Wheetsin

The average lapbander doesn't lose that much BUT the average lap-bander doesn't have that much to lose. You guys are kind of making me sad, I keep seeing "I'm not sure if it's attainable..." Keep in mind, the band is not like a pre-paid gift card. It doesn't give you 150 lbs to lose and that's it, you'll never lose another lb. But you'd think it has some sort of pre-set loss limit attached to it the way people talk about it. YOU are the only thing that will keep you from reaching your goal with the HELP of the band. YOU have to go into this with your mind made up that you're going to beat the statistics, because you're the biggest roadblock you'll find anywhere. I have about 40 lbs left to lose, down from about 210 to lose. I'm not trying to lose right now because I'm pregnant. But when I'm no longer pregnant, I will lose the rest of my weight. It may take a while, but it will happen. I didn't come this far to settle for still being obese. I mean - that doesn't even make sense. So just remember that there are average weightlosses with the band, and just like every average out there, there are people who set it higher, and people who set it lower. Decide which you want to be, set your targets, go and don't look back. There's no reason you have to settle for anything less than healthy.

There is a state many people go through when newly introduced to low-carb eating, usually called "induction flu" (induction is the introductory phase of the Atkins diet) or "Atkins flu". It's temporary, and usually lasts 3 - 5 days. Many people who go through it come out feeling much better than before they entered it (clear-headed, extreme energy, etc.) Common symptoms include: Feeling run-down or fatigued Extreme headache that may not go away with pain relievers "Flu-like" body aches Shivers Cold sweats Dizziness Nausea

Would the Dressbarn job (thinking in terms of commission sales) be better than one of the other PT jobs, if all of them is too much on your plate?

I don't use the card. At best it maybe encourages a restaurant to give me a discount, but it's not a guarantee, it's honored at their discretion. That's kind of an integrity thing for me personally. I never offered to pay more when I ate more than everyone else, so why would I ask them to charge me less now that I eat less? I'll just pay what it costs, and eat what I want. As I see it, the price is more than the food, it's the company. But that's just me, and doesn't necessarily apply to anyone else. If the cost of the soup bothers you, maybe suggest somewhere else to go? A place that lets you carry home your extras, so you can have multiple meals, or some to share with someone else. Lots and lots of places have soup/half sandwish, soup/salad, soup/potato combo lunches that are good options (and I'm TIGHT during the day, very limited on what I can eat and quantity, so I've looked just about everywhere). I don't eat from the children's menu usually because it's such poor quality food. When I can find good quality items I order them, no card, I just say I'm not that hungry, won't eat that much, and want to order from the kids' menu. Been doing this for over two years and no objections so far. Most often I order a regular menu item and just make several meals out of it. Or I go with a side. We went to a steakhouse with friends this weekend, and I ordered the side item baked potato.

I haven't read all the posts so maybe this has been addressed, but there's no such thing as the pre-op diet. Most surgeons have some personal variation of a pre-op diet, from nothing to super strict 4 weeks. If you share what your surgeon has specified, then we'll be better able to help you with recipe ideas. My surgeon required 2 days of sugar-free, Clear liquids. My recipes were chicken broth, SF popsicles, SF Jell-O and Water.

What about sports? I was a scrawny kid, but would pudge up (well, like 10lbs... nothing I'd blink an eye at now) in the winter months when my sports weren't in season. Then as soon as summer rolled around and I was going to practices, games, etc. the weight would come off without me changing anything else. Not that it's THE solution, but I think it would definitely help. Especially sports that involve aerobics, like soccer, softball, volleyball... waterpolo is a fun butt kicker, if you have it in your area (that was one that instantly whipped me into shape). Doesn't address the eating issues, but a lot of times better body image will give you the incentive you need to take care of those. Does your daughter "sneak" food, or eat openly? Token economies, and hell - real ones too - can work well with children. Could you essentially "bribe" her to lose weight with something she's wanting? E.g. my parents hated that I bit my nails, so every week that I didn't bite them, they took me to the beauty college for a manicure. One of the off-seasons when I was pudging up, my grandfather offered my $1 for every pound I lost, and I could spend it on anything I wanted. Got scrawny again pretty quickly. Anything you could interest her in during the summer, perhaps with some friends? E.g. local pool (heck of an aerobic workout) with swim classes, parent-child swim nights, etc?

What's mac grill? Is it a mushy? If your surgical swelling has gone down, you may not have pain or get full quickly until you start getting your fills and have restriction. Remeber -- the band doesn't work when it's empty. Help me understand this. You lost 10kg, got that, but what is "4m"? You started some kind of pre-op diet (?) March 18th, were banded March 25th, but are still on your pre-op diet April 5th? And now you have gained .5 kg? Why are you on a pre-op diet after your surgery? What you're describing isn't a "cheat" so much as failure to comply with your surgeon's rules, for which there can be very steep consequences. You may want to practice, "out of sight, out of mind"... so whatever it is you're eating that you're not supposed to be, eliminate your ability to get it. Surgeons post-op diets (which it doesn't sound like you're on since you're still following pre-op?) are in place for a reason, and one of the biggest reasons is to ensure that your band has a chance to get situated. When you remove that chance, you probably raise your chances for future complications. Do whatever your surgeon told you to do. Wow, that's quite a reaction to eating. Like I said, remember -- your band can't work empty, and any weightloss between your surgery and restriction should be seen as a BONUS, not a GIVEN. Many people find they gain weight during that period (an initial loss, usually from the pre-op diet, being replaced as you regain your "normal" eating habits as swelling goes down). I don't understand what "2 me ring something dengerous" means... not following surgeon's post-op can be dangerouss, but I don't know what you mean by "ring"... what are you asking here?

