RedheadGirl

I had my lap band surgery and got a divorce in the same month. So it's not really after losing weight that I got my divorce but I did make some major changes in the same month. I happen to also turn 34 that month. It was a big change. I divorced my husband who was in the past physically abusive up until I was pregnant with our son and then he was mentally, emotionally, spiritually etc...etc.. in everyway possible abusive! Especiallly controlling. I finally picked myself up from trying to take my own life from all the abuse and decided I was worth more and needed to be treated better. After I left him I had horrible anxiety and I couldn't eat. I would feel so sick and everything went right through me from the stress. I have noticed in the past 4 months since my surgery that I still try and turn to food and I have to mentally try and stop myself. I have learned how to eat around the band the bad thing is that my favorite type of binge food goes down easily. I want to type more but I'll have to get back to you in here. Have to take care of my son!

I forgot to add my weight the last couple weeks. First week I got to 408, then this past week I got to 406.

I just had my first fill this morning and I got 4.35 cc's. My band can hold 12 cc's. Hopefully it's enough restriction for me! I wish I got 5.5!

Are you on any type of liquids or mushies? When you say you can eat anything are you eating regular foods already? I was on mushie type foods for a couple weeks and I'm now 4 weeks post op and can also eat whatever I want. Now it doesn't even take me long to eat. I'm eating and feeling like I was before my surgery. If you are restricted to the amount of food you take in I would try and do the Protein drinks. I don't have an amount restriction so I have to try hard to NOT overeat. Good luck.

Name, real or screen~ Heather Age~34 Weight on July 29th/August 1st~ 411 Goal Weight for August 29th~ 390 Exercise Goal for August~ Walk or do leslie at home 3 x a week Dietary Goal for August~ Just because I can eat, doesn't mean I should! Personal Goal for August~ Make it to church each Sunday Date Banded~ June 28th 2011 Total Weight Loss Since Banding~ 18 lbs with pre-op diet, 17 lbs after banding but gained back 6. So 30 total right now. I'm 4 weeks post-op. First fill Aug. 9th...!!! Yay!!! Currently have NO restriction.

Hello, I'm new to posting around here and just started lurking around the forums. My sugery is scheduled for June 28th! Yay! I'm weighing in right now at 437 lbs. My word! I'm so glad I am getting ready for this surgery. I hate that I have ate my way this big. I'll be updating in here and I'm looking forward to getting to know some of you. We all need support. Heather

I'm almost 3 weeks post-op and I've had three seperate times now where I have ate til I am sooo uncomfortably full.. Tonight I hit the fast food and I bought LOTS of food. Basically like I would of prior to surgery for a binge. I ate a lot, I'm surprised at what and how much I can get down. Of course now I sit here so full and feel horrible and regret it. Why am I doing this to myself? I was a self-pay so I'm shocked that my "old" behaviors are already tempting me and I'm acting on them. I've been able to eat very well since week 2. I'm able to take in over 2 cups of food at one time. I'd type in what I ate tonight but honestly I'd be embarassed at the amount. I'm just wondering if for ONE there is something wrong with me that I'm able to eat LARGE amounts right now?? Is anyone else able to do this before their first fill? Any encouragement or beat downs? Advice? I will say this.... just found out my divorce is final. My car broke down and I need 4,000 bucks for a transmission and my now ex-husband is acting like a player and dating a lot of girls and they all think he is prince charming and it hurts. All this equals wanting to punish or hurt myself with food and instead of doing what I shouldn't do... I'm doing it. Just feel lost, alone and helpless right now.

You guys are amazing. I pretty much have isolated myself this past week with everything going on and haven't even been on the boards. I feel like I don't have a band. I am eating EXACTLY like I used too. Honest, I can down any food I want with no restriction. I'm overeating. I have been eating candy and chips and fast food etc... I don't want too... however I feel like because I "can" I should. I get my first fill on Aug. 9th. I can't wait. I'm hoping it will bring me back to how I was during week one with feeling the band actually in me. The only thing different from before surgery to now is I'm not drinking diet coke . I'm eating large meals and supporting my sorry 430 lb body. I'm guessing I'm back to 430...haven't weighed. Every time I try and eat the small servings that everyone else is eating I am so hungry. It does nothing for me. I'm wondering if I should just do some type of diet ? I am SOO sick of diets though. I'm just so disapointed that I'm one of the few that can eat whatever and however much I want. I just feel like it's not fair. I don't understand. It's still been a bad week and I'm really trying hard to hang in there. I just wish my body would prevent me from eating to much. I did this surgery and paid out of pocket 6200.00 bucks so I could finally lose weight. Thankyou SOOO much for every single comment on here! I took in every single word. <3

