Hey 50 & over gang We have a new spot

[bochs 0]

Sounds like eveyone is doing pretty good on the 50s thread. I went to Dr. tdday for post op. I was down 19 lbs since June 13th. Had surgery on June 18th. I am thrilled. No fill for four weeks if I can make it. We wll see. I too, like this 50s thread so I can see how everyone is doing. I also stopped at the Boat (Casino) today and won 500 on a slot machine. That was another great thrill for me today. All in all, it was a very good day. Glad to hear everyone is doing well. Talk with you guys tomorrow. Best Wishes to all the newbies. You will be just fine after surgery.

Beckyo:tt1:

[JoannMarie 0]

Wow Beckyo! You had a GREAT day! Save that 500 to start your new wardrobe, you lucky little duck, you. Congratulations!

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

As far as weights vs. cardio goes, I was weight lifting and doing cardio for 3 years 6 days a week before banding. I never lost one ounce. I did build a lot of muscle in my thighs and lost a lot of inches though.

I love the way my thighs are smaller and don't stick out farther than my hips for the first time in my life. That is from weight lifting, not cardio. I can't pinch any skin on my thighs from all the muscle.

I really think that both are important to get your body to look the way you want it to. Having muscle helps burn more calories and speeds up your metabolism. However, people need to go at their own pace. Some people are happy and losing fine with just walking. Do whatever makes you happy!

I am 5 lbs below my goal and seem to be continuing to lose now without really even trying, just from following bandster rules. If you can't eat solid Protein, you'll get hungry sooner and it will be harder to lose weight.

I am at a place now where I can eat anything I want. I think my fill has loosened over the last 6 months but I hope I never need another one. There is no point in messing with a good thing. I don't get hungry

and still get full on small portions.

I hope everyone finds their sweet spot because it's fabulous to be able to eat the way the band was intended-small portions - but not having food get stuck and having to eliminate certain foods from your diet.

I only wish I had found out about the band a lot sooner!

[carolynfletcher 0]

Must be ignorant, but what's PB?

productive burp.:frown:

[Sooverit! 1]

Hi over 50 gang: I am so grateful to see this site. I am prebanded and my tag says I'm 47 but that is when I started this journey and I am still not banded. I have the worst insurance for LB coverage with Cigna and started with a borderline BMI 37/38. I'm going through the arbitration process ..it's been a long road.

In the mean time I'm getting even bigger and morphing into a woman I don't recognize and I don't feel comfortable or particular like what I see at all and I feel like withdrawing and hiding. Most of my life I was a very attractive woman with a good figure and a happy attitude. Later age pregnancy and meopause took me to a weight gain I can't manage on my own. Now I don't know who this woman is in the mirror as of the past few years. The hot summers here are particulary difficult.

I stilll go to the gym as I love yoga and excercise but I'm getting down about my new appearance and feel myself withdrawing.

Though through all of these hormonal ups and downs one of the things that has kept me from feeling too down is the support I feel from woman in their 50s and 60s 70s and beyond ...woman in these decades of age are just so much cooler, less judgemental, kinder, just more supportive of their fellow female folk. I thank all of you for your smiles, kind words and support.

[herghost 1]

Carol:

I told my doctor 2 visits ago that he banded the wrong organ, should have banded my head! I struggle with cravings and stuff I like and don't necessarily stick with what I should be eating. When I'm back on track I do lose and lose very well.

So, back on track from what I have been taught is

Protein first, cut up, small amounts and chew chew chew.

fruits and veggies next

carbs last and very limited amounts.

The dr. likened it to the Atkins diet.

I have gained and lost the same 10 pounds over the last 6 months, and usually when I'm gaining, it's because I'm eating stuff like candy, ice cream, stuff that goes down easy. You don't want to eat the easy stuff, because you don't get the full sensation fast enough.

chicken works the best for me, I also eat meatballs with spaghetti or pizza sauce or gravy (I need the moisture to get it down). Salads also work, but small amounts. You should be eating 3-5 ounces of protein with each meal and that should give you a full sensation.

And don't drink fluids with your meal! It flushes all that good food that stays in your pouch for a while right on through! I LOVE fluids and drink a LOT! So this was a major behavioral change for me. I drink at least 8 ounces before I eat just so I don't crave the fluids during and after the meal.

I think th 40 + pounds you've lost is great and while we all wish we'd lose more, the band is only a tool, not the cure.

Also, the other thing I was told is that the diet for the band is not totally like the diet for the RNY. There is not as much concern re: the nutrient intake as we can eat whatever we want, it is more focusing on healthy food choices.

Good luck, stay in touch!

Sue Stenzel

[Great2BThin 5]

Good morning lovely 50's!! I am just in from my morning bike ride. I was a little discouraged today as I couldn't go as long or as far today. But I added a new hill and that kicked my butt plus went a tad bit later and the heat makes a big difference. I almost didn't go but said no you have to! I really need to build some stamina, it's pathetic. DH is going to get a bike so we can ride together so I want to get a little more stamina before then.

I'm doing great since my first fill on Monday. I can't believe the difference it has made. Last night I cooked chicken for DH & I, I had some thighs left in the freezer. I used to make 6 or 7 thighs, I'd eat 2 or 3 and he'd eat the rest sometimes one left over (if I made 7). Last night I made 3 as he wants to cut back too. And, I couldn't even eat one whole thigh. It was a big one though. I see my grocery bill going way down. Also DH is a hunter and has lots of game in the freezer, mostly birds. So I've been cooking him one of his birds and then having a small piece of fish etc. myself, it's a great time to need fewer groceries with the prices going up. And the best news of all I am down 2 lbs since my fill!!

[JoannMarie 0]

Sooverit, welcome to this site. You are right about these folks - it is a very supportive and welcoming group of people who post here. I, too, am not yet banded. However, I'm a Medicare patient, so my issues are a little different than yours. I have to work with a "Center of Excellence" - found a couple of those in my area - and I don't anticipate that I will have trouble getting approved - just meeting the requirements of the doctor who does the surgery for me. That is taking a little time, but should not be too bad as long as I play my part.

While I'm waiting, I've decided to do something to make me feel a little more proactive. I've signed up on Fit.day.com and have been tracking my food consumption and activity level, trying to keep my intake at a reasonable level. This makes me more aware of Portion Control primarily - and also makes me accountable for any foods that would be bad for me post banding. I'm not really thinking about losing pounds right now, though that would be a nice benefit. My primary reason for doing this is to get ready for what's coming and easing myself into that mindset. I'm also increasing my activity level. I have a recumbant bike at home and belong to a gym. I'm using the bike and gym to get in the habit of exercising on a regular basis - 4-5 days a week is the eventual plan. You have already established that habit, so you are definitely on the right track.

I, too, have been in a state of withdrawal. DD and her baby were visiting from Korea last month, and lots of pictures were taken. I keep wondering who that woman is in those photographs. I know I was there, but that can't be me. It is. It's very disheartening, and I sure understand how you are feeling. Please find something you can do to help you be pro-active while you wait for Cigna. You can't control the insurance company, but there may be something about your current situation that you can control and that will make the wait more tolerable.

Everyone here talks about banding our brains in order to change our mindset and habits. There is a lot to that. For me, I think the tracking and exercise now will help me meet that challenge later. I hope that works for you, too.

A plug for another thread: Indiogirl is the mentor on one of the new mentoring threads just started a couple of months ago on LBtalk. I found it a couple of days ago - spent an afternoon reading all the old posts - and it is great. I highly recommend it.

I meant for this to be a "short" reply - too late. Sorry.

[Desdemona 48]

orea15---Thanks for that great posts. When I finally went into the research lit -- I found some good studies that back up that perspective. Thanks!

Beckyo---WAY TO GO!!!! 19lbs is awesome!

Janet--phily--and all--she DID start on my again this AM and I managed to stop her this time. I informed her that my fat-free mass is the same as when I was 220 and I have proof that I have lost 48lbs of FAT--and that I'm going to CONTINUE to do the treadmill until the pain on my left side subsides enough that I feel comfortable tackling the weight machines. She didn't like it but she did back away.

Denise - I'm glad to hear to say that about being able to eat what you want and you are still dropping weight. I was thinking about you because I remember you said your resting met was low. Mine came in at 1234 and I was trying to remember yours. I think it was around the same as mine? According to the charts I see on the net -- it looks like mine is about 200 cal below average--so---I just have to be mindful of those 200 calories. Also---You're info about the pre-banding strengths training was very useful. I do totally agree with you, Janet and others that strengths training is excellent and that both types of exercise really do 2 different things. I definitely do want to work it in at some point. I think it would be terrific. I just need to start it when I feel I can --- and I also need to start it slow and increase in a way that doesn't cause pain or leave me feeling drained all day.

I have decided that I'm going get to goal---get in physical shape (weights) and then treat myself 56 year old body to a rafting trip down the Grand Canyon next spring!!!

Thanks again everyone!

[lynnt1215 1]

JoanneMArie

do you mean the over 50 LTtalk, I love Indio, she ius such an inspiration

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

A lot of factors that influence your metabolism can’t be changed -- a few of those are age, genetics and gender (well, gender can be changed, but not easily!). However, there are some things you can do to rev up your metabolism. First of all, drink lots of Water. Research suggests staying hydrated speeds up your metabolic rate. And lack of Water can slow your metabolic rate. Exercise also gets your metabolism going. Cardio -- exercises that raise your heart rate to a target level, like jogging or aerobics -- ups your metabolism for several hours following your workout. And don't forget about flexing your muscles -- head to the weight room next time you hit the gym. If you increase your lean muscle mass, you increase your resting metabolic rate. That means you'll burn more calories throughout the entire day... even while you sleep! Another tip is to eat often during the day (just don't overdo it, of course!) -- frequent mini-meals keep your metabolism at peak performance. As for eating specific foods to raise it? Spicy foods, green tea, and high-protein foods are said to give your metabolism a little (but not significant) boost. One more thing -- EAT BREAKFAST! That will kick your metabolism into gear for the rest of the day. P.S. The less you weigh, the slower your metabolism. (This doesn't include metabolism-boosting factors like exercise.) Think about it -- the more weight you carry, the harder your body has to work. So if you're heading toward a weight-loss goal and hit a plateau, use these tips to get your metabolism working faster for you (sure beats eating less!).

I copied this from an article on hungrygirl.com that comes in my email every day. I found it interesting to read.

My resting metabolic rate was 1200. It would be interesting to do it again and see if if has changed. I really don't even count calories anymore. I

just watch my portion sizes. I know the size of portion I can eat according to the amount of restriction I have.

I am basically on cruise control these days. I never lost weight quickly, but slow and steady. It was frustrating at first, but making up my mind that I wasn't going to lose anything if I ate junk was a break through. I was always surprised when the scale moved after doing nothing differently.

Best of luck to all the new bandsters. It's a great way of life!

[JoannMarie 0]

JoanneMArie

do you mean the over 50 LTtalk, I love Indio, she ius such an inspiration

The new thread is called "Available LapBand Buddy/I'm Here to Help" Indio is the mentor, and many new and struggling bandsters have gone there to ask her advice. You are right - Indio is a great inspiration and dispenses tough lapband love with the definite emphasis on "love". She has great insight into the problems all of us face with weight issues, and is happy to share everything she has learned about this journey. The fact that she has been so successful makes it hard to ignore or dismiss her advice. Check the homepage and look for the new mentoring threads. You could also find other threads that will help if you are new or struggling with weight loss/banding issues.

Please do IndioGirl a favor and read the pages of previous posts so she does not have to cover the same ground over and over. Whatever questions you might have just may have been addressed in previous posts.

Thank you, IndioGirl

Edited July 16, 2008 by JoannMarie
Error in title of thread

[pj_txlady 0]

Does anyone know how I will take my meds that are capsules? I take 2 blood pressure pills a day, one is a capsule, plus celebrex, which is capsule also. The others Premarin, daily baby aspirin will be crushed right? My pre-op appt is Friday morning, surgery is Aug. 4th.

[Great2BThin 5]

JoanneMArie

do you mean the over 50 LTtalk, I love Indio, she ius such an inspiration

No she means IndigoGirl's thread under that Mentor board. She has been so gracious to offer mentoring to those that need it as have others. Indigo has helped me a lot.

Edited July 16, 2008 by Great2BThin
so the spell check police don't correct me AGAIN!

[Booklady 0]

To pj txlady: Be sure to ask your doctor what meds he still wants you to take. I take two different blood pressure meds, but he wants to hold off on one of them because it is a type of diuretic. New bandsters tend to get dehydrated anyway if not enough liquids are consumed and that pill would only add to the problem. All that was discussed when dismissed from the hospital.