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The other day I sent Kate my nurtioist a whiney email about gaining 2 lbs I then followed up that email with a vist to her and she said you look great then sent me this. The number on the scale will not tell you * what a great person you are * how much your freinds and faimily love you * That you are Kind, smart, Funny & Amazing in ways numbers cannot define * that you have the power to choose happness * Your own self worth So just relex take a breath it just a number your doing great

No not completely. I may not have the experience that some bandsters do, but I am quickly learning in my 13 short days. I am sooo very greatful I have found ways to enjoy my protien powder without getting bored. I am very happy I invested in a Magic Blender. It's been my lifesaver. I put all my Light Progresso soups in it with some chicken or beef broth...to make it soupier. I add vanilla and/or chocolate protien powder to a cup of ice and a cup of coffee in the morning to make an iced coffee. I bought Lipton diet tea with honey, individual packs, and add unflavored whey protien to it for my afternoon drink and I drink another one at night. So I am getting atleast 75g of protien per day. I am getting in the habit to brush my teeth after EVERY meal, that helps the hunger cravings. Then when my 30 minutes are up the toothpaste taste is gone and I can have my liquids. I am still having trouble getting all my liquids in, but I am trying since the hunger has increased over the past couple of days. The worst time of day for me is suppertime. My family has always depended on me to cook a hot dinner. The first week and a half they did fend for themselves, but I had to help because alot of what they were cooking were my recipes. Now, my husband has stopped helping make dinner and my kids are tired of ramen noodles and frozen pizza's. Actually they are out of them and I refuse to buy those anymore. So, I am cooking chicken and rice for dinner tonight and I have the BBQ chicken in the oven for tomorrow night. The house smells soooo good, and so tempting. I miss eating with my family, but I know if a couple of weeks I will be eating with them and they will be eating healthier since I don't short oder cook. Time to move on and take another walk on the treadmill.

Today we had my daughter's 8th birthday party...I've always been a sweet eater...birthday cake was always a for sure thing for me at parties...I never knew how people had the will power or just the unwant of cake (or any sweets for that matter)...but today I realized how much this surgery really has changed me...I didn't even have the yearning to cut myself the smallest crumb of cake...It really didn't hit me until the end of the party after everyone had left...I got so excited when I realized I went through a whole party and didn't even think twice about it...now I know to some people that may be such a small thing but to someone like me with such a sweet tooth that was a huge milestone...anyways just thought I'd tell you guys about it since I know other people around me might not get it as much as all of you...HAVE A GREAT NIGHT YOU GUYS!!!!

Well everyone. Wednesday is my day! My 'new' life begins on August 1, 2012. VSG here I come! Any words of advice from you post sleevers? What vitamins are you taking? My understanding is multivitamin with iron, Calcium citrate, and B12.

I have been thinking about how I got to where I am now. How I got to be so unhealthy. I love food and food is a big part of socializing in American society. I was talking to a college friend of mine and they are big too. We came up with the following explanation. It doesn't fit EVERY situation but I think it is possible to sum it up for most bandsters. We are "Food Aholics" (FAs).We love food and like to socialize with others. The main difference between FAs and alcoholics and drug addicts is that you have to eat in order to live. We can't just abstain from alcohol or illicit substances. It's not possible for us to step away from our "drug" and continue to live life. We have made the conscious choice to make changes in ourselves and our lives by getting banded. We want to live our lives and be happier than we were. I think that some of us are "wired" for tastes of food. I love the taste of some foods. I love it so much that it goes to excess. That's how I got to where I am, I know it. I read a lot in the forums and my heart goes out to those that are chastised for getting the band or making choices that they are being judged for. I would advise that you focus on you and to hell with the nay-sayers. At the risk of sounding uneducated, "Haters gotta/gonna hate." There are some people that want you to stay bigger so they can feel better about themselves. You don't need those types of idiots in your life. If someone asks you how you are doing, and you told them about getting banded then educate them on how it works. The best remedy for ignorance is education. Good Luck!

In less than 24 hours I will be amoung the banded . I am happy, excited, scared all in one....I can't wait to see what is in store for me on this new journey...Keep me in your prayers!

Well me and Oprah have been doing this yo-yo dance for the past 30+ years. At its worst I have been about 90lbs overweight but usually its 75-80. Anyway it is time to stop the madness. I just cannot keep struggling with this and everything lugging 80 lbs I dont need around means. Probably don't need to go into what it means here with anyone reading this, but that is like two forty lb bags of kitty litter!:-). So here I am. Surgery is scheduled for 8-1-12 and even though I am a nurse (or because I am) I'm pretty nervous. Got the WHAT IF's pretty bad. Am trying to focus on the BUT WHENS!. But when this is over I hope I can lose 80 for the very last time. But when this is over I can shop for clothes off the rack!. But when this is over I can sit comfortably in an airline seat etc etc etc,,,,,

Hey I love life and I want to encourage any and everybody. I love my journey. It has not been easy, but truly worth it. Look at my video and you will see why I feel so good about staying connecting and helping others any and everywhere. Enjoy the video: go to you tube: type in youjustwaitnsee. I will get it down loaded on site soon. Once I figure out how to upload video it will here. But any one can see it this way as well. Vblack

