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LoseIt!'s Blog
 

Jax...do I love thee?

Sandradee (among others) has asked me a couple of times whether I think Jax (my Body Bugg) has been worth it. The cost of the device plus the display device was around $300.   I will say up front that I am extremely blessed. I have a wonderful job and since I'm single with no kids and relatively no responsibilities, I'm able to spend my money however I see fit without worrying about anyone else. So spending $300 for me is not the same as say my friend who is a married stay at home mother of three or another friend who is a single working mother of two.   That being said, I'm very glad that I got it. I have NEVER been one to log my food. I would try to commit myself to it, but I would lose interest in a day or two. Something about having your calories burned to offset calories consumed has helped to motivate me. I have been going strong for 3 weeks and I don't have the mindset that it is a chore. I actually enjoy logging in each night after dinner to make my updates.   One thing that I have noticed is that I think more before I just eat something. For instance, on Monday after lunch, my work group stopped and got a cookie from the Nestle Toll House Cookie Store. I LOVE Nestle Toll House cookies. I bought one and brought it back to the office with me. I looked up the nutritional information and I plugged it in my online food journal. Since I was working out that day, I determined that I could eat the cookie if I had a lighter dinner than I originally planned. I enjoyed the heck out of that cookie and savored EVERY bite. Later that night, I chose the lower calorie dinner and all was well.   I will say that I think that most of the benefit comes from logging my food. So, if you are already very good at that, I don't know if it would be worth it or not. To me, it has changed how I operate entirely!   Also, I am very conservative with my food counts. Meaning, I always try to pad my estimates. For instance, if I have a couple bites of mashed potatoes, I would probably log 1/4 cup as opposed to 2 T. I have read that we tend to underestimate what we eat by 20-40(!)% Wow! I figure that no matter how hard I try, I will not remember (or know) everything that is in what I'm eating (especially when I eat out) so if I pad a little, hopefully I will have enough counted to cover anything I miss. Interestingly, even with that padding, Jax tells me that I only lose 1/2 of what I calculate that I should lose. And I definitely don't lose it when I'm "supposed" to. But that's okay, as I collect data about myself, I learn more and more and it helps me to be less frustrated.   So for me, for my needs, for my circumstances, Jax is worth it! I committed to logging food for 4 weeks and wearing Jax for 8 weeks. I realize now that I need to do both and will now commit to doing both. I feel sure though that I will continue long past 8 weeks. I feel that way now...I will get back to you in about 5 weeks! :thumbup:   Just wanted to give you a couple of quick updates:   Eating steak: I did okay with the steak. I had to cut it into the smallest of pieces and I was only able to eat about an ounce. Last night at home, I had the leftovers and ate bigger bites, but would spit out the fat (tendons that wouldn't chew down) instead of swallowing it. Sounds kind of gross, but it worked. I don't think I like steak enough to work that hard. HA!   Jazzercise: our friends came to class with us last night. They had a lot of fun supporting my BFF by it really isn't their cup of tea. One is a runner, but the other doesn't work out much and I hope that she finds some sort of activity that she enjoys. My arm ached a little from the tetanus shot (it still does!) but I'm glad I got in the extra work out. Something funny...as I was cleaning up after class, I picked up some 5 pound weights that someone had forgotten to put away. They felt so light to me that I almost threw them in the air. It made me feel like The Hulk!! :wink2:   Have a super day everyone! Tomorrow is Friday!
LoseIt!

LoseIt!

1
Blog 84891
 

New Recipe Idea

Today I made a new recipe idea and thought I'd share.   2 plantains baked[/url] 3 Sweet potato, cooked, baked 1 Apple peeled and sliced Cinnamon, ground, 2 tbsp 4 tablespoons butter or butter substitute melted Brown Sugar, .5 cup, packed Bake sweet potatoes for about ½ hour at 400, turn over, then add sliced plantains and apples and cook for another 20 minutes. Once everything is soft, remove from oven. Mash ingredients to desired texture and pour cinnamon, brown sugar butter over and mix. Return to over for another 10 minutes. It’s delicious and high in vitamins A, B-6 and C.
Lap2Fab

Lap2Fab

2
Blog 93702
 

Recipe Of The Day! Yogurt Dressing With Spring Salad

Easy to make Low Calorie Yogurt Dressing will taste great over many types of salads also. ENJOY!   Makes 8 servings   Active Time: 8 minutes Total Time: 8 minutes   53 Calories Per Serving   CHECK OUT MY BLOG FOR MORE INFO ON THIS RECIPE AND SO MANY MORE:thumbup: http://life-after-lap-band.blogspot.com/
Debra G

Debra G

0
Blog 56540
 

Any pointers anyone? Please Respond...need encouragement

Does anyone know of any grants or other ways to pay for the LAP-BAND®®. I work for the state and our Blue Cross Blue Shield does not cover it. My husband keeps encouraging me to search online. He thinks that there is a magical grant place. It really sucks that my insurance won't pay...they came up with this random way of paying for a few people...just does not seem fair. My girlfriend works for the postal service and she has same insurance just better benefits and hers paid....just does not seem fair. I would just take out a loan but unfortunately I have to do a lot of traveling with my job and am going to need a new car before long. I am getting desperate...daydreaming of ways to pay for it....can anyone help....just wish it was not so expensive...just venting I guess ...thanks again...I just had my first grand baby and really want to be here to watch him grow up....need to lose this weight.:thumbup:
Pinkslippers

Pinkslippers

1
Blog 98236
 

4the day after LB

Hello all. I am on my 4th day afterwards. I have to admit I am still very sore on the big incision. I feel pretty good, not very hungry at all. Has anyone else experienced sore pain after the surgery? For how long should it last? I am still very happy and optimistic. HOORAY!!!:thumbup:
Cudleeme

Cudleeme

5
Blog 94268
 

On the road of happy destiny

I started this journey in March, 2010. I have been to 3 nutrition meetings and one support group meeting, which was what my insurance needed in order to go forward. Had my psych eval back in May. Unfortunately, after that, my paperwork accidentally sat on someone's desk for 6 weeks before anyone noticed.   They pushed through my authorization in 2 days after that. The bummer is, I was hoping to have the surgery in August. I start school on the 30th, so there is no way I can do it prior to December now. It totally sucks. :thumbup:
younghippiechick

younghippiechick

1
Blog 92878
 

1 more day!

:smile2:Now i am 23 hours away from surgery.... This liquid diet thing is not bad at all i haven't even really been hungry.. i didnt even really eat anything today.. Like i had my water, i had one container of SF jello, about 8 ounces of chicken broth with one scoop of Unjury unflavored protein. and i had 1 SF popsicle and one of m 8oz optifast shake for dinner.. and its 1am and i am not even hungry, usually by now if i had regular food i would be starving.. i just really hope to get all my calories and protein in after surgery because i don't think im getting much in right now... i hope i still continue to lose more weight before my surgery.... oh did i tell ya'll? i lost my 2% weight requirement for surgery!!!! YAY!!! Thank the lord!:thumbup: My nutritionist think that by a year time i should have lost more than 100lbs.. she said i have be doing so good with my food diary and my food choices, like i told her, i know how to diet, its just sticking to the diet that is the challenge.. but im getting sleepy my Bandits friends good night all and God Bless!!!
sweetkc85

sweetkc85

0
Blog 71092
 

I'm Approved!

I'm Approved! :thumbup:Surgery date is August 25, 2010! I am so excited! I start the low carb, low fat, low calorie, high protein diet today. I am doing this a week before the surgery. The day before the surgery, I have to do a strict liquid diet and NO food or drink after 12! That's going to be a long day and rough night! lol! My doctor want to try a fairly new procedure on me where she's making only one incision through the belly button.... Lord! I am so scared to do this! Why try something NEW on ME! Anyway, I told her that I would be willing to try this new procedure. Dr. Pryor helped design this procedure.... I sure hope she knows what she's doing.
mandie175lbs

mandie175lbs

1
Blog 84891
 

Pray Love Eat .... with Lapband

Pray - pray that we are all successful in our journey to become healthier, that we have the willpower to stay on track, that we have the commitment to use this tool and do the work, pray that we will help each other, encourage each other, and befriend each other during this journey.   Love - love ourselves for making the decision to go through this journey, love the Lap Band, love our family and friends who have supported us and love that we have a group of people that we can confide in and that we have a circle of trust with them, sharing our successes ands struggles knowing that they truly can relate.   Eat - eat when we are hungry, not when our heart is broken, the scale doesn't move, we hate our jobs, or we are buried in debt. Eat foods that are smarter choices for our bodies to absorb the nutrients to become leaner and healthier!   Pray, Love, Eat...that's what we are doing every day! Julia Roberts has nothing on us!
Lap2Fab

Lap2Fab

1
Blog 94402
 

tough time

my stomach is so sore the swelling, rumbling,blotting is so very uncomfortable, and believe me.... I'm no baby. It could be so many variables gas= constipation= having one hell of a tough time. I cant believe i have to work on monday .:thumbup:
nel

nel

2
Blog 85769
 

To weigh in or not to weigh in?

I have moved my scale out of the bathroom and into the closet's top shelf. I am battling hard not to pull it out and weigh in. How much longer can I hold out? It's been a week and a day since weighing in at the fill center.
jmunks2000

jmunks2000

4
Blog 90427
 

Love this band!

I was back at the gym tonight and after the cardio and weight training session, I weighed in and I am now, drum roll please, 227.4. I have lost 26 lbs since my surgery.   Now 25 lbs has always been my limit. Once I hit that number in the past, my plateau was of a permenant nature. After about 3 weeks of not losing an ounce, I would give up and go back to my old ways, which not only helped me gain back every pound, but gave me a bonus - I always added a few extra lbs. How special! :thumbup:   Well, Monday started my 8th week. I lost 14lbs before the surgery and 26lbs since. I am so proud of myself.   My first fill was supposed to be tomorrow, but I postponed it until Sept. 2nd. This is the 3rd time I had an appointment for a fill. I kept the first 2 and was told I did not need the fill yet. And since nothing has changed in my eating habits; I 'm still not hungry between meals and I am losing weight, I just called and rescheduled it.   I really feel so much better and people are telling me all the time how much better and healthier I look.   I hope everyone has a great evening and you are all loving the band as much as I am.:wink2:
Bklynike

Bklynike

8
Cleosan 52- Sandy
 

Mama Guilt

This has been a rough week for me. I am working overtime due to vacations. So I'm not getting home until late, hubby has been making dinner everyday, doing all the laundry ( which he does any way but I put it away), sweeping the floor, washing the kids. I feel guilty because he is Mr Mom at home plus running the store 40 hrs :huh0:   I'm guilty because I'm so tired, I didn't go to bible study so now hubby took the kiddos there. What am I doing??? Typing this! Pitiful, I know. To top it off, we got our oldest's school schedule today. She is starting kindergarten this year. Come to find out that her orientation day is the same day of my pre-op appointment. So I called the doctor. If I don't go on the 27th, I will have to wait another month, for another appointment. So now I fill guilty because hubby doesn't want me to miss my appointment. He is going to work half a day and then take her. So now the guilt is just killing me because mommy is blowing it once again   I feel like I'm letting my family down because I'm too tired to do anything with them. Now I'm letting them down by thinking about me and what I want. I want WLS but I feel like I'm putting everyone out. I guess I just needed to vent a little.
Cleosan52

Cleosan52

1
Blog 98477
 

Chew No Swallow~ cheating??

Im 7 days post op...no pain..Drove for the first time today and it was easy, went to the mal, fun fun...no problem getting in and out of bed....Not hungry but had a taste for the pizza that I ordered for my son..aroma filled the house....So i took i bite,,chewed but didn't swallow...did that couple of times and it satisfatifed my craving!
smiley8

smiley8

5
Dance by the Light of the Moon
 

Divertissement

Exactly a year has passed since I first applied the idea of lap band surgery to myself. I don't recall what put it into my head, but when I went to see my doctor for my annual check-up, I asked her casually what she though of bariatric surgery. Dr. Renee favors conservative treatment in most cases, which suits me fine, and I expected her to be lukewarm at best about weight loss surgery. When she promptly answered, "You are a perfect candidate for the surgery and I will fill out any papers you need in order to arrange it," I nearly fell off the examining table.   She went on to tell me the differences between gastric bypass and lapbanding, both available in Casper via three excellent surgeons. She left the final choice up to me, but explained she thought lap banding was the best option since it involved less extensive surgery and had fewer risks. I left her office with a list of surgeons, instructions to call the Wyoming Medical Center Weight Loss Program, and her firm support in whatever decision I made.   RN Deb Miller was in charge of the WMC Weight Loss program at the time and was the advocate that everyone hopes for when entering a life-changing and frightening new endeavor. She explained the program, the paperwork, the procedure, and WMC's policy on borderline cases such as myself. My BMI was not the suggested 40 and I had less than 100 pounds to lose, but I had arthritis, joint pain, GERD, and a family history of DM that strikes people at about age 62 (I am 55). Also weighing in opn the side of approval: my husband works for WMC and the hospital is growing more interested in allowing the surgery in hopes of reducing insurance costs down the line for weight-related co-morbidities.   Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I filled out the first paperwork, crossed my fingers and plunged into the preliminaries.   Insurance required me to meet with the hospital dietician once a month for three months to discuss pre-op and post-op diets. Deb warned me that missing a single meeting with the dietician had been used as grounds to disapprove surgery. I appeared at my appointments faithfully, attended the informational program for perspective clients, read all the literature, checked out the short course online, and met with the surgeon I chose.   The first meeting with Dr. Todd Beckstedt was brief and essentially consisted of "You got any questions?" and "You sure you want to do this? Okay, then." My questions had been answered via my research and it seemed the main purpose of shelling out the money for this visit was in order for his business manager to spell out how much more money I would be shelling out and how payment was arranged.   I was privately dismayed at how long the preliminaries stretched out before the paperwork could even be submitted to the insurance company. I underwent a number of lab tests, medical exams, and psychiatric testing, all of which the insurance agreed to pay for, even if the procedure was ultimately denied. I had hoped to be able to have the surgery in December, but it quickly became obvious that was not going to happened. I resigned myself to the slow turning of the bureacracy.   The psychiatric exam tickled my fancy: was I sane enough to want to lose weight? Was I stable enough to follow through with the program? Did I have the brains God gave a sagebrush? I went for my oral psych exam and several times found myself answering a question with some version of, 'I know the answer you are looking for is A but I really think B because..." When I went back to discuss the results of this exam with the doctor, I asked her if I was psychotic, neurotic or had some other kind of deadly -tic. She answered, "No, but you are unconventional." My, I was happy to have professionally confirmed what my family, friends, business associates, and I have known for many years.   Once the psych exam was done, I turned in my paperwork to Deb and the wait began. It dragged on through January and well into February, a much longer time than it generally takes for surgery to be approved. I decided I was going to be denied because I was twenty pounds too light and began to wonder if I needed to increase my weight to the prerequisite 260 pounds i order to be approved (more even than I had weighed nine and a half months into carrying a ten andf a half pound baby).   When Deb called to tell me the procedure had been approved, I think she was more excited than I was because she is a dear person who cares about all her patients and she had also decided I was about to be denied. I thanked her for the call and faced the next set of hurdles I needed to jump. We set a surgery date of March 3, 2010, I arranged for a couple of days off work for unspecified gastric surgery, and began my two week liquid diet.   I managed to stay on the liquid diet without a great deal of trouble, but I was so sick of sweet gunk like Ensure and Boost by the time I was done that it is hard to look a chocolate liquid in the bottletop to this day.   As I've written before, I recall essentially nothing of the day I went in for surgery or the day or two after- only that ghastly tray of bland, inedible (okay, undrinkable) hospital fare that was presented as my first post-surgical meal. I stayed on liquids a few days, then was given permission to eat whatever I wished as long as I chewed the hell out of it and could keep it down. I had little or no trouble with this first solid food and never has a bite of baked potato tasted so good as that first post-liquid spud.   I actually ended up on a mostly liquid diet for longer than expected since I went to Texas to visit a friend who was recovering from chemotherapy and radiation for throat cancer. He was limited to Ensure-like fare and though he had real food for me, I was certainly not going to eat pork chops while he sat across the table from me sipping one of those ghastly meal substitutes. We drank the nasty stuff companionably for the several days I was there, though I did bring in some grapes and strawberries to supplement my meals.   I didn't lose much weight prior to the pre-op liquid diet and didn't lose much more on the liquid diet. Shoot, I thought for a while I was going to have to gain weight in order to be approved, so why bother? My first fill was posphoned by a couple of weeks due to my trip to Texas and didn't have a lot of effect on me. The second fill was better- hooray! Restriction achieved.   This summer I've gradually adjusted to my new eating habits and requirments. Fortunately foe me, my doctor is less strict than many I've read about in terms of what I can injest and when. Three meals at designated times of the day simply do not work for me; I am a grazer. Food too early in the morning makes me sick; I start feeding myself around eleven o'clock and by late evening, I've got my food in for the day.   I don't count calories, either. I started using the Weight Watchers point system that worked well for me in the past, but the endless task of writing down every ort of food just infuriated me- been there, done that, regained the weight. As much as anything, I want to learn to live like a normal person and not think of food every second of every day. I ask myself "Am I hungry or just bored/sad/irritated/procrastinating/fill in the blank?" If the answer is "hungry", I eat what I want and stop when I'm no longer hungry.   I was thrilled the first time I couldn't finish a restaurant meal and took enough leftovers home in a box to last me another two meals. When I lost my desire for french fries, a life time passion, because they sat in my stomach like bricks, it was the triumph of a lifetime of poor eating. I still struggle with not drinking water with meals, but it doesn't seem to affect either how long I stay full or my weight loss. When it does, I will put more effort into conquering that weakness in my program.   The one bad habit I have not given up is carbonated beverages. I did give them up for several months, then confessed to my doctor how difficult it was and how much I missed diet Pepsi and Perrier water. He asked if I drank "the fully leaded (sugared)" variety and I allowed as how I have drunk only diet soft drinks since Tab came out in the Sixties. "Then what's the problem?" He asked. Well, didn't it stretch the pouch or something? He smiled and said that was more of a problem with gastric bypass than with banding and to drink the carbonated beverages if I wished.   So comforted by my favorite bad habit, I've come almost six months since banding. My weight is down to 203 from a high point of 240. My joints don't protest every move and while leading horses up a steep hill last week, I realized I wasn't the least bit breathless. Things are better, definitely, and I am sitting here in jeans I haven't been able to wear in three years or more.   I don't have a firm final weight loss goal because I tend to slip back into obsessive compulsive anorexic/bulimic thinking when I get centered on a number. My next short term goal is to drop below 200- I'm getting there. The goal after that is to drop below 180. After that- well, we'll see how I feel about the matter. I'm happy with my progress and for now, that is enough.
Llyra

Llyra

1
Blog 2817
 

My Journey

Today I started my pre-op diet. I am happy and in a good mood.I am not tempted to deviate at all and actually have not feel hungry. I am going to do this:001_tongue:
branc1

branc1

1
Blog 3527
 

i think I might cahange my mind

Hi there, I was scheduled for lapband surgery for two weeks. I have just started my pre-op diet. I am Canadian and have to go to Mexico to have the surgery because it is about 18000.00 here. I will have to go to a fill center in the states to have my band filled and no MD will do it for me here. The closest is in MN about an 8hour drive away. I was talking to a few people and they suggested the sleeve because it has less maintenance. I called the clinic in Mexico and they also stated it was a better idea. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?:huh0:
nbrett

nbrett

2
Blog 98741
 

One week!!!

Its been one, emotional, fun, scary, over whelming yet AMAZING start to this never journey!   Its been so much fun to loose my initial 25lbs!!!, and I have a doctors appointment on Saturday (just for a check up), but Im hoping that they will give me my fill date...!!!   As for now Im going to cut my blog back to once a week unless something happens and its worth sharing the experience...   I just wanted to say thanks to all that tune in every day to hear about my latest... EVERYTHING!   What an amazing group of people we all are!   Best of luck and prayers to all....:thumbup:
ArmyWives

ArmyWives

6
Blog 88752
 

Eh.....

Hey....it's been quite a few days since I last posted. Feeling better now, so thank you for the well wishes:smile2:. I'm @ work and ssdd (same sh**, different day). Frustrating, but I'll leave it at that:mellow: My weight has gone up a couple pounds. Can't seem to get past this lull even with my last fill. I keep busy, keep exercising and watching food intake (even watching my liquid calories...yeah I know...not supposed to have them :thumbup::tt2:). Other then just short of working out every spare minute, I'm kinda at a loss of what to do. I'm just going to take it as it comes. Small losses, small gains....:wink2: Tina
Carosel2002

Carosel2002

1
LoseIt!'s Blog
 

Check up all checked out!

I went to my PCP today for a routine check up. I have not seen him since my surgery and realized that he didn't even know about it. Oops! He was happy for me though and enthusiastic with my success.   Turns out that it was time for a tetanus booster. That should feel good tomorrow! Also, we discussed an issue I have been having with my throat. **gross alert** I get things stuck in the recesses of my throat and I have to dig them out with a Qtip. This is something that started about 2 years ago and it is getting worse. It feels like my throat is irritated all the time even though I'm not sick at all. He is sending me to an ENT doc and thinks they should be able to fix it easily. YAY!   He is also referring me to another sleep doctor so I can update my sleep study. It is probably time to make a change to my CPAP. Maybe by next year, I won't need it!!   My blood pressure is super! He also took my labs so I will be eager to see how my cholesterol and other numbers look. Hopefully they are look great and I can continue to be medication free! He even made a joke about how he wasn't giving me any medication and didn't know what to do. I love it!   Tonight I'm going to Jazzercise. Big shock, huh?! :thumbup: But it is extra fun tonight because a few friends are coming to class to support my BFF Cori who is a new instructor. Well, she has been instructing for about 3 months or so, I think. And she is already one of the best. She really was made for this and it makes for an excellent class! It will be a lot of fun! Plus, I don't usually go on Wednesdays so it is getting me an extra work out for the week. Jax will LOVE that!!   Thanks for all the super sweet comments on the pictures I included in my blog post yesterday. Sometimes I get discouraged that I'm still way into the 200s, but when I concentrate on how I look, it makes me feel better. I'm really hoping to break into the teens this week though which would be a BIG STINKING DEAL!! Just another few tenths to go...   Happy Hump Day, y'all!
LoseIt!

LoseIt!

1
Blog 90135
 

The Psych Eval

So, I completed the psych evaluation yesterday and boyyyyyy was that a lot of questions! I am curious to see what it will say :-) I don't talk to ghosts or hear voices, so hopefully I will be alright :-) If you have to go in to take one of these, prepare to do 1 1/2-2 hours for the testing phase of it. I did two tests. One was over 500 questions and the second one was somewhere in the neighborhood of 160 questions.....all true/false.   I go in to talk over the results next Wednesday. At that time, he will be writing a report to send to the surgeon's office and I can finally submit for insurance approval. I am so excited, yet a little nervous at the same time.   Some people say, "Wow, you are going to have the surgery done right before the holidays?" But, as I look at myself in the mirror, I don't even care if it's before the holidays. I don't want to eat as much anymore. I want to get the weight off and be full with smaller portions! The sooner I can get there, the better off I will feel.   Hopefully everyone is doing well in their weight loss journey. I am curious, though. If you are reading this, where are you at in your journey?
qtney1

qtney1

6

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