Wednesday night was the Seminar on WLS. I found it very informative but also felt prepared after scouring this website so much! There was about 10 people there, the WLS Coordinator spoke first then one of the three Bariatric Surgeons. I was actually a little let down, I had gone in so stoked about the Lap Band, and the surgeon that came actually disliked Bands and much preferred the Sleeve or Bypass over Bands ("difficult to balance, very easy to put in, very low risk BUT highest failure rate with post-op weight loss).
After the seminar I introduced myself to the coordinator and we chatted for a moment about my insurance (I asked if I could fax back in the paperwork instead of mail - again, I'm Type A, tell me to do something I get it done, and I want it finished NOW). She asked more specifics on my plan and when I filled her in that I had UHC through my husbands employer, and who that was, she was ecstatic! She said she had already approved 3 patients that worked for his employer this year, and the insurance was an absolute dream to work with. She said to fax in my paperwork ASAP, she would get it done the next day.
I came home FULL of info, got my paperwork filled out and faxed in the next morning (Thurs.). Cathy (WLS Coordinator) called that night about 6:30 and said that I completely met their criteria, it was VERY basic criteria, and they've given me pre-approval! She locked in my benefits, 20% co-insurance after my deductible (which I've almost met) and out of pocket max of $6000, which by the time surgery rolls around it should cost me only about $1500-$2500 out of pocket, then EVERYTHING will be covered the rest of the year since I will have met my max!
So now...appointments! There are about 20 steps before surgery. Tomorrow I have to have 13 lab tests done. On March 21st I have my 4 hour appt with the Dietician/Internal Medicine/Surgery Coordinator/Physical Educator, then the following week I have two appointments set up for my Psych Evaluation.
The timeline said to allow 2-3 weeks for insurance pre-approval and I got it in one day. I still need authorization, which comes right before surgery when I've done EVERYTHING and am ready to go, but Cathy said it should be a breeze.
I'm excited for the whole thing. 539 question psych test? Yay! Two weeks of skim milk pre-op? Bring it on!
Projected surgery date is mid-May/early-June. I've got to kick some butt fast afterwards because I have my best friends wedding in September and plan on looking astonishing.
Surgery was at noon today and I feel great! Man, it was a breeze. My surgeon was great, the anesthesiologist was amazing, and the whole staff was very nice. My husband got stuck with mandatory overtime and was completely distraught he couldn't be with me today, but my dad brought me and sister-in-law came after. Tonight, I'm only having some shoulder/back pain from the air. I can't even feel the band or the hiatial hernia repair they did.
I can't believe I was so scared yesterday I wanted to cancel! Good thing I put on my Big Girl Panties today when I woke up
So this is it...here I go! First post-op is on May 30th, I can't wait to show my doctor what progress I will make.
Surgery was at noon today and I feel great! Man, it was a breeze. My surgeon was great, the anesthesiologist was amazing, and the whole staff was very nice. My husband got stuck with mandatory overtime and was completely distraught he couldn't be with me today, but my dad brought me and sister-in-law came after. Tonight, I'm only having some shoulder/back pain from the air. I can't even feel the band or the hiatial hernia repair they did.
I can't believe I was so scared yesterday I wanted to cancel! Good thing I put on my Big Girl Panties today when I woke up
So this is it...here I go! First post-op is on May 30th, I can't wait to show my doctor what progress I will make.
It's been a bumpy week, but today at work we got an email that the new EMR charting system (the reason my surgery would be potentially delayed until after July - making this girl VERY unhappy!) has been delayed until October, lifting the "no vacation" ban and freeing up my spring and summer!
I'm so excited, I see the surgeon in exactly one week and from there we will schedule surgery and get final insurance approval. I'm so ready to get to the next step!
I'm two days post-op and I'm actually surprised at how good I feel. It feels like I did about 500 sit-ups, my stomach is pretty sore, but other than that I feel great. I haven't felt one bit of hunger. I spent the first afternoon and full post-op day 1 sipping a protein drink and water, then today started in following the two weeks of liquids menu my surgeon/dietician gave me. Breakfast called for 8 ounces of Greek Yogurt. I got about 4 ounces in and felt full. It was an amazing feeling! Before the band I would NEVER feel full. It was a different feeling - it was more in my chest than my stomach, but I felt the signal and at the first sign I knew to stop. I'm comitted to being a good bandster, so I'm following the rules to a T. Tomorrow I'm set to go back to work and I think I'll be fine. The surgeon said as long as I felt okay, going back 3 days post-op would be okay.
