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Pret-Op Process & Struggles
 

Gaining Weight

To give you all a little background information. I started the process with Kaiser February 6, 2013. Kaiser requires that you do the following before your paperwork is submitted to the board for approval. 1. Complete GB1(1st month) and GB2 (4th month) Class 2. Complete a weight control class 3. See a nutritionist for 6 months 4. Get a mental health evaluation 5. Sleep Study   So as of today, I have done the GB1 class, sleep study and have seen my nutrionist twice, my thrid appointment is April 9th. I'm hoping to get my approval for surgery by the end of July and have my surgery the first week in September.   I have been planning to have this surgery since October of last year. I could have started the process sooner, I just had to switch my insurance over to Kaiser, which I did January 1st.   It seems like since I knew I was getting surgery, I had been eating almost everything in sight. Well not really, I've just been eating out almost everyday. I'm not sure if it was becuase I knew that I may nto be able to eat these things again, or if I was eating out of fear. I had a breakdown in February because I realized that everything about my life was about to change. Now, I've been skinny before and I know how my life was then and compared to now, there is a significant difference. I just don't know if I'm mentally ready to take that on right now. I tell myself that I don't have an addiction to food, but for me to go from 180lbs to 305lbs in 10 years says a lot. 305 lbs is my highest weight EVER. I've gotten close to 300 and got scared, seeing myself over 300 has taken a toll on me emotionally. Now I have to loose 15lbs before July 9th with my nutritionist and I'm feeling like I can't. When I know I can because I've done it before. I know it's all a mental game, but I'm loosing.   When I went to see my nutritionist on Feb 12th, she said I had lost 5 lbs. When I went back on March 13th, she told me I gained 2 lbs back. I couldn't understand it. So now I need to loose the 2 lbs that I gained before I go back on April 9th.   Wish me luck!
SamG

SamG

8
Magic Mini Mushroom
 

Good Food is a Good Thing

One of the best parts of getting back on track and living like a compliant bandster is the amazing food I get to eat. Nope, not kidding. I happen to be a pretty darned good cook. The problem is that when I'm not living right with my band, I get lazy. Cooking for one person half the time just doesn't seem "worth it," as if I'm not worth taking care of as much as the other people I cook for. That leads to take out, dining out, fast food, convenience foods, and processed foods. And that leads to weight gain. But when I'm concentrating on improving my life by working with the band, I eat not only healthier foods, but often tastier ones as well.   Just in the past week, I made band friendly versions of beef Bourguignon, macaroni and cheese, braised chicken thighs with mushroom sauce, and for dinner tonight, Asian lettuce wraps with chicken and vegetables. It's all fresh, high protein, low fat, unprocessed, organic, and so much better than anything I could get at a supermarket or a cheap restaurant that it makes me shake my head that I ever made those choices. Even with the band, I love to cook, I love to eat, and I love flavorful foods. Now, I'm just finding ways to eat them the right way in the right amounts with the right ingredients.   And it just rocks!
morelgirl

morelgirl

2
Hollyrock's Blog
 

Post Op!

Wow, the surgery is over and I am home, sweet home. All in all, it wasn't too bad. I found out that I am having a weird reaction to Zofran. When I take it, I turn beet red however, it goes away when I take Benadryl. Funny weird, oh well it's a good thing that I'm not nauseous. The only thing I have to say about this whole process is the wicked gas pains. It's been three days and I have gas but it won't come out. So... now I wait, exercise and drink water like a fish.
Hollyrock100

Hollyrock100

0
abridgie's Blog
 

Spring break

Last week was spring break. We spent the entire week in sunny Southern California. We took the kids to Disneyland and typically I would worry about being able to fit on rides. I even googled what rides an over weight person should avoid. I got in the park and was like forget it I'm doing everything. You know what? I rode everything!!!! Nothing squeezed me or hurt. I fit!!!!!
abridgie

abridgie

2
ladybabie3's Blog
 

A glass of wine?

