jjsmiles

The joys and pains of a web forum are the same. You get wonderful inspiration and support, but you can also feel really bad about yourself (or your decisions, or about your progress) when you compare yourself to others. You tend to get the wildly successful and wildly unsuccessful people posting, which can leave you with a less than balanced view of the band. I thought Mazie said it all very well. Good luck :Dancing_wub:

Allis - great post. You all need to remember the words of wisdom already provided and recognize that the band is just a tool and you need to be purposeful in the use of your tool and not expect it to make your decisions for you. Exploring the emotional side to eating is probably the most important key to the success of the lapband. The lapband will not cure your desire to eat (even when you are full), nor will it (at least for most people) make the foods you really love impossible to eat (at least in moderation). I know one of the issues I have always had was not being able to handle denial - in the past - I can't have carbs because I am on atkins so I crave carbs and when I actually break down and eat them, I can't stop (like crack to me). In this journey I made the decision that I would eat what I wanted, but would be very purposeful in that decision in what I was eating and that no food is bad or cheating (yes I eat pizza and chocolate and cookies). You need to find your own way of being purposeful. What I did was start to journal everything I ate, including quantities and calories or weight watchers points. I found that by documenting I was forcing myself to confront what I was eating and actually make a choice - for me it has worked incredibly well in controlling portions and my decision to eat continuously. When I know I am going out to eat I make decisions before I go out on what I will likely order and I also make allowances for the rest of the day to account for my meal (that doesn't mean that I don't eat for the rest of the day, but I do focus on lower calorie choices). I know I am already ranting, but while I am at it - YOU NEED TO EAT ENOUGH TO BE SATISFIED OR YOU WILL NEVER SUCCEED!!!! It drives me crazy to see the poor souls who post here and say they never eat more than 2 ounces, 3 times a day, even without restriction. There is no way you are meeting your nutritional and caloric needs on 3/4 of a cup of food per day. Even the literature that comes with the band says that your stomach pouch will hold 4 ounces of well chewed food at a time when at full restriction (that probably means about 8 ounces or 1 cup of not chewed solid food and don't even count the liquids and Protein shakes that just slide through you pouch). Dr's who say only eat 2 oz total per meal (1 of protein and 1 of something else), but also say to make sure you eat at least 60 grams of protein a day are full of crap. When you look at protein charts you see that 3 oz of chicken (your daily total on this diet) has only 25 grams of protein, 3 oz of beef has 20, 3 oz of salmon has 17 and 1 egg (which actually counts as 3 oz) has 6 grams of protein. On this plan you have not met any of your needs for the food groups and have not even met the high protein goal that is so often recommended. No wonder you are not satsified and want to everything in sight. Of course you do!! Now I am not saying you need to eat a cup of food at a time (you may not be able to although I certainly can), but you do need enough to keep you satisfied. I don't think of this journey as being one of will power, per say, but about conscious choice. When I reflect back to the old me, one of the things I notice is that while I was meticulous about my work, my friends and all other aspects of my life, when it came to me I was totally oblivious and absolutely ignored myself, when I thought I was hungry, I just ate and ate and ate, all without really thinking about it. Now I have made myself a priority and I apply my due diligence to myself as well as everyone else and it is working very well. Where I find the lap band very helpful is it helps to control my hunger between meals (I don't have that ravenous hunger any more - in fact beyond my "head hunger" I am usually not hungry at all). You can do it. Take some time while you are seeking restriction to reflect on your triggers and what you can do to control your need to eat so that it doesn't control you!!! Sorry for the long post :thumbup: Thanks for letting me rant and rave :Dancing_wub:

Got it. Thank you thank you thank you. You are an absolute star :regular_smile: I don't know about being an inspiration, but I think I am proof that you can start with a very high starting weight and be successful with the lap band! Take care! Jacquie

Be careful what you say you will do :regular_smile:. If you wouldn't mind sending me one starting June 12, 2007 (the date I started the new me!!!). You can send to jjsmiles@telus.net Again, thanks so much!!!! Jacquie

Thanks Lise, Just checked my email and I got it and saved to my desktop (woo hoo) :regular_smile:. One question, can I adapt the dates and go back in time? I only know a little about how excel works, and I noted that your instructions say to not touch the white boxes.