My post-op appointment is May 30th and this morning I weighed in at 222.4. I would love nothing more to be in the 215ish range when I see the surgeon, so it's time to step up the exercise.
The past week has been completely overhwelming.
The dietician and WLS coordinator both told me it was okay to vary off my eating plan because my BMI was going to drop below what insurance would pay for. I tried just adding in extra fruits and veggies...then thought, well, it won't hurt to have Del Taco since I can't be losing weight now anyways...then okay maybe I'll have pizza for dinner...and now I'm frustrated all over again. I have my appointment set to see the surgeon (finally!) for April 25th, so the week before they said it would be safe for me to re-focus and get back to the strict plan. Mentally, I want to be healthy, but know that after meeting with the surgeon, I will be scheduling surgery ASAP and will hopefully go into the Pre-Surgery Diet phase...so I've got about six days to eat the greasy, fatty, bad-for-you food that my brain is telling me I really, really want!
I'm feeling so super stressed right now. On top of dealing with my weight struggles and feeling the pressure of wanting to be committed to the program, but needing to be approved through insurance AND not losing my focus, I also learned that there's a deadline for me to have surgery because my work is going into a "no vacation" phase because we're getting a new charting system. AND I'm dealing with a very stressful family situation.
I just need a break. I want to get this surgery rolling so I can stay focused, get my head back in the game, and start losing those pounds!
Well I've hit a plateau in a big way. It's oh-so-frustrating. I know that plateaus are normal. I know that everyone hits them every now and then. Does that make me feel better? Meh.
I've gone two weeks with absolutely no change. I know, you're probably thinking 14 days insn't bad compared to some who plateau for months, but this is very new to me. Last time I went on a weight loss journey (pre-band), I did fantastic until I hit a plateau 20 lbs away from my goal. I rode it out for a few weeks then slowly sunk into my old habits and gained ALL of the weight back. What's scaring me is that last time I stopped losing at 190 lbs. Very close to where I am now, and I can't help but wonder if my body just isn't meant to walk this Earth at 160 lbs. Maybe this is all of the good I can do?
I know that's the pessimistic side of me thinking, but I'm trying SO hard to break this. I tried increasing my calorie intake. Nada. Tried decreasing my normal by 200. Nothing. Tried upping my exercise and changing up my routine. Zilch. Even stopped exercising for two days. Nope.
At least I'm not gaining..but really, I'm putting in the hard work. What gives?!
I want so bad to be at a flat 193 when I see the doctor in 8 days. I've done so well at hitting my goals up until now.
A coworker asked me two weeks ago how much I'd lost (he didn't know I had Lap Band) and I told him I had finally just hit the 50 lb mark. On Friday, he made another comment about my amazing weight loss and how good it looks. I felt like screaming - I HAVEN'T LOST ANY MORE THAN TWO WEEKS AGO!! But I refrained, and gave him that smile and you're-making-me-feel-awkward face.
Okay, disclaimer: I'm usually NOT this negative (okay well I sometimes am but I don't say it out loud). I really am a glass-half-full person and am finally getting used to my "new" body. I just felt like I was on such a roll, and now I've stopped and am spinning in circles.
My NSV that keeps me going is that I caught myself all curled up in my office chair last week. Like, feet up on the seat, curled up in a ball (I really was working! Just computer stuff gets boring sometimes). I noticed it and I actually felt comfortable, not like I was pinched in half and couldn't breathe. So yeah...that's kept me going through the week.
Gym. That's right, I think I'm going to join a gym.
I've always said there's two things I personally don't believe in, Orgainzed Exercise and Organized Religion (don't take that the wrong way - I'm not against any religion by no means, I just have never been one to share my spirituality with others).
I've been doing well, every day I'm losing, even if it's just a few ounces (they add up!!), but I find that my workout routine that I had envision pre-op just isn't happening. By the time I get home from work, I convince myself that I was active enough and relax. There's a community center right down the street from my work, I think I'll get a 3 month pass and just keep gym clothes in my car. Time to kick it into gear.
I've been in a funk, and part of that funk involved laying low and not coming on here. That funk also involved a little bit of a tale-spin with my eating, trying the theory of eating whatever I want (within reason) just limiting portions, as other successful banders have done. Turns out, that plan doesn't work for me. But, I still didn't lose or gain.