Ok I have a question my husband wants to have date night. Something we haven't did in over 7 months. I had my surgery on Jan 21, 2013. How long after surgery did anyone have a drink. I know we are doing dinner and a movie or should I avoid the whole thing.
ladybabie3

ladybabie3

6
Kime-lou's Blog
 

Spinich chicken Alfredo

I love me some Italian food, but Italian food tends to be calorie loaded and heavy. I have been wanting Chicken Alfredo lately, but knew I shouldn't. So I attempted to make it from scratch tonight and it was fabulous. Here is the recipe that I came up with:   Pasta- Spaggetti Squash cooked in the microwave     Chicken- 4 chicken tenders sautéed in a skillet with olive oil   Alfredo Sauce- 3 cloves of garlic minced (use more if you like or less) 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons I Can't Believe it's not Butter 1.5 heaping tablespoons of all purpose flour 1 3/4 cups 2% Milk (you can use 1% I just had 2%) splash of balsamic vinegar salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon of splenda   put the evoo, butter and garlic in a sauce pan cook on med heat for about 3 min stiring add the flour and stir until incorporated add milk and bring to a boil add salt, pepper, vigegar and splenda and stir   cut heat off and let sit   chop half a bag of baby spinach (I used the ninja chopper I have)   Once chicken is cooked add the sauce (if it is to thick add water to thin it down). Add in spinach and stir. Stread spaggetti squash with a fork add to chicken and sauce and stir.   Eat and enjoy!!     This was a WONDERFUL meal!! The hubs and I both enjoyed it. It was enough for him and myself to eat dinner and have lunch tomorrow (He eat bigger portions than me)    
Kime-lou

Kime-lou

1
TheAbsoluteJoy's Blog
 

Pre Approval Stage

Hello All,   Well I just took in everything my PCP needs to sign the clearance form, from there I go to approval stage and then surgery date. I'm excited and nervous. I've been overweight since I was 23 after the birth of my son, I was 110 when I got pregnant. I'm 5'3 and 212 right now, diabetic, and sick and tired of being fat, sick, and tired! I know what it's like to be thin and let me tell you the way people treat you when you are overweight is awful. It's true, it's not in your imagination, they are treating you condescendingly, rudely, and sometimes downright awful. And it bugs me that "thin" people have this pre disposed opinion that you eat copious amounts of fast food on a daily basis, do not excercise, and drink soda constantly. I love this one, "You should try eating more vegetables." Don't you want to lose "THE WEIGHT". HATE that one "THE WEIGHT", damn it's so shaming. In fact my diet right now is not that bad and frankly I'm a little concerned that I will be one of those people that will take a year to lose 50 lbs.   If any of you have had a "slow loser" experience can you tell me what you have done to fascilitate weight loss.
TheAbsoluteJoy

TheAbsoluteJoy

1
WhatsAWally's Blog
 

2 weeks post op

I weighed in for week two and I'm at 288. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little let down since its only a pound, but I'm also not surprised. I've been having a hard time adjusting to eating on a schedule and eating consistently. It seems like my metabolism has completely shut down, which makes sense. The other thing is that I haven't been active at all. Between school through the week and work all weekend I've been giving myself an awful lot of excuses to not work out. I have a treadmill so at the very least I can be doing that. Hopefully I can settle into some sort of routine.   No pain or discomfort at all this week. I have noticed I keep feeling my port. I don't know if its just a nervous habit to run my hand over it or the sheer fascination of being able to feel this strange object in my body but I do it a lot haha. My appetite is back, but still in a strange way. I'm having a really hard time trying to tell if I'm hungry or if I have the urge to eat. The urge to eat (and overeat) is in my head. Other than knowing its 'time' to eat, or knowing that i need to eat something I'm not sure if I'm feeling hunger. But when I do eat, I want to eat a lot. I've been trying to limit myself and have been doing a decent job but I definitely need to drinking my shakes more. I've ventured into new territory with my soft foods, I've been making chicken salad and chicken with bbq sauce. Does anyone else feel like by the time they add all the stuff to make it 'soft' they've added a ton of calories? I've been using miracle whip instead of mayo (which kills me lol), and substituting Greek yogurt in anything I can get away with (because it still tastes like sour cream), but still- it adds up. Any tips? I haven't really pursued vegetables except for potatoes (again-super starchy! help!), but thats on the to-do list for this week.   In other fun news, I just booked my first real vacation ever! I'm going to North Carolina in May when school lets out to visit my best friend. I'm so excited because I feel like that's enough time to make a big difference. Since she doesn't see me everyday, it'll also be interesting to see her reaction. Plus ya know, beach ocean swimsuit blah blah blah. Should be quite an adventure!
WhatsAWally

WhatsAWally

3
hockeyMa's Blog
 

Couch to 5k!

