CapitolChick

Any ideas for natural or prescription medications that you have taken and have worked to reduce your cholesterol? I have an appointment next week with my doc to discuss meds. My doc is really concerned because even with almost a 50 lbs loss my cholesterol has not moved more than 4 pts. I watch everything I eat for hidden cholesterol and my numbers have been about the same for the last 10 years. Thanks in advance!

I have 4.6 ccs in a 10 cc band and can not have: 1) Bread, biscuts, bagels, muffins etc. 2) Rice 3) soft Tortillas 4) pizza 5) hotdogs, kilbasa, or anything with skin Can have: 1) Popcorn almost unlimited, a bit of chips, some crunchy crackers, vegetables like carrots, cukes, cherry tomatoes (dip helps a lot) 2) Baked potatoes, chilli and pretty much any type of Pasta. 3) sea food 4) any type of Soup 5) Cereal w/ milk and more... but that should give you a picture of the can't for me. Most of my "can't" food is not good for me anyway.

I worked in a behavioral health facility for a while and the therapists and doctors there were so knowledgeable and really helped me understand about these types of meds. First, your situation is really intense right now and medication could be taken short term and really help you cope. What some of the meds do is bring your level of anxiety down to a more normal level which helps you sleep and also allows you to use all your everyday coping skills to self manage your intense life. In your situation, you are aware enough about 'you' and your coping skills to know how you feel is result of extenuating circumstances and it is not your fault. Think of your situation like this: if you had really bad GERD. You could eat right 'til the cows come home and follow the 'rules' but continued GERD can cause permanent damage to your stomach and esophagus. So your doc may prescribe prolosec-- In the same way, intense and prolonged irrational anxiety will affect you in a whole host of ways you do not want.

Oh my gosh! I have been seariously ranting to my husband about this too!!! I am down 45 pounds and wearing more fitting clothes. 2 gals at work who know I had the surgery have told me it is really obvious I have lost weight, BUT there are two frienemies I have at work (skinny of course) who use their looks and tits :Banane20:to get what they want and were all nice to me when I was really heavy, but OH NO not now! They have said not so nice things like: "What did you do go on a shopping spree? I keep seeing you with new clothes." So finally friday I said: "Yes I did. All my other clothes were huge on me, since I lost 45 pounds." One of the gals said: "yah well I lost 20 and am down to 110" It was soo pathetic. .. Not to sound catty, but I make twice the money they do,have way more going for me and now that I am on the path of looking good. I think some people are jealous and threatened by that. It is hard to believe, but some people will never grow up.

if you can't afford to go to the doctor, I have used bagbalm (it is a green tin with a cow on it) it is for chaffed cow utters :laugh: but it now sold for human use. It will make the infection go away and heal your raw skin. Also, you need to some how stop the skin to skin contact during the day and night until it is healed. Try some clean cotton and put it betwen your skin folds. Another item the doctor told me to do is use a fan or hair dryer (on cool setting) and make sure your skin is really dry after a bath or shower.

Here is some real useful information for you: Here are 2 web sites that you should use to figure out your base metobolic rate PLUS your TDEE (which is your total daily energy expenditure) -you have got to use both at least to get a full picture of your daily calorie needs etc. http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.php Basal Metabolic Rate - BMR Once you know all that then you can use simple math. 1 pound is equal to 3500 calories. Therefore to loose 1 pound a week you would have to reduce your calories by 500 calories a day (500 calories/day x 7 days in a week = 3500 calories per week:lost1lbs:)

Having my own experience with wonderful food being stuck and to the point I barf it back up, I think that stuck food irritates your pouch just enough to make it more likely for food to get stuck. My doctors office requires a 24 hour liquid fast when that happens. Also, remember not only do you need to chew your food really well but that you actually MUST eat like you are in slow motion when you keep getting food stuck. Try a 2 day liquid and soft food days and slow down. You should be fine. Also, contact your doctors office if it keeps happening.

I have gone through what you describe. Even though my experience has been that since my surgery (even before a fill) I had some restriction, I have noticed as time goes on 'my after fill' restriction starts to wean out about day 3. Let me give you an example: 1 day after fill I can not drink coffee in the morning --it does not come back up, it just takes a while to go down. Day 3 or 4 I was able to have coffee in morning, gravy and biscuts for Breakfast and then lunch, then dinner etc. Fills fizzle if you are not at that really restricted point "sweet spot" --Add to that: your body is changing, and you loose and gain Water weight. The way I figure it is, I need to do the work 'tween my fills. But that is just me. I am at 4.6 ccs and I won't go in now until december and that is by choice.

Yah, I agree with Fanny Adams..Compare what you are eating now to what you could put away before. I had about the same fill last week as you do now and now I am filled to 4.6. It gets sooo much better with each fill. If I were you I would get a fill. My doctor's office is all about me being successful and they keep telling me to come in sooner when I get that feeling like my band is not working and I start to eat lots of the 'old foods' just my 2 cents :thumbup: good luck!

As a former chow hound, I can say that band has probably saved my life. I have the urges to binge, but they are much more short lived. I can't really binge like I did in the past. Even though ice cream goes down pretty easily -- it is not my food of choice. I tried to do it one time but dang it was soo sickly sweet I shutter at the thought now. So, yes I think the band has changed my former binging self to a much more even eater and I believe that over time this is going to be why ultimately I am able to get my weight off.

Wow! Everyone is doing sooo good!!!! I haven't posted much since getting my band, but I just have to say I LOVE my band and it is the best thing I have ever done. Since my Surgery July 18th..I try to eat about 1200 calories a day, have 4cc's in a 10CC band and am down 36lbs total -- which to me is a 1/4 of the way there!

I eased back into coffee. And only small amounts. I try to focus on everything else I am supposed to do and generally speaking coffee seems not to fit in (and I am a mega coffee/Diet pop/Starbucks girl). For me (and I have not had my first fill yet) sometimes the carbonation gets me bloated and gassy yet other times a diet Pepsi with a straw no less does not. Dunno why. So I just do what ever my body can tolerate and pay close attention. Also the whole "straw thing" (as being a no-no ) has not came to fruition for me. Maybe it will after I get a fill. (right now, I am sipping a tall skinny double latte! from starbucks )

I ran a fever for two nights after my surgery. Dunno why? My fever finally broke on day 3 and then I seemed to get tiny short lived fevers on and off for a couple day after that. I never called in the doctor, just took my meds, used a cold rag, drank ice water and slept.

Oh kizzie I am soo sorry for what you are going through. My prayers are with you. Hope is not lost. :wink2:

I agree with Deb, People get nasty when you start doing something for yourself that causes them to think about how it reflects on them.

I am pretty sure you have to do all the work on your own right now which means it may feel like you never had the surgery. :teeth_smile: I know that is not what you want to hear, but that's what I figure. I just now (10 days po) started to get hunger at regular intervals (B/L/Dinner). Guess it is part of the process until we get our fills in. Bhugs, it will get better!!

I am on liquids for 2 weeks and can have creamy soups and cream of wheat (watered down) can you have those items??? I was banded the same day but you sound like you are starving to death over there.

Have you thought about going to talk to your primary care doctor? It definitely sounds like anxiety (I have that - but happy take meds and feel oh so much better!) Your sister is probably onto something about the food. If you think about it, food raised your seritonin levels and calmed you down before probably without you noticing it. You may have (in the past) eaten even before you were hungry, but it was close to 'eating time' so you may have just shrugged it off. Plus if you snacked 'tween meals you gave yourself that consistent subtle fix you needed. JMHO. Big hugs:heart: Hope you feel better soon.

My sentiments exactly. I am testing things out to see if this would work for me and so far it is! I dunno if I got a small band or something but I have had restriction since day 1. So with that satiation trigger happening and I get really blah barfy feeling if I attempt to over do it. This combo WW and LB is doing great for me. I am down 29lbs since my last post:thumbup: (I know it will slow down but it sure is fun while it lasts!!)

Hmm..that really sounds odd. I have never heard of Tricare denying people who are 110 lbs overweight. Get to the bottom of this denial. Be strong and demand to know why they denied you. Something sounds fishy.

KathrynH you are awesome!!! I didn't get a card and I don't think Dr. Neal gives em out. I printed the card from the link you posted b/c we have 75% of those restruants where I live. Yah!!

I am a die hard Weight watchers points person. So in order to monitor my intake (for both too little food and protein and too much food and carbs) I am using my points calc. set on the lowest points possible -- for someone weighing less than 150 lbs, choosing nutritious soups and protein drinks and I barely get in 15 points a day. (I don't ever use those 35 flex points 'cause I am stuffed/satisfied every day) I have lost 26 total! (18 before surgery and 8 more in 1 week!!)

my favorite desk snack was these items: The Bumble bee thai one was spicy and sweet. BumbleBee Products - Listing of Ready to Eat Meals Products | BumbleBee.com (I hope the pictures show up) And these (this may sound grose but they are the BOMB) ostrich/beef sticks. My fav was BBQ: Ostrim Beef & Ostrich Snack (10 sticks) I thought it was kind of fun taking on the challenge of finding low carb high Protein food. Also, go to: bariatriceating.com they have tons of cool stuff.

Yah, I have one of those DH types too. Don't yah just want to strangle 'em. My DH only lastest 3 days then I had to start taking care of him (he felt sick b/c he wasn't getting any sleep!!!OMG!) What a bunch of babies. Anyway, if your girls are little mothers they would be enough. I can tell you that yesterday I WISHED my DH was not here. Give your girls lists and instructions for meds, Water, etc. Both of them could help you up to go to the bath room etc. How dedicated would your girls be? I was (and still am majorly bunged up).

There are a lot of different opinions on calculating Protein needs. I am 266 and was told to target 60 each day. Not that you need extra stress, but you may want to wean your daughter in order to get her ready (and yourself) for the life change you are about to make. I was with the leleche league (pro breastfeeding) and I can tell you you have done so much for your baby already that 2 more months will not matter immunity wise. Most people don't make it past 2 months breastfeeding. You are 10! You could always try to wean and pump as much as you can for her rainy day fund. Good luck!