BANDERS UNITE ! Get to know each other chatter !

[cah-ching]

Great thread Neen

For the last month or so not a day goes by where I don't regret NOT having the bypass. I think about where I'd be in terms of my weight.

I totally resent starvation diets I've done in the past which have possibly contributed to my ballsed up metabolism which may be effecting my weight loss right now.

The band isn't my friend. I've got 7.7mls in and while I have restriction, I don't think I'm at my sweet spot and I'm really really struggling and having to discipline myself more than I thought I would need to. All that procrastination in February and now I've only 5kg to show for my money! I can't afford a bypass :cry:

Pissed? Damn right.

 

[JOWOOD4]

Hi folks
Im with blue diamond cos Im loving my band too. I am only three months out but have lost 50lbs, gone down 4 sizes and I know I wouldnt have done that without the band. I am having a fill shortly and looking forward to getting things going again with the weight loss.
Ive been out tonight wearing size 16 and a pair of leggings and a long jumper. Its felt great but will feel even better one or two sizes smaller again.
I would love to help anyone cos its not easy and I still have all the temptation but together we can all do this
jo XX

 

[Mazza]

Good for you! well done x

 

[BlueDiamond]

Hi folks
Im with blue diamond cos Im loving my band too. I am only three months out but have lost 50lbs, gone down 4 sizes and I know I wouldnt have done that without the band. I am having a fill shortly and looking forward to getting things going again with the weight loss.
Ive been out tonight wearing size 16 and a pair of leggings and a long jumper. Its felt great but will feel even better one or two sizes smaller again.
I would love to help anyone cos its not easy and I still have all the temptation but together we can all do this
jo XX

Well done on an amazing 50lbs w/l in 3 months xx

 

[Neen]

Don't worry Kat x Hopefully we can all pool our resources and help you at every stage in your band journey.. being aware of the up and down side of the band before surgery from actual people who had the op (not just what the surgeon tells you) has to help before you have the op.
A lot of my problems came from having unrealistic expectations about how easy it would be and getting the shock of my life when it felt like nothing had been done.
Best advice I can give you is be prepared to really work hard at choosing healthy food, make yourself exercise and take it a stone at a time x
Jo you have done fantastic!!! Any tips you have on getting past emotional eating or stalls...if you have any...please share x
Thanks for starting a thread and posting lots of great info Cah-Ching xxx

 

[looking forward]

HI All,
I haven't posted in a long time but regularly read all your fantastic stories.I had my band in June 2009 and have lost 4 stone since then. Now I know that is good but I really thought I'd have lost more by now.I have only lost about 10lbs this year.I have to admit I really thought this would have been easier.I have done all the usual diets over the years but never kept weight off.

Having the restriction to not eat a huge meal is great, and I have coped with that fine. My biggest problem is that I cannot stop eating rubbish in the evenings. I eat a very healthy diet all day , and when I get in from work I seem to just want to eat all evening.I'm really struggling with this, sometimes worse than others.My husband works evening, and kids do their own thing, so I'm usually on my own , no excuse I know.

I'm delighted you started this thread Neen,I will follow it and hopefully read this forum in the evenings and stop nibbling .

I have to say I found this site invaluable when I had my band done first, everyone is so supportive.

 

[archiesmum]

Hello all. I'm still here. I lurk a lot (could be my new name). Great idea Neen - you, Cazbandy, Maz & Liz have been such a great help to me. I have to admit it's not easy but it's a whole lot easier than having no band at all. I've lost 4st 5lb in 15 months so I'm pleased. I'm about half way which is on track as far as my surgeon is concerned. I still have a very busy social life - which consists of mainly going out for dinner/playing bridge and the odd drinkie (or 3 or 4). Shaw Somers did tell me that the second year is more difficult and that I would have to be more strict with my food and drink intake. To be honest he told me that before my op and that this was not an easy option and he did explain just how difficult it could be. He is sure that I am using the band correctly. So here I am -still happy with "Alice" - I still have bad days but not many - and I'm so glad that I had the operation. Like most banders I struggle but it's not so overwhelming now and I hope that this next year will bring more weight loss.

 

[Neen]

Hiya Hun! You have done fab, don't worry!! I know what you mean about the evenings...it's so hard to not snack out of habit...
I usually have a stock of atkins bars and I find they often help. Some of them taste really nice actually like the caramel nut roll, the dark chocolate crisp and the coconut almond and dark choc. I get these all from online and they are a bit pricey but they have two major good points.
One , they are not sugary so they stop a craving and you do not find you can eat more than one because you don't get the high then low in sugar levels that make us eat more and more of ordinary choccie.
The other besides the hit of protein, is blimey they are dense , dense , DENSE!!! SO yes they take ages to eat and they are very filling. Worth trying at least if you are an evening nibble monster!
Also, I play lots of daft video games and they are insanely addictive. If you want links please PM me x

HI All,
I haven't posted in a long time but regularly read all your fantastic stories.I had my band in June 2009 and have lost 4 stone since then. Now I know that is good but I really thought I'd have lost more by now.I have only lost about 10lbs this year.I have to admit I really thought this would have been easier.I have done all the usual diets over the years but never kept weight off.

Having the restriction to not eat a huge meal is great, and I have coped with that fine. My biggest problem is that I cannot stop eating rubbish in the evenings. I eat a very healthy diet all day , and when I get in from work I seem to just want to eat all evening.I'm really struggling with this, sometimes worse than others.My husband works evening, and kids do their own thing, so I'm usually on my own , no excuse I know.

I'm delighted you started this thread Neen,I will follow it and hopefully read this forum in the evenings and stop nibbling .

I have to say I found this site invaluable when I had my band done first, everyone is so supportive.

 

[Neen]

Hiya lovey! I know you still post now and then...I'm always on here (can't get rid of me lol) and it's always great to hear how you're doing x I think 4 stone a year is bang on average actually as I think that's what my surgeon said as well.
After the initial year of radical changes to habits and that first bit of weight loss, it's down to the long bit and trying to fend off the old habits!!! I have bad days too but like you say , without the band there would be mainly bad days!!!!! Keep posting and sharing xxx

Hello all. I'm still here. I lurk a lot (could be my new name). Great idea Neen - you, Cazbandy, Maz & Liz have been such a great help to me. I have to admit it's not easy but it's a whole lot easier than having no band at all. I've lost 4st 5lb in 15 months so I'm pleased. I'm about half way which is on track as far as my surgeon is concerned. I still have a very busy social life - which consists of mainly going out for dinner/playing bridge and the odd drinkie (or 3 or 4). Shaw Somers did tell me that the second year is more difficult and that I would have to be more strict with my food and drink intake. To be honest he told me that before my op and that this was not an easy option and he did explain just how difficult it could be. He is sure that I am using the band correctly. So here I am -still happy with "Alice" - I still have bad days but not many - and I'm so glad that I had the operation. Like most banders I struggle but it's not so overwhelming now and I hope that this next year will bring more weight loss.

 

[looking forward]

Thanks for that I'll give them try, Ideally I would prefer not to eat at all in the evenings, seems once I start I want more and more,Really bad habit I've got into over the years.

Appreciate your advice and I'm gonna take it on board.

 

[Neen]

No worries xxx Best thing is to have some things to occupy yourself ! And go brush your teeth after your evening meal or the first snack of the evening...and have a nice cold bottle of water nearby at all times!!

 

[Neen]

Hello Banders! I've just written to the long term missing in action banders on my friends list.
Hopefully some will come back and fill us in on how they are doing? Maybe some need support and feel worried about coming back...(please don't !!) and maybe some are at goal and loving it!
Just hope some of them get the message and are able to visit!
Does anyone else have people in the friends list who we have lost track of? Can you drop them a line and see if they want to join us again?
Thanks for reading !!!
Oh and anyone who is going to a support group and knows a goal / maintaining bander , do you think you could mention this site and see if they are up for joining us and doing some mentoring? Even a one off post to tell their success secrets or story would be wonderful and very useful I'm sure. Definately most appreciated!

 

[cah-ching]

Hi Neen,

I regard you as a success - did you know this? You've lost 129Ibs ... no mean feat! I'm in awe of you. Yo've lost loads if I could have even lost 20Ibs since having the band I'd be happy but I haven't, I've only lost 5kgs so far post op! So don't denigrate yourself

 

[Neen]

Funny how we look at ourselves innit? *points gingerly to 2 year surgiversary sticker* Thats about 4 stone ish in a year though....I can only see the 6 stone left to go sometimes.

Something I heard/read on one of my many rummagings through self-help materials was...what you focus on , you move towards....so I am trying hard to seek out these elusive goal weight banders cos I need to see this is not a mistake.

I want to be able to feel like I made the right decision and having a band was not the wrong choice!

I think if we focus on what others have achieved and those people share how, then we can get rid of our excess too.

I definately will pass on everything that I can to help anyone because lugging this crappy fat around is not working for me anymore!!
By the way , I can't pm you lovey..I was trying to send you some links and so on.

 

[cah-ching]

thanks for the information x

Neen, what have you done to lose the enormous amount of wieght you've lost so far? Have you reduced your calorie intake as you've lost the weight?

Tah x

 

[cah-ching]

also are you still under the care of your providers since you're more than 2 yrs post op? how much does it cost?

 

[cah-ching]

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[Neen]

I lost by sheer luck the first year!!! I was totally doing everything wrong because I had very little restriction and was eating really ridiculous things, going round in circles and I am still not fully sure how I managed to lose ANY.
My guess is just that the reduction in portion size I did have even with poor restriction, was enough to make a difference.

I disappeared from this forum as soon as the grim realisation hit that the band wasn't actually going to run everything for me on autopilot! What a shock that was!!

I continued free falling and faffing about til last Summer when I was sick and tired of not moving forward. I did have enough of a restriction to feel fuller on smaller amounts (not that small) so I put myself on slimfast & calorie counted. It got me moving again and dare I say it was pretty easy compared to before the band. I managed to stick to it pretty well and it got me back in control enough to lose a bit more.

I have just over 8mil in my 9mil band now.
I still can eat quite a lot sometimes so I still have to be careful about eating...comfort eating for me is my biggest problem. I go along great then something happens with the kids (both my boys are autistic and life can get stressy quite regularly) or I have my TOTM and I go wayyyy off course and it can sometimes take a week or two to get back into a sensible routine.

This week I am trying to stop calorie counting, I know pretty much how many cals my regular foods contain so I am having an experiment this week to eat what I normall do but just write it down rather than add it up as well.

I am at the stage where I want to start being normal around food in the long term , drop the emotional eating and lose the rest of my excess and get to maintenance.

I missed my last aftercare paid up front appointment this summer...I had a defill at the beginning of April and I think I was due to go again for a check n fill around June/July.

I think cos I was coping Ok after the defill and busy with kids I didn't go to it, so I'm not sure how much an appointment and /or fill is going to cost me from now on.
I will definately post up the details after I go to the next appointment though x

 

[trine57]

So enjoyed reading this thread and learnt alot - Thank you guys. Just had 2mls added to my 10ml band so now have 5mls and have booked my next fill for 30th October.
Good Luck everyone x

 

[Neen]

Hiya Trine x I hope that this fill will give you a nice booster to your losses for a while.
I'm glad you have read through and I hope you will keep visitng as band threads get buried pretty quickly on here!