bookwormswot

Way to go Aimee!

I was also banded July 29 with no fill. I lost 17 lb pre surgery and then 3 lb during liquids which was depressing. And then I gained 1.5 pounds when I went to mushes, which my dr. warned would happen. But once I was eating solid food regularly again, I lost 4 pounds in one week. My dr said that with liquids, we get so little calories that the body holds on to everything. Same with mushies. We are getting some food but still not enough and the body has been in starvation mode having just gone through 4 weeks of liquid diet. But once the body realized it was getting real food on a normal basis, it relaxes and stops trying to horde all the calories.

Erin, I have to say, you are an amazing young woman! I wish this had been an option for me at your age and I wonder if I would have been brave enough to do it. I give you kudos for taking control of your life now. And whatever hell you go through this year with band problems, worries or whatever, it will be so worth it when you are the smoking hot 20-something everyone is lusting after. And remember, we're all here anytime you get worried. I hope you have a kick-ass school year! hugs, BWS

I did a mix. I ate real Protein -- purdue shortcuts chicken is really moist and precooked and bought ground turkey and mixed it with oats and baby food veggies (sweet potatoes and squash) to make a very moist and tasty meatloaf. My sides were still babyfood veggies (the other option was canned veggies and I HATE canned veggies) but I stepped it up to Stage 2 which has more options or mashed potatoes. As of Thursday, I get to try seafood/shellfish and bread - toasted only. Then in another week, red meat. I think I am going to continue on babyfood veggies, stepping it up a stage each week until the dr says I can have fresh or frozen veggies. I can buy organic babyfood and it tastes so much better and fresher than that canned crap and there is no preservatives. Oh, I forgot, for variation, I would sometimes drizzle a little marinara sauce or curry sauce over my meat just so I wasn't eating the exact flavored meat every meal. It's amazing how long a jar of sauce lasts when you only use a tablespoon or two at a time.

I am saving money because I am cooking now where I used to live on takeout. Like the others mentioned, I buy better quality (organic, free-range, gluten-free), so items cost more but because you're eating so much less, you still come out with savings. A hard adjustment I wasn't expecting was having to relearn how to shop. I get many more meals out of items than I did before. For instance, a can of Soup is no longer one meal, but three. Overbuying is something I am learning not to do. I also find planning my meals for the week helps in terms of saving money (I love coupons and shopping sales) and keeps me from buying more food that I really need.

I don't know what the timeline is like for you, but it sounds like you've made some major changes already. Give your body time to adjust to them and the weight will come off. You mentioned you don't always make the best food choices, so you know that is an area you have to work on. Don't be too hard on yourself. You've made some incredible changes already. Now that you have conquered them, focus on picking the right foods in the right portion size. Best of luck! BWS

Hi all, I live in NY but work in CT so I had my surgery in CT, so I am a half CT bandster I guess.

Mine was all of the above. She asked questions about my eating habits, drinking, drugs, meds, past diets, why I thought they didn't work, where I think I fail during dieting, what my stressers are, how I deal with them, what is my support system, etc.

I posted this in response to another thread, but I thought I'd share it here too. We all have those moments where we want to eat something we shouldn't, we don't want to eat/drink what we should (protein shakes), we don't want to exercise, etc. My friend suggested I make an inspiration book and it's been a great help! I went through mags and the Internet and cut out/printed out clothes I wanted, sexy outfits, places I wanted to visit, things I wanted to do, hot men...basically anything that I wanted/wanted to do when I am thinner. I pasted them in a small journal I keep with me. When temptation gets too great or I don't want to exercise or whatever, I pull it out and it reminds me of what it is I am doing all this for. (A picture of Jason Isaacs in the bathtub is a great motivator for me to get on that elliptical trainer! )

My surgeon didn't take pictures. If your's doesn't, I would suggest having your own taken though just so you have one to look back on to see your own progress. I HATE having my pic taken, and as a result I don't really have any. I have some from my sister's wedding in April that I am using. If I had thought about it, I would have done as one woman said and had them taking in my regular clothes from different angles so I can redo it every few months in the same cloths and really see my progress.

Unforgettable is right: This will soon be a memory. Just keep telling yourself it's only XX days and then you get to have surgery. If you cheat, you run the risk of having your surgery canceled. If you read the board, you'll see it happened to others. They make you do this to shrink your liver to reduce risk of damage. It's a good thing. But good doesn't mean easy. The guy who sits next to me at work had McDonald's EVERY day I was on liquids. I seriously thought about stabbing him with my pencil for his fries. What worked for me was avoiding food at all costs. I had nothing in the apt. I took a walk outside when my coworker brought in McDonalds. When I visited my family for the weekend, I went upstairs or outside when they cooked/ate dinner. I just needed to physically remove myself from temptation. Something else that worked that was my friend's suggestion. Make an inspiration book. I went through mags and cut out clothes I wanted, sexy outfits, places I wanted to visit...basically anything that I wanted/wanted to do when I am thinner. I pasted them in a small journal I keep with me. When temptation gets too great or I don't want to exercise or whatever, I pull it out and it reminds me of what it is I am doing all this for.

