Saundra

Wow, where do I begin....I spent the first 30 years of my life trying to gain weight, I know crazy sounding when I'm now the other extreme. I weighed 87 libs well into my late 20's then topped out around 115 finally until de de de dummmmmm.....I have Osteogenisis Imperfecta, which is a bone disease that causes me to break easier than most. I am very fortunate to have the mildest form. I have what i call little breaks, and big breaks. Little breaks i usually skip the cast or have it off within a few days depending on location. Big breaks, well those mean surgery, rodding, learning to walk again, that sort of thing. I had a really bad break when I was 30, and here came the weight, I was able to get most but not all off after all the heeling and everything, mostly because i was able to eventually regain most of my activity level other than running. Time went on and a few more big ones came and went, with each more weight stuck around, less activity for me, and osteoarthrotos decided to come along for the ride. Still trying to loose weight and have an active life I pushed on. I tried to ignore my body, the added weight and my job kept telling me in the back of my head you can't keep this up for long. I went as far as to tell my husband that I'd give it everything I had to work until a certain time. I pushed because we needed the money and I needed to feel useful. The suddenly super big break, and I'm out to pasture, with this of course came more and more weight over time. Lots of diets that help you loose a few pounds only to bring more pounds back. During all this I noticed I had trouble breathing when I was laying down. I was smart enough to quit smoking but that didn't help with the high cholesterol, or anything else. The worst part of it all is it left me pretty imobile. So where am I. I've lost 23 lbs and can definately feel the difference. I dream about goal weight and wonder what might be possible. Not only do I have a "goal weight" but I have a personal goal. I want to go to the beach next summer with my family and be able to walk at low tide as far as I want looking for shells, or just feeling the bubbles from the water hit my toes. My biggest goal is to get healty enough to stick around for grand children........if any of my sons ever decide to have some LOL........

Wow, where do I begin....I spent the first 30 years of my life trying to gain weight, I know crazy sounding when I'm now the other extreme. I weighed 87 libs well into my late 20's then topped out around 115 finally until de de de dummmmmm.....I have Osteogenisis Imperfecta, which is a bone disease that causes me to break easier than most. I am very fortunate to have the mildest form. I have what i call little breaks, and big breaks. Little breaks i usually skip the cast or have it off within a few days depending on location. Big breaks, well those mean surgery, rodding, learning to walk again, that sort of thing. I had a really bad break when I was 30, and here came the weight, I was able to get most but not all off after all the heeling and everything, mostly because i was able to eventually regain most of my activity level other than running. Time went on and a few more big ones came and went, with each more weight stuck around, less activity for me, and osteoarthrotos decided to come along for the ride. Still trying to loose weight and have an active life I pushed on. I tried to ignore my body, the added weight and my job kept telling me in the back of my head you can't keep this up for long. I went as far as to tell my husband that I'd give it everything I had to work until a certain time. I pushed because we needed the money and I needed to feel useful. The suddenly super big break, and I'm out to pasture, with this of course came more and more weight over time. Lots of diets that help you loose a few pounds only to bring more pounds back. During all this I noticed I had trouble breathing when I was laying down. I was smart enough to quit smoking but that didn't help with the high cholesterol, or anything else. The worst part of it all is it left me pretty imobile. So where am I. I've lost 23 lbs and can definately feel the difference. I dream about goal weight and wonder what might be possible. Not only do I have a "goal weight" but I have a personal goal. I want to go to the beach next summer with my family and be able to walk at low tide as far as I want looking for shells, or just feeling the bubbles from the water hit my toes. My biggest goal is to get healty enough to stick around for grand children........if any of my sons ever decide to have some LOL........

Koumatos Welcome to a really great site, full of wonderful people with tons of experience and advice to share. I to have a problem with exercise, I have Osteogenesis Imperfesta (OI). I'm getting older and its not getting any better. My health suffers from lack of activity from the breaks and surgeries, but mistly from the weight thats come with each. I decided it was time to do something about it. I haven't been banded yet, but I have lost a few pounds, and those few made me even more sure I want to go the distance. I can feel the difference in the loss already, I can only dream of what it will be like when I reach my goal weight. Good luck, I'm glad you found us!!:biggrin: Saundra

Thanks froggi, I had looked for it and not seen anyone post on it. I do have to admit I feel silly with my sippee cup but I have major trouble burping now and for some I'm told it gets much harder after. I'm not big on drinking anything, in fact until I was told not to drink with meals I could of settled for only when taking my meds. .........I just looked at the clock and if everything went as scheduled WVNASCARFAN should be in recivery, sleeping right now, or maybe even waking some.........sorry totally sidetracked there. Someday thats going to be me :cool2:

OK, I apologize up front if this sounds crazy but I have to ask since I haven't seen anyone mention it any where. I was told I could never drink through a straw again, nor could i gulp when I drink. My nutritionalist recommended a sippee cup until I get used to slow drinking. So for the last almost 2 months I've been walking around with my Ariel sippee, except in public. Has anyone else read, been told of this? Saundra

Froggi, is your WV group just for kaplan bandsters?

The chatoom seems to always have peeps in there who have been banded already, maybe someone can help you feel a little better.

Good Luck Nascar fan, post and let us know how your doing when you feel up to it. I'll be thinking of you and hoping you got all your questions ansered and your surgery moved up..If your not offended I'll say a prayer for you, Hugs and Kisses, you'll do fine and be able to answer all these questions in no time for us LOL

Froggie have you tried eating the same amount but spread out in like one extra meal a day. Thats what kicked my metabolism up. Staying with the 1200 calorie diet but eating just a little less, each time and adding one more meal to my day. Just an idea. With exercise you could be turning fat into muscle which weighs more, couldn't you? U'm by no means an expert or I wouldn't be on this board I hope. Although a year ago I did have a dietician who was as heavy as I was, it was impossible to take her seriously when she was telling me what was what. I know what you mean on the insurance, I've already gotten differant responses on the requirements. I never asked about bmi or which weight they went by, since it was my last weigh in that this came up at. I almost dread calling my insurance again. I feel like they are taking notes while we speak. Can you tell I'm feeling a bit paranoid. :thumbup:

I keep thinking that my insurance has been paying for my overweight issues for a long time. From appts, procedures to meds. I've had more office visits than the thinner person usually requires and now that I've started down the lap band road they have paid for more drs appointment, (mine doesn't pay for nutritionists though BCBS) I've already had my endoscopy which showed a hiatal hernia, that will be repaired suring my banding. But if my bmi gets to low I'm out, even with my co morbidities. Even though I will still need surgery for the hiatal hernia, and even though I will still have high cholesterol, osteo arthritis, asthma and so on. In a nut shell I am one of those who worries I will be denied just when I think its gonna happen. On a funny note I just saw where he lists my panic and anxiety disorder, and I'm thinking how much anxiety am I adding worrying. sigh IT WILL HAPPPEN< Visualize this, me kneeling (Laugh in itself) chanting It will happen, It will happen, instead of Marishka Hargitay. I'm bad:tt1:

The linl didn't work for me, all I got was a smiley do steps/ As for the show love it. If you go to www.nbc.com and then biggest loser you can watch week 1. I managed to miss it as well. I look at the ladies who weigh around my weight and think omg, I didn't know I looked that bad. I mean I'm short and its not to often I run into shorter females under 89. But I love the showm I get so into it its crazy. My hubbys been watching it with me the last couple of seasons and now that hes doing the 1200 calorie diet with me the show last week seemed even better. When I look at my eliptical I know I'll never work out like they do but I will get there. Oh, and NO there is no way I could stand there in front od the world in a sports bra and shorts on a scale. I don't even want to put my hubby through that. Ughhhhhh. I think its great though that they can do it

Elizabeth, I don't know you but I believe in you. I can tell how badly you want this, it will happen. I'm not banded yet but love reading everything I can, please don't misunderstand, but one of my biggest fears before meeting my surgeion was failure. He assures me it will happen, that if we do what we have to it will come. He also told me if I wanted to loose faster I should think of the other. But he kept saying its differant with each person but each has to hang in there till they get it right, (the fills). I also remember him saying it could be very emotional for me afterwards. I refuse to believe i won't loose, and in order to do that i have to believe that you WILL. Relax, take a deep breathe, Hang in there for all of us behind you as well as yourself. (((((((((((((Elizabeth)))))))))))))))

As if my belly isn't big enough already, its going to look worse after surgery? :smile2: Is the gas like the gas after a colonoscopy? Sorry just curious, I get embrassed kind of easy when it comes to that, I hate remembering way back when I was thin and heard other thin people make comments, like they expected fat people to smell, have gas, that sort of thing. My sister used to tease me years ago when I was trying to gain and make fun of me for being small chested, I'd tell her if I had to look like her to have boobs, NO WAY. No amount of boobs is worth the hell of being obese, and I'm never going to forget that I spent two thirds trying to gain weight and over 1.3 trying to loose half of me. I just want to get to a healty weight so I can feel and look better. Plus my sister needs the surgery as well and shes waiting for me even though hers will take at least 9 months. WVU, hopefully your a 3 dayer and can have surgery on Friday and go back on Monday, I would think the type of work everyone does would have something to do with return time as well. Fingers crossed for you, I know I'm wanting to be at the beach next summer as well, NOT wearing a tent! Saundra

I drink Atkins Advantage, if i buy it at Sams it costs approx $1.10-1.15 and thats usually my breakfast, so I'm not skipping that meal.. I have never been a breakfast eater unles I've been up a good while. I put in an earlier post my dr gave a list but stated if i went off list ti make sure they contained * for every 10 calories at least 1 gram of protein * sugar should be less than 10 grams * sugar alcohol should be less than 5 grams It seems to work for me, the first 2 weeks on the 1200 I did get a little hungry at night and where I usually wouldn't want to eat close to sleep I had to have a small snack a coulpe of hours before I crashed. Sometimes all I needed was a little bite of maybe shaved ham, nothing major just something to shut my tummy up. The hard part was thinking I should feel stuffed, which now i do, but not at first, and the bad habit of munching while we watched tv in the evenings, those were my hardest so far. I still do the 0 cal slurpee thing which was great after my endoscopy for the throat. Correct me someone if I'm wrong but my understanding after banding is protein first, through meat or whatever and if theres any room left for veggies fine. I'd of been lost without the exchange list they gave me which gives me a more balanced diet for now, I guess after protein will always be #1 on the list and I'll have to see whats next. Right now I'm envisioning a life on baby food but I won't mind if it helps say good bye to half of me

Thants so cute, the first thing I thought of when I had the first one was, what did my kids see in them, but wayyyyyyyyy back then sugar wasn't allowed in our house other than birthday cakes, so I guess it was like candy to them. I love that you had one with yours, thats prescious. Saundra

I'm already doing the 1200 calorie diet so they want me to take one flintstone or bugs bunny in the morning and one in the evening, The diet is a big change from my old eating habits and they want to make sure i get my nutrients, I guess its just Dr Shins way, not sure about other drs. I didn't like the flintstones till I tried a rapidmelt zicam which I chewed (shouldn't of) now they taste a lot better...LOL But its because of the diet, he doesn't want me going into surgery missing nutrients. Saundra

I wonder if cutting it in half would be ok? I'm one of those who once I find something that works hate to change. My goal of course id to get off almost all of my meds eventualy. Can I assume capsules since they are ling and fit that way are ok? My cholesterol was so high I'd be scared to switch now that crestor has it under control, thats one I could cut in half with a medicine cutter if its allowed. hmmmm

Has anyone asked what supplement Vitamins we'll probably be on afterwatds? I was guessing Centrum since they gave an adult chewable, and I'm assuming its chewables so we don't take up the extra room, or will it still be my flintstones? Thats awful I didn't know we had the horrid spider here, my sister was bit in TN a dew years back and she almost lost her leg, they said being from an area that didn't have them she had no immunity ti their bite. By the way, what happens to other meds we are on, that aren't xhewable and not so small, I can see me dissolving some if need be but ithers yuck, they taste bad normally? Thanks ahead of time for any info Saundra

That sounds like a good idea. I better ask though since I'm on medicine for the Hiatal hernia* but the flintstone chewables have extra calcium, they still want me to add 2 servings a day. I just tried a yogurt and I swear this one has gone bad. UGGGHHHHH I like the tums idea though. I'll put that on my list of many questions, thanks

I don't know the difference but I have seen it showing up on labels in the last year. I even had to ask the nutritionilst about that high fructose corn syrup commercial. I figured it was bad but they make it sound ok. The way she explained that one was the corn syrup is much more concentrated and to definately stay away from it. Like canned fruit, the heavy syrup is high fructose, and goes down as you get to the lite or naturaul juices. I have to take hubby with me since he does almost all the shopping. This way we both learn what not to eat, and I look for new ideas and email him grocery lists to his work.LOL. From what I googled, sugar alcohol is basically an additive substitute, I just googled what is the difference between sugar and sugar alcohol in foods. Pretty interesting.