bandedsinger

I was a huge Diet Coke fan before my surgery. I stayed away from it for about 6 months post op, but then was told by my doctor, it was OK if I really wanted it. I usually have about 1 glass a day now - I just drink it slowly and savor every sip.

That's fantastic & happy birthday!!

I was never much a drinker - if I drank more then twice a month, that was a lot. I would always prefer to eat my calories, from large amounts of carbs, rather then drink them. My doctor has always said that having a small glass of wine every day, cannot hurt you, unless you are one of those people who have a problem with alcohol. You do need to count that 100 cal into your daily totals for the day. I very much enjoy my wine now, (maybe 2 or 3 times a week), and savor that glass like it is a dessert.

I did, and proudly announced it yesterday - first time in 10 years that I'm under 200. Congratulations to you, and to all the future Onderland people! If you haven't gotten there yet, just be patient, your time will come.

I'm so excited!! I never thought I'd see that number again - it's been over 10 years. I have a talking scale, and when I heard the number "one hundred," rather than "two hundred," I was practically crying, however I really expected my scale to do more than just utter the words "one hundred and...." I though it should at least play some music, sing me a song....lol. For all those waiting...just keep working it - if I can do it anyone can!!

Thanks everyone. The encouragement on this site is amazing, and has really helped me through this journey.

He actually got it done at NYU Langone Weight Management Center, (where I had it done), and used the same surgeon as Rex Ryan, (NY Giants manager).

Yup, I also had it done at the same NYU group. I keep wondering when the media will start hounding him for his results. Each individuals pace of weight loss is very different, plus he's over 50, which can be more challenging as well. I know he'll be able to handle the press, but it's always scary when someone in the public eye gets this surgery - they will be scrutinzied down to the last detail.

I've had the band since July of 2012, and have had a minimum of fills, which occured during the 1st few months. I've had probably less then 5 stuck episodes during this whole time, and they usually have resolved themselves easily and quickly. Last week I had decided to go for a small fill - my weight loss had slowed down, and frankly, I've always thought I was on the edges of the green zone, but not really "in it." The doctor gave me .25 cc's and I went on my way. Things seemed fine, and I didn't feel any different, but today, after re-heating and eating some Ahi Tuna steak, it got stuck, and I'm in a lot of pain. I've tried to get "rid of it," so to speak, but I haven't gotten too much relief. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how to ease the pain. I don't think I need or want an unfill - I just probably ate too fast, (still one of my problems). Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I tried drinking slowly some tea - it was painfully initially, but I finally was able to "rid myself" of whatever was stuck. It was a slow process that took about 4 hours. I've been on liquids the rest of the day, but thinks feel back to normal. I never want to go through that again. I've just got to eat slower - and I think I will not be eating microwaved re-heated Ahi Tuna steaks - no matter how much I love them and how much they cost..lol

Yeah, I did reheat it in the microwave, and I shouldn't have done that - but I also ate it too fast, (old habits die hard). I'm definitely going to drink liquids for the rest of the day.

That's so great!! I can't wait for that number myself. I'm a little under 5 lbs away right now, but I feel I have been waiting for that moment forever. We have a scale in our house that talks to you. I'm wondering if it even knows how to say any number in the 100's. The only people that step on that scale are myself, my husband and my son..lol.

Thanks - I appreciate the info.

That was a very interesting article Missy, thanks. I was curious about something - how did you get your basal metabolism rate? The reason I'm asking is that I took a test that measures your REE -Resting Energy Expenditure, (I think). . It measured the amount of calories I need every day to maintain my current weight, but at total rest, (first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, no Water, and you can't even read or listen to music during the test). When I took it, I weighed 217 lbs, and my REE was 1290, (that would be for no activity, just lying in bed and breathing). Then they multiply that number by 1.2, which would account for getting up, walking around, (typical activity without anything formal). For that, the number went up to 1548, which to me still seemed low. I then asked if my REE would go down as I lose more weight, but they didn't think very much. They also said the one way to raise your REE was to build muscle.

For the most part, I eat in response to hunger - usually it's 3 meals a day, and 1 to 2 snacks. I use "My Fitness Pal" religously, and mostly stay at a range of 1100-1300 calories a day. I find that amount of food is very satisfying, and I'm not hungry as long as, (and this is the most important part), I have a minimum of 60 grams of protein a day. My doctors also believe that one does not slow their metabolism down by taking in few too many calories. They feel that it's all a numbers game, with calories taken in verses expenditure going out. We all go through plateaus, but that's just the bodies way of catching up to the changes happening.

