irishgal

................my weight loss :scared2: In the last week three friends, each from different groups (work, choir, neighbor) have commented on my weight loss. Yeah! I haven't told anyone outside my immediate family that I had surgery so their comments are a little extra encouraging for me. I've been taking my picture on the monthly anniversary of my surgery. I don't see 'dramatic' results - but I do see a difference. How many pounds did you loose before people started to notice?

If you like lemon or lime in water you might want to try TrueLemon or TrueLime. They're natural flavors - no sugar or artificial sweeteners. And, they're great to use a seasoning on foods.

Are there any other Catholics who have been banded who have suggestions for observing the fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday? I've been looking forward to Ash Wednesday and lent for several weeks. It didn't occur to me until today that I should be thinking ahead to tomorrow and observing the fasting regulations. What have other bandsters done? or are planning to do? Protein shakes are an option through the day. I just wondered if anyone else has suggestions. Thanks in advance.

GuyMontag - love your helpful hints :tongue2:I made a commitment to myself to weigh only once a week. My surgery was on a Thursday so I weigh every Thursday morning - pre-shower, pre-Breakfast, after other stuff....I knew that I too would want to weigh every morning. So, I put the scale in an upstairs bathroom - not my bathroom. My mood is definitely impacted by that scale. Thankfully my Thursdays have been good days - leading into good weekends. Best wishes for you. Each of us figures out what works best for us - with trial and error and success.

I told one person at work. I'm certain she has kept the information in confidence. She was has been very supportive. From time to time I have been a bit tempted to tell another coworker or two. But, I haven't. A couple people have noticed that I'm not drinking diet soda. I just said that I'm trying to cut down on caffeine consumption. No one has said anything about my weight loss. That's ok by me. I've been at my job for several years. My coworkers have seen my weight go up and up - and down a few times. The true test will be when I'm at my goal weight -and I stay there. Best wishes to you.

I'd love to join the challenge irishgal.....197......197.....185.....12

My goal was to be in Onederland by Valentine's Day. I'm happy to report I made it with a few pounds to spare. Yeah! :frown: I'm ready for the next challenge....maybe a Spring Fling goal for WL or other related goal by March 21st

I had my first drink 15 days post op. I've had a total of two other drinks since then. As others have indicated, my doctor's office cautioned about the empty calories in alcohol. I planned the calories into my daily total. And, yes, I did feel the effects of the alcohol much sooner. You know, it's amazing how long you can nurse a drink - particularly a glass of wine. Enjoy the party with your friends. And decide what works best for your new lifestyle. Best wishes.

My doctor's office stresses following "the rules of the tool". As other posters have stated, the band is a tool in our weight loss journey. Some of the rules or guidelines include omitting liquids with meals. Another rule is that we should eat 1/2 cup of food by volume not by weight where 75% is lean Protein and 25% is carbohydrate/fiber. You may need a fill but you may also want to take your food diary to the nutritionist at your doctor's office. Let the doctor's staff assist you with ensuring you are making good food choices and are working successfully with your band. Best wishes to you along this journey.

I bought the equivalent of a magic bullet from QVC. As expected, it does make a bit of noise when blending. But, it mixes so quickly the noise is minimal. Hope this helps. Good luck to you.

I used to buy the Trefoils, freeze them, then eat a sleeve of frozen cookies. The Thin Mints are just as delicious frozen. Yum. This year, I purchased cookies and then checked the option to donate the cookies to the food bank.

Each time I've been to the surgeon's office I've had to wait nearly 1 hour beyond my scheduled appointment time to be seen. Does anyone else have this problem at the surgeon's office? I don't mind waiting 10-15 minutes beyond my scheduled time. But, this 60 minute wait seems to be the norm at my surgeon's office. Hey, my time is valuable too. One other thing I noticed (while sitting in the chair fuming and listening to the lap band ad play over and over and over on the tv) is how rude the receptionist is to all the individuals who call. She's only mildly more pleasant in person. Does your surgeon's office call a few days ahead of time to remind you of your appointments? Mine doesn't. Every other doctor I've seen over the last several years, and goodness knows we see alot throughout this process, has called to remind me prior to appointments. Even my hairdresser calls to remind me a few days prior to my appointments. All in all, I'm pleased with the surgeon's skill and the hospital. The surgeon's office staff gets a C- on a grading scale. Ok. Enough grumbling.

Yesterday I went to the dermatologist for an annual skin exam. I won't miss having to lift the girls so the doctor can view my skin. Ugh.

I told one of my friends at work. So far, I haven't felt like sharing with any other coworkers. My family members know along with a few other friends. My sister came into town for my surgery. It was easy to say I was taking time off to visit with her. My surgery was on a Thursday so I took off from Thursday to Wednesday. It was great to have a short week after coming back to work. No one at work has said anything about my eating habits. I honestly don't think people pay that much attention. Do what feels most comfortable for you. When/if you feel comfortable with telling others, you will. Best wishes to you

Hi Happy_Girl. Your suggestions are excellent. I just don't know if they would go anywhere. After I completed my last presurgical tests I called the woman in the office who was in charge of scheduling / insurance. I wanted to find out if my file was complete so that I could get a surgery date. My sister was going to travel from out of town for my surgery. We needed to review work schedules and purchase an airline ticket. I left a detailed message for the woman. She returned my call and left a message saying, 'this is x from Dr. X's office". That's all. I called her back to let her know she could leave me a private message on my voicemail. When I didn't hear back from her in two days, I sent an email message. No response. I continued to try to call but always got her voicemail. In the second week I called and asked to speak with the office manager. He said he'd have X call me back. That's all. In the meantime I wrote an email to the doctor outlining my frustration with the lack of communication. No response..........until three weeks later when he forwarded my email to his business manager/office manager. By then, I'd finally been able to confirm my surgery date. Honestly, during that process I very seriously considered and researched changing doctors. But, I didn't want to put myself back 6-9 months. As you said, the doctor's office is a business. And, if I was the doctor and my staff was compromising my business I'd want to know.

I reviewed my online claims. The bill for the hospital - outpatient, no overnight stay - was $29k. The surgeon's bill was $5k and the assistant surgeon another $950. Thank goodness for insurance. The claims haven't been processes completely so I don't know what my portion will be but I don't expect much.

I'm sorry your friends made such hurtful comments to you. As the previous poster wrote, congratulations on turning that negative experience into a positive outcome. Keep strong.

Congratulations to everyone for the NSVs. It is great to have a place where we can share these celebrations. In the last few days I've tried on a number of blouses and jackets. For the first time I am able to actually button the blouses and some jackets I've owned for years. For many years I've worn jackets without buttoning or sipping because I simply couldn't pull together the buttons or attempt the zipper. It really is a great feeling to be able to comfortably wear some of these items that have been in my closet for too many years.

In the last few days I've noticed a few small 'victories' that I wanted to share. If you'd like to share some of your victories or successes, let's hear them. At work, very near my desk, we have a candy bowl. That darn candy has always been a challenge for me but I've resisted it since being banded. The other day I noticed that the candy bowl really does stay full longer without my continual snacking. Just a small personal observation but it made a difference to me. Last night, I went to dinner and the theater with a friend. My friend is a very fast walker. In the past, I've nearly had to jog to keep pace with him. Or, I'd walk very fast to try to keep up but then I would be panting trying to catch my breath. Last night, we had to race from the restaurant to get to the theater on time for the show. I was able to keep pace with his very fast walk. No excess sweating. No panting trying to catch my breath. No aching feat. Yeah! My one month pictures didn't show a noticeable difference, to me. But these small victories sure have given me a boost.

I too am very private about my weight loss surgery. My family members and a few very close friends know about the band. Only one coworker knows about my surgery. My sister came to town to help me so I just told people I was taking vacation time. We have a number of people participating in a Biggest Loser type weight loss challenge. Its easy to say I'm just watching my weight, trying to work on better eating habits, etc. I did tell one person I'm working with a nutritionist which is true. Best wishes to you for your surgery.

I received a promotional email today for Obesity Help magazine, 1 yr/6 issues for $9.95. Does anyone subscribe to this magazine? If so, what are your impressions? Do you subscribe to any other fitness or weight loss magazines? Through the years I've subscribed to Shape, Self, Women's Health, and Weight Watchers. I love the one page inspirational 'success stories'. Often the magazines sit unopened until I get sick of the big pile of magazines and then put everything into the recylce bin. Do you have any favorites you would like to recommend? Thank you

Congratulations Teresa. I took photos on the morning of surgery and plan to take photos each month on the anniversary of my surgery. My doctor's office really encouraged us to take pre-surgical photos, for our own reference. My sister asked me to take the monthly photos wearing the same outfit I wore in my initial pictures. Best wishes to you in your weight loss journey.

Hello fellow bandsters. I just found this thread. I too was banded on December 11th. I was able to move to mushy food on days 5-7 then transition to soft foods for another few weeks. So far so good for me but the food temptations sure are strong. I've been to a few movies lately and the smell of the movie theater popcorn is sooooo tempting. The funny thing is, previously whenever I ate popcorn at the movies I always got a stomachache. Now, I can avoid that by bringing in a bottle of Water and maybe a Protein bar. Best wishes to everyone. My first fill is scheduled for Jan 12th. I'm getting a bit nervous.

Sorry to hear you had a such a stressful experience on the day of surgery. In hindsight we can always think of ways we could have done things 'better'. My surgeon said the decision to go home after surgery was out of his hands. What he was getting at was the fact that, if I didn't pass the post-surgical milestones I would stay in the hospital overnight. As other posters indicated, I too had to have a post op barium swallow xray, be able to urinate, drink 1 oz of Protein drink followed by 3 oz of Water followed by walking and respiratory exercises every fifteen minutes. I wasn't 'cleared' until I could do all of the above and keep my oxygenation above 90% while walking. The gentleman who was next to me in the recovery room spent the night in the hospital. I saw him at our post op classes the week following our surgeries. I was able to leave about 4.5 hrs after surgery. Keep up your liquids, breathing treatments, and activity. My prescription pain meds caused me to be terribly nauseous. I figured out the connection after taking the first pill. Thankfully my pain was very manageable with Tylenol. Best wishes to you on your journey.

When I decided to have the surgery my sister was the first person I told. I waited until after all my pre-surgical testing was complete and had the date scheduled. Then, I told my other siblings, their spouses, and my parents. All have been incredibly supportive. My oldest brother is a family practioner. He called every day after my surgery to check on me and continues to call every few days. I know he has been a great source of comfort to my parents too. My best friend lives out of state. Of course, I shared the news with her. As luck would have it she was in town the weekend before my surgery. She got to see the 'before' picture of me in person. She too has been incredibly supportive. She struggles with her weight so we share tips and food suggestions with each other. The only two other people I've told are a friend from church and one of my coworkers. I just went to lunch with another coworker. We got to talking about the new year's resolution weight loss goals. Through the course of our conversation I told her I was working with a nutritionist. I don't feel comfortable sharing my surgery with everyone in my life. I know people will be supportive. I choose to let them be supportive of my new eating habits - without knowing about the surgery. What about you? Who have you told? Why? Do you regret telling anyone? Just curious. Thanks for sharing.