I have an appointment with my surgeon on Tuesday and I'm going to talk to him about what's going on to see if he thinks I should get another fill. I've read time and time again that if you have to ask whether you need a fill, you probably don't need one, but I have a few signs of needing one. One is not losing weight. Two is not staying full 3 to 4 hours on a cup of food. Three is I can eat more than 1 cup of food without feeling full. However, I have had a couple PB episodes, but mostly first thing in the morning. I definitely can't eat as much food as before the band.
Sorry for the pity party. I'm hoping the magic of blogging will work for me. I've seen others who post about plateaus and within days the plateau is broken. It would indeed be a Christmas miracle if I could lose a few pounds.
In apology for my whiny post, here are a few more fun pictures from the cruise.
Here are the girls and I at Key West.
Dave and girls bonding in the pool.
Meg wanted nothing for dessert and nothing is what she got. Our waiter was interesting. He was from Turkey and had a very dry sense of humor. We didn't laugh at everything, but this was funny.
Girls chilling in the jacuzzi.
Dave playing volleyball. He's the guy with the black hair in the back. His team won against the ship officers.
Here we are on Thanksgiving, which was the second formal night. Earlier that day we were hanging out by the pool enjoying the 80 degree weather. What a great day!
We spent too much money on Bingo, but at least we won $75. It would have been more, but of course the time we finally get to yell "Bingo" so do 2 other people. Oh well. At least we had fun.
The shows were great. They had variety shows, magic, comedian and a Temptations tribute group.
Here we are at dinner on the last night with our head waiter.
Here we are when we have to get off the ship. They had to carry us off kicking and screaming.
We had a Beatles group on our cruise! Love you pictures. Brings back wonderful memories (especially the last pic... well, that was a sad memory).
ReplyDeleteSee your surgeon. You just might need a fill. Don't be discouraged though... keep fighting the good fight. (And if you have to "diet", remember, you have the band in your arsenal that will help stave off all the other bad things that used to come along with "dieting".)
I am at my one month bandiversary and was thinking the same about taking the progress pictures but I think I will anyway - just so I can keep track of when the changes and future changes really started happening. Sort of like a timeline I guess... I love the cruise pictures - you looked like you had ao much fun :)
ReplyDeleteYou guys are too cute! Love the cruise piccies :)
ReplyDeleteHang in there, Bonnie. The great thing about the band is that it's always there for you. You can take as long as you need to. Someone posted recently (can't remember who) about how they realized they were on their own journey and it would take as long as it takes. That really resonated with me because it is taking me a long time too. Lots of plateaus, lots of interruptions, but I'll get there. And so will you!
What incredible photos!! Thank you for sharing! And, vent on my Friend - that's what we're here for!! I can't offer you band advice (as I'm not banded yet) but I can be a great listener (reader) and have strong arms for hugging!
ReplyDelete((((hugggsss)))) you'll get there - I know you will, on YOUR time!
You will continue to loose the weight, I bet if you see your doctor, things will start to move again. Love the cruise photos :o)
ReplyDeleteFirst things first...don't be so hard on yourself! Second, do NOT get in the trap of comparing yourself to others progress. Your progress is what matters and as long as you can say you are doing everything you can to be successful (and you have to be honest with yourself) then it doesn't matter how you stack up to others. You are losing weight! Celebrate it. We all have plateaus, and you know what to do...just keep trying!
ReplyDeleteme thinks you need a fill. what are you eating?
ReplyDeletei guage my good restriction by me only being able to get a protein shake down for breakfast and not even thinking about food until 11:30/12 (meaning i don't eat until 12/12:30).
are you up to posting a food log so we can see if we can pinpoint anything in your daily food?
Bonnie, you have seriously done great with "only" 34 pounds so far. Be proud of your success and the fact that this is weight that will STAY off. Of course you will lose more. But IMHO, after 6 months it does get harder for some of us (well, it did for me!) The trick is to eat better and exercise more without falling into the old dieting traps -- dieting without dieting? I have not mastered that yet.
ReplyDeleteWow Shrinking Mommy, only a protein shake? For me that would be way too tight. Maybe that is why I lose so slow! I still eat every morning!
Love the pics.
I think I lost 10 pounds the first six months after my surgery. I was so frustrated, and so angry that I went through such a big surgery with so few results! I demanded to see the surgeon to talk about my lack of progress (as opposed to the physician's assistant, who they try to make you see instead), and the surgeon saw me forevermore to do my fills. (Turns out the P.A. was screwing up the fills and not getting them into my band.)
ReplyDeleteLike you, when I went to the doc and asked for a fill, the doc was always very reluctant to give me a fill. Instead, present the request as a series of facts. "Doc, I would like to have a fill and here's why. I can eat foods like steak and chicken and bread that I shouldn't be able to eat. I do not stay full for a long time; I get hungry right away. I eat bigger portion sizes than I should be able to." etc. The doc will be more liable to listen to you if you present facts instead of hopes.
Good luck! Keep up the good work, be honest with the doc, and BE A SQUEEKY WHEEL SO YOU GET SOME OIL!! Er, well, a "fill" anyway. :-)
To me, the key words in your post was "am not full from 1 cup for food for 3-4 hours." That's like the key to a fill from my doc. That's what the band should be doing for you. Keeping you satisfied. I think you've done fantastic...34 lbs and not at optimum restriction level. I agree also that we shouldn't compare ourselves to others (as hard as that is). We are our own barometer of progress.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I agree with a lot of the commenters - you need a fill. I knew that I was done for with the fill level when 1/2 cup stopped giving me satisfaction. I think it takes quite awhile - a lot longer than just beating bandster hell - to get real restriction and I think, that like me, you have probably never really been there. I sure thought I was but with this fill from last week I now know I was never really there. And it's all changed drastically. I could get stuck before "real" restriction...but it's so different now. So get the fill, I say.
ReplyDeleteAs for "only" losing 34 in less than six months, I'm right there with ya, too. I'm at 36 pounds in 8 months, although, of course, two months didn't count because of the pregnancy. Nonetheless, I would have predicted more - and did. Surprisingly, I'm fine with where I am. I have never come close to quitting and I know without a doubt that this weight is gone for good. By being a tortoise I feel like my skin has a chance to "keep up" and for a variety of other reasons like that, I can ultimately say I am not even remotely stressed about this process.
Could it be faster? Sure. But I'm in this for a lifetime...and I can't do something to lose that I'm not willing to do in maintenance. I think that is ultimately why I'm slower...
I just had my first fill and I am already looking forward to my next one. I have a little restriction but i can still eat more than a cup of food at a time. I hate slow progress!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun trip! I love family vacations.
ReplyDeleteI agree it sounds like you need a fill. The criteria I use is that a cup of food should keep you full for 4-5 hours.
I'm sorry it so frustrating. You look beautiful!
I felt almost the same at 6 months. I thought my weight would have dropped a lot faster. But I've had two 2-month plateaus and they do end. Both mine after a fill. So I would say you need a fill. I can't eat too much in the morning. Usually a few fibre cookies and some milk. I was getting stuck a lot, had a small fill and have been fine since. Don't even think about food. But this time of year I am not looking to lose weight but enjoy. Just not as much as in the past. You're doing great. Just keep plugging along. And we're here to listen.
ReplyDeleteI can SO relate! I think it sounds like you need a fill.
ReplyDeleteBonnie, you're doing fantastically!!! Don't sell yourself short for a second; slow and steady wins the race. I'm right there with you - aren't we a week apart and I'm at 37 lbs. I'm not eating perfectly and still, I'm 37lbs gone. Plateaus are amazingly frustrating as is slow weight loss. Sure, I thought I'd be further along - hell, during diets in the past after this much time I was further along. But we have a tool this time - and we have all this great support. We're all here for you and so is the band.
ReplyDeleteI think having a frank conversation with your doctor is definitely the right thing to do. I don't think a traditional diet is the right thing, but maybe a couple of days of really strictly adhering to your doctor's band rules. For me, I find sometimes I need to really be strict for a couple of days about every single thing. On some level that is a diet - but for me it's a way to sort of get myself back on track. I can better see what things I am doing that aren't helping me meet my goals when I am really super strict for a couple of days.
Good luck!!! And let me know if you want to chat further. Don't hesitate to call me!
I hope I have a cruise dream tonight, it's probably the only way I'll get to go on one. See... I'm the whiny one, not you! The pictures are wonderful, I'm so happy you are living life to the fullest, that's what this whole thing is about.
ReplyDeleteHere's my two cents on getting a fill- you can always get some taken out. I'm not sure about the "if you're wondering you probably don't need it" theory. This is a brand new process, and we're not used to listening to our bodies (obviously). I think it can be way confusing. I'm going on two years out from surgery (holy hell), and it seriously took me over a week to figure out that I might need a fill. And, I'm still worrying if it will be too much or not. Better a fill, than fat?
It's a slow process, and sometimes it seems even longer when you're writing about it for the whole world to read. I thought I'd be 191 forever, and 173 forever. Seriously, I thought I'd never see anything else. Ever. But it eventually happens. And, I did try hard to eat protein and be accountable for what I was doing for over a year solid. I counted grams of protein for that entire time. I'm lax now, but I'm finding out how much I've physically become dependent on my band now that I've lost some restriction. I had forgotten how much the band helps.
Thanks for the comment on my blog, I added the follower option.
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