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So ok, I fell, I was doing so good and then BAM!!! Fell Hard! Since I am being honest with myself I will notate everything I ate over the weekendand look up the calories for the next post. I am so upset with myself seeing that I am so close to wonderland. Back on the horse is where I need to be and the relaxed weekend eating has to be cut off until I am down under 200!!! Friday: Breakfast: 100 calorie pack of Cheese Nips: 100 calories Lunch: 1/2 chargrilled chicken sandwich from Chick fil a w/ low fat mayo and 1/2 order of small fries: 290 calories HERE COMES THE DOWNFALL!! afterwork snack: 2 bites of cookie cake with frosting from the mall Dinner: Don Pablos: 7 huge chips with about 3/4 cup of salsa, 1 chicken fajita nacho ( actually one from the order, which came with 8) and then lots of extra cheese, chicken and sour cream that I nibbled on as my band would let me. Then a sopapilla(SP) for dessert. PLUS 1/4 glass of COKE!!: total: 1 billion calories, so I know preband I would have eaten a basket of chips, 2 bowls of hot sauce, the entore order of nachos and sopapillas with extra buttery rum sauce. But still Friday was only the beginning! At least did 40 minutes on the Gazelle which burned off 400 calories! Saturday: 02/11/06 Breakfast: 2 more bites of cookie cake with icing that was PB'd because for some reason I thought I could eat this when I first woke up??? Lunch: 1/2 childs cheeseburger from Whataburger, 1/2 french fries and ketchup. 400 calories snack: Half of a piece of cookie cake with icing and a peanut butter bar from Mrs. Fields!!!! Probably a million calories. Dinner: 1/2 roll with butter, 1/3 side salad with ranch dressing, cheese and croutons. 1/3 chicken fried steak sandwich with mayo and pickles!!! Probably a million calories. At least I did 40 minutes on the Gazelle, this burned off 400 calories!! Sunday: 02/12/06 Breakfast: none Lunch: 4 bites fried onions in sauce, 10 bites chicken fried steak w/ cream gravy, 1/3 baked potato loaded, 10 bites side salad complete with ranch, cheese, croutons, eggs and tomatoes and sweet Tea~ snack: 15 peanut butter Hershy Kisses and a Dr. Pepper!! Dinner: Back to Donny P's for 8 chips, 1/2 cup of salsa, 1 whole nacho and then nibbles of cheese and chicken from the top of the nachos, 2, count them 2 sopapillas with yummy buttery rum sauce! Then 1/2 of a coke!!! Snack: 5 more peanut butter Hershy kisses! SWEET PETE, NO EXERCISE SINCE I WAS SO MISERABLE FROM WHAT I ATE!! I just remembered before we went to dinner I hit the fridge with my leftover chicken fried steak and ate the breading and gravy off of it whilst standing in front of the fridge! Now to today: Monday: 02/14/06 The horror continues: Breakfast: 10 Reese peanut butter cups! Lunch: 1/2 childrens cheese burger, 1/2 childrens fries DIPPED IN MAYO!!! 8 oz of coke: 500 calories snack: 10 more Reeses Peanut Butter Cups! This is all I will eat today since I won't get home until 8:30 from work and have too much homework to worry about! I will make it through valentines day and I will hit it hard again with no cheating!! God I am really disgusted with myself at this point, how can I go so quickly back into fat girl eating mode!?? I know I would have eaten TONS more pre band, but I just feel disgusting!!! Time to nip it in the bud. Bad habits are so hard to break!

Friday Saw 208 this morning! Hope it stays around or goes down one more! Went to Pizza Hut tonite with a couple we hang with. 7:45 Atkins shake 10:30 handful of peanuts Lunch Taco salad, skipped the shell....no dressing, just some salsa 5:00 Atkins shake...starving waiting for John so we can go out 7:00 3 wings, small salad, 1 slice thin crust supreme pizza, 1 Michelob Ultra

I had my pre-op appt today and it went well except that it lasted for 3 hours. :help: Most of the time I was waiting to see the different people that needed to see me so it was really tedious. I am all set though and unless something significant shows up in my blood work (which I can't imagine it would!) then the surgery will be at 10am on 2/21. I start the liquid fast tomorrow and have decided to let go of all of the anxiety that I have surrounding it. Yes, I am going to be hungry, yes it's going to be hard and yes I am nervous. BUT I can't let it rule all of my thoughts over the next 10 days. I am going to focus on the fact that I am preparing for a new life and it's time to start learning how to shake the grip that food has on me. I am ready to take off the fat suit and find me again.

I am very nervous about my surgery. I know I have to go with it and make it work. 2 more days.:cry

Hello Everyone, This is my first post I am being banded for the second time on 02/01 first time my gall bladder had a big problem with my band. I am very nervous just wondering if any one else had had their ban removed. Glad to find this site and some support.

hi all, my aunt continues to have success with the lap band. she is now down 121 pounds as of 11/22/04! now, her 22 yo daughter is in the process for getting a band! truthfully, her husband and son could use one too, but they are not interested. and the whole family has just joined a great hospital gym associated with my uncle's job. i haven't given much advice to my cousins about weight loss, et al., because i didn't want them to think it was all i saw. but now that they are taking steps to improve their health, i wrote down the top 10 things i've learned about exercise and body size/image over the years. i didn't share my thoughts on diet. i'll save that for another top 10 list. i thought y'all might like to see it too. so here goes! EXERCISE SHOULD BE FUN! There are so many ways to burn calories that there is no reason to do any exercise you don’t like. I love rebounding, walking uphill, and jogging slowly. I do not like stationary biking, running, the stair-climber, and most aerobic-dance classes. Find a few activities you like and stick to them! Now, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t challenge yourself or try new things. You must do that! Giving exercise your best effort is REQUIRED to get the results you want. But if you find that you don’t like a particular exercise, then don’t do it! And don’t let anyone tell you different. Exercise at least almost every day. And exercise everyday if you can! Yes. We don’t move around a lot if our jobs don’t require it. That inactivity, coupled with extra eating, makes it so, so easy to gain weight. If we had active jobs, we wouldn’t need gyms and scheduled time each day to work out. But we don’t. So we must make the effort to move our bodies every day.<O:p</O:p <O:p</O:p Wear a pedometer. The federal government recommends taking at least 10,000 steps each day for good health. If you don’t work out, you’ll be surprised at just how few steps you will take in a day. Cheap pedometers are not very accurate, but they will give you a decent approximation—within a few hundred steps. A pedometer helps to keep you aware of how active you are. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.<O:p</O:p <O:p</O:p Longer at a moderate (NOT EASY!!) pace is ALWAYS better than shorter at a fast pace. Even trainers disagree amongst themselves about this. Some say that if you exercise very hard for a short period of time (20 – 30 minutes), you’ll burn roughly the same amount of calories during the activity and for a few hours after as someone who exercises for a longer time (40 – 60 minutes) at a moderate pace. But I prefer moderate because it is easier to do, and you won’t dread having to exercise the next day because the day before was so hard. Plus, the more movement you do in a day, the better it is for your health. So make every exercise session at least 40 minutes long.<O:p</O:p <O:p</O:p Strength training is a must. First and foremost, eating healthy, small portions and lots of aerobic activity are what you must do to lose weight. But strength training is important because it makes the shape of your shrinking body look and move better. If you don’t strength train, you’ll get smaller, but you’ll be flabby! Fortunately, there are a few different methods of strength training to choose from: resistance machines, free weights, resistance bands, Pilates (on a reformer machine or on a mat), yoga, stability ball, and functional fitness/body weight. There is too much for me to say about all of these, but I just want you to be aware that strength training is important and there are many types to choose from. So research them online and ask the trainers to tell you more about them. Then make your choice(s). I have tried them all, and I prefer stability ball, functional fitness/body weight, and Pilates on the reformer machine. Pilates and yoga also incorporate flexibility conditioning.<O:p</O:p <O:p</O:p Take the emotion out of weight loss. It is so easy to feel bad about yourself for being overweight, not losing weight fast enough, overeating one day, etc. And if you tell yourself that you’re a failure and other such negative things, it makes starting over that much harder. And pretty soon, you’ll start doubting if you can really lose the weight—even while you’re losing weight! And then you’ll start sabotaging yourself, either because you don’t want to feel like a failure again or because you don’t think that you can really reach your goal. But if you take the emotion out of weight loss (I’m a failure, I can’t do this, why don’t I have any willpower) and focus on the mechanics of it (eating right, exercising every day), then you will be successful. THIS IS HARD TO DO! I know from years of experience. But one trick I’ve learned is, whenever you start thinking a negative thought, refute it out loud. Don’t let the thought keep replaying in your head. For example, if you start to think “I’m never going to lose this weight.” Say out loud, “What I was just thinking is not true. If I eat right and exercise, the weight will come off.” It’s like shining a light under the bed and realizing there is no bogey man underneath it. The more you attack negative thoughts, the more confidence you will gain. <O:p</O:p Keep a journal. Write down what you eat and how much you exercise. I said it before, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. Awareness is so important. Also, write down your feelings. Write down your goals. Write down your motivational daydreams. It is inspirational! <O:p</O:p Set goal markers. Weight loss at first, and then good health later, is a never-ending process that can seem overwhelming.Make it easy and fun by breaking it up. I like to work towards mini-goal dates. Use events in your life as goal markers to work towards. Pull out a calendar and plan ahead. For example, in February, I have several events to attend. I’ll use these events as extra motivation to get in all of my exercise and to keep my eating on track. <O:p</O:p Love your body, part 1. Okay, so you may not like how your body looks right now. But as you start losing weight and really get into exercise, you’ll be amazed at how much you can do. Acknowledge and Celebrate every accomplishment. Love your body, part 2. Please, please, PLEASE, do not compare your body to anyone else’s. Be realistic about how your fit, healthy body will look. Your fit body will not be the size of 97% of the women on television and in the magazines. Rely on three things, in this order, to let you know that you are fit and healthy: (1) your body fat %, (2) your clothes, and (3) the scale. Your body fat % will give you a realistic weight to shoot for. And that weight will change as you gain muscle. Once you get to your goal weight range, your clothes size will probably range between 2 and 3 sizes, depending on the clothes manufacturer. One designer’s size 8 may be another designer’s size 12. DO NOT get caught up in clothes size. I know from experience that this can be hard to do. I mean, here I am working out and eating right, and this crazy designer still classifies my body type as LARGE. ARRRGGGHH! It can be frustrating. But just remember that every designer uses a different size fit model on which to base its sizes. Every designer starts with a size 8 and then works up and down—usually an inch per size. Plus, I choose which designer to give my money to. So if I come across a delusional designer who thinks that Nicole Ritchie is a MEDIUM, then that designer does not get my money!! <O:p</O:p LOVE YOURSELF. As corny as it sounds, it is so true. Body image and self image are two different things. You can have a good self image and also want to improve your body. But if your self image is poor, it will wreck everything you try to accomplish. So take pride in you for just being you. For being kind, smart, funny, loving, a great cousin to Rory… all of it. And then take that self love and accomplish all your goals—weight ones included.

This is all new to me. I am hoping by keeping this journal I will be able to stay on track. I have been banded 10 days now. Basiclly, I feel good. Usally I'm alway on the go but now I get tired very easily - have been needing naps. Incisions are 99% healed and the port area is the only place that's tender. I still get shoulder pains though. I'm able to eat now and that scares me. I am only 10 days and can eat almost normally just less of it. Does this mean soon I will eat more and more and MORE....... Today, I was at a meeting where I ate lasagna, bread and brownie. :think I feel guilty and horribe!

Hi all, Just wanted to say that I'm back from Tijuana where I had my band surgery with the Bajanor Hospital...DH and I ended up staying an extra day, since I didn't anticipate having surgery so late in the day (9pm) and having to leave only 18 hours later! (duh) Anyway, that whole extra day was really helpful and I felt a LOT better... Again, I want to thank everyone for sharing their experiences and information...you all have been a priceless resource for beginning my journey...so happy to be on the LOSING side!!! :clap2: M.

and if I can do it anyone can do it! The Nutrisystem commerical is on right now... everytime i watch it I just laugh. GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY!! If I EVER get to a size 10 I'm declaring a national holiday!!! I DREAM of being a size 10.... :thankyou: Anyway sorry, total random post. Just thought it was funny. What's not enough for one is more then plenty for another! P.S. I haven't really gone from a size 10 to a size 4... I'm still at an 18. Just being funny (or trying)

Hello to all!! I am just banded on Thursday. The day was a little nervous for me because I am not fired up about being put under anesthesia but all went well. I feel good except for tummy gas (I am gonna go get some gas X) and have been hungry. Today I drank a protein shake that was creamy instead of clear and that felt wonderful. My question for all of you is I need some assurance that I can have pudding etc and it will stay put. So far I have had no nausea or any complications. In fact I am off pain meds totally. Last night I slept like a baby and can hardly wait to face this day. I get to go to Wal-mart and get some protein drinks. Any other ideas of what I could have on full liquids? I am so fired up for this. I weighed myself today for the first time in about 10 days. I didn't weigh because I wanted to be surprised. I lost 15 lbs since my doc appointment before banding. That was on Jan 5. WooooHooo!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks to you wonderful people and my band, family and the Lord, I can do this!:clap2: Ps. How do I start a ticker to chart my lose?

I began my new life today. I am now free from prison and I am able to spread my wings and fly. As I was being transported to the OR I was already making plans for my new life. Thinking of things that I wanted to do, and places I wanted to see.. I am now able to get out and visit old friends that I haven't seen in years.. It feels good to be able to move about and breathe clearly and know that it is all up hill from this moment on. Since my banding I have lost 9 more pounds in just a few days. I am seeing the light now and I know that I can do this with lots of determination and will power. I would like to thank everyone who has stood beside me and supported as I have struggled through this journey. I think I am on the right path now and I can't wait to see what the future holds for me as I continue climbing this mountian to reach my goal..

Hello Everyone ! Just wanted tp check in and let everyone know that my surgery was a great success. Dr. Jay and his wonderful staff have been soo supportive and helpful. I am very sore and still adjusting to the band and eating very little but I think I am doing as well as to be expected. I have already lost 9 pounds and I am excited.. I am looking forward to a wonderful road to recovery and would highly recomend this surgery for anyone who is looking for a new way of life..

Thank goodness the scale move a tiny bit! :mad: I have been faithfully doing this stair thing and I think that in a few weeks I will be able to see results. I didn't do any other exercises last night though. I was just tired. My DH didn't get home until later and we were playing with the baby, so I just didn't feel like it. I know, excuses, excuses. At least I have been eating better. I am really trying to stay low carb now. The low cal thing has never worked for me, and now if I can just follow the bandsters rules and eat protein, veggies and then fruit, I will be ok. I need to go and do my stairs, but I think I will wait until after lunch so I can do it without anyone seeing the fat girl almost die :0 ) hahahah Heather

First of all, this journal won't be specifically about lapband surgery and weight loss. I'm on this site every day more than once usually, and I need to start journaling again. So, it's just common sense to use this space. Secondly, I like to write. Last year, 2005, was the toughest roughest year I have yet experienced. My mom had surgery, stayed in hospitals for 5 months due to complications, and a septic infection finally ended it. Her funeral was on what would have been her 73rd birthday. There will be more about this in other entries. Part of this journal's purpose is to work through this grief. So, the first half of 2005 was spent in hospitals. I decided to face this weight problem and the health problems associated with it and had lapband surgery in July. In November, the day following my 50th birthday (THIS was the highlight of 2005 - my 50th birthday...go figure!), my beautiful, wonderful 92 year old grandmother passed. She had a stroke that led to a coma and she passed peacefully. Yeah, she had a great, healthy long life, but dang! My mom and my grandmother in one year? I told you it was going to be about other stuff. Attitude of gratitude - well, that's just a reminder! One way to handle loss is to try hard to see the good stuff you have. Seems like that might be a good idea for us "lapdancers"...that's what my DH call us...to have the attitude of gratitude, too. I'm sure I'll explore more of that idea, too. I'm grateful for this journal space, and the invitation to use it. I'm grateful for the blessing in disguise offered by the dr. who told me I was too heavy for him to realistically treat my ankle...and suggested this lapband surgery. I am grateful for my little girl's unquestioning, unconditional love (if you don't count being held hostage by the desire for more Polly Pockets!) To be continued...

Hello everyone, I was banded on January 9th 2006. I have already lost a total of 11 pounds in the 1st week. But as of today I feel no restriction. I was sick on 2 occasions yesturday, is it possible that I have moved the band or even made it come apart? I dont feel like eating now at all and have dropped to 1 meal a day. Would anyone have any suggestions? Many thanks BLUE

Hey girls, I talked about meeting today at Showmars for :hungry: and haven't heard from anyone. So how does tomorrow look? I have a 10:00 at Queens College then I"m open. So if we could meet at 11:45ish that would be great. I'll call Loretta, she doesn't come on here much anymore.

Hi all, I just wanted to officially introduce myself...I've been lurking around for the past couple weeks on a daily basis and let me first just say THANK YOU ALL for the invaluable information I've been able to gather from all of your posts...your encouragement and support are priceless! :rofl: The Bajanor Obesity Center got the check yesterday from my financing company and will be booking flights for myself and DH today. Thursday is the day!! Dr. Covarrubias will be doing my procedure, along with his team of surgeons. Well, I can't believe it's so soon and I'm so ready, believe me. I feel very blessed to have this opportunity to change my life with this wonderful tool called the Lap-Band! Just thought I'd share the great news and say hello...and again, thank you! Michelle (Soon to be Bandster)

Hello all.....it's been a while since I posted...... but I saw the doctor today for my 'two-week' follow-up....actually 19 days--thanks to the holidays...so this seems like a good time to share. My surgery on December 16th was relatively uneventful and went pretty much as I expected based on my research and a thorough review of all of your collective stories and experiences....I went in at 7 and was home by 2....days 3 and 4 were difficult just in terms of soreness, nausea and feeling like I had been the victim of a hit and run....my recovery was slower than I expected and it's taken me until now to begin to get my strength and endurance back to normal....and then on day 5, there was the unrelenting hunger which really surprised me...I stuck with the liquids--in fact, I'm still doing modified liquids, but I am like a big baby--hungry every two hours...not just a little, but the stomach growling Paul Bunyan kind of hunger, usually reserved for three day fasts....I brought this up with my surgeon and she replied that she was going to have to give me her "week two lecture", which turned out to be something I'd never heard before....she said that the month following surgery is often the most difficult time of the whole process. The two weeks which precede the procedure, you are focused on going the distance and making it to the prize and motivated and excited, the first week post surgery, your appetite is somewhat diminshed by the whole process, but weeks 3 and 4, she said--your stomach and muscles are healing and you have virtually no restriction....the further out from the surgery you get...the less restriction you feel.....hence, she said that during the first month following surgery, she is not interested in seeing her patients lose any weight necessarily. She prefers that that time be totally concentrated on eating to provide maximum conditions for healing....she said if I was hungry every two hours to eat every two hours, just as long as it is something easy to digest that won't interfere with the healing process....the part that was new to me was what she said about not expecting weight loss during the weeks immediately following surgery....I had been programmed to expect that the process would begin immediately and I know that some of you all experienced restriction right away....the good news is that I have lost 13 lbs. since the office visit immediately prior to surgery and the other good news is that she is going to give me my first fill a week from Monday...she usually does it at four weeks for all her patients unless there are some unusual circumstances...anyway, my scars look good, the left side of my stomach is still a little distended and sore, but she said everything looks perfect....sorry for rattling on, but I am very relieved to be at this point in the process and look forward to sharing other milestones with you guys.....

Hello out there , I am going to be having surgery next sat. Am very excited but a little scared about it. I know it is the best thing to have for me but traveling so faraway can be a challenge. please give me some in put out there. i have read the book lap-band for life cover to cover. anita

I am a 35 year old man who was banded in February 14, 2005 (Valentine's Day). At that day I weighted 275 lbs. and today I weight 215 (total 60 lbs. down). I feel great because I went from a pants size 42" and now I'm a 36", I can tide my shoes without getting out of breath and I love the compliments. I want to be at 200 lbs. when my aniversary comes. My goal is to get to 190 lbs. I've had 3 fills so maybe 1 more should do it, anyhow just wanted to share and wish you all a very happy Christmas. Dan 275/215/190 Dr. Kuri 02/14/05

I'm thrilled! I've lost 20 lbs in 18 days (9 days pre-surgery/9 days post-op). I'm already scheduled for a fill on Dec 28th and I can move from blender to soft foods in two weeks! Another 20 lbs off will take me to a weight lower than what I was when I met my husband over 12 years ago - I'm so excited!!!! I know the honeymoon will be over soon and the weight loss will slow down, but what a great running start. I'm happy that I have made this decision. I feel for everyone that is having problems and wish you all the best. Yes, the band has it's risks, but look at the great advantages! Thanks for this site and for all of the great people that make it what it is!!

Saturday 12, noon at Red Lobster in Laurel Teresa Skinner LSasha Shellyj Carrie, Gunnya, Crystal....will you guys be able to make it?

Hi all, I was just banded one week ago in Mexico and I am looking for a Doctor in the Nashville, TN area for follow-up and fills down the road. Can anyone help?? Thanks, Rick

Hi all, I am one week into being banded and just found this site! I worked this entire week so I am sure I would have felt better if I had stayed home and rested but I did not want to blow a week vacation. I had the surgery in Mexico so I am curious if there is anyone out there who also went to Mexico. I am also curious if there are anyone in the Nashville area who has been banded and on this forum - I am looking for a Doctor in Nashville for follow-up and fills. I look forward to getting your responses and sharing my experience with everyone, Rick