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Today wasn't my best day food wise I was okay no over eating. I just have a lot of emotions and financial worries so I feel depressed. But I am trying to list in my head all my blessings. I really have only one complaint and thousands of blessings so it puts things in proper perspective. I am so used to numbing out or distracting myself with food and now that it is not an option. I feel grateful for that, it is nice to have a clear head even if it can be painful, but pain forces me to choose a path and not be stuck in the same old place. I am going forward slowly but surely. So I choose to be grateful today, for my family, for dirty jokes, for computers, my dog, my love of books, my wonderful friends, and the list goes on. Well, week 5 begins tomorrow I can officially eat soft fruits and veggies so yay to that. I am looking forward to going swimming tomorrow. Monday was my first day back at work so grateful that no one was too evil to me on the phone. Tomorrow I go back praying for a quick 8 hours. I really want to find a different line of work sitting down 8 hours a day sucks and I am about done with it. I am staying for the remainder of the year for insurance reasons but after that I have to move on for my own health mental and physical. I don't have any weight lost to report since I don't own a scale. I don't want to be focused on the scale or my weight, I refuse to be upset by a number. I have no more pain and can walk 2 miles without dying and no more high blood pressure. My life is better after this surgery especially my health and that is awesome. God Bless everyone everywhere, All my love, Linsey :wub:

I've known my family physician for 20 years and he's the MD of my parents and my brother. He's the one who mentioned WLS, in passing the last time I saw him. Well today I had a follow up with him and I mentioned I was having the Lap Band and he was little annoyed with me. Firstly, before I had stated that I wanted the Lap Band, I told him I was considering WLS which he supported, but he wanted me to have Gastric Bypass. Faster weight lost and it's better for the morbidly obese... Crap, am I morbidly obese? He said the Lap Band are for those individuals who have under 100 pounds to lose... Really?.....So I brought out my research;)... His response: I've forgotten that you love to read.... After, he heard my arguments and my points, he then proceeded to tell me that I can have it done free in Quebec since our provincial insurance pays for it.... I found out this lately but there's a waiting list of 2-3 years...not interested..... He's upset with me because he does not know the MD, so I provided him the name and the phone number to call him, which I know he will never do, he's too busy.... However, he seemed a little irked with me, but, stated he hope I do well, but the failure rate is high... Sigh...I literally had to remind him with any WLS, failure is an option if you do not change your lifestyle, which he agreed, we then ended with if I'm planning to have kids and I realized that this man has been part of my family for too long, my mother is rubbing off on him... Anyways, I remind him not to say anything to my mother, which pissed him off further since, he mumbled he is a doctor and patient confidentiality.... But just to be sure.... So now I have more motivation... A Lil surprise for my MD at my 1 year check up;)

I thought I'd update, work and life have been busy, I think the last time I blogged here was right after my first fill, and I have my 2nd one in five more days. I've lost 34 lbs. since my surgery at the end of June. My struggle with exercise is an on-going thing, I just can't get myself to just do it. Eating is easier as in I don't do a lot of it, I don't think about it much and when I do it's because I have to go out to eat. That has always been the hardest for me, making good choices when I'm looking at a menu and then at other people's plates is HARD, but I'm doing it. Last week at a birthday dinner I had a salad...actually it was lettuce and dressing...because everything else on the menu was not for me. Everyone else enjoyed the family style feast of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, BBQ chicken, baked beans, buttery green beans, chicken fried steak and biscuits...that was like my own version of hell for about two hours, but I did not put a single "bad" thing into my mouth. While everyone left there stuffed and feeling gross, I left with a happy tummy and a happy heart. When I got home I had a little grilled chicken, and it tasted amazing. Another victory...I'm thankful.

Have you tried using "myfitnesspal" to log your food intake? Many times people feel like they are eating healthy or within a certain calorie range and don't realize just how much they are taking in. Salads can be very unhealthy if adding cheese, dressing, etc. Also, many people don't realize how many liquid calories they are taking in. I think a food journal would be a good first start. Also, salads are ok but you should be eating protein first, salad next. The protein is going to fill you up and keep you satiated. Good luck to you!

​Time for a new doctor? My lung doctor set me up for the surgery, not my PCP. My PCP is behind me with the banding, though. My surgeon likes by pass better but I don't. I know about 6 people who had by pass and they are all big again. It is a band aid not a cure. We have to want to change our nasty eating habits. I have and I am proud of myself. I hope one day to wear a size 12 or 14. I don't need to be skinny, I am 62 next week. Do it for you and no one else.

So here I am… I’m finally getting around to starting my blog on here after lurking for a few weeks… commenting on a few posts and making a few new friends (virtual ones if nothing else). We all have a story right? How’d we get here? I got here courtesy of an angry failed (I guess you could call it the black sheep of the family) thyroid and a b!tchy thin doctor who told me I just needed to eat less and walk more as I packed on weight (my underactive thyroid was discovered YEARS later by another doctor when I’d finally given up – she was reviewing the old lab results). It’s been almost 7 years since it started failing and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t still bitter… I’ve gained somewhere between 80 and 100 pounds since then. I’ve lost as much as 50 of it and gained back nearly all that I’ve lost. About two years ago my doctor told me to have surgery (she had Lap Band in Mexico before it was approved in the US) and I joined Weight Watchers instead… I was convinced I could beat my thyroid if I just worked hard enough… I worked hard for my less than a pound a week losses only to find that when I stopped WW I gained it all back! Last year the same doc told me that at 29 years old, I was prediabetic , prehyperlipidemia, and that pain I was having was degenerative joint disease because of my weight and I had to lose weight immediately… Less than 10 years before that I was in the military! Needless to say I dieted a ton after that and regained everything immediately when I stopped… This past winter I was doing a couch to 5K program (not losing weight though LOL) when I contracted pneumonia which was not a fun mix with my asthma. After the pneumonia was gone my asthma became severe and the steroids to keep me alive caused even more weight gain. As my medicine cabinet became more and more full between the asthma and other conditions I realized I can’t keep going like this and my doc was right two years ago – If I’m going to get to and maintain a healthy weight I need to have surgery and if I’m going to see my daughters become adults, I need to get healthy…. So that said, here I am. I’ve done everything and now I’m waiting on the insurance company and a date. I’m here for support and to be someone’s support. In my life I’m strong for everyone and I always have been and the downfall of that is that for the first time I need people being strong with me and for me and I don’t have that.

It helps to plan a menu for 2wks or a month ahead....that way you do not have to think of what you are going to eat for dinner. That will also help you to buy groceries that you actually need for the 2wks or the mnth. As a single mom with a busy schedule, that has helped me a lot, planning meals weeks in advance....I am pretty sure it will come in handy as a bandster, once I get banded. I also undesrtand how hard it is to work and go to school at the same time; so if your school ends late, I would suggest you have your bigger meals during the day and have a protein shake at 8-10pm....that way you get your protein needs in a "light meal form" with much less calories then and actual meal.....just my suggestion.... but don't give up, we all fall off the band wagon at times, we just have to keep picking ourselves up and try again untill we succeed.....Good luck and keep us posted!!!

if you don't get in enough protein you will lose your hair and start wasting away your muscles. 24 grams is not enough, I have heard muscle milk is good. The ones I use are delicious I can see I will tire of them after 4 weeks but I know I HAVE to consume at least 60 grams a day.