Wuggum

So cold that I'm looking forward to the hot flashes that will come with menopause!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE quinoa. I fix it just like rice and use it in similar dishes. Quinoa with corn, black beans, grilled chicken and some other goodies can be a great "Mexican" side dish or burrito filler. My favorite is a "Mediterranean" style with black olives, grape tomatoes, feta cheese, cucumber and a tiny splash of greek dressing.

So yesterday was my big day! I had my surgery at JourneyLite in Cincinnati by Dr. Fegelman. Everything seems to have gone very well; and I'm spending my day today napping, walking around the house, and try to get enough "food" in. I just don't feel hungry or thirsty at all - especially since I have a really sore throat and I feel like someone kicked me in the stomach! Prior to surgery, I lost 42 lbs (down from 342 to 300); and I'm hoping to lose about 120 more lbs during this next phase in my life! I'm really looking forward to all of the support this site provides!

One of my incisions was right near where my underwire sat - and I absolutely must wear an underwire (or else the girls would be heading south!). For about 2 weeks I would cover the incision with two big bandages that had thick pads on them. That was sufficient to keep the incision protected and pain-free!

I have to agree with BetsyB - my 62lb Shepherd/Husky mix is the best personal trainer ever. She wakes me up at 6:00am to go for a walk. She howls at me at 6:00pm to go for another walk. And it's different than paying for the gym or doing a quick TaeBo video in the basement. I can't claim to be too tired or too busy - if Max and I don't go for a walk, she gets very upset with me (and she might pee on the floor)! One year and 100lbs. ago, we started off barely able to do a half mile without gasping for air. Today, we do about 2 miles on each walk. What a way to start the day!

I also like to set lots of mini-goals along the way. My first "big" prize for 100 lbs lost - a trip to Vegas at the end of this month! I have 3 more lbs to go to earn my prize! My next mini-goal will be in about 20 more lbs. - I want a pair of their weird roller blades that Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer uses. I walk my dog every day and I think she would love to go for a run while I'm roller blading. My final big goal - nips and tucks all around - I already need to fix the floppy arms, boobs, belly and butt!

I've had similar experiences with rides at amusement parks and looking at photos - but that never quite did the trick. I just stopped going to amusement parks and refused to have my picture taken. My "moment" came when a good friend and I went for coffee after work one day. He said he never understood why I settled down with one guy at such a young age because I was so pretty. I laughed at him. I hadn't been called "pretty" in probably 15 years. That day, I went home and bought a scale. After seeing the whopping 342.8 pop up on the screen, I immediately signed up for a seminar. That was exactly a year ago tomorrow. Today, I'm down almost 100 lbs. Last week I think I got hit on (by someone other than my hubby) for the first time in years! Now I don't mind when my friend tells me I look fabulous - I don't laugh in his face anymore!

It could be a couple of things. You may be drinking too fast or taking sips that are too big. Or, you may be a bit swollen after the fill (for me, this usually goes away within a day or so). Or, you may have gotten too much of a fill. I recommend talking to your doctor if you're still having problems tomorrow.

Usually I have a protein shake around 6:00am, then some greek yogurt (zero fat, 14g protein!) at about 10:00am. Today, it was yogurt for breakfast around 8:00am and my new favorite lunch - a hard boiled egg squished up and mixed with some lowfat cottage cheese. Just like egg salad without the added fat of the mayo. Yummy!

I like to do a protein shake for breakfast before I head out to work, then a yogurt for a snack. Lunch is usually a Lean Cuisine meal - my doc recommended these and told me to keep it at about 250 calories, under 10 grams fat, over 15 grams protein. Almost all of them have pasta or rice - I will usually only have a few bites of that, but all of the protein. That is more than enough to fill me up!

WooHoo - I just got my first fill on Tuesday and I'm excited! I don't know if I have restriction yet - I guess I'm not absolutely sure what it is supposed to "feel" like. But, a few days ago, I did start to feel something odd and I don't know if it's a band thing (or if it has something to do with the nasty cold I'm getting over). I feel like I have something sitting at the back of my throat all the time. It doesn't hurt, and it doesn't feel like something is stuck, it's just....there. It seems to be more noticable after I eat, so I'm not sure if it has to do with the band or not. So, how did you all know when/if you needed another fill? They put 3.5 cc in my Realize band and told me that I looked really tight. But, I was able to eat normal foods the next day and I haven't had any bad experiences yet. I limit myself to 1 cup of food and that will usually keep me satisfied for about 4 or 5 hours. But, I feel like I could probably eat more without a problem - especially if you sat me down somewhere like Maggiano's. :thumbup:

I am about 4 weeks post-op and feeling great! But, is it possible that my stomach is still swollen from surgery? Right where my big incision was, I can feel a big "lump" under the skin. It's there all the time, but it is a little more prominent after I eat. I'm wondering if this is scar tissue or swelling or just my stomach. I just can't imagine that I can actually feel my stomach or my pouch - I still have a very healthy layer of padding! Although for the first time in years, I didn't need a seat belt extender on my recent business trip to Washington, DC :thumbup: !!

I'll be three weeks post-op on Monday and I decided to go shopping today. I'm going on a business trip next week to Washington, DC and most of my work clothes are starting to look a little sloppy since I've lost a total of about 50 lbs since my first consultation with my surgeon. Anyways, today was the first time in over 10 years that I've shopped somewhere other than Lane Bryant! Don't get me wrong, I really like their store, and I'm still wearing plus sizes so I'm sure I'll still shop there - but it was such a thrill to go into a "regular" store! My next goal - fly on a plane without requesting a seat belt extender!!

My top 3 favorites: 1. one soft-scrambled egg with a little fresh pesto sauce or salsa mixed in 2. ricotta cheese with garlic powder and marinara sauce 3, mashed potatoes

I had surgery on 7/13, so I am almost 3 weeks post-op. I'm at the soft-food stage and can have almost anything except really dry cuts of meat (like grilled chicken), fresh veggies, etc. This morning, I had some scrambled eggs with fresh pesto - heavenly!! I've lost a total of 50 lbs. (40 pre-op, 10 post-op). Just got back from shopping for some new clothes today - I've never enjoyed shopped so much as I did today!! First fill is scheduled for 9/1/09.

Another good one - Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder in Double Rich Chocolate. I mix it with Lite Vanilla Soy Milk and it tastes like super-rich chocolate milk - yummy! You can also get this at GNC, but I usually buy it online and save a few bucks.

Like others have said, every doctor has a different post-op diet....mine allowed pureed foods (nothing thicker than applesauce) since Day 2. I'm now 8 days post-op and can satisfy my urge for "real" food with a little bit of mashed potatoes, or one soft scrambled egg, or some cinnamon applesauce. However, I've found that one larger "meal" like this per day is all I can tolerate because I feel stuffed. Today, I had a small baked potato for lunch - mashed up the insides with a little margarine - maybe 1/2 cup of potato all together. That will probably be my only meal of the day - I won't mind the protein shakes the rest of the day!

Hello all! I just had my surgery yesterday and I'm looking forward to being back to normal! I've been moving around quite a bit and walking or climbing stairs doesn't really bother me. Also, I have that "worked out too much" type pain in my neck, stomach and legs that I think will go away in another few days. But, I have no desire to eat or drink anything. My throat is very sore, but I've still been trying to make sure I get enough protein in with shakes and yogurt. I'm also trying to wean myself off the pain medication - makes me too sleepy. We have visitors coming this weekend who are staying at our house for a week - lots of activities in the area planned - I hope I'm up for it by then!!

So far, I've mainly been sipping a lot of ice water. That seems to be helping the sore throat along with the popsicle I had today. I've also tried some yogurt and some sugar-free pudding - but both tasted too sweet and I only had a small bite. I really like the protein shake I started several months ago, so I think that will be "dinner" tonight. But it seems like after a few small sips, I don't have any desire for more. I guess that's a good thing! :thumbdown: The hubby is going to pick up some applesauce for me tonight to see if that's any better. And I'm really hoping the overall soreness goes away - feels like I just ran a marathon - every muscle in my upper arms, neck, back, stomach and legs hurts! Maybe weaning myself off the pain meds too early was a bad idea - I'll definitely take another dose before bed!

I think everyone goes through the same fears and doubts. Personally, I spent about 2 years researching and reading forums like this one before I finally had my "Aha" moment. I went to my first seminar in March 2009, went through all of the paperwork and doctor's appointments, and finally had surgery yesterday. As I was laying in the hospital bed preparing for surgery, I was still wondering if I was making the right decision. I had managed to lose over 40 lbs on my own since March and I was debating whether I really needed to go through this. My answer to myself - I know how I am - eventaully something will throw me off-course and out of my good diet/exercise habits; and I end up gaining all of the weight back again. I knew if I didn't do this, I would stay in this same rut forever. I'm sure it will be very difficult to maintain the diet and exercise plan after surgery, but the band is a tool that will help me maintain those good habits that I need to have. Definitely research everything well, get to know yourself, your habits and your body. Good luck on your journey!!

The Anderson area is about 40 minutes or so away from florence - up 71N to 275E. A few exits past Coney Island if you're familiar with that amusement park. Good luck with your insurance approval! Mine actually came through much quicker than I expected. I work for the Federal gov't and have their Blue Cross Blue Sheild plan. After my psych eval (they wouldn't give me my results, so who knows exactly how "sane" I am - LOL!) and my physical, JourneyLite took care of all of the paperwork with the insurance company and I got my approval letter in about a month. Then, went through several other doctors visits including some visits with a dietician, and two months later here we are. All together - I started the process with my first introductory seminar in March and had surgery just yesterday. Hope to hear more from you as you travel down this path!!

Hello Ginger! I noticed you are from Northern Kentucky - where are you planning on having your surgery? My name is Lynn and I am from the eastern suburbs of Cincinnati (Anderson/Amelia area). It's just me, my sweetie Russ, and our "baby" - a 3-year old shepherd/hound mix named "Maxine". I just had my surgery yesterday through JourneyLite (Dr. Fegelman) in Cincinnati. I really enjoyed the convenience of using their facility rather than having to go through the hassles of the hospital; and they provide an excellent support system both before and after surgery. I'm hoping to start going to one of their support groups soon. Since you're from the area, I'd love to get to know you... Good luck with everything!