Julie norton

Well. I guess one person has to say that the lap band does hold success for some. For years. There are some of us here, quietly working our program with success. I'm headed for ten years.... our founder, Alex, is on 12 years I believe. Happy to have changed my life. Wonderful tool for my body; not so for some others. Just the other side of the coin( Not the pancake- ha)

String cheese , nuts , yogurt, protein drinks or bars...

Great story and a healthy life. Winner![emoji122][emoji122]

Congratulations You are at the beginning of an exciting time! Hope you got some guidelines. Sipping a Protein shake when the doc oks it.....? That seems to be common first liquids..with as much Water as you can drink. My 2cents is this can truly change your life, but You need to commit. You can go slow and remember this is a marathon, not a sprint. You have plenty of time to learn to eat differently. Just chewing more (protein)and eating slowly can help a lot. There is a nice group of banded vets around this site..with good advice; there are plenty of nay Sayers too. Best of luck and keep posting!

Maybe you can Find something you like and look forward to: nuts. String cheese. Hard boiled [emoji505] jerkey.. cottage cheese? Yogurt , kefir,? just try to have your body fueled. You need to be healthy for your kids too. Best of luck

However, homeowners no longer need to lose their home due to an illness with no insurance... and existing illnesses are covered. I'm still not happy having to pay 1200/mo just for me!!!

I have better luck with chicken thighs. Cooked in liquid ( braising). Turkey is not my friend unless deli type.

Stress is a major factor in my band staying calm. Sounds like you got a dose of it this last year. Hoping for an easier time for you. At the moment, I am almost emptied.... you would think after 9+ years, all would stay the same.... yet slowly I am creeping upward... Just like you, I'm gonna try a fill and hope to get to the "Just right" level... Sometimes it is just like Goldilocks...

JWM. What a life changing decision! Congratulations on moving forward. Hope it is all you want it to be. It is lots of fun thinking about furniture placement, Wall color etc. it is NOT food focused , which helps in the big picture of maintenance ... (However moving can be a big pain in the as*)

My doc prescribes liquid carafate for acid throats. Helps me, hoping others can get relief from that yucky taste and feeling.

All those reasons above is why I believe so few of us are left posting years later. Yes, they could have just moved on and still be successful, but I give kudos to this board, and checking in, to keep ME going year after year. I want to believe the seasoned vets are out there working their program.... I just wish they would visit.

I am just publicly declaring to you guys that I will NOT buy Halloween candy until the actual day; I shall buy what I DONT like, and I shall get rid of it shortly thereafter. BOO... not. Boo hoo.. just my coping strategy after many years of trial and error. Good luck to us all ![emoji260][emoji316][emoji316]

I feel fortunate to have a dvr. I can skip all commercials on my pre recorded shows. Otherwise, that mute button works. I refuse to watch or listen to the crap they try so hard to sell . I notice there are very scant ads for healthy choices. No one subsidizes that industry of fresh fruit and vegetables like America does for corn syrup..... Sad

What habits does Alex observe in WLS patients that appear to lead ( and sustain) meaningful, long term weight loss?

I don't miss what seems to be an omitted subject. The dreaded sneeze. And the leakage that almost always used to occur. The larger I got, the more incontinence came my way. Having a cold or sneezing fit was dreadful. I also do not think twice about getting up in a movie or baseball stadium and threading my way down the aisle and back.

Thanks for the info my cyber friends. My doc wants to start me on prednisone and I'm trying to say let's wait. I hear swelling and hunger.... and it scares me. Not quite ready for the trade off until she insists. What say the goddesses?

I'm guessing peanut butter is a bit too thick yet. Tempting because the protein count is good... I would think yogurt is closer to the texture advised, but each doc is so different .

This is a tricky dance we do with fills/unfills. Trying to get it just right. Unfills seem to be hardest for my body to adjust; .25 is also the smallest I've had removed. Let us know how your satiety level works out. [emoji486]

That is a great observation how I used to internalize situations also.

I'm really liking this for some odd reason. Magic indeed! That old protein, water and exercise magic.... Repeat for years.... Magic![emoji326][emoji326][emoji436][emoji436]

KEEPING the weight off is the biggest prize of all for me. Ya. I could lose it, but not having it stay gone was very frustrating and hard for me[emoji486] Thank goodness I heard about WLS, took a chance, and it has helped my life in many ways. Best of luck to all of us. It doesn't get easier, but I get more compliant. Ps the hardest habit for me was not drinking water with and after meals... And not snacking mindlessly as I was prone to do

My take on this is to not overthink your surgery decision. In 6 months, you may want to revisit your thoughts and see where you are. Keep working your program, and it truly does work. Remember why you had this operation, and you can change the course of your life!! There are not many times in life you can say that!![emoji486]

Kinda fun place to see what others have for challenges. (Flying is hard on my band and getting a fill is tough.... ) And if I go too far, the irritation is not pleasant. It makes me comply....I gave up on fighting her years ago. I'm not perfect... Who is?And if I forget for a minute to eat slowly and chew ever so well... It is bad news.. So everyday, like most of us , I try my best.

These are fascinating tidbits of life. The things we did not know! WLS .. Not keeping a secret of the country singer; didn't know if anyone was interested : Wynonna Judd sat down and chatted. She was funny and gracious.

Well... We all are getting to chat with each other casually Share whatever you like ... I want to know something.... Whatever you choose !!