Papillon Princess

Thank you Rachel and Screeden Thank you Mimi, but that was my highest weight and I've lost about 40 lbs in the past 4 months and lost the other 20 very slowly during the beginning of my dieting, exercise and pre op. After those initial pictures and seeing that I was almost 300 lbs I realized I HAD to do something about it and started exploring my options. That 6 month pre op diet was definitely an adjustment and I'm happy I had to do it. It gave me time to become more serious about changing and educating myself on the band.

So I've decided to post pictures of me at my highest weight in October 2010 at 289 lbs (5'7) and my current weight 223 lbs on August 15th, 2011. I recently did a post about my size 16 jeans that fit (they're already becoming a bit loose) Anyways, please friend me if you'd like to stay in touch and you can also view my progress pictures on my page. (Not sure how to post them in this)

I walked in the store wearing a stretchy size 24, scared to try on anything else...The size 20 was too big and the 18 was too big...I cried! I haven't worn at 18 for 5 years and couldn't believe I had passed it. I decided to try on a size 16 and thought they'd be a little too tight. The size 16 FIT perfect! No muffin top either. I'm psyched right now I'm 223.7 lbs, 5'7 and size 16! YAY!

I also gushed to the sales person. I was crying and she probably thought I meant I was in the hospital for psychological problems, not WLS. I wish I had taken a friend or my mom with me so I would've had someone to share it with, instead of the poor girl at Lane Bryant. But I have to say by to Lane Bryant now because I don't plan on that being the only store I can shop in (anymore!)

Thanks everybody! I so proud of ALL of us, we're doing wonderful. I'm just hoping I don't become a shopping addict, I've always been a jeans and tshirt kind of girl and I think I see her running away very soon to some cute dressy clothes! A friend of mine that I haven't seen since last October saw me today (from behind) and said she recognized my voice but not my backside and wasn't sure if it was me or not. (Yes, I was wearing my new 16 jeans!) Anyways, off to the gym for another hour long session! Thanks again for the congrats and reading my little excitement and congrats to each of you for what you've accomplished also.

Wonderful! Body Fortress is pretty good and that's what I drank for a long time. The chocolate, vanilla and especially the Cookies n cream one are awesome! The strawberry (in my opinion) was disgusting though. I'm currently drinking Syntrax nectar sweets chocolate and that is pretty good! I was getting bored with the same thing over and over.

There are some Protein supplements in liquid that you can get sufficient amount of protein from, the protein tabs that are available don't offer much protein, you'd be better off eating a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese. I love my fat free prairie farms cottage cheese, it's 80 calories and 14g of protein. I'm not allowed any dairy except cottage cheese due to the high protein content. String cheese or cheese cubes are also a good option. I buy most of my supplements from Bariatric Choice and they do have a Liquid Protein supplement you could look into...They also have others, this was just the first one that popped up. It also was the only one with 5 stars saying it did taste pretty good. http://www.bariatricchoice.com/pro-stat-101-liquid-protein.html You could also look into protein shots, but I think they taste pretty nasty.

I have good and (possibly) bad news. Bad news first - weight loss and hormone changes can actually increase your chance becoming pregnant. My gyno warned me of this because I'm on the pill and told me that I should use backup because with the weight loss and especially the hormonal changes, it was a higher possibility of becoming prego. Good news...the weight loss and hormonal changes can throw off your cycle. Mine was a month late and then came 2 weeks early for the next one. It came hard and heavy too but I was expecting it because of the surgery. So hopefully it's the good news, I've read about a lot of people being thrown off from the surgery and weight loss.

Yay! Cute bra's always make you feel great

Forget hiding, show off those 20 lbs that are gone! That's a half bag of dog food for our large dogs! That's 2 giant bowling balls...think of the amount that is truly gone rather than trying to "see" it in the mirror or on the scale. You're doing FABULOUS! Show off what you have done and what you are going to continue doing! If you think those "strangers" are talking about you...give them more to talk about..."Wow, she's looking even better everyday." They're not thinking you're fat (as you say), they're going to notice these changes in a good way. I hope saying this hasn't made you think they are staring at you, but I've had people at work (that I'm not close with at all) telling me that I'm looking really good. I even had one tell me she didn't want to be rude, but "your pants are practically falling off, you look great." So I'm sure they're not telling you how great you're doing because they don't want to upset you. Some people don't take compliments well. Aside from whatever I can tell you, counseling might be something to look into. If you're unable to stop worrying about it, maybe a counselor could help (or even a support group...maybe even a lapband forum ) Keep up the hard work and show it off. You're doing great!

I'm on seasonique, 4 periods a year, no weight gain issues, PMS is completely gone and cramping is minimal to absent. It is the best! Just a warning on any birth control...pill, shots, rings, etc...My gyno said that with a lot of weight loss, your hormones are thrown off and you're more likely to get pregnant even if you are faithfully taking your pills etc. So if you are really worried, you may still want to use condoms. If you got the nuvaring, it's worth a try. I've heard others like it. BC is really a personal choice on what kind and what works best for you.

I had this problem also, it was days after surgery and I was put on zofran. It worked GREAT! I only had to use it a few times for about 2 days and it went away and no problems since. Contact your Dr...just curious, what are you eating?? Eating the wrong things may make you nauseous. About 9 days into it, most people are still on pureed. So you may want to make sure your stuff is pureed very well and you're not overeating. If you are unable to get fluids in, then you can talk to your dr.

Hernia's are common in overweight individuals. My dr had me sign a contract saying that I would allow a hernia repair (if found during surgery) to be repaired. Hernia's can cause a lot of discomfort and usually minor problems. I had no idea I had a hernia, but now that it's been repaired I can actually tell the difference! I didn't realize the "heart burn" and reflux was because of the hernia. I felt sick a lot and I don't have those problems anymore. Hernia's are typically managed with a medication, but if they are in there doing a surgery, it is normal to fix it. The surgeon's will not always mention it if it was not a severe hernia that will not impact you. If you have a larger hernia, they will let you know because you may have some restrictions after surgery because of it. Also, talk with your insurance rep more about the "out of network" thing. I had a surgery last December (unrelated to the WLS) and the anesthesia dr they use was "out of network", but since they had already approved the surgery and the actual surgeon was in network, they did cover it and I was not charged extra. This is something you should speak with your insurance about. Your dr's office does not have power over those sort of decisions and insurance companies hope you won't question them.

Great job! The bike gets boring for me also and doesn't feel like enough of a workout. The skiing type machine you're referring to is probably the elliptical - my favorite one! It's low impact and you can work your whole body. I'm in pain today! I'm so sore after that session yesterday but can't wait to go again. Your goal of 3 days a week is great and if you do more, that's absolutely wonderful! Keep us up to date

Sunshyne, please take some time to read lots on here and try the lapband site also. I see you were banded recently and I wish your dr would have taken the time to educate you on this information. You'll typically get a fill every 4-6 weeks (depending on your dr and weight loss) until you've lost the excess weight. Then you'll go yearly and for any maintenance after that forever. It doesn't mean you'll need fills every time, but to check on progress and how you're doing with your band. Fills do not run out (if they do, there is a problem). Fills may need to be adjusted for various reasons and depending on where you're at in your weight loss.

Hey, I had my first day with my trainer and it went great! (Well if you consider sore, tired, drenched in sweat and hardly able to move great...but I'm proud of what I did!) My trainer was VERY positive and motivational and also supportive of the band. She even called my Dr to make sure she understood any restrictions and what type of training he would like me to do. I called the trainer to speak with her before even setting up the first session...I told her immediately about the band (I think they should know AND show support). I asked if she ever had a banded client and she was very honest and told me she's never worked with anyone who has had WLS and that's partially why she called my Dr. She told me she got into training because it's rewarding and she promised she would never judge anyone or their reasons to lose weight. (I think I found a winner!) Anyways, try talking to their trainers there and see if they have a few and "interview" each of them or if you really like the first one and they show support with the band, take them. I realize we're all out of shape, but weights AND cardio will give you the most benefit. The trainer will work out a plan specifically for you. (The plan mine made for me is that I'll do 25 minutes of cardio and another 20 minutes of strength training 3-5 days a week). She even said if I only make it 3 days a week, I should be proud of that and just make sure I put in 110% each time. (I'm 5'7, 225 as of today) Yoga has never done much for me for weight loss, BUT that doesn't mean it doesn't have benefits! It will help you with stretching and even some strength (especially in your core).

I had my 2nd fill today, it's literally a quick pinch and then it doesn't hurt at all. (I'm a HUGE baby when it comes to needles) but it really isn't that bad. The pureed food will go down quite a bit faster due to the moisture and composition, if your dr allows it, you may want to try moving onto soft foods (moist chicken) and chewing it. This will give it a little more time to sit in the band and slowly go through instead of the pureed which will slide through fairly quick.

