chasingadream

I have a weight watchers one….(from my MANY years pre-banding)….its great because its accurate and digital and weighs in grams and ounces and you can put a bowl on it and zero it out and add ingredients . you can walk in to any WW meeting and get one. Works for me..good luck finding one you like.

Congrats on joining the banded side!! It is an amazing thing! Feel better…follow your docs rules…give yourself time to heal! Best of luck to all of you!

Good article…waiting for a few minutes of 'quiet time" in the house to watch the DVR of the Dr. Oz show….

Wishing you all the best…you will do great!

When I drive Im totally amazed by the amount of seat that I can actually see now! It's a silly one but makes me feel so tiny in my car!

It is a bit unsettling especially when you go unnoticed for so long (at least thats my experience). I think that was my initial dilemma…at 280 pounds no one was commenting on how I looked EVER and now that i've lost 92 pounds it runs the range of wow, you're skinny…you're not losing anymore are you….you look like a different person (that one always gets me)…do I really look that different! Today, I was picking up my son at our elementary school and another mom who i've spoken to a few times actually stopped to walk with me and commented on my weight loss….and was very chatty. I thanked her for the nice compliment and the conversation was nice but a little piece of me thought….she never stopped to chat when I was 280 pounds. Its just different now that I am thinner…its good just different. I work in an elementary school and everyone wants to know the secret to my success and are very complimentary with the comments. Very few people know of my WLS and the rest I tell them just like you did….getting healthy--high Protein, low carbs, lots of walking. Its hard to take the compliments easily…but its coming easier and easier these days. Some days its nice to hear and others I just wish everyone would go about their OWN business! You will learn to just answer with ease and move on with your day. As your weight loss becomes greater and greater and the results are even more visible they ail come in fast and furious…having a little bag of responses will make it easier. I've learned to smile, say thank you, feel how nice the compliment was and move on…you will too!

Looking forward to seeing you all then! @@gowalking and @@lisacaron …You guys ROCK!

Definitely need to do some spring cleaning and re-evaluate my food choices and my level of exercise as of late! Thanks for providing another great article that really helps me look at what I need to do to help myself.

@@lecouch call your docs office if you are not sure about the clear liquid diet for that long. They are there for you and to answer all of your questions…its important to understand it all as you go along the process. Good luck! You can and will do it! @@new me1475 Everyones docs protocol is different but most have some kind of liquids after surgery to allow for healing. I had 2 days of all clear liquids only after surgery, followed by 2 weeks of all liquids, followed by 2 weeks of mushies before finally getting back onto solids. I also had a 2 week all liquid pre-op….so it was 6 weeks without solids. Seems so long ago now. Not so much when I was going through it. Best of luck to you!

Congrats and welcome to the banded side of things! Glad to hear that all went well for you and that you are feeling good! Sounds like you have a great attitude about things and that will take you far in this journey. Take it one day at a time! Much success to you! Keep us posted!

@@enjoythetime Holy WOW! You look amazing and your transformation is phenomenal as @@2muchfun said! I love the beautiful smile in EVERY one of your pics in your gallery! I loved your post on what you are doing/have done to get yourself to where you are!!! It really hit home. And I also have 2 small children….they are our exercise!!!! (and our joy!) Congrats and thanks for sharing…what a tremendous inspiration!

I don't have any help/suggestions for the work out part. Is it possible that your body is just "done" and comfortable where you are?? I know, for myself, I chose 140 as my goal based on the "charts" and what I would "like" to eventually reach….but I often wonder if that is something I can actually achieve. Plus with the 48 pounds I have left to reach that "goal" I think 8-10 pounds may possibly be all the extra hanging belly fat I have that someday I hope to have removed???? Just something to think about….best of luck to you!

Thanks for this Alex!

At first I was so scared! Then I just did it…and it was a success. We don't eat out all that often so when we do eat out…I ENJOY IT. I choose things I like and things I don't normally eat at home. I eat till satisfied and let my band and plication tell me the rest! I always pack up the rest of my meal and my hubby enjoys the leftovers…me too at times! I also picked "other" not a positive enough response for me to eating out!

Hi Martha... I had lap band with plication…..basically the plication is just like the sleeve without actually removing part of your stomach. They fold the stomach in on itself and suture it to look like a banana. In addition to having the band it makes your stomach smaller. Not all/many doctors do it that I have heard of. My doc was doing a study to see the long term results of having lap band with plication together. For me, from what i get from my follow up visits to the doctor, I don't have cravings like I used to, my hunger is under control right from day 1 of surgery, and I have not needed a fill yet. They cannot definitively tell me that this is from the plication but Im guessing it has something to do with it. I know of a couple of other people that also had plication with their lap band and their hunger returned right after surgery and they have needed fills to help them get to their green zone. So , with everything else, it is very different from person to person. Hope that helps!

I am a teacher too and that is exactly how I felt. It gets better…you are almost there…for me….probably around 10-14 days and I was feeling more like my old self….. Hang in there….teaching is tiring on a good day….you just had surgery…you are bound to be tired now! But, yes, it does get better! @@JustWatchMe ….hit it on the head! NOW….7 months down the lap band highway….I have energy galore! Take one day at a time….

Those suggestions for more sound good ONLY if they were approved by your doctor. Speak with your doctor/nutritionist about other food options before you do/eat something. The first 6 weeks, I was told, are all about healing and learning mechanics. Yup the food (or lack of) does stink but its only a limited time…and even you said you may be moved to mushies soon. Hang in there and speak to your doctors office. They are the best ones to tell you other food options…especially since everyones doctors and protocols are so different. Best of luck to you!

You look GREAT…so glad that it all went well and that you are feeling so great! I am about 2/3 through on my weight loss and will definitely be needing some "work done" especially with the belly/pouch. Thank you for sharing pics too…as nice as it is to hear/read the experience it is nice to see the final product too! Wishing you continued success in all you do!

Congrats and welcome to the banded side of things…..it is a WONDERFUL THING! Feel good and rest up!

After doing some initial research on my own about the various weight loss surgeries…I went to see my primary care physician who recommended the surgeon I used. Then, I called the surgeons office and they told me about an informational seminar about the procedure, which I went to, and I also made an appointment for the consultation with the surgeon…all in that one phone call. During the consult the doctor thought I would be a good candidate for lap band with plication. After the consult, his assistant went through the checklist of tests and such that were needed….and I began my journey! After all of my testing and insurance requirements were met I was given a surgery date! And here I am today…..7 months post surgery with lap band with plication…and I am 92 pounds lighter! Hope that helps you in some way! Good luck!

@@SpartanPrincess ……looking great! Keep up the great work!