mylynn1377

I'm so sorry Shelley...sucks when the monkey's throw wrenches and mess up the plan that you had in your head. As much as I hate it and don't want to do it the monkey's have wrenched me so bad that I'm gonna have to go and get bypass instead of the lovely band that I wanted. I can finance a band or college and have insurance pay for the bypass so that looks like the way I'm gonna have to go....I'm gonna lurk around here at LBT though. RNY board is kind of depressing. Is there any other method of financing that you guys could try? Maybe some credit card or check with the different places that you might go through for surgery and see what financing they offer?

Thanks to both of you ladies. This is why I want to hang around here regardless of the surgery I get. You are all such wonderful and supportive people!

So I have researched my booty off. Called people, talked to friends, jumped up and down, wished on stars. After my saga last week with the liar, liar, pants on fire clinic and my lack of financial aid to finish school I have come to the conclusion that as much as I want lap band, I'm just not going to be able to do it. It looks like it's gastric bypass or nothing. Which sucks humungously but I have extenuating circumstances so I have to put all of these things in perspective. 1) I can't loose weight long term and keep it off by myself 2) I don't have the money to self pay right now and my insurance won't cover the band 3) I have to get a better paying job with more hours by November and I have to loose enough weight so that someone will actually hire me 4) I am going to have to pay for school out of pocket and I need the weight loss to get a job to pay for school 5) I have had 3 doctors that know me very well tell me I need the weight off now and there is a good chance that If I don't get it off soon that I am right on the cusp of type II diabetes. All of these things have led me to this decision, which my family and fiance are not super thrilled about, but I wonder what else should I do, and even though I know they love me, most of the people in my family and my fiance have never been this big. I'm 5'2 and 318. They have no clue what its like to carry this around. My fiance wants to have a baby in the next few years and I can say right now there is no way. I was on the RNY board and I can say that it doesn't seem as if they are as supportive as LBT. They don't seem as friendly, and the board isn't as informative as LBT. I am sad because I really wanted to be a part of this wonderful group of lovely people and say that I too have a lap band. I wanted to be a proud bander and talk about pre-op diet and post-op diet and fill and unfills and green zone. Now I won't even be able to have chocolate and I will probably kill someone one day when I am stressed out.....yes I know I'm being melodramatic but I'm disappointed darn it... I had ideas of where my life was going and the monkey wrench has caused me to have to start over....blah.

Checking in on this final weigh and I am happy to say that I went from 327.8 on June 1st and I am now 318.6 on June 29!!! Yay Me!!! 9.2 lbs down in a month and I met my June goal. Bring on the July challenge!

321.8 last week, 319.4 today. I think I'll take a 2.4 lbs weight loss! And I've already reached my June goal! So in celebration of this event I will add that I want to loose one more pound by next Friday!

So I have been so excited the past few weeks waiting on some finalization with insurance and doing my pre/pre-op diet. When I started this journey my doctor referred me for lap band, the place I chose in Springfield MO told me that my managed care plan was in the process of being accepted at their location and my insurance would still pay for the consult. Many of the pre-req's were waived because my BMI is so high, etc. So today I get the news that my financial aid is wiped out and I am not eligible for more until I get my Master's. So my hope of a college degree so I could start teaching are slowly flushing down the toilet. So hoping for good news I called the clinic that I am going through for lap band and they put me on hold, come back and tell me that my managed care plan doesn't pay for lap band. I say, Wait a minute, they just told me less than a month ago that your company was finalizing contracts with my plan and it shouldn't be more than a few weeks. This lady, who I had never met, tells me that she has no idea what I am talking about. They accept one kind of my insurance and it isn't the managed plan I have. So I explained my conversation with the receptionist and she still has no idea what I am talking about. So by this time I am about ready to cry...really choking back tears because my day was crapping out rapidly. I call my managed care plan and they had no idea what I was talking about either. They only pay for gastric bypass...period. None of the other managed care plans where I live pay for lap band. I was floored. So I call my insurance coordinator and she tells me that I can try going the gastric bypass route and find providers that will see me or since I am staying with my fiance so much down here in Buffalo, I can switch to a different region where I would have other managed care options, including the one that my clinic takes. So now I can switch, which I really didn't want to do that yet. Or I can try to qualify for gastric bypass, which I really didn't want to do either. And then I have to add to the consideration that I am covered by the state. This insurance goes away in October. I don't have a lot of time to make a decision and then I also have to think about the fact that I have to find a decent paying job soon to help me pay for college. But most people won't hire you when you're this big. So do I go ahead with gastric bypass and loose weight faster so I can get a better job and pay for college, or do I switch plans, get lap band, and hope I loose weight at a decent pace so that maybe I can find a job this fall and save money to start back at college in the spring. I'm so lost today that I hate half a Hershey's bar. My fiance said something about it and I told him if he can go smoke when he's stressed out then he better let me eat my chocolate or I really would rip someone's head off. Yeah I know I'm a stress eater, sue me!

