BabyGotBack

Hi Lynn! Thanks for the encouragement and congrats on your weight loss! For me I will see it as a blessing if I can lose 2 pounds a week. I don't think I want to lose any faster because I don't want to have any excess skin. I already have had a few surgeries to nip and tuck excess skin from one time when I dropped from 240 to 145. I had major bat wings, my skin looked like hanging gum. So, I had bracheoplasty (arm lift) about 2 years ago. They took like half of my upper arm. Now, I need to tone them!!! I also had a tummy tuck and Breast Aug (before the arm lift). I do not want to have another surgery, that was more than enough for me to last a lifetime!!!!!!!:faint: So, I want to tone as I lose and I don't want to have hanging skin. I have heard there are creams and soaps in TJ that people use to tone skin. My friend had given me some and believe it or not it worked. Now, I will ask Dr. Ortiz and staff what they can recommend, if they know what cream and soap I am talking about. Also, has anyone heard of SKIN BRUSHING? I had read on it a few years back and just wondered if anyone has heard about it or done it. You are supposed to brush .your skin with natural boar brisel brushes. It is supposed to stimulate the skin and tone and tighten it. I am going to look into it again and post my findings here. Audree

Hi Liz! That is some of the best news I have heard!!!!!:nervous It is good to hear there are lower BMI bandsters who have lost at a good and consistent pace. I am doing my own little poll on how diet and exercise effect the weight loss and the rate of weight loss. Can you please tell me what kind of "diet", way of eating you followed? What I have found so far, is that those who stick to the doctors advice of prtein first and veggies/fruit plus exercise lose the best. What kind of workout schedule did you follow? Running, elyptical?? Weight training? Did the exercise help with exess skin? Did you use any supplements? appetite suppresants, vitamins, etc What kind of beverages did you drink? Thanks!!! Audree:clap2:

Thanks for the encouragement Jules!!!! Let's keep each other accountable for the exercise. I just can't see to do it. I always need a push and accountability. If I knew I had to answer to you guys to say if I worked out today, I would fee like I HAD to do something!!!!! Have a great day! Audree

Can you believe it is going to be 2007????? I can't believe it. I am finally going to be able to keep my New Years Resolution to lose weight "this" year and not ever gain it back!!!! I can really say it and believe it this time. I can really say I am going to get back to the gym and get firm and tone this time. It is going to change my life. I have no energy right now and would take a nap and go to bed early if I could. I get really cranky due to lack of energy. I always feel like crap when I don't exercise regularly. I was a few months ago, and fell of the wagon and couldn't get back on. What is your goal for weight loss??? Mine is hopefully 30 pounds by my 12 year anniversary on July 1st (do you think that is doable for a lower bmier in 6 months?) and the last 20 by my birthday on November 8. I think that is a pretty reasonable goal. How are we all doing on our preops? Mine starts tomorrow. I can have a protein shake for breakfast and a Lean Cuisine for lunch/dinner. I have been drinking my water and crystal light. Talk to you soon! Audree

Who else is beeing banded by Dr. Ortiz besides myself??? Audree

It's great to hear from you!!! I was starting to worry! I can't believe my day is coming, next Thursday I will be driving out!!!! YYYYIIIPPPEEEEE I am so glad to hear you are doing so great!:clap2: My pre op diet starts tomorrow! I can't wait! I am going to go to the store and get my Lean Cuisine's, look for a low sodium boullion at a health store, get my chewable gas x, liquid tylenol, etc. I never thought I'd say this but I am burnt out on regular food. I normally eat very healthy and on a diet, so my body feels so sluggish. I didn't get to start my exercise routine yet. I am going to go for a walk today, get my elyptical machine out of the garage and into the house :rolleyes I have been telling my mom and husband that I have been on the UN-Diet these last few weeks, just eating the things I never let myself eat normaly due to liveing my whole life on this diet to the next. I feel totally ready to take this journey. Thanks for taking it with me!!!! Audree

Thanks! It has been a while. My baby is 5 years old. Audree

Are these like the Mylecon drops for babies when they have gas???Audree

Let's all keep each other in our prayers!:nervous I am getting banded 2 daya after you! I can't believe it. I was orginally supposed to be banded on Dec. 18 and I never thought the day would come!! But, here it comes!!!! Audree

Sunshine: I will be in Mexico three days, I leave next Thursday, Jan. 4, surgery on Friday and back home on Saturday. Your day will be here faster than you know it!!!:bananapartyhat: Audree

DeckedOut: Thanks for the great advice and encouragement. Audree:clap2:

I beleive they let you use there phones to call home. I heard the hotel was 5 Star and immaculate. One thing I heard is that the mattresses are very, very firm, so I was thinking of taking my own pillow (Temperpedic). I called my Cingular carrier and they said if I add on a International plan for 3.99 a month (I can cancel anytime), I will have service and only 49 cents a minute. Audree

I am driving out of Rancho Cucamonga, CA Jan. 4, Thursday after noon to arrive hopefully about 6pm. My hotel accomodations are in TJ at the Lucerna Hotel. They will pick me up Friday morning. I will stay the night and go back home on Saturday. Where are you coming from and what are your plans? Audree

Susan: Are you going alone? You are very brave. I was going to go alone too, but my mom is going to go with me after all. I would love to stay in touch and compare our journeys. What day does Feg. 19th land on. I can see about going on that day too. :nervous Audree

I can't believe it either and I am getting very anxious. Now, I am just trying to figure out what to take so I don't get there and say "I can't believe I didnt take..." I am getting a little scared!!!! Audree

Man, I was on another thread and I questioned this advice, and an all out brawl came out of it!!!! EEEAAAKKKKKK The advice is actually from a British medical website. I think that advice is dangerous. Audree

I was wondering if anyone could add to my list??? Here is what I came up with so far. a robe, slippers heating pad (I guess the warmth helps with the dreaded gas pains, as well as a hot bath), gax x (I am currently taking a poll of what meds are best for gas pains) chapstick your own prescription pain meds if you have any comfortable pull up drawstring pants or sweasts type sports bras that won't dig into your port or incision area comfy shoes for walking a warm and cooler outfit in case the weather is very different than home makeup, brush, face lotion all your paperwork they need the original copy of cell phone numbers of the person who is arragning your pick up (probably Rene) change your cell phone to international calling plan (3.99 a month with Cingular)..... Thanks!!!

Cool Susan! We should keep in touch to compare stories and advice, etc.!!! I am really excited! Audree

I was reading on another board that there doctor told them if food got stuck , they should take sips of hot water or drink soda. What do you guys think about that. I actually, if I had never read these boards,would think it was good advice. It said the reason for the soda would be so the carbonation could dislodge the food. I seems to make sense. But,then someone on the board says a nurse told them to drink water to dislodge and it caused such a bad slip they had to have an emergency removal that saved their life! What do you guys think?Audree

Susan: We really think alike. I also want to follow some type of organized eating plan. I think I will do the 6 week body makeover or the Makers Diet. They are both really healthy. I will probably take a few of the eating plans I have done and rotate them. I was thinking of also taking an appetite suppresant to ease the huner pangs when they come. I want to do everything in my power to not pb or gets so hungry that I eat too fast or something. I see some people are really against it, but some take them also. I think I may do it until I get the right restriction and maybe only during that week before my period and during times I may go to a BBQ or something to take the edge off. I took something called quick slim 30 and it worked very well. All natural and it is in a little capsule that comes apart and is powder inside. 2 more days till our pre op!!!! I have not heard of your doctor before. I wonder if he is close to my doctor. I am going to be staying at the Lucerna hotel during my stay. That is where the doctor puts up his patients. Where are you staying? Audree

I'd like to know too! Audree

Thanks!!! Now I dont' feel so alone! :clap2: I was just telling my mom that I don't even feel it in me anymore to try "another" diet. If it weren't for the band, I think i'd give up. I don't have it in me to crash diet again. My mom was asking me wasn't it always easy for me to lose, but that is not the problem. I did lose many times over and over, just to gain it back over and over. i just can't keep it off. The best time was when I went all the way to 140 and squeezed my butt into a size 5 somehow. Those pants only fit me for 1 week and I started ballooning right back up. It was so fast, i didn't even get to enjoy it. Before the band, I was thinking about doing something like LA weight loss, but KNEW I'd gain it back the second I lost it. I have never been able to do the maintenance section of any diet. Audree

Hi Karen! I had a question about something I read in the article. I am going to copy the section below: Stuck in your stomach If you have not followed your eating plan rules, you may get a piece of food stuck in your stoma which can be quite uncomfortable. The first advice is not to panic about it, as most times it will eventually dislodge again on its own accord. To help move the food item on, try taking tiny sips of a hot drink over a period of an hour. Some people recommend that this is the one occasion that coke is good to drink as the bubbles encourage your stomach to distend and dislodge the blockage. If 24hrs has gone by and you still have something stuck and nothing else is going down (or its coming straight back up) you need to attend your hospital for a temporary de-fill of your band to ease the problem. What does anyone think of the advice? It sounds like it would be a good thing to do, but I haven't heard anyone else on this board say anything about sipping Hot drinks or drinking soda during a time when food is stuck. Do they mean during a time you fell like PBing? I did notice it is a British board. Would British and American/Mexican doctors differ so much in advice? Thanks, I am just really curious if anyone has used this advice or if they just let the food come out on its own. Audree

I actually did go get a full physical with blood work, the whole 9. I don't have any medical problems. I actually never fasted for long periods of time on just shakes. I did something called the Daniel Fast, which still allows food, but I think I just ate too too much of what was allowed. I was fasting with shakes for breakfast and lunch, but my dinner was just in way to large of quantities. I did Atkins, but then again, my portions were enormous. The only time recently I lost weight, was doing something called the 6 Week Body Makeover (which I may do again on the band since it falls into all the banding rules and I do better on a plan of some sort) and replacing all 3 meals with shakes. My main problem is my portions are just way to big, too many calories in one sitting. I can out eat my husband and he is a very muscular and tall guy who can eat a lot. He does not and has never had a weight problem. He eats when hungry and stops when he is full, what a novel idea!!!:faint: He is really happy for me that I am getting banded. That look in his eyes, when I get a hold of a new diet, where I will lose weight this time, is pain for me. Before I got banded i was all excited about starting the eat healthy 80% of the time and allow myself to eat whatever 20% of the time (but no matter how healthy, if I have a big serving and go back for thirds....)he just looked so sad. I asked him what was wrong and he said that he felt bad for me, we had had the same "new diet" talk so many times before..... I feel like I will be finally set free of this "hell". Has anyone seen Groundhog's Day? That is how I feel on a diet. Get up and live the same yo yo diet, recycled diets, fad diets, etc. Audree

Thanks for that awesome article. I think I am going to print it out and read it everyday. I told my husband that I figured out why I have to come here so much everyday. I am reprogramming my brain to learn a totally new way of living. For example, I told him what would be the first thing he'd do if I started choking? He said give me some water to drink. Well, I told him after the band, that would be the worse thing to do. Once pre op starts, I will again begin my journal on what I eat, how I feel, etc. Audree