I Wanna Be a Loser

Way to go Boom - I was in this morning too - so if you heard some yelling - that was me getting my fill - lol - I'm a bit of a whiner... So the first hurdle is down - the diet, and the race is on to clear the next couple by losing the weight - so relax the next couple of days -tomorrow will be the sore day! Cheers from another loser!

TI4M Yup - take the zantac - I think it has something to do with heartburn and cutting down on the chances of getting it after the surgery. Just remember not to push it after you get home from surgery - relax and take it easy - light soup/carnation liquids (the mushies for the next couple of days) - day 2 is the worst - so rest, rest, rest! If you need anything - just post - there is always somebody around and we can all help! We will miss each other - I am at 8:40 for my fill. Cheers

TI4M - what time are you scheduled for?

just thought I would stop by and wish our newbies good luck tomorrow....know we are thinking of you and sent good wishes your way! Maybe I will see you there tomorrow! Cheers IWBAL

Hello All and a welcom to the newest member - losing my volume (LMV) Diva & Tammar - it would be great to meet at Starbucks - I have no problem with that - if y'all pick a date & time - I'll be there! LMV - yes - xmas seems like crap to be on the optifast - but know that this is a gift that you are giving yourself and it will be soooooo worth it. Keep your eyes on the prize, which will be the scale going backwards. Bread-I loved bread, any of the bread products - pasta, buns, potatoes, rice, etc ...(but strangely enough-not fries that much) were comfort foods for me. Although if some one told me that a few months later I would not really care about the breads, I would have laughed at them. Bread was my life - every meal must have some sort of bread, it was the unspoken family rule. Now not so much - I rarely if ever have it. A small 1/2 bun ripped into very small pieces if I am out at a restaurant, but it is like my addiction to bread has been broken - I don't crave it. I am known amongst friends and families for my lasagna but I find that I cannot eat it easily. It is easier to avoid it rather than have it get stuck and ruin my evening. The spell with bread for me has been broken. With regards to the hunger thing - that is the question we all want the easy answer to. I know I feel full alot sooner than I did before I had the band. But there are times where I am full that I will grab a small snack because I am bored and you really have to question yourself - are you really hungry or just want something to gnaw on? Perogies - no problem as long as you small bites and chew well - and don't think that you are gonna pack them away as you once did even if you chew well - there will be limits. And if you pass the limits - PB & sliming will occur - it's a rough lesson but we all do it. The same with forgotting to chew, occasionally I will not think and swallow something that I would not have worried about before, and then "uh-ho" - eveyone has done this before too! As Tammar says - chew slowly and enjoy every bite - take it a bit further and savour the taste! This is 4 Me - my port is not visible to someone looking at my tummy, but can be felt by gently pressing the area where it is. There are no visible lumps or anything like that. Hope this helps! Diva - are you in on the 8th for a fill? If so, what time - I think I am at 8:40 Cheers IWBAL

BTW - Is anyone going in for a fill Dec 8? I may run into boomboy or this is 4me? Anyone else IWBAL

Welcome to our Newbies! It is alway great to have great to have new peeps come on board - if you need anything - know that we are here for you! Moonbeam - WTG!! Congrats on hitting "One-derland" and not having to look back! My loss has slowed and I am kinda stuck still playing the boucey game with 2 - 3 lbs. But I look back and know that I have come further than I ever would have on my own and at least I am going in the right direction and not the other way for once. LOL Gotta start getting out to do some Xmas shopping - not so much for the shopping but the walking of the malls for some additional excerise. Take care all, Cheers - IWBAL

Call Maples again - ask for Jenn Wares - she is the one who assists all the LB'ers is quite good. I know she has been on vacation and am not sure if she is back, but it is a name! Let me know how you make out and if need be, I will hunt down her email address for you. PS - if you are interested - all us Manitoban's post under the link - Manitoba anyone? Cheers IWBAL

Hi Boom boy - Welcome to our little sanity space - know you're among good company and understanding friends who will support and answer any questions or concerns you may have when you need someone who has travelled on or is currently on the path to wellness. Hey all - when is fill time scheduled? Cheers IWBAL

