A New New Dawn

I take small bites and wait in between bites. Also, by eating slower I am full before being able to finish it.

I would strongly suggest using something like myfitnesspal.com (or the phone application) and logging what you are eating each day. You may be taking in more calories than you realize. Also, have you ever had your thyroid checked?

no start anew tomorrow

Welcome!! I am glad that you have done your homework and research on the band and are not letting others influence your decision (especially when they do not have firsthand experience). There will be challenges and it is a tool, not a magic button in aiding in weight loss. If you follow the rules and guidelines you can be very successful. Best wishes.

I think CG said it well. I also feel like even if you don't feel like getting done up or putting on makeup, etc. make yourself do it. "Fake it till you make it". If you make your appearance better it will help you feel better. Kind of like when you are sick and haven't showered and then you take a shower and put fresh clothes on, etc. you feel so much better afterwards. You may not have had the energy or ambition to take that shower but are glad after you did. Muster up the strength and the rest will follow.

Glad you are feeling a lot better.

You may want to have a pillow for the car ride home to hold on your belly for those bumps or coughs. Also, if you have contacts, you should wear your glasses as those will need to come out. Leave any jewelry at home. Definitely the comfy clothes though. For me, chapstick was a blessing to have too.

To walk more and regularly. I walked to my bff's house today for the first time w/ my dog. It was 2.75 miles.

1000-1200 (leaning more towards 1200 also).

Donna, I hope things improve very soon. I can only imagine how challenging things are given the circumstances. I am certainly no therapist but your note leads me to wonder if you may be struggling with some depression issues as you cannot get motivated to do things and sound down in many aspects. I agree with CG and Mis73 that allowing yourself a woe is me day or pity party is ok. I would just take note if you are still feeling this way over more than a couple days, you may need to address this with your doctor or a therapist. Best wishes to you!

With all this talk about Pasta too, have you every tried multigrain pasta? I bought Barilla's multigrain pasta and it is really tasty. I have bought whole grain pasta before, not knowing multigrain was something different and I think it tastes better than the whole grain. To me, it tastes just like pasta and for a cup of multigrain pasta, there are 17 grams of Protein, 7 grams of Fiber, Omega 3, etc.!!!! I made a homemade pasta salad today and have a couple other pasta dishes to whip up with it. As long as I eat small bites and eat slow, I have no issues with it. Additionally, I have been making dishes using the light laughing cow cheese wedges too that are tasty. I have had a couple fills and am able to tolerate chicken quite well as long as it's not leftovers as they get too dry. If tolerated, I would strongly recommend the multigrain pasta so you are getting a lot of nutrients out of it.

I had pain under my ribs for a while but the doctor told me it was from inflamation. I had trouble sitting as it felt like my organs were jabbing into my ribs. It just took time to subside for me.

Perhaps try some hot tea to soothe your stomach.

For starters, bread is a big offender with the band even pre-fills. Many people are not able to tolerate bread. I do ok with small bites of toast but bread causes me to be stuck. Once you have a stuck episode, it can cause inflamation and irritation causing it to be easy to have it happen again. Many people switch to liquids the rest of the day after having such an episode. I really think it is just the bread you ate. Definitely worth mentioning to the doctor on your next appt though.

I think how you are feeling since he has left speaks to whether you were being selfish or not. You have felt happier and a sense of relief. Certainly, if the marriage was repairable I would suggest getting counseling; however, it sounds like he wasn't interested in trying to repair it. Congrats to you for staying strong. People can grow apart and life is too short to spend it unhappy or even worse, miseable.I was married years ago and it was very toxic after time went on. It was scary being on my own initially but such a sense of relief to not be weighed down. An unhealthy relationship can be very draining and wear on your soul. It is better to be alone than continue living that way. Best wishes to you!

Also, drink lots of liquids.

Yay, you broke the 150 mark. Congratulations, you must feel great! You are also a great motivator and inspiration to the rest of us. Happy dance ~ is right!!!

Hang in there! Like Dennis said, it will get better. You did not make a mistake though it may feel like it now. This will pass and your journey will begin. If the migraine is too bad, perhaps they can give you a shot to help ease it.

I really like the idea of journaling what you are feeling, etc. and what you are eating in the moment. I think that could be very beneficial to getting to the root of what is behind it. I sometimes have to take eating hour by hour, minute by minute as the "big picture" (of changing eating habits and how much weight I need to lose) can be overwhelming, daunting and seem unachievable. So, as you mentioned, sometimes the easier alternative is the unhealthy, self-destructive behavior. For me, I feel food was my coping mechanism for "not coping" with things in my everyday life that got me down. I feel I keep people at an arm's length sometimes as it is easier to have that "barrier" than to be let down or hurt yet again by someone close to me. It becomes a vicious cycle. Food always felt good (in the moment) whereas some personal relationships did not. There was that brief "euphoria" while I induldged and then the guilt and disgust with myself and appearance follows. I really have never had the strength to do this on my own and the lap band has really helped me. Beginning to lose weight is empowering and motivating. For me, it really comes back to hour by hour or day by day. Also, planning my meals (at least mentally) helps me tremendously as I already know what I am going to eat and don't leave it to chance. Lastly, when I have been in that moment of almost breaking down to food, I have distracted myself by going for a walk. Do you have anything you do for fun or entertainment? If not, I think it would be good to have some "lighter" and fun activities (park district class, exercise class, book club, etc.) something to help balance the heavier things you are doing with counseling, support groups, etc. This, too, has helped me get myself balanced. Lastly, can you avoid having those trigger foods in your house? If I have those foods accessible, I too, will eat them. I keep them out of the house and when I have that weak moment it isn't there to tempt me. I think it is awesome that you had the courage to reach out on this very personal topic. Not only does it benefit you but several others from reading it.

I would suggest you get some counseling as well. If you are eating until you are miserable, chances are you are not going to follow the "rules" intended for the band until that is under control. It sounds like you may have some emotional challenges that could benefit from getting some counseling. You owe it to you and your band to be successful.

Prayers and good wishes for Maddy!

First, congrats!!!! Second, be sure to follow all the pre and post op directions from your doctor. Enjoy the journey!!!!

I know it is an awkward subject but getting through something beats modesty with all the changes our bodies are enduring.

I understand tmi but I had that happen while at work and know what you mean. I ended up waddling around work after spending 20 min in the bathroom. Finally after walking around it helped with that particular moment. However, to prevent it going forward, definitely up the liquids it made all the difference.

Up your liquids.. I was having a major (ugh) issue. I make a point to get in the 6-8 glasses of water and it has helped tremendously.