I'm here to help...

[IndioGirl55 32]

Janet,

Thanks for all your support for everyone. Whenever I've had a bad day, I sign on here and feel much more positive about what I can accomplish. Its the success stories, like yours, that help.

I've been struggling lately but have many more good days than bad and I hope when I see the doctor tomorrow, my second fill will help a little. I know the work is up to me. The last time I weighed, I had lost 28 lbs - about a week ago, but I'm all bloated due to TOM - (yes, at 53 years old, I still have a monthly visitor), so I'm not sure what the scale will show tomorrow.

You are the perfect person to be on a Lap Band Patient Advisory council since you are so in tune with what everyone is going through. Have a great weekend and let us know how it goes.

Alice

Banded April 8, 2008

271/243/150

Alice

OMW - You still have Aunt Flo - Hugs - Mines been gone for a couple of yrs now - she may sorta fly by every six months (spotting) but no more monthly visit - Another blessing of old age :tongue:

The self awareness of what you are doing is going to be the key that unlocks the door to your issues with food.. You are thinking more before you eat something you really maybe shouldn't - where before you didn't think you just ate it.. This is a process - we have been fat for years it's not going to happen overnight - I am still afraid that I will gain it all back - that free is still in me - but it keeps me aware not to let my guard down when it come to food and not exercising - I don't listen to that little devil on my shoulder telling me it's ok to eat any and everything and no to go to the gym... I know it's the devil and I refuse to give in to him...

I found once I was banded I paid more attention to why & what I ate.. When I want something unhealthy - I just say to myself - did you have surgery to continue to eat this way 98% of the time that works - but I do allow for a 2% treats (real sugar and not healthy foods)

Each day you will think more and make better choices - and am glad to hear that there are more good days than bad - keep working at it you will succeed.!!!!

[IndioGirl55 32]

Here are some food ideas that I just found in my word and my sample menu

[lapbandbarb 0]

Hi!

It is so great to read all the entries since you started this forum! I have been sitting here for hours!

I am scheduled for my band on July 7th 2008, and have to be on only liquids, stay at 1000 cals and have at least 50 grams of Protein per day for a full 14 days! It seems more drastic than anyone else I have heard or read about. But I am doing it. My Dr is at NYU. His name is Fielding and I have read that many people on this website have used him. He is supposed to be the best. He gave Lapbands to his whole home town in Australia.

You are an inspiration! I have lost weight before by working out but I moved and got really stressed out and lonely 5 years ago and have let myself get to 260 lbs. I have really bad arthritis in my knees which prevents me from being able to even walk more than a couple of blocks now. I am 43 and notice such a difference from years ago. I have faith that one day like you, I will be excited to exercise and be mindful in my food choices. I have a great, mostly supportive husband and two kids, Jessica,8 and Michael,11 whom I would love to be able to keep up with more actively. I am so lucky, and I appreciate what I have. I am doing this not only for me, but to stay around for them,too.

Right now, I have to get through the two weeks of liquids only. One thing at a time.

I've been at my goal 150 before and plan to be there again! Thanks for all your entries. I enjoyed them and look forward to reading more.

Barb

[IndioGirl55 32]

Hi!

It is so great to read all the entries since you started this forum! I have been sitting here for hours!

I am scheduled for my band on July 7th 2008, and have to be on only liquids, stay at 1000 cals and have at least 50 grams of Protein per day for a full 14 days! It seems more drastic than anyone else I have heard or read about. But I am doing it. My Dr is at NYU. His name is Fielding and I have read that many people on this website have used him. He is supposed to be the best. He gave Lapbands to his whole home town in Australia.

You are an inspiration! I have lost weight before by working out but I moved and got really stressed out and lonely 5 years ago and have let myself get to 260 lbs. I have really bad arthritis in my knees which prevents me from being able to even walk more than a couple of blocks now. I am 43 and notice such a difference from years ago. I have faith that one day like you, I will be excited to exercise and be mindful in my food choices. I have a great, mostly supportive husband and two kids, Jessica,8 and Michael,11 whom I would love to be able to keep up with more actively. I am so lucky, and I appreciate what I have. I am doing this not only for me, but to stay around for them,too.

