Bandista

Hi there, can you tell me about the Nutri-Bullet -- will it chop up ice into a shake, grind flax seeds, etc.? Best wishes!

Hi there, just over from Sunnyside's thread -- love the idea of a daily accountability and encouragement post. Is this the one for today? I wonder if we should start calling it something to keep it regular -- like Monday 10/14 Accountability and Encouragement, etc. I'll come back to post after I exercise (otherwise anything could happen!) but getting ready to do that now. Pretty nippy here in New England this AM and don't have the wood stove going yet. Brrrrr.......

Hi there, I hope you find just the right doctor. I think some surgeons don't want to do LB because of all the follow-up for fills, etc. You don't want to go to anyone driven by greed anyway; you deserve a physician who is invested in your health. Best wishes!

Congratulations on the baby and now putting the band to work again so you can be chasing those kids around the block.

Congratulations -- what a great set of pictures. Beautiful in both but so healthy to have lost the weight. Very inspirational for those of us pre-band!

Hi Christy, sorry I'm not in FL but I've found a lot of good support here on-line and hope you do, too. It seems like there must be many physicians in that part of FL or bariatric centers, etc. How frustrating to have yours move away! I hope you can find knee-friendly exercise as well -- kick boxing must be tough on the body. How about something like swimming for now?

Hi there, I hope you feel better soon. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Careful, the three-week pre-op peeps might round up a posse and come after you -- you'll be pummeled with empty cans of Protein powder and spatulas with flax seeds stuck all over them! I was so happy to finally get to have time with the surgeon after the various other appointments. He had a very thorough write-up of exactly what takes place. I used that to write questions in the margins, circle things I wanted to know more about, etc. and then we just talked for a while. I was glad to get to know him as we will be seeing quite a bit of each other in the coming months. As for pre-op diet, they seem quite flexible. I will have a two-week liquid diet. I didn't want to use the product they provide because it's dairy based and laced with aspartame and other stuff I don't want to take. Two weeks of dairy would make my digestive system very unhappy and that's not a good plan. I found a naturopathic Meal Replacement shake that I've run by the nutritionist -- pea and rice protein. I got the herbs, too, so I will be doing those as well as good ole liver cleansing standards like lemon in hot Water first thing in the AM, etc. I'm also having a colonoscopy -- figured I'd get that over with after procrastinating for two years. So a clear system for going into banded life and hopefully a little head start on weight loss as well. Good luck -- let us know how your appointment goes!

LOVE it that you can't even lift the 45-lb. bag of clothes -- it's going to feel good to put this weight down (a couple of those bags) and not carry them all the time. And shopping -- I think I could get into that! I do have a drawer of next size down jeans which I hope to get into soon and some shirts tucked away. Can't wait!

We live in New England, which is a very reticent culture. I grew up just south of the Mason-Dixon, however, and even after years of being in a more staid environment it is still so strange to me when people don't know how to do the niceties. It's not personal, I know, it's cultural. I also love to be in Europe where people are much more warm and friendly. Here, that would be a breach of privacy -- against the code or something.

Hi Stina, it's great you've lost the twenty -- hang on to that success; it is a great start. I am pre-band and decided to seek therapy to sort out food issues -- the reasons besides physical hunger that make me want to eat. Anxiety is a big one for me -- anchoring myself or hushing a whirring inside. Stress eating, eating out of boredom or to prep myself before doing something I don't want to do, or eating for pleasure, etc. identifying these patterns has been really helpful for me and now that I'm aware of what the tendencies are I feel so much more empowered. The band dims the appetite but if the food is about something else, that something else needs to be dealt with, too. I find journalling very helpful as well. Good luck to you -- the fact that you are here and reaching out just prior to getting a fill next week tells me that you are ready to do what it takes. You can do it!

What a great poem -- thank you! I'm going to pin that one up in my studio. Love Rumi but don't think I've seen that one before. Best wishes to you today getting packed up and home again, home again -- settling In for a weekend of R&R. It's your turn now.....

Random ideas here: Do you need something tactile to do, like arts and crafts with the kids -- maybe they could be making stuff for the holidays and that would detract from snacking being front and center. Femo is so fun with kids, and shrinky-dinks (draw on clear surface with markers, then bake), Origami, collage-making, cards, wreaths, etc. Not sure how old the kids are but maybe if you are busy with your hands? Or walks around the block prior to eating -- oven timer set to the next time you should be having a meal for yourself. Saturday morning smoothies they can help make, so you get a protein shake and they get fruit smoothies or something yummy for them? Arrange for some one to take them out for a couple of hours so you have quiet house to yourself for regrouping (my favorite)........

Buckling up for the information highway -- it's a vulnerable place.....

Hi there and congratulations -- right behind you shrinking sister! Here is a poem for you in case those pneumo-boots are keeping you awake (I can hear that sound now): Some nights stay up until dawn As the moon sometimes does for the sun Be a full bucket Pulled up from the dark well Into the light. -- Rumi

Hi Courtney, sorry you are having a hard time. The headaches may be from detoxing -- you may feel much better tomorrow on day 3 as the first couple of days are the most difficult. But it sounds like the shakes don't agree with you -- that's not good...and of course it's the first day of a three day weekend. Is there any one to call? Are you doing clear liquids, too? Plenty of water, broth, etc.? You should be fine on reduced protein and calories but your body is adjusting and that is tough. You can do this -- nice liver cleanse prior to the surgery and a side benefit of some initial weight loss as well.

Hi there, I meant a chart of all the people being banded around the same time -- as for the tickers, those are under our profile, may have to be at a regular computer to find.....edit profile? Tickers? So glad for your surgery date -- we have healthy times ahead. Yippee!

Congratulations! I am adopted myself and my husband and I chose to adopt, too -- big believer in this beautiful way to make a family.

Hi Lu, so happy for you -- on the bandwagon and off of those sliders! You deserve to be your healthiest self.

Best wishes to you! I am a little jittery but I keep thinking about how I can't continue like this without really compromising my life. Apnea, high BP, arthritis.... I am in my fifties and want to have a healthy, happy future.

I've had trouble with irritated and broken skin under a breast....very painful. I went to the doctor a few times and tried everything, including wearing a gauze pad tucked into the bra, etc. -- it's especially bad after working out, can't do under-wires obviously. Finally went to a dermatologist. Told him I had tried everything -- powders, fungal sprays in case it was fungal, anti-itch creams, neo-sporin, A&D, glycerine, etc. Told him I absolutely didn't want a steroid cream. He wrote me a prescription and the thing cleared in a couple of days. After years! I looked it up and it is a steroid, so while he didn't listen to me I am really glad I used it as it totally worked. And where better to document skin issues for possible future need of tummy tuck, etc. then through a dermatologist.

Hi there, I'm so sympathetic -- worried all summer over this and finally it all came together. Yesterday I called the insurance company (again) just to be sure everything is completely set, that no additional notification pre-surgery is required, etc. It is all a go......Congratulations to you on getting through the whole process but especially on your commitment to yourself and your healthy future!

Whoops, messed that up -- BEGINNING of November, like me. It's Tifflo on the 29th....need a chart! Congratulations to all of us finally getting there. Very excited (and a little nervous). Just can't wait to begin!

Incentive for us to keep our Protein up post-band. I bought some Biotin, too, just in case. Only some people experience this with dramatic weight loss -- better if weight comes off a bit or two at a time, that 1-2 lbs per week? November 29, yippee! We will be November Bandits together!

What? OMG! I just had a cousin shoot before pix for me -- could not load them as that part of LBT is down right now along with the blogs. Wonder what the retooling is about but mostly now I'm wondering if those pictures were used with permission. As for comments, I try not to read them even in NYT on-line, etc. -- makes me lose faith with mankind. You know what Linus said in Peanuts, "I love humanity, it's the people I can't stand."