hazeleyegrl1

i've heard that Water flushes body fat, thus excreting some of it from urine seems to make sense....and the fact that people who generally drink water in lieu of sugary carbonated drinks tend to be slimmer then those who Never drink water. makes sense to me. i know that while working out we definitely SWEAT some of the fat away! kinda makes me wanna go sweat it out right now! xoxo, Christie

your carbs are too high. try the NO BREAD, NO RICE, NO PASTA for a week and see how it goes. no bread means you have to cut out ALL bread...even a weight watchers pizza would be off limits. i'm done a lil over 30lbs in 3mo. as of today and i stuck w/the "no bread, no rice, no pasta" for over 2months before trying them EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE in my diet....BUT, now, i eat only whole wheat bread, brown rice, and pasta that is made from vegies. GOOD LUCK with whatever you decide to try. Wishing You the Best, xoxo, Hazeleyegrl1

okay, is it just me or is anyone else curious too??? what exactly is put into a "michelle" salad??? maybe something we'd all like to try out. xoxo, hazeleyegrl1 ps - comments and compliments don't bother me...especially from overweight ppl inquiring how i'm doing it...i think alot of them may be motivated or inspired to look into it for themselves BUT...when my sister asks me about my weight, it is usually out of jealousy. she is also overweight but thinks the whole thing is "stupid"....AND, almost seems like she feels challenged or threatened by my weightloss....she is now constantly on a new diet and/or exercise plan and is constanly wanting to compare sizes, lbs, calories, etc....its frustrating.

going for my 3rd fill on tuesday @ dr. spivak's office. HOPE to have a lil more restriction, feel as if i've kinda plateaued off at 30lbs loss. not a bad loss, but i'm still able to eat a 1.5cups of solid food....seems like it should be less then this. MEASURING....how much are ya'll able to consume on average and what fill are you at? xoxo, christie

phew!!!! i'm so glad we have this thread!!!! i was really starting to worry that i'm not where i should be on the weight loss. i was banded 9/14 and i've approx. 30lbs. can't say exact bc i haven't been to the dr. this month to weigh on a good scale, and my hubby threw ours out bc i was on the scales daily beating myself up! 30lbs down and a bunch more to go!!!! thanks everyone for posting! i feel like i'm right where i should probably be. gotta pick back up on the walking, but its chilly outside and well, holidays make me lazy!!!!!! :help: xoxo, christie

the last time someone said that i am losing weight the "easy way"....well ya know what, i lifted my shirt and showed my surgery incisions and of course still had all the bruising and said, "yea, this is the easy way my ass!"....surgery is a last resort, definitely NOT the easy way. the easy way is often the first, second, and even 5th attempt at losing weight....and for those who can do it the "easy way" and keep it off. unfortunately, i've TRIED the easy way a thousand times....then, now, i'm doing it the hard way. surgery is NEVER the easy way. i think i got my point across. GREAT GREAT GREAT POST BTW!!!! xoxo, christie

i'm doing alright i guess....i was 260 the day of my surgery and have lost between 10-13 lbs since...11days post op. i say inbetween that weight loss of 10-13lbs because it seems to be fluctuating back and forth....guess thats what i get for weighing on the scales daily though! lol. i didn't get to walk as much over the weekend, but started back today walking about a mile or so daily. well, i say i'm walking, its more like the dog is walking me....lol...but i'm still working up a sweat and walking at a good pace. tomorrow i plan to leave the dog at home and meeting a few of my gf's at the track and then a small group of us girls at church have decided to meet an hour before wednesday night services to walk there as well....so wednesdays will definitely be my day to step up my game.:peep: xoxo, me

ok, i'm actually relieved and excited to hear that the internal swelling has probably gone down and that makes sooo much sense as to why at first things filled me up so easily but now go down so smoothly. THANKS SO MUCH! 11 days post op and still standing at 13 lbs lost..... haven't lost any weight in DAYS!!! as fast and easy as it was coming off and then to get at a stand still i was kinda getting a lil worried. i know i need a fill....i can't wait til oct 9th! now i'm just a lil curious as to EXACTLY what takes place during a "FILL" and how do they determine how much to put in at a time? xoxo, christie DAVE!!!! long time no see on here....hope everything is going great for you. rock on!

i'm day 10 post op and well, i had a lil bit of brocolli rice casserole today and yea i chewed it into an oblivion, but still...the rice went down fine and stayed down and i didn't have any discomfort at all. i also ate piece of a meatball....which was the first meat i've had since the surgery....i decided that i could eat a tiny bit and chew chew chew and it'd basically be like mush....went down fine. of course, all this to say i couldn't eat much, but just a lil taste of this and that - - - i was at a luncheon that followed a funeral, with a full spray of food - - - - but i was picky and careful to get things i thought were considered soft. steered clear of the ribs and corn and stuff like that. just couldn't pass up the broccoli rice casserole. i think i'm doing okay.....any suggestions??? are the things i ate not considered a "mushy" ????

i am 10 days post op. i was 5'2" @ 260lbs...and a smoker. you'll be fine. dr. recommended that i quit but didn't force me to in order to have the surgery. i did quit a few days beforehand though...but, picked it back up...like always...UGH!!!! NOTE TO NON=SMOKERS: never smoke! it sucks...and it sucks even worse when quitting for the up-tenth time! such a nasty expensive habit. ok, so you'll be fine. my bmi is obviously higher then yours...and i only had to do a high Protein low carbs diet for a few days before the surgery and then of course, nothing after midnight the night of the surgery. good luck! let me know how it all goes for you! xoxo, your banded friend!

i was thinking the very same thing....maybe i've stretched my band out. i can pretty much drink as much Water or tea that i want and it goes down very smoothly and comfortably.... and when it comes to the mushy food, well, i have yet to have any problems....so i'm thinking i'm either very lucky....or maybe i've stretched out the band or my stomach????? i'm only 10 days post op. is this possible that someone could stretch their pouch out in this small amount of time??? what are the signs/syntoms that one has in fact stretched out their stomachs? at first i could only get in about 4-6 oz of thick liquids/mushy food...but now i think i can do about 8oz. !!!!! very afraid i spent a ton of $$$ and have ruined it!!! fear is probably normal, i get that. but i also know i haven't had a fill yet....WHAT ARE THE WARNING SIGNS of stretching???? help. lol....i need to know! xoxo, christie ps - GREAT TOPIC!!!

the trick is CHEW CHEW CHEW. if you REALLY chew very very well, then basically its all mushy when it goes down. i avoid bread, rice, Pasta, and all meats except eggs or fish. i'm still very very conservative with what goes into my mouth and NEVER forget to CHEW CHEW CHEW. chew everything into an oblivion. and just whenever i think i've chewed it enough, i chew alil bit more. really. i know it sounds silly, but if you chew anything into a mush, then it goes down mushy. i haven't had any problems so far. and still the weight is coming off. walking is my main exercise. anywhere from 1/2-1 mile a day so far, but there have been a few days bc of weather or busy schedules that i've had to skip the walk. good luck all! xoxo, me

woohooo, i'm a sept bandster w/ya'll! soreness, incision pain, tightness in stomach, hurts to cough....when will this part of it end? i'm only 2days post op now....but i do feel better then expected....still not 100%. how long will it take? also, i don't own weight scales at home....any suggestions as far as that goes? should i buy some or not? and if so, what type/brand do ya'll suggest. i'm thinking i shouldn't purchase any until after my 4wk follow up visit...but thats bc i'm scared i'll weigh every day and i know i shouldn't.

i'm still feeling better and better w/each passing day. basically now, just tender around 2 incisions, the rest are pretty much healed on the outside. the upper incision is the largest and most tender, but its not that big even though its the largest. the other incisions are tiny though. ummm, i tried popcorn today....yea, i'm 8days post op so i'm not sure if i should have or not. but when chewed up really well it goes down like a mushy....so, does popcorn count as a mushy? its a fairly healthy snack w/out all the butter right???? ((crossing fingers here)) anyhow, it went down great, no complaints! didn't have much of it, but just was tempted to try it since others were eating it around me....and well, i was pleased that it went down well. haven't had ANY problem w/anything so far! so far so good!!!! congrats all my fellow sept bandsters....ESPECIALLY the spivak ones! dr. spivak ROCKS! so far, i'm down 13.5 lbs in 8 days! woo hoo! xoxo, me:)

how long were you on liquids??? i was only required 2 days post of of liquid diet, then 4wks of mushies....i'm on day 5 of my mushies....and i can't wait til its solids!!! lol....its not hard to find mushy stuff, or eat soft mushy type food....i miss the meat the most, so be sure watch the protein! baked fish goes down well on the mushies though. :waytogo: xoxo, me

thanks everyone for the steri-strip input!!! a couple of mine are starting to pull up on their own so i think i'll clip it off carefully w/a lil pair of scissors. i don't HAVE to see my dr. until the 4wks post op...but i can see him @ 2wks if i feel like i need too. so far so good. everyday is better then the day before and gives me something to look forward too. i've lost 10 lbs in the first 5days and that alone is enough inspiration to keep me pushing past the soreness to walk walk walk, drink more Water, and eat right! i'm in love w/my lapband! woohooo!

under my 5 bandages are something called STERI-Strips. i'm only guessing that the "steri" stands for steroid? my question is this..... about how long did it take for ya'lls to come off? the doc told me not to take them off but to let them come off on their own. a friend of mine told me that as lil by lil pulled up on its own she cut away the tiniest pieces that were no longer attached to her body w/a pair of lil cuticle scissors. has anyone else done this? and, how long does it take until they are completely gone? also, and i know this is crazy...but what about scarring? i know that scarring should be the least of my worries...afterall, i'm sure they'll blend in w/the old stretch marks!! after being so overweight, why do people even bother asking about scars on their tummy? like having a fat belly or old stretch marks even compares to a few lil scars once all the weight is gone. lol. so how long til the steri-strips are gone?

what does PB stand for?????

oh yea, and i also log the exercise. like: walked 6/10 mi - neighborhood walked 1/2mi - mall, target, etc. you could do it in minutes or in length. definitely invest in a journal to log EVERYTHING. you'd be amazed how often you eat but how lil of an amount you eat. i'd suggest doing this even BEFORE surgery....i didn't, but i wished i would've just so i could see the changes in my daily diet.

with proper diet AND EXERCISE i believe you can lose as much as you want no matter what route you take or even if you take weightloss surgery or not. my problem was i never could STICK with anything long enough and even when i did, the weight ALWAYS came back plus some! i'm only 4 days post op and i eat when i'm hungry and stop when i'm full...granted i'm on the "mushies" diet right now...but i was surprised today to learn that i've already lost 6.9 lbs!!! in only 4days!!! the lapband ROCKS! my dr. tried to convince me for the gastric bypass but i simply told him, i'm not looking to get skinny, i'm comfortable being fat bc fat is all i know. i just want to know how much do i need to lose to lose the co-morbidities that i have (sleep apnea, diabetes, hypothyroid) and he said then go for the lapband. now that being said, i have full intention of losing more then just the co-morbidities....for $13,500 plus interest its only worth it to me to get my monies worth and that means doing everything the right way and working hard at it. i haven't been able to do much of the exercise part yet bc i'm still healing, but i've already begun to walk daily. i just walk as much as i can down the street and back and then i drive it in my car to see how far i walked. i also log EVERYTHING that goes into my mouth and ALL the walking i do. buy yourself a journal and keep track of it. mine looks something like this: @ 8am 6oz carnation instant bkfst @ 11am 1.5oz banana @ 2:45pm 1/2 SugarFree Popsicle @ 6pm 2oz green Beans 3.5oz scalloped potatoes @ 9:30pm 2oz SugarFree Jello

i lucked out on my "signature". i went to Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket and just did a search for my name and found it. i haven't seen any others like it but i have found other cool ones for different names. hope that helps! my signature will end up on my back as a tattoo one of these days! so don't go stealing my idea now, but good luck on photobucket finding a cool one. if ya need/want help lemme know.

TXCHICA, i fought w/insurance (CIGNA SUCKS!) for 3yrs! then finally after paying off both vehicles decided to finanace (self pay) the lapband surgery! i LOVE dr. spivak! he rocks! so anyhow, i'm now 4days post op and i just got on the scale today for the very first time....to be honest, i still think the scale is LYING TO ME! but, its a brand new WW scale...and it was accurate w/my 4yr old and my hubby. it says i've already lost 6.9 lbs....in only 4 days! thats crazy good! now as far as pain goes....i stopped taking my pain med on sunday....really bc i couldn't stand the nasty taste of it, but also bc every day when i wake up, its a lil better then the day before. really. every single day i think...wow, if i am less sore today, i can't wait til tomorrow. my advise is to take the doctors advise and WALK WALK WALK. they'll make you walk in the hospital before you leave, so you should try to start that as a habit right away. i had surgery on friday, walked around at the hospital and then just a lil bit back and forth at home just up and down the hallway and back and forth (small house) then the next day i walked around Target for about 30min. next day i walked around office depot for about 35-40min....and then today, i walked 6/10 mile outside and then 1/2 mile at the mall. i think i bought WAY too much Jello and pudding and applesauce! my eyes were thinking in terms of the OLD ME! i think you'll be pleased w/dr. spivak. his nursing staff even called to check on me over the weekend twice! now that rocks bc we all know that doctors don't make calls on the weekends. dr. spivak seems VERY dedicated! if you have ANY questions please feel free to contact me on here via PM or via email at hazeleyegrl1@aol.com i would WELCOME the opportunity to have a fellow banster friend in cyberspace with the SAME dr. as me! xoxo:D

i'm just 4 days post op....But, yea, i burp alot...and the thing is, i can actually FEEL it rising up past my lapband....its a totally different feeling then what i am used too. and yea, it usually occurs after eating and/or drinking.

well, the boiled egg went down GREAT! i just chewed chewed chewed it into an oblivion in my mouth....it went down smoothly, didn't get stuck, and only 1/2 of a boiled egg and i felt full! YAY! the only thing is....am i the only one on here who is getting hungry at like 2-4 hr intervals? i think its probably bc the liquids go down quicker then the mushy food....but when i'm only doing liquids, i get hungry alot sooner. i'm hoping w/the egg now, i won't get hungry again in a few hours. lemme know how often ya'll are getting hungry on stage 1 and stage 2. thanks.

would a soft boiled egg be considered a "mushy" ??? i'm boiling a few eggs now and going to smash one up for dinner later tonight and if it goes done well...and STAYS down...then i'll be a happy camper. i'm slowly moving on from my 2 full days of liquids and into the 4wk mushy food stage. for the last few days i've lived off of broth, non-fat yogurt, sf popsicles, lowfat cottage cheese, and Protein drinks...and lots and lots of Water and just started adding diluted tea into my diet today. i'm feeling a lil bit better today then i did yesterday and hope that tomorrow will be even better then today! SEPTEMBER BANDSTERS ROCK!