Right now, I have to get through the two weeks of liquids only. One thing at a time.

I've been at my goal 150 before and plan to be there again! Thanks for all your entries. I enjoyed them and look forward to reading more.

Barb

Thanks Barb !!!! I am just a big mouth I love my band and the control that I now have over my life - I could go on t.v. and tell the world how great a tool the band is for those of us who have had weight issues most of our lives (i would love to go on Oprah and tell he she needs it and to quit saying WLS is the easy way out - it's not this is work) I wouldn't be like the commercial - I would tell the truth (imho the commercial make it seem like it's the magic cure) I would stress the tool issue - stress the mental work that needs to be done - stress that is a combination of many things to become successful - it's not just the band.

You will find that every doc here is totally diff - I only had 6 day pre-op and then 10 days full liquids after surgery -then 10 days of mushies - 10 days of soft and finally regular food.< /p>

Yes I was banded to extend the years I have left - I want to see my grandkids get married (Oldest is 17 - then 13 - then 4) and maybe even see some great grandkids.

I wanted to improve the quality of my life and 99 lbs gone has improved it immensely - Will keep you in my prayers for a safe surgery and speedy recovery - Keep us posted.

Hugs

Janet

[Great2BThin 5]

Thanks Barb !!!! I am just a big mouth I love my band and the control that I now have over my life - I could go on t.v. and tell the world how great a tool the band is for those of us who have had weight issues most of our lives (i would love to go on Oprah and tell he she needs it and to quit saying WLS is the easy way out - it's not this is work) I wouldn't be like the commercial - I would tell the truth (imho the commercial make it seem like it's the magic cure) I would stress the tool issue - stress the mental work that needs to be done - stress that is a combination of many things to become successful - it's not just the band.

Hugs

Janet

The first gal in that lap band commercial is the sister of a friend of mine. Here I thought for some dumb reason that those folks were really people getting the lap band. Nope just actors playing a role. She said her sister could even get it free or very reduced for doing the commercials but she didn't because it would mean her roles she does. IT just really disappointed me to hear that. I realized most commercials were just that but for some reason I thought those were actual portrayals as I didn't see anything disclaiming otherwise but only saw the commercial once.

[serenity 1]

IndioGirl55

Thank you. I will make the radiologist appt this week. I downloaded your sample menu and yes, I need to stop playing with my own head......I participated in a walkathon Sunday (3 mi) and worked out tonight while watching Gladiator....something about that movie motivates a person to be physical (smile)

As for going through my cupboards, that is going to be hard, throwing away food.....that was considered sinful when I was younger, hence my problem now. But, the journey begins with the first step......When you return, please alert the boards and I will let you know how the week went.

[IndioGirl55 32]

The first gal in that lap band commercial is the sister of a friend of mine. Here I thought for some dumb reason that those folks were really people getting the lap band. Nope just actors playing a role. She said her sister could even get it free or very reduced for doing the commercials but she didn't because it would mean her roles she does. IT just really disappointed me to hear that. I realized most commercials were just that but for some reason I thought those were actual portrayals as I didn't see anything disclaiming otherwise but only saw the commercial once.

Long - it's just like reality tv which is all edited to make you watch - pple sensationalize everything now a days. I think the commercial that runs now is a real lady - cuz it shows a before and after - but when it says it takes away your hunger - well - yes it helps but it doesn't take it away 100% and again it's more about our head hunger than our physical hunger..

IndioGirl55

Thank you. I will make the radiologist appt this week. I downloaded your sample menu and yes, I need to stop playing with my own head......I participated in a walkathon Sunday (3 mi) and worked out tonight while watching Gladiator....something about that movie motivates a person to be physical (smile)

As for going through my cupboards, that is going to be hard, throwing away food.....that was considered sinful when I was younger, hence my problem now. But, the journey begins with the first step......When you return, please alert the boards and I will let you know how the week went.

Serenity

I will be here till Friday Morning - I am proud of you for the exercise - way to go:thumbup:

As to cleaning the cupboards - if you can't throw it away - then bag it up and take it to your local homeless shelter.

Yep the whole clean plate club - starving children in china - I was taught the same thing - that being wasteful was sinful - but so is being obese - gluttony is a sin too - doing anything in excess is a sin. But our whole head game doesn't let us remember those facts we don't look at fat as being a sin... But we are abusing the body that God gave us - we are committing a slow legal suicide..

When you clean out the cupboards (whether you throw it away or give it away) say this "Better in Thee than in ME" You will find it empowering - yep it's hard to give up your best Friend food - but it's not really your Friend - cuz a real Friend wouldn't be killing you...

Try it - even if it's just one thing - give it a try and see how you feel.

But make sure that you can't dig it out later in a moment of weakness - open it up dump it in and put other trash over it so that you can go back to it later..

[cathychatts 1]

I had my surgery on the 6th and I am on regular food now, just adding a little at a time and I can eat anything. I am tracking my food on the reaize band website. I have eaten out a couple of times, mostly at Shoney's on the bar. I have a card that allows me to eat for the child's price $3.99! That is great! :cool2: I have eaten a little of everything and don't have problems as long as I take small bites and chew, chew, chew! I try to stick with balanced meals, eating Protein first. I have not lost any more weight though. :smile:

I started to exercise more yesterday. Actually rode my bike 5 miles on the Greenbelt trail (paved and level) took about an hour and it felt GREAT!:biggrin2:

I know I will need a fill soon as I want to eat like the past and really have to work!

I have to remember to stop and check my hunger level. I think I need to put blinders on and not see the food! :thumbup:

[mom22 0]

Hi - I would really love the support and guidance of an "experienced" lapbander! I am 49 years old and weight 250 pounds (wow - that was hard to type!!) - I am 5'3" and my goal weight is 130 pounds. I'm stay-at-home mom - which I know has contributed to my weight issues. I also have severe Migraines and fibromyalgia - which make it very difficult to maintain a consistent workout program. My insurance requires a 6-month pre-surgery program, which I am currently going into my 4th month. Looks like surgery will be the end of September. It seems like such a long time away - but truthfully the program has really helped me understand what is ahead. It's so great to hear a success story such as yours - congratulations!! Looking forward to hearing from you! mom22

[alcotth 0]

Long - it's just like reality tv which is all edited to make you watch - pple sensationalize everything now a days. I think the commercial that runs now is a real lady - cuz it shows a before and after - but when it says it takes away your hunger - well - yes it helps but it doesn't take it away 100% and again it's more about our head hunger than our physical hunger..

Serenity

I will be here till Friday Morning - I am proud of you for the exercise - way to go:thumbup:

As to cleaning the cupboards - if you can't throw it away - then bag it up and take it to your local homeless shelter.

Yep the whole clean plate club - starving children in china - I was taught the same thing - that being wasteful was sinful - but so is being obese - gluttony is a sin too - doing anything in excess is a sin. But our whole head game doesn't let us remember those facts we don't look at fat as being a sin... But we are abusing the body that God gave us - we are committing a slow legal suicide..

When you clean out the cupboards (whether you throw it away or give it away) say this "Better in Thee than in ME" You will find it empowering - yep it's hard to give up your best Friend food - but it's not really your Friend - cuz a real Friend wouldn't be killing you...

Try it - even if it's just one thing - give it a try and see how you feel.

But make sure that you can't dig it out later in a moment of weakness - open it up dump it in and put other trash over it so that you can go back to it later..

Indio,

Man oh man am I having a hard time with this weight loss. I was banded in November last year and am down only 50 + pounds. I have been trying to lose 10 pounds a month and it was going good for a while but now I have seemed to plateau. I had a fill back in May and have felt great restriction but here I am, not losing. I started at 316 pounds and today I weighed myself and was 262. I'm 26 years old and 5'4" this shouldn't be this hard... I admit that exercise has turned into a weekly thing instead of daily and I contribute that to many meaningless excuses. Why can't I seem to get out of my old pattern of eating and not exercising? Gosh, I am so discouraged. I know that it is my fault and that I rely too much on the band to stop me from eating. I read what you wrote about doing anything in excess is a sin and that really hit me. You're right. I am working so hard in building my relationship with God and for me to be doing these things... He must be so dissapointed in me. I need to rely on Him and know that He has a better plan for me than this overweight and over uncomfortable life I live. Thank you very much for all that you have shared on here. You are truly an inspiration!

