babsyintx

Hi BRight, Hyperinsulinemia is a pre-diabetic disorder where your body becomes insulin resistant. Causes lots of problems, especially for women because it can also be confused with PCOS, which is polycystic ovarian syndrome. Similar symptoms for both. (Hormone imbalance, less menstrual or inconsistent menstrual cycles, hirutism, fertility issues and weight gain) THe only way to put diabetes or insulin resistance in remission is to lose weight, take meds and/or eat less carbs or all of the above.. If you dont have lots of sugar highs and lows, your body does not have to work so hard to process insulin, thus elimating carbs or limiting carbs in tandem with exercise, weight loss. will keep you from developing full blown diabetes. I still think you need a good fill though...... Babs in TX

Hi Wyld, You are asking a question that will have lots of answers but probably not a definitive one. I know why I sabotage. I still like food too much!!!!!! LOL Even though I can eat less and my conscience mind knows that eating chocolate is bad, I still will eat it anyway. I know that tortilla chips are bad for me, but I still eat 8 or 9 chips a day. I cant seem to break the habit and I am still 10-15 pounds from goal. I guess it boils down to priorities. Am I at a weight where I now have my health back? Yes. Can I do all the things I want to do now? Mostly.. (no bikini modeling in my future) Do I feel the same level of drive to lose the rest of the weight? Probably not....So the question becomes, what was so important at the beginning of the journey that kept you motivated and what motivates you now? Make a list of all the reasons you feel compelled to get to whatever set goal you have defined. If you make the list and it turns out that the motivation is not there to lose more, then drop it for a while and start again when the motivation is there. I find that sabateurs are not really sabateurs at all some of the time. Sometimes you just need a break from the regimented eating plan. FOod is meant to be enjoyed, but it is not your friend unless it is meant to fuel your body. But occasionally, you should be able to enjoy it without worrying about consequences or feeling guilty. Babs in TX 334/180/170 -154

Hi Bright, Dont compare yourself to others. It is harder when you start at a higher BMI. I hear of bandsters that are able to eat 1500-2000 calories a day and still lose 1-2 pounds a week. THat is not me. I dont lose if I eat more than about 1200. It also matters what I eat. If I stay away from the carbs and focus on Protein, I lose quicker. I have hyperinsulinemia and when I look at a carb, I gain weight Also,I am aware that in Ireland, you have limited access to low carb substitutes and Snacks with reduced fat or calories. I had the same problem when I lived in the Netherlands. If I wanted specialty products (which are mostly made in the US or England) I had to pay premium dollar for them. Its really easier (in my opinion) to lose weight in the US where so many options are available for us chocolate junkies such as low carb chocolate bars sweetened with Splenda or other sugar substitutes. We even have low carb chips, low carb Pasta, sauces and other goodies that make the evil word "dieting" easier. (you wouldnt be able to tell though by the large numbers of obese in the us though!) It does seem like you could use more fill. But I will preface that by saying that sometimes more fill doesnt help you to lose the pounds unless you also do a mental adjustment. Today, I am sitting here eating 1/2 can of bumblebee tuna with lemon and some mulitgrain crackers. Total Calories: 210 Breakfast was a low carb yogurt smoothie with 13 grams of protein and 100 calories. SO today, I am back to basics. Sure, I could eat the whole can of tuna if I wanted to, and yeah what I really want is tortilla chips with cheese, but lately the tortillas are stalling my weight loss. Get some more fill, stick to a bandster portion and waterload!!!! You can do it. Some of us have easier journeys than others. I have always had to work hard at it and if I slack up, I lose my momentum and I am prone to gain if I deviate from good bandster habits. Babs in TX

Megan, I am really sorry for you. Men can be scum of the earth whether they are single , married or whatever. I find it hard to believe that his wife is able to check his email as well. Most married guys cover their tracks well, since he has probably done this before. Is it possible that he is divorced or separated and the ex is trying to make trouble? As you may know, I am a recruiter. One of my candidate that I was working with actively to place in a new opportunity sent me a strange email that said simply; I am no longer interested in the position you are presenting me for. This happened a few hours after I spoke with him on the phone and he was eager about it. I thought it was highly suspicious, I called him and he almost had a heart attack. Apparently his ex wife got hold of his address list and email account and emailed everyone bogus messages to mess him up. I am not saying that is the case here, but ya never know. Either way, this guy has issues and you would be best to stay away from him. You deserve better. Repeat after me! Hang in there. You will meet a great guy and be very happy. Babs in TX

Hi Bright, I can relate. I have the same problem. If I want a junk food or drinking weekend or even one day of reprieve from just Protein and veggies, I have to work for two weeks of being really really good so I can plan an enjoyment day. It work and one day of indiscretion sets me back a week or more now. And as you get closer to goal, its more of a challenge! Gosh, I only want to lose 10 more pounds. I have only lost 17 pounds in 5 months and I want to scream cause the scale goes 180, 182.5, 181.0, 184.5, 182 AND BACK AND FORTH OVER AND OVER AGAIN EVERYTIME i EAT A TORTILLA CHIP! OK, maybe two or three which is now my new weakness! Sounds like you need a little more fill though.... Babs in TX 334/180/170 -154

Hi Flower, I eat bread every once in a while. I also eat pretzels and chips. Crunchy stuff goes down very well for most bandsters. I usually toast wheat bread and have one slice a week. I eat lots of whole wheat crackers. I guess I consider myself lucky cause I can tolerate anything in moderation. I probably would have been at goal already if I didnt eat the bread products occasionally. Although my popcorn fixation is greater than the bread!!! Babs in Tx 334/180/170 -154

Penni, You look great! Your daughters really look like you! Imagne that! Have a good time and give Shelly a hug from me. Babs in TX

Hi, I like your post and thank you for sharing your feelings. First, I would like to say if you have such deep thoughts. it is because you are doing this for the right reasons. Second, there is nothing wrong with wanting to "fix" yourself as long as you are doing it for yourself and not someone else. If someone has plastic surgery to please someone else, then they really need therapy like the girl you saw on TV. All that you are feeling is normal. I only wish the lapband was around when I was 21 so I could have had a more normal adult life. Babs in TX

Hi Terry, THat is a really really great NSV. THat has to be the best one I have ever heard. Congratulations to you.! babs in TX

Hi Significant other/DH of Vera, Thanks for letting us know she is doing great. New band? Yeah for Vera. Hopefully, she will now have true restriction! Babs in TX

Hi Daisy, Heres a hug and a handslap!!! LOL. Just kidding! Even after 21 months, I still feel bad when I indulge in something that I know is terrible and has zero nutritional value. I am working on the guilt in therapy! The truth is if you keep testing yourself so early in the game, you will continue to do so. The next time it might be 5 Cookies to see if you can still lose weight or a big piece of pie etc... I think you get my point. Try working on making wise choices in the beginning. When you get closer to goal and want to maintain your weight, then you can add goodies back. I dont want you think I make wise choices all the time because I absolutely dont, but eating a piece of Protein will go a longer way to keeping you full longer. The other thing you might try is scheduling treats when you make certain daily goals. I do that a lot. If I exercise, I let myself have a frozen yogurt at Marble Slab. Or a cookie or two. This way you get to have your cake and eat it too!!! And no guilt!!! Babs in TX 334/180 -154 6/23/03 new goal: 170 or less....

HI In answer to your question, I feel I am successful. Why? I stuck to Protein and veggies and exercised a lot during my journey. I agree with Alex and Lisa. If you are "mindless eating" and are not really truly hungry, you need to work on the habits first, then see if you need a fill. If you are truly hungry, then you need to get a fill. It is easier to be more committed when you have proper restriction. If you are eating a little, then going back for a little more and going back for a little more, you will never be full cause this is grazing. If I graze, I can eat the kitchen table. If you stick to solid protein and eat a bandster portion in 20 minutes or less, you should be full for three or 4 hours. If you are not, you need a fill. I hope that answers your questions! babs in TX 334/180 -154 6/23/03 new goal: 170 or less

Hi, I drink about once a month. My drink of choice is vodka and cranberry or vodka and crystal light. I dont drink beer, champagne or soda of any kind. I hate the bloated feeling. I cannot drink as much as I did when I weighed 334. I have made a slight fool of myself a couple of times pushing the bar. So yes, I am a relatively cheap drink compared to the old days. Babs in TX 334/180 -154

Hi, I am reading all the replies and I concur. I would like to add that you get what you put into the banding experience. I wanted to lose quickly so I exercise a lot and made wise food choices. Thus, I was able to lose 120 pounds in my first year. I suppose if I didnt do anything at all, I probably still would have lost something. But it is possible to gain with the lapband. This weekend, I ate a lot of crap and I am up 3 lbs..... So it will take me a week of good behavior to get the number back down and hopefully put me at an all time low. The band really is a tool that works, but you have to work with it. Babs in TX 334/180 -154 new goal: 170

Tmarie, I certainly hope so! I am not at goal yet, but getting close. It is a challenge as you get closer to goal because it takes less calories to move a 180lb person than it did to move a 300 lb person. So in order for me to lose or maintain now, I have to eat a lot lot less than I did before at the beginning of my journey. I am going in for a fill tomorrow. I am hoping this last one will take me to goal!!! Babs in TX 334/180 -154 new goal: 170 or less...

