morelgirl

Aslan's a carnivore. He'll understand the need for protein. Of course, if he asks for a bite, I wouldn't say no...

You're the designated replier to all those topics people post that they are so sad and frustrated that they had surgery 3 weeks ago, had not lost weight for 2 days and gained 1 lb. K?

Oh, sure, sounds like fun!

Awesome!

The mental part of this journey is the hardest part. Like everything else, it takes patience and persistence, but you'll get the hang of it after a while. You've done great so far, so just hang in there!

I waited to have a glass of wine until I was back on solids and cleared by my surgeon to eat whatever my band would tolerate. Alcohol is not encouraged by my surgeon because of the empty calories, but it is allowed in moderation. If you want to be safe, clear it with your doctor first.

Two words of caution though. Because we eat less now, the alcohol has a more potent effect on some people that before banding, so sip slowly. Also, restaurants routinely pour glasses of wine that are 6-8 oz. each. One actual serving should be no more than 5 oz, and wine lover that I am, at home usually pour myself only 3 oz, and it's plenty!

Enjoy your date night!

Whole wheat elbows this time, but in the past I've made it with any small pasta that has enough curves to hug the cheese. Occasionally I find a pasta that's like a slightly longer elbow that's been twisted to add an extra curve. Those are awesome, too.

Wow, sounds like you have great docs! Keep up the good work and enjoy your upcoming vacation.

Thanks. It means a lot to be back on track, and also to know that someone is listening and understands what I'm talking about. :-)

Good luck!

I left which type of band to install up to Dr Jan. He went with Realize. According to him there's no real difference in results that he's seen. I think the only thing is how each one fits your anatomy. I'm happy with mine so far! 21 lbs down!

Congratulations to both you and your hubby! Hope all continues smoothly on your journey.

Thank you for sharing. I have a great relationship with my mom and she never treated me cruelly about my weight, but she still managed to give me a whollllllle bunch of food issues unintentionally. Because she was unhappy with her own weight, she always kept a close eye on mine and encouraged me to lose or put me on diets so that I "wouldn't have to go through what [she] had gone through." Guess what? I ended up just as heavy as her with a totally whacked out relationship with food and a metabolism slower than bloody molasses.

Your story touched me and made me sad and inspired me all at once. You sound like you're managing to break the cycle with your own children, so congratulations for that MAJOR accomplishment!

I've only had my band for 6 weeks and only have 1 fill of 3cc so far, so I don't have much restriction. So far, I can eat everything I've tried and I've tried almost everything, including bread, pasta, beef, rice, and reheated chicken breast, all of which I've heard are VERY hard for some bandsters to eat. It may be because I'm not tight enough yet to have any trouble.

BTW, I'm not saying I eat a ton of all those things! I definitely watch my calories and portion sizes (eat about 1000 cal/day) but I like to have a lot of variety in my food, so I haven't cut anything out completely. That might change, but right now I'm doing well. I make smart choices (very few sweets or junk foods) but I think it's important not to deprive yourself. When I deprive, I end up going bonkers when my willpower finally breaks. By having small amounts of "unhealthy" food occasionally, I feel satisfied to do a big splurge.

I agree with everything you said, but especially this: "The band doesn't fail people; People fail the band."

Unless you had an incompetent surgeon who placed the band incorrectly, or you're one of the extraordinarily rare people who had a mechanically defective band, the band works. Or maybe I should say the BAND PROGRAM works, because nothing is a magic cure for obesity, not even the band (or sleeve, or bypass, for that matter). The band is simply a key component in a system that involves eating less, eating more wisely, eating healthier, and moving your body more often. You can't just pick and choose which of those pieces of the system you're going to actually do. You have to do them all.

If you don't, you won't lose weight. But the band didn't fail; the bandster did.

Oh, boy, do I remember that feeling. It wasn't that long ago! I looked at the four hour appointment block as fun, because it made the whole process seem so REAL finally. The nutritionist was very nice, very enthusiastic, and super supportive, so that was great, and the exercise class was pretty basic stuff...if you've done any exercise classes before, you'll already understand all the info. The doctor wasn't my favorite, but he was thorough and the exam was routine, except for the EKG (which, of course, I had to make interesting). And you're lucky with your lab tests. I had to have a few of them redone because of my wonky results. My blood refuses to be normal

As for the "last meal syndrome," do try not to look at it that way. There's no reason to think you won't EVER get to have certain foods again. The point of the band, to my mind, is to aid you in eating normally, meaning you can eat all foods, but you will more easily control your portions and eat fewer calories. 6 weeks after banding, I'm able to eat anything I try so long as I follow the rules of small bites, chewing til the cows come home (and probably looking like I'm chewing my cud!), and eating slowly. If you don't have that "never again" mentality, it might be easier to resist shoving it all in before the pre-op diet deadline.

Best of luck!

LOL. I think the food dreams are pretty common. A day or two before surgery, I dreamt that I made someone bring me fast food after I was banded, but even in the dream, I ate a few bites and threw the rest out, so it was like a subconscious victory!

I'm sure you'll do great. Keep the positive attitude and you can't fail.

Also keep in mind that the lapband doesn't start working until it starts to fill up. The first month after surgery is about healing, not weight loss. That's the reason the time between surgery and when you get filled to restriction is called Bandster Hell. Even your first fill won't necessarily bring you the restriction you need to really start losing weight. I know it's hard (trust me, I'm there right now) but the key now is patience and determination. You WILL get through this, and you WILL start to lose weight. You can do this!

Congratulations! New beginnings are amazing sometimes, and I hope yours leads to great things.

Also, if you've ever tried anything like WW, I've heard of some people going to the center where they attended meetings and being able to have the center print out copies of their weigh in records for insurance approval. You might try that!

Still, with a bmi near 40 and sleep apea, you shouldn't have a problem. I'll cross my fingers for you.

I'm doing good! I've lost about 17 lbs so far including the preop diet (10 lbs preop, 5 weeks since banding) but I've only had 1 fill and I don't have good restriction yet. I felt the same way about bypass and sleeve. I can't justify to myself the removal or rerouting of healthy organs. The band surgery was quick and recovery for me was very easy. Dr Jan is a bit remote, but he answers questions clearly and honestly, he did not try to talk me out of the band, and he listened when I went in for my fill about what I wanted and how I was doing. I'm going for my second fill 3/23 (3 weeks after my first fill).

So far I'm losing slowly, but I'm okay with slow so lng as the weight does come off and it stays off. I'm very committed to the process, track all my calories and my protein and am building in more exercise, but I think if a person acknowledges that the band is just a tool and that it takes work to lose with it, then there's no reason to get bypass instead. Just remember that while some people lose fast, the average rate with the band is 1-2 lbs per week. Good luck to you! Let me know if you have any questions or anything!

Hey are you going through PeaceHealth Southwest? I ask because you're describing the exact process I went through and even the WLS coordinator ha the same name! I was banded there by Dr Jan on Feb 1st. He's not very warm and fuzzy (brisk and business-like) but when I told him the band was what I wanted and I wouldn't consider bypass, he didn't try to talk me out of it. If the doctor who did your seminar is difficult, try meeting with Dr Jan instead. I couldn't be happier with my decision! (I was seld pay, btw, so my process was super fast and efficient)

Best of luck!!!

I'm not sure if you use My Fitness Pal, but if you do, you can enter any recipe into the program and it will figure out all the nutritional information for you. I find it really helpful!

Everyone is entitled to those grumpy days! (I have to say that so I won't feel like such a jerk ) But it's true. That's what blogs are for--to get the things off your chest that may or may not be approprate for the forums. Glad to see you're feeling better.

Congrats on doing so well!

GOOD LUCK TO YOU ON YOUR JOURNEY HOPING THE BEST OF RESULTS TO YOU....

Thanks so much!

Thanks, Caribear! My excitement is gearing up, and I'm happy with the decision I made.