It's so easy to say you don't want to go, just work yourself into a habit and hopefully your daughter can encourage you to get into a routine. I'm finally getting into a routine again and I feel great everyday that I go! I'm starting with a personal trainer on Sunday for toning but feel like I'm still doing well on my own in the cardio area. I personally don't get much out of the bike and tend to get bored on the treadmill. My favorite is the elliptical, it works most of your body (if you use the arms and tighten your core) and it is low impact on your joints. Personally, I'd start on the bike or treadmill and try the elliptical for about 5 minutes (if you can go longer, WONDERFUL) and then work up your time and incline. Talk to your dr about your target heart rate during exercise so you maximize the benefits. When you're first starting, don't burn yourself out either. Try working out one day and a 2 days off for a few weeks and then work your way up to more days and more time during the exercises. Remember your body needs to have time to repair in between and you don't want to overwork yourself and end up with an injury. If you have the funds, try a trainer for a few sessions and they can help you get started also. If you go that route, "interview" them...make sure they understand you have a band and any dietary restrictions you may have. This is critical for them to know for the amount of calories and working with your goal. My trainer actually called and talked with my nurse at the dr's office to make sure she understood and knew I had no restrictions. She also trains a lot of people for weight loss, not all athletes.

Have any friends that can sew? My mom sews all my pants so I can wear them as long as possible! Buy things with drawstrings whenever possible. For the workout pants, if you can roll them down, put on a belt and roll the pant over it to keep them up and the belt on. I want to lose another 27 lbs before I even consider buying new clothes so I'm just trying to wear whatever I can that sort of works. I look pretty terrible at the gym! Yesterday I wore black & pink nike's, a gray tshirt, and navy blue capri's...so you're not the only one! I also work in an office and have fairly expensive dress pants that I'm going to continue wearing as long as possible. I wish I could look cute at work, but I am not investing in an expensive pair of pants that I can wear for a month or two. Old navy has some AWESOME plus size yoga capri's that are very stretchy and a size too small isn't too bad, they actually hold you in very nicely. So look into them, the price is right also.

It's a brand of Protein, they sell samples of different flavors, they have fruity flavors, unflavored and sweet flavors. I was really happy with the protein from walmart but I was getting bored with it and heard a lot of great reviews about the Syntrax nectar and decided to try it. Now I don't think I'll go to any other protein! It's so good and flavorful instead of bland or bitter like a lot of others. It's no sugar, no fat and high protein. I buy most of my stuff from Bariatric Choice, they have some great deals and high quality items. My surgeon is very strict on what I can and can't have so unlike a lot of other banders, I can't have milk (even skim or soy) so I have to mix my protein with Water only. I also can't have any fruit due to the natural carbs so the flavor of the protein shakes is a big deal to me!

My dr recommends only 1 shake per day and says not to drink your calories. chicken is very high Protein, I like the tyson grilled & ready chicken. 3 oz of it contains 21g of protein and I usually have a little cottage cheese on the side. (1/4 cup of prairie farms, fat free cottage cheese has 40 calories and 7g of protein). 2 large eggs have about 14g protein and add some cheese for another 3-7g of protein. The EAS shakes are pretty good, I love the chocolate fudge flavor! I usually take one of those for lunch at work everyday. I also like super fortress whey protein shakes from WalMart (chocolate, Cookies n cream and vanilla are good...hated the strawberry and the Peanut Butter one is a little bitter but not bad), I also bought some Syntrax nectar protein and it is VERY good!

Go onto the success stories forum and you'll find lots of people that are maintaining and doing well.

Polly, Continue following all the post op instructions, I also gained weight right after (about 3-5 lbs the first week!). I was extremely bloated and having some regularity issues (sorry about the TMI). After about a week and a half to 2 weeks, I dropped a few pounds and it's continued since. Your body is trying to find normal again and is going through a lot. I was also crabby and not exactly happy right after (I'm not far into my journey either, I'm about 8.5 weeks post op at this point). You are doing nothing wrong! Right now is not a fun time and weight loss sometimes does not occur right away. A lot of people call this "bandster hell" until the first fill because many people get hungry between now and the first fill. Please, keep it up and continue following the instructions! Hopefully you'll be on full liquids soon and able to take in some Protein, that made me feel much better! The Protein shakes did make me pretty bloated but also made me feel a lot better and gave me some energy. You're still healing, don't worry about minimal weight loss or even a small gain at this point. The first month (for me at least) wasn't much fun, but I'm very happy with my decision now and you'll be there soon too.