newhope4me

to try to hide my, well not hide it, but draw attention away from the ugly fat thighs and stomach, i wore/wear cleavage revealing tops. this past november went to the Marine Corps Ball w/ hubby and we had pix taken. when we got those back, it didnt matter that the girls were spilling out of the dress, all i saw were the "thighs" hanging from my shoulders and the huge double chin and instead of cheeks, they looked like jowls. i tried to photo shop it before sending it to the family, but it just made me realize how huge i was. i was so humiliated i dont want anyone to see that pic. everyday i look in the mirror and pretty much am disgusted by what i see, but to see that even "cleaned up" i look huge, just too much for me.

As stated i am 3 wks post-op so no fill yet. i dont know if i have restriction yet, i know i cant eat very much at a time, fill full fairly quickly. so far i have lost about 15 lbs, that was in the first week to 1 1/2 week. but, i've started keeping track of everything i eat on fitday.com, which each day averages about 500 to 600 calories a day. this seems awfully low, but i dont want to increase it because the things i'm eating are healthy (except for one mistake i made w/ bite of scrambled eggs and a bite of bacon). i'm on mushies, cottage cheese, purreed foods. If something doesnt have much Protein i add tofu or Protein powder to it. :confused2:but even for having this few calories, i havent lossed any for about a week. maybe its my period or maybe because i havent really started an exercise program to go with the band yet. seems odd that i would plateau already, but thats what it feels like, but how can i when i used to be able to eat a whole frozen pizza for dinner and now i am having so few calories? i didnt realize how few calories i was getting until after recording everything on fitday.com for a few days. i'm surprised i dont feel hungry all the time after seeing the calories listed there. the only time i struggle with hunger is in the evening, but i just drink more Water.

I understand that. Like I said, my concern is, if I'm not losing weight at less than 1/2 the recommended amount of calories (doc recommended 1200 a day) how am i going to lose it by taking in more? Just like I understand its not all coming off overnight, I just don't understand on this few calories that i'm not losing. does anyone understand what i'm saying. regarding the Protein, yes, occassionally i get under 50, but i doubt that 7 less than the recommended 60 is going to make that much of a difference. the main thing i'm concerned with is how few calories, if you take into consideration how few calories i'm getting, i believe i'm getting plenty of protein. I'm slowly adding more activity, however, my job doesnt end at 5:00.(thats usually what time i clock out, but still have much to do) My son is in the process of getting my bike fixed so that my daughter and i can go bike riding in the evenings. I do have a weight set, but as stated I cannot start that (i have tried a couple of light weight, longer sets, but it still pulls at incision area a little too much) until, well, doc recommended 6 wks. i think that by the time i'm ready for weights it will be too hot for the bike rides anyway (summer is like a cool day in hell here) i'm sorry, i hate to sound like a whiner, like o poor me i'm not losing weight. thats really not what i'm complaining about. its the small amount of calories compared to weight loss. My husband is a Marine and when we both realized how few calories i was getting, he was wondering how i'm even sustaining. i appreciate everyone's help, i'm going to try to contact the doctor tomorrow.

I know my calorie intake will increase and i guess that is what bothers me, if im not losing weight at this few calories, how am i going to lose it with more calories? maybe im just paranoid this isnt going to work either. i am getting my Protein in. i get an average of 50g of protein, sometimes more (today 68g) sometimes less (yesterday 43). thats why i add tofu and protein powder to some of my foods

bexter, we must have the same menu, i had scrambled eggs last night too. omg, such terrible pain. hardly got any sleep and was still hurting today. definitely learned a lesson

i want to be confident, a good example for my daughter i want to be naked, with the lights on with my hubby i want to go out and have a great time w/ hubby w/o worrying that i'm the hugest one around and wondering why he's with me, and him so worried about me being comfortable that he doesnt have a good time. i want to be able to do my own pedicure again.

Cerrin, that is exactly why i just can't go to a gym. I have a huge, expensive weight system in my house. Not that its ever been used more than a few times since i got it 2 years ago. But i'm not self conscious to workout in front of anyone, not even in front of hubby. Even the one time when i had gotten myself in half way decent shape, i would literally drive 10 miles outside of town to run where there was no one to see me. Now that i am banded i am going to use the weights and my daughter and i are going to ride bikes, even though i'm self conscious about the bike riding.

i got banded on a friday, i got home from the hospital on a sunday and that night got busy. hubby was more nervous than i was. he didnt go with me to the hospital, so i missed him.

because there i never have time in the mornings to make breakfast, i have to have a protein shake. also, my meals are on a schedule. i never have been before (my life is just too busy for that). but now, if i sleep in on the weekends, by the time i get up, i am lightheaded and dizzy. i have to have that protein shake in the morning before 9 or i'm useless for most of day, just feel too weak. the other meals arent as bad, but i have to have them within about 30 minutes of thier respective times or i will begin to not feel so great

Cherlita (and anyone else interested), a friend who is a bodybuilder (info is good for all, not just bodybuilders) suggested its better to have your Protein Shake directly after you hit the gym. also if one is doing weights, he suggests to have some of your carbs of the day an hour before you hit the gym, helps with energy through the workout. the protein afterwards helps to build the muscles that you've just worked. also, be sure you are drinking Water during your workout. this firstly helps your joints, then of course all of you. as you work out and your body is using up its water, it will start to take it from your joints, which is why some of us when we work out our joints (knees are infamous for this) bother us.

i was fine until today! Clear Liquids was fine, filled me up so fast and i got so creative with it, the same for full liquids. but today, first day for mushies, and it was like, OMG, FOOOOOD! and i found out what happens if you eat too much/too fast. it hurt! i don't know if i swallowed too much at once or if it was that i thought "just a bite of bacon will be ok, if i just chew it really well" well, like i said, it hurt! and now i am so afraid i ripped some stitches inside or something. my first fill is not until april 26th. i know the way i feel now i'm thinking of just having full liquids until my fill, but thats only the pain/fear talking not reality. i do hope i learned my lesson though. i do know that the Protein shakes were better tasting than that bacon anyway. don't know why i gave in, i'm not even a bacon eater usually

my procedure was done on a friday and i returned to work on monday. since i don't want anyone to know, i had to return to normalcy by monday. my job is a desk job, and the only problem i had was that (and i think this was a combination of my pants a bit too tight and i have terrible posture) i would feel uncomfortableness not where the port is but where the actual band is. when it would become so irritating that i felt i couldnt take it any longer, i would either walk around a bit or if i did not have the time to take to walk i took a pain med, which would help. (i didn't have vicodin, something quite a bit milder, but i cant remember the name) regarding eating, since my excuse for missing work on friday was that i had a flu bug that was going around, i just "didn't feel 100% yet" and just continued with my broth that first week. after i "started feeling better" i decided i need to start eating better so that allowed for my change in diet. no one is the wiser, and i feel that i've "maintained a semblance of normalcy"

you can have all the confidence in the world, but if they don't want to hire you, there is nothing you can do to change thier minds. currently i work in a field, actually i was orginally hired as a "girl friday" (basically office help), where i see many business owners who did not hire me. and now that i am saving the company at least $30,000 in payroll alone(by doing the job of more than one person), i hope they are kicking themselves. confidence can be an awesome tool, but confidence doesn't change one's perception if they have a discrimination against anything. do you seriously think that a confident black man in 1950 stood a chance against a white man?!?

i add tofu to everything that i eat (drink) right now. it adds about 7g of Protein, depending on how much tofu i add. it takes on the flavor of whatever you mix it with. i have a couple of days before i start mushies, but even then i think i will continue to add the tofu for that extra protein. funny what you said about unjury, i just got my samples and think they are good.

