IFEELGOOD

Hello Joegar84, loved you discription of you mothers tacos. It;s Christmas morning bout lunchtime and now I'm jonesn for taco's now, thanks.lol If you are having troubles getting them or keeping them down I always go back to square one and set a limit how many you are going to eat, listen to your stomach and stop when things seem difficult, put taco down for a couple or minutes and let things pass, and oh yes, chew,chew,chew, I was told like 40 times or more. I have real problems with the soft shells and hard ones no problems. Soft ones seem harder to pass the band and kinda ball up I think. OK time to change topics seeing how all my favorite places are closed for the holiday. Merry Christmasto everyone.Doug m

Hi there and thanks for you inputs, Large med small I agree with you I hate man versus food. I almost get sick watching that show also. Funny I do realize now how many food commercials there are, it's no wonder we use to eat all the time, I still say UMMMMMM this looks good, or that looks good and the wife says yea both your bites.lol. True. And you are right Cheri about losing weight and looking in the mirror after dressing before going outside. I was so happy to get into my 70"s wardrobe, But my wife although happy for me and my weight loss she wouldnot go outside with me in my bell bottom pants and platform shoes. I think it was my gold medalion. It was a little over the top.lol. Just kidding I had boots not platform shoes. Just because it fits doesn't make it right. Well I'm g;ad to see I'm not alone with my thoughts. Funny thing is I'll order a smallorder say 1/2 order of biscutts and Gravy on Sunday morning and get the strangest look from the waitress, ( some have known me presurgery) and comeback and I've only at one buscutt and and ask if the food was ok or didn't Iike it? I tell then it was great it's just that I had a little stomach surgery and then they ask if I had a band put on and I say yes and they ask a bunch of questions about it and think it's great. Thats about all I share with strangers. OK well thans again for your inputs. IFEELGOOD,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Doug

Hi There, I've had the same question also and I think my problem is that in searching for what I call safe foods, foods that i can eat fairly easy without too much drama afterwards seems to be the junk foods which is not a good thing. I used to love apples, now I can eat applesauce no problem but if I take a bite ( skinned or not) It just sits in the back of my throat for hours butM&M's with peanuts go down smooth as can be. I believed processed food are much easier for me that whole or non-processed foods. Icecream no problem but I only eat maybe half a cup not the whole container anymore. The real bad thing is I continue to lose weight. But all in all I've improved my eating habits quite a bit, even if it dosen't sound like it. One thing I know is don't try and beat yourself up over it. I have done that all my life and then I get depressed and eat even more, Lots of good suggestions on here but I suggest tell yourself positive things instead of beating yourself up over your choices. Look at the great choice you made and the guts, to have this surgery, that was a real positive step you took to do that. Go buy yourself some new smaller pants and feel good about yourself. IFEELGOOD

Hi there I live in Vegas also and had my surgery at the place in front of the Meadows Mall and at the preop classes they said they wouldn't work on people that had their surgery elsewhere but you might call and see what restrictions they were talking about, Hope it helps, I had great sucess there. IFEELGOOD

Hello Beernut, You have a perspective I never thought about, that is how others who had swl befoer me thought about me before my surgery. ANyway I wasn't judging anyone who hasn't but I know I was sick of being sick and thats what it took to motivate me to move ahead with the proceedure. Funny thing is when someone asks about what I had done and could use some help I tell them what a typical day is like for me you should see the look of horrror in their eyes. I'd rather die they say. And I don't say what I think. OH yes by the way I new to all these abbreviations and was wondering what "dh" means. Still learning here. thanks IFEELGOOD

WOW, IFEELGOOD here, I guess I must have struck a nerve on this topic, and I guess I didn't really convey the point to well cause never in my mind did I infer that I would strike up a conversation with a complete stranger that they needed to do what I had done.lol. In fact I hardly tell friends and long aquantiences of what I had done unless they say how great I look and whats my secret on my weight loss. I just tell them and what was involved and let it go at that. WHen I had it done I told my boss I was on a list to get a date for surgery and he is like #450pounds and kinda joked that maybe we could do the buddy plan. He said how come, My Dr. says that there is nothing wrong with him. He's got a couple of little kids and smokes ontop of things, Nothing against smokers but I believe this guy is a walking time bomb. But to this day I think he really resented the fact that I said that to him. I guess we should all ignore the #900 gorilla in the room. After I lost about #30 he said infont of everyone at work that he didn't see any difference. OH well. He went on to get a knee replacement, It failed. no comment. My Dr. said that he has patients who ask for special appointments at like 4am because they are affraid that people might be driving by and see her car parked out front of the office and know that she had the surgery Done. So I've been warned about how touchy people can be about this topic. So I haven't asked to leave my favorite breakfast hang out yet. Interesting topic and tanks for some of you defending my crazy thoughts.lol. PS Happy & healthy Holidays to everyone.IFEELGOOD.

Wow, been there and done that, Don't worry about it. I started at #255 lbs and now at about #200ish, Up and down. a little. And I think I've about bottomed out. I'm not sure, I haven't been this thin since 8th grade, A looooong time ago. On the way down the scales I hit a few platues and nothing would change on the scales. But along the way I learned there are more ways to measures fat losses than on the scales. Yes that seem to be our preocupation with weight loss but I noticed at those times lying in bed I'd notice a couple of ribs pokinging out a little more than they did the week before. I'd notice maybe one less hole poking out from my tightening side of belt holes on my belt. Maybe a little less fat on my neck. Etc. Maybe focus on the sutle changes going on in our bodies. Remember our bodies have gone through some major changes it self and I believe it's trying to figure what the new normal is for its self and safe for us. Which might not be what our scales say or what we want. It'll come I know it's frustrating after the huge success you had at first and the weight seems to just melt off fairly effortlessly. But give it time and enjoy your sucesses you have had already achieved and focus on them. Take pride in the years you have added to your life and the quality of life you'll have as time goes on. Congrats on having the courage to take the steps needed to get to this point in your life I now it's a scary step but I feel well worth it. OK i'll get off my soap box. Good luck and good health. IFEELGOOD.

I'm a winger, it's funny how we know whats better for us but applying it is usually another story. I've done the journaling thing and counting and planing, all which work but I start thinking and looking at all of it and I just start to glaze over and think What? I've been winging it since I've had this done and have done ok. I have learned for me though if I let my band tell me when I'm full, it's usually too late and I'm off to the restroom for a few rounds of relief. Inspite of the surgery I still love to eat and I'm still trying to learn when to stop. It's kinda like drinking, Oh I can handle just one more, then one more then it sneaks up on you and then you realize you should have stopped a few drinks ago but Nooooooo you just had to push it. And the old thing about throwing away food tapes that play over and over in our heads. Also I still crave at times I would like to just sit down and plow down like 6 or 7 slices of pizza just for the pleasure of it.lol. I know that will never happen in my life time I believe but the desire is still there at times. Thank God for the Gatekeeper I have on my stomach that keeps me in check.lol. It dosent care what emotional state you are in, what kind of a day you had what kind of stress you are under, It's only gonna let so much through and helps me keep my head on straight and on track. OK I'll stop for now. take care and you can still enjoy life without so much food. I've gained so much more in my life than I've lost. IFEELGREAT

Hi all, I'm a newbie to this site. Had my surgery last June of 2009 have gone from a high of #277 lbs down to a low of #196. Hovering around #200 and doing real good. My question is my wife and I go to our regular Omelet House on Sunday mornings and I eat her crumbs off her plate and am stuffed.lol. Something like that, And I've a great experiance with my sugery and I look at so many people that I say to my wife there,s a candidate for this surgery, there,s another one, not in a judge mental way but share with them whats available to them if they wanted it. And how much better there lives could be and maybe happier about them selves. I do this all the time. Your thoughts,thanks IFEELGOOD

Having a small A/c company and going to repeat customers houses to do annual services and them meeting me at the door and looking past me and saying 'Where's the other half of you" Ahhhhhhh yes. Up on the roof and seeing my shadow from the sun and noticing that there is less of me.lol. Buying 36"waist pants in stead of 44" and they fit a little loose. Oh yes. Off all my meds. OK I better stop befor it gets too long. There are so many pluses it was well worth it. If you are just out of your surgery hang in there and be patient with your weight loss and don't get discouraged, everyone is different and you will find what works for you and what dosen't. I've been told all my life that a slow weight loss is better in the long run anyway.

HI there all, I'm new to this site and I was banded in June of 2009. I've been out for about 1 and a 1/2 years and have been as high as #277 lbs in my life at 5'11" (large frame I'm told) Am down as low as 196#, now maintaining at about #200 lbs. I guess I should say that I'm stuck there for like a couple of months. Would like to get to 180# if possible. My problem is like all other weight loss programs I hate the nutritional watch dogging of food and tend to stick with what I call safe foods. You know the foods that don't send me to the restrooms. They might not be the best foods but I've learned what works and what dosen't. I will say that every Tues the wife and I go to our little dive place and you guessed it, it's" Taco Tuesday". Two normal sized tacos for $1.50. I'm addicted to them,lol. Like I said I hate counting calories and such but from dealing with diebettes for like about 8 years ( which it totally gone, yea!) I was shocked when I saw that there were 11 carbs per shell. Well maybe I'll eat the fillings and nibble on the shell from now on. Sorry for the long winded reply I just get so excited talking about]all the positive thing this surgery has done for my life. I think there is a photo of my new hobby instead of eating, restoring old coolers and cars. Doug