dawn of dibley

This 200+ sub forum really needs to be more active. i thought it would be nice to just have a general thread that didn't really have a topic per se, but just a place where you can come and post whatever about whatever. Here is my random general first post: I'm down about 35 pounds and I just really feel awesome. I mean, I obviously still look the same as nobody has seemed to notice the weight loss, but I notice and I can tell in my clothes and in my general energy level over all. I have lots and lots of energy lately and it's something that I haven't had for YEARS really. i haven't felt like doing anything at all, but now all of a sudden, things are a little easier. I walk everywhere since i live in the city, but i'm always huffing and puffing. I have noticed that the last couple of weeks in particular, that i can walk much further than I could before getting winded and my feet aren't painfully swollen after the first 30 steps and that just makes me feel great. I haven't shared with anyone (with the exception of my husband and a close friend) the fact that I have been banded, so this is the place where i can come and talk about that stuff...i thought it would be good to just share with whomever might be reading this that just a little over a month after surgery i feel like a million bucks. hopefully things will just get easier and easier, but as of this moment, i am completely happy with my decision to move forward and have surgery. i can't even put it into words. anyway, i still look fat, but I feel almost skinny on the inside. now it's your turn...gimme some kind of random general post. i don't want to be all alone in here.

Hey Redheadgirl, i hope things are going a bit better for you and that you are losing weight! i just got back from vacation, just walked in the door actually, and thought i would pop in and say hello. i have had no internet access for 2 weeks, so i'm a bit behind. i am happy to report that while I ate like i was on vacation, (since i was on vacation) I STILL managed to lose 5 pounds. i almost didn't believe it when i stood on the scale. I was sure i had piled on 15 pounds. i mean, i had ribs, steak, shrimp, hush puppies, bread, bread, bread, chocolate, milk shakes, bread, fried green maters, bread, etc, etc, etc. i really ate a lot of not so awesome foods (healthwise), but i did notice that i didn't eat a lot in one sitting. i would eat until i felt satisfied and i found myself eating maybe 2 meals a day..usually Breakfast and then dinner some time later. I didn't really snack at all except for the occasional piece of chocolate or milk shake, but this is a victory for me, really it is. I don't have a fill, so i can eat just about anything, but i'm not hungry all the time. it was really nice to eat some breakfast and then go about my day without thinking about when the next meal was going to happen.. i will go back to my sensible eating tomorrow, but i'm so glad that i allowed myself to enjoy some foods and realize that it is ok to leave stuff on my plate if i can't eat it. i have a fill appointment in 2 weeks and i'm going to opt for no fill again. as long as i'm losing, i don't want a fill. i am probably crazy, but i feel really great. hope you are all doing well on your journeys, keep me posted.

I am doing very, very well. I still don't have a fill yet, but I am losing fairly steadily at this point so i don't really want one. i am about to go on a quick vacation back to my hometown, so that will be the test. people will try to FEED me and i haven't told anyone about the surgery, so i don't know how i'm gonna get out of eating everything in sight like i normally do. we'll cross that bridge when we get there i suppose. i just hope i don't go completely bonkers and gain back what i have already lost. that would be horrible. i may get my first fill in August, depending on how much of a struggle the next couple of weeks are, but if i don't gain more than 5 pounds, i may just do without it for another month. i would rather not have a fill if i don't need one. how you are doing?

i have nothing new to report on the weight front. as of this morning, and by chance as of this evening as well, I am still fat i DID put down a deposit for our anniversary Cruse to the Caribbean today. it's 447 days away, so i hope that i can at least lose another 60 pounds by then....or maybe even more, but i would be totally great with 60 more pounds. that would put me at around 100 pounds lost. i am so looking forward to going on that cruise and being able to do things that have weight restrictions...that's my motivation right now. i want to parasail and ride on a zip line and of course hike and walk around without feeling like dying...i just have to lose more weight and i can do it! what are you planning to do for yourself when you have lost enough weight?

congratulations...i hope i am just a couple of months behind you myself.

i am treating myself with a Caribbean Cruise next year. i am already planning excursions and getting things in motion.

don't be discouraged at the weight loss during the liquid phase. you are doing very well and you still have a few more days on it, so you could lose another pound or two. keep in mind that some of that weight is just Water weight and it's not all fat and also keep in mind that just after surgery, it's a time for healing. you may not lose anything at all during the first 4 weeks. just hang in there and do what you are supposed to do and the weight will eventually start to come off. your body is about to go through some trauma and it's going to want to hold on to every fat cell it has and it will be a mental battle as you have thoughts of "what in the heck did i just do to myself ??? and why am i not losing any weight????" just keep the big picture in mind, a month will pass by very quickly and you will start to see results. above all else, do not get discouraged. come and post your frustration here on the boards, but do not give up.

that so so so sucks big time. (about the guy i mean) just hang in there. i had the same stall with weight loss. i felt like every day that i got on the scale, it hadn't moved at all. i knew to expect that and just did my best to stick to what my doctor said. i am actually pretty terrible when compared to the other bandsters here. i mean, i still eat out probably once or twice a week. i have had chicken mcnuggets (which i used to loathe) several times in the past month. i have not even paid attention to the fat or the carb part of it, but am paying attention to the Protein part of it, trying to get enough of that and eat protein first, and trying to not go over 1,200 calories if i can help it.. yadda, yadda, yadda. i know that you are going to start losing quickly once your starvation mode dissipates. make sure that you are getting enough calories though. getting too few will stall the weight loss most likely . i turned down my first fill because i am losing at a good rate at the moment, but i'm going on vacation in a week, so i hope i don't gain back what i have lost. i will do my very best, and then reassess the situation at my next dr. visit and get that fill. anyway, so sorry for everything you are going through, i can't imagine trying to deal with food issues on top of feeling rejected by someone i was so close to. you just stick to what you are supposed to do and you will show him!

the first few weeks are about healing. you may not get in enough calories and you may not lose anything at all. I actually gained about 5 pounds in the transition from liquids to mushies to solids. after about the 5th week, it started falling off. i didn't like that the scale was stuck there, but i knew to expect it, so even though it was frustrating as all get out, i just kept doing what i was supposed to do. those first few weeks i struggled to get enough calories too, but once my stomach had some time to heal and the swelling went down i was able to get more. i shoot for 1200, but i don't always hit it and that number is just a number that i myself decided to go for, so for you it may be different. after you hit solids, just start documenting what you eat and then see if the calories are enough to make the scale go in the right direction, but don't worry if it's not moving right now, it will eventually.

I am exactly the same way. i have lost around 38 pounds at this point and i know that i feel better and my clothes are fitting better, but no one has said a word. it's kind of a good thing at this point because i didn't tell anyone about the surgery, so when they start to notice i will have to decide how i'm going to handle it and what i'm going to share with them for now, i will just keep doing what i'm doing. hope to join you very soon in the losing 75 pounds department. my goal is to lose 100 pounds total, but in order to not be obese, i'd have to lose over 200 though. i think that i just 100 pounds will put me in a more comfortable place though. keep us posted if people start to notice and tell us how it's going,.

i had a week of last suppers too. we went to our favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown TWICE, hit up our favorite Indian place, went to a really nice pizzeria, cooked up all the homemade mac n cheese we had Pasta for in the house, had chimichangas....gahh, i ate soooo much that last week before surgery. i gained probably 5 pounds, but the liquid diet took it right back off and I do not regret having my last meals for one second. while i'm still newly banded and can eat anything, i can't shovel it in like i used to, and i got one last shovel off all that good food (which for me was a way of saying goodbye to shoveling.) i really love taking big bites of things and just swallowing, now it's all chew, chew, chew. so, i'm glad i had my one last hoorah.

my liquid diet was liquids only, no Protein bars, plus i could have broth with a cup of vegetables. i know what you mean about it getting bland. i discovered Mrs. Dash and i still use it daily. it has replaced salt and pepper in my life. it's really good stuff and it helped me get through that diet. by day 4, it should be getting a teensy bit easier. i know the first 3 days were the hardest for me, but by day 4 it was becoming a habit. and really, you will really, really, really be glad you did it to prepare you for the next phase. right after surgery, liquids will be difficult to get down, but by day 3 i was HUNGRY and all i had was liquids. it would have been a shock for me to go straight from eating, eating, eating to only being able to have liquids. as much as i complained about that pre-op diet, i am so glad i did it. congrats on losing 14 lbs so far. you are doing great.

hey dave, i was wondering how the surgery went for you. glad to see you are still around and it sounds like you are doing great.

Hi Tina and Redheadgirl, it's nice to 'meet' you. the pre-op diet is very hard, but you will be so glad you did it as it prepares you for the liquids only phase right after surgery. it really makes it a breeze. (as much as it can be a breeze) good luck to both of you, and please post here often and keep us (or me) posted.

so, a week ago today i went in for a post-op visit and to get my first fill. i decided against getting it as i felt i was kinda doing ok and i just wondered if anyone else ever did that....refused their first fill. she said i might change my mind in a week and i could always come back before my next visit (which is in august) to get one, but so far, i'm doing ok. i am not getting really hungry in between meals, and in july i am going on vacation, so i didn't want to be too tight to enjoy some good vacation food. i couldn't see the point of getting a fill and then having it emptied a month later, and then a refill (to pay all that money for a fill, unfill and refill) but so far, i don't regret it. has anyone else ever delayed their first fill? do you regret it? or is there plenty of time to worry about getting fills down the line? your thoughts and comments are much appreciated.

Hi Ginny, so glad that someone else posted here! whew, i thought i was alone for a second there. I have arthritis in my knees as well, and with that 35 pounds gone it has made such a difference already. please keep us posted on your progress and good luck losing that 20lbs. i think you will find that it won't be that hard at the beginning to get that weight off. people with more weight to lose, tend to lose a little faster in the beginning, so you are going to be a success.

I don't know about the beer part of it, it's so foamy (i love beer btw). i had literally a sip of pepsi a couple of weeks ago and could not stop burping. everyone is different, so you might be ok with it though. i would go slowly and see how you feel. as for bbq, i totally know what you mean. i am going on vacation in july and will be having bbq and stuff like that. i know for myself i did NOT get this band to restrict myself from every good thing in life. i got it to help with portion control issues (which is working like a charm so far). if you feel that you can eat bbq in moderation and not gorge, then i say go for it. we all have to do what is right for us of course, but i know you will make the right decision for you.

also, greek yogurt tastes a lot like sour cream, so if i have a baked potato or something of that nature, i put greek yogurt on it instead. i can get Protein that way NOT that i am advocating eating carbs (disclaimer ) but if you DO ever eat a baked potato, or even mashed potatoes, it's a good way to get more protein without using sour cream. you can use it on anything that you would use sour cream in. on the mushy stage, you can use the salsa, cheese and greek yogurt! so versatile.

That's a great barometer i think. I've lost about 3 pounds since last thursday, so to me that says I don't actually need a fill quite yet. I don't really have restriction, but a meal will keep me satisfied for about 4 hours or so until i am thinking about food, so that is kind of what i am going by. i really don't want to have zero apetite, so i will try that at least 1 pound per week thing and see how that works. i figure i really have the rest of my life to play with fills and all that to get it just right. waiting 2 months won't kill me. at least i hope not.

that's great to hear allen. i am hoping that is the case with me. i am really not in a huge (pardon the pun) hurry to lose tons of weight. i want to lose it pretty slowly and not drastically if i can help it, i also don't want to feel like i am depriving myself of food or anything when i am on vacation. it doesn't mean i am going to gorge, but i'm a foodie and i'm going to enjoy a bite of this and a bite of that. i totally understand people not wanting to get unfills for vacations or for any reason, but i didn't get this band to be deprived, i got it to help me make better choices and not stuff myself silly, which so far has really worked like a charm. i am kinda not the typical bandster either. my goal isn't to really lose a lot of weight. i've already lost about 34 pounds, and i feel great. if i lose 50, i'll be happy, more than that is icing on the cake. i would still be fat, but happier in my own skin. i can already tell a difference in my energy levels, clothing, etc.....my goal isn't to get skinny as i will never be skinny, plus i can't afford plastic surgery and don't want to look like a meat sack so, i'll enjoy this one time a year that i get to let my hair hang down and eat without guilt (still watching portion size, but not necessarily calories or fat or what have you....) also, edited to add to what kelly said " I figure I had plenty of vacations and plenty of fatty foods, that is why we all got this surgery is to eat healthy and lose weight right?" i actually, in all truthfulness, got this surgery for vanity reasons. i had no health problems of any kind, no co-morbidiites or whatever. i am just fat and growing. i got the surgery because i didn't want to grow any larger, not necessarily get smaller. i just needed help with portion control. again, i'm probably the only person who did this for that reason. i really like seeing the scale go down, and i'll confess that a few weeks ago i was a little upset that it had stopped moving, but i'm seeing so many NSVs in my clothing and in my energy level that i'm happy the way things are. if i stopped losing weight altogether at my current size, i would honestly be ok with it...but i don't want that scale to go back up, so i will stick to my post-op diet (until vacation time of course) then i'll get right back to doing what i'm supposed to do. thanks for your answers everyone. i feel better about my decision to forgo the fill. i'll probably have one in August if i feel the need. i'll keep you posted.

my doctor actually tells his patients to let him know if they are going on vacation so he can give them an unfill. he said there is a lifetime to be on a diet like this one, so you should enjoy your vacations. (he doesn't force and unfill, but he will give one if you want one. ) just so nobody thinks i came up with that on my own. it's good to know that you went 5 months without needing one though. i will reassess when august gets here and if i'm still losing, i may bypass that fill as well. we'll just have to wait and see.

everyone has their reasons for doing what they do, and we each have to do the thing that is right for us. i'm so happy that you have a supportive community of friends and family that are there for you. i don't have that in my daily life, so i have chosen to keep it to myself as long as i can. when (and if) people start noticing that i'm losing weight, i will deal with it then, but i don't need any unwanted comments or accountability in this area. for me the added pressure of someone watching everything that goes into my mouth and questioning it would send me into a tailspin and cause me to hide food or eat slider foods. (i am an emotional/ bulk eater, so i have to guard against that.) if people want to shout it to the rooftops, it's wonderful and i support it, but for those people like me who just want to sit in the shadows and do their thing without being scrutinized, then that's ok too. we are all on our own journeys and we all take the path that is right for us. good luck to you on your journey

i'm a fat Christian as well..... i'm a singer and besides food, singing, especially christian music, is my passion. i hope i can let go of my devotion to one and devote myself more fully to the other.