I think you have to realise that if you are in the Toronto area, there are 3 clinics that do the surgery on a self-pay basis. Those clinics are not going to be interested in serving you unless you make a significant investment with them. After all, you going elsewhere to get banded lost them a lot of money!!! I would always advise people to make arrangements for fills before having surgery so as to know upfront and avoid disappointment. In Alberta, where you can only get the surgery through AB health care (not many approved), and there is no self-pay option at this time, you can usually arrange for fills for between $100-200 per fill (or so I am told).

Thanks so much for your generosity Lise. I just sent you a pm with my email. This forum is great place!!!!

My decision to tell a number of people was very personal and very consciously made. I decided that since I was having the surgery, for me and no-one else, I was also going to make the full committment to it, which included removing the fail safe of failing but feeling ok, because at least I didn't tell anyone!:biggrin: I think the posters here have been so accurate in saying that some people need to be negative and some of our friends and family are threatened by the changes. I also think some are legitimately worried. I have received great support and curiosity (I am Canadian and WLS is quite new and not very common here yet. In fact in my City, lapband has only been performed for about 75-100 people in the last 1 1/2 years - gastric bypass is not available in my community). For those that are curious or worried, I educate. For those who are negative, I recognize that as their own personality issue that is now directed at me. These are the same people who find negativity in everything! For those that are threatened, I provide support back (and honesty- if I don't tell them how I am feeling about their response, how can I expect them to behave differently). I know that as I go through this intensely personal journey, some of the people I thought were important to me will change and not everyone in my life will keep their same positions. BTW, as supportive as people try to be, one thing you may find through this journey is that they equate support with weight loss only, which can be annoying (especially if the scale isn't moving as fast as you want). You need to be prepared for this (and accepting). They want to be helpful, but unless they are going through this huge change in your life (and the actual surgery is only a tiny part of the change), they CAN"T really relate. For the posters who haven't told but wanted to know what to say to people who recognize the weight loss, I say "thank you" and "I am doing this with exercise and by watching what I eat" and I leave it at that (there is nothing inaccurate about that statement). I know lots of people who post here refuse to tell people how much they have lost. I am on the fence about that - I started out by telling people right from the beginning, so I am kind of stuck with it, but it does reinforce the concept that the journey is all about weight loss only. I am actually surprised by the number of people who are so happy for me and the comments and questions about how I am feeling now as compared to before. Good luck to you all! :regular_smile:

I don't have symptoms such as you described. I find the band mostly helps me to not really be hungry at all. If I haven't eaten for 4 or 5 hours, or conversely if I am quite full, I tend to get a sore shoulder (the same aching pain that people get after surgery that is associated with gas). I do still have "head hunger" though. Head hunger hits me in the evening, right after I eat dinner (traditionally the time I always started to eat uncontrollably). I know I am full, but I still have the urge to look for something more to eat. If I am able to distract myself for about 1/2 hour, I am fine. I do plan for 1 or even 2 evening Snacks (usually under 100 calories each), just in case I am actually hungry. I do usually have one snack about 9:00 pm. How much you can eat is variable and depends a lot on your level of restriction. I am not overly restricted (I can eat anything as long I really chew), which I am VERY happy with, since I am not hungry but I can still control my portions. I have a fill of 7 cc's in a 10 cc band (got 3 cc's at the time of surgery, 3 more cc's in November and 1 more cc at the beginning of March). I can eat 1 package of instant oatmeal for Breakfast, about 2 oz of Protein (lunch meat or cheese or 1/2 c of cottage cheese) plus some carbs (crackers, bread) and veggies or fruit (1 piece) for lunch, a small yogurt for afternoon snack and for dinner I usually eat 2-4 oz of protein and 1/2 to 1 cup of veggies. A three oz piece of meat is about the size of a deck of cards (or the palm of your hand). Occasionally I have Pasta or potato with dinner, but not too often. My evening snack is often a 100 calorie pack of something (I usually go for the popcorn), 1 or 2 turkey pepperoni sticks (45 calories each) or a sugar free pudding (60-90 calories each). I usually end up around 1000 calories per day. I hope this helps . Good luck!

