gingerjane

Family was WAY more judgmental thank work. (Minus 1 coworker but she's a judy judger anyway) I have to say, my office has been SUPER supportive of my surgery and they are always asking me questions about how I'm doing (not food wise but just feeling, etc) and one girl goes walking with me a lot. I think if you have a few people that you are comfortable with, I would just go on ahead and tell them. That way, they're not guessing and it gives you a chance to explain WHY you want to have this done. I found that my co-workers were very supportive - even my boss. Of course, it is also NONE of their business. So, that is also something else to take into account if you don't want them to know. But, I do agree with some of the above posts - they're going to talk about it regardless. I have to go out of town next week and I'm meeting up with some colleagues from one of our satellite offices and the one is driving and she even offered to pick up Protein shakes to bring me for the trade show. To me, that meant a lot because she knew about the surgery (her sister had it) and she was being supportive. You never know- you might find a supportive person when you least expect it. Good luck and you'll do great! :smile2:

Ironically, my husband recently wrote a paper on the same topic. It was a class assignment and he defended my position, calling it "our" lifestyle change. I was pleasantly surprised. But, he also talked to me about it and he has seen the changes that I have had to make. I would point these out: 1) We have to limit our food intake, and because of that, we have got to make better choices. Protein becomes a HUGE factor in our food pyramid. 2) Think about it - we had SURGERY. It's not an easy thing to decide. I don't care what people think - the decision to have surgery is HUGE. I know with me personally, I had never really considered WLS because I always thought "Well, I can do this on my own - I just have to have the willpower". The truth is - I could have the willpower for a little while - drop some weight, and then all hell would break loose and I'd be back to where I was plus 10 lbs. I think it's been the best decision I've ever made because the band keeps me honest. I don't try to push it because I'm scared I'll screw it up. I'm scared I'll dilate my pouch or something. So, I think having that constant reminder keeps you on track. 3) We still have to exercise. When you see the successful band patients on the board, they're the ones working out. It's not a magic pill. 4) Not everyone has the lifestyle that allows for 2-3 hours of working out per day and customized meal plans. We just don't. So, this is the reality for a lot of us that have struggled with weight. We have a TOOL - it's just a different tool. I hope I didn't go off on tangents and I hope I gave you some ammunition. I'm still early in my journey, so I can't give you a before and after but I can tell you WHY I decided to do it. After four failed attempts at Weight Watchers (and that doesn't include the other diets like Alli, Adkins, etc.) only to lose weight and then gain it back plus more, I decided this was my PERMANENT solution. Hope that helps! :thumbdown:

Does your doctor have a support group or a nutritionist you can talk to? I think maybe getting back into "band life" and being on this board will help tremendously. I'm recently banded so it's all still new for me, but I know that my doctor's office offers all sorts of support groups and we have a nutritionist that is on call for us basically 24/7. What types of foods are you eating? Are you going with your protein first? I would make that change before anything else. Start with the lean meats that you can tolerate and then move from there. I bet if you start making small changes, you'll see a difference. Are you having your band adjusted? Or, has it been a while?

I wish I could offer more help but I was one of the lucky ones that didn't have any nausea. I think the only time was the first day and they had given me Finnegran tablets for at home. Is there any way maybe they can prescribe some for you? There is also an over the counter nausea medication you can take - I can't remember what it's called but if you ask the pharmacist, they'll tell you. I got my TOM about 4 days post surgery and so I did feel like crap for a few days. Make sure your Protein drinks have some Iron in them because you're already on reduced calories and with the TOM, you lose some iron. That could make you feel crappy, too. Hope you feel better soon! I'm a little over 2 weeks out and feel great. It's one of those things where you'll wake up and all of the sudden feel 100% better. I promise!

I'm on the Medi-Fast diet for my pre-op and I'm adjusting to it. I didn't know if anyone else was doing this portion for their pre-op. It's amazing how all of our doctors have different pre-op diets. I was also wondering, if you are doing the Medi-Fast, if you have any good recipes for the pancake mix. I got a box of that and after gagging while trying to eat the first pancake, I decided that I have GOT to do something with those things. Their hot chocolate (Amaretto) is really good. So, I give that a 2 thumbs up. The chicken Pasta Soup isn't bad, either. Anyone else? Ginger

And by the way - congrats on the weight loss. You have ROCKED it! :smile2:

I think that's how moms are. I was eating with mine the other day and went to take 1 more bite and she was like "Haven't you had enough" and I looked at her and said "Mom - this is my body and I know when it's had enough". I had ate less than 1/2 cup of food. She didn't know. She thought she was helping me and I just flat out told her I didn't need her to police my food. That's why I hate for people to know. You start getting the commentary.

Would LOVE to be your weight loss buddy! I was banded on 3/22 and I find that this journey is always easier when you have a friend doing it with you. PM me and I'll give you my e-mail. I'm two weeks out from the surgery and have healed very well. You'll do great! :smile2:

I completely agree with the post above. It's one slice of cheesecake. The band is meant to allow us to still enjoy certain things in moderation. I think as long as you don't make it a big habit, you're fine. :smile2: I had a tiny sliver of cake today. TINY sliver. I felt guilty for a bit but then realized that it was a SUPER tiny slice. (We're talking 4-5 small baby-spoon bites) Before, I would have had a nice, big slice and a scoop of ice cream. It's baby steps, you know? Just put the protein first, which it sounds like you did. I always try to do that, too. And, I normally skip dessert these days, when normally, that would have been the first thing I went for. Don't beat yourself up!

Ok, can we talk pre-op diets? I have really hated the first part of mine but now I'm a lot better. Basically, out of the gate I had the medifast "food", but I couldn't stand the taste of it and would gag. I can drink the shakes and hot chocolate - that's not a problem. It's the "soups" and "pancakes" and crap that I'm like "uh -no". Plus, I was getting maybe 600 calories/day and in the meantime I was doing 2 mile walks at work, so I was having terrible headaches. My dietitian authorized me to have lean meats (chicken, etc.) so that I wouldn't be so deprived. I still have the broths and stuff. I'm worried that my liver won't shrink but I read up on the low-carb diets and everywhere says it will help shrink the liver. I lost more weight now that I've added the chicken to my diet than before when I didn't have it. I'd love to hear about your pre-op diet. What did your doc recommend and how did you do on it? So far, I'm down maybe 4-5 lbs? (it's been a week) I feel like I should be down more, but that's been it.

Another reason why I swear that McDonald's Fries are laced with CRACK. My husband and girls have been going there and I'm like "no thanks" each time they go through the drivethru but let me tell you - those damn fries smell GOOD. I do know (because I used to work for the company that made their oil) that they add a special flavoring to their oil to make their fries taste better. Hence, why I correlate it to crack. And you did the right thing. I bet it was hard to tell her no. But, you're looking out for her. It's love - tough love, but love.

That is awesome!!!! :thumbup: I hope to arrange a clothing swap once I get down. I've not lost much since the banding (banded on 3/22) but dropped about 14 lbs beforehand. Of course, my pants are still fitting. It will be a while I think before they get too big. I told my mom I wanted to sew a button and some elastic in them like my 4 year old's adjustable waist pants. LOL!

My heart is breaking for everyone because I have been there. Oh wow...how I've been there. Let's see.... here are a few: One time I was fishing at my SIL's house. She's the type that was always thin, so she never had a weight problem and would make comments to me. Well, I'm sitting on a wooden bench on her pier and it's a family reunion so EVERYONE is there. All of the sudden, I hear cracking and you guessed it. It broke. Right there. In front of EVERYONE. I sort of wanted to drown myself in the pond. At another family gathering, my husband's dad was watching our cousin swinging. She is a bigger girl, so he hollers over to me (in front of about 10 other family members) "Hey Ginger - why don't you go get on the other swing so we can see the thing break". I wanted to deck him in the face. :thumbup: A**HAT! I've had to bypass sitting in the folding camping chairs because I know that they only went up to 225 lbs. I didn't want to risk it. I used to be a product designer in the scrapbook market. If you know anything about it, it's a very vicious, female-driven industry. Well, there was a blog that was called "Smack" and I was the target for the fat jokes for a long time. One of my "friends" said "hey - they're talking about you on there" and they were. Talking about how fat I was, how my husband must go to strip clubs to get turned on to come home to me, etc. I was so distraught that I quit my job and walked away from it. I couldn't handle it. I mean, the comments were downright MEAN and they were anonymous so I had no idea who wrote what. I had done a few TV shows, taught all over the country, etc., so I knew these people had met me. To think that was what they took away from meeting me was devastating. :cursing: I could go on and on... Isn't it sad how all of us have these stories?

You know - I do often wonder who sits back and names products. I mean - seriously. The Magic Bullet as most of us know - is NOT the food blender. :frown: But hey, I guess it gets the job done. (Much like the other referenced bullet) LOL! I make an awesome Protein shake in the morning with mine. I use 4 ounces of Muscle Milk, 6 ounces of skim milk, a scoop of Slim Fast optima protein and 2 tsp of Cool Whip Lite. It's a YUMMY Protein Shake. :smile2: (And has about 25 grams in it) I drink it on my way to work. LOVE that thing.

WOW! That is an amazing accomplishment! You should be VERY proud of yourself! I love to hear success stories like this. It gives me hope that one day I'll be able to say that, too! Thank you for sharing! :frown:

I haven't lost ANYTHING since surgery. I'm following diet and everything and NOTHING. Nada. Not one pound. I'm ready to pound my head against a wall. I keep thinking that I'll have this massive drop off of weight but nothing is taking place right now. Anyone else have that?

You can get them online or in stores. I think Target carries them. I know Macy's and Bed, Bath and Beyond have them. If you sign up for BBB's newsletter, they send you a 20% off coupon for their store. Might get it cheaper! 2) I don't know their typical cost. I bought mine from my mom's neighbor. She had a yard sale and NEVER used it and I got it for $10. (Still in the box!) I think they're like $70? I'm not sure. 3) Truthfully - I think they're better than a blender or food processor. You get two different blending blades, plus it comes with these different cups - I think I have six in all, and you can literally blend your entire days worth of food in a few cups and be done. I make my Protein shakes in them every single morning. I LOVE mine. It's quick to do. Plus, you can make all sorts of single serving meals in them which is good if your family is eating something else. :frown:

See, I see the farting as a new weapon. As many dutch ovens as I have had to deal with from my loving husband, it's about time for payback. Oh yes - I'm getting even now!

I'm in the same boat this morning. :frown: I am 8 days post-op. On Friday (five days post-op) I was down 2 lbs from my surgical day weight. Well, then yesterday and today I'm back UP - so I'm like 1 lb over my surgical weight and I cannot for the life of me figure out what the heck is going on. It's really starting to tick me off. But, I keep telling myself - "the weight will come off". Just praying it does. I keep doing what I'm supposed to. But, I totally feel your frustration. Trust me!

So, I have to vent for a second. I'm doing well with incisions, etc. That's not an issue. My problem is that the scale WILL NOT MOVE. Ugh. On Friday I was at 260, almost 261. Today I'm at 263. I realize it's my TOM, but still. I'm following the diet and plan and don't understand what the heck is going on. Ugh. I know it takes time but I just had to say "WHAT THE HECK SCALE!" for a second. :thumbup: Throw a sister a pound or something. I do still feel somewhat bloated, and obviously my band is working because this morning I had a protein shake and I'm obviously full. I can feel that. Anyway - anyone else not really see any weight loss right away? I want to make sure I'm not doing anything wrong. My calories hover around 800 - sometimes less, sometimes more, but never over 1,000. I also have been walking. Not a lot but will get it in - I work downtown and therefore walk to different places. I know it's too early to see any change in weight, but I was hoping to see at least a pound or two. I don't to go in next week weighing more than I did on surgery day.

You'll do great and it will be done and over with before you even realize it. My band is a week old today and I still can't believe it. I feel almost back to normal - have been back to work and everything. You will do GREAT! And, you'll have a new "friend" that will help you reach some amazing goals. :thumbup: I'll be thinking of you tomorrow! ((HUGS)) Ginger

And after all my awesome bandster friends advice I had a great thought tonight. Here is my goal. My SIL who lives to pick on me for weight has gained some weight in the past few years so she's about a size 10 now. One day maybe I can say "Oh - I have some size 10 jeans that are a bit too big on me now. Would you like them???" Mwah ha ha ha. A girl can dream, can't she? :thumbup: