cashley

Just to let you know I did the last supper thing (not during my pre-op diet) but during the two months before surgery. I've been banded since 2/8 and haven't even got back to my pre-band splurge weight. If I could do it over again I wouldn't have eating like it was my last mealllllsssss then. I don't even remember it tasting that good or anything.

Welcome to the Board... How come ou have to be in the hospital for 2.5 days. Most of the time this surgery is out patiant. I guess your doctor is really careful.

I don't have any wonderful words of encourgment, and I'm afraid I haven't been in your shoes but I do want to tell you that I understand and really hope you find the answer that will work for you. I've only had the band for about 8weeks and my one week pre-op diet and I'm flustrated already so I can only imagine how hard it would be when it goes on over a year. But this time I'm going to keep trying if it take every bit of energy I have. I know how you feel about wanting support and not a lecture. I think it's in some peoples nature to lecture and think they are helping. It's kind of like that book about Venus and Mar where they say the man always wants to fix things and the women always wants emphtay (spelling). Sometimes when I post here I'm just looking for "Yeah - I feel that way too" and I don't want... "well you shouldn't be eating taco bell."

Ymmm! What is it about them that you can't just eat one? I mean I don't see myself over eating carrots or brocoli... I wonder why things that are so bad for you are what really draws us to "not just eat one"

So the lesson is... stay away from Chocolate and Ice Cream or at least eat them after a good solid protein meal? I actually think I can live with that which is good for me since for a long time my mindset was " I can't stay away from one food for LIFE..." but if I just have to eat decent first I could live with that.

Amen! I'm write (right) there with you.

Amen... this is what is so scary for me, not the fact that I might have to have one or more additional surgeries but that fact it was an extreme luxery to be able to afford this one time much less planning on this cost every 10 years or less... I know there are people that can afford to waste $17,500 but I can't afford that. If I make a bad car decision or wreak it I have insurance for that.. I think they need band insurance for the self-pay people in case it needs to be redone.

Well my post wasn't really a montra to follow the rules.... it was more a post about if things aren't working then don't just keep doing the same thing over and over blindly. Search for another way.... Every person is different, have different calorie requirements and exercise requirements. If you are only consuming 800 calories plus 1.5 hours of exercise and it's not working then try something new.... maybe try 1200 calories - the anwer isn't always to work harder at "the wrong way"... I work very very hard at the gym - when I'm on the ellipitical I look around and realize no one is riding it as fast as me.. (the rpm's) so I have to decide do I work harder or smarter. I don't know the answer but I know what I've been doing for 10 weeks isn't working. So I'm going to try 1200 calories and maybe ride the bike or treadmill instead.

I was banded in Louisville, KY by Dr. Lusco. I have friends that I have used him. For self-pay he was very easy, he's nice and said there isn't any since in jumping though all those hoops since we didn't need insurance to pay. I didn't have to do psych. or a sleep test (like another place here in louisville requires).

There is this website that's primarly geared toward weight watchers diet plan participants. Anyway I'm posting the link but I'm wondering what you all think about it. Fiber One L - chicken Sandwich D - meat & Veggies 30 minutes on ellipitical / 20 minutes on weights / 20 minutes on bike Same ole' Same ole'

I got 1.7cc on my first fill and it wasn't enough. I'm going back on 4/18 for more. My doctor fills it up completely and has you drink Water. He slowly removes the fill until you tell him the water went down. He says it works better then the Inmand schedule since it's personalized each time. My only issue is I didn't speak fast enough and think he took too much out. It was kind of hard to feel. I'm not sure how your doctor does it but most the time they won't give you a choice. If he just put in 1cc then say something about how you may like more.

Sometimes people post here that they are discourgaged because they are looking for some new ideas... if what you are doing isn't working then you have to keep searching for what will work.... Everyone here knows the defination of insanity right? <dl> <dt>Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.</dt><dd class="author">Albert Einstein,</dd> </dl> The thing is don't keep doing what you're doing if it's not working. I know that Vine's is seeking a fix for a major problem but if the rest of us are slow losers and we have no excuse if we don't keep searching for the way that will work... it might not be to keep doing what you are doing. My point is I see all of you saying you're not giving up but what are you going to do? Try something different - mix it up a little?

I'm still very new but I was a hardcore "band-only" for me. Now I might feel different... but really it's too soon to say. My one big issue with the band is the ability to cheat with stuff that goes though the band easily like chocolate, milk shakes ice cream. I'm not saying I'm eating that stuff but I'm scared to dealth the temptation will get to me. If I'd had RNY and that stuff "jumped into my mouth" I'd get sick from eating it so it would be less tempting. Right now I'm controlling it but losing so slow... I'm not giving up but it's been ten weeks since the pre-op liquid diet and I don't care what people say... 10 weeks is a long time. I think it's only "fair" to wish for a 2 pound per week loss. (especially when I paid so much money) I'm not asking for miracle loss. People here get upset when you complain about your loss being slow but that's why I need the support.

Wow P'nut that's a lot of stuff! I just went to the surgery group seminar, next filled out a bunch of paperwork, they determined I was self-pay so I met with the surgeon he said I was good to go so they scheduled me for pre-op testing. It was all on one day and we did it kind of in a group. i got to meet the others I'd be having surgery with. We had the barium swallow, chest X-ray, EKG, and then lunch together. After lunch with met with the nurse, then dietian (she really just explained the pre-op & post op diet) and then the exercise psylogist. We got weighed and measured and body fat analysis. That was Friday and I had my surgery a week and three days later.

I'd like to have a mcgriddle for Breakfast - a happy meal for lunch and a big mac value meal for dinner and not gain weight. I'm waiting for the day that McDonalds can make all that stuff calorie free... (I know - I know - don't lecture me - I know it's not good for you) Some people like country food, some like french food, some like italian! Me I like junk food! - I feel like I'm in AA now - Hello my name is Christine and I'm addicted to McDonalds. With all the science in the world damnit if they couldn't even some good tasting low calories, healthy junk food!

See I don't feel like I take in more air from the straw but maybe it's because I don't gulp and gulp though it. I just sip also. I espcially like my protein drinks from a straw since I use Atkins and they are in nasty metel cans. I put them in a cup sometimes but a straw is easier.

How many of you all follow the "No drinking from a straw" rule? I'm asking because basically i'm a slob and spill my drink down my front 80% of the time. I love straws and want to use them... and they don't give me additional gas yet... so is the rule just because of extra gas or is it really bad? Just wondering your opinion because I'm a mess here!

You have to get to your goal and stay there for 6ish (i can't remember it's been so long ago) weeks. Your meetings are free for as long as you stay within 5ish (forgot that too) pounds of your goal. If you go over (or under) then you have to pay again until you get back to goal. The good thing about being a lifetime member is you only have to weigh once a month so you can go but only weigh once a month so you don't have to pay for 3 of the 4 weeks. I like Fitday except a lot of the foods I eat are not there and they take a long time to enter. I rarely have to enter anything into Weight Watcher manually. I may go back to fitday one day since it gets better after you add things to your favorites. I just like the accountablity of weight watchers for some reason keeping my points at 20ish is easier then shooting for 1000 calories or less.

P.S. How's your weight loss since that post? Has things improved?

Hahahaa! that was a very entertaining thread... not because I'm glad you went though it, it's just that your wording was so delightful. I can't beleive I missed that thread before. Ok - I've decided I don't want that PB thing for sure! The hiccups are bad enough they get really loud and uncontrollable and "people look at me"

Amen!!! I have skinny friends that eat just as bad or worse then I ever have (and a lot of times more) they just have a different metabolism then most of us do. So my point is... some of us need the band because we don't have a great metabolism and it's not that we are bad people.

I didn't see the answer to this one in that thread.... I'm curious also. I'm not crazy about acronyms or abbreviations myself. My husband isn't always 'darling' so I doubt I'd use that one... and since I haven't had a PB yet but just some nasty hiccups I'm not sure I completely get the defination. Isn't it kind of like a puck! Is it because people don't like that word? Opps! Edited this since P'nut answered the IL question... I was wondering about that one like crazy since I read someone else said MIL (I guess that was Mother-In-Law?)

Good Luck on your surgery! Don't let some of the other journals worry you about the weight loss... I think the people that journal the most are the ones that stuggle the most.

I was really hoping I wasn't a turtle but I Excel'ed my weight loss journey and it became pretty sad to me. 06/01/05 - 190 - Put on waiting list for Surgery Seminar / 12/19/05 - 209 - 1st Seminar for LapBand Surgery / Didn't qualify according to their rules 01/16/06 - 214 - 2nd Seminar - Almost qualify / Doctor will meet with me 01/24/06 - 220 - 1st Appointment with Doctor - he let me weight with shoes & jeans on 01/27/06 - 215 - Pre-Op Testing and Meeting with Dietian 02/01/06 - 215 - Started Pre-Op Diet 02/08/06 - 215 - Didn't lose after 1 week of liquids 02/10/06 - 213 - Went back to Gym / 30 minutes of Ellipitical plus weights 02/17/06 - 213.2 - Joined Weight Watchers 02/24/06 - 211.6 - Some loss 03/06/06 - 211.4 - Wow that was a week of hell dietings for .2 pounds 03/10/06 - 208.6 - Much better at least some loss at a decent rate 03/17/06 - 209.5 - Hmmmm a gain! Dont know why still on-plan and exercising 5 days a week for at least 1 hour sometimes more. 03/21/06 - 209.5 - First Fill @ Drs. office 1.7 cc 03/24/06 - 209 - Still after a fill and not eating much at all This was just depressing to put on paper. I track every bite I take, ever second I exercise. There just isn't a reason that it's this slow! I'm not even back to the weight I was when I first called about this surgery... It's actually 11 weeks dieting... and only 6 pounds down! Plus I'm $17,500 lighter in the pocket!

I was really hoping I wasn't a turtle but I Excel'ed my weight loss journey and it became pretty sad to me. 06/01/05 - 190 - Put on waiting list for Surgery Seminar / 12/19/05 - 209 - 1st Seminar for LapBand Surgery / Didn't qualify according to their rules 01/16/06 - 214 - 2nd Seminar - Almost qualify / Doctor will meet with me 01/24/06 - 220 - 1st Appointment with Doctor - he let me weight with shoes & jeans on 01/27/06 - 215 - Pre-Op Testing and Meeting with Dietian 02/01/06 - 215 - Started Pre-Op Diet 02/08/06 - 215 - Didn't lose after 1 week of liquids 02/10/06 - 213 - Went back to Gym / 30 minutes of Ellipitical plus weights 02/17/06 - 213.2 - Joined Weight Watchers 02/24/06 - 211.6 - Some loss 03/06/06 - 211.4 - Wow that was a week of hell dietings for .2 pounds 03/10/06 - 208.6 - Much better at least some loss at a decent rate 03/17/06 - 209.5 - Hmmmm a gain! Dont know why still on-plan and exercising 5 days a week for at least 1 hour sometimes more. 03/21/06 - 209.5 - First Fill @ Drs. office 1.7 cc 03/24/06 - 209 - Still after a fill and not eating much at all This was just depressing to put on paper. I track every bite I take, ever second I exercise. There just isn't a reason that it's this slow! I'm not even back to the weight I was when I first called about this surgery... It's actually 11 weeks dieting... and only 6 pounds down! Plus I'm $17,500 lighter in the pocket!