IndioGirl55

Buttercup You are a baby so I don't know - but they will most likely to an ekg - & sona gram (i know how to spell it but my brains is blank) - and maybe a stress test - Good Luck

Guinesgirl - I know everyone is diff - but here is my suggestion - increase your calories - if you aren't losing... I eat about 1000 -1200 daily do about the same about of exercise and I have been losing 1 to 2 lbs a week - and i am way older than you... IMHO if you limit yourself that much 700 calories - you are setting yourself up for a binge or failure - I know some here are eating only 800 calories a day and losing - It could be worth a try - what's it going to hurt...

Laura 10 lbs a month is good - don't be so hard on yourself - you are making changes for a life time.. Not short term. It takes time to make these changes...

Tracy - :clap2::clap2: The pound police let up after awhile - i have them in my office - but i also have people telling me how good i look and that they are proud of me... As you well know the band wasn't the 100% reason that you lose those 54 lbs - it was you and your good food choices - exercise etc. You will tell the newbie that it's just a tool - how cool it is to have someone right there to share your knowledge with instead of having to type pages of explainations :car: Isn't it funny how we look at the other fat people in the office now when we watch them eat - you want to shake them and tell them to stop before they kill themselves.... and to think we use to be one of them...

Sheila You were just banded - I never pb'd during that time - are you eating too fast??? I was tight but not that tight after surgery. You are 3 weeks out - and that tight - you just might not have to get a fill- not everyone does - my doc has a pateint who is 4 months out and never had a fill - she has restriction with just the band in place and the way you are talking - you might not need one either... Just a thought - I'm not a doctor w/a real degree - just one from TV & internet

Momlambert I am so very sorry for the loss of your Dad:girl_hug::girl_hug: Mine died 15 yrs ago from complication of a burst colon - combined w/heart problems. I didn't realize that househuntres was talking about after banding - ya i don't know how you would drink all that stuff with the band and to have to do it over 3 days w/no eating Yuk... Well, I think I don't have to go back for 10 yrs - but if its 5 - i will do it again - better safe than sorry.. Again, My prayrer and thought are with you during this difficult time... xoxoxo Janet

Momlambert Yep i did all that (quickly but did it) - thank you for rembering this conversation.. I looked all over the place - I know Denise was in on the conversation and maybe BJean - so I guess that's why i thought it was this tread... Thanks all I neede was for someone to tell me - this actually did happen after looking and not finding it ... THANKS !!!!!

Sharon you arent odd - 99% of us dont throw up or pb - when did you have surgery??? Eat slowly and maybe you need to thin things out a little more - I ate runny mashed potatoes and could eat 1/2 to 3/4 cup during that stage. Those nibbles while cooking helped to contribute to your weight issues so it's good that you are... Good Luck

Sheila Had my 1st fill 9/5 - My doc made me do 1 week full liquid - 1 wk mushie/soft the 3 week reg food (but truely I eat soft food 99%) after the fill I was tight for the first few days - could eat 1/2 to cup of food. I pb'd once and that's cuz i ate too fast. Everyone's experience is diff - some get to tight some don't - as you can tell 1% might have problems - the other 99% don't and if they do it's cuz the ate to fast - didn't chew etc - these are all the new behaivors that we have to learn and it's easy to forget- but then you get that golf ball in the chest and then your brain goes "oh ya I am banded and ate that way too fast -- didnt chew - just swallowed" Good Luck - once you have your fill you can come back her and post your experience...

