jensmallwood

Thanks, ladies!! :w00t:

My doctor puts in a specific amount- but it's not a number we're encouraged to care about at all (if that makes sense.) A lot of people compare their fill amounts when there just is no means of comparison. My 3ccs might give me the right restriction for me, while it takes 11ccs for you. I don't know how much I have- and don't really care. (But I guess I'm glad my doctor knows...)

I buy the super dark (88% cacao) individual squares, and have one with a cup of chamomile in the evening. There's so little sugar (compared to milk chocolate) that it doesn't cause an increase in carb cravings for me, AND it's good for me. I take little tiny nibbles and let each one melt in my mouth (I know, sounds like chocolate sex or something...) :w00t: It's 50 calories, and it makes me happy. :laugh: AND- once you get used to the really dark chocolate- regular milk chocolate starts to taste really gross (a huge bonus, in my opinion!)

Wow-- congratulations on the fantastic weight loss! Are you getting in all your vits and minerals? I think that might make a big difference in how your face looks-- a thin face with a rosy, healthy glow is different from gaunt/hollow with circles under the eyes.... kwim? And I agree- Water, water, water!

My doctor is happy with .5 to 2 pounds per week. I've been losing on average a bit more than 10 pounds per month (yay!). This week I've been losing much more quickly because I had a fill last Friday (I've lost 5 pounds already this week.) I know that'll slow down soon, but I'm enjoying it while I can!

I'm so sorry to hear that your husband isn't being supportive. That makes things so much harder for you. Have you asked him WHY he doesn't want you to do this? Is he scared that you'll be hurt during the surgery? Is he worried that you'll get all thin and hot and leave him? Is he overweight and worried that you'll nag him to get the surgery, too? Maybe if you try to find out WHY he's so upset about it, you can make some inroad into winning his support. Otherwise, I'd recommend a therapist (I'm a big believer in therapy.) If he'll go with you, maybe you can get to the root of the issue- if he won't, maybe the therapist can help you learn to deal with your husband's lack of support. Good luck with this, and please know that we are here for you!

10-11 pounds a month is fantastic! And about what I'm losing (though I've been losing like crazy this week, since I had my 2nd fill last Friday). I typically eat: b-fast- two scrambled eggs, and either 1 pce whole wheat toast w/ promise OR a half cup of berries lunch- 3 oz Protein, plus veggies and maybe 1/2 c whole grain (like brown rice or whole wheat pasta) Dinner- same sort of thing as lunch- but if I had the whole grain at lunch, I won't have it at dinner- but I will have some starchier/legume type thing (say, 1/2 c black Beans or some sweet potato) If I have a snack (and I often do because I teach at the Y in the evenings and often can't have dinner until 8pm (so I'll have a snack at 4pm)- it is typically Greek yogurt (vanilla) and 1/2 c berries. I average about 1200-1600 calories per day, and I burn 2100-2600 calories (per my bodybugg). I aim for a 1000 cal deficit per day.

I used to teach shallow Water fitness classes at my Y-- in general, the crowd was mostly middle-aged women, some thin, but many who were just starting to try exercise. Many of them were overweight. I think in the 3 or 4 months or so I taught, I had one man, and only a few young people (teenagers). It's a great workout-- the resistance of the water as you move your body is what makes it so great. However, because of that resistance, it means that you are moving more slowly. It may be hard to get your heart rate up at first, until you get strong enough to work against the resistance faster. But that's ok! It's still great exercise- easy on the joints and can be really fun (depending mostly on your instructor!) There are also deep water exercise classes at some facilities.

Congratulations, Mikissa! Heal, heal, heal!

What Betsy said.

I didn't have any tightness after my first fill (but I think it was significantly less than 6ccs-- not sure, though- my doc doesn't discuss that so much because he doesn't want us to obsess about "how much"). Even after my second fill- while I have restriction with food (yay), I have none with liquids-- which is as it should be. Wait until you get onto solids on Saturday to see if you feel anything (and by "feel anything" I don't mean getting stuck or PBing- just see if you get full sooner. That's the goal.) I'm sorry that you had a negative experience!!

That's awesome, Jon! Way to go, and you look fantastic!

You've probably figured it out by now... but hold onto the outer square and press hard in the corner by the last "g" in bodybugg. You have to press hard-- don't worry- it won't break! (it took me a while to figure out how to get it out, too.)

Wow- how scary! I'm glad you are ok! I agree with your message-- it's easy to forget that this is serious surgery when you're desperate for a weight loss "fix." People should research thoroughly and know all the risks and benefits before going forward.

I'd recommend following whatever diet your doctor prescribed.... pretty much to the letter...

I'd call your doctor's office-- I'm sure they know how much your insurance will pay, and what amount will be left over and billed to you. You'll also want to find out if fills are covered- completely, 80% or what, and how much you'll pay out of pocket for that.

I'm so sorry to hear this! It must be incredibly frustrating. Good luck with your appeal-- I'll keep my fingers and toes crossed for you!

I felt well enough at 3 weeks to go on a trip (felt back to normal about a week out.) As the others have said, the biggest problem (unless you feel badly) is that you likely won't be on solid food yet. If you're gonna be eating at restaurants mostly, it may be hard to find food that you can eat.

Good for you, Melissa! It sounds like you are doing really well. I understand about having a hard time at the end of a long day-- it's like my butt and the couch are magnetic!! I found that signing up for a class (like your aquafit) really motivated me to do it-- especially if it was a really lively group of people.

While the BodyBugg arm band will be ruined in the water-- the digital display is water resistant (up to 30 meters, says the the guide). If you're using the digital display as a watch, you could keep it on during your class provided you take the armband OFF. I've worn a water resistant Timex watch for years now in the pool. The thing to know is that you should NOT press any of the buttons in the water. Pressing the buttons can allow water to get inside and destroy the insides of the thing. This digital dislay is so expensive that I'd just take it off and not risk it (since it won't be recording the info anyway.) You CAN manually log aqua aerobics online, too.

My program wants me to burn 2600 calories, and consume 1600 calories. I was able to do that the last two days- but that's a lot of calories to burn!! And I haven't quite reached the 1600 calories in each day, either. I was quite active on both days-- one day included a 30 min run, and walking around a flea market for a few hours plus a dog walk. The other day included a 2 hour walk with my son and dog, some yard work. My scale is down an impressive amount since I started wearing my BB on Saturday-- but it's likely to be coincidence, since it's only two days (I'm down 3 pounds). For right know, just wearing it is motivating for me to get up and do a little 10 min walk here and there that I wouldn't normally do. Love it!!

Congratulations on getting everything done!! Hopefully you'll hear from the insurance company quickly!

Congratulations! What an accomplishment!

Ooh, Betsy- the pushup challenge looks awesome! (albeit painful). I think I'm gonna try it, too!!

I'm glad you found something that worked! That gas pain sucked!