angelshere

Thanks all, for the kind words. Long, you have got to be so proud of yourself---50 pounds is fabulous! Judy: congrats on being hot! I would love to get to that point someday! Gwen: I get bumpy kind of rashes on my lower calves....it hasn't gone away, but my pcp says it probably will when I get to my goal. If it doesn't I will go to a dermatologist for it, but not until I get thin and healthy! PJ: I am a teacher, so I have to go most of the day w/o a bathroom break. Even so, I drink 3 to 4 24oz. bottles of Water (sometimes with crystal lite or K20, sometimes plain) every school day. Whenever I get a chance to pee, I always do (teachers get really good at that). I know it is hard to get the water in, but once you get in the habit, you get so thirsty if you don't drink all that, that you feel awful. Oh, and I drink another bottle or two at home later! I absolutely must slosh when I walk...LOL! Nancy

Finally lost another pound....whew! It has been slow going for me. I have not posted lately out of frustration, but I have been reading all your posts. Congratulations to all the new bandsters. Orea, you are doing great and looking wonderful. This forum has been so very helpful when my motivation falters, and that has been almost constant with my interminable plateaus. Thank you all for helping me get through this. Even though I have a ton to lose, I know I will be able to do it, thanks to you all and your sharing and support. Nancy

To the new people: Welcome to this forum...it is such a great support system and source of inspiration to so many of us. I had my band installed June 10 and have lost 45 pounds. Even though I have much more to lose, I know now that I can and will do it. The band is such a wonderful tool. At my age, it is slow going, but at least the scale is going down, however slow. Before the band, I exercised, watched what I ate and maintained....very frustrating. At my age, it is a miracle to be able to finally get healthy. I am off of 14 medications (blood pressure and pain) and feel wonderful. I cannot wait to get to my goal! Even if it takes two years! Good luck to you all. You can do it...just follow your doctor's instructions. Nancy

Orea: Sorry, but our posts must have come in simultaneously, so I didn't get to read yours until mine posted. Sounds like you are doing really well. I suspect that the temperature thing is just your body adjusting to the band. If you get a fever, or if it continues, just call your doctor. Welcome to the world of the bandsters! Nancy

Hi Sue, Your friends are as supportive and helpful as mine---isn't that wonderful? Oh, and WDW....one of my favorite places on earth, too! And you will get in so much exercise from all the walking! You've had such a great weight loss. Keep up the good work. Orea: glad you are back. How are you feeling? Hope it all went well and you are on your way to a healthier, happier you. It's also comforting that others struggle with this "head hunger" thing, too. And we can all overcome these challenges! Nancy

Janet, Thank you for your encouraging words. I thought I was safe if I only had acceptable foods in my house, but clearly there are even "safe" foods that are not safe for me! I will not allow even sf ice cream in my house now. It is just too dangerous for me. I admire people who can take only 1/2 cup and leave it at that. I don't know if I will ever get to that point. In the meantime, I will only allow foods I know I can safely handle in my kitchen. Today, I am back with it full speed ahead....a Nectar protein shake for breakfast. With my ac out, I know I will go to the mall (but taking water and a light babybell cheeseling, and 1 oz. almonds in a baggy) and a movie to cool off. I plan to eat some protein (chicken or fish) in the food court, and that is it for the day. I feel so much better when I know I am in control of my eating and I plan to stay there! Nancy

Sue, Thank you for your encouragement. Support and encouragement, from this forum and from friends, are what help me to do this, even when it seems impossible. I'm a stubborn old gal and I intend to get healthy, no matter how long it takes and no matter how powerful that "head hunger" can be. Amazingly, I never feel any body hunger. Today, my a/c is out (82+ inside) and this is summer in Florida...yikes! The a/c guy is so overwhelmed (insurance, so I have no choice), that he cannot even make an appointment until Monday morning...ugh! So, I went to the mall, packed cheese, water and almonds, walked a lot, saw a movie and I will probably do the same tomorrow. I'm gonna stay with this, even if it does get hot (oh, and it's a good excuse for a sf popsicle). Sue, if I can do this, you can as well. Good luck to us both! Nancy

