Cindy C

LOL!

Good Luck. We're all pulling for you!!

My doctor says its fine to eat and drink before. Liquids for 12-24 hours after.

I'm pretty sure that we are ALL emotional eaters!!

Protein deficiencies can most definitely cause headaches! Tylenol is alot worse than ibuprofen. Acetaminophen cause cause kidney damage.

Welcome. There's a lot of good information here. I suggest you read through some of the older posts. If you have questions feel free to ask us. Good luck on your journey.

It amazes me that any doctor would put fluid in the band immediately after surgery. The body needs time to heal first. My doctor won't do a fill until 8 weeks post op. He also requires a 4 week (post op) liquid diet. 2 weeks of clear followed by 2 weeks of full. I have discovered here that doctors do so many things differently. I guess that's why its called "practicing" medicine!

Actually, Sterling Hts is a hop, skip and a jump from me. I go there alot. My favorite shoe store is in Lakeside Mall! What size is she? I think I still have some scrubs.

Honestly, I think that GB is too drastic with such a small amount of weight to lose. Your psych said you might be bi-polar. Have you been put on any meds to control it? Did they mention that you may have OCD? I really think that you need to get your mental health under control with an accurate diagnosis, therapy and the proper meds before you make such a life altering decision. Once you get that under control, maybe you can get the band to work for you.

I wish I had seen this sooner. I had a yard sale last month and had tons of fat clothes including scrubs. I posted on here if anyone wanted them and then donated them all to the local charity. I do live in Michigan but nowhere near St. Helen, I'm NE of Detroit. If I happen to find any more around here I will hold onto them and let you know.

Go to a chiropractor and have him adjust your upper back. Contrary to popular belief, the "cracking" sound you hear is NOT bones. It's the sound of gas being released from your joints. I went every 2-3 days after surgery and you would be amazed at the relief I got from it.

I know its very frustrating. I've been through the same thing. The first year I lost like crazy. 110lbs. The second year I lost 15 more and 10 of that was the skin removed during my tummy tuck. It'll be 3 years the end of this week and I've lost another 18. I'm not complaining. I've lost a total of 143lbs and I couldn't be happier about it but the last 2 years I've had to fight for every single one of them. I have the same problem as you. I'm great during the day but at night all I want to do is pick! Unfortunately,what works for one person won't necessarily work for someone else. But I will share some of the things I've tried. I quit my incredibly high stress job. (I worked in a mental health facility and had 40 patients that ranged from mild mental retardation to full blown paranoid schizophrenia. Most of them had violent tendencies.) I loved my work but was so burned out. I've actually lost about 8lbs since I left 2 months ago. So you might try to eliminate anything that's causing you stress. I made copies of my before picture and put them on the fridge and inside the cupboards. Seeing that makes me think twice before I reach in and put something in my mouth. Someone here said recently "Nothing tastes as good as skinny!" It's soooo very true! Now that it's baseball season (I just LOVE my Detroit Tigers!) I go to the ballpark a couple times a month. I always park about 6 blocks away and walk over. I get there 1 1/2 hrs before game time and walk laps around Comerica until the game starts. I try to do some kind of physical activity every day whether I go to the gym or do yard work or just exercise in my living room. I think that staying on a consistent diet causes the body to go into survival mode. It will hold on to every calorie. Mix it up. Every once in a while give yourself a "pig out" day. If you normally eat 1000 calories, kick it up to 1500. You don't want to go to crazy. Just want to confuse your metabolism. And drink lots of Water. The more you drink the less you retain. Do you log your food and exercise? This is a great place to do it: https://www.lapband.com/en/mylapband/dashboard/ I'm so sorry about your infertility problems. I understand how difficult that can be. I wish you nothing but the best. Be strong. You'll get through this. You said you had a great support system. That's good. Don't be afraid to use it.

I keep a bag of Hershey kisses in the freezer. When the craving gets so bad i cant stand it i can have one. The rule is I can have ONE...no more. The other rule is I have to suck it, no chewing allowed. I get the taste for several minutes which is long enough to satisfy the craving and its only 25 calories....20 if you get the dark chocolate ones!

I always sip on something with my meals.

Mini tacos.

Smaller clothes are the reward for all the hard work!

I was in the local gas station/pizza joint today and they had supreme slices in the case. I thought, "Boy, I can remember when I would have eaten the whole darn pizza. Now the sight of it makes me nauseous!" So I guess my answer is NO. I don't miss it!

Lost it?????? Heck no! I FOUND it!!!!

It is 46 lbs. 1 stone = 14 lbs. WTG, Shaun!

You can have several symptoms including: Muscle weakness, edema, more easily sunburn, difficulty sleeping, headache, nausea and my personal favorite.....hair loss!!! Get your protein!!

OMG, you just described me to a tee!!! I told absolutely everybody who would listen since day one! Like you, I'm not gonna lie, I wanted accountability and most importantly, I wanted to help and educate others. I'm a big believer in giving back. The only person I didn't tell in advance was my elderly mother but that was for her benefit, not mine. I didn't want her to feel she had to hang around the hospital and I certainly didn't want her to worry about me undergoing surgery. She's always been a worry-wart and has plenty of health issues of her own (Parkinson's and early stages of dementia). When I got home from the hospital the day after surgery, the first thing I did was call her and tell her what I had done. She was hurt and pissed at first but quickly got over it. She has since become my biggest cheerleader! (Except for when she's trying to force feed me. Old habits die hard!) I've always been someone who didn't particularly give a rat's pa-toot about what anyone else thinks. I live my life the way I see fit. You know the saying...."those that matter don't mind...those that mind don't matter!" I say, good for you! Shout it from the rooftops and ignore the naysayers! On a side note, I had a friend who was also morbidly obese. I said to her one time that I wanted to have lap band surgery and maybe we should do it together. Her exact words were; "Oh, I would never do anything like that!!" Then she went and had it done. She not only didn't tell anyone, she lied to everyone saying that her weight loss was strictly from diet and exercise. We found out by accident when another friend went to a seminar and she was the former patient there to speak. Needless to say, she lost alot of friends because of it! Lying is always a bad idea!

I know the feeling. I miss mine like crazy too. Having something else to focus on helps to take the edge off tho.

You think you had it bad? I had a southern father AND a Jewish mother! I was doomed from the start! LOL!!!

Good Job!

Thanks everyone for the kind words. It was a long road that I'm not at the end of yet. My main incentive in posting these was to inspire others. Hopefully I've done that . If I can do this anybody can. Fran, what school is your son going to? Mine will be a Sr at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO.