lisacaron

Hey who even knew we had a lounge?? I needed a place to kick back and put my feet up!!

@@sleeveee sure go for it! You can let them know that we are a support group that is open to all who wish to join.they may ask you how many people, I usually say to expect approx 10 people. Dates and times would be when they are available. I could make evenings work, from 7-9 and or Saturday's from 2-4 just need enough time prior to the date to let people know about it. If they ask any other questions you can always PM and I will help to answer as best I can.

This is the hard part. This is the only hard part. The head is always the hardest part to change. @@JustWatchMe seems to me you have changed it. You are doing amazing!!! All that self chatter in our heads, helps us to be aware of what we are doing. Most don't even bother to listen to it and just go about doing and feeling badly or not. You my friend hear your voice, and that's the biggest hardest part!! No one wants to hear the truth and we REALLY don't want to hear it from ourselves because we are always going to be our own worst critic. I really try not to let people and their comments get in my head, I have enough in there I don't need anymore an I am so analytically by nature that one comment can drive me pazzo (crazy) for weeks on end and when all the flavor is gone I stick it my hair to chew on again at a later date. I am so happy for you and proud of you, and totally learn lessons from you!!

It was a nice day to be out and about in the city! I promise LI people I am working on securing a venue on Long Island. I recently was at the Huntington Library for a training class and it has an awesome venue with lots of rooms and spaces for events. I am waiting to see if we might "qualify" to reserve a room there for a meeting. Keep you all informed. In the mean time here was the handout from our last meeting. It is all about Spring renewal. How are you cleaning out for Spring? I know this Sunday, Hubby and I went through the house and discarded some old things that had been piling up and got some work done in and around the house that needed doing. Even the doggies all got a bath. We have so much more to do, but with the renewal of the sun in our lives, I have more energy and want to get up and out more to get more done. I'm invigorated and inspired to clear out the old, dust off the cob webs and get things moving again!! How about you? 5 Steps of Self-Renew For Spring! It's a time of new beginnings, a fresh start. A time of blossoming and renewal. Are you feeling it? Are you making room in your life for it? This is a great time to take stock of what is and isn't working in our lives internally as well as externally, and take the necessary steps to let go and move forward. This is sometimes as easy as clearing out your closet and donating old clothes, and sometimes as challenging as letting go of those good relationships to make room for great ones. Sometimes it requires looking within and seeing what unforgiving, hurtful, critical, and separation-causing behaviors and attitudes we hold on to (often unconsciously) that keep us from our joy, connection and fulfillment. Easier said than done, I know. But so worth it, and ultimately necessary to realize your highest potential in health and life. It's like shedding snakeskin. Here are 5 Steps for “Shedding” gracefully: 1. Awareness is the first step. Identify the behavior, perspective, or attitude that no longer serves you. - This can be done with the help of someone you trust, love and who only wants the best for you. - This can also be done through self-reflection and introspection. It takes a great deal of courage, honesty and humility to accept the areas of ourselves that need refinement or to let go of things that are no longer for our greatest and best. 2. Forgive yourself. Self-compassion is important. No good comes from beating yourself up and feeling guilty. Recognize that you did the best you could at the time and now you know better. 3. Create space. Science has shown us that neurons that fire together, wire together. Meaning that many of our responses are automatic due to past conditioning. By giving yourself time before reacting, consider the outcome of your words and actions and choose a higher route. This may feel uncomfortable at first, but give it time and new neural pathways will form. 4. Use tools to remind you of your intention. Try using affirmations or intention statements as regular reminders of the seeds you are planting and watering within yourself. Use sticky notes and the “Tell Me Later” app, which sets off an alarm every hour, or so with the statement written in the present positive “I am…” When the alarm goes off, take a moment to repeat the statement 3 times and breathe in deeply. 5. Know you will be tested. Situations and challenges will continue to come up to test your new resolve. When they do, remember Step 3. Create space and repeat your intention to yourself. Breathe deep and choose a more positive and loving response. Some days will be easier than others. When you revert to past behavior remember Step 2: be kind, compassionate and forgiving of yourself. With time and practice, it will become easier and easier. Rinse and repeat. With each layer of snakeskin you shed, you become more and more the change you want to see in the world, more of your light shines through and illuminates the way for others. And with every change, a reward. Greater joy. More peace. Less drama. New friends. More courage and strength. Better health. More fun! A process.

@@JustWatchMe hey find that recipe and send to me!!! sounds like I could make that work for those miserable I want some pizza days!!

Checking in today. Feeling pretty good about eating choices, though I would like to be moving more...I'm not trying to push it. Stress is...well I (fingers crossed, knocking on wood, saying a prayer, lighting a candle, doing what ever it takes!!!) is easing up and I am breathing a little easier. Happy Wednesday!!

@@BandedMi I am really so sorry to read your post. It's not easy when you have someone you care about shoving your favorite things in your face and not caring about how you feel, ultimately by him doing this is going to cause you to reassess your relationship with this person. You have made a choice to put your health and happiness first and in essence he is telling you he doesn't care about that he cares about only what makes him happy....and that's hard to live with. As you said you are the only one who cares about you...and that's right!!! You do, you cared enough to have surgery and though it's hard you will care enough NOT to eat the foods he brings when you know they are not brought to you with love and concern but sabotage. It makes the sweet taste bitter, and then you will no longer want it. If your husband doesn't want that to happen with your feelings for him...he's going to need to start making some changes in the way he supports you. I wish you all the best, and keep looking out for #1 that is YOU!!! You are special and you are worth a healthy and happy life and it's not all about size.

The thickest, gooiest, unhealthy thing you can imagine? I'm happy the band has set me apart from all that. Yeah but as a NY'r I crave that slice of pizza!!! I can't consume it, well I can but as you said it would take me 20 minutes and could be ugly...but of course I live in house full of young men and for some reason pizza is a staple for them easy and delivered right? It's the "smell" of it that gets me!!! My mouth just waters..and I have to take a big inhale and sometimes a tiny bit from the very tip that I chew and savor till it's melted in my mouth because if I don't....I won't be able to get it out of my head or off my taste buds!

@@Mysticangel142003 give your Dr. a call ASAP and have some Fluid removed from the band. You are too tight if you can not get Water down and this can cause complications. You don't need that right now. I am so sorry to learn of your Dad's sudden passing. It is not easy to lose a parent. I'm sure this journey is a little more difficult for you as well since he was your supporter and would be partner on this journey. I am proud of you as I'm sure your Dad would be for keeping to your commitment to yourself and taking the steps you needed to begin your journey. Try not to let others derail you, this is your journey not theirs and I am sorry they are not as supportive as they could be. I have found that I can't change those around me I can only change myself and my reaction to them. So I make food choices for myself first. If Lasagna is the meal of the day, and you don't want to make soup or something else for yourself separately you can totally sit down at the table and take that piece of lasagna an deconstruct it. Eat the filling, have some meat balls, what I like to do when my family makes a pot of sauce is i will enjoy a meatball or two if they are small and then make some steamed vegies (you can get the single serve steam bags in the super market 3 min in the micro and they are ready) and I mix those up with some sauce instead of eating the Pasta. You can find creative ways of making meals work for you as a bander. When I am at work meetings that are often through lunch hour and they cater in, I will take a sandwich and just deconstruct it and eat the meat and cheese and leave the bread. I'll have some salad as filler or even take some of the lettuce from the sandwich and use that as the "bread" You can do it, and we are here to support you!! Come back often and let us know how your doing and how we can help. Your not alone in this I promise!!

@@JustWatchMe I want some coloring books for adults! I love to color...so relaxing. Where do we find these? I have to start my list with: Jewelry!!! Long summer drives with the top down ( I'll have to get a convertible) Reading under the shade of a tree on a cool summer day The sound of the waves ebb and flow on the beach Taking the doggies for a nice walk around the lake Spending time with my hubby and relaxing Listening to the sounds of nature

I'm not in the dating scene but I have to give Kudos to the posters here!! Men and women alike can be sallow and insensitive and often times it shows their own insecurities with themselves more than it reflects upon us and that is the sad thing. When people make negative comments or have an expectation of beauty or intelligence it's because they come up wanting themselves and they project that feeling of lack onto another. You gals and guys are awesome, you have made some serious choices for your lives to be healthy and happy in your own right. Cheers to you!!

@@ThinDolphin3 I agree with what @@B-52 wrote. I think a good way to start is going back to those band basics. Every now and then when I see I am getting "sloppy" with my eating habits and often that will happen when I have needed a band adjustment for one reason or another I will go back to the beginning for a "reset" if you will. I will start by doing a few days of a liquid only diet. I feel that this helps me to reset my mind and my body and band as well. It gives it some "rest" from any sloppy eating I might have been doing and it helps my body to detox the sugar which is my downfall. I'm a sweet eater. After a few days of liquid diet I will move to soft foods, and again do this for a few days and practice eating in small bites, putting my fork down between bites and not drinking with food in my mouth or just after I have swallowed food. I will then progress to solid food (knife and fork type foods) and again cut the pieces I am about to put into my mouth into small bites, and take the time to chew and savor the bite before swallowing and cutting the next bite. This is where my sloppy eating habits come into play for me. Often I am pressed for time and I am not even mindful of what and how I am eating. This is key. You want to be mindful of the choice you make, and mindful of how you eat it. I will sometimes derail myself by taking too large of a bite, and/or eating too quickly and causing food to stack on top of each other causing me discomfort. If I am in a "rush" (which I always seem to be) I will try to slug back a sip of Water...and woe is me because I know better and now I am good and stuck and need to find a bathroom to resolve the issue. This will happen to me when I have had Fluid removed for one reason or another...usually because of a cold or medication which will make my stomach irritated and cause that swelling to cinch the stoma even smaller then I need it to be. So they take some fluid out an I get sloppy. Here is a great site with information on eating with the band etc. http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