Thanks Lizalee. At least you had the good sense to stop at one cookie. You have about the same amount to lose as I do, and you are more than half-way there! I know I will get there, too. I just have to get back with it....a Protein shake for dinner for me! Next post will be more positive, I promise! Nancy

Long: Good luck with your gall bladder surgery. Since you are having it done by the same surgeon that did your band, I know you will do well with it. Again, I am in awe of how well everyone is doing. Sadly, I had a big slip-up....:cursing: Craving ice cream and found that Blue Bell no sugar Mooo bars are low carb and yummy....ok, I can have one occasionally and that worked out ok. Then the greedy part of me wanted regular ice cream, so I found Blue Bell no sugar added banana Split ice cream.....hmmmm, same carbs and calories, ok, I bought some. In only 3 sessions, I managed to eat the entire half gallon! I felt ashamed and sick (and it wasn't all entirely psychological). Now I know that "slider" foods aren't always just Haagen Dazs or Ben & Jerry's....even allegedly low carb foods can be dangerous for me. So if I want ice cream, I refuse to buy it in anything more than single serve portions (for some reason, I can ignore the rest in the freezer, until it is reasonable to have another treat). I'm still doing the low carb plan, but rather sheepishly now....sigh.... Nancy

Thank you, Tigerlili. For myself, I have found it easier to keep everything out of my house that I cannot have....since I live alone, that works for me. If something comes up (a gift, for example) that is not on my low carb plan, I just thank the lovely giver and discreetly give it to another friend, who understands my struggle to stay with it. I go out with friends a lot. Usually, fish, steak or grilled shrimp are good choices for me. Leftovers make great snacks, or even another meal. I do love the low carb, as it works so easily into my busy life. Nancy

I agree with you all. If I even think of something carby and sinful, the scale seems to know and it goes up! Right now, I'm happy and loving my band. At least, I will continue to love it if it keeps working for me LOL! Nancy

I have such a long way to go.....sigh..... Just watching that ticker move down (albeit slowly) helps keep me motivated. That and reading all your posts and talking with my friends. Oh, and I'm going to a support group for my doctor....I mean at my doctor's office.....tonight. Actually, I seriously doubt if my doctor needs support; he seems to have it all pretty much together! Nancy

Hi Linda, To update your ticker, go to www.tickerfactory.com, put in your password and change your weight and put in today's date. Then you save it. It's as easy as that. I pasted the whole thing into my signature for lapbandtalk.com. To track calories, protein and carbs, I use www.thedailyplate.com which is so easy to use, free once you register, and helps me monitor what is actually going into my mouth! Orea and all new bandsters: good luck! Nancy

I don't count calories, but I log what I eat everyday on the dailyplate.com. B: 3 oz. ground beef, stirfried with: 1/4 c. chopped spinach and 1 egg L: 1/2 small pounch of tuna, with 1 chopped green onion and 2 oz. fat free cottage cheese D: Shrimp, stir-fried with 2 tbsp. chopped onion and 1/2 c. green Beans. Nancy

Sunshine: I agree with several others that low carbs work best. If I have too many carbs, I get hungry and have cravings; the lower the carb count I have in a day, the better. I do add in a bit of spinach or green Beans or other low carb veg each day. I have a lot more than you to lose, and if I can do it, anybody can. I also live alone and cut up fish in small portions and freeze it, so when I cook it, I only have 3 or 4 ounces to cook. If I have guests, I can just cook more servings. Good luck, Sunshine, and keep us posted with your progress. Judy: You have lost 47 pounds now???? Wow! Congratulations! I am still stuck at 43, but I'm not giving up. Nancy

Hi Sunshine, Of course, you are normal! Whatever that is....:thumbup: I also lose slowly and don't feel a lot of restriction. Until you get a good fill, you will be able to eat more. Your weight loss so far is good and you should be proud of that. One thing they don't tell us before surgery is that you must always make wise food choices and eat the diet your doctor prescribes for you. Yes, I could probably pig out on ice cream or chips, but I haven't and I hope I never will again. I choose to eat a low carb, low calorie diet and it is (slowly) working for me. You have to decide what you want to do and just do it. And be patient. I don't know how much you have left to lose (I have a ton to lose!), but what you have lost is lost for good, due to your band. Us older gals have to work a bit harder to lose the weight, but it will go. I met an 80-something woman at my doctor's support group who had lost over 240 pounds and she looked fabulous (and was a tiny little thing!). It is doable, even for us! Keep up the good work! Nancy

Lynn: I agree that there are lots of other solutions to boredom, but maybe I didn't explain myself clearly enough. When I am online, or reading, it is easy for me to want to snack (head hunger), but when I have a strict outline of what I will eat, I follow that and don't think of food as much. The pouch test is helping me stay low carb and I've been cooking a lot (I guess that's what I meant about avoiding boredom, by avoiding "plain" food) too. Since school's been out, I have a lot more time to do housework and cook, and I am using these few days to get creative in the kitchen. I understand that is not what the pouch test is actually for, but as long as it works, I guess it's ok! Nancy

I'm doing the pouch test to "jumpstart" my weight loss. I know I lose in spurts of a pound or two or so and then stall for up to 2 weeks (yikes), but I thought it couldn't hurt. Today was day 3 and I had tuna, cottage cheese and tilapia....not too bad. Tomorrow is ground beef and shellfish. I do feel restriction, so I know that works. Maybe I just need to keep myself from being bored....:eek: Nancy

Hi Denise, I always try to eat either a yogurt or a cottage cheese with culture and that helps keep me regular on a low carb diet. Activia is great and makes a good lunch or Breakfast. There are several brands of cottage cheese that have live culture (acidopholus???) in it and they do the same thing. A small amount of spinach or brussels sprouts can also help, and they are fairly low carb. Good luck, Nancy

I've not posted here before (I think), but all your posts have helped and inspired me. So here's mine: B: 1/2 c. fat free cottage cheese w/ 2 eggs and 1 Tbsp. salsa, scrambled L: 1/2 pkt tuna, 2 oz. FF cottage cheese, 1 chopped green onion D: 4 oz. tilapia, 6 brussels sprouts, 1/2 c. edamame According to myplate that is 665 calories, 84g protein & 32 carbs. But looking at it, it seems like a lot of food, huh? Nancy

Sadie: I sympathize with you. That is how my body seems to lose weight----lose a pound or 2 or 3, plateau for a few weeks. It is frustrating, but the scales do go down and we have to be patient and stick with it. The worst thing we can do is give up. Remember, even if it goes off slowly, with our good eating habits and the band, we will not regain this weight we are (so slowly) losing. Besides, you have done really well, and you will continue to do this well until you reach your goal. BTW, I am in day 3 of the pouch test, recording what I eat (as usual on myplate), and still haven't lost another ounce. I will persevere and eventually, it will come off. Think of this: if we lose too easily, at our age, we would get massive wrinkles, as our skin is not as resilient as it was when we were teenagers. So, a slow loss is probably more aesthetically appealing for most of us. Aaah, I'm trying here to see the positive in the Looooong journey I am on. Good luck to all. To the new bandsters: hang in there. It gets better every day (especially when the scales drop!). Nancy

My surgery was June 10. I stayed in the hospital overnight (my doctor always requires an overnight stay), was up at 4:30 am and walking and have not needed pain medication at all. Before surgery, I had high BP, major arthritis and mobility issues. Now I am off all meds (except for claritin) and am walking great, with normal (110/70) bp. If you do what your doctor tells you to do, you will be fine, in no time at all! Nancy

Everyone here is so supportive and positive! Thank you all! Long: good luck with your gall bladder surgery. It sounds like you have a great doctor, so I'm sure you will do well. You will be in my prayers. Nancy

When I use BP, I mean blood pressure. Before the band, mine was 200+ over 120 (ridiculously high) and it took tons of meds to get it down. Thank goodness that is now in the past! Nancy

Joann: my dear friend is also a medicare patient and nearly went nuts with all the requirements, records, studies, tests and waiting! The good news is that she is now thrilled, doing so well and losing weight faster than anybody ever hoped she would. Try to keep busy and be patient; you will do really well once it happens, and then things happen fast! Nancy