A New New Dawn

This article went out to all 3,000 employees at my state agency. Guess everyone knows now.
 
 
Surgical maneuver: Amanda changes course with weight loss surgery
 
Weight loss surgery is simply a cosmetic issue; it’s taking the easy way out. Amanda is witness to the fallacy of these notions. Candidates for surgery have exhausted other means of weight loss and are at risk of illnesses that can be life threatening. And treatment does not end with surgery. Success demands from patients a long-term commitment to a healthy lifestyle.
 
For Amanda, weight loss surgery afforded her the opportunity to make the necessary and permanent change in her life that other methods had failed to do. Her body mass index was in the severe range. The three medicines she was taking were not stabilizing her high blood pressure. And Amanda’s doctor had diagnosed her as prediabetic.
 
Amanda recalls, “I couldn’t even walk up five stairs to get into the building without [being winded]. Medically, I was completely unhealthy. And I had to do something to change that.”
 
Choosing the right course
 
Of the three main types of weight loss surgery, Amanda opted for the least invasive: laparoscopic gastric banding. She was concerned that sleeve gastrectomy, which involves removing about 75 percent of the stomach, is too new a procedure and is irreversible. And gastric bypass surgery, although more common, is also considered to be irreversible and has a higher risk of nutritional deficiency. Gastric bypass surgery involves sealing off the upper part of the stomach and connecting it to the lower part of the small intestine. Thus food skips part of the digestive tract, and the body absorbs fewer calories.
 
Amanda chose laparoscopic gastric banding (lap bad surgery) not only because it is the least invasive but also because it is reversible and involves routine checkups. A band is placed near the top of the stomach and is inflated with a saline solution to create a pouch, or kind of funnel. When a patient eats, the pouch fills up with food much sooner than the entire stomach would. As a result, the patient feels full sooner. The food also takes longer to pass into the lower part of the stomach, which increases the amount of time that the patient feels satisfied between meals.
 
The band is adjustable, allowing doctors to routinely evaluate and optimize its effectiveness. A tube runs from the band to an access port — a small, discreet incision under the skin on the patient’s stomach. The doctor inserts a needle into the port to add saline solution to the band. The solution tightens the band, which shrinks the size of the opening from the upper stomach to the lower stomach and so reduces the patient’s food consumption. The port can also be used to remove solution from the band if the band is too tight to allow food to move through the digestive tract or is causing problems, such as pain or vomiting. Regular checkups enable the doctor to find and maintain the “green zone,” the most effective opening size for the patient.
 
The journey has just begun
Amanda’s surgery was successful, but it was just the beginning. For the first two weeks after the operation, she could consume only clear liquids. She graduated to full liquids for the following two weeks. Only then could she move on to the luxury of mushy foods.
 
Recalling her trial by diet, she says, “The first two weeks, [you’re not so hungry] because your stomach is full, and you don’t have an appetite. But once the swelling went down, the hunger returned with a vengeance.”
 
Amanda did eventually get to move on to solid foods, but in order to avoid discomfort or potential problems, such as band slippage, she has had to adopt strict eating habits. She eats only about a cup of food per meal, which she serves on a side dish to appear more abundant. She chews her food very well, about 20 or 30 chews, before swallowing, and she must wait at least a minute between bites. She downloaded an app to help her time her bites.
 
“The idea is that it takes you about 20 or 30 minutes to eat your meal. And then you’re full. If you follow those protocols, nine times out of ten you have no problem. Most complications are from patients’ not following the guidelines and not changing their eating habits.”
 
Band or no band, most anyone would likely benefit from those eating practices.
 
Steady as she goes
Referencing Leslie Mitchell’s comment in a recent article about the Calorie Counter app, Amanda notes that surgery, like the app or any weight loss tool, is not a magic wand. The surgery helped Amanda lose 80 pounds in a year, but its success depended on her discipline to consistently make healthy choices, a discipline that
she must enforce for the rest of her life.
 
Amanda now exercises daily. Not only did she overcome those five steps that used to wind her entering the building, but she now climbs the stairs to her office each morning…on the eighth floor! And sometimes, she makes the trip more than once a day.
“My exercise is walking. I don’t do gyms,” she laughs.
 
