IndioGirl55

Docsdeb - Congrats on being an offical bander - I am glad everything went well.. What kind of post op diet are you on - Full Liquids plus jello - pudding - yogurt - I take Atenonal (sp) and it's tiny and i took with just water no problems - the other pb pill is about the size of vitamin and i cut that one up and put in my sf pudding and took it that way... but after about a week i took it with just water - it has a nasty taste to it... I am off that med - but still take the atnenal as it is a beta blocker and you aren't just suppose to stop but that's cuz it makes your heart beat slower - Can you ck you blood pressure at home - maybe it's too low... are you diabetic?? It takes a few days to get back to your self - take your time..

Welcome & Congrats This is a great site for info - support etc - have you hooked up w/the August 2007 support group - I think they are called the Crazy Ates.. (i have seen that name around) Welcome again - If you have any questions, just ask..

OMG 4 hrs - mine was 40 minutes - just talking - me quoting that the band is just a tool - want to be healthy and live longer yadda yadda yadda - she was more interest in meds than anything else - looked up my bp meds in her pod - said oh that's a new one.. - and i did throw in the part of me wants to look good again. Well happy Anniversay 43 yrs - that just super great... Props to you and your wife...

Amy - glad everything went ok - ya that punch in the tummy felt like and elephant had kicked me - but the pain doesn't last forever... Your (our) Lover named food aka devil - is a real jealous lover - be aware that he will come around an still try and tempt you back into your old love affair... Ya gotta keep your guard up 24/7 for the rest of your life... But the healthier you will be so happy without him hanging all over your body.

CONGRATULATIONS !!!!! I remember when I got the call and how happy i was !!!!

AMY - LOVE IT- SO TRUE - YOU SHOULD BE A WRITER !!!!!! The late night eating - omg - me - now i have my yogurt instead of what is ever is in there and now adays that isn't too much ...

Congrats on your date!!!! I'm 52 banded 7/17 - down 36.5 lbs - feel great can't wait til I am at goal.. Charlene - my port site hurt for about 2 or so weeks (just like having a baby i can't remember when it quit hurting) - I couldn't wear pants that didnt have a loose waist - so i did wear dresses for this first few weeks and pant that had elastic waist - I didn't count calories while on the liquid portion of my diet - I only counted Protein grams - you have to get minimum of 60 a day - then when i moved to pureed/mushie i started counting calories & protein grms - this is what i still do - i keep a food & excercise diary.. Good luck and hope your arm/shoulder gets better... To the rest of the Gang - Hi - hope all is well - just doing my morning reading before i start my day. Green hope you are feeling better and we want to see some pics...

Kathy Yep you will be a couple of Cities away from me.. It's not hot for us it's cooling down - We are getting the weather everyone one comes to town for. Weather out look - KESQ.com – Palm Springs, Coachella Valley - Weather, News, Sports: Home Link to our local news Sat 82 - Sunday 88 - Monday 93 - Tue 94 - Wed 97 - evenings in the mid to low 60 (sweater weather for us) Since I don't live there can't give you any great restaurant to eat in - but you gotta have some real mexican food while you are here. La Casuelas is pretty good - sort of white mex . Hope you have a great time !!!!

Phyl - You did really well with your lunch - and truely i bet it did taste better than a dumb chilli dog or hamburger - you were dinning at the Ritz of dept stores - You are worth it Chris - I am sorry for your loss and proud of you for your good food choices during this difficult time. That is really something to be proud of. Sunny - Happy that you are making better choices and you have those meds that arent helping one friggin bit ... It will be good when you can get off them I can eat anything - chick - steak - hamburger - the only time i have ever bp'd was when i got up in the middle of the nite and had 2 bites of meat & rice and did it too fast and didn't chew... I wasn't due back to the doc til 11/8 - called and got it moved up to 10/24 - i need a little fill - i can eat 1 -2 cup food.

Good Luck Melissa (this is my DIL name too - are you a nurse by chance?) The nerves are natural - I only had 7 days prepop diet and during that I had to have my colonospcoy (sp) so I had 1 day 7/12 Clear liquids only and then 7/16 clear only too - but the only time i don't eat is when i am nervouse like the day before surgery - so it wasn't too bad - I am a night time eater so that was the hardest for me. If you have any questions... Just ask - someone will always answer.. xoxox J

CONGRATULATIONS :clap2::clap2::clap2: I have been waiting for your post !!!!!

Linda This band is NOT the magic cure to your food issues - it banded your tummy not your brain... Only you control what goes into your mouth not the band. The band does not take away all your hunger and it doesn't take away you thinking about food (imho) - it is a tool to control portions The reason we are all FAT right now is cuz we ate alot of food (high fat - high sugar and didn't exercise) That is the plain and simple fact. My typical dinner pre banding would be 3 tacos w/beans (made w/lard) then a hour later 2 more tacos & Beans with tons of cheese and then 1 more taco before bed and then during the middle of the night brownies - Cookies - ice cream and all I did was sit on my butt- now typical dinner 4 oz fish - 1/2 cup brown rice - 1 - to 1 1/2 cup veggies - 2 sf pudding and sf fudgecicle - or sf angel food cake w/dannon yogurt - am I still hungry - sometime even though my tummy is full - this is head hunger. You have to plan what you are going to eat, you have to shop, you gotta weigh thing to know what a correct portion size is. will you have to do this for the rest of your life - hopefully not once you learn what a true portion size is - we fat people have a whole different definition of portion size - "I use to say - who came up with a pint of ice cream being 4 servings - hell that's only one serving" You gotta work at this - the band isn't going to do it for you We are going to be hungry for a while (both head hunger and withdrawls from our addiction)- we are use to eating alot of food but we just don't realize that we were/are eating huge amounts... Got to the thread "At or near Goal" ask those people how they got there - did the band do it or did they do it. I bet most will answer that they made wise food choices and exercised and ya they had some help from the band but that they did most of the work not the band. I just think that too many people think the band is going to do all the work and that they don't have to do any... you are told only to expect 1 -2 lbs a week - if you want more - exercise more... If I lose only 1 lb a week I am happy - but I am working at this lot harder than the band is.. I make wise food choices 1000 to 1200 calories a day which I log and I walk 10- 13 miles a week. The band is only a piece of plastic it can't make your food choices or do the exercise for you... My Doc & Nutritionist said that these were my guidelines- #1 Protein 60 grms daily, low fat, low sugar, 3 meals plus 2 healthy Snacks - Vitamins, Calcium. I am allowed to pick and choose what I eat - I am not limited as to what I eat - just that it's healthy and in size with correct portions - 1/4 cup ice cream (sf) instead of the whole pint made with real sugar & cream. In our lives we allow for a margin of error – which we should also do when trying to eat healthy – if you are eating 1000-1200 calories a day – allow for some of those calories to be used for a little bit of something you really want (chocolate - have a healthy choice fudgecicle - it's s/f & 80 calories)- you need wiggle room in your diet to make it work (I save my morning and afternoon snacks for night time which is my worst time) – the all or nothing practices has to be thrown our of your mind. You can learn to reprogram your mind to strip away the guilt that comes with dieting. You have to realize that it’s not that the first slice of cake that will doom your diet – it’s the second or third or whole thing that leads to weight gain. You have to listen to your body & respond smartly to your cravings and emotions but over time you will learn how to eat right and mange your craving and that’s when you’ll train your brain to stop obsessing about eating right and punishing yourself – If you stop over thinking you’ll stop over eating.. Good Luck on your journey

OMG Denise why in the h*ll is she doing that for - that's just mean - IMHO yes she is trying to sbotage you... Tell her her I am coming after her and use my anogly of the booze - tell her no more donuts !!! A lady who works on my team brought me back a box sf chocolates from her vacation - i said thanks - then threw them away - i don't care that they are sugar free - If I start with one then the box will be gone - and it doesn't matter if they are sf - a whole box of chocolate is a whole box. if you just have to take it then go in your office and throw it away !!!!

You guys just crack me up :eek::biggrin1::nervous I am lucky that you don't hate me for being the food cop :bandit(I have read on this board where alot of people hate the food cop) - or as I like to think of myself - that little ANGEL on your shoulder saying "come on sweetie your really don't want that - the a little louder - PUT THAT DOWN YOU DON'T NEED IT" or if you really just can't help yourself - take that slice of cake - cut it in half - throw away 1/2 and chant these word "better in thee than in me" and eat that 1/2 of a slice.... Take one day a month and allow yourself a tad of something you want. Do it in a way that you can't over eat it - like share a dessert while you are out - buy one cookie at the bakery - not a dozen - and if it's a big cookie break it in half and share or throw half away... Don't go into the break room when there are doughnuts in there. Don't tempt the devil.. I guess the way I look at it - If I can do this so can all of you - We are really all the same - yes I over simplify things - but imho why make them more difficult than they have to be. I am single - so I don't have ANYONE being that food cop when I am home (so that makes it easier for me to do something I shouldn't - but since I am preaching to all of you all the time - I gotta walk the walk - so really I have all of you on my shoulder) I work a very stressful job - always deadlines - always needed it yesterday - then I gotta go home to a 16 GS who half the time is a butthead - 2 doggies who just love me too much sometimes - I want to eat too - but I want that scale to go down more than I want to eat - the other night I wanted a butter taco (tortilla cooked on the stove with butter) - so know what I did - I took off a 2 inch strip of the tortilla and cooked it added a tad of butter and that was all I needed - didn't feel deprived had what I wanted for about 30 calories - Your kid's - DH - DW whomever don't need the junk in the house either and if they just have to have it - buy something you don't like that they do (my gs likes chip ahoy cookie - I don't - he likes hot cheetos I don't -but don't put a bag of cheeto puffs in my way) - or have them keep it somewhere where you don't know.. And explain - Food is my DRUG of choice - so please help me with my addiction and don't have temptation in my way... If you were an alcoholic - they wouldn't leave a bottle of booze on the kitchen table to temp you... That is my biggest defense - I don't buy it or go around it - at the office I can do it cuz they all know I have the band - so I show my will power as a badge of honor If you have a moment of weakness and you ate that pint of ice cream - forgive your self - say ok - I did that and now I will make better choices We went through so much to get this band - this isn't just a little diet we are trying - this is a permanent thing we had installed in our tummies to help us, now we gotta help it work by making good food choices and getting your exercise in - another big component but I will save that lecture for another time. Thanks again gang – I love you all :kiss2: Since you all have given me the titleI have to set a good example for you so that make you all my food cops :bandit XOXOXO Indio aka Food Patrol Angel aka Janet

This is the best time of year to get banded - you won't be gaining weight during the holiday season you will be losing -:clap2: Think of it that way in a more positive light instead of the negative - omg i can't eat - well - that's why you are getting the band cuz you over eat... You can have a taste of this or that the band isn't going to stop you - you can have a bite or 2 of cake - just not those hugh and more than one piece that you had before - you can have turkey - mashed potatoes - stuffing - gravey - pie etc - where does it say you can't - it's just you will be eating alot smaller portions and of course you should be making wise & healthy food choices - low fat, low sugar - this is about a lifestyle change You can learn to reprogram your mind to strip away the guilt that comes with dieting. You have to realize that it’s not that the first slice of cake that will doom your diet – it’s the second or third or whole thing that leads to weight gain. As to giving our BEST FRIEND FOOD up - is it really your best friend??? it made you (when I am saying you - I do me WE) fat and unhealthy and is robbing you of your life.... It's not your best freind - it is your drug of choice - you have been hiding behind it for most of your life - we eat to sooth our emotions - boredom - stress - cuz it taste good = sertionan increase in our brain - our high... Ya i felt all these emotions too- (i was on pre-op diet for my Sons BD) I just put on my big girl panties and deal with it - We are not weak people - we gotta stop thinking like one - we gotta quit makeing up all these reason we are going to fail before we even start - (this was always my biggest problem).. You have to listen to your body & respond smartly to your cravings and emotions but over time you will learn how to eat right and mange your craving and that’s when you’ll train your brain to stop obsessing about eating right and punishing yourself – If you stop over thinking you’ll stop over eating..

TNNurse I can eat bread (I think alot can eat it if it's toasted but am not 100% on this one - it's just what i have read) - this is very individual and yes it get stuck. - I think it might be due to the amount of restriction you have - i have some but not alot - each person here is different as you can see by reading the variouse post - there are nasty people - nice people - just like life - some are over filled and can't eat - some don't have any restriction, some are at their sweet spot - just like the 3 bears.. Some don't follow the rules - some do... just like life... Good Luck..

Linda - don't know - when i find out i will let you know - it use to be just counted as a veggie (all six muffin) back in the exchange days - You are too kind - I will be needing these pep talks in 6 months - just warning you all - this is how i am all gun ho and then slowly the motivation wanes.... MsPris - is your doctor going to do the surgery for free since she injuried you... I would be real pissed off - has she done anything to make this up to you?? Jackie - Thanks for the fyi on the bugg - so if i burn 2500 c a day and only eat 1000 - thats 1500 thats truely getting burned so that would equate to almost a 3 lbs loss in 6 days. Yes I would like to see biggest lossers #'s too - I would DIE if i had to work out 5-6 hrs a day at the intensety that they seem to - but this is all t.v. too - those guys (producers whomever - cut that stuff up so much to make you go wow) Brandy Congrats on the 4lbs Ok Sunny - NO MORE ICE CREAM !!!! I am glad your infection is clearing up - NO MORE ICE CREAM !!!!! Janet the dreaded food cop is on the prowl.... Will try and call later in the week - This is going to be short i gotta go watch Dancing with the Stars... Linda Congrats on the nsv - i am off 1 bp med but still on the antenoal sp Ruby - I MISS THIS TOO - I think i need to call for another fill I am back to eating 1 -2 cup food - and do you all want to know my wiggle room was this weekend - 2 lite beers & 1/2 of a slice of cheese cake... Bet the scales don't move on thrus day... Lynette - CONGRATs on getting back in the 100's - that is just too friggin fantastic..... Jeannie - Shout out to you - we haven't seen you in a while. Appleblossom- I don't count point - I count calories and Protein only - i just use the WW balance food groups way of eating I also weight & measure my food 90% of the time - veggies i don't worry about...- I am not into this low carb stuff - I gotta have a little carbs - rice - potatoes - Pasta - bread - can do whole grain etc - but gotta have those carbs - I just limit myself - I only did the point system once on line - I think i would get like 29 pts a day for the weight i am right now (215) - Truely - I take a litte from WW - Dr OZ - Bob Green - really anything on weight loss issues and digest it and keep what i want and get rid of the rest - just like everything else "EVERYONE IS AN EXPERT" Ssankofa - My exercise buddy Great on the walking - i know how those periods are - back when i had mine the first 3 days i bled to death.. Glad those days are gone for me. I walked 3.5 miles in 1 hr today... OK gang - this will be quick - I just wanted to ck in real fast - had to pay bills tonight UGH and stopped by for a sec to see how everyone is - since i wasn't here this weekend - Saturday (my wiggle room day :0) not cheated did you all get that - but my wiggle room ) I was at a charity bowling thingie - that included lunch - my 1st game w/no beers 25 score - 2nd game with 1 1/2 beers - 95... did ok at lunch little salad w/dressing - about 7 penne pasta w/red sauce not the white and about 3 oz chicken.. Sunday felt like i was getting a cold (Phyl glad you didn't) so made ck Soup... Well its 8:42 gotta go watch my danceing w/the Stars... Will talk to ya'll later OK Food Police going off duty :speechles- fooled you - i am on your shoulder watching you.... Remember healthy choices !!! xoxox Sweet Dreams

I don't know where you are from so don't know if you have a Ralph's in your area - that's where i found mine - Target doesn't carry it.. But, I think you can google it and order it on line.... Good Lucky - the 17th is a good day - it was the day I was banded too.

Marieze I ate the chili & salad - my tummy was full - but I still wanted to eat - there is a different between being full and satisfied and still wanting to eat cuz it taste so good AKA Head hunger and imho it's sometime hard to know which is which. Are your really hungry - or are you just bored etc. - It's no diff than right now - you eat one serving of food - you aren't really hungry after eating it but it taste good and you still want to eat at least that's the way it was for me. I have some restriction (i have only had 1 fill) but i can eat 1 - 2 cups food per meal But this is the way i look at it - #1 i am eating healthy 1000 - 1200 calorie a day - and am getting my 60 grms Protein - #2 i use to eat more that 2 cups of food per meal #3 I am exercising - until I find my sweet spot - I will and can control what i put in my mouth The band does not take care of your head hunger or what you put in your mouth and for us who don't know the difference between real hunger and head hunger (eating cuz it taste good, we are sad, we are happy, we are bored, we are stressed etc) this is where the battle lies - the band - bands your tummy and not your brain...

Coos - see response in red above ......

Not a wiz kid at all - it was slow at work this week (my boss on vacation) and so i would work on a file - then ck lap band - work on a file ck lap band - some days i feel really smart - like i am some band expert - ya right - i just someone who is highly motivated about this band - it does help - not the 100% answer but a very good help up - i have been reading my "you on a diet book" great insight on why we eat... and Bob Greene's info too.. I do feel that the more knowledge and understanding you have the better choices you can make. Our biggest challenge isn't just getting the weight off - we have all done that many times over - it's how to keep it off. This is what we have to educate ourselves on.. We have to make these lifestyle changes not just dieting.. Well enought preaching for tonight... Your fish fry sounds great - I am having ck & rice tonite.. I bet you will be glad to get home - sorry to hear that you swell up so much on the plane- hope you get that upgrade - I would love to fly 1st class - but i would have to have mega bucks to pay those prices and i don't fly enough to have miles or get upgrades Can't wait til november - My gosh by the time we meet in person we will be "old friend" sorta cool if you think about it - will take the awarkness away - we will sit down to chat like we have been freinds forever :confused: Have a safe trip home - talk to you later xoxo Janet

Kasey - I am sorry to read that your DH & DD aren't being very supportive. I know that must be hard for you.. but you said it all in this one sentence It's definitely a life changing experience for the better. And it is a LIFE changing decision as you will now for a life time (as long as you are banded) have a tool to help you control your portions, which in turn will help you make better food choices and add some exercise in your life. As these things are the real secret to your weight loss. Good Luck on this journey and when you need support we will be here for you.

<p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Coo</p> <p>Congrats on making the decision that is the 1st step to the new you..</p> <p> </p> <p>As far as telling people at work &/or friends - only you can make that decision as you know them we don't - I told my friend who is also my supervisor and she told half the office - i didn't really care as I would have told - but to me it was my story to tell not hers. I had one friend say to another when she heard that i was getting the surgery that it was "cheating" I said well at least this for my health - What were your FAKE BOOBS for.. Some people are not informed and think this is the easy way out and it's not - the band will band your tummy but not your brain - I will be full but still want to eat (head hunger) You will have to change the way you eat and learn to make healthy food choices and add exercise into your life - Us fat people don't do much of that <img src="http://www.LapBandTalk.com/images/smilies/ponder.gif" border="0" alt="" title="rolleyes" smilieid="40" class="inlineimg" />.</p> <p>We eat to sooth our feelings - to fill time whatever your triggers are and once you can no longer use food to soothe those emotions you will have to find another way of dealing with them. I would self medicate with food to sleep at night (sugar makes me sleepy)</p> <p> </p> <p>Surgery for me was painful - some say it's not but - when i first woke up it felt like an elephant had kicked me in the stomach and still had his foot on it - but after being able to push the button to get more pain meds it was fine. the first 24 hrs you aren't going to feel like partying but by day 2 your are doing so much better and as each day passes you feel better - I was back to work on day 6 (desk job) most people will agree that what hurts the most after the 1st day or so is your port site and that hurts for about a week or 2 - can't remember now how long it was uncomfortable at times.</p> <p> </p> <p>You will find success stories here (go to thread near or at goal) and you will find people who arent as sucessful - this is no different than any other program (ww - jenny craig etc) - the band is only a tool - just because you have this little plastic belt around your tummy doesn't give you that 100% guareentee that you are going to lose weight and never gain it back - it will only control your portions by making you feel full faster and on alot less food. but you can still eat around the band by choosing high fat high surgar foods. Weight loss and more importantly maintaining that loss is more about your brain than your tummy... 75% of the work will be you (good food choices - exercise) and 25% will be the band..</p> <p> </p> <p>I gotta run and take GS to football game. so gotta close for now - but any questions just ask - read read read the more info you have the greater your sucess...</p> <p> </p> <p>Good luck</p> Just wanted to add that I am very happy with my band - 2 months 35 lbs - I am on my way - I would do it again in a ny minute - I feel that the band has helped me gain control of my eating by limiting my portions as i was a volume eater...

Oh Thank you so much Crabcake:humble: - Ya that's it - I googled it once before but i couldn't find the exact same receipe... when i made it with sweet n low - sometimes it felt like i was chewing glass - sweet n low didn't cook well - I am going to try this weekend with splenda.. I think with the band 1 would be enought - were as with ww i would eat them all in one night :confused: me and my volume eating . Do you know if they have a protein powder that you can cook with - I have unflavor unjury but can't heat above 130 - there must be some cuz there is protein powder in the oatmeal packet - is just say whey soy protien... I guess i will have to look.. I don't use much protein powder any longer since i am on regular food and can get my protein in with that and my clear pt drinks. I just took a bite of my second oatmeal cookie and it was better than the 1st - i think i should have thought about adding more splenda prior to putting them on the cookie sheet... You are the bomb .... Thanks...:clap2: