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nickelbv's Blog
 

Overcoming Traditions

In Iceland we are big on traditions, at least my family. Ok probably all countries have their traditions. On Christmas, we always have this special drink, it's Orange Soda (kinda like Fanta) mixed with a Malt drink (non alcoholic) Both are carbonated. I love this drink. I could drink liters of it every day for Christmas, and well yes Easter as well. But lap band doesn't allow carbonated drinks. I tried one glass of it last weekend and I didn't feel that good. I had nausea that didn't go away until I let out a huge burp 3-4 hours later! How am I going to survive without that drink??? But I will I know I will. I will just find something really good instead. I tried a hot apple cider the other day that I made myself. It was seriously good but full of calories. I'm going to make that drink for Christmas as a special occasion.   Then we LOVE our smoked meat. I love it as well. My fave meat actually. Nope, can't eat it. Had it last weekend as well (dads bday) and I had problems with lunch all week. I could get some down and wasn't hungry but I had Productive Burping every day and I had to deliver some in the toilet. And I was at work! OMG but I eat by my desk so that I can eat at my own speed and not worry about other people.   I think this week has mentally been the most difficult since I went off liquid diet at the beginning. The smoked meat gave be lots of edema and I can't follow food tradition anymore.   But I saw the weight go down anyway! 0.4 pounds or 200 grams. Not a lot but with edema, it is something. It made me happy, yes that tiny weight loss did everything for me. I'm always learning, maybe a slow learner and I do the same mistake twice or ok three times haha, but I have to avoid smoked food and salt. If I do have those things, I have to suck it up and well feel bad for a week.   Is it worth it? nope not worth it. I even thought while this was going on, if I regretted the lap band, but nope, still love it. I can survive the productive burping, the slime and the fluid. I already feel overall better in my body. My underwear is even too big now! gosh haha, what a lovely feeling. Ok very bad for my bank account but it feels so good that my panties are about to slide down by itself if you get what I mean   And today I saw that I have a follower on my blog a woman who had the surgery at the same time I did and my blog is helping her. I saw her comment 1 month late. But wow that made me happy. I always thought I was just blogging for myself. Talking about my failures and how my mind works through all this. I'm glad someone like my blog   For those who don't know what edema is, it is excessive fluid in our body. Your face is like a balloon when you wake up and your fingers are like sausages. When you touch your skin, it doesn't feel like your own body, feels like jelly in there. Then the longer you are awake, then the fluid goes from your upper body and to your feet. But that doesn't bother me as much as when it's in my face, fingers and around the band.
lapband78

lapband78

0
walshie6981's Blog
 

Struggle Bus

A little about me, I am 34 year old female, new to this site. I had Gastric Sleeve August 21, 2015. I have lost around 28 pounds at this point but there are several things I am struggling with. I kind of hit a wall 5 weeks post surgery and was not losing any weight even while exercising 6 days a week. I would get so discouraged I stopped getting on the scale altogether. I don't want to become obsessed with the numbers and I am afraid that will happen, the great feeling of losing will make me want to get back on and see smaller and smaller numbers and the defeated feeling of NOT losing will be and has been quite discouraging.   I am having a hard time with food. I have always had a very hectic schedule, working two jobs, very rarely getting 5 minutes to breathe, never mind actually taking a lunch break. I am used to scarfing down my meal in between phone calls and client interactions and eating as quickly as possible until the food is gone. This seems to be habit that is going to be very difficult to break. I am only working one job right now, but it is still very fast paced and the one with the least amount of downtime. I have taken steps to make sure I am eating something, which did not happen at all my first 3 days back from surgery, but I am still shoveling the food in, no matter how many times I tell myself I need to slow down and try "mindful eating." On one of the other posts someone suggested an app called "Eat Slower" and I downloaded that a few minutes ago to try. I have also noticed patterns that have me wondering if I have a food addiction. I have never considered that in the past because I never ate sun up to sundown as the term addiction implies and I can go 8, 10, 12 hours without eating anything at all and be fine. Now, however, once I start eating I can't seem to make myself stop eating, even when I am uncomfortably full and bordering on painfully full.   I do not want to be another failed WLS statistic. I put my body through all of this trauma, I need to make sure I do everything within my power to make it successful so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
walshie6981

walshie6981

1
BlueMoon~T's Blog
 

I Failed My Band

I've been MIA for a long time from this site because I sorta feel like a failure. Here's my Story...   In August 2014 my band was too tight. I went to the the Dr. and they removed a tiny bit of fluid and had me drink some barium and asked me to do a swallow test. With tiny sips the water trickled through. I should have asked them to remove a little more but the weight was dropping off me fast because I could hardly get anything down. My mistake, but I feel like my Dr was somewhat responsible as well. It was just too tight! I was fine for two days, then I woke up on Friday morning and I couldn't drink my protein drink. i couldn't even swallow my saliva. I got the slimy yucky foamy stuff for most of the day. I called my Dr. office and had to leave a message. Nobody called me back on Friday. Saturday I woke up suddenly feeling very sick and i threw up blood. Several times Saturday I would throw up blood. My tummy would feel full and I hadn't eaten anything and I would throw up and it would be dark blood. Foolishly i waited until Sunday to go to the ER. By this time I was very dehydrated and my potassium was extremely low. Just a side note: If you ever have to have Potassium Intravenously infused it hurts so bad. I'm not exaggerating. It's very painful. Anyway...   Luckily, the hospital I went to has a newly opened WLS clinic and the surgeon who i was speaking with knew about the Lab Band and how to look for slippages. He even said he wanted to see if he could try to save my band for me. Unfortunately my band had completely slipped and was wrapped around the middle of my stomach. So, it had to be removed. After he left the room I sobbed I was so upset!   Flash forward to August 2015,I have a regain of about 40lbs. so i decided to have a revision to RNY Gastric Bypass. I found a new WLS Dr at a new Center that has really put me through the ringer. I had to go to a specific place to take my Psych. Evaluation. That was a little pricey $800 the Dr. was out of Network. Then I had to be approved by the surgical board to determine if they thought I would follow the program. Now, on September 15th, I am going to my preoperative class that takes all day long and I have to bring someone from my support group. I will find out my surgery date which should be in about 2 weeks because I will have to do the liquid diet. Then I will officially be an RNY Gastric Bypass Revision Patient!   Revision's don"t lose weight as fast as newly operated on patients. I've heard there have been complications with revisions from the band to the sleeve. I'm not versed enough to speak to all the complications because I am sure there are plenty with the RNY, too!   When I spoke to my Dr about his opinion on what he thought would be best for me he said, " Honestly, I prefer the RNY, because it has the dumping". I thought for a moment and decided that he was right and that would be another useful tool. I mean if my body rejects sweets and greasy food, then heck yeah! Here's to an awesome HONEYMOON PERIOD with my bypass surgery.   I'm hoping I will continue to get support from my friends and make new ones in the process. I'm trying to look at this as a positive thing.     Thanks for reading, ~T
BlueMoon~T

BlueMoon~T

1
The journey finally begins
 

Latest weight

Had my weigh in today with the nutritionist and things are still going steady. They use one of the scales that uses electrical currents to gauge your fat/non-fat percentages and it showed I lost 3/4 muscle to 1/4 fat. I am doing 30 minutes of cardio a day so I hoped that my muscle mass would at least hold steady. I am happy at the continued weight loss, but bummed at the mix. I know I must stay the course, but why am I so fixated on the bad news (muscle vs fat loss) rather than the good (20 lb loss in 5 weeks!!!)????
fernandfj

fernandfj

0
nickelbv's Blog
 

31 pounds gone

Today I had my third fill since my surgery on May 8th. I have now got about 6.1 ml/cc in the band. The fill was painful!! The nurse was stuck the needle in and was moving the needle inside of me to find the port opening. She told me to push my body like I was doing a push up and I had to hold that position for 5 min to keep the port still. OMG it was painful!! I asked for a break because it was starting to hurt really bad where she had the needle. By then the doctor noticed that something was wrong and came to me. He took a new needle and stuck it in (omg it hurt because I was so sore) and found the port after like 30 sec. He then told me that the port is lying with the opening at the side. Ok sorry for the language but F*** that S*** sorry, but it hurt, really hurt. And now I'm really sore and have a blue mark.   I kept thinking, where is that X-ray machine some doctors use when making that fill! Seriously ugh. I like my doctor but I don't like pain. I'm gonna remember this next time and tell them that the port is sideways. I might even opt for an operation to fix it. But let's see what happens.   Anyway, I'm slightly under the curve for the weight loss. I'm 31 pounds down since May 8th. Trust me, I'm happy! really happy. I haven't had this weight for YEARS! but I'm disappointed in myself for not staying on the curve. But my doctor and I blame it on my trip to Spain where I didn't stay on a health diet.   I'm going to prove to myself that I can be on the curve in the beginning of December. He said I'd be there in January but I'm putting some pressure on myself now.   I admit that the two weeks since I went on the vacation have been really difficult mentally. I was so sick on the vacation and soon after I got home, I was laying in bed for 3 days. My throat hurt really bad and well ice cream helped a LOT. Felt like when I had my tonsils removed. And trust me, ice cream does not help with weight loss haha.   Don't judge though and think I'm not ready for this battle. I had a relapse. I did loose weight through this period, just not enough weight. I am now on the straight and narrow and back on track. I think you learn from a relapse. Being sick isn't a good thing and you seek things that make you feel good.   I have been mentally ill as well a few years back. People were either getting sick or dying around me. I took it hard and had depression. I gained a LOT of weight. But I have learned from that experience. I know the warning signs. Food will not be my friend like that again. Now I have learned about physical illness and food can't be my friend there either. I will not allow it.   Weight loss is a battle. You might think you have it all, you had a surgery, you are mentally ready for this, physically ready but what makes you stronger is if you can stand up again when you fall down. That will make you stronger in this weight loss battle.   But 31 pound is something to be proud of and I'm going to remember all the milestones and reach for the next one. I can't wait!
lapband78

lapband78

0
ShawnaSims' Blog
 

Perfect Biotics contains only high quality ingredients

Ever since Perfect Biotics by Probiotic America was officialy put out on the market, customers as well as specialists in the domain agreed to this being an extremely powerful alimentary supplement with a wide range of benefits. From helping you get rid of alergies to regulating your GI tract once and for all, these capsules can provide each user with a wide range of advantages. If you are curious about the unique features of this revolutionary product, then let’s have a closer look at its ingredients.   Perfect Biotics by Probiotic America contains only high quality ingredients   Who wouldn’t like to solve multiple differnet health problems with just one pill taken on a daily basis? Owing to the well manufactured components of Perfect Biotics by Probiotic America, this alimentary supplement is not only trustworthy, but also very effective – quickly. As customers claim, they have begun to feel the benfic impact of these pills after a couple of weeks of constant utillization.   As long as you take one capsule per day each morning after breakfast, you should begin to feel healthier within the first 30 days of taking the product. The main reason why this supplement is effective so quickly is that every pill contains over 30 billion Colony Forming Units which turn into powerful probiotics after they get to your stomach. From Bifidobacteriium Breve, which improves the functionallity of your GI tract, to other kinds of probiotics including Lactobacillus Lactis, which is well known for helping the body burn fat faster, every kind of probiotics was carefully chosen and designed for you. On top of this matter, all of the probiotics improve your immune system and make it stronger as they block unhealthy bacteria when they try to get into your system.   What are the prominent features of Perfect Biotics by Probiotic America?   Among the most significant advantages that Perfect Biotics by Probiotic America offers is that it does not contain any kind of chemicals. Unlike other products in the same category, this one does not cause addiction either due to the fact that its only components are probiotics and they are naturally found in the human body anyway. Therefore, it can be admitted that this is one of those alimentary supplements which are worth your time and money.   If you are uncertain regarding the financial aspect of the matter, though, there’s no problem as you can still give Perfect Biotics by Probiotic America a try. The Probiotic America company is well aware of the fact that they must earn people’s trust first, which is why you get a 30 day money back guarantee for the first supply you order online. This is the ideal occasion of testing a revolutionary, unique formula and simply start getting healthier on a daily basis in a quick, simple and afforable way for anybody.
ShawnaSims

ShawnaSims

0
xlawman's Blog
 

Post surgery

Went to my frist follow up. Lost 20 lbs in 2 weeks. Now on full liquids for 2 weeks and normal food in 3 weeks. Although I exspected more less weight loss at least I am loosing. Due to the rain and hot weather here it hasn't been much time to get my walking in. I want to thank all the people here for all their advise and support. I was one of the lucky ones that had no complications before or after surgery. Onward I go with my journey.
xlawman

xlawman

1
The journey finally begins
 

Who, what , where and when... (why is pretty obvious)

I'm a 51 year old guy that has spent the better part of three decades letting my weight define me. It was always a convenient excuse for anything that went wrong - health, problems at work (fat haters...), relationship issues. etc. A dozen years ago i married a wonderful woman who opened my eyes to this, but it still took me until this year to finally do something about it. Actually, it took my body saying enough, through ever growing pains, high blood pressure and sleep apnea to leave me no choice (if I wanted to have any semblance of quality of life, that is)   So, I bit the bullet and decided in late May to have WL surgery. I opted for a sleeve and had the surgery July 29. I am 5"10" tall and weighed 347.8 lbs when I made the decision, and after the two week liquid diet my surgery weight was 331.8. Two months and lots of effort later, I weighed in this morning at 288.2! The journey has not been easy, but really worth it.   Along the way, I have begun to exercise regularly (I bought an old Nordic Track and have been using it religiously every day), have fought my food desires (mostly successfully) and recognized that the surgery was only the first phase. I have tried eating what I should not or in ways I shouldn't (bread, pasta, too much or too fast) and suffered the pain and nausea (who though such a little sleeve could make you feel soooooooooooooooooooooooooo bad).   I have also had the joy of watching old clothes disappear almost as quickly as the weight. I have obsessed at the scale and fretted over stalls and, God forbid - weight gain. I have watched my friends and family eat heartily and felt the the pangs of remorse. But the I would get up (without pain or strain) and realize that I had indeed embarked on a new life. As I moved around more freely, the regret would slip away.   Sorry for the rambling, but at this point, it's a jumble of feelings that I am trying to organize and understand. So far, the problems, while overwhelming at the moment they occur (especially when I eat what I shouldn't or too fast), rapidly fade in comparison to how good I am feeling and how mobile I have become. I remain committed to this journey. Wish me luck!!!!
fernandfj

fernandfj

0
Kelsey Marie's Blog
 

Week 5 Measurments

Waistline: 38.5" Weight: 224.2 lbs. Bust:45.25" Hips: 47.5 Neck: 15" Wrist: 7" Bicep: 15" Forearm: 11.5" Thigh: 28.75" Calf: 17.75"   Weight Lost: 40.8 lbs Total Inches Loss: -21" BMI Reduced: -4.7
Kelsey Marie

Kelsey Marie

0
lortega7774's Blog
 

A little about me

I am new on here and usually don't share myself with people, but after reading some of the blogs I found out that I am not the only one. Well I am 38 years old, and I have not had the surgery yet. I have been to my surgeon and have talked to him about everything. I have 3 more months of the diet with my PCP. I started 3 months ago at 426 lbs. After going to my third appointment with my PCP I am at 403 lbs. I was so excited. I have really had a hard time losing weight. I always thought that I was not eating big. After doing my diet with my PCP I noticed I really did eat big. I really need this tool to help me lose more weight. I have struggled with weight ever since I was 11 years old. I would lose maybe 2-5 lbs but then I would gain like double to triple that amount. With my family by my side for support I know this will work. I know it is going to be a struggle at times, but I am ready for it. I have been big for too long. My mom was bigger than me. She weighed in over 500 lbs. She is now 228 lbs. It has taken her a little bit to get there. She said without the bypass she would not have been able to lose the weight like she did. I am so proud of her. Now it is my turn to lose the weight. Thank you for listening to me.
lortega7774

lortega7774

0
Jean A Enger's Blog
 

Struggling a bit after surgery

I had my Gastric Sleeve surgery August 24th . But I feel I have no energy . I had 20 or more pills to take before my surgery but now that my stomach is the size of a cup I can only take the necessary pills . I don't like the taste of protein shakes . Maybe I will have to either sprinkle the protein in my food or start eating protein bars ? Not sure . I have to take my prozac for my depression which is very important for me . Since it helps balance my moods is a absolute must for me . Along with the Prozac I am suppose to take Wellbutrin or also known as Bupropin . A gummy multivitamin . It just gets so overwhelming with all these things I am suppose to be taking and I can't cause of my stomach being so small . I wish I could drink a gallon of ice water cause I get so thirsty . Does anyone else seems to have these same problems ?
Jean A Enger

Jean A Enger

2
Kelsey Marie's Blog
 

Week 4

So Thursday marks my 4 week mark since my surgery. It's been a crazy ride so far! Here are my current measurements.   Waistline: 38.5" Weight: 227.3 lbs Bust: 45.5" Hips: 48" Neck: 15" Wrist: 7" Bicep: 15" Forearm: 11.5" Thigh: 29.25" Calf: 18"   Weight Lost: -37 lbs Total Inches Lost: -19.25" BMI Reduced: -4.2   I love watching the inches fall off as much as the weight. It really is wonderful! My waist hasn't looked like this in years!
Kelsey Marie

Kelsey Marie

0
GastricSleeveGalJourney
 

Introduction

September 21st   Current Stats:   Nationality: Canadian Age: 26 Height: 5'3 Weight: 195 lbs BMI: 30+ Surgery: Gastric Sleeve Date: Jan 5th, 2016   Reasons why I am being sleeved   1. Digestive issues: IBS like symptoms 2. Fertility: TTC 5 years 3. Intolerances: Wheat, Dairy: Hard to avoid, so I figure if stomach is smaller I would eat smaller amounts so it may cause less havoc on my system.   Reasons for my weight gain:   I always been small all through school age, ate like a bird. Once high school hit a total different story. I don't over eat, I just eat the wrong foods, mainly fast foods and restaurants. I do not like a whole lot of fruits and veggies, I am obsessed with pasta; especially mac n cheese. And I am not active, And my thyroid is low. Now balanced with meds.   When TTC I was put on a lot of meds because I been through 4 IVFs in 2 years. That also caused weight gain. It started to increase over the past 5 years. I was in the 150's 5 years ago, now in the 190's. It may not seem much but it shows. Especially since I am short.   My mother was really overweight my whole life, Got the sleeve last year and lost 110 lbs . My sister is also doing the sleeve with me in Jan.   When its my turn I hope you will follow along with my journey, and hope to inspire others to take charge of their health.   I do not have the attitude that this is "The Easy Way Out" because its not! It is just as much as struggle as anything else. This surgery is a tool to assist, we still got to put in the work of eating healthy, eating the right amount, and exercising.   I will continue this blog in January
skp

skp

0
nickelbv's Blog
 

Travel problems

Ok so it's been a while since I last blogged but a lot has been going on.   I'm from Iceland. An island way up north. So I just came back from travelling to Spain, a Mediterranean country and let me tell you, things there are different from what I'm used to.   I've been to Spain 3 times before and never thought that much about food. I just ate what ever and loved it.   But having the lap band is more difficult. The town I was staying at didn't have that many restaurants but when I went to them, they carried BREAD BREAD BREAD. They loved serving bread or huge dishes! I love tabas mmmm but it's served on bread, thick slices of bread. I can only eat thin slices.   So when out eating, I ended up eating fries, omelette and lasange. But only found one restaurant carrying lasagne. But I tried cooking at home as well, so I wouldn't starve and didn't really want omelette or fries for every meal.     The temperature! Gosh it was HOT. That mean that my polar body was swollen ever day with extra fluid and that also meant that my stomach opening was a lot smaller. I had to make a lot of trips to the bathroom spit out food that got stuck in the opening. The Productive burping was terrible! No matter what I ate. My worst case was a tomato!! Hello!! A tomato, a very well chewed tomato! I just had terrible time with it. That's why I was afraid to eat what ever was on the menu. But fries, I know they are deep fried and not that healthy, but I could chew them into baby food! What does a hot woman need in a hot weather??? ice cream. mmmm love some good ice cream. And I had a lot of it. It was a guilty pleasure. But it was so good in the hot weather.   Alcohol. I was very very careful with that. I wanted a cold beer very badly but I stuck to cocktails with no carbonated liquids in it and yes that was just fine. And never got drunk or tipsy or what ever. Did not want to add hangover and throwing up to the PB!!   I even at once point thought that it would be best to finish the trip off by eating only chocolate and ice cream because that went down very well haha.   Also the company I was with. They were so nice and understanding but I was giving myself hard time for making them wait for me while I ate really really really slowly. We could never eat anywhere in hurry, ever. I came with a solution though, I sometimes grabbed a banana because that's easy to eat on a go.   Now at home, I'm still swollen from the travel but I couldn't wait stepping on the scale and no weight gain!! to my surprise! I'll see how it went after my body has adjusted after the travel.   I have to tell you though that for the first time in my life, I had lots of left overs at the restaurants I ate at. I felt like apologizing for it to the waiters, for not finishing my food. I've always finished everything at a restaurant but I was very careful, even though the portions were big, that I would only eat until I was satisfied (not full) and I'm proud of that.   Overall, I did enjoy my trip very much and Spain is a fantastic country. And I've always enjoyed the food there before the lap band. But this was a difficult trip food wise and not that healthy I'm glad it didn't set me back tough.   I'm happy to be home and on Monday hopefully my body has recovered and that I will not have any extra fluid.  
lapband78

lapband78

0
Kelsey Marie's Blog
 

Week 3 Measurements

I know I'm a week behind, and I'll get my Week 4 measurements up soon, life has been crazy. But here they are!   Waistline: 39" Weight: 237.3 lbs Bust: 46" Hips: 49" Neck: 15" Wrist: 7.25" Bicep: 16" Forearm: 12" Thigh: 30" Calf: 18.5"   Weight Lost: -17.7 lbs Total Inches Lost: -13" BMI Reduced: -2.7
Kelsey Marie

Kelsey Marie

0
Welcome to my journey toward being able to walk again!
 

Third Dr Visit

Hi Everyone Aug 24th I saw the Dr again for the 3rd visit. I lost another 10 pounds and I was very happy and so was the Dr. He asked me if I had any questions and he answered them all. He asked if I had my Psych Eval yet and I told him it was scheduled for the 26th. It took me awhile to find a Dr as the first 3 names I was given by the insurance company didn't do WLS evaluation. However I remembered the Dr's name from 2008 when I tried for the lapband and was denied. She remembered me and said of course come on back and let's chat. In 2008 she wanted to see me 3 times and did the same this time. I believe my last visit will be Thursday Sept. 17th. The Dr asked me to have another catscan. This time he wanted it of my lungs as a nodule was found in my right lower lobe during the first full body scan when he though all I had was a hernia. I am still waiting to get the results of that catscan. I already have to worry about a hernia and a porcelain gallbladder and now a possible damaged lung. I just hope and pray that the nodule they saw the first time proves to be nothing this time. I see the Dr again Sept 28th for the 4th visit and I am trying to lose even more weight. I really would like to be around 300 before the surgery so I have a good chance of getting to goal by my 61st birthday. I am a bit scared as I was reading a posting about older women and the struggles they were having with the surgery. I just hope and pray I don't have the same problems. I have enough pain in my daily life. I know there will be some pain with the surgery but after the surgery pain I don't know how much additional pain I can handle. I will continue to read and post on the site. Not much else is new so I will close for now. Have a Healthy and Happy Month
ssflbelle

