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WOOOHOOO! More poundage lost forever!:cry_smile:

My husband told his mom without asking me first. I was sitting right there and coudn't believe my ears! When he hung up I asked him if gave any thought to asking my permission first. He said he had a little hesitation, right before he told her. Duh. I told him with great restraint that I would like to be asked first. I thought he understood. The a month or two later, he tells someone we know at the blood donor center where we have donated platelets for years. I don't get it. Is he really this stupid? Does he not understand that medical things are private? Maybe I should have made my point with a 2 x 4 in the first place.

Sixty pounds is fantastic! Congratulations! (My body is the same, drop some pounds and sit there a while.)

Actually, I agree with you. I don't want a prolapse in my future, so I'll try to be patient with the process. I have developed a real appreciation for solid food!

Conservative? I was banded not long after you were, and don't get a fill until October2! Today I was finally cleared to start solid foods. I get to chew!!!!! On a happier note, I got to see the photographs taken during my surgery, and my liver was absolutely beautiful, and very small and out of the way. Now I feel better about those two weeks of Optifast hell. I had a great talk with the dietician about how to maximize veggies and fiber while eating limited amounts of food. I'm feeling pretty excited, because as far as I'm concerned, my journey really starts again NOW! The surgery and healing period were a rude interruption of my diet. LOL Really, that's how my brain feels. I was feeling so good before the Optifast/surgery/liquids/mushies. Now I can get back to business, and I know I will feel better now that I can have more of my veggies. :crying: Orea

I hear you on that! My scale has been bouncing up and down the same few pounds for several weeks, too. I'm hoping that when I get to solids on Thursday, I can make some changes and get things moving again. <fingers crossed>

Dionna! 199.5 is a beeeyoutiful number! I was just sitting here and admiring it. BRAVA!!:thumbup::blushing:

Lucky you! I don't get my first fill for another month, exactly! --Orea

I'll keep that in mind about the apple! The four weeks of mushies is just the policy of my surgical group. On the bright side, they don't require an period of clear liquids after you leave the hospital (overnight stay required.) We went out for breakfast and I ordered Eggs Florentine: Poached eggs over spinach with Hollandaise sauce. I left the English muffin bases and all but a few tiny bites of the potatoes. Delicious, and I got some veggies into my breakfast!

Dionna, I hope so. I'm so ready for a crisp fall apple! If my surgeon is this conservative about fills, I hate to think how long it will take to get to my sweet spot.

I'm still here. I have one more week of mushies to complete my four weeks. I haven't lost anything in at nearly three weeks. I'm trying to be patient. The good news is that my "morning sickness" finally seems to be gone. For this I am truly grateful! Patience, patience... Orea:bored:

What I'm hearing from sources I trust, is that when we get to solids, we should aim for 3-4 ounces of lean protein and a half cup of vegetables and or fruit, with maybe a little of a good carb if you still have room. I think that is 3/4 to 1 cup per meal. (Right now I am still doing about 1/2 cup of soft foods.) If I hear anything different from my dietician next week, I will let you know. Orea

The one thing I got slightly stuck on so far was a baked white fish that was a bit too dry. Lesson learned. Sauce can be important!

Indio, it isn't much longer on mushies. I have an appointment for September 4 to meet with the dietician and make the transition. The way my surgeon does it, is 1 week full liquids and 4 weeks mushies. Then another 4 weeks on solid food before the first fill. I have a little leeway since the dietician said things like soft peaches don't have to be pureed, just chewed to applesauce consistency. So I am enjoying summer tomatoes, skinned and seeded and diced into small bites. And I have some premium peaches from Abbot Farms coming this week. (I think they may be what they eat in heaven! Highly recommended. You can order them online.) But I'm really ready for a crisp fall apple. It won't be long now. Orea

It often takes several fills to make a difference. Hang in there. Oddly enough, 3.5 weeks out and still on mushies, I still do have restriction. A half cup will usually do me. And I am definitely tighter in the morning. I thought it would be gone by now.

Josh, that is great news! Wishing you continued success. :-) Orea:thumbup:

You are more charitable than I am! LOL The nicest thing I can say is, I hope she learns the error of her ways. And maybe a little humility. Orea

I doctor mine with DaVinci SF syrups. It helps a little.

Martie, welcome! Unfortunately, the answer to most of your questions is, it depends. Surgery usually doesn't take very long. I might have been in there an hour or hour and a half, but that time included an endoscopy to take a look into my stomach because there was a shadow/possible polyp in my stomach, according to the tests. It was nothing. Some people go home the same day, my surgeon keeps us there overnight. I had to swallow some barium the next day and let them watch it on the fluoroscope the next day before I was allowed anything more than ice chips. Then I had to swallow two tiny clear liquid "meals" before they would release me. So my surgery was Wednesday around 10:30 AM and I went home around 6 PM the following day. The saggy skin is another it depends situation. How much you have to lose, your genetics, your age, etc., all play a part. But it is good to remember that saggy skin really is more attractive than rolls of fat. We can choose to have it removed, or not. We can wear supportive undergarments to smooth out the line of our bodies. As for me, I may well have a pannus (tummy skin) that will hang to my knees! I have a lot to lose and I am short. I've decided not to deal with this until I have to. One thing at a time. Every insurance policy is different, too. All that matters is what yours says. Good luck! Orea

I'll feel more inspiring -- and inspired! -- once I start losing again. This mushy period is trying my patience. :smile2:

The past couple of weeks, I feel a bit queasy much of the time. Especially in the morning. (At my age, I thought my days of morning sickness were over!) Has anyone else experienced this? Orea

WOOHOO! :eek: Orea

Congratulations!! <throwing virtual confetti> :-D I'm not far behind you! Orea

I have heard that some people have trouble with bananas. I'm not sure why, unless they swallow a chunk, or bananas tend to regroup down below? Orea

Smartbandsters is a Yahoogroups mailing list. You can find it at groups.yahoo.com. In my book it is the best place to learn what to expect and how to do things "right." For example, when I woke up in recovery, in pain, and wondered what the hell I had done to myself, I was able to smile and know I was right on schedule! People on this list are successful at getting to their goal weights. I figure if you want to be successful, hang out with the ones who are! And emulate them. It's a high volume list, so I get the digests, but it is informative, and fun, and very supportive once you make yourself known there. This is where I've gotten the mottos I repeat here, like, "If hunger isn't the problem, food isn't the answer," and "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should." And my favorite, "Are you trading what you really want, for what you want right now?" Orea