mbprn

Guys -I watched Oprah today (it was a repeat) about a woman Oprah inteviewed 17 yrs ago-she weighed 550lbs at the time. This was a follow-up after her Gastric by-pass. She lost over 300lbs. Anyhoo-my point (and I do have one) is she talked about her eating demons. She said her earliest memories of overeating started at 6. She too was a drive thru junkie (note to self call Alan Dershowitz for consult on suing all fast food places-esp. Krispy Kreme;the hot doughnuts sign is like a beacon calling to me-wait what was I talking about) oh yeah-Don't you guys think there must be something other than psychological/will power issues here? For this many people to have such similiar issues-I'm not say saying I didn't earn my fat girl briefs with snickers and big macs but I believe the jury (pun intended) is still out on all the reasons why. Paulina Porishkova (thin super model) was interviewed. They asked her how she stayed so thin-she said "I know people don't want to hear this but I eat cheeseburgers and fries. Fried chicken-I'm just naturally thin (2nd note to self get big picture of Paulina to throw darts at) (Whining like my 3yr old) Why do we do this and end up shopping in Lane Bryant and she's on the cover of sports illustrated??? Sorry about the temper tantrum. I'm potty training one of my little ones and she is my passive aggresive one. Heres senario: Me-"Emma you need to go potty like a big girl" Emma-"Can I have a popsicle?" Me-"No, you need to go potty" Emma"Can I paint a castle now mama?" Me-now speaking thru clenched teeth "No, either go potty or time out" Emma -now peeing on carpet "Why do cows eat grass?" I hope now you understand my insanity. But I think there is something there (I don't mean on my carpet) to the missing link idea of obesity...

Mia, I'm curious how a needle designed to access a port can't put a hole in something else. The needles we use are "L" shaped with a beveled edge so that when you hit the port you push in and check for blood return. I guess the equivalent in this would be pulling back saline but how in the world that could happen without a sharp somewhere is beyond me. Maybe there's new technology out there I haven't seen.(We don't see alot of lap bands in Pediatrics) Is anyone familiar with the tubing/port system with the band?? Jeannine-I keep a deck in my purse for just such an occasion!! 'I know you're going to wash your hands right? Don't make me get my cards out' (she says in her nicest nursey voice) and by nursey I mean *itchy.

BJean, I didn't mean to sound lecturey (I don't know if that's a word) I just didn't want you to go off of it because of something stupid I said. Me, I'm doing well. It's a daily journey. I kind of foolishly thought once I got the band it would be easy. i.e. I just wouldn't be hungry. Ha!! I was very hungry during liquid phase. Much better when I switched to mushies. I just graduated to soft solids and all of the rest seems like a bad dream (kinda like labor pains- once the baby's here you forget) Well my baby is the 20lbs I've lost in the last 5 wks. I haven't had a fill yet and I have some restriction. The best part for me is looking at a huge plate of food and knowing not only can't I eat it, but that I don't want to. Don't get me wrong I still get hungry I've just surrounded myself with things that I can grab quickly when I'm tempted to eat something not so great. I've got low carb tortillas, sliced meat, sugar-free candy and Cookies, sf pudding etc. But if I'm just dying for a piece of cake I have it and then I'm done with it. I REFUSE to obsess about food anymore. So far it's working. Let me know if I can answer any other questions. Best of Luck.

I am convinced that your average (and I mean weight wise and intelligence wise) person will never get "it" I love coming here because you guys do get it. :confused: I've been analyzing the whys (genetic, environmental, social) I love food soooo much and I'm sure,in part,like someone said above we are literally eating our feelings. :hungry: I was talking to my thin friend about a neighborhood girl (age 8) who plays with her kids and always wants to eat when she's at Laurie's house. Ms. Laurie-that Soup sure does look good, Ms. Laurie I'm so hungry. She was kind of ranting about what's wrong with her and I said:That little girl is me. Whoa. Epiphany. :faint: I explained that the hunger is always there-I could almost hear the puzzled look over the phone. Why? I don't know I told her but I fight it everyday. She got kinda quiet for a minute and then changed the subject.:phone: I posted this before but I like it so here goes: Everybody has issues of some kind, it's just that fat people wear theirs on the outside where everyone can see them and judge them for it. (paraphrasing Oprah)

Hi guys, Great to hear all the nsv's. I hit the 20lb loss and had my second "Have you lost weight?" inquiry. Like a few others on here I've decided at this point to not count calories, and obsess about food. I'm trying lower carb. I went out and bought several low carb cookbooks and I am relearning how to cook. I eat until I'm full and try to get at least 60gms of protein. Turns out chicken fried chicken with mashed potatoes/gravy, biscuits, greenbean casserole and banana pudding is not low carb. Hmmmm...who knew. I guess all the skinny people.

Leener, I'm so glad to hear you're doing better. I've been thinking about you. You know if when you switch to solids and your symptoms flare then back off and listen to your body. Mmmm, more Protein shakes...On a happy note my house smells like Thanksgiving-I found a recipe for pumpkin muffins made with almond flour so low carb, and the smell... BJean, Don't feel like you have to wean yourself off of flonase unless you're having recurrent sinus infections. It's a great product ((as she glances over at her Flonase clock and pen from the pharmacy rep)) It has really helped me sleep better and my allergies are much worse when I don't use it. Talk to your doctor about it.

Earliest memories of food obsession: 1. Eating white bread with sugar poured on top-I would run outside (careful of course not to spill the sugar) to the side of my house and stuff this gourmet snack in my mouth as fast as I could. Age 6 2. When pringles first came out they had a sample package for 10 cents-I would paw through the couch or whatever and ride my bike about 2 miles to the store to get this little container of pringles. I remember having fantasies about dimes and chips and how many chips I could buy with a whole dollar...Age 8 3.Begging my mom to buy me a candy bar for dessert and hiding behind chairs or in my room to eat it right when we got home. Ages 6 and up. 4.Babysitting for people and literally rumaging through their cabinets to find food and then being worried I ate too much and they would know. Teenager. I am sooo proud of us for facing this demon. It is so wonderful to not feel alone. Thanks Guys...

You know I always hate to do the "I'm a nurse thing" because I'm always worried they'll think I'm being a smarty pants or something but jeez what a jerk. No, you're not overreacting-pain hurts nurses too. Add an "amen sister" to what joliesmom said. When a pt tells you I'm a hard stick or this is where they usually get it you listen unless you're a narcisstic dumbass. (whoa where did that come from) I only do peds and alot of chronic kids with ports-everyone has a sweet spot so to speak and 99% of the time the parent can tell you exactly where it is. Not to mention with most central line ports you can see and feel them (unlike my port which is buried under a lovely cushion)

I would take a deep breath and call them again in the morning and tell them you are concerned and that this is your second call. Esophagitis just means your esophagus is irritated and needs some rest. Maybe an unfill and some good anti-reflux meds will do the trick. And a little more cowbell of course...

Leener, I don't have any experience yet with a fill but is the mucus (forgive me here) post nasal or coming up from your stomach? I've read several entries about sliming (where it comes up)but have yet to have that lovely side effect. If it is post nasal I'm wondering if you could have a sinus infection that is very stubborn. Were you having this increased mucus production when you visited your doctor? I've had some stubborn sinus infections and had to switch antibiotics a few times until I got the right one. (I should tell you that I work alot in infectious disease so I am exposed to alot more nasty stuff as well) The nasal steroid sprays are good with inflammation but do lower your resistance to sinus infections.

Hello all-I went for my 4 wk follow-up today. I've lost 17.5lbs since surgery, my bmi has dropped 3 points so why do I feel so crappy?? The nurse (who is overweight also) kind of tsk tsk'd me. "What are you eating?-You have only lost 2.5lbs in the last 2 wks.?" Oh wait maybe that's why I feel badly. I about to be a big baby here so bear with me-I did not pay all this money to have surgery to be lectured I mean if I need it then yeah but thats just over 4 lbs a week. Has everyone else lost alot more during the 1st month? The doctor came in and said he thought I was doing great. I told him I didn't feel like I had much restriction at all (no fill yet) and he said alright lets go ahead and schedule a fill. He was very nice and supportive so what the hell is wrong with his nurse? A better question would be why am I letting this bother me so much. The other thing that blows my mind is just now I supposed to be eating soft foods (up from pureed) No salad for at least 3 months but maybe six. I know every doc is different but 6 months? Anyway I just about done whining. Sorry you had to witness this. JMO-I love what you said about not obsessing about food. I was trying really hard not to. I do not want to be on another diet. I am trying to make good choices and it's a struggle everyday. Hey whats that recipe for salmon and mashed potatoes?

My car too, has been a repository for food wrappers for about 20 yrs now. Do you guys remember the movie Alien-the part where the beast comes out of that guy's stomach-at times I've been convinced that one lives in me and needs creme horns and double cheeseburgers to survive. I hope my band is suffocating him!!!!!!:alien Since we're bearing our souls one of my lowest points I was at Sam's club and they were giving out samples of cake (mmmm cake) and I just had to have more so instead of knocking over the sample lady and running with the cake- I bought an entire 1/2 sheet cake which I think feeds 400 or so and took it home and told my husband it was 75% off. Really, really sad.:think

Below is some info my doc game me preop-it explained why and how and ll that good stuff. Why do you lose your hair? In ANY weight loss program that you follow, hair loss often occurs at the same time. This is a natural result and the hair will grow back in once you reach your target weight. Often the hair is even thicker than before! In fact, compared to other diets, the low carb diet is BEST for your hair. Three key vitamins to take to help your hair are protein, iron and zinc - and these are in high supply on a low carb diet. Note that these vitamins will not STOP the temporary hair loss while you diet. The hair loss is a normal part of your body's reaction to losing the weight. However it will help the hair grow in more fully when you have reached your target. Two things that impede hair growth are an excess of Vitamin A, and stress. So a way to reduce the hair loss situation is to find ways to relax in your life, and to make sure that your vitamin A intake is not overabundant. First, It's good to note that a hair doesn't simply grow forever. Each hair on your head grows for 4-5 years, then falls out. So your hair is always renewing itself. The long growth stage is called anagen and the short stopping phase that follows is called catagen. Then the hair falls out, which is telogen. The hair follicle then goes back into anagen and makes a long hair for the next 4-5 yaers. What happens during weight loss is Telogen effluvium. It also happens after any stress to the body. Some of your hair follicles go into catagen to conserve body resources. So the hairs stop growing and "rest". Once your body feels safe again, those hairs go back into anagen - but because there was the pause in the middle, the brand new growing hair pushes the old hair out of the follicle. So in reality you have just as much hair as you did before - and it's probably far healthier hair. But the new hairs are short :scalesno: Normally around 10% of your head of hair is in the catagen or telogen phase, in essence resetting itself to prepare for new hair to grow in. Because you have so much hair on your head, you don't even notice. During weight loss that percentage gets higher, but this is only temporary. Your body starts creating new hair in its normal cycle once it settles into a healthy weight and those hairs start growing again. Remember that hair doesn't reach a long state overnight! So all those new, healthy hairs need time to grow out to whatever length of hair you have chosen. Usually it takes 6 months for your head of hair to have grown back out to typical fullness. Hair grows around 1/2" per month, so at the 6 month mark, the hair is around 3" long which is enough to seem thick on most heads. Again, it's not that the hair is MISSING during this intermediate time. It's just that it is brand new and growing from scratch.

I made noodless lasagna and It was surprizingly delicious. Bottom layer lowfat ground beef, onions, peppers, minced garlic-all sauteed with olive oil-add 1 tsp of italian seasoning mix with 1 15 oz can no sugar added tomato sauce. Cheese layer-160z ricotta cheese,1/2 parmesean,1 egg, 8oz mozz.,salt,pepper,more italian seasoning-spread over meat layer top with 8oz more mozz. cheese and bake until golden(about 35 min) let stand for 10 min and it cuts just like the real stuff. I served pasta on the side for the little ones and some steamed veggies. yum.

I am trying not to drink with meals, if it's spicy I take a sip here and there. I haven't seen anyone else mention water loading-my doc advises to drink as much water as you can tolerate about 20 minutes before you eat to help you eat less.I don't know-I've tried it but I don't see any difference.

Wow Chris-that's amazing-How do you feel physically? Have you had a fill yet? I love good news!!

Tina and Cathy, maybe we could go even one step further and have a weight loss- lap band - RN group. I think it's amazing how many nurses (me included)don't know how to take care of ourselves. I often wonder how much that plays into becoming one in the first place-it's always been easier for me to take care of everyone else. I realized recently that I am a terrible role model for my daughters in this respect. (sorry about my Fruedian slip showing) :drama: What area of nursing are y'all in? I have always done pediatrics. Until last year I worked at Children's hospital. I don't do well with grown-ups.

Just my luck I'd eat one in my sleep and have a pb in the morning. Ewwww.

Baylormom I know exactly how you feel. I not even sure I qualify for as bump more like a blob on a log. I don't know how you guys feel but I love reading your posts for support and of course to see that I'm not alone. What's bugging me is (not on this thread because we're all perfect and beautiful of course) the 'gloom and doom' posts. Willpower, willpower, count calories, exercise, don't eat any carbs or you'll spontaneously combust...I know-the logical part of me knows their right in some respects but I've heard this all of my life (usually from thin people) this does not motivate me at all. How about you guys? Speaking of Dr Phil he had a show last wk where the husband kept criticizing the wife to get her to lose wt-guess how that went. What motivates you? I am sorry to be so crabby-am I alone in this? Sigh. Must go remove the 1 yr old from the dining room table.

I have the creeps...I'm afraid to go to sleep, afraid to use the potty, and of course cleaning is out of the question. You know I've never seen a spider in a salon maybe I should go get a pedicure...

