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I have PCOS.... I have never been regular. I took Metformin (Glucophage) for the last 10 years, and found out that what we thought was Celiac Disease with me (chronic bowel issues) ended up being a sensitivity to Glucophage.... non-resolvable diarrhea. (sorry if TMI) I went off Glucophage this past January. I've had every period since then. It started every 50 days..... then every 40ish..... Had my LB placed in August... now getting my period about every 32 days. I even FELT my egg pop in September. I've also known when I was ovulating, so I was able to fend my husband off (name is tripletmomma for a reason!) Your hormones are starting to shift/normalize, and while they do that, you may experience many things! It's weird.... but isn't it nice getting your body into some sort of rhythm?

I had my first fill on 7/19 and have been on liquids since. Tomorrow I get to start soft food and was wondering if low carb tortilla wraps are considered soft? I'm not sure and don't want to mess anything up. I know people have trouble with it, but figure I won't know till I try. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!

Per the CDC Bmi calculator you can get a range. You have to decide where you are most comfortable as long as it is healthy. <TABLE borderColor=#111111 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=760 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=14></TD><TD vAlign=top align=left width=544 height="100%"><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=544 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=544><TABLE borderColor=#111111 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=7 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=PageHeading>BMI — Body Mass Index: Adult BMI Calculator: Results</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=7 width="100%" border=0><TBODY></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> <TABLE class=boxBackground style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" borderColor=#cecfb5 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="90%" border=1><TBODY><TR><TD scope=col align=middle width="100%" bgColor=#ffcc99><TABLE id=AutoNumber1 style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" borderColor=#111111 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="50%">For the information you entered: </TD><TD width="50%"> </SPAN>Calculate again: English | Metric </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD scope=row bgColor=#ffffff><TABLE id=AutoNumber3 style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" borderColor=#111111 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="50%"><SCRIPT language=javascript> var inches = delineate2(text) var inches = inches - 0; // an arithmetic operation converts string to numeric var pounds = delineate(text); var pounds = pounds - 0; // an arithmetic operation converts string to numeric var bmi = Math.round(pounds * 703 * 10 / inches / inches) / 10; var feet = parseInt(inches / 12); var inches = inches % 12; var inches = Math.round(inches*100)/100; //rounds off long javascript decimals document.write('Height: ' + feet + ' feet, ' + inches + ' inches '); document.write('Weight: ' + pounds + ' pounds '); document.write('Your BMI is ' + bmi + ', '); </SCRIPT>Height: 5 feet, 0 inches Weight: 125 pounds Your BMI is 24.4, indicating your weight is within the normal range for adults of your height. Maintaining a healthy weight may reduce the risk of chronic diseases associated with overweight and obesity. For information about the importance of a healthy diet and physical activity in maintaining a healthy weight, visit Tips for Adults on Achieving a Healthy Weight. </TD><TD width="50%"> <TABLE class=boxBackground style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" borderColor=#cecfb5 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 border=1><TBODY><TR><TD class=psmall scope=col align=middle bgColor=#ffcc99>BMI</TD><TD class=psmall scope=col align=middle bgColor=#ffcc99>Weight Status</TD></TR><TR><TD class=psmall scope=row align=middle bgColor=#ffffff>Below 18.5</TD><TD class=psmall align=middle bgColor=#ffffff>Underweight</TD></TR><TR><TD class=psmall scope=row align=middle bgColor=#ffffff>18.5–24.9</TD><TD class=psmall align=middle bgColor=#ffffff>Normal</TD></TR><TR><TD class=psmall scope=row align=middle bgColor=#ffffff> 25.0–29.9</TD><TD class=psmall align=middle bgColor=#ffffff>Overweight</TD></TR><TR><TD class=psmall scope=row align=middle bgColor=#ffffff>30.0 and Above</TD><TD class=psmall align=middle bgColor=#ffffff>Obese</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Hi, I was banded on 7-19. I was wondering is it normal to have swelling over the port site...or can anyone else feel their port? Thanks, Kristie

**UPDATE 02/16/16*** I had my psych eval done this evening. He said that he was highly recommending me for surgery! So relieved!!!! I am really worried about the psych eval and whether or not i will pass. I am currently in counseling, in fact, Ive been in counseling for the last 10 years, to keep me stabilized. I take medication of depression and anxiety disorders, and also have a personality disorder. I am worried. I am stable. I am medicated, and I want to be the best person i can be, even if it means taking it the rest of my life to manage my symptoms. But this is putting me in an anxiety spiral. Does anyone have any insight? or have any of you passed an eval with issues like my own?

