MarianneTN

You look fabulous dahling! Exercise last night kicked my ass! I did the program on the treadmill that makes it like you're walking up and down hills. Mercy. I can feel it in my butt today. It was good though. Sweatin' like a crazy person! I love it! Today is my day off :cake:

My experience with Vandy is you have to stay on top of them. I'm on another board with several Vandy patients and you have to call and check the progress. "Did you get my file?" "When are you going to call my doctor?" "What's the plan?"

I'd say for the first week I really, really struggled to get even half of what the doctor asked. I sipped all the time but there was just no way I could get all that Fluid in. The pain I had was like an overworked muscle pain. Sort of like I'd done situps or something. It didn't burn or really hurt, it just kind of ached a bit. The only issue I had was being a side sleeper. I put a pillow under my stomach to give it support so I could lay on my side.

Favorite things... *Mail. Not bills but good mail. Postcards, letters, cards. Especially things that are handmade. *Massages from my sweetie. He's a massage therapist *A good book. Some good ones lately for me have been Memoirs of a Geisha, The Historian, Education of Little Tree. I like those books that I'm sad to turn the last page. Those are the top three I'd say.

I have PCOS as well and infrequent or absent periods has never been an issue. Insulin resistance, weight gain, brown patches on the skin...oh yeah. Perfect 28 day cycles are about the only thing that makes me not the norm "cyster".

I get this crazy ache in my left ankle. I had surgery there about 20 years ago and had pins and screws put in it. About an hour before it storms it starts *talking* to me. I bet all those dragonflies were beautiful. It would be nice if we had something like that happen before the rain here in Tennessee. It's rained almost every day now for two weeks. I'm thankful...we've sure needed it!

I'm from Nashville, TN...born and mostly raised I had a big non-scale victory (NSV) today. Well, it's big to me. I climbed the stairs at work today rather than using the elevator. First time in FOREVER! I wan't dying when I got to the top either. HOORAY! Share your NSVs!

This is great news! I'm glad you posted about it as I'm having the same issue. While not months, I was a little paranoid that I'm three days late. I'm normally like clockwork, every 28 days. This really puts my mind at ease. While I want children BADLY, three weeks out from surgery is NOT the time to start Thanks for the info and update!

Can't remember if I posted today's plan or not. I have CRS...can't remember sh*t. Doing two miles on the park trail this evening. I'm going to carry my watch to see how long it takes. Hoping I may have enough energy to tag on the .25 loop to make it 2.25 miles tonight. We shall see... Everyone's doing an awesome job! All of your posts keep me working even on days when I just don't *feel* like it.

I'm a big fan of custom foods. Just makes it easier on things I eat a lot of. Since I started using fitday I've been more aware and consistent with my Protein. Just my two cents worth...

I've done this as well only I wasn't asleep really. I would get up in the night to let the dog out to pee and would just open the fridge door and stuff my face as quickly as I could. I didn't *know* what I was doing. There was no thought to it. It just sort of happened. Just mindless stuffing. I remember my favorite was to take bologna and pour taco sauce down the center then roll it up and eat it. Weird. Since being banded on having my blood sugars all level out, I sleep soundly through the night. When I get up to let the dog out I just stand there while she goes and then we scurry back off to bed. No Snacks. More weirdness.

Plan for today: Walk for 37 mins at a rate of 2.5-3.0 mph (I'm trying to get up to one hour of cardio...a couple of minutes at a time :eek: ) Weights--35 mins of weights focusing on the legs I'm throwing in a mid-afternoon walk at work in our parking lot since it is going to be a BEAUTIFUL day here. Little extra love doesn't hurt, ya know? Yesterday's goals were achieved. It whipped me. I was in the bed by 9:30 last night and I normally make it through the monologue of Jay or Dave. Mercy.

Plan for today... 35 minutes on treadmill maintaining 2.7-3.0 mph speed 30 minutes weights--upper body Today's the first day back at work. I'm hangin' tough!

I've tried very hard to build my success with this around the non-scale stuff. If I get caught up in what the number says on the scale, I freak out. I'm trying very hard to be healthy in all ways...mentally, physically and so forth. Having old clothes fit, having someone compliment how my face is thinning, being able to be more active, etc are the most important things to me. Takin' it one day at a time....

I'm out of town and out of whack... I did a nature walk of very little distance but lots of uphill stuff on Friday. Took yesterday off. Today I'm going to try and walk the area I'm in. I'm waaaaaaaay back in the mountains. I think it's a steady slight incline up to the house I'm staying. I love visiting friends but MAN it messes up my groove! Monday I'm back in the saddle with my regular routine.

Hey Merry May'ers! I had a huge NSV this weekend... I saw friends I haven't seen since about a month before surgery. When I got out of the car at their house, one of the folks said... "Oh my! Your face is getting skinny!" Yes, I'm glowing....:confused:

Noooo! No ass kickin' from Telly!! My exercise today was... Treadmill--30 minutes at a pretty steady 2.8-3.0 pace (can you say whipped...man I'm outta shape!) Weights--worked at the various weight stations for 30 minutes. Did low weight/high reps (10 lbs/15 reps/3 sets) Worked arms. Legs get it tomrrow. Have a great Friday!

My favorite broth has been vegetarian vegetable. It has a nice light tomato flavor that reminds you of veggie soup. It became my comfort food of sorts that first week. Warm and yummy. Now my favorite food is pink salmon in the foil packages made by chicken of the Sea. A perfect 3 oz of Protein. Packed with love

On the shoulder pain, it sounds like gas. Movement is the only thing that will make it go away. That and passing gas. Not so lady like, but hey, it's gotta come out. I'm ten days out and not hitting 1000 calories a day. I still have too much stomach swelling for that to happen. If I'm *lucky* I'm hitting 550. That's eating three mushy meals (3 oz Protein first then some low carb veggie totally mashed...green Beans and mushrooms are my two favs right now). I can't imagine eating more than that right now. I went to my doctor today and mentioned how much I'm eating and he said I was fine for ten days out of surgery. He said as my stomach heals I will tolerate more and then we'll be at fill time. I'm learning every single day that "your mileage may vary" with this band. It seems no two people are having the same experience.

Seminole! Checkin' in.... I'm feeling excellent! I have some restriction due to post-op swelling. I just ate 3 ounces of well blended pink salmon and I'm stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey. I had 1/4 cup scrambled egg with a bit of low fat cheese at 11:00 this morning and I just got hungry about 20 mins ago. My energy is through the roof! I'm walking every day at least a mile and doing house stuff. I have my first check in with the doctor tomorrow. Regarding fills...I can't get mine until 6 weeks. The next one is scheduled for 10 weeks and then we watch my weight loss to give more. I'm over the moon and SO satisfied with my decision. How's everyone else?

Ok, I'm a week post-op and I have CRAZY energy. I'm going, doing, moving, cleaning, talking, and going some more. Is anyone else hit this like SUPER charged zone? I feel like the world can't stop me! I'm SMOKIN'!! :second:

Ok, I'm one week post-op and jumping in here... Monday--Walked one mile Tuesday--Walked 1.25 miles and shot hoops w/ my boyfriend for 20 mins Wednesday--see above I'm encouraged! I think about what I was doing two weeks ago (a great big bunch of nothin') and I'm renewed. :clap2: Tomorrow I'm meeting with the Wellness Center director where I work to get a fitness routine mapped out. For free. How freakin' cool is that?!?

Outdoor Girl, My mom and sister weren't too supportive either. My mom just thinks I've never *tried* and my sister just doesn't agree with the surgical method. I talked with both of them. I thought that, 1) it was going to be hard to hide it from them (my sister lives with me) and 2) I am a grown woman making a decision to save my life. I sat down with my mom and told her what I was going to do. She listened, asked questions, listened and asked more questions. While she doesn't agree with my decision, she supports me and checks on me. She understands that the weight loss will be tons of work and very slow but this time I have help. She also understands that I'm not doing this to be "sexy" or I think that this is the "easy way out", she understands that I had high blood pressure and out of control diabetes and I'm only 36 years old. I didn't want to die of a heart attack at 40. I made the very informed decision to take my life back. And I'm happy every day that I did My mom has come around so much in fact that she's coming to my first fill with my Dr. Much better than where we were six months ago when I broke it to her that I was starting the approval process. Bottom line, you just have to do what you have to do. Tell her or don't tell her. You know her better than the rest of us, approach her in a manner that gets her on board rather than making her feel left out. That's what I did. My sister still thinks it's a bad idea. One week out and feeling better than I've felt in a long time. HA! Sorry for the novel....

So, I'm almost a week into my journey into my new life. Some things that have really, really hit home... *I miss chewing. In a bad, bad way. I have put things in my mouth and chewed them to death and then spit them in the trash. Momma said it wasn't lady like to spit. She's never been on liquids for two weeks. *I've realized I'm grieving. Like real grieving. I'm looking at the lifestyle and choices I used to make and accepting I'll never be able to make them again and be a successful bandster. Last night the only thing I could think of was a Sonic Burger with cheese, no onions, mayo and mustard with a side of tater tots with chili and cheese. Add a Rt. 44 Cherry Limeade and I'm set. I will never eat that meal again. Ever. When the "ever" hit me, I started crying. I've joked with a friend that I need to have an old Marianne "funeral" and let the past go. The emotional part of this journey gets left out sometimes. We think about what may happen to our bodies but we forget what starts happening in our heads. I feel like a butterfly...

Mine is about two inches under my right breast just below my bra line. I don't have any discomfort with my bra, bending over, etc. It's still tender from surgery but not painful at all.