mrsto

Sounds like you've lost a lot of weight, at the same time, gained a lot of strength. Something very positive from such sad/horrible life events. Good for you!

VERY Cool!!! Now I'll be able to hear (in my mind) your actual voice when I read your posts :-) So true.....it's not about being skinny. It's ALL about health and feeling good as you move through your life. You've done an amazing job!

Speaking of false advertisement, Sharon Osbourne is all over TV promoting Atkins.....how she was able to lose 25 pounds on all the delicious food. I happen to like Atkins products, but SHE had WLS! I know she said that she had the band removed, but it's my understanding (someone who works at the hospital in LA), that she still has some sort of WLS going on. I tend to believe that it's true, but ya never know. But when I see her commercials, I'm really put off.

Haven't seen the commercials, but I have to wonder how ingesting fake, soy-packed products translates to "the right way." EXACTLY - thank you! I tried Medifast & lasted ½ day. The most God awful worst thing I ever tried. Ended up throwing the rest of it out. What a waste of money.

Leigh - I don't know if this will help, but my neighbor (bypass patient) put a spoonful of instant coffee into her Protein shakes. That, or a few ounces of the real thing. For her, she was able to get in the bit of caffeine, but the coffee was totally buffered by the milky shake. Just a thought.....

I LOVE the idea of adding the sugar free fudgicle! Wish I'd thought of that when I was in the liquid phase. I did eat the fudgicles during that time, but it never occurred to me to add them to a shake. No judgement here

I really wish tea did it for me. I tried for about 3-4 weeks, and it was far from the same. I think tea is healthier, and had hoped I could live with the transition. But the good news is that I'm not a coffee junkie; one cup a day.....maybe a second, but rarely. As I got older, I can no longer tolerate the full impact of all the caffeine. What used to make me feel GREAT, now makes me jittery and miserable. So......have about ⅓ caf and about ⅔ decaf.

I love the chocolate chip cookie dough, vanilla almond crunch and the double brownie (something like that). They're the chocolate ones with chunks of chocolate. Yummy!!

My doctor said no coffee because the acid can cause ulcers.

Oh.....if the band could only fix our heads! It's so fricken difficult sometimes, but the only person who can stop the old eating behaviors, is you. I wish there was a magic answer, but the ball is always in our own hands. I agree with Lisa above.....try eating a really good Protein bar when your husband breaks out the chocolate. I absolutely love the Quest bars, and would honestly eat one of those over any other candy. Ask your husband to keep his stash hidden away somewhere, so you don't have easy access. We just had a Superbowl party at our house, and (among other things) bought the big jug of mixed nuts from costco. Well, that's like crack cocaine for me!! I sat down one evening, jug in my lap, and did some damage. Yes, smaller damage than pre-band, but damage none the less. I told my husband to take those nuts and HIDE them. Sometimes (many times), it's not even a matter of being hungry. It's just the urge to eat! If we didn't have this issue, we would not be talking here on BP Anyway.....I think you already know, but you are going to need to fight really hard. If your husband doesn't want to give up his brand of Snacks, ask him to at least put them somewhere so you can't easily grab them. Then.....the rest is up to you. You took a huge step by having WLS, so now you need to pull in the reins and find that strength you felt in the beginning. Good luck!

I like the reference too! Never thought of it that way - LOL

Sounds like possible reflux. You should talk with your doctor & let him/her know. Possibly you're too tight, or you need to take something like Prilosec? I would definitely check it out. I have had that feeling, and for me, it's acid.

I'm so sorry for the loss of your relative, and that you're having a difficult time. I completely understand. My first suggestion is to get in to see your doctor sooner than a month or two. It's critically important that you rule out any band complications. Call and let them know what's going on, and I'm sure they'll squeeze you in ASAP. Regarding the struggling.....I feel for you. Surgery or not, food is the place we go when s-hit happens, which it does at different times in life. It sounds like you're maintaining your loss to date? I'm close to a year out, and as much as the "new normal" is a part of me, in times of stress, I eat when I'm not hungry, and eat way past the signal. It's such a sickness.....eating when I'm already feeling sick inside. But it happens. I understand how hard it is to get your butt to the gym when feeling this way. And I'm sure letting food take over doesn't help the situation. Just try as hard as you can, to at least get out and walk 20 minutes every day. I don't know where you live, so maybe you're in one of the snow blown states. If not, a good brisk walk will help your head, and your metabolism. Once you see your doctor, and know that everything is okay with your band, try and dig in your heels & start back with the basics. As painfully hard as it is, I'm sure you will feel so much better getting this part of your life back in control. As far as eating.... I'm to the point where sometimes I can eat more than others. I'm like..."where's my band"?? Then others, I'll be done after about 4 bites. But I know logically (unless there are complications), that the band is always there, but our bodies go through changes. Just as many feel very tight in the morning, because of swelling in their bodies. Time of the month? Too much salt? I don't know why the drastic changes, but I do experience differences as well. It's easy when the signal is loud and clear. The other times, I really have to fight the fight, and force myself to get out of the house when I feeling like plopping down on the couch with a bag of whatever. In the beginning it was so easy. It was new and exciting....lots to look forward to. As the months and years pass by, we're just doing regular life, and faced with emotional and all other triggers to eat. But Realitybytes......all is not lost. Through it all, you have managed to maintain an 85 pound loss, which is great! Please see your doctor ASAP, and work on small steps to keep with your program. There are times when we need to simply coast, until we're ready to giddy up again. It's called...life.

