renewedhope

I could relate to these feelings prior to being banded. I am now 4 months out and have lost 47 pounds. My hope is renewed. I can't say for you, but choosing the band was the best decision that I have ever made for my health and wellness. I still have to do the work, but now I have help. I proved to myself so many times that just deciding to eat right, again, didn't get me there. Are you still considering getting the band. I cannot stress enough the difference it has made for me. I wish you the very best.

I am still tight, but I can sleep lying flat, and I can drink liquids without problems unless they are really cold then they come back up. I ate about 1/2 cup oatmeal this morning without any problem. I just have to eat slowly and carefully. I think I am happy with this fill. Maybe a little tight, but I expect it will loosen some and I don't feel sick. I plan to stay here for awhile.

Ny 9 year old son drew this for me tonight. I almost cried when he gave it to me. He told me that he is proud that we are getting healthy. Notice in the picture I am throwing a doughnut in the trash (he said it is cholcolate with sprinkles). We are outside playing catch. This makes me want to work harder than ever to reach goal. I have so much more to give my family now. I can only imagine what it will be like at goal. The shirt says, "moma fumilius". He got that from a line in Oh Brother Where Art Thow, when George clooney refers to himself as the "pedifamilius". I know, I'm a doting mom, but i just couldn't help but share. Amy http://www.lapbandtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=12193&stc=1&d=1203914137

Name...........Start........Current......Goal.......To Go Brandymom1234...200...........200........185.........15 Candle..........205...........202.5......197..........5.5 cQQlgirl........215...........215........200.........15 destiny79.......255...........255........240.........15 Foofy...........242.5.........242.5......234.........8.5 Jill............220...........220........210.........10 Jovi2673........217...........217........200.........17 KarenG .........189...........186........181..........5 kjl315..........227...........227........217.........10 kristin1031.....240...........238........225.........13 legster.........209...........209........196.........13 LessnLess.......164...........162........157..........5 Linda Lu........228...........226.7......215.........11.7 Longhorn........204...........199.4......195..........4.4 Mumof2boys......188...........188........175.........13 Marimaru........206...........206........195.........11 PhDiva..........208...........208........195.........13 Rainer..........251...........251........241.........10 Redtulips3......225...........224........215..........9 Renewedhope.....213...........208........199..........9 Sades...........201...........198........190..........8 Skinny_Jill.....186...........184........178..........6 Stacy73.........222...........222........212.........10 Sunny112........143...........143........135..........8 Suzzzie.........291...........291........280.........11 Valstar.........269...........269........260..........9 wombat712.......145...........144........135..........9 debihaines......254...........219........209.........10

Congrats Georgia!! You are doing great!! I am down 2 pounds this morning to 208. I see onederland!!! I can't wait to get there! I haven't been under 200 since I got pregnant with my son who is 9.

I've been needing a kick in pants to keep me focused on my goal. My dh was already in bed when Dalton brought it to me. I can't wait to show him in the morning. Dalton also told me the other day that I have lost enough weight. "Now we fit in the big chair together perfect for snuggling. If you lose more weight their will be too much extra room in the chair." He cracks me up. I told him that we can get an extra blanket. I am partial, but he is the sweetest little guy. DH and I are so blessed. Amy

I'm staying on plan today because my beautiful son drew me this picture. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f15/if-isn-t-motivating-what-53617/

Sorry forgot to attach the pic. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f15/if-isn-t-motivating-what-53617/

Check out this picture my son drew me tonight. Now I am motivated more than ever. I will keep this on my refridgerator. Amy

an elephants heart and a guinea pig

I am officially not obese enough to have lapband surgery even if I had comorbidities. My BMI this morning is 34.5. Georgia, How is your ear?? Are you sleeping better?

I am down 3 pounds this morning. I got a fill yesterday and then a little unfil yesterday afternoon because I was too tight. I still think I may be too tight. I couldn't lie flat last night. Had to sleep propped on pillows. I am a little nauseated this morning. If nothing changes I will probably go in for more unfill on Monday. The good news is 3 POUNDS DOWN!!!!!!!! Amy

Name...........Start........Current......Goal.......To Go Brandymom1234...200...........200........185.........15 Candle..........205...........202.5......197..........5.5 cQQlgirl........215...........215........200.........15 destiny79.......255...........255........240.........15 Foofy...........242.5.........242.5......234.........8.5 Jill............220...........220........210.........10 Jovi2673........217...........217........200.........17 KarenG .........189...........189........181..........8 kjl315..........227...........227........217.........10 kristin1031.....240...........238........225.........13 legster.........209...........209........196.........13 LessnLess.......164...........164........157..........7 Linda Lu........228...........226.7......215.........11.7 Longhorn........204...........199.4......195..........4.4 Mumof2boys......188...........188........175.........13 Marimaru........206...........206........195.........11 PhDiva..........208...........208........195.........13 Rainer..........251...........251........241.........10 Redtulips3......225...........224........215..........9 Renewedhope.....213...........210........199.........11 Sades...........201...........198........190..........8 Skinny_Jill.....186...........184........178..........6 Stacy73.........222...........222........212.........10 Sunny112........143...........143........135..........8 Suzzzie.........291...........291........280.........11 Valstar.........269...........269........260..........9 wombat712.......145...........144........135..........9

I'm staying on plan today because I am VERY tight from my fill and I can only tolerate liquids right now.

So cool that your husband is on board with you. That makes such a big difference. There are worse last suppers you could have had with him than spinach dip and tortillas. It really looks like these kids will be with us for an extended period of time. They are so sweet. I haven't posted much lately. I have read posts but that's about it. When we get new kids there is a transition period for all of us. It's a little crazy sometimes. dr appointments, getting them clothes, etc. We are beginning to settle in so hopefully I will begin posting more. Amy

I am staying on plan today because I got a fill and I am very "full". LOL

well, I went for my fill today. She put another 1cc. That's a total of 8.5cc. Man o man. I could only drink very small sips of Water, but I thought I would tough it out over the weekend. Well, at 4:30 I was back in her office. She took .5 out so now I have 8cc. I am can tell that I am quiet tight, but not too much. I am on liquids for today. I can start soft food in the morning, so we'll see how it goes. I may do pretty much liquids for the weekend since I can tell I am really tight. Georgia, CONGRATS ON THE WEIGHT LOSS!!! I am so glad that your hard work is paying off!! It sure is exciting to see those scales moving down. BTW, we got 2 new foster kids on Wednesday night. They are 2 and 3. A boy and a girl. They are the sweetest little kiddos. Now we have a 4 month old, a 1 year old, a 2 year old, a 3 year old (she will be 4 on Sunday), and a 9 year old. Never a dull moment around here. They are a lot of fun. Amy

I have not weighed either, because I know my scales are going in the wrong direction. I go for a fill today. HOpe it helps. Amy

My kids are one of the reasons I did this. Remaining overweight, in my opinion, is a bigger risk than the surgery was. I want to be able to be acive with my kids. I want to be here to see them frow up and I want to someday have grandchildren. I want their mom to be healthy both physically and emotionally. This is what my band is helping me do.

Congrats on your pregnancy and weight loss!!! That is awesome!!

I don't know if feeling tired is a known side effect of metformin, but for me, it seems that I am more fatigued when I take it. I also have not worn my cpap for the past few nights, and i don't think I am ready to kick it to the curb yet, as much as I wish I were. I am really working on simplifying life around here. Our 2 oldest foster kids went to live with there grandmother on Friday. We miss them, but boy is our house quieter. I also put my son back in public school on Monday. We had been homeschooling him this year, and he really misses his friends at school, so we let him go back. So now it's just me and the 15th month old and 4 month old boys during the day. I really want to make it work financially so that I can continue to stay home. I know you are a SAHM too and know the challenges that presents at times. Anyway, I am rambling. I hope your ear is lots better real soon!!

I am beginning the induction phase of the atkins diet on Monday. Does anyone want to join me in this???? I really need to focus on adding Protein and cutting carbs. Here are the rules for the induction phase.. Search Site recipes <LI class=plain id=portaltab-atkins-university>eggs and red meat, as well as pure, natural fat in the form of butter, mayonnaise, olive oil, safflower, sunflower and other vegetable oils (preferably expeller-pressed or cold-pressed). 2. Eat no more than 20 grams a day of carbohydrate, at least 12 – 15 grams of which must come in the form of salad greens and other vegetables. (see Acceptable Foods). 3. Eat absolutely no fruit, bread, Pasta, grains, starchy vegetables or dairy products other than cheese, cream or butter. Do not eat nuts or seeds in the first two weeks. Foods that combine protein and carbohydrates, such as chickpeas, kidney Beans and other legumes, are not permitted at this time. If you feel you must eat bread or some other grain product, only high Fiber low-carb products with 3 net carbs or less per serving are allowed, and you can eat only one serving a day. Be aware that even that amount may slow or stall your progress, and if that happens, drop the product immediately. 4. Eat nothing that isn't on the Acceptable Foods list. And that means absolutely nothing. Your "just this one taste won't hurt" rationalization is the kiss of failure during this phase of Atkins. 5. Adjust the quantity you eat to suit your appetite, especially as it decreases. When you're hungry, eat the amount that makes you feel satisfied, but not stuffed. When you're not hungry, eat a small controlled carbohydrate snack to accompany your nutritional supplements. 6. Don't assume any food is low in carbohydrate—instead, read labels. Check the carb count (it's on every package) or use a carbohydrate gram counter. Be aware that the law allows manufacturers to round off if a product has fewer than 0.5 grams of any carbohydrate, so that will show up as zero. The only way to detect some fractional carbs is to look for them in the ingredients list, where they must be listed if they’re added to a product, regardless of the amount. 7. Eat out as often as you wish but be on guard for hidden carbs in gravies, sauces and dressings. Gravy is often made with flour or cornstarch, and sugar is sometimes an ingredient in salad dressing. 8. Use sucralose or saccharin as a sweetener. Be sure to count each packet of any of these as 1 gram of carbs, because of the fillers and bulking agents which are added. 9. Avoid too much coffee, tea and soft drinks that contain caffeine. Excessive caffeine has been shown to cause low blood sugar, which can make you crave sugar. 10. Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of Water each day in addition to anything else you may drink, to hydrate your body, avoid constipation and flush out the by-products of burning fat. 11. If you are constipated, mix a tablespoon or more of psyllium husks in a cup or more of water and drink daily. Or mix ground flaxseed into a shake or sprinkle wheat bran on a salad or vegetables. 12. At a minimum, take a good daily Multivitamin with minerals, including potassium, magnesium and Calcium, but without Iron. Acceptable Foods These are the foods you may eat liberally during Induction: All fish, including ... All fowl, including ... All shellfish, including ... All meat, including ... All eggs, including ...tuna chicken oysters* beef scrambled salmon turkey mussels* pork friedsole duck duck lamb poachedtrout goose clams bacon**soft-boiledflounder Cornish hensquid veal hard-boiledsardines quail shrimp ham** deviledherring pheasant crabmeat venison omelets *Oysters and mussels are higher in carbs than other shellfish, so limit them to four ounces per day. **Processed meats, such as ham, bacon, pepperoni, salami, hot dogs and other luncheon meats—and some fish—may be cured with added sugar and will contribute carbs. Try to avoid meat and fish products cured with nitrates, which are known carcinogens. Also beware of products that are not exclusively meat, fish or fowl, such as imitation fish, meatloaf and breaded foods. Finally, do not consume more than four ounces of organ meats a day. OTHER FOODS THAT ARE ACCEPTABLE DURING INDUCTION Cheese You can consume three to four ounces daily of the following full-fat, firm, soft and semisoft aged cheeses*, including: cheddar cow, sheep and goat cheese cream cheese Gouda mozzarella Roquefort and other blue cheeses Swiss *All cheeses have some carbohydrate content. The quantity you eat should be governed by that knowledge. The rule of thumb is to count 1 ounce of cheese as equivalent to 1 gram of carbohydrate. Note that cottage cheese, farmer’s cheese and other fresh cheeses are not permitted during Induction. No "diet" cheese, cheese spreads or whey cheeses are permitted. Individuals with known yeast symptoms, dairy allergy or cheese intolerance must avoid cheese. Imitation cheese products are not allowed, except for soy or rice cheese—but check the carbohydrate content. Vegetables You should eat 12-15 net carbs a day of vegetables. These salad vegetables are high in phytonutrients and provide a good source of fiber: alfalfa sprouts daikon mushrooms arugula endive parsley bok choy escarole peppers celery fennel radicchio chicory jicama radishes chives lettuce romaine lettuce cucumber mâche sorrel Other Vegetables Within the 12-15 net carb daily vegetable requirement, these vegetables are slightly higher in carbohydrate content than the salad vegetables listed above, but they also provide important nutrients and add variety to your daily food intake: artichoke celery root pumpkin artichoke hearts rhubarb asparagus chard sauerkraut bamboo shoots collard greens scallions dandelion snow peas bean sprouts dandelion greens spaghetti squash beet greens eggplant spinach broccoli hearts of palm string or wax beans broccoli rabe kale summer squash Brussels sprouts kohlrabi tomato bean sprouts leeks turnips cabbage okra water chestnuts cauliflower onion zucchini If a vegetable, such as spinach or tomato, cooks down significantly, it must be measured raw so as not to underestimate its carb count. Salad Garnishes crumbled crisp bacon grated cheese minced hard-boiled egg sautéed mushrooms sour cream Spices All spices to taste, but make sure none contain added sugar. Herbs basil garlic rosemary cayenne pepper ginger sage cilantro oregano tarragon dill pepper thyme For salad dressing, use oil and vinegar or lemon juice and herbs and spices. Prepared salad dressings without added sugar and no more than two carbs per tablespoon serving are also fine. Acceptable Fats and Oils Many fats, especially certain oils, are essential to good nutrition. Olive oil is particularly valuable. All other vegetable oils are allowed, the best being canola, walnut, soybean, grapeseed, sesame, sunflower and safflower oils, especially if they are labeled "cold-pressed" or "expeller-pressed." Do not cook polyunsaturated oils, such as corn, soybean and sunflower oil, at high temperatures or allow to brown or smoke. Butter is allowed. Margarine should be avoided, not because of its carbohydrate content, but because it is usually made of trans fats (hydrogenated oils), which are a health hazard. (Some nonhydrogenated margarines are now available.) You don't have to remove the skin and fat from meat or fowl. Salmon and other cold-water fish are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Remember that trying to do a low-fat version of the Atkins Nutritional ApproachTM may interfere with fat burning and derail your weight loss. Artificial Sweeteners You must determine which artificial sweeteners agree with you, but the following are allowed: sucralose (marketed as Splenda™), saccharin, cyclamate and acesulfame-K. Natural sweeteners ending in the suffix "-ose," such as maltose, etc., should be avoided. However, most sugar alcohols have a minimal effect on blood sugar and are acceptable. Saccharin has been extensively studied, and harmful effects were produced in the lab when fed to rats only in extremely high doses. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has removed saccharin from its list of carcinogens, basing its decision upon a thorough review of the medical literature and the National Institute of Science’s statement that there is "no clear association between saccharin and human cancer." It can be safely consumed in moderation, meaning no more than three packets a day. Saccharin is marketed as Sweet'n Low™. The Atkins preference, however, is sucralose (Splenda™), the only sweetener made from sugar. Sucralose is safe, noncaloric and does not raise blood sugar. It has been used in Canada for years, and the FDA approved it after reviewing more than 100 studies conducted over the past 20 years. Note that each packet of sugar substitute contains about 1 gram of carbohydrate, so don’t forget to include the amount in your daily totals. Acceptable beverages Be sure to drink a minimum of eight eight-ounce glasses of water each day, including: Filtered water Mineral water Spring water Tap water Additionally, you can have the following: Clear broth/bouillon (not all brands; read the label) Club soda Cream, heavy or light (limit to two to three tablespoons a day; note carbohydrate content) Decaffeinated or regular coffee or tea* Diet soda made with sucralose (Splenda™); be sure to count the carbs Essence-flavored seltzer (must say "no calories") Herb tea (without barley or any fruit sugar added) Lemon juice or lime juice (note that each contains 2.8 grams carbohydrate per ounce); limit to two to three tablespoons * Caffeine can cause cravings or blood sugar spikes with some people. If you’re one of them, you should drink only decaffeinated beverages. If you don’t have a problem with caffeine, you may drink one or two caffeinated beverages a day, because evolving research indicates there may actually be health benefits to a limited amount of caffeine. However, if you have a true caffeine addiction, it will be best to break it during Induction, because any food addiction can cause problems if it isn’t taken care of. Once you’ve broken the addiction and moved on to OWL, you can carefully try adding caffeinated beverages back into your food intake, as long as it doesn’t trigger the addiction again. Special Category Foods To add variety, each day you can also eat 10 to 20 olives, half a small avocado, an ounce of sour cream or three ounces of unsweetened heavy cream, as well as two to three tablespoons of lemon juice or lime juice. But be aware that these foods occasionally slow down weight loss in some people, and may need to be avoided in the first two weeks. If you seem to be losing slowly, moderate your intake of these foods. Convenience Foods Although it is important that you eat primarily unprocessed foods, some controlled carb food products can come in handy when you are unable to find appropriate food, can’t take time for a meal or need a quick snack. More and more companies are creating healthy food products that can be eaten during the Induction phase of Atkins. Just remember two things: 1. Not all convenience food products are the same, so check labels and carbohydrate content. (See the Online Store for Atkins brand products.) 2. While any of these foods can make doing Atkins easier, don’t overdo it. Remember, you must always follow The Rules of Induction.

I started it, but only took it for about 1 week. I didn't have the really bad stomach symptoms that I had the first time, but, like the first time, I just really feel drained when I take it. I may start again. I can't decide, but for now I am not taking it. I go for my more "agressive" fill on Friday. I am really kinda nervous. The scales are just not moving right now. I started back at the gym today, so hopefully that will help. I am also following Atkins more closely. I am not counting carbs, etc, but I am focusing on eating low carb foods.

I am excited as well. We definately have some unique issues don't we!!

Thanks Alex. Amy