ValleyGirl

I'm chained to the traffic desk at work every Sat/Sun 5am-noon and you can imagine how little traffic there is on the weekends, lol! That's why you always see the most posts from me on the weekends! Sabrina:)

I'm 5 foot 6 and wore a 1x or 2x top at my heigest weight which was 256. Sabrina:)

Go Maggie!!!

I just found a bunch of papers from my surgery. Does that amount of food sound right? Or was that just for when I started back on solids? It seems so little. Maybe all the worry I have around how little I can eat on my "tight" days isn't something I should be worried about after all- maybe it's how I'm supposed to be eating every day. But how on earth can you get to 1000 cals on that amount? Sabrina:) ps- can you tell I have a lot of time on my hands this wekend? I'm in a posting frezny while kiddies are away!

There's no way I would have been ready to go back to work within a few days, but that's just me. Outside of the physical discomfort, I was feeling very emotional about the whole ordeal (and the liquid diet) so I needed more time to get my head back in the right place before returning to a job where I have to be "on" all the time and nobody knew about my band. Plan to go back, but have a plan b just in case yoy don't feel ready. Sabrina:)

This is EXACTLY my point in my earlier post. One day I can have sausage and eggs for breakfast, and a few days later, I can barely get my coffee down. I can't keep running for a fill every time I can eat too much and then running out for an unfill when I have a tight day. If you solve the mystery, let me know!!! Sabrina:)

I so agree with everyting Smiley said....especially the part about doing it for YOU and nobody else. That part of your story set off alarm bells for me. Truthfully, I don't know that I would have been able to committ to the lifestyle changes at your age (I was quite a party girl and not in the right space) but on the flip side of that, I also wish I didn't waste my entire twenties and half of my thirties hiding under all this fat. I am 100% that my life could also have been very different (better) now if I had the confidence to follow through on all my hopes and dreams- unfortunately, my body-image was a big road block. My husband kept insisting that I should be happy with myself no matter my size (he was) and that weight-loss wouldn't fix my problems, but right or wrong, I wasn't happy and now I am. Maybe I'm really vain but I felt crippled by my weight and now I feel "normal". You need to do what is right for you, at the right time for YOU! Sabrina:)

Agreed, always see your doctor for medical advice but I had port pain for MONTHS and now it has suddenly stoped hurting. Sabrina:)

I should add that today was a "normal" day. If every day was like this, I wouldn't be asking for advice. I ate: -half cup hot cereal mixed with benefibre -Starbucks tall skinny cinnamon dolce latte -huge bottle of Sobe Life water (the new apple pear flavor is amazing) -slice of cheese, turkey meat and carrots and dip -more water -banana -caesar salad with real bacon bits Still les than 1000 cals but a pretty good day, I think

I had my band checked under fluoro before my last fill and it was fine, but then it became too tight so I got .2 taken out and that seemed to do the trick, but now I've tightened up again. I'm able to eat three meals a day about 4 days per week but the other three is what has me wondering. I'm trying to track if the "tight" days are the days I am stressed, which I suspect is the case. I am not pb'ing, I have no acid reflux, no pain, I just get full SO fast- I start to hiccup and I know I'm done. As for the food sitting in my pouch, I can feel it pass fairly quickly as long as I stop when I start feeling the signs. If I take one extra bite, the drain is clogged so to speak and it will sit there for hours. I'm drinking plenty of fluids in the heat, taking a chewable vitamin, benefiber, and drinking my protein on the days I have problems with solids. I truly feel fine, I just worry about the caloric intake (or lack of) on my bad days. What I DON'T want happening if I get another unfill is that I end up with four days of no restriction and three with! Before my last fill (only adifference of .2cc), I was waking up starving every morning and getting hungry every two hours. Maybe .1 cc out would correct all this craziness. I'll keep you posted. Thanks for your concern. Sabrina:)

It's so hard `cause some days it feels like my sweet spot (when I can eat a small breakfast, lunch and dinner) but some days it feels just plain INSANE! Yesterday I was so tight, I had only coffee for breakfast, At lunch I tried to eat a slice of turkey sandwich meat and it wouldn't go down (I could tell solids were going to be a problem) so then I went and had a high-protein smoothie from Booster Juice just to get in the calories and that was it...ALL DAY! A coffee and a smoothie??? I go to bed at 7:30pm on weekends for work (up at 3am) so I didn't even bother with dinner. I just want to be healthy. I'm going to see about blood tests just to make sure everything is okay- I do feel fine, which is good. I wish I had some great piece of advice for you. Looking back at my stats, I think I was at 190 for about five weeks and then even went back up to 195 for a few days before my last fill (I was eating everything in sight- feast or famin mentality) so I have also plataued and know it won't last forever. I'm only dropping a lot right now due to this tight fill (forced behaviour modification) but I don't think it's the way to go. Including the 5 pounds I put back on, I'm down about 13 pounds this month but I know that's too much- I'm normally in the 6-8 pounds per month range. I've also been trying to move more. No major exercize, just riding my bike and taking the kids swimming a lot. You'll figure out what works for you eventually. Sending good vibes of the 180's your way! Sabrina:)

Yeah, I have thinning bangs and I noticed the loss of muscle mass too. My skin actually looked better about ten pounds ago. Thanks for your input. Did you have much weight to lose? I'd love to hear your stats. Sabrina:)

Well, if I don't stop eating after my first few bites, things will always get stuck so that's why I'm only eating a few tablespoons at meal times. I'd LOVE to eat more, but I know the stop signs so I stop and, surprisingly, I'm usually satisfied at that point...even though I want so much to be eating more `cause it looks so good! I hate all the waste, too. Sabrina:)

Although I have been losing consistantly since being banded, I struggle daily with whether I am doing it in a healthy way. I'm not having any problems per se, but wonder if I should get another unfill just so I can eat MORE. I eat so little most days that there is no way I am getting in all my nutrients. I feel full after a few tablespoons of food, and I'm never hungry. It's great to lose weight, but at what cost? Most days I only get in 500 cals. I feel physically fine, but mentally I'm always worried I am hurting myself. Maybe it just seems weird to eat so little cause I used to eat so much? I don't know. Thoughts? Sabrina:)

just facebook me and I'll try to figure out how to empty my folder! Sabrina:) (under Sabrina Storey on facebook if anyone wants to say hi!)

Louise, I have a bag of clothes for you any time you want to pick up! Sabrina:)

I'm shorter than you (5 foot six)and my goal is 160- ten pounds more than I weighed when I was 13...and I was not fat at 13. I think trying to weigh what I did at 13 is unrealistic, but you never know. I'll still be "slightly" overweight at 160 acccording to the charts, but I think the charts are BS! I'm down from size 22 to a 12/14 so I think I'll be an 8/10 by Xmas and that's fine with me! Sabrina:)

Shelby, I'm curious (since I know you're a big sports fan) if you were a jock or good at sports when you were young but then got out of shape when you gained weight and are just now getting back in to it.........or is this the first time you're getting in to exercise? I have never done a single sport my entire life and I'm petrified to put myself out there. I'm probably in worse shape than most 60-year olds. I need to start doing something but don't know where to start. Sabrina:)

Hi Louise! Yes, I'm sure I can get a breast reduction covered easily here in BC (had one paid for 21 years ago, but then gained 100 pounds over 20 years) however, I'd never heard of them paying for tummy tucks!!! I know if you get one at the plastic surgery school at UBC it's only $2000 so I'm looking in to that. I think the first thing I need to do is find a good family doctor!!! I might ask Dr. Manchanda (the fill guy in Surrey) to take me on. Let's keep each other posted (no pun intended) on what we find out. Sabrina:)

Oh, that's an old bathing suit that is way too big in the boobs now- which doesn't help in supporting the sisters at all. The one I actually bought since losing weight is a bikini- although the only place I'll wear it right now is the backyard!!! It's my goal bathing suit for Hawaii in October....and I have a teeny-weenie one that I hope to wear if I get ps one day! Sabrina:)

Before getting maried, I had some pretty messy break-ups but none harder than my break-up with food! This too shall pass. Sabrina:)

It's probably the scar tissue forming, sounds normal. I still get twangs of port pain when I bend over sometimes. Sabrina:)