Thankyou for the sympathy. It is hard. I did want it, BUT only because he wouldn't stop being abusive. I figured I might as well be honest and the other part of all this is it hurts because as he is looking like such a great guy and treating all these other girls so good he was abusive to me. I hate that I had to leave him and he is charming every other girl. So while he is being a social dating butterfly I sit at home alone after surgery and eat. Just a bad night... thanks for listening. I'll try again tomorrow.

I can't stand the low carb diets. For one they screw with my metobolism. I don't lose well with them. I drop a lot the first week then my body holds on to everything and I don't lose again for about 2 weeks then it's verrrrry slow. Everyone is different but my opinion of low carb diets are they don't work for ME! I think overall if I could choose a way to eat and lose weight and be healthy would be to have everything but in moderation and that is why I wanted the band. I want to be able to eat healthy carbs, fruits, veggies...all the food groups. Some Dr.'s will always push a certain diet but I'd listen to your own body and do what you think you could stick with and do forever. Just like you said, we didn't get the band because the Atkins diet works! It'll work for awhile but a lifetime success of it is very very rare.

I don't think anyone is being uptight. I think there are things you joke about and other things you don't joke about. Cancer kills people and lots of us have either known someone who has died or survived it or have survived it ourself. So when someone throws out a joke about a serious matter, it isn't so funny.

CONGRATULATIONS ON 9 YEARS!!!!! I have had addictive problems since I was 15 years old and I'm 34. I used to drink and do drugs as well as smoke. All that went away and I turned to food, hard core! Got myself up to 440 lbs. Anyway, I'm fighting the food addiction now. I just binged tonight and I'm only 2 1/2 weeks post op. I somehow was able to eat lots and lots of food. I hate addiction, hate it! I'm part of a group called CR (celebrate recovery) and though I haven't gone in awhile I'm thinking I need to be heading back since I'm struggling right now. I didn't realize it would hit me so hard trying to remove the food addiction but it is.

Just wanted to say that I'm pretty sensitive to the cancer thing as well and I don't think it's funny to make any jokes about cancer even if it's just saying it aided in weight loss. That's just something to not make fun of.... However, I have wondered the same thing and I like the other response on here that she said she just regained control in her life. I think that is a PERFECT answer.

SOOO GLAD I AM NOT ALONE!!!!!!! I had my surgery 6/28 and I've been eating so many foods the past few days that I didn't think I'd be able to eat. I've been having mac and cheese, other pastas, pretzels, crackers..... etc. I'm on the mushy stage and Pasta is listed for me to eat and unfortunately it tastes so good I have it everyday now. I have been eating more than I thought I'd be able to eat. I've been depressed with seeing a 5 lb gain since I've been adding in the other carb mushies. I also get my fill the same day as you. Aug. 9th and I agree it seems toooooo far away. So that is another thing we have in common. Today I've had a half of Protein drink, some pirates booty Snacks and a frozen baked ziti entree'. I wish I had some stronger will power right now to choose healthier options. I think I'm running with the fact that my sheet says I can have pasta so I'm making sure I do. I know I need to add in more protein choices, like cottage cheese and more Protein drinks. I think I've been "so hungry" that I'm almost running with things celebrating that I'm allowed to eat again even though I know I need to be careful. I didn't realize that I'd be this hungry and able to eat this much already. I had my surgery in Mexico so it's not like I have great follow up care to find out all this information. I told myself last night that just because I can eat pasta and pretzels and crackers doesn't mean I should... well what do I do? I wake up and eat carbs. It's hard... really really hard. Just wanted you to know you are NOT alone.

I was banded June 28th and I've been also eating crackers and pretzels. I'm on the mushy stages and I've gained back 5 lbs from adding in potatos, and other carbs. I'm even able to eat Pasta just fine. I feel like I'm blowing it right now because of what I'm able to eat. It's kinda depressing because I thought I wouldn't get my appetite back already or be able to swollow much but I'm eating just like I did before surgery practicually. I'm counting down the days til my fill because at this rate I'll keep gaining back my weight that I lost on my liquid stage.

