Bandista

Hi there, I can get stuck on anything if I revert back to wolfing my foot down -- for Protein, especially, I have to chew, chew, chew. Good luck! Sounds like you are doing great -- so happy for you.

Congratulations! Getting my band is one of the best leaps I ever made.

Have fun, Jean, and know you are worth it all....I love reading your pieces. Choose yourself first and enjoy filling up that closet and feeling good about yourself. You deserve it!

Yippee, so happy for you!

Best = the size ten red pants or any number of happy moments. Feeling my hip and clavicle bones, dressing up, dancing, fitting in anywhere......literally. Worst = "I don't know what you did..." a comment from a guy I don't even know very well but it haunts me (I keep my WLS private.)....wish I had said something like it's not what I did but what I don't do anymore: stress eat, etc.

NOT!!!!!!

I can eat bread! Getting on the horn first thing tomorrow for a fill appointment, good grief, why am I even trying to eat baguette (with butter, ugh, my old self, no!). I realize I've been nibbly and hungry and grazing, etc. Duh! I so know better than this. But bread, good grief. For me that is just crazy. It's been building up and suddenly makes sense -- slipped out of the green zone without being fully aware (or not wanting to -- lazy, don't want to be too tight so cautious, or just enjoying the extra calories and the feeling of rewarding/indulging at my least favorite time of year?). Whatever it is, I'm not going down this road.

That's the pointy ball thing, right?

@@SBennette38 meant to say that, for me, protein bars are a slider food. Identifying our sliders is an important part of the process. I have the links to a couple of sources that really helped me -- Dr. Simpson's web site and the O'Brien 8 Golden Rule youtube videos. Maybe they will help you, too. Sliders are things that go right down. I love Greek yogurt and that's a good food for me but I have to put some nuts and cereal in it (mix-ins!) in order for it to be "chewable." It's really all about the chewing -- that's what signals the brain for satiety. Getting that hunger monster off of my back was the best thing I ever did.

Hi there, I am some one who needed several fills to reach the Green Zone. For me the time in-between fills was really important because I had to address the behavior modification -- was such a fast eater, big bites, etc. I had to learn (sometimes the hard way) to eat slowly and chew, chew, chew. The scale turned out not to be the best measurement for me -- it was the pants falling off, over and over again. I went from a size 18 Lee long jeans to the very same brand in a size 10. I could still stand to lose some weight but I'm pretty fine where I am. Good luck -- you're doing great!

@@2muchfun nice to "see" you -- hope you're having a good winter. @@gowalking LOVE seeing that picture of the two of you. So great -- what a lucky guy and I'll bet he knows it, too. @@lisacaron please take good care of yourself -- Choose Lisa First! Your body is telling you something; so much stress for so long. Speaking of which, I'm waiting to hear news of a friend's surgery. It's not a good scenario (ALS) and there are kids involved, etc. I want to stress eat. The thing is, my idea of stress eating now is ridiculously different. Yes, I've had some chocolate, so that hasn't changed. But the amounts, OMG. And I had cheese on a rice cake a little while ago. Usually I don't eat so early in the day and this made me worry. But one rice cake with a little cheddar? Come on! I'm doing fine. But yes, always on guard. Sharpie, I can't believe you got snow in FL and we had nothing here.

@@dbfn that's the way I make it, too, and how it's taught in cooking school. We have a wood stove and sometimes I have a big stock pot going there -- every one who comes into the house swoons. Right now in the freezer we have lamb broth, beef broth and turkey/chicken broth -- all organic and homemade with lots of veggies. I gave up making fish broth -- just too stinky in the house.

Congratulations on your surgery! I can remember those incisions and looking like I was in a knife fight and now I can hardly detect a scar. Pretty amazing. I love my band and feel like it was absolutely the best decision. Those first days of tenderness are a bit tough -- I was so giddy with excitement and that got me through (and I'm still excited, or maybe that's just happiness at not being heavy anymore). The links below in my signature helped me a lot. Another friend on here, Jim, had the Dr. Simpson info and whenever I saw it I'd read through again to get it into my big (fat) head. And if you're laid up for a few days it might be a good time to watch the O'Brien videos. One thing that I didn't realize is that I'd be constipated. I didn't use my pain medication so it wasn't that but just from the anesthesia. On day four or five I had to address that. Many people experience left shoulder pain from the gas that was pumped inside of us for the surgery. For me, the walking really helped a lot and I did windmill arms to get everything moving as much as possible. Best wishes to you and welcome to the forum.

I am noticing that hormonal changes effect the band, as does the weather. And stress, of course. I have a test for myself, salmon and broccoli (eaten slowly, of course, chewed thoroughly). I need to be able to swallow those foods comfortably. A friend on here always makes sure she can swallow a couple of Tylenol before leaving her surgeon's office after a fill. So I guess we all develop our own little systems for gauging where we are with our bands. Good luck to you -- and don't be afraid to go talk it over with your doctor. The green zone is a range, of course. A zone. You can have a little put in or taken out while still remaining in that range. Like many others, it takes a while for my fills to settle in but I would know right away if I needed to go back for a tiny unfill: any kind of reflux or swallowing difficulties with liquids.

GoWalking, I'm going to have to try cooking Farrow. I need more Fiber in my life. Speaking of which, do not mix psyllium and chia seeds. What, was I nuts? Good grief. JustWatchMe, yippee for Return to Wonderland! Way to go.

Nice pix, Debbie! And congratulations to second son. Lisa, I have a tea tin with this quote (the Sleepytime bears): "Bread and Water can so easily be Tea and Toast." My husband was feeling under-the-weather yesterday so I made him cinnamon toast soldiers. Decided to give one a try (I can't usually tolerate bread but sometimes a little gluten-free works). I was reminiscing about how I would have had a whole pile of little cinnamon toasties in the old days but then when I had my little bite it wasn't even very yummy. Certainly not worth it. Enjoy The Time, I so get it about fearing old patterns and getting freaked out about a gain -- and Lisa, loved your posts about this, too, the old all-or-nothing mindset. On or off a program. I'm very happy not to be on a diet but to have this lifestyle, which like everything in life can be an up and down proposition.

Hopefully the surgeon's staff will be able to work with the insurance company to get the best possible result for you. They probably have some one on the staff who handles this. Maybe you can find out who that is and talk with them. Best wishes as you move forward toward a solution!

Okay, I'd rather have surgery any day of the week then eat some one else's poo. Apparently we will do anything to lose weight! Yikes.

Hi there, congratulations on deciding to pursue weight loss surgery. My only regret is that I did not do it sooner. Like you I tried so many diets. I'd lose weight but then gain it back plus a bit more each time. My band has enabled me to get that appetite monster off of my back. I eat when I'm hungry and don't eat when I'm not hungry -- small portions at appropriate intervals. I don't know what that "metabolic support" comment above is about. My opinion is that insurance companies and hospital administrators prefer other surgeries over the band because of all the followup and they would rather have their surgeons in the operating room. In the first year I had 11 visits with my surgeon to be sure I was on track (including pre-op and the surgery itself). This kept me accountable. Be sure to talk about this at your appointment. I'm so happy for you deciding to take hold of your health. Your boyfriend may be reluctant to have you change the way you are but he will come around and understand that you have to take care of yourself so you don't incur long-term damage to your health. My self-esteem is so much higher now that I am not heavy. The people who love me are happy for me.

So much to celebrate, Liz -- very happy for you and all you've accomplished. You have been such an inspiration to me and so many others. Thank you for that! Love seeing all the fun you're having in your healthy new life!

@@Amberbo congratulations on deciding to research weight loss surgery -- for me this was an act of choosing myself first and deciding on a healthy happy future. I was 53 and had never been an overnight patient in a hospital before, so weight loss surgery was a big decision. I found that in making that step I was admitting to myself that I just couldn't do it anymore. I was so worn out from diet after diet -- decades of various regimes. I'd lose weight and then put it back on with a little more each time. Getting the appetite monster off of my back was the best decision I ever made. As a stress eater, I thought about food all the time. I am some one who benefited from therapy. I live in a rural area and our hospital only had bariatric information sessions every other month. My process took five months and in that time I worked with a therapist to break down my triggers. It wasn't as though I hadn't done work on myself before. I had. You should have seen my bookshelves! I knew I was an emotional eater, blah, blah, blah. First twinge of any kind of stress and all I wanted to do was find something to soothe those feelings. We worked to really identify the specifics of what was going on and I discovered a few things that set me off in particular -- like a conference call or going for a meeting. I'd always prep with food, food, food and then reward myself after. Now I don't do that anymore. The desire is just gone. I actually welcome hunger because that's a sign that it's time for me to get something to eat. I love being a dainty eater -- I have learned to listen to my body and have small portions at appropriate intervals. I was not able to do this without intervention. I hope you find the help you need -- don't take advice from strangers on the internet but we are here for support. Find a good doctor and work with them to figure out the best path forward. And know that in choosing yourself first every one else benefits tenfold. It's amazing. Show up for YOU. You'll be so happy you did. Sending best wishes your way! PS I am adopted and an adoptive mother -- talk about choosing. That's what I always say, chosen babies are very special.

Prior to weight loss I had a basic uniform of black jeans and a black top. I work from home but have to have meetings from time-to-time and that was always a nightmare trying to figure out what to wear. Now I play dress-up all the time. And I love to go shopping! I have some great skirts and colored tights, low boots and high boots, hats -- recently I got a faux leather jacket in a kind of silver grey. Looks great. We live in a rural area and when I go to the city for getaways I take my sexiest stuff along with me as I am still uncomfortable with attention. Last summer I wore a sleeveless linen sundress I bought in a consignment store. Oh my god, sleeveless. My goal is to work my arms so I look even better in it this summer. Isn't it great celebrating ourselves and enjoying the fun instead of hiding out? Thanks for this great thread.

Hi there and congratulations on your success -- and this trip! My guess is you will probably lose weight. Focus on walking and moving around, getting exercise and having fun seeing all the sights. I think that making friends with food and our appetites is a challenge we all share. What better place than France to truly enjoy tastes of really good food that is good for you. Listen to your body and enjoy yourself. We don't overeat now and that frees us up for so much more.

I like fresh guacamole with a dollop of hot black beans on it -- something about the texture and temperature contrasts plus of course that jacks the protein up.

Yay, Kathy! So happy for you. You are a great inspiration and I always enjoy your posts.