Once a month, Amanda meets with a support group. Fellow members, who have all had lap band surgery, offer emotional and moral support as well as exchange recipes and ideas.
 
Amanda also strictly monitors the food she eats. Since she is eating less food, she must ensure that every bite packs a nutritional punch.
“I eat high protein — three to four ounces of protein per meal; then, veggies. Then if I’m still hungry, I add the carbohydrates. But most carbohydrates give you energy but don’t fill you. They make you hungry, especially…non-complex carbohydrates….If I’m going to eat something, I’m going to make sure it’s worth my while.”
She’s even been known to turn down a piece of chocolate these days. Her rationale: A piece of chocolate may be only 45 calories, but that’s 45 calories of mostly empty nutritional value.
 
The surgery, she explains, “doesn’t change the type of food you put in your mouth. You have to control that. Ice cream will go straight down — [the band] is a funnel. For a lot of the people who aren’t successful, it’s because they don’t change their eating habits. It’s the same with any of the surgeries. Like with the bypass — some people lose all this weight and then just gain it right back.”
 
Although her new diet is strict, Amanda can still enjoy the occasional treat. “It all boils down to calories in versus calories out. It depends on how physical I am,” she explains. Eloquently articulating her new outlook, she says, “Now I eat to fuel the body and not the obsession.”
 
Balancing the costs
Unfortunately, costs for lap band surgery can be prohibitive. The procedure is expensive, and the amount of insurance coverage depends on the plan. To qualify under many plans, an individual must have a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or greater and two comorbid conditions, such as high blood pressure and prediabetes. Currently, the state of Texas plan uses a higher BMI minimum and includes some additional requirements. Naturally, other costs can include deductibles and copays. Individuals interested in weight loss surgery should consult their provider for details.
 
The initial expense may be high, but the investment is sound. Weight loss surgery can be a valuable tool in promoting healthy lifestyles and likely reducing the high costs of long-term medical care. In addition, investing in healthy individuals can, as this agency has recognized with its successful wellness program, yield solid returns for all.

Over the last month I have lost 6 classmates all from heart attacks, cancers and other ailments that were health fanatics, gym rats, runners. Being healthy is a plus but genetics plays a big role in how long we will live. When I was almost 300lbs I never had high cholesterol ever. My friend Lisa was a gym rat and dropped dead at 38 from a massive heart attack. My sons half brother died at 29 from a massive heart attack and when they did the autopsy he had heart disease.
 
We all want to be healthy and have wls to get there. I feel great but my family has a history of breast cancer. So where am I going with this? Get the weight off and live each day to its fullest. Go on vacation, spend time with your family, make up to people who have done you wrong even if you know you were right.
 
Life is too short to be waiting for health and wealth. My husband and I are just now looking to purchase our first home. Because the market is right. Jacksonville is a great area and the housing market is great. Do I want a 30 year mortgage at 50? Heck no but who cares I want my own home. We are spending a thousand dollars a month or rent when we could get a 4 bedroom home on water front property and pay about 415 a month in mortgage payments. So now my fun begins going to look at homes. Some as cheap as 98,000 for a three bedroom just built in 2007. The banks want to get rid of them so desperately they are going for practically nothing. Have fun, stop letting the number on the scale bum you out and do something that you always wanted to do.

I watched the end of The Biggest Loser and the man voted off said, I did not want another man to raise my son. I loved that. I don't want another woman with my husband or her wearing my jewelry and being grammie to my grandsons. So I can quote him too. I now know I am doing something to keep me around longer.
Enjoy your day. Have a happy Fat Tuesday to all who celebrate.

So I am 4 weeks post op. I am still losing weight although I had my first week where I did not. I had the dreaded TOM and everything stopped for a week. Thankfully, this week I am down 3 more lbs. Total lost so far is 24lbs.
 
This week I have also discovered what people mean when they say stress tightens the band. Boy does it ever. I had a rotten experience where I had to defend my son from some pretty nasty accusations this week. (no worries, eventually turned out in his favor) As soon as I arrived back home I felt for the first time almost as if someone had their hand around my stomach. It was the first time I felt like I wanted to throw up. I did not, thank goodness. I did full liquids for the rest of the day and half of the next day and things seemed to calm down.
 
