jen_1381

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That feeling you have of no restriction, but having to follow the eating guidelines and still starving - - that's what we call Bandster Hell. It's a time to put mind over matter, focus on your goals, and stick to the rules. It's not easy, by no means. Typically, it takes a few fills to feel good restriction. I've had four, and think I'm in my Green Zone now, so when I have 1 measured cup of food, I'm full for 4-6 hours.

Bow-cheekie-bow-mowww!
That's what I'm talking about!

ray Charles could see that!

I just asked ladies, no need to maul me! I never said I was pro nor con

Not sure if anyone could or should answer this question. You are better off checking with your surgeon.

Honestly? It's only been 6 days, don't sweat it. It can be super frustrating when you're used to seeing the scale go down every day, then it stops. And you're working really hard....and the scale isn't repsonding.
This is really hard, but just wait it out. If you're doing everything right, your body will catch up. This coming from a girl who weighs herself every day, and has been on a plateau for over 2 months. I get the frustration and concern part.

I have to say Missy, I've read the quote on your signature a thousand times - "I'm nothing special, just a fat girl desperate not to be fat anymore".
I want to tell you - - you ARE special. You're so supportive, so honest, so caring...your family and friends (and us!!) are very lucky to have you around. Thank you so much for helping us all along.

Well I swore to myself I wouldn't step on the scale until Sunday but curiousity got the best of me, and I checked this morning. I'm down just a hair over 5 lbs! I was skeptical - eating so often makes me nervous - but it's working!

I'm going to chime in on this. First, well said Missy. Second, I did the hcg diet. I lost 45 lbs in 12 weeks. I felt great. Then I stopped the low cal diet and went to just eating healthier, around 1100 cals a day. The weight all came back within three months. I opted for lap band bc these fad diets don't work.
If its one thing I've learned since starting my WLS process that the key to good nutrition and weight loss is simple. Eat healthy. Exercise.
Eating 500 calories a day will put you into starvation mode. HCG does not prevent your body from eating your muscle when you're starving. Unless you're getting pure injections from a doctor, the homeopathic drops are useless. It's the low cal diet that makes you lose weight.
I've done the diet. It works temporarily. Why go through life changing lap band surgery just to fall back into a crash diet?? And as far as your surgeon doing the injections and allowing the HCG, I think that's crazy.
But again, this is just my experience and opinion.

I'm going to chime in on this. First, well said Missy. Second, I did the hcg diet. I lost 45 lbs in 12 weeks. I felt great. Then I stopped the low cal diet and went to just eating healthier, around 1100 cals a day. The weight all came back within three months. I opted for lap band bc these fad diets don't work.
If its one thing I've learned since starting my WLS process that the key to good nutrition and weight loss is simple. Eat healthy. Exercise.
Eating 500 calories a day will put you into starvation mode. HCG does not prevent your body from eating your muscle when you're starving. Unless you're getting pure injections from a doctor, the homeopathic drops are useless. It's the low cal diet that makes you lose weight.
I've done the diet. It works temporarily. Why go through life changing lap band surgery just to fall back into a crash diet?? And as far as your surgeon doing the injections and allowing the HCG, I think that's crazy.
But again, this is just my experience and opinion.

The choice is ultimately yours but I encourage you to thoroughly research it. There are surgeons that will do the band for a BMI over 30 but I don't know of any insurances that will pay for it. If you're planning on using your insurance I would give them a call first.
One thing you said alarmed me - that you had "really awful willpower".
Living the banded life takes will power and want power. Nothing will stop you from eating the bad foods. The band doesn't limit in any way the food you eat. The ultimate goal (at least, for me personally) is to lose weight by eating smaller amounts of healthier food. I've had 4 fills and now 1 measured cup of food keeps me full for 4-6 hours. The band is doing it's job, but I'm also doing mine by chosing high Protein, low calorie, healthy food to fuel my body. I've undergone a whole lifestyle change, as most successful bandsters have.
If you feel like you're ready to transform your life and way of thinking about food, then I say go for it. If you're thinking it's an easy fix for a problem, then really weigh out your options.
Whatever you chose, we're all in this together and we're all out to support each other. My own personal experience, I was banded with a BMI of 35.2 and have not for one day regretted my decision. It has by no means been easy, or a quick fix (as I've been on a plateau for about 2 months now), but I'm making it work.

Well I swore to myself I wouldn't step on the scale until Sunday but curiousity got the best of me, and I checked this morning. I'm down just a hair over 5 lbs! I was skeptical - eating so often makes me nervous - but it's working!

hotties.bmp

hotties.bmp

I was shocked - SHOCKED - when I met with my surgeon last time and he said that carbonation was perfectly fine but it may cause some discomfort. I was asking him about taking Airborne or Emergen-C for a cold I felt coming on, since it's fizzy I didn't want to risk anything. He said that he feels it's one of those "rules" that surgeons put out there because nothing carbonated is good for you, even diet soda isn't healthy and most times will lead to increased appetite for salt.
I honestly put my fingers in my ears and said "lalalala - don't tell me this". If my brain knows something is off limits, I don't even crave it...I told him that a diet soda was a slippery slope for me, so I'll just keep believing that it can do damage.

I was shocked - SHOCKED - when I met with my surgeon last time and he said that carbonation was perfectly fine but it may cause some discomfort. I was asking him about taking Airborne or Emergen-C for a cold I felt coming on, since it's fizzy I didn't want to risk anything. He said that he feels it's one of those "rules" that surgeons put out there because nothing carbonated is good for you, even diet soda isn't healthy and most times will lead to increased appetite for salt.
I honestly put my fingers in my ears and said "lalalala - don't tell me this". If my brain knows something is off limits, I don't even crave it...I told him that a diet soda was a slippery slope for me, so I'll just keep believing that it can do damage.

Personally. you couldn't pay me to touch carbonation since being banded. It's simply not worth the risk of slips or other complications.

Well I swore to myself I wouldn't step on the scale until Sunday but curiousity got the best of me, and I checked this morning. I'm down just a hair over 5 lbs! I was skeptical - eating so often makes me nervous - but it's working!

Well I swore to myself I wouldn't step on the scale until Sunday but curiousity got the best of me, and I checked this morning. I'm down just a hair over 5 lbs! I was skeptical - eating so often makes me nervous - but it's working!

Well I swore to myself I wouldn't step on the scale until Sunday but curiousity got the best of me, and I checked this morning. I'm down just a hair over 5 lbs! I was skeptical - eating so often makes me nervous - but it's working!

Well I swore to myself I wouldn't step on the scale until Sunday but curiousity got the best of me, and I checked this morning. I'm down just a hair over 5 lbs! I was skeptical - eating so often makes me nervous - but it's working!

I have to say Missy, I've read the quote on your signature a thousand times - "I'm nothing special, just a fat girl desperate not to be fat anymore".
I want to tell you - - you ARE special. You're so supportive, so honest, so caring...your family and friends (and us!!) are very lucky to have you around. Thank you so much for helping us all along.

I have to say Missy, I've read the quote on your signature a thousand times - "I'm nothing special, just a fat girl desperate not to be fat anymore".
I want to tell you - - you ARE special. You're so supportive, so honest, so caring...your family and friends (and us!!) are very lucky to have you around. Thank you so much for helping us all along.