Well - this is my first posting and first blog so here goes! I feel lately I have had a lot of firsts....first major surgery, first time putting myself first, first time owning my health, etc I have to say that it definitely is hard to choose yourself first. Anyone with children, a spouse, family, etc knows what I mean. You feel as if you are cheating them out of being there. It has taken me many years to come to understand that what I thought as putting them first was actually an excuse for me to continue to be unhealthy. How was I putting them first if I wasn't taking the best care of myself? This is a VERY hard lesson to learn. As I look around at my family members and family history of chronic weight related issues I put my foot down. There was a voice deep down saying "me, me...did you forget that I am here?" This time I chose to listen. I have not always been overweight...alright "morbidly obese". This is something that has been rolling along pretty much for the past 15 years. You know the story....get married (get comfortable), have children (more comfortable with a few pounds) and before you know it you are a shell of the person you once were. Years go by and you lose a little and gain more and back and forth. Many of us have the same story. My weight loss surgery journey originally began two and a half years ago, Dec 2009 with a seminar for the lap band. I went and listened and then said I will give it another try of doing it myself and bailed on following through. Two years later I found myself at the seminar again with a firm grip on my nerves and actually listened with more conviction about choosing me first. After going through the 3 months of NUT, psych appointment, surgeon visits and pre-op testing...I took a leap of faith with myself and God . I had clear liquids 24 hrs before surgery and was officially sleeved on 7/17 at 10am. I am currently 10 days post-op and completely intrenched in the full liquid diet. What can you say about liquids? Not a whole lot . Anyway, I am just passing time until Tues when I get to start the greatly anticipated puree stage. Never thought I would be so excited about eating food the consistency of baby food. But here I am and readily counting the hours. This past 2 weeks has given me time to do a lot of thinking!! Sometimes I wonder if the liquid stage is just as much for learning to listen to your body and conquering some of your food obsession as it is about letting your body heal. I have found that everyday that voice is getting a little stronger and I can't wait to begin to have NSVs and see the weight come off. I will take each day of passing time to consider the gift I have been given of my life, living longer, spending more time with family and friends. I am 38 years old and have a lifetime ahead of me and plan to make it the best I can!!

It has been one whole month since my surgery. I unfortunately still feel like I'm a sick person recovering though between eating mushies still, taking liquid omeprazle, and pulling an internal stitch 2 weeks ago. However, today my stomach (where I pulled that stitch) is finally not bothering me as much. I can finally sleep on my side, which has begun to help my back pain a lot. And, so far any mushie food I've feed my sleevie has agreed with me. I went through a phase about 2 weeks out where I was freaked out over the amount of liquids I could handle in one swallow. I didn't need to sip anything by week two, I could take pretty regular sized drinks. I was worried I did something wrong. My doctor assured me, I just healed well and fast, and was happy for it. Now I freak out sometimes when I can eat what feels like it should be a lot, like 1/2 cup of fat free re-fried black beans, and I only feel full there at the end and can eat it in 30 minutes. Like... wow. Um, I thought that this was supposed to be harder? I guess maybe in the end, when all the healing is done, and I'm on regular food again, that I might be happier that I can eat most things. I've been super careful and slow when I introduce sleevie to something new. I take micro bites at first, sort of testing the waters, and then I'm like ok, we're good. And another food goes into rotation. I'm going to be trying tuna and chicken salad this week. I had to mentally get past the mushy meats idea. But, I do want to introduce meats to my system again before I'm eating real food again. I think I forgot that its a actually a goal to be able to eat a little closer to "normal" portions by the time I'm totally healed. I will be able to handle 2-3 oz. of meat, 1/4 cup of veggies, and a couple of tbsp. of brown rice. This amount of food sounds absurd to me in one sitting right now. Speaking of food...I've become pretty on top of healthy alternative recipe hunting. One of my post-surgery changes is cooking more often from home, making clean & healthy whole foods, and experimenting regularly with new recipes. I found cauliflower pizza crust! Protein donuts?! Yes! So long as this stuff tastes as amazing as my head thinks it does, (after 5 weeks of mushies and 3 weeks of liquids it will all taste good! LOL), then we're ready to rock and roll. I'm going to do my best to follow for the most part a low glycemtric diet for the rest of my life. Because I'm human, there will be "normal" food days, and I'm not going to feel food guilt those moments ever again. Food guilt is ridiculous in my life, and I don't need it. I felt guilty when I ate. Period. If I had a healthy sandwich, whole wheat bread, smoked turkey, low fat mayo, loaded with veggies... I'd feel guilty. That is something I feel I'm past now, and I don't want to ever feel like that again. I'm slowly getting past my, "Buyer's remorse." It has been harder than I anticipated for me post surgery. Not the food, I've been disciplined and not even thought about challenging my post-op diet at all. Its been physically not being where I am capable of being mentally. My pulled stitch has slowed me down, and it has frustrated me so much. I still have to take it easy, when I want to go walk a mile. I want to grab my hula hoop and just go nuts dancing, but I can't do that for another 4-5 weeks. Heartbreaking for me. I want to pick up my little dog and cuddle him like a baby, and I can't do that for a while either. I miss drinking while eating more than I thought I would. I was sad to think I can't drink milk and eat a PB&J sandwich at the same time. Is that forever? In a year or two, can I do that again? I'm just mentally past the healing and change part, and feel stunted in my ability to go forward because of this injury, and my back pain I've been suffering since I've been having to lay on my back so much. I'm back at work, but still can't bend over or reach up or move as fast as I did before... I'm ready to feel like myself 100% again and I'm pretty sure I still have a few more weeks before I will. I am rather pleased with my 37 pound weight loss, and don't even mind that I'm in a stall right now. Ah. This getting my thoughts out thing feel good.