Heather

[IndioGirl55 32]

I had my surgery on the 6th and I am on regular food now, just adding a little at a time and I can eat anything. I am tracking my food on the reaize band website. I have eaten out a couple of times, mostly at Shoney's on the bar. I have a card that allows me to eat for the child's price $3.99! That is great! :cool2: I have eaten a little of everything and don't have problems as long as I take small bites and chew, chew, chew! I try to stick with balanced meals, eating Protein first. I have not lost any more weight though. :smile:

I started to exercise more yesterday. Actually rode my bike 5 miles on the Greenbelt trail (paved and level) took about an hour and it felt GREAT!:biggrin2:

I know I will need a fill soon as I want to eat like the past and really have to work!

I have to remember to stop and check my hunger level. I think I need to put blinders on and not see the food! :thumbup:

Cathy

Congrats on the Exercise- That's great :smile:

If I have said it once I have said it a million time - Our brains is where our problems lie - Yes your fill will help with the Portion Control but it's not going to stop your from wanting to eat like in the past - I am 11 months out and at times I want to return to my old eating habits - it takes self control - will power and disleplen not to. I could sit down and eat a baked potatoe loaded with butter & sour cream - or a bowl of ice cream or buy a bag of candy and my band would allow it even with me being at my sweet spot.

I agree with the blinders - for me it's avoidance - If I see food I want it - so I just don't put the temptation in my face I avoid it like the plague

I am a food addict - if you put a piece of choc cake in front of me - I will have to throw it away - cuz if I look at it too long I will want to eat it.

How many calories are you eating on a daily basis??

Hi - I would really love the support and guidance of an "experienced" lapbander! I am 49 years old and weight 250 pounds (wow - that was hard to type!!) - I am 5'3" and my goal weight is 130 pounds. I'm stay-at-home mom - which I know has contributed to my weight issues. I also have severe Migraines and fibromyalgia - which make it very difficult to maintain a consistent workout program. My insurance requires a 6-month pre-surgery program, which I am currently going into my 4th month. Looks like surgery will be the end of September. It seems like such a long time away - but truthfully the program has really helped me understand what is ahead. It's so great to hear a success story such as yours - congratulations!! Looking forward to hearing from you! mom22

Mom22 - Welcome !!! I weighed 250 too - and say I am 5'4 but really more like 5'3 1/2 . I didnt have to do any pre-op 6 month diet (thankfully) but yes it is a training ground for what lies ahead.

Please talk to your doc and find out what exercise you can do with the Migraine & fibromalgia issues cuz for me that has been a big part of my success.

[kjillcarr 0]

Janet,

It's two week today and all is pretty good. I am having two issues I wanted to ask you about. One is I cannot figure out where my port is but if I turn a certain way or bend a certain way I do get a sharp pain in the area I think it is. Would the sharp pain be normal? Also, I seem to be having a hard time getting to sleep. I thought it was because I was exercising and my muscles were rebelling but Sunday night it happened again and I didn't do any exercising. It seems my arms and legs just won't relax and all I do is constantly move around. I haven't gotten to sleep until 4-5 in the morning. I go to the doctor tomorrow and I am going to mention it but is this something that you have heard of before? I am not in pain or have any gas.

