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OMG, I've been having canned chicken for lunch at work and putting ranch dressing and salsa on it--shredded cheese and salsa sounds SO MUCH BETTER!! Gonna do tomorrow!! Lucious, you will find that your concentration post-op will be on Proteins (getting more) and carbs (having very few). You will be able to eat very little, (generally 1/4 - 1 cup of food), and so my motto is "however I can get my Protein, I get it--and if it comes with a little extra fat, so be it!"

I felt so helpless, reading your post, because I want to say something miraculous that is going to suddenly turn it around for you--and I don't know what to say... Okay, so first of all are you getting any Protein shakes in during the day? After I have my shake mid-morning, I am totally satiated for hours. Also, have you begun or are you continuing to exercise? Besides being terrific for your physical body, the mental benefits are limitless--not to mention it's time away from food. I got good restriction on my last (third) fill, bringing me to 2.5cc in a 10cc band. I can eat between 1/2 to 1 cup of food at each meal and I avoid carbs like the plague (and I really limit the amount of food I intake regardless of how much I can hold--to help the Band work) Told you I couldn't come up with anything miraculous and I'm sorry--please keep trying via a Food Log, Shakes, and Exercise...

I only lost 6 pounds in the seven months prior to surgery through dieting with the nutritionist, so I must say that I counted what my "regular weight" had been for forever. It's where I felt I really started... :wub:

Ang, if you get the time, check out Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, books, DVDs & more. They have like a gazillion flavors and all sizes. My personal fav is Belgian chocolate whey Protein isolate, which I now purchase in five-pound tubs--it took me a while of trying until I found my favorite. But I also make sure I get "free shipping", so it's delivered right to my door! At first I bought unjury too--but I didn't care a lot for the chocolate, the chicken Soup left an aftertaste, and the unflavored has this nasty smell I just couldn't get over. So for my unflavored now, I bought Bi Pro whey protein isolate from the Internet and man, no smell and it's just perfect for adding in! You may have to try a lot until you find the right one for you--just be sure to get the whey protein isolate which is pure and mixes with a spoon instead of the concentrate, which has lactose for fillers (I'm intolerant :wub: ) and must be blended or it will clump. My very best to you, Ang... :tt2:

Hey Pammycakes--that Curves Smart System sounds fantastic! I have the feeling our owner won't expend the cost, but it does sound awesome! :wub:

I am just now at the weight I was when I had my last child in (ooops, I'm severely dating myself!) ta-da! 1967!!! Yes, Anyalee, you are so right about this 'complaint'--now that you mention it--because my scale only ticked upward before my Band and so why am I so upset now when I don't come down 3 pounds at a time??!!! Praise the Lord for the Band! I now feel healthier and happier than I have in years (duh, since 1967!!) :wub:

Wha-hoo for you, bigunc!!!!! That's a week from Monday--best wishes:tongue:!!!

Do you have a date yet? PS Loved your second practice event!!! :wink_smile:

I'm not really sure that Head Hunger will ever go away. Now real Physical Hunger I cannot say I've had once since the Band because: When you get the Band, your life really does revolve all around you and you are constantly reviewing your daily intake: did I get enough protein, did I get enough water, did I take my vitamins and calcium, when can I drink again, how can I fit in veggies or fruit? I am literally drinking all day long now, especially water, since I developed gout a few weeks ago. I will tell you this: I am FREE of the times when the only thing I thought about all the time was what could I have that was "nice" to eat, i.e. Hostess cupcakes every night, Cadbury's chocolate, etc. and it is SO WONDERFUL to be free from that wretched desperation!! I love my Band and thank God for it every day!! :wink_smile:

It's wild you should ask, because I just had my five year anniversary February 14th of being a member at Curves!! I always feel Curves is for the beginner woman: the initial Curves store has eight pre-set machines and eight "stations" to walk on inbetween. With this "circuit weight training", you remain on each machine or station for 30 seconds and then you will be prompted to move to the next machine/station. You go around the circuit three times (8 minutes each x 3 = 24 minutes total). As Curves gets more members, it is allowed to have more machines--so my Curves has 11 machines and 11 stations, so we only need to go around 2 1/2 times. The weights are preset for each machine and are good for women--there's no changing of the weights up or down, you just get on the machine and go. Curves is an excellent start--and the best thing is that it also provides commraderie with other women (generally our size--it's rare I've seen a skinny minny with tights and a leotard join--and I've been to four of their clubs). I will say that last year I also joined our YMCA with my husband--I just needed to go heavier on the weights to get a better workout. So now I go twice a week to Curves and twice a week to the YMCA and it's the perfect blend for me! Hope this helps in making your decision! (And I think they're running a "no registration fee" now--and should be having a food drive next month, where you take in a few items for a Food Bank and you also get free registration)! :biggrin: PS Ours used to close from 1 - 3 but now stays open from 7 AM to 7 PM. (Individual owners of each club!)

And isn't it odd how people who have NEVER had a weight issue are so quick to judge and they all know just the right answer to 'cure' us!! My four co-workers, who I really DO love dearly, gave me such GRIEF during the six-months I was doing the nutritionist-thing in preparation for surgery. They all felt that somehow I "had never found the right diet to correct my metabolism" (they couldn't blame it on exercise since I work out four nights a week). I've only worked with them a few years, so they never saw all the gazillion diets and trends I did to try to lose. It got to the point where I didn't discuss any aspect of what was going on towards the Band. Now, four months later they are so supportive--I guess I just had to show them that it was MY life...!:thumbup: If you can, avoid the subject at all costs--I would even go so far as to make up other excuses as to why you need time off (dental, vision, kids, dog, hubby) so the subject doesn't get raised with your boss. You don't want to burn a bridge, but you sure don't want to give her an opening... :eek:

Yes, it's good that you're starting to think of that now. I really don't have a clue why some people say they had virtually no pain... I always think it COULD be what the surgeon uses to close the incisions--staples, steri-strips, glue--that may hasten the healing. I've worked out since 1983 and my surgeon used staples, which didn't even come out for six days after surgery (and some people say they went back to work in four days???!). So although I took three weeks off, I honestly could have returned in 10 days to two weeks--but my working out really didn't factor in. Right now, I think you should start walking--on a treadmill or wherever you can. I was told to walk 10 minutes of every hour immediately after surgery and I sure did that--and had no gas pains others talk about. And, as I said, walking even in the beginning is encouraged--so if you start now, you can build up those leg muscles and you'll be ready the day after surgery!! (OR NOT--! Maybe two days after surgery!!) :eek:

To be very honest, you can not increase a certain exercise and expect to have a faster healing time-- The four laproscopic incisions they make (mine were three across the lower mid-section and one between the breasts) which will be from 1/2" long to 1 1/2" long require time to heal and there is no magic exercise you can do now to speed that along. The band will be inserted and the port will be sewn to abdominal muscle (so says my surgeon)--so that even when the 'outside' seems to be healed, the entire insides will require a lot longer to heal. I know you'd like to hurry this process along, but four weeks (light exercise) to two months (heavy weight training) is not long in a lifetime. And you can walk immediately--and in fact they recommend that you begin walking from day one! So Treadmill work, here you come!! :eek:

One fellow asked in a thread whether he'd be able to Bench Press like he'd been doing. My response was that I have absolutely no issues with my chest area exercises--but the ones that affect my port are the ones I've had to adjust! They say the port is sewn into the abdominal muscles, and I sure know that when I'm over-using them!! (My port sticks out like a big old hernia!) Maybe someday you'll be able to lay on your towel (stomach) again!! :eek:

Yes, thanks--I've found out my surgeon is RIGHT ON THE MONEY!! :eek:

When I hadn't lost for a while recently, I went back to keeping a Food Log (as I did in the six months prior to surgery for the nutritionist). I was surprised to find that my calorie count was between 600 and 850 a day--so I didn't make any changes downward and sure enough the weight eventually began to drop again. Here's my motto: my surgeon is my leader and I follow his instructions implicitly! You've put your trust in him up until now--so just continue and follow his recommendations... :eek:

I bought a Taylor digital scale from WalMart (about $35.00), which measures in 1/10s too and it has been extremely accurate!! I trust this scale implicitly... :eek:

I too was disappointed when I went to my seminar last March and found out that UPMC required six-month nutritionist's visits-- BUT first of all, it's six visits, SO it's actually five months! And I must tell you--you really can use the time to read, read, read about what your new life will be like--both the GOOD and the BAD. Please, relish this time given to you to get prepared. Even if you know this isn't "just another diet program" you should get to realize how much your whole life will dwell on yourself EVERY DAY: did I get enough Protein, did I get enough Water, how many carbs did I have, when can I start drinking again, did I have my vitamin/calcium, how many calories did I intake today-- Trust me, you do NEED this time to prepare yourself--so value this time. As Jack always says, this is not a SPRINT--it's a MARATHON--and we have the rest of our lives to enjoy the Band... :cursing:

My surgeon just installs the Band and allows it time to heal before adding any solution. Every six weeks since surgery, I've gotten a fill: .5cc, 1cc, and 1cc, for a total of 2.5cc and I got some real restriction on the last fill!! Still have to be very careful with some things, making sure they are chewed well enough!! :cursing:

I've got to honestly tell you, Jen, that I too have read all that's been said about eliminating coffee and :confused2: All I know is my Bariatric Center never said a word and believe me, I've never quit drinking coffee (well, maybe the day of surgery!). I'm hooked and I'm the "coffee maker" in our office. I will say that our boss suffered a slight heart attack right after Christmas and so we've all switched to decaf for him--and you're right, I never got a headache with the changeover. Just relating my experience.... from the Coffee Addict.....

I belong to the Curves and the YMCA--I was able to return to Curves four weeks after surgery with no ill effects (skipped the leg press for a few weeks because of stress on my port.) At the YMCA I weight train and so I didn't return to the YMCA for seven weeks and I cut back on the weight I had been using before surgery. By now I have returned to my former weight--for everything except (again) the Leg Press and I'm just building up again. Working out just makes you feel so-o-o terrific--it washes away all the stress of the day and makes you feel invincible!!

Here's what I copied from Dr. Alvarez's web site: "The sleeve gastrectomy is an operation in which the left side of the stomach is surgically removed. This results in a new stomach which is roughly the size and shape of a banana. Since this operation does not involve any "rerouting" or reconnecting the intestines, it is a simpler operation than the gastric bypass or the duodenal switch. Unlike the Lap-Band® procedure, the sleeve gastrectomy does not require the implantation of an artificial device inside the abdomen. For certain patients, in particular those with a body mass index greater than 60, the sleeve gastrectomy may be the first part of a 2-stage operation. The 2-stage operation may have substantial advantages for specific individuals." Sounds like they may be doing two operations... :confused2:

Welcome back, Maya--we were all rooting for you!! You'll be sore for a little while--but this too shall pass!! :smile:

Wow, it sure sounds like I have something to look forward to! I went up a whole size in my weight gain, but because I loved my smaller shoes, I KEPT them!! Wha-hoo!! :smile:

I know we kinda got off the subject, Lvly, but will add one thing: my brother lives in Pasadena across from the Rose Bowl but on Friday he's moving to DC (going from USC to working for the FDA). He moved to your neck of the woods six years ago but one of the things he missed was the change of seasons (he said he never realized how rainy Pasadena was!). So although it's a virtual mess today for the commute, we in the East love our side too--but just don't tell me what the temperature was yesterday!!! :smile: