Dibley Dawn

Thanks guys...and Amanda, hang in there. I know for me, the scale didn't start moving until probalby 3-4 weeks after surgery. you are still healing and once your body is out of the shock of what has just happened to it, that scale will move. just keep doing what you are doing and you will be great!

Kara Renee, I hear what you are saying and I actually agree. I didn't get the band so I would never eat another unhealthy thing ever again, and the band really doesn't work that way anyway. I still have the head monster telling me to eat that donut! I am not a diet kind of person. If i want something, or if I am craving something, I will most likely eat it (unless there is a lot of work involved in that, like say having a NY bagel. those things are monsters and I could never chew it well enough to bother..but other than that, i will and can eat it) I don't only have healthy things. Last night I had a mcdonald's cheeseburger and an order of fries. this is different from how it used to be because i would have had 2 or 3 of those burgers, maybe a chicken sandwich and a large fry, but now a regular fills me up. i don't have to eat more than one. for me, it's not about giving up things i love or crave, it's about eating less of what i love and crave WITH healthy choices mixed in. will i eat mcdonald's every day? nope. i eat plenty of salads and fish and Protein. but will i kick myself if i break down and eat a whopper? absolutely not. eating regular 'non-diet' types of foods keeps me sane. that also includes eating my almonds and other nuts.

Hey May Bandsters...it's coming up on six months for us. today is my 6 month Bandiversary and I'm down 77 pounds with no fills. report in and tell us how you are doing. and.. happy 6 month Bandiversary everyone!

Great list. I think i had one of the pills on that list after my surgery and I had to crush it because I had no choice...but i only took it for around 4 days, so I don't think any damage was done. I'm thinking long term usage would be a no-no. thanks for posting the list.

Thanks guys. I'm so glad there is less of me around to celebrate

I just wanted to share with someone, anyone really, that today is my 6 month Bandiversary. Go Me! I was banded on May 4th, 2011. I have lost around 77 pounds and I feel amazing. I haven't had any fills yet and I will go in for my 6 month check up on 11/10/11, but I will most likely decline my fill at that point as well. The band is working for me exactly as I wanted it to because I am a bulk eater and not a grazer, so with the band, I can't eat non-stop like I used to, even with no fill. I still have a long journey ahead of me, but I'm not really in a rush. The day I reached Twoderville was one of the best days I could remember because I have been over 300 pounds for more than a decade. Any weight lost from here on out is icing on the cake. Anyway, since I haven't told anyone else, this is the one place I can share about these things, so I'm so glad this board is here. I have learned so much and gained so much support and advice from you guys. thanks for providing a place for people like me to come and share our experiences and stories. You guys rock.

Hi Jenn, I know I said hi to you in another thread, but here is just as good as anywhere. I didn't know if you knew about the support group for NYU people. It meets the 3rd wednesday of every month. you can find details on their website, or message me if you don't know about it and I will get you the info. I have found it to be very helpful as I haven't told anyone about my surgery, so at least i have some people i can talk to about it. just throwing that out there for you or any other NYU patient who is interested in attending. and to everyone else...HI NYC people. there are a lot of us. we should meet up one of these days and do something not revolving around food....maybe walk around central park or bike or something. just an idea.

it really depends on how strict your doctor is. my doctor told me that if i did not follow the pre-op and he cut me open and saw that my liver hadn't shrunken, he would not do the surgery. better safe than sorry, and better to call him up and be honest and maybe push the surgery off for a couple of weeks rather than a couple of months because you have to heal from the incisions from an incomplete surgery. again, it just depends on what your doctor is looking for.

that's why, as i said in your other thread, i think you should call your doctor now and tell him. it would be terrible if he cut you open and saw that your liver wasn't small enough and decided not to band you. just give him a call and be honest. if he will still do the surgery, then you are golden...but you should do this last 3 days as strictly as you can, otherwise, you should postpone until you are mentally ready for this.

were you supposed to be on the liquid only pre-op diet? if so, i would say cancel the surgery until you are ready to do it the right way. i can see slipping once or twice on the pre-op, but it sounds like you just gave up completely and just ate whatever you wanted to eat. That's not a good sign that you are ready for this change. Call your doctor and be honest and see what they suggest.

When just the sight of a New York bagel is more frightening to think about than any horror movie ever was.

I don't know if it's a name per se, but I call it my Spike Chip....after Buffy the Vampire Slayer when Spike gets a chip put in his head. Everytime he tries to bite someone, he is zapped by the chip and he can't suck anyone's blood. Everytime I try to eat too much, I am zapped by my spike chip.

I can totally relate to number 1. above. Before the band, I was a vacuum. I would literally sit down with a plate full of food and then a couple of minutes later not even remember eating it. I didn't chew at all....and I would be hungry again by the time I put my fork down. Now, it takes me at least 30 minutes to eat a meal and i chew every single bite. I realized that with the band, not only am I forced to chew things, but I am forced to taste them as well. When I started eating real food again (after all the liquids and the mushies) i tried to eat some of my former favorite foods. i discovered that by having to really chew them and taste them, I didn't really love the taste of some things any more. My favorite hamburger joint burgers now taste like greese and gristle. yuck! I remember eating my first chicken cordon bleu post surgery and not remembering that ham taste inside of it. before, I would just take a bite, maybe chew once and swallow. the band has really opened up a new world of tasting things, that's for sure. I think I actually enjoy eating food now more than I did before the band because i can really take my time with good foods and taste every bite.

I have about 200 pounds to lose myself. I am taking it 100 at a time and one day at a time. I am almost to my first goal of 100 pounds, and if the weight loss stops there, i will be perfectly happy. i am leaps and bounds ahead of where i was just 77 pounds ago. i have lots of energy and i feel amazing. there are a few of us bigger folk around and i know we can do this just as well as the smaller ones can.

I know you are starving, but it is important not to get ahead of what your doctor says. while you may feel fine, your insides are still healing and you wouldn't want anything to damage you internally. just try to get as much Protein in your liquids as you can and find something to do that doesn't involve thinking about food...ie, try not to watch tv as commercials are way to tempting. when you get hungry, drink more Water. this will pass and you'll get through it very soon, but don't rush. healing is important.

Hi Jenn, congrats on taking this step. I also live in NYC and had my surgery done at NYU by Dr. Fielding (Dr. Ren's husband). The staff there is excellent, and you will be in very good hands. Like you, I have chosen to keep this process a secret. There are exactly 2 people who know about it, my husband and a very close friend. I haven't told anyone else (not even my family). Even after 77 pounds lost, people don't really seem to notice, so I haven't had to explain it yet. I would say, don't tell anyone until you are ready to tell them because once you tell them, they can't un-know. know what I mean? once that cat is out of the bag, it's just out and you can't put it back. I am happy with people not knowing because i didn't want the extra scrutiny, or people watching everything that goes into my mouth and asking me if i should be eating it or not. the good news is, you won't have to spit wine out at wine tastings. I still drink wine. You will have to watch the nibbling at food tastings, but you should be able to still eat things with ease as long as you chew, chew, chew. my 6 months bandiversary is coming up in 2 days and I feel pretty great. I still have a very long way to go, but i'm taking it one day at a time and just enjoying the new things that come my way. please feel free to get in touch with me if you need any encouragement.

tell me about it. We had hot cocoa & chocolate mini muffins in the office today and i haven't had such a sugary drink in ages...i have a raging headache right now and I'm crashing. Yep. don't miss this feeling one little bit.

I was banded on May 4th. I have lost about 70.5 pounds and haven't had any fills yet. I hope I don't ever have to. I've been pretty much the same weight for the past month, but I haven't gained, so i'm happy with it. I'm sure it will get moving again soon.

I already booked my cruise for next september and am counting the days. as someone said earlier, how i feel right now is reward enough, but the cruise gives me the drive to keep doing what i'm doing as i have something to really look forward to. hopefully, whilst we are on that cruise, we can start working on baby #1. fingers are crossed.

I wouldn't be surprised if one day, someone joins this forum and says "my doctor told me in order for the band to work, I would have to do hand stand push ups 3x a week, alternating from left hand to right hand 30 times, while polishing my toe nails with my teeth. and I can't eat green Beans...does your doctor make you do this? " I wish these doctors would just all attend a seminar and get on the same page.

i am really convinced that half of these doctors and nutritionists make crap up. no two doctors/nuts tell patients the same thing. you pretty much have to do the best you can on the info you are given. it's a conpsiracy I tell ya.

I can't imagine giving up nuts. I have almonds almost every single day...wowza. I also have a good amount of cheese. Usually those 35 calorie laughing cow wedges or a cheese stick. i can't live without nuts and cheese.

you should go by what your doctor tells you. I have been banded just over 5 months, but I started drinking my wine at about 3.5 months after surgery. I'm enjoying a glass as I type this. I haven't had any ill effects. the one thing I would go slowly with is beer. I had a beer about a month ago and I drank it very slowly because I just wasn't sure what it would do to me and I was fine...but again, check with your doctor as we are all different.

I was banded in May and am down about 70.5 pounds with no fills. I have my 6 month check up on Nov. 10th, so i'm going to try to lose 5 more pounds by that point to put me at 75 pounds lost...if i can. If i can't, oh well, i am still happy with my progress and even more happy that i am fill free and can eat any type of food that i want to eat (just not in huge portions) people are finally starting to notice the weight come off, but they don't know how i'm doing it because when we go out I still eat. I feel amazing and I look great. not that i'm bragging or anything

I have more than 100 pounds to lose and I opted for the band as well. so far so good. I myself would never have the sleeve or bypass....at least the band is somewhat reversable if something goes wrong. everyone has to decide for themselves what risks they are ok with. every surgery carries the risk. the sleeve and bypass may or may not work in the long term, just as the band may not work....but for now, I'm doing great and am happy with my decision.