SumthinsGottaGive

I was thinking today about what I've learned so far on this journey. Shockingly, it was a great deal. Here are the top 10: 10. Know yourself. There is a ton of advice all over the net and in our own circles.. but we have to be wise enough to know how to "eat the meat and throw away the bones." Not everything that others do will work for you. We've invested in our bodies and now we have to make sure we get a ROI (return on investment)!! Don't sabotage yourself by trying to stick with the regimen of someone else. If you're not sure, speak with your doctor or nutritionist/fitness expert. Your medical team created a plan specifically for YOU! So while it's always good to get ideas and advice, we have to make sure we are first and foremost doing what is best for us. 9. Goals. Look to the future always. Don't get complacent w/the amount of weight you've lost or frustrated with the amount of weight you haven't lost..but always keep reaching for your goal. Set small goals in the interim and reward yourself. We're busting our asses and deserve to be kind and sweet to ourselves every now and then. 8. Excuses, excuses! While we are our worst critics, we also tend to go easy on ourselves at the least opportune times. "I've been working hard..I deserve that slab of chocolate cake." "The kids wore me out, and now I can't exercise." Don't get me wrong, I think we all need a break and need to reward ourselves every once in a while..just be careful not to let it snowball. I made this decision because I needed a lifestyle change.. not to continue to give myself "outs." 7. Positivity. Stress causes the secretion of Cortisol.. which leads to weight gain in many people. Thinking positive and generally finding the good in your situations creates what I like to call, "Happy Juice." Aka: Endorphins! Also created when you work out! Endorphins crush Cortisol and can result in weight loss! So stay positive and encouraged..even if that doesn't cause you to lose weight, you'll be a happier person! 6. Kindness. Be kind to yourself. I have a very swift tongue and can cut someone down like a hot knife through butter... unfortunately, I can do the same thing to myself just as easily. Remember it takes time to see results..but if we keep placing one foot in front of the other and keep pushing we'll all get to where we want to be. 5. Do something! Move your feet and your ass will follow!! Everyone works at their own pace. They lose weight at their own pace and that's OK. If you want to see results (possibly faster) and reduce your risk of other complications that come along w/being overweight, get moving!! Even if it's 30mins a day..some of us spend more time than that on the phone, watching a movie, talking to a friend, reading a book.. etc. The good thing about those activities is they can all be done in conjunction w/exercise. 4. No Magic Bullet. This band is not a "fix all" ..after you get banded you will still have taste buds that crave certain foods.. you will still be a jerk or a prima donna..or a sweetheart.. you'll still have money problems if you had them before.. you'll still have personal life issues to deal with. The world doesn't stop just because we've gotten banded. As we're taking the steps to lose the weight, we must take the steps to improve ourselves to be more well-rounded and level people. Don't neglect the rest of your life..the band, while pivotal, is only a small portion of it! 3. Support. Surround yourself with like-minded people, with common goals..not just for the band, but for life. This is such a life altering experience and you find yourself not only wanting to do better health-wise, but improve all the aspects of it. Make sure you have people in your life that will add to it, and not deduct from it. 2. Keep it simple stupid! Don't major in the minors!! The band is hard...but it's not complicated. Follow the rules and listen to your body (the good stuff) and you will succeed. Don't make the band something it's not or try to complicate it. It's a simple tool.. work it and it works!! 1. Prepare to wait! Patience is KEY in losing weight this way. As the saying goes, "We didn't put this weight on overnight.. we won't lose it overnight." I'm learning a ton about myself..but the most important thing I'm really starting to grasp is that I'm worth it!! =) -Mary-

That's it!! And the thing is, if you do what's best for you.. you will yield the best results! I think once everyone grasps that (regardless of where in their journey they are) they will start to really take off and blossom! Thanks for sharing your comments and thoughts! =D

A catchy title (like this one) helps.. lol.. see how many responses you got! Feel free to hit me up directly if you have any questions. I know I'm not always on the forums or blogs..but if I get a message notification I'm quick to respond.. and I'm always happy to help! =D All the best hun!! And keep up the fantastic work!! -Mary-

Thanks ladies!! Hopefully others get something useful out of it! =D

Excellent Matthew!! keep pushing and stay strong! Hope your fill goes well..you know all of us in BT are cheering you on!!

