shonette
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Everything posted by shonette
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Thanks so much Changing for adding me as a friend. I can remember like yesterday waiting for a decision from my insurance company. I found out who was handling my paper work, and I started calling that dept personally to see what was going on with a decision being made. I was denied due to some of my information not being submitted from my doctor's office. I called their office(p1)
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">I want to agree with finallyncontrol about the words never. A lot of times your doctor and nutritionist gives you the experiences of other patients. Always remember, everyone's band does not work the same. What some people can eat with no problem it's very difficult for me. I can eat bread but very little and on rare occasions. At different times of the day my band will react differently. Normally my band is a little tighter earlier in the mornings and later at night. Therefore, I don't eat foods at those times that I have had bad experiences with. On the other hand, a couple of weeks after a fill my entire diet may change because I have more restriction than before. That's why you will have to learn to listen to your band and figure out how it works best for you. I always have people coming to me asking what I can eat. I tell them anything I want to eat but in smaller portions. That is one of the major adjustments with having the band is portion control. You have a lot to learn but it will all come in time. Just take this road one day at a time and follow the rules of your band until you learn what works for you. I do wish you the best of luck.</SPAN></P>
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New Year and I am going to get out of the 300's!!!!!!!!!!!!
shonette commented on Noturningback15's blog entry in SF2009's Blog
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Whatever your goal is I encourage you to stay focused and try new things. I research a lot of different thing about having a band, and I determine what works best for me. You have lost a lot of weight and the rest will come in time. My doctor always reminds me that the weight did not come over night and it's not going to leave over night. I think -overall you are doing a great job.<IMG class=bbc_emoticon alt= src="http://www.lapbandtalk.com/public/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif"> </SPAN></P> -
Today I am sitting here at my desk at work thinking back over all the things I had to go through to get to this point in my weight lost. This has not been an easy road to travel, but I thank God every single day for the endurance to follow it through. My first initial visit with my surgeon seemed like yesterday! I was explained all the things I had to do in order for my insurance to approve my operation. I felt so doubtful once I left his office about having the surgery. I've learned to pray first to seek God's will for my life, and I knew something needed to change in my life. It was not the will of God for me to continue to be over weight and so very unhappy with the person I was. I asked God to give me the strength and the will power to do whatever it took for my insurance to approve my surgery. Once my appointments were made with the different offices, things started to roll by pretty quickly. The longest process for me was the six month weight lost requirement. I was really angry for some reason with the fact of being on another diet! I knew diets did not work for me on a long term basis, therefore I really thought it was a waste of my time.(LOL) To be perfectly honest, I just wanted to be banded and start my new life. Looking back now, there were a lot of things I should have done differently and taken the advantage of but I didn't. One of the main steps in my pre-lap band process was my psych evaluation. I was told from the very beginning the hardest part in this process was going to be the mental aspect. Surely, I was mentally prepared to handle having the band and everything that came with it. Looking back now, I was not as prepared as I had convinced myself to be. I really learned a lot about my band the hard way. I had to learn a lot of different things by trail and error. I would read so many blogs and hear others say to listen to your band. I really had no idea what they were talking about, but thank God today it has all made sense to me. Having this band for me is a day to day learning experience on what I should or should not do. I am finally to a point that food is not controlling my life, and I can say no to food and be okay with that. I have learned to eat only what I need and it's okay to save or trash the rest. I no longer feel obligated to eat every single thing that is placed on my plate nor do I feel like dessert is always eaten after a meal. My quality of life has changed so much in many ways. I do know that I have to finish this race at my own pace and continue to be focused on my food choices. This is really a life style change and there are no quick fixes to losing the weight. Today I am very proud of what I have accomplished. I have never lost 50 pounds in my entire life, but today I have done just that. Hooray for ME!
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MY LAPBAND JOURNEY - 1 WK. POST OP
shonette commented on roseyposey's blog entry in roseyposey's Blog
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">I am so glad to see that things are going well for you. It gets better over time, and you will learn what does and do not work well for you and your band. Some days I am able to eat certain foods and the next day my band may be a little tighter than before. You just need to learn how to listen to your band to determine what works well for you. Don't judge yourself by others too much, because we all react differently when it comes to certain foods. I do wish you the best and I pray your weight lost continue. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Once you feel up to it, working out will maximize your weight lost.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I break my workouts into two parts.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I do some in the morning before work and the remaining at night time before bed.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I also walk as much as possible while I am at work.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Those are just a few things that help me!<IMG class=bbc_emoticon alt= src="http://www.lapbandtalk.com/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif"> </SPAN></P> -
Thank you so much for the sweet comment left on my page. It is really an honor for me to be able to inspire someone on this lap band journey. It has been a lot of difficult days to get where God has blessed me to be. I truly would have to give all the credit to my faith in God. So many times I have felt so down hearted and God reminds me how far I’ve com!. Again, thank you.
