BunnyFoodRocks

Love spice and I tolerate it well!

Each surgeon assesses the viability of doing the revision in one step or 2.

Often they are unable to make the determination until they are removing the lap band and can view the scar tissue, possible damage from the band, etc.

Yay!

You go girl!

It's super good with Turkey Bacon too!

Fabulosity!!!!!!

When you both have some quiet time to think about it, you may want to let him know that the journey you are on is and will be a challenging road for you to navigate. There will be times when you will want and need him to hold your hand and listen to your hopes and fears and share his hopes and fears as well.

It is likely hard for him to envision what you are feeling and may not know how to express himself.

Partners can develop insecurities of their own when they see changes and while they love us and are proud of us, they may fear losing us as we become healthier, more confident and forward looking...when you explain to him that you understand his concerns and while you are considering plastics when you reach goal it is to continue to improve your self esteem and that many people choose to complete their journey in that way.

You sound like you have a good head on your shoulders and you'll raise it with him when your ready to share and I bet he'll receive in a more understanding way :0)

Yum, Yum, Yummy Yum!

Sounds super good!

You Rock!

That is the best non scale victory I have ever!

Beautiful :0)

It takes courage to share our personal pain and stories. You have demonstrated strength and bravery by reaching out. Be proud of the steps you are taking and soon you will see that each step forward provides rewards that will give you a sense of pride and increased confidence.

While we attach much of our self worth to the size on our clothes, the number on the scale and the opinions of others...it can be difficult to believe in our own self worth.

When we work on believing in ourselves, separate and apart from our weight and Celebrate our strengths in other areas we gain the confidence to lose.

You sound like you are so ready for positive change. That is the first step to a healthier, happier, more confident you.

I know how it feels to want to crawl under a rock and hide from the world. I also know it feels so much better to sit on that rock and watch the sun set after a hike through the woods with my friends :0)

Know that you are not alone and it will get better.

I will give that a try!

Thanks so much.

I have tried many natural unflavored Protein powders and the one I use is absolutely incredible. I put it in everything.

I purchase it online at canadianprotein.com

It is 100%pure whey Protein isolate.

1 scoop is:

121 calories

1 gram of fat

1 gram of carbohydrates

1 gram of sugar

27 grams of protein

You can order bulk in a big box, or in the 2 or 5 pound bags.

Every morning I start my day by putting 1 scoop in my coffee cup with a tablespoon of Benefiber, a teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 cup of Silk True Almond unsweetened, mix it up with a spoon until it is creamy, then I add my Decaf. coffee and stir again, it dissolves completely and adds no flavor, just low carb, low fat, low sugar, high protein!

My surgeon allows Benefibre and 1 cup of coffee per day, so make sure you check with your Surgeon first as all of our plans are unique to each of us.

I absolutely understand the whole exposed, vulnerability component associated with blogging on YouTube.

I have been contemplating moving forward with vlogging as well.

I did initiate the first step by creating a YouTube account.

My chanel is Happytrails4ever.

I have posted my story and will be updating soon. I did complete an initial One True Media slide show of photos as a first step.

I have also subscribed to several vloggers, including gastricsleeve4me, our friend here on the Forum, and have thoroughly enjoyed the connections, support and information sharing.

I will be moving forward with updates and videos shortly.

Feel free to subscribe to my channel and I will subscribe to your and we can support each other throughout our challenges and Celebrate our successes together! :0)

I can't figure out how to update my Youtube channel or share pics and what not with my iPad yet, so I am working on it! Just a bit of a techno spazz learning how to use my new iPad at times! :0)

That is a really good question! I can't update my ticker or add photos from my iPad either...if anyone has any ideas please let us know...

I have found journaling and using the H.A.L.T. tool from the 12 Step Programs really helps me with head hunger.

I take a moment and ask myself am I hungry, angry, lonely, or tired? It gives me an opportunity to think about where my head's at and for me 9 times out of 10, I am actually tired from going non stop through my work day or tackling my daily "To Do List" at home...

So I journal a few notes and take a bit of down time to re-charge my batteries and do some some breathing exercises and stretching.

Each evening I write in my Gratitude Journal, to review the day and think about the people and things that I am grateful for.

It allows me to re-focus and hit the pillow with a positive mind set to get a good night sleep.

For me getting enough sleep and managing my insomnia keep head hunger under control :0)

Hope that helps.

Great post ladies!

I find business travel, conferences, and the evening socials on the agendas require a lot of advance preparation on my part.

One of the tools that really helps is packing BariWare along with my own Water bottle and travel mug.

I add unflavoured Protein powder to everything especially organic herbal tea and sip on it throughout the day either warm or let it cool in advance and add ice for a pick me up. I don't use artificial sweeteners, but a tablespoon of cranberry or grape juice gives it a refreshing kick.

I use a set of travel organizers from Coast Mountain Sports, that keep all of my supplements, Protein Powder and what not organized and ready for travel :0)

Good for you for planning ahead and looking forward to prepare for post op! I am just heading out for a hike with my Fur Kid, so I will make this a short post, but I will get back to you later today with an "at home list" that worked for me as well :0)

I found it was good to have some items to bring with me to the hospital as well, other than the standard toiletries and comfy loose bed gear and slippers with a good grip for walking after your surgery to help release the CO2 and assist with the healing process.

The items I used the most and was grateful I brought with me were:

1. Gas X strips

2. sugar free Halls Vitamin C Drops

(always check with the nurses to see what you are allowed to have first as everyone is different)

3. Chapstick/Lip Balm, lips tend to get very dry.

4. Travel pillow, the horseshoe shaped type used on flights is the BEST, for your neck to get comfy in the hospital bed as well as on your tummy when you cough and get up and down and for the drive home.

5. Baby wipes

6. Your 2 heating pads for sure!

7. Ear plugs- the hospital can be very noisy and the ear plugs will help relax you.

8. iPod to listen to music to relax you and eliminate some of the hospital noises.

9. A soothing natural aromatherapy spray to spritz on your pillow to calm you and help take away the hospital scents around you.

10. Journal, pen and paper.

11. Cell, Smart Phone, Laptop, etc.

12. Silly photos of my family, (parents, brother, nieces) my Fur Kids to make me smile.

13. Sunglasses or eye mask when it seems too bright

14. Ball cap, bandana or some kind of comfy head wear just seemed to make me feel more "at home".

15. A personal "good luck charm" any item that means something special to you that you can touch and see to bring you comfort and a sense of inner peace and normality.

Hope that helps!

You are going to do great!

Husky Hugz from Canada :0)

Great post!

Thanks for sharing this!

Good for you! You deserve to be proud and that happy girl inside of you wil continue to make you shine from within!

My breaking point was 10 years ago. While I have always battled my weight...my food addiction had taken over my life...I was working 65 hour work weeks in a demanding/stressful career, flying constantly, working through jet lag and time zone issues. My work/life balance was non existent.

I ate on the run or ordering room service and raiding the mini-bar for high carb, high fat, high sugar foods. My Water intake was almost non-existent, I drank diet coke and coffee all day, everyday.

On the outside I was a happy, bubbly, competent, highly successful career woman, with supportive parents, a large group of friends. On the inside I was slowly killing myself, as I ate my way to over 300 pounds.

I bullied myself constantly with negative self talk, that perpetuated the cycle and in turn I began to hate myself.

It wasn't just the way I looked, it was the way I felt. My health issues increased, my energy level hit rock bottom and I had to admit that I needed medical help to get my life back.

I had tried all of the standard weight loss medications and diet plans, which always worked short term for a period of time, until the weight crept back up.

I knew that I needed to have a heart to heart talk with myself and get to a place of understanding to recognize that I am not a failure for having issues with food and being overweight.

I gathered up all of the strength I could find and I got a referral to a therapist to work on the inside, so I could understand why I was self-medicating with food...as I began to work on the inside, I found someone who deserved to feel good, to live the life that I had always dreamed of.

So 8 years ago, I got the Lap Band, and lost almost 140 pounds. I kept 110 pounds off since 2004.

Due to complications, with severe acid reflux, ulcers, and band slippage, I just had the band removed and the revision to the VSG.

I am feeling great. I am down 36 pounds and love my sleeve.

What I can say is that, there is no shame in admitting that you need help to lead a healthier more fulfilling life. It takes courage to admit to ourselves that we can not do this on our own. But each of us makes choices that are right for us individually.

Know that whatever's choice you make it will be the right choice for you.

We all deserve to wake up each day with energy, optimism and an attitude that says, I feel good about the person I am on the inside and one day I will feel just as good about the person I am on the outside.

Know that you are not alone. In your darkest moments, when you feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders and you feel desperate and scared, there are many of us, who feel just like you and are coming out the other side, stronger, more empowered and filled with pride at what we have accomplished so far and what we will accomplish in the future.

Weight Loss Surgery may be judged by those who don't fully understand. However this forum is a safe place, a community of courageous, like minded people, who have taken a brave step forward to battle their own demons and take charge of their lives for their own health and happiness.

Obesity is not a failure of mankind, it is a symptom of the world we live in and we can overcome the challenge with determination and self-forgiveness.

For me, my breaking point was really my starting point, to self-discovery and understanding.

I am a work in progress, but I am proud of my work and my progress :0)

Please excuse the typos! I am just learning how to use my new iPad. yikes! :0)

My favorite supplements are:

Citrical calcium citrate with Vitamin D.

Centrum Forte Multivitamin with Iron.

Nature's Bounty B-12 sublingual.

Nature's Bounty Biotin

EmergenC Vitamin C powder in 8 ounces of Water, which contains 1000mg Vitamin C, 24 nutrients and 7 B Vitamins, antioxidants, and electrolytes.

Vega One Vanila Chai Protein, which is a dairy, gluten, soy, sugar free, all natural plant based Protein, which has Omega 3, greens, antioxidants, Probiotics, digestive enzymes , 50% of the daily recommended Vitamins and minerals. 15 g of protein, 3.3g of fat 11.9 carbs, 6g of fibre, 1.5g Omega 3.