Congratulations you've arrived at the Maintaining phase of Banded Living™. If you're like some of us, you may have thought that maintaining a healthy weight was beyond your reach. But, you've arrived; you've reached your goals. Woohoo!
This is the final phase of Banded Living™ - living life to the fullest free from the burdens of obesity for the rest of your life. By this point you've mastered your tool and are maintaining your success. You still have setbacks, but you have this tool and you know how to use it to get back on track! You still check in with your surgical practice periodically. You're learning to trust that this time your weight loss is for good, and you are experiencing the health and quality of life benefits of long-term weight loss. You are probably still working on your body image, and learning new things your body can do. You're relying on others in the Banded Living™ community to help you stay on course, and you're probably involved in paying it forward.
Please take time to celebrate and enjoy. Share your success with us by submitting your story with your favorite before and after pictures to:
maintaining@bandedliving.com
Long Term Lap Band Success - Change Is Still Scary By: Sandi Henderson - SandisBandedLiving Blog Here I am just a few weeks away from my ninth birthday. No, it's not a typo, on 5/28/2013 it will be nine years since the first day of my second chance at life. That's the day I had Lap Band surgery. On that day everything changed in a good way. . . . keep reading
And The (Lap) Band Plays On -- Act One By: Sandi Henderson - Sandi'sBandedLiving Blog So here I was, sitting in a room with about a dozen other people, sitting around a conference table discussing the effects on the weight loss surgery community of the forthcoming sale of the company (or division of the company) that makes the medical device that I chose as my weight loss surgery tool almost nine years ago. Can YOU picture that and what it would be like? . . . keep reading
Living With My Lap Band - Navigating The Choices By Planning My Day By: Sandi Henderson - Sandi'sBandedLiving Blog On Friday afternoons I frequently find myself and my husband at Costco or Sam's Club picking up a few things. Friday afternoons and all weekend both of these super stores offer samples of foods that are on sale or just on promotion for a while. When I first started my life after Lap Band surgery I would studiously avoid all of these samples. This segued into only tasting the ones that were protein after a few years of being banded. Last week I found myself, at almost 9 years post-op trying almost everything that was offered. . . . keep reading
Adjusting My Food Choices - Breakfast With Gloria By: Sandi Henderson from Sandi'sBandedLiving Blog Ok- so bands are not one size fits all. Adjustments feel different to different people at different times. I was having breakfast this morning, with my mentor, mentee and good friend Gloria. At the moment her band feels very loose to her. Mine however feels pretty well adjusted- I know it's there, if I eat too fast I get a hard stop, . . . keep reading
"Adjusting" My Lap Band, By Adjusting My Food Choices - Breakfast with Sandi By: Gloria Samuels from Gloria'sBandedLiving Blo I've left the rains in the Northeast to visit my mentor, mentee and good friend Sandi. It's a beautiful day in Southern California, and it doesn't hurt that Sandi lives by the beach. We're sitting down to breakfast and I'm reminded once again that lap bands are not one size fits all. . . . keep reading
My Lap Band Journey - Learning How To De-Stress With Food The Right Way By: Sandi Henderson from SandisBandedLiving Blog Okay, so I should know better. By the time I was done my mind was no longer in overwhelm, I was able to focus, and I sat down and finished the work I had been circling around in about ½ hour. And…..I did a good job to boot. You're next question is what wonder food did I eat that inspired me to let go of all of my stress and whip out my work quickly and concisely? The answer is about to amaze you. I ate NOTHING. . . . keep reading
Long Term Lap Band Success - Portion Control Has Many Disguises By: Sandi Henderson from SandisBandedLiving Blog Maybe that nerve in my stomach that sends the satiety signal to my brain has crossed with the one that sends random thoughts flying around in there. Who knows…Anyway, back to portion control. I decided yesterday that I was going to stop with the catch phrase "I am eating around xxxx calories and start writing everything down... . . . keep reading
Lap Band Fills: Too Loose, Too Tight or Just Right? By: Gloria Samuels, From GloriasBandedLiving Blog I've had emails and comments from some of you asking about fills. How do I know when I have a good fill? What will it feel like? How many fills does it take? What fill volume? I've also heard from several members of the Banded Living community who are either feeling too tight, or worried about slips and are having trouble eating good quality foods. I'm convinced that a good fill is as much of an art as it is a science. . . . keep reading
Me And My Lap Band -- Am I Full Or Am I Satisfied? By: Sandi Henderson, From SandisBandedLiving Blog My doctor hates the word full. For those of us with lap bands "full" means too many things to use as a descriptive word. For example, for some it often means I have eaten that one bite too much and I think I may be stuck and I'm not sure this meal is going to stay down, or even worse. . . . keep reading
Living With My Lap Band - How to Deal With PBs Or A Yak Attack By: Sandi Henderson, From SandisBandedLiving Blog Eight years, 2 months and 2 days. That's how long it's been since my lap band surgery. Would I do it again? You bet, I don't even have to think about that one. Why? Because I am not hungry all of the time, emotional eating is in much smaller portions, I have a life, and I am keeping my weight in check and have resolved my medical issues. . . . keep reading
Lap Band Living Success -Learning to be normal By: Clare Pattison I have never been normal. As far back I can remember I was overweight. I had puppy fat. I was chubby. I was heavy for my height but I'd grow into it. I had an adult appetite. I was pleasantly plump. I was at Weight Watchers at age 12. . . . keep reading
Lap Band Success - Maintenance: A War or A Lifestyle? By: Sandi Henderson, From SandisBandedLiving Blog As I logged on to Facebook this morning one of my favorite people had put up a comment about maintenance after weight loss surgery being a battle…oh wait, here it is complete and direct from The World According to Eggface's Facebook post: . . . keep reading
Clare's LapBanded Living - How I Navigate The Food With My Lap Band By: Clare Pattison It's BBQ and picnic season once again where tables are covered with checkered table cloths and laden with an amazing array of colourful and flavourful foods. Even if we take only a taste of everything we end up with way too much food and way too many calories. . . . keep reading
Long Term Lap Band Success - So What IS Normal And How Do I Achieve That Status? By: Sandi Henderson, From SandisBandedLiving Blog Here I am, just a couple of weeks short of the 8th anniversary of my lap band surgery, or Day One of Living My Life. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical and then 30 minutes strength training, and, as I got up off the floor just using my legs (look Ma, no hands...) I thought to myself….. "Self, should I continue congratulating ME every time I get up from the floor in one fluid motion using core and leg power? . . . keep reading
My Journey to Health With Weight Loss Surgery By: Sandi Henderson, From SandisBandedLiving Blog In January 2004 I sat in my doctor's office fearing for my life, waiting for her to tell me that my blood pressure had gone down enough that I could go to the pharmacy and pick up my blood pressure meds and then go home. I was terrified. I was confused. I was morbidly obese and finally was scared into doing something about it. . . . keep reading
Weight Loss Surgery Living - Rebooting My Success After Weight Loss Surgery To Keep Things At An Even Keel By: Sandi Henderson, From SandisBandedLiving Blog There I was, my eighth holiday season after weight loss surgery reaching out for "just a little bite" of all of those evil demon holiday foods constantly thrust in front of my face within a simple grasp of my hand. Yup, that's right. I reached….not only did I reach, but I bit….not only did I bite, but I chewed…not only did I chew, but I swallowed…A LOT! . . . keep reading
Exploring WLS
Sandi Henderson
Gloria Samuels
