Fit in my 60's

My doctor said to stick to 1500 calories and keep it low fat. That's pretty much what I've been doing all along anyway. I did notice, however, that it said no alcohol for 6 months prior. Guess I'm going to have to fudge a little on that one. I drink very seldom, but I have had a very few drinks in the last 6 months. Anybody else been told this?

I just completed my pre-op testing today. They told me once my dr turns it in they can schedule the day for surgery. I'm predicting middle of February. I haven't told too many people yet, just my husband, sister, 2 daughters, and one friend.

I started out by going to a seminar. Then I called to start the process and was assigned a nurse navigator. Next I started my 6 month supervised weight loss with my family dr. At month 4, I turned in a big packet of information I had to fill out. Then I went in for an appt. with a therapist, nutritionist, and nurse. I had to pay a $300 fee at this time but they said it would cover me for the rest of my life whenever I wanted to meet with any of the above people. A couple of weeks after that I went in to meet with my surgeon. Just last week I completed my 6 month SWL with my dr and now waiting to have some testing done. They're doing an echocardiogram, spirometry (lungs), and some kind of test to check for blood clots in the legs. My dr. also did some lab work. After all that is turned in it's just a matter of scheduling the surgery, which they said shouldn't be long after that. When I started all this it seemed like a lot to do and so far away, but now that it is right around the corner, it seems like time went by pretty fast. Every dr. gives different guidelines, so just follow along with whatever they tell you. Good luck.

My dr. doesn't do the liquid 2 weeks before. He told me to do 1500 calories, low fat. Well, heck...I've been trying to do that for the last 6 months anyway! In fact, now that I am less than a month away, I have lowered it to 1000-1200. You'd think I'd really be losing, but that's the problem. I don't lose like a normal person. I've only managed to lost 1 pound a month. Dr. said at that rate it would take me 7 years! lol I think my dr. is more concerned about it being low fat anyway. Something about reducing the fat in the liver, I think.

I bought protein products, both liquid and powder. Also bought some can soups that I will have to blend the first 2 weeks, but then can eat them the next 2 weeks when my diet changes to soft foods. I also changed my vitamins and calcium to chewables and still looking for liquid fish oil (yuck!) That pill is so huge I'm sure it would get stuck for sure! I'm always so amazed that different doctors give different instructions. Guess it just depends on who you go to. I already have a good blender and sewing machine. The sewing machine could come in handy to take in some clothes, I hope!! Don't want to start buying a lot when I first start to lose.

They also look at any comorbidities like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. if your BMI is under 40...I think. I was concerned about the same thing since I'm not 100 lbs. over, but I've got a bunch of other things that make me qualified. And besides, even sticking to 900-1200 calories the last month or so, I only manage to lose a pound a month. That's pretty typical for me and that's why I usually give up so easily. And that's also why I decided to try this since nothing else seems to work for me.

Congratulations on your 52 lb loss. I think that is really great. I just saw my surgeon today and probably won't have the procedure done until late January or Feb. Starting out at 225 and he set a goal of 170, which I think is really high for someone only 5'1". However, he said this is just my first goal that he sets at about 60% of where I really should be. So if I had lost 52 lbs. in 6 months I would be really happy because that would be really close to my goal that he said might take me 2 yrs to get to. I know the feeling though of wanting the pounds to drop faster. Maybe you could talk to your dr or dietician and see if there is something you could do to break this plateau. Good luck!

Today I had my assessment and talked to the dietician, therapist, and nurse, along with watching a 40 minute video. One of the things the dietician explained was the portion size. She said after surgery I should only eat 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup three times a day. She also said to included a protein drink during the day. I am having a hard time imagining that and understanding how that is enough food for a person. I understand that the pouch will only hold so much, but somehow I mistakenly thought that you would eat these small meals 5-6 times a day. Wrong! Is this the standard amount that every lap-banded person must eat? Is this just within the first few weeks/months or this what I can expect from now on? Pretty sure I know the answer to that question, but just wanted to run it by other people. Heck, I can eat 1/4 cup in 3 bites!!! The calories must be really really low!!! Any thoughts?

Thanks. I've spent some more time going thru the paperwork and instruction booklet they gave me, and it looks like a lot of things are going to change, especially what and how much I eat. I showed my husband the guidelines and he said we'd figure it out, but also wondering how this will effect him. It's just the two of us, so we'll be eating very differently. He does not have a weight problem, so it shouldn't change what he eats. Wonder how those who have already been banded deal with this?

I went to Macy's the other day and walked around the clothes department. As I walked through the dress department, I secretly picked out clothes that I want to be able to wear one day. And then I made my way to the plus size department, or "Women's" as they call it. What? The small women aren't women or what? Anyway, I am so tired of having to shop there. For the last year or more I've had to buy 2X and size 18. I can remember when I only occasionally bought an XL just because I wanted my sweater or shirt to fit loose. Ha! Nothing is fitting loose anymore and I'm wearing 2X. Knowing I am having the surgery soon saved on my wallet though; there wasn't any sense in buying things that hopefully will be too big on me in a few months. I've got enough stuff in my closet to get me through the holidays and then I can start shopping smaller for the spring!! At least, that's my plan. I'm also looking forward to next summer when hopefully I have lost enough weight to really show! We bought a pontoon boat last year and while I loved inviting people to go boating with us, I was so embarrassed to wear my bathing suit where it all just hangs out! There's no hiding with tunic tops or capri pants when you want to sunbathe and swim. Anyway, I am just looking forward to feeling good about myself again. I haven't been there in a long time! I'm probably about 2 months away from having my surgery, but it couldn't be soon enough. Although, it will be nice to be able to go through the holidays and not worry about the post-op diet stuff. Here's to a new year....and becoming fit at 60! Debbie

Hi, I graduated in '69. I remember the assassination of JFK very well. Later in life I was in a classroom as a substitute teacher the day the Challenger spacecraft blew up. I had the tv on for the students as I had planned a lesson around it. When it blew up, they laughed and thought it was funny! I was shocked but then I realized that this generation is so used to video games where things blow up all the time. Then on 9/11 I was also teaching and my 5th grade students were very upset. At first we were told not to turn on the tv, but the rumors started flying. Parents were coming to pick up their children, especially the families who were middle eastern. I'll never forget the look of fear in their eyes. The kids who were bussed in from downtown were afraid because they thought their own city had blown up. We convinced the office that these kids needed to hear and see for themselves what was going on. It was the main topic for days to come. This is their JFK moment just like the memories we have and will never forget.

Great news. Hoping mine goes as fast as yours, although it will probably be after the holidays. Keep up updated.

Good advice. Thanks everyone. I thought about the next birthday and how it would be if I were lighter. Also, thought about if I just maintained the progress I am making on my pre-op diet. At the rate I'm going, I'd only be 12 lbs. lighter!! Better than gaining, but at that rate it would take years to get to my goal.

I just turned in my information packet to the weight-loss clinic and I am week 4 of my 6-month doctor supervised diet. I've lost a whopping 4 1/2 lbs. That's pretty typical of me! I have tried so many methods and programs in the past I could write a book. I've spent thousands of dollars. The few times I lost weight, it always came back, with a vengance! And those times were done by pretty drastic measures. One was taking Phen-Fen back when it was legal. Yeah, I lost the weight! 70 lbs!! I looked the best I ever looked in my life. A size 8 for probably 2-3 weeks! Ha! But that doctor told me first of all to only eat when I was hungry. Well, those pills worked so well on me that I barely ate enough to get by! I kept a journal and the first 2 weeks I lost 20 lbs. But I told the doctor I was so weak and it was summer and I knew I would not be able to teach in that condition. When he looked in my journal, I was only getting about 300 calories a day! I was starving myself! Stupid, I know but I actually thought I was following the doctor's instructions. But then he said eat more, but don't go over 800! So that's what I did. For weeks and weeks, and the weight just fell off! Looking back I really think that's the point where I really messed up my metabolism because once that weight came back, and it did very easily even when I was eating what I thought was a moderate diet, I have struggled ever since. That was several years ago. And the weight just crept up and up. And my health just kept deteriorating. Bad knees, high cholesterol, hypertension, gastric reflux, plantar faciitis, blockage in my carotid artery, and added high risk to getting breast cancer when I was already in the high risk category just due to genes. I'm a mess....and I haven't even mentioned my self esteem. Don't get me started. It's in the pits. So I arrived at this point as a last resort. My daughter, age 37 had it done back in March of last year and she's lost about 50 although she's not keeping up with it and I'm afraid she's going to gain it all back. But if I do decide to go through with this, I will keep up with it and follow the rules. My mom died when she was just 59 from heart disease. I had a harder time turning 59 last year than any year before. I think it was because I was scared all year that the same would happen to me. And now I am just a little more than a month away from turning 60. I will have outlived my mom. And if I am fortunate and healthy enough to make it past 62 I will also have outlived my dad who also died from heart disease. I have 5 grandkids and I want to do it for them. I have a wonderful husband of 41 years and I want to do it for him. But most of all I want to do it for myself. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.......and fat!!!! So I have two more months to go. The next step is for the doctors to review my paperwork and then go for my assessments and medical tests and go from there. I am not 100% sure yet. I would estimate I am about 90% convinced. The other 10% is fear of surgeries. I have had a lot over the past ten years. Two knee replacements, gall bladder, and prophylactic bilaterial mastectomy and reconstruction due to the 87% the doctors calculated my risk for getting breast cancer due to family history. So you see I've had a lot. No real complications, but there's always that fear in the back of your mind. I think if I didn't have the weight problem I could have eliminated two of those surgeries. Plus I wouldn't worry about the 50-69% blockage in my right carotid artery. Told you I was a mess!! So this blog is my introduction to my final journey to health. Just hoping this story has a positive ending! Debbie 11/18/11

I am new on this website and forums and set up a blog just yesterday. Somehow I set it up so I would get notifications on my email when someone commented on my blog. How do I undo this? I would rather keep this personal and not have my husband read it.

Good luck and early happy birthday. Let us know how you do.