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From: Maximizing weight loss - Nutrition

Since all weight loss comes from calorie deficit (burning more than eating), the key to all successful weight loss is to create a calorie deficit. There are many great tools to help track this and most of them are free. My favorites are the iPhone app, "LoseIt"; www.FitDay.com and www.Livestrong.com go to Calorie Tracker and myPlate and create an account. These programs track your deficit and help point out areas of improvement. In general, you should get about a third of your calories from each of the main food groups: proteins, fats, carbs. If you see higher percentages of fats or carbs, replace those calories with protein calories and it will really help you eat smarter instead of just less. Over the past 20 years we are eating many more calories and burning far fewer calories. The secret to weight loss is to work toward a calorie deficit whatever it takes. Most people losing weight successfully are eating about 1200 calories per day (women) and 1400 calories per day for men. Below this, your body tends to start freaking out and hanging on to everything you eat.   It is also important to drink at least 64 ounces of water per day. Our bodies store environmental toxins in the fat and when you lose weight, all this stuff is coming out and your kidneys will really appreciate it if you drink plenty of water. This helps battle constipation as well. Also, take a multi-vitamin every day. The calcium and B-vitamins really help with weight loss not to mention the other minerals.   Nutritional psychology is a hot new topic. Bad nutrition causes depression and low energy which makes us want to eat more to feel better and we snowball into bad weight gain. Better nutrition is required for successful weight loss and we feel better. Also, we eat way too much sugar and this raises our insulin levels which takes all that blood sugar and turns it into fat which drops the blood sugar which makes us hungry and we eat more sugar and this snowballs into weight gain. We eat way too much processed food and we have to get back to healthy foods. Brilliant food chemistry has not helped us. Cheap food sweetener (HFCS - high fructose corn syrup) is in everything now (sugary drinks, pasta sauce, ketchup) and our bodies don't know what to do with this stuff so we store it as fat. We consume massive quantities of this stuff and it doesn't help us lose weight. High tech fats such as trans fats and hydrogenated oils allow foods to have a much longer shelf-life because bacteria can't break it down but the problem is that we can't break it down either and we just store it as fat. A great rule of thumb is that if it doesn't spoil we shouldn't eat it. The classic example is an oatmeal pie that our kids drop in the mini-van and we find it a year later and it still looks good. We shouldn't be eating brilliant food chemistry. The more we preare our own meals and take our lunch instead of getting most of our meals at restaurants, the easier it is to lose weight successfully.   Proteins - we should get about 45gms of protein a day (women) and about 60 grams per day for men. A 20gm protein portion (meat, chicken, fish, etc) is about the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards. Protein keeps us full longer because it doesn't mess with insulin and we need protein while we're losing weight so that we lose fat and not muscle.   Fats - are the highest caloric density food. Each gram of fat has twice the number of calories as proteins and carbs. Believe it or not there are actually "good" fats (unsaturated). You want to avoid saturated (bad) fats. Saturated fats raise our cholesterol and clog our arteries. Unsaturated fats actually lower our cholesterol. To lose weight, you should limit fat grams to 20 gms per day and keep saturated fats below 10gms per day. Trans fats and hydrogenated oils should be zero. All this is easier these days with nutrition labels. Examples of good (unsaturated) fats include avocados, peanuts, soybeans, olives and oils such as olive, canola, peanut, corn, safflower, sunflower. French fries from peanut or safflower oil are actually healthier than those fried in saturated oils - ask your restaurant which they use. Fats actually release a gut hormone called CCK (cholecystokinin) which causes the gallbladder to contract and it is a powerful natural appetite suppressant. If you give CCK to rat they won't eat. Therefore, if you snack on a handful of almonds or dip vegetable sticks in olive oil, you manage your hunger and it is healthier. Bison (buffalo) has a great beef flavor and it has much less saturated fat than cow beef. Bison burgers and steaks are a much healthier way to enjoy beef than the cows that predominate our diet.   Carbs - when eaten shoot up the insulin levels which turn blood sugar into fat and this drops our blood sugar level which makes us hungry. If you want to lose weight you have to manage carbs (sugar, bread, potato, rice - "white foods"). I see a lot of patients who go all day without eating and then eat a huge pasta dinner before going to bed. This is a perfect way not to lose weight. Carbs are best eaten earlier in the day when you have a chance to burn off all that energy. Eating three meals per day will keep us out of intense hunger and we eat fewer calories overall. I don't like Atkins type diets simply because they are hard to sustain. Better to manage carbs - keep them below 33% of total calories and eat them earlier in the day. Ice cream is enemy number one for weight loss. A great substitute is to make your own fruit smoothies at home. It is a sweet dessert but it is fruit instead of sugar and fat. Many stores have smoothie blends so you just toss it in the blender with diet apple juice or plain yogurt and it's easy. Be careful and avoid sugar added smoothie blends. Just get plain frozen fruit or make your own from fresh fruit. Great way to spoil yourself and eat healthier.   I will post topics on Fitness and Brain Stuff (I don't like terms like behavior modification) which are the other two main disciplines of successful weight loss. I put this info and much more on YouTube if you search Watkins Weight Loss Class. Weight loss surgery simply makes all this stuff much easier but knowledge plus change is where you will find success.   I hope this helps.   Brad Watkins MD   Source: Maximizing weight loss - Nutrition
ATLGirl

