Wheetsin

Perhaps, I haven't had to do this in about 2 years. The most they ever said was, "Woah, that's a heavy one!" and then told me to have a nice day. I assumed they were talking about the letter. :girl_hug:

I love you.

Something else to keep in mind is life a little ways down the road. It's probably safe to say that at some point in time you will have to PB, and probably safe to say that at some point in time you will have to PB in a public place. I don't know many people who can sit through the lead-up to a PB and not express some sign of the extreme discomfort they're in. It just hurts too much for most people to grin & bear it. A lot of people might go pale, sweaty, etc. I personally get a little shaky, really hot, and sometimes the spasms are painful enough that I cry out involuntarily. If I can't get it up soon enough, and have to wait the full duration, my body hits a type of panic state where I really have to concentrate on just getting breath, and there's no way I could politely ask for a few more minutes alone in the bathroom at that point. And then excusing yourself to the bathroom - if you're very lucky it comes up right away, and if you aren't -- 20 minutes later a friend is in there asking if you're alright, and by that time there's not much chance you can say, "Yeah I'm fine" convincingly. Another aspect a lot of people don't seem to think about is that of your personal safety. Most days I spend about 1/3 of my day at work, so if something is going to happen to me, there's a 33% chance that it happens to me at work. If it's a major something that requires some sort of medical intervention, I'd much rather my co-workers know what I have and be able to provide the information, than mislead them into thinking I was "just dieting", have them not mention it, and have some additional issue(s) arise because of it. For me my band was no different than anything else I might have done. The privacy for me comes in that I don't tell people (away from here) what I weighed before surgery, or what I weigh currently, but I will tell them how much I've lost, or how much more I want to lose. That's the shred of privacy that I, for the most part, retain for myself. I will tell anyone and everyone about my band. I'm *proud* to be banded, really. Given a choice between doing what it took to gain control of a situation, or being worried about what judgements other people are going to make about me... well... I'm sure whether or not I've had bariatric surgery is the last thing anyone is going to be worried about. :girl_hug:

If you get junk mail with your name on it, don't shred it up. Package tape it to the top of a brick, so that the surface of the envelope shows up clearly. Tape around the sides, and covering the brick up. Then take it to the post office for "return to sender". Just tell them you do not want to accept the mail. They will return it to sender at the sender's expense. Trust me, a place will only pay the charges to return a brick to sender once before they don't plaster your mailbox with their crap any longer.

Cute. :grouphug: Contrary to freecycle, I've had good luck with Craigslist. Selling, I have never bought from them. But someone got my Pottery Barn sofa with 5 different slipcovers for $500. :girl_hug:

Beause you're retaining water. Because you need to poop. Because You have lots of change in your pockets. Who knows? You will not lose weight constantly until you hit goal. It will speed up, slow down, stop, go fast, go backward, flip-flop, laugh at you, laugh at me, etc. The body just cannot sustain constant loss without taking some time to readjust. Weeks 3 - 6, especially on any diet that is low in carbs, is typically the "honeymoon's over" phase where the constant and amazing weightloss stops and more realisitc patterns begin to come out.

Hi Scott, typically we allow members to post a single link to their business or product being offered, regardless of what the product is (assuming it's in accordance with guidelines and good common sense). Unfortunately we cannot justify an exception just because your product is band-related, and some other members' products are not. You have about 4 posts advertising your bracelets for sale just since yesterday. Please consolidate these into a single post, with a single link to the product for sale. If you need assistance doing this, I'm sure any moderator would be happy to help. Thanks!

I am thinking of getting Lap Banded ... but I am a big drinker (Water that is) .... Are you still able to have big drinks of water (ie 1 to 1 1/2 litres at a time) ... or do you have to do it little by little. I can chug, but I don't chug a liter at a time. Not because of my band, but just because I dont want to drink a liter of water at once. Also ... do most people have problems with steak ... or can you still eat it after banding. I have heard that it is not good to digest and just sits there.:hungry: I don't eat steak. I did rarely before banding. I don't now because by the time I get it chewed, it's not worth it to me (considering how I wasn't that big of a fan anyway). That may have to do with liking it on the rare side - might be chewier that way, don't know for sure.

I had to answer that none applied. I'm about 6.5 mos post-op, and for a few weeks have been having minimal hairloss. More than before, but not enough that I'm worried. Twice I lost more than usual, but for the most part there are maybe 10 strands if I run my fingers through my hair in the shower. It's not noticeable, and already seems to be lessening. I'd say I was losing for the l ast 6 weeks or so. And the losing set in overnight for me. One day nothing, the next day about 10 strands.