This week my husband and I have also decided to start saving to have ground broken on our new house. Dealing with banks, finances, mortgages and all of that has been stressful as well. I am learning how to incorporate the band into daily life and am very grateful it is here. We have even been able to go out to eat and I am doing well making better choices. Before, with all this stress I would be eating everything not nailed down. I am a stress eater and there is stress galore in my life. However, my fear of throwing up or getting anything stuck has really worked in my favor. I have not been eating out of control. If anything now I have to make myself get enough calories for the minimum I am required to have.
 
i am still super excited to be banded. I think with all the stress of my life changes this is still going to be the best year of my life. I am becoming healthier. I have started to love to exercise where I hated it before. I love to dance and ride bikes. I am excited about life right now. For the first time in 20 years.. I feel like I can accomplish anything. That is really saying something when you are only 34. To have all of your younger years be miserable and suddenly find happiness is a blessing. I will forever be grateful to my surgeon and my wonderful family. They are the best support group I could ever ask for. Being part of this group is also wonderful. Being able to search for topics whenever I have a question has been very helpful. I hope everyone continues to post their progress.

Just have to put down in print a NSV I had today
 
Yesterday I got myself down because my day started just like every other day
for lunch I wanted soup and decided to have a bowl of onion soup...then another...
and in each bowl I put oyster crackers in them...My down fall is pretzles and saltie crackers are
trigger foods for me... so from there on it was a eatting frenzi for me...Thank goodness I dont have any junk food in the house...so I over did with good things...
 
I woke up this morning with a fear OMYGOODNESS please let me get ahold of this eatting and not have a day like yesterday...( I swear I even dreamed of food)
 
So breakfast I had my usual yogurt...ok....lunch time I had a bowl of salad with a C of cottage cheese garnished with some slivered almonds....4 bites in and I was wow...Im full !!! But I was scared not to get my protein in so it took me a hr to get it all down....
 
Then I started watching TV as I folded laundry....The Cake Boss....and they were baking with Choc...and OREOs....and OO WOW I wanted choc !!! SO I got myself a small SF jello cup....took 2 bites and really enjoyed and thought about the taste...I satified my craving and folded the foil lid back over the cup put it back in the fridge and I was happy...
This may all sound like such a small thing to some of you...but for me its a HUGE NSV....
A year ago I would of had one cup cuz I wanted one....the second cup to taste it...and a third cup cuz I didnt even taste the first 2......Food controled my every min of my days...to be in control of food is the best......

This weekend my husband & I went to Lubbock, Texas for the Wine Chocolate Fantasia at Llano Estacado Winery. This is an annual event and is both a fund raiser for the ACF Texas Panhandle Chefs de Cuisine and the West Texas Parkinsonism Society; as well as a chocolate competition. There are entries from amateurs, professionals and chefs. The evening includes many of Llano Estacado’s wines for sampling.
 
It was quite enjoyable hanging around barrels of aging wine, sampling some interesting chocolate creations and sipping on my favorite wines.
 
I consumed about 800 calories this evening; pure sugar and fat calories. My total calories for the day were 1600. I am at goal and that is the only reason I chose to attend this event. I would never recommend anyone still losing to attempt managing an evening like this. I don’t know the actual calorie count for the chocolate I sampled nor do I know their actual weight so I took my best guess.
 
Why am I telling you about this? Two reasons; it was fun and I want to share my experience managing the maintenance lifestyle. I know that I am going to attend things where the only choice is wasted calories, full of fat. As long as I stay in moderation I will be successful.
 
I planned for this event I knew I would be eating chocolate and drinking wine. I knew about how much I wanted to have before I arrived and I stuck to that. The evening was an absolute blast.

Ok i have been sitting here reading the furums this morning...
and WOW....
I mean were all in the same place....sure some of us are a lil more ahead then others...but we all started at the same START LINE....we all want to get to the same place....
yet Im reading so much meanness from so many people....Were living in a world with so much meaness right now....It just saddens me to see a group of people with the same goals...hurting and even wishing bad to each other.....I just cant wrap my mind around this....