ATLGirl

0
genepha's Blog
 

Day 6 again?? Eating out and I've decided I'm really a T.V. chef?

I guess I counted Monday, the day of surgery as Day 1 but really that should've been Day 0. Anyway - I weighed this morning at 268! I've lost 15 pounds in the first 6 days. I am still on liquids so I am attributing this to water weight and just the shock of my body going through the surgery. It makes me really wonder what the hell was I eating and how much was I really eating before surgery?! jeeeez. I admit that I am a restaurant lover. If I could, I would eat every meal out. I actually like cooking but hate the shopping, preparation and clean-up. If I could be a t.v. cook and have everyone do all of those other things for me I'd be sooo happy!! I could sweep in and prepare a fantastic, healthy meal for me and my family and walk out of the kitchen with the first bite! Ah if only! Anyway, I'm guessing that a lot of my recent weight gain came from 1. Not exercising 2. Eating out at restaurants or fast food places at least 5-6 times a week 3. Eating snacks late at night     So because of this I'm trying to change those 3 things. The late night snacking I've gotten under control but that is mainly because it takes sooo little to fill me up. If I eat dinner around 6 or 7 pm I will usually have a sugar-free jello or pudding or popsicle around 9 or 10 pm and that's it. I drink water until I go to bed but I really want to learn to tame the night time eating.   Today we went out to eat for the first time since my surgery. We were away from home and I had only had some crystal light with protein powder at about 9 am. By 2 pm I was feeling a little light headed. I could feel a teeny tiny bit of hunger but just barely. We met some friends at a phenomenal Mexican restaurant with a huge menu. The smells were amazing and I admit, for a moment, I was bummed I couldn't devour my usual basket of tortilla chips, salsa, 3-4 tortillas, 3-4 drinks plus my entree. I am supposed to be mainly on liquids until tomorrow so I ordered Caldo de Res, a vegetable/beef stew with broth. We were there with friends and 1 of my good friends knows I had the band and that I was planning on having plication. She was pretty amazed at how I was able to get around relatively well, considering. Anyway I really enjoyed sitting with friends and my family, enjoying their company. I sipped my broth and didn't feel weird or excluded or anything. I did take a bite or two of some super mashed, refried beans and a bite of the egg off a chili relleno, which were out-of-this-world!!! Other than that, I was pretty much on track. Everyone left complaining and holding their stomachs and I left pretty full myself but not miserable and stuffed (like usual). I'm so happy that things are going so well. I am still fairly sore and still take pain medicine at night before bed to help me sleep. I am planning on being off of work for another 4 more weeks as I have a very active profession so I'm hoping to fully recover before returning to work and to be able to start an exercise regimen. Take care, Jenn     <a href="http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/wuVsfBP/"> <img border="0" src="http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/wuVsfBP/weight.png"></a>
genepha