i have one...to be able to do my own pedicure without getting cramps. and to take a bath with my hubby (right now i dont even let him see me naked)

yes, i would eat to stuff feelings, among other reasons. i've been talking with him about the different feelings i've been going through. he should understand an addiction, he is addicted to that damn game world of warcraft. (oops, did i say that aloud; he claims he's not addicted) its been a bit easier so far this week. according to my hormone-cast, its not the best time of the month for me anyway, lol. even though it seems to be getting easier, i look forward to giving the advice. lol

this reminds me of something that happened to me. about 10 years ago, i dont know how i did it, but i lost quite a bit of weight right after my divorce (besides the 160 lb jerk, i lost about 40 myself). well, this was so out of the ordinary for me, that seriously, i had people think i was using drugs. i could not believe it! it was a very small town, i was friends with all the police there and one came to the house saying that people were saying that. i told him, you see me all the time, you see me go to work, come home and take my kids to church. where else do i go, i dont see anyone other than those places, you can have pee, blood, hair, test whatever you want, you wont find anything. (ironic thing is, thats why i divorced, he had a drug problem). i guess it made everyone more comfortable when i gained it all (and some) back.

Thanks so much to all who responded. feels good to know i'm not alone. feeling better today, maybe since i'm on to full liquid phase, lol. thanx again! i'm sure hubby appreciates me finding support so that i am not quite as bad.

this is something i put together today and it was good. carnation instant Breakfast with added tofu for extra Protein. i think its really good. i also added the tofu to my cream Soup for dinner as well. it takes on the flavor of what you mix it with. i read somewhere that before the first fill the main goal is to heal, and make sure you are getting enough nurishment, more protein than carbs. thats why its important to follow the phases. according to what i read by doing this it helps to prevent slippage in the future.

does anyone know if instead of a bracelet, i could get like a dog tag. i would prefer something like a necklace that is hidden from the general public, but there for emergency personnel. and where i could get something like that.

I was on main floor. I heard about the balloons though from some of the other girls. I think we met your friend that went with you the day before we left, we were all weighing ourselves before we left. :confused:Also, i have a question for everyone. Isnt "clear liquids" liquids that we can see through? Such as broth, Jello, clear Protein drinks, tea? this is all i've had since procedure. today i had 2 nibbles of some tilapia and licked a spoon that had a cream Soup on it, only because today i woke up feeling really weak. Which after reading what everyone else is eating, i understand why i have no energy. But even after the clear liquid phase, and we go into the liquid phase, i thought we still couldnt have meats liquified. that at that time we could add Protein shakes, liquified Soups but not meat. but i see others are pureeing chicken. Maybe i'm just paranoid that the wrong food is gonna do something to ruin this. my daughter is counting down with me to when i can have a Protein shake.

i'm a shortie too! i'm 5'2" and i used to just get higher heels to where with my pants since they were so long, but as i got older and heavier, and it seemed the pants longer, no way heels were gonna carry me. my mom is 4'11" and she avoids the whole thing by buying mens jeans, since they are sized by waist and length, instead of some nonexistent size established by designers who are dressing models instead of real women. i am hoping with my success my mom will see she can once again be a woman and stop wearing mens pants, i know the band would be an answer to her dreams. i don't mind being short, but hate being fat!

hope this helps

i was banded friday and i wanted to on saturday, probably luckily, my husband didnt come with me when had the procedure. but today i made a move and he said can you do that, i asked him why not, he said, cuz you have holes in you. i thought thats what you liked about it. lol. he rolled his eyes and said now you have extra holes. but i think we are going to, carefully, try later. just cuz i wanna.

Saturday was no fun at all. pains from the gas and a sore throat from the tube, and damn breathing exercises- breathing exercises with a sore throat equals coughing which hurt like hell. i gave up on the breathing execises, but throat seemed so dry and i gave myself a panic attack, felt like i couldnt breath, the nurse came in, gave me a pain pill and held my hand, then i just broke down, like a baby, i just wanted to go home. after i had a nap i was fine. back home today, i see pizza and left over jack in the box (everyone's habits need to change). the staff from the kitchen at the hospital gave us the recipe for the chicken broth, it was really good! so i came home and made that. everyone else is having a delicious chicken Soup and i am having delicious broth. work is going to be a bit challenging, since i dont want anyone to know. i am going to take my broth in a cup and warm up and when its time for lunch, i'm still going to order like usual than stir it around on my plate. thats the plan so far anyway. eventually i can let the chef in on my secret somewhat and he'll make my lunch. Hope everyone else is doing well! For those i didnt get to drop in on saturday, i hope you understand after reading the above.