I really have tried to be better at eating meat because it has been such a chore to me with my silly band. I became a vegan and very B-12 deficient because our bodies need animal proteins in order to get B-12. I kept looking at this thing and thinking no meat could be that moist but heck yeah it is.
 
I have no issues eating chicken cooked in my nuwave and before I couldnt even swallow it let alone attempt to eat it. The outside is so crunchy and the inside is so moist.
 
I really and truly love meat but it hated my band. Today I ate about 3 ounces of chicken breast (the darn dryest meat of the chicken) and it was absolutely the best moist chicken I have ever had.
 
It was a good investment and I have cooked in it almost everyday since I got it. Saves on cook time too. So my next feat will be to learn how to cook my entire meal in it. I usually eat raw veggies because I love them but with lots of good ole seasonings out there, you can never go wrong with veggies.
 
It is worth the money for sure and very band friendly which is always a plus and if you get one and it doesnt work for you well you will enjoy cooking in it because I can have a whole chicken cooked in less then an hour. No heating up the kitchen and no stove to deal with.

Two months ago my doctor said as far as they were concerned I was at goal, 175 lbs. I was happy with that and started onto the maintenance stage of my journey.
 
Last month I gained 2 lbs, first time I had a gain but hey holidays. Doctor’s office was still very pleased and said that my weight will vary like that on maintenance.
 
Then a dear friend here on LBT put out a challenge “100 miles in January”. Walk or run 100 miles during the month of January. I was in! I needed something to get me moving more. I reached the 100 miles on Monday; my total should be around 120 miles for the month. (go me!)
 
Today I went back to the doctor, weighed 171! (lost 6 pounds in 4 weeks) I haven’t seen that much loss since the beginning months of this journey. So, what did I do different? My eating was the same as it has always been 1200 calories a day, etc…. The only thing different is the increased walking for the challenge.
 
I am so happy with myself. I couldn’t ask for anything more. Okay, maybe a tummy tuck and….. Well guess I could ask for more.
 
I love & respect my band. Yellow rose you serve me well, thank you!

Previously I cut all ties with my publisher for personal reasons. So I decided to submit my manuscript to one of the hardest to get published, publishing companies in the United States. I did this about six weeks ago and figured well they said I would hear something in two weeks. So I gave up. I continue to write everyday because I love to do it and well..... I think I am pretty good at it.
 
So today came the email and I didn't want to open it because I knew it was a rejection email. After all this time it had to be right? WRONG WRONG WRONG!
 
Not only did they accept my manuscript but said this:
 
Congratulations Cheryl! Tate Publishing has accepted your book,"The Prevalence of Love" for publication. This email is to inform you that we would love to move you to the next step in this process and get you a contract to look over. I have been reading through your submission and I am certainly impressed. This is a project that we are really interested in taking on. I just want you to know upfront that I really enjoyed your work and we are excited about this opportunity. Please take some time to read through the material and let me know if you have any questions.
 
It is important that you know what it is about your book that caught our eye and you need to realize that a lot of time and effort goes in to each review of every submission that comes to us. Your book has been chosen on the basis of writing ability, concept and most importantly- marketability. It is with great pleasure that we welcome you as one of the 4% chosen out of tens of thousands each year to become a published author with us. Congratulations![/font]
 
I was moved by your short stories and the encouragement that radiates in your writing. We are very honored to have you come our way and look forward to working with you on this project. [/font]
 
Yes they read every single submission they get and my book was picked! Over the years my writing has improved drastically. I not only just produce books but I write for Yahoo Voices, The Examiner, Angies Diaries and many other websites. With perserverence I have been given an opportunity that most authors never have the chance to get. It is hard to get published and while I have been publshed for quite some time by another publishing company that is being sued by many authors for their lies and deciet, I have broken through to a publisher that is by far hard as hell to get published by. So today I do my happy dance and now you all know what I do instead of thinking of food. I write.[/font]
TIME FOR A BIG HAPPY DANCE

As many of you know I have a special needs son....who is in and out of the hospitals .
 
Well he just came home from his latest stay and this was the first time I wasnt the fat mom
 
It made such a differance...so many things I never realized...
 