Yes, I take Probiotic 10 by Natures bounty @ costco. Two capsules has over 20 billion live probiotic cultures and organisms. I took them when I had surgery last year and I believed they really helped with my speedy recovery!

So I am getting my surgery Oct 18 with Dr Garcia and it was planned pretty fast after being denied by insurance so little time. I was going to try and get a passport card but couldn't find my birth certificate to get it. I was told the card is not really needed...just come with ID and birth cert. I just ordered one on a rush yesterday but it says 5 to 10 business days so likely wont make it in time. I read other places online people saying they got through with just id and ss card. Anyone done this?

Hi I went to a support meeting yesterday and asked if anyone had their "before" pictures and out of 10 people only 1 woman was able to show me a picture and it was in her phone because many admitted they hated the way the looked in pictures so they stopped taking them. Ihave been unable to avoid taking them but I cringe when I see pictures of myself (even my wedding pictures) and can't wait until the day I can smile when I see a picture of my TRUE self with the layers of fat that have covered me for so many years gone. I also love the quote you have on your post. Its simple, but powerful. Good luck with reaching your goal.

*I posted this in beginners but think this is the correct forum? Unsure* First of all, SO glad to have found this site. I had my gastric band op 10 days ago. The first week was excruciating in terms of trapped air, nausea, post op pain but now recovering well. I am currently on a liquid diet - concerned as I am supposed consuming liquid like soup, protein shakes, milk etc but have only been consuming water and tea. The first few days I had some yoghurt and soup but developed a repulsion i.e nausea to anything milk based. Prior to the op I purchased an lot of high protein milk based shakes just for this phase but have touched a single one. - Should I be worried? Especially with the emphasis placed on 'high protein' consumption? - When entering the soft food phase I plan on consuming tuna but the booklet given to me. post op says tuna is too 'lean' for soft food phase and should stick to 'soft fish'. Has anyone added tuna to soft food phase? Doesn tuna not count as 'soft food' ? Thanks so much in advance! https://www.bariatricpal.com/index.php?/topic/402146-10-days-post-op---a-few-questions-please%21/page__view__findpost__p__4516450

7/24 - 10 weeks out, 30.5 pounds down, from 271 to 240.5 Well, I'm truckin' along, and although it SEEMS slow to me, I just realized it actually hasn't been all that slow since I got my first fill. I just looked back at the calendar, and my fill was 2 weeks ago, on 7/10. On 7/10 I weighed 249, and I now weigh 240.5. So, that's a little less than 10 pounds in 2 weeks!! That's actually fantastic!! Wow, all of a sudden I'm counting how many weeks till we go to the beach for our summer vacation, and calculating potentially how far down I COULD be if this restriction holds out!!!!!!! I could be a svelte 210 pounds by then if I play my cards right! Ahhh!! Can't even let myself hope for that, because I don't want to end up feeling discouraged. I've been telling myself that I'd be happy if I could be somewhere in the 220's by September 6, which is the day we leave for the beach. Haven't seen the 220's in several years. Haven't seen 210 since I met my husband in 1999. Under 200 - haven't seen Onederland since I was in college in the early 90's!! The last time I was able to squeeze into a woman's size 12 was when I was in either 9th or 10th grade, and I was able to wear one specific pair of my mom's jeans. They were a size 12, and I have no idea why she had them, because she has always been a size 8 her entire life. But for whatever reason, she had these jeans that were a size 12, and I BARELY fit into them, but I could button and zip them, and that's all that mattered to me. It made me feel so good about myself for that brief period when I could wear them. Funny how you remember things like that. So, getting into a size 12 again someday is going to feel like a HUGE milestone for me. Anyway, so since I got this fill 2 weeks ago, I have noticed that I experience what many other bandsters have described on LBT - my restriction seems to fluctuate day by day, sometimes hour by hour. It's weird, there doesn't seem to really be any rhyme or reason to it? Some days I can eat breakfast and lunch, albeit carefully, but with no problems whatsoever. Some days I can hardly get yogurt to go down without a whole lot of gurgling and noise and burping (non-productive) and other fanfare. On most days, I've found that it's much easier to eat dinner than lunch, and breakfast, forget about it. By the time I get all my pills and vitamins down in the morning, I'm full and don't have any time left for breakfast anyway. That makes me feel guilty, because I know it's bad to skip breakfast, but I really can't help it. Sometimes I'll bring a yogurt along to work with me, and I can eat that at my desk, although it takes a while. Several times I've tried to eat lunch and ended up having to throw it away. I know that SOMETIMES it's because I take too big of a bite right off the bat and don't chew it enough, and then whatever it was gets stuck, and then I'm just done - can't put anything else on top of that bc that will just make it worse (learned THAT the hard way) so I just have to give up and wait till the next meal. But sometimes even if I'm following all the rules and being very conscious about it, even the smallest most chewed-to-liquid bite won't go down easily at lunch time. It's very strange! Every few days I find dinner is challenging as well, but most days dinner is easier than lunch. Mind you, I'm measuring my food intake in bites now, not cups. Lord, I never thought I'd say that. I'm amazed at how my sense of portions has changed. I still have food envy when I watch my husband take a gigantic bite out of some big juicy cheeseburger, or gobble down a bunch of crispy crunchy salad vegetables. (never thought I'd say THAT either! LOL) But when putting food onto my own plate I've gotten very, very good at taking the smallest possible servings of things. And then after I eat, I'm constantly worrying in my head that I've eaten too much, that I'm ABLE to eat too much, that I'll never lose any more weight if I eat this much, etc. And then I remind myself that I only ate, for instance, one tablespoon of mashed potatoes, or something like that. It's weird how your brain processes this phenomenon. Mostly what I've read on LBT is from people saying that they are still ordering the Extra Large Value size of everything, even though they can only eat a small fraction of it. With me it's been the opposite. I automatically order or plate-up the smallest portion, but then have some sort of dysmorphic thing happen where I panic I've eaten too much. I think part of the problem is that I never really feel hungry anymore - and I also never really feel full. That is to say, I never get the feeling of full that I got pre-band.....which was a sickening, oh-my-God-all-I-want-to-do-is-unbutton-my-pants-and-lay-on-the-couch sort of feeling. I regularly ate up until I felt that way at dinner time, almost every night. Not so much at lunch, because I had more distractions from food during that time of day, I guess. I wouldn't say that I MISS that awful stuffed to the gills feeling.....but maybe psychologically I miss having a full belly feeling?? I don't know. And I can't really say that I have ever really recognized true stomach hunger - certainly not pre-band, bc I ate all the time. And not so much post band either. I don't know, maybe I'm just not skilled enough to recognize the feeling yet? So, without being able to discern those specific feelings - hungry vs. full - I think I have a tendency to panic and to STILL think that this surgery is not going to work for me after all (present evidence disregarded) and that I'll end up sabotaging myself, despite my best efforts, as I have always done in the past. I know I've got to work on that. In my ideal world, I wouldn't have to think about, worry about, panic about, plan endlessly for, or obsess over food a-n-y-m-o-r-e. I dream of a day when I can just live my life - and eat whenever it's appropriate to do so to feed my body. Period. I think I'm on my way. I'm amazed to no longer be compelled to nightly binge sessions in front of the TV. I'm incredulous that leftover cookies or bbq chips from weekend cookouts will stay in my pantry, unmolested for weeks. Pre-band, these foods would have literally called out to me over and over again, every time I was in my house, until I either devoured them, or in a fit of fortitude stoicly dumped them down into the gargage disposal so that they couldn't torture me any more. Now, I FORGET that they are even in there. Now, that's not to say that I don't still have a weakness for junk food, and believe me, if it's in a basket somewhere at a party, I'm definitely going to eat some of it. But I don't feel like it has a power over me anymore. That is really quite remarkable. This band certainly requires it's share of sacrifices, but so far, I'd say I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. Thirty pounds, no longer weighing me down, gone forever. Amen!

September 2, just about 16 weeks out from surgery - 227, down from 271 Well, hmmmm, let's see...I'm down 44 pounds, no longer morbidly obese, just plain old obese. I'm losing pretty consistently at an average of around 10 pounds a month. Not bad! I've only had one fill, back in July. I feel so much better, and have started running again, finally. Started that at about 13 weeks out. That really feels great, I have to say. Well - that is to say that I have always HATED running while I'm actually doing it, but it's the best way to lose weight I know of. I feel like it's the best bang for your buck, in terms of exercise. And it feels great that I can actually do it again. I'm only going for short runs at this point, only 2 miles at a time, and I feel like I'm going to die at the end of it, but I know I'm building the stamina to increase gradually. The best part has been running with my husband. A year ago I wondered if I'd EVER be able to do that again. My restriction continues to come and go, come and go. It really is the most bewildering thing. For instance, I recently went to Vegas with a friend, and I was scared to death that the 5 hour flight would leave me with a tighter-than-tight band when I arrived. I read that all the time on LBT, people saying that flying makes them tight as hell. The flight on the way out to Vegas had absolutely no discernible impact on my band whatsoever. My restriction was the same as it had been at home: tightest in the morning, so-so at lunch, and considerably looser in the evening. But, after I returned home - whammo! For the next week, I was as tight as I had been just after I got my one and only fill in July! Maybe it was a delayed reaction?? Who knows? But I've loosened up a little bit since then. Anyway, we're making our annual trek to the beach for a week in just under 4 days. I was hoping to be in the 220's by the time we took our beach vacation this year, and I'm happy to say that I made that goal. The only thing is, I still feel huge. :party: None of my clothes fit, they are all too big, so I'm wearing the same two or three outfits over and over again. It is very frustrating trying to get dressed every morning, but I know it's a "high class" problem to have. But it's funny, 4 months ago, at 271, I was thinking how absolutely glorious it would be to be in the 220's at the beach this year, and how much more comfortable I'd surely be in my own skin. Yeaaaaah, not so much. I still cringe when I look at myself in a bathing suit, I still detest my flabby upper arms and my big belly. I know that I AM more comfortable now that I've been running and my legs have leaned out a lot and I can actually wear bermuda shorts in public and not feel like crying. But, I still long to be a girl in a tank top or a cute halter shirt or sundress when I'm at the beach, and sadly, I still won't be that girl this year. But, I guess the difference is that I know I'll EVENTUALLY get there, and that I can just keep looking forward to next year's beach vacation. The next big thing I'm looking forward to is going to the Christmas party at my husband's law firm this year and being, hopefully, at least 60 or 70 pounds lighter than I was last year, or the year before last. I'm REALLY looking forward to shopping for something youthful to wear, instead of the matronly formal clothes I've been consigned to for so many years. Dear God how I've longed to wear a 'little black dress' to these kinds of events for so many years. Now, granted, I know I won't be wearing a truly 'little' dress at 210 or so, but it will damn sure be littler than anything I've worn in the past. Can't wait to shop for that! This band frustrates me at times, when I'm looking forward to eating something delicious, and then simply can't eat it. Or when I'm really, really hungry, and take too big of a bite and get stuck.....and just end up really uncomfortable, unable to eat, and still hungry! And I'm constantly worried that I'll be found out - that a friend will put two and two together and come right out and ask me if I had weight loss surgery. I still feel desperate about keeping this a secret. AND, I'm starting to get just a little tired of having the few people who HAVE commented that they've noticed I've lost weight say, "Wow, I can really see it in your face and your shoulders!" I mean, come ON people, I have not lost 40 pounds from my double chins alone! I would really like for someone to say, "you know, your ASS really looks smaller!" That would be very gratifying. But for now I satisfy myself by noticing how much less space my ass seems to take up in my clothes each day. Patience, grasshopper, patience....I still stand by what I said in a previous post (or two), which is that I love this band and would have this surgery all over again in a h-e-a-r-t-b-e-a-t!

Hi Guys. I'm a "lightweight" going on 7 weeks out and down about 18 pounds. I really need to maximize my weight loss, as I feel like I am not losing as much as I should have by now. So- I am trying to increase my protien intake to 80 grams a day, usually with shakes, since everything else has so little grams of protein. However; drinking 2 or 3 shakes a day makes me feel so bloated that I don't always get in my 64 oz. of water. I sometimes fall 10 or 15 oz. short. Does it defeat the purpose (uping my protein) if I can't get in all 64 oz. of water? Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.

Hi All, Several months ago my gastroenterologist of 5 years whom I trust suggested bariatric surgery. I've spent the time since abusing my access to scholarly journals through work and had initially settled on the sleeve. I've got an initial consult with the local sleeve expert surgeon 1 week from today. It's all he does and all he's ever done, I was so excited! I wanted the sleeve! However, while continuing my obsessive research last night, I decided to look specifically at "super-obese" patients with a BMI between 50 and 60 (my BMI is 54.1) and what I found was devastating - according to the NIH, among the super-obese, the average EWL for VSG is 40-50% whereas the DS has averages of 70-90% in the first year and early studies suggest a much higher success rate at 10-years post-op. Anyone here go through a similar experience? How have you handled it and what results have you had? I am a teacher and can't qualify for a loan large enough to cover DS without a few years of saving just to qualify, but don't want to waste time and money on VSG if I'm only going to have to save for several years and take out a second loan later for revision to DS with only 40% EWL in the meantime. I know DS is often done in two stages with VSG as stage 1, has anyone here done this? How does the cost and experience of doing it in two parts compare with doing the full DS in one fell swoop. Thanks for putting up with this rambling post. I'll be posting in the VSG forum as well, please forgive the cross-post.

I am 10 months post op and feeling very discouraged! I have been plateaued for about 2 months now I started out at 277 and I am down to 220. I am at a loss. Needing some inspiriation on diets How do you kill the "fat kid syndrome" of snacking and killing bad habits like junk food snacks fast food. I did so good and then relapsed about 3 months ago nd since have not lost weight and just dont have the desire to get back on track. my mind tells me one thing my stomach says another....some tips please!

I know you didn't ask me but i'm volunteering the information. I am on a medication called Trulicity. I haven't lost a significant amount of weight (10 lbs) but it has helped my A1C. Before my last A1c of 5.9, it was 6.6. However, I have made significant diet changes..no fast food and limiting the carbs so I am sure that has contributed to the low A1c. I think Victozia has to be taken daily and Trulicity is only once a week. My endocrinologist told me that after about 6 months, the weight you lose from these medications always comes back

Hello folks, I am new and so excited to have a way to connect to others going through the same thing as me. I had my consultation with my surgeon on 12/30/16 and didn't get an appointment with my nutritionist until 1/19/17. So far I have had my blood work completed and sent to the surgeon, my gastroenterologist consultation is 3/16/17 and my sleep study appointment is next week. I have yet to set up my psychologist/psychiatric appointment. I feel like the actions of having weight loss surgery are so far away but I know that it will get her before I know it. Q: Do you need both a psychiatric and psychological approval? I have this feeling that I need both but I'm not sure. I am so excited for to next months as I prepare for surgery. I look forward to connecting with you and hearing about your journeys! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

For treating a regain problem, I prefer the DS as it is stronger metabolically than either the VSG or RNY - the RNY is too close to the VSG in strength to reliably offer a significant improvement in weight loss, from what I have seen over the years. Figure maybe 20lb loss on average - about what one would expect from going through all the intense dieting associated with going through surgery again. (There are some who do significantly better, bit it seems to be more a function of their determination to "make this work" or "not screw it up again" than the actual surgery itself. Call it something like a surgical placebo, lol.) By your surgeons not finding the codes for the DS implies that they are talking about the newer SIPS/SADI/"loop DS" which is a single anastomosis adaptation of the traditional BPD/DS (biliopancreatic diversion) which has been routinely covered by US insurance and Medicare for the past 14-15 years, but is a more complex procedure that relatively few bariatric surgeons perform. Some practices that do the SIPS/SADI use the BPD/DS billing codes which is technically insurance fraud, but if they're comfortable doing it, that's their concern. Revising the VSG to a DS, of either flavor, is straightforward as each use the VSG as its basis (some don't even consider it a revision, more a "completion" of the ultimate configuration.) The strong point of the BPD/DS is its regain resistance - regain is possible as it is with any of these procedures, but it is harder. I know many with the DS who are 10-20 years out (my wife included) who are still maintaining a healthy weight; some are up a bit more and working on losing their "Covid 19" - just like "normal" people but major regains are relatively uncommon. The SIPS/SADI type of DS seems to fall somewhere in between the VSG/RNY and the BPD/DS - I have seen a few in the various forums who have had it and seem to be doing well with it, but it doesn't have as long a history. Any of these procedures - the RNY, DS or SIPS - will be somewhat fussier and less care-free than your VSG when it comes to supplements and follow up; the RNY is maybe a bit less so, but one can get into some serious trouble with any of them if one slacks off. If keeping up with supplements and annual labs is not an issue with you, then any of them should be fine.

Hi im very beware to this my first appt was today...i was suppose to get lap band but my surgeon talked to me about both and now im going for the sleeve.....im not required to do the nutrition classes....but i do have to get lab work a pyshc eval a egd and pulmonary clearance.....can't believe that i have all my appt set for everything accept surgery date of course but all my clearances will be done by the end of may...i have to do a 10 day liquid preop (tears) gonna suck....but everything is moving so quick im so excited and nervous and more than ready for the healthier happier me!!!!!

Yesterday was good…hopefully today will be, too! Here is my goal for today. Breakfast: Oatmeal cookies with non-fat cream cheese. The cookies have 10 grams of protein per serving. Strawberries. Lunch: Going out with work colleagues (a business lunch). I don’t know where we’re going. It might be Olive Garden (herbed salmon!). An apple for afterwards if needed. Dinner: Hopefully I can make up for whatever damage lunch will do. The plan here is chicken breast with a lemon pepper sauce/marinade, broccoli, and rice. Snacks: Probably oatmeal protein cookies. I made a batch with Protein Oatmeal Cookie Baking Mix and they are tempting! I’ll probably freeze some so they’re around for other times, too. Let us know your planned or actual Tuesday menu, and remember – if you post your menu each day this week (Monday through Sunday), you will be entered into a drawing to win a $50 gift card to The BariatricPal Store! Don’t worry, you can still be entered into the drawing if you go back and post your earlier menus if you missed them already!

I had my surgery 3/31. I was on liquids for the first week. At my follow up my doc said I can proceed to soft foods, and by next week I can try normal foods. This is shorter than the plan that the doctor's office instituted for me. (By about 10 days). I've been trying new foods and have had no issues. I've read so many bad things about rupturing the stomach,etc. that i'm freaking out! How can plans be so different from person to person?

Surgery May 13th...have only lost 19# post op...which would be ok, except scales stuck. Increased protein, water. Nothing. Decreased calories, increased calories. Nothing. I feel like I'm gonna stay fat forever...but not eating enough and miserable! Im Either hungry, or full. If I cut calories anymore, I'll just be hungrier and have no energy. Yesterday; 649 cal 70g protein about 50-60 oz water Wednesday: 692 cal 85g protein 64+ oz water Tuesday I went over 1000 calories but had more protein 88g Mon 803 cal 80g protein 64+ oz water I See dr/nurse next Tuesday. Would really like to show a loss between now and then. I am down almost 40# from my heaviest in Jan of 325... But really hoped for more drastic results, since I did something so drastic with this sleeve!

Well, Monday is the big day. I am starting to get a bit antsy but I am looking forward to getting the show on the road. My surgeon, Dr. Goodnight, requires that we go on a 1000 calorie Atkins diet with max of 40g carbs for 10 days prior to surgery to help shrink the liver and make it easier and safer to do the surgery. The first 3 days were horrible but I have adjusted. Starting to miss my carbs though. I am not much of a meat eater so I have eaten some meat and a lot of protein supplements. I thought I would really miss Coke, but surprisingly, I haven't missed it at all. I am a grazer normally but I have been making myself eat regular meals. Amazingly I haven't really been hungry. I elected to do the diet for a full 2 weeks and with only 3 days left, I have lost 13.2 pounds. That's a great feeling. All that protein makes me bloated and constipated, so I am worried about how I am going to manage that with all the protein supplements I will be using. I bought some benefiber and I will be trying that. Hopefully it will help. Cheers to all you sleevers, may we all be successful in this journey.

It may not, but you can't dwell on that. If the scale is going down, then you're going in the right direction. I am 7 weeks out tomorrow and I"ve lost 19 lbs since surgery. It's slow, but it's constant. Weight loss with the band should be at a slower pace (that's what I've been told). Now for some, it may be more, but I'm quite happy with my weight loss so far. If I hadn't had the surgery, I'm quite sure I'd be 20 lbs heaver than I was before surgery. Just take the steps as they come. If you start with a negative vibe, it is most surely to follow you down the path. Good luck in your journey!

Sunday, January 17, 2010 Life Goes On, Without the Weight I'm always surprised when someone comes up to me and compliments me on losing weight. I forget what a shock my appearance is to people, especially if they haven't seen me for a while. If they ask me how I lost the weight, I tell them about the lap band, but I always make sure they know its just a tool; I tell them if I don't eat right it won't work. In fact, if all I ate was ice cream it would slide right through and I could eat enough to gain all the weight back and then some. I find being honest publicly helps me be honest with myself. I'm 3 lbs. from goal and slowing down on speed of weight loss. Trying to ease into maintenance. I'm scheduled for another fill Feb 2, which I can tell I'm going to need. I can eat a lot now at a sitting. Not good. Means if I do that, then I've got to really be careful for several days after in order to maintain or continue to lost. However, I can't manage a life of weighing and measuring and writing everything down. So I need the band filled to limit the quantity I can eat and then make good choices most days with occassional treat days. One big relief is that Roseland Christian where I work is doing much better. The money has come in to keep us running despite the IRS freezing and then taking the money in our account. We are meeting all our current obligations, including to the IRS, for this year. We are working on paying past obligations, with the help of donors who believe in us. And we seem to be getting some good help in place for future fundraising. I don't think I can tell you how much I love teaching at Roseland. I am not a textbook teacher. Probably no effective teacher is. I no longer even attempt to write lesson plans. The material I cover from year to year is basically the same. The workbooks my assistant puts together from the materials we have may come from new materials but I have kids working through them at their own pace and ability levels like before. As they finish a page I check it, reteach as necessary and have them correct it or I do it with them. They constantly circle around me and sit back down and get back to work. They love working in my classroom because they're working at their own level and pace and because my assistant and I are available to help them. Flexibility is the key and rigid lesson plans don't work. I work through reading the same novels as in past years but the questions I ask have to be so flexible because the children's abilities are so varied and their responses are so different. I have to ask the questions in totally different ways for different children. What worked one year might not work the next year. For example, my fifth grade class is mostly boys. They all have very poor attention spans. Boys are competitive, so everyday I split them into their teams and start with review questions on what we've read previously. Their team gets points for what they are able to answer. They hate when I stop the game to continue reading the book, but they have also really gotten into the book so they hate when the bell rings, too. I make things up on the fly while I'm teaching that I would never think of if tied down to a detailed lesson plan. My most recent memory device is a song set to the old Mounds/Almond Joy jingle. I sing to the kids who are learning to carry or trade numbers, "Sometimes you carry the number (or 10), sometimes you don't." Every year I get better at teaching. I get better at handling the kids and building relationships with them. This past week a fourth grade boy said while he was doing his math, "I love Mrs. Flory. I love math." Man, that's worth all the other hassles that go with teaching. I love these kids at Roseland. I'm so connected with them. And I might not get to teach them next year. I have begun to realize what a privelege teaching these kids is. But its all in God's hands. I believe Roseland will still be there another year. The help is coming in. That's one hurdle. Now I need to hear from Chicago Public Schools if they're still going with an outside vendor, then that vendor has to agree to subcontract with Elim who is the vendor for my services at Roseland for me to keep my job. Meanwhile I'm signing up for two graduate courses next summer. I'll only need one after that to be endorsed in Special Ed and I'll be able to keep taking Master's courses after that. Possible that I'll have my degree by the end of the following summer. So I'm doing the footwork to continue my employment. I might become a consultant for one of the programs I use in my classroom, or I might connect with homeschoolers who have kids with learning problems. I really don't like the way special ed is handled in the public schools. These teachers seem to be testing kids, filling out paperwork, writing ieps, and sitting in meetings a lot more than they're teaching or helping the kids. That's not what I want to do. So we'll see. God has his plans for me. He's brought me safe thus far. And whatever my future holds, I'm going into it a lot healthier and with a lot less weight to hold me back. God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.

Misty, were/are you following your bypass guidelines? I sitil don't drink for a half hour before or after my meals etc. I did stop journaling my food but stated again after gaining some stress eating pounds ands it's working. I already lost a couple of the 10 I had put back on.I continually tell myself I don't want to waste all I gained and all the money I spent. You can do it! Get a nutritionist to help you if you need to keep you on track. Tell yourself that you will not let this food take over your life! You CAN do it!