Forgot to check in on time, but the final day of November, I was 221. I pound less than by goal. it was a good month!!

Checking in on 11/25 at 221 - 1 lb. less then my November Challenge Goal!! Yay!

Checking in today, 11/15 at 222.5 - just .5 away from my November Challenge goal. Let's just hope that this can last through the Thanksgiving Holiday!!

Forgot to check in on 11/8, but as of today 224 - down 2.5 pounds since 11/1.

I guess I have a bit of a different take on this. I believe in moderation in all things, and I try to never say never, if I don't have to. First things first - I didn't make any changes to my diet until pre-op. That two week period was enough to set me straight for awhile, and it wasn't that hard because I was excited about the surgery, and the changes that were about to take place. I too was a Diet Coke addict, and was told I could never have carbonation again, but I'm also a coffee drinker and was given the OK for that as long as it stayed around 2 cups a day. I think the headaches people get during a no sugar/carb period are more about caffeine, and less about sugar - there is so much caffeine in most candy, cake, etc. I was lucky though - I really didn't get any sugar cravings during the pre-op diet even though for the last part of it I couldn't have caffeine. After surgery your stomach is bloated, and for the most part, you're not even hungry for the small amount of liquids you are supposed to have. What I'm trying to say is that I didn't intentionally put myself on a no sugar/carb diet, but by following the pre-op and post-op food instructions, it just happened. It's been about 4 months now and I've been off Diet Coke for that entire time and never crave it. I will say that with all the healthy eating in my diet and my smaller appetite, I rarely have cravings for anything sugary either. However, if I do I will have a small amount, but just not very often.

Haven't done this before, but it sounds like fun!! Name, real or screen~ Nina Goal weight for November 29th~ 222 Weight on November 1st~ 226.5 Age~ 53, (actually 54 on Nov. 28th) Dietary goal for November~ less then 1200 cal. daily and at least 60 gm of Protein Exercise goal for November~ to actually think more about exercising...lol Personal goal for November~ take time to smell the roses Date banded~ 7/9/12 Total weight loss since banding/pre op diet~ 43.5 What is your favorite Thanksgiving/November Activity?~ enjoying time with my kids who will be home from college

I would do it again in a heartbeat, and I also wish I had done it sooner. I've always had a weight problem and had been somewhat successful in holding it in check until I gave birth to my twins, (over 20 years ago). By the time they were 5 years old, I was 120 lbs. overweight. About 10 years ago I lost 80 lbs. on the Zone Diet Delivery program, and as usual, within the course of the next two years, put it all back on. Since then every year or so I would go on some kind of weight reduction program, lose about 25-30 lbs., and then put it all back on. I have clothing sizes in my closet that range from a size 16, to a women size 24. The reason I got this lapband was because I needed help in what for me is my biggest struggle with obesity - keeping the weight loss off. I think most of us know how to lose weight, the hard part is having the discipline to stick with it, and then of course maintaining that success.

As many before have mentioned, I also used the Weight Management Center at NYU. I live in Manhattan and did extensive research on several different bariatric doctors and surgeons. A lot of them are very good, but the program at NYU just seemed the best fit for me. Everyone there is like one big happy family and besides the four doctors, headed by a husband and wife team, Dr. George Fielding & Dr. Christine Ren-Fielding, who are world reknown in bariatric surgery, they have a slew of nurses, nutritionists, physician assistants, exercise physiologists, etc., all experts in their own right. They also hold informative seminars and social events for the patients, (last month we did a cruise around Manhattan - complete with food and alchohol). They expect you to check in monthly, whether you need a fill or not, or just to talk with one of the dieticians. I can't speak highly enough about the program and feel very lucky that I found them.

Well, I didn't know any of that, very interesting. Well, it's great you did your research and it sounds like you made the right decision for yourself.

Well I guess the technology for all WLS will just get better and better. Unfortunately, I didn't want to wait. I kind of wish I had the option of plication with my gastric band, because there doesn't seems to be any additional negatives, just the possibility of more positives. However, I would not have been covered by insurance, and I just couldn't take on the financial burden. I have no complaints so far, but it would be nice to have that extra edge that the plication seems to offer.