Sarah72

I'm struggling. I'm a lot more active and it helps that I lost about 50 pounds pre-surgery, but now I'm over a month out and officially in "bandster hell" Rediscovered my bike and we've been taking lots of bike rides so I know thats been helping. I need to update my weight ticker because I weighed myself today and am under 330 now. Happy about that, but not as much weight as I'd have liked.
I am eating less, and some of the temptations aren't as hard to pass by, but I've only had one fill and knowing that this is only a tool and it's still going to take a lot of hard work helps. Looking forward to getting to the infamous "green zone" though! Have another fill in a couple of weeks.

I was just banded last week, but have lost 50 pounds since I've started the process. It's HARD!
My advice to you is to take it day by day, hour by hour, meal by meal and bite by bite. The best advice I've gotten during my journey is this: When you feel "hungry", ask yourself these questions--"Am I REALLY hungry or am I bored, emotional, etc...", "Am what I am about to put in my mouth worth it and how is it going to benefit me?"
Sometimes, that piece of chocolate cake IS worth it, but most of the time. No, it's not. I make sure I really take the time to chew and savor each thing I put in my mouth. Take time to enjoy the texture and the flavor. Don't just eat it because it tastes good. Eat it because it is something you truly enjoy and make it a treat for yourself, not something you eat because you can. I don't keep treats in the house because then I eat them. I make them hard to get to. If I'm wanting ice cream, then I have to take the effort to go and get it and I only get ONE serving. Not enough to bring home and eat whenever I want because then it's not a TREAT. You know what? I rarely have ice cream anymore, but when I do... Boy, do I ENJOY it!! When having a treat makes you feel guilty and depressed, it is not a treat.
I used to walk past the fridge and open it because it was there. Everytime I opened it, I found something to eat. Maybe a slice of cheese, or a meat stick, or whatever. I don't open the fridge anymore unless I have somethng that I'm opening it for. It's not worth the temptation to me.
Every day, every hour, every meal. Ask yourself these questions. Am I REALLY hungry? Why am I eating? What am I eating? Is what I'm putting in my mouth worth the calories and what it is going to do to my body?
Day by day, hour by hour, meal by meal. You CAN make the right choices and you can make the band work for you. It's just a tool, not a miracle worker!

Does anyone else absolutely love their Lap Band?
I was banded on July 27th. Very new, I know. I feel great. Almost completely back to normal. First 3 days, mostly laid around and slept. Then started getting energy back. I started on my pureed food, last Thursday. I'm up to about half a cup of food per meal. A little less sometimes. I eat slow and try to pay attention to how my stomache is feeling. After eating, WOW, I have no appetite , whatsoever, until my next meal. I'm eating 3 meals a day. No Snacks. I still have Protein drink for Breakfast and then two pureed meals. Incredible! I think for the first time in my life, I am lasting until my next meal with no thought about food or being hungry or having any cravings. I'm sitting at night, watching tv, reading, using computer, whatever, no snacking whatsoever. And I don't feel like I could snack if I wanted to. I am very satisfied with my small meals and the thought of eating more food does not interest me in the least. I am praying that this will last. I keep expecting to wake up ravenous. I'm praying that I don't. I have had no nausea or vomiting episodes at all. I can drink Water freely, with no problem. My food goes down good, I just need a small amount. Twice, I probably overdid it by maybe one or two bites and had an uncomfortably full feeling. Not pain. Just like I had overeaten. I'm trying to really learn that first feeling of when I have had just enough. I have never eaten more than half a cup at one meal.
I have lost 19 lbs. in 3 weeks. That is my two weeks of pre op Protein and one week and 2 days of being banded.
What has everyone else's experience been like this early into it. I'm thinking this is really going to work for me.!!!! Yea!

It gets better. The first week of my pre-op was so hard. I think I was going through carb withdrawals! It was HORRIBLE! I'm a week and a day post-op and I can look back and say it was worth it. By the second week, it wasn't too bad and this past week, I've been able to sit and drink my Soup while the family chews their dinner and not really miss it.
Keep at it, my friend! It is worth it in the end!

Thank you! May God bless your day and always!

I was banded on the 25th, too! I'm finding these boards so informative and supportive! I'm so ready to get through this "healing" stage and get on with the rest of my life. I have my first fill on the 20th of August and am excited about it!

I was banded on the 25th, too! I'm finding these boards so informative and supportive! I'm so ready to get through this "healing" stage and get on with the rest of my life. I have my first fill on the 20th of August and am excited about it!

Just because she doesn't want people to know doesn't mean she isn't ready for the surgery.
When I first started the process, I felt the exact same way. I was ashamed and embarrassed because I felt like I had failed at weight loss. My husband had just finished losing over 100 pounds through diet and exercise and I felt like an utter and complete failure. Even though, I knew if I wanted to be healthy. When I admitted that WLS could help me with this, I broke down and cried. I needed to do something drastic and with my husband's complete support I went to the meeting.
Now, 8 months later and 10 days post-op, EVERYBODY knows, lol! Not only that, I have not run into anyone who has made me feel bad or ashamed about it!

I was just banded last week, but have lost 50 pounds since I've started the process. It's HARD!
My advice to you is to take it day by day, hour by hour, meal by meal and bite by bite. The best advice I've gotten during my journey is this: When you feel "hungry", ask yourself these questions--"Am I REALLY hungry or am I bored, emotional, etc...", "Am what I am about to put in my mouth worth it and how is it going to benefit me?"
Sometimes, that piece of chocolate cake IS worth it, but most of the time. No, it's not. I make sure I really take the time to chew and savor each thing I put in my mouth. Take time to enjoy the texture and the flavor. Don't just eat it because it tastes good. Eat it because it is something you truly enjoy and make it a treat for yourself, not something you eat because you can. I don't keep treats in the house because then I eat them. I make them hard to get to. If I'm wanting ice cream, then I have to take the effort to go and get it and I only get ONE serving. Not enough to bring home and eat whenever I want because then it's not a TREAT. You know what? I rarely have ice cream anymore, but when I do... Boy, do I ENJOY it!! When having a treat makes you feel guilty and depressed, it is not a treat.
I used to walk past the fridge and open it because it was there. Everytime I opened it, I found something to eat. Maybe a slice of cheese, or a meat stick, or whatever. I don't open the fridge anymore unless I have somethng that I'm opening it for. It's not worth the temptation to me.
Every day, every hour, every meal. Ask yourself these questions. Am I REALLY hungry? Why am I eating? What am I eating? Is what I'm putting in my mouth worth the calories and what it is going to do to my body?
Day by day, hour by hour, meal by meal. You CAN make the right choices and you can make the band work for you. It's just a tool, not a miracle worker!

I was just banded last week, but have lost 50 pounds since I've started the process. It's HARD!
My advice to you is to take it day by day, hour by hour, meal by meal and bite by bite. The best advice I've gotten during my journey is this: When you feel "hungry", ask yourself these questions--"Am I REALLY hungry or am I bored, emotional, etc...", "Am what I am about to put in my mouth worth it and how is it going to benefit me?"
Sometimes, that piece of chocolate cake IS worth it, but most of the time. No, it's not. I make sure I really take the time to chew and savor each thing I put in my mouth. Take time to enjoy the texture and the flavor. Don't just eat it because it tastes good. Eat it because it is something you truly enjoy and make it a treat for yourself, not something you eat because you can. I don't keep treats in the house because then I eat them. I make them hard to get to. If I'm wanting ice cream, then I have to take the effort to go and get it and I only get ONE serving. Not enough to bring home and eat whenever I want because then it's not a TREAT. You know what? I rarely have ice cream anymore, but when I do... Boy, do I ENJOY it!! When having a treat makes you feel guilty and depressed, it is not a treat.
I used to walk past the fridge and open it because it was there. Everytime I opened it, I found something to eat. Maybe a slice of cheese, or a meat stick, or whatever. I don't open the fridge anymore unless I have somethng that I'm opening it for. It's not worth the temptation to me.
Every day, every hour, every meal. Ask yourself these questions. Am I REALLY hungry? Why am I eating? What am I eating? Is what I'm putting in my mouth worth the calories and what it is going to do to my body?
Day by day, hour by hour, meal by meal. You CAN make the right choices and you can make the band work for you. It's just a tool, not a miracle worker!

Amen! Ephesians 5:8 says that "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light."
I am trying to live my life as a child of light, mentally, spiritually and physically! Every pound gone is one pound less that is pulling me down!

Congratulations on your weight loss! I have my post-op tomorrow. I was banded 7/25-a week ago! My highest weight was back in January or February where I weighed in at 383. I was mortified. Last week, on surgery day, I was down to 338 and up to 344 the next day due to Water retention, swelling and IV fluids. Today, when I stepped on the scale, I was 333!! 50 pounds GONE!
Again, congratulations! I'm looking forward to seeing what the "official" number is tomorrow!