I was so much more of a advacate this time...I was not afraid to go ask for a nurses help...or any thing that I thought would make him more comfortable or even for myself....When it was time for his meds and they were not there...I didnt feel like Oh gawd...what should I do...I knew what to do and I did it...and to my surprise I think I was treated with more respect...or at least its how I felt on the inside and that all showed on the out side...
 
And any one who has ever slept on a hospital cot over night knows how that feels when your 100 lbs over weight.....and this stay it still wasnt comfy but it wasnt uncomfy with the added OMG blankets dont move and uncover my big O butt while I sleep...
 
After some stays I can remember being so hungry but I wouldnt dare ask for anything from the nurses.....what would they think the fat lady wants more food !!!
This time...I asked if I could get some SF jello...or some crackers and peanut butter...
and I was proud of that....simple pleasures being with in a normal weight ...
 
I can not thank my Drs and Nut for the new life they gave this lady !!!

I met my wonderful amazing husband 5 years ago and married him 3.5 years ago. He is my biggest fan and support. Once he went to the seminar on WLS he was fully supportive of me having the band. Over the next couple of months I hemed and hawed about would I be, could I be successful on this journey. He kept telling me that ofcourse I would, I just needed to commit to him as I did him.
 
Soooo.......
 
I am in a committed relationship with my band. My band is 100% behind me losing weight. While my band can't prevent me from eating more than I should or eating things that are unhealthy for me; it can help me stay satisfied longer on less, that is if I allow it to. When I think about my band from this perspective- I think about I would never cheat on my husband why would I want to cheat on my band. Ruining my marriage would be painful, but ruining my band and having to have another surgery wouldn't be a walk in the park either. Just like with a marriage you have to work at it, I have to work at my band life. Some days it will be easy and other days it won't, but I don't give up on my marriage just because of one road bump and I won't give up on my band either.
 
Just like I want my marriage to last forever, I want my band life to last to.
 
So with this being said.... ( I am calling my band George)
 
I promise to love, honor, and cherish George forever!!
 
Are you in a committed relationship with your band?

Okay I feel sure I am likely going to offend someone here, so if you are easily offended stop reading now!
 
I don't often get on my "high horses" but I am today.
 
I have heard people complain and moan and groan about surgery being a waste of money and time. Well my first questions is....
Did you follow you doctor's orders?
Did you listen and follow what the nutritionist said?
Did you go in to see the doctor and discuss issues?
 
If the answer to any of those are no then you wasted your own money! I work hard to make a living and I am not going to give my money away for nothing. I am paying my surgeon and my nutritionist a prime rate and honey you better bet I am going to listen to their orders. If I feel like something they told me is unfounded then I am going to discuss it with them and see if we can come up with a plan- for example multivitamins make me sick. For some reason multivitamins make me very ill, for a first couple of months I took individual vitamins throuhgout the day to prevent getting sick. After that I ask my doctor to test my levels and everything was great. The doctor gave me clearence to stop taking most of the vitamins only if I had my levels checked monthly. I have and everything is fine. I still take B vitamins since those have always been low.
 
I didn't just do my own thing and ignore his advice. We made a plan and I followed through.
 
My opinion, again this is MY OPINION, if you are not going to follow doctors orders then don't spend the money and waste the time to have surgery.
 
If you are not willing to commit totally to what it takes to be successful with WLS don't do it. It may be that you aren't ready right now, but in time you will be.

As you may have seen Someone posted that to me today.... Stop preaching.
 
 
I really thought about it and decided that if my preaching about.... be good to the band and it will be good to you....helps one person out... Its worth having someone tell me to stop preaching.
 
So I am not stopping. I will shout it from the rooftops... I love my band and my band loves me because I treat it with respect and dedication... If it chooses to fail me down the road it won't be from my doing...and I will just deal with it when the time comes. In the meantime the band and my effort gave me a thin healthy outlook on life and I plan on singing it's praises forever....

I never thought I would find that question so offensive. I am guilty of asking such a question when I was younger to my own Sister. I do believe people have no malicious intent when they ask such a question but yet it can come off so offensive. My Wife and I have tried for three years to get pregnant with no luck. We both went through extensive testing and seen numerous specialists. It was determined I was the problem. I was not producing viable sperm. I under went Surgery last February to determine if I had a blockage and to see if they could extract viable samples to be used in conjunction with IVF. They got a little and we had it frozen until such a time we could move forward with the IVF. We were warned by both my Doctor and My Wife's that we should be prepared for back up options such as a donor as they had little to work with. My wife and I decided donor was not something we wanted. If we could not have them biologically then maybe we would consider possible adoption down the road.
 
My surgery was in February of 2012 and the IVF cycle was in May. Even though we were told the odds were not favorable but yet possible we had very high hopes and less than 24 hours later after the IVF cycle our world came crashing to a halt as we were notified it didn't work. We both cried for two days and I personally took it harder than I expected I ever would. I guess part of it is because even though I did nothing wrong I felt like I failed us both.
 
Now 8 months later we talk about it less but the memories are fresh. I still blame myself and haven't really moved on. This past weekend we were visiting my Wife's cousin who has 16 month old twins who we simply adore and love to spend time with. My Wife posted the below picture on facebook which lead to a lot of "When are you going to have babies of your own?"

 
Naturally, it is our own fault for posting the picture but I cannot help but be annoyed. One of the people who asked is an Aunt who does not have kids herself due to medical complications. One would think she would've been more tactful.
 
 
Next time you consider asking someone when they are going to have kids take a moment to consider that there maybe more to the story and that it could be a sensitive subject!! I guess this is my payback for asking my Sister and Brother in law many years ago. I am however a proud Uncle of a 22 and 15 year old!

I went to my primary Dr today because I'd been feeling light headed lately. I hadn't seen him since before my surgery last August.
 
I walked toward the private waiting room, and his nurse says to me, "Wow, you look great. I almost didn't even recognize you!" I thought to myself, are you talking to me? Yea, you ARE talking to ME!!! YIPEE YAHOOOO!!!
 
She proceeded to weigh me & I'm down "49" pounds!!!!
 
The Dr. walked in, smiled & said "you look great!" All I could do was nod & smile!!
 
This Dr. has known me for about 8+ years, so he knows my crazy yo-yo weight history (up,down, up, down, up, up). And, aren't we all familiar with that concept? He also knows the depression I spiraled into as a result of my being over-weight. I didn't want to go out, or even be seen in public, not even by my own brother & his family! I digress.
 
The point is that it felt good (damn good) to hear compliments about my progress so far. I swear I felt myself getting taller as we spoke about my lap band journey. Heck, I'm actually even starting to like the way I look now that I bought a few new outfits. My closets are much emptier now, but I'm OK with that. I know I'll be in this size for several months because I don't go down in size until I lose 20-25 pds. I still need to lose another 40 pds or so, but it's all good! I'm already feeling more confident about myself & that's whats important.

I can’t exercise at work.
I can park in a parking structure that is a block from my building
I can give the elevators the day off and climb the stairs (my office building has 11 floors, my office is on the 8th floor)
I can go to the bathroom on the 11th floor instead of my floor (& take the stairs, of course)
I can take a break & go for a walk (it’s amazing how refreshing it is to get away from my desk for 10 minutes)
 
I can’t drink that much water in a day.
I can add lemon/lime wedges or crystal light mixes to the water for variety.
I can carry a bottle of water with me everywhere I go.
I can take a drink of water every 5 minutes.
 
I can’t stop snacking.
I can stock my pantry with healthy snacks
I can pre-portion my health snacks.
I can drink 8 ozs of water before having the snack I think I want.
I can go for a walk instead of having the snack I think I want.
 
As long as “I can” I will maintain my weight and I know I CAN!

Good afternoon everyone.
tonight on 20/20 they are going to have the People 1/2 their size on. Good program to get inspired!
I got inspired this morning, less than one pound to go and I will be under 200. I haven't seen that number in many many years and I am looking forward to it.
Enjoy your TGIF, all.

I know winter puts a damper on most when you don't belong to a gym and even if you do who wants to venture out in the cold, but there are ways to exercise and keep yourself motivated during the winter months. I have three walk away the pound cd's. The 1 mile, two mile, and five mile. I do the 1 mile in the morning because it's only 17 minutes and gets your day started, then I do the two mile at night. I also turn on the tv to one of the best music stations and dance the night away. When I was younger I used to go out dancing at least three nights a week and kept my weight down.
 
