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Hello fellow Bandies!!!
I was banded on December 23, 2010, in Georgetown, KY by Dr. Sonnanstine. Unlike some other people, I never really considered RNY. I'm 23 years old, and at my highest last year I weighed in at 252. At my one-month follow up/first fill, I weighed 236 according to the MD office's scale. I had weighed myself that morning on my own scale and it told me I was 234, so I'm going based on that my scale is approximately 2 lbs less than my MDs.
This morning, I weighed in at 233.0 on my scale :( I know that this isn't an excuse, but I feel hardly any restriction since my first fill. He put 6 ccs into my 11 cc band. I will not even lie that I have NOT followed my food plan perfectly. There have been a few times that I've eaten what I knew I should not. I'm trying to view food differently, as part of my tool, and it's a journey for sure. I haven't been to any support groups only because they are offered when I work or am in class. (I'm a Dietetics major at University of KY)
What I'm hoping to get out of my joining this forum is to be able to identify with other people who are going through what I am or -- even better-- who already have been through the success and failures of the Realize Band and can give me advice.
Kara
I was banded on December 23, 2010, in Georgetown, KY by Dr. Sonnanstine. Unlike some other people, I never really considered RNY. I'm 23 years old, and at my highest last year I weighed in at 252. At my one-month follow up/first fill, I weighed 236 according to the MD office's scale. I had weighed myself that morning on my own scale and it told me I was 234, so I'm going based on that my scale is approximately 2 lbs less than my MDs.
This morning, I weighed in at 233.0 on my scale :( I know that this isn't an excuse, but I feel hardly any restriction since my first fill. He put 6 ccs into my 11 cc band. I will not even lie that I have NOT followed my food plan perfectly. There have been a few times that I've eaten what I knew I should not. I'm trying to view food differently, as part of my tool, and it's a journey for sure. I haven't been to any support groups only because they are offered when I work or am in class. (I'm a Dietetics major at University of KY)
What I'm hoping to get out of my joining this forum is to be able to identify with other people who are going through what I am or -- even better-- who already have been through the success and failures of the Realize Band and can give me advice.
Kara
You are me almost two years ago. I got restriction slowly and I mean slowly. It took 7 or 8 fills before I had what I would consider good restriction. I now have 9.9 ccs in my 11cc band. In the beginning it was like being on any other diet. I was able to eat what ever I wanted... when I wanted with out much problem at all..it was like that for about a year. I didn't lose much weight either.
I wish I kept a written record of my weight but I know I lost maybe 5 lbs all last summer. It was frustrating as hell.
What changed things for me was I did get a fill that seemed to help but I still wasn't losing much weight. In October I started an exercise program that has since just melted my weight off me. The first month I lost 16 pounds...and it hasn't slowed down either. I lost 13 lbs in January!!! I do control my carb intake. It helps that my band doesn't like pasta or bread. My exercise routine that has changed my weight loss failure is exhausting but worth it. I work out 90 minutes a day 6 days a week. 60 minutes on the treadmill and 20 minutes weight lifting and 10 minutes stretching. I also walk 30 minutes at lunch at work 5 times a day. I do this and it is a lot of work but so worth it. I am finally losing like I always wanted to and amazingly I am doing it the healthy way...no weird diets or pills. In 4 months I have lost about 55 lbs and I have gone down 4 sizes!!!! And guess what with that kind of success I don't want to cheat. I am sooo getting close to 199 I can taste it. it just goes to show you...you can have a rocky start and still turn your habits around.
The only thing I regret is that I waited this long to exercise. I should have done it sooner. So I recommend doing what I am doing now. I promise you even if you are cheating you exercise enough you will still lose weight...although if you taste a little success I doubt you will want to cheat.
good luck with everything
I wish I kept a written record of my weight but I know I lost maybe 5 lbs all last summer. It was frustrating as hell.
What changed things for me was I did get a fill that seemed to help but I still wasn't losing much weight. In October I started an exercise program that has since just melted my weight off me. The first month I lost 16 pounds...and it hasn't slowed down either. I lost 13 lbs in January!!! I do control my carb intake. It helps that my band doesn't like pasta or bread. My exercise routine that has changed my weight loss failure is exhausting but worth it. I work out 90 minutes a day 6 days a week. 60 minutes on the treadmill and 20 minutes weight lifting and 10 minutes stretching. I also walk 30 minutes at lunch at work 5 times a day. I do this and it is a lot of work but so worth it. I am finally losing like I always wanted to and amazingly I am doing it the healthy way...no weird diets or pills. In 4 months I have lost about 55 lbs and I have gone down 4 sizes!!!! And guess what with that kind of success I don't want to cheat. I am sooo getting close to 199 I can taste it. it just goes to show you...you can have a rocky start and still turn your habits around.
The only thing I regret is that I waited this long to exercise. I should have done it sooner. So I recommend doing what I am doing now. I promise you even if you are cheating you exercise enough you will still lose weight...although if you taste a little success I doubt you will want to cheat.
good luck with everything
I'm relieved to hear that you struggled and are finding success.
I definitely haven't been exercising like I should have been. I first tried to exercise two weeks post-op and was exhausted within 8 minutes. Energy was a real problem, but that's mainly bc my doc had me on liquids for 2 weeks then semi-soft/pureed foods for 2 weeks. I didn't exactly follow that plan though, because I was able to eat well-chewed regular food by week 3. Anyways, I have finally worked up to being able to do about 30 minutes on elliptical trainer non-stop. My next goal is to be able to alternate 1 minute walking/30 seconds jogging for 30 mins total. I am 100% with you that without a successful exercise plan, changing only what you eat will not work. So as far as my food intake, I'm trying to limit simple carbs also. I'm an ice cream-aholic. It's my downfall. This is going to be my vice with the band, because obviously, you can eat all the ice cream you want and the band won't resist it. It's becoming a discipline battle for me, but I'm working on it :)
I really appreciate you sharing your story with me, and I will take your advice. 90 minutes a day is a LONG time to exercise, but is it really that much to sacrifice when I put my life at risk to have an operation to help me lose weight? If it was that important for me to have this surgery to try to lose weight, then I must make it a priority.
Thanks again :)
I definitely haven't been exercising like I should have been. I first tried to exercise two weeks post-op and was exhausted within 8 minutes. Energy was a real problem, but that's mainly bc my doc had me on liquids for 2 weeks then semi-soft/pureed foods for 2 weeks. I didn't exactly follow that plan though, because I was able to eat well-chewed regular food by week 3. Anyways, I have finally worked up to being able to do about 30 minutes on elliptical trainer non-stop. My next goal is to be able to alternate 1 minute walking/30 seconds jogging for 30 mins total. I am 100% with you that without a successful exercise plan, changing only what you eat will not work. So as far as my food intake, I'm trying to limit simple carbs also. I'm an ice cream-aholic. It's my downfall. This is going to be my vice with the band, because obviously, you can eat all the ice cream you want and the band won't resist it. It's becoming a discipline battle for me, but I'm working on it :)
I really appreciate you sharing your story with me, and I will take your advice. 90 minutes a day is a LONG time to exercise, but is it really that much to sacrifice when I put my life at risk to have an operation to help me lose weight? If it was that important for me to have this surgery to try to lose weight, then I must make it a priority.
Thanks again :)
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