myturn2bhappy

Well I'm late to responding. I cheated and survived surgery just fine. I'm not proud of that nor do I encourage it. But stuff happens and we have to move on. That pre-op diet is a killer, though you're lucky to have some extra options. My Doc was super strict. I hope time flies quickly for you till Thursday! Wishing you the best of luck and easy recovery. Please come post if you need support, that's what we're all here for!

Like BG I don't want to be on a "diet". My plan is to work towards being as healthy as I can. I'm a horribly picky eater, very few veggies that I like. But I want to change that. So my plan is to eat more veggies and less processed foods. I would love to say that I would never eat another processed product but I know that that is far fetched for me. But if I could limit those by 50-80% I would be thrilled! I also plan to use working out or being active as additional tools to the Band. It also helps my goal of being healthy. I have another great motivator and that is my chunky 5 yr old DD. I do not want her to go down the same road as I did. Her health can only benefit from the changes I make or that our family makes.

I'll take a double shot of patience and XL-extra strength hunger headband!

I hope you're feeling better every day! I was worried about you since you said you didn't tell anyone. I'm so glad your family was supportive. That makes the journey that much easier. Walking, heating pad and massaging my stomach helped me get the dreaded gas moving. My God was it painful! I was so excited to feel normal again.

How are you doing?

I'm with you guys about the weight loss stalling. I know that I lost a lot to start so I'm grateful for that. I hope to kick it up and get to the healthclub and ride the bike. I have a bad knee so treadmil walking/jogging is out for me. JT- My face is the only place I've noticed weight loss. My third chin has disappeared! Doesn't it feel great to "see" some improvement. I can't wait to feel it too.

I'm 6' with a goal of 170. That might be a bit extreme. My surgeon never gave me a goal weight.

I went to my sisters house last night and she took my official before pictures (well one week after band). I don't have them yet to post. My plan is to take them monthly. I wore a sports bra and workout capri pants. Not the most flattering, but should show losses the best.

How is everyone?? I'm feeling normal, whoo hoo NORMAL!! What a joy normal is! I was able to drink plain water yesterday which I haven't tolerated well since being banded. I'm flying high today, after that miserable awful day earlier in the week this is heaven.

Oh man, that stinks! But as everyone said you're in the best place to get you helathy and back on track. Take it easy and go with the flow. Thoughts and prayers with you. Just know you have a whole lot of people cheering you on!!

Terri & Lisa- I can tell you that for me I had to walk a lot. I was seriously pacing the house. It really helped get rid of the gas. I also used a heating pad (really a long sock like thing) on my lower belly and massaged around the incesions. I didn't touch them but near by. I was using circular patterns. Then I'd get up and walk again. TMI-I ended up putting the heating pad just under my breasts too, that relieved some of that pressure.

289, I'm a happy girl! I flew through the 290's in a week. I know this rate isn't going to last long, so I'm cherishing every minute or should I say ounce! I'm on Clear liquids (one slimfast or Protein w/milk per day) till Thursday. Then on full liquids till the 14th. As you can see my surgeon is very conservative.

I was banded on the 16th. Here is what I have: 6-6:30am- Carnation Instant Breakfast sugar free with 8 oz milk. I love this! It is "cheating" but I found that I simply can not make it through the workday with having something more filling at breakfast. 8am- 16 oz Hot Decaf Green Tea sweeted with Clear Stevia liquid. Stevia is a natural sweetner that I got at GNC. Just a couple drops adds a lot of sweetness. It takes me at least an hour to drink the tea. I'm a Gas Relief Strip junky. I burp all the darn time and I HATE it! I'm trying so hard to learn how to sip, swallow, etc without taking in air. 12pm- 8oz chicken broth. I use a smaller spoon and try to eat as slowly as possible. 1:30-2pm- 16 oz Hot Tea either Tazo Calm or Decafe Green. Again I try to take a while to drink this. 6pm- I fill a large (20-30oz?) glass with Crystal Light Lemonade and sip away. I'm having a hard time with plain Water. Which is very odd for me as I was a water lover before surgery. I hope it's just a phase. I'm also struggling with Protein supplements I'm a terribly picky eater and can't find any that I like. I made myself drink nectar chocolate Truffle made with milk this morning. But I really didn't enjoy it.

