ready4animprovedme

I was banded 6/5/12 and i remember the preop diet as if it were yesterday. It's tough, but once you make it through you'll look back and think "that wasn't that bad". You're going to get headaches and you're going to feel tired and sluggish. Sometimes I think the only thing that kept me going was the protein shakes, I could have as many of those as I wanted but most days even drinking two was a struggle. On the go I would grab a muscle milk protein drink from a gas station (they tastes pretty good). Good luck to you, seems as if you're in the right frame of mind! Best wishes

Hello All,
Sorry for not posting on here yesterday, so I'm going to combine yesterday's news with today. So yesterday I had a pounding headache. I don't understand why because I've been sticking to the diet and drinking a lot of Water. Is there any explanation for this? Maybe caffine withdrawal? Anyhow, I got home and immediately fell into a slumber for majority of the night. Needless to say I felt better when I woke up, but today I'm tired as all cna be as if I didn't get any sleep. Any wonder why? My blood sugars are getting better and better with each day that is going on.
Also, I have my pre-op appointment tomorrow adn did you know that if you pay your deductible at the pre-op you could qualify for a discount? I didn't know that until the lady told me that if I paid my portion at the appointment I got a 25% discount. As Charle Sheen would say, "Winning"! LOL!
Now to day 6. I'm at work and I am dragging, hungry, and filled with regret and defeat. The fact that it's lunch time and all my co-workers are talking about where they are going for lunch doesn't help at all. But my wife called the doctor this morning and he was happy to hear that I have lost a total of 20 pounds since last friday. I've laid off the broth for a few days because it was starting to get boring and bland to me. Well I hate to leave on short notice, but I'm not getting paid to blog all day, which wouldn't be a bad thing. Until next time! Take care, and don't give up or give in! And as always thank you all who have responded to my posts.
V/r,
DeShawn

After 4 pages of awkwardness, Well that was 15min of my life I'll never get back...

It's not just everyday that is a new day, its every meal, every step, every bite, every breath! So girl, don't you waste anymore of your breath worried about what could have been, or how you should have done better. It's but a little blip on the radar! At the end of the day, we all have made mistakes, but the difference between success and failure is only a matter of perseverance! We all fail, only a few have the courage to keep going! You are SO worth every bit of health and happiness...Not because of any human right, but because you have EARNED IT! Life as an overweight person is not easy. We are looked past and chosen last, but not today! Choose to be the person you are destined to be and everything else will fall into place. Good days are ahead...I can't even promise that they'll outweigh the bad, but I can promise that it makes everything worthwhile!
Banded 8/20/2012 - Heaviest: 512 - Current: 464

I'm glad that you have the most amazing of lives. Maybe when your ego deflates a little bit you can be kind to everyone else on the forums who are all working toward the same common goal. In my experience with life when you drop your "I'm a total badass" attitude and try work with people instead of against them people tend to respond to you more positively. Whatever you do, again hope everything works out.

Was standing in the kitchen last night when my husband came out and wrapped his arms around me and made the comment there was so much less of me to hug now. I'm only about 3 months post op but I'm down 59lbs. I feel wonderful and my husband just made my day.

Wow! This is awesome

Ugh I know it's hard. I remember pictures of me being taken (against my will) last Christmas, which was just a couple weeks before my surgery. They were so horrible, I untagged myself from them on Facebook because I was just so ashamed at how horrible I looked. The only time anyone got any pictures of me the last 10 years was under protest or by sneaking, because I hated pictures and the way I looked so grossly huge in them.
The good news is, in the near future, you'll look back at that picture and be like "wow I can't believe that was me!" and it will feel amazing. You will happily take pictures because you'll know you look better than you have in years. Change is coming soon, just try to focus on how much you are about to change for the better

Wonderful! I can honestly say I've never crossed my legs... one day :-)

Woot Woot, I was sitting in the doctor’s office yesterday (for my husband) and looked down and my legs were crossed. I was a wee bit stunned and thought it must be this chair ( crazy thought) and so I got up and moved to a different chair ( husband was wondering what I was doing) to see if I could do it again. I DID. I can’t remember the last time I crossed my legs and I was not even thinking about it. Woot Woot, I know this is not ground breaking news to everyone but it was wonderful to me.
Lassie

Is where I find my peace, away from it all. It's mines, it belongs to me for that moment. I am a new woman, my mind is at peace. I can finally THINK, without 2 toddlers in one ear and well... Life in the other. I can be myself, by myself and enjoy myself. Even if I'm sore or in a little pain afterwards, that's ok. Peace never hurt so good
Just sharing my new found peace... It's lovely
Lala

I was banded in January 2012, and within months of me, two of my real life friends had Gastric Bypass. One had it in October 2011 and the other February 2012. We all started out with over 200 pounds to lose. I was originally scheduled for Gastric Bypass, too. But, I canceled the surgery because I simply couldn't justify permanently rerouting my internal organs without trying something far less drastic first. So, I got the Lap-Band instead.
Like so many others on here, I heard endlessly how I was a fool for choosing the Lap-Band over Gastric Bypass. "Oh you'll be lucky to lose 50 pounds with Lap-Band"... "You should have Gastric Bypass, you'll dump a ton of weight much faster"... "why don't you stick with the sure thing, Gastric Bypass, rather than waste your time with Lap-Band?". Believe me, I heard it all, so much so I even began to doubt myself and my decision. What if they were right?
But I researched not only the Lap-Band but the Gastric Sleeve and Gastric Bypass thoroughly. I knew the pros and cons of each, I knew what the surgeries entailed, and I knew that regardless of which one I chose the work would be mine to do and I'd have to make diet changes for a lifetime. I knew Lap-Band was right for me, so despite the naysayers, I went through with it.
Fast forward to now, July 2012...

