gowalking

I'm on a cane too Missy....very bad arthritis in my right knee. Still having lots of pain but am hoping to feel better when I lose more weight. I'm inspired by you...thanks. Oh...and those pictures don't even look like the same person. Congrats to you.

I wouldn't give a rat's ass about wasting anything. Firstly it's no one's business what you eat or don't eat. Are they paying for it? If not, ignore the comments. Boy...that gets my blood boiling.... Here you are trying to eat healthy and others are bullying you into doing something you know is not good for you. Try to watch how a thin person eats. They leave over lots of food...or they don't eat certain things at all. If you want to have one spoonful of soup and three pieces of lettuce, just do it and don't worry about what other people say.

So sorry dylanmiles. I know how you feel...I live not too far from the World Trade Center and it was a terrible day for all NYers and for my family, an especially scary morning as my sister works a block from the Trade Center and we weren't sure of her safety for a while. She was fine thank goodness but she lost many friends and colleagues... I know it sounds silly, but stop watching TV. Go out and do something, anything, other than watching the news. That's what we did the day after and it did help to get away from it for a little while.

No fills yet either. Banded 1/14 and down 45 1/2 lbs.

Sounds like everyone is doing well and no complications thank goodness. I was banded on January 14th and am down 45 1/2 lbs. No fills yet....doing fine without them so far. Next appt. is May 17th and I'll see how I'm doing then. By the way....I'm going shoe shopping on Saturday...most of my flats and other slip on shoes have gotten too loose. I knew I'd have to get new clothes but didn't expect I'd need shoes as well....LOL!

Hi balbuquerque: I've been banded since January 14th and I've not had any fills yet. I find that I am satisfied on around 1,000 calories a day. I've lost 45 1/2 lbs in total which includes 17 prior to surgery. My dr. says if I'm not looking to eat between meals, and I can stay within the allotted number of calories than there's no reason to get a fill at this time. It sounds like you do not need a fill just yet but you and your dr. can discuss it and decide what is best for you.

Wendy's right. Those frozen meals...even the 'diet' ones are often very high in sodium.

yeah...it's different as your job is all about flying...not someone who flies 'recreationally'. Again.. you should speak with your surgeon....don't figure it out on your own..they are there to advise and give direction.

Congrats Angelface and welcome to this site. I've been banded since January 14th and the folks on this forum have been a great source of info and inspiration. Don't worry about being nervous...it's perfectly normal.

I'm not a flight attendant but I did ask my surgeon before my vacation if there were any specific instructions to follow when flying and she had a printout all ready with what to do. Basically, no eating in the air...no eating a couple of hours prior to the flight, and no eating for an hour after landing. I followed those rules and had no issues while in the air. You should check with your doctor if he or she has any rules for flying.

Ask your doctor about Welbutrin. I smoked for more than 30 years and really enjoyed smoking. Thought I'd never be able to stop. The Welbutrin stopped my physical cravings and I was able to quit. Never thought it was possible but I did it. I also gained 60 lbs which is why I had to come to the decision that being banded was the right thing for me to do. The good news is that I haven't smoked in nearly 7 years and three months post-banded, I'm down 45 lbs. Good luck to you on all fronts. I know you will be successful stopping smoking and losing weight.

After reading her story, how can society not consider food an addiction? All you have to do is substitute drugs or alcohol for her issues with eating and you have an addict same as an alcoholic or drug addict.

I hear ya Kai! Eating out is a big part of my social life and this worried me so much...would I find myself not being able to eat out and socialize as I had been. Well...I found the same as you....make a smart meal choice, pay attention to the amount you eat, and just enjoy the evening. I've been banded three months now and have been out to eat with folks who know about the surgery, and those who don't. I've realized that no one is paying attention to what I'm eating and between talking and other stuff, I can take those small bites, and do my chewing and waiting between forkfuls and no one notices. This has been a huge relief for me....being able to keep this part of my life and not having to give it up. BTW, I'm down nearly 45 lbs. so just know that you can incorporate eating out into your new life as long as you think ahead a little bit. Oh...and I try to stay away from certain restaurants that have very high sodium meals. To my horror, I saw that crab legs at Red Lobster is amazingly high in sodium. Who would have thunk it? Good luck to you and enjoy the journey.

Pretty outfit on a pretty lady. Congrats!

Could have been any number of reasons, water weight, a bit of a plateau, metabolism change.... just be happy for such a nice loss and keep on keeping on. As far as needing or not needing a fill...it's still about whether or not you are satisfied on the amount of food you are supposed to eat. If you are, no fill needed...if not, then you should have a fill. I'm surprised the doctor said you did not need a fill based on your weight loss. It's not about weight loss, it's about satiety.

I also crushed my pills right after surgery but am now taking them whole. I'm about three months post-op and have not needed any fills yet so that is the likely reason why I don't have to cut or crush my pills at the moment. The nurse at the surgeon's office said I'd be OK as long as the pill is no bigger than an M&M. If/when I start to get fills, I'm sure I'll have to go back to cutting or crushing my meds again. .

I went to my PCP today for a checkup and she took me off one of my blood pressure meds. Have been on two meds for the longest time, and at a higher dose as well. Now down to 20 mgs. lisinopril only. Hoping to be off all meds at some point.

not to worry...this happened to me as well. I was very emotional...worried about complications, worried that I would have success and not have regrets, all of it. I'm three months out now and everything is fine so far. no complications, no big problems, and down 43 lbs. so far. be positive and good luck.

Missy is right. Talk to your doctor. I take nsaids daily for my bum knee. Without them, I'd be in worse pain than I already am. I hope to be able to go off them at some point as I continue to lose weight but for now, I have no choice..

Good post Terry. I've been on this site since late December to get info and find out what to expect. I didn't really get the hand holding I was looking for from the doctor's office and I was really nervous about this procedure and my life afterwards. It seems to me...also a generalization...that alot of folks have unrealistic expectations...that the weight will melt off...that hunger will no longer be an issue, and that somehow this will all happen magically. When that doesn't happen, people make poor choices. Then they post this experience and you get the moms and dads giving advice and/or sympathizing. When I post something, I just try to be positive and encouraging without lecturing. I think most folks know when they know they did something self sabotaging.. . Now I do admit that I have lost more weight than I expected at this point in my journey, but I know this will not continue. I'll slow down and plateau at some point. I just find that the band helps me to make better decisions because I'm not hungry all the time and I DO NOT want to get stuck or throw up. That is a great motivator for me..

OK, that's alot of info you are requesting...plus everyone's journey has been different. What I can tell you is that I started with a seminar last July, a meeting with the surgeon in August, several pre op visits...to the psychologist, the nutritionist, the cardiologist, blood work, etc. During the whole process, depending on your insurance carrier, you have to show anywhere from 3-6 months weight loss attempt under doctor's supervision. I also had to show proof of weight loss attempts over the year prior. Then if you are approved and you get a surgery date, you have to be on a mostly liquid diet for anywhere from a few days to about two weeks to shrink your liver. Then you are on all liquids for a week or more after surgery, then you graduate to very mushy foods, and then you start on regular foods. I was banded on January 14th so that give you an idea of how long the process took. Just a disclaimer though...I was supposed to have my surgery in late November but the hospital I was going to was shut down after Sandy and didn't open up again till January. So...figure unless you are self pay, that you will need at least 6 months from start to surgery. FYI, this was the best thing I could have done for myself. I've dropped 41 lbs. and am feeling fine and adapting to eating a fraction of what I used to eat. Good luck on your journey. I

Beautiful!

same here. doc told me 6 weeks. and it's not a silly question at all.

I'm with LadyDreadHead. I weigh myself once a week so the small fluctuations don't drive me crazy. I do, however, put every meal into Myfitnesspal. That's what keeps me on track as far as counting calories and following the Proteins, carbs, and sodium. Was floored by how much sodium there is in certain foods. It's good for me to know so I can avoid those foods except for once in a while. I knew that Chinese food would be bad sodium-wise, but so are baby back ribs....even if you only eat four of them. When I think of how much sodium I used to consume on a daily basis...well it's no wonder I have hypertension. Oh boy but do I hope to get off those meds one day.

I didn't know I had a hernia until the surgeon told me she fixed it when she banded me. I'm so glad she did so. I lived on Rolaids and Tums for years, and then got relief with Prilosec but I do know that it's not good to take it long term. Less than a week after the band was placed, I was done with antacids and all other related meds. I have no more heartburn, no reflux, no nothing. What a pleasure to not be popping tums anymore or waking up during the night with that awful feeling like the food is coming back up..