SimSim

After joining this site I looked and looked for photos of myself before the surgery - you know what I discovered? For a big girl, I was really adept at being invisible to the camera. It has been very difficult for me to find photos of myself at almost 300 pounds - I apparently was like a photo-lens ninja - if one came out - I disappeared. It dawns on me that there are probably hundreds of thousands of people like me. We're were pretty invisible to the photo world - and I can't tell you how many times I just deleted images of myself out of other people's cameras. I think about that now and I shake my head - I was so worried about how I looked that I deleted myself. That's terrible. Just thinking aloud - hope everyone is having a great weekend. - Simone

I love the french onion laughing cow in a salad - I just break it into pieces and it takes the place of a dressing easily. We did this last night with a grilled chicken breast and spring salad and it was divine! Thanks for posting these. I plan on using them - all of them!

I agree, Bobbi. I'm curious if any of you use myfitnesspal? I used it a lot before the band and I've started to use it faithfully now that I need to really watch what I'm putting in my body. It's a great accountability system.

Thanks, everyone. It is scary when you have to get a total unfill. Today I watched my intake of food very carefully. I noticed two things. First, my stomach growled today. That hasn't happened in 2+ years. I wish someone could have filmed my facial reaction - I'm sure it was priceless. Second, I drank more Water today than I have in a very long time. When I felt hungry, I drank more water. I could never drink quickly - especially in the past few months - so today's water was a treat in many ways. My beautiful 19-year-old daughter made a homemade apple pie. I took one small bite and thought, this is good, but a size 16 would be so much better. Onward and upward!

I never thought this would happen. It happened. Yesterday I almost fainted at work - left, was instructed by my doctor and was told to go to the ER - my pulse was out of this world and I was just ... ick. I was dehydrated. Explained that my band was probably too tight, I haven't been able to keep much down. My ER here locally couldn't help so they sent me about three hours away to Wichita Falls to a doctor there. First let me say: DR. WARNOCK YOU ROCK THE HOUSE! I loved this doctor and although he took all the Fluid out of my band, I loved this doctor and the whole experience. I have never felt more... encouraged... than I did when I met with him and left his office. So - no fill, just me and the band hanging out - he wants to see me again in about 4 weeks and we'll do an x-ray and such at that time to see if band placement is an issue or if we can begin filling my band again slowly. I feel good about this. Didn't think I would, but I do. So - here's the plan, I'll get up tomorrow, excercise with these fantastic new vibram five finger shoes and get to work with my feet on the ground, head held high and a reminder that I'm making this body my own... because it was mine (not the food's) all along!

I never thought this would happen. It happened. Yesterday I almost fainted at work - left, was instructed by my doctor and was told to go to the ER - my pulse was out of this world and I was just ... ick. I was dehydrated. Explained that my band was probably too tight, I haven't been able to keep much down. My ER here locally couldn't help so they sent me about three hours away to Wichita Falls to a doctor there. First let me say: DR. WARNOCK YOU ROCK THE HOUSE! I loved this doctor and although he took all the fluid out of my band, I loved this doctor and the whole experience. I have never felt more... encouraged... than I did when I met with him and left his office. So - no fill - he wants to see me again in about 4 weeks and we'll do an x-ray and such at that time to see if band placement is an issue or if we can begin filling my band again slowly. I feel good about this. Didn't think I would, but I do. So - here's the plan, I'll get up tomorrow, excercise with these fantastic new vibram five finger shoes and get to work with my feet on the ground, head held high and a reminder that I'm making this body my own... because it was mine (not the food's) all along!

Darn computer - wrote out my first blog, hit submit and it was gone. ARGH! This will be a short one - mostly because I have to get off to work. Tried out my new Vibram Five Finger shoes this morning when I got up at 545 to get a speed walk in - it was less speed and more walk - but eveyone says it takes time to break in the shoes and your feet. I have to admit I'm digging these shoes. It's becoming obvious to me (and it's really obvious to everyone) that to be successful in this I have to excercise. Hmmn... instead of excercise, I'll call it moving - I have to keep moving. Still having a heck of a time keeping food down and I spent most of the night last night waking up from choking and coughing - I need an unfill. I'm going to work on talking to doctors in this area and if worse comes to worse, I'll just have to drive the 200+ miles to a doctor who will see me. Lovely. Boost is becoming a main-staple in my house. I am out of protein powder and boost seems to have just enough protein in it to make all the calories seem worth it. Let's just hope I can keep it down. So that's it - I'm normally a bit more wordy, but a quick shower and work calls. Making it beautiful today - and moving - gotta keep moving. Much love. §

Setting the band aside - just for a second - something I've come to realize more and more is that it's not the band that's losing the weight it's me. If I want to meet the goals I've set - I will need to excercise. I'm not a fan of it, so I'll take my music with me, which I love and make it more of a music push your body time. I'm having problems with my band right now. More than 70% of the time I can't barely keep down liquids - forget solids. I live in an area where we had two bariatric specialists and now there are none for hundreds of miles in any direction. I know it's too tight - but I don't know why it's so tight when I haven't had a fill in almost a year. We come here to each other to realize that we struggle from similar demons and our fight - to feel fabulous - leads us to less fabulous paths. So we keep our heads up, keep swimming (just keep swimming, just keep swimming), and we realize that there's a lot we can 'blame' on the band... but a whole lot more we can place at the feet of the person wearing it. (I'm wearing one too...) ... just keeping swimming ...

I'm so glad I happened upon these posts. Do you have your initial consult in Mexico first or can that be done over the computer? Thank you for the information!

I was never big on egg drop soup - frankly, I thought the consistency left much to be desired - BUT - I saw a recipe and it's great for a good shot of Protein. Heat up a cup of chicken broth, when it comes to a boil add a scrambled egg, toss a little corn starch in for thickening (not much) and top with pepper, a little salt and I always throw in green onions. It's been a long time since my surgery, but this is still one of my favorite foods when my stomach needs a break from solids. Good luck!