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Feel2Young2B40 - *laughs and laughs* That was excellent.

Today was ok.. Tomorrow I'm really getting serious. No.. really. I will walk a minimum of 1/2 mile on my dreadmill every day. (Done) I will drink 64 oz. of Water every day. (Done) I will take on one achievable project in my house per day. (Tomorrow, I'll start on my desk! *chuckles*) I will NOT sit on my arse all day doing nothing but fighting head hunger out of pure boredom! (Lazy day... blech.) I will NOT eat while doing distracting things, which causes me to eat too quickly and not chew well. (Dang. Does anyone else find this one hard to do?)

:hurt This thread needs to die!! :hurt Every time I look at the new posts, I see the word chocolate! Y'all are EVIL! Rofl!! Yes, I'm only kidding. Don't worry about me. I can always.. :painkiller: :lalala: and :boxing: the temptation. I'll find distractions like.. :music: :car: But I'm still feeling like ---> whenever I see the C word! LOL

I can sell you one for reasonable price. *grins*

Being the undying optomist that I am, I have kept all of my graduating smaller sizes from previous diet attempts! I have clothes ranging from 26 down to 16. I -knew- there would come a day when I'd wear them again! Yahoo! I'm a jeans and t-shirt kind of gal too. Although, I am soooo looking forward to slipping into a size 10 pair of jeans with a bright white t-shirt and a navy blue blazer. Anyone here a Pretty Woman fan? The outfit that Julia wears in the final scenes is my goal outfit. It really suits me!

Wow! This is encouraging. I was invited out to lunch with a friend a week ago and got out of it becuase I was so nervous about being around so many tempting foods, and I didn't want to order a full meal of something it would take three days to eat! Don't be embarassed about ordering from the kids menu. Who cares if they think you are cheap? Fooey on them! *laughs*

Thanks Vines. I knew that there were/are variations of RNY surgery. I have always thought that Dr. P was talking about the full cut and re-rout procedure. I guess I'm still a bit confused, though. If you cut part of the stomach and sew it together to wall off a small section from the rest, it is possible to undo this and reattach both portions for complete reversal? Has this been successfully done? Thanks Canadian Bander! I'm going to be questioning my doc as to why he made those claims if they weren't true!

I'm in Idaho (Mountain Time Zone) and I see everyone wandering in there between 4pm and 6pm my time. They are usually in there until late. However, people do go there throughout the day. The main page has a section that shows who is currently in the chat room. It's located under the forums, and under the Current Active Users section. Hope to see you there!

I am not one for elective surgery on anything! I'm a big chicken and a wuss when it comes to pain. So for me to decide on the band it had to include the following: 1. A very limited risk of death. 2. No cutting or rerouting my innards. 3. No long term side effects to deal with (malabsorption, smelly poo, etc) 4. Reversible if I decided it was a mistake. 5. The worst case scenario did not include long term damage to my body. I couldn't be happier. I was not looking for some miracle cure to my obesiety. I was looking for something that could help hold me up while I tried yet again. My biggest fear of another diet was gaining back all I lost PLUS 20 more, which is typical for me. With the band, I know I have to be a responsible adult, make wise food choices, exercize and get plenty of Water. This is a no brainer. This is what burns off excess fat. And the band does not change that fact. It is merely a safety net for me. The only thing the band has completely taken care of without my assistance is the elimination of breads and pastas from my life. Which is great! I'm a dough freak and got fat eating it. I'm thrilled at the opportunity to have something take that choice away from me. I never could manage it on my own. If ever I lose my band, for any reason, I hope to have used it well and not to have leaned on it to such an extent that I cannot maintain a healthy lifestyle without it. I see some who keep getting tighter and tighter fills, frustrated because they still don't lose weight. Well, the truth is, you'd have to close off your stomach to keep melting chocolate, ice cream, and cookie crumbs from getting through. It will take some self control and determination to give up the old in trade for the new.

So true DoubleTrouble! :scared: I know that many do not want to hear this. But I also know that it is a fact. The band will not do it all. I do not believe a bypass would do it all either. There are far too many fat people out there living with the bypass that didn't help after the initial and (in my opinion) unhealthy weightloss. Fact is, we can sit for ten years with a shovel in our hand, but unless we start shovelling.. the whole won't get dug!

Donna - *hugs you with tears in her eyes* Thank you for sharing that. This is where I feel I'm at in my life as well. It's time to be the Captain. Dody - I'm so glad you're here! *hugs you too* Nykee - You are such a sweetheart. Hang in there girl. You have had so much success so far! 80 pounds! My gosh.. that's all the proof you need to believe you can continue beating this thing. Kellie - I know exactly what you're going through. Be grateful that you have something forcing you into this. Every time you want to get angry about having it taken away, stop and remember to say a small whisper of thanks. *hugs you too* Kim_8 - Please try again to stop? Please? I don't need to list out all the reasons for you, you know them already. Love ya girlfriend! *big hugs*

Thanks Angie! I really appreciate that. I love the NC group. *big smiles*

*laughing* We went on the wrong day! It was supposed to be the 14th. SECOND Tuesday of each month! I'm a Dink! LOL

Penni, I love reading your posts! I sooo relate to all you're saying, and while I do still have my band, I refuse to completely rely on it. I might lose it someday and I don't want to be left with no hope! I got this band with the complete understanding that it is a tool that I have to use properly in order for it to work. This means I have to fight those old habits, and oh yes, they WILL DIE! *maniacal laughter* I find that what I put in my mouth isn't the only bad habit I need to break to achieve a healthy lifestyle. By nature, I am a lazy person. Procrastination is my middle name. There are so many things I want to do with my life and I have so much free time now in which to do them! And yet I sit here in a bored slump. I truly believe that my sloth-like nature contributes to my obesity. I eat from boredom. This is why I added my commitment to take on one achievable goal in the house. Clean out a small closet, vacuum, anything to get me up and out of this chair that I have lived in for the past 4 years. Gah!! Spring is coming and I want to be out enjoying it! Not sitting here absorbed by thoughts of the band, my diet, weightloss, etc. I did this so I could start living. Any prayers from you all for me in this area would be greatly appreciated!

Um, I feel as if I should apologize. After I posted on this, I realized it was on the North Carolina forum. I usually watch the new posts show up on the main page and respond to them, so I didn't see that this was to the NC folks. Sorry *blushes* I sure don't mean to be butting in on your group.

Hiya Jttaurus! I had to chuckle as I was reading the end of your post. Oh gosh how I relate. It's been seven weeks for me now and I sometimes forget all of those feelings and thoughts. "take the boots, iv's, stockings, and hourly vitals away and I feel rested" Isn't that the truth! I felt so much better when I got home! I think its safe to do what you feel like doing. Some people feel great and hardly miss a step in life, while others take a few weeks to get back into the normal rountine. Just listen to your body. When youre tired, rest. If you know youre pushing yourself too hard, back off a bit. I've heard that you shouldn't lift over 10 pounds for the first few weeks. Obviously to allow stitches to heal up and prevent tearing anything. I've heard a lot of people mention the gurgling and it seems to be normal, although I didn't experience that. Are you restricted to Clear liquids? My diet orders were three weeks of liquids, but I was allowed a transition to full liquids (cant see through) as I felt like it. I ask because Protein drinks and pureed Soups sure helped my hunger. You sound like youre doing great. I was certainly in no shape to think about having my nails done the first few days I was home!

Hm.. interesting. My mom has Lupus, and I let them know that. They didn't act like it was a problem. Keep in mind that Inamed also lists these: You cannot or do not want to follow the dietary rules that come with this procedure. You might be allergic to materials in the device. You cannot tolerate pain from an implanted device. I think they are taking precautions to cover everything to prevent liability. I agree with BandsterHopeful. It really comes down to the opinion of your surgeon and pcp once they have done the pre-op testing on YOU. We are all so different.

I eat about 3/4 to 1 cup. I am full, but not in the sense of the word that I was used to. I do not feel gorged, uncomfortable, stuffed, etc. The full signal for a bandster is pressure behind the breastplate. This is how we know it's time we stop or face pain. I have had one fill, and I find that my meals prevent me from being physically hungry for 3 to 4 hours, depending on what I ate. It is strongly suggested that we eat Protein first during the meal. Protein takes much longer to break down in the stomach than carbs do, so it prevents hunger for a longer time. The term that Jack has really emphasized is satiate. (a clip of Webster's definition: Satiate may sometimes imply only complete satisfaction but more often suggest repletion that has destroyed interest or desire.) This would best describe what I feel after eating. I am not "full" in the old sense of the term, but my interest in food is gone. Here is another thread in which this topic was discussed. http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=15338 I hope this helped answer your questions. :scared:

With respect to both doctors who are posting on this thread.. how can either of you consider the gastric bypass surgery "safe" when the mortality rate is approximately 1 in every 200? Dr. Pleatman, please reply to my question about your statement that the bypass is reversible. Everything I have read clearly states that this operation is not reversible. Thank you both for the time you take to post here.

Hello SK :scared: I'm not sure if anyone has responded to this yet, but I just wanted to let you know that your band is probably working just fine. Right now, your band has no fill so it is "wide open". The only restriction you will feel is from swelling of the stomach from the surgery. These few weeks are for healing and letting the band settle in. Until the swelling has subsided, it will be difficult to judge how much of a fill you truly need. Once you do start getting fills, you will notice the restriction. I hope that helped put your mind at rest. Sunta, I sure hope youre feeling better today! Check in when you feel like it and let us know how things are going, ok? *hugs*

For any of you who have Excel, Dawg made a spreadsheet which has calculators in it for your BMI and Body Fat percentages. It also has a sheet for entering your daily food intake, a sheet for logging your weigh-ins that calculates the average weight loss, and a sheet for journaling. You'll need WinZip to unzip the file. My Weightloss Journal.zip

Grats on your NSV, Kathy! I have been fat all my life and have bad ankles so I've never been able to wear heels. I'm kind of jealous! hehe

Jen, I love your avatar caption! Just keep swimming, just keep swimming! Aint it the thruth?! Thanks for sharing the idea about the prayer. Reminders are good to have on the refridgerator, the bathroom mirror, the steering wheel... wherever you know you'll see it again and again. Too many times we pick up these burdens and expect to be able to carry them alone. We forget we have someone that is willing to help out. I'm sure He shakes his head in wonder at us when we strive so hard to do it on our own, banging out heads against the wall of life, when all we have to do is ask for the help. I like the idea about small spoons too. I bought some of those plastic reusable/disposable containers with lids.. know the ones I mean? Well, I got two sets of 1/2 cup containers and two sets of the small rectangular ones that hold about a cup. I use them to measure foods and I serve my meals in them. Trying to wrap my brain around 1/2 cup of food in a larger sized bowl that I'm used to was really hard. I was alway wanting to put in more than I should. Hope this idea helps someone out there.

Hi there Tanya! Welcome to LBT and grats on your banding! I have pretty much the same story to tell you as my friend Kim did. The gas sucked, the realization of what I had done to myself was upsetting, the Protein shakes tasted horrible! :Cry: Waaaah!! I am also 6 weeks out now, and I am so glad I did this! I'm down nearly 40 pounds. Off of the restricted phase of the post-op diet and have had my first fill. I feel great. I eat foods I enjoy. I don't struggle with hunger anymore. And I'm finally excited because I know that -this- time, I'm going to really see a huge change in my life thanks to this lovely tool called the LapBand. I hope you recover soon. Walk as much as you can. Rest. Drink lots of Water. And follow your Dr's instructions carefully. Before you know it, you will be sharing your story and encouragement with a newbie that's feeling like you do now! Oh and the tummy noises are very normal. Lots of adjustments going on inside!

Mary - Here is a link to Inamed's website that has a ton of great information about the Lap Band proceedure. When you get to this page, on the left hand side you will see several other links listed under the main heading of Lap Band System: Product information, Patient information, Risk information, Before and After pics, FAQs, etc. http://www.inamed.com/products/obesity/us/patient/lapband/prodinfo.html This site shows more of the band and the port and also has short videos which show how a fill is done and how the band is put in place. http://www.core.monash.org/placement.html Check it out. I think you'll find the information very helpful. And of course, come back here and ask all the questions you want. We love to help others find out about this great tool we have! By the way.. the fills do not hurt. I had no surface numbing or anything and felt nothing! Tfavre24 - Grats on your banding. What a wonderful start you have on your journey already! I found that by eating every three hours, and getting in a lot of Protein (min 60 grams per day) really helped me with the hunger issues. Don't worry about it too much right now. The first six weeks is for your band to settle in as the swelling goes down. Like the others said, once you start getting fills and find the right restriction for you, you'll be less hungry between meals. Welcome to LBT!