Good luck & fast recovery to all banded or being banded this week.

JT- do you mind me asking what happened when you switched to full liquids? Gas? Bloating?

Jenny offered some great advice. So I will give what I can; BIG (((HUGS))). I hope you figure out a plan that will work for all of you.

Thanks Peggy & Heather! I'm feeling much better today. I slept later this morning and drove to work. I think I need to slow down a bit. I thought since I had a desk job that I wasn't really exhausting myself. But I believe that thinking was flawed. It's still being at work, not taking it easy or relaxing. Plus I have a long commute every day. I'm going to give myself a break and not expect too much. Postitive thinking and all that good stuff! I love this group & am so glad that I have you to share this journey with!

Peggy- you have the BEST attitude! I love reading what you have to say. Thank you for being you . Having said that I feel a bit embarassed by the vent/whining I'm about to post. But if I can't do it here where am I going to do it? I feel like total crap today. I haven't slept well the last two nights. I think it's like some delayed stress over this big step I made. Or it could be because my period started today. Darn hormones! I walked 1 mile from the train to work this morning. It kicked my bootie, which is not normal...well before liquid diet it didn't bother me. I've walked every day since surgery for 20 -30 minutes. So I don't really understand why this morning was so rough. I know this is all part of the process but I feel like a loser for not feeling better by now. I can't take off anymore time from work. What would I do at home anyhow, lay around all day and then not be able to sleep?! I just thought I was doing so well. Ugh! I need a Peggy attitude adjustment!

JT- thanks for the protein shot info. I may have to go that route. I seriously can not stand to drink a full glass of that Whey protein stuff. Still waiting for my darn samples to arrive from Vitalady. I did get some fruit juice flavored ones to try. I'm going to say the chocolate truffle ones until I'm on full liquids.

I'm having the hardest time with the Protein supplements. I've tried two different kinds, both with Water & milk. They were just awful. I'm waiting for a package with more samples from Vitalady. I pray that one of them works for me. I love Slimfast & Carnation Instant Breakfast. But those don't have nearly as much Protein. I don't want to harm my body by not having enough Protein. But I also do not want to vomit, which I came very close to doing when trying to force myself to drink those. I kept giving myself pep talks and focusing on the big picture. But I was so disappointed that I had to force myself to drink anything. I didn't expect to have such a hard time with that.

Early- thinking of you! Hope all is well and can't wait for your update! Steph- FYI, we have a thread for those of us banded on the 16th. Terebel- has the gas decreased at all? I swear walking & heating pad did wonders for me. I'm still a little bloated but nothing like before.

Prayers with you Thin! Just imagine what a hot healthy mama you'll be for your Disney vacation!

Congrats!!

I was banded on the 16th. I'm very happy to say that I feel pretty normal today. I've been burping (not very ladylike :smile:) on & off all day and still some port pain. But other than that I feel a ok. I just got off the phone with my nurse. It appears that the info I was given by the dietician (slimfast, carnation instant Breakfast sugar free being ok for this stage) does not agree/jive with my Doc's views. He wants Clear Liquids only for 2 weeks, no milk products. I'm a little worried about how I'm going to feel energy wise giving up my Slimfast/CIB, I've only had 1.5 servings at the most per day. As of today I'm 26 lbs down from my highest weight in 1/09. I weighed myself the day after surgery and from that weight I'm down 12 lbs. Which I know is a lot and I don't expect that rate to continue. I have my follow up appt on the 28th.

Hey There! I wasn't able to get on this site until now. I kept getting a strange error message. Don't they understand I can't eat so I need to talk to my peeps :smile:. Shoot now my boss came in :w00t: