NWgirl

I eat whatever I want as far as sweets, etc go. The only thing I could honestly say I will miss eating is this delicious hot beef/mozzarella cheese/cream cheese/pepper sandwiches that this local shop makes. We only used to get them a couple times a year, but I wouldn't be able to handle the bread anymore. And fresh french bread

Yeah you look great! And, in the first picture your bust does look a lot smaller, but the one in the white tank top you can tell they are still there... haha.

glued and covered with tape.

I also did not like super sweet drinks, so I used a lot of yogurt and creamy soups when I was on full liquids, as well as Lipton cup-of-soup cream of chicken (YUM). They do make protein drinks that taste more like juice (thinking Isopure and Nectar) and unflavored protein (which does have a taste but does not have any sweet additives). Unjury also makes a chicken soup protein drink (which I thought was disgusting but some love it).

I also chug water, but I am not tight either. Some people can and some cannot. I have had the feeling at times of "filling up," so to speak.

As others have said, worry about the journey right now and the cosmetic parts after. You never know, you could be one of the lucky ones who doesn't need any type of surgery! Also, I seem to have heard it is a good idea to maintain the desired weight for 6 months to a year before getting any cosmetic surgery. It can take up to two years for the skin to tighten up as much as it can naturally.

Just go with your own bodies rate of healing. Keep walking a couple times an hour and when you feel better, walk longer/further. Don't try to rush things because right now it is all about proper healing.

I started this journey with the idea I will never do the traditional dieting approach EVER again. Sure, I do track my foods to get me back on track if I feel I'm not doing as hot as I could be, but nothing is off limits for me now. I don't feel deprived, and I only eat small portions of whatever I want that isn't diet approved. Like Mis said, you need to deal with the underlying issues of why you ate something you think you shouldn't instead of being upset about eating it. There is a huge mental aspect with WLS and the sooner we come to terms with these things, the faster we are able to know why we do/did things to sabotage previous efforts. You are not a failure.

Congratulations! You will be successful at both your new job and your weight journey

The tight feeling is usually a sign you've eaten too much or not chewed well enough. I actually have a really big problem with eggs now, especially scrambled. I would recommend focusing on making sure you are getting enough protein in because as we get more fills and a smaller food capacity, nutrition is key.

Trader Joe's is less expensive and usually smaller than Whole Foods, but they operate on somewhat of the same premise. I love TJ's because I can buy frozen dinners that don't taste like cardboard and they have so many yummy, good for you foods! They don't always have a big selection of fruits though. Looks like there are two TJ's in FL: 4101 S Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34231 3724 SW Archer Rd Gainesville, FL 32608 Looks like there are 6 in Texas, one in Ft. Worth: 2701 S Hulen St Fort Worth, TX 76107

I don't use my weight as reasons for why I cannot do things, but I have used it to "hide" from people. I think it's easy to have a security blanket (weight) and be able to use that to separate yourself from other people. Recently I have started wearing makeup more and have wanted to look nicer in my outings. After analyzing, I realized I was feeling more confident and wanted to look good because I can and people seem to be noticing me the more weight I lose. I am in a very committed relationship, so I am not looking for anything in that sphere, but it's nice to be noticed- something I never liked when I was bigger.

You are amazing!

It seems like you should be on protein drinks at this point, so I highly recommend contacting your surgeon to ask. I also got hungry at about day 3, but I made sure to keep drinking a lot of water and eating SF jello, pudding, yogurts with no chunks, soups, protein drinks (I was on full liquids after surgery and not restricted to only clears).

I had surgery in March and it has been a slow, fulfilling process. At this point, I could have lost more weight if I had worked at it harder, but I am satisfied with where I am and think the extra time has allowed my brain to adjust more easily to all of the changes. I recommend starting to practice habits you will need to do as a banded person- not drinking with meals or 45 minutes after, chewing a lot, and taking small bites. The hardest for me was to break the drinking habit, but I was able to do so prior to surgery because my nutritionist suggested it. I would also start exploring the mental side of the journey and getting in tune with why you have some of the habits/eating styles you do. Right now I am about 10 pounds away from 200 and 20 pounds from my weight at 16, but I am kind of having a mind freak out. I think that the physical aspect is really a very small part of the whole journey.

- trader Joe's southwest chicken quesadilla - 99% fat free ground turkey mixed with southwest taco seasoning, salsa, red onion, and sour cream. - light string cheese - dannon Greek yogurt, Esp. The cherry flavor. - healthy choice frozen Greek yogurt- 100 cal each. If you have a Trader Joe's in your area, they have great band size portions in frozen foods and do not taste like traditional frozen items. I love TJ's!!! Sent from my iPad using LapBandTalk

Jello actually made me feel sick post-op, so i avoided it. You will feel better soon

I had nothing in at time of surgery. Fill 1 and 2 were both 2cc. Fill 3 was .5cc and fill 4 was .2cc. It sounds like your Fill specialist is doing what my surgeon does. I was a little skeptical at first when i found out my practices fill schedule, but I really only felt true restriction the last .8cc. I guess I'm saying don't worry too much about the number.

Good for being proactive! I definitely recommend learning as much as you can about the band before you actually get it. I had the "eat, sleep, breath" motto in my research stage and I think it has helped me immensely.

The only time people usually get denied is if they fall below the BMI threshold defined by their insurance (usually 35-39.9 BMI with two comorbidities or 40+ BMI with no comorbidities). I would ask whoever will be submitting your paperwork if they will be using the initial weigh-in or the last weight for submission to insurance. Don't be afraid to ask these questions, they are actually really important!

Definitely not thinking you're hungry- this is the mindless hungry I would have given into pre-band but does not mean hunger. I have seen someone on the forums post this about hunger: if you are hungry, you will open the fridge and eat whatever is there. If you're not actually hungry, you will search the fridge for the "perfect" thing. I know I'm hungry when I start to feel the grumbling in my stomach. My stomach actually growls too, but is not much louder than pre-band. When my stomach growls, I am at a place where I should have eaten earlier and I am ravenous. This is also a time when I am weaker in my decision making, so it is always in my best interest to have something healthy either prepared and ready or a healthy snack (think Greek yogurt and light string cheese) so I do not eat something I will regret later.

http://www.healthchecksystems.com/bodyfat.htm 25-31% body fat for women is normal. BMI and body fat are two different numbers.

So?

I am not in Texas, but have heard many people from that area use True Results. If you go to the state specific forum listings (from the main page, scroll down to the state section), you can probably get better recommendations.

I bought a bike to ride to/from work because I've been failing on the exercise front. Whatever it takes, right?