gottobeme

Hi Everyone, I am trying to stay off the computer for various reasons...and so I don't make it on here very often. I still am not able to access the springers on my android either. I would like to stay in touch with my fellow springers so feel free to send me a message through the LBT messenger, at least that way I get an email. Hope everyone is doing better than I am! I have been battling the same 5 lbs for a few months now. Not the bands fault - it's old habits creeping back. I just started weighing in with some co-workers last week so hopefully that will help. We plan to weigh in once a week to help keep each other in check. I hope to hear from some of you!!! Teri

You look great. I also miss everyone on here. I have been away from the site for a while. I've been pretty busy. I'm frustrated with myself. I did get a fill a little over two weeks ago and I can tell a difference. I am still having trouble getting back on track. I have been eating too many sweets and other things that I should stay away from. Today has been pretty good so hopefully I can keep it going. I just need to get in the right mind set. On a side note I think I had an NSV yesterday, even if it wasn't it felt good. We were visiting UW LaCrosse as a possible college for my daughter. A woman approached me from behind in the cafeteria and asked where the tray return was. When I told her I wasn't sure either, she told me she had thought I was a student there!

Good job Deb! And let me wish you a very Happy Birthday a few days early!

Six months post op and I just got my first fill today! My PA said he had just gone over 2 years worth of patient data and I was the only patient to go so long without a fill. I think I could have used one about a month ago but we had to reschedule my appointment.

I feel good. I'm having a lot more problems lately eating out of habit. I'm hoping this may help some.

Great job! I think most of us think of it as a race to get the weight off as soon as possible. I think the way you have done it will help you keep it all off in the long run. Congratulations! And thanks for sharing.

I'm 5'4" and was 270 at my highest. I know some rides were a pretty tight fit and others I just wasn't willing to wait in line to find out if I would fit or not. The Six Flags (Great America) in Illinois has a seat outside most of their high thrill rides that you can test to see if you fit comfortably. It was not something I wanted people to see me do, so I would opt out of the ride all together. I must admit that I had a blast this summer riding all the roller coasters!

As stated above SF chocolate pudding will mask the taste the best. Unfortunately it will not get rid of that horrible taste all together! It was pretty much the only thing that made my meds tolerable.

You Go Girl!!! I know it's exciting and kind of scary going over to the "other" side of the store.

No wonder! I hope things get better soon. Based on this, your body is going through a lot! Don't worry about weight loss at this time. Worry about getting this resolved, the weight loss will come.

I wonder if you were eating less than 600 calories a day if your body is not just adjusting to having had surgery but also the amount of calories your body is now getting. How long were you eating less than 600 calories a day? It sounds extreme to me, hopefully it was not for a very long period. I spent 8 months before my surgery working with the nutritionist and was on an 1100-1400 calorie diet. As a part of watching the calories I also was aware of what they were coming from, i.e., Protein, veggies, carbs, supplements. I wasn't always good about sticking to it but did loose a significant amount of weight. I'm sorry to hear you are getting conflicting information from your doctors & nutritionist but please don't get too discouraged. It is a lifelong change for us and some of us loose faster than others. My weight loss since surgery has been slower than prior to surgery but as I mentioned I lost a significant amount pre op so I feel it is normal for it to be slower now. Hang in there and if the nutritionist you were working with before is familiar with bariatric surgeries see if you are able to return to them. They will probably be more helpful than the surgeons office at this point. I know my clinic has nutritionist follow up appointments for a least 1 year post op.

Also check with your nutritionist. I was allowed some soft cheeses as long as I took small bites and chewed really well before I swallowed. However, if your nutritionist does not recommend it at this stage, I would not do it.

I had a lot of greek yogurt (no fruit added), cottage cheese and non fat refried beans during that stage of my diet. I did puree some chicken and fish but found it easier to eat things that were already the consistency I needed.

Yesterday a 2nd grader that I have known for years (and we "pick" on each other) gave me a hug and said "Ooo, skinny."

I know if I try to access a group from my android it will not allow me to access it. Are you on a computer or phone? I did let admin know (months ago) and they said it was something they were working on. Still cant access my "Springers" group from my phone though.

Starfish, Great job on the pre op weight loss. I lost 70 lbs pre op and also had many people ask why I wanted the surgery when I had done so well. Like you I have lost the weight and gained it back so I would explain that to them and the fact that I needed a lifelong change. I bought a Ninja and honestly haven't used it much at all. I wouldn't spend a lot of money on something like that until you know how much you will use it. I paid about $40.00 on mine and we do use it for other things so I don't feel it was a waste of money. Congratulations and Good Luck!

