PhotoNut

Hey Amber.. Check out the student insurance you have at BSU. I know of a gal who's a student that was considerig weight loss surgery and she said it would be covered. Now I'm not sure if she was talking about the RNY or band, but it's worth checking into.

I absolutely LOVE this picture. Look at the difference in size! Just looking at the fat makes me hurt. It looks gross and so uncomfortable, doesn't it? Yuck! And the lean muscle... that represents no more pain, self confidence, strength, and life! Hope you don't mind but I touched up the pic a bit with my thoughts on this.

This is very very true for many. And for those that can do it and keep the control and still lose weight... I think that's wonderful. Doesn't work for me though, darnit. I have to avoid it completely or I'll get out of control. I wish I could allow myself a treat every two weeks or something like that. But I can't even let it pass over my lips. There is no such thing as moderation in this head of mine. That's why I wound up being over 300 pounds. Everyone does what they have to do in order to succeed. As an addict of those types of foods... I had to walk away and say goodbye in order to regain my life. I don't mean to imply that everyone should do as I do, I'm only sharing an understanding of Doll's longing for that which used to be a "comfort" and "pleasure" in life.

You're welcome Pat. This is the way I log my meals everyday. In fact, its just a copy of my food journal. Glad it helped you!

Every weekday morning, Dawg and I would drive through McD's and get breakfasts. We did this for over a year without fail. When Dawg finally said he wasn't going to do it anymore, I'd drop him off at work and go get the usual - and eat his for him! I finally did stop, when I was going through the process of pre-testing for band approval. I had decided it was time to get started on the much needed change. However, on the morning of my nutritionist appointment, I dropped off Dawg at work and headed right for a McD's - on the way to the appointment! I argued with myself all the way there. I ridiculed myself. Tried to talk myself out of it. But on I went, guiltily driving through and ordering the food I was so addicted to. As I began to eat it, I began to cry. I was so upset at my addiction. The food didn't even taste as good as I had remembered, in fact it wasn't very good at all. But I choked down every bite through my tears. That was the last time I've allowed the old habits to win over me. Oh, I've had the memories, the twinges of sadness, the fleeting thoughts of desire - but I stop and think about that morning and how bitter each bite was, and the moment of desire is exposed in my mind for what it really is. A stinking nasty addiction that made me miserable. I'm free now - and I'm NOT going back!

Happy Happy Birthday, Marimaru! :happybday2::happybday2::happybday2:

A very very Happy Birthday to you!! :happybday: :happybday: :happybday:

Ohhh! I'm so jealous! What a fantastic group of people! Adopt me? *puppy dog eyes* PS - You all look WONDERFUL!! :clap2:

Welcome to Bandland!! So happy to hear everything went well and that you are doing ok. I gained 7 pounds right after surgery! I remember telling folks that I looked in the mirror and proclaimed with disgust, 'I paid $26,000 for THIS??!!' *laughs* Don't expect too much for a couple of weeks, but then... hang on!

I'm not Canadian, but I wanted to tell you all that it was so much fun reading this thread and seeing all of the excited people who will soon be banded. Grats and best wishes to each of you!

Wow!! Way to go, Lianna! I'm very very excited for you and super proud of you! Great job girl!! :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

Morsaille - Sounds to me like your man needs some retraining! Best of luck to you hun. *hugs* If mama ain't happy....ain't nobody happy!! Amen!!