Leigh - I feel ya! My doctor's instructions were no coffee........ever. I was only having one cup a day, and that's been scaled down to ½ caf ½ decaf. I stayed off of it for about 4 weeks post-op, but I was totally off kilter. Tea just didn't provide what I needed (my doctors thing about coffee isn't the caffeine.....it's the acid). I had a conversation with one of the support people in my doctor's office (lap band patient), who told me that the coffee rule is the one most people break. She said that she drinks it, and so does most everyone else. She wasn't advising me, but just sharing the reality of it. When I read over and over on this site, that most doctors do not have an issue with it, I decided for myself, that this was one rule I could not abide by. So.....I have my morning cup, and that's that. Now, ALL that being said, you need to follow your doctor's protocol. They're all so different in their instructions, but they all have their reasons. Good luck!

There are some here who say that they no longer think about eating when they're not hungry. I was that way in the beginning of my journey, but my head hunger hasn't miraculously disappeared. When I give in to it, I choose a Protein bar or something light with protein. I rarely eat fried food anymore, because it's unhealthy. I'm not saying that I never have it, but it's infrequent. But we won't talk about all the potato chips I ate yesterday at our Superbowl party - LOL. What the band does for me, is dramatically reduce the amount of food I'm able to eat in one sitting. And when properly adjusted, I do not get hungry (true hunger) for a good 4 hours. If you choose to go through with this, you will have to change some habits, like eating whatever you want, whenever you want it. You will have to be accountable, but to no one but yourself. It takes continuous effort, especially in the first few months post-op. Then it starts to become the new normal. The band/plication doesn't stop me from wanting Cookies, chips, french fries, etc. But when I'm done eating my band size portion, I'm REALLY done. Most of the time I don't think about eating until I start to feel true hunger. That's not to say that sometimes I don't want to sit down and munch on something, anyway. It takes work.....band or no band. But with the surgery, I have, and continue to have, a fighting chance. When I have a bad day, it's so much easier to hop right back on track.

You look fabulous! I'm glad you posted your before & after pictures. It's an excellent reference point when you're feeling down in the dumps....as you are today. I hope you feel better soon. Disc issues are NO fun. But things will straighten out soon enough, and you'll get back on track with movement. Hang in there......you've done an amazing job!

I was told to not put anything on the incisions. Just to keep them dry, and let them heal. I would call your doctor's office & ask about the A&D ointment. You may need to gently wash it off.

PS: If you like nuts, eating a handful is a good way to add calories. They're a dangerous food for me, because I can't seem to control them. But they are a good/healthy addition, and calorie dense.

Yes - way to go! Congrats on your great success :-) I'm 12 pounds from goal, and my maintenance plan is to slowly start adding an extra snack; a Protein bar, greek yogurt, etc. Since we can't.....and don't want to eat past band signals, that's really the only way to add back some calories. That, and maybe not focusing so closely on omitting things like healthy fats from your daily menu. I read of many who try and cut fats out, but it's not really necessary.....or healthy. When I go into maintenance mode, I won't worry so much about having 1T of olive oil on my salad. Maybe I'll have 2. Small healthy additions add up, and ultimately, the weight loss will taper off. Just go slow, so you don't get bummed out if the scale shows an extra pound coming back. You've done so well, I'm sure you will transition smoothly into this final phase. Great job!!

LOL!

This forum is like an alcoholic going to AA. You get the understanding, compassion and support from people who share the disease; fight the same fight, and know exactly what you're going through......because they're living it.

I do not talk openly about my surgery, except with my closest friends and family. There have been times when I wanted to say that I had it, but I stop myself. It's not that I care what they think or say. It's that I don't have the energy or desire to educate them. When I started talking seriously about having the surgery, my oldest sister was cool with it. She said that it's a very personal choice, and was supportive. My middle sister tried to talk me out of it, and kept bringing up her close friend who did well with the band for many years, but has now gained most all of the weight back. To this day, she still goes back to "well, look at so in so". I always say, yeah....look at her. She stopped doing the work. The band isn't a cure, it's a tool. I think my sister goes back & forth in her head to actually considering doing the surgery (she's now over 200 lbs), to being defeated before she even starts. I wish she would do it, because I worry about her health. She's 60 years old, and carries the bulk of her weight in her mid section....which is a recipe for a heart attack. Anyway.....bottom line.....I think people with strong negative opinions about WLS are uneducated on the subject. Their comments are fueled by fear and ignorance. I would rather avoid being irritated by stupid comments, so I keep my weight loss method to myself. When someone comments on how great I look, and asks how I did it, I say "eat less and exercise more". End of story.

And most of those Biggest Loser folks gain the weight back.

I'm surprised that tomato soup was on a "clear" liquid list. It was on my full liquid list. But as we see daily in these forums, every doctor is different :-) Like some of the above posters, Premier Protein ready made chocolate shakes were (and still are) my favorite.

Wow, Jim......your wife's friend clearly hasn't had a life long struggle with food addiction. Those types of comments always amaze me; the ignorance of it. As Bob Dylan wrote in The Times They Are a-Changin.... "don't criticize what you can't understand". But people do.....all the time. How could someone say they don't "believe in" something that they have no clue about? Say that you "don't like the idea of it", but.... Okay, I'm going off on my own mini rant....I'll stop here