I posted this as my status today: "This journey, regardless of how much or how little support we have, is an individual one. No one else can lose the weight for you. Take the encouragement, the support, the good w/the bad and separate the meat from the bones... and ultimately do what works and what's best for you! That is always a key in success!" How does this tie in to honesty? Well, I'll tell you. I've noticed, not only in the few short days I've been banded, but in the entire time I've been researching lap band, that everyone has advice to give. We all want the keys to success; what it took for others to lose the weight; the exercises and the food they ate. But the truth is, what works for one won't always work for everyone else. Not everyone gained the weight because they've over eaten or because they're lazy. Just like everyone has their own reasons for gaining the weight, everyone will have their own means of losing it, even if we are all using the same tool. Encouragement and advice are great and I know we all have a lot to learn on this journey, but it starts with being honest with ourselves. We were honest (or vain) enough to realize we needed the lap band and now it's about being honest enough to admit our limitations and strongholds. Food is an addiction that we're trying to kick (we know that), but my food addiction isn't yours. My habits are not yours, and I have to be real enough with myself to understand that if I'm going to succeed, I have to do what is going to work for me.. and you need to do what will work for you. This starts with listening to your surgical team, dietician, nutritionist, etc. If there's one thing that remains consistent in all of the advice I've received from successful lap banders, it would be, "If you follow the rules, you'll lose the weight." Not just the universal lap band rules, but those set forth for your individual program, for your individual needs. One of the dangers of trying to follow the regimen of someone else is that you may not be able to live up to it, because it's not tailor made for you. And on this journey, that is one thing I think is definitely a plus; the capability to contour the band to work for YOU! Remember that there are people that have health issues and co-morbidities that may affect their regimen. Don't waste time trying to compare yourself to everyone else, do what works for you! We all want to be successful.. get this weight off and strut our stuff! Be healthier...be happier! For me, it's starts with doing what works for me and building from there! =) O well, that's enough ranting for now. Just had a few things on my mind I wanted to share. All the best!! -Mary-

Wow.. thank God you have such an attentive surgeon and one of great judgement! Sorry for your set back hun but it sounds like it was not in vein. I pray everything goes as smooth as silk next time. =)

Every insurance company is definitely different from requirements to approval rate and approval response. Someone already said it..but the best thing to do is call and make sure they will cover you. After I decided this was right for me.. that was my first move and it determined whether or not I would move forward with it. I'm with UHC..but it's best to call and talk to them.. make sure you understand what you're getting into. All the best!!

I also have UHC. I have excellent coverage...(which is soon to change since my company is being bought out) . But they are great! They told me they cover everything 100% after I meet my deductible of $200.00 .. which wasn't hard to do w/all these appointments. All they required at my level was a BMI of 40 or >, 5yrs weight history and a psych eval. I was submitted Oct. 17th and approved Oct. 17th! Got my letter on the 21st.. I love UHC!

I know you know already..but I thought I'd post anyway! LoL! This is day 9 for me and I'm down 10lbs!!

What kind of pre-op diet are you on? I haven't seen one where you can eat Protein Bars. But maybe you should cut the bars out of the diet. Because you're only on a limited amount of cals you need to make sure you're getting enough Protein. It will make you feel full..I know I've been feeling stuffed.. but you really should try to push and get at least 90g of protein in a day. One thing I do that helps me is start early. I drink my first Protein Shake at 7am. That way by lunch time I may not be hungry but I'm not stuffed. And then when dinner rolls around I can take another one. In between I do protein juices or Cappuccino. It's important to get the protein in, but you want to make sure you're spacing it out so it doesn't feel so forced, because that could be what's making you sick. Maybe try a different brand of protein shake and see if that helps. Hope it works out for you! All the best!

I'm sorry you're having such an issue hun! I don't know what you're going through, my surgeons office is phenomenal. But I would suggest that you ask them straight out why they're stalling. Find out what's going on. You're ready and have been assured that you would be able to get scheduled and you're looking to do that asap. One of the good things is recovery time is not 2wks, it's only about a week and many people have said they were fine to return to work within 3-4 days..so you haven't lost as much time as you think. It's only the 2nd. But you need to push harder. Get with the office that did your sleep study and make them send the results to your surgeons office. That kind of stuff is not supposed to be your responsibility to get. The dr's offices should be communicating that information amongst themselves. And you should not have to pay for another sleep study after having done one already. My psychologist was not affiliated w/my surgeons office, but I made damn sure she got my paperwork to them! Just keep pushing hun! Don't give up and whatever you do..don't get discouraged. Stay strong and make them accountable! All the best!