Welcome to the board. It is a great place to get so much information. Just remember: there is no one way to take this journey. Always go with what your doc recommends if it conflicts with anything you read here. Best of luck!

Good luck and I hope all goes well with your eval.

heee. I LOVED chocolate dipped pretzels. Congrats on the loss.

It sounds like heat rash. I get it under my breasts and have since I was a teen. Try putting some baby powder or corn starch on the affected area after you shower to help keep it dry. Whatever you do, don't scratch it, even though it feels soooooo goood. You could end up with a yeast infection in the rash area if you scratch it open because of the moisture and such. Had that once. Not fun.

Hi Stacy Chocolate was my downfall. I wanted it, I even needed it to keep me in a good mood. But you know what? Once I started my pre-op diet and cut out sugar and caffeine, I no longer crave it. I was banded July 29 after a two-week pre-op diet and I haven't had or wanted a single piece of chocolate yet. If I can go without my daily dose of chocolate and be fine (meaning I haven't torn the heads off any staff members...), then you will do great too! After all, you have a child that is a great motivator for you to make the right choices. That's great! Best of luck!

Congrats all to your great losses! I hope to follow in your footsteps. I was just banded. I've never let my size stop me from dating. I believe confidence and a great personality makes you sexy (and knowing how to wear a corset to work my curves to their best advantage doesn't hurt). Even at my biggest as a size 28, I still dated regularly. I think where you meet people is key too. I don't do bars or dance clubs (can't stand the frat boy mentality). I am in publishing and meet a lot of people at conferences and fairs and I am also finishing up my masters, so I meet people at school as well as clubs for my hobbies and interests.

After a week of working out 30 min a day on my brand new elliptical trainer, the weather decided to thwart me. We've had three days of 90+ degrees and another on the way with all sorts of air quality warnings and such. As I don't have AC, I am certainly not getting on the elliptical. I feel bad for not exercising, but I c.an't really do anything in this heat. I am afraid this break is going to make it difficult to get back into exercising again. And I am afraid of how not working out for a week as I make the transition to mushees is going to affect my weight. I know I am being silly, but hey... So anyway, what do you all do when it is too hot to breathe let alone exercise?

I did an awful lot of research and two brands that consistently came out on top in reviews were: The Nordic Track Audiostrider 990 for the medium price range (about $900) and the Smooth CE 7.4 Elliptical for the higher price range and more "gym like" ($1600). I went with the Smooth CE 7.4. I figured if I was going to invest money, I should get the best I can. It's all metal and noiseless and has 8 programs, 16 levels of resistance and a really great display. The foot peddles are padded too so it is really comfortable to use, more so than the one at the gym. And the warranty was the best out of all the machines. It's also slim - only 27 inches wide, but it is taller than me (I'm 5' 3") and it supports up to 350 pounds. I bought it directly from the manufacturer. For me, it is worth every cent! If you get one, I highly advise paying the $99 to have them bring it into your place and put it together. The box is huge and weights over 250 pounds.

I was banded 2.5 weeks ago with no fill and I haven't been hungry. I am on purees/mushes now and like Unforgettable, I can go about 4 hours in between meals. As long as I eat every 4 hours, I am fine. I usually have 1/2 c Breakfast around 8; 1/2 c lunch around noon, then a snack around 4 (2 oz jar baby food fruit or about 2 oz yogurt), then 1/2 c dinner around 7-7:30.

I also take Viactiv for calcium - a chocolate fix! And I do a liquid vitiam/mineral from GNC. I can't stand the taste of any chewables. At least you can get the liquid down in one quick swallow.

Hi Ali, I was banded two days after you and had this problem the first two weeks. I got the mint milk of magnesia (sp?) and drank one tbs a day for three days. Once I was on pureed food a few days, my body seemed to reset itself. Have you started eating yet? If you were on liquids for awhile, perhaps your body doesn't have anything to get rid of. "Phantom" feelings, maybe?

I am in the puree stage and I was told to have 2-2.5 oz (1/4 cup) Protein and (!/8 cup) 1-1.15 oz veggies at each meal for a total of 1/2 cup. But different food measures differently depending on if you use the scales or the measuring cup. eggs for instance. What methods do you use?

I keep hearing about sliming, PB, food getting stuck and people no longer being able to tolerate certain foods. When does all of this start? After your first fill?