LaMonica

Globally yours you are doing awesome!!!!

Welcome sweet pea!!!! Where do you live? I'm 24 also and live in McKinney....yes get in that food before pre-op as a treat to yourself!

Congrats April!!!!! And Angel - buy it girl!

Yeah it's insecurity. My hubby went through the same thing. He will get over it, if he's worth it. Like someone said, if he truly loves you now, he will truly love you then no matter how much you weigh. Love is not measured by pounds. So if he's basing his feelings on what you look like.....he needs to look in the mirror and "encourage himself!" Don't let him get you down....he will like it in the end and if not move right along. You need positivity, not the opposite.

I'm an emotional eater as well...but talking to myself helps open the door to do other things besides go grab a snack like I used to. I keep a jug of water with me at all times to drink if I feel hungry. I've learned sometimes when we don't drink enough water, our bodies sense "hunger" when it's really thirst. I also try to write down what I'm feeling, why I want to eat, and what will happen after I eat. Usually it's not good. And after pre-op I lost about 10lbs before surgery, and I was thinking if I eat like this again I will gain the weight back. So I focus on the new clothes I want to buy, the shoes I want, and how eating like I should will help get me there. Now every now and then I will have a small cup of ice cream, or a cookie, but only after I balance my meals for the day so I don't overdo it. It's hard to say, but you start to feel different about food.

Right now I have 5.8 in a 10cc. My 1st fill was 1cc, then my 2nd fill last week was .8cc. My first fill was almost like a joke, haha. This time I feel more restriction, but I don't know. Like this morning I had 2 scrambled eggs and a small piece of sausage with it, around 8am. It's now 1:20 and I'm not hungry. A little thirsty, but not hungry. But I am going to eat a little to make sure I get some protein. Now I need to walk and do weights like crazy to get this weight down more!

You look great!!!!!! You're right...who's counting? :confused2: All I know is I feel better, look better, and will continue to do so!!!! Here are my pics as well. Highest weight - 277. Current weight - 247. Yess!!!! I haven't weighed this much since sometime last year. P.S. - the jeans I have on I haven't been able to wear in over a year. And in the old pic can't you see my rolls!!!!! I still have a round stomach, but at least it's round now and not rolling onto itself much anymore. :crying:

I take chewable Centrum....a little chalky but I make sure to brush my teeth and drink plenty of water afterwards. It's not a "carb free" diet, just low carbs. And pay attention to labels b/c foods do have carbs in them, some drinks too and we don't realize that carbs are more than bread.

Well everyone is different so I would at least try a very small bite of something and chew it well and wait a few minutes to see if it agrees. Personally I haven't had any trouble with foods, but I am careful not to eat white bread because it swells in your stomach and fills the pouch. Salads are good, with fat free dressing of course and lush greens, you just have to chew well as with any other food. But I would have grilled chicken with the salad as a source of Protein. Good protein sources are extra lean beef, turkey, fish, and chicken. Make sure it's grilled or baked for best nutrition, low sodium, and 4-6oz portion. My nutritionist says the ideal portion is the size of a deck of cards. But it might take a few fills before that is satisfying! It was hard for me to give up my Coke, but I gave it up 1 week before I started my 2week pre-op diet and I can honestly say now I don't miss them except my memories of them. I did have caffeine headaches for a few days, but that went away fast. Also it's hard not to, but you should only take a few sips of a beverage while you eat if at all. The liquid could flush the food from your upper stomach which will make you hungry faster. That's the hardest for me.

Every pre-op is different and I'm sorry your doc wasn't more specific. I agree with the suggestions above. Some rules I followed were: -Fat free/sugar free if possible (yogurt, popsicles, jello) -All fruit except bananas as they are high in natural sugar. -Depending on the shakes, 6 carnation breakfast (low sugar) or 3-4 Atkins shakes. Make sure the shakes are high Protein, low carb. -64oz of Water per day (or as close to it as possible). No soda, try crystal light if you need flavor, try to limit juices unless they are 100% natural. -1-2 meals per day (outside of shakes) which include 4-6oz portions of fish, chicken, or lean beef (not fried try grilled or baked). Also veggies. No potatoes or other high carb foods. -And walk or other type of exercise you enjoy, this should keep your metabolism up, keep you full, and cut down on fat. You can do it! :-)

LOL it's hard to explain what grits are but it's kind of like an oatmeal consistency but it's made with ground corn. They taste delicious!! And yes, hot grits on a man will definitely teach him a lesson! :-)

Glad to hear such a good update!!!!! And your goal will come sooner than you think!! All you can do is take it one day at a time, sleep, and do it all again. Later on, with trust building and the new memories, it will turn into 1 week at a time, 1 month at a time, etc. until you are just living without "waiting" for something. I really am happy for you and you are such an inspiration. Have a great weekend and enjoy your date!! And don't put date in quotations...a date is a date! Even when you're married! :-)

Understood!! I'm from Houston, TX originally but now I live in the Dallas area. GRITS!! By the way, grits and eggs are so tasty. Hmm sounds like breakfast tomorrow :-)

You should talk to your doctor about it. It may be the type of birth control, and not necessarily birth control itself. I'm on the pill and I didn't have to change anything. But it's always best to talk it out with your doctor.

Hey? Where is everybody with their NSV's? I have been sooooooooo busy but I had an NSV today and I wanted to share!! I had to buy size 22 jeans the last time I bought jeans because my old ones didn't fit. But they were so cute that I wanted to keep them. Well today before I got in the shower I thought, I wonder how far up my thighs those old jeans can come? My 22 jeans are baggy in the bottom. So...I put on the old jeans (tight/stretchy size 20 but fit like an 18)......and they fit!!! They fit better than the last time I could wear them! I can sit, stand, and bend comfortably in them! Also - I have to buy new pants for work. I usually keep 2 pairs of black slacks but now they are both too big! I have to put safety pins in 1 pair and luckily the other pair is drawstring. Today when I got home, the regular pair I was able to take off without undoing a button or the zipper!! I am happy! This is real important to me because the scale has been stagnant.....hope everyone is doing well!

Congrats and way to have such a positive attitude!!! The next few days might not be as smooth....but it will be over before you know it. Make sure to walk as much as you can, and drink protein shakes/water as directed. This is the "new you"! :-)

Great job globally yours....you can really tell!!! I was banded 5/23 and so far I've lost about 27lbs......kind of slow at times, but I know slow and steady wins the race!! Way to go everyone!!! :-)

My diet has been tough because I am not yet at restriction. The first few days after surgery I hardly wanted to drink water let alone protein shakes. I was so excited when I got to mushies and I got to eat 2 days of regular food before my 1st fill. After fills I have 2 days of liquids, 2 days of mushies, then back to regular food. Usually I make sure to get eggs and maybe turkey bacon (crispy) for breakfast, some type of grilled chicken for lunch, and fish or lean beef for dinner. I didn't know beef had the most protein out of meat, but it's hard to get good lean beef. I don't snack much, or I try not to, but I bought 100 calorie snacks if I do snack and that's 1 or 2 times at the most per day. I try to limit myself to 1200 calories but that's hard with no restriction. I have my 2nd fill this Friday. I try to average 400 calories per meal, and if I know I will eat a little more maybe for lunch, then I will eat a much lighter breakfast. Salads are good too with fat free Italian dressing. Unfortunately Caesar salads are high in calories and fat I think but it's still better than a burger. :-) Check the boards under nutrition and you will see a lot of recipes and ideas. And eat a lot of fruit too, and crystal light or lowfat milk for drinks but mostly water. I didn't realize how many calories I used to take in drinking smoothies, slushies, soda, etc.

It keeps me from having "cute" clothes because it's so hard to find them in my size (for a reasonable price). Same with shoes but not just size (size 11) but I'm so heavy that the heels hurt so bad when I used to be able to walk around all day/night with heels with no problem!! Also I don't swim like I used to although I LOVE IT because I hate the way I look in a swimsuit. Less body shot pics...more face only. And yeah I also hate seeing people I haven't seen b/c I have just beengetting bigger and bigger. Once I'm on the losing trail and going strong I'm gonna look for everyone just to say "hi". :-)

I was banded in May...my hair sheds anyway but I haven't noticed any difference. My nutritionist said the hair loss is due to lack of Protein. I have been told I need to intake 40-60 grams daily. The reason is that protein are the building blocks of all your body's cells and they reproduce in different intervals. The fastest reproducing cells requiring the most protein are your hair follicles. That's why the 1st sign of protein deficency is hair loss. If you don't get enough protein over a period of time, you will experience great hair loss along with break down of muscle tissue because muscles are built of a great deal of protein. I wouldn't worry too much if you are eating what you should, and if you're still short stick in a protein shake! :-)

For you all needed medical histories - what about your gynecological records? I hope you attended your women's exams regularly....they do a weigh in each year and I know every year since I started going I would gain like 20-30lbs and it would be out of control....I hated looking at my chart seeing how much weight I would gain each year. Try to use that as a historical record too. About pics - I love taking pics of my face, by myself. I usually hold the camera straight out or up high and it gets a good angle. I love my face. Now full body pics I don't like as much because the "fat" of me shows so much...but in reality that's how everyone sees me. So like someone said my image of myself isn't the true me. But hopefully soon it will be!

Congrats!!!!!!!!!! I know that NSV was just wonderful!!!!

Jorge I agree with everyone else...YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE!! You are experiencing moments of weakness, and it seems hard to get up when you think of doing everything at once. Take it 1 day at a time, 1 hour at a time, as best as you can. Come here for support.....go to support groups....this is not easy and it takes time...and you will slip up. But the big picture is you are going to be a healthier person no matter what the scale may say on a daily basis. I would stop using a scale.....I am dealing with the same feelings you are and I need to stop weighing myself. I need to go by how I feel, what I eat, and what activity I do. The weight will go down in due time I don't have to monitor it at all times. WE are here for you!!!! (((((((((((((BIG HUGS)))))))))))))

Hey my name is LaMonica I am 24 years old; originally from Houston, TX now in the Dallas area Married for almost 3 years...no kids...just a black Lab I work in the nonprofit arena...working on a Master's in Counseling Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. I've always been a cutie/fine...just kept getting bigger over the years I am shy when I first meet people but I warm up quickly This website has helped me tremendously...and I am happy to be banded and starting a new journey in my life!!!

For the 4th I enjoyed myself...in small portions of course! Since beef and chicken have the highest amounts of protein on our menu...I had a tiny piece of brisket, some bites of chicken breast, all beef hot dogs (no buns of course just BBQ sauce). A couple of spoons of macaroni over the weekend also. I had a small piece of chocolate cake which didn't taste as good as I remembered which is weird....I figured I would have gained weight over the holiday but I lost about 2lbs! I made sure to eat on time, eat high protein, low carbs, and stay hydrated. It was hard not drinking ice cold Coca-Cola Classic (was always my favorite) but I'm getting used to it since I haven't had soda since May 1, 2008 (yes I remember the day hah!) You can balance your day by eating a little more during 1 meal and a little less during another. Never starve yourself, just make sure to get that high protein low fat/sugar if possible!