My friend who had Gastric Bypass in October 2011 has lost 64 pounds. She lost all that in the first 3 months and hasn't lost anything in the last 6 months. She never really changed her eating habits because she figured she didn't need to with the Gastric Bypass. She did cut back on portions in the beginning, but currently she admits that aside from vomiting occasionally from eating fatty foods or sweets, she eats pretty much like she did before surgery.
My friend who had Gastric Bypass in February 2012 has lost 14 pounds. She hasn't changed a single thing about her eating habits and is vomiting multiple times daily from trying to overeat.
I, who had Lap-Band in January 2012, have lost 121 pounds. I am far from perfect, I struggle with head hunger almost daily, and I definitely have times I eat unhealthy foods. But the majority of the time I eat very healthy and follow the portion and nutritional guidelines my nutritionist gave me.

My point isn't to gloat, or to say "See, Lap-Band is better!" My point is the fact that it doesn't matter which WLS you choose, you MUST DO THE WORK YOURSELF. I don't care if it's Gastric Bypass, the Sleeve, or Lap-Band. The surgeries are tools not magic pills. If you don't change your eating habits to healthy ones for a lifetime you simply will not get the results you desire. Period, no exceptions. I hear people say all the time "Oh I got the band because I don't want to diet". Of course, we all did, but guess what? You do have to eat healthy, not just for awhile like a diet, but for a lifetime.
Ultimately, no matter which WLS surgery you choose, your success or failure depends on you not the surgery itself.

Wow my Lap Band journey is moving very fast! Went to a seminar late May, earlyJune I had my first appointment with my surgeon, late June my insurance approved the procedure (without any prerequisites) had my upper GI the first week of July, Nutrisionist a week ago and scheduled the surgery yesterday. I'm very excited its scheduled for Augest 30th that's a Thursday and the following Monday is Labor Day for me thats a free day off...So I'm just going to need to use two days for my surguery. Now it's just 33 days until my 10 day starts... My beautiful wife is going to change her eating habits with me too! We are going to start reeling in the calories and caffeine starting yesterday. I'm very excited.

It must be making you crazy to see all the different surgeons' instructions on this as well as a million other issues. I've read all the responses so far (I think) and don't recall seeing this tidbit which came to me from my original and current surgeons and was confirmed by the surgeon who vetted my book (Bandwagon):
Alcohol is a gastric irritant, and it can cause inflammation and (eventually) ulcers. Just something to keep in mind.
My personal comments on this heated issue are:
1. Alcohol is liquid calories with no nutritional benefit. Yes, some people believe that there are health benefits in drinking moderate amounts of red wine, but if you have to use the health excuse to justify something you're going to do anyway, well....OK, go ahead!
2. Alcohol loosens your inhibitions and makes eating something stupid (or drinking a second or third glass of wine) seem like a really good idea.
Finally, thanks for starting such an entertaining thread. I haven't seen so many irritable, rude, defensive, ornery, inflammatory posts on a single thread here in quite some time. I know what my excuse is: it's 99 degrees outside at almost 7 pm. That's enough to make a saint cranky.

I have broken all the rules... I've eaten before i should have, and i've drank pop and beer and wine.... I've lost 57 pounds in a year ( banded 6/29/11 ) and i'm also 8 months pregnant.... And i also just ate a pudding.....
I'm still living, some people are just more up tight about the rules than others LOL
I just watch my calories, drink my Water and try to keep busy.

Well ME personally I was banded 6/5 and last weekend I went out and got drunk. Am I going to turn in to an alcoholic to replace my food addiction? Hell no. Do I drink often? Nope. You are given directions/instructions and you choose whether or not to follow those. I chose not to for an evening. I'm 23 yrs old and to never drink again even sounds ludicrous.
Would I have had a drink 2 weeks after surgery? Probably not. But to each their own.

Ok I know i'm gonna get some slack for this but it's just a pet peeve of my own...people are always asking how much is in their band and it's totally irrelevant to anyone but that person...2cc's in my band doesn't mean 2cc's in someone else band means the same thing or yields the same results...I think people get so obsessed with how many cc's they have compared to other people they loose site of the real picture...ok now back to our regularly scheduled program...lol!(bring on the slack...lol) hope I didn't offend anyone.

Looks great!

Congratulations!

I was banded 6/5 and have lost 25 (post op included) and I've had several people tell me that they can tell that I've lost weight. Maybe Its just shifting or maybe they're just being nice lol, I personally do not see it yet. All in due time I suppose.

I think I'm going to buy a ring so every time I look at my hand and see it, I am reminded of what I accomplished and how important it is to never be that huge again.

Okay i got my first fill today was not bad at all...so far heres my progress my surgery was June 18
start weight 287
surgery weight 272
today weight 260
feeling good about getting my band still got 90 pounds to lose and im goin get there!!!

Well, in a matter of a year's time...
I divorced the world's biggest idiot, quit smoking, bought a house, and had Lap-Band surgery.
So really, my entire life is a huge radical change from this time last year

I could've teared up reading your thread. You're an amazing woman and you've come thus far, you can accomplish anything! Good luck!