diet once in a while. I'm doing ok on my protein (thankfully, since I really don't like the shakes!), have to work on fiber. Calorie count is usually around 1000 to 1200, mostly breakfast and lunch, I eat very lightly in the evening since I get home so late. I've been unable to exercise much due at first to a fractured ankle and a couple of torn ligaments. Then my arthritis in my (same) knee hit and I was bedridden for 2 days. I just got off the crutches, thank God, and am trying to make do with a cane. Still a lot of pain though. Usually by this time of the year, I am up to walking 3 miles a day and by June I am up to 5 miles which is my daily goal. I don't get much exercise in the winter, start back in Spring when weather warms. I don't have another fill due until June 4. Sigh. Wish I could get to her before then but I am scheduled to be out of the office on reviews the last 2 weeks of May. Hope I'm not in a wheelchair by then, hahaha! (I "think" I'm joking) Oh well, I will just keep plugging along. Congrats to everyone who is losing, keep up the good work. :)Laura

Laura,

Just think, if you hadn't had the band, what weight would have been gained in the 6 months since banding? Keep plugging along. It'll come.

I just had my 2nd fill (had some health issues), had to go back next day---too full. What pain!!!! But this one is seeming to work, but for how long I don't know. All I DO know is that I've put my dear hubby of almost 50 years through a lot of anxiety with the banding and I don't want him to go thru his angst for nothing.

I've got at least 100 more to lose, in fact to hit "onederland" , I've got more than 50 to lose. Even at my age (70), I'm just keepin' on.

That's it. Keep plugging.

Thanks! I called my dr earlier today to find out if she could fit me in earlier. She can! That will be so good because when Im in the field, I sometimes make really, really bad food xhoices. This will help keep me in control. Good luck. :)Laura

ok, well..i'm back. it's been a long month....or so. some of you may have already seen on other posts that i lost the baby. then went through a very long, and painful natural miscarriage, only to return to work to have my position (not my job) taken away from me and be moved to a totally different area of work within an hour of being back at work. same pay, less stress, kind of nice actually, but very insulting at first. lost my bonuses, and i had to sign a "corrective action" notice. anyways, i feel like i was punished because of the miscarriage, but...

ok, so i'm medicated, doing better, and am trying to get back on track to losing weight. well, i got into a real bad habit of drinking sweet drinks, etc. then i've been so emotional the last month that i went back to emotional eating.

i had a fill that was too tight last week, now i'm "semi" tight. i can eat bad foods, and that is bad for me. so, i started this journey at 228, i got down to 201 (i want that back), now i am at 212 on one day and 207 on another.

i need help, and i need tips, just like in the beginning. i have forgotten how to be a good bandster (don't know that i ever was really good). i am so proud of all of you that have lost so much weight, but it does honestly make me wish i had been following the rules a little better. it is definately inspiration to see how well you all are doing.

if you have any tips, pointers, words of inspiration, i think i need it. I'm a little down now, but i promise i'm not always having a pity party.

my dh and i just married 3/29!! it was wonderful, we've been together for ever, and have a 7 year old. but we found out about the baby on 4/1, and it has just been a bad month. but dh and i are doing well, i think it actually brought us a lot closer together, and now i'm trying to focus on my weightloss, and honestly, it is a little tuff right now, due to some stress.

bandster- i'm very sorry for your loss, but what wonderful news about getting married!! i think after you've taken the appropriate time to mourn & gather yourself - it would be a perfect time to be selfish about yourself = your health, your weight loss, & peace of mind.
i must say, i respect the whole bunch of you that have to cook for family & kids while being banded. that part has been pretty easy for me, since it's just me and hubby and he was banded w/me. with a partner in the same boat, diet & exercise has been a breeze to adapt back to.

just about 7 months out and i am a pound shy of my dr's goal & 16 from mine. i must say for my results to date, i can attribute to consistent exercise. it has to be in my lifestyle or i'll fail. it did when i walked away from it 7yrs ago & while still eating healthy - gained weight.
i think i like this band in me most days - i'm at my sweet spot & have been for over a month (8.5cc / 10cc band).

wish you all success!!

Oh Bandster, I am so sorry. If you are having a pity party, it's only normal. Though I had 2 miscarraiges, I would never say, I know what you are going through. Because everyone has their own little hell, and you are the only one who feels the way you do. If you know what I mean. Though my dr told me it was healthy to talk about the loss of the baby because that would help me work thru it, it was a long, long time before I could do that. I am happy you have your dh to help you through this. Congratulations on the marriage.

I haven't done really well on sticking to some parts of my diet because, like you, I am an emotional eater. There is a lot of stress at my office and at home. And since I can almost eat anything I want, that does not help the weight loss, because sometimes I do. Good luck to you on getting back on the program, hope you get to bandster heaven soon. :)Laura

hatmama, thank you. i think we all suffer in a very similar way when those of us that want a child loses it. i had been hoping and praying that i would accidentally get pregnant, because i didn't feasably want to plan one due to my weight and the financial stress. but i was so happy to be pregnant, but honestly i was in pregnant heaven until about a week before i found out, and then i began to stress big time about life with a new baby. things happen for a reason, and i truly believe that. this baby was not meant to be. maybe i will have another, but i want that to be after i lose my weight :). to be honest i was loving being pregnant, but i was not heavy with my 1st child, so i was not looking forward to being "fat and pregnant". i thought i was uncomfortable with the first..i can only imagine the second. and i am blessed as i have a healthy happy 7 year old already.

well, we need a plan hat..... we've got to get some grips on this emotional eating stuff. i'm even taking something, and i'm still doing it.

I'm down 76 pounds today. Last week I went shopping for pants for the first time and I was shocked as I kept having to try on smaller and smaller sizes. And get this: I shopped at Macy's and not Casual Male for the first time in decades!

I was really surprised to see that I've gone from a size 46 waist all the way down to a 36 in just 6.5 months. And I went from a 4XL shirt to just an XL.

I went to a big surprise party for my Dad and everyone said they were amazed at how good I looked.

Next week I'm going back to my company HQ and no one there has seen me for a year. I can't wait.

My goal weight is 157 but honestly that might be pushing it. If I can make it to 175 I would be thrilled. Based on that I am already more than halfway there.

johnathon...congrats on such success. that waist line difference is awesome!!! my husband is in very good shape, he has a six pack..blatty blah, and he wears a 34, and he is not big boned. That's cool for me, because i can compare, but he is 6'0, but he also weighs 195. he has gained a little lately, but when he was in intense training, he weighed around 175.

congrats, and keep up the awesome work.

WAY TO GO!!!!! Congrats. Keep up the good work.