LittleOleMeinFL

Meredith~ OMG... I am so sorry that exchange happened between you and your dad! He is just worried for you. But yes, you don't need that now. He will be ok. Isn't it nice having your pre-op plan and knowing it's around the corner?! Good luck with that! I had a similar exchange with my Dad today (and I had surgery March 2!) My sister had her Roux en y bypass today! She did great! The surgery only lasted 1.5 hrs. She is having a LOT of pain though. She will have to stay in the hospital 2 days according to her dr. Anyway, my Dad made a comment, "Ok, the race is officially on between the two of you!" I told him there is NO RACE. My sister is 259 today... only 2 lbs more than me. She had bypass and will FLY by me with the weight loss. My Dad thinks that this will motivate me to lose faster. He just doesn't get it. I didn't let him know that his comment and laughter about it was causing me to tear up & almost cry on the phone. I told him I had to go. Sometimes our family has the best intentions in things they say and do, but it just comes out wrong and comes across wrong. But it doesn't mean they don't love us or care. OK guys, I will check in later.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr <growl> I am back from my doctor appointment. Don't get me wrong, I love my surgeon. I KNOW he is a BRILLIANT and talented SURGEON... but I swear, you would think he was raised with a pack of wolves! Today he was a little disinterested in hearing about my woes. He actually interrupted me and made a comment something to the fact, "didn't I tell you you should have had gastric bypass? We wouldn't be having this conversation." So after having a battle of wit, (I always find it so much fun to give people like this a taste of their own medicine.), he said to me "what do you want me to do?" I replied, "as my dr, I am asking you what YOU think I should do!?" He said he thinks I am eating TOO much. (I only lost 1 lb since my last fill 2 weeks ago) ok. But then he said I shouldn't be having pain with the first couple bites of Protein, if they are small and chewed well. He said this is really the only thing that is telling him I am too tight. So he wanted to take out 0.2cc, it's such a small amount... but I said, maybe just 0.1cc and he said he wasn't going to argue with me over 20 drops of Water. I told him to do the .2 and we would go from there. He was obviously getting a little agitated with me, although trying to cover it with humor. So now I have 5.8 cc in a 9cc realize band. The whole point is, to have restriction after eating a small amount.. but that it is important to get in solid protein, so you will be full longer. They did the ReeVue metabolism thing. Only after I was done did I read the instructions. No exercising 6 hours prior to the test. (no eating 6 hours prior to the test either). They did tell me about the eating, but not about the exercise. So it gave me a FALSE high resting metabolic rate! It said I should eat 1563-2232 calories a day to lose weight!!! I started laughing. The nurse relooked at the paper and said something is wrong. Then maybe my workout clothes, sweat stains and running shoes on gave something away. DUH!? I should have known better. I felt like a doofus, but hey, it's not MY job to know about that test!!! So, it was pointless. I will repeat it at my next appt scheduled in two weeks. He thinks by then we may go back up .1cc. I THEN about flipped... wasn't that the same 0.1 cc we were just arguing about?! I laughed and left the office. Oh, my dr said.... that we should only have 2 Fluid oz of protein. Meaning... measuring chicken by volume only, but never by weight. He said he doesn't care about how much it weighs, but that he cares about it fitting into a 60cc/2 oz cup. Which is completely the opposite of what the RD told me! I left more confused than ever about what amount and what calories I am supposed to get in. <~~~frustrated Time to pick up DS from school. I will check back later.

Hi guys~ The machine they will use today is to test your resting metabolic rate. MetaCheck Resting Metabolic Rate Analyzer " The MetaCheck from Korr Medical Technologies measures a person's resting metabolic rate with a simple 10 minute breath test. The technology once reserved for hospitals and universities is now available in a low cost, easy to use system! Testing metabolic rates will determine exactly how many calories a person may eat and still lose or maintain weight. No more charts, averages, or guessing. For the first time in years, there is something truly new for the thousands of people who are trying to lose weight." Janet~ I am obssessive at this point about keeping track of what I put in my mouth. I am using the program that comes with my realize band. www.realizemysuccess.com It is really a neat and easy program to use.. and any of my providers can sign on with their sign on to see what I am doing. That is a good thing. I think you may be right, maybe at 800-1000 most days I am running a little low. (especially with the exercising). I might get a TINY unfill today. I am still getting some pain with a first few bites of Protein. But not stuck. The dr's office is in the same building as my gym..LOL. So i just have to go up the elevator. Figured it can't hurt to go and just talk about this some more. I want my SWEET spot... and I want to keep losing. : ) i will let you guys know what happens!!! peasout!

Long~ CONGRATS on the 125! That is so awesome!!! I was laughing when you said you had nothing else to take off..LOL. I think we have all done the same thing. Stand forwards... backwards, on one foot, then the other... Ready to shave all the body hair off of you and get back on..LOL. I needed that laugh.. thanks : ) Re: your son! WOW. That is so awesome that he KNEW his body and his pain tolerance. Men are particularly stubborn and are usually ruptured by the time we get them to the OR. They had one yesterday that had ruptured 3 days prior... and until he was septic didn't come in! So glad he is doing well!!! Good luck with the last clingy pound. (take a good laxative the night before the anniversary...LOL.) Thinking of you all. Scheduled for a "fill" or "unfill" tomorrow. Either way, I am going in to talk to my dr and the nurse. I am getting things mildly stuck... pain behind breast bone when I am eating hard Protein. I think it is making me stop with the protein and eat other stuff. As much as I hate to, I think I need a slight unfill. They also want to hook me to some new machine that you breathe into for 10 min. yada yada. Measures your CO2 I guess and tell me how many calories I need? Not sure I think that is necessary. Calories in needs to be less than calories OUT! Simple. I am just TIRED of my clingy pounds. Today when they weighed me, I had only lost one pound since fill. It's just frustrating when you are doing EVERYTHING you are supposed to and it doesn't come off. As my DH cuts one meal (replaces it with a 220 cal protein bar) and drops 40 lbs in a BLINK of an eye! No exercising to speak of. (he walked twice with me in two months.. doesn't count). peasout~ Laura

I couldn't agree more! You guys have helped me out more than anyone else, honestly! Janet, you hit the NAIL on the head when you made the comment about... are you head hungry or tummy hungry? I really hadn't connected the two... somehow I assumed this "band" took care of that problem. (although intellectually I know it doesn't). My desire to have a fill last week was really my desire to help this head hunger, which NO AMOUNT of fill will help. There's one blog I have been reading which I have really enjoyed. Although she is from the UK and talks in "stones", she has a way with words. They are much more carb heavy on their diets there. Not sure I could eat what she eats. Here is a link to one of her great posts. Theresa's Gastric Band Blog What follows is one of her daily entries. "Friday, March 13, 2009 Ramblings on restriction I have been talking to some fellow bandits about how to tell if I have restriction or not – and how to be sure whether I am getting the 'full' feeling or not. What follows is a summary of some of the advice I have been given. Some of us obese people, who have lived through a lifetime of over-eating have actually lost the ability to truly and accurately sense when and if we are 'full'. Some bandits use a hunger scale similar to that suggested by Paul McKenna (see my post http://gastricbandblog-theresa.blogspot.com/2009/02/i-can-make-you-thin-part-two.html). One on the scale is equivalent to Physically Faint and ten on the scale is Nauseous. Some dieticians advice that we should stop eating when we get to about number six on the scale. In other words, we shouldn't necessarily be aiming to feel 'full', just 'satisfied'. A full feeling may be accompanied by a sense of bloatedness. In my recent experience, this doesn't kick in for at least 10 or 15 minutes after I have finished eating! The Paul McKenna Hunger Scale Physically faint Ravenous Fairly hungry Slightly hungry Neutral Pleasantly satisfied Full Stuffed Bloated Nauseous If we eat until satisfied, then this should keep us going for about 3 to 4 hours and our next meal. If our next meal is more than 3 to 4 hours away, then healthy snacking is OK. Healthy Snacks could include low fat yoghurt, perhaps with some Cereal crunched in for added texture. Fruit is also an ideal snack. To reduce hunger between meals, Hot drinks are a good idea (I occasionally have a low fat hot chocolate, for example), or suck a mint or chew gum (being careful not to swallow it!). One bandit said that when eating meals, we should eat the Proteins first, followed by the veggies and then the carbs last. I am not sure what the reasoning is behind this and I haven't heard of it before - but I am going to try it and see if it makes any difference! Sometimes it takes a while to get in tune with our bands – it's like having a new part to our bodies and trying to get used to responding to it and working with it. Personally, I think that I definitely have some restriction. I know that if I eat too fast I get hints of indigestion and very mild pain (Iron fist – but very mild). I also think that I have been expecting a very definite “right that's it, I'm full” kind of feeling and this is probably unrealistic. In reality, I need to stop eating when satisfied rather than get to the point where I am full. Also, because of the time delay between eating and 'full' messages getting to my brain, I am probably continuing on past the point at which I am physically satisfied, if you see what I mean! As well as simply being impatient by nature (!), I think another problem I have is that I am a little afraid of consuming too many calories on a daily basis. The result is, that on so-called 'good' days I have actually not consumed enough. I should be aiming for 1000-1200 per day but have been regularly eating only about 850-900. What I think I should do from now on, is to continue eating the same size meals as I have done, but be much more willing to eat healthy snacks in between to control my hunger. I plan on taking a snack pack to work with me every day next week – full of apples, nectarines, yoghurts and the like. After all, if I ate a small apple, a small nectarine, a low fat yoghurt and a low fat cereal bar, it would still only amount to about 200 calories extra – which is exactly what I need! Oh, it's soooo good to know that there are helpful people out there who are willing to pass on their experience, advice and encouragement. Thank you to you all." Theresa's Gastric Band Blog

Hi everyone~ Happy TGIF! Just put Nelson to bed... DH is on call... going to go get my feet up and read a book. House is all clean. Laundry is all done and put up. Dishwasher is running. I love being ahead of schedule! It doesn't happen very often..LOL. I swear my band is messing with me this week. As I told you guys, I canceled my fill for yesterday. Then of course now... hungry as a horse... nothing getting stuck... and not feeling as "full" or "pain" from eating my 1/2 to 3/4 oz of healthy food. <SIGH> BUT... the positive note here is... I am not getting stuck and not having pain! : ) Either the last fill is settling... OR... I am FINALLY learning to eat correctly... slow, chew, and small amounts. Anyway, it's a good thing. They did squeeze me in for a fill on Tuesday if I feel I want one. Thursday they were booked. (Plus it's DS last day of Montessori school!) I went to my scheduled workout this morning... expecting it to be my normal crazy stuff. (I am working with an exercise physiologist at the wellness center at the hospital where I had my surgery). Well, today she decided to do a treadmill stress test to see where I am! I actually was pretty excited to do it. I am MUCH more fit than I was 50+ lbs ago! Today there was no EKG.. just BP and pulse (via my Polar heart monitor). And this one wasn't to measure MAX... rather to shoot for 85% of max HR. I did it, and did it with not NEAR the exhaustion of my previous two ETT (exercise tolerance test). She will give me the official results on Monday. The hot Florida sun has FRIED most of my garden. : ( Tomatoes are history. Peppers are small and sad. Cucumbers are wimping out. Herbs are doing great. Sunflowers are 6 ft tall and bigger than my head! LOL. All the other flowers are great. Carrots are slow.. we'll see what happens to them. It's just so hard to have a garden down here. At least 300% more work than I used to have to do in NC. But it was good exercise and now the soil will be ready for some new bushes in a few weeks! My sister is having Roux-en-Y gastric bypass on Tuesday in NC. She is so ready and so super excited! I still feel guilty that I somehow bitched and moan too much during the band hell phase. She has much less motivation and will power... and was so afraid for the band not to work. It has also been hard on her with me having had my surgery so much earlier... when this whole WLS was HER idea in the beginning! I had to pay cash (had an exemption with insurance)... and she had to jump through BCBS hoops! But I have told her she will FLY by me in weight loss. I am happy for her. But just concerned for the surgical risks. I promised her a sister cruise when we both are bathing suit ready! : ) Hope everyone has a great weekend! Hang in there to those who are having a tough time. <hugs> Keep up the good work to those of you who are doing awesome! peasout~ Laura

Oh Lordy Lordy! Janet~ I told you my mind was going! I meant LEG PRESS. Not bench press. Leg press was 250 max. Bench press with arms... I don't remember the amount. And it was on the machine for that... she was afraid to do MAX on the overhead bar with weights. We have done bar plus maybe 10 lbs on each side... that's it. I will have to write down the max arms. It was interesting the difference in training techniques between a YMCA trainer and then a college educated exercise physiologist. The EP places a lot more emphasis on having objective data - so that you can really compare progress and to adjust weights according to scientific research, not just what feels right. She also takes my BP before and during exercise and next week wants to do a modified treadmill stress test. There won't be an EKG attached.. but rather heart monitor and BP... and seeing how long I can go and what incline, to get a rough idea of my MET level and what my absolute TRUE max HR is. Back in 1997 when I went to the Duke University Diet and Fitness Center Diet & Fitness Center - Duke Diet & Fitness Center - DukeHealth.org, I had a stress test and got to 12 METS at that time. (I weighed 224 and thought that was the end of my rope, as far as weight was concerned!) Curious if anyone else did any admissions to any university based Diet centers? I had 4 admissions over 2 years (NOT covered by insurance!) in an attempt to get healthy. It really was an awesome program, balancing medical/exercise/nutrition/& psychological components. I did great while I was there... and even for months after, but always gained it back and more. : ( peas.

Hi everyone~ Ok... I canceled my fill appt for tomorrow. I think I need to let this one settle down still. And Janet, I think you are right about the being full.. but still wanting to eat. I think that my problem is in my head, not in my band. : ) But.. the band is giving me the negative feedback I need to keep me from overeating. I went out to lunch with DH today. I had a tiny bit of Soup (maybe 1/4 cup) and then ordered a grilled fish sandwich with no bun. I ate maybe 2 oz and couldn't eat another bite. I wanted more.. but couldn't and didn't try. Perhaps this is my sweet spot but my hungry brain wanted more. It's a learning process! Lost another lb today! woohoo! Had an awesome workout. My exercise physiologist/trainer wanted to re-set weights and we did maximum weights to get back to 60%. Holy canolies!!! I can now bench press 250 lbs!!! (that is max, could only do 2! LOL) I did 4 flights of stairs, up and down in 38 seconds. Original time a month ago was 67 seconds. Love that progress. I still can't do ONE full old fashioned sit up with someone sitting on my feet and hands crossing chest. I think I have "babied" my abs for WAY too long.. b/c of fear of disrupting dear old port. That too will improve. ok guys.. hope everyone is doing well. Peasout ~laura

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!:mad5: Meredith!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am soooooooooooooo happy for you!!!!!!! I can only imagine the he!! of waiting. Congrats! Hip hip horrrayyyyy! I remember calling my insurance company BCBS-FL Blue Choice.... I had THE nicest lady on the phone. I could almost hear her voice crack when she had to tell me I had an exemption and that God himself couldn't get them to approve me! But thank God himself that I was blessed with the best DH in the world!!! He said, if you can do without extra this year... (and maybe next)... then let's do it! We are both so thankful we made the decision. It's the best investment in OUR life that we have ever made! EVERYTHING... is better! Hi everyone~ Glad to hear everyone had great celebrations with family and BBQ. Janet, I hear what you are saying that the band should keep me ok at cookouts. I still find it hard to be at food events. I don't have family in this state- around family it would be no big deal. But I went to a house party a few weeks ago and there was not ONE band friendly thing there except fruit. They had hot dogs and popcorn, funnel cakes and cotton candy (carnival stuff). They served alcohol and sodas. I was STARVING by the end. Just couldn't go somewhere right now where I have no control over the menu. In time it will be ok. I still have to be careful of trigger foods and things that get stuck. I was up 1-2 lbs for the last few days... but it was TOM, etc. Now finally down 1 since last fill 12 days ago. (really down 3 if you count up 2..LOL). My next fill is supposed to be Thursday. I had such a time the first 5 days of this last fill... so am not sure what to do. I had two PB and had to switch back to mush and liquids. Then had two days of feeling tight and pain with eating 1/2 c of food. But because I did so much mush and liquids... I had a hard time staying in my calories. Went way over Protein one day b/c of protein supplements. Last 4 days I feel good. Nothing getting stuck. No pain after eating. I feel I could still eat after a normal serving but am so afraid after those PBs and stucks.. that I stop. I feel like I could MAYBE benefit from a tiny fill.. but think I will wait a week. I left the RN a message today and she didn't call me back. Lots of thunderstorms here in FL. Nelson HATES storms and is glued to my side when there is thunder. He's asleep now. Whew.... time to relax. DH on call. Time to surf (the tv) and fold laundry. Peas out! Laura

Hi guys~ Wow, it sounds like everyone is doing great! I know we are all stuck on numbers, I am guilty too. I am also finding out from successful bandsters not to weigh EVERY single day. The other key seems to be keeping a food diary. (I am using the program that came with my Realize band) although you can use dailyplate..etc. The other things is exercise!!!!!! I hired a trainer just to have another reason to be accountable! She weighs me once a week. I KNOW how to work out.. but she is able to push me to do things that I wouldn't do by myself (like lunges and weird core workouts). I don't do "machines" when I work out with her... I can do those on my own. Whenever you get frustrated look at some before and after pics of success stories! That always motivates me! Also, I love the OH magazine. (Obesity Help). Support groups!!! I can't say enough!!! they help. And always remember your doctor and his office work for YOU! Not the other way around. Make them listen to you. 3-11-09 292lb 3-30-09 279 4-7-09 1st fill(3cc): 279lb 4-16-09 2nd fill (1cc): 272lb 4-30-09 3rd fill (1.5cc) 266 5-24-09 259 5-14-09 4th fill (1cc) 260 5-14-09 unfill!!! (0.5cc) 260

Hi guys~ It seems everyone is busy busy with their memorial weekends! I actually PURPOSELY did not commit myself to anything! I just cannot be around party food and BBQs. So, I just chose not to go anywhere. Nelson was invited to a pool/bday party for today.. but the weather rained it out. Rose~ I don't believe we have met. I just feel like giving you a hug. Just remember, tough times never last but tough people do! Hang in there. Julie/Mrs Bubba~ You sound better than last week. Just try not to over extend yourself. Ljv~ looks like you are continuing to do amazing! way to go girl! My band seems to be settling down a bit. I was finally able to eat some chicken breast tonight. I only had 1.5 oz.. b/c I had made some lima Beans and winter squash. Some nights I have some of the weirdest combinations of foods- things I would never eat together before. But, hey, I guess we do what we need to do. I hope everyone has a great weekend. Be safe... and stay healthy! peas out~ Laura

Janet~ Excellent question. I cannot for the life of me figure out how to get my sodium totals on the Realize web site. Does anyone else use realizemysuccess.com? I love that i have all my info in one place. It has my fills... it has my exercise diary/cal burned... and my food diary. I have not missed ONE day of documenting what I eat. It has really helped keep me in check. There is a lot of data in there... but no way for the average patient to access it. I wonder if my doc's office can pull data like that from their log in. See, that's the other great thing about their site, is the office can look at whatever you allow them to. It looks like sodium is not that bad. I am eating VERY VERY little ready made foods. And I don't cook with a lot of salt. I do know the bariatric supplements have a lot of sodium. It cracks me up that a Healthwise Cappuccino drink has 115 mg Na!!! 90 cal/15 grams of Protein. I would guess I am around 1500. But it is also ending my TOM.... so, maybe the Water weight will pour off in the next few days. I think I am going to take the entire weekend off from the gym. : ) I am going today for a 1030 with my trainer. Although I am TIRED! We had wicked thunderstorms here and DS was up all night wanting someone to come protect him! awwww... there aren't too many more nights of those requests left. I know I better eat them up while I can. My baby is growing up!:thumbup: TGIF... have a good friday everyone!!! Janet, as always, thank you for being such an inspiration and a support. You help us all in ways you don't even know! That goes to all of you. If I haven't thanked you for being my online/LBT friend... THANK YOU! You guys have been instrumental in my success! It's such a comfort knowing someone has been in your shoes. Well, not these stinky NB... but you know. peasout~ Laura

Hi all~ Protein: I think I am getting enough. Sun: Cal 1049, prot 77 gms Mon: Cal 817, prot 66 Tues: Cal 1300, prot 82 Wed: cal 1065, prot 66 Thurs: cal 882, prot 70 My doc told me to aim for 1000 calories and 80 grams of Protein. This week I was a little low on a couple days, but i have had a plateau this week. For the life of me I cannot figure it out. I am so afraid of increasing my calories too much. I haven't changed my ticker.. but I am actually at 261 today. I know.. i know.. stop weighing every day! I have exercised 5 days a week for the last month! It's just frustrating to me. These -1 lb a week... or for example this week, +2... just drives me NUTS! I feel I am finally VERY near my sweet spot. I am a tiny bit on the tight side. Today, almost had a PB after lunch eating tilapia fish. But I am so enjoying the full feeling. I am scheduled for a "fill" for next Thursday- but they told me to cancel if I didn't need it. Can't decide whether to cancel it or go in and get a tiny bit out. Decisions. Decisions. I sent Nelson to school today although he had a 99.4. He has no cough, no runny nose, eating good, no pain or acting funny. Yesterday he was actually completely fine and bouncing off the walls from being inside. I always tell the teachers to call me immed. if he acts sick or looks worse. They said he had 2 pieces of pizza today at "pizza day" and that he played in the garden and playground all of recess. Kids and germs. Facebook CRACKS me up! When I was in highschool I used to call my local DJ and request songs almost every night. Sometimes we would talk a bit on the phone in between songs. A couple of times he let me "win" the concert ticket giveaways too! I met him when I had to go to the station to pick up the tickets. He definitely had a face for radio...LOL.. but was a nice guy. His girlfriend at the time (now his wife) remembered my name and friended me on FB. So now, after all these years we are reconnected! I am still shocked she remembered my name. It is a unique name and ojnly 20 in the whole country. ok guys, off to watch So you think you can dance... dance... dance! Fold laundry and finish drying my hair. hugs to all! peasout~ Laura

Hi~ the fill is calming down. I think I need to learn to LISTEN to my band now. I will find myself "satisfied" with my meal and then while cleaning up, I will have one or two last bites of Protein... oops. I immediately get some pain and stop. I just wish I would stop when I feel satisfied. It's amazing what a difference two more bites can do to you! No more PB.. but I will have the fist for a few min or 10. Last night though, I had 2oz. of lamb chop meat. (the lollipop kind) DH puts salt and pepper and oregano and puts them on the grill. Cooks them medium to MR. I trim all the fat and whatever off and just have meat. Cut in tiny bites. It was delicious!!! Yeah, back to eating solids! I had 2oz of sweet potato and then a spoonful of a Moroccan kind of stew- tomato based with veggies and garbanzo Beans.. allspice. Thank goodness I had an enjoyable meal...b/c the rest of the night was downhill for me with American Idol! I LOVE Adam Lambert and was just sad that he didn't win the show. Off to get work done and then run errands! TTYL! peasout~ Laura

Good luck squeaky wheel!!! Let us know what happens! CROSSING MY FINGERS FOR YOU!!!!!!

Barb12590~ OMG... the nose thing sounds painful! Hope you feel ok soon. Yeah, if it's just a chip of the nasal bone... nothing to do but let nature do its course. 1day~ How are you feeling? I had multiple ovarian cysts when I was going through 2 years of infertility treatments. They do hurt like He!!... The body usually absorbs the fluid- ruptured or non ruptured. The pain is your body telling you to take it easy. If it hurts, stop moving that way. : ) Demerol is a horrible drug. Even if it is given in an IV or shot it causes rebound pain. The pills are worse in my opinion, and very little is absorbed. I have never personally taken them but 19 years of working in ERs. If you are still having pain ask them for something else. I found that anti-inflammatories work great for this kind of pain. (maybe even a prescription one like Celebrex). Did they tell you to use a heating pad? That helped me a lot. Hang in there! Mrs. Bubba/Julie~ Sounds like that was JUST the thing you needed! I know I always feel better with my hair colored and a nice soak! I am glad to hear you are taking time for yourself after that big ordeal you had. And thanks guys for the reassurance with the calories. I know in theory it is fine.. but I have to keep a tight rein on myself. I have always let things slip slowly and then get outta control. I am in a plateau, so maybe you guys are right... it might do me some good! Ate out for my 3rd (I think?) time only since surgery. We went to a nice seafood place here near the beach for lunch. I ordered a cup of black bean Soup (I have been on a black bean kick lately!) I ate only 1/2 of it, wanted to save room for my main item. I ordered an appetizer portion of Maryland Crab cake. You could get it broiled or fried.. i got it broiled. It was SOoooo delicious!!! I only ate half of it, it was big. It was SUCH an enjoyable feeling being at a restaurant and being STUFFED after eating so little. My husband and I are laughing about how we could have 2 each as an appetizer before. I did drink unsweetened iced tea at lunch (a few sips), as a precaution. I got brave and took one bite of Nelson's chicken finger and chewed it well and it went down fine. I think that swelling has now gone away. I think I will have some more solid Protein for dinner. : ) Hope everyone is well and enjoying the rest of the day! Torrential rain in Florida for a few days! peasout~ Laura

Hi y'all~ During the first few months did any of you get ditsy? (more ditsy in some of your cases..LOL) I am finding myself forgetting things... or missing appointments that I would normally never do! I think it is the low calories and my body needs all the calories to just get through the day and doesn't share any with the brain! ; ) I completed my 12 sessions with my YMCA trainer and now have decided to switch it up a bit. The hospital where I had my surgery has a wellness center... and part of the "deal" of having bariatric surgery there is you get 3 months free at the gym. I decided to go check it out yesterday. I had NO idea it meant 3 months of 3 times a week of personal training by an EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST! OMG I am so excited! That's like $1500 gift that fell into my lap. (Or for the ditsy me.. $1500 that I found while cleaning my house... and just didn't know where I put it!) I have to drive 25 min to get there but it's a nice time to listen to some good music or catch up on the phone. It's just a bit more ME time. I also find that I get in a bottle of Water going and coming home! win/win! I will let you guys know how it goes. I was sooooooooooo hungry yesterday. Had the HIGHEST calories since my surgery! 1300! BF: Healthwise Cereal (15g prot/90 cal) Milk 1% 4oz (50cal) banana (1/2 med, 50) Snack: Muscle Milk 14 oz. (160cal/20gm prot) Lunch: Black Bean salad with 1/2 avocado, olive oil, tomatoes, onions, 1/2 c blackbeans Snack: Yoplait yogurt (100cal) Dinner: Amy's Veggie Shepherd's pie (150cal) Snack: Healthwise Protein bar (170cal) Breaskstone's Cottage cheese 90 cal Yoplait yogurt 100 cal ***Notice I still cannot get in hard Proteins. Perhaps that is why I am so hungry??? I realize what I did. (get it.. realize, i have a realize band!) anyway.. I had TWO Meal Replacement protein supplements... and didn't replace any MEALS! I was just so hungry and had a big workout and just felt that protein would "hold" me better than eating "junk". It just sucks how much it all adds up! And I was up late last night... hubby on call... and American Idol and Dancing finales. I need to start going to bed early and stop watching tv and have my DH quit taking call. We can move out of our house and camp! : ) Nelson came home early yesterday with low fever and had vomited at school. He was FINE yesterday and last night. This morning before sending him he has a 99.8. He is a little punky and don't have the heart to send him to school. Feeling guilty though because I have a workout scheduled and I am NOT taking myself off the list today.. since DH is postcall and OFF today. (albeit sleepy).

Apples~ Thanks for your words of wisdom. Patience is not one of my virtues. It's good to hear a vet bandster say it was two weeks after a stick b4 they could have solids. I was able to eat 1/2 of a small wendy's chili today. I did fine with that. I am definitely less hungry than ANYTIME during this post-op period. For that I am immensely grateful! I can deal with liquids/softs for a while. I actually started experimenting with some things like Quinoa (Quinoa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) and some McCann's Steel-Cut Irish oatmeal. These are VERY filling and have a good amount of Protein. Curious if anyone else uses them? I just have to stay away from white starches. I know they are a trigger food for me... so i don't do white rice or bread. PERIOD. I absolutely LOVED hearing the story about your son! What a go-getter! You know, I was the baby of the family too (of 3 of us)... and something about being the last one! I know I put the majority of the grey hairs on my parents' heads. I was the kid who worked 3p-3a in a trauma center in Charlotte after nursing school... then the P.C. and then grad school in Atlanta and volunteered at the Olympics and traveled a bunch. I love that your son is a pilot and is an instructor! My Dad is a pilot and still flies at age 75! He was 69 when he got his transport pilot license and flew a Citation I. My 5 year old loves flying with Grandpa! A bit too young to start right now,.. but we'll see. : ) My sister (the oldest one) has lived a mile from my parents her whole life and still does! It's funny how personalities can be so different in one family! Meredith~ I can feel your frustration! A chart should NOT be in dictation for two weeks. I would call and ask to speak to the office manager. Sometime killing them with kindness works.. and then other times you have to be a BiT@&! My sister was being yanked around by her surgeon's office for RNY. She had been laid off of work and had moved back home with my parents waiting for the surgery. She finally sent the dr a certified letter stating the reasons she needed things to move along.. and that if they could not accommodate her, if they could help her transfer her records to another surgeon's office. THAT DAY.. she was scheduled for surgery for 25 days later! They asked her not to talk to other patients, as it might cause an uproar. Sometimes the squeaky wheel DOES get the grease! Good luck and hang in there! Why is your stomach hurting??? What is going on.. have you seen your dr? Keep your spirits up! OK y'all~ Time to watch Dancing with the stars and the Bachelorette! Survivor was last night! I love this time of year for TV!!! peasout~ Laura

Hi gang~ I wrote a NICE long message over the weekend and as I was about to post it... the page refreshed on its own... and **POOF** it vanished! I was so P.O. that I just signed off. I told you guys last week.. but on Thursday 14th I had fill #4. He added 1cc but had to remove 1/2 of it b/c I had a mild Iron fist with a HUGE gulp of Water. I stayed on liquids that day. Friday he said return to normal food. dinner I made baked chicken pieces with veggies. The thigh meat was soft and tasty. I measured my 2oz., chewed well. I was nice and FULL after dinner. While cleaning the dishes I decided to take one more bite of the piece I had taken mine from, as to not put a half eaten thigh in the fridge. BIG BIG mistake! Either I ate too much (with the one more bite) or I didn't chew! I immediately had severe pain. I went to my room.. so my son wouldn't think mommy was dying. I tried EVERYTHING... then I felt it.. my first real PB. My eyes were tearing... but the pain was gone. Saturday I was tighter than ever (I guess swelling from the PB), so I stayed on liquids the first part of the day. lunch had a VERY soft scrambled egg.. went down fine. Dinner I tried ONE tiny bite of really soft stew meat. uh oh. Felt a twinge of pain and stopped eating. I barely got in 700 cal that day. Sunday I stayed with mush as well. I have REALLY good restriction, but I am SCARED to eat meat. Even a bite of tuna salad today caused some pain. I am hoping this is transient.. b/c I don't want the 0.5cc out... as I know before this fill I didn't have good restriction. <sigh> I am trying to be patient, b/c from my previous fills I know the "feeling" leaves in about 4-5 days. Just not sure how much of this is swelling from the trauma. My DH and DS are ordering pizza and wings tonight so mommy doesn't have to cook. It's amazing how these very nice gestures turn into a double edged sword. Not sure I can handle the smell.... i am hungry. I think I might go make an egg before the pizza man arrives. Glad to hear everyone is doing well. All these vacations are making me jealous! I do live in FL, so at least I get the nice weather a lot. But I miss my vagabond days of the Peace Corps.. traveling through South America with all my belongings in one backpack. peasout~ Laura

I know... I know... I KNOW I shouldn't weigh every day... but I just cannot help it. I am an "all or nothing" gal. (something I am trying to change about myself). The not weighing is how I let myself gain close to 75 lbs last year! I was in complete denial and actually put my scales in the garage! And last year (beginning of 08) when I went to the dr I REFUSED to be weighed. (yes, as crazy as that sounds... I just didn't want it documented! I was convinced that once I set my mind to it, I would get this weight off by myself ONCE AND FOR ALL). I had 3 dr's tell me I should STRONGLY consider some sort of WLS. The first two got holy heck from me! How dare YOU... accuse ME... of not being able to lose weight on my own!!! (denial issue again). It was only when my sister was starting to research it that I decided to "look" into it for her. Then I went for my annual physical. I knew how much I weighed, but again refused to be weighed. I told my dr my TRUE weight, but asked him not to document it. I have been waiting to get life insurance and somehow in my warped mind, I thought if it wasn't written... then I could lose and then get qualified. So silly and funny as I think about it now. Curious to know if any of you veterans that have reached goal... have attempted to get life insurance now that you are no longer obese? I drank a muscle milk this morning (20gm protein/160 cal). It took me MUCH longer to drink it than normal, however no restriction per se that I could feel. I had a great workout by myself. (my trainer has dissed me for another client who wanted my time slot. She pays her cash and she makes 2 x the amount.) huh, kinda glad this free wellness thing fell into my lap when it did. For lunch I had 4 small california roll pieces. The container said 33 cal each. Probably wasn't the best choice for my first food after fill, but it went down fine. The rice however has made me hungrier... or I just didn't get enough Protein. I will have a protein rich snack in a bit. I know a few of you were complaining about your DH bugging you while eating.. "do you feel anything yet?" My DH has been so supportive. It's funny actually... when we went for the initial consult he joked with the dr about whether he should have it. DH is 5'10" and 279 lbs. My doc said... just one of you get it and see what happens. He was right. As of today he is 248! I am not sure if he is afraid for me to get HOT without him.. or if it's because I don't hardly cook anymore, and I definitely don't buy junk. Also, we stopped eating out! He is feeling a LOT better. I have tried to encourage him to exercise and he just won't have any part of it. One of his strategies is replacing breakfast with a Protein Bar. Then eating two healthy meals. He used to be a bread junky and now hardly eats any. My sister has 4 days until her 2 week pre-op liquid diet for gastric bypass. I was telling her to get a few last hoorahs in. ok gals.... TGIF! peasout!

Good morning gang~ Well, I was hoping for a bit of restriction. I guess I have a BIT. I think he was correct in taking half of it out yesterday. Last night though I was sooooooo hungry. I had stayed on liquids all day and although I had 80gms of protein, I was only at 600 cal and feeling crappy. At 9pm I made one super soft, almost runny, scrambled egg. Oh man, it was the best egg I have had in a while. Went down fine. This morning had a cup of coffee- no problem. I usually have a small protein shake in the a.m. anyway. I will find out later how I do with food food. I know it's water weight.. .but gained back that pound I lost! UUUUrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggghhhhhhhhh! Off to the gym after dropping Nelson at school. peasout~

Hi~ BTW, I didn't know you could call it TOM. My first real boyfriend was named Tom...LOL. My skin has been getting dry the last 6 months or so, more now after WLS. ONE MORE lb down today! I went in for fill #4. I told them everything and then my doc said... let's try 1cc and see. This is the FIRST fill that was quick and easy and painless! The others I had that darn seroma that needed to be drained and then due to scar tissue, he would have a hard time finding the port. Today he said due to the weight loss and exercise that he could feel it much more easily! They gave me a small cup of Water (maybe 60cc) and he wanted me to try to drink it in one gulp, like a shot of tequila. It went down, but I had a twinge of Iron fist/golf ball sensation. I rated it a 1/10. He then had me do another "shot". This time I actually had a tiny bit of a feeling of salivating. He told me he wanted to take 0.5cc out and I felt so possessive of my 0.5cc! I didn't want to give it to him! But then he explained that later I might have swelling and not be able to get anything down. Also said, that later he might have to take more out... so I gave in. I am on liquids today so I can't really tell. He said he thinks in two weeks he will put another .5cc in and that it might be VERY close to my sweet spot. I also found out that my surgeon made a deal with the hospital Wellness Center (staffed by exercise physiologists), that any of his patients get 3 months FREE membership, including personal training 3 times a week! I am paying $40 a session at the Y, so of course I JUMPED on this! I will give it a try on Monday. I have to drive about 20 min, but for FREE training by a more TRAINED person, seems like it might be worth it. Also, she is VERY familiar with bariatric patients. I want to wait and see if I like it before I tell my trainer here. I feel like I am cheating on her! kath17268~ Welcome and CONGRATS! Sorry about the tooth! OUCH! I felt the same way about TBL finale. Charlene K~ Glad to hear you got your unfill. I was afraid of really being too tight, so opted for it before I left the office. ok guys... DH is on call tonight, so I have an active 5 year old wanting some attention! TTYL! peasout~ Laura

Lisa~ First off, congrats on getting the surgery! I hope you have a speedy recovery! Surgery hurts. They stab you several times in the abdomen and blow up your belly with 25-30 psi (pounds per square inch) of either CO2 or Nitrogen. It's a lot of expansion of the abdominal skin. The anchoring of the port is into the muscle and the band is anchored with skin and sewn together. You will have some pain, but it WILL get better! Take your pain medicine as prescribed. If you are still very uncomfortable or if you have fever/chills, or any oozing or bleeding from the site that soaks through a small bandage... call your dr's office. I found after surgery, that once I got up out of bed, I actually felt better. It's the up and down that hurts the worse. It is important to move though. Lots of deep breaths to keep those lungs healthy. Hope you feel better soon! peasout~ Laura

Hi y'all~ Scales: (Before I forget) I bought the Biggest Loser scale at Bed bath and Beyond for ~ $15. I love it because it is easy to zero after you put your plate on... you can then add Protein, then zero and add something else. I actually keep it on the table or next to the stove. I use it with every protein except an egg. I discovered a nice "emergency" protein for when you are out and about. Chick Fil A will make any quantity of whatever they have for you. ie. The chicken nuggets on the menu, have 8 count. I wanted the 4 count like the kids meal. They will just give you that for $1.51!! They are EXACTLY 2 oz first of all, 130 cal, fat 6 gm, Fiber 1g, sugars 1g and protein 13gm. Although I don't advocate fried food~ it's ok for a rare taste. He told me they would sell me 2 if I wanted! I know you can get the grilled chicken, but for ME... I am too tempted to even have the bread near me. I don't eat bread PERIOD. Their chicken nuggets are always hot and fresh, so they are not hard and I guess the fat makes them easy to chew. Regular chicken breast I find it hard to eat. Another on the go thing I like is Muscle Milk Light chocolate Flavor. Pepsi makes it and they sell it at most convenience stores and grocery stores. A 14oz bottle has only 160 cal and 20 gms of protein. It's smooth and doesn't have a Protein powder aftertaste. I find when I make smoothies at home I tend to add stuff to them and bump up the calories a bit too much. For Breakfast lately I have been making a shake with unjury powder 1 scoop, (80 cal/20gm prot), 8th Cont. Light Soy Milk (1 cup/60 cal/6 gm prot), 1/2 med. banana (50 cal), and throw in 1/2 c frozen mixed fruit (40 cal) and a splenda and tbs of SF Divinci flavoring= 230 cal. YUM! DAF (dear aunt flow) is visiting. <sigh> read: cramps, bloating, chocolate cravings, H20 retention etc. I am not supposed to take NSAIDS, which usually save my life during this time of the month. I usually eat chocolate, which also saves my life and sanity of those around me. The SF dark choc. Jello pudding isn't doing it for me. I even canceled my workout today at the Y. Will go tomorrow for a mini fill, then get back on track Friday. The rents leave tomorrow. : ( DS always gets so sad when they leave. This time it will be a couple months before we see them again. Off to search for my heating pad. I think I am ready for menopause! LOL (1/2 kidding) ~peasout, Laura

Mrs. Bubba~ Thanks! Things are returning to a bit of normalcy. The great thing is... before when life would stress me out like this, I would turn to food. I have been able to keep a rein on it this time. THE GREAT NEWS.... My mom does NOT need surgery! Turns out it was a severe sprain, with effusion (bleeding inside the joint). She will need to take it easy.. but use it and maybe some PT. I am so relieved for her. My parents are so active and usually walk 3 miles/day and do hour of Water aerobics. Tonight she got in our pool! We rarely heat our pool this time of year in Florida.. but my parents like it 89 degrees! They have done so much for us, that I would do anything for them! Looks like they will be flying back to NC and leaving the boat down here for a paid captain to take back to NC. Thanks for the advice Apples~ Yeah, I DO try to save some Snacks for night time. I find sometimes I just have to go to bed, as nothing tames the roaring lion in my tummy! I am wondering though... since I have not had anything really stuck- except the two times I did NOT chew... if I should have a small fill? I just don't want to "suffer" if a tiny fill could make things a TAD bit easier. I have a fill appt for Thurs, just trying to decide if I should go or wait a week. STAY away from baby food!!! It has no taste and is not the way to go. You can basically make whatever food you want... and either buy a magicbullet mixer or a mini food processor. Once on mushies, can make a Soup with fish/veggies/broth and then puree. Or even some of the healthy choice Soups could be blended and eaten as long as they are not thick. I will write a longer list later... I wrote an email to my sister who is having bypass surgery on 6-2... telling her things to buy. I will have to find that email for you. Some of the more experienced people may have even better ideas. It's been 69 days since my surgery! I just looked at my Realizemysuccess web page. WOW! Good luck with waiting 2 more days! You will start getting more and more excited! I am so happy for you! Re: you dad. That is SO sweet! My parents were also so supportive. They didn't ask my weight but I volunteered it. My husband didn't even know my weight, and daily he has to estimate people's weight to give anesthesia! He had me estimated at 50# lighter! (not sure if that was intentional!) Family support is SO important! Water aerobics is GREAT! I do regular cardio/circuit training on MWF and do water aerobics on T/TH. It's a great compliment to regular gym stuff. And in the beginning.. it was a wonderful workout alone. Everyone~ Thanks for your continued words of encouragement! You guys are awesome!:thumbup: