ReneBean

Hey Wes Welcome to LBT. I understand the problem of liking food - I love the stuff..... But being a man will actually help you. Most of the men on our board lose weight more quickly that the gals... It seems testosterone is good for something, after all. :] Good Luck with your Journey. Let your wife know she is welcome, too. Support is for everybody - and while the surgeries are different, a lot of the struggles are similar. Hugs!

Yes - go have your blood sugar levels checked - and explain to the doc exactly what you told us... no matter how carb free you have been, eating a few cookies should NOT do this to you.

I guess that hospital stay had a silver lining, huh? Good Luck! Welcome to Bandland!

Sarah You ROCK!!! I was a Sophomore, too.... I can't wait!!! Keep up the great work!

You have several feet of intenstinal tract that were mostly empty while you were on liquids. Once you start eating food again, those several feet fill up - they are not normally ever empty - so those are the pounds you have gained. Think about how much 8 feet of sausage might weigh... Don't panic. Its normal. Good luck on the rest of your journey. Hugs!

If you feel your doc is less than enthusiastic about banding, you might want to try and find a doc that is positive about it. I, personally, would never have my intestines re-routed. There are just too many things that can go wrong with that - both in the immediate "getting up off the table" sense, and in the long term. I don't want to go nuts from malnutrition. I don't want to be forced to take nasty supplements for the rest of my life cause I permanently changed the digestive system. Now, not everybody has those problems - but enough people do have them to scare the crap outta me... and I am NOT talking about dumping! I believe that the band can be as effective as the bypass, but it requires more work on your part. The band doesn't FORCE you do do anything (unlike the bypass) but it HELPS you to have better self control. Also - any studies done on band patients that STILL retained their bands - even after the so-called "failure" are automatically invalid... because at any time, so long as the band is in place, you can get an adjustment and try again. The chance to do it right is there, so long as you have your band. If YOU want an RNY - cause you want the immediate gratification of quick weightloss and you are willing to risk more dramatic complications to get it - then go for it. But if it's your DOC pushing you - then find another doc. Hugs! Good Luck in your decision.

Find the local women's medical center - they will not blow you off. Based on a lumpy weird thing in your breast, they will mammogram, sonogram and or do a quick biopsy until they know what it is. Even if you DIDN'T have a family history, I would recommend a second opinion. If you tell the women's clinic you have a lump, they will take care of you. Hugs! Don't back down on something that could take your life.

Happy Saturday!! This morning I got up at a normal human hour and went to the Teacher Certification Info Session. It was good and very educational - they even gave us some basic info on getting loans and stuff so we can afford to get the schooling we need. So long as I don't get laid off any time soon - all will work out perfectly. Now, if I DO get laid off, I will have more time to brush up on what I need to...but less money to do it with and a strictly limited time-frame in which to do it - so everybody pray for continued employment - at least for the next 12 mos or so. :] Other than that - no big plans. Tomorrow DH & I are going to go looking for an additional freezer. We had a spare one when we first moved in - the sellers left their old one - but it died and we haven't yet replaced it. Since the refridgerator is out of commission for a few more days, we are going to the the most bang that we can out of using the freezer. Betty - PM me if you want to hook up sometime today for free passes to the Faire. I could prolly meet you someplace - or you could come north... and yes - I did get to the store and pick up my tickets... I buy them all at once for the next ten drawings - so I am good for all the drawings into mid/late April. :] Dianne - Que es un "folded stick"? Como se dice en inglais? LOL? I don't know what that means... is it a medical term - or do you really have some sort of a stick in you? Glad you are up and moving around. Hope you feel less pain, soon. Pat - are your urchins there, yet? Are you ready for the big sleep over? What fabulous Boy Things do you have planned? Just Happy Feet? Mandy - hope you & yourn are having a fab weekend! Eileenie - Hope your DM takes some time to heal up. Geez - doing laundry right after surgery? Yikes! Is she a masochist, or what?? And no, nothing is for sure on the job front. That's actually the worst part. If I were SURE I was going to be laid off, I would be out looking for other employment, right now. As is is, I just have to wait and see. It would be far preferable to keep my existing job while I work toward teacher certification, assuming the job still exists. I know everybody and they know me, and it would not be much trouble to adjust my schedule so that I can be at all my class sessions and take the occassional day off, as needed. If I suddenly had to learn a whole new job - new computer system, new guidelines, blah, blah, blah - it would be difficult on top of going to school. Besides, I would not have the option to just work whatever hours I please at a new place... which I sort of do have at my current job. So, everybody think good thoughts for the Dallas Office to remain viable and for me to remain gainfully employed, there. Sherry - Have I missed something? Are you starting a new venture? Your first client for what, Darlink? I have never actually HAD a maid, but I am really, really hoping to hit the lottery - for at least a few hundred thousand, anyway. I want a maid badly. Love him, though I do, DH is a LOUSY housekeeper. A great cook, a lousy housekeeper - just the opposite of what I could really use right now. *maybe if he were a lousier cook, I could lose more than 3.5 pound s a month. At this rate - it will take me another 3 years to get to goal.... Just call me Veruca. I want it NOW. Thanks, Ladies, for all the congrats. I have averaged less than 3 pounds a month since surgery - 42-44 pounds in a little less than 14 mos. Since I logged NO exercise in March - and it isn't looking good for today, either - I am going to have to re-dedicate myself to the cause. The band can only do so much on it's own (about 3 pounds per month, actually.. :heh: ) and I really would like to speed up the process. Of course, I would also like to be able to laze around on the couch at the computer all the time - and that is the urge that has been winning out. *sigh* I guess if I were more distressed about the slow loss, I would be more motivated to get up off my oh-so-large butt. Unfortunately, as long as the scale is still moving and moving in the right direction, I have a hard time getting to fired up about it. Well, I am pondering the mystery of pulling some weeds in the back yard... I'll let you know what I find out about that... lol! Love you guys! xo

Evening! Not much going on, here. I was pretty unmotivated today, so I didn't even study my Spanish... although I did listen to Spanish radio all day. I figure imersion therapy has to be good for something! I spent the day surfing and chatting with my co-workers. I cleared some of the junk out of my desk - you know, just in case I end up unemployed... and I am taking lots of the "stuff" I have collected on my computer home. I wouldn't want to lose any of the important addresses or e-mails of my friends at LBT!! The refridgerator repairman came to the house today. He had to order parts - so we are without a fridge for several more days. Oh Joy. Plus, we have to empty out the freezer before the parts get here and the guy comes back. I see lots of meat dishes in my immediate future. So that's all I know, at the moment. I think I am going to go home and eat fudgecycles... :] Love you guys!

I think the FDA actually specified 5 yrs as the minimum length of time being obese as a qualification. If have been heavy for at least five years and actively battling the problem, the fact that you got to have a normal childhood and adolesence should not stop you. :] But I guess having had a normal life, this whole obesity thing must be even more horrific than for those of us that grew up being the fat kid. Hugs, and good luck!

Hugs, Rebecca! We are all thinking good thoughts for speedy healing!

Capital One offers financing. You can also take a loan against your 401k - assuming you have enough balance to do it. I know exactly how you guys feel. I am so sorry!

