myjourneyagain

Today I was so relieved to eat my first serving of meat ...so here is what I had for lunch(about 2oz). My hubby made 2 different bowls (one with chicken, and one with shrimp and crab).
SPINACH DIP
1pkg. (8 oz.)PHILADELPHIA Cream cheese Spread,(we used fat free) softened
1cup FAGE GREEK YOGURT 0%
ITALIAN Salad Dressing mix
chopped spinach (we used fresh spinach)
½ cup chopped red peppers
MIX cream cheese spread, yogurt and dressing mix in medium bowl until well blended.
STIR in remaining ingredients; cover. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled.
SERVE with assorted cut-up vegetables.
My hubby didn’t use the salad dressing or the peppers. He mixed in and pureed 2 grilled chicken breasts. I had the shrimp and crab mixture for dinner!! They both were great!!

That sounds amazing, I'm definitely going to try it!

Today I was so relieved to eat my first serving of meat ...so here is what I had for lunch(about 2oz). My hubby made 2 different bowls (one with chicken, and one with shrimp and crab).
SPINACH DIP
1pkg. (8 oz.)PHILADELPHIA Cream cheese Spread,(we used fat free) softened
1cup FAGE GREEK YOGURT 0%
ITALIAN Salad Dressing mix
chopped spinach (we used fresh spinach)
½ cup chopped red peppers
MIX cream cheese spread, yogurt and dressing mix in medium bowl until well blended.
STIR in remaining ingredients; cover. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled.
SERVE with assorted cut-up vegetables.
My hubby didn’t use the salad dressing or the peppers. He mixed in and pureed 2 grilled chicken breasts. I had the shrimp and crab mixture for dinner!! They both were great!!

Hi everyone! My name is Marci and I am 41 years old. I have been overweight for about 15 years now. I need to take off about 90 pounds. Tried to get insurance approved for Lap Band surgery back in 2006/2007 and was denied. I have continued to gain weight since then and have also been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Our insurance has since changed to Cigna and after speaking with them it looks like I will be able to easily get approved.
The surgeons office called today and told me I have to go through 3 months of weight management. They thought that since I have checked in with my regular MD every month since my diabetes diagnosis and weighed in, that Cigna might approve that as the 3 months of weight management. (crossing my fingers on that one!)
There is so much info online that I waiver back and forth with my decision to have this surgery. I want it. I want it really bad. I should have done it 10 years ago. I have wasted a good 10 years of life being fat!! Statistically it seems this surgery is very safe. I always seem to go back to the things I read online about the people who haven't been successful and have had this problem or that problem. I know this is just a tool.
Everyone here is so positive. I think I just need to stay in this forum and stop reading all over the Internet. My surgeon is actually the surgeon who trains all the other surgeons in the state of Florida so I am sure I am in good hands.

That sounds good! I need some new recipes!

Today I was so relieved to eat my first serving of meat ...so here is what I had for lunch(about 2oz). My hubby made 2 different bowls (one with chicken, and one with shrimp and crab).
SPINACH DIP
1pkg. (8 oz.)PHILADELPHIA Cream cheese Spread,(we used fat free) softened
1cup FAGE GREEK YOGURT 0%
ITALIAN Salad Dressing mix
chopped spinach (we used fresh spinach)
½ cup chopped red peppers
MIX cream cheese spread, yogurt and dressing mix in medium bowl until well blended.
STIR in remaining ingredients; cover. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled.
SERVE with assorted cut-up vegetables.
My hubby didn’t use the salad dressing or the peppers. He mixed in and pureed 2 grilled chicken breasts. I had the shrimp and crab mixture for dinner!! They both were great!!

From your recent pictures I think you look good. You look healthy. You certainly don't look emaciated or skinny. I would ignore other people, their opinions don't count. Most of the time they feed you crap as they have ulterior motives - like being jealous of your weight loss etc.
You will probably find that at some point you stop losing anyway. But if you think that you have lost enough it is easy to stop losing without getting Fluid taken out. Simply add in a few high cal sliders!

Well, I would be happy if I would consistently fit into a size 12/14, regardless of my weight. I don't think there's anything wrong with it! Might save you some stress over the numbers on a scale!

Everyone always talks about weight horrors but I want to build muscle too so its it bad to make size goals instead of weight? Does anyone do this

Hello! I'm Sarah and just got the insurance approval a couple of weeks ago for surgery. I finished up all my apppoinments on June 5 and then waited and waited and waited for insurance approval. After jumping through some hoops and sending in even MORE paperwork, I FINALLY got approved!
This past Wednesday (the 11th) I started my liquid diet and surgery is scheduled for July 25. Boy, am I sick of drinking my meals! I'm nervous, excited and scared.. runing the whole gambit of emotions. I started out this journey at my highest weight ever of 383 pounds. I had been thinking of having some sort of weight loss surger for years, but just wasn't ready yet. After an emotional couple of years, dealing with some depression due to a unexpected job loss and some other things, I decided at the end of 2011 that 2012 would be the year of change for me. It was the year I turned 40, my oldest graduated from high school, will be sending my youngest to kindergarten and my middle son to high school. My husband's father passed away and we're dealing with all that involved (his mother passed away years ago) and what's one more thing?
Another deciding factor was watching my husband work off over 100 pounds through sheer determination. I tried, but just was not able to have the success he had which didn't help with the depression. Don't get me wrong, I'm so proud of him, but just a bit jealous. He's been totally supportive of me through-out this process and has watched me struggle and fight and is my biggest fan. I'm so blessed to have him for my husband! That all said, after much research, I have decided that Lap-Band is the procedure that will give me the tool I need to get to a healthy weight!
So... Here I am 7 months after that decision. I'm down to 352.1 pounds and my lowest weight in probably 10 years! I need to lose (according to my surgeon) about 3 more pounds to get under the 60 BMI magic number. I have no doubt in my mind that I will be able to do that--especially if I stick to this blasted liquid diet! I'm 4 days into it and finally feeling like I'm hitting my stride. At least I'm not feeling my tummy grumble all the time anymore!
Looking for support and others that have "been there, done that" or are at the the same point I'm at to commisserate and share with. I've found a couple of forums that look promising and trying to find out where I can settle in and call "home".

The only time I even know my band is there is when I eat, otherwise, I have never felt it or my port. Not once.

Well first let me say, regardless of anyone else's opinions, in the end you must do what is best for you.
I was actually originally scheduled for Gastric Bypass. Obviously it's different than VSG, but like VSG is involves permanently changing your internal organs and is completely irreversible. At the last minute I canceled my surgery because I simply couldn't rationalize forever changing my internal organs without at least trying something far less drastic (and reversible) first.
I then looked into Lap-Band and attended a seminar in the beginning of December 2011. I immediately knew this was the right choice and sped through the process to get approved for surgery. On January 6, 2012 I had the Lap-Band surgery.
Honestly, for me, it was by far the best decision I have ever made for myself. While I still have a lot of weight to lose, I have already lost 117 pounds in 6 months and feel better than I have in many years. I absolutely love my band.
Best wishes on whatever path you choose!

Breads or Pasta potato rice grains are not on my list till i reach my goal weight. When i asked my doc. why? i was told , if i start eating breads, pasta and stuff it can stop the weightloss and even end up it gaining weight after i reach my goal and its not about losing anymore, i can slowly add these things and see which cause weight gain and which are good for me ,so i m not even thinking about any of it right now and i have to say, i dont miss it as much anymore either.

Anyone who is struggling with the Protein Shakes needs to order the chicken Soup flavor from unjury.com they saved me!! I was banded 7/6 and was starving after 3 days and started mixing my Protein Shake with soup and I'm not starving anymore! I mix them them as directed and then add them to soup and it's actually good, not just tolerable!! I've mixed with cream of chicken, tomatoe and cream of potatoe and they have all been good and again I'm not starving anymore!!

you need to do this for you. if any man leaves someone because they lost weight and made themselves healthy, then good riddance. a real man who married YOU will stay married to YOU no matter what you weigh. so get that type of thinking out of your head now and do this for you.

1-help my friend lose weight while she is waiting for WLS encourage her to workout at her pace starting this month by July 20.
2-I'm at 185 now... Get a fill August 1...my goal is to get down to 176 by sept.1
3-Try to maintain the step classes two days per week atleast through December.
4-maintain current weight lifting and cardio workouts 3 data per week.
5- make a regular weekend schedule this month to walk/ jog two early mornings (weekends)
6-take one facial and body picture each month til I hit goal.

Today a want each of you to make a (Lap Band) Bucket list of all the goals and things that you want to accomplish.. And give yourself a time goal and a people goal.
If you come upon something that is not on your list or does not comply with your goals then dissmiss it!! Dont use any more substitues for the goals yo want to accomplish!!!
Know that you can't make a cake using carrots instead of eggs it wont work its not the correct ingredients right!!
Well thats how your goal list is going to work, if its not part of the ingredients then it should be elminated off your goal list.
Caution: I must tell you that you, that you may have to elimate some people in your life. They may not be apart of your goal.

2nd day post op and almost all the soreness has gone away yayayay. I am able to move around alot better and staying good with my Jello and broth and Water. remember to walk walk walk.

Surgery went well today now to my new beginning

Yay you did it. Rest and heal... Don't do too much:)

Congratulations!

I found the only pain I had after surgery was left shoulder pain (from the gas) and it last only 3 days. I found a heating a pad really helped. I had no other pain.
Tom, Toronto
Banded July 6 06
Wt. Loss: 156 lbs

My husband is my biggest supporter too. We have been married 14 years now and I've always been big he had always said my wieght don't bother him I'm very thankful for that. I weighed 365 pounds before I started my new life on 6/5 and he keeps tell me how proud he is of me and he can tell I'm loosing. I weighed this morning and I'm down to 295.6. I keep telling him that I'm bless to have him in my life and I don't know what I do with out him because I don't think I could do this with out him. He is my work out buddy too. It's funny cause he only wiegh 130 I keep tell him dont do everyday cause he don't need to loose lol.

My husband is my biggest cheerleader. I will say that our sex life is improving greatly.....50 pounds lighter makes a big difference. I was big when we met and he has always said that he loves everything about me, not just the physical appearance. I could not of done this without his support and I know he will be beside me all the way.

Wow, Its interesting that diff doctors have diff diets. I just had my surgery 6 days ago and my diet goes like this
day 1-3 - Clear Liquids only
day 4-14- full liquids + Protein shakes
day 15-27- soft foods + protein shakes
day 28-35- regular food trial
they told me that it takes 6 weeks for the body to heal from surgery so i need to be really strict and stay on my diet. So far I have been doing it and it hasn't been that hard. Just keep at it and it will pay off in the end.