I have bought the chocolate dip and the caramel dip, and they are both ok when mixed in things (pretty strong artificial flavor when alone though). I used them in my liquid Optifast diet and they added good flavor to the shakes. A much better flavoring (imho) are the daVinci sugar free syrups. I bought the raspberry and the amerreto (tastes like almond, not the liqueur). They have a number of flavors and are sold on line. Alot of coffee shops have that brand or torrino (sp?) that you might want to try first (just make sure to get the sugar free). A friend had bought the "creamy peanut spread" and didn't like it and gave it to me. I have only dipped my knife in it so far and wansn't impressed. I got a faint hint of Peanut Butter, but it tasted more like really thick Water to me. I tried the ceasar dressing and didn't like it. Again tasted like flavored water to me (and not a nice flavor). The brand kind of creeps me out (not enough that I didn't try it) as their stuff is fat free, sugar free, calorie free and the only ingredient I understand on the label is "purified water", which is the first ingredient on each product (I guess that is why it all tastes like water to me :tongue:)

As important as any weight loss is the way you feel when you start exercising regularly. Your body gets a leaner look (ok it is hard to tell at my weight, but if you can ignore the saggy hanging bottom arms, the top of my arms look great :tongue:). With regular exercise you get more enery, more stamina, can breathe better, have better flexibility and balance, just to name a few benefits. Since I started exercising regularly (at a ladies only gym), I have gradually (since the end of November) built up to where I walk (combination elliptical and treadmill) 5 miles in 75 minutes continuously at least 3 times per week (the other 1-2 days per week I do combo of sprint circuit (think curves) and cardio). When I first started, I thought 1 mile in 22 minutes was an incredible accomplishment and I was tired at the end. I may not be the fasted person at Spa Lady, but I bet there aren't too many that put in 5 miles at a time

Julie you look beautiful now - you will be an absolute drop dead gorgeous hottie after plastic surgery! :biggrin2:

Everyone has given great advice. Here is my 2 cents worth: I still go out to eat quite regularly. I look forward to really reading the menu and trying different things than the my old stand bys that were always high fat and huge portions. I am discovering a new taste for "quality" food over just quantity. I used to just "hoover" in my dinner and then wonder what I could eat next rather than take my time and enjoy what was in front of me. In some ways I think I enjoy eating more now than before (I know that sounds really strange from someone who was classified as super obese). We are so conditioned to eating everything put on our plate (getting value for our $) and expecting to eat huge quantities in one sitting. Another thing I have learned? An appreciation for leftovers. I am on the third day of eating a delicious Indian dinner - and to me it tastes just as good if not better than the first time! I probably won't do many buffets anymore, but to tell the truth, I would rather have the food prepared fresh anyways (see above re quality over quantity).

Not a dumb question at all. I think all of us have been anxious about eating and food and even grieving the loss of what we think food is to us pre-band. I think the true intent of the band is to assist us with portion control, but I know for me that portion control isn't my only issue. Not only did I eat too much pre-band, but I also consistently chose the wrong foods and ate all the time for the wrong reasons (not because I was hungry but because food filled both my time and my emotions). I think if you do truly eat sensibly most of the time you can lose weight by the portion control aspect of the band, but you also have to remember that once banded, chances are you won't be truly resticted for months (healing time and then fills to get to the sweet spot). I read something here a couple of weeks ago that really "spoke" to me about how I feel about the band. The poster said she looked at the band as a maintenance tool, but when it comes to actually losing weight, she has to do all the work. This is how the band works for me. I am able to eat far less now (for many reasons, the band being only one of them). I am being very careful about what I eat and how much (I try to stick to between 1000-1200 calories most days and I count weight watchers points). I also journal everything I eat on a daily basis. Because I am not as hungry as I used to be, I am working very hard to lose the weight now, not later. I am working very hard at creating a healthy lifestyle for myself that includes exercise. Both of these concepts are new to me. That said, I am eating all foods and food groups and using the adage that there are no bad foods, but the key is moderation. There is nothing that I won't eat or haven't eaten (in small amounts) since being banded. The literature by the band manufacturers stresses that people should be eating a balanced diet and should not be relying on shakes for their nutrition (mainly because liquid just slides through the band and doesn't fill your new stomach pouch so the risk is drinking Protein shakes will not help you lose weight because you will be eating and drinking too many calories). Good Luck. You are not alone and know you can lose weight without denying yourself everything!

Wow Becky - 267 pounds is an incredible accomplishment . You should be so proud of yourself!!!! You are a true inspiration.