[IndioGirl55 32]

Indio,

Man oh man am I having a hard time with this weight loss. I was banded in November last year and am down only 50 + pounds. I have been trying to lose 10 pounds a month and it was going good for a while but now I have seemed to plateau. I had a fill back in May and have felt great restriction but here I am, not losing. I started at 316 pounds and today I weighed myself and was 262. I'm 26 years old and 5'4" this shouldn't be this hard... I admit that exercise has turned into a weekly thing instead of daily and I contribute that to many meaningless excuses. Why can't I seem to get out of my old pattern of eating and not exercising? Gosh, I am so discouraged. I know that it is my fault and that I rely too much on the band to stop me from eating. I read what you wrote about doing anything in excess is a sin and that really hit me. You're right. I am working so hard in building my relationship with God and for me to be doing these things... He must be so disappointed in me. I need to rely on Him and know that He has a better plan for me than this overweight and over uncomfortable life I live. Thank you very much for all that you have shared on here. You are truly an inspiration! Heather

Heather

I am sorry for your struggles But 50 lbs in 6 months is not a bad weight lost that 8.33 a month - that's average for the band - I have averaged 9 lbs a month so you aren't doing as bad as you think

Now quit beating yourself up over your past failures - we can't change the past we have no control over it - the only thing that we have control over is today - so for today make the commitment to yourself to eat healthy and exercise..

God is not disappointed in you he loves you - he has made it possible for you to have the band which is only a tool to help you - God IMHO doesn't just make it easy for us - he gives us little stuff to help us along the way, but he wants us to do the work.

Proceed with Caution - Tough Band Love Message

You state "this shouldn't be so hard" What make you say that !!! That's the the fat chick talk - why is life so unfair why do i have to work so hard

this is too hard to do - Well that's why you were banded to have the tool to help with your Portion Control - now what you put in your mouth is up to you. Quit feeling sorry for yourself - skinny pple don't eat the way we do - what we think is normal isn't - it's why we are fat - we have to relearn what a real portion size is and how many calories it takes to fuel our bodies. We must exercise our bodies were built for it.

Today love you and do what is good for you - eating healthy (not dieting but eating healthy) and exercising - Measure your food - log your calories somewhere drink your Water. You have the tool to help you do these things.

You can do it - you really can - pull up those bootstrap and keep moving forward.

[Great2BThin 5]

Okay I have a really silly question. I'm still on mushies, I was banded 6/5 and get solids in 2 more days (lucky duck Cathychatts!! getting them before me!). Anyhoo, last night I made some instant mashed potatoes and put some condensed cream of chicken Soup on for gravy. I put 1/2 c potatoes in a bowl and then spooned some of the soup over so over all it was probably over my 4 oz portion I've been eating. Well as I was eating, I began to feel full. I had about 2 or 3 bites left. I stopped, but the phone rang. I answered it and while talking, I finished the taters. DUH!!! mindless eating Lesson #1!!!

My question is this: about 20 mn later I started burping and a few of them tasted like throw up in the back of my throat, is this what is referred to as PBing???

In a way I am sortta glad it happened (I felt like a stuffed turkey for an hour or two after) as I had been wondering if I was really listening to my body til this point of if I was just having amazing self control and lack of appetite as I'm getting really tired of mushies. I guess now I know my band is working!! And even though only just under 3 weeks post op I have some good restriction (I got a 4cc prefill in a large band as the small band was too small and the large too big).

[alice150 0]

Hi everyone,

It sounds like Janet is really giving out the kudos to everyone. Everyone is working very hard. It is a complicated journey and even though we were banded to help, its more work than I think most of us realized.

I saw my doctor today and I told him that I was fine but I did not think the band was communicating with me. I thought I was able to eat more than I should be. He looked at my weight loss since the last visit on May 19 - 10 lbs. He said - no adjustment today. His rule - if weight loss is 5 lbs or more in a month, no adjustment. I was a little disappointed and told him that I didn't feel anything. He said, if you feel something, its too tight. He said that I am working the system the way it is supposed to be worked and I would not have lost 28 lbs in 11 weeks before this. He's right. He also asked me if I could eat a Big Mac. I really don't know because I haven't tried, but with how I have been eating for the most part, I'm not really sure I can. I tried a filet of fish sandwich a few weeks ago and it didn't go down very easily. I didn't finish it. He used that to show me that the band is doing its job. I guess my band is talking to me, just not shouting at me :sad_smile:

So, I am going to keep working at it everyday - healthy food choices, exercise, Water and lots of positive self-talk.

Good Luck everyone.

Alice

Banded April 8, 2008

271/243/150