faithmd

Granted that muscle weighs more than fat (if you have the same VOLUME of it), but one doesn't usually gain the same volume of muscle that one had in fat, nor doeasfat turn into muscle. And I'd read in many places that it takes quite a while to have an actual weight gain from muscle mass increasing. So I'm unsure what your gain is from, just being human I would guess. We all fluctuate a lot. I'm up about 3 lbs from last week, but that's life. als long as the trend continues to be downward, I'll be okay. Congrats on joining the boot camp!

I am sooooooo happy for you! That is just wonderful, I'm very glad it went well. I know that I will need extensive PS eventually (hopefully, I mean) and I'm weighing where I will have it done, Dallas is a possibility as is SF. Thanks for posting about your experience.

Clairabellleee, check out the food Forum here, there's loads of recipes there. For the thick/full liquids stage I started blending anything that sounded good and adding whatever liquid would go with it it make it more soupy. For example, for July 4th I blended a small can of baked Beans and a fat free hot dog, I added some catsup, a little BBQ sauce and some tomato juice to make it more soupy, it was GREAT. I peeled and removed the seeds from some cucumber and blended it with a little Fage (greek strained yogurt, lowfat sour cream would work, though) and some spices (little salt, pepper, dill) and made a cucumber Soup. For the mushy stage I was directed that if you can cut the food or mash the food EASILY with a little pressure on a fork, that's mushy. Good luck!

Congrats on the weight loss!! I am VERY sorry to tell you that NOTHING, NO exercises will tighten loose skin. Absolutely NOTHING will help the skin itself. The only thing you can tighten are your muscles underneath it all. But if the skin has been stretched from years of excess weight, you just can't tighten it up... Which is VERY sad, I know....I've never been a normal weight since I started growing boobs at age 9. I will (hopefully-cause I hope I lose the weight) have LOADS of loose skin. I am already saving my pennies for my plastic surgery.

Hello, I haven't done them yet, and I have read quite a few threads where folks quite a while out from banding have said they have never done either one, or have only done it once or twice. Here's a bunch of links that I thought might be helpful: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f76/what-sliming-29072/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f73/pbs-sliming-17625/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f15/how-long-does-sliming-last-18903/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/pbs-slime-inevitable-19383/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f9/what-do-you-do-if-you-slime-get-stuck-12552/

I would absolutely call him on his comments. Respectfully of course. After that conversation I would call your insurance company and get a name and address of who to write a letter to regarding this matter. If he is the only doc they will pay for, they need to know of his practices. I would write a carefully worded, non-accusatory letter stating what was said to you and to your family. If they can give you specific quotes, include them. And if they are willing, I'd have them sign it. It is blatantly unfair that your insurance company should force anyone to go to a non-supportive, uncaring surgeon without the ability to go see someone else.

I also did, and also married him. Kids actually seem to attract some women, I think. It's really wonderful to see a man who is single and a good, involved, devoted father. Women tend to see that as a positive character trait.

If you scroll down tot the bottom of this page, you will find some other threads aout Medicare, I hope one of these threads can help you. I don't know anything about it, but feel fairly certain that your answers are here, somewhere.

Are you in the US? If so, I'm interested that a surgeon would just now be placing VG bands. The newest band released in the US by Allergan (currently the only Band supplier in the US) is the AP band. It was released for use by US surgeon's at the ASBS conference in mid June. Most surgeons are now going to the AP band, the VG band has been out and being placed for quite some time now. Are you certain he didn't mean AP?

There is some variance in surgeon's orders on this, some say do not drink even before eating. I've seen some folks say 30 minutes after, others say 45 minutes after, and plenty of folks say it's 1 hour they have to wait.

What a GREAT NSV!!!

:welcomeB: ! I'm hoping to make it there sooner or later. I'm not certain when that will be, I'm in a gaining mode right now, it seems. It's close to the TOM, so I'm sure a lot of it is water weight. I'm back to exercising now, so hopefully that will help.

Thyroid or a strange esophageal spasm is about all I could think of, I'm sorry I can't be of anymore help. I'll keep thinking, though.

I should add that I am an open book about just about everything and share all of my trials and tribulations with my co-workers, so my boss was floored when I told her I was keeping my "surgery" private, but she never asked any more about what I was having surgery on.

I did not tell my boss or anyone at work what I was having done. I merely told my boss I was having surgery and I was choosing not to share what was going on with anyone, I told her that to me it was a "private procedure." She could deduce what she wanted from that. She was very supportive and said that anything I needed and if I wanted to discuss anything with her, she'd glady support me. I chose to tell none of my co-workers, either. One day I was just gone. It is simply no one's business but your own.

I'm dragging my husband out for rifle season for the first time in his life this year, God willing. He can spot a deer anywhere, he's got eagle eyes. He doesn't really care for the cold much, so I guess I'll have to break down and get a bigger heater for the blind. I have never had problems with the cold, but who knows this year? Maybe with losing mroe weight it will start to bug me.

Actually it wasn't a useless response at all. You asked if swalloing a solid (even though it was chewed) was bad after saying that you felt like you "tolerated it well." WasaBB responded with a perfectly valid question, How do you know how well you tolerated chicken? Her follow up question was to drive home the point that the band stays in place by having scar tissue called adhesions form around it to secure it on the back side well. Can you tell us what the adhesions on your stomach look like now? The point is, how do you know that you tolerated it well since the whole point of not eating is keep your stomach from churning to work to digest anything more than liquids? Perfectly valid and helpful question. So often people come in here for validation of their behaviors after they do something they know they're not supposed to. It happens, we're human. But the fact is you went against MD advice twice and wanted to know if it was bad. It can be, now you know why. I'm sorry if you didn't get a good education about the hows and the whys of the post-op diet. It is sad how many people didn't get a good explanation of these things. The best thing you can do now it try to get back on track with your eating program. There are reasons for the staged diet.

Here's a link to a thread that has good info: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f5/how-get-ticker-your-signature-16218/

Hello KtKt, I thought you'd enjoy reading some toher threads about this same question. It's a good one, and quite popular. I love reading what drove other folks to it, kind of like commiserating together. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/what-last-straw-36304/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f93/what-your-final-straw-36714/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/last-straw-stories-33153/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/what-your-last-straw-22868/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/what-your-last-straw-19859/

Well, some docs, especially those who primarily do the RNY still use the same guidelines for their band patients (meaning the bowel prep and leaving a catheter in). Is your pre-op diet for three days supposed to be Clear liquids? If so, then that's ther reason for no milk products. But if you can have anything, then that makes no sense. I'm thinking a steak will leave more residue in your bowel than a glass of milk would. I would put my foot down and say no catheter, personally. There is no reason for it unless you are physically challenged in some way. The surgery is around an hour (little more, little less, depends) and then a short bit in the recovery room. All total I think I was away for a bathroom for about 5 hours. I can hold it for that long, how about you? And the MOST important thing to do post-op is to get up. If you have to pee, that's a great reason to get out of bed. If you have said that if they can't band you then it's okay to convert to bypass, then I totally agree and understand the bowel prep. But if not, then I have a problem with a bowel prep pre-op. They aren't working anywhere near the bowel. But it is YOUR surgeon's requirement. I cannot advise you to do something against what s/he wants. If it bothers you, then I'd talk with him about it pre-op.

Well, at least Grawp was still there.

No way, I couldn't do that to myself. With her luck she'll be one of the ones that has no problem with sugar. Everyone I know personally who has the RNY has no problem after about 6 mos to a year out with sugar.

I hate to tell you all that I am not nearly as excited to see this movie as I had been two weeks ago. I just read a review today, and while not horrible, there was something mentioned that had me totally floored. Apparently this movie (OOTP) is the SHORTEST of all the movies so far??????????? How in the HELL can the longest book at well over 850 pages be condensed and written well and still touch on all the important points? Let me guess, no Grawp? No exploding fireworks when Fred and George leave? Maybe they even cut that part out? Not much Quidditch? I'll go see it Tuesday night at the IMAX and by then it will have cost me $52 to see this movie. Sheesh! (I bought a ticket for me and DH at the IMAX for Thursday night and couldn't go-$26 no refunds, no exchanges)

I can't imagine why not. Just watch what the calories are and the sodium, too.

Sure, but just remember, even though it may be sugar free, there is still a lot of carbs in some of those shakes. Just be careful you aren't chugging four shakes a day that are 300 calories each, okay?