Yeah a friend of mine just pinned a recipe for dark chocolate cupcakes dipped in peanut butter and cover with a hard shell of chocolate. I was like what the heck is that? Can a dessert actually make you gain weight if you look at it because I felt the pounds pouring on while I was drooling over the picture. Man skinny people sometimes...

You can get the unflavored unjury online and mix it with fruit juice or stuff like that. It's supposed to be decent. I know someone on here was recommending Isopure. It's flavored but more like Gatorade flavors and 40g protein per drink. It's kind of pricey but honestly most of the really good protein drinks are pricey.

This is what I try to do daily on my Spark people food journal but it's not set in stone either. Some days I get less calories than 1000 but I try to not go over 1200. Some days I have a bit more carb if I feel I need it. I try hard to keep my sodium down but that is so not realistic as most foods in America are loaded with sodium so I just don't add salt to anything I cook. It's my personal nutrition choice and works for me but may not work for someone else. I know that as I become more physically active I do have to add a few more calories. between 1000 & 1200 calories per day between 20 & 50 grams of fat per day. between 60 & 80 grams of carbohydrates per day. between 80 & 100 grams of Protein per day. between 0 & 300 mg of cholesterol per day. between 1000 & 1500 mg of Sodium, Na at least 12 cups of Water per day.

I'm waiting to get my surgery and trying really hard to revamp my lifestyle in the meantime. The other day my fiance asked me if I still want to get the lap band because I have lost about 12 lbs. I looked straight at him and said yes. I want the extra help. Sure I'm doing pretty good most days but its the days we go out to eat and I have 6 oz of beef, a large baked potatoe, cole slaw, and that piece of garlic bread that's calling my name, are the days I need the band..to catch me when I fall. To back me up when I stray, to stand gaurd on days when I'm weak and want to eat 5 tacos or enchiladas instead of 1 or 2. That's why I need the band. I can do this but not long term or I wouldn't be this heavy.

I really want to try the cookies n cream next. I had thought about putting mine in the freezer, especially when I do my pre op since it will be full liquids. I thought if I froze one I could "eat" it and then feel like a person who can eat things.

Thanks ladies unfortunately I don't have a Costco or Vitamin Shoppe around me and I can't seem to order the shakes from Costco's website because they aren't listed. I guess since mine cost roughly 23.97 and that includes shipping, that I will just stick with my Pure Protein shakes until I can get to a Costco and grab some of those.

It depends on what kind of drinks you like. I use the Great Value liquid drink enhancers, they're a copy of Mio. My favourite is Southern Sweet Tea because I am a sweet tea fanatic and it helps me feel like I am having my tea and drinking it too ha ha. They have other flavors, like strawberry watermelon and lemonade that aren't too bad honestly. I like them because they are zero calorie and use splenda (sucrolose ?) as a sweetner. I do also have the great value version of crystal light. My kids like the cherry and cherry limeade, they think its Kool aid. I like it too but don't drink it as much because they use aspartme as a sweetner and it makes me a bit nervous because I already have liver issues. I understand about the Water. Plain water after the first glass makes me nauseous. It's a left over from my childhood and I blame my older sister for making me drink water until I was sick as a dog. I don't have the soda issue because since they took out my gallbladder my system can't tolerate any kind of soda anymore. If I drink it I feel like someone is stabbing me. Mostly just experiment until you find something that you like. You can start weening yourself off of sugar slowly. Sometimes if I don't have anything to add to the water I put a few spoons of splenda in it to make it drinkable.

