Starting over, 5 years after surgery

[HilaryInRC 116]

Hi Suzanne,

How is today going? Are you recouping from your Detour yesterday?

Amy,

My current PA recommends 1100 calories a day: Breakfast) 300 cal, Lunch) 400 cal, Dinner) 400 cal, with a minimum of 20 grams of Protein at each meal.

So far, I have been uncompliant with that. I started out with trying to eat Breakfast (no Protein Drink and within 60 minutes of waking). I am now able to eat breakfast. But, then the rest of the day the schedule goes kinda wonky. Today, is the first day that I am attemping his breakfast/lunch/dinner schedule. I have to tell you 300 calories of protein for breakfast was tough for me. I had to eat 1 greek yogurt, 1 hard boiled egg, and 1/3 c cottage cheese to meet his requirement. Today for lunch, I had a sesame stir fry chicken lean cuisine, a hard boiled egg, and 1/4 c cottage cheese to meet his requirements. I found it hard to eat that much food. I was forcing myself. But, I'm hoping that it will keep me full for 4+ hours if I do what he says. I'll let you know the results.

-Hilary

[Suziecat 379]

Hey guys.

Yesterday went ok, and just ok with my eating. I love me some corned beef. And it was so good. My nephew cameover and we celebrated his birthday. His 8 year old daughter was with him and so when it was cake time I had a piece of cake with her. It was really good.So other then to much corned beef and a slice of cake, I did ok on my eating.

When my nehew showed up with his daughter, she was carrying her suitcase. Yup, Easter break and can I take her for the week. lol. So far she hasn't been to much for me but I am getting exhausted. I took her to Wal-mart and got Cereal and milk, got out without any Cookies. And then we headed to Hobby Lobby for soe stuff for a project I am doing. So proud of my self for getting out of both places with out buying a bag of robin eggs. And they were right there as we were checking out

I fixed my Protein drink this morning and gave my grandniece a try of it. Just as I thought, she didn't care for it much either. We came home from shopping and I made her lunch and then fixed my lunch from leftover corned beef. I'm being proud of myself for passing up the stuff I should not be having and getting in my Proteins. I haven't weiged since I saw the doc, But I told my husband that I feel my pants just a smidge looser. I'm going to take what I can get on any weight loss.

Hillary, I also have a problem with breakfast. I eat and when lunch come around I'm not hungry. So I usually skip lunch and then go straight into dinner. I've always been that way. So if I ave to eat breakfast for some reason, I'll fix a piece of toast.

Amy, I can't wait for your appointment also. I'm excited for you. Mine is late next you. Good Luck and I hope you get a fill. My band doc won't allow us to eat cotage cheese

I gotta go take a littet nap an get rested tor the evening. Sh has meworn out allready

[morelgirl 177]

Today was official Monday weigh in day. Down just over a pound for last week, so I'm reminding myself that's the correct amount to gauge my success by, instead of the 3+ lb loss of last week. Don't you just hate reality sometimes? My eating aha been okay. I made it up to 1200 calories yesterday, but when I looked back at my nutrients, I saw my choices were a little heavy on fat, so I need to watch that today. It's T-minus 2 days to my dr appointment and I can barely sit still with anticipation. Can't wait!

Suzie, I'm glad you're feeling a bit better about your eating. I know you've got what it takes to succeed, but I'm excited for your appointment, too. I hope it gives you some help.

Have a great day everyone!

[HilaryInRC 116]

Suzanne, Good job resisting the candy! That is awesome!

So yesterday, I did really well until after dinner. I ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner like I was supposed to (300 cal, 400 cal, 400 cal). I also walked 5 miles. But, after dinner I was craving sweet. So, I had a few dates. And it snowballed from there. It was an after-dinner binge. I won't give you the gory details! I think I need to just quit sugar all together. It leads to bad things for me.

Today, I'm trying again. It is a new day. I got up at my new wake up time again, and attempted breakfast. I got down 280 calories (1 cup + honey + banana) of plain greek yogurt and couldn't quite make it to 300 calories. 280 was pushing it. Then, I went for my morning walk. Later, around 11:00 am, I got hungry again. So, breakfast kept me full for 3 hours. I got home at 11:40 am and had lunch - a lean cuisine and some turkey lunchmeat. Again, I made it to 280 calories and couldn't get another bite in! There just wasn't any room. So, I stopped eating even though my PA says to eat 400 cal for lunch. But, I have a Starbucks date with some friends and will make up the calories there. Usually, I would just have unsweetened green tea. But, since I'm low on calories I'm going to have coffee and 2% milk.

More later...

[Suziecat 379]

I love this thread.

When I'm feeling bad about choices or something I have done or not have done I come here and you all set me straight.

Hilary, I understand your snowball yesterday, I had mine a few days ago also. But one of the good things about it is that it does make us stronger. We know that the next day we need to get back on track and to never let that happen again. Nothing like being accountable to ourselves. And some times we need that kick in the butt. Glad to hear that you got right back on track today.

Amy, Down a pound??? awesome. A loss is so much better anytime then a gain. And you are so right about reality , It so sucks at times.

Tonight I am fixing Hamburger Helper for the family. Not sure what I'm gonna have yet. But it will be Protein for sure. I thought about doing another protein drink but I think it might be some beef Jerky

and some veggies.

Tomorrow my sister and I are taking our grandniece to the Plaza to see the bunnies. They are six foot Fiber glass bunnies and they are all decorated up. So we will take her there and walk around and take pictures of her. I'm thinking I might pack some food to take incase we might get hungry. That way I can get her something to eat and I can still eat what I'm supposed to be eating. No fast food for me. Gotta keep reminding myself that I have a goal to reach.

I'm excited about spring coming. I spend more time outside and that really helps me.

[morelgirl 177]

What a difference a day makes. Woke up this morning to grey skies and a grey mood. Not sure what caused it (the mood, not the skies. Here is the Pacific NW, grey skies are not exactly unusual in the spring), but it's making the day less awesome than the last few, or at least my mood about it. I'm just giving thanks that my dr appointment is tomorrow, because the the moment that's about the only thing making me hang in there, and it's by the skin of my teeth. I hate these moods, because they never do me any good and always end up doing me harm. But I just need to get through today and I know tomorrow will be better.

Yesterday was pretty good over all. I ended the day just a hair under 1000 calories. I had a planned snack to bump it up, but at that point, I just couldn't eat any more. I think I definitely need to look at my food choices to make sure I'm making the right decisions about calories, fat and Protein. I need to keep eating enough to lose.

I know it sounds ridiculous to say that, since all my life it's been way too easy to eat MORE than enough calories everyday, but eating healthy really cuts down on those. A bag of chips, a loaf of bread slathered in butter, and some gourmet cheese and crackers would definitely up my calories every day (I always go for salty/savory treats, not sweets), but then I'd be right back where I started, which is no place I want to visit again. Like always, it all boils down to 'just keep on keeping on.'

Some days those words are a great comfort. Today, I want to give them the finger.

Anyway, I hope everyone else is having a better day than me. I promise to be back to my cheerful and optimistic self tomorrow (as long as I get a fill!).

[Suziecat 379]

Oh Amy, I'm so sorry for your day. And yes I have been there alot. As I get older and arthritis sets in, I find I can predict the weather better then the local weather men. And that can make or break a day also. I find the mornings I get up and the knees don't want to do what the rest of the body does, it's easier to just give in and get a big bowl of something.

We also started out with grey skies this morning. They said it would warm up to 48 degrees and the sun would be out in the afternoon. 6:30pm and the sun is just now starting to come out as it is setting. We decided to take our grandniece to the Plaza to go see the bunnies. Turned out we only found 7 of them. I was under the impression that there was going to be a whole lot more. But we had fun and took pictures at each bunny. I had a banana before we left and then about 12:30 we stopped at burger king to get some lunch for Abby. I passed and continued to drink my bottle of Water. We got home about an hour later and I didn't know what to have so I got 2 slices of deli ham and a cheese stick. For dinner I had the rest of my Protein. So another good day for me. The only thing that I shouldn't have had today was popcorn. We bought the movie Ice Age and popped the popcorn. I had just a little over a cup of it.

I have a NSV. About 8 months ago I was having my check up for the dentist. He was wanting to know what was happening with my teeth. I told him that I had gotten into the habit of eating lifesavers in bed at night while I read. I like to chew on them. A tootsie pop sucker only last about a minute before I go right for the center. So while I read I go thru about 8-10 lifesavers and he told me I was to knock it off. That was about 8 months ago. The last four nights, I'm proud to say that I have gone to bed with out any life savers. It's been hard but I have made it thru so. I hope my dentist will be proud of me.

I got a lot of walking in today and I'm feeling it this evening. Luckly my niece is busy watching a movie and I can have some time to do laundry and rest a little.

I don't have muc on my agenda for tomorrow. Probably some more coloring in the coloring book and playing old maid. Maybe a few more movies. I really enjoy these times and love teaching her new things. But I just can't get over how an 8 ear old can wear me out so fast.

Amy, I hope everything goes well at your appointment tomorrow and that you get a fil. My appointment is next week and I think I am ready for this to be over. But for the most part I will proabably follow up with the Protein Drinks at least five times a week. I also hope I get a fill.

Back to the laundry now.

[TammyMassman 1]

I had my lapband 5 or 6 years ago. I've had lots of problems and feel completely defeated. I had my band emptied last year because everyhing gets stuck. I feel like a failure. I turn 40 on Sunday and want to desperately regain control. I just found this app and want to go to the gym now. Wish me luck!

[SueBee01 630]

Happy Birthday Tammy! You can do it!

Others, what happened to the only eat when hungry. My nut said throw the scheduled meals out the door if you are still trying to lose. Eat healthy and only when hungry. Worked for me. Maybe try something different.

[HilaryInRC 116]

Frustrated with my band!

[Suziecat 379]

Amy, wishing you good luck today, but I don't think you will need it. I'm sure everything will turn out good.

Tammy, Happy Birthday. Aren't we all frustrated with our bands. Or maybe we are frustrated with ourselves. Either way, I am so glad that I came back to this web-site and started reading a lot of post. It made me understand that I am not alone in my feelings. Must important, it made me understand that I'm responsible for my choices. And my choice is to kick myself in the butt and get myself back to using my band correctly and exercising. I hope you find inspiration in all of our stories and realize that you are not in this alone. We share your struggles.

Yesterday was a very good day for me. I had y eating under control and we did a lot of walking. I took my niece and went looking for the bunnies on display down on the Plaza. We walked almost every street there looking for them and posing for pictures. I was pooped and slept real well last night.

Time to go fix my Protein drink yummy, NOT. But it is helping me.

Have a great day everyone.

[morelgirl 177]

Okay, I'm back to normal today, feeling much better. In fact, I'm excited. I went to see my surgeon this morning. When I weighed in last time, I was kind of taken aback by how different the number on her scale was from the number on mine, so since then I've been estimating conservatively on what I thought I was losing, because I wasn't sure how accurate my scale had been. Well, now I know exactly how far off it is from what I weighed in at today, but the important thing is that I lost even MORE weight in the past two weeks than I thought I had. My surgeon was very excited and feels that we're very close to getting me in the green zone.

So to sum up, I got a small fill, just .25cc. The doctor feels this might be all I need, but if in 1 week I feel no change, I should call for another .25cc top up free of charge. I'm loving how seriously my new doctor is taking getting me into the green zone as soon as possible and feel really confident that I will be there within the next couple of weeks, if not after this fill. I want to jump up and down, I'm so happy about that!

Oddly, this was the first fill I've had done by anyone other than a surgeon. The original surgeon had done all my fills while I was under his care, and last time my new surgeon gave it to me, probably because it was the first time she had seen me, but this time her nurse did the injection. I have to say she wasn't quite as skilled as the doctor and it took her two tries, but it still wasn't that bad.

So, I'm home now and sipping on my Protein shake. I think I can feel a difference already, but I know that could just be swelling, so I'm trying to stay realistic. But I am optimistic as well.

Suzie, good for you for sticking to plan and getting a good amount of activity yesterday. I need to up my activity, but I strained a calf muscle this week, so I'm having to rest it for a few days at least. Makes the fill even more important.

I hope everyone has a great day!

[HilaryInRC 116]

Oh, ladies. I had the *biggest* meltdown over my band last night. I got myself all worked up and couldn't sleep. I even had to take an anxiety pill. Right now I'm functioning on 2 hours of rest. I was so frustrated and hopeless that if I could have reached in and ripped out the band I would have! I was prepared to have revision and call this morning to get it all set up. But, it turns out my new insurance doesn't cover any obesity related treatment. No nutritionist, no medically supervised diet plans, no surgeries, nothing. Thank goodness I pre-payed for all of my band appts. Well, I will either be switching insurance this fall or next January depending on how work plays out. This is it. This is the last year I'm giving my band. If the band and I haven't sorted out our differences by next year (5 years in September), I'll be moving forward with something else. In the mean time, I need to really work my band and all of my resources.

I have an appointment with a local doctor to discuss diet pills/prescriptions and those sorts of options on April 1st. I also have an appointment with my PA for a fill on the 10th. I'm at my wits end with this band.

[morelgirl 177]

Hilary, I'm so sorry to hear about your anxiety, but believe me, I DO understand the frustration. When I think that I have 9.25cc in my band and I'm still wondering if I have restriction, it's easy to feel down. Personally, I still believe that the band will work for me. Since I was and continue to be self pay, it had better be, because I can't afford anything else! I know that in my case, I need to work the program, weigh and measure EVERYTHING, and eat slow slow slow.

Everyone is different though, and what works for some doesn't work for others. I think it's a great idea that you give your band one last chance and hope you have more success with your upcoming fill, but if in the end you really feel like you need to revise to a sleeve or another surgery, we will still be here to support you. In the meantime, try to practice good band eating with Protein first, small bites and insane amounts of chewing. The same habits will help you even if you end up revising, after all.

Good luck, and know I'm cheering for you as loud as I can.

[Suziecat 379]

Whew, finally some peace and quit in my house. Now it's me time for a little bit and then clean up time. I have had my grandniece since sunday and I took her home today. I love having her here and spending time with her, but she has so much energy and I'm pooped.

I think I did very good with my eating while she was here. She kept looking for Cookies and candy to eat and couldn't figue out why I didn't have any here. So she chose to devour my cheese sticks. lol. And she was a popcorn hound. Everytime we watched a movie, she would go put popcorn in the microwave. She is too funny and had us cracking up.

I do have a question to ask. I've been reading a bunch of other post and evey now and then I run across some one that has lost like 140 pounds in 10 months or 105 pounds in 8 months. How are they doing that? Are they just not eating and what happens when they go in for a fill. Do they get one. I know my doc would not give me a fill if I had lost 12 pounds since my last visit. I'm jut curious as to how they loose so fast with the band.

This morning I ran to the groery store to pick up a few things. One of those things was I bought some cottage cheese. It has 12 grams a serving of Protein in it. And I usually mix pineapple in it. But that is one of the things my doc has on the list of not to eat. But I do my best when I eat cottege cheese. I seem to lose weight faster. My appointment is next Thusday so I thought thhat I would get some and give myself a little extra push. Do you guys eat cottage cheese?

Tonight I'm going out to dinner with my friends. There is a new burger joint that opened up and so we are going. I'm gonna look and see if they have a website first and check out what they have that I can eat. I can do a have burger right now and that is with the bun. I'm hoping that I can get my fills back to where I can't do bread. I used to have to take the Buns of and cut the pattie up and eat it that way.