Vera, That totally stinks. So its definitely a defect huh? Sorry to hear about your situation. Hopefully this time it will be resolved. Babs in TX

WOW Lisa! It is looking really great!!!! I am happy for you. Dr. Billy did a good job! And you my friend are a trooper!! Babs in TX

Hi, Sorry for all of the bad luck with your health. I hope you feel better real soon and I am sending positive vibes via the internet!! Hugs, babs in TX 334/180 -154 New goal: 170

Guys and gals: Go to the lapband support group board on obesity help. Its a very cool post. I am happy for Michelle. But I'm not telling.... Babs in TX

Marsha, Just wanted to get back to you about the insulin resistance question you originally had. I was diagnosed with PCOS first by an OBGYN. It wasnt until I went to see a reproductive endocrinologist at Duke University where I discovered that I was actually insulin resistant and that I actually did not have PCOS. Many times insulin resistant people manifest symptoms of PCOS or the other way around. I was the put on all the meds over the course of a year. They did not help me, I did not lose weight and they made me sick. SO I went to endocinologist #2 here in TX. He said if the meds werent helping me, then I should go on a high Protein low carb diet and stick with that instead. I did this and lost 47 pounds in 8 months on Atkins back in 2001. I then proceeded to get pregnant, had a baby in Jan 2002 and maintained my weight loss while breast feeding. After this, I gained all the weight back and an additional 45 more friends. So I am familiar with your dilemna. The only way to expedite weight loss in lieu of the drugs is to go on a low carb diet. THere really arent any other meds that I know of that will work in conjunction with the band to help you lose faster. The truth is that if you are insulin resistant, you will always have to eliminate the carbs as a way of life. I dont know how diligent you are with this, but I have made it a way of life. The minute i eat carbs I gain very rapidly, even with the band. To some extent, most of us that are obese usually show insulin resistant when tested. My levels were similar to yours and I always had a difficult time to lose weight. Once I added the exercise and the low carb program, the pounds started dropping off. I still eat carbs once in a while, but did not the first 6 months of banding. I hope you find another solution on the meds, but I dont think that there are many others out there that will help with your problem. Babs in TX 334/180 -154 New goal: 170

Hi Girls, My insurance company is Motorola PPO administered by Humana Choicecare. Shipps Health is the precertification/preauthorization arm for Motorola. They assign a case manager and a number and give the docs and photos to the medical director to review. Actually the approval was really easy. It was the surgeons office that made it difficult by sending it to the wrong place. All my insurance required was photos and a letter from the surgeon stating medical necessity. I personally did not think the letter was that impressive, but the previoius surgeon states that I have had problems with rashes, back pain, trouble exercising yadda yadda. I even offered support documentation from my PCP and OBgyn and the surgeon said that it was not necessary. So all they recieved was his letter and a couple of digital photos. I was looking at the ratings they have regarding abdominoplasty (they rate on a scale of 1 to 5) 1) panne hangs to above pubis with skin touching Bla bla 2) panne hangs mid pubis 3) panne hangs below pubis 4) I think mid thigh? 5) hangs to knee (cant imagine the horror of living like this) I am a one based on this criteria, so certainly I am not the most serious case of excess skin out there. My doc says around 5 pounds of excess. Some thin women after babies have this much, so I guess I am not a horror case! My thighs are worse in my opinion with a total of about 8 pounds of excess or more. The new surgeon wants me to quit smoking as well, but he is OK with 3 weeks prior and 4-6 weeks post. The other doc wanted me smoke free for at least two months. At the end of the day, it doesnt matter. Once I quit, it will be for good if I can make it that long. Apparently medial thighplastys are harder to get an approval. I am sure that I meet the criteria for this, since I have a history of active skin infection in the mid to upper thigh. I am glad that my hubby has good insurance. They paid 90% for my lapband as well and approved that in 24 hours as well. They even called me the same day within 24 hours of the time the documentation hit the medical directors desk. Cant ask for more than this!!! Babs inTX

Marsha, I was curious why you are taking meds still for insulin resistance. I was diagnosed with insulin resistance more than 5 years ago. My doc put me on metformin, glucophage, avandia and none of them worked. They all gave me stomach pain and did not help me to lose weight. Some of the resistance resolves itself with weight loss and diet, so I was wondering if your doc would consider pulling you off the meds as you lose weight? I do not take any meds and a low carb diet coupled with exercise and weight loss has resolved many of my issues. Babs in TX 334/180 -154 new goal: 170

Lisa, Porno for Ports had me crackin up! Hey, whatever it takes. I am game. Give me July though.... All kidding aside, I want you to keep your chin up. I cant even imagine how it feels to be you at this moment, but you are a true survivor and I love you!!! Hugs Babs in TX 334/180 New goal: 170

Hi Kara, I can remember how excited I got about potted meat! Never liked the stuff in my life but it tasted so gooood! Even now 21 months later, I am a chili aholic. I eat turkey chili once a week. I make it with organic Beans, rotel, a can of chunky tomatoes, hot sauce, cilantro, garlic onions and a pound of turkey. I eat it with a few tortilla chips and I am a happy camper. Good luck and keep up the good attitude. Babs in TX 334/180 -154 New goal: 170

Hi, I thought the pain was pretty bad. The first day was hell cause I had to get up and down and go potty a gazillion times. The nurse wanted me to save the output. I must have gone 20 times after surgery. Everytime I got up and down I thought I was gonna die! I found the walking really helped though in the long run. On a scale of 1-10, I would say about an 8 1/2. But my memory of this event is now 21 months old ! Babs in TX 334/180 -154 New goal: 170 or less