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I was away for a month on vacation, so didn't join the July 4th weight loss challenge. Back home again now (plus 5lb) and came looking here for the next one but don't see any posted. Did I miss it somewhere? Even though I haven't done well with these, I feel that they keep me somewhat accountable and really look forward to them. Thanks, all.

Insomnia rears its ugly head. I was wondering when my old friend would show up. I can't believe how quickly the surgery is approaching. Four more days and I will be in the operating room. I have these moments of pure terror and other moments where I feel nothing but calm. Yesterday morning I went to St. Mary's Hospital to get all my pre-admission testing done. I haven't been to that hospital since 1992, when my Grandmother passed away. When Mom & I walked through the corridors it struck me how absolutely nothing had changed since that day. Even the plants in the waiting rooms were the same. I broke down crying, it brought that horrible day back so vividly. While we were sitting waiting for my tests to be done I realized something HAD changed. ME. And certainly not for the better. Suddenly, I wasn't as scared or embarrassed. I actually felt something close to relief. Maybe even pride. I was relieved to finally be doing something about my weight and my health. I was finally putting ME first. And I was kind of proud that I was taking this very brave step! What a strange sensation! By the time I was done with all the tests and paperwork, and we were walking out of the hospital, I felt so good. It was as if my Grandmother was all around me and letting me know everything would be ok. Or maybe it was just me taking the first step to finally loving myself. Either way it felt good. But of course, I still have the pre-op jitters. Hence my 4 am blog. :blushing:

I think I saw this originally posted on the forum here somewhere, but for anyone who missed it.. it just came back around to me in e-mail and it made me laugh all over again :smile: >>A WOMAN'S WEEK AT THE GYM This is dedicated to everyone who ever >>attempted to >>get into a regular workout routine. >> >>Dear Diary, For my birthday this year, my daughter (the dear) >>purchased a week of personal training at the local >>health club for me. Although I am still in great >>shape since being a high school football cheerleader >>43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to >>go ahead and give it a try. I called the club and >>made my reservations with a personal trainer named >>Belinda, who identified herself as a 26-year-old >>aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing >>and swim wear. >> >>My daughter seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get >>started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to >>chart my progress. >> >>MONDAY: Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, >>but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the >>health club to find Belinda waiting for me. She is >>something of a Greek goddess - with blond >>hair,dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo >>Hoo!! Belinda gave me a tour and showed me the >>machines. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in >>which she conducted her aerobics class after my >>workout today. Very inspiring! Belinda was >>encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was >>already aching from holding it in the whole time she >>was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week-!! >> >>TUESDAY: I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it >>out the door. Belinda made me lie on my back and >>push a heavy iron bar into the air then she put >>weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the >>treadmill, but I made the full mile. Belinda's >>rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel >>GREAT-!! It's a whole new life for me. >> >>WEDNESDAY: The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the >>toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over >>it. >>I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving >>was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I >>parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot. >>Belinda was impatient with me, insisting that my >>screams bothered other club members. Her voice is a >>little too perky for early in the morning and when >>she scolds, she gets this nasally whine that is VERY >>annoying. My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, >>so Belinda put me on the stair monster. Why the heck >>would anyone invent a machine to simulate an >>activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Belinda >>told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy >>life. She said some other crap too. >> >>THURSDAY : Belinda was waiting for me with her vampire-like >>teeth exposed as her thin, cruel lips were pulled >>back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half >>an hour late, it took me that long to tie my shoes. Belinda took >>me to work out with dumbbells. When >>she was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. >>She sent another skinny witch to find me. Then, as >>punishment, she put me on the rowing machine -- >>which I sank. >> >>FRIDAY : I hate that witch Belinda more than any human being >>has ever hated any other human being in the history >>of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic >>little cheerleader. If there was a part of my body I >>could move without unbearable pain, I would beat her >>with it. Belinda wanted me to work on my triceps. >>I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want >>dents in the floor, don't hand me the barbells or >>anything that weighs more than a sandwich. The >>treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and >>nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been >>someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir >>director? >> >>SATURDAY : Belinda left a message on my answering machine in >>her grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not >>show up today. Just hearing her made me want to >>smash the machine with my planner. However, I lacked >>the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up >>catching eleven straight hours of the Weather >>Channel. >> >>SUNDAY : I'm having the Church van pick me up for services >>today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is >>over. I will also pray that next year my daughter >>will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a root >>canal or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had >>wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the >>floor with diamonds!!!

Sandiburn - I use the MFP application on my phone, and love it for tracking my calories, Protein intake, etc. One day I went on the site & checked out the forums. Like you, I couldn't relate to much of it. Of the millions of people in those forums, not all have a serious weight issue. Some struggle with only 10,15, 20 pounds. In the WLS forums, you don't find any of those people, and who participates here are those who share the lifelong struggle with obesity. I found this forum last week, and now check in every day. LOVE the support, and it's so helpful to read of others struggles AND success. Welcome aboard!

Hello All, I just wanted to say thank you for being here. I was banded on 8-4-11 and have struggled this yr. But I am back on track and truley ready to loose the weight I promised myself I would. When I first got started, I used MFP consistantly. I still use the cal counter, but the discussion forum stinks. It feels like a HS page sometimes. Anyway. I am glad that I am here with REAL discussions that help REAL people. Thank you again for being here for me!!!!

Mine have me a number. 135. I'm 5'5 or 6. I feel I should weight from 125-130 however and that's what I'm going for. I'm just basing it on how my body looks and feels. Plus I want to give myself some wiggle room in case I gain any back.

I did... I started with fitday,its really simple but they don't have a lot of namebrand food choices so you have to do a lot work to get correct calories ect....then I did daily plate..it has a steep learning curve but you can really break things down and has almost every food or you can add your own. But I like my fitness pal the best ,great food selections and you can add your own,track weight,fitness,calories,fat carbs...its really easy to use.

I usually try to avoid replying to these posts about weightloss just a couple days post op being too slow, but I think it's important people get a realistic picture and not just see posts from people with massive weight loss the first week or two. Yes, some people lose a lot the first two weeks, others, like me, don't lose anything the first two weeks. You are only 12 days out!!! You just had MAJOR surgery and your body is trying to heal - that is the only thing you should be focused on right now - healing. You were also pumped full of IV fluids in the hospital and likely weighed more at discharge than when you went in - it takes a while to clear that excess Fluid. Please try to avoid comparing weightloss to anyone - it is a recipe for dissappointment. There are a ton of factors that go into the rate at which we lose - gender (typically men lose faster than women), genetics, how much excess weight you have, how long you have been obese, how much you lost leading up to surgery etc etc etc. So forget about the scale for now, just focus on following your plan - getting your fluids and Protein in, walking etc - the weightloss will come - it will not be linear nor consistent, you will have many stalls along the way (and yes they ARE frustrating, but they end).

You are right on target. Are you getting in your protein FIRST? That will help fight the hunger. As for the other people, don't let them put you down. Explain that this is a tool for weight loss not a magic wand. Tell them that you have a long long way to go and you'll let them know how much weight you have lost when you're ready to tell it. Please don't give up....you can do it.

I'm assuming you're pre op? Yes, I've lost 45 pounds before on phentermine. As soon as I stopped it, I gained it back. It's definitely effective, but not for long term use. The extra energy it gives you at first sure is nice My husband calls it legal speed.

Congrats on the start to your new and improved life! ???? my friend also had pain and it got better each day. My husband had rny 9 years ago and had a stitch on his right rib that created a dent and hurt really bad but it got better as time passed and he lost weight. Hang in there!!!

I had the vertical sleeve performed by my surgeon on Monday, October 1st, 2012. That is a day that I will always remember, because I know it has changed my life. At my highest weight, or at least the highest weight that I ever saw recorded, I was a total of 413 pounds. I was losing my life because I couldn't get the weight off, no matter what I tried. I had been previously diagnosed with lymphoma cancer in my lungs, I had been treated for chronic lung issues, and then there was the issue of my immune deficiency that was causing me to spend a few days in the hospital every year with pneumonia. I literally was fading away every day. Surgery was not a popular decision. My family refused to talk about it whenever it was brought up into conversation. They would tell me to work harder. They would tell me to eat less. They would tell me that my inability to lose weight was my own fault for just not trying hard enough. That really wears on a person to have to go through that. It was just ridiculous to know that I wasn't supported by the same people who I loved with all of my heart and supported with every bit of my soul. The best thing I ever have done? I learned to block that part of what they were saying to me from reaching the cognitive part of my brain. I didn't care what they had to say anymore. I went through with surgery for me. Maybe a little bit for them, too, but mostly for me. What is this major victory I allude to in my topic title? I sit here, a little over 100 days after surgery, and I am 100 pounds lighter. I still have a LONG way to go, but I have come so far that I am strengthened to continue on the journey. I hit 100 pounds on Friday by the scale at the clinic and I was so excited to see the number that I probably could have hugged my nurse. The moral of my (so far) story? Listen to your heart. Outside sources be damned. Do it for you, because in the long run, "you" is what really matters most. I hope all of my sleeve siblings are well! <3

You know the answer: it's not possible for you to have gained 16 pounds like that. its just a differently calibrated scale, probably along with some travel and time related water weight. I saw my longest plateau around 7 weeks.

Hi Everyone, I have been reading some of you guys topics and decide to join to get a better view or insight on how the lapband process actually works. Mostly, I need u guys support. I have been overweight my whole entire life. And I am definitely ready for a change. My bmi is 60 and I am 5'3 @340lbs. The most I weighted ever...I just found out my husband insurance covers WLS, but there is a six months supervised diet I am required to do before approval...Im lil anxious, so I am new to this and looking for support from people who have been thru where I trying to go...Any comments or suggestions will be greatly be appreciated.....

You were just like me! But keep reading, there is light at the end of the tunnel!!!! Im sorry to here your frustration. We all have had our ups and downs for sure. I think my situation was pretty similar to yours. It took me forever to finally feel restriction and by the time I did, I had lost all the good habits I had practiced right when I got my surgery. The day of my 7th fill when I finally felt it, it was like a truck hit me! I was like "wait a second i don't like this!" But then I reminded myself that this was what I had prepared for but unfortunately because it took so long I forgot. As far as being too tight. I think you sound ok. If you can get down solid Protein like fish then you should be fine, chicken can be iffy, most of the time if its tender it goes down but sometimes it doesn't. Now as far as your weight loss, I will tell you what worked for me... As far as food goes, you sound like your on par with that. I try to keep mine around 1000 calories a day, and even if your not quite full, stop after 20 or so minutes and let it catch up. So great job with that! But as CRAZY as this sounds, even with a 1000 calories a day, you won't lose weight unless you get in 30 mins of light cardio a day because of that stupid thing we call metabolism. I chewed my doctor out 30 days after I was in green zone bc i hadn't lost a pound. I told him I'm only consuming 1000 calories a day! I should be losing, what is 30 mins on the treadmill really gonna do! Well out of desperation, I finally pulled my old bike out and started doing what he said. EURIKA! It finally all came together! The weight started coming off, and all i did was walk every night for 30 minutes!. I can tell bc the weeks i do it 5 to 6 times, I lose 2 to 5 lbs, but the weeks i get "busy" and only do it 2 or 3 times, i don't lose any . You don't want to really "work out" for hours at the gym though bc you might get burned out and not want to exercise the next day. Keep it light and consistent. The nurse told me that under a "normal diet" 30 mins of walking or whatever might not make that much of a difference because it doesn't burn that much calories but we aren't really doing it to burn more calories ... all the 30 mins of movement is designed to do is to keep your metabolism from going into shock. You need to get your heart rate up for a good 30 mins and it works wonders! To this day, I have never stepped foot in the gym. I get on my bike and turn on food network "haha". Anyways I don't make up reasons for not doing it anymore... my husband and children know that every night at 8:30pm leave me alone for 30 minutes. Moral of the story... 30 mins light cardio, as many nights as you can! If you do it 5 to 6 times a week no more, no less, you will be down 100lbs before you no it! Good luck girl!

Weight Goal Stats Current Weight Your weight is 240 lb as of 06/28/2006. Weight Goal Your goal is to weigh 199 lb by 09/05/2006 Goal Progress You are currently 41 lb above the target weight. The deadline for your goal is 69 days (9 weeks, 6 days) away. To meet your goal you need to lose about 4.16 lb per week.

Weight Goal Stats Current Weight Your weight is 240 lb as of 06/28/2006. Weight Goal Your goal is to weigh 199 lb by 09/05/2006 Goal Progress You are currently 41 lb above the target weight. The deadline for your goal is 69 days (9 weeks, 6 days) away. To meet your goal you need to lose about 4.16 lb per week.

Congratulations on the weight loss, but even more on the physical fitness that lets you run so much. I know that at this point I could never do that. Seeing those of you who do it is motivational to me.

Darcy...LOL...don't mean to laugh but I busted my sh*t going up the stairs at work...LOL...no one saw me luckily...I agree...you don't realize that your body moves differently when you lose weight...it's kinda like that akward teenager stage when your growing but the opposite...LOL

On my pre-op diet I lost 21 lbs. Then I was sleeved on July 21. During the first 2 weeks after surgery I lost about 15 lbs. But in the last 2 weeks I've only lost about 2-3 lbs. I'm really happy that I lost 38 lbs in the past 6 weeks...and I know it's going to take time. I've read lots of posts about stalls and can be patient. Right now I'm eating every 3 hours and average around 800-900 calories/day. Today my surgeon told me that I wasn't eating enough calories and that my body is in starvation mode...and that I need to increase my calories in order to lose weight...and eventually (in a few months) I need to get up to 1600-1800 calories/day. So my goal right now is to increase to 1200 calories..but honestly I don't know how I'm going to get these calories in. I don't want to start eating junk...and I don't really want to add bread, Pasta, carbs. Has anyone experienced this? Any suggestions on how to get in more HEALTHY calories? Thanks!

:thumbup1:For me, it all started after the family Christmas (2009) dinner. I was very unhappy with my appearance in the Christmas dinner photos. Aside from a big gut, I had other medical concerns that resulted in me going to my PCP for advice. I had heard about Bariactric procedures and I wanted to get a medical opinion on whether or not I would be a good candidate. My doctor felt that it would be a good step for me as it would improve some of my other ailments and possible reduce the amount of prescription medications (about 11) that I was taking daily. The Doctor referred me to the Weight Loss Clinic (Kaiser Permanente) and was scheduled to attend a seminar on the various surgeries. As a Medicare patient, I was concerned whether or not the procedure would be covered. Through Kaiser, I was informed that the procedure would be covered if my PCP determined the surgery to be "Medically Necessary", which she did. Within a week of the orientation class, I was scheduled an appointment with the head Bariactric surgeon, who agreed that I could benefit from the procedure. I was then scheduled for a 12 week surgical preparation and education class. I am currently in the 6th week of the classes, and I am certain that I made the right decision...Bariactric surgery is the right course for me.

Thats awesome. What was your starting weight?

Today I had my visit with my Doctor, and have my surgery date set. I am finished with all my pre op tests & ready to go. I am wondering if I am doing the right thing by having the lap band surgery. I have been telling myself that the lap band is going to be a tool to help me lose the weight . I hope that I have the will power that is going to be needed to use the lap band the way it should be used.

I did something similar. I didn't eat massive amounts of food, but I did eat every single thing I thought I would miss after. However, Traci is absolutely right - you are not prohibited from eating anything. You just can't eat the quantities you used to. For me, I do get hungry. I also miss being able to eat a large volume, however, I'm praying that will change. I do find myself tempted, but then I remember that my stomach can hold so little, that I better make it worthwhile. I have had every one of my food weaknesses offered to me over the past 3 weeks, and I looked at them, knew I was allowed to eat them, but just decided not to - why open the door to foods that landed me in this spot in the first place? I'm not a food lover - I'm a junk-food lover. It was a road to obesity and diabetes. I'm now on the road to weight loss and glucose control. I'm not mourning the loss of food at all, and I hope you don't either.

I’m just over two weeks post op and a complete newbie. I’m currently on the purée stage and I was told by my medical team a meal at this stage should consist of 2-4 table spoons. What I was wondering what does it feel like when you’ve over done it? I’m way to worried to finish my meals as I don’t want anything to jeopardise my weight loss.