nothereanymore

Welcome, The band was my first step on focusing and taking care of me. It’s amazing; when I did that I could take care of my family and work so much better! You’re going in to this with the perfect mindset, and you’re going to be very successful with your band! Congrats! I look forward to watching your success; make sure to take before pictures and measurements for your journey. Lisa

Awesome post Darlene, you are amazing!! Lisa

AshleyMarie, Congrats on your decision, it was the right one for me and I’m thrilled with the results. I’ve done diets for years and wasted a lot of time, energy, effort and money playing the up and down game. Its so hard on your body and your spirit. The band is a lifelong tool I use to help me eat right. I was on what I called my band diet during the beginning stages, and that was more about learning to eat healthy foods in the correct manner, measuring my foods and the most important part, learning how to eat in bandster fashion, (chew, chew, chew) and not to drink during and after meals. It was really learning the bandster lifestyle. It’s now second habit to me and most importantly that all nagging hunger for food is gone I no longer use food to cover emotions, or whatever. I have time to think before I put food in my mouth, food is now my fuel and I’m learning how to eat to run at optimum performance and add in exercise to bring my body to all around good health. You’ll do great, you know what’s best for you and don’t let others start you second guessing, just look for their support and let the rest go. Congrats and you’re on your way to a new you! Have fun on the ride! Lisa

Here's an interesting tidbit. Many of you know I'm really focused on changing how I eat, focused more on organic natural foods. In this new lifestyle, we actually drink "real" milk, the really heavy stuff you have to shake, or cream. And the truth is I normally drink milk with my tea (use to be coffee) so the cream is fine – I like it. (We just added dairy back into our diet) It’s just another viewpoint – its pretty interesting learning all of this. I lost the pesky 10 pounds I gained over the winter in 2 weeks. (I'm loven Onvo). I'm not drinking unpasteurized milk yet - and I grew up on a farm and that's all I ever drank going up. (After I milked them and cleaned the milk up with cheesecloth) But unless I know the source I don't go there. I'm drinking organic cream right now. "Skimming" the Fat By Jon Herring Millions of people drink skim milk to help keep their weight down. But new evidence has shown that skim milk - not, as you may expect, full-fat milk - actually makes you gain weight. That's the result of a recent Harvard study of 12,829 children ages 9 to 14 published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. And it shocked the medical establishment. But farmers weren't surprised. When they want to fatten a pig, they feed it skim milk. Here's why: Removing the milk fat (cream) leaves only the milk sugar (lactose) ... and an unbalanced, sugary drink that leads to weight gain. Your best bet? Stick to raw, unpasteurized milk. It's pure, natural, and loaded with the nutrients your body needs. Find a real milk dairy farm that serves your area at www.realmilk.com. Remember, as we’ve discussed, real foods means whole foods mean unfragmented foods.

The band is fickle, and you're smart to wait after your TOM, we often get tighter but sometimes I'd get lose - its strange. Don't worry about the weight right now during this time - just watch what you eat and drink lots of water - it will go away soon!

Awesome job, you must be so proud, and you stuck with it through the hard times! That's the way to do it!! Congrats!! Lisa

Dana, I so agree, you look so beautiful!! Congrats on doing so well!! You do look so much younger - and your beauty from the inside is just spilling out - you look so happy! Lisa

YAAAA! Welcome to bandland!!! I'm so glad it went well and now you know, IV's are too bad!! You're going to be a skinny minni soon, you've got an incredible journey ahead of you!! Take care and make sure to get some rest! Lisa

Stormy, someone posted the red, yellow, green post on when you should get a fill and I love that post. It clearly helps us make a decision. I just did a search and couldn't find it - has anyone else seen it and if so could you please add the link to this post for Stormy. Glad to hear you’re doing so well, and hopefully we can find that ol post and get you some help! Best, Lisa

Julie, I’m so sorry that happened to you, and the truth is many of us have tried these types of products to help us lose the weight. Without knowing how dangerous some can be, it’s a bit like Russian roulette. We just don’t know how it’s going to affect our bodies. Thank you for being so honest and open, you just never know – you may have just saved someone’s life today. There could be someone out here that reads your story and then stops taking it – and they may have been just like you – they might have had a heart attack if they didn’t change the course they were on. I’m so glad you’re here with us and working to improve your health, there’s a reason for this. For my homework for work this weekend I have to listen to the senate hearings on health. For those of you interesting its really good information. http://help.senate.gov/Hearings/2009_02_26/2009_02_26.html “As American’s we spend more than citizens of any other country in the developed world for health care, by virtually every measure of health outcomes - longevity, infant mortality, fitness, and rates of chronic disease - we are near or at the bottom”. The goal is to change this path, and we as a group right now are actually changing our path and working towards a healthier lifestyle – all in our own way and that’s OK. This in the long run will decrease the cost of our healthcare in our country and improve our lives, which is awesome. All the best, Lisa