This morning I was with my mom and son and they stopped at McDonalds so my son could get a hashbrown. I wasn't bugged by it one bit, usually fast food breakfast is not my choice of favorite foods. While there though I decided maybe I'd try the inside of a sausage burrito, ok the inside of two... I also took a couple bites of a hash brown. I do NOT miss the grease! YUCK! I took the inside egg of the tortillas and ate it and now I feel like it's stuck and not moving. It doesn't hurt, I don't feel any pain but I feel a little lump just sitting inside. Could this be the start of getting stuck? When you get stuck does it happen right away, the pain?

I've had a really really bad day today. My transmission died, my mom fell while over at my house helping me and the two things I was depending on are both "broke". I had a long incision done during surgery so my mom has been there for me every single minute and keeping my house up and helping me with everything I'm unable to do. I don't have much else help so I really depend on her. Then today was my first day back to work and my cute VW bug broke down and I found out it's the transmission. I have NO money, I just spent it all on my surgery in Mexico. I came home tonight alone, my son is with his dad, and I overate. Nothing has come up but I got down a lot of food that is now making me just unpleasently full but giving me that old comfort feeling of when I would binge or overeat before. My question, when life is crappy and you want to overeat ... how do you overcome it? I've also been only able to take in about 1/3 of my normal dose of my anti-depressents so I'm sure that is why I'm also really feeling down in the dumps. Feeling sad and overwhelmed tonight.

Being that I am still a little over 400 lbs, exercise was something that NEVER felt good. I struggled/struggle to walk long distances. However the past 2 days I got up and got out of my house and walked around my complex for 15 minutes and that is HUGE success for me since I don't normally do that nor do I FEEL like ever doing that. So I have noticed already that just getting 35 lbs off I feel more energetic to get up and walk a little. So my exercise plan for now is doing exactly that! Walking.

I was banded 6/28 but instead of laproscopic surgery they had to do a 4-5 inch incision. I just went back to work today. I don't do much lifting but I'm hurting by bending over etc.... I was getting bored also. Do you guys or did you hurt for awhile after with bending over and cleaning house etc...? I had my surgery out of the country so I can't really call and find out what is expected. They didn't get me any post surgery info other than my food.

On my post-op diet sheet for this week I get to add in eggs, cottage cheese, cheese, blended meat, baked potatoes (no skin), rice, macaroni, noodles, rice cereals etc... So tonight for dinner I had my first "meal" where I wasn't slurping Soup or cream of wheat and I had canned chicken, stouffers mac (it's super soft noodles and really saucy) and cottage cheese. A strange variety but I was wanting to just have a little scoop of each to see what would go down best and to my surprise I did JUST FINE with all three varieties. My friend who was banded 9 years ago couldn't believe they said I could be eating those carbs and also couldn't believe I got the mac down so good. Anyone else eat any of these or allowed these on the post-op diet? How did you do with them? How do you do with them now? I know I'm also feeling hardly ANY restriction now.

I'm not sliming or having a lot of saliva, just feeling a lump or a little pressure in my chest. I'm able to drink ok and I keep taking drinks to try and help it. I think perhaps maybe I'm just too full. I think if I do eggs again I'll make my own. =/

I LOVE reading that you have lost 208 lbs!!!! AMAZING, GOOD FOR YOU! Has it been hard? All done after the band? I'd love to hear your "story".

I posted earlier about my food yesterday and now I feel like I ate even more today. Tonight I kept waiting for that "full" feeling and I was surprised at how much I ate. For being only ONE week out, I wonder if I'm doing alright? Today I had 1 cup of blended potato Soup, then about 1/2 cup of refriend Beans whipped up with a little sourcream and a pinch of cheese, 1/4 cup of yogurt, and another 1 cup of blended potato soup. Then about a tsp. of Peanut Butter and a couple bites of runny oatmeal. About 3 bites. Why am I seeming to being able to get down so much? I'm not feeling sick from being overly full. I know I need more Protein, and need to add in Protein drinks. I need to get them tomorrow when I have a ride. (I had to have an incision instead of doing my surgery laproscopic so I can't drive yet). When I read that people are only eating a couple bites or 1/4 cup I feel like something is wrong with me since I can get in anywhere from 1/2 to 1 cup...esp. if it's soup. Just feeling a little down that I'm over doing something.

There is a huge difference in speaking the truth in love and speaking the truth in harshness.... Jesus always spoke in love. Awkward, I don't think you realize how harsh you have come across.