Hello Daybyday! What a wonderful name you chose! It's possible that you might need a fill. Go through this checklist and see what you think. I've seen several people post this information but I think it might be helpful to you. (Adjustment = fill) Adjustments<!--webbot bot="Navigation" i-checksum="27883" endspan --> <TT>How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of Protein a day 2. Are you eating 25 grams of Fiber 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories a. Soup can be sign of “soft calorie syndrome” b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram (1) It’s also a stomach irritant c. fruit juice is just sugar Water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can’t just eat what’s easy c. cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals 6. Are you eating too much junk a. chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, Cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don’t avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of Calcium daily 8. Do you always eat the protein first 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. meat or fish (1) 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards b. Vegetables (1) ½ cup – the size of your fist c. Starch (1) If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don’t need much (2) Avoid: rice, potatoes, Pasta 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (1) Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine (2) The body has no way to break down artificial fats a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body</TT> <TT>B. You may need a behavior adjustment</TT> <TT>1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you’re not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait. 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small Snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won’t be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it’s a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry</TT> <TT>C. You may need an activity adjustment</TT> <TT>1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids</TT> <TT>D. You may need an attitude adjustment</TT> <TT>1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive – compulsive thoughts (1) Obsess about something else b. Perfectionism (1) All or none, black and white thinking c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as “good” and “bad” e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place?</TT> <TT>E. You may need a band adjustment</TT> <TT>1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set.</TT> <TT>F. You may need your band loosened</TT> <TT>1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables a. Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (6) Peppermint a. Baking soda toothpaste (7) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (1) Tylenol is OK n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider 4. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if a. You have a squeezing, tightness or heaviness in your chest, especially if the discomfort spreads to your shoulder, arm or jaw or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, irregular or fast heartbeat or nausea. These could be symptoms of a heart attack. b. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise. c. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you also have nausea or fever d. If you throw up vomit that looks like black sand or coffee grounds. Or if your stool is black, deep red or looks like it has tar in it. These are symptoms of bleeding and need immediate attention.</TT> <TT>(Note: Pepto-Bismol or other medications with bismuth will turn your stool black. Iron supplements can also make the stool tarry.) e. If your pain is severe</TT>

Heyas Magic, Thank you for your very sweet words. It makes me feel good to know that I can help. *Hugs ya back* :hug:

You are very welcome.

THIS is why I got this band. I am a great starter, and an even better quitter!

Honors Page for GFG Club Members (And they ask if this works!) Close to 100 pounds gone for good! ----------------------------------- Coyotegirl - 92 pounds Gurly - 97 pounds Joe - 92.4 pounds Patty103 - 99 pounds (Patty! Where are you? Have you broken 100 yet?) 80 pounds or more gone for good! ----------------------------------- EmilyKaye - 80 pounds Txblue_eyedqt - 86 pounds gone for good JillS - 82.4 pounds 70 pounds or more gone for good! ----------------------------------- Bell - 77 pounds Kimbo - 80.5 pounds 60 pounds or more gone for good! ----------------------------------- Betje - 61 pounds Daisybelle - 63 pounds Drj - 63 pounds MollyMolly - 60 pounds NaturalBeauty - 61 pounds Tricia K. - 65 pounds 50 pounds or more gone for good! ----------------------------------- DianeChef - 55 pounds Maggie63 - 50 pounds The best me - 58.4 pounds Dawg - 51 pounds P'Nut - 52 pounds LSasha - 59 pounds Great work everyone! Now let's get more of us on this page! :clap2:

:clap2: Welcome to the Gone for Good Club, Mary!! :clap2: Thanks for the bio! How exciting to be sharing this adventure with your friend and daughter. I'll get you added to the Members' page tonight. Posterchild! Grats on your surgery date! Yay.. your journey begins very soon and I'm so excited for you! *hugs* :clap2:

Heyas Tina - I use www.nutritiondata.com for determining calories in homemade foods. When I cook a roast, I put 1/2 can of Swanson's beef broth in a crockpot, put in the roast, sprinkle it with onion salt, garlic powder, meat tenderizer (Schillings seasoned is the best), and some black pepper bbq seasonings I get from the butcher at the grocery store. I cook it all day long and its awesome! With only the broth in there, I don't have to worry about figuring calories for gravies and the like. As for protein, most Dr's advise 60 grams per day minimum. Protein promotes healing and fights infection, so it's very important to get in that minimum. I personally aim for 60-100 grams per day. If you go into the food forum and do a search on the word 'protein' you will find a lot of threads which discuss this topic. Celery is very stringy and even though you may chew it a long time, those fiberous threads are not going to break down enough to get through the band. Invision a ball of celery strings jamming up the pipe, so to speak. Broccoli can cause problems as well. Then you are faced with a PB or worse. I have only had peanut butter twice since being banded. I got a tiny bit on the tip of my finger, and took a good full minute to eat it. LOL Some people put peanutbutter in shakes. I don't really desire it enough to spend that many calories on it. Also, remember that everyone is different. The people eating this may not be as restricted as someone who PBs on it. If you are a fan of peanutbutter, you can certainly try it and see how you do. But as I said, its very high in calories and fat. I try to eat things that are highest in protein.

