jlray

I've been coming to the realization that every mealtime is battletime for me. I often go into a meal thinking it's just time to eat, but I really need more awareness than that. It's time to make good food choices, chew very well, take tiny bites, and ask myself all the right questions. It's not as enjoyable as it used to be, but I don't mind giving up the enjoyment of 3 thirty minute meals each day if it means being happier the other 22.5 hours of the day. And as with all of life's battles as the old saying goes... You win some. You lose some. This morning, I won one. I started eating a breakfast burrito. I was just mindlessly eating. For the first time in a very long time, I realized I had absolutely no reason to be eating. I wasn't hungry n it wasn't even very good. So I asked myself, "what the heck are u doing?" and I threw that darn thing away. I felt accomplished. This evening, however, I lost one. The addict in me was strong. See, I was watching Chopped. I'm usually ok with watching Chopped because they make the kinds of things that are very gourmet and I would never ever cook, or have a strong desire to try. But shorty after chopped came Alton Brown's show and he was talking about popcorn on the stovetop. My mind took me back to my mom's kitchen where the smell of popcorn filled the house from the iron skillet it had popped in. So I used Alton's method so I could afford my five-year-old that same joy and fascinate him with my culinary skills (ha). It was fun hearing the sizzles and pops. And that popcorn was soooo goooood with all that salt and homemade goodness. TOO good because I couldn't stop eating it. Fortunately for my comfort level, it went down surprisingly well. Unfortunately for my waistline (loosely assuming that I have one), it went down surprisingly well. So today, June 2, I vow to only watch Food Network when a show is preparing food well beyond the capability of my (very) limited skills. Should a show being making a dish I can seemingly pull off, I will temporarily boycott it for HGTV.

The sweet spot means just the perfect amount of restriction where there is steady weight loss. If u can only eat about a half cup of food, and you feel full for a few hours, I'd say ur pretty much there. That's excellent. You'll never have a problem eating ice cream. Imagine putting ice cream in a warm funnel... It would never fill up.that's how ur band is with ice cream, too.

IMO, and I know many might disagree, tea is pretty much water. As long as it's not saturated with sugar (and you already said you're drinking unsweetened), I think you're fine. Because tea is a diuretic, it may actually increase your water need, so you might wanna drink even more than the reccommended 64 ounces. The only thing you might wanna watch is your caffeine consumption, if you care to.

This will be my first blog here, so I'll briefly introduce myself to the world of blog-readers, though it may be small. I'm 29 (until a week from tomorrow) and I had surgery on March 6, 2009. I have an Allergan 4cc band placed in Juarez, Mexico by Dr. Jose Rodriguez. Before I decided to have the surgery, I was at my heaviest ever. Shortly after losing 30 pounds or so on Atkins, I started re-gaining weight very quickly; roughly 70 pounds in just a few months following my parent's breakup. Nothing had ever affected me as profoundly as when my parents split up - not even my own divorce. Anyway, one day at 272 (my highest weight) I realized I had fat hands, which I had never had in all my 25+ years of being overweight They were so plump that they dimpled in at the knuckles. I snapped and realized I had a closet full of clothes that didn't fit anymore, and ankle pain every morning when my feet hit the floor. I dreaded that ankle pain every time the alarm clock woke me up. I truly believe I had (have) a food addiction. I would go to McDonald's with my kids, eat my meal (often with dessert) and wait for my kids to finish so I could glean what was left of their happy meals. A couple of nuggets, an extra order of fries. I would eat it all, and it didn't matter if the fries were cold. I once confided in my good friend that I had a food addiction. She thought I was joking and we laughed about it, but deep inside I knew it was true and that I had to do something. I did a quick search for food addiction on the internet and I found a video advertisement of a young lady who had lapband. I thought she was so beautiful, and her story was so much like my own - heavy all her life. There are some things about having had the surgery that I hate. But for the most part, I love that I made the decision to get the band. For example, I hate that I told so many people because I can't stand when someone says, "You can't eat that, can you?" UGH!! lol. "Watch me!" If you're reading this and thinking about having the surgery, consider who you tell. Some people love to tell everyone, and they have that screw-you attitude. I'm not quite as resilient. I wish I hadn't confided in as many people as I did. Another thing is - be ready for criticism. People will tell you you're taking the easy way out. (Lemme tell ya - this is anything BUT easy. The band will make you confront demons you never knew you had. It will force you to think about everything that you put in your mouth. It will cause - at times - physical pain like you've never experienced. It will sometimes scare the heck outta you). Others will say "shouldn't you have lost more weight by now?" or "is it healthy to lose weight that fast?" "why don't you just get that thing taken out?" "I couldn't live with that thing inside of me" all with a sly attitude about them, of course. I had one friend who said, "well, I'm not big enough to have lapband, I just need to lose about 50 pounds," while she was (is) morbidly obese. I think this was her way of telling me she wasn't near as fat as me. In my part of the country, we have a name for those kinds of people - haters. What I love: I LOVE that I've lost nearly 40 pounds and I'm back to feeling like me. I LOVE that soon I won't feel like myself anymore because I'll be an all-new-to-me thin person! I've never been thin, and at my least-fat, I was 198 pounds. (After some serious weight loss, I celebrated breaking 200 by gaining it all back. Go figure.) I LOVE that I always only order the kid-size meal when we go out, and I can't finish it. Now my kids eat my leftovers. :thumbup: I LOVE that my ankles don't hurt every morning, and my clothes are starting to fit again. I LOVE that all the fat clothes I had bought to accommodate my weight gain are now too big for me. And for the first time in my life, I know I won't be fat forever. There is light at the end of this tunnel. I used to say that I was just destined to be a big girl. I LOVE that I don't believe that anymore.