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It sounds like you are very focused, and you know what needs to be done and you make time to do it. I struggle with finding time to fit everything into one day, and still make time for myself and working out. I have a 5 year old son who requires a lot of my time once I enter the front door from work. I also have my 18 year old daughter to assist with my grandson whose 6 months old today. Sometimes, I feel so overwhelmed with my day to day responsibilities, but I can not lose sight of my weight lost goals and all the things I need to do to lose weight. I do hope things continue to get better with you and have a safe trip.
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I wish you all the best with losing the weight. I know it's not easy for any of us to lose the weight, but our motiviation will take us through those difficult times. It's seem like you are doing an awsome job!
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Thanks so much for the advice you posted on my blog. I am not going to lie; I was given the approval on Wednesday afternoon for the pills. It like this process has been made so much easier. I have no desire to eat throughout the day. With my recent fill my portions are very small, and I am always thirsty (more water intake). (I know it may seem wrong, but it’s like a win-win for me)...
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My fat mass has decreased (151) to (129) and the scale did move!
shonette posted a blog entry in Blog 79244
I went to my doctor yesterday for another fill. The last time I was seen by my doctor over a month ago, I had some fluid removed due to being too tight. I now have a great fear of being too tight due to some of the unpleasant things I experienced. If any one has ever been too tight, that is one feeling you will never want o experience again. Therefore, I am very careful to monitor how tight I feel during my fills. I rather get a little less than too much. I have realized that being too tight is just as bad if not worst as being too loose. I currently have 4.85 cc's of fluid in my band. I probably could have gotten a little bit more, but I did not want to run the risk of being too tight. I have more restriction than before my fill yesterday. Overall, I am very pleased with that. I was also very pleased with my fat mass going down. Before my surgery, my fat mass was 151. ( ) and now it's 129. ( ). I was very happy to see that my body is losing a lot of inches. On my last visit over a month ago my fat mass was 133 and yesterday it was 129. For some people that is no big deal, but any time I have numbers going down instead of increasing it’s a very big deal for me. I now know that all of my efforts have not been in vain. I use my electric stepper several times a week, and my kettle bell on alternate times. Overall, I eat the foods I should and my water intake has increased. I do know my weight is coming off, but time plays a lot into my overall weight lost. This site has a lot of wonderful people who take the time to share their advice on how they handle different situations and just the love and support is amazing. Today I wore a pant suit that almost fell to the ground when I put on the pants. I was not expecting that to happen. Everything I think nothing is happening, I can find the small accomplishments and compare them toward my overall success. My clothing seize has gone from a 26 to 18. I do feel pretty good about my weight lost and all the hard work that has gone into it. This band is not a quick fix, but each person has to be willing to put their time and efforts to make it work for them. I thank God every single day for this opportunity to be healthier mentally, and physically as well. I have learned that the scale does not determine my overall weight lost success!!! I do have one big dilemma: I was taking a prescribed diet pill during my six month diet period pre-band. I now have considered getting one more prescription filled to aid my weight lost. I really don’t know if this would be the right thing for me to do. This was one of the reasons I wanted this band was too due away with diet pills etc………. Your opinion (s) would be greatly appreciated! -
Thank you so much for your honest advice. I just thought the pills would give me the added push I needed to get off a little more weight. I do understand that food portions, excerise, and changing my mind concerning foods is the keys to losing this weight. I do love my band it's a wonderful tool to have.
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I am very sorry to hear that you have been going through some tough times. However, it is human to return back to those things which provide us with the most comfort. For most over weight people, that comfort is food. When we have learned for years to over eat, we have developed a negative relationship with food. Food is nonjudging, it can't put us down, and it makes us feel good only for that moment. Therefore, we are eating to fill an emotional void in our lives. After we have consumed a ton of food, we become aware of the unhealthy choices we have made and the affect it has in our life. Honey, stays focused and know that you are not alone. I started my journey over a year ago, and I have been banded almost 6 months now. Each and every single day is a challenge and a battle in my mind towards food. I am really not able to consume large amounts of food at one time, but it still hard at times not to desire to eat like I once did. Today I am going in for another fill and I am praying to reach my sweet spot with this fill. This is a wonderful site and it has a lot of wonderful people who are hear to assist you in any way they can. I pray all is well with you and things will work out for you!
