patsal

Gosh, that is so exciting! Congratulations! :cool:

Congratulations! :cool:

Betsy or anyone else that knows.... Please explain how to temper the protein mixes so that I can make a warm beverage or soup without the ickky congealing. I know it was touched on before, but I can't find the post! Thanks!

You are doing so awesome! Great job:thumbup:

Thanks, I shall try it in the morning!:thumbup:

Oh, thank you for that, I have been feeling badly about "giving up" and that is the perspective I needed to move on with myself and not worry about something that I cannot control. OP you can only support where you are asked to be supportive. In the end everyone is going to do what they want. This journey isn't easy, she will need you and when she is ready for that I am sure you will be there to lend support.

I have manipulative parents, but I still told them, sort of! OP I am glad you shared with your parents. I see it from both sides, as a child and as the parent of an adult child. I shared what I was doing from the onset with my mother. She was cold about the idea and kept telling me the "all's you got to do is..." Well, I stood strong and stated I have done all of that only to gain it back, shared that my PC was supportive of the idea for me and said I was going to learn all I could and then make my decision. When I went to the psych she asked questions, waiting for blame--I decided not to share every little detail with her, just things like "wow I thought I was feeding my family nutritious foods, but I learned that I am just giving them calories (lots of processed things, canned, etc.)" I began the journey with the suggestion from my surgeon, psych and Nut to try South Beach and see if it was doable. It became our family lifestyle. DH had 40 pounds to lose and he did with the foods I cooked using the recipes and whole foods. DD dropped 20, she has more to go, but is losing it slowly, DS is not on board he is 18 and knows everything :thumbup:. I told my mom only positive things I thought could help he serve better healthier things to herself, my dad and the grandkids. I share recipes and she has done a lot of the things as well. I deal with my issues by myself and only share the positive. I did tell her I was going to go through with the surgery, but I did not tell her when it was. She stopped over a day or two after surgery and just said oh you got it done. I said yes, and learned she had not shared any info withmy dad, so I spent time explaining to him. Once I shared that my BMI was over 50 it was very easy to get support from him--now he is very understanding and supportive and asks every time I see him if I am keeping up with my exercise! Wow that was long, sorry! Bottom line, I think that telling is important, but not letting anyone else influence your decision is important as well. You may be surprised to learn they will be supportive.

I followed my Dr.'s advice to the letter, but mine wasn't as strict as yours. I was supposed to do 3 days of clear liquids, then 2 weeks of full liquids, then 2 weeks of mushies and then progress from soft to all as tolerated. When I went to the dr. at week 2 for a checkup I was asked how I was doing and told to go ahead and progress to mushies if I wanted to, but go slow, if the mushies went well (which they did) I could start the soft in a week and progress as I was comfortable. After I get a fill I repeat the process, only shortened to 3 days at each phase unless I need more time.

Totally the best feeling, isn't it!?! I went shopping yesterday--tried on 18's and the tops were still baggy, went to 14/16 and just plain large...cleaned up at a $3.98 sale at Fashion Bug! I spent $80 total but it was so worth it for a pair of dress pants, a pair of jeans, 9 shirts and a skirt--large--hello:). All my spring and summer tops are a 24/26 and the arm holes are way too large to wear. I had to find a new bra as well. When I went to the dressing room I kept having to heft the girls into place as they were slipping out of the 42DD, after a quick measure I am now a 38C.

Ok I can totally feel my port when I am standing and laying down, I can't feel it if I am seated or scrunched up. I cannot, however see it at all.

I switched from Flintstone's chewables to Centrum chewables. They don't taste as good but the nutritional values in them is complete. Maybe that's why they call them centrum complete chewables! Hmmm....what a revalation for me!:thumbup: By the way your doing so great, congratulations!

Darn, only down a pound, but I get a fill on Wednesday so maybe that will help!

For reaching the first 50 I will be going to the spa for a mani and pedi, for 100 I am not sure yet, and when I reach goal I dont' know. DH bit the .1 carat for every ten pounds thing and already had me pick out a new ring rather than have me get my old one resized--in fairness it is my 20th anniversary gift, but still I won't get it from layaway until close to final goal, I hope!

I have experienced so much of what you have all courageously shared. The two worse for me were the seatbelt extender, where I tucked it to look like I was all set during a flight to Spain and back again. It didn't reallly phase me except I was too embarassed to ask for an extender, and I just cried a bit, but pulled myself together. I didn't realize it at the time but my DD who was 12 at the time was so worried and scared for me flying like that. I felt bad for making her feel scared. The second thing that still makes me feel so sad is that one winter I took my family to Walt Disney World to see the Christmas Lights--just a long weekend thing. While the family was sleeping in I went to the food court to grab drinks and Breakfast and bring them back to the room. There was a French man and his SO on holiday and they thought I was the sideshow. He video taped me and was making all kinds of rude comments and puffing out his cheeks like I was the largest thing he'd ever seen in his life--I do know French so I did know waht he was saying. Seriously, before the band I could put some food away, but really 4 breakfasts, I don't think so! This happened more than 5 years ago and it still makes me cry when I think about it.

Icee's have some carbonation in them so you are experiencing the extra gas from that. Keep pushing the gas ex and you should get some relief, Slurpies from 7-11 (they have the crystal light one) also have some carbonation. Slush puppies and the slushies from DQ don't, but they are loaded with sugar and I have not found a sugar free one.

Good Luck! You will get where you need to be and be sliding past 50#'s in no time.

Using phase one of the South Beach plan book will get you off the sugar addiction and in line with banded eating--lots of protein and protein first. Two weeks seems like a long time, but it reallly goes by quickly. I'd say try it spot on for 3 days, if you think you can manage go for a week, if you did well with that week try it for the second week. So long as you don't add in the trigger foods (like white refined sugar snacks) and add whole grains into your eating you will see that the South Beach plan looks very much like what most NUTS suggest we eat after being banded.

I put mine right out there, but I have already heard things like "you'll be too thin", "don't become one of those frail little things", and my favorite this past weekend from my sister, "now I'm the fattest sister" and she cried. What am I supposed to do with that!? My answer is I will stop when I get to a healthy BMI, I am not in competiton to be the thinnest, I didn't do this to finish and still be considered obese, and for my sister--was that a compliment or an insult? I just asked if she needed any clothes and told her to let me know which sizes!:thumbdown:

Count me in, I'd like to stretch myself to lose 12 pounds between now and Mother's Day.

I am totally the last one done. I cut it all lup really small, then chew, chew, chew. I have never times how long I take though, so I have no idea but I think I finish in like half an hour.

Congratulations, Catherine! Wonderful job!

I was banded on feb 12th, I have 2cc ina 10 cc band and I rarely feel resrtiction of any kind. I find I am a bit tighter inteh morning so a shake works well for me. I can gulp water and do not need to cut my meat really tiny to still get it down in the afternoon or evening. So, I think your level of restriction or lack of it is normal. I got freaked out yeasterday when I was eating a Greek yogurt though. Usually it is out of my lunch bag and not ice cold. Yesterday it ws right out of the fridge. I was eating slowlly to be sure to chew the blueberries but I got stuck on it, I could feel the slime, then it just went down. Kind of freaked me out, but was a weird reassurance that the band is indeed there.

and today I broke through it with 51 pounds lost! I was jumping and screaming this morning and my kids were like "what the heck!" I can't wait for Hubby to get home from his business trip today so I can tell him! I have no real restiction still, but this should keep me going until the 14th when I get fill #2.

I'm hoping my mother will be kind and make at least a few foods I can eat, but just in case I have a small can of tuna packed in my purse. I may apck a small bag of good high qulaity fod for myself jsut in case. She doesn't seem to understand it isn't just quantity that I can't have, it is the need for quality food. Hopefully I can leave my extra bag in the car and never need it, but just in case I will be prepared. I know she is having an easter egg hunt on Saturday withall the grandkids and is ordering pizza:scared2:so I will ahve to fend for myself!

Oh gosh that sounds horible. The PA did my fist fill and she hit the port on the first try. I have to lie down with my arms behind my neck and do an ab crunch and hold it. She numbs the area and then does the fill. I was surprised to see that the area was all purple with a bruise the size of a silver dollar, but no pain. I have to admit holding an ab crunch is not my strongest ability, of course if it were I might not be this big!:thumbup: