#MagicWithinme

Embarrassment of the actual activity and how I would look, when I wasn't fat. then when I was fat, embarrassment and shame how I would look doing activity. Now I don't give a sh@t what anyone thinks. Its my life and I will do what I need to , to stay healthy. You can only look back in regret of how much we allow the outside world to dictate our lives,

SORRY, just regular yams...

Not really strange, but just the type, cooking everything in lard or cooking oil. Since my lap band, we cook with olive oil, and use agave for sweetener . breads, mayo are my kryptonite, instead of reaching for a pudding/jello or ice cream, boiled noyams has become my new dessert now.

We are allowed to enjoy the sweets as well, just limited. My Dr. told me its ok to cheat sometime you have to, he said fall into your indulgences, then get back on track. easy as that, without over thinking.

soft foods, I do eggs, yogurt , clear soup and lots of water..

I never thought I would lose, 65-70 lbs , yet even now 100something weeks out, I still look in the mirror and think if I eat this or that , I'll blow up like the blueberry on Willy Wonka. we must remember we didn't gain the weight overnight or even loose it. One bad day , will be ok, but if you get into the old habit of tomorrow, tomorrow, that day might not ever come! Stay strong, it does get better. that's why we lost the weight to enjoy life, instead of worrying about it !

that's what I was told, count protein grams, and to stay off of scale everyday!

I can relate, for so long you have not had to have your guard up about things like that, we shouldn't have to but we do, and it caught you off guard.. let it go. .give it to karma if you so feel it

I heard aloe vera works as a loosened agent also..

I was lopsided before I got surgery, and I'm sure I still am, but it isn't something I stress about, too many other things going on! Good Luck!

that's exactly what my doctor asked me, when I was hem hawing, about setting a date. and in truth I could not have lost the 65 lbs that hung around my tummy making me looking a brown umpa lumpa. If there's one thing I would change, it would be to do more research on it. very pleased with results. It should not be a daily struggle to know what to eat, but for some it is is (me) only because we are still unsure of ourselves.

I agree bandster hell is horrible to have but it's not terminal! you do come out of it. Remember as we all have to, we didn't gain all our weight in a few weeks, it took years, why would we think it's going to come off in a few weeks? You will eventually reach a time when you will lose the weight and not worry about the numbers, its about how healthy you feel. It's hard not to worry, but don't worry, follow your doctor's suggestions, anytime you feel bad it's ok to say so, and there are times we do need to talk to a therapist and its ok. Not only is our body changing everything about is. Best wishes and good luck!

I do fiber one 90 calorie bars, usually in the am, have been pretty regular taking these including lots of veggie/fruit cups. Beans, I tried to eat a fiber bar in the afternoon and my body won't "let it go down", I tried it 2 different days,. I figure my body is saying I have enough, and I can sure tell the different when I don't have enough fiber,

I can so relate, a few months ago, a large lady feel here at work outside, and she was not able to get up and we could not touch her, (liability stuff) the fire department is right behind where I work, they were here in minutes and then they called 2 more trucks. so total 6 people,to help her sit up, she was not so much hurt but embarrassed.. I was inside the office, I started crying, and my co-worker was what's wrong with you? I'm trying to explain to her, I understand and feel her pain, the embarrassment. She said you were never "that big". I 'was that's not the point, but I could tell she just didn't understand. Unless you've been in that position, you will never know what it feels like.

and remember even after he unfills you there will be refill but your stomach will still be sore, so still take it easy on the food.

Be wary of taking too much vitamins as well as it is possible to have bad side effects of taking too much, as some are not soluble and build up like vitamin A. I speak from experience, I was overdoing, my vitamins, my calcium and eventually even my protein with horrible side effects of returned high blood pressure, cranial headaches and bloating tummy. Once I stopped taking everything, all my vitals pretty much returned to normal. My doctor reminded me, my body is not the same, where I need as much . that I should be able to get the protein I need from most foods now. Good Luck..

I think sometimes they get tired of those that get the lap band but are not prepared to follow the steps to make sure it works and they are constantly having to work with them more, than someone who is following and loosing.

great minds think alike I just made a post about my problems with protein, thanks for sharing. !

I went in blind, basically, thinking it was going to be a piece of cake, man could I have been any wronger. But I've learned when something goes wrong, use it a lesson for next time. And share the lesson, good or bad. You end up with Do and Don't Lists(the cake is on the don't list!). What do I fear, at the beginning, that I would gain weight back of course , that I would still thought of that chubby girl, that I would still be that invisible person in the background trying to be in the shadows. As I've become confident in my body my wardrobe has changed, my make up, my attitude,, my outlook on life is so different. Even as I go through problems now (not being able to digest meat right now) I know that I will get passed it. What I fear now that I will not have enough time in life to do EVERYTHING that I ever wanted to do!, but I do not fear that getting the lap band was the wrong decision for me. Good Luck!

in the beginning it will be like this, its a new way of life and yes you will be overwhelmed. As long as you are sticking to what your doctor and nutritionist tell you, you'll be ok. No you will not wake up one day and the weight is gone. its a long journey, and one that you have to be sure to follow the directions to. Part of it right now, is also mental, we are so used to eating so much more, we have to retrain our body as well as our mind to accept what is going on. It will feel like nothings happening, weight wise, but better slow than fast and end up regaining it plus some. Even people who have had the lap band for some time still struggle from time to time, and the best thing to do when something happens is of course let dr know, and go back to the basics of soft foods, for a while. Good luck.. stay strong

something is interacting with meds, I would stop what you are eating and drinking, and let dr know. I know for me, the sugars in some of the sugarfree drinks mess me up make me hyper. take some benedryl if dr says its ok, it's a learning process/journey. There will be times everything seems against you and then there will be times its smooth sailing. take care and let us know how are you doing..

Im going through this now, all of a sudden it feels the meat won't digest and it totally upsets my stomach and I end up with high BP. going to all my drs, nobody can find anything wrong, so along with my nutritionist/body builder : just sticking to soft Protein stuff, and eating small ,amounts, I want to eat meat, chicken, hopefully I can one day. and yes if this continues I will be back to drs. I wonder if I was doing too much protein, as I have always drank a Protein Drink everyday. and now I haven't for a few days..

I was doing great, feeling good, looking good and now all of a sudden or so it seems, been having BP problems, so I'm back on meds again. My nurse aunt told to keep hydrated and not to eat starchy food, which I really tried to avoid. But I do not feel discouraged, I can only think, I felt like this for so long, and was used to it, I don't want to get used to it again. My issues have been food related, learning what to eat, and not eat, and really NOT to eat. For the most part, got a give the lapband a thumbs up for me!