Sharpie

Good luck and prayers to all new bandsters... You will do great....

You might check with your Dr. to make sure it's okay... I didn't drive for a week or so...

I absolutley did not cheat pre-op or post op.. I was scared to make a stupid mistake... I had decided that my future health was at stake, once I decided to get the surgery I made up my mind to do whatever it took to be successful... I had about 2 weeks of liquids, I was given a full book of instructions with each weeks do's and don'ts so I had plenty of guidance... like CG I either had to put up or shut up... Same goes for any other instructions.. no straws, no gum, no carbonated drinks... no drinking during meals, etc. if my surgeon said stand on your head and spit wooden nickels.. I'm doing it... I hope I can continue to be smart enough to do what I need to...

my best friend was my challenge.. She doesn't have a weight problem and had made comments in the past about working out, etc.. but surprisingly when I told her my plan for surgery she was 100% supportive .. so much so, she made the 3 hour trip to be with me during my surgery and stayed all night in a chair beside me in the hospital.. I realized how lucky I was to have her as my friend... my husband was always very supportive.. now that I have lost a good amount of weight, I tell anyone who ask .. I think there are a lot of people who would benefit from surgical intervention with their weight struggle..but are perhaps afraid to have surgery..

You might explain to your Dr. that your work won't let you come back for that length of time and you would prefer to return earlier.. I think at least a week would be okay since you are not doing anything physical.. I am lucky in that I work at home but I felt tired mostly the first week... good luck..

You shoud be very proud of yourself.. it is very difficult to face off with the food monsters....keep up the good work...

yes it is a normal feeling.. I thought for about a week that this was a bad decision.. now after losing 45 lbs and feeling so good I am very happy that I had my surgery... Give it some time and you will start feeling better...

I would like that let me know the next time you are coming this way... I own my own business and work at home so I am available most of the time.. I also go to Gainesville to see my surgeon about once a month so that's another good meeting place... you can email me @ charhorse@msn.comThanks for your response.. Mary Lou

tell you what Terry let's call a truce, because neither of us will win.. I am way more concerned with my future health and how I can get to my goal. You did tell me to stick to the Lapband right? so you need to do the same.. There is way too much controversey and divisiveness in this Country for us to explore in this forum.. so we can agree to disagree all day long on that subject.. To all the folks out there like us who are working towards a healthier life,, I apologize for making any statement that might seem poltical, stay positive and when someone posts something negative or scary do some research before becoming alarmed...

I did not intend for this to become a political discussion.. however, first of all Terry you are not the moderator so you are not going to control what I can say... and for your information I can think for myself unlike some people and do not have to depend on Fox News or any other news source to form an opinion... perhaps you might want to start listening to someone besides Chris Matthews or any of the so called "fair" media folks... I think the explanations on why the Europeans are not supportive of the lapband are correct but I also know the original post reported on outdated information. The last time I checked this is still a free country and the part about free speech still applies.. We all have our own demons and can get inspired from each others successes or we can bash the band , post erroneous information and scare the hell out of anyone who might be undecided.. I have enjoyed everyone's posts about their journey but will refrain from offering my personal opinion for fear it might conflict with Mr. Terry P.

yes I live in North Florida, between Lake City and Live Oak... about 30 min from the Ga. border..not close enough to the beach though.. but I grew up in Orlando and lived near Daytona for many years...

Florida has the best beaches and warm weather for sure... no state income tax and our employment rate is 2nd highest in the U.S.

so you don't know the answer? okay then well it's always in the news that wealthy Europeans and heads of State come to the U.S. when they need special treatment.. I too have a rather busy life and if I wanted to prove a point would do some research but I think enough people have seen the news to verify my comments.. not my opinion honey, just the facts... not prejudiced as you say,, because really I stated that Europe is not the best and I stand by that... I too have a weight loss journey to take and this is a petty argument that requires way too much of my valuable time.. sorry you have such thin skin...

I have bought quest bars individually at gnc.. the cookie dough one is the one I like the best.. other flavors are not great...and they are quite chewy... however they have the lowest amount of sugar of all the protein bars.. walmart does have a great selection I have bought muscle milk bars that I keep in my purse in case I get stuck somewhere that I can't eat....

I have bought quest bars individually at gnc.. the cookie dough one is the one I like the best.. other flavors are not great...and they are quite chewy... however they have the lowest amount of sugar of all the protein bars.. walmart does have a great selection I have bought muscle milk bars that I keep in my purse in case I get stuck somewhere that I can't eat....

I have bought quest bars individually at gnc.. the cookie dough one is the one I like the best.. other flavors are not great...and they are quite chewy... however they have the lowest amount of sugar of all the protein bars.. walmart does have a great selection I have bought muscle milk bars that I keep in my purse in case I get stuck somewhere that I can't eat....

Great Job... I know you are so happy to get to under 200.... I like your story...

I have been staying with the dannon fit and light greek yogurt.. all flavors.. the sugar content in most of the other yogurts is too high for me.. my nutritionists suggest 5 grams or less of sugar...

I believe you should consult your surgeon for those answers... I know there are a few who do fly on here but not sure about long flights...

Missy always inspirational... I hope your future journey is less rocky... as far as recipes.. emilybites is really a good site.. I made her crockpot brigiole... (italian rolled beef) and chicken enchiladas that were restraunt good...

I slept in my recliner (it has electric button to raise the foot part).. It wasn't too long before I was sleeping normally in my bed though...

That will be the person who says the Band failed them... when they have problems from drinking Mtn Dew (the worst thing you can drink)... at my support meeting a few weeks ago we had a lady who was 4 weeks post op who was disappointed in her low weight loss.. we asked her what she had to eat that evening and she said I only had 10 chicken nuggets.. lol

I used a heating pad.. it really helped .... it will go away but it takes time...

myfitnesspal.com is the best way to track your food ... your dr. should have given you some guidelines or if you have a nutritionist that consults you on a regular basis.. anyhow, you probably will do okay on 1200 calories a day or maybe less... I do 1100 right now and I lost around 1.5 lbs per week... concentrating on protein of course.. fitness pal will track that as well... my nutritionist says at least 60 grams protein and to keep your sugar intake low , 5 gms or less per meal...good luck

fantastic... I know you must be so proud...