I've gone in for one fill, and was told not to eat anything after the midnight before, but I don't know if that had something to do with the fluoro?? I dunno - just did what I was told. As long as the doc can get to your port easily, it'll be a snap. My fill felt ..... strange. I had a shot of lidocaine, which I hear is unnecessary, but anyway - it numbed me so that I just had a weird sensation, I presume when the needle entered the port. After my fill, my doc put me on liquids for a couple of days, so be mentally prepared for that possibility. Good luck & congrats! I hope you get to restriction soon.

Found this in a google search on the benefits of keeping a weight loss journal. Reduce stress - Keeping a weight loss journal has a proven benefit of reducing stress during your journey. writing your thoughts down in a journal, expresses everything you feel for that day, therefore releasing a tremendous amount of stress. Helps focus - Writing in a journal creates more personal awareness, and therefore more focus on the issues that are important to you. The routine and habit of creating a weight loss journal means making time for you - When you set aside time for yourself, you can feel the benefit and gain from doing something specifically for yourself. It can show up in other areas of your life as you carry that time you have spent on yourself within you, and everywhere you go. Creates a good personal reminder - As you journal the times of your life, if you are still writing about the same things over and over, it can help support your idea of what is working in your life and what is not. You are creating a record, and with that record in hand it is easier to see patterns, changes, and shifts. You can always ask yourself, "What do I want to carry with me?" Provides personal growth and freedom - A weight loss journal can be a wonderful tool to help better understand yourself and the world that surrounds you during difficult times. I think a blog is a way of journaling, and we should all do it! Anyone interested in trying it for the month of June and seeing where it gets us?? I started mine, and I'll post the link. Maybe we could all add each other for inspiration and encouragement. Inspiremeslim, I subscribed to your blog yesterday. It's awesome! Wooohoo!! Jabberings of a banded me - and other ramblings.

I guess I'm late, but I had surgery on Friday and was back to work on Monday. Glad to see you're back at work and feeling good soon, too. I think a lot of it depends on age and fitness level. Glad you're doing well! Good luck with the rest of your journey...

I have good restriction, but I can totally eat bread, tortillas and pizza. I know others can't. But I do have some trouble with fibrous foods and meat. I have to cut them up pretty small before I chew well. It's bizarre, but everyone's different. There's no way to know until you're there and you try it. Liquid Tylenol is a good idea. It makes me sleepy, but not loopy. Have you tried Jello? I know it's not very filling, but it might help you to "chew" something. You know, psychologically.

I was on liquids for two weeks, but the first three days of those two weeks I was on clear liquids, then moved on to full liquids for the remainder of the two weeks. Then mushies for a week, then soft (a step up from mushy) foods for another week. Then I was told to gradually add in regular foods.

You're not alone - I'm right there with you on this one. It feels awesome when people notice I'm losing weight, and on the surface I don't want to be fat. But I, too, reach for a cookie or I'll go on a mini-binge and eat anything that'll go down easy. And I have those same dark thoughts that you do. And... part of me is scared that my addiction will turn to something else unhealthy. I remember seeing on ...sixty minutes or one of those shows - the story of a lady who had gastric bypass, kicked her addiction to food, but now is addicted to shopping and she spends way beyond her means. She's in deep debt. And the previous comment talked about a lady that's now an alcoholic. What will I turn into? And right now I can blame all my inadequacies on being fat. That's why I don't have a man. I say my boss can't see past it and that's why I am stuck in a dead-end job. It's why I can't do very many activities with my kids, because I get tired so easily. It's why I don't go out much, because I don't like to be the only fat girl in the group. But I think I'm just hiding. Well, I'm not trying to hijack your post or anything, but I just wanted to let you know you aren't alone. I'm gonna check out some of the reccommended books and try to work this out on my own. Counseling isn't an option for me, but I believe there are things we can do on our own that can be very therapeutic.

It's so easy to get off track!! I haven't read the blog yet, but that's my next stop. I have only gained back a net 0.6 pounds, but I can feel that "screw-it" attitude coming on. I'd better nip it in the bud and get back to work!! I've also noticed that the more active I stay on the forums, the more active I am at losing weight. Si se puede! Heehee...

It could be mucus. Have you tried sipping something warm in the mornings? Some coffee or hot tea? If it's mucus it could just be taking all day for that to break up n let u eat. If that doesn't work, u may be too tight.

I've had a difficult past couple of weeks and I've been really down. I lost my job (laid off) several weeks ago and took a different job that cut my pay in less than half of what I was making before. I've went thru any excess money I had, and live paycheck to paycheck as a single mom. I'm kicking myself that I didn't build up a bigger savings account in case this happened. Being broke just sucks. Plus, it reminds me that I'm lonely. I'm tired of being single and having no help, either financially or around the house. And I can't afford to pay anyone to help me with the yard anymore, so my weeds don't make this any easier. I can't even take my kids out for ice cream if it isn't payday. So now, part of me wishes I hadn't been banded because then I would still have the money from that to get me through this time. Then again, another part of me is glad I did it, because I might not have ever gotten another opportunity. And I'm finding that in this depressed state, being banded is so hard. It's harder to stick to my Protein intake and not eat junk that goes down easy. I guess I'm still an emotional eater, with or without the band. If you pray, please say a quick one for me right now that God will get me thru this sooner than later. Anyone else find it harder to stick to the plan when times get rough?

My very first "meal" was orange-ade that they made in the hospital cafe. Then later, I had a lime popsicle from the gift shop. It was SO good, I got another one before I left the hospital later that day. First week, I drank a lot of unjury Chicken Soup, it's a Protein mix that tastes just like chicken soup. Jello was good for when I really wanted to feel like I "ate" something. I didn't have any fudgesicles but I did have popsicles. Lots of popsicles. :wink2: Oh!! And those cup-a-soup packages - Loved those.

My first fill was 3.25 cc's in a 4cc band. I agree with the whole "work harder" thing, but I understand your frustration. You went through this surgery so "working harder" wouldn't be SOOOOO HARDD!!! LOL. Good luck getting another fill - you might wanna go ahead and schedule it if he fills up quick.

My port is located on my left side right under my ribcage. It's not visible thru my skin now, but that's probably because it's covered by my "thick skin" lol. Maybe when I lose weight it might be a little more visible? I can certainly feel is protruding when I lay on it. I've only had one fill and it did not hurt. I did have a local anesthetic however, which I didn't feel. Must be the thick skin I have four incisions. I know I did, but I can only find three now. Hmm... that puzzles me as I've only now discovered it. lol. I have one on my right side...it's about 1/4 of an inch, and another about midway between my belly button and sternum. My large one is where the port is - it's about an inch. It's about the thickness of a standard marks-a-lot marker line. I remember my other one being right under my sternum, but ... it's gone?? It was the smallest of the four. Now I'm off to a mirror to find that lost scar!! lol

So what is your signal that you're full? Runny noses? Hiccups? I've found I'm getting suddenly sleepy... could that be my signal?? Still trying to find it, and wondering what others have experienced as their signals.

Weight loss is pretty good immediately after surgery because you'll be on liquids. You'll also lose for the few weeks before surgery if your doc puts you on a pre-op diet. The tough part is after liquids phase is over and you're in limbo until you get restriction. During that time, you're pretty much on sole willpower. At least that's how it is for most people, although some people report restriction without a fill. Everyone's different. Generally, however, your weight loss will slow until you get filled to restriction. How often you get a fill will depend on the doctor. Some make you wait 6 weeks, others 4. After your first fill, a lot of doctors will do a re-fill in just a couple of weeks.

The surgeon will choose the right size for your anatomy. I found this comparison on the lapband website. I know it's from the Lapband point of view, but it's still quite informative. The chart on the bottom illustrates the differences between the bands. Lapband.com - LAP-BAND® vs. Other Bands The following is put out by Realize. It illustrates the differences in a clinical trial. Compare The REALIZE Band System to Lap-Band - REALIZEBand.com I personally have a 4cc Lapband.

I drove the day after surgery. Nothing major, but I was able to take the kids to school, etc. I had surgery on Friday and was back to work on Monday, and I drive to work. Everyone's different, but the incisions are quite small - it shouldn't put you out for more than a day or two for quick trips. I think your biggest concern would be the pain meds. If they give you something that dopes you, then I understand having to wait. My pain meds weren't all that strong, and I stopped taking them after the first couple of days.

I've seen it on the forums that some patients are saying "chew to liquid." It didn't make sense to me, so I'm actually glad he addressed it.