burnsun

YOu really are doing very well. I know it is hard- an aquaintence just had her by pass 6 weeks ago (she is down almost 70 lbs- but OH my *&^~!!! she looks horrible and Makes me tired just seeing her. I am at 104 down as of toy (almost 11 months out) Slow and steady is great in my opinion. I think you biggest problem (IT WAS MINE) was when I got closer to breaking the 200 lb barrier- I thought it would never come and stay (that scale bounce dance) Well today I was 173.5! I have a 31 inch waist (though I always had a waist - even at 330 lbs) wear size 10/12 tops and 14 bottoms and still going down each day!

I had been meaning to start a thread on this- that photo looks gorgeous. I need to have time to do mine or at least get it cut and colored again

I have been getting rady for another big birthday bash for my soon to be two year old. I will attach a photo of her and me in our fairy costumes saturday- but for now my gorgeous foursome will have to do! THE BIRTHDAY GIRL- ADRIAN ELLIOTT SMITH

I can eat pizza if it is that "&**&" St/ Louis style- very thin- I call it the tortilla pizza- maybe two pieces (the corners). WIth any toppings (I am an anchoivy gal)- If I make it-my kids love whole wheat pizza and cheese- I can eat about one square (3") . I usually eat the toppings!

I am so proud Michele!!!!! My problem is the butt/hips thing! Ialways had a waist even at 330 lbs (albeit bigger) I am so happy!!!!!!

I really was discouraged at the beginning!!! My mother in law and I were banded at the same time. SHe did absoulutely nothing and the weight was falling off- I did the pre op diet for 14 days (little loss) I lost only 20 lbs from surgery till first fill she was loosing tons- but to top it all off she never exercised, ate everything you shouldn't had two to three glasses of wine a day and still drinks juice a lot after banding. Ice cream and popcorn every nighjt and more salad dressing than I can count (almost 4 table spoons) I cried and cried- ash she was down thirty five an I was closer to 20- well somewhere around novemebr last year I was steadily loosing- she stopped. Now if she looses 3 pounds a month - it is great but usually 2. I still am close to 8. I know you are not supposed to compare- but we live in the same house- so we are horrible. I wa sso afraid I wasted our money and Eric would be mad if it didn't work and it was just more wasted time and money- and so depressed (I think I need more light in the winter!) Well now it is just the opposite as my centure mary is looming ever closer (ok not till the oms thing comes and goes this week)- I keep thinking of the slow and steady turtle- I will get there- eventually- I have a lot of hangin empty skin and mor muscle in my legs and arms than ever- I can run and walk without getting winded and I love to cook and don't feel bad when I do! I can acutally eat part of apice of cheese cake no the whole thing and I am enjoying clothes shopping!. All kind of other things are better and lots of things haven't changed. My kids still think I am the world and the sun shines out of my &&&&, DH is still the greatest and we still fight about the car and money- but making up is a lot more fun, and I do love it when he compliments an outfit!

I have four children. However my situation si somewhat different. Three of the four have Down syndrome and currently 2 are underweight and the other is chuncky on the regular chart- but a high normal on th down syndrome chart. She just has a very short and dense body structure! Our other little girl is 40th in weight and 75th in height (so she really is skinny (except the milk belly)). Our attitude has been the following since before banding and we brought them home- we don't keep a whole lot of snacks in the house (potatochips & soda are for parties and special occasions only); they eat 1 -2 low fat but sugar in them yogurt a day. No trix or fruit loops- just cherrios and shredded wheat; I make the cookies they get- so I can make sure they get a lot of bran (important for the little ones with down syndrome to keep them pottying); they eat lotrs of different vegetables and are into using their magnets (even at 4 1/2 to 2) to tell what they still need to eat. They usually get 2-3 fruit servings a day! (water melon cantalop, a berry thing, pineapple, grapes, bannana or apples- we are not fond of citrus yet)-- applesauce is not a fruit. They also drinlk a ton and a ton of water!!!!! Milk 2 x day and maybe when we go out- but usually water - no juice I did this mainly becasue It is easier to teach a mentally disabled child to eat healthy - and have it last a lifetime than try to teach a mentally disabled adult to eat better (hell - most of us can't do it ourselves and I know I couldn't and neither can my dh). I also do not ever serve dessert except at holidays and stuff. Occasionally I will let them get one and we all share it when we go out! but not usually. I carry snack foods with us- regular crackers, wheat triscuits and the immitation goldfish as well as fruit and always have water and cups in the car. At this point it works because I am there world and I send snacks for them to school- they are not allowed to have chips when other parents send them- I always send fruit or grahm crackers (no juice boxes either- I sent water in speical refillable boxes for them- so they look like the others. But we have a different situation and it is not that difficult to control yet! They are doing very well.

Myh recovery was so quick- but I didn't have much of a choice. I went sight seeing at the museum and to the center market the day after surgery in Mexico with dh and the three kids (mom was still in hospital though - she had complications- but she wouldn't listen to doctors and didn't drink or walk enough)

Oh- I cried the day of surgey- was so afraid I was going to die and leave Eric with four kiddos. Please take my word for it- The hardest thing for me was to keep thinking positive. I am having such PMS today (gained 4 lbs- I never weigh the week befroe but for some stupid reason Colin asked me to weigh all of them today - but I was stupid- so now I feel like a failure again too- even though (in my head) I know I am not!!!! Crystal is right- you are so on schedule!!! I wish I could say you will do great! it will all come off. I sure hope so and I really am not all that dedicated to remebering to eat- just getting in the Protein and taking my supplements- but that started with my pregnancy so it is nearly 2 3/4 year of habit now!!! Good luck- keep a positive attitude and hopefully wour milk will show no major drop off. Order the domperidone to have it ahead of time if you need it (they are so small- no fear that won't fit!!!!) I know a place you can sell them if you don't need them - adoptive breastfeeding site (they also help with tummy upset)- my LC reccomends them still- and I never had any problems except extra milk so yeah!!!! Good luck- and I hated gym class more than anything too- funny I still have locerroom fears!!!!

We are as a family- because I can order something at a restaraunt and share it with all the kids- they get good food & so do I. Inside eating we are saving $ too- but that is because there is always enough leftovers for dh to take to work the next day or too- so he doesn't go out as often. He is also loosing weight (since not as much junk at work)- but I have finally spent it all on clothes.

I thouroughly agree with Nancy. I had ahigh BMI- I am very pleased with my progress. I really know I did on the high end, and it is slowing down to 5- 10 lbs per month now, but I feel great and I am very happy- I never want my innards rearranged and this worked well. I really feel I will make my goal weight long before my date of December 31st.

Of course not- it actually works and does not cross the blood brain barrier (like REGLAN- the perferred drug of choice which can cause depression or suicide in some women) AND IS AN OFF MARKET USE. dOMPERIDONE (20 mg 4x per day) IN THE AMOUNTS NEEDED TO INCREASE PROLACTIN - HORMONE MAJORLY RESPONSIBLE FOR MILK PRODUCTION is no where near what they were talking about and the heart attacks were for introvenous use- again not the same. This drug is used in almost all other countries (England, Canada, Australia, New Zeland,France, etc) as a stomach aide for children and adults and sold over counter in most. But we the fount of all knowledge find it unreasonable to let medical professionals and people decide what works best for them and ruin our ability to help lactating women with problems. On a note- your doctor can prescribe reglan if there is an issue- but I wouldn't use it. The cross the blood brain barrier and probability to personality and mood changes was too much of a side effect for me. Also iusing anything to enhance proolactin- usually cause some mile weight gain due to increased appetite. If you haven't guessed --- I used domperidone to facilitate lactation for my adopted little ones- before Adrian. I also believe it helped me so well that I had/threw the one and only egg I ever mad e to get pregnant with Adrian. So I am happy it is there and that the American Assoc.,of Pediatricians is still recommending as preferred drug for lactation enhancement

I am not a lc- but the biggest thing is keeping hydrated. I drank three small Isopure things about 25 mg Protein 3 times a day!! then 3-4 gatoraide bottles and all the Water I can get in all day the day after surgery till day 7. Somewhere in there I added more isopure- but I was starving. Biggest is making sure the pain medicine is compatable so no pumping and dumping unless absoulutely necessary! For all of your information- you only need about 300 extra calories to be pregnant- but 400-500 extra a day to breast feed depending on child age. Also it is much easier after 6-8 weeks to have a change in schedule than before- because milk already well established and the little ones have less problem with nipple confusion. Again what I know from three adopted breast fed children and almost 2 years with my biological one- I think she would have nursed till college if I let her!

But I also took all of my (then three) kids to Mexico with me for banding- because Adrian needed to nurse and I was afraid of who would bring her back if something happened. I also didn't stay in the hospital overnight. I went to the hotel around 8 pm and had som chicen broth & gatoraide per instructions!!!! Adrian also went when I got my one & only fill. If i were to get pregnant. I would personally try to keep my fill If I am not vomiting (however this would be different than with Adrian- that was 10 months of pucking!! DH thought bullimic pucked less than me). I would also try to keep weight gain to the baby- but keep the carbs and Protein high through good stuff, (My opinion and hoping it waits till I am at goal to happen if god knock twice in this lifetime)

I worked with a nutrionist (recommendation from my la leche legue) so that I would not have a loss in milk production. I think the nursing actually helped with my rapid loss. However it will depend a lot on how old your little one is- on what you need. FOR ME- I needed a minumum of 150 g of carbs almost 80 - 90 g of Protein anf more fat than you could imagine (I always had trouble with the fat). I took a prenatal Vitamin (had to switch to a chewable one- there is one by the way) but eventually went to generice kids from walmart- insurance wouldn't cover them after 16 months, fish oil pills and folic acid!!! And Water and milk and water and milk and JUICE- no aspetame or splenda and did I say water more than 12-14 glasses a day!!! But adrian was 13 months at time of banding ( but up till 2 weeks ago I was her ONLY MILK source) . Our newly adopted girl needs all the milk she can get right now- SO I decided it was time to wean- I still let her comfort nurse once a day. My problem was after surgery! I wouldn't take any pain meds, and the anethiaolgist was worried about the nursing (I nursed about 3 hours after surgery - I fed her right before I left for the hospital) Again I had a list of what they could and couldn't use and I could still nurse her or how long I had to wait. They stuck to our plan for the anethetics and antibiotics, I stuck to the food plan - only difference from the usually doctor's plan was the isopure 24 hours after after surgery and more gatoraide (for the carbs) than I ever wanted. I had enough fat to cover about 24 hours as long as she kept sucking. Now if you baby is younger than about 4 months - you may need to do other things or possible have some supplement for the little one for the first few days (you can use a supplementer and not give bottle if that is important to you!!!!) It worked for me and we continued for almost another year in a wonderful relationship - and I tell everyone Adrian is sucking it off me!!!! I still need to have a shake most days- to keep my protein high enough_I can't get the 80-90 g with out it - but I also exercise enough to burn about 350-500 calories a day too. Make sure you keep stuff in you vehicle, desk and other places. Because I do occasionally have the need for ""FOOD""" fast or I get really tired! So I always have a slim fast with and without carbs- depoending on the feeling (and boy I know) I also have COS- so keeping a decent milk supply is realatively difficult for most sufferers.