I thought one of the problems of being too tight was that liquids and sometimes sliders would go down but nothing more solid, so people start to drink their calories (sometimes in the form of milk shakes and other high calorie drinks). I have not been too tight (I am actually weird and haven't even had a fill yet) so all I have to go on is what I have read. When you go in for fills does your doctor have a chart to help you decide if you are in the green zone? Based on the chart I look at it sounds like you are in the red zone. If your not familiar with the chart, there is a yellow zone where you are often hungry and eat more than a 1/2 cup per meal. The green zone is of course where we want to be and the red zone is when you have a hard time getting solids down. Hope this helps! I would call the doc soon and see about a slight unfill.

I was out of the hospital a few short hours after my surgery, it is commonly done on an outpatient basis. Even if you are self pay does the doctor offer any type of nutritional counseling, group support or anything along those lines? My insurance (and clinic) did require a minimum of 6 months working with the doctors before approval. I know a lot of people hate the wait but I found it worked great for me. I learned a lot along the way as well as lost a significant amount of weight making my surgery and recovery much easier. I also feel it has helped me since surgery to have had that background. I'm not doing things perfectly by any means but I think without the pre op phase of my journey it would be a lot tougher on me now than it is. Best of Luck!

I had an elevated A1C, sleep apnea and my blood pressure was starting to go up a little even though I was on a Calcium channel blocker for another medical reason. I have a family history of type II diabetes, heart disease, cancer and stroke. I knew I needed help to get and keep the weight off. As far as the risks of other surgeries...this was the only one my insurance would cover any part of so that was the BIG factor for me.

Julz, I'm a little weird, it seems right before my TOM is when I finally drop a couple of lbs! I know it is not normal but neither am I. I was scheduled for a follow up with my surgical PA yesterday but he was called in for surgery so I rescheduled for October. I still haven't had a fill yet, I was thinking I needed one but I'm not so sure. I haven't been following the rules very well lately so I need to get back on track!

I understand completely. For me it is a lot harder to say no to the 2nd (or 3rd or 8th) than it is to say no to the first bite!

You are not the only crazy one with that!

Thank you for this post and thank you Sandman for your video link. I was banded in April and have been successful so far but I find myself falling back into old habbits. I need to get back on track. Although I have not started to put weight back on, the loss has almost come to a stop. I had lost 70 lbs on my pre-op diet and have lost 40 since surgery. Although I am fairly happy where I am, I still need to loose 30 to be at a "normal" BMI. I work in a school and being back has helped me greatly during the day. My problem is keeping myself out of the kitchen once I get home. I know many strategies for staying out, I just am not implementing them. I know I have no one to blame but myslef. Mlara - your second post above could have easily been written by me! Although my only advice is really...We know what to do, we just have to do it!...Please know that you are not the only one working your way through this right now. Hang in there!

I feel like I should start a blog but I'm just not sure I'm comfortable with that...so instead I'll share here. I am so frustrated with myself right now! I have been falling back into old bad habits like snacking when I'm not hungry, hiding my eating, and making bad food choices. I am horrible at keeping a journal. I tell myself it is something I will use when I hit a plateau and when I do, I journal for a day at best. Yes, I've tried several apps on my phone, taking pictures of my food and the basic writing down what I eat but none of them last long. When I went to adjust my weight tracker tonight I realized I had only lost 1 pound in 4 weeks. I admit it is better than gaining but I need to get back on track. My next PA appointment is September 13th and at this point I do plan to get a fill. I have not had one yet and know that could be part of the problem. I know it is not the entire problem though! I am battling eating past being satisfied and into "I'm stuffed". Today has probably been the best day for me this week. Hopefully just getting what is in my head out into "cyberspace" will help me get back on track. I also keep looking forward to September 4th, that magical day when school starts and I can hopefully get back into a more predictable routine! Thanks for reading my rant!

Different surgery...same type of response... I had to have surgery on my wrist a few years ago after smashing it. I remember waking up in recovery to those damn beeping monitors!!! All I wanted to do was go back to sleep and the nurse wouldn't let me! Stupid nurse. Stupid monitors! After my lap band I was surprised I wasn't in more pain! I do remember as I was becoming more aware of my surroundings I started to have an mild anxiety attack. I don't really remember what I said to the nurse about it but I do remember her asking me what she could do to help. My response, "I don't know". She opened the curtains and things just got better. Such a small thing but it helped and I will always be grateful. BTW - Thanks to all the nurses out there for all you do. Remember sometimes it's the smallest thing that patients remember!