tootsie_lou

Hi Sarah! My daughter and I were banded by Dr Ortiz in February of 2008. She was 13 at the time. She lost 50 lbs in 9 months and has kept it off. She is now a sophomore in high school and is super active. It brings tears to my eyes to see how she has progressed with the lap-band. I hope your mother will reconsider and take you to OCC. They are changing peoples lives there. All the best to you.

Hey Kelly! Just wanted to chime in with some applause and a couple WOO-HOO's for your successful band journey. You've done fantastic!! Way to go!!

Not sure anyone following your struggle thought you were trying to be "clever" or "makin' it up". I think we have all at some point seen ourselves following the rules, only to see our bodies act fickle and not drop the poundage at the rate we would love--some to the point of asking "why did I get this thing anyway?" You are smart to keep posting your activity and food logs. And, for the record, never doubt that everyone here is rootin' for you!!

I'm sorry to say that I don't know much about the leg lift. You could always go to a plastic surgeon for consult and get info on procedures that might help you. I really want to say congratulations to you on your weight loss accomplishment. That is completely awesome! Way to go!!

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!! (And yes, I'm shouting that!!! )

Wow! Thanks for puttin' that out there. I did not know that stuff went on, but I guess I'm not surprised. Thanks, Dolittle!

I like this strategy--just don't bring it into the house.

OMGosh Angie! You freakin' crack me up!!

This is a great post!

Wow!! Just watched--that is incredible. You may never know how many folks you change for the better because you are puttin' yourself out there. You're an amazing lady, Angie!

Yay! Yay for you! All the best to you and your family -- what happy news!!

Hey Carrie! So happy for you!! You are gonna' do awesome!! (And now a cool body to go with that great smile--look out world!)

Angie, you are a real blessing on here! A kind and good, friendly, funny blessing!!

Yahoo, yippee and way to go, Deb!! You are a true inspiration on this forum. We couldn't be happier for you!!

Hey Amber! I hear you about the frustration that the tightness brings. It gets upsetting, which only seems to make it worse. Obviously your body needs nutrition right now. Vomiting constantly is not only dangerous for your band, but it messes up your electrolytes, etc. For the hunger pangs, try the chewable benefiber tablets. They don't taste as good a chocolate chip cookie, but it does give your stomach something to do besides gurgle (With added fiber make sure you up your water/fluid intake, or you will have other "problems", if you know what I mean) If you are trying to work with liquids, could I suggest another protein option? I use the B-Syntha6 whey protein powder. I also get the brand of milk called Hood Smart Milk, the 1%-tastes-like-whole-milk (Chris Everett advertises it). I take a large glass (16 oz plastic glass that I got from a trip to Moe's Southwest grill) fill it one third with ice, add 8 oz of milk to the ice, and a heaping scoop of the protein powder (love the strawberry--found that using the chocolate made me have what seems like dangerous amounts of gas ) then I mix it all with a Cuisinart stick blender. OMGosh, it is like an ice cream milkshake. The B-Syntha 6 has fiber in it also. This is very satisfying, takes me a little while to drink, and provides a lot of the nutrition I need in a form that I don't have to stress out about getting "stuck". The calorie count adds up this way: milk= 120 cal, 14 carb, 10g protein, 2.5 g fat; Protein powder=200 cal, 13 carbs (5 are fiber), 6g fat, 23 g protein. I hope the band ends up working for you. Unfortunately, the beginning of your relationship reads as pretty rocky. Sound off on this forum as much as you want to.

Wow! is right!! Way to go Kim!! You are awesome!

KarenLynn! You look wonderful! Hear you on the food issues. I got nothing as far as figuring it out. Lisa has posted on here before about mixing it up a little. Like if you normally exercise in the morning, try the afternoon or evening. If you are eating most of your calories at dinnertime, eat a larger lunch and lighter supper, that sort of thing. Maybe you could just give your metabolism a good talking to--haha. (From your pictures you look just perfect Maybe you are really at your goal.)

Deb--you are disappearing before our very eyes!! Yay for you!!

My daughter was just doing hers tonight--it was fun to watch her. And it seemed easy enough to follow with the prompts they give you. There was one where she was going on a "basic run" with a Wii fit running guide, and when she got too far ahead of the guide, her "Mii" character tripped and fell (well, more like end-over-end forward roll) on the TV screen--very funny. It was like she didn't realize how much she was exercising. Very cool!

Hey Kayla--I don't think there is any problem with tanning after surgery. I would cover any of your incisions with a little surgical tape just to help make sure they don't get darker. To be safe though, I would ask while you are there getting your surgery.

Hey Kayla! Congratulations on 13 lbs lost. Good girl! And on vacay, no less. Have a blast in TJ -- we'll all be waiting to find out how it all went. All the best!!

Keep it going!! Wow--you are doing terrific. Nothing feels as good as being in charge of it and feeling great! Really inspiring!!

Congratulations guys!

I agree--SUPERSTAR is what you are!! (That rhymed unintentionally--sorry )

I agree, try not to worry about it--just stick to your lapband rules. Congratulations on your weight loss so far!