Bandista

Loved reading all these great suggestions. I spend a lot of time at a desk, too. Time to rock that for myself -- isometrics, etc. My Fitness Pal works for a lot of people -- recording the exercise seems to get me planning for how I can fit in more. Good luck to you. Choosing yourself first will benefit every one on the long run.

Great idea -- I like the texture and coldness frozen berries, etc. bring to my smoothies. This is much healthier!

Post-op protocol varies so much. My surgeon describes the ideal meal as being the size of a tennis ball and then not getting hungry again for 4-5 hours. I'm three months out and feel like I might be getting into the zone. It's definitely a journey and you are doing so well. Congratulations!

Best wishes to you! It sounds like you are in good hands and that you're committed to your healthy future whatever it takes. You can do this!

Yippee! So happy for you! That is a major milestone. You are doing beautifully.......

We love to rant -- this is a great place for that! I hate it when people hyper-focus on me in any way. Congratulations on your surgery. I think my family is pretty pleased with my small portions as it means more for them when we go out. My son loves to cook (he's 18 and has that chef stripe running through his personality) and he sometimes wants me to taste stuff. That can be a little awkward as I know he wants my feedback but I can't eat just then. But it all works out. I notice how much my husband eats. He's in the kitchen right now having a mini-meal and I would have been right there with him before. I've had nothing yet today -- it's only 10:30 and early for me -- but he is on meal #2 with a few to go by the end of the day. I realize how many calories I am doing without.

Hi there and congratulations on your surgery! Isn't it great to be three weeks out? I was one of those lucky people who was not hungry for quite a while following surgery but then my hunger did return and that was just about the time the doctor had me scheduled for a fill (five or six weeks?). Those early days gave me a taste of what I think the green zone is like -- a disinterest in food, a real lack of hunger, quick satiety from very little, etc. As for Protein, I was told not to worry about protein goals during this time. And obviously my body has enough stored fuel to burn up. Happy to see my fuel supply going down (my belly!). So don't worry if you do get hungry again -- that's what the fills are for -- and don't worry if you don't get hungry again -- that's a hallelujah moment. I think it's really important to go to all of your follow-up appointments even if you are not getting a fill yet, so that you have that face-to-face time with your doctor (however brief it may be). Good luck to you and so happy for you to be on your way and doing so well.

Nice blog post, Debbie -- and that wedding day is coming right up! So happy for you..... Last night I just wanted to eat. Eat, eat. You know, like the old days. I tried to analyze it a bit to figure out where that was coming from. The cold, perhaps? It's so cold and maybe our bodies are designed to store food for just this kind of weather. Also I had a Protein bar in the afternoon and I'm sure it was full of all kinds of chemical crap that I don't usually put in my body. I get the kind that are 200 calories and 20 grams of protein -- need to go read the labels carefully as I think sucralose and the like may be a major problem for me -- there are studies that for some people artificial sweeteners tell the brain food is coming. Did I set myself up in the late afternoon for wanting to eat, eat, eat? I know I can be chemically-sensitive. I didn't overdo it -- I just kept going back for a bit more of something (I was such a grazer). Had leftover oatmeal from the morning, went back for chunky applesauce, had a yogurt (100 calorie Chobani with fruit has a lot of sugar in it and I was probably going for that). Finally I found a couple of rice crackers and I chowed down on those. I think I needed something to really crunch and chew on -- that it was a mental thing. Thanks for the reminder about tea, Lisa. I drink a lot of tea during the day but I'd like to have some ritual tea for evenings -- something different and maybe a little full-bodied. That might really work for me. On another thread about the band being tight in the mornings some one commented on how great it would be if our bands would be tighter at night. Truth! I guess from all of this you can deduce that I still love to eat. And I want to love it -- just in very small portions at appropriate intervals. For me, this means not going looking for a little something else. One thing I'm really noticing is how interesting it is to be with other people at the table and watching interactions and just "being" in a dining situation now that the objective is not to clean my plate. I kind of push the food around and listen a lot. I watch what others are doing and am so glad not to be shoveling my food down like that anymore. And you know what? No one ever seems to notice that I'm eating such a small amount. It's amazing. When I'm being served it sometimes comes up -- "is that all you're going to have?" from the host. I am responding with something like, "I'll come back for more but for now I'm really trying to watch my portion sizes."

I'm three months out and needing a boost. This is a predictable time for that -- the lead-up to surgery is so exciting and intense, then the learning curve, the early weight loss, etc. -- all of that keeps us pretty ramped up for a while. But then things settle down and it's time for some more motivation! Plus it's been a very long winter. I've been thinking about the next chunk of weight I can get off by the end of May. I have all the incentive I need, of course -- we all do -- but I guess I need a project that has a distinct time-frame. I've always been a deadline kind of person and while I don't have a certain weight I must reach by that time I do have fitness goals that I know I can reach if I work at it day after day. And Onederland would be very nice! In 111 days we will be through the month of May and on to summer. Here's to June and a pretty dress for my son's graduation, crop pants and a new bathing suit. Riding my bike outdoors and fully engaging in my life. sleeping well and feeling the possibilities all around me. What about you -- what are your goals for the coming summer?

Explosion at a ball-bearing factory -- horrific, isn't it? Kind of like something from a movie. NHBB is about twenty minutes from here. Such a scary thing. Glad your friend's wife only sustained minor injuries. I haven't heard the latest reports -- don't have TV here, just internet (Netflix!). As for snow, I can't believe we're in for more already. 12-15" predicted for this area and we are right at the base of the mountain so we can usually tack a few extra on top of that. We heat with wood so the house is always warm and cozy. Speaking of which, you are going to LOVE those Vionics. I wear the flip-flops around the house and even as bedroom slippers -- I put them on as soon as I get up. Great for plantar issues, etc. Your toes will thank you, as well as your arches! I am so happy to have a snazzy pair of sandals that are actually orthopedic. Amazing times we live in and there's nothing like having the right footware. The Sole company makes amazing inserts. A friend went to a podiatrist recently and he just pulled some out of a drawer and she walked out with $40 custom footbeds vs. the $300+ ones that take weeks to make. Life-changing. I am happy that they are making sandals now, too, and a few shoes/boots, but they clearly don't have the designers that Vionics has. Check out both brands!

I think you're doing beautifully! 84 pounds is amazing and maybe your body is just adjusting to that before starting the next loss period. Don't give up! And don't forget it's February and I don't know where you live but it's a long winter here and easy to get discouraged in all aspects of life. Think spring!

I'm still of the mindset that I can have most anything -- I am a restricter and don't want to do the deprivation thing. If I allow myself cake, for example, then I can ask myself, "do I really want it" and come up with "no, not really" whereas if I tell myself I cannot have it then I want to do it out of spite or something. That's a synopsis of my last twenty years, actually. But having stuff in the house is another matter entirely. Peanut Butter, for example -- a jar of that on the house would be like crack to me. I love peanut butter! Foods my band doesn't want (so far, maybe more coming) - rice, bread, rubbery mushrooms, etc. But I don't long for any of those things. Wine & cheese & bread & chocolate -- I like to think it was fun while it lasted but it wasn't even that fun. I always just seemed to want more, more, more.....

The "I get to" really works for me.....not, "I have to work out," but "I live a privileged life and own a treadmill, I get to use it!" Anything to conquer the dread, which is just old wiring. I also try positive self-talk, thanking myself, my body -- no more berating myself. I am trying to be as generous and forgiving as I would be to another human being. Thanks for the reminders!

Ha, meant to type nothing to FEAR there, not fest (sorry can't correct on my iPad). But don't worry, the fest is not over either. My life is still very festive, just in smaller amounts at appropriate intervals rather than the constant grazing while wondering what's next.

I had never been an overnight patient in a hospital before and I was a bit nervous. It was all so much easier than I thought it would be. I felt like I was in the hands of nightly-trained professionals and I just needed to relax and be positive. I have a pretty good sense of humor and I think that is a good coping mechanism for me. When I started my process I decided to get a therapist at the same time as I wanted to ensure my success by addressing the underlying issues that cause me to overeat. Anxiety, stress, boredom, habit -- we really broke those down to determine very specific triggers. If you have a lot of fear, you may use food to quell that and you might worry how you'll cope. Just know you are not alone; there are people to help you and you are stronger and more determined than you may give yourself credit for. Choosing yourself and your healthy future is a very powerful thing. Power can be a little scary -- oh my god, what will happen if I'm powerful? Well, I'll be happy and healthy, that's what. I'll have fun and enjoy my life. I'll be at peace! Nothing to fest there......

Hi Tracy and welcome! This is a great place to find information. I started my process last June, had to attend a mandatory info session and that didn't happen until August -- great you can do that on-line. Then I met with the LapBand program coordinator, psych eval and nutritionist (this was same day) and finally the surgeon. That's when I got my date and that's the weight that was submitted to the insurance company (mine required a BMI of 40 no matter what). I was banded in November and at three months out I am very happy I did this. It takes a while to get the right fills, etc. To have the band working for you, so be prepared for that. There are a lot of follow-up appointments to insure you are on the right track, so that relationship is really important. I like the after-care piece as it keeps me accountable -- I don't feel like I'm just out there on my own post-surgically. Same with this forum -- I feel very supported here, can ask anything and get clear, compassionate input. We are all sympathetic with the zillion failed weight loss attempts. The difference with the band is that when the hunger is dimmed I am no longer fighting that appetite. I feel like I am finally out of the cycle of deprivation and then the eventual swing the other way (with regain, of course, a bit more each time). I'm happy with the weight loss but I'm also just so happy to be out of food jail. Best wishes to you!

That's great -- you are going to have a blast! Check out Vionics shoes. Imagine an orthopedic insert, like a custom orthotic, made into a strappy little sandal. That's exactly what these are. They even have dressy ones with a slight heel. Company used to be Orthaheel and now called Vionics. I also just ordered sandals from Sole, the company that makes those red inserts. So great for lining up foot with knee and hip. Essential! The Sole inserts are great in sneakers and "whole" shoes, etc., but they also make a flip-flop. Not as glam as the Vionics line but the footbed is a teeny bit higher, more extreme for getting that arch arching right. I know, I sound like a shoe salesman.

Yeah, Jim, this is a knock-down, drag-out NH winter if there ever was one. My husband keeps announcing the temperatures in other places, like Ireland. We have minus nine predicted for tonight. Heat with wood so that means getting up to feed the stove, etc. It is beautiful and I love country life, but enough already! Great about the kayak -- you will have to come up this way as there are lots of lakes, etc.

Berry picking! There's a thought that can keep me going during these predictions for yet another snowstorm. This will pass and there will be berries. Imagine that! And yes, let's be part of EVERYTHING!

This is what your partnership with the surgeon is all about -- you two will work to get that fill just right. No throwing up, that's not okay! Let us know how you're doing. Best wishes!

Hi Sabino, I am actually Sabina so that is fun. I wrote myself a letter and marked the weight on it I want to be when I read it (150). It's in my jewelry box. I can't really remember (three months ago) but I think it's a great big thank-you letter! Good luck with your surgery. Won't it be great to be able to fully enjoy those kids and to be able to keep up with them over the coming years. You are choosing yourself and your healthy future -- yippee!

I was determined never to get stuck but it has happened three times. The first was wolfing down steamed beets early on in my newly-banded life. Had just moved on to "real" food and thought that was such an excellent food to make. They were even organic! But, alas, I ate them too quickly and lo and behold there's that feeling of whoops, something is going on. For me it lasts 20-30 minutes and it seems like it has to complete the process, as in I need to throw-up. At that point the pain -- which for me is in that solar plexus area but perhaps not as intense as some are describing it above -- dissipates completely. The second time I got stuck was on mushrooms -- a rubbery food that I had not chewed well enough. Same with the third -- cold fish right out of the fridge. I had waited too long to eat, was really hungry and just ate the fish without even heating it up. Big mistake. For this stuck episode I hurried along the inevitable conclusion by drinking on top of it. That got me to throw up and finish the ordeal. Hopefully I have learned for myself -- don't eat too fast, don't keep going if I feel early indications of that pain blooming in my chest, and don't eat cold Protein from the fridge or rubbery foods that can't be really, really chewed up well. Good luck and don't worry too much but do chew, chew, chew!

Yippee! That is so great! You must be flying high right now.....so happy for you!

Hi Zuzu, I am loving my banded life. It's such a relief having that appetite monster off of my back! I am just three months out and still learning my way. I worried a little that I was giving something up or that I wouldn't be able to have a "normal" life in terms of being able to go out to a restaurant or have dinner parties, etc. I love to cook and am glad that I can still be "in" food -- just very small amounts but still able to fully participate in that life. And hardly any one even knows I am banded. I feel so much more at peace and that is a complete side benefit -- I don't think I realized how there was a whirring of anxiety inside of me all the time and I was tamping it down with food. That is all gone now -- yippee! Another thing I didn't realize would happen is that I am becoming a want-to-exercise person rather than a ugh, I've got to do it exerciser. I could not have predicted that in a million years! Like you I had to wait for the mandatory information session held at my local hospital. I started my process in June and attended that in August. It was every other month and I missed the June one by a couple of days! I felt impatient about how long it took but I ended up being glad for the extra time. I got fully engaged here, for one thing, and learned so much from the people who have gone before me. And I got a therapist to go through the process with me as I wanted to be sure I was addressing the underlying issues behind overeating. We looked at triggers, etc. and I'm glad to have had that support. I also stepped up my exercise -- again, not as a want-to but I knew it would help once I was banded. Good luck to you -- so glad you're here!

I'm so glad I got my band while it's still available!