So I know there have been lots of posts and discussions about Protein and Protein shakes and powders etc. I happen to love the Pure Protein shakes in the can. I found them by accident and have started a love affair with them. The problem is that there not for sale just anywhere. I order mine off of amazon in a subscribe and save, to cut down on cost but the shipping time is crazy long. I ordered these on the 8th and just got them today. And I like them so much that I save them for the weekdays but there are only 12 cans in a pack so I'm spending quite a bit of money to get them....but I find that on days when I don't have one I snack more and crave junk more. It is so weird to me because I have never found a Protein shake that I like before. I can tolerate the powder ones for a little bit but they gross me out. I haven't tried the unflavored yet though and I mean to try it. But for now I think I will stick to these and keep loosing weight cause it's working. Plus I can put the chocolate flavored ones in my cofffee with a tiny bit of peppermint extract and I feel like I have a peppermint mocha coffee,which makes my insides very happy! PS If anyone knows where I can get them cheaper please let me know!

But for people who already have a diet high in acidic fruit or want a healthier diet what are they supposed to do? Most of the articles I read the people mention this happening and reccomend using a straw, or switching to an enamel building toothpaste. I rinse with plain Water after I'm done drinking and already use an enamel building toothpaste to help combat erosion. I have friends who eat limes and lemons all the time and never seem to have a problem. But I even asked a dentist about it and he said that as long as I rinse and use the toothpaste or a straw if possible it shouldn't be too big of a deal.

I just realized today that one of the biggest things I miss is stamina to do anything. I went to bed at midnight because I was up doing Algebra (hate it). My boys got back from Daddy's yesterday and the oldest wasn't feeling well. Come about 3 am he woke me up because he was throwing up. I was up with him from 3-6 and today I swear I was sick too. It wore me out being up taking care of him. I have felt crappy all day. I want to be able to take care of my kids and my finace without it causing me exhaustion and near collapse.

I'm in the same boat. Had consultation on the 24th of May and I was green lighted. They are waiting on some finalization because they just started taking my insurance. As soon as all that's done I get my EKG, Barium Swallow, and Lab work done the same day and if that's all good we make a surgery date. I would really like this to have all been done two weeks ago so I could be doing the preop diet now and getting ready for surgery!

I have no idea why they said not to take it. I have been allowed after every surgery I've had which is 3. Here's some links I found and I hope it helps. Oh and they do make a liquid version too if that would help you. I found some articles but it won't let me post the links to them just google medications after bariatric surgery and it should pop up a link to obesity help and it mentions that immodium is a safe medication after bariatric surgery to combat diarrhea.

Most of the stuff I have read said limes/lemons so I think its either or both if you like it like that. And I have my coffee after but I'm already noticing that I don't need as much coffee to get me going as I did.

Interesting enough the heartburn is better after just a few days. I had my healthy version of pizza last night which still gives me horrible heartburn and I had just a tad, easy enough to deal with that I didn't have to take Prilosec for it.

So far I use bottle lemon but most of the articles suggest whole lemons or limes or both if you want. The article approached this from an Ayurvedic stance but I know that a friend of mine who is Hispanic does this every morning and before she goes to bed. Her mom does it and so does her Grandma in Mexico. So I thought hey why not.

I read this article and found it fascinating. I am always on the lookout for natural things I can do to help my body detox or loose weight or cleanse something. Since the article gives a big shout out to helping the liver, and since my liver enzymes have been elevated, I think if the only thing this helps is my liver then that would be excellent. Why You Should Drink Warm Water & Lemon By juice of half a lemon.It's so simple and the benefits are just too good to ignore. Warm water with lemon: 1. Boosts you're immune system Lemons are high in Vitamin C and potassium. Vitamin C is great for fighting colds and potassium stimulates brain & nerve function and helps control blood pressure. 2. Balances pH Lemons are an incredibly alkaline food, believe it or not. Yes, they are acidic on their own, but inside our bodies they're alkaline (the citric acid does not create acidity in the body once metabolized). As you wellness warriors know, an alkaline body is really the key to good health. 3. Helps with weight loss Lemons are high in pectin Fiber, which helps fight hunger cravings. It also has been shown that people who maintain a more alkaline diet lose weight faster. And, my experience is that when I start the day off right, it's easier to make the best choices for myself the rest of the day. 4. Aids digestion The warm water serves to stimulate the gastrointestinal tract and peristalsis—the waves of muscle contractions within the intestinal walls that keep things moving. Lemons and limes are also high in minerals and Vitamins and help loosen ama, or toxins, in the digestive tract. 5. Acts as a gentle, natural diuretic Lemon juice helps flush out unwanted materials because lemons increase the rate of urination in the body. Toxins are, therefore, released at a faster rate which helps keep your urinary tract healthy. 6. Clears skin The vitamin C helps decrease wrinkles and blemishes. Lemon water purges toxins from the blood which helps keep skin clear as well. 7. Hydrates the lymph system This cup of goodness helps start the day on a hydrated note, which helps prevent dehydration (obviously) and adrenal fatigue. When your body is dehydrated, or deeply dehydrated (adrenal fatigue) it can't perform all of it's proper functions, which leads to toxic buildup, stress, constipation, and the list goes on. Your adrenals happen to be two small glands that sit on top of your kidneys, and along with your thyroid, create energy. They also secrete important hormones, including aldosterone. Aldosterone is a hormone secreted by your adrenals that regulates water levels and the concentration of minerals, like sodium, in your body, helping you stay hydrated. Your adrenals are also responsible for regulating your stress response. So, the bottom line is that you really don't want to mess with a deep state of dehydration! Adopting just this one practice of drinking a cup of warm water with lemon in the morning for a month can radically alter your experience of the day. Don't be surprised if you begin to view mornings in a new light. Like I said, the recipe is really simple - a cup of warm (not hot) water and the juice from half a lemon.

I read this article and I think I am going to try this. I have liver issues anyway so if it only helps my liver it would be worth it. The way you start each day is incredibly important. Whether you're a mom, a coach, a writer, a small business owner or a yoga teacher, what you do first thing in the morning matters. According to Ayurvedic philosophy, choices that you make regarding your daily routine either build up resistance to disease or tear it down. Ayurveda invites us to get a jump-start on the day by focusing on morning rituals that work to align the body with nature's rhythms, balance the doshas and foster self-esteem alongside self-discipline. Your mind may say you have to check emails, take the dog out, get the kids out the door, that you can't be late for work or that you just don't have enough time to cultivate your own morning rituals. But, if you can only make time for one ritual that will improve your health, let it be this..... Start the day out with a mug of warm water and the juice of half a lemon. It's so simple and the benefits are just too good to ignore. Warm water with lemon: 1. Boosts you're immune system Lemons are high in Vitamin C and potassium. Vitamin C is great for fighting colds and potassium stimulates brain & nerve function and helps control blood pressure. 2. Balances pH Lemons are an incredibly alkaline food, believe it or not. Yes, they are acidic on their own, but inside our bodies they're alkaline (the citric acid does not create acidity in the body once metabolized). As you wellness warriors know, an alkaline body is really the key to good health. 3. Helps with weight loss Lemons are high in pectin fiber, which helps fight hunger cravings. It also has been shown that people who maintain a more alkaline diet lose weight faster. And, my experience is that when I start the day off right, it's easier to make the best choices for myself the rest of the day. 4. Aids digestion The warm water serves to stimulate the gastrointestinal tract and peristalsis—the waves of muscle contractions within the intestinal walls that keep things moving. Lemons and limes are also high in minerals and vitamins and help loosen ama, or toxins, in the digestive tract. 5. Acts as a gentle, natural diuretic Lemon juice helps flush out unwanted materials because lemons increase the rate of urination in the body. Toxins are, therefore, released at a faster rate which helps keep your urinary tract healthy. 6. Clears skin The vitamin C helps decrease wrinkles and blemishes. Lemon water purges toxins from the blood which helps keep skin clear as well. 7. Hydrates the lymph system This cup of goodness helps start the day on a hydrated note, which helps prevent dehydration (obviously) and adrenal fatigue. When your body is dehydrated, or deeply dehydrated (adrenal fatigue) it can't perform all of it's proper functions, which leads to toxic buildup, stress, constipation, and the list goes on. Your adrenals happen to be two small glands that sit on top of your kidneys, and along with your thyroid, create energy. They also secrete important hormones, including aldosterone. Aldosterone is a hormone secreted by your adrenals that regulates water levels and the concentration of minerals, like sodium, in your body, helping you stay hydrated. Your adrenals are also responsible for regulating your stress response. So, the bottom line is that you really don't want to mess with a deep state of dehydration! Adopting just this one practice of drinking a cup of warm water with lemon in the morning for a month can radically alter your experience of the day. Don't be surprised if you begin to view mornings in a new light. Like I said, the recipe is really simple - a cup of warm (not hot) water and the juice from half a lemon.

I'm in Missouri..actually not far from you since I am in Buffalo, just north of Springfield. I haven't been banded yet, waiting for insurance finalization. I am rarin to go. I wanted this done yesterday. I am finally determined to do something for myself so that I can feel better, have more energy, go into a store and not worry if they have my size or if I am forever doomed to shop online in fat girl stores. I want to ride rides at the carnival and take my kids creeking like I used to do when I was a kid. That is why I am doing this. I don't want someone re-routing the intestines that God put where he put them. I don't want someone to create a "new" stomach for me, mine is fine thanks I just have to retrain it how to eat right. I want a tool to help me fix this monster that I created, not someone to fix it for me and leave it up to me and my co-dependent relationship with food. I want someone to teach me how to fish, not give fish to me.. That being said at the end of the day however you come to weight loss is extremely personal. My journey is not your journey and vice versa. I wish you all the luck in whatever you decide to do. Just do it for the right reasons and you will be good to go!

Ok I have been reading posts and blogs lately and it seems like right after getting banded a lot of people go through an emotional upheaval and wonder if they can do this or if they have done the right thing. I'm not banded yet so I can't begin to understand that...or wait...maybe I can't understand the banded part but I really can understand overwhelming decisions. Not the same but maybe this will help. I was a 2 pack a day smoker for 19 years or so. I smoked through both pregnancies (which still makes me cringe) and I didn't care until I realized that my oldest son was sick all the time. I was at the end of my pregnancy with the youngest, it was November and cold as crap, and I knew I was having a scheduled c-section. So I asked my parents what did they think about coming to my apt and getting all the ash trays and lighters out while I was in the hospital. My thought was if I was going to be in there not smoking for 5 days then what would be the point of keeping it up after I got out? I knew I wasn't going to haul my butt downstairs and out the door to stand in the cold and smoke after just having a c-section. So that's what I did. And then I came home to the reality of taking care of a 19 month old and newborn after just having surgery and all by myself. No help. It was nightmarish honestly. I had bad postpartum on top of the quitting smoking. There were times when I could have cheerfully strangled someone for a smoke. I cried a lot and asked what did I do to myself? My best friend said she couldn't do it because she just couldn't fathom not ever being able to smoke again for the rest of her life...and then the light came on... My Dad offered me a lot of really good advice that he has gotten from being in AA. He's been sober 14 years now. And he told me not to look at the big picture but only look at what I could handle today...can I say that I am not going to smoke for the next 5 minutes. I could do that and the picture looked a lot less overwhelming. Now I can say almost 4 years later that I am still a non smoker and I'm pretty sure that I won't have a smoke for at least the next few days. Can't garuntee longer than that because I can't predict the future. Where I am going with this long story is this is the same approach I am using now in my pre/pre op diet that my doctors want me to work on. I can say that in the next 5 minutes that I will not eat half a pan of brownies. But I'm not going to say that I will never eat them again because that is just too much for most of us to handle. So if you can say that you won't eat the bad, and keep eating the good in whatever increments of time that you are comfortable with, it just might make ever thing seem doable. The approach works obviously a lot of people have quit drinking with those tools. I am thinking that with the band it would be a bit easier because I won't be able to eat half a pan of brownies. Or a whole Big Mac. And later on down the road when me and food have come to a better understanding instead of a co-dependent relationship, then and only then, will I contemplate maybe having that brownie, but only a small one. Just like my philosophy with stopping smoking, I am not going through all of this for nothing. I want results and I am determined to get them.