Take the clothes off your treadmill, stationary bike, or any other equipment you have and use it. Dancing burns a lot of calories. Use your husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend and burn some calories.
 
There is no time like the present on this first day of January to get yourself in the exercise mode and get moving. Not only does it relieve stress but it makes you feel invigorated.
 
So who is with me to some good old hard working fun exercise? I am going to start today off with 30 minutes of heart pounding, good feeling, get me motivated for the day EXERCISE. COME AND JOIN ME.

These are my babies!
 
Atticus, Black Mouth Cur. He is the biggest baby in town.
 
Hank, Blue Healer. Gill's dog, follows her around the whole time she is here.
 
Sophie, Dachshund. Daddy's baby (but he won't admit it) and the BOSS of all the dogs!
 
Bugsy, Rat Terrier and Dachsund mix. My baby, he is with his best friend Smokey the cat.

Why should you feel guilty about eating something. Isn't that the way we used to feel before being banded. Over eating on Sunday before the start of your Monday diet. If you are eating something that makes you feel guilty then why over indulge and eat it.
 
This journey is about learning new habits not holding on to the old ones. Being made to feel guilty about any decision in life whether it is about food or anything else is a very bad feeling one should never have. If you are about to sit down and eat a chocolate bar or a piece of pie but after you eat it that guilt trip settles in, then why put yourself through that process over and over again.
 
One day I sat down and I was looking at my snacks for the day and when I entered them in on Spark People (because I like that site much better then My Fitness Pal) holy toledo, even though I was only eating a thousand calories for the day, at least 350 to 400 were in snacks. Not that the snacks were bad because it was 100 calories for greek yogurt, 170 for a protein bar and so forth, the guilt of what I ate snack wise floored me and made me feel guilty. I never wanted to feel that way again about food.
 
I don't want to feel guilty so that is why I do not eat high calorie snacks anymore. Some apple slices, craisins, low fat cottage cheese, hard boiled eggs and so forth. I keep my snacking calories under 250 so I don't have to feel guilty. I love anything with sugar but I can't eat it because I can't just have one and then the guilt settles in.
 
Pleasure should never be compared to guilt or associated with guilt. You make your decisions to eat things so why feel guilty. We have all failed at something in life whether it be having an aweful relationship with food, family, mates, children.
 
I don't want my eating life to be full of guilt because in all reality in this part of the game I am eating to fuel my body not fuel my mind on taste. My mind played enough aweful things in my life as far as my relationship with food goes.
 
Think before you eat and ask yourself "is this going to make me feel guilty after I eat it"? If the answer is yes then get rid of it. You don't need guilt to be in your life over something that won't matter in ten years.
 
TTFN

I am not sure where the phrase was coined but "living large" no longer has negative connotations for me! I used to hear that and think instantly of my size. Now it is about how I want to live my life.
 
Only 3 weeks post op and I already am feeling like a new person. I feel much more confident in myself and am already feeling revitalized and a renewed outlook on the future.
 
I have found myself wandering the clothing aisles at stores and not dreading looking at size 22 but venturing down a few sizes thinking that will be me soon!!!! I had heard the "BMI" term used over the years and never gave it much thought before this surgery. Now, I am excited by that #. I have had two visits with the surgeon post-op so far and the # has dropped from 50.5 to 45.5 already! If I can make that significant of a difference in it in just weeks, imagine months from now!!!
 
I have found strength to not long for my (former) favorite foods, even when they smell and look so good within my reach. It is actually quite empowering to have that will power now. I am not saying I will never mess up, but that "flub" doesn't have to define me and doesn't mean I am completely off the wagon. It just means I need to make better choices for my next meal. Heck, people that are healthy and thin overeat or indulge from time to time. It's all about moderation and being accountable to myself.
 
I know I can do this. Admittedly, the first couple days I had a few "feel sorry for myself" moments but I got myself into this and I need to get myself out!
 
