notateechanow

Flirty, Congrats on your weight loss! You've done an amazing job!! I had an outstanding date last night---though I hope you don't think I'm rubbing it in your face---but the reason it was amazing was because he made me feel downright beautiful. From the way he acted to the way he looked at me, he was fantastic. BUT, I go on TONS of dates. I go out 4-5 times a week so it's not all fun and games. I've been on those crummy dates before. I'd rather stay home alone than be on another crappy date. I canceled on Monday because I had a feeling the man was really superficial. The moment he made me feel less than how I wanted to feel, I canceled. We teach people how to treat us. Don't hook up or sleep around. (Was pleased to read what you said in your post!) You get what you give. If you teach the men it's ok to use you or treat you badly, then they'll do just that. Hold out for the right guy. You're worth it. You deserve it. Learn to love yourself and be alone if you need to be. Men are attracted to women who respect and love themselves. Don't give up yet. You'll find the right, worthy guy. :blushing:

You're worrying is for naught---they don't weigh you at surgery. You're all set, hon. No worries. Good luck. You'll be fine! Just so you know, they check your blood pressure and temp. all night long. Rest up tonight. Tomorrow night won't be restful. You'll be good!! :thumbdown:

I just noticed that you're 7 years post-op! HOW encouraging!!! I've never seen anyone on here who is that far out from surgery. I'm excited to see you've kept it off and find it really reassuring!! Thanks!

Heidi, Glad to hear it all went well thus far. I'm totally PMS'ing today and just finished crushing MY ibuprofen!! NO choice. I'm dying. When did you have your surgery? Doesn't seem like it was that long ago. No worries about the 40 pounds. You'll get there. Mel and I used to talk all the time about being afraid to get rid of clothes because you just couldn't imagine not gaining the weight back this time. A year and a half later, I haven't!! THAT to me, is the biggest success of the band. I didn't lose it fast, but I have KEPT it off this time. As far as telling people, you have to figure out what works best for you. I can imagine not eating lobster sucked. I usually make up some BS and just say I can't do it. My friends know I rarely eat solids in public. Why take the chance at being uncomfortable in public?! I just make sure I'm the one keeping everyone talking while they're stuffing their faces.....they're less likely to know. I also tend to push the food around on my plate. I'm going cold turkey from my instant potatoes. I know this sounds gross, but it's been such a comfort food for me all summer.....always goes down without issue and gives me that warm, full feeling that I love. Unfortunately, all carbs, no protein and just BAD choice....so I've been 2 days without. It's not killing me, but I've already noticed on the scale. Gross habits we somehow manage with this thing, huh?! Now if only I could walk away from the icecream I eat every day.....

Melis, Let me tell you a few things that I hope will put your mind at ease: 1) Until you have restriction, you're simply dieting. The band isn't doing its job until it's at a place where it has to kick in. With that said, don't test it! I know I did, and a lot of my friends did, too. I've told a lot of people on here that my band didn't start to work for me until after my 3rd or 4th fill and it is entirely true. 2) I didn't lose weight consistently in this process. Just as we don't gain it uniformly, some of us just don't lose it the same way as others do. I would stay the same weight for months on end, then drop a quick 15. My surgeon was happy because I still managed the 1-2 pounds average by the time my next appointment would come. 3) You're doing great! Keep up the good work. If, like me, you've never stuck to a plan regularly of eating well and exercising, it's just a matter of time.....don't give up now. I know how frustrating it can be, but it will happen. If you lose slowly, you'll lose more permanently. The weeks I drop more weight than others, the scale manages to creep back up a little on me. You're only 7 months post op and you've lost 35 pounds+!! That's more than 1 pound a week. You're doing this right and it will happen for you. As difficult as it sounds, you just need to be patient. If you wanted the quick fix, you would have gone the route of GB. You chose this instead. You'll make this work. You've clearly committed to changing your life and you're doing great! Take measurements--Particularly if you're working out. Your body will change in ways that the scale doesn't measure. My mom saw me yesterday for the first time in about a month and asked if I was continuing to lose weight. (My family thinks I should be "done" by now and worries....) I've actually gained about 6 pounds this summer. Sad, huh?! BUT, because of working out, I've re-shaped my body. Take pics. This will be a better way to be objective, too. Melis, you're running a marathon here, not a sprint. I know how defeating it is and how frustrating it is not to feel and see immediate results. I also suggest keeping records of your workouts. I did that so I could track my progress. I went from walking on a treadmill at 2.7 to running at 6.0 in about a year. THAT was my biggest accomplishment, not losing 100 pounds. Keep in touch and look on here for support. This website SAVED me when I most needed it. We've all been through (and are going through) the same thing. You can do this and you will! Take pics of the scale as you go, too! I love reflecting on how happy I was when I hit 275!! OMG that was nearly 80 pounds ago now, but I was SO excited!!!! You'll get there, little by little! You CAN do this....:tongue2::thumbup: As far as increasing my protein goes, I may have gone a little overboard. I was up and in and out of the bathroom all night long with huge stomach pains. Anyone else have really bad constipation? I did take a laxative and fiber but I thought I was going to die last night. Thank goodness I'm on vacation for another week...... MELIS, As an added thought after the fact---1 pound per week ends up to be 52 in a year. You'd be happy with that, wouldn't you?! My biggest weight loss came between months 11-15 for me.....

I'm anxious to hear what you get for responses. I don't have really large pannus, but I have more stomach weight above the belly button, too. I won't need to have muscles tightened as I've never had children. But, like you, I'm worried about the appearance of my breasts after having my tummy done. I went to a seminar with a PS who mentioned the possibility of using fat from other areas to supplement the breasts. Might this be a viable option for you? He said it's safer to use your own fat than to use foreign bodies for the augmentation...... Keep me posted!!! I'll be entirely self pay as I don't have "enough" excess skin/fat to consider it medically necessary....but I'm still very interested. In the meantime, I'm saving my nickels!!

I can't drink Soy products because it counteracts my thyroid medicine. I use the Designer Whey protein powder that mixes with water. It's 18 grams of protein and only 100 calories.

It's a beautiful day outside. Too bad you can't combine it with a trip into the aquarium or something fun for her! Hey, as long as you don't cry, she won't. :thumbup: Good luck with your appointment. Did you make time to workout yesterday, too?

It's not so much that they're hard to find----it's hard to believe they're for real. I am confident I've allowed a lot of great guys go because they were too attractive and I didn't trust that they could truly be interested in me. I canceled a date TONIGHT because I was worried that this guy wasn't going to like me...and just couldn't handle the rejection today. Tomorrow is another story. Somehow going out on a week night and wasting my time doesn't seem as bad! I think I've been truly blessed with some fantastic men in my life. Unfortunately, because of the years of baggage and comments made, I've dismissed the good ones. They're out there and will still be there, whether you gain or lose. Keep the faith. The right man will wait until you're ready to hear it.

I'm sorry to see no one responded to your post! Let me begin by telling you my own father always told me that no man could or would ever love a fat woman.....so I share your struggles with how men perceive us to be. I also have many male friends who joke that large women give better oral sex. (sorry if that's too graphic, but I'm being honest and direct here....ladies, if that's news to you, step back and watch what they want from you!!!) Because of both of these reasons, I've had a really hard time trying to figure out why a man would want to go out with me----until I had a few tell me. The results were surprising, and might be helpful for you! They enjoyed my company. They think I'm cute and want to get to know me better. Ummmm hello?! Yep. It's hard to hear and even harder to believe, but I'm still working on digesting it. I've struggled with dating. I started this journey with a live-in boyfriend. He encouraged me to do this and was the only person whom I confided in when I decided to do it. Needless to say, when my eating habits changed, it became painfully apparent that he and I had little else in common, other than eating. I starting dating a few months after moving out from our house. The first few dates were hard primarily because I wasn't emotionally ready. Then, once emotionally ready, I had a tough time eating. I started making dates for the strange time after meals so I wouldn't be expected to eat. I go out for coffee even though I don't drink coffee! I'm still working on digesting this whole transformation. Mine has been slow but I'm a work in progress. I've been on a dating website and still worry that when men see me, they won't find me attractive. My pictures on the site are all recent but I still have that fear-----that rejection awaits when they finally see me. At my support group we talked at length about being intimate and whether or not you tell the men you've had surgery. Honestly, I've asked my guy friends about this---if a man is naked with you, he's definitely NOT looking at skin, stretch marks or scars. He's just so damned happy you're naked with him that he's hoping to have a good performance! Little by little, you'll grow to respect yourself more and feel better about yourself when you've heard it enough times. I'm still working on it, but it's a struggle worth winning....I hope your dating is going well. It's been a while since you originally posted.

Hey all. I read this thread start to finish today because I'm really starting to struggle. I realize many of you wouldn't consider me to be a "slow loser" as I lost about 55 pounds in my first year. However, let me say that I lost over 75 pounds about 5 years ago using Weight Watchers with far less work and agony....so to me, this has been a struggle. I moved in November and dropped a quick 40 in about 2 1/2 months. Not fair. Surprising and shocking at the same time. I realize the quick loss was because of exactly what you said--I ate a lot of protein and very few carbs. I have been working out regularly all along, for at least an hour or so, 4-5 days a week. I also made a few other appointments that made a huge difference--the first with the nutritionist. With the amount of working out I was doing, she wanted me to get closer to 100-120 grams of protein a day! (Thank goodness for Benefiber!) I hadn't seen her since pre-op and thought that one year out would be a great time to remind me of the basics. I was in a very different position to listen. The second thing I did was made an appointment for a psychologist. I needed to address my head hunger and my compulsive behaviors that I struggle with now, nearly 2 years out. The last suggestion I have is to attend a support group if it's available where you had your surgery. This site has been a tremendous support for me, but nothing is more helpful than sitting in a room full of people who face the same struggles, frustrations, and disappointments that I've had. I've had a difficult summer and am now down about 115 pounds. I was running 15-20 miles a week (yep, never in my WILDEST imagination did I think I'd take up running!) but am now waiting for knee surgery. (Not a result of running but of returning to throwing the discus at my ripe old age.....) For those of you struggling with losing pounds but noticing the inches, be sure to take measurements! This is the only thing that has helped me make it through the months when the scale didn't reflect my sincere efforts. I still want to lose about 30 pounds. I'm not sure it's going to happen, but I'll re-asses when I get closer. Nothing about this surgery and efforts post surgery has been easy for me. I have had to work for every pound I've lost, but I wouldn't change a thing. I'm re-learning to eat as normal people do and trying to stay active. My long years of sedentary life and bad eating aren't habits that I can lose overnight. Thank you all for your insight. It's really great to know I'm not alone in this frustration. There are so many who make this seem easy and who talk about their thinner selves. I was never thin and don't have a thinner me to reflect on. My greatest moment was being called "thick" by a man the other night. For the first time ever, I didn't feel like the fat chick at the bar....I was simply voluptuous. It's the small things that make me happy in this battle. Keep up the great work.

No official results yet, but I could see it. It was exactly where it belonged.... Hey, just as an FYI: I had a bathing suit from Lands' End that I bought last summer. I only wore it twice but it doesn't fit. I found out that I could return it! Lands End will take back any of their clothing at ANY time if purchased through the catalog so they have your info on file. You don't need receipts, and it can be worn. So for those of you who don't want to buy many clothes, consider Lands End....if you order in the Sears store it will be shipped to your home for free, but you can return any purchases to the store. (I don't work for them, I SWEAR!...I'm just totally sold on their return policy!)

Heidi, I've had a problem keeping down food. I don't get "stuck" per se...the food just sits in my upper chest for hours. It's not painful, but about 3 hours after eating---if I drink anything, it's like flushing a clogged toilet. Everything comes back out! The upper GI didn't show a slip, though. I'll be curious to see what happens. I didn't know about the Ibuprofen until I went to the support group meetings. My surgeon never mentioned it and I never read it anywhere, either! Boston Lady, The hair falling out isn't typically an issue related to people who are banded. Technically, you shouldn't have a problem with adequate nutrition should you follow the directions from your doctor. Some people might have that problem, but it's not common as with the GB. I don't have Phyllis' e-mail. Sorry. I'd assume a call to the office might help with that, though...

I've never seen the liquid ibuprofen......so I haven't any idea. I'm sure that would be ok. It's not that the medicine is an issue. It sitting in your new pouch and potentially causing ulcers is the issue....but ask!! I saw a quote in Runner's World today that has had me thinking all day and thought I'd share with all of you (paraphrased because I didn't steal the magazine from the gym!) ----very fitting for our WL journeys. "It's not amazing that I finished. It's amazing that I had the courage to begin."

Had an Upper GI today at the Brigham. Make sure you're there 15 minutes early. They're super efficient and I started right on time. It took less than 25 minutes, start to finish. As far as the ibuprofen goes, once you're banded, it can be dangerous because you don't have digestive juices in the upper pouch to help it dissolve. Once your band has restriction, it's possible that the pills will just sit on top. It can cause ulcers, which in turn can then cause erosion of your band. It's ok to take on occasion (I've just asked my surgeon this recently!) but not for regular or long term use. They have liquid tylenol available. You should switch to liquid and chewables whenever possible once you're banded. I had a sport-related injury that my orthopedic suggested I take ibuprofen for...and my surgeon said it would be ok as long as it wasn't frequent or long term. They also gave me a pill splitter when I was discharged from surgery. I used that just to be safe. Remember--no gum, liquids, or anything in your mouth (brushing teeth is ok!) after midnight tonight for you! Good luck!

One day, one meal, one workout at a time.....you'll get there. We didn't GAIN this weight over night. Habits take a long time to break and re-create better ones. Don't beat yourself up. Everyone else will do that for you......keep up the good work. Look how far you've come!!

Oh, Heidi----I'm having a great summer. I'm not seeing anyone special, but have been dating up a storm. It's funny how different my focus is now. I'm not looking for Mr. Right or Mr. Perfect. I'm having a good time going out and getting to know a lot of different guys---kind of like the Bachelorette, without all of the kissing and overnight dates. :thumbup: It is challenging to avoid food, though. I try to play if off that I don't want to sit for an entire meal, making the date for after 8 at night.....but I don't drink often, either, nor do I hold my alcohol well....so I avoid drinking. I typically try to meet for coffee, but even that's awkward because I don't drink coffee!!!! Funny, huh?! I do avoid mentioning the whole banding thing. I figure, until they get to know me and have a chance at seeing my scars, they haven't any need to know! I try for at least 4 or 5 dates a week before heading back to school. (I don't go back to work until after Labor Day!) Sorry to hear you're still struggling with head hunger. THAT I can relate to! It's really hard to be sitting with other people who are eating and not keep picking or eating more than I should. I don't know how you people with kids make it through! I'm finally back working out. My knee is still sore, but I couldn't stay out of the gym any longer. (Funny transformation, huh?! Morbidly obese to a gym lover!!!:sneaky:) I'm sore everywhere today and hardly even notice that I have a knee! Have a super day. I'm headed to the beach. :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::sneaky::thumbup: Paige

She and I nearly got into it last week when I called for a fill and was told I'd have a 2-3 week wait---but she's pregnant and not looking terribly comfortable. She said she's due in October, but hoping to go far sooner. I'm headed in for my Upper GI and couldn't get a follow up appointment until the first day of school, which clearly won't work----but that's the 8th of September!!! I'm not going til the following week instead. Just can't miss the first day back for a follow up. K8, don't be discouraged by Dr. R's cold ways. He's just not a friendly guy. I did really like his new PA, though I don't recall her name. She's a cute little thing and very attentive. He's a skilled surgeon. That's all that matters right now. Rely on Phyllis (the Dietician) and his PA's for your post-surgical support. He won't be good at that, either!!

Junk always slides....ugh. Able to eat more. Loved the small slice of pizza I had on a date the other night. Dr. R's new PA actually suggested the Upper GI. I liked her. Happy to have a new person who is PERSONABLE!!

Once again, Dr. R didn't really listen to me about how much of a fill/unfill I wanted. I tried to get half of my last fill removed, but he took out the entire last fill. I'm down 10 since my last unfill 5 weeks ago...so he was happy. YEP, tried to refer me to a plastic surgeon AGAIN, but not until after asking if I already HAD it....maybe he just asks the way the supermarket asks if you want paper or plastic?! I had a few bites of a flatbread sandwich from DD this morning. Actually, ate a few bites over the course of an hour or so. SO excited to eat real food again. I have an Upper GI scheduled for the 18th since I haven't had one since the day after surgery and I've had some issues with getting tight at only 6.0 CC in my band.... I'm on the right track. Just hoping that this new unfill doesn't kill me. I also saw Phyllis. She was like a fish out of water in the Brigham and looked bored....she said the group last night was quiet without us.