Well, I am back to make another entry. I had another "Aftercare" visit yesterday. My Official weight as of yesterday (per doc's scale = official) was 289. My last official weight 1 month prior was 293.5 - so I have officially lost 3.5 pounds. My unoffical weight (unofficial = my scale + 4 lb) this morning was 287.5 pounds. Not exactly supermodel fitness - but a damned site better than the original 357 pound that I started at when I first joined LBT. I was pretty gung ho going into March - but I must say that a number of life's little occurances stood between me and my motivation this month. 1) 1 week of vacation. Vacations are always a trap for me. I am out playing - and I don't want to do anything that resembles work... including exercise. Plus - road food leaves something to be desired in the nutrition and fitness category. I would have been ok - cause I had planned to come home and get back on it however.... 2) DH was sick - REALLY sick - with a high fever for 10+ days... First his temp spiked up to about 103 - then he started throwing up and was unable to keep any foods down - then he got delirious from the fever and lack of food... I took days off to take care of him - and because there were only certain things that he would/could take into his system without throwing up, I had to shop a lot. The longer he was sick, the more desperate I was to get some calories into him - which led to less than stellar foods making their way into my kitchen. Plus, the constant worry about him took all my energy. I just didn't care about diet & exercise at all with him so sick. So by the time he was better enough to start taking care of himself - we were already thru week three in March. 3) Job Hell all month. Lay-offs, program changes, uncertain as to whether I would/will have a job in April. Nothing like worrying about your financial future to stress you out. And what does Irene do when she is stressed out? Well, she EATS, of course. And she eats nachos and donuts - not veggies. *sigh* (spoiled, lazy AND weak.) 4) And just for shits and giggles - my refridgerator stopped working 3 days ago (repairman comes today) which meant I had to throw away almost everything in it and clean it so the repairman can fix it. I have been eating take-out for the last few days, and there is this lovely "rotten food" smell in my house... Hopefully the rain will let up so I can hang the doors open and air the place out, soon. 5) Last, but not least, somebody rifled through my car last night while it sat in the driveway. Nothing like walking out to find all your stuff strewn around the inside of your car to start your day off right. Thankfully, either the door was unlocked (maybe?) or they kids who rifled it just happen to have an electronic lock gizmo that works on my car (somewhat worrying). So, they didn't really do much damage - they didn't even take my crappy stereo, although they broke a piece of plastic facing trying to - and there wasn't a damned thing in the car that they wanted. So far as I can tell, nothing is missing except 20 cents from the change slot. So aside from the worry that they do have an electronic gizmo that opens my door locks, it was just a pain in the ass to have to clean up the mess before I could leave for work. I guess I won't be leaving the Hope Diamond in my car overnight any time in the near future. *sigh* So, the trick now is - what the hell do I do with this big ol' pile of stress? I want to curl up into the foetal position and suck down a couple of boxes of chocolate - but I think that might be somewhat counter-productive to both my attempts to retain my job and my attempts to lose weight. I really can't feel too badly about losing 3.5 pounds last month. March has been FAR too much drama for me. Any one of those things would have been too much drama. All of them is practically overwhelming. I am trying to be proactive at work. There isn't any actual WORK to do (can you say "Sub-Prime Mortgage"? - sure you can) but I am working on an alternative career selection as I wait to get laid off with the rest of my co-workers. I go tomorrow for an informational seminar on getting certified to be a Teacher here in Colling County, TX. I have been spending my days at work researching how to go about that, and brushing up on my once-fluent Spanish. I have a degree in Psychology, a minor in English, and plenty of Spanish Language credits on my transcripts. If I can get certified to teach English & Spanish, I should be able to get a job teaching full time. I want to do Math, too - but I don't think I have the credits for it. I would have to go back to school for that. I guess I might have time to do that if I get laid off! *sigh*. I need to be more proactive about exercise, too. The Aftercare gal reminded me that exercise helps with stress control & relief - so I guess I am going to have to get to the gym and hit the elliptical machine. My eating has been sporadic. Some days I eat proper bandster portions, some days I don't. Unfortunately, I have been making some less than stellar food choices. It would be so much less irritating if I didn't KNOW better - but I DO know - and still choose the wrong stuff. How crazy is that? I am going to have to see a counselor of some kind. I really am. I could be so much farther along in my weightloss journey if I didn't sabotage myself at every turn. But stinking counselors cost money - and I am trying to SAVE money right now - just in case I have to live on unemployment... *shudder* I really, really wish that I could regain the motivation I had when I was battling the insurance company. I was so into the whole thing... I went from 357 to 331 on my own prior to surgery, doing low carb and exercising 4 days a week. But it's hard to do the right things when the weight is sliding off anyway. It doesn't go away FAST - but it goes, even if I eat carbs, even when I don't exercise..... So, for now, I will just keep creeping downward... 3-4 pounds per month... It certainly beats creeping upward. I hope things even out, soon. I planned on needing 3 yrs to get to goal... not 10! NSV's **Weird one - I can feel my port for the first time ever. It was too deep under a layer of fat to feel it, before.

Well, I am back to make another entry. I had another "Aftercare" visit yesterday. My Official weight as of yesterday (per doc's scale = official) was 289. My last official weight 1 month prior was 293.5 - so I have officially lost 3.5 pounds. My unoffical weight (unofficial = my scale + 4 lb) this morning was 287.5 pounds. Not exactly supermodel fitness - but a damned site better than the original 357 pound that I started at when I first joined LBT. I was pretty gung ho going into March - but I must say that a number of life's little occurances stood between me and my motivation this month. 1) 1 week of vacation. Vacations are always a trap for me. I am out playing - and I don't want to do anything that resembles work... including exercise. Plus - road food leaves something to be desired in the nutrition and fitness category. I would have been ok - cause I had planned to come home and get back on it however.... 2) DH was sick - REALLY sick - with a high fever for 10+ days... First his temp spiked up to about 103 - then he started throwing up and was unable to keep any foods down - then he got delirious from the fever and lack of food... I took days off to take care of him - and because there were only certain things that he would/could take into his system without throwing up, I had to shop a lot. The longer he was sick, the more desperate I was to get some calories into him - which led to less than stellar foods making their way into my kitchen. Plus, the constant worry about him took all my energy. I just didn't care about diet & exercise at all with him so sick. So by the time he was better enough to start taking care of himself - we were already thru week three in March. 3) Job Hell all month. Lay-offs, program changes, uncertain as to whether I would/will have a job in April. Nothing like worrying about your financial future to stress you out. And what does Irene do when she is stressed out? Well, she EATS, of course. And she eats nachos and donuts - not veggies. *sigh* (spoiled, lazy AND weak.) 4) And just for shits and giggles - my refridgerator stopped working 3 days ago (repairman comes today) which meant I had to throw away almost everything in it and clean it so the repairman can fix it. I have been eating take-out for the last few days, and there is this lovely "rotten food" smell in my house... Hopefully the rain will let up so I can hang the doors open and air the place out, soon. 5) Last, but not least, somebody rifled through my car last night while it sat in the driveway. Nothing like walking out to find all your stuff strewn around the inside of your car to start your day off right. Thankfully, either the door was unlocked (maybe?) or they kids who rifled it just happen to have an electronic lock gizmo that works on my car (somewhat worrying). So, they didn't really do much damage - they didn't even take my crappy stereo, although they broke a piece of plastic facing trying to - and there wasn't a damned thing in the car that they wanted. So far as I can tell, nothing is missing except 20 cents from the change slot. So aside from the worry that they do have an electronic gizmo that opens my door locks, it was just a pain in the ass to have to clean up the mess before I could leave for work. I guess I won't be leaving the Hope Diamond in my car overnight any time in the near future. *sigh* So, the trick now is - what the hell do I do with this big ol' pile of stress? I want to curl up into the foetal position and suck down a couple of boxes of chocolate - but I think that might be somewhat counter-productive to both my attempts to retain my job and my attempts to lose weight. I really can't feel too badly about losing 3.5 pounds last month. March has been FAR too much drama for me. Any one of those things would have been too much drama. All of them is practically overwhelming. I am trying to be proactive at work. There isn't any actual WORK to do (can you say "Sub-Prime Mortgage"? - sure you can) but I am working on an alternative career selection as I wait to get laid off with the rest of my co-workers. I go tomorrow for an informational seminar on getting certified to be a Teacher here in Colling County, TX. I have been spending my days at work researching how to go about that, and brushing up on my once-fluent Spanish. I have a degree in Psychology, a minor in English, and plenty of Spanish Language credits on my transcripts. If I can get certified to teach English & Spanish, I should be able to get a job teaching full time. I want to do Math, too - but I don't think I have the credits for it. I would have to go back to school for that. I guess I might have time to do that if I get laid off! *sigh*. I need to be more proactive about exercise, too. The Aftercare gal reminded me that exercise helps with stress control & relief - so I guess I am going to have to get to the gym and hit the elliptical machine. My eating has been sporadic. Some days I eat proper bandster portions, some days I don't. Unfortunately, I have been making some less than stellar food choices. It would be so much less irritating if I didn't KNOW better - but I DO know - and still choose the wrong stuff. How crazy is that? I am going to have to see a counselor of some kind. I really am. I could be so much farther along in my weightloss journey if I didn't sabotage myself at every turn. But stinking counselors cost money - and I am trying to SAVE money right now - just in case I have to live on unemployment... *shudder* I really, really wish that I could regain the motivation I had when I was battling the insurance company. I was so into the whole thing... I went from 357 to 331 on my own prior to surgery, doing low carb and exercising 4 days a week. But it's hard to do the right things when the weight is sliding off anyway. It doesn't go away FAST - but it goes, even if I eat carbs, even when I don't exercise..... So, for now, I will just keep creeping downward... 3-4 pounds per month... It certainly beats creeping upward. I hope things even out, soon. I planned on needing 3 yrs to get to goal... not 10! NSV's **Weird one - I can feel my port for the first time ever. It was too deep under a layer of fat to feel it, before.

You are doing all the right stuff, Paul. Don't panick. 62 pounds since July is awesome. Your body just needs some time to get over the shock. Also - if you are buffing up and bulking up the muscle mass, you might be losing inches & fat without actually losing any pounds. Keep on Trucking.

Good Luck, Momma! I am thinking good thoughts for quick approval!

Did the doc send the package in? Or did he just call somebody? If he sent the package in - then you should get a denial letter. Make him send the package. If they deny you, they have to tell why. Is it a COMPANY exclusion of the employer? Or does your insurance company not cover the procedure for ANYONE?!? I know that every time anybody called my insurance company, they got a different answer about whether or not it is covered. It seems like the folks answering the phones at the insurance company are not always the sharpest crayons in the box. Also - if you don't specify bariatric surgery for Morbid Obesity - sometimes they just flat out give you the "we dont cover treatment for weightloss" answer. Who is your insurer?

I don't use Profect - but one very much like it... New whey by IDS. 42 oz of Protein in about 3 oz of liquid. You can check it out at http://www.dpsnutrition.net/get_by_79.htm the price isn't much more than one bottle of that fabulous Special K protein Water - and it has eight times the protein.

Yes - my fill center wants to have us in at least every 90 days - if only to check everything out. After 4 months - you have probably just lost a little fat from underneath your band. Good Luck!

If chicken makes you PB - stick to beef, pork or fish - or try the dark moist meat on a chicken - vs the stringier breast meat. Lots of people seem to have trouble with poultry - including chicken & turkey. That whole slowing down and taking tiny bites is the whole key to band success... There are a couple of things to keep in mind. 1) When you PB or get food stuck, you need to go on liquids for at least 24 hours after that time - to allow the swelling & irritation in your esophagus to go down. If you DON'T go on liquids - the next food you eat has to get past not only your tight band, but additional swelling - which makes it more likely that you will have the same problem again and again. 2) If, after taking tiny bites and avoiding "problem" foods, you still are having trouble - go back and have your doc take .1 or .2 cc's out. If you aren't taking large bites - Yogurt should NOT cause you any problems. Use a baby spoon and wait for a few seconds between each bite. If there are chunky bits in the yogurt - be sure to chew those. I envy you your restriction! I have NEVER had restriction so tight that I couldn't eat anything. I almost wish that I couldn't eat bread anymore... almost. :] Good Luck and Happy Band Trails!

Howdy, Amanda! Lots of Texans round these parts! Congrats on chickening out! I think the band is a MUCH better option. I can relate to the clothes thing, too. I had pretty much maxed out on size at the fattest fat lady stores... and let's not talk about the expense. Sheesh! I am glad I didn't have to move up to having my clothes made for me! Hugs and Good Luck!

I couldn't hack it either. I ended up blending some refried Beans with some enchilada sauce. Never thought something so simple could be so great. You will be fine - but try to stay on your doc's diet as closely as you can. Good Luck!

Are you PBing? Getting stuck? Or does it just HURT? Maybe you are eating too much - and it is just sitting there stretching your pouch... PBing or stuck - yep - get an unfill. If it just hurts - try reducing portion size to a quarter cup or a couple of bites. If it still hurts - see your doc. Pain is your body warning you that something is wrong - and you should definitely listen to the warning. Have you had an endoscope? Maybe you should. Good Luck!

It takes several fills (at least it did for me) to get good restriction - but if you already have issues with bread, then it sounds like you might be close to good restriction. Maybe try eating some raw veggies with your turkey. Remember - cottage cheese & Jello will slide right on through. You need solid foods. When I feel like I need more bulk, I eat sliced veggies and a strictly portioned amount of dip. I never go away hungry - but I keep from eating too many calories. Avoid carrots, corn and Beans - but pretty much anything else is fair game. Pick a veggie that you like raw and go for it. Also - try and remember that what you are aiming for is "Not Hungry". Throw out the concept of "Full" and focus on "Not Hungry". You may find that by switching from those mushy foods to solids will do the trick. Good Luck!

Yes - banish the scales. For the most part - I lose several pounds over twice as many days - and then the scale bumps up and down and all around for a couple of weeks - then I lose weight again. If I freaked out every time I retained Water, I would be in a straightjacket - and so will you. If you MUST weigh yourself - keep in mind that the scale only shows a TREND. So long as the trend is stable and going in the right direction - then you are doing fine. So long as you are staying on plan and exercising, it is almost impossible for you to be gaining FAT weight - no matter what the scale might say. Keep this in mind, also. Muscle weighs a lot more than fat. If you are buffing up and working out - then you might temporarily be HEAVIER - but you are not going to be FATTER. Good Luck!