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Macy is adorable, and NOPE, no cool front, although it will probably rain in Tiger Stadium during the LSU-Florida game:crying: It doesn't look like we are getting cooler temps until Friday.

Tracy, please tell me that cool front is headed my way also...It is NOT supposed to get in the 90s in October!!!:thumbup: Irene, you need to do what is best for you, just don't forget about us! I like reading your posts.:sad:

Jeez, Charlene, I hope you get some relief soon.

I hate bloat!! What was your surgery, if you don't mind my asking? Sounds like female issues. I go see my GYN next month and we need to make some solid, serious decisions re: my cycles. Michelle: after I lost quite a bit of weight, I began experiencing severe migraines daily. I went in for my checkup and found out there were female issues I wasn't aware of. I had to have a hysterectomy in December, and I am happy to say I am fine now and haven't had a migraine since my surgery!!! My stepdaughter was having problems with cysts but she had an ablation (sp?) a couple of months ago, and she is doing much better.

I love, love, love my Target!!! I do 80% of my shopping there, even my groceries. We have a Super Target and it is fabulous!

Congratulations! I can hardly wait until I reach it!!!

You're welcome, and remember, if you keep you meal sizes small, you should be fine. Try eating the amounts you should, and see if it satisfies you. If not, eat a little more and realize that after you get your fills again the amounts/weight will drop. Also, when they begin filling you again, just please take it slow. Now you know what to look for so you won't be too tight again.

I still do not exercise, although I do plan on starting soon. My weight loss has slowed and I know I must exercise to jumpstart it again. Whether or not the band is the correct tool for you, depends on your eating habits now. If volume eating is the issue, then the band should help you. If sweets is your downfall, you should probably seek a different approach. Most sweets are slider foods and will go right through the band. I suggest journaling the foods you eat and the AMOUNTS you eat for a couple of weeks. By doing this, you can really evaluate the types of foods you eat and determine if it is the food itself or the amount of it you are eating that is giving you problems. Before being banded, I really did not realize the volume of food I ate. Looking back, I easily consumed 2500-3000 calories per day. Now, I eat 1200-1500 per day. I journal my food using fitday.com, but there are many places online you can use. As far as if it was worth it...Every penny as far as I am concerned, but only you can determine that. Please realize the weight will not miraculously fall off of you. Once you reach restriction, your band will help you be satisfied on smaller amounts, but you still have to decide what to put in your mouth. Please try the journaling. It may help you decide what you should do.

Believe it or not, you may actually begin losing weight. You will now be able to eat and keep down healthier foods than before. Also, if you graze, or eat 6 small healthy meals, your metabolism will probably rev up. If you have been too tight for a year, you were probably either eating slider foods, which are higher in calories, or you have eaten/kept down, very little. Both scenarios are not good. Even if you gain a little, focus on taking small bites, chewing well and eating healthy foods. Also, if you still experience pb episodes, call and get a little more taken out. You can't truly heal until the swelling goes down. Good luck and keep us posted!

Everyone is different. I was one of them that still needed help getting out of bed if I was lying down until almost a week post op. I could go from sitting to standing without help, but not lying to sitting. It just hurt too much. BUT my gas pains were non-existent, so in that respect, I think I was lucky. Take it easy as long as you need to, but move as much as you can.

The way I broke that habit/problem, is from the moment I was banded, I only put on my plate what I was SUPPOSED to have. I realized if I was truly still hungry after eating it, I could always get more. What I found out was, that I was satisfied with the amount I fixed every time, as long as I chewed my food well and ate slowly. I do NOT however take the 30 minutes or more you hear some people talk about. Usually it is 15-20 minutes and I am done. I routinely eat about 1 cup of food at each meal and daily consume 1200-1500 calories. This gave me fast weight loss the first 6 months and now slow weight loss, but I never feel deprived or hungry, so I don't plan on changing it. I didn't get banded to feel like I was on a diet every day!

Breakfast: 1 fried egg with 1 slice of cheese OR 1/2-3/4 of a Chick fil A chicken biscuit lunch Usually a Campbells Soup at Hand, because I am a teacher who must eat with the students so I have maybe 10 minutes eating time (not nearly enough to eat properly); about once a week I bring a small container of leftovers to heat and eat Snack: peanut butter/choc chip chewy bar Snack: Starbucks Venti non-fat Caramel Mocha (2 pumps of mocha, 4 pumps sf caramel, no whip) Dinner- whatever is cooked, just a cup or less of it. ex: pastalaya, spaghetti, pizza (1 thin slice) chili, hamburger steak, gumbo, etc. I consistently eat 1200-1500 calories per day; I journal using fitday.com to keep track of my calories. It keeps me honest.

My favorite was pureeing chili and then adding reduced fat cheddar and ff sourcream. Very yummy! I also was allowed refried beans with the cheddar and ff sourcream.

Congratulations! You look absolutely amazing!

Nice...:thumbup:

Look at Cathy's post above. Journal your food. You may only be eating 1000-1500 calories per day and honestly, if you vary that from day to day but don't go over that, you will probably lose as long as they are healthy foods. BUT, when you are exercising, especially as much as you were earlier, you MUST eat more than that. Do you ever watch Biggest Loser and hear them YELL at people when they don't eat their calories every day. It isn't pretty. Journal your foods, and I mean every bite that goes into your mouth, even drinks, for week. Look at the week overall and get a realistic idea of how many calories you are consuming and where they are coming from. This summer, I didn't lose anything. I still ate 1200-1500 every day, as usual, but I ate a lot of popcorn for those calories and sat more than normal. When I returned to teaching in August, I stopped the popcorn every day and I never sit while teaching, so I started losing again. Don't give up on your situation. You are obviously very disciplined. Try the food journal and see if it helps you.

Congratulations on your date, and good luck! I will hopefully make this journey in a year or two.:thumbup:

I have not given up carbs. Carbs make up about 1/3-1/2 of my daily calorie intake. I drink skim milk, eat whole wheat Pasta, whole wheat bread, potatoes and Beans. I eat ice cream once a week because I want it. I just eat about 1/3 of what I did before being banded. I eat 1200-1500 calories per day. I don't want my band real tight, and I like where I am now, because I can eat just about anything I want. I feel bad for the previous poster who lives on Protein drinks. It sounds like she is way too tight. I only had Protein Drinks during my first 5 days after surgery. I hope to never have another one. As far as being scared, I was terrified. I was 40 years old and had never had surgery before. I made it through surgery fine and my recovery was normal. I haven't regretted being banded even for a day! It was the best thing I have ever done for myself.

I hope that helps

Welcome and congratulations on your decision. lf your insurance requires the 6 month supervised diet, I suggest starting it asap. Get your pcp to find out what is required and do it. Also, on the dl, ask the bariatric surgeon what weight you don't want to go below. Although, you may find that on the 6 month diet you are able to lose. I could always lose, the problem was keeping it off, which, with my band isn't so hard anymore. Good luck!

GAH!!! Yes, tap, it is now playing in my head..over and over and over again.:frown:

Me? or some other Cindy? I am getting better. The infection is gone, but I still obviously have fluid in my lungs. When I have a coughing spell I have the sensation of drowning, if that makes any sense at all. My doctor called my dad's house asking for me after hours, but 20 minutes after I got the message, a recording picked up. I will call tomorrow, but I feel he was probably just checking on me. Tracy: so sorry about that late mortgage thing...jeez it sucks and I wish I had some words of wisdom for you. If you have to take up the payments, you really need to take possession of the house. Even if it is to rent it out, instead of live in it. Suzie: sorry about that toe, and ummm, no thanks on the pics. Oh, and I thought Shalee was shalee and I followed her ps journey. So, can we call you kelly? Side note: Weird thing happened this morning...It was a nasty rainy morning, and I was driving on the interstate with my children. All of a sudden, I had a bright flash of reddish light right in front of my face. It freaked me out and I wasn't sure if it really happened. I ask my daughter what it was and she said she really wasn't sure, but maybe lightning. It was like it lit the whole interior of the car up but there was no thunder clap. So I am not sure what happened, but in my 41 years, I have never experienced anything like it before.

Most doctors require liquids after, mine does not. I agree with the previous poster. There are many reasons you bring the food back up and it usually depends on when it occurs. String meats/dry meats I avoid, because I usually have a problem with them. Stringy meats I make sure to cut them cross-grain to minimize problems, and who wants to eat dry meat, anyway?

It depends on the food as to how many calories are in a cup. I consistently eat 1200-1500. Any less than that and my body stops losing after a couple of weeks. Everyone is different. Since you aren't restricted, be sure to measure your food out and sit down to eat. Eat what you served yourself slowly, even if you body will allow you to eat faster. You may find that you are satisfied with that amount, even if you aren't full. It is difficult to lose until you have proper restriction, but it can be done. It just takes more work for you, unfortunately. There are still times that I WANT more food, even though I am not really hungry for it. That is the work part that I still must do. The "head hunger" never really goes away.:frown:

Bandster hell is awful. You will probably need another fill or two before you are actually satisfied with smaller meals. As far as the cutting carbs, I am so sorry your nutritionist suggests that. I won't tell you to go against what he/she says, but dang. I eat pretty much whatever I want, just about 1/3 of what I did prior to banding. I measure a serving out of whatever I eat. I eat around a cup at each meal, about 1200-1500 per day. I journal my food so I always know my calorie count per day and where my calories are coming from. Good luck and know that it should get easier for you once you reach restriction.