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It was the day before Thanksgiving and we’re packing up the car to go to go to Philly to my SIL/In-laws. We’re trying to get out the door by lunchtime because we know how bad the PA Turnpike gets this day. Side note: You pay a toll to take your life into your (white knuckled) hands to tailgate at 65 mph; :car::car:leave more then two car-lengths and someone darts in front of you (no turn signal, no smile, no wave…Happy Holidays to you too!), causing you to slam on the brakes and wonder if the car tailgating you will soon be in your backseat! :scared2: Back to the story…I finally got my three teens (DD is now 21 actually) out of bed and packing up their final items around 10am (this is early for some of them…teens!). My middle one (DS-18) comes up from the basement beaming.:biggrin: PAUSE right there! This alone is a holiday miracle…he’s going through that moody-teen:glare:Ask-your-teenager-now-while-they-still-know-everything phase:sneaky:…so moments of “beaming” are a rare commodity! He announces “I got accepted into the Engineering school at Penn State main campus!!! Whoo-Hoo!!”:party:(insert us jumping up and down here). Those of you that know PSU, know what a feat it is to get accepted to main campus your Freshman year (most go to a satellite their first 2 years). He’s a very smart kid (National Honor Society), but isn’t the best test taker (psyches himself out:scared2:). He took a course and studied for the SAT, 2 hours almost every day for months, and then took it several times. He thought he wanted to go to Ohio State “OH”… “IO”!!! (DH-Mr.SA and my alma-mater), but he missed the out-of-state scholarship by a mere 10 points on the SAT, so it was just too expensive to go there…He was crushed,:hurt:but I kept telling him things happen for a reason. Since then :pray2:we’ve been waiting:toetap05: for the acceptance letters online everyday, so this was welcome news indeed! He is totally thrilled (and we are too! He deserves this after all that hard work!...dilemma:confused3:...who will we root for at the PSU-OSU game next year?)! One of his best friends that he played on the soccer team and ref’d with got accepted as well (also engineering) so they’re making plans to room together. My niece is a junior there now, so she was thrilled when we got to her home for Thanksgiving and he told her. The chant around our house now is… :thumbup:“WE ARE” … “PENN STATE”:biggrin3:!!!

So it was a week on Saturday since I got my last fill and it’s tight. But this last week I have truly struggled with eating. I can’t help but think back on the 12 steps again and what addiction means. It’s insanity! It’s insane when you pay $$$$$ to physically alter the ability to swallow food, so you can lose weight, but then you try and force food down after you have paid thousands of dollars to physically restrict your ability to do so. Then you spend more time trying to figure out how to get around the restriction but still think how bad you want to be thin. It’s so (insert several bad words here :wub::cursing::biggrin::cursing: x 10) mental. So the last few days I have spent every meal staring :drool: at an abundance of food that I know, good and well I will never be able to eat but to satisfy my off balanced mental state I put it on my plate anyway. Then after a few bites I spend the rest of my time talking to myself about how insane it is for me to take another bite when I am already ready to puke it all back out. So I can’t help but think what happened, what’s going on and how did I get so f&$* up? What is it that drives me to participate in this ritual, this thing that has caused so much pain in my life? I’ve been in therapy for the last six years and the more I think I know the more I don’t. It’s getting better the last few days I have been able to put less food on my plate and love myself enough to provide myself with the self talk that I need to talk me off the “ledge”. Sometimes I can’t do anything but laugh, to keep from crying and then I reach out to my God and ask, “So when you were dishing out issues and challenges how come mine could not be how to get over being wealthy or insanely beautiful with people fighting over me?” But at the close of this writing the truth is for what ever reason this is the issue that I have to hurdle. It’s often reduced me to tears, deep depression, humiliation and disgust. But today is all I have and I have to keep remembering that my focus has to be on the meal before me and getting that right. Failure is not an option for me so I keep going into each meal knowing that I can and will do what needs to be done. My life is valuable and important to many, most importantly me. Today was better than yesterday! Peace, Love & Health Metamorphosis

After TEN years of puking with my band (sometimes daily), I am ecstatic to say that I haven't had any vomiting at all with my sleeve. I'm 2 months out today and am so happy with my sleeve. I'm eating all the dense lean Proteins and fresh fruits and vegetables I couldn't eat for the last 10 years without ending up face first in a toilet or trash can!! I do eat very slowly and chew carefully out of habit from so many years with the band, so maybe that helps. I still mentally feel like some foods will get stuck, but haven't had a problem yet!!

Hi all i, m from the uk and we have to do this liquid liver shrinking diet for 10 days!! 2 litra of semi or skimmed milk, 2 x 200 ml lowfat low sugar yoghurt. Any sugar free drinks and sugar free jelly. I, m on day 3 and its hard but just think about the end result:-D you can do it. Good look on weds :-D

Week one at Curves = Fantastic! I feel so much better about what I'm doing now to help myself get to my goal! YAY me! It seems that the girls at my Curves have learned a lot about how to make the machines work their best magic on me! I remember the last time I joined Curves I would leave there feeling like I hadn't even worked out. I remember thinking.. "weird... I'm not even sore" every time! There was good reason for that.. I wasn't doing any of it right! But I'm here to tell you.. I'm sore! (Not heinously so though) and when I'm done every day, I feel like I've done something for ME!! Something fabulous! I went on a short trip last weekend to see my Grandmas! I was a little nervous about how it all would play out for me.. seems like in the past my "little trips" always turned into diet sabotage! I don't know what it is about traveling that makes one want to eat, but it happens for me every time! So, knowing that about myself, coupled with the fact that I would have zero access to a scale for four days (gasp!) I spent a few moments in a state of curiosity about what might happen! I shouldn't have worried for a moment! Turns out when you have a lap band you don't really get any hungrier just because you're in a car driving across the sandhills! And having no scale access was a bonus! When I got home I had lost 3 pounds (and a few ounces) and that felt pretty amazing. It seems like I had more than my share of "stuck" episodes while I was gone though, and I'm not really sure why. Possibly because of the different foods I was eating.. fish, chicken and hamburger (unless they all have lots of sauce or marinade of some sort) all get stuck now since last week.... which brings me to my "fill" story. So yes, last week the day before I left for my weekend journey I got my first fill. Okay.. I don't know exactly what I was expecting, but I didn't think there would be any pain. I"m here to tell you.. (please excuse my brief moment of oncoming sailor speak) THAT SHIT HURT!! I'm a pretty tough girl with a very high pain tolerance. Self proclaimed of course, but just ask my mom, she'll tell you! Maybe it was because I wasn't expecting any more pain than a blood draw type stick, I don't know, but it hurt a LOT! Before she injected into the port she pushed and prodded (I assume to be sure she was going to inject in the right spot, and to be sure the port was where it was supposed to be) and that may have been the worst part.. I had no idea I was still so sore internally from surgery... but how could I have known that since I don't go around pushing on the port site that way? At any rate, once she found it I felt some relief but the stick hurt too, and then she had to "tapdance" on top of the port for a bit before the needle would go where it was supposed to. The digging around, the pushing around and the stick itself made for some pretty unpleasant moments for me, but the good news it was all over within ten minutes and I now am the happy owner of 3cc of fluid in my lap band! Dot told me to come back for one more in two weeks. That was another surprise.. I didn't expect to go back for a month or so (based on other's stories) but I scheduled my next fill for June 1, and out the door I went, none the worse except for a little emotional scarring from the surprise of the pain you know?! Hahah! What a whiner I can be! I was assured that the next one wouldn't hurt as bad and I chose to believe that... I've definitely got a little restriction with this fill. My new and improved slow eating habits need to be newer and a little more improved. I can only imagine what it will be like after another fill in 2 week... Dot told me that they have found for "most" of their lap band patients, the *sweet spot* is between 5 1/2 cc to 7 cc. How awesome would it be to find that sweet spot in 2 fills? Hey, a girl can hope! So, six weeks out I am 30 pounds lighter, and I will be able to give you some inch calculations by the middle of next month when I get re-measured at Curves! My beach goal was to lose 10 more pounds by June 23rd, and enough inches that I'll be needing a new swim suit! My first 'goal jeans' are still fitting just fine at a size 16, and will hold me over for a few more inches, even if the butt does sag quite a bit by the end of the day. My son is getting married on August 5th and I'm kind of hoping for a dress that will look adorable and be a few sizes smaller.. again, a girl can hope! Time will tell... 30 days til beach time!! Thanks for stopping by! http://www.myotherbutt.blogspot.com