ssflbelle

0
readyforchange1974's Blog
 

The Struggle

I been struggling with weight for I would say probably since my early 20's when I was in a committed relationship that would last from the naive age of 20 to the wise age of 29. We would go out to eat all the time very big meals steaks with all the trimmings and pizza, trying every restaurant in the area where we lived. Then on weekends have the big family meals that if you didn’t eat, the person preparing would feel offended. My weight started 145 lbs. and at the end was up to 175 lbs. The weight loss also consisted of eating out during the week at my job that was too convenient to order out and "eat on the run”. It is now 2015 , my weight is at a sad weight of 222 lbs., I am a candidate for gastric sleeve, I had my with all my doctors to get my permission for surgery, meet with a dietician , and scared because I been trying her suggestions and only lost 2lbs , Still have to the psych evaluation, mammogram and surgery consult. I guess I am writing this today because I just want to know I am not alone in my struggles. God Bless all who read this and give me inspiration and courage to go on (Yes, I have strong family support). Is everyone having the struggle to lose the weight that started slowly and didn’t look big at first and then when look at pictures can see the true picture of what others see ?
readyforchange1974

readyforchange1974

0
Gerrina's Blog
 

My First Time

Hello Everyone! Today is my very first time on a blog i am so proud of myself.I had the Sleeve done on August 10,2015.Its been almost a month and i have lost 30lbs. Im so afraid of gaining the weight back. does anyone have any advice.
Gerrina

Gerrina

1
Banded.
 

Healthy Snack

Half a cup plain greek yogurt half a thinly sliced banana. Finely chopped strawberries (2) One scoop vanilla protein powder. 1 Tablespoon natural peanut butter A few raspberries Topped with a natural granola.   You can also use chocolate protein powder. It tastes a lot like cheesecake meets mousse.   SO SO good for those days were swallowing isn't a b***h
Elled2

Elled2

0
Banded.
 

Hold my hair back.

I've had my band for 3 years. Of those three years I spent one year struggling with swallowing anything, even my own saliva. It was the worst year of my entire life, but I looked damn good. I was the smallest weight I had ever been. I was active, I was shrinking, and I was cocky. I lost myself in my weight loss journey. My lap-band was too full, the restriction was so tight. I struggled to sip hot water. Nothing would slip through...and I became sick. I became the girl I never wanted to be. I never wanted to make myself ill so that I could accomplish weight loss. I fought my entire life so that I would not end up like those bulimic models on TV. But, I wasn't eating. And people noticed I was losing weight. I got compliments. I loved it. I lived an entire year with a restricted band. I would get a de-fill every few months. But I always got it filled back up as soon as I saw a number increase on the scale. I lost myself in my lap-band weight loss journey. I took advantage of a tool meant to help me on my weight loss journey. The lap-band is not magic. It will not make you lose weight simply by having it wrapped around your stomach. Like a hammer or a saw, the lap-band is a tool that you must use. It took my four years to learn that my band is not responsible for my weight loss. I was responsible for my weight loss; my band was just a tool I used to aide me in my journey. The moment I realized that I was abusing my resource, my life improved. My mental health became more positive, my physical health improved drastically. I saw a nutritionist and a dietitian to learn more about what my body needs to see positive, healthy weight loss. I was advised on taking over 7 natural vitamins a day that are essential for your body to function at a well enough pace to support the energy required for weight loss. The body is a machine, and it needs essential vitamins and nutrients to survive. So if you want to lose weight, don't take diet pills. Ask your doctor about your vitamin levels, and then incorporate more of what your lacking in your blood. Feed your body in ways that aren't necessarily food. In saying this, I don't mean don't eat. Absolutely eat whole foods. But don't neglect your body because you have a band, or a sleeve, or a by-pass. Remember that it is your machine, and the machine is run by you. You are in charge of your machine and it's resources. Take control of your relationship with your weight loss 'tools' and make your weight loss experience a positive one. I wish someone had told me this years ago when I was struggling with my weight. My mental relationship with my physical body has drastically improved. I have not thrown up in over 2 years. No one has had to hold my hair back after I binge eat in frustration. I always said that I eat when I am upset or angry or sad. I was an emotional eater. But I find that I don't crave food as much when I am distressed. And I believe that is because my brain/body is satisfied with the level of nutrients and vitamins I have supplied myself with through supplements because with a band it can be difficult to eat whole food. Knowing the restriction of your band is sometimes impossible, but the least we can do on those moments when we are too restricted is to provide our bodies with supplements as best we can so that our mind is not as distressed as our empty stomachs may feel. Give your body peace of mine and please take my advice. It really is a game changer in the weight loss journey.   Very passionate about this topic as the realization was just so simple. Sorry if it got out of hand!
Elled2

Elled2

0
Banded.
 

Mind Games

Despite having lost 70 lbs, my mind still treats my new body with the same grievances.   'You're too fat to wear that outfit'. 'You could use another 5lbs' 'Are you really going to eat all those grapes? You don't need the extra calories!' 'You skipped a workout? You're worthless'   I shrank from 210 lbs to 140lbs. A size 18 pant to a size 6 pant. I started running, attending yoga, making friends, feeling confident... but every morning when I would wake up and look in the mirror while getting dressed I would see it. The 5 more pounds, the stretch mark, the surgery scar... and then my mind would start to play games.   Despite my weight loss success, my mind kept dragging me back to the mind of my 210lb self. The version of me that was self-conscious, that hid beneath clothes three sizes too big. The 'fat' version of myself. The mind games I play with myself are relentless, after all I am my greatest critic. No one could out criticize me because I live with myself 24/7. I am my biggest barrier and I am my greatest cheerleader.   Weight loss is hard. It is as much a physical battle as it is a mental battle. Be kind to yourself.   In being kind to yourself, you will be amazed at how plateaus transform into progress. You will be more dedicated to your weight loss journey. Hush the little voice in your head telling you can't and show yourself that you can. If you don't feel like going on a run, walk around your neighbourhood. If you want a piece of cake or a sugary treat, find a recipe that is healthier but you still feel naughty indulging.   Life is supposed to be lived so that you can learn and grow. Stop the mind games, smash the mirror, and set achievable, realistic goals for your weight loss journey.   I advise you to make positive mental growth a top priority; weight loss will follow.
Elled2

Elled2

0
nickelbv's Blog
 

Routine

I've now had the lap band for almost 4 months. I've learned a lot through these 4 months. I've lost about 27 pounds in these 4 months and I'm happy about that, actually very happy about that. Summer has been difficult. I've been naughty when it has come to food. I've had ice cream, cakes and lots of other stuff. But the difference between this summer and the summer last year is that I eat like a normal person. I don't sit with the box of ice cream and finish it in 1 evening. My portions are small.   What I've learned also that at a dinner table, I have to stand up as soon as I finish my meal. I can sit and chat with the people if there is still some food on the table.   I have also stopped going to the canteen with my co workers. After a few "stuck" and Productive burping, it became too much. Once I had to throw all of my food in the garbage because I just couldn't get it down. I talked to the chef and I am now able to take some food with me to my office and eat there. Where it's quiet and I can do it in my own speed.   No more breakfast for me. Now I eat lunch, something when I get home from work between 4-5 and then dinner at 8 latest. That routine is going really well for me.   I can eat almost everything. I can have pizza and tortilla. I have not tried regular bread yet but since I'm going to travel to the Mediterranean this week, I might have to try some since it might get difficult to control what you can eat, what's available. But I'm going to try my best to avoid bread. Might toast it if I can so that the texture wont be as soft.   Even though I have the productive burping very often, like almost once a day, I've learned to live with it. When I get it, I stop eating for a while, maybe 5 minutes and then continue with even smaller bite. I still love my lab band, I would do it all over again even with all the information I have now and some bad episodes.   27 pounds in 4 months, I think it's amazing. My doctor likes the speed. Says it's a normal speed, not too slow and not to fast. Very good for the skin to heal from being BIG. I've still got a long way to go. But this journey has been easier than I thought it would be, yes I said it, really it has. But it has some ups and down and I know there will be a lot of downs before everything becomes perfect. But as long as I'm loosing weight, I'm happy.   Last time I was at this weight was 3 years ago, I gained much weight last years since I went through some difficult time. But now I reached a milestone that I was looking forward to very much. My next milestone is 27 pound more, that means I will not be eligible for gastric bypass anymore. And that's something to celebrate!
lapband78

lapband78

2

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