Try the Maples Clinic in Winnipeg - they should be able to help you out

Hey all Hope everyone is doing fine. Just thought I would share that on the General Discussion, they are having a Valentine's 2010 Weight Challenge loss if you are interested in joining. Here is the link to join in the fun: http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AkYQ5YZkmOeIdGZ0allWQ19oNkdHUzZXSkMxQ0lkVmc&hl=en It allows you to track and see how you are doing along with others who joined, in addition to keeping us motivated. It starts on the 27th and runs to VD. Cheers Lori

Kaninag - can you please post a link to the Valentines day challenge please and thank. I am a little late to discover the challenges but would like to join that one and let my little merry band of losers know about it. Thanks IWBAL

Diva - it is possible that we may run into each other this morning - if you are a little early... I am the 8:40 appt. Gotta run! Cheers iwbal

Well, maybe next time! Staple removed is wonderful - you feel free again! I am a really bad healer - all my scars keloid - especailly an old surgery in which my cut is about 12 inches and was done about 30 years ago. it goes from about a quarter inch to about inches across at its thickest and is a raised incision scar now. I must say that I am so pleased with my new additions - they are all small thin and have not separated plus they are starting to fade. I even popped a staple and bled out of one of my cuts - but it looks a thousand time better than that old scar I have. I wish I would have had these surgeons stitch me up rather than that butcher who originally did me! As for exercising, I would wait - 4-6 weeks after surgery seems to be the norm - I know that you are excited and really to go - but your insides have still not fully healed. When you do start - start lightly - don't go doing 100 pushups followed by 100 crunches! Cheers all! IWBAL

Well, no fill for Loser - Dr A thought it best to wait, and so did I - I am in no rush and now have lose 32 lb - so yeah for me and all of you too! Diva - did I see you today? Perhaps the pretty blonde with the pink argyle sweater?? Cheers IWBAL

Thanks all for your well wishes - no problems with dinner out - it was a very slow and lengthly meal which worked out good for me. My SIL made a comment that I was not eating much and of course, all eyes were on me. But since I knew she came to the table late, and no one else had paid attention to my plate, I was able to cover by claiming I was so hungry I just wolfed most of my food down before she arrived and crisis averted. LOL Maybe I will see you tomorrow Diva - I am either at 11 or 11:30. Fergieis - can you tell us about the interview? Inquiry minds would like to know... Cheers IWBAL

Thanks Fergieis - I guess that is another "heads up" for you too - that band tightening after fill is a possiblity. I had a very light nibbley/soup day yesterday - 1 slight tightening at dinner so I stopped eating for about 10 minutes, resumed eating but very sparingly. Today is family turkey day, so I will see how I make out today. I am planning on being very diligent as I don't want to wreck the day by announcing to my hubby - time to leave- I am sliming and want to chuck because I swallowed a golf ball for dinner. LOL. Man, my gut is just a rumbling today although I really don't feel hungry at all right now! It is kinda funny that in the past I would alway associate that rumbling with being hungry and would toddle off to the cupboard or fridge to get something to soothe my stomach. Now I think about it, this was probably something my mother/relatives told me when I was young - if your stomach is growling - you must be hungry. When I hear it now I think to myself - Stomach - if your that hungry, just go find some fat cells reserves (of which there are still plenty in this body) and knock yourself out. LOL Just knowing that someone would be around makes me feel better and believe me if I thought I was in any danger or needed any help, I would be calling. Happy Thanksgiving all - may our portions be small but tasty! Cheers IWBAL

Thanks Moonbeam - I did call and spoke to Jen today-such a sweetheart, I hope they pay her lots 'cause she deserves it - and she told me exactly what you posted, that after a fill - for some unknown reason the band will tighten - usually after about 2-3 weeks after. Although I am 4.5 weeks, it is possible that this is what happened. So we decided to monitor it today as I did not have a easy morning- (2 swigs of carnation Breakfast and I could feel everything backing up again) so I had to call and let her know by the end of the day how I was doing. lunch had gone remarkably well (soup & 1 oz of cheese) so we will monitor it over the weekend and I will eat light foods. She also made me promise to page the dr's if I ran into any difficulties and they would be willing to assist which gave me quite a bit of relief, just knowing that there would be someone available. Between you and I though, I don't want to wreck anyone's long weekend, cause that sucks. I have had a couple of my long weekends ruined due to customers calling me at home and demanding that things be done and it ain't pretty, I tell you! Anyhoo, I will be in for my "supposed fill" at 11 - anybody else there around this time? See you in the waiting room! IWBAL

Sorry, I did not see your post earlier today - I would have loved to listen to it. Gotta love our health care system sometime, eh? Nice staff member - probably some supermodel wannabe who is threatened by the possibility that there may be some future competition in the future by us lap banders. I think I may have to go in the clinic tomorrow as I am worried about my band. I am concerned as I have lost about 2-3 lbs since my fill at the beginning of Sept, could feel some restriction and was doing good eating wise. This last week on Monday, I ate about 1.5 oz of smoked salmon which promptly got stuck and I had PB/Vomiting for a couple hours. I ate nothing the rest of the day and I felt pretty weak on Tues. So I thought I would have some toast with peanut butter, I felt like it was going to stick again and did not attempt to eat it. For lunch - a protien shake and dinner was a tiny slice of lasagne. Wednesday at lunch I have a quesadilla, took 2 bites and stopped - it stopped and I thought I was going to die - the slime/PB was horrible and ended with me retching 3 hours later and falling into bed exhausted. After I was able to eat about 4 oz salmon. Today was good - protien shake for breakfast, soup & a piece of cheese for lunch. Dinner - a whole different story. I did not feel hungry per se, so I only took 2 oz of salmon , deliberately eating slow and extremely tiny bites and the last bite it felt it got stuck and I have been sliming for the last 2 hrs and expelled a small amount of the salmon. I have only had the PB/Slime thing happen twice before this week. And now it has happened 3 times in 4 days...I am a little nervous. Another thing is that I feel full, however my stomach (Colon?? - area under the rib cage) is growling and making horrible loud noises - people are actually commenting on it! So embarrassing. I am wondering if my band has possibly slipped or something? Has anyone had their band slip? Guess I will call tomorrow and see if I can talk to someone. I am actually supposed to go in on Tuesday for a fill - however I am thinking that I should not let this go the long weekend. I dunno. Anyway thanks for listening to my long winded message and I will probably be fine, and it will all turn out to be a figment of my overactive imagination. This is where a live support group would come in handy....I am so hoping for one! Cheers IWBAL

Of course good intention count...why not? Like you I have been doing some hiking in BHP with family and friends...however it is now turning a bit colder. I am curling a couple time a week but think that I should be doing more and entertaining the thought of doing a yoga class in Nov to see how it goes, and I really should get my butt back on the Wii Fitness to start with. I always was embarrassed by my little porky Mii, and then I did not go on it for awhile and the machine would be making snide comments and my Mii would be sleeping.....it is probably dead now as I have not been on in a long time! Oh well....

It's me again... I meant to throw out a group question to all. Now that fall is here, what activities are you doing/looking at doing to help you with your weight loss goals, if any? Are they activities that you have done before or brand new ones? Cheers IWBAL

Hey All Hope you are all doing well - you all are certainly sound a bit thinner this week! LOL My rescheduled fill is now for next Tues - 13th, so I am looking forward to that. I hope to meet some peeps in the waiting room. I am quite excited about the possibility of a support group and completed my survey with 2 thumbs up! So Tammer....it was you, sucking up all the Terri-Time while I patiently waited....next time I will ask Jen to schedule me before you. Actually, with my fear of needles, I was not too sorry that I did not get in. I have to mentally build myself up when I know I am going for 1, so when it appeared that I had to go back to work without getting in, I must confess that I ran out without looking back. 2 week repreive, Woo-hoo! Maybe I will see Diva on the 13th depending on the time that you are there. Just remember to keep walking around, even when you thing it is not a gas pain, it is! Staple out day is great and a big relief too. Moonbeam - look at you go! Ticker is looking good! Damn - I gotta get me one of those! Take care all!

Hey Fergieis Glad to hear your recovery is going fine - sounds like you are on of the lucky ones who got an easier recovery - I was still getting gas pains up to a month after my surgery. Don't sweat about the weight gain - you are going to be entering the next phase - the notorious "LAP-BAND® hell". You feel great and fine enought to push through and are excited to get started and see the results. However keep in mind that your insides just went through surgury that takes 4-6 weeks to recover from internally. If you are living in Wpg - they probably left a little fill in the band to see how your body reacts, but not enough to make a big difference so that you would notice it. LAP-BAND® Hell begins as you start to see the weight come off, then you plateau and bounce up and down a few pounds and if you lose less than a certain amount of pounds, you get a fill and if lose more, then its 'thanks for coming out - see you next month" and so on, until you hit the "sweet spot" - the correct amount of fill that allows you to lose to your goal weight. Everyone is different. And yes, it is typical to gain right after surgery - remember you were on a liquid diet for 2 weeks or more and light foods afterwards. What I did was replace the huge lunch meal I used to have with a broth Soup (eg veggie or chicken noodle), 1 oz of cheese and crackers dipped in the soup (they get soft) and Water to drink. For Breakfast, I do the carnation breakfast shake and water between lunch and breakfast. A piece of fruit when I get home to tide me over to supper. Supper is a normal meal - protien plus veggies and a reward at the end of the night - one of those 100 calories snack things. you are the first person I have heard of who likes the liquid chalk drink that those Medi protien shakes. Have you tried adding fruit to them - eg; bananna to the chococate - strawberries to the vanilla etc - this may fill you up further as well and prevent cravings. Diet Coke - avoid any carbonated bevvies for at least the first 4 weeks and my advise would be if you want to try - only 2 or 3 slow sips to see how your body reacts - the gas in the coke can give you horrible pains that you will regret if you try too much. I cannot do Diet Coke, it is absolute agony and I will not ever do it again - Club Soda and Lime juice is my bevvie of choice and the only carbonated drink I can do - only 1 and only about once or twice a week but never more than one. Some doctors recommend that carbonated bevs are cut out completely due to the gas. Okay - off the soapbox. BTW - keep us posted on the fight with the gov't and if you get anywhere. CHeers IWBAL

Hi Leslee, I think I am going to hold off until after Thanksgiving as I don't want to be out for dinner and suddenly get the PB's or upchuck. I like to be in the comfort of my own bathroom for that. That is probably why I am so focused when I eat out now....hmmmm, maybe I should eat out all the time? LOL I am happy to hear Terri is has improved...I am such a sucky baby about needles! Dr A did mine first fill and it was over after 15 seconds (yes, I did count!). I have not met Dr B - would not know him even if I tripped over him. I may have gotten stronger meds after surgery as I had surgery previously where they had to cut through and the scar tissue was thickened. Day 2 is the worst - and unfortunately for me -day 2 actually spanned 3 days afterwards! But it was so worth it! Leslee - how much have you now lost from your original weight. I know that you were kind of stuck there for a stretch. I think I have reached my limbo level as I am just fluctuating 2 lb up and 2 down. I am not dwelling on it as I am now down 30-32 lb and from a size 16 pant and starting to fit some 12's. I can hardly waiting for curling to begin as my stetchy pants no longer are stretched past their breaking point and the seams should hold for the entire season! LOL Look for success and how far we have come and the future is looker brighter either way. Shout out to Diva - hope you are doing fine, remember to walk, walk & walk and when you get a horrible pain in the shoulder/neck area - please know that you are not dying or having a stroke - it is gas! I think we all struggled with that one up to a couple weeks after the surgery - Just a heads up! BTW- were you there with a friend? - a dark haired woman was waiting and then left about noon as I was waiting to see Terri. Just wondering..... Cheers IWBAL

So, when is everyone's next fills scheduled for? I went yesterday for my appt at 12 and got there 10 min early and finally had to leave at 1:10 to get back to work - so I have to reschedule (big sigh..., bummer) Cheers IWBAL