TracyC

Jenny Bee, my question to you would be, how are your clothes fitting? Sometimes the scale is not your friend.

I love spicy hot foods. For lunch today I brought in pinwheels (flour tortilla, shredded chicken, jalapenos, tomato, taco seasoning and reduced fat cream cheese) but I can't eat them plain like that. I add Franks red hot to the them. I am sweating more now than after a strenuous workout. I would hope it was doing something for me. I might be burning some calories, just reaching up to wipe the sweat from my brow. LOL

Will eating spicy foods burn more calories?

I just heard back from my doctors office. They use the Lindstrom Obesity Advocacy to appeal insurance decisions. The email address is walter@obesitylaw.com. If you don't get the results you are looking for with your doctors office, perhaps an email to this office is worth the time. It won't cost you anything to ask questions. Like I said before, the office is in California so you may have to wait a few hours for a response depending on where you are. It certainly can't hurt. I wish you good luck as you push forward.

I just emailed my doctors office. They use an attorney out of California to appeal insurance decisions. When insurance denied my surgery, the doctors office contacted the attorney in California and he handled the appeal with very little to no effort on my part. I can't put my finger on the contact information for the attorneys office, hence the email to my doctor. I will forward the information to you once I get it. I hope it helps. The attorney is a former WLS patient himself, so he knows what you are dealing with. I hope the information helps. I'll get it to you as soon as I can. Unfortunately, I just sent the request (4:30 on a Friday) so I probably won't have it until Monday. Try to enjoy the weekend.

Tracking everything you put in your mouth helps more than one can imagine. If you are honest while doing it (and seriously, you are doing it for yourself so why not be) you will see patterns and trends. I was amazed to realize that while I was eating healthier foods, it wasn't helping because I didn't have the portions under control. Also try weighing out your portions. I've never been one for weighing my food, but did so last night. I was surprised to see what constituted a portion of extra sharp cheese. To see the reality of it, and to compare that with what I would normally take as 'my' portion was a huge eye opener. Sometimes, even when we make better choices, we over do it with the size of the portion. Tracking will help make you more aware of this potential problem. Don't give up hope and best of luck.

Great job. Congratulations.

Still at 174, I didn't go anywhere this entire month. Come on fill number 3, please do the trick.

To be able to walk into Victoria's Secret and not buy anything. Not because I couldn't fit in their bras/panties, but because I chose not to.

When I was diagnosed with diabetes I had an epiphany. Logically I knew it going to happen, but the doctor actually saying "you are diabetic" really threw me. At 39, I could and would deal with it, but my 5 year old son ate the same garbage I was eating. I was afraid I was sentencing him to a lifetime of dealing with this disease. That made me an unfit mother and I can't and won't accept that. Since meeting my doctor last summer, my entire family eats much healthier than we ever have. My son is more active than he was and I am able to keep up with him. 40 lbs to go, but I feel successful already.

Up two, I hate this yo-yo garbage. Thought I would be getting away from this way of losing weight. Come on restriction, next fill March 7th.

The last month has been a pretty long plateau and I've been getting down on myself about the scale not moving. Today I reminded myself that it isn't always the scale that tells the picture. I did a little shopping and not only was I able to shop in the Misses department, but I bought a dress I would never have touched before. Completely out of my comfort zone, or so I thought. Couldn't wait to get home to try it on for the boyfriend. Big success. Can't wait to wear it. I feel a nice evening out in my future. I find that I enjoy shopping now, trying on clothes and pushing my own boundaries. I have painted toes, that I can see, and feel more feminine than ever before. I don't know if it makes sense, but instead of trying to 'blend in' and not be noticed, I want to say "look at me here I am". Looking forward to the next stage in my journey. I will reach goal that is a promise I've made to myself that I don't plan to break.

My post op diet was the same as yours. 2 days liquid, 2 days mushie then regular consistency. My doctor wouldn't do the first fill until six weeks post op. I thought the time would never pass. But you know what, it did. I tried to eat sensibly and work on how and what I was eating. I did ok, about 12 lbs from surgrey date to first fill. Stay focused, listen to your body, not your head and I'm sure you will come out on top. This is a marathon not a sprint.

When I asked my doctor what a realistic weight goal would be for me, he shrugged his shoulders. I mentioned that the 'standard' said for 5'2" a weight of 125-134 is ideal. He said and I quote "that is crap, they don't know what they are talking about". I laughed but expressed to him that I've put a much needed vacation on the line. We are saving for a fancy vacation that I've promised myself when I reach goal. That being said, I was attempting to make sure my goal was attainable. Sigh, so I'm shooting for a good BMI and will know when I'm happy to look in the mirror that I've made it.

My bland response when asked if I'm losing weight is "I'm working hard at it". I give very little away in a normal conversation. I do have family members that could benefit from WLS and had any of them asked how I was doing it, I would have to answer truthfully and spill about the Band. With them, I would tell of the band in hopes that it could help them. I don't preach about it but I would willingly share with someone I felt was being truly honest and interested in being successful. For a general aquaintance, I watch what I eat and have started exercising. Right or wrong, I'm not far enough along in this process to be a LabBand poster child.

Congratulations on your decision to go forward. With respect to the job, I told my boss, that I was having a medical procedure. No more detail then that. And since he assumed it was female related, he didn't ask anymore questions. That worked for me.

I've lost 40 between the pre op and surgery. My "father in-law" makes comments all the time. For the most part, they are a bit uncomfortable as he is constantly saying in front of his son, that pretty soon I'll be a skinny mini and will need to go get a guy who isn't so fat. It makes things uncomfortable for me, I have no intention of leaving my man. I am happy the way things are. The best compliment I've ever received was from my five year old son. I have found that with the 40 lbs gone, I put makeup on more than ever before, I want people to look at me. (How vain.) Anyways, I put on my makeup in the morning and he didn't notice. When I got home from work, my son told me I had pretty painted eyes. He was so innocent. Ten minutes later he told me to take it off. It was so cute. I couldn't help but laugh and give him a huge hug.

Thanks for the inspiration.

I miss fresh bread, the gourmet selection at the bakery. All the fancy ones you can't buy prewrapped. (Three cheese, garlic and herb, pane bread) I walk by the bakery just to smell the fresh bread now. I'm only 3 months post-op so trying bread scares me to death. I'm not ready to push that envelope yet. I did have a flour tortilla wrap yesterday for lunch and it was delicious. I had to remind myself to chew and eat very slowly but the taste was amazing. Silly how a normal flour tortilla took on such a significant taste for me.

Down 1 to 173. Phew, back in the right direction.

Congrats to you all. Truly inspirational.

I too love the Special K shakes. I'm not a huge fan of the chocolate but love the strawberry. Just recently I picked up Protein for Her from Vitamin World. I do a scoop of that, 20 g protein with 8 oz skim/1% milk, mix well then add a special K shake to it to give it better flavor and a bit more body. It tastes great. And breakfast ends up being 1/2 my protein for the day.

Congratulations. I too went through my closet and it was wonderful to be able to get rid of so many clothes. Now I look forward to shopping. No more tears for me walking out of a store totally disgusted with myself. I now look forward to trying on clothes. It just might be a new addiction for me.

I have had two fills so far and have not felt any restriction. I am waiting, none too paitently, for my third fill on March 7th. I try to stick with good food choices and to follow the rules of bite size, speed and portion control. It is so hard to be "good" when everything feels like it always did. Restriction would certainly help keep myself in line. So far my 'tool' isn't powered up. Can't wait until it is. Good luck.

My doctor said to keep the Proteins between 60-70 grams and the nutritionist said calories should be about 1200. Right now I'm more focused on getting the right number of proteins in than I am on calorie counting. I use My Fitness Pal so even if I'm over, I at least know where I am and what I need to change to fall into the right levels of everything. Best of luck.