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I am very sorry to hear that you have been going through some tough times. However, it is human to return back to those things which provide us with the most comfort. For most over weight people, that comfort is food. When we have learned for years to over eat, we have developed a negative relationship with food. Food is nonjudging, it can't put us down, and it makes us feel good only for that moment. Therefore, we are eating to fill an emotional void in our lives. After we have consumed a ton of food, we become aware of the unhealthy choices we have made and the affect it has in our life. Honey, stays focused and know that you are not alone. I started my journey over a year ago, and I have been banded almost 6 months now. Each and every single day is a challenge and a battle in my mind towards food. I am really not able to consume large amounts of food at one time, but it still hard at times not to desire to eat like I once did. Today I am going in for another fill and I am praying to reach my sweet spot with this fill. This is a wonderful site and it has a lot of wonderful people who are hear to assist you in any way they can. I pray all is well with you and things will work out for you!
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I really don't understand why the scales are not moving for me. I try really hard to follow all of the lap band rules that I have been given and those that I have researched. I have limited the amount of sugar that I eat or drink. I eat very little sugar in my diet and the majority of things I drink are almost always sugar free. I eat small portions of food and I target eating my protein first. I try to work out at least 3-4 times weekly if not more. I can honestly say that my workout times are not long but they are within 3o minute periods. I may do some in the morning before work; I finish up that afternoon before bed. I try to get as much walking in at my job as possible daily. I work at a retirement facility, and I make rounds in the building as much as possible to get more walking in. I get a good bit of exercise daily even on my job. I have pretty good restriction but it maybe time for another fill. A couple of weeks prior I had some fluid removed because I was too tight, and I was unable to eat very little to no meats. There are still some foods that I am still unable to eat like apples and sometimes certain meats. Therefore, I was debating if getting a fill at this time was a good idea. I try really hard to stay clear of high calorie foods that go down easily. I just choice my foods carefully that are still high in protein, and I do eat slowly to avoid the stuck feeling in my chest. That is a very unpleasant thing to experience. In spite of the scales not moving, on a good note my clothes sizes continue to go down. When I first had my surgery, I was wearing a size 24-26 plus, but now I wear 18-20 clothes. Yesterday was my birthday and I wore a clinging red and black dress size 18 and it fitted me perfectly. I felt wonderful yesterday wearing that dress. If there is any advice anyone can offer to assist with the scales not moving for me, I would be more than please to hear it.
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">I would like for everyone to know that the weight did come off when my water intake was increased. It is not an easy thing to drink all of that water but the reward is sooooooo worth it. When I don't have enough water for the day, I can tell it all over my body. I also use the color of my urine to gauge if my water intake has been sufficient for that day. If the color is very light to clear I know my intake was sufficient.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If it’s a golden color my body is suffering dehydration which is not good at all. Therefore, I know I need to drink more water to flush my system out. I really do appreciate all of the heart felt advice my LB family so openly give to me. I do know that someone else's experience can be more valuable than all the money in the world. Therefore, drink, drink, and drink until your body tells you it's enough!</SPAN></P>
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There will not be a whole lot of restriction because it will be a wihile before you will be given a fill. Therefore, you may be able to eat a lot more food since the swelling has gone down around your band. That's when the mental processing has to kick in and your food cravings have to be monitored. Overall, you should do just fine. If you need me I am here!
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The first few weeks you will experience rapid weight lost because you are really not eating real foods, but once the real foods are reintroduce the weight seems to slow down. You have to be really careful during that time to eat the right foods and portions. Eat your food very slowly and chew well. Remember to eat protein 1st, veggies, and carbs if you can. Don't drink and eat at the same time
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help you to handle those gas pains. Stick to the diet that your doctor will give you to follow after your surgery. Your band needs time to heal before you start to introduce a lot of different things into your stomach. If you try to eat the wrong foods too fast, that can cause you a lot of problems. You have to take very good care of your band. You have gone through a lot to get it.
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How are you doing and yes the days are counting down? Before you know it your surgery date will be here. The most important advice I can give you at this time is to prepare yourself mentally for the changes in your diet and body. Due to the large amount of air that will be put into your stomach gas is going to be a problem. Make sure you have some gas-x before your surgery. That will really
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to eat foods that we don't need. Once in a while I have found it to be okay to treat myself with something I normally don’t' eat, but this is a lifestyle change of eating healthier and making better choices. These are just few things that have helped me along my band journey. Also, drink as much water as possible throughout your day. This will really help your body to release the weight (p2)
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Just a little added reminder! We all have our cravings for different foods we love, but that's what got us into the situations we are in now with our weight. This entire process is more mental than you will ever imagine. Once you get your band, you will begin to understand more of what I am talking about. It's not so much of the actual hunger we deal with, but the mental desire to eat (p1)