Maggie This is my experience - I looked in my insurance manuel and asked our health Insurance person if WLS was covered - it states if medically necessary - well i was 244.5 at that time 5'4 52 yrs old. Ck'd my book and the dr here in the desert that does this surgery was approved and so was the hospital in Palm Springs - had to go to a center of excellent - I made the appointment with the surgeon directly and on my own - met with him on 5/31 and he said yes i was a candidate - I had to to a battery of test cuz i don't go to the doctor - lungs (smoker) - heart (had to have a nuclear stress test couldn't pass the treadmill) - colon - pap - mamo - 14 vials of blood - shrink - sleep - I have mild sleep apnea - my breathing gets real shallow when i am in a deep sleep - plus i have high blood pressure - so I have co-mobitidies - once i passed the shrink - my doc's offices sumbitted the paper work to my insurance and i was approved - all the other test are done to make sure you are healthy for surgery - i was still in the mist of getting all the test done when i got the call on 6/21 giving me a 7/17 surgery date - and i think that since it's really just a phyical that your insurance would cover with out approval for the wsl - but I know that medicare does cover this surgery and since I'm not there yet I can't tell you anything about it - maybe it's your secondary policy that wants the supervised doc weight loss diet. I have a gf that is trying to get banded and this is what her insurance requires - every carrier is diff- I have blue cross CA - EXCELLENT... Since your surgeon office deals with insurance carriers all the time i think they know who and who won't approve surgery and what they (ins co) needs to get approval - they want to get you approved and will do their hardest cuz they what the $$$$$ - imho - i am sort of cynical when it comes to doctors - don't get me wrong I LOVE my doctor - but mine has a large program fee - and imho it's his way of getting more than what insurance pays.. 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. I can't stress this enought - I really feel that some people think that the band alone will make them lose weight. 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 my typical dinner 4 oz fish - 1/2 cup brown rice - 1 - cup veggies - and I am "full" with this amount of food - but i am still hungry (head hunger cuz it taste good) then later in the evening I will have 2 sf pudding or sf fudgecicle - or sf angel food cake w/dannon yogurt - am I still hungry - sometime even though my tummy is full - ya I could eat more but I don't You have to plan what you are going to eat, you have to shop, you gotta weigh and make individual portions so that you learn 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 to lose then it's all about food choices and exercise... 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..

Productive Burp - when you have either eaten too fast, not chewed well you will get what we call a golf ball in the chest - big air bubble feeling for me - your food will come back up - it's not really throwing up but sort of. a burp with food = productive burp.... Not everyone gets it - I have had it a couple of time as i forget about the band and eat too fast and not chew - last night after the gym came home and the kids (grandkids) had mac&cheese - i was starving ate a spoonfull (big serving spoon) and the pain hit my chest - i scarfed it down didn't chew and took a way too big bite- lasted a for about 30 seconds and it was over - I did pnb just the stuck feeling ... Please read all that you can - have an open mind - not everyone has complications - not everyone understand that this (band) is REALLY JUST A TOOL it is not the magic answer to not having food issues - the band is not going to make you lose weight - you are the only one in control of that and what you put in your mouth and the amount of exercise - your determination to change your eating habits for the rest of your life - the band can and sometimes helps with hunger but I don't find that it does - it helps control the amount that i can eat (I can eat 1 -2 cups of food at any meal and sometimes more) - but in my head i am still hungry alot of the time - my tummy is full - but i want to continue to eat (head hunger). I make good food choices and am exercising - for me the band may do 25% of the job - but the remaining 75% is up to you... Good luck on your journey .....

Marcy congrats on scale moving in the downward direction:) As to your ceral delima - allow yourself one serving every 3 days w/skim milk - you gotta have some wiggle room in your eating healthy program - we gotta quit calling it a diet - this is not something that we are just doing for a short period of time - we are learning to change our bad eating habits for the rest of our lives - we can never go back to eating like we use to. A diet is something when you need to lose a few pound where with us we all have quite a few pounds to get to a healthy stage in our lives - we have to change our whole way of looking at food and how we relate to it emotionally.. Jackie - I too worry about the port flipping and when i asked my doc when he was having such a hard time finding the soft spot - he said only if you have been doing crunches- I get a pain every now and then where i think the band is placed around my tummy (not sure but this is sorta how it feels) i get it when I am sitting (slouching sp?) and feels like it's being pinched - but when i situp straight it goes away.. Has happend a coulpe of times CeCe - I am glad you have restriction, but watch out for those cookies they still go through too easy.. Jackie - CONGRATS !!!!!:clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2: You are doing GREAT:D

Househuntress - it's a piece of cake - i had to have one prior to surgery - they sedate you "conciense (SP) sedation" I watched the whole thing on the t.v. - the nurse and i talked the whole time - it's like having a buzz. No pain nothing... I was advoiding it - but would do it again if had to without a problem - ya its a bit embarssing - but heck that's what this kind of doc does all the time - they all look the same - he has seen it all. We have colon problems in our family so i was glad to know that i didn't have any.. It's not that bad - trust me I am not a doc person (this is why I had so many test prior to surgery cuz i just don't go unless i am sick and lucky that doesn't happen very offen) When it's all said & don't you will say "no problem)

Donna I am so very sorry about the passing of your Dad - I feel your pain - I lost mine 15 yrs ago... I dont have a card - all i know is that I have the "New Band" whatever that means - the mechanics of the band is not something i concern myself with - who cares if there is 1 cc or 2 - why would I need to keep track of that - there might be a reason - but i can't figure it out. I have enought to think about... You are under stress right not which is going to cause emotional eating and imho is what may have cause your band to get so tight, But what ever the reason - you have no restriction and you need to get a handle on your eating until you do.. and even with restriction sweets still get through... One way to handling emotional eating is you live & eat in the now – not being upset about what you are in the past and not obsessing about what you will eat in the future. The very thing that’s designed to help people lose weight is the very thing that promotes this heavier – diets promote the all or nothing mentality. 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 - you need wiggle room in your diet to make it work – 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 overthinking you’ll stop over eating.. Don't worry today - take baby steps - that food is not really your friend but your addiction. Don't go back to it - it's the devil in sheeps clothing. If you really need a candy bar - go buy just one - go to your room and savor it with all your might - and tomorrow get up say hey that was good - and one candy bar isn't going to put on 43 lbs - but if you keep going out to by them - it will - don't buy them then you cant eat them Well it's late - gotta get ready for tomorrow - :rose::girl_hug: janet

Rain What is different about the bandsters diet and WW - I didn't know there was a bandsters diet. My Doc & Nutritionist said that these were my guildlines- #1 Protein 60 grms daily, low fat, low sugar, 3 meals plus 2 healthy Snacks - Vitamins, calicum. I am allowed to pick and choose what i eat - I am not limited as to what i eat - just that it's healthly 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 overthinking you’ll stop over eating..

The very 1st thing you gotta do is make good food choices with or without restriction. That is #1 and #2 is you gotta exercise. 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 hunger and it doesn't take away you thinking about food (imho) - it is a tool to control protions - someone mentioned that they didn't have much restriction but did get stuck on bread and rice but still ate it - what is that all about. IMHO there is nothing out there that is going to take away your hunger 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 tyical 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 - ya i could eat more but i don't I think WW is the most well rounded weight loss program out there - it's not a diet - it a program to teach you how to eat health. You get veggies Protein carbs etc it is a life time program as you learn what a portion is - Jenny Craig is good to but that gets expensive - 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 defenition 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 - for lunch today - i had 1 cup chili and side salad - know what i wanted - I wanted a sandwich cuz I was HUNGRY - but I figured that I could have a salad & chili for about 1/4 calories of what a sandwich would be - I wanted the dressing on my salad - but didn't put it on - just dipped my fork into it a couple of times - I was still hungry after i ate the whole salad and whole cup of chili - I could have eaten more (they had great looking cookies)- but in order to lose weight I couldn't - i am hungry right now and it 3:30 - so I am drinking my Water - We are going to be hungry for a while - we are use to eating alot of food but we just don't realize that we were/are eating hugh 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 don't mean to be mean or offend here - just giving you tough band love and the operative word is love - 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 lbs 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... Good Luck - I wish you strenght to make the wise food choices and exercise.

#1 Lee is white - single dad - fact correc... Assumtion - lee's wife left him for a black man. Assumtion - lee has women issues - (wife cheated on him - his mom cheated on his dad - his sister cheated) To each their own - date love have sex with who you want when you want - this is AMERICA - we are a melting pot.. My sister is 1/2 kickapoo indian - my son is 1/2 black - my grand children are black mexican & white - I live in a community which is primarily mexican Can I be racist - well I wouldn't call it racist - but I hate that people who come to AMERICA and don't speak english that we cater to that. I hate stupidity white, black asain hispanic etc - every race has it's problems - white trash whatever name you want to put on it - but i preferr not to use detoggeratory (sp) labels for anyone and yes whites don't own racisism... it runs in every direction Lee why do you want to debate this subject in the first place - for what purpose - just to piss people off. Is your next post going to be "the Holocaust didn't happen" Grouping all enthinc people into one group based on a just fews actions isn't fair - not all black & mex are gang banger - I would rather have my daugher marry a Arab who treated her with respect love etc than a white guy who beat the stuffing out of her. and if both were in love with her and would both give her the same love honor and respect - i would tell her go with your heart Lee - isn't there enough SH*T in the world as it is with out you stiring up more.

Wasn't Green getting Face Lift on 9/24... or do i dream about posting on this board... I went back through my post but i can't find it - I swear it was green - Just wanted to see how she was doing - you have been on my mind - dad's b-day same day as surgery - 9/24 - But I can't find it - PLEASE TELL ME I AM NOT CRAZY....

Jackie -Thanks for the props on smaller clothes - i have 2 bp meds 1 tiny tab - have alway just taken it as i did pre-banded - the other one is the size of a Vitamin - at first i chopped it up and put it in pudding - but after a few days tried to swallow it and have had no problems - even after 1st fill was able to swallow it - I think it depends on your restriction... Phyl OMG i don't know what i would do if I had to eat out all the time. Thats so hard... Today for lunch a gf called we went to quizonos (sp) and i had 1 cup chili and side ceaser salad - and I can't find the calories for the chili so used fitday 255 + salad - didn't eat the dressing (well dipped my fork into dressing 5 times - but didn't make a dent in amount left in container)- ate all the salad and chili... I think i need another fill. With all the fish you are eating why are you taking fish oil?? Thanks for the congrat on the white pants ...

Well just dropping in to say GOOD MORNING to all before I begin my day NSV - I bought a pair of white linen pants back in Feb - didn't try them on until i got home - well they didn't fit - couldn't even close them - most likely like 2 -3 inches gap between one side and the other - Well guess what i am wearing to work today :):eyebrows:. As to taking pills - I read somewhere on this board - not to take and NAISD (Advil - iburphon sp) etc - as there could be a contection with band erisions... Tylenol only.... and imho - pills vs liquid it's what ever works for you - I have the liquid and think it may work faster. Chris :clap2::clap2: on you NSV :clap2: Citygirl - My doc doesnt have the floruscope (sp) but he numbs you up first - I WOULD NEVER LET a doc stick me without it - it took my doc forever to find the fill spot in my port. ssankofa73 - Exercise - at least you were moving and thats 100% better than sitting on the couch...:clap2: Ruby - :clap2: only one tiny candy bar and not the bag :clap2: Phyl - Are you having a good time??? Didn't get to they gym yesterday as my 3 yr old grandaughter wanted to come to her La La 's house (I'm LaLa instead of GM) (I pick up my 2 gd's 2 or 3 days a week when my DIL is working) So - she and I took the doggies for a walk - so did some in - but it was more important to me to spend the time with them - Memories... Gotta make room for life as tomorrow isn't promised... Have a Great Day !!!!

prbrooksie :clap2::clap2: on taking your Vitamin The other stuff i don't know - i don't have the offical title "Dr" just the TV Quack Degree Glad you are feeling better - that's what counts....

nkcaump - I can't answer the health insurance questions - I would go ask wasabubblebutt she was self pay mexico - she might know - pm her with your questions.. She is a WEALTH of info... My personal opionion would not to post your med history anywhere - can be used against you - but this is my personal opinion - if it's on the net anyone can get the info - keep a calendar at home if you want to keep track of info. As to your shopping list - this I can answer - but first what are your doctors instructions - haven't they given you a list (mine did) I was on full liquids for the first 10 days - included thin creamed soups. I didn't see protein powder on your list - you need 6o grms minimum daily. I did smoothies in the morning - added it to my soups in the afternoon and dinner. I was allowed sf puddings & dannon light & fit yogurts too. Broth, sf hot choc, cream soups, my doc also has (sells) clear liquid protein drinks that are great proti15 - grape taste just like grape koolaide - peachmango - yummy and they have 15 grms protein. gotta get back to work - phone rang - so will ck w/you later good luck - prayer for a safe & speedy recovery

Jackie - Great on the Bodybugg - keep me posted on how it works... I just might have to get one too. CeCe - I wonder why it is you get filled and have restriction for the first week then lose it:confused: - You think you are at your sweet spot but within a week it's gone:eek:. I understand that the first few days might be swelling from the adjustment - but would think that would be over in about a day or so?? I am back to eating about 2 cup for dinner - making good choices - but imho eating too much - Hi everyone - I have scanned the post - been real busy as my boss is on vacation - and haven't really posted since last week - just a note here and there - will try and ck back in later - hope everyone has a GREAT DAY....

Beth Rest is #1 - if i am over tired i have a tendacy to want to eat - you need your rest and I remember that's hard to get when you have little ones (this is another reason i love my age - been there done that but no more )- you are lucky that you have a DH who steps up to the plate when you need him and that he realizes it too :clap2: Also here is another suggestion - one day 1000 calories - next day 1200 vary it - that seems to help push the metabolism... Also - Calicum is a great way to rid the body of fat (6 lbs in a yr) make sure you are getting in your Calcium .... Exercise - it's not the minutes that count but the intenstity... Ya gotta push yourself - (well after you have rested) last night i put the elevation on the treadmill to 5 - had been doing 3 or 4 .. Beth, Thanks for the kind words - we are all in this together and we aren't going to succeed without the help of our friends who understand our struggles with food weight etc xoxox Janet

:clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2: Yep calorie reduction & exercise = 2 lbs GONE :clap2::clap2::clap2: Congrats Cazulay.....