mariecarmen

Well, I'm pretty pleased with myself. For my 50th birthday, DH took me to Atlantic City for 3 days. I ate a lot less than I would have eaten when I was prebanded, but definately MORE than what has become usual for me now. I winced as I got on the scale this morning and hesitantly peeked down. YIKES! 2 lbs down. I do feel it's time for a little fill, however. Waaaay too much food was going down too easily.

I stayed exactly the same this week. No loss but at least no gain. I must admit I haven't been careful about my protein intake and have consumed far too many carbs. To kick-start my resolve, I just got off the treadmill for my 20 minute session. At least it's something that's headed in the right direction.

MimIN, I'm down 8 lbs but that's not in one week. The last time I was at the doctor's was 12/4/06. Next Monday should be a true indicator of actual weight loss. I am doing the exercise as pledged. That makes the difference, I'm sure. MC

I've lost some according to my scale, but I'm going to the doctor's after work for an official weight. Then I'll come directly home and adjust my scale to his. I think it's the exercise that really makes the difference (even though I really, really hate it).

Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy--Big & Rich Mony, Mony--Billy Idol Let's Get it Started--Black Eyed Peas Get on Your Feet--Gloria Estefan C'est la Vie--Chuck berry Wanna Talk About Me--Toby Keith Hold Your Head Up--Argent Baby Got Back--Sir Mixalot These all get me up and moving. I made a CD that runs exactly 30 minutes. When it ends, I know I've gotten my session accomplished.

Shell, Try eating fish. For whatever reason, I find it goes down easier than any of the meat proteins. I find I'm often sliming with chicken, pork or beef (less so with beef, but still). Never on fish. Maybe because it's softer, I don't know. And it's packed with protein. Just a thought.

MimIN Please log me in at 198--it will change as tonight is my monthly doctor's appointment. I'm going to attempt to add an exercise ticker, then get myself on the treadmill! MC

Please add me to the next challenge. I can use the support and encouragement. MC

What have you found to be the most concentrated source of Protein? I'm having a shake (22 gms protein/110 calories) for Breakfast and lunch and a small normal meal for supper. 3 months later my hair continues to come out at an alarming rate and I'd like to increase my protein intake. My surgeon suggested 60 gms/day and I've stuck pretty close to that. Should I add some unflavored Protein powder to my shakes? What's the maximum protein intake per meal recommended? Does the body not absorb more than so much protein per sitting, would I be wasting additional protein? What have you found to have the highest amount of protein grams in the least amount of bulk? Sure I can get 40 grams of protein by eating a lot of fish, but I can't physically consume that much fish at one time. Anyone else having the same issues? Suggestions?

My band doesn't like solids in the morning and I have a very high-stress job that makes anything but liquids for lunch impossible. Hence the shakes. I wonder if one of the posters has hit directly on the problem--not eating enough good nutritional food. My surgeon said for dinner to eat 3 ounces of Protein followed by a cup of vegetables and THEN carbs if I still had the desire/room for them. I admit that over the past few weeks I have foolishly filled my pouch with less protein, no vegetables (unless in a cheese casserole) and more with tastes of Cookies and Christmas treats. What, besides getting back into the Good-Lapband-Habits diet schedule, does everyone do to ensure adequate nutrition? I take chewable Centrum Silver and 2 Tums daily for Calcium.

I drink with my meal only if I'm in public at a business function. The last thing I want is to develop a golfball or PB in public. Thankfully, this doesn't happen often (public eating) so mostly I'm okay eating dry.

Try tristatebariatrics.com. It's the office of Drs. Kwon and Vinces who seem to do all the lapbands in Orange County. Their practice is incredibly supportive, from the surgeons themselves to the office staff, nurses, counsellors, nurse practioners, dieticians. Mauri Waldman holds a support group 3 times a week in the Middletown office that's a lifesaver, especially when you're down or struggling. Thier primary location is in Port Jervis.

I want to address another aspect of the original posting. I've been a nurse since 1977. Nursing school is like boot camp. I first attended a hospital program. Generally speaking: The instructors were tough. The hospital staff was not always nice or helpful. The doctors were impatient and sarcastic. We were used like slave labor, endured humiliating treatment (ever get scornfully & loudly corrected in Grand Rounds? Try it. You'll spend a good amount of time crying in the bathroom). I saw student's carefully written and researched careplans torn up in front of the group at post-op conference. I had a paper rejected twice by an instructor who just could not be satisfied. Granted, this was nearly 30 years ago and things have changed. Instructors can't just publically verbally vomit on the students anymore. But nursing school remains challenging. It's not high school--they don't care about your self-esteem; they're not concerned with making you feel good about the experience. They want to produce a nurse who can think quickly and accurately on his/her feet under time contraints and in stressful situations. Could the instructor be fat biased? Yes. Is she also tougher on the younger students? Is she tough on the whole class? I suggest your wife make an appointment to speak with the instructor in her office. Explain that she is concerned about this incident, ask how she can improve her time management skills. What can she do better next time? No whining, no blaming, no threats of harrassment lawsuits. Your wife is in nursing school to accomplish one goal--to learn to be a good nurse. If the instructor is a decent human being, her goal is to get your wife to graduation and into a nursing position. I'm sorry your wife had her feelings hurt. It may not be the last time. Ask her to step back and wonder if she could have planned the day better to avoid this situation. She's in school to learn, and she'll develop good judgment by learning from her mistakes.

I'm also too tight and dry in the morning to consider anything but liquids. I've had a few too many golf ball incidents at work and now only have a shake at lunch. dinner is a different story. I'm home, I'm relaxed and more in control of what I eat and how long I can sit and eat.

I don't exercise. Ever. Unless I'm forced to. Then I do it for a little bit and stop as soon as I can get away with it. This wonderful way of life got me an extra 100+ lbs of fat attached to my skeleton for over 20 years. Wasn't I so clever? Anyway, I had the surgery and lost some weight. One of my checkups with the surgeon puts me 3 lbs down in 2 weeks. Hmmmm. Not so good. Next appointment shows me down 1 lb. ONE stinkin' POUND in 2 solid weeks of following the diet! I'm beyond disappointed and discouraged with this. The NP says, are you doing your exercise? My mind is whirling like squirrels juggling knives as I search for a way to convey my philosophy of exercise without sounding lazy and stupid. There is no way. I just look down and tell her straight-out. No. She tells me to try. Start slow, maybe every other day. Or just a little bit each day. I steel my nerves to get up and get myself on that very expensive treadmill that I just had to own. I did 30 minutes of walking the first day and didn't drop dead. But, I hated every second of it. Next day I did another 30 minutes. Faster speed. Still hated it. I'm now on day #8 and I'm almost embarrassed to admit this--I'm kinda liking how I feel and how my clothes are feeling looser. Best yet, my scale shows me down 9 lbs since I started! We'll see when I go on the super-duper surgeon scale next Monday. I'm done now, just had to share. As Bartle and James used to say, Thank you for your support.

I couldn't go to a gym without being heavily medicated. Too fat, no cute clothes, I sweat, too far, no time, no gas in the car, no tolerance for skinny cute girls. Do what I did. Do it one time. Try to go 10 minutes at a leisurely pace. If you're really dying after 10 minutes stop, pat yourself on the back for a fine 10 minutes and vow to do 12 minutes the next day. Then do it. Or, like Carlene, just put on some sneakers, walk out the front door and keep going. All I know is once I vowed to TRY a little each day, the scale started moving and my waistbands started getting looser. Coincidence?

MySherriJo, the first day I got on the treadmill I was at a speed that was as slow as if I were walking from my car to the supermarket in the parking lot. I have slowly increased it over the days. Now I'm up to the speed it takes to run to a child trying to put a key into an electrical socket. My son, the runner, wouldn't discourage me but I know he does the maximum speed and incline for a longer period of time. Maybe one day . . . ConnieSue, all the weight loss you see on my ticker was done basically without exercise. I say basically because I did walk on the treadmill a few times the first week after surgery to try and get rid of the killer surgical gas. It worked so I sat back down on the couch and waited patiently for the weight loss fairy to come and make me thin and firm. It took me a month and 3 lbs to realize she was a no-show. I'm finding if I listen to music or read a book, the time goes by much faster.

My stomach makes some horrendous noises at times. I find if I sip Water, it calms down a little. Since my last fill I can't tolerate anything solid for Breakfast (never could since the surgery) or lunch (work stress really affects my restriction). I do find myself feeling genuinely hungry about 3 hours after each shake. My dietician suggested a 90 calorie yogurt for mid-afternoon, a few almonds mid-morning to stave off hunger. Try the water sipping technique and see if it helps. Or, how about, a few ounces of a Protein Shake?

I figure it this way. If my band starts giving me trouble or starts deteriorating in 6 or 7 years, I'll have two things in my favor: 1. I'll be at goal weight for a long time, probably some reconstructive surgery, too. 2. 6-7 years of good eating and exercise habits will be ingrained in me. I'm really not worried. I think the benefits far outweigh the risks in this case. I've made a committment to a healthier weight and lifestyle. Like another poster mentioned, had I not had the procedure, my lifespan would have been drastically shortened just by my existing comorbidities. I'll take my chances and see what happens over the coming years.

Don't know how, why or when it happened, but I've derailed. I was doing so well with my eating routine, losing slowly, but surely. Sometime around Thanksgiving, things went a little wonky. I need a little mental kick-start back into good habits. Any ideas? What do you do to refresh your enthusiasm and get yourself back (or stay) on track with your goal?

Thanks for the suggestions. A good three day "Do-Over" seems to be in order. I think things started getting hectic and my routine of cooking for myself on the weekends and freezing food went by the wayside. It's too tempting to be hungry with no proper food to grab. I've also missed my bimonthly support group twice and that makes a big difference in my mental outlook. Next one's on Monday and I'll be there, come hell or high water. Green tea and raw almonds, hmmmm. I'll have to see what's available in my health food store. Thanks so much! Any more suggestions?

My NP said to take 300-600mg or mcg daily (not sure how it comes).

Mine are covered under insurance for the three months following surgery. After that, I don't know. I'm hoping to be well-adjusted within the 90 day period.

My doctor says 24 hours of fluids only after vomiting. It does sound like you're a little too restricted: on the wall in my surgeon's office is a poster that says Get into the LAP-BAND Green Zone. To the far left is the yellow zone (sub-optimal weight loss). If you're in the yellow zone, you're hungry, can eat big meals and are looking for food. You need a fill. In the middle is the green zone (optimal weight loss). You have early and prolonged satiety, small meals satisfy and you have satisfactory weight loss or maintenance. You're okay with your present band fill. At the far right is the red zone. You have difficulty swallowing, experience reflux/heartburn, have a night cough, regurgitation and poor eating behavior. Your band is over-filled.

I keep a few of those tiny ziplock bags with a scoop of protein powder in each in my desk drawer for emergencies. If things get crazy and I just can't sit down for lunch, I know I can always make a shake at my desk.