I wanted to say hi to all-I've posted a few times but I've haven't offically "met" anyone yet. I am a pediatric nurse-I'm staying at home right now-my youngest is 1 and my oldest is 18. I'm not sure how I'm doing with this band-I've lost about 17 lbs but I can't really tell yet. My surgery was 4 weeks ago today and I can't have a fill until 6wks out. I too would love to chat-I'm on and off the computer all day-(whenever I can squeeze in a few minutes) I'm on EST time as well. Baylormom-I am trying to learn to quilt-maybe you could give instant message lessons! I've been sewing for a while but I'm telling you quilting is a whole other ballgame. I didn't realize it was so intricate and precise but as always one step at a time. Did you take any classes or are you self taught? How are everyone's else's cravings? I am struggling with head hunger I think-it's weird to know my stomach is full but to want to eat anyway-I'm sure I've done this for years it's just now that my pouch is so small I'm much more aware. I guess that's the point right? I think I need remedial band class-lol.

JMO, I think you deserve a gold star for going to chuckecheese. Every time I go there I swear I'll never go back or if forced (by gunpoint or a screaming 3 yr old) I will partake of the adult beverage they offer. You guys will get this-I had a baby shower this morning and I only ate about 1/3 of my entree and not only was I full but I didn't even want to eat anymore. I tell my husband this is he says-well good that's why you had the surgery right? Thanks honey-no really, thanks. I was so excited to not WANT to eat more I practically skipped out of the resturant!! I have given my husband a choice of the following answers when I report any kind of improvement: 1.That's great and my don't you look thinner. 2.I love you and have you lost more weight? 3.I am so proud of you, go shopping and I'll watch the kids-wait-I can't believe how much weight you've lost. What do you guys think?

Susan-I felt like I was going off to prison the week before my surgery-I kept thinking-oh, I need to go to Olive Garden, no wait chinese, oh look I just passed an Arby's (which my 3yr old calls Barbie's) My husband even asked me what I wanted for my last meal!! I'm starting to feel better-I was really craving icecream tonight and but I could only eat about 4/5 bites and not only was I satisfied, but I couldn't eat anymore. I lurked on this site for a while before I joined and I noticed that not everyone's journey is the same-some people swear by small portions low calorie, some by low carb, and many,like someone above stated, just ate what they wanted and but only ate a fraction of what they used to. I'm not sure which catagory I'm in yet but probably a little of all which I have read can be useful in keeping your metabolism in check but we'll see. Hopeworks-I recommend you just read around in every forum here until you just can't stand us anymore-I learned more from that than from my doctor. When I was on the liquid phase and hungry I would come here and look at the before and after pictures for inspiration,especially while my family was eating. Good luck.

Rebekah, I glad to hear she's a little better-a night in your own bed can do wonders! Just curious-did he give an explanation about why there is a Fluid collection there? You said yellow-was it clear or cloudy? Did he put her on antibiotics? I understand your reservations about more surgery. (WARNING-I AM ABOUT TO STEP ON A VERY HIGH SOAPBOX-But I promise this comes from years of experience) I often hear from patients that their doctor is very nice and they don't want to bother him. I then point out that this is his job-I'm not saying that some don't go above and beyond but if I had a nickel for every time some one asked me a question about their care or asked me to explain what they just heard right after the doctor walked out of the room I'd be lounging on the beach in Jamaica right now.(ahh warm sun,blue Water,drink with umbrella- wait where was I-oh yeah soap box ) They always say "Well,he seemed busy,or I didn't want to bother him" This is what he does, why he went to school and most importantly why he gets paid the big bucks-When he took on your mom as a case he took responsibility for her care for better or worse. You would not go to a resturant and not ask the waitress for your food and still pay- that's why you're there. You wouldn't go to a mechanic and if he only fixed part of your car say well he was so polite or he seemed busy so I hate to bother him. (I promise I almost done-very cathartic though!!) It's not my intention to imply he's not competent or that he doesn't care but part of medicine is opinion (hopefully very educated)but it's still an opinion. I guess if she were my mom I wouldn't hesitate to get a second opinion if you feel the slightest bit uncomfortable about her progress. And last but not least-Your mom is very lucky to have such a great daughter who is there for her through all this-I have a 15yr old who is contantly rolling her eyes at me so I'm hoping one day we can have conversations that don't end with "you just don't understand" Best wishes-keep us updated.

Yes-it helps alot. I feel your pain about exercise trauma. I've had a bad knee since I was 14 (like a bazillion yrs ago)and need it replaced soon. I can't believe your family doesn't see losing 95 lbs as a huge sucess. That is amazing!!! My husband the engineer always says, it's not half-full, it's not half empty- it's twice as big as it needs to be. (Wait-did he call me fat?) I'll be back in a second...