~*~Rachel~*~

So I am super nervous. This time tomorrow I will be in surgery. I have started clear liquids today and have a million things to do. Tomorrow my life will change and I will start on a new path so I really had to share this. For I will take the path less traveled. I will take the untraditional road to lead me to the same destination. I do not know what corners I will have to travel around or what the view might be but I will walk just the same and enjoy the view... The Road Not Taken Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.[1]

I also experienced this with me working 13 hour shifts as a nurse being on my feet all night. Now my plan says I do not need a b-12 supplement but everything I have read says I do and that it will help with energy and metabolism. So I have found a sub lingual supplement to try and see if it works.

May want to look at your exercise. If you are actually exercising pretty well you may be gaining muscle mass which weights more then fat. Monitor your inches and how your clothes fit. Don't stress too much about your Lbs lost this is a healing time for you and adjusting time. Most people don't loose much from what I have read until the first few fills anyway. Good luck stay positive!

Our day is almost here!!!!! I am also getting nervous as well! I asked my mom today if I was being stupid but she was very reassuring. I have come this far and tuesday we will be band! I think it is a great idea that you take the days for you. You will feel pressure or guilt to want to get up and tend to your children when you need to rest. I know you will miss them but It will be fine plus staying close to your doctor just in case is always a plus. Your sweet angel sounds like she will be a big help. You could always take this opportunities to teach her about measuring and recipes. It could actually be fun for her to make protein pudding pops and she could make her some regular pudding pops. Thats what I am going to do. I got some instant jello sugar free pudding skim milk and unflavored protein powder and some Popsicles makers from walmart about 2 bucks and I am going to make me some pudding pops. I bet she would love that

I have the weight watchers scale and have noticed that as well but being over 300lbs I am limited on scales. I think I am just going to have to use it as a "just to see" and use my docs office scale as my official weight in.

I am just wondering if anyone else out there has had stomach issues with the protein shakes. I have had nausea and diarrhea this whole time and today it is worse. I tried a different type of protein from GNC it is still whey. I thought whey was suppose to be the best out there to digest and I am not lactose intolerant never have been so I know it is not that. Now I am not ruling out the fact that I may have a little stomach virus over the past two days when it has been its worse but, I've had problems this whole time. It's actually helped I am not hungry and I've made extra sure not to get dehydrated but its really starting to get annoying. Anyone else go through this? Surgery is tuesday and I really don't want this to interfere

I approach this question like this. I am doing this on my own this is all me I may be having lap band but its not doing the work for me its only making the work more tolerable. I have surgery Jan 25th and to this date on my pre op diet alone I have lost twenty pounds. I have NEVER lost any amount of weight to make me even say hey I can do this until now. Now I know that I can not keep this up forever I know old habits are hard to break and I feel I need that extra reminder why I am doing this. Thankfully my insurance covers this procedure so I can understand why you are questioning it with the massive amount of money you are about to spend. My question for you is why after you would diet and loose weight would you gain it back? If its just habit then maybe the band will help you remember if not the financial part of it will. I can honestly say if this was not covered by my insurance there is absolutely no way I would be having it done. But I would be subjected to back and knee and neck surgery within the next two years and I am only 27. Now I pray that with the band it helps me remember or rather forget my old habits and form new ones but you also have to consider is the band going to be enough to break your habits? I've been told the band only works as much as you work it so therefore I pray I develop habits that work my band. Ultimately it is what you feel comfortable with. If you feel this is your time that you feel you can do it this time then Good for you!!! But have you ever felt that in the past? Have you ever thought this is your time and it wasn't? Just try not to waste anymore time this is your years where the decisions you make and the life you live will effect the rest of your life. I promise you I would be living a different life If I had done this earlier. Good luck in whatever you decide!

It sucked being at work every time I turned around this week they were offering me something but I resisted!!!! It felt horrible but It seemed like I have lost at least a pound a day so that is motivating! Now I am off until after I can return to full duty. surgery is on tuesday! Stay strong! We can do it!

I don't know if anyone else has experenced this but I have been over weight my entire life. I was wearing my moms dresses when I was in 6th grade.I have only one picture of me as a child with a normal child weight and I was 4 or 5 years old. I don't know what I look like thin and this bothers me. I hear people saying they feel like a "whole new person." I literally feel anxious over the possibility. Who is this person? What will she like doing or dislike doing? Options I have never had before may open up doors for me. Just everyday options and decisions that will be open to be options and decisions. I have always been comfortable being over weight and liked myself. I hope I like this new person I am about to come in 5 more days I will start on a journey to go meet her.

Glad everything went well YAY!!!!

What about at home? What was helpful in the first few days? I think everyone agrees on gas x but was there anything else that helped make the healing process better? Or a favorite liquid item?

Well I don't know really. He said that prepare to be inpatient but he did not mind if I went home. So I guess just in case something happens and they have to make me stay over night.

Oh poo no fair!!! ~ look no one is perfect if we could resist cravings we would not be doing this... pat yourself on the back for realizing your mistake and moving forward... This too shall pass!

Lol I promise he was not meaning to do it. I gave him hell last night teasing him about it all night so he is pretty embarrassed. Btw He is my co worker I can't stay away from him.

Thanks guys. He is only a man... you have to forgive him I guess lol... I told my husband and he was just like wow he really stuck his foot in his mouth didn't he.... It is funny of course now but it kinda stung at first.... but boy do I plan to get the last laugh!!!

Well I love ranch ranch and more ranch and they have ranch but believe it or not I like the Italian it has more flavor. I have not tried the balsamic vinegar yet but plan to this coming up weekend. There is one more flavor but my grocery store does not carry it i think it is a oil and vinegar or something.

Okay so I have two more nights of work then Friday I will go shopping for what I will need at the hospital and immediately post op.... So help me pack my bag. What do I get? What could you not live without? What were you wishing you would have thought to bring to the hospital or have waiting and ready at home.

No I have not thought of that let me know how it turns out. I have found several different items that I can use since I am a condiment aholic. Like my pre op diet I am allowed green salad anything you can think of broccoli banana pepper cucumber green onion. and I love love love dressing and lots of it so there is no way I could just sit there and eat lettuce undressed. The wishbone salad spritzers are only 1 calorie a spray no carbs or sugars and actually satisfies my need for dressing.

I just saw an article saying that some Antidepressants and birth control can affect weight loss. But if your exercising that much maybe check your inches not your weight. You may be loosing inches and gaining muscle weight. I think everyone goes through the emotional roller coasters Lord knows I have. I am either really motivated or crying myself to sleep. I too take an antidepressant and unfortunately I have been out of it this week not a good time to not get it filled... all I can say is hang in there check with your doctor this may be the change in your medication. If nothing else we are on the ride with you. Lets just try not to get stuck upside down

So I am sure everyone struggles to find a protein shake they can tolerate and I am trying to find mine. So tonight I wanted to try something different... I got creative okay okay I did not invent electricity but I was proud that I knew I was not going to be gagging to get it down. I put unflavored unjury in my GE personal drink mixer <Sort of like a magic bullet but only 14 bucks not 60 and has been a LIFESAVER!!> anyway I put in 2 ounces of water and filled the cup up with ice and added Crystal Light Fruit punch to go pack and blended. It was delicious! Thinking of trying some other crystal lights and unflavored unjury this way... Anyone else got a good one?

So this morning at work we were about to reach the golden hour and go home a male co worker and I were going to break for a minute before we finished up paper work. So he checked his patient to make sure he was okay he was up out of bed bathing and he wanted to put him back to bed before we left. The patient was already in bed and this male co worker asked how he got there to which the patient replied "The pretty blonde helped me" So he is telling me this story on our way down the elevator and I felt it.... I knew I was about to get my feelings hurt... He slipped and said "So of course I knew he was talking about Laura." Wow I am blonde too but my name is Rachel!!!!!! This is the first time since high school I felt this way. Now I could not compare or even think I would ever compare to this "Pretty blonde." Now okay lets let the guy off the hook here for a minute he is only a male... so I laugh and say "Gee thanks" and I felt it again the look on his face was that of someone who was about to dig there hole even deeper... he replied "Now your pretty Rachel but I mean shes gorgeous..." Wow really? SERIOUSLY????????????

Forgive yourself and tell us in detail what it tasted like!!!!! Lol My preop diet includes a protein meal a baked chicken only dry spices or lean meats like sirloin So I am sure its not going to mess you up. The idea of the diet is to make you get use to liquids so that once you have surgery you wont be tempted to grab a hamburger and try to eat it and hurt yourself. It is also to reduce your liver size... you do that by following a low carb low calorie low sugar High Protein diet.... One piece of chicken is not going to hurt you my diet includes that everyday thankfully unless it was fried then I want details lol... The point is not to slip ever day... then your body will not go into the fasting stage and burn your reserves <The fat on the liver there by shrinking it> thats where the low carbs come in.... you burn carbs for energy if you have low carb diet it comes from the reserves... Hope that makes sense... Best practice follow your MD's diet forgive yourself for falling off the wagon today and jump on the nearest stage heading west tomorrow ~

Almost here Jan 25th for me!

Okay so I know you guys think I am the most bipolar person out there or something but I am starting to get in the swing of things. Thinking positive and I am not starving anymore. I have adapted to the initial shock and not ready to kill everyone in site that is eating anything good. Can you believe that there are chips and dip piled in the break room and I have not even been tempted!!! Big step for me I think. I am trying my best to not become a scale whore but I did weight today down 6.3 LBS I gotta fix my ticker but that was placed before I started having my last meal syndrome and gained it all back but I refuse to fix my ticker until I go below the amount it says! Its my ticker and I will do with it what I want! hehe. So it is getting better. It is getting easier TODAY at least find me tomorrow and I may be sitting in my car at sonic crying as I woof down a Super sonic cheese burger because these groupon adds on the side of the forum display three large cheese burgers!!!!! I am going to punch the computer if it shows up again. Anyway. Doing better Thanks for the words of encouragement yesterday! Hope all out there reading this are doing well too.