lisacaron

@@Aribay1 How are you doing today? Here is a bit of advice that you may or may not have gotten in all the posts before, but I know that this helps me when I am having difficult days. I ask myself that very question. How am I doing today? Or at the end of the day, How did I do today? If my answers are not so great...I ate this or that high calorie thing or I didn't get my exercise program in or I just spent the whole day feeling sorry for myself and self sabotaged or what ever my reason for a "bad" day might be...I answer the question honestly. I may or may not share it on the boards, or with my husband or a close friend. I may just work it out and analyze the "why" for myself. Only I know "why" I didn't have a good day, and if I'm honest it's not the bad day at work that made me eat the chocolate, it's not the lack of sleep that had me driving through Wendy's. It's more than that, and those are the things we need to get at to make the life style change we so want. It's not going to happen over night. It's not going to happen in a week, or a month, it's not going to happen because you had WLS. The only way it is going to happen is moment by moment choice by choice and taking honest accountability for yourself and your actions. No need to punish you with words, or lectures, no need to tell you that you need therapy or scare you about hurting your self and/or ruining your internal organs and messing up your surgery. None of that will matter, in fact none of it will change a thing until and unless YOU decide that it matters to YOU. So....How are you doing today?

Hi ladies, I feel your pain and frustration. I have been and I am where you are. I had to have my band unfilled for a pouch dilatation which gratefully resolved quickly in a months time. I had about 3 weeks of liquids and then back to soft and solid foods and it was about that time that eating put a few pounds back on the scale. I'm still hitting the gym and trying to stay active but I know I am hungry more often than not and working out seems to increase that hunger. I am able to eat foods that I had no desire for before the unfill, and I am not back at the previous fill level. I also was at 7.1cc in a 10cc band so I am thinking that might be a tad too much. I was great with that fill level for about 4 weeks but then was rear ended in a car accident and given medication and then got sick and given antibiotics and I believe all of that cause some stomach discomfort which caused the stoma to swell and become even tighter. I'm glad they did the unfill and didn't compromise my stomach or the band. In the midst of this my surgeon retired, so I'm off to see a new Dr. going in for an endoscope this Thursday and then an adjustment. I am hoping that will put me back on the path again. It's too easy to eat the foods we know we shouldn't because we can. I mean hello pizza Hut! never would even think to eat that 3 months ago. Today no issue I can have 3 slices of stuffed crust! What the heck?! Yeah knowing I "shouldn't" and knowing I can....and I want it...well that's a battle of wills. So once again I am on a liquid diet and going into the "nasty" bit of prep tomorrow night for colonoscopy scheduled at the same time as the endo Thursday. I'm sure all of that will result in a bit of weight loss and pizza detox!!! @@tonifrdabronx I don't think you need another fill, and I don't think you should risk another fill. I think what's going on for you is that your fear is steering you toward the high calorie slider foods. I know that feeling too well, you've probably had pain and pressure and gerd during the time of your band slip and now your worried about it happening again so your eating the easy to eat foods that are slowly creeping the weight back onto you. We are the same height and right now at pretty close to the same weight. I'm in with you my friend, lets focus on the reboot and get back to basics with me if you will...I feel like I'm hitting the reset button this week. Detoxing, readjusting and ready to make strides to bring my numbers down. How about you ladies? Lets do this!

I have no fear of Holiday folly I will be making all the food, so I know what's going in there and what's not!! I never have time to cook, and coming from a large Italian family I know how to cook for large volumes of people Ken and I have that pretty much on lock his Grandfather was the cook in the Navy! We will be having a small intimate affair this year with our 5 son's well the amount of them that actually show up for dinner and our animals!! It's always a 5 course meal in my house and as I posted in another post I get full just on the aroma filling up the house. We do a lot of work for the holiday, to transform the space to accommodate a large group of people sitting at the dining table. So everyone gets their exercise in!! Ken and I when all is said and done and we actually sit down to eat will enjoy a small plate of food with the kids, and we try to have something through out the day and not in one big stuffathon Then we will take the pups for a nice walk around the lake and come back for some dessert and coffee and maybe some table games....if anyone sticks around long enough You know kids in their 20's they got things to do people to see and places to go. Me I'm going to just enjoy being HOME and having a house full love awesome smells and lots of LOVE!!!

I plan to enjoy the 4 day weekend with my son's (the ones that show up) and my animals Hubs and I plan to make our traditional Holiday meal which always consists of too much food. The beauty of it is preparing it and filling the house with warmth, good smells and lots of love! All the extra food never goes to waste as I buy lots of zip lock containers and send the all the kids home with nice home cooked meal they can have again the next day. Same for me and hubs! I find that we spend so much of the "day" cooking and hosting that we don't really eat all that much. My belly gets full on the aroma:) and we will only have a small plate when we finally sit down to dinner. Thanksgiving is a full 5 course meal in my house, all prepared from scratch. Yes it's the one day of the year that I actually cook!!! OK well I cook on Holiday's only It reminds me of my big Italian family that is mostly all gone now, and all the good times we had. I pump up the Christmas Music much to the kids and husbands chagrin and love to belt out those tunes as I bop around the house chopping and mixing and basting and having fun! So we get our exercise in as well!!! The whole has makes it's holiday transformation, so there's lots of up and down the stairs up and down from the attic and lots of bending and stretching to baste the turkey and pull down all the ingredients from the top shelves!

@@flmommyof2 Everyone is different, mostly they will tell you what nutrition looks like after banding. They may have a questionnaire for you to fill out that might ask some questions about what you eat or what your eating habits are. If you wanted to bring a list of groceries or what your meal plans currently look like that wouldn't hurt they may or may not review them with you but it will help you to get an idea of what your doing now vs. what you will be doing after surgery. They are not or should not be there to make judgements they are there to help you to learn and have good nutrition and eating mechanics post banding. Good luck!!

That may very well be our problem, we have had this surgery and wanted to have a new way of life. Maybe you thought that putting an apparatus in your tummy or rewiring your internal organs was going to be that magic bullet and that meant you could continue to live your life making bad choices or choices that were not good for your health, and that these things were going to magically fix it for you. You could have this surgery and continue to frequent the bakery, the donut shop or the taco stand the hotdog vendor and you would ingest the foods you love and crave and magically with a swallow that food would turn into a super food that has no calories no sugar, provides your body with ultimate nourishment and you could go on doing what you do. Yes I was that person too, I thought OK I could work this band and not make any changes to my life style. I didn't have to make very many of them after all right? Who needed to exercise, what do you mean take time out to relax? I don't have time for that...I have things to do, I can grab a bar on the go and I'll be fine. Yeah...nope that's not what happens. For some the surgery is the 2x4 crack in the head they needed to wake up for me it's easy to work around it. I"m not a volume eater, never was...I'm a forgot to eat making bad choices eater. Nothing is going to change that but ME. WLS is not going to make me healthy. It's not going to get rid of my high blood pressure and diabetes if I keep putting food into it that is counter productive to changing those things. So @@☠carolinagirl☠ is100% correct when she says we are only cheating ourselves if we do not make the changes necessary both mentally and physically to enhance and work with the tool we have.

@@cheryl2586 OMG I feel your comments! People can be amazingly cruel and I don't understand it either. In the last 3 months my husband and I have rescued and adopted 2 puppies, and the Mommy dog. The story is heart breaking, long story short. Only 3 of her 5 pups survived after the shelter vet could not tell she was even pregnant she was so thin. One puppy had no scalp and the fontanel was exposed upon birth. We adopted him and his sister, and then the Mommy who is a wonderful dog. She had some aggression issues from prior abuse and other dogs attacking her, but she well adjusted at home with us and loved. That's all it takes is love...she is the best dog! Here are couple of photo's! We also have a Persian cat we rescued and another bangle cat we rescued and hand raised from 2 weeks old!

Debbie where/when is this event? I remember reading something about it but please refresh my memory....

@@gowalking Go for the slutty dress!!!!! well OK maybe not slutty but sexy!!! Looking forward to a jaunt into the city for the Holiday scene!! I have to every year, the city is truly magical during the holiday season!

The Value of Holiday Traditions Do you look forward to the holidays or do you dread them? What traditions mean the most to you and what new traditions do you think would be good to establish? When you think back to the holidays of your childhood what comes to mind? What memories come first? Traditions are held practices, customs, beliefs, or values handed down from one generation to the next. Through the oral tradition, much cultural and historical information was passed down through generations. Much of the information was captured once a written language was established. Thoughts, stories, and ideas common to a group of people that have been tested to be enjoyable or reliable tend to continue and while those that are not fall away. Children learn by repetition and thrive in the predictability of routine. When they have participated in an activity or routine several times, they come to expect them, which helps reduce anxiety from the unknown and unexpected. Traditions keep loved ones alive in our hearts and minds when they are away from us and create a special bond for years to come. Many of the happy experiences we remember as we age come when we revisit the memories of routines and traditions we enjoyed in our youth. It isn't difficult to establish traditions with neighbors, family and friends. Here are some ideas to help you make the most of your time together this holiday season. Make the Practical Special and Fun - Serve Others to Help Brighten Their Holidays - Incorporate Relevant Religious and Cultural Elements The Bottom Line Regardless of whom you Celebrate holidays with, there is always room to create traditions that establish memories or strengthen a bond. It is never too late to start holiday routines and traditions but it is also never too late to change them. This is especially true if you have experienced loss or life changes Sometimes knowing when to change traditions or establish new ones is as important as following them. If your life has recently changed either by choice or by circumstance, consider creating new traditions. Many people dread the holidays because the traditions will never be the same. Establishing new traditions can help you look forward to the holidays while also preserving the memories of traditions past.

Love this idea, I will have to check to see if they have one of these in my area!

Ladies/Gents, This is the information we have on our local listing so far....If you want to be added please let me know your location. We are hoping to find a central point to meet up. Screen Names: Lisa Caron dylanmiles23 Debbie3sons GoWalking SillyAuntDi intelirish Julie Norton

@@Rocky1 I am a member of LA fitness. I have found a lot of success with their personal trainers there. I live in Patchogue usually see the trainers from that facility but they have trainers all over if your interested in that. My routine is I will do the cardio work outs on my own, either walking, biking, or elliptical at least 3-4 times a week. The trainer does the weight and fitness training with me and I try to meet at least 2x a week with the trainer so that I have recovery time in between depending on the muscle group I am usually sore for a couple of days.

@@Bandista Noooooo I am in denial!!! I don't know I am just not ready for winter. I know it's the middle of Nov. but darn it I am spoiled with this warm weather we have had. D. you are looking AWESOME!!! Watchme...congrats!!! I hope to get there someday soon!!! Here is my contribution to Halloween this year...it's one of my favorite holidays...but I have not done much in the way of parties or haunted houses in many many years!! On to Thanksgiving....? What's your plan this year....?

@@Tootles1975 I know, sometimes we have to remember to advocate for ourselves. Some offices get so "boiler plate" with their processes and procedures they forget that we are people and need to understand why we are doing what they ask us to do so that we can have a better reception of the information and follow their guidance. We are not all sheep that simply follow without question. Don't be afraid to go back in there and and ask for a more though out explanation as to why they are telling you to do these things. It's important and they need to make the time for you I'm sure you are not the only patient who has had questions.

@@Tootles1975 your not far off in your last statement "it seems like a good practice to put in place because I believe you are supposed to stick to that after surgery" That is exactly why your doctor is telling you to do what they are telling you to do. Your profile says Gastric Bypass, now from what I know from reading (please bypass friends and Veterans jump in here) you may not be able to drink Water again after a shake for 30 minutes or more after your surgery. You may not want to be drinking hot or cold beverages or Soups and ices after your surgery. So your doctors are giving you a "taste" of what is to come. If you can't wrap your mind around it now...what will happen after? This is your learning curve friend use it wisely!! Ask your doctors why and if they explain along those terms, it's in your best interest and long term success to follow what they advise. Best of luck to you, let us know how it goes!!

@@jhammer2 There are so many reason why I chose to have the band vs the sleeve. The biggest one was that I did not want to have bits of my organs removed if they didn't need to be. I never had or have the intention of "reversing" the band procedure but knowing that should the band fail the possibility to move forward was still an option was another factor. The final factor for me and my husband was knowing others who had both the sleeve and RNY initially lose weight only to regain it again. We also watched them have different complications with the consumption and metabolizing of food. (Let me just say here that no matter your choice of surgery you have to be willing to work that tool every day all day for the rest of your life if you want to achieve and maintain success) The fact that the band was "flexible" and could be adjusted to fit our lifestyle was the winning factor. There were other surgeries that were pending after banding and it was good to know that we could adjust the band to allow for recovery and then re-adjust the band to get back on track with weight loss again. It's not a quick fix, you won't lose like you would with an RNY or sleeve but if you keep at it and you make it part of your life you will lose the weight. The best thing to do is to review your health and expectations with your Dr. and surgeon and decide together what type of surgery will work best for you.

Ah yes the moody scale. That number can really do a number on us can't it?! I try not to let it "bother" me but you know it does to a degree. The other day...my husband went to his PCP, he got on their scale which is not the typical Dr.'s office scale that I am used to with the weights and the slide bar..you know where you have to click the heavy weight and balance the sucker with the little weight till it tells you that you weight too much.... It's not one of the nice digital doormats of doom either where you get on and you feel like it's a guess this biggin's weight at the fair. No it's that big dial one where the dial looks like Mr. Magoo's glasses. Hubby loved that scale so much I bought one for home but don't you know he always likes to tell me our "home" scale must be wrong. NOOO it's not wrong it's set properly, why because I am a bit OCD and the pin must be exactly at the zero, not to the left not to the right but dead center on the zero for an "accurate" weight. In a way I like that scale because I can calibrate it with my uneven floors, and then of course I have the Aria scale and I have to go on there to see what it has to say after...so I get my BMI and weight and then upload all that to my fitbit profile. I told you a bit much right... Ok so that said, the hubs goes to the Dr. takes a photo of him on the scale and sends to me. Great shot he loved it because it showed a ten pound decrease! Yeah guess what...the scale is broken, or at least not properly calibrated because the next day at the bariatric Dr. sorry to make you sad, that ten pound difference was all in your head as it was in mine!!! Cause when he sent me that photo, I was mad and pissed off!!! So you see how much those darn scales and numbers can affect our moods? LOL Not that I was happy when the "guess your weight" scale popped up with a 10 pound bump on him, but I did have a secret smile cause he always thinks I'm a loon for making sure that scale is calibrated before getting on it

@@Jim1967 OK I got ya now thanks for explaining your thoughts

@@verna2197 Definitely go in to see the Dr. you said you have approx 3.4 cc so you have room to add more if you need to. What you are looking for in terms of "restriction" are satiation signals. Eating a small tennis ball sized meal, Protein first of course and then not being hungry for at least 3-4 hours after. The food should be of solid consistency not a smoothy or slider food like Soup. If you find that your volume is higher, or your hungry and soon after you have eaten then you may need a tweak to the band. If you are not able to tolerate solid foods, then your band could be too tight. Here is a guide I stole from CG's post earlier, it will help to define where you want to be in terms of eating and fill level.

@@Jim1967 why would you think the columns should be reversed? Just curious as to your take on it. I find them to be right on the $$ for me.

@@verna2197 you would need to ask your doctor. It's good to know what type of band you have installed. Allergan (lapband) or Realize band. They come in different sizes. I have an Allgeran Lapband size 10cc. You can always call the office and ask them to check your file, you don't need to wait to speak with the Dr.

@@Jkim728 your gonna do great! Good luck, and just remember to follow the Dr's instructions on what to do after the fill. It can take about 2 weeks for the fill to fully settle into the band...so don't stress out if you don't "feel" it right away, it will also depend on the amount of fill the Dr. puts in

@@flmommyof2 I'm sorry, you have to be the one to endure these comments from your family member. Just know that all her comments say more about her insecurity, immaturity, fear and views of life then they do about you. If you can think of a duck and let her comments roll off your back, you will only be stronger and wiser and guess what...eventually thinner!!! You have the right outlook you are doing this for you, and you are strong and amazing and she is someone to be pitied because she has a lot to learn and her lessons are going to be difficult and painful indeed with her narrow points of view it would be hard to imagine otherwise. You my friend are going to do wonderful, and if you want to/need to vent come on back!!! That's what we are here for, and we probably all have this family member or friend in our lives somewhere!!! More power to ya!!!