Alexandra

That sounds like a FABULOUS idea!! I'm going to totally try that. Seriously! I've often thought how silly it is to want something that disappears so fast--I fight and fight with myself over it before eating, and sometimes I win and sometimes I lose but either way I've lost precious time out of my life just on the internal arguing. It's never occurred to me to tell myself I already ate it, and actually win that way. I love it!! Thanks for the inspired idea!!

I've been riding this rollercoaster a very long time, that's for sure. And post-band these pity parties are WAY fewer and farther between. They don't have the self-hate element that they used to, either. Banding has indeed changed my life and I'll be eternally grateful for that! But some things never do change. I don't feel like a failure, exactly, but I do feel sorry for myself that this is and continues to be so damned hard! That's why I'm posting--I know for a fact that it's helped in the past. It's so easy to withdraw when life gets busy, and I changed jobs a few months ago which really upended my schedule, so I'm taking this step back into "public" to turn the tide a bit.

Hee hee! I think you mean "sedentary" lifestyle. :huh2: But I get your point. I posted elsewhere about how exercise has never given me what others seem to get after a while--an endorphin rush or even a teeny tiny desire to move more. I exercise--less now than before I gained 50 lbs back, to be sure--but overall I don't lead a sedentary life. My relationship with exercise is just like my relationship with food: a continuous struggle. I know what to do, I know why to do it, I know how to do it, and I often DO do it, but my no matter what my inner self doesn't ever WANT to do any of it. That's what I don't understand. WHY is it such a struggle, even when all my stars would seem to be completely aligned for success. Sitting at the computer before I go to bed is part of my life, and it's not going to change. What can and MUST change is my instinctive sense that a day isn't complete without something sweet at the end of it, since "something sweet" turns out to be way too much.

Tarrn said it: It's your choice to ingest whatever you want. 480 calories is 480 calories, whether it's a drink or a slice of cheesecake. (Or an apple fritter from Starbucks, I just discovered.) That's a lot of calories to be taking in unless whatever it is has lots of nutritional value.

It's not heels I long to wear, it's BOOTS. My feet can't tolerate heels no matter how little I weigh, I'm afraid; I have very prominent bones in the balls of my feet and the pressure is too much. But my dream NSV would be boots, like these:

Thanks, Mindy. Listening helps, as does typing it out. The answer to the question about why that stuff is in the house is that my husband does the shopping. :huh2: He is able to eat just a few, and my kids are also, and MOST of the time I can completely ignore the goodies on top of the fridge. I grew up in a house completely without treats, and I can't/won't do that to my children. I honestly believe it's one of the reasons I have this sense of entitlement--now that I'm an adult, says my subconscious, no one can say NO and I can indulge at will. My inner deprived child comes out sometimes, I guess.

Jaylow, you should be very careful with alcohol while you're in the liquid phase, for a couple of reasons. Obviously there's the empty-calorie issue, but that's always the case. But that close to surgery you're still going to be on a very low-calorie regimen, and any alcohol you take in is likely to go directly to your head. And if you're still on strict liquids at that point, you'll have to be very careful you don't give in to a desire for solid food. Alcohol affects our judgment, and many people have regretted drinking because it can lead to very bad choices with regard to food. And that close to surgery, bad food choices can mean more than just a few extra calories--you don't want to compromise your healing by eating before your body is ready for it.

This is the holy grail, and it just doesn't come for everyone. I had a long period when I didn't mind exercising, even came here and said it was fun, and of course when one is less heavy it becomes much easier. But I have never ever been able to say that I "love" it. I've never had that famous endorphin rush--no matter how hard the workout or how long the walk or ride or whatever. My body has never "craved" exercise--it craves peace and quiet and sleep and intellectual stimulation, not physical stimulation. I'm not even sure my body makes endorphins. UUGGHH!! Sometimes I seriously wish speed were legal. :huh2:

Katie, I've heard it said quite often that the 4th-5th days out from surgery are the worst. Things often start to improve immediately after this, so just keep doing what you're doing and taking it easy. Healing is hard work and we have to be careful not to expext too much of ourselves. Getting enough liquid in is the most important thing you can do so just concentrate on sipping your Water and resting. You have plenty of time to think about calories later on. You may indeed have some built-up air inside that is making you feel uncomfortably full, but that will pass. If you're not feeing better tomorrow then by all means call your doctor! You're not bothering them--that's what they're there for. But don't panic, either. You'll start to feel a bit better each day from here on out. Good luck!!

Well, everyone's experience is different, of course, but it can indeed be perfectly normal to feel a little weak and dizzy when adjusting to a drastically reduced caloric intake. My point was that it's nothing to panic about, but it is something to address. Taking in enough protein and fluids is vital, of course.

Congratulations on your wonderful success!! :huh2: :w00t:

Lalida, you've asked a question to which everyone has their own personal answer. I decided on surgery after 40 years of obesity that I couldn't get any control over otherwise. You're very young and there are a lot of things out there that might work for you if you explore them. Good luck--and ask LOTS of questions!

Miss Daisy, the answer to your question is YES, it is normal to feel a little weak as you're in the liquid phase. Be sure you're getting enough Protein and liquids, and your body will adjust. But you're definitely going through something and you're still healing, so take it easy. The itching belly is due to healing. It too is perfectly normal. Congratulations on your banding!!

Miss Daisy, I'm going to sart a new thread with your post--it's really a whole new question and you'll get a lot more responses in a new thread.

I'd love to hear from and maybe get together with anyone who's a patient of either of these doctors. Dr. Nicholas Bertha was involved in the FDA trials so he's been doing banding for a relatively long time. But I've only found a couple of other patients of theirs--there MUST be more! Where are all the Jersey people?

Greetings to you, and welcome to LBT!

Oooh, I'm so sorry having it removed didn't fix your problem! Medical mysteries are sooooo frustrating. Best wishes that you figure it out and get it fixed, soon!

I agree with Plain. Whether weight loss has an effect on your health problems depends on the cause of those problems. But that doesn't mean it's not worth doing!! I had borderline high blood pressure all of my life but it had always been attributed to my weight. The only time it went down was during pregnancy, oddly enough. After banding and a loss of more than 100 lbs, my BP was still borderline high and FINALLY a doctor suggested that it *wasn't* due to my weight. That makes sense, since my slender mother also had HBP--but everyone had always attributed that to her smoking. So I'm on BP meds but it's OK. If I hadn't been banded it would never have become evident that it's out of my control. So one way or the other, banding has led to control of my high blood pressure.

I agree with Dollhouse; wait and see what results from this letter. Your doctors have done this before, they probably pick and choose from among the various facts available to create a compelling case for surgery. I remember reading my letter and it sounded awful! Everything in it was technically true, but I had no idea I was at death's door. Good luck!!

Hi Samantha, While everyone is nervous, of course, in my experience it's important to listen to yourself when making a decision of this magnitude. Perhaps you're excessively nervous because you're not 100% sure this is the right decision? You're very young--are there things you have yet to try to get a grip on your weight issues? Bariatric surgery isn't something to be entered into lightly--it's life-changing and takes a serious approach. If you're really ready, there's no reason to be extremely nervous. So perhaps there's a message there in your subconscious. Think through your decision carefully. If you've really done all the prep work and are positive this is the right step, your nervousness will fade.

My fingers are crossed that it's as easy as getting a fill, but I'm afraid it isn't. Over time my fullness receptor (wherever that is) has gotten much less sensitive, and a tight band isn't what it used to be. But I'm still thinking about it, with hope! In the meantime it's my struggle to even *remember* that I'm banded, and to let my band do its job. You're not alone!!

Wow, Shorty, what a PITA your doctor is being! I wouldn't wait or ask, I would just write the letter myself and present it to the office staff to have it signed. I'm sure your surgeon's office can give you the text, which you can tweak to be specific to you. Don't sit around and wait, but don't be rude either. Just do it!

I have had complications, too, even to the point of having my band removed and replaced. Three surgeries in all, two more than I'd bargained for in the beginning. Also an endoscopy, a couple of stints on medication for reflux, and a lot of sleepless nights. But I don't have one single regret and am 100% glad I made the decision to be banded. Knowing going in that the worst thing that could happen was that it would be removed is one of the biggest reasons I chose it over bypass. With two small children I couldn't take the chance of being sidelined by some major complication like those I'd heard about with RNY--rare, sure, but when they happen they seem to be extremely serious. I wanted something that would leave me whole even if it had to come out or be reversed. The band is the very first time in my life I've had real control over my weight, which was nearing dangerous levels and making me an unfit parent. Over my first three years I lost 130 lbs, 50 of which have come back on through my difficulties. But I am very much healthier and more active than I used to be, and I have a realistic chance of losing the weight again and more. No surgery is risk-free. We ALL are taking a chance, whether it's going under the knife or staying morbidly obese. We have to consider what makes the most sense for each of us, and consider all our personal circumstances. Sure, things can and do go wrong, but HOW they go wrong and how they can be fixed are important things to consider. The "worst" happened to me and I'm still 100% glad I made the choice to get banded.

None of which is true, of course. Rep can be fun, but let's remember that it is all just for fun and really means nothing.

Having the band removed is, unless there is internal damage, quite a bit easier than having it placed. My removal was amazingly easy; could have gone to work the next day. As I recall they told me to stay on liquids for like a week(?) but I'm not 100% sure about that.