auntlucy

Melody, hang in there! You are definitely not alone in your feelings. Visualize how great it will feel when you are eating healthier food and losing weight! Think about some of your goals (wheter running in a 5K or fitting into a certain size) and visualize yourself achieving them. Think about the future long-term satisfaction you will feel rather than the short-term pleasure you might feel from a couple of slices of pizza. You can do this! You also said that everyone in your house is overweight....think about the example you are going to be for them. You should be very proud of yourself for handling this in a constructive way by venting here rather than going for the milkshake!

With only 200 calories a day, your body is probably in starvation mode and is trying to hand on to everything. Can you get more protein drinks in to increase your calorie intake? Of course, you need to follow your doctor's advice. The weight WILL start to come off...this is the time for healing, so try to focus mainly on that. Good luck! I know it's awfully confusing at times...our bodies are strange, mysterious things!

I'm back from vacation, and I weighed this morning. It looks like I lost 2 pounds while I was gone! Yeah...I met my goal! The best part is that I never felt deprived. I made healthy choices but got things that I love. I had a few bites of things from other people's plates, and it was amazing how just the taste of it seemed to satisfy me. Thanks for the support that you all gave me!

Great thread! I'm thankful for the following: I have lost 50 pounds! My back doesn't really bother me anymore. I can now swim 30 or more laps in the pool! (before I could maybe do 5 or 6 before my legs would start cramping so bad that I couldn't go anymore) I am thankful that my parents and best friend have been there with me every step of the way! I am thankful that I finally got to a point where I was ready for the band!

I have seen several posters on here who go to weight watchers. If you think it would help you hit your goal and then maintain, I think that's great. I don't think you even need to tell them about your surgery if you don't want to. It's just a tool that you have used...you have still done all of the hard work to make it happen!

Good for you Christine! You can do it!

Congrats TX Diva! That is awesome! Keep up the good work!

Christine, I think 35 pounds in 4 months is great! That's a huge accomplishment and you should be very proud of it! You are averaging more than 2 pounds a week. My surgeon said his goal for his patients is 1 pound a week. You are doing twice that. Even if you just lost 1 pound a week for the next 8 months, you could probably lose another 35 pounds! That's 70 pounds in a year! Would you have been able to do that prior to the band? It would have been very difficult.

Absolutely amazing! What are you going to do to celebrate that milestone? You need to do something really nice for yourself!

I would definitely call your doctor's office and see if there is anything they can do. Explain your situation just like you did here. In the meantime, I have found that when I lost weight very quickly that I tend to gain it back faster. Your body just might be leveling off a bit from the more rapid weight loss. You can certainly try tracking your food intake to try to keep you more in check. Good luck! I feel for you!

kgloverii, thanks for your thoughts. I actually do have a very healthy attitude about food. I believe food is there to nourish and fuel our bodies, so I only try to put in things that are healthy. When I say "bad foods", those are some of the things that I have tried to stay away from because I know myself. Just like an alcoholic needs to stay away from alcohol, there are certain things that are trigger foods for me that it's just better that I avoid as much as possible. Plus, if I were to eat a slice of cake, I'd have a hard time getting the nutrients in on the calorie intake I'm trying to stick to. But a few bites of something here and there won't kill me. And, I also believe that God wants us to enjoy food on occasion. Thanks again!

The protein bullets are my favorite! I can't do those thick shakes. The bullets are the consistency of jello before it sets. I mix it with crystal light. 1/2 of the fruit punch bullet mixed with fruit punch crystal light is my favorite.

If you try the protein bullets, I really like the fruit punch. I like to mix mine with crystal light. The fruit punch bullet in the fruit punch crystal light is my favorite! I mix 1/2 of the 42 g bullet with a glass of crystal light. If you need a protein boost in a jam, you can just down in a couple of gulps half of the bullet. The have saved me!

Welcome Lauralee! You are in good company here. I understand the foot pain that you are talking about. I had it about 14 years ago and had a minor surgery. It hurt worse after surgery for about a year, and then it stopped hurting. Fortunately I haven't had other issues with it, but I can relate to the vicious cycle you are in. I had such severe back pain for years after a car accident that I couldn't exercise. Even walking was painful. Fortunately, I found a great pilates-based physical therapy program that really helped keep the pain manageable. But, after losing 50 pounds I can tell you that my back rarely hurts anymore. We are glad you are here. Feel free to ask anything! Where in TX are you from? I'm in McKinney.

Mamma Bellino, don't beat yourself up. So, you had a setback! It happens to the best of us. Walk into the doctor's office with your head high ready to face whatever that scale says. My biggest concern for you is that you don't have any problems with the band. But, at least if you go, you will know. In the past, if you were like me, you probably went on diet after diet. As soon as you blew it on a diet, you probably got off of it (I can't count the number of times I did that). What's important now is that you don't continue to regress. You have caught yourself, and now you can make a change. Good luck at the doctor, and let us know how it goes! I'm proud of you for going tomorrow! Remember, hold your head up high because you are taking control back. That's something to be proud of!

I'm on vacation this week, and when we were walking through Sea World today, I was carrying my 31 pound 2-year-old nephew. He was getting very heavy and didn't want me to put him down and didn't want anyone else to carry him. Suddenly I had the thought that I used to be carrying around that much weight plus about 20 pounds. That made me very happy about my progress and reminded me of how much better I feel without that extra weight. That was a great NSV moment! And, it gave me the momentum to keep going. So, what analogy can you use to really make your weight loss come to life?

Here are some thoughts... I like the cookbook: Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery. Here is a link: [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Eating-Well-After-Weight-Surgery/dp/1569244537/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216243611&sr=8-1]Amazon.com: Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery: Over 140 Delicious Low-Fat High-Protein Recipes to Enjoy in the Weeks, Months and Years After Surgery: Patt Levine, Michele Bontmpo-Saray, William B. Inabnet, Meredith Urban-Skuros: Books[/ame] check out the online store for other ideas at: SHOP My best friend got me the baby buddha bowls. I had given her the full size buddha bowls for Christmas, and she loved them. The baby bowl holds the perfect amount for me post-surgery. Here is a link: Peaceful Company - Detail I have been thinking about ordering Cooking Light for myself, so I think that's a great idea. Every month when she gets it she will remember that you are there supporting her. You are a great friend, and she will need you during this time! Don't be surprised if she gets a little self-absorbed. I know I have, but I think it's because I'm finally putting focus on myself.

December, I'm so sorry to hear that. That must be very frustrating! Have you been following your doctor's plan? Is there any encouragement we can give you?

Well, I'm 3 days in to my vacation, and so far I'm doing well. I have no idea what the scale says, but I'm eating right. We are getting a lot of exercise in with all the walking and swimming, and I'm drinking a ton of Water to stay hydrated. So far, I've stayed around 1100 calories a day. The "provisions" I brought have been a life saver, along with my Protein bullets. I did have three small bites of carrot cake, but that's as bad as I've been. I should be on track for my 2 pounds lost by the end of my vacation if I keep it up. And if I haven't lost 2 pounds, I don't even care...I'm just proud of myself for sticking with the plan so far. Kiki, good luck on vacation. If I can stick to it, so can you! Thanks for your encouraging words NukeChik!

You are not alone in those feelings. It's all very natural. While I know it seems like an eternity before the surgery, I encourage you to use this time to prepare mentally and emotionally for the changes you are about to make. Good luck!

Sure...any time! I'm just a little addicted to this site and quite absorbed with all things lap band right now.

It's a small world! I've found the staff at Dr. Hamn's to be pretty good. Sometimes I feel like they are rushing me through, but I recognize that's the state of the medical industry overall. When I have questions and let them know, they always take time to answer them. We had that ice/snow storm the day I was going in for my pre-op appointment, and I got stuck in traffic. I was an hour and a half late for my appointment. All of their other appointments had called in and cancelled for the rest of the afternoon. I kept calling them panicked that I was late and terrified that if I didn't make it that Dr. Hamn wouldn't do my surgery the next Monday. They told me on the phone to not worry about it...that they would wait for me. And they did. They couldn't have been nicer when I came in very late. They put me at ease. Dr. Hamn waited for me and was all smiles when I got there. That told me a lot about their way of doing business. My port did stick out a little more, but it takes time for the swelling to go down. I can still feel it (some days more than others), but I don't notice it visibly. I think as I continue to lose weight that it will continue to go down.