I find journalling everything I eat is really helpful, since then I need to actually acknowledge what I am eating and not just mindlessly sticking it in my mouth (which is a huge problem for me in the evenings even despite the band). By being more mindful, I find that I am actually making a decision to eat or not to eat and what to eat and I find it easier to make better choices (not sure why it works, but it does - for me)! Also, if you know you are giving into sweets and don't want to go low carb, try to find some healthier alternatives that you can have on hand. For example a sugar free pudding (60-70 calories), sugar free candy (0-10 calories per piece), 100 calorie packs. I go by the philosophy that nothing is against the rules, the only rule is moderation. You are doing great. Acknowledging and understanding your issue is a giant step in the right direction

Ok while I agree with Gordon a little about eating what you enjoy and what you can tolerate, I have to get on the nutritional bandwagon. Can you add some vegetables and milk or yogurt (since you probably don't have 2 cups of milk in your coffee )? You might want to add more Protein since 1-2 eggs will only have 6-12 grams of protein and I believe most bandsters are advised to shoot for 60 grams of protein per day. I know we are told to eat, rather than drink our calories, but could you take some milk, banana and Protein powder, blend with ice and at least make a shake? If you won't add veggies and such, are you at least taking Calcium and a good Multivitamin? I didn't calculate your calories, but I am thinking you are not likely eating enough, since I don't think you are getting much more than 600 calories a day. You haven't said whether you are hungry on your current diet, but if you up your protein intake, you will likely feel satisfied for longer.

Aquasize or deep water running is amazing exercise when you are really big. The one place in the world where I have been as graceful (or more so) than everyone else was in the water. I went for about 6-7 months about 10 years ago when I was recovering from back surgery and it was great. It increased my mobility, balance and strength. If you don't like showing too much of your body, you can cover up with a big t-shirt.

Congratulations on the beginning of your new journey. Let us know how you are doing! You have done great so far.

Great List - I am sure there is something on it for everyone. Thanks for posting it

I agree with what everyone else has said about the support and inspiration you can receive on the forum. I also think you have to look at the band as something you are doing for yourself - it is not about anyone else but you. I think many of us either don't or won't devote time and energy into what we need and we end up filling our voids with food. In all likelihood there aren't alot of people in your "real" life who can relate and provide the support you are likely looking for. I told lots of people I have been banded, and I have not heard anything but positive comments (at least to my face), but people still can't relate to my experience and how hard I am working and what the experience is actually like. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for the people in my life, but they tend to think of WLS as a black and white thing that is measured only in pounds lost, not in the journey, which is a miracle in itself. Good luck and keep coming back for support!

I have turned into a little old lady- always turning up the heat, huddled in sweaters and have added blankets to my bed (I used to just sleep just covered by a sheet, with the duvet folded at my feet) :wub:

Absolutely. Hopefully those butterflies will not be hunger pangs anymore though :wub:

You haven't given us enough info to tell us what you actually ate, so how we can suggest if it is "ok"? What do have for brekkie? What do you eat at 10:30? You also haven't said whether you have been banded yet? I believe most people would tell you that you need to eat regularly, even if only small amounts. If you don't actually put food into your body (and contrary to popular belief coffee is not food) you metabolism will slow down and your weight loss will stop. Research is actually linking not eating Breakfast to obesity. Many people talk about being very successful at weight loss by eating 6 "mini meals" throughout the day. :wub:

I use the Daily Plate and really like it. I can't compare it to fitday, although I did use fitday a couple of times and had trouble finding the food I ate. I am using the free version of the Daily Plate. What do I like? 1. I have found almost every food that I have looked for (even recipes like the Campbell's Soup can recipe for Brocoli chicken divan) 2. Even if I don't find an exact brand match, I am able to match the info I know from the food I ate and get an accurate calculation 3. If I can't find the food (one recipe so far) and I didn't feel like adding it myself, you can add manual calories 4. You can save entire favorite meals and just click and select (for example 1/4 cup egg whites, 2 tsp light margarine, 2 slices weight watchers bread). 5. You can get cool graphs and charts (weight loss over time, average Protein over time, exercise over time, sodium, etc) 6. You can track your exercise each day (although the credit they give you for the exercise is kind of out of whack - according to the credits I am given for exercise I should be close to goal by now) 7. You can see some great recipes from people who have posted and calculated the nutritional content of what they prepared 8. You can add your weight and height and how much weight you want to lose per week (for example 2 lbs) and it will calculate the number of calories you should be able to eat daily and lose that amount (again uses science that my body doesn't particularly agree with :crying:) 9 I found it really easy to use, and pretty quick.