I have officially hit a plateau, my weight hasn't changed in almost 2 months and it's causing me truck loads of anxiety. I became a Super Star at managing anxiety until a few weeks ago, and it all came back with a vengance. So I started seeing a counselor again, this morning, and feel like I'm working towards getting on track (I'm not a crazy person, I just get so nxious that I feel like I can't sit still and never let myself relax or sleep because there are things I HAVE to do).
We talked a little about my surgery and she asked me how I was handling the weight loss. I told her that I still had a ways to go, I still want to lose another 30 pounds and she really questioned me. She said that I don't strike her as overweight at all, and why would I want to lose more if I was fit. I quickly corrected her, I am far from fit, and I feel like my weight loss journey is just starting. We talked a little about the emotional attachment to weight loss, and how even though I've lost over 50 lbs I still don't see any difference in the mirror. She assured me that although it's very common, it is something I have to work at accepting. I certainly don't feel any smaller, the only thing I've noticed changing are the numbers on the scale and my clothing tags. I still look in the mirror and see a fat somach, flabby thighs, and huge arms. So apparently, this girl has some self-image work to do.
I think I'm coming down with Strep Throat for the second time in three months. Last time I was SO sick, but the tests showed Strep Throat and the Influenza. I was out of commission for six days, flat on the couch, couldn't swallow or talk (blessing for my husband, misery for me). I can't afford another missed week of work so I'm hoping this passes. I'm going to fill up on Nyquil, tea with honey, and a steam bath when I get home and see if I can't kick it's butt before it kicks mine. The only positive last time was I lost 8 lbs in five days.
Besides starting to feel like death is becoming me, I'm rocking it with this band. I don't feel any restriction yet so I'm relying solely on my diet choices but I met and passed my goal I set for my July 16th fill. That felt good. I'm so close to being under 200 lbs. My BMI is almost to the "overweight" category instead of "obese". I think I'm most excited for that!
I still find weekends to be a huge challenge. Our weekends are usually filled with family and friends, and I'm usually the one to cook a big meal for everyone and used to indulge in my cooking. I made a little "taco bar" on Saturday night and cut a tortilla in half to make me a taco with only the healthy ingredients. My husband gave me the funniest look - I even asked him why - and he didn't answer (we had friends around). The next day he said he was just surprised to see me take such a normal portion when I've been measuring and eating so small the past few months. I don't think he paid attention to the fact that I had half a tortilla, and threw away the last few bites. He said he wasn't judging, and it wasn't a bad thing, he was just surprised. I took it as a compliment that he was used to be chosing healthy options.
We'll see how I feel tomorrow...I'm thinking I may have to take the night off from exercise. With my throat swollen, breathing may be uncomfortable. This will be the first night I haven't worked out in about six weeks.
I saw my surgeon, Dr. Jan, on Monday and after about an hour appointment, I'm scheduled for surgery next Friday, May 18th. I was utterly shocked at how fast he was able to schedule me. Even though he said I didn't have to do a pre-op diet if I didn't want to, I decided to start yesterday with two protein shakes during the day, unlimited zero-calorie clear liquids, and a healthy dinner (salads mostly). Just being in a strict routine feels good. I'm not sure why exactly, but I've always done so much better in a controlled environment; when he said it was up to me, I felt that if I didn't chose to do a pre-op diet, I would have a MUCH harder time with the two weeks of clear liquids post-op. So far it's been successful, I've lost over 6 pounds.
My focus now has shifted to long term success and keeping up on my end of the deal. Dr. Jan isn't so much of a fan of the band because there is quite the failure rate. He prefers the gastric sleeve most of all. I wasn't ready for such an invasive surgery, and I insisted that I hold myself to a very high level of responsibility, and I will not fail at this. I don't want to say that Lap Band is my last hope, but I really have tried SO many other things that I don't know what else I could do if this doesn't work. I'm not going to think of that though - I'm staying positive and just thinking of what a very successful band patient said:
ONLY GIVE YOUR BODY WHAT IT NEEDS.
I'm not going to eat things because I "feel" like it anymore. I'm not going to snack because I'm bored. I'm sorting out my head hunger from my stomach hunger. I'm looking at everything I put in my mouth and the impact it will have on the scale.
After almost 9 weeks of a plateau, I'm finally losing again.
I got to a place where I just didn't feel good. I went back in to see my nutritionist last week (turns out I wasn't eating enough) and we set a new game plan but I just felt ill eating that much during the day. I was literally eating every 3 hours, when my body was used to going 6+ hours between meals. My stomach always felt full, my bathroom habits were way off, and I just felt sluggish.
Sunday, I watched the documentary called "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" and it was AMAZING. If you haven't seen it, please watch it. It's about a man who really was fat (over 300 lbs), sick (had an autoimmune disease that he took meds daily for) and nearly dead because of those two reasons. He decided to go on a 60 day juice fast (which 60 days is LONG - he was medically supervised and it was durastic, but he felt he needed it). The changes his body went through over those two months was jaw-dropping. He not only lost almost 100 lbs, he lowered his bp, cholesterol, and reset his body enough that he was able to go off his meds completely.
Me, being the skeptic that I was, hit the internet and read all about the pros and cons, do's and don'ts, then thought that where I was at - - feeling ill, weight stuck, nutrition lagging - - I may as well give it a try.
I started Monday of this week. I drank juice all day then ate a very light dinner. Also decided it was time to quit coffee again.
Sidenote: by juice, I don't mean the store bought that is mostly sugar and juice extract. I bought the fresh produce and a juicer and made the juice by hand using only pure, orgainc vegetables and fruits. I'm also adding in a protein shake to ensure I reach my daily need.
Tuesday I woke up with a migraine (thanks to the no coffee), and have to eat with my medication, so had a Greek Yogurt for breakfast and then drank juice the rest of the day. Yesterday, Wednesday, was all juice.
In three days, I dropped 7 lbs. Mostly water weight (that I could feel, and really needed to be shed) I'm sure, but the way I FEEL is amazing. I'm sleeping soundly. I have energy all day long. My cravings I was having for coffee, sweets, and salt have completely gone away. I feel like I'm really giving my body what it needs. When my stomach growls now, I know that it's real hunger instead of me just feeling like I want to eat.
I know this sounds durastic but I felt it was what I needed. My plan is to continue the juice plan for a few more days, as long as the scale keeps moving down, then slowly reintroduce foods to my system, working up to the original plan of protein, fruits, and veggies.
I feel like I'm giving my system the reboot I desperately needed. It's similar to doing the pre-op liquid diet, the accompanying feelings are there the first day or so (hunger, anger, headache, etc). Now that I'm on day 4, I can't believe how great I feel.
This program may not be for everyone, and it is, in a way, sidestepping my understanding of well-rounded nutrition, but it was the healthiest way I found to cleanse my system and get a "do-over".
Has anyone else tried a juice fast?
I don't know that I've ever felt so prepared for anything in my life. Mentally, emotionally, even physically. My surgery is in 4 short days. I started the Pre-Op diet 6 days ago and have lost over 11 lbs so far. Seeing the way my body is responding is making me feel very positive! I know I will hit plateaus, but for now, I'm going to keep plugging along.
The past week I've started easing up on myself. I'm VERY Type A. My house is ALWAYS spotless, as is my car, husbands truck, my work desk, you get the idea. I decided that I needed to just stop. I needed to let myself sit still and relax and NOT eat while I tried. Before, if I was forced to sit still and say, watch a TV show with my husband, I would grab something to snack on so I could keep my hands busy. I've forced myself to change. I picked up my Kindle, downloaded some amazing books, and have spent hours upon hours reading. It's made the Pre-Op Diet go by so much better! I set aside a few hours Sunday morning to whip through the house and do a deep clean (thankfully, my husband is so good at keeping the house going during the week) and wash my car, but that was about it. Otherwise, I was playing with the dogs or just simply relaxing, something I haven't honestly done in a very long time.
Let me tell you, it was AMAZING. Mentally, I feel so much better! I know it sounds super corny, but I finally have this sense of inner calmness. I know that the house won't fall apart if I don't vacuum every day. I know that the world won't stop if I take time for myself. After trying it, and seeing it succeed, I feel SO much more prepared for surgery.
Today is my appointment for the first part of the psych eval. I'm actually excited! Partially because I think the psychiatrists imput would be interesting, but also because after this appointment and the follow-up next week are done, I can schedule with the surgeon. After that, it should be smooth sailing!
Started the pre-bariatric surgery eating plan and so far I'm down 5.8 lbs!
After meeting with the dietician and endocrinologist and being medically cleared for the lap band, I was told to start the Bariatric Surgery diet. Not the big, scary, 2-4 weeks of skim milk that is the Pre-Op Diet, but this is basically a low calorie, high protien, very balanced plan. I'm following it to a T and only mildly cheated once last week. I've lost 8 lbs and am feeling great so far. This morning, just for fun, I re-calculated my BMI and it's 35.2. I went into a little bit of a panic spin since my insurance requires a BMI of 35. I remember reading on here that some programs submit the inital weight, and my BMI was 38.6 so I would be good. Just to reassure myself, I emailed the program director.
The surgeon, whom I will be setting up an appointment with on Monday, is the one who makes the final decision and THAT is the information that is submitted to insurance for approval. The dietician emailed me back and said to NOT go below my current weight, and I may need to put on just a pound or two to ensure my BMI is stable before it's submitted.
So here I was, completely focus, in the ZONE, and now I have to gain a few pounds?! I don't like the sound of that at ALL!! I was feeling so great, really on a roll.
I talked it over with my husband, and he said for me to give in tonight to my one craving, something I've talked about since I've been on this strict eating plan, so I had a Five Guys burger and fries. I feel SO SICK afterwards now!! I think it's a combination of mentally knowing I shouldn't have done it, and physically I haven't had a meal that heavy in a few weeks. I think now I will just add in some fruit or veggies to my mid-day snacks....
Anxiety is something that I've had my whole life but not recognized until just a few months ago. That constant feeling of always having to be moving, and feeling like I'm going to explode if I have to sit still, is apparently anxiety. That need to always be busy has essentially controlled my life - not only did it contribute to my obesity (if I had to sit still, I would eat to keep my hands/mouth busy), but I gave up many fun things to do things I "had" to do, like clean the house.
I got my anxiety in check with the help of a few therapy session before surgery. The past few months have been great...until this past week.
My weight has been at a stand-still for about a month. I weigh myself every day, and when the scale doesn't move I get frustrated, which leads to nervous energy, then anxiety. Next thing I know, I don't want to go to bed until my last bit of laundry is folded and the house is shining clean. While it's very efficient, it's not practical.
I was talking with my husband this morning about how I think my anxiety is back, full-blown, and he told me that he didn't think that weighing myself was beneficial at all. He made me promise to eat 3 meals a day and not weigh myself for one week. He said he was going to hide the scales until next Thursday. He encouraged me to restart some of the techniques the therapist suggested and see if I feel better in a week. So, I guess I will give it a try. I've never gone a day without weighing myself since my weight loss journey started. That alone stresses me out
So far I've been keeping up with my vow to exercise daily, with the exception of four days last week that I had tonsillitis and a high fever. I gave myself a pass for those days Every day since being cleared for exercise post-op, I've done something active. I find now that my body craves it. I don't feel right if I don't get in a couple mile jog or some quality time with the treadmill. I actually like that feeling!
I'm set for my second fill today - in an hour actually - and I don't really know how to describe where I'm at with my eating. I'm sticking to the portions, and the meal plan of protein, veggies, and fruit (sliding a little dairy in there every now and then) but my hunger is so weird now. Some days I struggle to eat three meals a day. Other days, I'm SO hungry a couple hours after lunch that the whole clinic can hear my stomach growling! It's hard for me to guage if I need a fill because I am not thinking about food and hunger like I used to - I just simply ignore hunger feelings between meals.
I find it a huge struggle to eat away from home. We went to the Strikeforce (MMA) fights Saturday and there was literally nothing healthy available to eat. I had a couple handfuls of my husbands popcorn but was starving by the time I got home (the event went from 3:30 until 9:30 PM). With it being a controlled venue, I couldn't have brought any food in with me.
I'm working through another plateau now. After being sick all last week and barely getting in liquids, I didn't lose an ounce. I've been stuck for about a week. I've heard that eating more calories one day may help bust the plateau but I'm honestly scared of gaining weight now!
I better wrap this up and get my hiney to the doctors office. Hope everyone is having a fantastic Monday.
I've been waiting and waiting for what feels like FOREVER (okay, it was 3 weeks, but still!) for my appointment with the surgeon. It's the last appointment before scheduling surgery, and I was so far ahead of the planned schedule.
Well, my appointment was last Wednesday and I was SICK. So sick!! I got sick Monday night; high fever, vomiting, coughing, sore throat, all my glands were swollen...I was so so sick. My abdominal lymph nodes were so swollen they were pressing on bundles of spinal nerves in my back...I couldn't even lay down! Wednesday rolled around, I thought all morning I would force myself to go, but when the doctors office opened at 9 I called and cancelled. I knew there was no way I could drive, I was still running a fever and couldn't talk at all. I was, and still am, so frustrated! His next available appointment isn't until May 7th, so I have to wait 8 more days. I finally am better, I had the actual Influenza (and yes I got my flu shot last season!) and it was absolutely one of the most miserable things I've ever been through. When I cancelled, I remember telling myself that "you are too sick, don't look back at this and be mad" but I am. But okay...another 8 days....
During my psychological evaluation the psychologist and I were talking about exercise. She was very helpful and said the best way to start is just do something. Something. Don't set out thinking you're going to do an hour on the elliptical the first day. You'll get too tired and be too sore the next day and get discouraged. Do 3 minutes. The next day, do 5 minutes. Or do 3 again. Just get your body and mind used to doing something, everyday. Mark it off on a calendar and train your brain to dislike seeing an unchecked box.
I always thought of myself as busy. We have a 3 story house and I'm up and down all day after work (where I'm up and down all day!). I've exercised tons before (the Insanity workout, jogging, etc) but I do so much for a few weeks then I'm done. My body is tired and I'm done.
So I thought....you know, I can do something every day. And now I've started
I think my stomach is trying to enter "Bandster Hell". My brain isn't going to accept that. My stomach is GROWLING. It's screaming "FEED ME" but my brain is set on following the diet plan. My stomach is just going to have to tough it out. I'm getting really good at this mind control thing. The stomach no longer calls the shots. I know what's best for my body and what it needs, so I'll just keep to my plan.
I feel very lucky to be losing like this post op. I hit 30 lbs lost yesterday, my 30 day "anniversary" of the surgical consult. I had surgery on May 18th, so three weeks out from surgery and I'm over a third of the way to my goal. Each day I've been losing between 6 oz and a pound. It hasn't been easy, my brain and stomach are constantly at battle, and I still don't love running on the elliptical a few miles a day or drinking SO much water, but it's working so I'm going to stick to it.
My goal is to be at 210 by the time I go in for my fill on the 19th. Eleven days, 3 lbs. I would love to be at 205 but I'm trying to keep my goals realistic in case the weight loss slows down.
I do really love being happily surprised by my scale every morning. I always think "okay, I probably gained three pounds yesterday and I'm okay with that" then the number pops up and it's lower than the day before.
So for now, life is pretty good for this girl.
So I think I may be very close to the ellusive Green Zone, if not in it. I'm kind of struggeling honestly. I don't get my "full signal" at all until it's too late. Now, partly that's my fault because I've been back to my old ways of letting myself get way too hungry then eating too fast. I thought maybe I was ignoring the signs of fullness. I've had two "stuck" episodes in the past few days, all from eating too fast and not chewing well enough. I haven't had to PB or anything, they pass after about two minutes of sheer hell. I reprimanded myself last night after dinner, and have vowed to slow down, eat only my measured out portions, really tune into my body, and for the love of everything holy, start exercising again!!
Where did I get derailed? I was working out every single day. Then I decided I needed a rest day because my hip hurt. That turned into two, then three, then two whole weeks!! My treadmill practically rusted!! So, Thursday, my husband and I went and climbed Beacon Rock (850 ft incline, a trail that is all switchbacks but not too horrible). I was shocked that out of my husband, his brother, and me, they were stopping more than me! Last night I had planned on jogging a 3 mile loop, but after the blister on my big toe (since wearing appropriate hiking shoes the day before would have been too easy) opened, so I settled for the elliptical and some calnisthetics.
I'm still bouncing between the same three pounds, 189-192. It's frustrating, especially since I only have a week until the end of the month when I wanted to be 185. I doubt I can do it, but, I'm still going to try. Now that I'm in the zone, hopefully my scale will get as excited as I am and start dropping numbers.
I'm about three and a half months post-op, and my weight hasn't budged for about three weeks or so. I know plateaus are totally normal, but I feel like over the past week or so I haven't been a good bandster. I know I'm stuck on this plateau, so I've let my eating habits slip and exercise essentially stop. I know, I know, I'm awful!!
The thoughts of - - maybe I'm only supposed to lose this much weight; maybe I'm supposed to be a 190 lb girl - came pouring back in. On prior weight loss adventures, my lowest weight was 189. That's where I'm stuck now.
So this morning I had a nice little thinking session, and decided that I will NOT accept being 189 lbs. I KNOW I can reach my goal. I KNOW I can be a better bandster. So I'm kicking my butt back into gear.
I started today going back to basics - two protein shakes during the day then a healthy dinner. I'm going to get back into walking daily, no excuses.
I didn't really "fall off" the wagon, but I was hanging on tightly to the side, fingers slipping. So I'm climbing back on, sitting in the drivers seat, and taking control of this.
I'm one week out from surgery and honestly, I feel great. I thought I would have a tougher time not eating - I can't eat mushies until June 1st - but I'm really not feeling that hungry. Every now and then I get that stomach growl but I've been following the diet exactly, so I know that I'm getting adequate nutrition.
I've been a little discouraged the past few days, before surgery I lost 21 lbs and since surgery I've gained back 3. I don't quite understand why - I'm living off liquids for goodness sakes! - but I know my body is just adjusting to everything and the losing will start once I'm healed.
I weigh myself every morning, always have, but I think I need to give myself a break. I look at the scale, see that I've gained a pound or didn't lose any after my great eating the days before, and get a little angry. I follow up with the surgeon on the 30th, I think I'll just put the scale away until then. I know I'm doing everything right, so it will change...just have to be patient I guess!
Today is surgery day! I'm excited but also a little nervous. I've had surgery before - a lot - so I know I'll do fine, I have a very high pain tolerance, so I'm not worried about that...just nerves.
I started out this journey on March 1st with the decision to have the surgery. At that time, I weighed 243 pounds. My heaviest, although I teetered around there for about 6 months. I had to keep my weight stable to keep my BMI high enough for insurance to qualify me. After seeing the surgeon May 7th I weighed 239.8. We scheduled surgery and he cleared me to start the pre-op diet (only if I wanted to - he said it wasn't necessary because of my boarderline BMI). I chose to, and today I weighed in at 223.3 lbs. Two months into my journey, 20 lbs down. I feel like I'm off to a good start!
So here goes nothing...I can't say it's the first day to the rest of my life because I feel like this whole process has changed me so much already. I've learned so much about myself in the past 9 weeks, it's amazing. I feel like a whole new person already.
Hey all,
My name is Jennifer, I'm 28 years old, and I am ready to change my life.
I'm just starting the Lap Band process. JUST starting. As in, I've made up my mind and am attending the informational seminar tomorrow. I've been overweight my whole life ("She takes after her fathers side" is what they would always say - they're all over 300 lbs). After successfully losing 55 lbs at the beginning of last year, then gaining it all back after changing jobs and buying a house (hello Stress Eater!) towards the end of the year, I've made up my mind that Lap Band is what I need.
I'm happily married, have been for over 8 years, with a very supportive, loving husband. He's never mentioned my weight more than telling me how beautiful or nice I look. It wasn't until a converstation with my doctor two years ago when I was complaining about PMS bloating, and that my weight would fluctuate between 230-240 lbs that he suggested I try to lose 40 lbs, because wouldn't it be better to go between 190-200? I was honestly shocked. I need to lose weight?!
I never really saw myself as overweight. I don't eat badly. I don't eat all day long. I just RARELY feel full.
So speed up to current day, having tried many different diets over the past two years and epically failing, I'm ready for the Lap Band. I've done my research. I'm mentally ready. I've figured out my insurance coverage - even though the Nurse Coordinator assured me that she will do all of that. I'm lucky enough that my insurer covers it as your every day outpatient surgery, covers all pre and post-op care, you name it, they cover it once I hit my deductible which thanks to a few trips to the doctor, some PT for my husband, and lab tests, I'm almost there. My BMI is only 38 (below my insurance requirements unless a co-moribitiy) but luckily (yay for me!) I've had uncontrolled high blood pressure since I was 15 years old, and take medication daily for acid reflux. I've also had a borderline sleep study. I'm no stranger to surgery, as a matter of fact my ONLY spare parts are my tonsils (okay, I could spare one kidney and part of my liver but I'd realllly like to keep those if I could).
My goal is to get the band placed within the next few months. My goal weight is 155 lbs. That's only 80 lbs and I KNOW I can do it.