I would think you'd want to know total cost before you looked into any options, because perhaps cost would determine which payment route you took. I have a hard time recommending 401k loans to people... have you looked into 0% interest credit offers or low APR? Many cards out there now are about 5% or less.

Go to the FAQ section, or search for a thread called "Abbreviations and what they mean". You will find your answer + much, much more there.

No apology needed. We see enough stories of frustration that it's pretty easy to spot someone who just needs to unload.

It's entirely your choice. If you really don't want them there, make it clear. My parents came, I didn't ask them to - nor did I ask them not to. It didn't bother me, but if someone had wanted to come whom I really didn't want there, I would have made it clear/known. If I was afraid of hurting their feelings, I might've just said something like, "It's my first surgery and I don't know how I will react, I'd rather just see you in a few days when I'm feeling better and not have to be worrying about guests and visitors if I'm not feeling well."

Laurend, if your pay teaching is anything like mine was, then you'll make more at Dressbarn. Plus you post about the stresses it causes, and there's only so much stress you're going to have at part-time retail. So why even consider the summer teaching, instead of just taking the Dressbarn job (They have cute clothes! Think of the discount!) and having one less thing (teaching) to worry about?

Gas-X may help with intestinal gas, but it won't do much for the gas outside, which is what surgical gas really is (they blow you up like you're preggo to make it easier to see/move, kinda). Some people find that moving around helps, or warm/hot showers as allowed. Really it's just a waiting game in most cases.

Shortskinis. I found one with nice, modest length shorts, but not ful l length or swinshort length (and definitely not boy shorts, which do nothing for fat thighs). If you like more coverge, how about a swim top/swim short combo? Or top skirt? They give you the most versatility in actual combination as well as coverage.

Currently PG with #1, got knocked up about 2 years after getting my band.

I didn't need to have one, but since it's generally a medically supervised diet that insurance companies will accept, the proof of it is in medical records.

There's nothing saying you will have to give up either of those foods. I had sushi this weekend, and part of a sandwich (on soft white bread) yesterday.

See this thread, then account for any TY07 changes. What I posted was accurate, at the time. I haven't even looked at TY07 tax changes tho. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/irs-tax-deduction-weight-loss-surgery-32327/

Miralax dissolvable powder. Avoid bulking agents for now.

This actually sounds like it should, but I'm not a surgeon nor do I play on one tv. There might not be a significant pouch, especially if you aren't filled. It's palced right around where the esophagus and the stomach connect, about 2.5cms below if I remember correctly... an area referred to as "very top of the stomach" and "very bottom of the esophagus" (colloquially). I tend to refer to it as the bottom of the esophagus because when you say a band around the stomach, people picture something binding the stomach in half.

I'm not a believer in signs, I think our brains are good at making connections, but sign or no sign, you'll know the decision that's right for you.

Right now chewable prenantals, but when I'm not PG I take Centrum chewables. The prenatals are Rx, but the daily Vitamins I buy OTC. I've tried liquid vitamins and didn't care for them. The chewable centrums aren't like desert, but who cares, it's 4 seconds of my day. For calcium either chewable Caltrate (I think it's called) or the ones that are like little chocolates, or Tums if that's what I have handy. Or an extra glass of milk or soy that day. Outside of these I take ppotassium as needed, a liquid purified fish oil Omega-3 supplement, and folic acid (PG).

Airlines are fine if you pack food, even liquids. It's carry-on (or rather, carry thru security) that's the only challenge. And even then it's fine, if you're at an airport that vends within the gate areas and you have a vended product. What they don't want you doing is buying a bottle of water at the gas station, then trying to get it through security. E.g. I last flew in Feb. I couldn't bring a bottle of water through security (I knew this), but I could buy a bottle inside the gate and take it on the plane with me. I could put a 36-pack in my checked luggage, it doesn't matter.

Split a full meal with your kids? There's a card some surgeons give their patients. It states you've had AGB surgery and the portion size you can eat. (the "official" one anyway - some variants also request the holder be allowed to eat off the children's menu). However, it's not a discount card, it's just an information thing. It's each restaurant's discretion whether or not they look twice at it.

It's a permanent thing once they do it, your hair is straight. But the new hair is still curly, which is why you have to get the roots touched up. A girlfriend of mine does this. She went once 3 years ago and had it done (at Penny's when they had a half-price perm sale, which applied to this even though it's not really a perm), adn she has gone back about 4 or 5 times to have her curly roots straightened, but the bulk of her hair is still straight. The day she got it done, she went swimming. Got out of the water, and her hair dried completely straight (she has uber thick, kinky curly hair). When her roots need to be done, she uses the straightener until she can get into the salon. Other than that, all she does is blow dry or air dry. I think it was ~300 for the big treatment, and 50ish for root follow-ups, but it beats having to straighten every day, worry about humidity, etc.