Can a person become easliy dehydrated because they are restricted from drinking alot of Fluid at once? Two part answer. Part 1: I can still chug. Only once has drinking liquid ever bothered me, and it was when I was stuck - stupid me thought a drink might help. Part 2: "Drinking a lot at once" isn't really a good solution to avoiding dehydration, banded or not. Constatn hydration is a better way to go. If you go through with the surgery, your dietician or surgeon SHOULD at some point advise that you always keep a bottle of Water handy. Keep in in the car, carry one with you, etc. so that if needed you can constantly sip. The second question I have is about throwing up. I understand that throwing up can cause band slippage. But what happens when a person has the flu or gets food poisoning? There may be times when a person will throw up alot. How much can the lap band handle? There is no set amount it can handle, like vomitting twice is OK, but if you vomit 3 times your band will slip. I rarely vomit (2x in the last 20 years). Regardless, I still asked my PCP for something to help, because I know it could lead to problems, so she phones me in a Rx for a liquid anti-nausea medicine. I consider it a good prevenative to have on hand. I have read on alot of sites about how the lap band is a great tool to lose weight. I also have read that people have them removed. In general, is the lap band a temporary solution? In general it is a permanent solution. Is it meant to help you lose most of your excess weight and then removed? No. How long do people usually keep the band in? Another question that's hard to quanitfy. I know two women who have had theirs for about 6 years and counting. Most studies beyond 2001 occurred outside of the US, and since *most* of the people here live in the US, we can't help much other than to suggest you look up some medical research or contact band manufactuers to get your info. And finally, because I am 25, I expect to be very active once I lose my weight. With gastric bypass, hernias are a problem and people are not supposed to lift heavy things. Are there physical restrictions to people with the lap band? Not that I know of. Can I do sit-ups and ab-crunches without disrupting the band? Should not be a problem. The band is secured around your organ. If your organ isn't disrupted, then your band shouldn't be.

It isn't?!? Please don't tell my band that! I eat chicken virtually every day. I think you might have been drawn into the "if it happens once, that makes it true for all" party. I know several bandsters, and only one who has any problem with chicken at all. I can't offer much to address your initial question b/c I wasn't ashamed of my band and had nothing to hide, so I'm not really clever with how to hide it. Maybe just tell people you're eating less to lose weight.

dinner last night was Chipotle chicken bol, no rice, extra Beans, lots of hot salsa, added my own low fat sour cream. I ate about 1/3. I ate breakfast today! About 10 pepperoni chips with about half a tbl of garden vegetable cream cheese. I have the leftover Chipotle for lunch but *may* end up going out, we'll have to see. Dinner -- no idea... kinda feel like eating at home tonight, which means making something oOR maybe ordering pizza Hut and getting their boneless garlic & parmeson wings... OMG if you haven't tried these they are YUM.

Well - it's exactly what it sounds like - a cocoa mix that tastes like Butterfinger. The only place I've found it is a local grocery store where my parents live, about an hour and a half from KC. I use small amounts of it (high in carbs) to flavor my protein drinks. Splenda + peanut butter tastes pretty close to it too.

Now... you guys know how I've told you that no one was noticing, or at least not commenting on, my loss? In the last week + handful of days, I've had probably 15 people, some of whom I don't even know, say something about how I've lost a lot of weight. So ok... whatever... thanks for the compliments. It's not about the compliments to me. I don't like being complimented anyway, makes me feel too akward. It *is* about the fact that other people see a difference, even though I don't (some but apaprently not as much as others), so it's affirmation that I'm getting there. It serves the same purpose as looking at pictures, only I can reason around the changes on paper (flattering angle, just an unusual "good picture" - the kind you hold on to and the only one you ever let anyone see... I'm sure we've all been there...), but I can't reason around 15 people in different settings, familiar & unknown, making comments in one week. Yay me. :cheer2:

BTW all of the above is just MHO.

I think we get so used to hearing about less comprehensie programs, where the psychologist is not vested in the outcome of the surgery. That's when you'll hear most of your, "1 visit" scenarios. I had to see Dr. Sabapathy 3 times, twice pre-surgery, and a quick follow-up the day before to do the relaxation breathing (BTW did anyone else feel like an ass having to sit there and do that? :eek: ). Trust me when I say that if he's requiring additional visits, it's serving a good purpose. Don't assume it's his way of saying you aren't committed, because I doubt that's his concern. He is going to do what it takes to feel confident that he has helped you see the tools you will need for success. Don't get frustrated by it, it really is for your own good, and I don't know *anyone* who has regretted or resented the additional time after the fact. I too wanted my surgery "now" once I had decided to do it, and was frustrated that I had to wait (due to Dr. H's availability). But truly - November is just a month and a half away, and even though day by day it's going to seem like an enternity, it's time you can use. There's a lot of prep to be done, especially introspectively. I'm not saying you haven't already done it, but you can never do too much. Something else to keep in mind, and forgive me if this sounds a bit too "tough love" (you can ask the girls here... I'm just a to-the-point kind of perosn) - but especially if you're an emotional eater, the core of what you need to get figured out is what you're going to divert your focus to when it can no longer be food. An easy way tol say it is "trading obsessions". Not drinking soda, ok -- good thing to give up, and a good step toward longer term behavioral changes that will lead to improved health. Not taking a change of jobs, probably not too relevant when you see it from a psychological perspective (in which case it's about getting the surgery paid for, not comittment to lifelong & lifestyle dietary & health changes). Neither of those have anything to do with how you will react, mentally, to the surgery... how you will cope, and if you're an emotional eater, how you will mourn. So while the soda is a good start on the behavioral side, it's all the other stuff of "why I'm fat" that you should think about.

I believe I am at my sweet spot or very close to it. I have had 3 fills in a 4cc band: 1cc, 1cc, .5cc. I didn't feel anything after the first fill. I felt a tiny bit immediately after the second fill but nothing shortly after. I really felt the third fill the first few days, but now I'm just sort of in a groove where I'm not eating much at all, and only having problems at TOM or when I (swallow/eat) something stupid.

Weighed this morning & my scale finally budged... 276.08. It seems like I only lose when I PB. :/

Ok trying to catch up. Saturday - no Breakfast. lunch tried to eat pepperoni chips and cream cheese, PBed. dinner made homemade manicotti w/ ricotta, spinach, mushroom filling, which I skipped and had a Protein drink. So I didn't really eat anything. Sunday - made a breakfast casserole w/ eggs, cream cheese, bacon, cheddar, croutons, butter. Ate 1 slice (it's cooked in a meatloaf pan, and I cut a 1/4 inch or so slice, it was just a few bites). Lunch was a few pepperoni chips with garden veggie cream cheese, dinner was homemade chicken & tofu stirfry in a hot & sour base, about a cup worth. So far today I've had just a few bites of Thai food for lunch (King & Ann chicken), chicken & sauce only, and small 2 lime flavored toosie rolls. I don't know yet what I'm going to make for dinner, which means we'll probably have Chipotle.

Went to a Thai restaurant with a friend and had King & Ann chicken, hold the rice.

So I see a lot of people talking about how they're always hungry, ravenous, etc. I'm having quite the opposite experience. On day 2 of my pre-op liquid diet I lost my appetite, and have yet to find it. I kept waiting for it to come back post-op and it never did. "Lucky me" - I know - but it's not necessarily a good situation, either. I'm not too tight. I can eat close to anything I want. I'm just never hungry. I feel true hunger maybe once or twice a month. I find myself eating when I'm not hungry (though waiting several hours between) just to try and get some food in. So if there are others out there, as I'm sure there are, let's group here and we can discuss.

My personal favorite: My chest was heaving like a bulemic after Thanksgiving dinner.

I can remember having 4. One in highschool, right after I took a bunch of meds (had bronchitis and a resp infection), so I thought I was just "trippy" from the meds. The latest was about a year ago, and just struck one morning out of the blue. I was typing, kind of "felt" it coming on (but since it doesn't hurt, I dont really feel it... guess it's just changes in the vision or eye pressure or something...) then there it was. For me it's tunnel vision, and random "bright colors" that can keep me from being able to see, like if a flash goes off in your face, then everything you look at is covered with a bright blur. And then I get these weird psychadelic writhing "worms" in my peripheral vision... these sort of undulating "strings". And everything will pulse. Funky fly, man...

I never defended the person, I simply said there might be another perspective involved. And if 20 is old enough to understand all that, then we're old enough to understand the point I made about "we don't have your size" being BAD, but "anorexic waif" being OK. Again - not a defense, just an observation. At the very least it keeps my typing fingers nimble.

I love 'em. There's a veggie restaurant near my work that sells from-scratch black bean burgers with baked sweet potato fries & honey maple "ketchup." Mmmm. However, I can strongly recommend you avoid the "Tofu-rkey". Blech.