LisaA

Hi all, welcome BandedTheresa! yeah you are rockin. So far I've done 3 miles this week. hoping for 2 weeks in row with the 7 miles. I am looking at treadmills on craigslist. I wonder if my buyers guide is too much out of my class, ass in the whole state of Ohio I can only fine 1 of them on my list. I'd love advice on models that people like, I'm like 275 so I need one that can handle that kind of weight. I'd like a good motor and to be able to fold up as I don't have a lot of room. I feel like on the treadmill I'll do more now that it's getting colder. Luckily with the time change I'm no longer walking in the pitch dark LOL>

Hi Gingero, I don't ride, I always felt I was too over weight for it, but I know many folks who ride, and you are right it is great exercise. welcome! awesome you are close to your goal.

thanks rambunctious so I did it this week I did 7 miles (2 today). now I gotta keep that up and add about 20 minutes of yoga each day, Lisa

hi all, I am only down 6 lbs since my 9.27 surgery, trying to not get discouraged. trying to keep on track. My first fill is next week, I hope that helps out some with things. I know I have to stay positivve I"ve been tracking my food on fitday.com I've noticed that I am consistently low on potassium, Vitamin e, and Iron, very interesting, trying to figure out the answer, I guess supplements. also, my instinct diet book is very big on fiber being a very important factor in dieting and feeling full. not to mention colon health lol. well you all are awesome. thanks for being here.

hi all, so far this week I have 5 miles, and tomorrow I intend on getting another one in. you all are doing great!

NO my fill is in a week, I've also gained 2 lbs in the 2 weeks, so now I've only lost 6 lbs since surgery. I had also gained and lost another lb. this week my calories are good. I hope it gets better. I love yoga, I"m not back at yet, I hope you like it.

Oh Joany, I must have misread your post, I thought you were worried about insurance. I think it will be covered, seems common. I also thought you were self pay, but if your insurance paid for the procedure then it definitely will for any fixes. and even if it didn't cover the procedure many people get fixes covered. So don't worry about anything but getting better, and walking. 1200, that's about where I'm trying to stay, although I'm spending a couple days like at 900, to sort of shake things up- I had a bad weekend LOL. Happy haloween.

does anyone know if the lapband procedure can be taken from a health savings account.

Ok so last week I did get in like 3 miles total (lame) this Monday I woke up and walked before work- cool thinking about asking santa for a tread mill- any recommendations-

Oh MissJoany, I am thinking of you, I hope you haven't flipped either- I wonder if you do need surgery if your insurance will cover it- some times I've read that people that were denied coverage for the surgery, had luck when things went wrong? I don't know. So did you never get your disability paperwork figured out- like did your doc never turn that paperwork in. I might consider trying a different doc if that's the case, and his port flipped, and he doesn't offer you any help with paying to fix it. Well hopefully none of that will be the issue. good luck Lisa

Mytrice- wow that is so terrible, I'm so sorry, why can't they get you in sooner, seems like they ought to make you a priority since it's their work that has turned defective. great job on the weight loss. if you want to start a thread you have to go into a category first, and be logged in, and there should be a thing once in that category to start a new thread lifesaver4, my weight loss is not very fast either. and it comes and then goes. a few things people have told me is that for some folks have too low of a cal per day can cause your body to go into stop metabolism mode- just store everything as fat. depending on your size and your activity, I think many recommend like 1200 or even more if you are high activity. so if your cals are low try raising them. journal is is important, I use myfit day, it's a free online thing. Also- I've been told by another nurse to shoot for 1200 per day, with once a week 1600 and once a week 1000 - to sort of shake things up - the metabolism can get into ruts. But importantly 1.5- 2 lbs per week is what you should be averaging- I understand your frustration though, my surgery was Sept 27 and I have lost 10 lbs since then, but gained 2 back. ugg.

monica thanks for the tip bunny I missed the thai links, what were they, I don't see them but my computer is going really slow, maybe I'm not far enough back. One thing about the whole commenting on weight loss, so there is this person, so two people in my work place have lost a lot of weight in the past year, being and over weight person I definately notice, always comparing myself type of thing. But I never once mentioned it. I can't put my finger on it. It's funny, there is this innner dialoge that is like, "don't mention weight, - not sure why- can't put my finger on the reason when I self analyze- it feels sort of like, maybe it will draw attention to myself- I'm sure folks notice my huge weight LOL- maybe it's linked to my own fear, in the past cycle of constant try and fail with weight loss- that people will jinx me if they mention something- when deep down inside I always felt certain I was going to fail. I don't know what I'd do if I lost 151 lobs and someone said did you lose some weight- I sort of do that with guys that say shave a giant beard off, I'll be like, did you get a hair cut or something. I don't know. It's an interesting bit really. For a culture obsessed with weight there are some strange unspoken rules that some follow and others don't. There is also a peice that I've heard the other end of conversations, 'about' people with big weight loss. And that is sometimes in my area anyway, skinny people often say, oh I think they are too skinny, maybe they have some sort of eating disorder. So I always think, the longer it takes for them to notice or say anythihng the longer it will take them to say that sort of thing behind my back. LOL>

Uggh, this week is no good for exercise, I've walked 1 mile so far- geesh, I've also gained 2 lbs- uggh. I just don't understand, the walking is the bare minimum I feel, 7 miles a week- (or 1 mile a day) just doesn't seem that much, if I can't muster that I will never progress. So disappointing. Lisa

Zen you are amazing, wow, 60 lbs, incredible. I started a few lbs heavier then you, but have lost almost 30 and no one has said anything. I said something to my husband about I feel I can see a difference in my face and he said he hadn't noticed but that he thinks I'm beautiful (gag). Anyway I think at 60 lbs there is no way people don't notice but they are being polite. I have done the same thing- people who lost a ton of weight and I was too afraid to mention it. I can't wait till I can say I've lost 60 lbs. Joany I still have tenderness although I was banded later. like if I squat and try to look in the bottom cupboard forget it. I can lay on either side, and always could. when is your check up? You all are great, and doing awesome, thanks for all the info.

no prob, I didn't type it though, can't take credit, sut and paste from OCC.

Hi all, went out of town last weekend - ate too much, but the food choices were good anyway. I didn't get the 7 miles in last week but close- 6. part of my goal is to actually walk like a mile each day - where hikes are extra- but I'm going to use my hike to say how many miles I walked. so I didn't walk every day but I did walk- LOL. you all are doing great- recognizing that you are trying, pat yourself on the back, and encourage yourself,- it's practice not perfection-

hhi all wanna b this is what my doc puts out. The following suggestions are good rules of thumb and will greatly increase your chances of getting a good fill. 1. Make sure you are very well hydrated when you come in for your fill appointment. That means at least 6 to 8 full glasses of liquid every day for at least several days before the fill. (Remember, Water is your friend). Drink especially well the morning of the fill. If you're flying in, it can be much harder to stay hydrated, so take an empty drink bottle and fill it after you pass airport security. TSA rules state you can bring an empty water bottle past the TSA security check point. Ask the flight attendants for a refill of your water bottle if needed. They say that every hour you’re in the air, you lose 8oz of Fluid. So, If your flight is 3 hours long, your down 24oz of fluid. So drink up! 2. Do not to have any solid foods for at least 6 hours before the fill. Don't eat a huge or late dinner the night before. If you're having any trouble (reflux, possible slip, etc) please have nothing but fluids after dinner the night before. In some cases, food can still be in the pouch for 12 or more hours. Any food in the pouch will make it impossible to give a good fill, or get a good fluoro. 3. Don't drink cold fluids for an hour before the fill. That will shrink your stomach and give a false fluoro reading, and a poor fill. Room temp fluids are fine. 4. Avoid getting a fill during a menstrual period or a few days before an expected one. During this time, girls are usually retaining water, and the fluoro will not be as accurate, and the fill will not be either. 5. If at all possible, hang around for at least a few hours after a fill. Don't run right back home or to the plane. It takes the normal swelling after a fill 1-2 hours to develop, and by that time you might be too tight and need to come right back. 6. If you fly in, If at all possible, stay overnight and catch a plane out the following late afternoon or evening. If you are too tight, this will allow time to get a small unfill before you leave. This is not very convenient, but sure beats having to possibly return to TJ in a few days, on short notice, in pain, and at high last-minute plane fares! This is "prevention!" Overfills are not common, but they do happen, even under the best of conditions. Be prepared, and think about this overnight stay. Test your fill the next day before you leave. 7. After a fill, please have liquids only for at least 24 hrs. This allows the stomach to rest and heal. Then, a day of soft foods, then back to regular foods. Full liquids are fine, no need for clears. Remember, if you staying over night test your fill before you fly out. 8. Review the eating and food guidelines again before every fill. You’ll need to refine your eating more and more with higher fill levels, and there will be less and less room for goofs. As you reach a higher fill level, you'll no longer be able to "get away" with things you might have before! 9. Please don't get a fill if you are having any trouble with the current level of fill. This means any regular pain, PB or barfing more than maybe once a week at the very most, not able to get enough calories in, not able to drink enough, able to eat only soft foods or fluids. More fill will NOT help, and will make things worse. Discuss all this carefully with your doctor. You may even need an UNFILL, to keep your band and stomach safe. 10. First fills are routinely given at 6-10 weeks after surgery, but only as you need them. Many people do, some do not. Your doctor will help you decide if you need a fill, just ask. There is no rush for fills. Too much can very easily get you in trouble, and you end up further "behind" than if you had gone slower with fills. 11. Give a fill at least 2-3 weeks to test it. Some fills don't "settle in" for a week or two, and sometimes more. Your weight loss is what determines how a fill is - not any feeling of restriction, necessarily. 12. One of the most important things in determining if a fill is good is choosing proper band foods. Soft foods, liquids, junk foods, sweets, etc, will never be well-restricted, and will never tell a thing about having a good fill or not. Only solid foods give useful info. A good test meal is 2-4 oz of solid meat or chicken - be sure it's soft and moist - and about 1/2 cup veggies. You should be able to eat about a cup of food (no less) and this should keep you satisfied for about 3-4 hrs. 13. Plan regular meals. A good fill will keep you satisfied for 3-4 hrs, but no longer. If you are hungry 5 hrs after lunch, it is not because you have an inadequate fill! Regular meals at planned times are important for a number of reasons; including avoiding snacking, maximizing your calorie burn and normalizing metabolism, which is essential for weight maintenance later on. 14. Learn to recognize your "soft stop" sign. Common ones are chest tightness or "fullness", a sudden runny nose, a single hiccup or burp, an eye twitch, back pain, left should pain. All mean the pouch is full enough and we should stop eating, even spitting out the bite that may be already in our mouths. If you do not, you could progress to the "hard stop" - slimming, pb, barfing. Please remember that good fills are very elusive, even with highly- experienced docs and fill people. There are just too many individual factors involved that the doctors cannot control. Even the fluoro is only a clue, and not entirely accurate - for some of the reasons above. It usually takes 3- 5 fills to slowly and safely creep up on a good level, and they can be safely given a month apart. Trying to go faster with a bigger fill is not the solution, and the stomach rebels at big sudden fills. The goal of the first few fills is not to achieve a good restriction, but to gradually get your stomach used to some pressure so you can tolerate a good fill later. SLOW and GRADUAL is the key! Going slowly with fills can be frustrating, but is well worth the wait to avoid problems.

Wow everyone, such great info and stories etc. I have one thing to share with everyone that I really liked it felt very inspirational to me. I think I'm ok from my throwing up deal, on my first week of solids, feeling hungry of course LOL So where to start cnewstine - you are cracking my up, you must have hella insurance or hella cash, I can't imagine not telling the husband just cause what a huge cash decision it was for my family. really nice story about him showing up / supporting you. I love it. thanks for sharing. lisamac 32---- here are some much loved recipe resources theworldaccordingtoeggface great recipes and resources from an experienced WLS person Also I totally love the instinct diet by susan roberts- this is a new book this year that is loaded with 1200 cal meal plans, great recipes, and it covers meals if you want something fast, want soemthing homecooked, vegetarian or meat. Plus it has great emergency food, etc. and just all great food information cover to cover. It is not specific to bariatric, and maybe some altering will be necessary once restriction makes some food more difficult to eat. but I don't think it will take much altering. I also use sparkpeople.com to enter a recipe, and get back a full breakdown of nutriens/ calories by serving size. Then I enter this into my fitday.com food journal. Vhayes- wowie, 8 mil- and you are in ohio- please tell me your doctor and if the fill was flouro- I am in ohio by my surgeon is in Mexico so I'm looking for a good fill place- most places only put like 5 in at first at most. wow I'd love to imagine 8- I hear sometimes it takes a week to feel it- let me know if you feel restriction at all or the same. Miss Joany- I think I feel it or mayb ejust scar tissue, it is a little tender but doesn't stick out. I do hear some - especially post op, have issues with it sticking out and sometimes have to get the port relocated, sometimes the rub on bones etc. Rambunctious, wow, working out alot and 1000-1200 cals, that's intense. I've read somewhere that if you eat something solid with protein- not a shake- but like a hard boiled egg, or some tofu, or chicken, - after work out that it can help. or better yet work out right before a meal. Well all great to read all the stuff, I'm down 26 with post op. Lisa

you runners are an inspiration, I can't imagine it, my husband jogs and I hope to someday too. Anyway so I waled my regular 1 mile each of monday and tuesday, yesterday I had to do some field work and walked 1.6 miles, so I feel I will definitely get my 7 miles this week. Great job everyone else on excercising. Zen I haven't heard in from you lately, are you going to do that charity walk - how have you been doing? Lisa

Hi there ladies, Angie I was thinking of something - At OCC we just had a gal who is down to like 142 and went for a fill, the dr.s there said she had lost all the weight she can with the band, that if she wanted to lose more weight she would need to work out- which she hadn't done much of in the time that she had the band. I was thinking of that regarding you feeling like you have been trying for a long time and still not losing. Maybe ramping up your excercise might get you there, but I'm sure it would be slow anyway because of your current amazing size Anyway you had asked what I was doing for excercise- I am currently walking, trying to do a mile every day - 7 miles per week. this is not that fast about 3 miles per hour. I haven't started back to my yoga with I want to do about 20 minutes per day also In the future, maybe as soon at after new years??? I'd like to add some weight circuit work a few times a week too???? who knows though. Lisa

laura, jealous, wow, 15lbs post op since the 30th, geez you are remarkable. work it girl shelly h excercise is better for so many reasons, plus I've known to people that spend 5+ years skinny from bypass, and now are just as big- and hten there is the pain, and the nutrient absorption, great job on the weight loss. I'm having trouble chewing, I've been on solids for 1.5 days, and twice have had an incident where something felt sort of stuck, I drank a little water and walked in circles, cursing myself, and it was alright. I have to restriction, I fear having restriction because I don't think I would have made it through so easily. Lisa

lisa e, I'm in that boat too, I just don't think they need to know. If I succeed I will talk about it more maybe. but I'm in no hurry. lisa a

Angie congratulations, the pre surgery time can be a process and a journey all on it's own, well depending on your doc's requirements and your insurance company. It was great for me to get into the right frame of mind. Lisa Oh Annie, foods are going well, religiously journaling on my fit day. definitely good for the ocd in me, doing good even though I'm at the office. Lisa

Well today is my day one for picking up the pace and doing my old route with hills. I did my mile with my gps and was averaging 3.1 mph and actually did 1.1 miles.

Oh Brenda, I'm so sorry? do they think the band has something to do with the tennative nature of your pregnancy? I'm sure you are already really ramping up on vitamins and rest and water. remember your folic and your essential fatty acids- I'm sure you've got all this covered, but if you are losing weight make sure you are getting the nutrients. I lost weight in my first few months of pregnancy, too sick to eat. I think the sickness is your body telling you to rest. good luck girl, I'm so sorry you are having these difficulties, it's hard enough to wrap your head around a new baby, and then all the excitement that comes with that plus all this worry. I'm thinking about you. Wishing you the best. you know if you can get into it, I've read studies that speak very highly of high amounts of miso in the diet to battle affects from surgery in your body, maybe it would help with you and the baby. I love miso, - with sauteed onions and garlic, and stock of some kind - could be chicken, and while it's heating mix in the miso, I love the flavor. Lisa