ljv52

I too have terrible gas since my surgery in January. My surgeon told me to take a metamuscil fiber supplement (I use Walgreens brand, think it's called Walmuscil or something). You mix 1 teaspoon with water (it's orange flavored). It's not great, but I have terrible gag reflex and I can drink it. I just drink it first thing in the morning. You must take it EVERY day -- it helps - my gas is gone and when I do get it I take a few charcoal pills (they are capsules and you could open them up and put them in something) which also help. My problem was really bad and this has helped it amazingly well. Good luck. Linda.

I am happy that I chose to have lap band surgery. As you can see, I'm down 61 lbs. since I started the pre-surgical diet on Jan. 13, 2009. The key is that none of these procedures are a "magic cure all" -- you still have to work hard -- to change your relationship to food (we are addicts) and you must make a conscious decision to add exercise to your life (not just briefly, but for the rest of your life). Otherwise, none of the procedures will keep the weight off forever, only WE can do that by what we eat and how we move our bodies. Good luck to you. Linda

First, I would talk to the hr dept. at your work and find out what is going on with your insurance. Second, if if your insurance coverage has actually changed and you will have to pay the $125 per fill, I would talk to the doctor's office about a payment plan. If you can afford say $50 per month, would they be agreeable to you paying that? I get fills about every 6 weeks right now, so you'd be able to make 2 payments between each fill so you wouldn't get too far behind. And, of course, make sure your doctor is aware of this situation so that he/she can make sure your fills are adequate. I know some doctors are more conservative with fills than others, so make sure your doctor understands that you are paying a lot of money for each fill. Good luck, I wish you the best. Linda

Diva, I would recommend you start reading the thread by Indiogirl and joining in on that discussion thread. Indio (Janet) and all the ladies there are very supportive and helpful and I'm sure you'll find some help with them as well as here in your own thread. I wish you luck. Linda

Everybody must be busy. Did my 5 miles walkng tape today and 40 mins. of step aerobics on my Wii. Feeling good. Have a great week everyone! It's beautiful here today! Linda

Hi I just got Wii and Wii fit for my birthday (4/22). i love the step aerobics on it. I think anything we do to move is good for us. It's fun and addictive as well. Good luck on your band journey! Linda

Wow, Janet, that was quite a workout you had this morning. I sweat a lot too. I think I read somewhere that you sweat more the more in shape you become. I know I'm sweating more now than I did when I first started. Spring must be keeping everyone busy. I watched my neice graduate from college (Univ. of Southern Florida at Tampa) this a.m. They had a live feed which was so neat, I got to see her walk up on stage and get her diploma. So neat. I got no sleep last night (on call with work over night and had no down time) so had to nap when work was over at 2 pm today. So no exercise for me today, which is fine, needed one day off. Will do something tomorrow. Have a great Sunday everyone! Linda

Oh my, I know how to spell license!! LOL. Too funny.

Laura, OMG that poor woman who is having that brain surgery. Head hunger is a terrible thing. Love your story about the bread place - I had a similar experience today. I went to have my driver's license renewed and when I handed the clerk my old liscense she did a double take and said, "My goodness, you look amazing! You've lost a lot of weight, haven't you?" That was fabulous! After having people I know well not even mention my weight loss, it was great that a stranger would comment. Really made my day. My new pic looks great, I won't be so ashamed to show my liscense now. I always hate my pics when I'm fat, but I've lost enough that I look good again in the pics. Apples, I didn't mean to leave you out, you've been a wonderful help to me too! Linda

Laura, I went back to a sticky under fills and read the entire thread started by Wendall Edwards -- "How the Lapband Works, Fills and Unfills" and I feel I got a better understanding from reading that on what to expect on fills. He describes losing the "fat pad" around the stomach which causes the band to loosen up. I felt great restriction the first week after my last fill and still have some but can tell it's already getting looser and I'm sure that by week 6 (time for my next fill) I'll be ready for another small one. Janet, that Oprah show was so timely for us here and I kept the recording of it on my DVR so I can watch it over and over and over again when I need a good reminder. You are such a great mentor, Janet, I wouldn't be where I am today without you and all the other ladies here, Long, Phyl, etc. Thanks for all the help, wisdom and love. Have a good weekend, it's my Monday! Linda

Janet, glad you're feeling a bit better. Gosh, did any of you see Oprah today? Kirsty Ally was on and she's gained back all her weight plus 10 more and then this guy who was once 1100 pounds lost down to 298 and then gained it all back and now is down 500 lbs. and counting. The show was basically about how you have to change your lifestyle including eating healthy and exercising for the rest of your life. It's what all of us here are hoping we are doing. I thought of you Janet and your 1.5 lbs. and thought, "she knows what she's doing to get a grip on it now." It's something we all are going to have to face -- we are going to have to live the rest of our lives this way. It was a show I'm glad I saw -- none of us is going to be immune from this, but we are the lucky ones, because we have a tool to help us. I am again so thankful that I found out about the band, researched it and was brave enough to have the surgery. Have a great weekend everyone! Linda

Hi everyone. Good idea, Apples, support Janet day. Janet, we all love you, you are our rock and our guide in helping us get through our difficult times. You KNOW you're strong you know NOTHING is going to stand in your way! You'll get that 1.5 lbs. off, you will because you KNOW you CAN. Hope this helps. Some time when I feel the lowest and think, oh, why bother, that's when I get up and just do something and that usually puts my frame of mind in a better place. Exercise and eat right and then celebrate your success by doing something nice for you -- a bubble bath or a massage or even a pedicure -- you'll feel better afterwards. We're all here to support you! Holly, thanks for your kind words. I am pushing myself right now a little harder because I'm at a point where I could plateau if I don't step it up. Plus that silly woman on Wii Fit keeps telling me I'm unbalanced and my weight has not changed since last time. So, it keeps me moving forward!! Apples, glad the weather is nice enough for you to go to the lake. I'm jealous. Have a great day everyone! Linda

BBall and NewLife: I hope you have both gotten fills - you definitely needed them as PenFlair indicated. The greatest gift the dietician at my weight loss center gave me was written in red ink on top of my nutritional information a note that said "WHITE CARBS are NOT required! You do not need ANY WHITE carbs to maintain proper nourishment!" I've had very few white carbs (twice I've had a small baked potato with low fat sour cream on it) since surgery on 1-27. I've had a few bites of rice here and there but, probably less than 1/2 cup total. I do eat fresh fruit at least once a day -- mostly strawberries and a banana (for potassium). I don't even care about carbs -- maybe I'm just different, but I don't seem to miss them at all and before surgery I was carb crazy and couldn't get my fill of them. If I'd had a meal without a potato or rice or bread I'd have thought I was deprived. Since surgery, I've been perfectly happy eating protein first and then my veggie and fruit. If you get the proper restriction with fills you should also feel satisfied eating that way. One of the times I had a potato was a few days after my second fill and I got so full so fast I was miserable, but I had eaten my protein first so I was able to stop eating and feel satisfied. You should be restricted enough to get full after 3 to 4 oz. of protein and about 1/2 Cup of veggies and stay full for about 5 hours. If you don't have that, you need to talk to your doctor about getting a fill. I've had two fills since my surgery. First one was 6 weeks after surgery and the second 6 weeks later. My third is scheduled 6 weeks after the second. You need to get a little more aggressive with your surgeon or his staff. I wish you both the best of luck. If I can be of help, please let me know. LInda

Is everyone doing okay? Pen? Ms. Kelly? Carolina Mom? Anybody? I feel like the Twilight Zone episode where everyone is gone from the world except me. Hope everyone is doing okay, let's not let our thread die out, we need each other. Linda

I read Lap Band Companion by Mark Watson, MD. and Daniel B. Jones, M.D. before surgery -- it was very informative and accurate. Has a section for troubleshooting the band, frequently asked questions, testimonials and a section to keep photos of your journey. I ordered it from Amazon and it was pretty reasonable as I remember. Linda

Hi everyone. The good news is that my second fill on April 22 went easily -- only one stick, he found my port and no pain and no fluro. Thank goodness. I have lost a substantial amount of fat in my belly, and he said he could easily feel it this time, not like the first fill. So, I hope all of you have an easier time on your next fill. Harold, did your second attempt go better than the first? I can't believe she made you come back a different day. I think I would have demanded someone do it while I was there. But then again, I drive over an hour to get my fills. Let me know how it went. Linda

No, it's not a cake workout, but it IS easier on joints, knees, backs, ankles than dance aerobics, jogging or speed walking. So, I recommend it to anyone who is out of shape or who may need to take it easy on their joints, etc. I guess what I was trying to say originally is that if there's nothing else you can do because you're out of shape or you have joint or knee problems, to try water aerobics. It's a good workout without adding stress to your body.

Good luck to both Meredith and Lyndsay. Congratulations starting your journey. I'm loving my new life and enjoying the journey. I am tired of my job and there's a new position at work which I decided to apply for. I doubt I would have bothered applying for it before I had my surgery and lost weight, but this has given me renewed vigor for life. I probably won't know much for a couple of weeks. I retired once as a legal assistant (paralegal) but after moving to Iowa and not working for a year I decided to take a job in a call center. It's been a fun job but I'm tired of working nights and weekends and am ready to go back to a regular work week. So wish me luck! Julie, glad to hear everything went well at doctor's today -- try to get as much resting and relaxation in as you can so your body can heal. Today's food: salmon patty, green beans, strawberries, light yogurt, chicken/black bean soup, sugar free pudding, sugar free jello. Afternoon snack was 10 baked scoops and salsa. About 1000 calories total. Exercise was stationary bike (40 min.), strength training machines (30 mins.) water aerobics (60 mins.) Feeling strong! Hope everyone has a happy, lovely day tomorrow. Linda

Hi everyone, thanks for the congrats and all your support, it means so much! Julie, hope the doctor has good news for you tomorrow and you start to feel better. Will be thinking of you. Claudine, you're doing great -- such dedication -- keep up the good work. Laura, love your story about grocery store missing you. That is too funny, but I can see how that could happen. Hope your son gets better fast. 1Day, hope you get started on your meds and get well soon! Linda

Hi everyone. Well, the extra exercise and my fill last week paid off big time -- today was my weigh in day and I lost 4 lbs. Whoo hoo! It just seems that every once in a while I lose big for a week and then go back to the 1 to 2 lbs. per week. It's so exciting when that happens. Hope everyone has a great day. Rain has finally stopped -- beautiful sunshine today! Linda

Hi everyone, just checking in. Phyl, your shopping trip sounded like fun - I love to find good bargains. I bought some new blouses and only worn them a few times, and they are already getting too big, so someone at Goodwill is going to get great stuff that was barely worn, so I need to start shopping at used stores too. We have several nice used clothing shops in town. I never shopped there before cause I figured they wouldn't have my size so I bought most everything on line at Roamans and Woman Within. Long, congrats on that weight loss. How did your speaking go at the seminar? I bet you did a great job. Janet, your roses sound beautiful. I miss my roses that I had when I lived in Long Beach -- they were so beautiful. Haven't had much luck in growing them here in Iowa. Maybe I'm just weird, but I don't care that much about most carbs any more. It doesn't bother me at all not to eat that junk anymore. For example, my DS and family wanted pizza last night, it was the last night of their visit, so we ordered a couple pizzas from their favorite pizza shop. I sat right there and ate my catfish and green beans and could not have cared less. I used to be a bread with loads of butter nut but haven't had any or even really thought about it since my surgery. Maybe just the worry of getting stuck is what's keeping me in line. But truly, I just don't seem to even want that stuff any more. Now sweets is another story altogether, but so far have been able to pretty much take care of that with sugar free pudding, fruit and skinny cow treats, etc. MRose, sorry to hear about your being stuck. I fear that more than anything and so far, I've been okay. Hope everyone has a great week. Linda

Hi everyone, just checking in. Meredith, thanks for the kind words. Julie, I hope you start feeling better. I'm sure you just overdid it the past few days. Take it easy and rest. I know what it's like. I'm thinking of you every day. I bought a walking tape -- it's really neat -- it has 5 miles on it - it's 12 mins. miles which I used to do (20 yeas ago) every day. So, I put it in the machine yesterday and started. It's neat -- I did the first mile and felt tired so paused the tape and sat down and had a little break and drank some water, then got back up and did mile 2. I ended up doing all 5 (just kept telling myself to get up off my big butt and do it) and was proud of myself for it. I was going to go to a night time water aerobics class but just felt so tired I decided not to go. Well, when I logged in my exercise last night on the Daily Plate, I realized why I was so tired-- I had burned over 900 calories with that 60 mins. of walking! So, if you're looking to burn lots of calories, I recommend it. It's not really hard -- especially if you take little breaks - it's kind of fun. I ordered the DVD on Amazon and it was only $6, and you can do it at home in any kind of weather. I was amazed how many calories that burned. Have any of you tried the Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches? they are very good - only 2 grams fat and I think 150 calories. I've tried the mint and the chocolate peanut butter ones and they are good - they really help me with my sweet/chocolate cravings. I have good restriction right now with my new fill and I'm so happy! I eat my fish or chicken and I'm pretty well filled to the brim. I'm hoping it lasts awhile. I am eating less at each meal. I really feel it when I get full - there's no guessing or wondering if that's what it is, I can definetely tell, which is good. Holly congrats on the pant size - that's great. I Hope everyone has a great weekend. Oh, the best news -- my Wii fit told me today I was only 46 in Wii years. That really made my day!! LOL. Linda

Hi everyone, thanks for the birthday songs and wishes. Yes, my ds is a great one! He treats his wife and his mother great. We are lucky girls. Okay, so I did make it to the gym and did 40 mins. on the bike, 30 mins. circuit training and 50 mins. in water aerobics. I try to do this 4 -5 days each week. So far this week just Monday and today as yesterday was DH's birthday and we went out for his b-day and I missed my evening work out. So far, the fill is good. I feel a litte more restriction -- actually right now I feel a little too full, I had a planned treat after dinner and I'm feeling it . Today's food: B: Egg beater omelette with 1/2 portion of sausage crumbles and 1 slice 2% Amer. cheese, 1 non fat yogurt and some fresh strawberries and 1/2 banana in the yogurt. Dinner was a very small salad with a chicken breast on top and shredded Monterey jack cheese, and non fat ranch dressing. Dessert was fat free frozen yogurt with fat free hot fudge on top (better than cake in my opinion!). Total of 840 calories, about 14 grams fat. Nay, as others have said, I had a lot of fear and doubts about getting the lap band, even the morning of my surgery. I kept thinking, "do I really want to go through with this?" even as I laid on the recliner watching the nurse put my IV in. When it was over, I was relieved but something else immediately clicked -- I realized I had a chance at a new life, I had a tool that would help me be cured from this terrible addiction and I just got busy on working on that. It truly is a blessing to have the lap band tool to help us. But it is only a tool, not magic -- we have to work hard, but it's worth it. Since January 13, I've gone down 4 sizes and look and feel so much better. But it's hard work, plain and simple. You gotta follow the rules and do the exercise. You can do it, trust me, you really can. None of us here are any different from you, we are each of us the same, we have all walked in the same shoes and all of us are here to cheer you and each other on. I wish you the best of luck on your journey. Linda

Hi MsKelley, Glad to hear your dad is doing better. I'm doing great. Had my second fill today and it went so well -- my first fill was horrible -- surgeon couldn't find my port, I got about 15 pricks and then he sent me down to fluro where it went a little easier, but it was painful and had a problem for a few days after the fill with ab pain, similar to after the surgery. So, I was a little nervous about getting a fill today. But today was nothing -- one stick, hit the port, did the 2 ccs and it was nothing, no pain! Yeah! I was so relieved it went so quickly and painlessly. My doc is thrilled with my progress. Oh, today is my b-day and my son bought be a Wii and Wii fit. I'm so excited. Plus, he's here visiting and will hook it all up for us so we can start using it right away. I'm so happy! What a great son! I'm so lucky. It's so beautiful here today - low 70s, just gorgeous sunshine -- hope you all have a great day as well. Linda

Wow Laura, congrats, you are doing so very very well. I just had to do a quick report --got my second fill and it was a breeze -- just one poke and no pain and all done! I got 2 ccs this time, so a total of 5 ccs in my 10 cc band. I am thrilled there were no problems since last time. Also, my son arrived last night for my b-day and gave me my present this morning -- he bought me a Wii and the Wii fit. OMG! My mouth just hit the floor -- I cried as well. He told me he's so proud of me and wanted to do soemthing that would help me! What a great son! He's just the best! Hope everyone has as great a day as I'm having. I'm off to the YMCA for my workout! Linda