TerriDoodle

HOOK 'EM HORNS!!!!! (I went to UT Austin 1976-78!! Earl Campbell kick-a$$ days!!) Welcome Horns10!!!

Julz, I just want to say how sorry I am that you have lost your son. There are no words to express it, as you know. I only want to say I'm sorry. It does sound like you have adapted as well as you can and I'm so glad you are in touch with his presence. That must give you such great comfort. I wish you well with your upcoming challenges... we're all in this together and we're forming some pretty special friendships here. This is good.

Well, Jenn, I do have fears, too....but not about the surgery. Mine are more about WHAT AM I GOING TO EAT?? NO LETTUCE??? NO CHICKEN??? NO SALADS???? That's a real stumper for me. The other fear I have is not losing weight....of course.

Awwww, Jenn!!!! I'm sorry you're in a tailspin! I think everyone is right here.... first you need to calm down. Keep things in perspective. You're not going in for brain sugery here....it's just a little laproscope. You'll be under for a grand total of 30-45 minutes. You will absolutely be FINE!! My surgeon has done something like 2500 (or more) of these operations and he's never lost a patient yet....not even close, he said. It might be a little riskier if you were 496#, had blood pressure thru the roof, a 20 year history of diabetes and heart disease!! But you're a healthy young woman and you'll be just fine. The human ability to survive all kinds of havoc is really amazing and this surgery is just a 'blip on the screen' in the grand scheme of things. All that being said, however, if you are THIS riled up and stressed out about it, it probably would not be a good idea to do it until you are really ready and 150% sure this is what you want to do. It's ok to put it off if you want....the surgeon isn't going anywhere. It is my belief, too, that you are very connected to your cousin (obviously) and there is just a hightened energy activity around the anniversary of her death. You must know in your heart that she is with you all the time....that all you need to do is direct your thoughts to her and she is instantly with you. Soul energy works that way. She may be frustrated that she is unable to communicate her presence to you and uses these methods to just say "Hi! I love you! Don't worry about me!" I don't believe that she would necessarily 'know the future' and try to 'warn' you about it. Your path was laid out long before you were even born and all is well. There is nothing to 'warn' you about! What will be is meant to be and she accepts that where she is. If anything, she is only letting you know that she is with you during this stressful time and you should call on her and all the angels in Heaven to be with you and protect you as you go through this process. Angels help when they are asked to help. I'll pray for you too. A little prayer goes a long way. Breathe.

Me too, Tracy -- I was a die-hard low carber and a firm believer for 2 years. I still am, but not keeping my carbs anywhere near 30-40 a day. I can do maybe 70-100. I am looking forward to having the band as a tool get back to that healthy WOE.

BetsyJane posted this and I thought it might come in REAL handy. `````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` HowtoTellWhenYouArePerfectlyAdjusted: You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of protein a day? 2. Are you eating 25 grams of fiber? 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories? a. Soup can be sign of soft calorie syndrome b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories 7 calories per gram.(It's also a stomach irritant). c. Fruit juice is just sugar water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can't just eat what's easy c. Cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals? 6. Are you eating too much junk? a. Chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don't avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of calcium daily? 8. Do you always eat the protein first? 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. Meat or fish (3 ounces the size of a deck of cards) b. Vegetables (½ cup the size of your fist) c. Starch (If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don't need much - Avoid: rice, potatoes, pasta) 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine. d. The body has no way to break down artificial fats). a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body B. You may need a behavior adjustment 1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you're not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won't be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it's a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive compulsive thoughts (Obsess about something else) b. Perfectionism (All or none, black and white thinking) c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as good and bad e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables (6) Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (7) Peppermint (8) Baking soda toothpaste (9) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (Tylenol is OK) n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider

BetsyJane posted this and I thought it might come in REAL handy. `````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` HowtoTellWhenYouArePerfectlyAdjusted: You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of protein a day? 2. Are you eating 25 grams of fiber? 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories? a. Soup can be sign of soft calorie syndrome b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories 7 calories per gram.(It's also a stomach irritant). c. Fruit juice is just sugar water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can't just eat what's easy c. Cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals? 6. Are you eating too much junk? a. Chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don't avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of calcium daily? 8. Do you always eat the protein first? 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. Meat or fish (3 ounces the size of a deck of cards) b. Vegetables (½ cup the size of your fist) c. Starch (If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don't need much - Avoid: rice, potatoes, pasta) 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine. d. The body has no way to break down artificial fats). a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body B. You may need a behavior adjustment 1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you're not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won't be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it's a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive compulsive thoughts (Obsess about something else) b. Perfectionism (All or none, black and white thinking) c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as good and bad e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables (6) Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (7) Peppermint (8) Baking soda toothpaste (9) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (Tylenol is OK) n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider

Tracy -- Who's Kimmer? Jenn - I'm sorry you don't have anyone to be at the hospital with you :eek: I wish i could come and stay with you then get you home and tucked in. That's a drag. I think you should tell your dad but with the STRICT admonishment that he not tell anyone. Tell him that this is VERY IMPORTANT to you and you expect him to honor the confidence. Surely he can understand that!!! Right?

Nurseamy -- Now, I'm not banded yet, but I do have a long history with blood sugar issues and related hunger. If I was eating what you're eating, I'd be starving too!! To me it looks like too many carbs, and not enoughprotein and fat. This may sound really odd, but not to anyone who's ever been on a low-carb diet like Atkins. Adding a little fat will really help keep you satisfied longer. LIke Betsyjane said, make your soups hearty, make scrambled eggs with some butter, use full fat cottage cheese and yogurt and add some whey Protein powder, blend Peanut Butter into your shakes, etc. You can watch your calories on www.fitday.com. There will be plenty of time for restricting your calories further later on after you get filled when the band is doing a better job.

Funny you say that, I was just over at the Feb. 07 Bandsters!! They're all doing really well but some are having trouble with being hungry (before their first fill, etc.). It is so cool how we can hop around and see how folks are doing 1, 2, 3+ months post op. Very informative. What's really crazy to me is to hear people say, "I've only lost 26 pounds since my surgery 5 weeks ago".... :eek: ....Did they say "ONLY"??? I would be dancing a jig!!!

Mazie! You're FUNNY. I'm so glad you're here!! Ok, so give it up. What issues? Yikes....are you gonna be the first one of us?? Who else is on 4/2?? Wait...we have the list somewhere.... CJulzGO - 04/02 Sara Mos - 04/02<O:p></O:p> Maziemommy – 04/02 Adumont75 - 04/02 Darla - 04/02 (mother to Panda) Panda - 04/02 (daughter to Darla) Kity - 04/03<O:p></O:p> Jennifer – 04/03 TerriDoodle - 04/04 BandedMe - 04/05<O:p></O:p> OnlyMe – 04/05 ShineOn - 04/06 Heather228 - 04/06 Chica Chula - 04/09<O:p></O:p> Day3447 – 04/09 Keluliana - 04/10 Bwaydiva - 04/11 StaceyLynn - 04/12<O:p></O:p> Maggiec 38 – 04/13 Jennifur - 04/16 Flax - 04/26 TracyinKS -04/26

Jenn -- You've given lots of good reasons for NOT telling your dad. But why DO you want to tell him? Is it important to you? Just wonderin' (read: just being nosey). :eek:

Well, come join our April 2007 group -- we're all due for surger in April and we're all freakin' out just the same!! We'd be happy to have you!

What kind of tea was that?? (note to self: stay away from Jenn's "special" tea.)

Ok, I was NOT kidding when I said I was having strange dreams. Last night I dreamed about two HUGE frogs (like the kind you fry up :hungry: ) chasing each other around....then one stops to take a pee break....right on my bananas. Do ya'll think I need psychiatric care?

Well, to me, it sounds like you've just described the experiences of 90% of the bandsters on this board....so sounds like you're perfectly normal and the kind doctor is living in fantasy land. $20 says he does not have a band himself. That's what is so great about being here, that you know going in that it's learning and re-learning, trial and error, over and over again until you finally get it. Then you may have to do it all over again as your body adjusts, you get filled and unfilled, etc. From what I can gather it's at least a year+ long learning curve. I am always kinda shocked when I see new posters that come on here and say, "I was banded a month ago and I can't seem to eat BREAD!!" Uh, hello??? Were they just not listening??? I can't help but worry about someone like that....man, are they in for a shock!!

I'm not banded yet, BetsyJane....so I'd like to hear what YOU think!? From what I understand so far, what the good doctor said seems reasonable to me....but what do i know?

