heartfire

I'm glad you posted. I saw an article in my local paper this AM. I'm so sorry about what everyone over there is going through. It must be so very frightening. DH is a fireman here in the states so he's experienced some pretty big wildfires but I don't think we've lost whole towns to fires. I hope you and your family and friends will be okay. Take care!

Hopefully you get some answers from them soon. DH and I have been thinking of looking into switching ours to save some money. With your post, I'm now wondering if we'll be able to! It's not something I thought of before! :thumbdown: Hopefully you'll get some one posting that has gone through this and has some advice.

I agree with everyone else. You should be able to eat just about everything but in moderation. Some people, even with proper restriction (not too tight, not too loose) will have problems with some foods. Could be a meat of some sort, or bread or grains or veggies or whatever. I have discovered, after getting stuck twice now, that I can not do ciabatta bread. I can do other breads, pastas, grains, etc. But not ciabatta bread. I think it's just the wrong texture. I just can't chew it enough for it to go through. Am I going to miss it? Not really. I mean, I like it, it would be nice to eat it but it's not a big deal. Please don't panic about what you might or might not be able to eat after surgery. Right now it's your head talking. You will miss food but you'll miss the quantity that you used to be able to eat. Not so much the food itself. At least that's been my "loss" since surgery. And even that is just more of a "missing of an old friend" kind of thing. I'd much rather have the band than copious amounts of food! Best wishes on your journey!!

Hang in there. You were just banded and it's going to take time. I'm 6 months out and am just now up to 5.75. I didn't start feeling restriction until the last couple of fills. I now have full restriction. It may take some time to find your sweet spot. I'm ok with not being able to eat one particular type of bread but if I find that I'm not able to eat a lot of different things, I'll go get a slight unfill. I don't want to be so tight that I have to worry about every bite I take. That's not what I signed up for. I signed up to eat smaller portions in order to lose weight and get healthier NOT be on another diet that deprives me of anything. All in moderation. Question for you. When I was less than a month out from surgery, I couldn't have been eating a piece of pizza. My surgeon didn't advance me that fast. I was still on soft foods. What is your surgeon's food plan like? Every surgeon is so different, I find it interesting. Best wishes!!

Isn't that just the greatest?! I'm finding the same thing. I am enjoying my "treats" more instead of having had them all the time and not even tasting them anymore! Used to be a daily Starbucks thing for me. After awhile I'd just order the same thing and not even really taste it. Now I have one maybe once a month, if that and it takes me awhile to order (choose!) and I thoroughly enjoy every last drink now! And it's not even something I want all the time now. Just once in awhile. Anyway, so exciting! Last week: 188.1 This week: 187.4 Total loss: -.7 I'm excited, I've only got another 1 1/2lbs til I hit 50 gone and another 3 after that to be halfway to goal. Five years ago I was able to get down to 185 on WW but I couldn't keep it going and got stuck, then started gaining again. So I'll be really excited to get below 185. Pretty sure I'm NOT going to hit my v-day goal of 181.2. It was pretty ambitious for a slow loser but I'm pleased with what I've done so far! Have a fantastic week everyone!!

I don't do soup much unless it's homemade. Dr. thinks soup is evil b/c of the slider factor. Too many calories and it doesn't "hold" you. If at a restaurant or using canned I will drink the broth first, then eat the "goodies" and that seems to help a lot. Homemade, I use less broth to make it so it's a lot thicker, on the "stew" side of things. I'll also take more "goodies" than broth. Or, I'll drink a cup of warm broth before dinner (if I'm really wanting broth). Since I need to prepare DD's bowl first (so it has time to cool down), this gives me a chance to have some yummy broth before actually eating. This also gives the broth time to leave the pouch before eating. I love soups and this is how I get around the "no soup, ever" rule. If I've had a fill or have gotten stuck, then I don't give 2 figs about my doc's rule and will eat soup til I feel better. I feel at that point the nutrition and fluids is more important. Cereal, I actually haven't had since surgery. I eat a whole grains hot cereal if I'm wanting cereal. Cold or dry cereal just never occurs to me. Never has! Admittedly, I'm not much of a breakfast eater. Though now (meaning post-op) I make sure to have "something" for the nutrition.

Green, I love it when you post! LOL! I heard on the news last night that she's spending 45 minutes holding each of her new babies. That's about 6 hrs a day. So. What about her other 6? There is just not enough time in the day for 14 children under the age of 7!!!! Kids that young need a lot of time and attention. Different if they're all different ages and some are older. I don't know how Jon & Kate do it and there's TWO of them and "ONLY" 8!! Heck, I have a hard time sometimes! I've got a DD who'll be 3 this spring. A DH who's a fireman and gone for a 72hr shift each week (and that doesn't include fire season when he can be gone for weeks on end!). I have NO help so it's just me and DD when he's gone. Right now she's sick, not been sleeping well and I'm TIRED!!! I'm not complaining (much!:cursing:). I signed up for this when we brought her home from the hospital at 2 days old. BUT just looking at my situation, where I have a husband part of the week and am "single" (so to speak) part of the week, I just can't see how she is going to manage this esp as a single mom. What about when the kids are sick? The older ones are going to be bringing all kinds of bugs home from school and those preemies are going to catch everything! What happens when SHE's sick and can hardly think, let alone function? I just don't see it! Speaking of DD, she's actually hungry! Better go feed her before she changes her mind! LOL! Have a great day everyone!

I love my credit union! They're the best!!

Well, since my last fill this past Tuesday, looks like I need to change my vote! I got stuck on Ciabatta bread yesterday. Hurt like a dickens! First bite of my sandwich too! I ended up hurting the rest of the day. Stayed on hot tea and Soup the remainder of the day. This AM after more hot tea, I was able to get some egg salad down but got stuck on my gummy Vitamin. Didn't chew it enough. Seems I'm just going to have to be very careful now. And I can't get ciabatta bread chewed enough to get it through. DD had a Peanut Butter and jelly sandwich and I took a little bite and that bread seems okay. I can chew that enough. So after 6 months, I have now found something I can't have. We'll see if there's anything else as I try different things since this last fill. I'm up to 5.75 in a 10cc band. It was weird tho b/c Wednesday and Thursday, it was like I hadn't gotten another fill. Friday, I found my fill! LOL!

Thanks Ladies! I'll keep an eye on things, (and not too TMI when you're describing symptoms to look for!). Mine was all in my mid-back. Ribcage area. No other symptoms but I know what to look for now, if this continues. And my band surgeon does gallbladders too so I'll have him take care of things, if needed. innotu, I really hope it best case scenario! Worst case, is probably surgery to remove it. We'll just hope there is no need for surgery. Let us know!

This is sooo cool! I'm really happy for you Lellow! Sounds like it might be quite an ordeal. I think what you said above is so true. I love to swim and haven't been in years. This past summer, I took DD to the HS pool for "Mommy and Me" swim lessons and really had to work hard to "get over myself" to do this. I had already lost a little weight in the insurance program to get surgery but still was really embarrassed. BUT I was doing this for my DD not for me so had to "cowgirl up" and I had a lot of fun. It was a 2 week class and she was having so much fun, I signed us up for another 2 weeks. I won't be at goal this summer but I'm already looking forward to getting in the pool again! She'll be doing lessons on her own this summer but I plan on taking her in the evenings for free swim times too. I didn't do that AT ALL last summer. NO WAY!!! Best wishes on your upcoming surgery!

innotu, I'm sorry to hear you're having problems! Hang in there and best wishes on the whole thing. Can anyone tell me what an attack feels like? It didn't occur to me til I saw this thread that maybe I might be starting to have problems. Last week I woke up with bad back pain, deep. Most of it on the right side, sort of radiating to the left but not involving the spin. At first I thought it was kidney stones but the pain was higher up, about mid-back. All day was pretty painful. Deep breaths hurt and if I moved wrong. I couldn't even lift or hold my DD for long The next day (and since), I was fine. Now I'm wondering. Thanks for any help you can give me. Guess I'd better do some research just in case! Jodi, hope yours isn't going too!

Hmmm, that sounds interesting! I'll have to check it out. Thanks!! Wonder if you can just use the exercise part of it? I could use some help with that. My problem with all of the food/calorie trackers is that I cook a lot of fresh foods and make up recipes as well as use recipes from all over. Unless I enter all the ingredients into the tracker, I can't know for sure what my calorie intake is. It'd be different if I was using canned Soup instead of making my own. But I just don't have time to enter all of that in. Just the other night I made up a soup based on a side dish I make. Great, healthy soup but I have no idea what the calorie content of it would be!

My bottle says to take 3 after each meal to help with digestion, so I just do that. Usually works. I haven't PB'd yet! Of course I've only gotten stuck a couple of times but it's helped each time. I do also take them after lunch and dinner. They're good for you.

Phylicia Rashad is who we're talking about on the new Jenny Craig ad. (Mom, Claire from the show The Huxtables.) And her clothes are too big for her. And she is married to a sportscaster but darn if I can remember his name! They've been married for YEARS too. I think that you're thinking of the gal with long hair that does some stuff with the Fox Sunday Football crew. The before pic was taken shortly after she gave birth. she has said in interviews that she was having a hard time getting the weight off and NutriSystem really helped. Ok, just googled Ms. Rashad and they're getting a divorce! Here is a link (this is just the 1st I clicked on): [url="http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_12_99/ai_71704807"[/url] His name is Ahmed, BTW. Looks like you're going to have to copy and paste. I used the link icon and it's not working!!!

Wow! What a roller coaster! I'm glad you're having so much fun with him! Take care!

I agree with you Niner. DH is a fireman, when he's home for a really long vacation, it kinda gets tough. Tho a little easier now that we have a kid. He gets to take over more when he's home to give me a break. But when he's stuck on duty during the summer fire season, that sucks too! LOL! I can't make up my mind! I don't know what I'm going to do when he retires in 13 yrs. Maybe I'll go back to work and he can play SAHD (stay at home dad)!!

UGH!! I agree with you about having two minds of this crazy story and her shopping out her kids to make money. AND being from the same state as she is, I REALLY don't want to have to support her too. We only have 1 kid and with my DH working for the state, we've got our own issues and are hoping we'll be ok ourselves! I can't afford to support her too!

Was cruising by and saw your post. DH is CalFire as well. What part of the dept. are you in? He's at a station so they can't actually TAKE the days off, so they get the 10% pay cut and work the 2 days for free. Supposedly they'll get to take the days off later, after this is all over but ALL of them will have a whole 2yrs to each take an extra 30-some days off. Yeah, ain't gonna happen! AND I don't hear the legislators taking a hit like we are. Just the peons that make the state function are getting it in the @ss! Can you tell I'm ticked! LOL! Hope you're ok thru this. It's going to be tough for us. Scary. Best wishes thru this nightmare!

You could try Kaiser but your wait may be the same with them. We're insured thru DH's job but my IL's are self-insured. My band was completely paid for except some co-pays. It will take some time tho. In my area, Northern CA, they have a 1yr wait from becoming a member to when you can pursue the surgery. Then there are classes and a WL expectation. Find out all you can from member services before signing up. Kaiser is a little different in every state (and in CA between northern and southern). I'm not sure what it's like where you live but it's worth looking in to. By the time you find an insurance company, get thru their program and whatever other hoops they have you jump thru, it may just be best to stay where you're at.

Oh I haven't tried those. I'm afraid too. I'm already addicted to the regular ones! They're a major slider food for me. I can slowly eat the dumb things all day if I wanted too. I was really proud of myself. The last time I bought a small bag (not the larger family size) it took me a whole week to eat them! Before surgery, I'd have grabbed the bag and hit the couch to eat the entire bag in one sitting AND it would've been the BIG bag!!!! I have gotten a lot better! LOL! But I really just can't buy them very often. WTG!!! That is fantastic!!

I think a lot of people (myself included) are surprised at how much head stuff there is to deal with after WLS. Please don't get angry. If you don't want to hang with the people from HS, then don't. These people really mean nothing to you anyway. They aren't worth getting all worked up over. Really. It actually gives them power over you. Whether they know it or not. It takes energy to be that worked up and you can use the energy for better things. Call your girl, take her for a walk and enjoy her company. Let go of the anger. It's truly not worth it. You're doing a fantastic job. Keep up the great work!

I'd have to agree with Jacqui and a few others. Eating for the sake of chowing down something yummy and loads of it! But alas, that's what got me to the point of deciding I needed surgery in order to help myself get this weight off. I do miss sodas sometimes. I've NEVER been able to drink one flat (or warm for that matter) so, until I can handle a little carbonation, I've given them up completely. I'm actually afraid to try them. I don't like pain and I'm afraid it'll hurt! I have used straws once in awhile and never noticed any difference in not using one.

I've heard that too but it was a looong time ago and I can't remember the details. Did you try to google it?

Visiting family, traveling period, is so hard! I'm continually amazed that even when I think I've done the worst, when I get on the scale or really think about the choices or portions or... whatever, it's not NEAR as bad as it could've been or WAS before surgery. Glad you're feeling better! Good for you for getting back on track! Slim, don't beat yourself up over the cake. You now know that you can't even have a bite, so don't! (I know, I know! Easier said than done! I DO know!) Getting the head stuff under control is going to take some time. Maybe in a year or so, you can have a bite of cake and be okay. Maybe not. I'm not much further out than you are and I'm still learning and I think I will be for awhile. There are a few things that I've found that I just can not have in the house. Cheetos are one. I will buy a small bag once in awhile just to get the taste of them but I can't have them around all the time or in large bags. I'll sit and eat them ALL!!! I don't even know what it is that I like about them so much! :tongue2: Hang in there! Best wishes to all of you! You CAN do this!!!