Sharpie

You are awesome girl.. Thank You for blogging in our own style.. love your frankness and honest opinions... I have to start my day with coffee and CG ...

Wonderful and inspiring.. I believe the band allows me to eat normally.. I am not on a diet .. I have been on every diet known to man.. none worked.. it was always temporary and once I fell off the wagon I would eat the wagon... I always felt deprived.. The band has made me feel satisfied and I do not feel deprived.. I eat a variety of things and sometimes a treat but overall I am eating healthier than ever before.. Keep up the good work.. love to see success...

at 3 weeks post op I was barely on regular foods... throwing up is not a good thing, but hopefully it will be a reminder.. I know we all eat too fast sometimes.. I have really worked on that.. I have been stuck just a few times but it's painful and I now have slowed down alot... I also realized that even though I may have something left on my plate, I dont have to eat it .. it's better in the trash than in my already full stomach...

Good Job on going through with your surgery... Your daughter will come around.. Mine was a little scared but knew I needed to take care of this problem or I would end up with serious health issues... Support groups are very important as Tom said.. also the folks on this forum have a world of knowledge and support.. Good luck on the recovery.. I had to stay overnight as well but I am so glad I did.

great story.. This was a man on a mission.. Thank God he decided to take control of his own destiny... It is inspiring to see his dedication. Thanks for posting it Catfish

Come On Girl you can do this.. I was diabetic so it doesn't take much to get you off track.. carbs and sugar will trigger cravings.. I never felt like I was ever full... or satisfied.. I would eat bags of cookies with gallons of ice cream.. but once I made up my mind to get the band, I decided nothing was worth me losing my legs, eyesight, kidneys or life ...don't let one bad day deter you from your goal... praying you will stay focused..

love Almond Milk .. never drank or used it in my life before being banded but it is really good with protein powder... I blend it with some protein powder, chocolate, ice and it comes out smooth and creamy...

after you do it for awhile you will not even notice .. I usually order water with lemon if I am eating out.. try to drink a little before my meal comes but not too much.. then after I eat I ask for a to go cup and off I go .. at home I don't even put a drink on the table for me.. my husband sometimes forgets and sets a drink for me.. but even he is getting used to it.. there alot of things worse than not being able to drink.. like being so fat you can't walk or having uncontrolled diabetes.. that's how I think of any of the inconveniences... hang in there you will get used to it..

how pretty you are... Congratulations...

The adkins diet has been linked to severe Liver failure.. the object of it is to put you in ketosis.. not healthy ... my Dr. advised especially if you are a diabetic.. but hey if it works for some go for it.. I don't believe posting things like Band Failure is appropriate..

so you failed and not the band? Isn't there a forum for promoting Adkins or whatever? If you could do it on Adkins but failed with the band then it's probably you not the band... interesting no information about yourself ... your experience as you call it is not something we haven't all tried before.. been there done that.. check back with us when you can say Adkins failed you.

Wonderful... keep up the good work...

I concentrate on protein, veggies' and some fruit .. I have eaten some pasta (very small amt.) and rice but haven't had any issues as far as the band is concerned.. like everything else.. it depends on you and how you tolerate it..

fantastic... love to see successful bandsters.

tracking your calories is the best way to know absolutley what you are eating but make sure you are absoutley honest about everything you eat... I even track my coffee w/ creamer... you might be surprised how many calories there are in things..even though you are eating way less than you used to it doesn't mean you are getting the proper protein and calories...I think with a little guidance and changes you will do great..

yes now that you all have scared the hell out of this poor girl let's all celebrate.. I researched the band before making my decision.. there were some statistics with various conclusions..I think a certain amount of failure can be attributed to the patients failure to follow the rules.. I think some folks should have more in depth psychological testing before undergoing the surgery..I discussed the diabetes issue with my PCP and Bariatric surgeon.. both agreed my diabetes would be resolved if I adhered to the lapband rules... so far I am off of my meds and have lost almost 50 lbs since Jan... My surgeon told me that older more mature patients do better sometimes because they get it.. they arent disillusioned about losing without work...I think all points of view are okay as long as you can prove what you are saying.. please stop being so dramatic and trying to scare people... Nothing is 100% guaranteed.. I have friends who have had serious issues with bypass, lost one.. sleeve is so new and frankly I don't want to lose 3/4 of my stomach.. what if god forbid I get cancer and need to keep my nutirtion up to survive.. no way to get your stomach back....I will take my chances on the band and hope it continues to work....

Christy good for you for sticking to it.. you might try hot tea or even sugar free cocoa.. Tuesday will be here before you know it and you will be losing weight and feeling great ....

Dear Donna: Congratulations.. you look great.. what a pretty smile..I like your hair too.. I know you have had a rough year personally so. Kudo's to you for sticking to your plan..

my family has some obesity.. and diabetes, heart disease, etc. but I made the decision not to follow suit.. Alcoholism has shown to be genetic.. If you know that is a possibility you have to make the decision to not drink .. I think obesity is much the same... environment however plays a role as well. If your mama fries food and makes fattening food your whole life and tells you to clean your plate.. you will have a tendency to get fat...

my Dr. actually took me off of my oral meds at surgery... but I had to moniter my sugar every morning.. once it became level I no longer take anything.. depends on how much weight you have lost total I think and what you are eating.. I do not more than 5 gms sugar in any food.. so I do alot of sugar free or very low sugar.. I use Truvia for sweetner.. I would talk to my PCP and see what he says.. your A1c is pretty good.. I think sometimes if your blood sugar is not stable you may have some cravings.. If I stay away from carbs (bread, rice, etc.) I am fine...I have also started doing the treadmill 20 min. a day... I think exercise helps diabetes....

You will do great... you are in my prayers and thoughts today... remember to rest, drink and walk ..you will have a few days of discomfort then you will be on your journey to better health..

I never eat when I first get up.. I get up about 6 am.. don't know why just habit.. drink coffee til about 8 , make the beds and then maybe fix breakfast about 8:30 or 9 ... I am tighter in the morning and was stuck this morning,, made mushroom, egg and cheese omelet..I don' think my band likes mushrooms.. but I stopped eating and did fine.. I sometimes just eat some greek yogurt in the morning if I need to go somewhere early....

Sounds like you have a great attitude.. I have to work out alone too.. we live in a little town, I go to the local gym, no pool but my daughter has a pool so I use hers.. have you checked into the YMCA? sometimes they have pools and workout equipment.. 80 a mo. is expensive..Keep on your path you will meet your goals...

my pre-op diet was 4 protein drinks or bars and one lean cuisine meal for dinner... I had some loss of energy but it only lasted a day or two... keep on focusing on the end results.. You don't want to have problems in surgery with your liver being too fat... ask your Dr. if you can have a low cal meal that might help.

I love Cheez-it's could eat boxes of them before banding... one of the things I noticed since being banded is that I can eat something bad but don't go crazy.. My Dr. said, eat what you want but track your calories . I know that things like chips, cheez-it's etc. will trigger my bad behavior so I try to stay away from them..Sometimes I eat a few chips from my grandkids lunches. I eat wheat thins sometimes with my chicken salad.. but they are only 130 calories for 16.. so I dole out my 16 and that's it.. You will be fine, just keep your eye on the prize...