WELCOME MARGI!! :welcomeB: Thanks to everyone for the support...I do appreciate it. I dunno what's going on or what's gonna happen. It's pretty dreary around here. Oh well. I spent the day with my mom and we had a great time. She's been disabled in the last 6 months or so but she wanted to get out of the house. She can't walk very far AT ALL, so I suggested we go goof around at WalMart and she can ride the electric buggy thing. IT WAS HILARIOUS since she's never ridden one before and it was Saturday at Walmart (need I say more?).... we laughed so hard and it was so good to see my 'old' mom back again. Then we went back to her place after lunch and cleaned out her closet...LOL...so many of my 'skinny' clothes were in there that I had outgrown. (My mom has always been 5'8" and 140#....obviously I did not get her genes!!) But I pitched them anyway....I've got plans for ALL NEW clothes. Man, I wonder how many thousands of dollars in clothes I've bought & thrown away in the last 6 years?? Now, I'm an executive sec'y, so when I buy clothes they have to be fairly nice ones...and lots of them!! UGH. Here's a recent weight history to give you an idea: 2000 160 (dating, going out and eating up a storm) 2001 170 (got married to DH #2 -- still eating!) 2002 182 (threw away all my skinny clothes :tired ) 2003 156 (lost weight and threw away ALL my fat clothes :rolleyes ) 2004 185 (need new fat clothes) 2005 200 (need bigger fat clothes) 2006 215 (need even bigger fat clothes) Like I said.....thousands and thousands of $$$$. Aaaaackkkk!!! So here I am again....looking at buying and throwing out more and more clothes. Hopefully these new ones will last a while. :nervous We defiinitely need a clothing exchange going on!! I'm in 18W's & 2X now.....who wants 'em when I start pitching? bwaydiva --That's a dancing LLAMA I'll have you know!! :biggrin1: I can't even begin to describe my dreams....they're either too weird or just too sick. But I can tell you there's a lot of fat people in them!! 18 days 'til surgery! AAAck! That's just 2-1/2 weeks! We're getting so close!!!

I went back to visit my old Low-Carb journal...and sure enough, those things DO come in handy later on. I certainly don't remember the weight coming off so slowly. I was a paragon of patience!!! I was working my a$$ off with BFL and tennis and still not losing...but I plugged away...and eventually lost 26#. It was a pound here and there....gain and lose, gain and lose, but I had the support of a great forum and a diet that I was happy with (read: wasn't hungry all the time). I rarely cheated. I was faithfully keeping my #'s on fitday.com. Apparently that's a formula that works for me. Remember that. Been having the strangest dreams EVER the last few nights. On a totally unrelated note, I just wanted to pat myself on the back here. I just finished a week-long project at work where I created the absolute Picasso of Powerpoint presentations for our Chairman to use when he's at investor conferences, one-on-ones, etc. Everyone was ooooing and aahhhhing over my maps and color choices, etc. I have to say that it was very good work and a 900% improvement on the one they were using before. They finally broke down and gave me the opportunity to create one, and VOILA!....I did real good. Everyone is happy! (Except the other secretary who USED TO do them )

I went back to visit my old Low-Carb journal...and sure enough, those things DO come in handy later on. I certainly don't remember the weight coming off so slowly. I was a paragon of patience!!! I was working my a$$ off with BFL and tennis and still not losing...but I plugged away...and eventually lost 26#. It was a pound here and there....gain and lose, gain and lose, but I had the support of a great forum and a diet that I was happy with (read: wasn't hungry all the time). I rarely cheated. I was faithfully keeping my #'s on fitday.com. Apparently that's a formula that works for me. Remember that. Been having the strangest dreams EVER the last few nights. On a totally unrelated note, I just wanted to pat myself on the back here. I just finished a week-long project at work where I created the absolute Picasso of Powerpoint presentations for our Chairman to use when he's at investor conferences, one-on-ones, etc. Everyone was ooooing and aahhhhing over my maps and color choices, etc. I have to say that it was very good work and a 900% improvement on the one they were using before. They finally broke down and gave me the opportunity to create one, and VOILA!....I did real good. Everyone is happy! (Except the other secretary who USED TO do them )

Ok, so who is having REALLY REALLY STRANGE DREAMS lately??? :whip: :) :kev::flypig: :spy: :llama:

:welcomeB: Pull up a chair! Stay awhile!

You're worried because you've only lost 41 pounds in 4 months!!?!??!! I wish I had your problems!

I posted a poll a while back that asked "would you do it again?" and out of 137-something respondents, 97% said YES. Most of those said YES, YES, A MILLION TIMES YES!! You can see the comments if you go to the general discussion forum and look back about 3-4 pages.

It's kinda strange to me to hear the wide variety of things that we were each told. ??? You'd think he'd have his speech memorized by now!! LOL