My goals are not to look like Cindy Crawford or Kim Kardashian. My goals are what will make me feel good, not worrying about going to events where there may be a turnstyle, not having to retake photos all the time because I don't like how I look in them, getting off BP meds, hopefully ridding myself of sleep apnea and then all the little things - enjoying going clothes shopping in the misses (not women's) dept, not tiring as easily, crossing my legs (cannot wait for that, even if it isn't good for your circulation), and my goal for next summer - going to the amusement park I have avoided for years!!!!
 
No time for pity parties ~ time to start LIVING LARGE!!!

OK... so most of you know me as a member of the Banded b*****s. I have been called RUDE, SNARKY, UNHELPFUL. WONDERFUL, A LIFESAVER, all in the same day. Such is life. Maybe, it would help if some of you knew more about me. I am currently 63 years old, banded at 62 on October 31, 2011. I am 8 pounds from my personal goal, but have achieved my GP, WL Surgeon, NP and Nutritionists goal of 175. I moved my own goal down to remind me that this is a life style not a short term diet. I will always keep working. I am 5'9" tall and no wear size 8 jeans, down from 20/22's My highest weight was 263,
 
On the personal side, I am a wife (29 years with hubby # 2, # 1 and I parted ways.) I am a mother of two girls one 40 and the other 37. I am a grandmother to two gorgeous ladies, Morgan soon to be 13 and Grace 9 1/2. They belong to the older daughter. I have 2 great son-in-laws as well. I am the Godmother of two other young girls, Grace and Eva. I have been retired for almost 10 years. My hobbies are quilting, golf and traveling. My husband and I have been to all 7 continents and over 50 countries. We actually lived in Brussels, Belgium for 2 years, and still miss our favorite Neuhaus Chocolate. Good thing we are not there now, or I might have even more problems maintaining weight loss! LOL
 
I have been an active member of LBT and really like helping newbies. My less than polite side come out when people ask what I consider stupid questions.... Like "gee do my scars look infected to you" or I went out drinking and threw op for 36 hours do you think I damaged my band." If you want positive help from me stay away from asking medical questions. We all have surgeons, nutritionists and other medical professionals for that. If you hurt take a pain pill or call your doctor.
 
I love my LAP BAND and all the members of my private social group the Banded b*****s, so don'; pick on them either. We are all here to learn and help. I learn new things every day, and I hope a help a few other along the way. That's it for my first ever blog. I planning to go in for a fill next week, let you know how that goes. It will be my third.
 
CHEZNOEL, AKA Princess Grammy.

So, I've been out of the picture for a while. I got a job, quit my job. And now I'm back to working on me. As of today I have lost 31 lbs. in 5 months. I thought this would be a bigger number by now, but I'm actually pretty happy with it. I'm not gonna lie and say I've done everything by the book, we did just go through 2 major eating holidays. And make the best Hershey chocolate pies. However I am proud of myself. I used to make 2 pies. One for the family and one I'd devour before anyone knew it was there. Lol.
My eating habits are not very structured anymore. I eat when I feel hungry. The cold wet weather tightens my band and some days I just make sure I get my protein shakes in and my liquid vitamins.
Now that I'm not working anymore I can go back to my menu plans. I'll post them again in a separate blog and please feel free to comment and give feedback.
Good to be back!!!

Most people when dieting want to do everything fat free but I do not. Our bodies need healthy fats in order to funciton properly. I buy full fat mayo made with olive oil not the crappy mayo. I also use full fat salad dressings but only a small amount and yes I use real butter.
 
Fat free, well it does not taste good either at least to me. If I am eating a lot of salads I will buy the Walden Farms Italian which is calorie free, fat free and sugar free. I will use the Chipolte Ranch and Italian and the Balsamic Vinegar which all taste good to me. Some of their dressings are really blucky because how can anything taste good with no calories or fat in it.
 
I try to keep my fat intake to a minimum of 35 to 40 grams a day though. Your body craves fat and when you do eat it, it helps with keeping you satisfied. Yes I do eat a piece of bacon once in a while with eggs. I also on occasion take a teaspoon of olive oil, which doesnt taste so great but it does help getting in good fats and helps with hair and nails also. The benefits of olive oil are endless.
 
I don't believe in a fat free diet intake. We need good fats just like we need good carbs and large amounts of proteins for our bodies to work properly.