I got whistled at tody! How weird of NSV is that!- A mom of four size 10 on top and 12/14 on bottom- with four kids got whistled at by someone not my husband!!!! SO WEIRD!!!! OK- it really made up for dh who said my but looks like it has pany lines without the panties (by all the cellulite). I could of killed him if he hadn't just agreed that I could spend some of our money on PS if I want! ****note this is because we have/are discussing the option of plastic surgery for my nine- yes nine and almost ten on the other side bat wings!!!!- His idea- It started whem it became my son's new favorite game- to knock them around and see them jiggle

I know some doctors were saying no to milk and milk products! (and I know Sandy would say no!) BUT I HAVE TO SAY I can't live without mine!!!!! I can stop and get a chug if we are out (they sell skim and 2% now) so every one can get food at McD's and I can get a milk and wait till I get home. I always get my 3-4 servings without the challenge- mine might be to not get more!!! Just don't take your Calcium pills with in an 2 hour windo w of eating or a milk product- you can only absorb so much at a time! and it will be a waste of $$$$ GOOD LUCK & Got milk!!

Real rice or brown rice (but I can eat rice a roni- I hate this dh loves it! go figure) 2 spaghetti noodles is all I can do on Pasta with my meat sauce! but I can't do flat noodles (wonton- the noodle thing) bread - all shapes styles and counties (occasioanlly I can do the thinest slice of heel of french- almost melba toast hard) lettuce- waste of time after I chew it (waiting for the day when I get to goal and have a little restriction removed grapefruit (after yeArs of dieting- I still love it) onions (unless minced - I did not use to be that big of a chopper- but I am now- cause I love them, but if the get about the size of a pinkie fnail- I can't do them) hotdogs, bratwurst and other sausage anything grilled outside - to medium well or higher (but not if inside or a restaurant- I think dh needs some bbq lessons) tortilla chips - NO! potato chips - Yes!!! (go figure) sometimes I have problems with peanuts BUT I HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE FOLLOWING: corn on the cob (thank the lord); beef, chicken, ham, fish, shrimp (i can only eat 3 or 4 though before full); cheese, OF COURSE THE FOLLOWING FIT DOWN- wish they didn't - BUT IN FAR LESS QUANTITIES: ice cream, potato chips; whole milk; cheetos, choclate chip cookie dough (I make Cookies for my kids once a week- they are for the whole week);POPCORN!!!!!- the movie kind- if not why bother; any type of choclate

If you figure it out please tell me- because I feel the same way.

I used to believe that there were real people in the tv set. That when you turned it off they got a break (or so grandpa told me) and that they need a break everynow antd then. I thought the whole sets, costumes and everything were there (I even loved to peer in the back (I thought they were faires and lived in the "vaccum tubes" - hence the little lights. I even would sit and turn the sety on and off trying to catch them resting. Never did - cause it was a vaccum set!

I love the GNC pro perfomance 95 (soy protein). I mix mine with skim milk so I get about 35 g portein and about 20 g of carbs (I use 1 1/2 cups milk). I also used the isopure during my clear liquid stage. I needed lots of Protein - much earlier due to nursing a 13 month old! I hated it- but I made it go down. But I love the vanilla of the properformance- the cholate ok, but I don't like the other flavors. I do put some fruit in it now if I need to have one. (some times it is the only way I can eat with four under age 5- and having to hurry and can't take time to chew right & other mornings I just can't eat till noon- but something needs to go down or I will keel over)

I use a children's chewable- ONE SOURCE- really cheap from walmart and it has all the minerals adults need. I just add afolic acid and chewable calcium. But I am still nursing (i think the 2 year old will nburse till she starts university- she is not into this baby led weaning) and in child bearing age.

I sneeze! If I eat past that (even a kernal of corn as in tonight - I get naucious or stuck depending on what it was/is.

What they described is the way it works for my children and their two insurances. Some of the tests and such may be covered by your primary though- that is where is gets annoying- but good paperwork skill will help!

Shell is so right. I even remeber when I had my first fill that Dr. M was so impressed I had lost any weight (I was so "wide open") in our 6 week healing phase!. They had fixed a hiatal hernia and had stiched the band a little different so there was no restriction! I hope a fill will work- but I used my time to practice all the good habits (I have been forgeting lately) and to mourn diet coke! Good luck YOu ar enot headed for failure (My mother in law lost so much her first 6 weeks almost 25 lbs- and I lost a big whopping 15 those in first 2 weeks) now look at me- I am a steady and fast looser and she is on the slow end!