Hey Jude, Thanks and sorry about this. Unfortunately until the new regulations are live, many companies do not list all of their actual ingredients, it’s a problem that I’m well aware of and looking forward to the day when this business is better regulated. It a just be careful, situation – and I do believe those who need it based on their diets should be supplementing their diet with vitamins, minerals, other nutrients and herbs, the truth is most of us bandsters do. And to be perfectly honest, if I want advice on supplementing my body I go to Dr. Andy Weil, he is just a wealth of information in regards to this area. We all make our own decisions and like I said, it’s up to you. I don’t mean for people to think I’m jumping down their throats if I throw my opinion out there – I actually think what is really cool about our forum is we do have different opinions and constantly learn from each other. Best, Lisa

This isn’t going to be very popular, but be careful with these. At this time there aren’t too many regulations or laws that surround this type of business. There are a vast array of snake oil products and borderline soft drugs being peddled in the name of weight loss. I’m totally into cleansing with natural products – I look for natural ways that are gentle on the body. You just have to be so careful, many of the fat burners are just pharmaceutically manufactured caffeine in high doses, mixed with other odd herbs which most likely do nothing and could damage your health in the long run by putting a strain on not only your heart but also your Endocrine and Central Nervous Systems. Here are some of the problems that taking fat burners can cause: • Central Nervous System Burnout • Exhaustion • Mental Fatigue • Aggressiveness and Mood swings • Hamper body’s ability to recover from everyday stress • And even Psychological problems At the end of the day, the only way to lose the weight is with diet and exercise. I got my band so I could have a tool that would aid me in my diet, I threw in the exercise – in my younger days I experimented with many different weight loss fads, thankfully I’m done with that and I don’t have any long term health issues. Try and use your band, you know how it is, its only until much later that they come out with studies how this has hurt people and then law suits start, but the truth is its not worth your health – we all know how difficult that is to get back once we screw up our bodies. I do green tea; drink the natural tea that is not mixed up with a bunch of junk and its good for you. (And it’s cheap) It will: • Raise Metabolism • Be a Potent Anti-Oxidant • Anti-Estrogenic • Help Burn Fat • Relax the Mind and Body My goal is to try and not pollute my foods with a bunch of things that could be potentially harmful. In my opinion, I paid thousands for this band so I would not jeopardize my health any longer and focus on nutrition and long term healthy living. You will do what you want to do to help you succeed; I just needed to throw another voice out there – sometimes I worry about you all! And you'll lose the weight whether or not you take a fat burner, it may be slower but you'll be healthier in the long run. (And I know I don't know the ingrediants list of many you're taking, so if you're into something natural, and working with a health provider to support, good for you)! All my best and remember, this is just my opinion. (And I'm not a health professional, but I'm in this business and work for some of them and this is a discussion right now). Lisa

Listen to your body and depending on how tight your fill is you may be able to eat more. And one other note, since we don't eat much I was never big on low calorie or diet food, this can really help you get in enough calories. (And I'm talking about the good stuff, not the junk, so eat real food as much as possible). Lisa (And sorry if this sounds cranky, I'm yelling at 19 year old boys to turn down their amps as I was writing.....)

Here's what I found online to help explain: Roux En-Y or Proximal The gastric bypass, roux en-Y (proximal) method of the surgical procedure is the most commonly used type of gastric bypass surgery, which makes it the most common bariatric surgical procedure in the world. It is the method that is least likely to result in nutritional problems and allows the body to get more of the nutrients that it needs out of the small amounts of food that the patient will be able to eat in a single sitting. In this type of gastric bypass, the divided portions of the stomach are reattached to the small intestine at the upper, or proximal, part of the small intestine, allowing the food to pass through more of the small intestine and allowing more nutrition to be extracted from the food.

You may have aggravated something earlier and now every time you eat its swollen so you’re having problems. I recommend going on liquids again for a couple of days (I go for 3, but I now it’s hard when you just got off the liquid diet) and let things simmer down. Then start with soft foods, (fish is good) and measure them –at first its hard since we don’t realize how much we eat, start with ¼ cup of protein, really small cut up pieces of soft cooked veggies, ¼ cup, I chew each small bite at least 30 times – by goal is to liquefy my food. So some times it takes more chews. (It takes a while for the food to go down, at least an hour at times and sometimes longer) Once you take a bite, wait – see how you feel and don’t put anything on top of it doesn’t feel right – try not to PB – that aggravates your band. If this continues you may need an unfill. (But I've been there before and was able to work it out - its hard sometimes with a really good feel to learn how to manage it - you just don't want to push it to long since it can cause problems). Best, Lisa

Some of my friends had problems, and they were like yours, long term and good friends that had been with me threw thick and thin... There was no way I was going to lose them. Remember, its hard for them, you're on this incredible journey and focused on you - you're making changes that will affect you for life and they can see them – and most likely feel like they are missing out. If they are really good friends you may have to take some extra time to make sure that they realize that even as you change on the outside, you’re still the same on the inside and still need them and spend some extra time to make sure they are confidant that you still care about them, even if you get thin and they stay the same. Take care, many of us have to deal with this, and a lot depends on how you handle the situation and some times no matter what you do, some friends cannot handle it and you'll come to some kind of understanding. Best, Lisa

You really need to just fight it and get into good habits right off if possible. I always have water or tea around, a lot of what we think is hunger is thirst and I combat it by staying on top of it. Lemon water is my saving grace, it’s a hard habit to get into but once you get it - it’s easy. Remember most habits take at least 3 months to form, so stay on top of it and you can make positive changes! A lot of our plateaus are caused by water weight, the best way to get ride of water weight is to drink more water. Also the more good quality food you feed your body, the less it will crave. Sometimes we are just filling it up with bad choices and wonder why we are hungry all the time. You’ve got to give it good fuel to have optimum performance. Good luck! Lisa

I ate more like they did, I still can't eat a whole lean cuisine (and I never ate them just because I could feel the salt plump up my body). I was really eating 1/4 cup of clean protein, 1/4 veggies, 1/4 fruit (or less) and carbs if I had room. I can eat the "heavy" brown rice for my carb and really only needed to eat very little and chew really well. I'm still eating the same way, just switched to organics. (my max out was between 1/2 and 3/4 cup so I would try to portion between the fruit and carbs depending on what I was craving for). And I followed the plan that was mapped out for me at the OCC, back in my day no one said I had to hit 1200 calories, it was just something I heard on the board, and I had already lost my weight so I'm glad it didn't come during the time I was focused on losing. I think different people get different information and you have to find what works for you. And the truth is, I can't put that much in my pouch and if I did - I really think I would stretch it.

Congrats Jessica!! That's awesome, we have a new bandster baby on the way!! Yaaaa to the new Mommie!!

Hey Lindsay, Welcome and congrats on your decision to get the band. This really is a great place to be, I looked at what you wrote in the other post and its right on with what I'm trying to do for maintenance. In one of my lines of business I work with Nutritionists and Doctors (I’m the business part) who are into natural wellness and I always have to step away from the place I’m comfortable in for my own needs, you would think I could lose the weight since I had all the knowledge at my fingertips – and people who would love to help me, but its harder than it seems to work with those you know. The band has been a great asset to me, I’ve reached my goals and now I’m going to another doctor (separate from my business) to learn more about healthy eating and changing the way I view food, and the movement of my body. I needed someone who doesn’t know me to get me on the right path. I’m glad you joined us – its great to have extra resources to help us succeed and hopefully we can help you. And thank you for putting everything out there – it really can benefit people. (I’m not selling anything either). Best, Lisa

(So this is for girls, if you're a guy....... you don't want to use it - or if you're pregnant.....) and knowing your sense of humor, no not a pregnant guy…… And no you’re happy weight is not 730 pounds, we all know that’s not true!! 200 is good, gets some pictures on the site please!

Many of us do get tight, but it also depends on what you're eating - if you're eating "sliders" expect no restriction, and sliders can be carbs like those pesky chips that we can crave right before or ice cream and candies - but one more thing - for you it may not tighten up until you actually start your period so use caution! Focus on eating your protein first to fill up with and drink lots of water to keep your water weight down! (Not at the same time as eating) Good luck! Lisa

Karen, Congrats!! I am so proud of you – you look amazing!! And you never gave up, just kept plugging along. I can’t wait till you’re done with your PS and on maintenance – you are on the home stretch and will be done in no time!! Can you imagine being where you are today over 2 years ago!! It’s pretty darn cool!! Best, Lisa

I’ve been struggling; trying to find “my weight” Self Magazine has an online Happy Weight calculator. I thought it was interesting how it worked and wanted to share. http://www.self.com/calculatorsprograms/ca...ors/happyweight Here’s some info about it: Height and frame size Your height is used to calculate your weight at a body-mass index of 22, which is in the middle of the healthy range, so it's a good place to start. (You should always aim to keep your BMI under 25.) But there are many different factors that can contribute to your happy weight, including frame size. Go here to determine your frame size - http://www.self.com/health/2008/01/happy-weight-chart Do you have an obese sibling or parent? This makes you two to three times more likely to be overweight. Age Although women begin to lose 1/3 to 1/2 pound of muscle each year and gain at least that much in body fat as they age, it's possible to prevent some of this weight gain by exercising and eating right. Do you have children? Pregnancy results in a 4- to 7-pound weight gain, on average, according to a study in The Journal of the American Medical Association. How often do you exercise and weight train? The muscle you build by strength training increases your metabolic rate, so you'll burn more calories. Recently quit smoking? Most quitters gain weight, but the health benefits are well worth it. Do you allow yourself a treat now and then? "Occasionally indulging can be healthy," says Shiri Morgan, R.D., a dietitian at the UCLA Diabetes Gonda Center in Los Angeles. You'll feel happier if you cut yourself some slack. I thought this was pretty cool!