Domika03

Don't be so hard yourself. Unfortunately, stress does play a large role in our problem in over-eating. I can somewhat relate to your story in that my dad is in stage 4 cancer, and my mom has dementia. He is actually her care giver. Go figure. It's hard to stay focused, and while I can give advice better than I can take it, just remember why you did this. Stay focused, Work with your Dr's office and/or nutritionist, track your food daily, and use this web site for motivation to stay focused. There are a lot of great people on here that are big supporters when you need them. You can do this!

So very happy for you. Great job!

I'm finding it harder & harder to stay 100% focused these days. I don't have that same "gusto" I used to have. I used to log on almost every day, and track my food daily. I logged my food for almost 105 days in a row... and no, nothing in the last week or so. I feel disappointed in myself, and out of sorts. I go to my parents house almost every single day, check their mail, make sure Dad has his meds filled, do their grocery shopping, then take mom to get her hair done every Saturday. That part makes me smile. I don't mean to complain at all as I"m thankful to have them around. They will be 87 & 85 in a week. I have to admit it's a bit exhausting, and I don't have much in the way of energy left to focus where I need to : ME! I know I talked about this during my last post & I thought I could re-focus, but I'm almost at a lost. It's not that I'm over-eating, but I may as well be because I'm not eating as healthy & therefore just maintaining. I'm not even 'regular' (TMI, sorry). I I know it's my own doing, but I'm having a hard time with things. My dad's health affects my own mood. If he's doing well, I'm doing OK. If he's doing poorly, I get a little sad & don't focus. Why is it so stinkin; easy to go back to old habits? He has so many ups & downs. How do you deal with a parent dying of cancer? My dad's so strong too. The last few days he's been feeling better due to steroids he's on, in addition to all the other meds he's on. He still has energy so he's not bed-ridden. But my God, how do you stay focused with this **** going on? I have my 6 month follow up apt on March 11th (a month late), so I think I will ask for a small fill. Again, I'm not over-eating, and I may have lost 3 or 4 ponds in the last 4-6 weeks, but I'm not eating healthy or even working out. I want my focus back.

I just saw your reply, today. Nice.. ;( Good idea. But I have an update. I actually now need size 16 clothes!!! WOOHOOO!!!!!

We have a lot alike. I started out at 245 & am now at 184 I was banded 7 months ago. I've been playing around with this weight for about a month & it does get frustrating. But, if you think about it, you've lost almost 55 pounds! Whoa! That's actually a lot. I'm sure you can see & feel it in your clothes. Remember where you started at, and how you felt. Look at you now! It's a journey so if it takes a little longer than your original goal, who cares. The point is to keep trying and just take one day at a time. You'll get there! :-)

Good for you! My hubby suggested a cancer 5K walk. I think that would be great!

You're right... 50% body fat lost doesn't suck, LOL.. Congrats!!

God bless her Arlene Happy Valentine's Day!

We just had Hospice over their house & we had to talk about some very uncomfortable things; such as when dad can't take care of himself. Who will? Fortunately, our Hospice team is wonderful. I just can't say enough about the nurses. They're going to arrange it so that dad has nurses check in on him twice a week AND have ...oh, what did they call them, like a nurses aid or something, stop by twice a week (for now) so that they can cook, do laundry, help him with baths, etc... I told them, I can help with that too. But they said, we know you can, but wouldn't it be nice to have help? Gosh, I almost cried, just because of the over-whelming feeling I had inside. Oh, I kept it together. Can't let mom & dad know that I'm stressed out. That doesn't help. It's a struggle for sure. Your parents are the most amazing people & to see them go down hill is just heart-breaking. You want to do what's right & be there, just like you do for your kids. I swear life is a full circle! I do need to take care of myself, because I need to be there for them. I know the next few months, or year, will be quite challenging. Heck, I just made myself a protein drink with ... Pure Protein (30 grms), 2 scoops of protein powder (15 grms), 1 scoop flaxseed, cinnamon, greek yogurt (12 grms), and a banana. Quite tasty actually. Of course, I can't drink the whole thing at once, but that gives like 57 grms of protein for the day right there! Thanks for listening & commenting guys. It means a lot to have some feedback... xoxoxo

One of the many definitions of focus: to concentrate attention or effort. Focus, something that LB patients need to have in order to be successful. It's simple. You need to be focused on whatever your personal goal is in order to be successful. Focus, something I've been having trouble with lately. I know we all stray or struggle from time to time, but this time it's different. I've lost 58 pounds in 6 months, and for that, I am so very thankful. I currently weigh 186, and am hoping to one day get down to 150 - 160pds. The problem is that I'm not focusing on eating enough protein, or even eating enough of the right foods anymore. How do I focus on myself while my dad struggles in Stage 4 colon cancer. It spread to his lungs back in late November. At the prime age of 86, he was originally diagnosed 2 years ago with a prognosis of living 6 to 9 months. Yup, he's exceeded everyone's expectations. Now that the cancer has spread to his lungs, I see how its trying to take over. He gets out of breath now when he walks a short distance. He gets a cough he can't quite get rid of. In the last week, he's been getting angina, so they have him taking baby aspirin & may prescribe nitroglycerin. The reason for his sheer Will to live is because of my mom, his spouse, his friend, for over 60 years. You see, dad is mom's primary care-taker. My mom suffers from dementia & cant take her own meds. She can't walk around too far, or do stairs. When dad passes, what happens to mom. Oh, don't get me wrong, I'd have her live with me, except that all my bedrooms are upstairs, stairs she can't climb. Having someone move in with her to help watch her would cost a small fortune. Putting her in a nursing home is not an option, as she's always told us she never wanted that. So, I won't. I'm even trying to see if I can do a small addition to my home on my main level. I haven't pursued it yet, but it would allow her to live in my home. She wouldn't be alone. The last few days I've been getting tension headaches. I don't even know what to take since all we (LB patients) should take is acetaminophen. I found Excedrin acetaminophen today at the store, so may give that a try. I'm even having a tough time focusing at work now. Wouldn't you know it, performance reviews are in full swing now too. Yes, my boss knows, but I don't find her very empathetic. As you see, I digress. My focus isn't where it needs to be. I'm writing this, I suppose, to vent, to share my story, maybe even to see if others out there are also going through such difficult times & find out how you are handling it. I know I need to stay healthy moreso now, than ever, because I need to be there for both my parents. I'm at their house almost every day. I do their grocery shopping, I get their mail, I take mom to her weekly hair appointment, etc... I feel like it's just not enough. My focus is on my parents right now, but I need it on myself right now too. How do you do it guys?

I agree with everyone that it's probably too early to be a slip. You are still healing & need to take very, very small bites AND eat very slowly. You're going to have to get used to this new way of eating & it takes some time. Trust me, I've been there.

I agree, great post. More importantly, love that you teach about nutrition classes. Good for you!

I would call your surgeon's office & just ask. I don't think it should after a week, but you never know. Better safe than sorry. I never had that. Good luck

What's the name of that website where you can donate clothes & hopefully find gently used clothes in your new size? I have 2 bags of an assortment of size 20 clothing to donate. And, I could sure use some size 18 pants & shirts. I'm in the North Denver area if anyone is interested.

I only told 1 person at work & it was a guy, LOL... I didn't want to deal with all the questions, etc.... especially from some of the caddy lady co-workers. Nah, let them wonder... When people ask me about my weight loss I simply tell them that I worked with a nutritionist for several months, and am now very mindful of what I eat & how much I eat, and that I also work out. It usually ends there. As for restuarant's, typically I chuckle at the serving size. They're HUGE. I wind up eating 1/4 cup tp 1/2 cup of food, depending on what it is. I've had waiters ask if the food was good. I politely tell them it was delicious, and ask for a box to take it home.

