faithmd

Someone is going to disagree with me and say that yes, there is the perfect person for each of us, but I don't believe it's true. I think sadly we are brought up to dream that some knight in shining armor truly exists, I don't believe they do. There is always going to be something that isn't perfect. Something is going to come up, somewhere along the line, but the bigger question is are the imperfections something we can live with? Is there enough that is good that we should stay? Is there enough there for us?

battynatty, the band is merely a tool to help you feel satisfied earlier and hopefully be able to push away from your plate sooner. The key is WHAT you put in your mouth. Did you have any visits with a nutritionist or dietician around your banding? It is very easy to eat though this band, the bad stuff goes down really well (as you have learned). Pies, jellies, custards, ice creams, crisps, Flake, etc. It slides right through and takes much more to fill you up when you're eating things that go right through the band. In the US we are taught to eat our hard Proteins first (fish, chicken, beef, cheese, etc) about 2-3 oz or so, then eat our veggies, then if there is room, we can have carbs. It takes longer for Protein to be processed than fats, so the satisfied feeling should last longer. If you are hungry later, then eat a little more. I don't know if this will help you, I hope it does. I was only recently banded, but started eating this way in late January and was able to fairly effortlessly lose almost 50lbs. I also started tracking everything I put in my mouth (liquid AND food) on a free online service such as fitday.com, mydailyplate.com, sparkpeople.com, etc. I never "counted calories" perse, but it did give me a chance to see just how much I was taking in and I think that helped me make different choices.

Thank you! I set the reminder on my cable box. (I gotta get TIVO!)

JULY, 2007 CHALLENGE Name.............................Starting….Current…...Goal….....To Go losingjusme..(Christine)......293...........293... .........276...........17 tann.............(Tammy)........224.......... 224............212...........12 juliegeraci..........................232.......... 226 Josette..............................322.......... 322...........307............15 Inner_me.....(Chris).......... ..295...........295 Elisabethsew..(Elisabeth).. .274....... ...274 .............265.............9 Waterlily1072...(Nicole)...... 272..... .....272 Libra..(Angela)................... 218...........218 Lapbandit……...............… .206………..206 RidinMyHDDream.(Carol).. ..267...........267............256.............11 FaithMD............................ 314...........312............299.............13 I started the July 4th Challenge in week 4 at 328lbs and today, July 4th, I am 312. My goal was 310, so I was off by 2lbs. I had really set a high bar, and didn't think I'd make that 310, but I'm really excited to have gotten so close. I know that setting a goal of 13 lbs is lofty, so hopefully I'll make it within 2lbs.

I think I may have responded to you on another thread, but I'll respond again. Most everyone here says that we should always follow our own doctor's advice. But in this case, I'd be a little nervous of that advice. I am a person who wants data to back up most things a health care provider is doing to/for me. The Allergan website (the folks who MAKE the LapBand) says this about food stages: Post-Surgery Nutrition After surgery, you will need a new nutrition plan. Your surgeon and/or dietitian can help you learn about and get used to the changes in lifestyle and eating habits you need to make. It is very important to follow the eating and drinking instructions beginning immediately after the operation. In the first few weeks after your surgery, you will be on a liquid diet since only thin liquids will be tolerated by your stomach at that time. As you heal, you will gradually progress to pureed foods (three to four weeks post-op) and then soft foods (five weeks post-op). Finally, you will be able to eat solid foods. Granted perhaps there is new research that says prolonged periods on liquid diets are not necessary and the Allergan site just hasn't been updated yet. However, I would want to know WHY your surgeon and nut (nutritionist) are making such drastic changes to their post-op eating plan. I would also ask your surgeon about what her/his complication rate is and more specifically what their SLIP rates are. Are they making these changes because of the AP band and the selling point that it's less likely to slip because of it's width? Is there a study they can show you to support the move so soon to soft foods? Has surgical technique changed and is there a way now to access the back of the stomach (not previously accessed because of it's proximity to the spinal nerves) and suture the band (I haven't heard of it)? The reason for the liquid diet is because the band gets "seated" on the stomach and held in place by scar tissue that forms during the weeks we are taking in liquids. The stomach is a muscle, and that muscle has to churn and undulate to digest and move food through. Liquid requires little stomach movement to process. When we start to chew something, that lets our digestive system know that food is coming down, fluids begin to be secreted to aid in digestion and the stomach starts moving in preparation to start the breakdown of food. The band is held in place on the front of the stomach by sutures in the stomach where it is pulled up and over the top of the band, then sutured to itself. There is nothing holding the back in place, the surgeon tunnels behind the stomach to pull the band around and then scar tissue forms to hold it. That scar tissue can't form properly or as well if the stomach is churning and moving to digest. At least that's what the band folks have said for years that is how it all happens. Perhaps someone somewhere has done a new study and what we've always believed is actually not right. It's possible. Do you see now why I'd be hesitant to eat so early? Of course, if somoene can show me concrete good data (not just a study with a sample of a few patients) that the liquid is not necessary, then I'll be happy to change my thought process.

