Corridor72

Congrats to you! You're doing great! And I totally agree with you-best decision ever! In fact, I ran into an old friend at the grocery store today who said she thought she might need to have WLS since I've done so well but she's afraid she won't be successful because she enjoys food too much. I told her "I had the same fear but this was absolutely the best thing I've ever done for myself and I can tell you, NOTHING tastes as good as the feeling you get from buying smaller, cuter clothes" I am down 133 lbs and I LOVE my band!!! :-)

Congratulations!

I had originally planned on keeping mine a secret, at least for a little while. I ended up telling everyone though(long story as to WHY) but I was pleasantly surprised at how supportive MOST people were. My family wasn't really very supportive initially but they also didn't understand the health issues I was having as a result of my weight problem. Once I confessed all of that, they understood that it was a risk I needed to take in order to save my life and they were much more supportive after that. I tell people all the time that I've had weight loss surgery. It doesn't bother me that people know. Either way, it is YOUR decision. If you're uncomfortable with sharing that info with others, then you shouldn't tell anyone. It's an individual choice and one that only you can make for yourself.

I was banded in December and started noticing hair loss in late February. It lasted through May and then it stopped just as suddenly as it started. I can now see lots of regrowth. I didn't really do anything different other than taking biotin but I'm not really sure how much that helped. Just try not to panic. It will get better.

Pizza has always been one of my favorite foods. Since being banded, I just eat the pizza toppings and leave the crust. Honestly, the crust was always just a vehicle to get the toppings to my mouth anyway as I've never been crazy about crust so I'm perfectly happy with just eating the toppings. As for hot dogs, I rarely eat them but, when I do, I just eat the hot dog and chili with a fork and omit the bun.

My band is tighter during my TOM too. In fact, I kind of lost track this month and hadn't realized it was so close to TOM for me. It wasn't until my period started that it dawned on me that THAT was the problem. Here I was trying to figure out what the heck was going on with my band for about 4 days before that and then my period showed up and I was like "Ah-ha! THAT'S what's going on!" I just try to make sure I stay hydrated during those times and ride it out. Fish is easier for me to eat than chicken, pork, or red meat so I eat more fish during that time. I tend to eat a lot of raw veggies on a daily basis but on those days when my band is tighter, it's easier to eat cooked veggies. Greek yogurt is also a go to for me. Protein bars/shakes help to increase the protein when you're having a hard time getting it in any other way. And if I happen to be at a point where I've hit a stall, I sometimes go ahead and take advantage and do a bit of a liquid fast for a few days and just drink high protein meal replacement shakes and clear liquids for a couple of days. Sometimes that will help break a stall for me.

Congrats to you! What an amazing feeling!

I rarely ever eat fast food anymore. I keep protein bars with me at all times. I always have at least 2 or 3 of them in my purse and I have a whole ziplock bag full of them in my work tote/bag that I bring to work with me every day. However, when I must eat fast food my favorite choices are: Wendy's Chili Arby's Roast Turkey sandwich(no bun) Wendy's Grilled Chicken Wrap(I don't eat the wrap) Long John Silver's Grilled shrimp If I eat at any other fast food place, I just try to find some sort of grilled chicken sandwich(or wrap) and I order it without the bun(or wrap) or toss the bun/wrap when I get it.

All I can say is.... THANK GOODNESS I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM!!! I've been struggling with this for a couple of months now and I still haven't figured out what's the best thing to do. I've used Benefiber, 2 different brands of Fiber gummies, Colace, and Dulcolax. The fiber gummies just don't seem to make much difference to me. The Benefiber helped a little bit but the three times a day dosing is a pain.. It's inconvenient AND I frequently forget it. I bought some Miralax the other day but haven't tried it yet. I really don't want to do depend on taking stool softeners and laxatives from now on. I think I will try the prune juice or prunes. I don't know why I didn't think of that. When my daughter was a baby, I used to feed her prunes or give her prune juice to help her with the frequent constipation that she had from taking Iron fortified formula. The sad thing is this....Pre-surgery, I was that person who couldn't eat unless there was a bathroom nearby because I would have to go as soon as I finished eating and went multiple times a day. A dear friend warned me that would change after lap-band and I laughed at her and told her "Good. Maybe I'll be normal then cuz there's no way I will ever get constipated." Boy was I ever wrong.

Yeah, what she said! Ditto Ditto Ditto! I totally agree! I think they just don't want to waste their time and energy providing the follow-up care that lap-band patients need to be successful soooo, they steer people in the direction of other surgeries which only require them to perform a surgery and then they're done.

I have days when my band is tighter than others. Breakfast for me is usually greek yogurt or maybe eggs over easy. I really can't tolerate any "real" food until I've been up and going for a few hours. Part of that is the band and part of it is just that I've never been much of a breakfast eater anyway. By lunch time, I'm usually fine and can eat anything I want without difficulty. There are some days when it just seems to be tighter than others but I can usually trace it back to a specific cause such as being sick or stressed or the occasional "stuck" episode.

First of all, congrats on all of those NSV's! I recently had some of the same experiences so I totally understand. The realization that those stupid gowns actually fit me was amazing...in fact, they're way too big now. The first time that happened, I found myself wondering if they finally got wise and invested in bigger gowns for us fat people. Then it happened again at a different office and it finally dawned on me that it was because I am smaller and not that the gowns are bigger!haha... Anyway, good luck with all of the testing! Hope everything goes ok for you!

The green zone does exist and you will get there. It may take some time and patience but you will get there. It took 7 fills for me to get there. I am quite happy where I am now. I can eat a very small meal, mostly protein, and be completely satisfied for several hours. Some days, I don't even really get hungry. This thing really does work!

Absolutely! The foods I used to eat that were so high in carbs, YUCK! Chips are too salty and greasy as are many of my other old favorites! Cookies and candy are just too much sweetness for me. And veggies...pre-op, there were very few veggies I would eat. Now I crave veggies all the time! I love raw veggies and use those for when I want a crunchy snack! The foods that I crave now are healthy foods like greek yogurt, veggies, tuna, salmon, chicken, nuts, cheese....I love that my tastes have changed so much!

Unfortunately, I think a lot of surgeons use NP's & PA's for this purpose. They aren't concerned with treating the whole patient. Rather, they want to do the surgery and then never really have to see the patient again. I suppose this is okay IF you have the support of a dietician and access to a support group and/or a counselor of some sort. For me, the regular visits are a source of accountability for me. I always knew he would ask me what/ how much I'd been eating and I used that to my advantage. I know people who are not totally honest about their eating habits but I have always been completely honest with him. If I eat cake, I tell him. That way, I keep it in my head that everything I consume, I must admit to him on weigh-in day. This keeps me accountable for the choices I make. It also helps him advise me about how to make better choices in the future and how to live with my band without feeling like I'm being denied the things I love. A good dietician could provide the same services I suppose but I like that he is interested enough in my success that he is willing to take the time do that himself. The other part of it is the emotional/psychological support. As WLS patients, we experience many ups and downs along the way, some are expected, some catch us by surprise. For instance, we all start out expecting to lose a ton of weight really fast. We've heard of others that did it so we expect it to be our miracle too. Unfortunately, not everyone experiences rapid weight loss and if you happen to be that person that loses more slowly than others, it can be devastating unless you have someone who can help you understand why and help you learn to cope with being a slower loser. No matter who you are, stalls happen somewhere along the way and can be difficult to deal with. Women, in particular, tend to have issues with self image. None of us expect that to happen but it does. Weight loss can also cause issues in the relationships we have with our spouses as well as other friends and family. It helps to have someone else who understands all of these issues and can help you navigate through them as they come up. Again, support groups help because you get to socialize with others who've had the same or similar experiences and professional counseling can also help. But again, I love that my surgeon is so interested in the success and happiness of his patients that he takes the time to help us himself. He is a blessing to many! That's not to say that a person can't have the same success if their surgeon isn't like mine. You can. You just have to seek out your own sources of dietary support as well as emotional/psychological support to help you learn to cope with your new lifestyle and relationships.

I had lots of gurgling after my last fill. I think I was just eating/drinking too fast, not chewing enough because now that I have adjusted and started using better mechanics, it has calmed down a lot. I still get the gurgling but it's not as bad. I just have to make sure that I take sips instead of gulps when I'm drinking fluids and chew my food really well when I eat.

Wow! What an amazing feel that must have been for you! You look great!

Thank you! I don't really have any secrets. I spent a lot of time on this board prior to my surgery just trying to educate myself on what to expect and how to handle things. This board is a great source of information. The veteran members on this board always have great advice. A few things that have helped me though are following the simple rules such as *Protein first. ALWAYS. If I'm still hungry after eating my protein, then I eat some veggies. *Avoid sliders. ALWAYS. *Make good choices. The band doesn't do all of the work for you. It is a tool to help control the quantity of food but it won't stop you from eating garbage. One of the veterans on this board always says "Until the band is properly adjusted, it's just another diet". I read that statement a few months before I was banded and it stuck with me. It did take me awhile to reach the green zone but, until then, I ate as if I were on a diet. I made good food choices and I weighed and measured everything. Some might not agree with that but it worked for me. *Exercise. I work out at the gym and I run. I never dreamed I'd be a runner but it's addicting. I love it. You don't have to run though. Just find some sort of exercise that you enjoy. If you don't enjoy it, you won't continue to do it for very long. *Last, but certainly not least..In fact, this is probably the most important part and the key to my success...Frequent visits with my surgeon. In the beginning, I saw him every 2 weeks. Then every 3 weeks. And I still see him every 4 weeks. I would recommend him to anyone. He sits down with me at each visit, goes over everything I've been eating and advises me on how to improve my diet for optimal results as well as health/wellness. He talks to me about exercise habits. He cares about his patients as people. He takes the time to find out what's going on in life and how you're doing emotionally and psychologically and then tries to help you navigate those areas of life as well. He understands that, in order for his patients to be successful, he has to treat the WHOLE person, not just the physical so his approach is a much more holistic one which involves not only treating the physical being but also the emotional and psychological parts as well. He has been banded himself so he truly understands what we, as lap-band patients, are going through.

Yes, I went out and bought the North Face Osito jacket that I've always wanted! I know that sounds crazy but I've always wanted one of those jackets but was always too big for them. So now that I can fit into that stuff, I went and bought one! I'm also planning to treat myself to a massage and a shopping trip really soon!

I haven't done before/after pics yet. I'm having a difficult time finding any from before. I am the master of avoiding the camera. Actually, that's not true. The camera is always in MY hands and has been for years so there are plenty of pics of everyone except me, which is how I've always wanted it. I will do my best to dig some up and post them soon though. Hurdles. Wow. Well, I guess if I start from the beginning of my journey to where I am now, the first hurdle was just getting the time off work to have surgery. I had everything scheduled, completed my liquid diet and then received a phone call from my employer the day before my scheduled surgery date telling me that my FMLA had been denied. Long story but I ended up having to reschedule my surgery for 5 wks later which meant I had to go through that whole liquid diet thing all over again. I am proud to say that I now laugh in the face of the liquid diet!hahaha...It's sad to say but I actually reached a point where I liked the convenience of being on a liquid diet. I didn't have to figure out what/where I was going to eat. The only question was which flavor of slimfast!lol Once I finally had my surgery, things have gone pretty smooth for me for the most part. I had a lot of nausea for about 5 days but I figure that's probably somewhat normal. Once that finally settled down, I felt pretty good. I've had a few stalls along the way but nothing that's lasted more than about 3 wks. I just work hard at making the right choices each and every day and, if I make a bad choice, I don't use that as an excuse to fall completely off the wagon. I just pick myself right back up and start over immediately. I view my band as a tool. It wasn't meant to "fix" me. It was meant to "help" me fix myself. I control the quality of the food I eat and my band controls the quantity. I still struggle with head hunger though. That one is hard to conquer and I'm not sure I will ever conquer it completely. I also started exercising. I work out at the gym at least 3 times a week and I run 3-4 times a week. I am addicted to running! Unfortunately, I'm suffering from an injury right now and can't run but I'm determined to get back to it very soon! In the meantime, I'm still doing other exercises. Some of the biggest hurdles for me have been emotional/psychological ones. My family wasn't very accepting of the idea of surgery at first and it took some time to get them to understand why I was doing it. They eventually came around and were/are very supportive. The last few months have been tough with them because they're used to the big fluffy girl so, once I started getting close to a normal weight, they started worrying about my health and kept insisting that I stop losing. I couldn't get them to understand that I was still overweight. That seems to be settling down some now though. The hard part right now is that everyone tells me how wonderful I look and how thin I am and I just don't see it. I look in the mirror and still see the same fat girl that's always been there. And that image makes me want to lose more weight. I am still hoping to lose about another 5-10 lbs. I think that's probably realistic for my height. However, when I look in the mirror, I see someone who needs to lose a lot more than that. This actually worries me because I'm afraid of becoming that person that went from one extreme to the other. I don't know how you change it though. I guess your brain just has to have time to catch up to the rest of your body. I do still see my surgeon monthly though and he does a lot of counseling at each visit so I'm sure he'll keep me in check and make sure I don't lose so much that it's unhealthy. Best of luck to you on your journey! You'll be sharing your success story sooner than you think!

Thank you!

I don't have any pictures yet but I'll try to post some soon!

Thank you!

I can soooo totally relate to this as I was in the same place at one point. I finally realized the choice was mine. I could let myself fall back into all of those old habits that had caused me to be so morbidly obese that I required surgery in the first place OR I could put my big girl panties on, suck it up, and make the right choices to get me where I want to be. It's difficult but I did it and you CAN do it too. And don't beat yourself up about the mistakes you've made. You're human. You're going to make mistakes along the way but just because you make a bad choice once or twice does NOT mean you have to keep repeating those same bad choices nor does it mean you justify another bad choice with the first one. I'm one of those people who used to start every day with good intentions of making the right food choices. I would do great at Breakfast but tended to eat stuff high in carbs at breakfast, which was at 5 or 6 am so then by the time I would finally get time to have lunch around 1:30 or 2:00pm, I was starving and would frequently make bad choices at lunch time because of that. Once I did that, I would kick myself but then continue to make bad choices for the rest of the day because I felt I had ruined the entire day with that one meal, which I now realize isn't true. You can't justify an entire day of bad choices based on one bad choice/meal. I've finally learned that if I make a bad choice, I start over right that minute rather than waiting until the next day or next week. Either way, it's all about the choices we make. We can choose to make the same bad choices that caused us to be overweight to begin with and regain everything we've lost OR we can choose to make healthier choices so that we can become the healthy people we want to be.