Hi All, Checking in....I wish I could say my stress levels are better but oh no! Had an interesting holiday weekend. We had an afternoon wedding on Saturday so I had to do the best camouflage make up job ever so no would know I have been sick for days and days. I did a great job, just had to be careful not to smile or laugh too much so my face didn't crack! Just as I was in the PJ's finally at home and face all lathered up to take the war paint off...we got a call that my step son was in a car accident. So I threw on the sweat pants and scrubbed the face clean and old sickly was back..running shoes on to the ER. Sunday morning surgery with the plastic surgeon. Let me tell you...titanium alloy eye glass frames might be indestructible...but when they are on your face and the air bag hits you....your face is going to pay the price! My step son is OK after some nice plastic surgery to his eye socket and his head, these frames cut right to the bone, but low and behold he goes to check the car out this morning before it goes to the body shop, and the glass don't have a scratch on them! Ah well...eating has been pretty on point cause with all this who wants or can eat? My band is definitely letting me know it's there and not happy with my crazy life. I think I'll give it a few more days off from the gym...and maybe take the doggies for a walk tonight I could use the fresh air!!

@@LizFrmTexas do you have Fluid in your band now? Try not stress over the bloating being a slip, but do take some precautions to help yourself be comfortable. Going back to band basics is always a good idea. A liquid diet will help to sooth your stomach and esophagus if you are having reflux. It will also take the stress off the pouch and the band. So give it a go for a few days to a week and then move to soft foods and see how it goes. If this does not help you than I would call the Dr. and tell them you need a more urgent appointment because you want to take care of it ASAP and avoid any complications. Let us know how your doing!!

@@LacieC1989 yes working out can make your band feel tighter. Stress also does this to me, and woe to the person who upsets me while I am eating, that doesn't go nicely for anyone. If you are having trouble keeping liquids down, I would say yes see the Dr. for a bit of an unfill. If you are able to tolerate liquids and then the band loosens during the afternoon evening so you can eat solid foods, then I would say ride it out. Have a Protein shake instead when your band is tight and eat when you can do so comfortably. In the mornings my band can be tight, so I usually stick to coffee. In the evenings since I will usually hit the gym after work, my band will often cinch up along with my muscles after a work out so I'll do a Protein Shake on those days as well. The largest meal of my day is often lunch time, depending on how the day goes. If you are having trouble or getting stuck and not able to tolerate fluids then give your Dr. a call and take out some Fluid even .1 cc can make a big difference. Let us know how your doing.

@@JoJoNYC don't worry you are doing great!! Go and get your fill and that will help you stave off the hunger. Sometimes it's hard to tell if it's head hunger or actual hunger, so I try to have something to drink before I reach for the food. Sometimes for me I really need that "comfort" feeling of something relaxing, smooth and sweet. I have found that for me a nice warm cup of coffee with some sugar free flavored creamer works wonders. I will have a cup when I get off the road after work before eating dinner and it helps to take the edge off of that "I NEED TO EAT SOMETHING NOW" feeling. I usually eat lunch around 12-1 and don't get back home till 6:30-7 so by then I'm right at the edge and the coffee "treat" helps so much.

@@sbrick take it one day at a time. Try to work with your band again while you have it in. If there is nothing wrong with it, I would try to get right back to basics as @@jolizziejones mentioned above. It worked for you, you are a success. Yes you had a set back and a very emotional one. You gained a few pounds back, and your hormones are not in balance right now. So don't beat yourself up if you haven't dropped the weight as quickly as you did before. Right now your body is working to figure out what's going on..and it will catch up it's been through a bit of a gambit. If your band is in good position and you have no esophagus damage, I would recommend working the band again and not worrying about having to change your WLS because of something the endo Dr. told you. Your hormones including your thyroid could be off for many reasons and that's what he should be treating you for. You are a success and an inspiration, I have seen many people lose extreme amounts of weight and keep it off with the band. Good luck to you and let us know how your doing!!

Hi All just thought I would check in today before we head into another holiday weekend/week for some!! I have been down and out for the count the last few days with a miserable virus, and just starting to recover. It was good to take some down time, though it would have been better to feel good while having that time. Happy Passover, Holy Week, Happy Easter to all those who Celebrate. I plan to be home this Sunday and cook a meal for the family. We have a wedding to attend on Saturday and I just hope my lips heal enough so I can work some makeup magic and not look like the walking dead. Learning my lessons the hard way to slow down and make time for rest and relaxation...cause I'm gonna get it one way or another it seems and it's so much nicer minus the 2x4 hitting me upside the head

@@JustWatchMe I had half the fill that I took out put back in. Thank goodness this virus was not something where there was too much mucus (sorry gross I know) that was my issue before. Fill wise I am doing pretty good. Hubs also got a fill and he's been doing pretty well and might have finally hit his green zone. Now if I could just stay healthy and strong enough to get back to the gym. This time I was literally down and out I have been so tired and sleepy through it all. Totally run down and weak but I guess I deserve that when I drive this body 90 to nothing all the time. I need to learn that down time is OK to have. Days of doing nothing are good, and rest is positive and restorative!

Greetings everyone! Sorry to have been MIA for so long. I am just starting to recover from a horrible virus that has had me down and out for the count. I woke up one morning and looked like I was in a title fight with the heavy weight champion. My eyes and cheeks and lips were all swollen, my throat was on fire and my head was banging. My husband came home and drove me to the urgent care and they said I had caught some virus that has been going around. Just lovely and trust me I look just lovely as well! I had some medical testing on Friday and I took the whole day off to get it all done and you know to tell you the truth I think doing that is what did me in! I went for blood work at the lab starting at 6 am, then on to MRI's then on to visit the Dr.'s. By Sunday was starting to feel run down, Monday I was grouchy and Tuesday morning I was a mess!! Today all the facial swelling is gone but my lips swelled up so badly they are not cracked and bleeding, it's a great look for a Friday at the office let me tell ya! I have a wedding to attend tomorrow afternoon, so I hope that these lips heal up and I can cover it up with some magic make up tricks and not look horrid. Happy Passover to those who Celebrate, and Happy Easter to those who celebrate! I am planning to be home for Sunday, cooking dinner at home for the family. The best part of being "sick" is I haven't been gorging on food at all, though I will say there has been comfort food which is just about all I could manage to let pass my lips. Hope this Spring finds you all well...I hope to get there soon and be able to get back in the saddle and on the treadmill again soon!

OMG too funny but I bet someone told him to use the machine like that!

@@Julie norton I know...we will have to stop and see you on our next west coast visit!

@@sleeveee Hi, I'm sorry you had some trouble with the procedure. I know when Ken and I changed Dr.'s the new Dr. really advised Ken and I that he felt we would have been better sleeve patients then band because of Ken's diabetes and my hormonal issues the malabsorbtive bit with the band would have worked faster for us. We are not in a big race to get the to the finish line so we just work it as it is and when we get there we get there. It's been slow and steady but we have not had any regain and that's a BIG plus in my book all other medical issues aside. He did tell us though that if we needed to revise for some reason in the future it would mean removing the band and healing internally few a few months before sleeve surgery could be performed so your experience especially if the liver and stomach have that kind of trauma is not out of the ordinary. Hang in there...your gonna get where you want to be!! How are you doing today?

Good Afternoon!! Bracing for that 4 letter word again today on the first day of Spring!! Grrrrr. It's another busy busy day at work but I am finding some space in between meetings to keep accountable here as well I am very much looking forward to spring I feel that light and airy feeling start to rise in my bones and it's just a wonderful feeling after what seems to me like a long constricting winter season. Today I am working on creating a "gratitude" list. Starting with the letter A it helps me to remember that no matter how many things are going on in my life there are always many many things I have to be grateful for and it's not as bad as I might think...and putting it together usually makes me smile TGIF!! I am grateful for: A- My Attitude on this first day of spring! B-The Brightness of the sunshine C-My Crazy work schedule D-Having another whole Day to be alive E- Delicious Egg White omelet this morning. F-FRIDAY!!! Need I say more? G-The color of Spring Green!! H-The Hyper Happiness of my Puppies when I come home from work I- all my good Intentions even if they don't always pan out. J- Being able to fit into Jeans! K-My wonderful hubby Ken L-Life M-Music N-My son Nick who is doing well O-Not working Over time today! P-Practicing good band eating habits Q-Query searches making life easier! R-Roses (I'd like to try and grow some) S-Singing at my desk (my co-workers just love it!) T- Time U-Umbrella's I love my new purple one! V-Value W-Windows, that let me see the sun!! X-Not always feeling I am at the center of that X Y-Feeling Young Z-Getting some much needed ZZzzzz last night!!