So, I started the couch to 5k program this week, using the online support and the app I downloaded to my Android phone for free- I like it. It just vibrates my phone when it's time to switch from fast walk/run. I started it Monday and did ok- it's a big change from being off pretty much all activity other than walking to an actual regimented work out...I did a walk yesterday, and then the couch to 5k day two is today. I'm pretty proud of myself, I was 240 post op, and today weighed in at 216 Can't complain about that. I'm not in new clothes just yet- but my old ones are falling off of me, which is finally a good feeling. I still don't see it in my body, I guess a bit in my face- and that's what people seem to tel me- plus my wedding ring is spinning like crazy on my finger- time to get one of those adjustable band attachments until my weightloss settles in and then I can go get it resized. Kinda exciting stuff if you ask me   Hope all is well with everyone else!!
nygurl

nygurl

2
Terry Poperszky's Blog
 

Well now, this is interesting......

I went for my 5th fill this morning, so today is liquids and tomorrow is mushies.   Normal for me is to pick up a quart of milk and a quart of OJ to supplement my shakes and get me through the day because I am so freaking hungry. Just got out of spin class and sat down at my desk and opened a shake and started reading the forum. Pretty soon half my shake was gone and I picked it up for another sip, and Mistress Band said "Sorry Bud, but you are done". Now, she didn't say it in a mean way, she didn't bring out the spiked heels, I just looked at the shake and thought to myself, ewwww! (And I love my shakes).   Interesting...
Terry Poperszky

Terry Poperszky

4
Kime-lou's Blog
 

Needs vs. Wants

As kids our parents try to teach us need vs want, especially when it comes to things we want them to buy us. But, I think that this applies to every aspect of our life.   When it comes to food, preband I was always about what I wanted to eat, not what I needed. Think about it- how often do you say "hey, what do you need to eat" when are are getting ready to cook dinner- you don't, instead you ask "what do you want to eat".   I have come to the point where I must ask myself what do I need, not what do I want. Yesterday I wanted a donut, but it wasn't what I needed. I am 32 years old, it's time I grow up and become more about what I need instead of what I want.   So what do I need when it comes to intake:   Water (my body needs hydration to stay healthy and in balance) Protein (this is food for my muscles, my heart is a muscle and it needs this) Veggies and Fruit (balance baby- our digestive system will be the better for these) Good Carbs (again, balance carbs are energy food, but we need the good ones, not bad) Good Fats (yes, we do need fat, but the good ones not the artery clogging ones)   Like we were taught in school we need a balance. A balanced intake is a healthy one. I am finding that the longer I am on the journey my needs and wants are coming together. I crave the healthy protein, I want the fruit, I would fight you for my water. I have become a spinich aholic- it gets added to much of what I eat- so healthy yet sooo good. The other day I ate some fast food chicken strips- one- it KILLLED my tummy. My body is adjusting to the healthy life and doesn't like the bad stuff anymore- how great is that.   I am just 9 months into this journey, I am only 54 lbs down and wish I was more; but boy do I look forward to continuing this journey. It's not the diets of the past, this one is evolving and making me better as I go. It's not one I want to jump off of and go back to old ways.   So, I am now looking at what my body needs and I will endulge my wants in my sexy new clothes my healthy body needs!!
Kime-lou

Kime-lou

1
2BMeAgain007's Blog
 

Ugly Bruises

So day 5... here come the bruises. That I do remember. With my gallbladder the bruising was instant here its not 5 days after surgery the bruising starts? that's pretty much my pain now and a little where my port is. I haven't used any pain meds at all today... i'm pretty sure the swelling has gone down as I can eat a whole pudding cup and not feel full... i'm down 11 lbs though.. I go back to work on Thursday and not looking forward to it!!!
2BMeAgain007

2BMeAgain007

2
neubeginings4me's Blog
 

Starting point

OK, So this is my very first " public" blog. Let me start off by saying I am a 36 year old single mom of 4, live in Florida and currently I am waiting for my surgeon to turn in all my info into the insurance company to see if they will approve me for RNY gastric bypass. I was told everything would be sent off on Thursday 3/28/13 so it's safe to say that anytime after then I will be a mess of nerves and jumping up every time the phone rings! I have researched just about every aspect of this surgery I could think of to try and prepare myself and my family. At this point even my kids know what I will most likely be able to eat at any given week after surgery. I have gotten myself into the habit of taking my vitamins every morning so that it is easier to remember for me. I have even done what a year ago I thought would be impossible, I STOPPED SMOKING!!!!!!!!!!. I am truly trying as hard as I can to start making better decisions when it comes to the food that my family and I eat. I am determined to be approved for this life saving tool! I want to be here for my children, as well as for their children (which better be quite a ways off still), I want to be able to take the kids and their friends to the beach, or to the springs without thinking that I'm an embarrassment to them. I want to walk along the beach without getting out of breath within the first 5 min, or to go to an amusement park and not rent a scooter. I WANT TO BE HEALTHY!!! I know this journey is not going to be simple, I understand this fully, I'm not wanting this simply to fit into a bikini, or into any size in particular, I just want to be healthy. I know I am one of the lucky ones as I have an amazing support group including family and friends that will support, help, listen to, push me, and make sure I don't get too big in the head. WOW, kinda long winded for a first blog...lol..ohh well. I hope to be able to follow other peoples journeys to ask questions or to help if I am able to. I would appreciate any help or suggestions from any of you reading this blog also as my journey continues.
neubeginings4me

neubeginings4me

1
knhtown's Blog
 

Some things learned so far

I post this here so I can refer back to it often.   1) Where you are in life isn’t a measure of your full potential. It’s a measure of how you’ve played life’s cards SO FAR.   2) It’s never too late to play your hand a different way.   3) If you challenge YOURSELF every day, you’ll have more experience when LIFE challenges YOU.   4) Just like muscles need to be broken down to get stronger, sometimes we need to be broken down mentally and emotionally to get stronger in their respective senses as well.   5) Sometimes the people that you thought were good in your life were actually the people stepping on your head.   6) Surrounding yourself with positive and uplifting people, thoughts, pictures, quotes, experiences, etc. is the way to FEEL like you are living a positive and uplifting life. The same is true for the opposite.   7) HUGE personal successes start with a LOT of smaller efforts that build a solid foundation for that success.   8) When you don’t believe in yourself, other people don’t believe in you either. When you DO believe in yourself, people get blown away by everything you accomplish.   9) Some of the same people that see you turn your life around for the better will try to bring you back down to their level in order to feel good at the level they are STILL at.   10) When those people start to succeed in bringing you down, FIGHT HARDER! KEEP your goals, and know that you STILL have MORE potential to unleash!   11) NEVER GIVE UP! When you give up, you are saying, “I’m not worth it.”   12) KNOW that you ARE worth it!   13) Life isn’t easy or fair. The people that fare the best are the ones that adapt in difficult situations. Teach yourself to adapt! Get creative!   14) The same routine yields the same results. If you’re unhappy, CHANGE something. 15) Patience! 16) “When you were in high school, college, etc…” < Stop living in the past! Live in the present!   17) Stop making excuses! Admit you’re flawed like the rest of the world, and figure out a way to be the BEST version of yourself.   18) The best version of YOURSELF? What is that? Figure it out. Experiment. Stop looking to others for easy answers to YOUR complicated personal battles.   19) Be proud of yourself!   20) Taking pride, and being a self-absorbed tool bag are NOT the same. So relax, and talk about your accomplishments a little. It’s OK! You might even inspire someone else!   21) Stop worrying about failure, and “what ifs.” Focus on what you WILL do instead. When you decide to do something, you find a way to do it. When you worry about failing, you find a way to do IT too.   22) Taking care of YOU should be a PRIORITY. It doesn’t make you selfish. It means you have self-respect. Besides, everyone knows you can’t be fully present for others when you’re not for yourself. Win-win.   23) Take out the trash. You’re not a dumpster, so get rid of the garbage in your life. (Whatever that garbage is- people, food, habits…etc.)   24) Allow yourself to be human and have “bad days.” You’re not a superhero. Get over it.   25) When you DO have bad days, find a way to re-inspire yourself. Even if it’s just by making a list of things you’ve learned in life and sharing it in on the internet   26)Patience!   27)Remove the Drama from your life!
knhtown

knhtown

3
ajtexas's Blog
 

Monthly Check-in

Today was my monthly appointment at True Results. They always have the patients fill out a questionnaire prior to seeing the NP. It asks what your typical meals are, the size (1/2 cup, 1 cup, 1 ½ cups, etc), what exercise you are doing, and so forth. I answered the questions honestly. I am eating 1 to 1 ½ cups per meal and getting hungry between meals.   I am happy to say that I am maintaining my weight of 169 pounds. So I don’t know if it is the head or not.   When I met with the NP we discussed this and she told me a story about how the head messes with us. She had a transfer patient come in (they always pull all the fluid out of the band to verify the amount on transfer patients). She pulls out the fluid and puts it right back in (doesn’t add or remove any of the fluid). Two days later the patient calls her saying “I don’t know what you did but I have not restriction.” She has the patient come back in (concerned of a leak), pulls out all the fluid out again (the amount was exactly as it was 2 days earlier) and puts it back (again not adding or removing any fluid). Two days later the patient calls her saying “I am so tight I can’t eat anything” Nothing changed as far as the amount of fluid in her band; it was all in the head. lol   I did get a small fill and instructions to get my timer back out and time my bits, put a dime next to my plate for a visual on the size of my bits, and most important, come to the support group on Thursday to help get a hold of this head game I got going on.   Maintains is not a walk in the park!
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

5
Glenda045's Blog
 

HUNGRY HEAD

Let me just say that I don't like Head Hunger. There is such a difference in real hunger vs. head hunger. Sadly, it has taken me more than a year after being banded and a lifetime to learn the difference.   Since I was very young, I've fought the fat fight. I became a dieting expert....I was the professional at it. I'd loose 10 lb. then gain 20 lb., loose 20 lb. then gain 30 lb., loose 30 lb. then gain 50 lb. Well, you get the idea. I did this until I became a whopping 80-85 lb. overweight expert. It has taken me my lifetime to realize that my stomach isn't hungry....it's my head....it's my psyche.   Now that I've learned that, I'm learning how to be an overcomer and a success. During the discovery of this revelation, I've lost 45 lb. I still have 40+ to loose. But, that's not even the best of it....it's getting my psyche under control. I'm on my way at 45 lbs. lighter. Not bragging, just grateful.
Glenda045

Glenda045

3
sclark75149's Blog
 

Pre and Post-Op Vertical Sleeve Surgery 3-19-13

My husband, Pat, and I have several friends who have had great success with the Gastric Sleeve surgery, so in December 2012, we both decided to go to the doctor to see if we qualify for our insurance to cover the procedure. Luckily, after several tests, we were approved. I had diabetes, high cholesterol and sleep apnea. My husband had high cholesterol, sleep apnea and heart disease runs in his family. We also both has joint issues so we were approved at the end of January 2013. We had our psychological evaluation, sleep study (where we found out about the sleep apnea), then we were on our way. Today, March 25, 2013, I am 6 days post op (March 19). We have a great surgeon, Dr. Nick Nicholson, in Dallas. I threw up for 3 days so my stomach is more sore than what it would normally be I believe. I've got the routine down now. I came back to work today and I'm really tired ... Tried to get in the 42 grams of protein in the first couple of hours to give me some energy. I go for my one week checkup today. My husband went in today for his pre-op testing. His surgery is scheduled for April 9. So, here are a few things you should know ... know going into the surgery that you will come out of the surgery weighing more than what you went in weighing. I had to lose 11 lbs. pre-surgery. I had lost 11.5. I had the surgery on Tuesday and discharged on Wednesday. I left the hospital weighing 11 lbs. more than when I went in so, basically, I lost nothing. Here it is not even one week later and I am down 17 lbs. I left the hospital not taking any diabetes, high cholesterol medicine (not that I took it anyway, LOL!)   Helpful hints. When they say walk, then do it. The more you walk, the less sore you feel.   3/26/13 - I weighed this morning and even after gaining so much back right after surgery, I am down 19.5 lbs. (including the 2 week pre-diet. Woo hoo! My stomach is so much better today. Yesterday I went back to work and thought I was going to die. I had no energy at ALL. I left after 8 hours and went home and iced my stomach for about 2 hours. OMG, why didn't someone tell me I could this? It made all the difference in the world.   Tomorrow I get to start cream based soups. I bought 2 strainers (1 to carry in my purse). I will thin out my cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, cream of potato and tomato soups. Beef broth is terrible.   Another helpful hint: Get up in the morning and first thing take your chewable vitamin and Pepsid AC. I then have an empty water bottle and pour in my bullet of liquid whey protein (grapes my favorite so far) and add a little water so it isn't so thick. If your physician didn't give you the little 1 oz. shot glasses, go get you some. I put out 4 and fill them each and drink those 4 per hour. In no time at all I have 42 grams of protein finished. I then start water, doing the same thing, then my SlimFast (but I've changed to Walmart brand because it's cheaper).   I ordered six 4 oz. ramekins. When I can actually eat food in 2 weeks, I'm going to make up little meals so I don't overeat (and I can determine in my mind how much is enough). I'm going to do layers like mashed potatoes, then meat loaf (90/10) and brown gravy. Another one might be lean turkey (90/10) with spaghetti sauce and put either ricotta or cottage cheese on top, then pop in microwave when ready to eat.   I'm 3 weeks ahead of my husband so I know all my helpful hints will work for him. Thanks for listening   Week 2, day 1 (8 days post-op) March 27, 2013 - went to my 1 week visit - yep down 19.5 lbs. now I had lost 11 pre-surgery diet but gained all of that back after surgery - so I seriously did lost 19.5 lbs in one week - woo hoo!   Found out some new things - I was using the bullet liquid whey protein and they were good mixing them with water and it was supposed to give me 42 gms of protein - WELL, didn't know it has collagen in it so you only get about 50% of the protein She had me change to a protein shake that's pretty good. It's called Premier Protein. In 11 oz. you get 30 true gms of protein and it's low in sugar. It's not as good as Slim Fast and a little more expensive BUT I can drink 2 of those and get 60 gms of protein a day   I get to start eating any soup I want today (if it has chunks then I have to blend it) - this for 2 weeks. Then I get to start food like thin sliced deli meat, canned tuna or chicken, ground turkey, ground chicken or ground beef (sirloin) as long as its 90/10 lean, mashed potatoes, eggs (you know the softer stuff).   Feeling pretty amazing! Going to Painting with a Twist tonight after work cannot wait - it's so much fun! And remember, I'm only one week and one day post-op   3/28/13 - Day 9 Post-Op Worked all day yesterday and went to a painting class for 2 hours - had a great time but was a little tired come 10 pm but I'm back and at it again today at work. I am feeling great. Still holding at 19 lbs. to 19.5 lbs. (fluctuates a little). Still swollen around my stomach area. Talked to dr.'s office and they said I could buy an abdomenal binder (going to see about that and see if the support makes it better, not that it's bad but instead of it bouncing around ... lol!)   We have weekly family dinners so going to a hibachi grill tonight. I'll have their broth soup. Funny thing is, I never feel hungry but my stomach growls, which, in turn, tells my head - oh you're hungry, but it's a mind hunger thing - I don't feel hungry (does that make sense?)   4/1/13 - Day 13 Post-Op I cannot tell you how great I feel. I went and purchased an abdominal wrap and that has helped a lot. I wear it all day at work and then take if off when I get home. Just gives some support. I haven't had any additional weight loss - holding between 19 and 19.5 lbs. Yesterday was Easter and for the first time I purchased Easter (or any holiday) lunch. It not only cost me 1/2 of what I normally spend, I didn't have to do anything I blended some cream of potato soup (watered down a bit) and it was really good. So, I felt like I was getting my mashed potatoes at least
sclark75149

sclark75149

9
KristyM's Blog
 

Hello, I am new

Allow me to introduce myself. I am 38, happily married, a Christian, and I work in Accounting and Finance for a faith-based, non-profit organization that provides permanent homes and vocational rehabilitation for developmentally disabled adults. My work is extremely rewarding, but my job is sedentary. Sitting at a desk crunching numbers for over 10 years had definitely contributed to my weight gain. About 2 years ago, my health began to deteriorate (high blood pressure, sleep apnea, heart valve issue due to the sleep apnea, foot and joint pain), and I made a decision to LIVE! I knew that if I didn't make a life change, I would not live to be an old woman. After close to 2 years of careful prayer, consideration, and loads of research and seminars, I decided to have the sleeve (I would have done it sooner, but insurance was an issue until recently). Today is my 3 month anniversary since the sleeve, and I have lost 62 pounds! I have turned into a healthy eating, exercising machine. I look in the mirror at this work out gear wearing woman and think, "Ok, who are you, how did you get inside my mirror, and what have you done with Kristy's body"? I have had no post surgery issues----no nausea, no vomiting, no food intolerances. The only food issue I have had is a dislike for eggs, no matter how I prepare them, I just don't like them anymore. My experience has been great and I have done exceptionally well. I have been blessed, and I contribute all this to my faith, the support of my husband/my rock, and the wonderful care I have received from my doctor and his staff. Being totally prepared has been a tremendous help, as well. The weight loss has slowed down just a bit now, but I am feeling so great that if I don't lose another pound, it has all been worth it. ALL of my previous health issues are gone and I feel like a new woman. I have no regrets, and I am looking forward to a healthy, better, and well adjusted long life. Being thin has never been my goal----being healthy is the most important thing to me. Even when I reach my goal weight, I will still be a plus sized person, and I am totally ok with that. I will be a healthy, plus sized person. Thanks for listening, and I wish everyone much success and many blessings! Have a great day.
KristyM

KristyM

2
Kime-lou's Blog
 

Enemies

In the WLS journey we will meet all sorts of people: negitive nellies, debbie downers, encouragers, motivators, ect. We will find people at all stages who tell us we are making a mistake, or we will not succeed or we will gain it all back. Then we will find people who will encourage and motivate us to continue on the journey and keep working hard.   However, I think the worst enemy we run accross is ourselves. I have long know that I was my worst enemy. I am harder on myself than anyone else could ever be. For many years though I took a break from honestly looking at my weight. Once I did confront it and realize where I was and I had to do something about it, I have been really hard on myself. Maybe I don't forgive myself for allowing me to get to the 240's.   Now I am always second guessing myself- as I losing enough, what am I doing wrong, did I eat to much, did I eat enough. Honestly, the first months weren't to bad, the weight easily melted off and it was a true honeymoon period. Now, I am in the trenches fighting for ever ounce. I am always asking myself, am I drinking enough, am I eating to much - to little, am I moving enough. Can I, Will I?   The bottom line is I, me, myself is the ONLY one who can make this journey a success or failure. My doctor and NUT want me to succeed, hey it only makes them look good. The negitive people want me to fail. However, I am the only one with the power to do it or not. I must make the decisions to eat as I am told, to eat better higher quality foods, to move more and sit less.   There are people on this site that have done nothing short of AMAZING!! Amazing isn't a strong enough word here. I mean Missy- come on- 200 lbs in a little over a year- WOW that is fantastic. Carolina girl- 100lbs in 9 months- fabulous. Then there are the people on here that complain about the band not working or questioning is it okay to eat a whole pizza or did they just hurt their band by doing it. Then there are people, that I count myself in, that are trucking along- that aren't having grand losses, but aren't gaining either.   I have to say I am the one to blame for not doing as well as some. While I do move more than I did, I don't move as much as I could. When I got home yesterday, I should have taken my fat hind parts and hit the elliptical- instead I took it to the chair and relaxed due to a exhausting day at work. Those are the days when I need someone to slap my hind parts and tell me to get the h$%% up and MOVE.   I also am not as strick in my food as others. I was afraid that if I cut certain things out of my diet (carbs) that I would certainly relapse to being over weight. I wanted to hit a balance of eating anything I want just not as much. Well, that has worked pretty good (lost 50+ lbs), but I am starting to think after a 3 month SLLLLLOOOOOWWWW down in loss that I may have to reevaluate the situation. What can I cut or what can I cut more than I have. Like I said I am the only one with the power and I must enforce it.   I know that I will be to the point I am no longer obese and I believe I will get out of or at least to the low over weight BMI range, but I will do it in time. I will not do it in year, but by the 3 year post op mark I want to be in the wonderful 140's or at the least 150-155.   I have the power to do this- I just have to use the force!! May the force be with you to!!
Kime-lou

Kime-lou

3
Post-OP Writings on Process and Progress
 

1 Week Post-OP

I was sleeved on Friday, March 15th. I consider it the day I changed my life and I'm grateful for the opportunity. That day was hard, I remember waking up sore and feeling different. The next week was hard as well but each day was better than the past. Now I'm one week post op and I no longer feel like I took a beating to the abdomen. My incisions are sore and my appetite is taking some time to get used to but I'm prepared to take a lifetime to learn my new changes. I've been sticking to doctors’ orders but when I find myself being tempted too much to veer off, I'm beginning to close my eyes and find the place I want to reach... The place that I won't get to if I let those temptations take over. My family is supportive but not aware of the struggles I face when they cook fried food, stews, and pizzas in addition to bringing home fast food EVERYDAY! I'm thankful for the inner strength I've found to not let my old eating habits to take over. On Friday, (exactly one week after surgery) my favorite cousins begged me to go out to dinner to celebrate a birthday the new tradition we started a year ago. I didn't want to disappoint them so I went. I figured I'd just order some soup or mashed potatoes and enjoy their company. However, I didn't realize how much they would ridicule me for something they couldn't handle and remind me of how much they love food! Fortunately for them, they aren't overweight like me nor suffering with the health issues I face... and fortunate for me, I don't love food more than myself nor did their discussions alter my drive, focus or compassion towards the decision I gratefully made. Although I realized that I was nowhere near ready to go to dinner. I did order smartly... I ordered grilled fish with mashed potatoes after one of my cousins (the RN) promised me that fish would be fine at this stage for only one night... I did taste the fish but veered back on track by only eating four spoons of mashed potatoes before getting full. I listened to my body and stopped. They continued to eat and I felt empowered to not let my mind overpower my body. Since we always talk the entire time we are together, the conversation helped me get through the rest of dinner with ease. Although I successfully made it through dinner, I WILL NOT GO BACK OUT TO EAT AGAIN BEFORE I'M READY! Today is my follow-up appointment with my doctor. I agreed to not go out to buy a scale to prevent me from being addicted to my weight progress and comparing it to others. My NUT advised me that by only weighing in during visits, it would help me to be more surprised, successful and focused on the process instead of progress. I do know that I will still be obsessed but I won’t drive myself and my scale(if I bought one) crazy by weighing myself every day/ 10 times a day!!! Also my first weigh-in is in 8 hours too! Wish me luck!!
heavensray

heavensray

4
LaBelle509's Blog
 

IT'S BEEN TEN MONTHS! PICS -111 LBS

HELLO Y'ALL!!! I don't have much to report. Life has been pretty good. Because of my workload, going to the gym has been pretty impossible. Because of that, I am very careful with my food intake. Speaking of food intake, I am able to eat more!! PRETTY SCARY :ph34r: I remember at the beginning, I wanted to eat more. Now that I can, I wish I could go back to the days where two bites was all I needed :wub:     But life goes on!!!   HAPPY MOMENTS: ​No seat belt extender needed ( Flew to NY) My daughter's friends called my skinny   SHAMEFUL MOMENT: I ate half a bag of cheetos
LaBelle509

LaBelle509

18
Liz4anewlife's Blog
 

My Fiance Birthday

What a wonderful day. Today is the love of my life birthday. He went to work at 1am and was home at 7. It snowed all day and as of tonight the snow is almost gone. We love living in the mountians as a family. It is amazing that my daughter goes over a hill and goes WEEEEEEEE. I love it. With all my life I have fought for everything I have and now finally the only thing I am fighting is my weight. I have the love of my life and my miracle daughter. And I am working on getting the weight under control. So this year will be an amazing year I know it. I would love to know what protiens you used after surgery and what vitamins would be greatly appreciated.
newlife2014

newlife2014

0

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