Caribear

I'm so happy for you! Doesn't it feel so great when all your hard work pays off? Go you is right!

I'm sorry yesterday was such a rough day for you. I sympathize about the migraines, they just throw everything out of kilter. I am glad you are feeling better today though. I had a rough food day the other day too, so I'm feeling your pain there as well. But yay for the nsv, and double yay for realizing that all you have to do is take a deep breath and keep going forward. I know you can do this!

I know how you feel about the sugar. I looked for an alternative for a long time, but I can't stand the artificial sweeteners, and I just don't like stevia. But recently I started using coconut sugar, or palm sugar. It doesn't have any fewer calories, but it is supposed to be low-glycemic and keep your blood sugar stable. And I really can tell a big difference. Plus, I think it tastes really yummy! Kind of a nutty, maple-y, brown sugar kind of taste, but not coconut-y. If you are looking for an alternative, you may want to try it.

In any case, I wish you the best on your fast. I know how rough it can be, and I'll be praying for a quick and painless detox for you.

Hi Kristy, I'm so sorry you're having such a hard time. I agree with the walking and pool exercise. For a while they were the only things I could do at all. Maybe you could look into some aqua aerobics at your local YMCA, something like a silver sneakers class. I know how much of a struggle it is when you hurt so bad, but it really does help the pain. I hope you don't have to deal with RA too - I just found out that I probably have serum negative RA. I don't know what kind of meds you are on, but a lot of the ones they use to control fibro can cause you to gain weight. I would imagine that they might also make it harder to lose weight as well. Also, check out your sodium intake to see how high it is. I recently found out that I am sensitive to sodium, and cutting it back has helped kick-start my weight loss again. And sodium sensitivity may be made worse by the fibro, since we tend to be sensitive to chemicals anyway.

I know it's hard and very frustrating, but you can do this. I'll be praying for you!

I agree with the above posters, you can do this! You can always start over.

Something you may want to check on is your sodium intake. My nutritionist said that if your diet is too high in sodium it will cause your weight loss to stall, plus it can make you retain water which will make the number on the scale go up. I was eating 1200-1800 cals per day, burning between 250-600 per day with exercise, and eating low-carb, but wasn't losing weight. My family doc was stumped because for me, 1200 cals is a very-low-calorie diet. My nutritionist told me to keep my sodium below 2000 mg per day, and voila, I lost 5 pounds the first week and have been going down a pound or two per week ever since.

I know it's one more thing to keep track of, but it might help you get started in the right direction again. Sodium can be sneaky! I was floored to find out that my lowfat 1% cottage cheese has 918 mg per cup !

I know you can do this. Just try to see it as a temporary setback that you can overcome. I'll be praying for you!

Great post, Chrissy! Isn't it funny how when we're going through stuff, we always wonder "why, God, why?" but when we come out the other side and see how our experiences affect other people, we see that He had it all planned out the whole time? Thank you so much for taking the time to inspire others, and congratulations on your success! God bless you!

Congratulations! I'm so happy for you!

I'm so happy for you!

Congratulations on all your success!

You can do this. The two and a half weeks will go by before you know it.

I'm glad your recovery has been smooth so far. Congratulations on being strong enough to make such a life-changing decision!

I agree with the ideas above, with one thing to add. There's one thing my nutritionist had me do that has helped me tremendously with this. She suggested I make a coping "tool box." It can be real or imagined, but mine is actually a shoe box. You fill it with things that will take your mind off of wanting to eat. In mine I have a few books, a word search and sudoku book, some soothing music CDs, and a handful of other things that will inspire me. When my brain starts screaming at me, I make a cup of tea (the temperature and taste help) and pull something out of the box to occupy myself. It has helped me more than any other thing I've done to help control the emotional eating. I wish you luck and will be praying for you.

I'm sorry you've got such a rotten decision to make, but so proud of you for making such great decisions! And it's fantastic that you have such supportive people in your life. Good luck in your decision, I'll be praying for you.

I agree, I'd wait until after surgery. But what a great idea!

It's not something you're doing, it's perfectly normal. If you don't have any fill in your band, it won't be providing you much restriction if any. The early weight loss is probably from when your stomach was healing. A lot of people gain weight during this period, so I would say you're doing great! Just hang in there.

It's ok to be upset about it, I think I would be too. But I am glad that you have had some positive stuff happen to make you feel better. Just remember, as much as it doesn't seem like it now, this is just a temporary setback. The two weeks will be over before you know it.

You can do this!

Congratulations!!

Excellent list! This should be required reading for anyone considering the band.

Yay! So happy for you!!

I also have medicaid in Ohio (Caresource) and am being covered - doing my 9 months now. But I also wanted to add that if your BMI is over 50, you only need one comorbidity according to my doctor and my surgeon's paperwork.

Thanks for posting this, I know I was really confused about this stuff when I first started thinking about WLS.

I refreeze shrimp all the time, just make sure when you defrost it not to overcook it because it can get rubbery in a hurry. So far as veggie side dishes, here's one of my favorites:

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

1 large tomato, diced

3-4 stalks green onion

4 oz crumbled feta cheese

1 Tb. olive oil

1 Tb. lemon juice

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. dill (depending on how much you like dill)

Stir all ingredients together and refrigerate for at least one hour. This makes enough for several servings.

It's really yummy in the summer, and could really be a light meal. I got the idea from the Weight Loss Surgery Cookbook For Dummies. I'm still pre-band, but wanted to make sure I could fix things that would taste good and still meet my high-protein requirements.

You can do this, I know you can!

I'm not banded yet, but I can tell you that two pounds is definitely not unusual for me. I have back issues that cause lots of swelling, and I can gain or lose up to five pounds overnight. Don't be too worried about it, there are so many things that can cause your weight to fluctuate that you'll drive yourself crazy trying to figure out what it is. I don't worry about it anymore unless it continues to go up and not back down. You're doing great, though!

How great that you found something you really enjoy. And awesome NSV, by the way!

I feel your pain, Gerry. But awesome job on the weight loss!

Yup, what Shelly said. LOL!

Congratulations, I'm so happy for you!