MamaMichelle

You look so great sweetie, I think everyone has said it all- your tummy and arms look so much thinner!! Keep it up!

Just saw your message Cathy- I logged on to post some pics as well! You look great and I can tell the pride in your appearence is getting higher and higher!

Here's another dress, the one I ended up wearing:

Here are some pics from this evening, my birthday is next week and hubby surprised me with a weekend down on the strip and tickets to Bette Midler!

Thanks everyone, you guys are so supportive! I do the shakes because they are easy and I like them, I imagine that it's not a regimine that most people would want to stick to or be able to enjoy... I'm really never hungry so eating has kind of lost the "joy" I used to allow it to give me, so eating now is about fueling my body... I like those protein bullets, quick and easy but there are plenty of times when I go out for lunch, skip the shake and have a side chicken ceasar salad that way I know I'm getting little doses of protein throughout the day! My trainer says I need complex carbohydrates to keep up my energy level during my workouts, most bandsters can't eat rice, pasta or bread without getting stuck and when I tried eating the brown rice as is I couldn't chew it well enough without getting sick no matter what time of day it was. So I found that if I blend the brown rice into a paste I can get in the 1cup of brown rice per day my trainer suggests. Well I go between 1,200 and 1,500 calories per day, she's been great about understanding my food limitations and for now I'm losing maybe 3-4lbs a month and that is fine with her. Since the early to mid day food doesn't change (totals about 700 calories) it all depends on what I have for dinner or if it is one of my "treat" days. I think mixing it up keeps my body guessing and not depriving myself makes me less likely to binge...

Sorry I haven't been around here much, things have been pretty crazy... First off I started a new job and since I previously was working from home I had a great reason to go out and buy pretty much a whole new wardrobe... Since I have been pretty much the same general size (somewhere between a snug size 8 and a loose size 10) for the last 1-2 months I decided to buy everything in a medium/size 8 that way if I do end up dropping another size I can easily have everything tailored down to fit me... Of course I am perfectly happy right now where I am but I guess with the band you never know! I am still working with my trainer, seeing her 3 times a week for an hour each time follwed by about an hour of cardio, she would really like me to get in 90min of exercise on the 4 days that I don't see her but that's just not happening right now!! Haven't seem much movement on the scale from the workouts but I can see that my body is getting a lot more toned so I guess the muscle weight I am gaining and the fat I am losing is balancing out. I am going through the general life transformation that LisaL is always talking about, my new confidence in my appearence is allowing me to make changes in my life that I haven't been brave enough to do prior to losing the weight! For example I have been thinking about getting Lasik for years but have never been able to justify spending that much money on myself or brave enough to go through with it... I am happy to say that I had the Lasik surgery last week and I am already seeing better that perfect (20/15 vision). My pretty tight fill from about a month ago has loosened up some (possibly because I have lost 4-5lbs since then) and I am pretty sure I am at my sweet spot!! My daily diet has changed because of the trainer, basically my first 2 weeks of workouts I could barely make it through the first hour, forget doing anything additional afterwards! After seeing I was getting less than 40grams of carbs per day we decided to triple that number and now I have tons of energry not only during my workouts but throughout the day too! This is the diet I have been pretty much sticking to for the past month (around 1,200-1,500 calories, 90-100grams of protein per day and 100-150 grams of carbs): 9am- An optifast shake for breakfast (yes I am one of the few that LOVE them, as long as l can add some sugar free vanilla syrup) 11am- 1/2 cup of blended brown rice (I have to pre-mix soy sauce and rice in a blender till it is paste-like in substance and eat it pretty slowly 1pm- Another optifast shake 4pm- 1/2 cup of blended brown rice (this helps up my energy before my workout) I will also usually have one of those protein shots after my workout because my trainer says it helps repair and rebuild the muscles I have just worked after the gym! 7-8pm- Whatever the family is having for dinner, steak, salmon, fast food all of course in a small portion Again I allow myself "treats" when I feel like it, maybe a child size soda once a week or a reese's peanut butter cup at the movies, nothing that I don't burn off in the gym.. I've got to run right now, I need to update my pics so I will try to do so this week.. Love all you guys!

Thanks for thinking of me, I am doing great super busy like everyone else!! I do check in on my PDA and kind of read what's going on just haven't been posting! Alot has happened in my life so I'll post an update thread and update my stats!

lets see, for me: Starting/Highest 01/01/08: weight 247 lbs Date of Surgery 02/28/08: weight 226 lbs (-21 lbs lost in 8 weeks on pre-op) 1st Fill 1.6cc @ OCC 4/18/08: weight 202lbs (-17lbs between surgery and 1st fill) 2nd Fill +.7cc @ OCC 5/16/08: weight 197lbs (-5lbs between 1st and 2nd fill) The next day I had and unfill of -.3cc, for a total of 2.0cc 3rd Fill+.35cc @ Fill Center USA 6/21/08: weight 187lbs (-10lbs between 2nd and 3rd fill) Fill Total of 2.35cc 4th Fill +.25cc @ Fill Center USA 9/05/08: weight 175lbs (-12lbs between 3rd and 4th fill) Fill Total 2.6cc Right now it's been almost a month since my 4th fill and I am super tight but I have only lost 6lbs so far since my last fill!

Julie you work in a hospital right? Another member here, who asked me not to mention her name told me a story of going to the OCC for a fill and being just about as tight and uncomfortable as you are now and going back to the OCC wasn't an option (either because it was too far or the money was too much) anyways her aunt is a nurse so she had her get a huber needle and take some of the fill out for her. Obviously I wouldn't suggest this to anyone because you can risk damage to your port/band but given the extreme nature of your problem maybe you should ask someone about it, possibly someone that has worked with ports in other types of patients and maybe you can get some relief. After that member had her aunt take .3ccs out of her band she was perfect and hasn't needed another fill or unfill since then and is still losing weight!

Had a NSV this weekend- I bought a few new things (love going to places like Ross where things aren't too expensive but still super cute) anyways everything I bought was a size MEDIUM, which is huge seeing I was a 1X-XL only 8-9 months ago... On the downside my ability to wear a medium means my boobs are shrinking again, but oh well... I'll take it!

Thanks guys, I can't believe that tomorrow will be 7 months since I was banded.... I'll work on getting some updated progress pictures up this week!

I scar really easily, (lots of stretchmarks too) if you click on my bikini picture below a larger version of the picture will open and you can see what my scars look like at 6months post op... Mine are still more red than pink but they really aren't that bad... totally worth the great results the band provides!! Here's the larger image:

Just wanted to wish you both a happy birthday, It's already the evening so hopefully it was a good one for you!! stormy- I hope you're feeling better!

I think we waited about 24-30hrs after surgery, I didn't think to ask if there were any restrictions but maybe that had something to do with my port being partially detached/tilted?

Thanks for the concern but according to my fill Dr and some research I have done on a tilted port it's really not that big of a deal... Basically as long as I can still get fills/unfills I am not going to worry about it, I am thinking when I get this last 20lbs off my port will be a lot more noticeable so I will need to go in to have it moved under the muscle so I guess they will fix it at that time!!

I have some loose skin (I am almost 27, have been over weight about 7 years which started with the birth of my son) mainly in the lower belly pooch... I actually thought I was going to need an under arm lift for the bat wings and a thigh lift but since I have started working out with weights and a personal trainer this month I can already see a huge improvement in my under-arm area and a little bit of change in my tummy... I still want to have another child (and hubby is hoping for 2 more) so a TT is out for me right now, but I guess I will re-evaluate things after that time... For now I feel confident/great in a swimsuit and only a little icky when totally naked but since hubby is the only one seeing me and it's not affecting my dropping clothing sizes I am not complaining!!!

Congrats on the milestone, You are rockin that band sweetie!

Glad to hear all is well, I thought I was too tight after my 2nd fill in TJ and ended up getting a slight unfill and sure enough 2 weeks later I was able to eat like I could before the band so I was kicking myself for getting some taken out... It's amazing that such a little difference in fill level can make such a huge difference in the ability to eat, just hang in there!

Congrats on the milestone sweetie, and having a normal BMI must feel so great.... (The BMI drop comes a little slower with us short people so I'll just live vicariously through you!!)

Check this out: it' started as the video blog of one woman's lap band journey, but 8 weeks into being banded she finds out she's pregnant... so now her blogs are about that! http://www.malleysurgical.com/testimonial/...sas-story.html#

Thanks everyone you guys are always so sweet!! I know I wouldn't be here without the support and love from all of you...

This is so weird that you posted this because I just woke up from a nap dying of thirst and I can't keep even water down... it is so weird! I have been slacking on my water this weekend so it could be dehydration but I also think I am getting a cold, my nose is runny and my throat is a little sore and I have heard that all that drainage can fill up your pouch when you lie down at night so that may be why I woke up and can't keep the water down! I am going to heat up some tea and see if that will stay down, hope you feel better!!

I finally made it into the 160's!!! I think my 2 days a week with the trainer is already paying off!! Also here is my newest pic from this weekend- Me @ 169lbs!! Here are some face pics from Feb 2008 and March 2008 to compare:

I have heard of these little signals from your body to signal fullness but I don't get anything like that!!

I remember passing that milestone, my hubby is 6'4 (a foot taller than me) and is slim at 200lbs... I don't know if making it to Onderland or weighing less than him was a bigger milestone but I remember it clearly! Congrats sweetie, you are looking great! You are getting so small and Evee is getting so big! lol