Brandy, I wish I could answer that for you. Unfortunately I can't. Sounds like we REALLY have to do lunch SOON. (Mushies next week, any ideas?) Yes, you are young, and gorgeous, and a fantastic person! Is he a great man? When you think of growing old and all that entails, can you see him taking care of you if you should need it? Can you see yourself taking care of him if he should need it? Is he the man you can see yourself sitting on the porch with as you rock the day away? These are not the only questions we should ask ourselves, but for me they are some of the key ones as to why I stay. You say: "glimpses of the man...I crumbled" Can you elaborate?

One of these days I'm going to have to catch it. Haven't seen it yet. I just think it will be weird to see Garth on national TV week after week.

I think I am the guilty one who brought it up over there. Can't wait to hear!

Yep, bad things can happen anywhere and there are some VERY skilled surgeons in TJ, had my insurance not paid for it, I was trying to decide between Ortiz, Rumbaut and Aceves. I am very glad to hear you had no problems at all. Just be very careful.

Not many stores carry the Isopure and I think the prices I have heard are $3.99-$4.99 depending on the type. The GNC card has seemed to be the way lots of folks have done the best with prices on it. And yes, the belief is that the body can only process about 25 grams of protein at a time, so I'd suggest drinking about half at a time.

Full liquid, that's why I'm pureeing everything and then making it into a Soup with broth or juice or FF milk. My nut said at this point I can be on pureed foods, but I'm trying to go very slow. I don't want to do ANYTHING to disrupt the healing of this band. She did give me a list of things I can flavor my food with and salsa is one of them, which amazes me since salsa has chunks in it. So I was cautious and put it in the blender, too. I can flavor things with just about anything, catsup, mustard and BBQ sauce are all allowed (by my list) on full liquid as well. I'm amazed that full liquids includes runny oatmeal and grits, too. Wow! But I again am pureeing and souping those up, too. I really am trying to be good. Though I am already planning what my first real food will be. I think I'll have some crab legs before I get filled for the first time.

similar to a custard or Angel Delight or Instant Whip. Do you have these brands in Oz?

For the fourth tomorrow, I'm planning to take a small can of baked beans and pureeing it with a fat free hot dog and some tomato juice and ketchup and BBQ sauce. It'll be my holiday treat.

I made an interesting chicken, salsa, lowfat sour cream, and queso soup last night. I used baby food chicken, and then added some tomato juice to the mix to make a real soupy texture versus it being 'pureed.' I am trying different things with baby food and then adding milk or tomato juice or broth to make it more soupy. I also eat a lot of popsicles. I wanted watermelon so I went online and found a watermelon granita recipe and had that instead of the watermelon itself. I actually found a recipe for tomato granita, but I don't have the cahones to try it.

Sixteen months. Had to do twelve month MD supervised diet, got denied the first time they applied because I hadn't lost the 5% of my excess weight that was required. Then had to wait to get the new AP band.

I'd be really nervous about that, too. The Allergan website (the makers of the band) says this: Post-Surgery Nutrition In the first few weeks after your surgery, you will be on a liquid diet since only thin liquids will be tolerated by your stomach at that time. As you heal, you will gradually progress to pureed foods (three to four weeks post-op) and then soft foods (five weeks post-op). Finally, you will be able to eat solid foods. However, most everyone always says to follow your doc's advice. But that advice would make me very, very cautious.

And no answer about whether you are financially connected to them at all. hmmmmm. Aceves is NOT in TJ, which is a positive. TJ is NOT a safe city. Notice most docs in TJ will provide pick up and drop off for their patients at the airport and at their hotel? Not only is it a nice service, it is a NECCESSARY service. One bandster (kaelin'sgma, I think) on here a couple of months ago posted how her son who went with her (adult) got kidnapped in TJ and held for money. Not to say do not go to TJ, just be very careful.

I knew W would let him off, but I honestly thought he'd wait and actually pardon Libby closer to the end of his term. How much you want to bet that he will still pardon the charges later on. So many are pointing out that Libby Does still have to pay $250K in fines, woohoo. And I'll lay you odds that someone will pay that for him. Maybe a Haliburton kick back? Paris even had to go to jail, for goodness sakes! (And she got out way to early, in my opinion.)

Thank you both!!! And I'm crapping my pants from laughing so hard!

In summation, if I were you I'd very seriously consider the fact that you will likely not have sex, or at least not very much ever again. I got married and have continued to cry myself to sleep some nights because I am so desperate and starved for affection and attention. When I ask him why we don't, he will say that he's been in relationships in the past that were based on sex alone. In this relationship he feels so close to me, and so intimate and safe with me, that he doesn't feel the need to have sex because he's happy and comfortable.

Tracy, I felt compelled to write back to thank you for posting, and to tell you that I know exactly what you are saying. I get the, "Oh Christ, not this again, Faith!!!!" whenever I bring up having sex or wanting to have sex or anything like it. My DH's ex wife cheated on him, too. Don't know if that has anything to do with this, but not loving or being affectionate towards your woman doesn't help the current situation, though. I do know I could NEVER cheat on him, I'd be mortified at how rusty my skills and stamina are. No way. Granted DH (damned hubby today) does have a memory loss disorder, but I really feel like he's using that as an excuse some days. When we met it was all the time, and it was GREAT. He was amazing, heck, the perfect soap opera kiss was a daily occurrence and I was in heaven. He claims that he has FORGOTTEN how to do it that way. He says he doesn't remember how to be touchy feely or affectionate and that he forgets about it. He also has back problems and says it hurts to position himself in certain ways that would be required for any intimate activity let alone intercourse. And I know someone out there is now thinking "get on top" but I've never really liked that position. I don't know if it's fear of hurting the man because I have been heavy since puberty, or if it's because so many women rave about how great it is and how amazing it feels, but it isn't any more amazing to me. In fact, it bothers my hips, so I'm distracted. I don't orgasm with intercourse (I guess I'm one of those 70% of women who don't) and DH points that out to me when I bring up wanting to have intercourse. He says it will hurt his back and since it won't make me orgasm, then why bother? ARRGGGHH!!! Because it a) feels good, makes me feel more intimately connected with him, and c)makes me feel sexy and desireable. Tracy, my DH is like your DBF, it works just fine, he wakes up with wood and "playfully" slaps my hand away on occasion, too. Other times he encourages me, to jack him off or give him oral, but intercourse won't happen. The most he'll touch on me is my breasts. Straight for the boobs. No kissing, no stroking of my skin. We don't sleep together when we are at home any longer. He sleep full time on the couch. Ruining the couch, of course. But he claims that his back hurts in bed and that since we bought a queen sized bed and we're both good sized, that it's not comfortable to sleep together. When we go away we always sleep in a king sized bed and do sleep together, but there's no touching. I remember early on when he used to chase me all around the bed in our sleep, he had to be touching me in some way. It was so sweet and made me feel so loved and intimate with him. He masturbates, he wants me to masturbate. We have a HUGE storage container FULL of toys. I am so tired of toys. I want touch and love and caressing. I knew that we hadn't had sex in a while when I married him. I still did it because of similar reasons, Tracy. I love him, he's my best friend, we get along really well. We will grow old happily. We can go on a trip and drive for 10 hours and never turn the radio on because we're talking the whole time. But the lack of sex is a huge problem. We didn't have intercourse on our honeymoon. We messed around and there was mutual masturbation, but that's it. We had rented a log cabin with a hot tub and a jacuzzi on the side of a mountain in the Smokies and nada. When was the last time? I honestly have absolutely no idea. At least two years, I'm guessing. Annoying when I went in for the band and they charged me for a pregnancy test because it's protocol.

I think I'll wait and weigh myself in the morning for an official 4th of July weight (which would conclude the original challenge). My goal was 310. Lofty, I know, but I am 314 today. I doubt I'll be 310 tomorrow, but let's see how close I can get!

Sista, you are preaching the word to the Mormon Tablernacle! I hear you so loudly and I concur! I am sick to death of doing everything for DH and having him do sooooooo little for me. I want someone to fix me a meal, I want someone to take me to the movies, or curl up on the couch and snuggle me. I want someone to do the laundry without my having to bitch about it getting done. Just once, just one freaking time I want to put the lanurdy in the dryer and ask him to take it out and have him ACTUALLY DO IT. Won't ever happen... I know that, but I can dream. Great thread!

Goodness knows I'm as addicted as anyone else. It is VERY difficult! Not to say I won't cheat, but I keep reminding myself that just because it goes down easily now and I have no problems does NOT mean I won't have problems later. It may not help eveytime, but anything I can do to keep myself eating the stage I should be in, I'll do. Even if it means I get 1300 or 1400 calories a day in because I keep eating popsicles, as long as I get my Protein in, then I'll do what I have to to keep from chewing real food. I do wish all of us luck!

Just wanted to wish Laurend and all the other 7/03 bandsters good luck!