steph_co

I posted in this same thread on the other forum.

I don't know how many times I have heard that the band is a tool, it does not do all the work. Hence, I still have to make healthy choices. How did you miss hearing/reading that the band is just a tool? It's ALL OVER this board. My nutritionist, my social worker, my surgeon, and the surgeon's assistant (NP) ALL told me it was just a tool and would not do all the work for me. So, yeah...I could sit down and drink 5,000 calories of milkshake per day. It all goes through the band, why not? That doesn't even make sense that you would continue to lose weight eating whatever you want. Now, it would be much different if you were eating your Protein FIRST, then your VEGGIES, and if any room left, THEN whole grains or fruits. But choosing foods that will halt weight loss...I'm sorry, but you're not going to lose weight. I'm not being condescending...I just don't understand how somebody can get SO FAR on this journey and still not understand how the tool works. I would strongly recommend you get in touch with a nutritionist. Whether that be the one through your Dr's office, or just one that specializes in Bariatric Eating, it would be a very good idea. Did your Dr give you a list of things to eat once you get to solids? I would try following that. Just remember: 1. protein 2. veggies 3. whole grains or fruits In that order. :scared:

I don't think I'd go so far as to assume "you'll be fine." There's no way of knowing that unless I could check your liver function through the internet. But I will say this - I think a lot of it depends on your BMI as to how bad your liver can be. I was just under 37 BMI and didn't have a true pre-op diet aside from 3 days of clear liquids pre-op. I did okay, so you may, as well. Again, it most likely depends on your BMI and overall health. I didn't have any true health problems, so that probably helped, too. Also, I would say that shrinking the liver helps your recovery time. Somebody on here said something about possibly scarring your liver with the tool they use to hold it up with if it is too swollen. But I went hog-wild for a whole month from the time my surgery was scheduled until my 3-day liquid diet. I ate TERRIBLE things... like Twinkies. :scared: LOL

I started a couple points above where you are right now. I can lose weight - that is not my biggest problem. My biggest problem is staying on track the entire way down and THEN maintaining the loss. That's where the band helps. I've had days where I got on the scale and nothing changed. In the past, that may have warranted me giving up and eating something bad for me that day. But knowing I have the band and it's not giving up on me, I don't give up on it! And I know once I get down to size, it'll be easier to STAY there because I won't be able to eat the portions I could before. I would have some straight talk with your doc about it. Some people just don't understand. If you explain why YOU need the band, it would probably help your doc to get it.

She has already admitted that she got bypass.

I'm really glad to hear that it's just a possibility and not an eventuality for erosion, Mona! I'll continue to send good thoughts!

I am very much looking forward to the New Year 2008! I plan to be back in a swimsuit and shorts this summer for the first time in years! I'm so excited to not be wearing long pants all summer long. The first summer where I know the scale is going down and STAYING there!!! To be able to run and play with my stepkids when they come out to visit again in the summer. To be more active with them by going biking or walking! AND...to be back in to running this summer...good heavens, I love running. Ever since I got too heavy for it, it has been sad for me. But I think running is in my blood - my mom was big into running and has actually done a few mountain marathons in Utah. I so want to do that! My big goal this year will be to train for the Summit for Life. It's a 2.5 mile race up a ski hill to benefit organ donation. It's not a hardcore RACE race...it's more so that people can do their personal best. I watched a bit of it this year and wanted to do it SO bad...but next year I will be on that hill! With my snow shoes and poles. :scared: Happy New Year 2008, everybody!

Have you considered having like .5 taken back OUT of your band so you can eat more like a normal person? Based on what you said, it sounds to me like you wouldn't be getting the nutrients that you SHOULD be getting. Like protein FIRST. Protein is what's going to help you feel full. I would talk to the doc if I were you - you sound way too tight. From what I know, the band should help us to eat mostly normal, but just much smaller portions. You definitely shouldn't be sick all the time!

LOL...too true.

I'll be following this thread with interest. I had 3cc in at surgery, 2 added and couldn't get water down at the Dr's office, so they took out .5. So I'm at 4.5cc and can pretty much eat anything. I know people have said chicken or doughy breads can get stuck...not so with me at all. The only thing I've had feel even remotely "stuck" was some shredded bbq beef, but it went down fine. I can eat more than a cup of food...I try to not go above a cup, though...and I still count calories.

Mona... I'm so sorry to hear about your ordeal. I've been following most of your story and have thoroughly enjoyed your posts. This makes me really sad. I feel like I know you IRL and I was really cheering for you that this would be it for you. What a terrible ordeal. I can so relate on hospital bills...the perils of being self-pay. Oh, man. This just really sucks. IF (HUGE if, since I will continue to hope and send my best thoughts that it won't happen!) IF IF IF what he said about erosion is true, do you think you'll try to find a way to get a conversion to VSG or GBP? Or just get the band out and be done with it? Keep us updated on what happens. I really do hope everything turns out and you get to keep that band! I'm cheering for you, hun!

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/i-made-goal-pictures-42510/

I have no idea. I've wondered about that. But I was told by my Dr's office to not drink for 30 mins before. I have no idea! I can certainly ask. :eek: They LOVE when I come in with questions that obviously most people don't ask - they seem to get a bit overwhelmed by my questions. LOL

I like low-rise. Not SUPER low-rise, but I just can't do "mom jeans." They look horrible on me and feel awful! I just make sure my shirt is long enough to cover everything. I don't like showing off my coin slot. :eek:

Renee, is your ticker accurate that you've been at 251 since before your Lapband surgery? I was thinking that if you had lost all that weight since being banded, there's no plateau. But looking at your history, I agree with you. This article was really interesting and maybe it might help: WeightWatchers.com - Weight-Loss Plateaus - Visitor Good luck! I hope something can get things jump-started again and your body moving downwards on the scale!

Slowing down. It hasn't bit me in the butt too hard, yet, but I'm sure with further fills it will. So I need to learn NOW before I get more fills and end up PB'ing!

I can't relate, but wanted to say something re: the gas. Not all surgeons use the BB as one of the openings for the laparoscopic tools. My closest one is 1 inch above my BB. If you look in the scars thread (in the "general" forum in stickies at the top), you can see that it appears that the majority are actually not involving the BB at all.

That's the coolest thing I've ever seen. Too bad everything is on the eastern half of Colorado - as usual. Closest one is 120 miles away. It's not worth the drive for me over the mountain passes. That could be a great idea for a gift for my mom, though - she lives close to several of them in Utah. Not a bad price for a massage at all!!! Thanks for the idea. I'll have to pay higher prices for massages for myself, though. :eek:

LMAO!! Now there is an image. You had me laughing so hard. I went with DH to take the kids swimming - no, I didn't actually feel brave enough to get into a suit (not just the fat...I haven't felt like shaving my legs lately...LOL). But anyway, walking past a mirror, I thought I'd just give a quick glance since I keep hearing from people that they'll catch their image in a mirror and not recognize themselves. My face looks a little thinner, but I notice that when I'm just normally looking at myself. What WAS odd was that my used-to-be skin-tight stretchy jeans (I bought them like that - that was the style) now look like skater pants on me. LOL Looks like it's time to get a new pair of "signature" jeans. I only have been buying one pair of jeans at a time once I got over size 14 because it was too depressing trying them all on. When I find a pair that fits, that's good enough for me and I look no further. Now I have to get a new pair. AND I need a new pair of work pants, too.

I wanted to chip in about the question about eating "normal" food. Yes - I eat normal food. I eat a lot less and generally make healthier choices. But to give you a "for instance," my DH's kids are staying with us and we had cinnamon rolls the other morning. I ate half of a cinnamon roll. "Bad" food? Yes, in my mind. But if I don't allow myself to indulge occasionally, I'll go crazy and eat more of something I shouldn't. We plan to make better food choices for the kids when they come back this next summer - we're making a house cleaning now and not buying that stuff again. But I will say, if I go to an event or a party or something, I most likely won't abstain from EVERYTHING. I'll just do my best to make better choices and eat LESS. Normal people eat like that. They don't obsess and fill their diet with the bad stuff, and they don't eat tons of it. It's an occasional taste now and again. Even with the "bad" stuff, I still keep under 900 calories per day and actually, closer to less than 700. I just plan ahead and choose wisely. The band makes it a lot easier.

I definitely had this fear. It hit me the night before surgery. It really surprised me because I thought all I wanted was to be thin and then I'd be happy. I realized at that point that it just wasn't true. What I was afraid with with getting skinny was that I wouldn't be able to blame the fat anymore if I ever get rejected again. I got skinny in HS and I thought for sure I'd be getting dates. No - I didn't. I still think I was pretty cute, but I had zero self-esteem whatsoever - I did my best to remain invisible. So it's no wonder I didn't get dates - nobody could see me! But at the time, I just figured I wasn't worth it, period. And thus began the years and years of torturing myself in a chubby body. When I get thin, I'll just have to come to terms with the fact that somebody is rejecting me for ME, or possibly for reasons that have nothing to do with me at all. That is going to be the hardest thing of all for me. My fat has been my protection. It is how I have kept myself from relating to people in this world. It's how I kept myself from taking risks. But I know I don't want to be there anymore. It's really strange to me to think that 70+ lbs heavier than I was in HS, I have more self-esteem than I did then! I know more about who I am - I believe in myself. And because of that, I know I can be thin and not need the protection of all that fat.

Sounds great, everybody! I'm not sure if I'd consider this a victory...I mean, I'm not complaining, trust me, I'm so not! But last night, trying to lie on my side, my legs together kind of hurt - that's right, the BONES are starting to be uncovered from fat and it's a little uncomfy. LOL I'm sure I'll adjust eventually. It was just an interesting change for me. I think I will call it a victory because at least it shows that I am losing.

YES...I just saw that today - I love it!

Ummm...I took whole Vicodin the moment I became conscious enough to do so when I woke up from surgery. It hurt that first time, but they had just finished messing with my stomach not an hour before that! As for after getting home....I took whole Vicodin - no issues whatsoever. No pain, no stuck feeling. Certainly - ask your doctor...but I don't see an issue with it like other people are making it out to be.

My doctor set my guidelines at 1 cup and increase as necessary. There were times I could easily down more than a cup.