After my 2nd fill last week, lots of people have asked what happened and what my nurse said. K, here it goes, hope I remember everything......

I went into the office 20 min early, I drive 2 hrs to get there, and tina actually called my back right after that. Weird! Good thing too because i kept her there for 45 min. answering my questions.

1. snacks, some docs say no, some yes, she said by all means, if it keep you from eating the paint of the wait do so. I was just having fruit, or sf jello, things like that. I thought that was good. She said NO! for your snack, eat protein. She said some crackers with peanut butter. I was stunned. I asked how many, she smiled and said 2 crackers with just a smear of peanut butter.... lots of fat!

2. Why do you only put 1 cc in at a time when others use a floriscope and get the right amount in the first time? She said that if she did that, which they used to do, people end up throwing up and getting blocked all the time. It's a learning curve and this way, you listen more to your body. TOTALLY MAKES SENSE TO ME! But it still sucks! I still have no restriction.

3. Why do some people loose 60 lbs in 3 months and some don't lose any weight in a year? She said that she doesn't want me to lose that much weight that fast. It's not healthy, yes people (men) loose faster than others, but 2 lbs is healthy. Think about this, my brother did the math. In 1 yr at 2 lbs a week that is 104 in one year! I'd be thrilled with that, so I need to look at the big picture, not the 1 or 2 lbs a week. Anyway, she said that some people loose more because they actually have the food, head hunger, water, everything under their belt. Some people just GET IT. Sooooooo not me!

4. My dietitian wanted me to eat only 2 oz of protein at a meal. Tina smiled and said that this is where they differ. She AND Dr. Pitt agree that 2 oz is just not that much. 3 oz will make you more full and last longer. So I have been doing more protein and it works! I am feeling so much better.

5. Give me some ideas for snacks (going back to 3) She said that the perfect snack is string cheese wrapped with lunch meat. I did that with 5 raspberries. I actually had 2 cheese sticks, but who's counting.

6. Why am i not loosing? I haven't lost weight in 2 wks. I've been very discouraged. Therefore, eating the wrong things. She said this first little while you need to have will-power. Hmmmmm......WILL-POWER, WHAT A CONCEPT! She smiled and said she understood, but she suggested this..... measure your meal out. Eat ONLY that, and get up from the table. That's a hard one for me because that where my family talks about their day. So, I did it. I ate super slow, which also helped, because I didn't want to leave before my kids did. I wanted to hear about their day and their concerns or triumphs. I have 2 teenagers and a 10 and 8 yr old. Yes, I am crazy, but no one told me I was crazy when they came out looking so damn cute...... and huge! 10 pounders for me! Ok, back on topic.....I ended up listening more than eating! I found that when everyone was done, you know what I was good!

6. I think that's 6 anyway. hmmm... dang it! I had another one that was really important, but can't remember. Oh well, I'll move on to the next one. She made a comment about food. That there was a man who was busting his butt exercising and he didn't lose any weight. She finally realized that he needed to up his calorie intake. I thought about this for a while. I am chasing puppies all day long, then I work out sometimes. I thought to myself, maybe I need to up my calories just a bit. I tried this new site that someone on here recommended for me. It's www.myfitnesspal.com I only use it to record my food. Genius by the way! I log my food and my exercise. Anyway, it's been telling my I need 1400 calories a day, which we all know with the lap band, there is no way we can do that. But I have upped it amazingly, I say amazingly because I haven't been keeping track of calories, just food. But this one does calories. Anywho..... Amazingly, I upped it to about 1100-1200 calories and wam bam thank you mam, I lost 2 lbs without blinking my eyes!!!!! I don't do that every day, I just do it when I exercise, which lately hasn't been all that great, what with nightmere puppies here. If you don't know what I mean, read my blog..... you will see the little devils. Oh, I also have a story about them, again, today.