genepha

2
Blog 95458
 

5 Months Later....

Wow! Can't believe it's been 5 months since I got the band. I've lost about 47 lbs. I'm usually about 1 lb a week and I'm okay with that as long as it is consistently at least a 1lb a week.   I really like that people tell me I look skinny sometimes or that I am melting/wasting away. I am wearing some smaller clothes and that feels great. My new favorite store, is still the Goodwill Store.   I'm exercising about 30-45 minutes a day during the week and minimal exercising on the weekends. Now that the weather will start getting nicer, I'll get back to walking my Lab at night.   I'm having more energy and I find that I'll do squats, stretches and walking in place while watching t.v..   I do still struggle with portion size. Should I be more concerned with amount like measuring 3/4 - 1 cup of food or by weight? I get really freaked out if I measuring something that is really light weight, but takes up a lot of space. Maybe someone will have some tips for me. Think I'll actually go ahead and search that on the discussion forums.   Later.
nomorejellybelly

nomorejellybelly

4
Blog 98799
 

Feb 13 - 183 days post op - 67 lbs gone

So I have begun the whole purposeful exercise thing. I had already been just "moving more" on a daily basis, but now there is actual gym membership involved! My biggest issue is what to do with my kids during exercise time. The two girls are 8 and 11. The 8 year old is very clingy. She is too young to go into the fitness part of the gym. She is actually too young to go into the teen room (where the Wii's are!) but we sort of slide her in there with her older sister. Then they fight and barge into the fitness room, drag me off the treadmill to resolve who is being mean to who. So, today we went over to her elementary school with our two dogs. I started walking the track listening to my music; stopping every few seconds to hear her every comment about bugs, dirt and the dogs. Then she wanted us to leave the track and go over to the playground way over on the other side of the school. Then the dog was pulling too hard. (Its a pekingese, for crying out loud! 12 pounds of hair!) Then she was too tired. So we quit after 20 minutes,came home early and I sent her to her room until bedtime.   I'm extremely frustrated with trying different things to fit some exercise time in. Because my hubby works in the evenings, and the little one can't stay home alone yet, they will always be with me. I feel like that means I will never be able to get anything done other than exactly what she wants to do at that moment.   ---sigh!---- find my happy place------   Anyway, 19 pounds more to lose until I meet my next goal. (Morbid obesity class 1-BMI 30-34.) Obviously, that's not happening by tomorrow (the original goal date) but I'm okay with that. The scale is still moving in the right direction, though a bit more slowly these days. I was hoping that regular exercise would speed it back up, but circumstances aren't working with me on this. I cleaned out my closet of all clothes larger than size 24. It was pretty fun, too. Most of the clothes I got for my cruise back in October went away in that sweep, since I was in a 26 then. I will need to do another closet sweep soon since I am in a 20 now. However, if I did it now I would be pant-less by the end of the week. Still need to shop a bit more.   Now, I'm getting ready for my last day as an AP Physics teacher (thank goodness!) but I do need to write their test for tomorrow.   Anyone got any suggestions on how to get the 8 year old to let me do what I need to do - other than velcro-ing her to the wall, of course?
clohse

clohse

1
The Sweet Spot
 

2/13/11 My Valentine & Post Fill Day 5

*Portion of Post Deleted for LB Book   On another note...we went to a Valentine's Day couples party at one of my GF's houses (old neighbor's of ours that now live about 30 min. away). She had about 75 people and a spread of food everywhere (and a chef's station with made to order crab cakes and different pasta dishes). We had a blast and I did fine with tiny amounts of food during the evening (tortellini, cheese hunks, chicken dish, and even meatballs).   She asked each couple to send pics of themselves during their dating years (fun idea), which she printed up and had on display boards. As expected when anyone sees old pics of my DH, his got the most reaction from everyone who knows him...here's why (enjoy!)...   Here we are in 1978 shortly after meeting... A few years later... The giant glasses were in...and barely a moustache now (No, not on me!...I was busy moving toward the 'big hair')... And here's how he came back from Geology field camp one summer in college...I didn't recognize him when he got back (all the Geology majors had beards...well, except the women). And OMG what was I thinking with the perm?! And here's our engagement picture as we were finishing college (and why my kids say 'You married Sasquatch!'). Our friends last night were calling him 'Mountain Man' (and asking me who my 'first husband' was LOL). Here I am ready to go last night in my Valentine pink. Here I am with my Valentine (and I had to leave Tucker in...looks like ghost cat!)...DH needs to get better at lining up timer pics and remembering he's a lot taller than me LOL. And here I am at the party...with some friends...that have obviously had too much to drink, as you can see by their fuzzy faces. And why do I always pick short friends? I'm an amazon compared to my petite friends and the 4" heels didn't help. </H3>
Band_Groupie

Band_Groupie

3
Mrs.Mustang's Blog
 

Banded 4 Days Ago!!

Well, I did it!! I was banded on Wednesday. Surgery was a breeze; it was out-patient, so I was only there for about 4 hours. I am still on the liquid diet, but have had no difficulty keeping things down, and have zero appetite, which is awesome!!   My only complaint would be the pain on the left side of my abdomen. I am assuming that is where they sewed the port into the stomach muscle. It is still extremely painful to sit down or stand up. I have been through childbirth and had my gall-bladder removed a few years back, and I didn't need any pain meds after leaving the hospital. This is different though. At times, it feels like my ab muscles are being torn in half. I am not a drug person at all, but this time, I'm taking them!! Just wondering if anyone else felt this way, and how long it will last??   Other than that, I am down 15 pounds since starting the two week pre-op diet . .. yay me!! The most difficult thing is getting enough calories in each day (never thought I'd say that!) To all of my new friends who were banded this week, congratulations!! We're on our way!!
Lauren825

Lauren825

4
Blog 102690
 

Day 3 of Preop Diet

It's day 3 of my preoop diet and it's getting a little easier. Watching my kids and husband eat pizza the first night was hard. I came to the conclusion today that this preop diet may be hard but being this heavy is harder! I will have to keep that in mind for the next two weeks. Watching the scale go down is an added plus right now as well! Would love to find someone or someones who are around the same surgery date as me...my surgery is the 25th.
sophinator

sophinator

1
justplaintired's Blog
 

I'm still standing...

...barely...   I'm banded now but not up to much of anything. This is day two and I'm still hurting although MUCH better than the first 36 hrs.   I didn't realize it would be this rough and yes, I've had several surgeries in my life... I'm also 46 yrs old now and overweight so perhaps that made this worse than I thought.... Or probably it is that we just don't remember pain after it is all gone. This too shall pass...   Thanks.    
justplaintired

justplaintired

2
genepha's Blog
 

T.M.I. - BM

Had my surgery on Monday, Feb. 7 and I finally had a BM today!! I have seen some people who don't have one for 11 or so days so I am so relieved that I didn't have too many problems in that department! I did take Miralax everyday since I came home and just mixed it in with my crystal light. I'm happy and relieved. Aaaah!
genepha

genepha

0
dlflightgirl's Blog
 

First days after surgery.

Hey all. Had my surgery in Costa Rica with Dr. Quesada. He is really conservative and after eight years has only 5 percent of folks who have complications. I have to say I don't even feel like I had surgery. My surgery was not until 5 pm at night this past Tuesday. My doctor told me the more I walked the better. Once I got to my room the hospital had me on IV and some pain meds. It was all drip so no button for me to push. I have say my chest felt like I was having a heart attack and my blood pressure was though the roof at 192. However I felt well enough to walk around the hospital several times that night and the next. The next morning they put me on liquids. Rice water, Gatorade, and water with broth was the only things I've been allowed to have. By 4pm the doctor released me and gave me a breathing exercise to do ten times once every hour. I'm supposed to drink 20 mls every 20 minutes. The first day was a little rough since my chest was so tight and I'd walk around tons at the medical retreat I'm staying at. That night my poor husband had to help me up several times so I could walk around and relieve gas. The hospital bed at the retreat really made a difference. The next day we walked I to the local town and back and I stopped taking the tylonol the Dr. Prescribed (nothing major for me). On Thursday we went down town to the museums and walked around for 4 hours. I hide my drain in my clothes and acted like it wasn't even there. Everyone is shocked by how well I'm doing. The day before the surgery I was 330 pounds and now it's only Saturday and I've lost a total of 15 pounds so far. I get the drain taken out tomorrow and fly back home to VA.
dlflightgirl

dlflightgirl

1
cgblake's Blog
 

3 weeks post surgery; 17 pounds lighter

Monday will be 3 weeks post surgery for me. It's been a rough go for me after surgery. My doctor says that my body is not accepting the band as well as most. I still have a lot of swelling and can feel everything that goes down my throat. But there is always a silver lining.... I have lost 17 pounds . I'm going back to work Monday. Putting everything in God's hands!    
cgblake

cgblake

4
ScentsyLady's Blog
 

The First Step!

Hi All! Today is the first day of the rest of my life, so they say! I went to my seminar, and I have everything I need to start this journey. I have my next to do list, and then the ball will really start rolling! Has anyone out there had the experience of being happy and excited about this decision, and then have your significant other, family, or friends bombard you with negative comments? Comments that make you feel ashamed that you can't just "eat less and excercise" to lose that weight? Don't these people understand how much we all have struggled and tried and failed with the regular weight loss tactics? And, especially when a thin person says those things, it hurts even more! How in the world would they know? How have you overcame these things? Is there a way to get these people to respect your decision and support you anyway? I hope it gets better, because I am determined this time. Thanks for any advice you can give me!
ScentsyLady

ScentsyLady

1
fillesudiste's Blog
 

Obsessed, Consumed?

My date is quickly approaching and instead of being excited I am scared sh*tless! And what does analytical, detailed oriented person like me do when they are scared? Well, I consume more and more information on the topic. I am obsessed. It does not matter that I have read all literature and research about the procedure, risks, options, you name it. I have to understand what 'real' people who had made this choice are going through, feeling thinking. Stalking forums and discussion boards looking for more and more data..I'm consumed. I know everything about this procedure and the product. You see, I work in the biological/medical devices field for years. I have colleagues that are employed at Allergan, the company that manufactures, the Lap Band. So after being on the other side of the bench for years, I will be a patient this time. It is a totally different feeling I thought just like the rest of the folks here, I might find some comfort-kinship, by chronicling what I am feeling. My surgery is 02/22/11 and I have completed my first week of the pre-opt diet. I am following the diet prescribed the best dietitian ever. Today I have blood work done and am scheduled to have cardiac and pulmonary clearance next week. I did not have a difficult approval process, nor did I have some of the other issues I have read about on the forum. It has been straightforward but quite a bit to excuse my pun-digest! lol   Geesh! It's alot to do. Not only am I obessed and consumed, I am OVERWHELMED! Thoughts???? Words of comfort? Wisdom?
fillesudiste

fillesudiste

4
genepha's Blog
 

Day 6

Starting weight 283 Today's weight 270.5   Still feeling sore, especially on my left side. My stomach muscles hurt and 2 of my incisions are really bothering me. We have 2 small children so we are at home with them today. During the week our nanny comes and helps out which has been a life saver but today it's just me and my hubby. I have to remind myself not to pick up our daughter (2 y.o.) and to be careful bending down. I'm a bit nauseated today. DH made bacon and eggs and the smell is bothering me Opened windows even though it's cold because of the smell. I'm going to make a Medifast protein shake for breakfast. Yesterday I was able to drink about 1/2 of a shake. They have 110 calories, 14 g of protein. Happy with my weightloss. I see Dr. Billy on Friday for an x-ray and then I'll get the all clear for mushies!!   take care, genepha         <a href="http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/wuVsfBP/"> <img border="0" src="http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/wuVsfBP/weight.png"></a>
genepha

genepha

0
Blog 2207
 

February 12, 2011

Things have been going really well. The temps have fallen below 0 this past week, so I had little desire to venture outside! Hubby drove me to my workplace two days ago and I got to see a few of my co-workers. There is only 1 who knows about my surgery and she's told no one. They asked if I was okay and when I was coming back. I said I was taking care of some health issues and didn't know when I'd be back, but with those temps, I wasn't in any hurry!   My online friend from NC who had surgery 3 days before me is doing great. She said she went to lunch with a friend and ordered a cheese sandwich and ate a little bit of just the cheese. I haven't eaten anything solid yet. I'm consuming protein drinks, yogurt, pureed meats, veggies, soups and fruits.   My appointment with the surgeon is on Monday and I will be 12 days out by then. I have one incision (where my drain was) that is a little red with a small white spot. I put antibacterial cream and a bandaid on it. All the other incisions (or as one of the Wood Co. Hospital nurses called it a "stabs") look really good.   After the only other laproscopic surgery I've had, it felt like I had done 1,000 sit ups after. Not so with this surgery. The surgeon told me during my last office visit that after all my open surgeries (4), the pain from this one would be laughable. He was right! I stopped the pain meds shortly after my IV came out and I haven't taken any since....none were needed.   Yesterday was the first time I drove since surgery. It went well, but by the time I ran to the vet's office and to the grocery for a few things, I was whipped and ready to go home and rest. I think it's mostly lack of strength from not eating much. When I eat my pureed food, about 2 tbls is enough and I actually feel full and satisfied. I can eat more yogurt or pureed fruits though. An 8 ounce protein drink goes down really easily.   It's going to be a whole new life as far as eating goes....it will NEVER be like before surgery. I'm okay with that...I just look forward to eating "normal" foods someday.
KabinKitty

KabinKitty

0
How I lost 100lbs
 

Lapband Patient turned Celebrity? Well.....

Maybe... with YOUR support!   I have a friend and client who is a lapband patient. She's lost a ton of weight and looks fabulous. She's currently being considered for the next installment of the Real Housewives franchise: Real Housewives of Las Vegas.   She's open about everything in her life and wants to put a positive image of the lapband out to the public as part of her time on the show... And or this we need YOUR support!   Check out her Fanpage on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/MarissaZdazinsky   Please please please like her page and show your support! The production company is making their final decisions this week and we want to let them and Bravo know.. That WE WANT MARISSA!!!
Yvette1026

Yvette1026

0
Kris' VSG Blog
 

Fifth Week Surgiversary -- The Scales of (In)Justice

So I got a new scale this week. My old scale would change weight depending on whether I started with my left foot or right foot.. I got a brand new & supposedly highly accurate scale and it was delivered from Amazon on Tuesday. Well, shock of all shocks, it showed I weight 2.8 lbs. more than the old scale. I was SOOOO mad! The next day the weight was confirmed, and then yesterday ... OMG ... it said I had gained two lbs. I was about ready to send the dang scale back to where it came from. And then I had this dilemma about whether to change my starting weight on my weight loss ticker to be 2 lbs. heavier ... and did that for a day or two ... but then things got better today and so I changed my ticker back to what it had been before the new scale. I got on the new scale this morning and it said 203.4 lbs. Yay! My old scale said 203.0 (which it has been saying pretty much all week). It's just so weird how my old scale seems far more consistent than the new scale! So, for the week I am calling a loss of 2 lbs. (since my weight last week was from the old scale, and I have NO idea what the new scale would have said last week). I am SOOO close to ONEderland ... 3.5 lbs. and I will be there. That will probably be two weeks away, I'm guessing. So barring some miraculous big weight drop this weekend, I will have just barely missed my goal to be at ONEderland by Valentine's Day. But still, to be down 21 lbs. from a few weeks ago is pretty good. I think I'm right about average weight loss for my BMI. I also have decided to stop the daily weigh-ins. They only make me crazy. Friday is my designated weekly weigh in day (since I was sleeved on a Friday). I will peek on Val-Day to see how close/far I am from my first goal but try not to weigh again until Friday. I had pizza for the first time since being sleeved last night .... oh wow it was good. Pepperoni and bacon. I had about 2/3 a slice, something like that. No crust. I was stuffed. It is still very hard, though, to have food in front of me that I want so badly to eat, but can only eat a small amount of, and can only eat slowly. But on the other hand it is very gratifying to be totally full on such a small amount of food. There was one slice of pizza left over from dinner and I had that for lunch today and it was also good. Actually I had it for lunch and an afternoon snack since I could only eat half at lunch. I tried a bite of crust but don't think my sleeve is ready for that yet as I was rather uncomfortable afterwards. Tonight is date night ... going out to our fave local Thai restaurant. I'll have chicken satay and maybe order some coriander chicken to eat this weekend. I know I'll only probably be able to eat one skewer of chicken satay but I am SO looking forward to that! Breakfast was an egg (well about 2/3 an egg) on a sandwich thin (about half of that) and that was very filling and kept me full until lunchtime. I like that breakfast a lot. Let's see ... what else ... I went to the gym after work on Wed and walked 45 minutes on the treadmill. It's hard to exercise in the evening because I am still pretty tired when I get home from work. Will go to the gym tomorrow morning and get the weekend off to a good start.
Kris

Kris

0
How I lost 100lbs
 

Itchy...Itchy...Itchy...

Just shy of 14 months out, finally in my sweet spot and losing PRAISE THE LORD!!! I'm at the lowest weight I've been since having surgery and shrinking...lt's been 2 months since my last fill - lol had to remember I'm not catholic , this was starting to feel like confession lol.. anyways.. as I lose and my body is shrinking... my skin is so ITCHY, mostly at my incision sites. I use cocoa butter and coconut oil on a daily basis and stay hydrated so it's not dry skin.. it's all weight loss related.. like the skin that's used to being covered is now being exposed to air or something.. but the incision sites, the incision sites are something else completely. Maybe it's because 1 of them has keloided - oh the joy of being mixed lol.. but they are just ugh.. I can't even explain it.. is anyone else experiencing this? There's no rash/infection etc.. it's just ITCHY!
Yvette1026

Yvette1026

2
New Cindy's Blog
 

One Week from surgery

I have told everyone what I am doing up front. I am not keeping this decision a secret. Of course everyone is concerned that it is in Mexico. I have purchased everything I need for after teh surgery and started on my pre-op diet today. So things are going well. But I am scared and excited all at once!! Sure hope this turns out like I have it envisioned in my head!!
New Cindy

New Cindy

0
Day Dreamer's Blog
 

Approval Phase

I have been on this WLS journey for a long time. My best friend had it in 1997 and ever since then, I have wanted it, tried to get approved and educated myself about WLS. During that time I joined the Army and they gave my Butt Kick - errr - Boot Camp WLS. Needless to say exercising 6 hours a day led to extreme weight loss. Shortly after I got out of the Army (4 long skinny years later) I found myself fat again. Old habits die hard. Sad face. Today I am educating myself more than I have ever done because I am going through the WLS approval phase [again]. I want to make the best choices and do things right. I do not want to mess up and fall back into my old ways. I know WLS is not a cure but I need it as a tool to help me make better decisions.   Anthem uses www.lapbandoflouisville.com surgeons for WLS. This is good and bad. Good because that is all they do, Lap Band. No other focus or specialty. Bad because it is a 45 min drive into the city for each visit. I will go to my briefing on March 1 and LBoL said they will do the leg work through Anthem. I mentioned before that this is completely different than how Kaiser did things. But I am stressed out enough and if LBoL can do most of the leg work for me, well I am happier than a pig in mudd.   Concerns - What if I fail again? I am scared, no lie there. I know my willpower is non-exsistent. This is a No-Go with WLS. I cannot depend on WLS to do everything for me. I need to take responsibility and that is hard! What about my Thyroid disease? I have heard of people with Hypothyroidism getting ood results with the LapBand but I have a hard time believing it. I need PROOF! How is it that restricting my food will kickstart my thyroid into working again? Scared. Very scared. In the closet - No, I'm not gay but my surgery (or desire to have surgery) is in the closet to most everyone. I have 2 dear friends, 1 post op and 1 pre op that are my cheerleaders. They are amazing and they motivate me to push for approval. I am tired of disappointment and worried about failure. Both for myself and anyone that knows my desires to get approved.   Enough for now. I will update again soon.   BTW I am thinking of trying the POST OP DIET for a couple days to see if I can really stick to it. I need to build my willpower back up! Wish me luck.   (X posted from my OH.com journal)
Day Dreamer

Day Dreamer

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genepha's Blog
 

Day 5 - Feb. 11, 2011

Day 5 - Feb. 11, 2011         Starting weight: 283   Current weight: 272   Mini Goal: 250   Goal: 199   Dream Goal: 150-165ish               I woke up in a bit more pain today. I am having internal pain, my husband said it must be my stomach healing from the inside. So I took some pain medication and laid back down. I slept another 2 hours and when I woke up I felt slightly better. I have been sipping water whenever I’m awake. For breakfast this morning I mixed 2 oz. of water with 2 oz. of cran-grape juice and mixed in some unflavored protein powder.  I’m still sipping it after about 30 minutes. I think I can drink faster and bigger sips but I’m afraid to. After having the band, I learned that if I take too big of a sip - it will come right back out! So I’m going slowly. I walked around the house a bit today also. It’s a gorgeous, sunny day outside so I’m gonna put on my sweats and slippers and shuffle outside for a little bit.   I’m down 11 pounds in 5 days. I’m assuming some of that is water weight even though I’m trying to drink water constantly. My husband said my tummy looks less poofy today so maybe some of the swelling is going down. I gained 2 pounds in the hospital from all the IV fluids but I’ll take any weight loss!!   My goal for month 1 is to lose at least 20% EWL (Excess Weight Loss). Since I’d like to lose 130 pounds - 20% of that is 26 pounds. I’m almost 1/2 way to my first goal! I know once I start eating mushies and “real” food, my weight loss will slow significantly so I wanna make the most out of this liquid phase.   My dr. has me on full liquids for the first 2 weeks. Since I was his very first plication patient, he is being a little more strict with me than he usually is with his WLS patients and I’m fine with that. I want to do what’s best for my new tummy. I want to give it time to heal properly.   When I was banded (in 2001) I had an extremely difficult time following the diet guidelines afterwards. The first few days after I was banded I was swollen and sore. But within about 1 week I was pretty hungry and was having a really hard time staying on the liquids only diet. I did it but I remember adding sugar free sherbert to my protein shakes because I needed more than just the protein shakes!  So far I haven’t experienced that.   My doctor, Dr. Billy said that some of the patients he has seen with plication (he worked with several other doctors while studying plication) experienced a lot of nausea. I did have a lot of nausea on the first day which I usually get anyway from the anesthesia. The next day I did feel a little bit nauseous but nothing too severe. By about day 3, the nausea was pretty much gone.         I will be seeing Dr. Billy next Friday (2/18) for an x-ray to make sure my tummy looks okay. If everything is fine I will get the go ahead to start on mushies. I am looking forward to eating soft foods but I haven’t minded the liquid diet as much as I thought I would. I actually think the pre-op diet helps out a bit with the post-op diet cause you are kind of in the habit of eating the right things anyway.
genepha

genepha

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chriper's Blog
 

I finally See it

OK so I've been kind of suffering from image distortion. I knew I'd loss over 30lbs but didn't really see it. Well I took a Zumba class and it was only five of us in there at the most so I had a pretty good view of the mirrorw. I caught a glimpse of myself and was suprised at the reflection looking back at me. I can honestly say that for the first time I saw what others have been seeing, I am slimming down. I know I have a ways to go, but I am counting this as a victory!
chriper

chriper

7
PPPBand's Blog
 

GETTIN READY TO RETURN TO WORK!!!

Almost 2 weeks post op and I am planning to return to work/school on Monday.. SOOOO excited to see my students and my colleagues...Almost no one knows of the lap band and I'd like to keep it that way at least until the summer...Anyway..just getting lessons ready and doing some minor small errands , cleaners etc... My daughter has a gymnastic competition sat night so it will be my first real night out...Very exciting...Have been on mushy foods for almost 4 days and things are good...I saw my surgeion yesterday and gave me the thumbs up!! HE said I would get my first fill on my next visit!! So even though Im a little hungry sometimes now, I know the fill is coming..Making really good choices!! Egg whites...oatmeal.. veggie chili plus packing in the protein drinks...Hope all is well for the bandster community out there.. Peace
PPPBand

PPPBand

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