SpecialK

The invitation is open to all! Whether you are pre-band, newly banded or an old band pro.

Everyone is welcome!

Where: Polaris Mall food Court

When: Saturday July 11, 2009

Time: 2 p.m.

Look for us near the entrance to the Great Indoors store in the back corner seating area next to Chik-Fil-A. If we're not there look for a large group of folks sitting at several tables pushed together in the areas on either side of the Great Indoors... that's usually us :-)

Hope to see you there!

The invitation is open to all! Whether you are pre-band, newly banded or an old band pro.

Everyone is welcome!

Where: Polaris Mall food Court

When: Saturday July 11, 2009

Time: 2 p.m.

Look for us near the entrance to the Great Indoors store in the back corner seating area next to Chik-Fil-A. If we're not there look for a large group of folks sitting at several tables pushed together in the areas on either side of the Great Indoors... that's usually us :-)

Hope to see you there!

This is a very inspirational thread. I was just thinking over the weekend about how far I have come but I have so far to go, getting closer every day, in my mindset and clothes even if the scale doesn't show progress for awhile, so I really appreciate hearing from those who have to hang in there for the long haul.

It is really nice to have people be flabbergasted and excited when they say "how much have you lost! You look great" but on the other hand, I know I'm still in the morbidly obese category with lots of pounds to lose. I haven't decided on a goal weight but I thought if I lost at least 180 lbs I'd be around the weight I'd consider plastic surgery to get rid of the excess skin I already have now. So, time to buckle down a little harder.

Katiebugg -- Congrats on how great you are doing too.

Swood -- good to hear from you again - wow 6 months flew right on by. Keep up the good work everyone.

As we know, its not magic!

Sillypuddy - next get together will be July 11 at 2-4 pm Polaris Mall food court. We'll get an item posted but we try to keep it the second Saturday unless that conflicts with a big holiday.

Greg, best wishes on your hernia surgery with Dr. Choban and yep, we know you have a good lady doc there and are in good hands.

God Bless.

Anne, we are all so excited for you. I know you will do great.

Welcome Heather. I think it is really neat that you had first hand experience to observe those close to you that had lapband and gastric bypass and are doing your research to make the right decision for you.

Yes, some lose like 20 lbs in the first month with a lapband, others lose less, others lose more. If you go to the Monthly Support Groups section, you could pick maybe the January 2009 bandsters, those who had surgery in January this year, and read the trail of emails that show how much they've lost in this first 5+ months as time went along.

Remember, all things vary by how committed YOU are too!

Good luck.

I am looking forward to seeing the gang at this get together as I missed you in May while on vacation.

I've been struggling up and down on the same 2-3 lbs myself in the last 3 weeks due to work stress and not eating right, not getting exercise, etc. so I need encouragement too.

Kathy

Scrappy - so excited for you and Lynn -- you too! I'm probably at least a year away from being able to consider plastic surgery on my tummy but definitely already wishing for it.

Actually I've been stuck bopping up and down on the same 2-3 lbs for about 3 weeks now and it is a combination of stress eating, not getting exercise in because of working overtime, and just general being tired.

Anybody else now look at eating as Hard Work? I went through our cafeteria yesterday and they have a board where they post the nutritional info and most days I get a cup of Soup (probably closer to 12 oz in the container) and say good enough. Other days, like yesterday they had a chicken breast with balsalmic sauce, polenta, and green Beans which I thought seemed pretty healthy for the calorie count and the Protein. It took an hour of hard work (tiny bite by tiny bite) to eat the chicken and polenta and I never made it through the green Beans. I know I should have eaten the green beans instead of the polenta but it was "easier" to eat and the green beans didn't do anything for me once they got cold. ugh. I need to keep consciously making a choice to eat the healthy things even if its harder than Soup or something mushie or softer.

I recognize now that I used to "scarf down", eat incredibly fast, especially lunch at work when I had to work through lunch or eat on the run while driving somewhere, and I just can't do that now.

Ajoneen -- I am so, so sorry for you. Will pray for you now.

Kathy

I'd like to encourage any of the Mt. Carmel pre-bandsters posting here or lurking, to stop by at this gathering for a time where we share any and all questions band related in an informal setting over coffee or whatever.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f56/central-ohio-get-lapband-sharing-june-13-2009-a-95040/

Ditto what Seebs said.... the one person who does the paperwork stuff for this does have a little bit of a reputation for not returning phone calls as timely as we all want and you just have to keep calling and emphasizing that you want a call back. I can also tell you that if you call the main number of the doctors office, they mention if you don't know the number of the person that there is a phone directory of those in the office and if you take the option or put in the office manager named "David" you can leave him a message of, hey, I'm not getting called back tiemly enough and he does then grease the skids to get you a response.

Again, the trouble with the paperwork is now a distant memory to me and it was worth it.

Sillypuddy - congrats on moving another step closer in your lapband journey. Most of us find that when we meet all the requirements like the nutrition documentation, etc. the approval process with insurance goes fairly quick once they do the submit. Wishing you smooth sailing.

On emotional eating, the lapband restriction definitely helps with the quantity of food I used to eat when I was stressed because I know just can't eat the volume I used to eat when I hit these times, e.g. like the major portion of a pizza by myself, to confess one example. However, the lapband doesn't stop you from still satisfying emotional needs with something like ice cream, so yes, you are going to have to just mentally tell yourself that you can't do that. I just don't keep ice cream in the house for example. If I have ice cream now, its a single scoop in a dish, and I limit how often I even give myself the okay to do that. I do keep "safe" Snacks with Portion Control built in as things I can eat if I am hungry and stress is driving my hunger. I keep mini-carrots, yogurt, applesauce cups, SF Jello pudding snacks, 100 calorie snack packs, for examples. I have one and see if that is enough, wait awhile, then if I am still feeling hungry, go get a second one, etc.

Now that the weather is getting nicer, just getting out of the house where there isn't food is an avoidance - yard work, a nice walk, etc.

I am seeking help regularly from support groups, this lapbandtalk board, obesityhelp, etc. and it helps me.

And, sometimes when I am really stressed, my body is just plain tired, I go to bed early and give myself that extra rest instead of eating, a nap or earlier bedtime.

I am also a reader, choosing to read a few pages of a good book before going to sleep to relieve stress.

Last and of course crafts -- I am into scrapbooking and I am keeping a scrapbook of my weight loss journey and so I keep taking pictures of my progress as I go along, and I'm keeping momentos of the different milestones, and then when I have some things saved up, I get all my supplies out and make a mess keeping my hands and mind busy.

Hang in there, its a journey and if we have a few detours, and I certainly have, where I have eaten things I am not proud of, get back on track the next day.

I have swapped and passed down my larger sizes to others in my support group but the best thing besides donate them to Goodwill is to take them to a Plus Size Consignment shop. They are wonderful to deal with and they really need 3-4-5x and whatever sizes because as others said, its a great opportunity for those plus sized on limited budget to get some nice things and you get money to spend on smaller things you want or can cash out and go somewhere else. Google for Plus Size Consignment in your area.

Hi and Welcome FloridainOhio -- I see Dr. Miller for all my lapband follow up care after Dr. Price did my surgery and I really like Dr. Miller. I have met several of his patients at the Mt. Carmel Bariatric Support meetings and everyone of them is positive so I'd say, you're fine working with him. All three of the Mid Ohio Surgical Assoc doctors work in concert with each other which is something I like because they back each other up if one is out and not available, you can see the other.

Not sure what the nausea you are reading about is. Post surgery for the first couple days I had some pain from gas from surgery that migrates up from the abdominal cavity to the upper chest/shoulder area as it works itself out -- they use gas to elevate the abdominal skin and cavity so they can work laproscopically and then the gas is deflated but a little remains inside and has to work itself out. I think they could be referring to that. I wasn't 'sick to my stomach' with nausea really.

May 29, 2009

aJoneen.........................-080 pounds lost!

Bandana....................... 0 92 lbs lost

BrandNewLisa............0 80pounds LOST forever!!!

evelas5000...................0 50 pounds Lost

Desdemona...................0

Fenton...........................0 100 POUNDS LOST !!

HarleyGirl....................-5 85 pounds LOST!

Hopeinapril................. 0 55 pounds lost

Kpodski.........................

Lynnt1215.....................0

NurseNiki......................0

Nycm00........................

Potatie............................0 140 POUNDS LOST!!

Scrappy_Friend........ +3 160 POUNDS LOST!!!!

SpecialK........................-3 110 lbs GONE forever!

Sugarbean....................0 117 POUNDS LOST !!!

Sharona.........................0

stellabella......................0 75 POUNDS LOST!

Tess415..........................0

Thin2bme...................- .4 100 POUNDS LOST!!

WestCoastMom............0

Wishin4...........................0 84 pounds gone!!

Last night's Mt. Carmel Bariatric Support group was led by our program nutritionist as our bariatric nurse coordinator was off on vacation. I have seen alot of interesting postings on this board about the VSG or Gastric Sleeve and I asked her if she knew if Mt. Carmel's surgeons were considering offering that in addition to Lapband and RNY. Turns out Dr. Choban is doing an extensive study and I guess there is a ton of preparation work and certification in the medical field, the nurses, the OR staff, etc. before they can add a new surgical procedure to their offerings. She even mentioned that Mt. Carmel now offers the Realize band as well as Allergan's Lapband which I didn't know. She said it took alot of special preparation to add the second manufacturer's band option to their bariatric program.

BillOH -- you're too funny! Yes, it is easier to laugh at ourselves when we are in the stages of doing something positive to change our lives. The first time we did a gathering at the mall, I didn't want to say look anything indelicate to offend anyone so I suggested we all wear something pink and I'd have a helium balloon to help us find each other! It worked!

Now we have a specific corner we sit in so that makes it easier to find us too.

Juli - great to hear you are feeling 100% at 8 weeks -- running and a full spin class -- wow. Good luck on the job opportunity!

I went to my hospital's bariatric style show where they have a group of about 10-12 post weight loss patients that get to be dressed in great clothes by the Mall stores, they do professional makeup and hair for them and then tell their before and after stories. It brings tears to your eyes and most importantly it brings HOPE that I can get there one day too! I have to tell you the last lady in the show was a lady who had lost 180 lbs and they had her dressed in a Jessica McClintock red floor length gown with beautiful bling jewelry and she looked incredible! Nobody would have ever guessed she had lost 180 lbs. I did hear some people behind me say she must have had some plastic surgery post weight loss because she had the flattest stomach and cutest curvy body -- not overdone on top but she just looked so beautiful. I said to my friend I was with, okay, I am trying to also lose 180 lbs and I want to go up and meet that lady afterward and tell her how her story inspired me and ask if I can take her picture and I did. She was really nice and said you'll get there! I swear I am going to print that lady's picture off and put it on my refrigerator to remind me what I could look like with this 180 lbs gone forever.

I got really ambitious today and did a couple hours of yard work plus took a really long walk so when I uploaded my Bodybugg today, it says I've logged over 14000 steps today! I'm trying to keep on moving some way every day.... One more day closer to strutting my stuff someday in a red floor length gown!

I just recently found the pictures I took that day of the lady in the red dress that had lost 180+ lbs and I thought I'd post it to help those of us who have alot to lose to realize it can be done!! I checked out this Jessica McClintock gown on that website and it was pricey but in my opinion really hot!

Last June, I put a challenge out to those who had lost weight at that time that I knew of the food Bank in Westerville - called WARM - that needs food donations in June especially due to so many children get out of school and no longer have a Breakfast or subsidized lunch so parents can especially use grocery help for the summer. I had lost about 40 lbs at that point so I donated 40 lbs of sugar and was shocked at how heavy that amount was to lift. Couldn't remember how I had done that going up and down steps and carrying that 40 lbs all the time. Duh!! Anyway, they are collecting again this June and if anyone wants to bring food pantry or non-perishables donations along to the Saturday lapband gathering at the mall, I will gladly coordinate taking them to my church as one of the drop off points. If you have bags or box of items you want me to get when we are done meeting, I can drive my car to where you are parked. Just let me know.

Okay, so how the heck can I Celebrate my -110 lbs gone forever milestone as of this a.m.?

Here is a weird food restriction question - I can eat a baked potato (flesh insides) but french fries are a whole another thing! I got a serving of fries with a sandwich out at a restaurant and thought I'd take them home and reheat to snack on some. They were fine reheated in the oven but I only ate about 3-4 fries and was full! as in I can't eat another bite or I will be sorry. So, I guess the lesson is to just let the fries be thrown away next time or just say hold the fries. I usually do try to swap fries with something healthier like coleslaw or a side salad.

Anybody else find french fries are a no-no food not just because of calories but because of how overly full they make you with just a few bites?

P.S. the Sandwich ingredients were eaten - grilled sausage with peppers and onions and threw the bun away - never considered eating the bread!

Also a warning to those who use a riding mower -- take your Bodybugg off before getting on the mower. It is not smart enough to figure out that the velocity of your body is due to the mower moving and not your body moving! It tried to give me credit for an 1.5 hrs of running and because it was a logged metric on the device, it wouldn't let me correct it to say I was burning calories at the rate I would have been sitting.

I was very faithfully wearing my Bodybugg and logging my food in, etc. and then I went on vacation out of state for a week where I didn't have internet access to upload the data off it or to charge it on the computer via its USB cable and when I got home, it wouldn't upload no matter what I tried. I spent an hour and 15 minutes on the phone with the Bodybugg support guy (call center in Mexico) and they finally decided it was defective and they would send me a new one. So far 10 days and no new Bodybugg has arrived. Getting a little frustrated.

Anybody else had similar experience?