7. Tina also said that weight loss would not happen if I didn't exercise. I have zero co-morbities. I don't have high blood pressure, no diabities, no arthritis, nothing. Therefore, when I exercise I needed to really be kicking my butt and profusely sweating! She said to kick it into high gear. No meander walking, no midioker exercising for me! I should be dead at the end of my workout. That's why I came home from the docs and ran! Felt great!

It's kind of funny, but was talking to my friend, Rhonda, who is on here and she had blood work done and her ketones were high. When I actually did the atkins diet, I was in ketosis all the time. IE: lots of meat! I laugh now because I feel like I'm sort of back on the atkins diet. I eat lots of mean, though lean meats now, so yeah, my ketones probably are high too.

I can't remember what else she said, if I remember I will back up. Now...... on to todays nightmere puppy story.

I get up at 7 because my 2 puppies that I bought are screaming and crying. They are in the cage downstairs. I go down there and their 2 little heads are sticking out of the cage! Hmmmm.... what happened? Well, this cage was an old one that one of our um, shall we say, loner dog for breeding, we put him in. He freaked out and actually chewed through the metal cage and bottom tray. Stuck his paw out and ruined my carpet. Yup, bad one. Anyway, I didn't think the hole was that big. Well obviously it was. They just looked at me and yelped. I couldn't help laughing. Think about this. You come around the corner and all you see in the corner, because the couch is in the way, are 2 little husky heads looking out at you! pretty funny! Anyway, I actually had to cut the cage to get their heads out, little devils! So we went outside. hmmmm 2 out of 3 puppies are gone and so is one of the moms. I found yet another hole where they dug under the fence. Isn't it amazing at the small holes they can get out of???? So I went searching and searching. Nothing! I finally went out and got another cage for my 2 pups and went grocery shopping. So I get home and I go out back to play with my only lone pup and my 2. We are playing and i hear whinning. hmmmm.... out backyard is adjacent to a small forest. I got out there and low and behold, there is Spirit, the mom, and her to pups running full scale right at me looking like they saw a ghost. Well, they get to me and start jumping at me. All I see are black puppies, they are pure white, and a very black mom. And the smell! OH MY GOSH! SERIOUSLY BAD! They rolled in something dead!!!!! So, now I'm covered it um....well black dead stuff and I carry the puppies home while Spirit follows. So I get them in our only kennel and start spraying them off. No I have no sympathy for them at this moment. They are screaming obviously I'm inhumane and mean, muahahahahaha! Ok, yes, I did take great delight in their moment of horror! Ok, so I finally get them somewhat cleaned off. I'm about ready to come inside when my husband gets home from work. I told him my horror story and he is furious! We all are! Anyway, he looks at me and says you are so not coming in the house yet. Why? I ask. Because you are covered in seed ticks and burs and bigger ticks! THAT DAMN FOREST! So, we spend the next hour, yes you heard me, hour taking burs and ticks off me! Kevin at this point smiles mischieviously at me and asks........ "So, are you going to exercise now?" WHAT THE HELL?! I jsut about shot him! Uh, NOOOOOOOOOOOOO I said. I think I got enough exercise chasing and bending and carrying puppies! 2 more! I only have 2 more to sell!!!!! I CAN AND WILL survive till then!

Anyway, hope this helps, well not my nightmere.... well, maybe it will...... don't buy siberian huskies! lol.

love to all!

OHHHHHHH I do remember one more point the nurse told me. She told me that, "you know when you go out to dinner, they bring you an appetizer, soup, salad, and at that point before your meal is brought to you, you lean over to whoever you are with and say, I am actually good, I dont think I can eat my food" THAT'S what you want to feel like. She used to tell patients to eat till you are full. Not anymore. She said eat till you are satisfied! Ouch! Now that is a hard one! Eating slow and listening to your body she said are the key to this!

Thanks for the tips and the puppy story. I could tell you a few but that's another day LOL. Best wishes. imaluckydog

Thanks for the information! Nice to hear another doctor's point of view.