NYC Girl

well, a girl can hope!!!!

To throw away my blood pressure pills!!!!!!

Today is my PO day 21 -- that is three weeks since surgery. My weight loss has slowed down a little, now that I'm eating mushies, and my appetite has returned. I'm not starving, but I'm more hungry than in the past. So far, so good! I've lost over 15 llbs since the pre-op diet,and over 30 lbs down from my high point in the spring. I'm happy with this rate. My PA told me that a healthy loss is 1-2 lbs per week. You don't want to loose too quickly, or it is might be more difficult to keep the weight off. I'M NOT DOING THIS AGAIN, so this sounds like good advice. I have been trying to eat mindfully, eat smaller portions, and still eat healthy. This evening, I had some tuna salad (made with lo-fat mayo), some baba ganoush, steamed and pureed squash, and a peeled plum. I am using a smaller plate for my meals, so the two spoonfuls or so of each item looks bigger. I'm trying very hard to develop a healthier relationship with food!!!! I'm off to watch the Yankees! Lisa in NYC

Some advice: try to not set yourself up for failure by trying to be perfect! 2 bites does not failure make!

Too bad you don't live in NYC. As i said, I love to cook, and love to entertain. You would be welcome! That was part of the reason I almost didn't do the surgery. While I can stand a liquid diet/puree diet for some time, the thought that I could never eat normally wasn't appealing. I realize I have to change my eating habits, but I'm a real foodie. My nutritionist told me that after the initial phase when my diet would be severely restricted, I could begin to eat normally, albeit smaller portions. the band is a tool that will help me moderate my portion sizes. So I decided to go ahead. I'm not looking for a miracle, just a slow, steady weight loss that will mitigate my health issues. Lisa quote name='Marebeth1' timestamp='1317158649' post='1667820'] Wow, you go girl.........If I lived near you I'd come visit and we could sip, sip sip some soup together!!!....sounds yummy!

Weight loss is not a straight line!!!!! . My doctor told me that it is not unusual to gain, or not loose more right after surgery. Your body is healing. Keep moving ahead and stop worrying about the number on a scale. If you are doing the right things, you will loose weight over the long term Lisa in NYC

Best of luck! I'm sure everything will go well!

I was banded on 9/12 in NYC and feel fantastic! I've lost 10 lbs since surgery and 15 since the beginning of my pre-op diet, and almost 30 since my high point last January. Very little pain, and no gas problems after the first five days. I haven't had enough courage to tell most of my friends (I guess part of me thinks I should be able to loose weight on my own) but my friends are beginning to notice. YAH!! At my first post op checkup, the nutritionist was a little concerned that I was loosing too quickly, but I've slowed down in the last few days, even though I was still in the liquid phase and eating exactly the same every day. Just goes to show you that weight loss isn't a straight line. She suggested one to two pounds a week was a healthy weight loss rate. Just started the "mushies" stage, and spent most of the weekend cooking. (I love to cook!) I made two Soups, a hearty lentil, and potato/leek -- both vegetarian and with little fat. I pureed them both and packaged in individual serving portions and froze them. I also made a vegetarian chili (with kidney and black beans) in my slow cooker, and steamed cauliflower. As above, I pureed them both. At a great middle eastern deli near me, I bought some hummus, babaganoush, and tuna fish salad made with lofat mayo. I also bought some fat-free greek yogurt, lo-fat cottage cheese, and two baby cereals for Breakfast. I'm well stocked! After weighing myself daily during the first 14 days of the post-op liquid diet and seeing my weight go up and down, I've decided to weigh myself once a week from here on. Don't want to drive myself crazy, and begin to build a better relationship with both the scale and with food. My main food issue has always been portion control, as I generally eat pretty healthy. So far, the band has really cut my appetite, and I really hope this lasts. I think I can do this! Onwards and upward! Or I should say, onward and downward! Best, Lisa in NYC

Just saw your post and it is remarkably like mine! I was scheduled for banding on May 5, 2011, but landed in the ER on April 22 with a massive gall bladder attack and was admitted to the hospital. There were complications when I was operated on, and was in the hospital almost 8 days, and even readmitted three days later because of a high temperature. Needless to say, my banding was delayed. Interestingly enough, I lost almost 15 lbs over the summer since my gallbladder surgery, and this made me rethink the banding. However, I decided to go ahead and was banded Sept 12. Reason I went ahead was that I realized two things: 1. Gallbladder problems were probably due to my obesity, and this probably won't change without banding, 2. Although I lost weight this summer because the stomach surgery affected my hunger, this was unlikely to continue. Also, it was clear that an "operation" could affect my appetite, and that was likely to happen with the banding. This turned out to be true. So, give a good long time to heal, and then consider your situation. Most likely the reasons you wanted to go ahead won't have changed. Lisa

Hi Everyone, I was banded on Monday (at Bellevue Hospital) in NYC, spent one night in the hospital and am on post-op day 3. Most important, I am doing really well. I was conflicted about having the surgery for some time, but finally decided to do it. Most important reason: my health! In the last two years, I have had endometrial cancer (stage 1 - no chemo or radiation) and emergency gall bladder surgery. Although I can't say that my obesity caused these problems, both conditions are highly correlated with obesity. In addition, my blood pressure and cholesterol levels were rising. Both my parents died in their 60's of cardiovascular disease and at my current age (56), my future didn't look very bright. When I was younger, my obesity didn't seem to really impinge on my health, but as I get older that was changing rapidly. Without sounding overly dramatic, I didn't want to have a diminished life. Anyway, as I don't have insurance, I was referred by my gyn oncology surgeon to Bellevue's Bariatric Clinic and was quickly approved for the surgery, and was told it would only cost me $150 out of pocket!! Being unemployed and having no insurance, actually made the approval process much easier. I qualified for a reduced rate according to NYC Health and Hospital Corporation's sliding scale. I was on the OR schedule for last May when my gallbladder attacked, so the surgery was postponed to September 10th to give my body time to recover. In the meantime, surprisingly, I lost almost 15 lbs due to the complications of the gall bladder surgery, and the lack of appetite that resulted. I almost didn't do the surgery, but decided to go ahead the week before my scheduled OR date. Monday morning I had the surgery, stayed in the hospital overnight and was released the next day. I slept for almost 24 hours (partially due to not sleeping in the hospital), and have just started adding Protein shakes back into my diet. I seem to be healing well, not much pain, a little gas, and a greatly diminished appetite (YEAH!!!) Hopefully this will remain until I can add soft, pureed foods into my diet on post-op day 14. My first post op appointment with the physician assistant and nutritionist is next Wednesday. My goal is to get to 125 lbs or a BMI of 22.1. That means a total weight loss of 100 lbs from my high point before gall bladder surgery this spring, or 85 from my pre-op diet starting weight of 210. This morning I weighed 202 lbs, or a bmi of 35.8. Onward and upwards! or better still: Onward and downwards! Lisa

Us, NYC people should stick together! LOL! Glad to hear that now you can eat what every you want, just smaller portions. That's good news to me, as I'm a real foodie, and love to cook. I realized that I needed to eat less, but I didn't really want to live on the same food all the time. My nutrition isn't really all that bad, I don't live on cheeseburgers and fries, my problem is appetite and portion control. I would be very happy if I got to the stage you are. I can cook healthy meals. Congrats on your success. Sounds like you are well on your way. lisa

Thanks for your good thoughts, Lisa. Sounds like you are well on your way. Great news about the change in your Asthma status. Sounds like a really good reason to do the surgery.