BikiniBodby30

Way to go!! I'm very excited for you and encourage you to keep going

I know the feeling Kanda! I was working out religiously pre surgery but since having the surgery, and the two weeks off for recovery, I've been less than motivated. I'm going to work out tonight, I'll let you know if I've had any success in the motivation department.

Well today marks day six. Six whole days since I've had my lap band installed ::hehe:: Let me start from surgery until today to catch y'all up! Day of Surgery: Woke up, got to the surgery center at approximately 6am. The nurses and staff were wonderful - all very caring and good at their jobs (I don't even have a bruise from the IV in my hand!) I spoke with Dr. Nirmul, my surgeon - funny guy, very nice and happy to answer questions and Dr. Opara, my anesthesiologist - whom my mother decided to call Dr. Oprah just for giggles <enter eye roll here> Amazing how at 28 years old my mom can still embarrass me haha But I love her and she was worrying about me. I was in surgery by 7am and was on my way home, in the car, calling my boss to tell her I was out of surgery by 10:30am. I went home and rested pleasantly for a few hours before all H3LL broke loose at my parents house. I wont go into details, simply because it's too exhausting to discuss. All I will say is I didn't get much sleep the day of surgery and had plenty of emotional/mental stress. Yay siblings! Days 2 and 3: Pretty uneventful - drank chicken broth and ate sugar free popscicles - slept on and off throughout the days. Day 3 afternoon: went home from parents house and showered, changed, and relaxed. Ate some chicken broth/tomato soup. Day 4: Hungry. Stayed busy but hungry. But sadly used to being hungry. No more green eyes of jealousy when people eat in front of me. Day 5: First day back at work and OMG - I think I'm going to die from the hunger. Pain in my neck Trapezius (shrug muscle), use a heating pad and try to massage it throughout the day. I am verging on *grumpy*. I stop and get frozen yogurt for dinner and eat about a 1/4 of it. The hunger has dissipated and I'm back to being happy. Day 6: Self promoted to the mushie stage, was NOT going to have another miserable day like yesterday. Stopped by Tacobell -because I only really decided to go mushies today while making my 35 minute drive to work- and got two sides of Pintos and Cheese. Sooo happy, I was singing about then in the parking lot of work. Ate those for breakfast/lunch. Got a Pineapple Mango smoothie from McDs and Banana/Blueberry oat meal for lunch. I'm about half way thru the smoothie and ate/will eat all of the oatmeal by the time I go home tonight. MUCH happier day. Still have Trap pain, took some GasX Stripes to try and kill it but I don't find them to be all that helpful. Probably just some referred pain from my diaphram. Not much I can do about that except keep using the heating pads and suffer through it. I'm hoping it will be gone soon though, it is distracting. Well that catches you up to the present. I was excited this morning for my first NSV (non scale victory) I put on a size 38 DDD bra - normally wear a 40 DDD, and those were tight - and am happy to report that this bra is not hurting at all I will say that perhaps the DDD isn't sufficient to hold the girls if I go down to a 38 band but It's just nice to know that the 38 bras fit again

Sorry Alli - it's the simple carbs in the potato that isn't good for us. All of the potatoes you listed would be 'bad' but you can do sweet potatoes... I know, not the same

Hi I'm day 5 post op and Sooooooooo looking forward to my mushie stage. I can see how mashed potatoes can be very addictive which, as Sojourner said, can lead to not so healthy choices. I have heard about Mashed Cauliflower. Here is a recipe that I found after doing a quick Google search. Worth a try!! 1 head of cauliflower 3 tablespoons milk 1 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoons light sour cream 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt freshly ground black pepper snipped chives Directions: 1. Separate the cauliflower into florets and chop the core finely. 2. Bring about 1 cup of Water to a simmer in a pot, then add the cauliflower. Cover and turn the heat to medium. Cook the cauliflower for 12-15 minutes or until very tender. 3. Drain and discard all of the water (the drier the cauliflower is, the better) and add the milk, butter, sour cream, salt and pepper and mash with a masher until it looks like "mashed potatoes." Top with chives.

I'm day #5 post op and am doing well for the most part. Took my last pain meds on the eve of day 2, nothing since day 3. I'm moving around a lot and have been driving since day 3 without a problem. I'm back to work today and having pretty severe neck pain (trapezius muscle aka the shrug muscle) on the left side. My port site hurts on occassion but feel that it may be due to the amount of activity/talking that I am doing today since being back at work. Like many of you, I'm having difficulty getting in my Protein - my poor hair Today is really the first day that I'm genuinely trying to get down my Protein Drink. It makes my stomach hurt to try and digest it though. Almost like it's protesting LOL I am hungry all the time now, but I don't actually want to eat because of the pain that it causes - I feel like my stomach literally seizes up when it gets food to digest. Hopefully I can push the rest of my protein drink and it can move the healing process along. I only had four incisions and none are very painful - the port site does get sore but nothing that is not manageable. My surgeon did an awesome job and can only think that the Trap pain is from the hiatal hernia repair. We can all get through this, one minute at a time

I feel the same way CMK, I'd really like to know more about how people avoided the sag.

I've had the same issues, most recently since being on the pre op diet. This past weekend I was not invited out for our regular saturday plans of hitting the bar for some dancing and in my friends case, drinking. I do feel a little jealous but also tell myself that perhaps my friend doesn't want me to feel like the odd man out because I'm not drinking with everyone else. I tell myself that my friends still care about me, they just don't understand. I hope it doesn't stay this way because I would be lost without my friends but I know exactly how you feel.

@ Nebula- Something rich in protein and low in carbs. Usually just a protein shake for most people. And the reason you want to take in the protein is so that your body can repair the damage that is done to your muscles and burn fat calories instead of taking those calories from muscle. Basically each time you work out with weights (and all of us should) and become sore the next day, you've made tiny tears in the muscle fibers. This is the only way that the muscle builds and gets stronger. Hence the reason for the protein. Protein is food for your muscles.

Hi Angie - this is to help keep your metabolism up and help you build lean muscle. Which in turn helps you burn more calories when you're resting.

Hi Shells - This will get better, I'm sure it's just the underlying emotions of Jean Shopping and then the high of finding a swim suit. Then you have to consider actually traveling to San Diego... You have plenty on your mind to keep you on the emotional roller coaster. I'd say, just relax tonight after work and have some 'you' time. Hopefully, you'll feel better soon

@ Ready - I was actually considering Lola for my band as well Great minds think a like! Haha

Congratulations on your upcoming surgery! The pre op diet is tedious and boring but ultimately the whole reason we are doing it is so that our liver shrinks. What has kept me from cheating these past 12 days is knowing that if my liver isn't small enough, they will NOT place my band. I'd hate to have to be cut open, just to find out that they couldn't do the implant because I couldn't follow instructions.

I like that name, it's cute and fitting I hope something kicks it, haha otherwise coming out of surgery will be a rude awaking!