You can do this! It's hard! It was the longest 2 weeks of my life, but if I was able to do it, so can you. My dietician told me to use Slimfast-high Protein powder and to be honest, it was pretty good. Four shakes a day and all the non-caloric clear liquid I could drink. I found that if I blended the shakes with some ice in my Magic Bullet blender, they tasted like a milkshake and were pretty good! I also kept my Water bottle filled all the time and bought a bunch of those little mix-in Crystal Lite type of things that are individual servings. Lipton makes them too and they're pretty good.
I was fortunate that my 14-year-old son decided that if I couldn't eat, it wouldn't be fair that I'd have to do the cooking, so he took it over. I was surprised with how well he did! The worst part of the day was dinner time and everyone would sit around the table and I'd sit on the couch with my Protein shake.
It's only 2 weeks, though! Just go day by day and it will be over before you know it! I found that if I did my shakes right away in the morning, at lunch, dinner and then one before bed, it did a pretty good job of keeping me full and satisfied. If I got tired of the sweet, I would have a coffee mug of broth which helped to having something more savory tasting.
I'm now on the post-op Clear liquids and am amazed with how little I'm eating! I need to get more liquid down, but I just can't do it because i get filled upso quickly!
It's worth it! You can do this! I just told myself that 2 weeks out of my entire life was nothing!

This is so reassuring to me! I, too, just had surgery last week and can't believe how tired I am all the time! I hope I turn the corner on this soon!

What ID card are you talking about. I never heard of it.

You can do this! It's hard! It was the longest 2 weeks of my life, but if I was able to do it, so can you. My dietician told me to use Slimfast-high Protein powder and to be honest, it was pretty good. Four shakes a day and all the non-caloric clear liquid I could drink. I found that if I blended the shakes with some ice in my Magic Bullet blender, they tasted like a milkshake and were pretty good! I also kept my Water bottle filled all the time and bought a bunch of those little mix-in Crystal Lite type of things that are individual servings. Lipton makes them too and they're pretty good.
I was fortunate that my 14-year-old son decided that if I couldn't eat, it wouldn't be fair that I'd have to do the cooking, so he took it over. I was surprised with how well he did! The worst part of the day was dinner time and everyone would sit around the table and I'd sit on the couch with my Protein shake.
It's only 2 weeks, though! Just go day by day and it will be over before you know it! I found that if I did my shakes right away in the morning, at lunch, dinner and then one before bed, it did a pretty good job of keeping me full and satisfied. If I got tired of the sweet, I would have a coffee mug of broth which helped to having something more savory tasting.
I'm now on the post-op Clear liquids and am amazed with how little I'm eating! I need to get more liquid down, but I just can't do it because i get filled upso quickly!
It's worth it! You can do this! I just told myself that 2 weeks out of my entire life was nothing!

To Sarah 72:
I'll be your buddy! I was banded 18 July and also had a hiatal hernia repaired. Hang in there! It will truly get better and better every day! I had my first post-op appointment today and I feel great! My surgeon said I don't look like someone who just underwent a major abdominal surgery! Lol!

I had to lose almost 35 pounds and thought it was going to be impossible. I ended up losing almost 50 by the time I had surgery!

Jump on the scale this morning and it read 298, I jump for joy. I was banded June 25th 2012 and weighed 336 the day of the surgery. Never thought I would see the 200's again. God is good!

Sarah72 I hear ya ... I am the same way. I do great during the day but sitting around the table whating my family eat there supper sometimes drives me crazy. My daughter told me today that she feels sorry for me that I can't eat what they have. lol I told her i did this to myself now i have to get myself back in some kind of shape. lol

I'm on day 13! Surgery on Wednesday! It's hard, I've had some rough days and I've done lots of shopping (most of it the window variety!) I notice if I stay home I feel it more then if I'm out and about staying busy! The first few days were the hardest, but it's gotten easier and I've got 4 other people in this house holding me accountable. Dinnertime is rough though... I can't sit at the table and watch them eat, so I sit on the couch and sip my Protein Shake feeling a bit sorry for myself!

Hi Bibi!
I am another newbie and haven't posted anything but my intro thread.. I should get to work on that!
I started my pre-op diet last Wednesday, July 11 and have surgery a week from this coming Wednesday on the 25th. I had my preop today and I'm down a total of 39 pounds from my all time high weight. I was 383 when I started this whole process 6 months ago.
We should stay in contact. My surgeon told me I had to get my BMI below 60 for him to do surgery. The goal for me to meet was 349 and, to be honest, I NEVER thought I'd get there. I'm there. I'm so excited! So excited to continue on this journey!
Nice to "meet" you!
~Sarah

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".

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".

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".