You're very welcome. I just used Excel and set it up how I wanted it. Are you familiar with Excel at all? If not, I might be able to give you some other ideas. PM me if you want. Hi Hopefull, grats on your band date! A PB is a "productive burp", a very nice term for a very unpleasant event which occurs when food is eaten too quickly or the wrong types of foods are eaten and they get stuck. The food has to come back up. Sometimes this is a quick and painless thing but other times it can be quite painful and last a long time. I'm sure if you look around you'll find some stories on PBs. The best thing is to remember to take your time when you eat. Chew your food very well and spit it out if you can tell it's not going to chew down to 'goo'. Avoid typically troublesome foods such as fruit peels, potato skins, stringy veggies like celery and broccoli, dry meats (use a low carb sauce or gravy, and cook in a slow cooker for juicier meat), stringy or grissly meats such as steak or hamburger, flour products that turn into a gooey dough when chewed. You will find that everyone is different. Some people eat hamburger meat just fine but can't eat steak, while the others can eat steak but always PB on hamburger. You'll have to decide what you are willing to try and try with caution. Kim.. Oh no! If you're thinking like me you might be in serious trouble! LOL! And that is so cool that you mentioned the thing about fish. I have found the very same thing and thought I was just weird. Its a rare day that I don't eat fish of some kind.

Schel, Keep us posted on your fill. Will you be on liquids for a day or two? I'm curious to see how this one does for you. I hope its the sweet spot!

Part of the appeal that being banded held for me was all of the posts about no longer being able to eat breads without some trouble. I am a dough freak! I don't care about sweets.. give me dough in the form of breads, pastas, muffins, whatever! So, I told myself that I've had years of dough and looked like it too! Now I'm ready to go without dough and weigh 130 pounds! Yay baby! :rockon:

Sorry to hear that you're sick and even more sorry to hear about the pill getting stuck. Bless your heart! I don't know if this works, but I read somewhere on here that if you put capsules in warm Water for a few seconds, the outside becomes gooey and slippery, making them easier to get through the band. Has anyone tried this?

Hey Magic.. I think if you base each meal around 4 ounces of meat - fish, chicken or lean beef and then add 1/2 Cup of cooked veggies - green Beans, peas and carrots, cauliflower and broccoli (tops only), then you will have no problems. Eat the Protein first, veggies last. Sometimes at dinner, I find I'm a bit hungrier and might add 1/4 cup of some canned fruit - peaches or pears are best for me. I also keep cans of tuna on hand for those hungry days. Drained and mixed with 2 tablespoons of a fat free dressing like thounsand island is great. Excellent protein and very low calorie. I typically avoid Snacks, but now and then I pop a small 100 calorie bag of Pop Secret popcorn. I also eat 1/2 cup of Fiber One Cereal with 1/2 cup of skim milk, or 1 cup of oatmeal with 1 teaspoon of real butter and some Splenda, or 1/2 cup of low fat cottage cheese with 1/2 cup of canned fruit for Breakfast. For the chicken and beef - I use a slow cooker or, as we call it - a crock pot, so the meat is very tender and juicy. I buy frozen grilled, non breaded, fish fillets for my fish. I typically eat between 700 and 1,100 calories per day and between 75 and 100 grams of protein, depending on my menu for the day. If you'd like I can send you a copy of my food journal. Hope this helps you. *hugs*

Here I go, playing the devil's advocate again.. Brenda, I think it's very cool that your hubby loves you so much and wants to be a bigger part of your journey. I know how hard it would be for me to be without LBT, so I can just imagine how you and all the other wives in this predicament are feeling. But I have to say, I was once married to a man who got so lost in the television that he rarely remembered I was in the house. I felt so rejected and alone that one night I took the scissors and cut the power cord while he was watching tv. It didn't help, he fixed it and continued. Then the computers came out and I never even got to see him in the livingroom. He disappeared into his office and that was the end of it. Literally. Now, I know how much time a day I spend here so I realize that saying this next part is like telling one of us to only eat one Hershey's Kiss when we have the entire bag in our hands... but, maybe compromise is the key here. Set a limit of time to be online when your husband is home with you and then explain that, while the knowledge and support that other bandsters have is very helpful to you, you aslo value time with him and will promise to limit your time online. And during that time you would really appreciate no distractions so you can finish your reading and spend time with him afterwards. Perhaps he just needs to feel more important to you than complete strangers. Then, when he's asleep - sneak out and get your butt back here with us! LOL *grins*