My husband says I belch like a sailor & would make them proud :-)

I hear ya, sometimes it does seem to take "foreverrrrr to go down a simple pound!" I see you right behind me.... :-)

I weighed myself this morning & it said 190.4. Did you hear me? I said 190.4. That mean's that I've lost approximately 55 pounds Yes, I said 55 pounds!!! Holy shi*, that's a lot of weight. My God, I've lost a 2nd or 3rd grader in weight. Wow, just sit back & think about that.... Now that I'm under 200 pounds, I'm finding these numbers to sound so surreal. They keep doing down, which is the goal, but it almost feels like a dream. It's been such a looong, looong time since I've seen under 200. This might sound crazy, but it just seems so unreal to me. I almost have to ask myself if this is really happening. Does anyone else feel like they're living a dream while they continue to lose weight? Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not unhappy. Quite the opposite, I'm just dumb-founded. It's hard to believe that after only 5 months I'm starting to feel more confident & better about myself just by losing weight.... Can't imagine how GREAT I will feel with another 40 off.

Does anyone else find they can no longer eat / digest bread, or that you just don't enjoy it anymore? I bought a package of Jimmy Dean's Delight Honey wheat english muffin with canadian bacon, egg whites & cheese . Sounds kinda yummy, no? It had everything I like & what I perceived would be a tasty muffin. Well, while I managed to eat it, but I think it was more because I was challenging myself to see if I could eat the whole thing or not. Hey, I never said I was a genius. I learned that I would have been just as satisfied with half, or better yet, without eating the bread all together & only eating the inside. I learned that it was basically a waste of money, for me. I learned that it would have been even more healthy without the muffin. I learned that my stomach doesn't have a great time processing bread, regardless the type. I had a stomach 'ache' the rest of the day. I learned that I should challenge myself with better challenges.. LOL ... And there you have it... yet another lesson learned..

Wow, that's great news! Congratulations. LOVED your ending comment... too funny!

I was banded back in August & I remember feeling a bit anxious and excited before the surgery. I still think it's the best decision I made 5 months later. Just remember, you definitely get out what you put into it. Follow the rules & learn from some of our mistakes. Join MFP to track your food on a daily basis. Welcome to the Bandster World!

It's my 5 month bandiversary, and I have lost almost 52 pounds so far !!! I'm feeling good about my weight loss thus far, and look forward to losing more. It's been quite the journey & learning experience. I'm making better choices, and defnitely eating less. More importantly, I'm actually making time to work out (exercise bike). I'm looking forward to the Summer where I might actually be able to go on hikes without losing my breath, and enjoying the outdoors! I feel that my weight gain kept me in hybernation for way too long. Well, it's time to get out & enjoy life again! Congrats to all of you that have lost & continue to lose. Every day you become a healthier you!

OMG, you cracked me up because I was wondering where you were going with this? Send pics... LOL...

If you're not already doing this, track your food on myfitnesspal.com. It keeps you accountable & helps you see what you're really eating & taking in. You will also be able to view other people's food diaries to see what types of foods they are eating. Sometimes, it's just a matter of shaking things up. Another option is talking to the nutritionist at your surgeon's office 'and' your surgeon. You may need a fill to help keep you satisfied. My surgeon once told me that as a surgeon, he only does 15% of the work for lapband patients, and they have to do 85% of the work. It's true. The band is our tool, but it's up to us to really follow through on how to properly use it. I don't think it's difficult, but it is a challenge, and quite the journey. I"m always learning something. Hang in there. The weight will come off.

Where there is a Will... there is a way!!! I just did quite a bit of searching on MFP for several food options. First of all, I need to remember that I'll never be able to eat a full serving offered by either of these restaurants. My guess is that I might be able to eat 1/4 of the meal, perhaps slightly more. I printed & emailed myself a bunch of food options I might consider so I can make a better educated choice. I found a "skinny" menu option for Maggiano's, which makes me giggle a little bit. The Cheesecake Factory, on the other hand, will present a bit more of a challenge. However, I decided that if I split that yummy cheesecake into 3 servings, I can satisfy my craving & not over do it. I expect during the 5 days of my business meeting that I will run into a few challenges. After doing a little homework, I feel better about myself. I have choices & I plan on making the best possible ones with the options I'm given! Bring it on.