I have been going every four weeks for a fill. My doctor told me that the first few fills will go easy because we aren't close to "getting the fit" in the perfect zone. I am losing weight, so there isn't much rush either. I've been explained that the less fill you take to achieve restriction is like, "money in the bank." The band will retain its future ability to put more restriction if need be. Between exercise and lots of protein I am making my goals. The band's help to get off 30 pounds really helped me be able to work out and back pain has gone to almost zero. Next fill Jan. 18th, my third fill since 10-20-11 surgery.

I just had my first fill yesterday - I got 4 ccs in a Standard (10 cc) Lap Band AP. I can't tell much difference yet...hope this helps! Next fill is in 4 weeks.

Well Bunkey, I wouldn't say I am lazy, but I don't do as much as I should. My exercise consists more of cleaning house...I have a beagle so I should take him out everyday, he would love it and it would be good for me too. Finding the time some days is tough. You know I am not worried about the food thing, we eat pretty good around my house, my husband won't eat meat if it has been frozed and that includes fish so everything is fresh. My family is Italian so we eat alot of fresh veggies and fruit, its not all Pasta like people think :ohmy:!! I know what you mean about the scale, when loosing weight is all you can think about its hard not to weigh yourself every 10 minutes, but its better if you just do it once a week. Way to go on your loss I can't wait!!

I had a really great gym quality treadmill that collected dust for years. I sold it and joined a gym that was only 10$ a month. Now I have all the equipment i could imagine collecting dust. Actually i have been going quite a bit

dont worry it will be here before you know it! from what i gather i was very lucky, (i'm sure it had ALOT to do with being self-pay) i saw my surgeon for consult on 7-10, nutritionist,& psyh on 7-16, pre-op w/ my gp on the 20th upper endoscopy on the 27th and my surgery on the 31st! it all happened SOOOO fast! like a whirlwind,glad its over (almost) i did have a hiatal hernial i'm hoping my insurance will partially cover hospital supplies or stay or SOMETHING...that would be soooo nice ...but highly unlikley

Mine isn't that serious, he just said try to lose 5-10 lbs. if you don't that is okay. So really I just want to get back to where I was at the office.

I will be 6 months post op on 10/9 and finally feeling fantastic !!! I had to have gallbladder surgery 10 wks after my RNY so that put me back a bit. Then healing from two major surgeries was tough. I did sall thru both surgeries without any problems what so ever. My weight loss has been slow and I am at a standstill right now. I only lost 41 lbs. so far and have 40 lbs to go, now that I started jogging I feel my clothes getting loose but the scale only moved 1 lb. either way what just fit is now fitting great or loose. This was the best thing I ever did !!! what a great tool to assist in your weight loss.

I'm from Brooklyn. Gastric sleeve scheduled for 10/26 at Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre.

Look for a low carb / low sugar protein bar like think thin, nu go, pure protein and Atkins. There should be 2g or 3g of sugar or less as well as 20 G protein or more. The calories should be around 200, give or take 10 or 20. Do treat these as an exception rather then the rule because they are not the best survey of nutrients. No more then 1 a day. Maybe less if you are not physically active yet. They are good if you find yourself in a bind for a snack with no real alternatives. The problem with protein bars is they trigger you to eat more and their bioavailability is higher in the body, causing you to not be full for very long. That is why a dense protein is usually always a better choice if you have it available.

http://www.amazon.com/Isopure-Protein-Drink-Grape-ounces/dp/B001M0NJNC/ref=sr_1_10?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1368475024&sr=1-10&keywords=isopure+zero+carb Isopure Plus 0 Carb Protein Drink Grape Frost, Fruit Punch was one drink I used and you can get it delivered from Amazon

Stretchy stuff for casual clothes (like leggings suggested above). For dressier clothes, I've found an A-line pleated skirt with a stretchy waist. Skirts in general are easier to deal with while losing weight, IMO - they are much easier to take in. I've paid about $10 to take in a skirt, whereas for jeans, it cost me around $20. Besides, with pants, you also have to worry about how they fit around the thigh area, whereas with the skirt, it's just a matter of waist circumference. So tailoring things is another option, it will generally be cheaper than buying new items.

Surgery was 11/15/12, before pic was taken on 11/13/12 after losing 25lbs roughly on the Clear liquids. and the new pic was from this past Saturday 5/25/13 so roughly 6 months plus 10 days. I guess its safe to say their is a visible difference. Strangely at times I still feel like a have a long ways to go, but those around me are astounded at the progress.

I am doing much better now. I have lost 74lbs since being sleeved on 2/19/13. Best wishes to you.

Hello all! I just had my rny surgery on Tuesday...I am still having a lot of gas pain. I was just wondering if anyone used gas - x dissolvable strips? SW 413 CW 320 Surgery date 10/29

If you continue to eat that way... waiting for some food to digest then eating a little more, you are essentially "grazing", which is one of the ways WLS patients regain weight. You want to try to avoid that. Once you are all healed up, which you should be at 3 months out, you want to try to confine each "meal" or "snack" to about 20 minutes of eating. Then wait 30-40 minutes before drinking. Then don't eat again until your next scheduled meal or snack. At 3 months out, I was eating 5-6 meals/snacks per day. Trying to get about 10-20 grams of protein in each time. I didn't have much room for vegetables, which is why I was diligent about taking all of my vitamins and supplements.

Same thing happened to me... I was so stuck I really started to get scared... After about 10 mins it made it down... It wouldn't come up. Well that was last Friday and I'm still sore. Better but sore.... I will never eat it again. Still on real soft foods.:party:

I'm also pre-op and am looking at mid-June for surgery. One question I asked myself in deciding if this surgery was for me or not was, could I lose 80-90 pounds in my own and permanently keep the weight off? I answered no because I've been trying to do just that for about 20 years and have failed. The other issue for me was BMI and life expectancy. People with a BMI of over 40 can expect to live 10 years less...that scares the hell out me a whole lot more than whatever short term complications or pain I may experience from having this surgery. I'd like to be around for my grand kids some day. I think it would be beneficial for you to sit down and write out a pros/cons list for having the surgery and I'm almost positive the pros list will win out. Good luck! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I had TWO drains from hell. Both were to drain Fluid build-up from two different areas around the new stomach. AND, I had them in for 10 days pre-op. They were both attached to "bulbs" hanging from tubes. I had to monitor the fluid they drained into the bulbs to make sure there was no blood. I emptied them both twice a day. I had trouble sleeping with them at first (roll over and they don't roll with you) but then I just taped them to my stomach. My surgeon is a Nazi though.

Thank you ladies! Your both awesome! I got my band 10/22/13 I may get an adjustment 12/3. So far no fluid yet bet I will try to get moving. Thanks again and much luck to you

I own them all!!!! Including the original movie and the two sequal movies. I once bid 3000 dollars for a chance for my wife to have lunch on set with Richard Dean Anderson, while making this last movie. I lost. It went for 33000 dollars!!!!! I also own the Wizard of Oz painting that was above the directors desk for 10 years. Ok, and I own a couple of props from the filming of the series, a zatnicatil and a gun from the Wormhole Xtreme episode. I won't say what they cost, too embarrassing.