PrettyThick1

Congratulations and welcome to the world Hudson! It became a better place when you arrived.

Welcome to the other side and congratulations! I have no doubt that you will be singing the band's praises in no time, too!

Butterflies begin from having been another As a child is born from being in a mother's womb Yet how many times have you wished you were some other Than someone you really were Yet who's to say if all were uncovered You'd like what you'd see You can only be you As I can only be me Flowers cannot bloom until it is their season As we would not be here unless it was our destiny But how many times have you wished to be in places Time spaces than what you were Yet who's to say that unfamiliar places You could anymore be Loving you that you see You can only be you As I can only be me I can only be me. Stevie Wonder Skool Daze (Spike Lee, 1988)

You have to be sick and tired of being sick and tired. You have to have tried it all, succeeded and failed a few times. You have to have fallen and not wanted to ever get up again. You have to be fed up with being controlled by something meant only to sustain you. You have to have a serious fear of your life being cut short. You have to be ready to draw the line. You have to want it so bad you might have to forsake some. You have to plan for the days you need a lot less to do a lot more. You have to dream of the day you fit into... You have to look forward to reaching your goal, maintaining and inspiring someone else. You have to be willing to lose not only some of you, but some others. You have to consider what's next now that you know you can succeed when you try. You have to reflect on your past while remaining focused on your present and dreaming of your future. They say having WLS is the easy way out. They say it will kill you or do irreparable harm - I have arguments for that all day long, but I digress. From my standpoint, it looks like a lot of work and some are just not equipped to handle it. Furthermore, some may not be equipped to handle the new you either. Be prepared. You can only plan for so much on this journey, trust when I tell you there are surprises along the way. Mostly pleasant, others not so much but all very necessary just the same. In case you are wondering if it was all worth it to me: yes, indeed it is.

You hit the nail on the head. I think the biggest problem is that they can't handle seeing me change, especially when they are afraid to make their own bold moves to improve their lives. I hope you know in your heart that whatever the impact your weightloss has on your marriage, it will be for the best. Prolonged unhappiness is a serious thief of time, which we are learning is more and more precious as we get older. Good luck and continued success!!!

I'm so glad I'm not alone...I figured this might be common and I'd love to read more stories like yours on this post. Congratulations on your success and keep up the good work!

Bluebell's No Sugar Added ice cream (any flavor) tastes like regular ice cream. I don't know how they do it. No added sugar, no fat, 90 calories and 8 or 9 grams of Protein per serving. The dutch chocolate (tastes like creamy milk chocolate) and the strawberries and cream are to die for!!!!

Suddenly, I'm not feeling the love that fat Gwen felt. Suddenly, I get the feeling that others are talking about me behind my back. Others who have always normally been in my corner through thick and thin. I'm wondering if it's my attitude that has changed? I certainly feel more confident, outgoing and attractive, but does that resonate as cockiness, egoism and/or grandeur to the outside world? We're told not to give too much credit to how others interpret us, I try to deal with it by thinking: Some may regard me as an angel, others the devil. I will give no merit to either perspective because their assessment is based upon their life experiences and not my own. Anyway, I have to be honest that with the weight loss, I seem to also be losing "friends". It could be a coincidence. It could be God's way of helping me to declutter my life: physically, emotionally and socially. Who knows? I'll press on nonetheless because I realize there are many people out there waiting for me to fail. To see the weight added back on, so I can be the fluffy, cute one in the bunch who makes everyone else look smaller and sexier. Hells to the naw! I'm one of the sexy now...deal with it or deal without me. #drops mike and skips of stage

Preach!

So why are you eating out of a box? With the same effort and a hell of a lot less money, you should preplan your meals. It's the same thing they are doing, except they are charging you more and it doesn't taste as good as if you'd made it yourself. It's not that hard. Make a full amount of whatever dish, then label, date and freeze it. Be your own JC and learn to manage your weight the proper way. I don't see the rationale in having the band and still needing another control method. If it's for convenience, that's one thing, but there are far too many resources for easy recipes - without the carbs, preservatives and sodium found in prepackaged foods.

The longer you wait to drink, the longer you stay full = more rapid weight loss. Just something to think about. If you can make it an hour, by all means do so. My doctor says you have to wait hour before and hour after! This seems over kill!

Hugs Bandista...you are a delightful person and I love reading your thoughtful, caring replies to other bandsters. You rock!

Whether it be spouse, parent, best friend...anyone who has considered WLS has had someone in their life - some more than others that were against them having the procedure. It's one of the first steps you deal with on this journey, welcome aboard! He obviously loves you or he wouldn't be concerned, so consider yourself a lucky woman in that respect. Without knowing your specific situation (how many WL attempts, how long overweight, any comorbids or risks) it's hard to help you with a more detailed "reasons to have the surgery" list, but here is my two cents: 1. Yo-yo dieting is more dangerous than never having lost weight. 2. You can lose the weight on your own, but are you able to maintain it? 3. There are more risks to staying overweight than in having WLS. 4. People who have deadly diseases have been "cured" through WLS. I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes in February 2013. Six months after my surgery, I am happy to say that my blood glucose levels are normal without medication. I was diagnosed with Severe Obstructive sleep Apnea only after my band surgeon required a sleep study prior to my surgery. I have likely had it for years and it could have killed me, quickly...it certainly reduced my quality of life. Six months after my surgery, I no longer need my CPAP, I don't snore and I get the best sleep I've had in my life. I also need a lot less sleep than I did before. My blood pressure was starting to fluctuate in crazy numbers. After I lost 20lbs. my blood pressure stabilized and is back to 120/80 or less each time I check it. 5. Being overweight affects your psyche. Your self esteem, outlook on life, drive and ambition climb with each pound lost. 6. Being smaller feels good. 7. Being smaller looks good. I thought I was the cutest thing walking the earth at my highest weight but I didn't do it for vanity. 8. It will increase your chances at living a longer and better quality life. 9. He will benefit in many ways: better nutrition, a happier wife and better sex (trust me on that) to name a few. 10. You want it. You go out of your way to make sure your loved ones have what they need as long as it is in your control. You should do the same thing for yourself. No one else can or will ever live in your body, therefore the decision is ultimately yours to make. Good luck in whatever you decide. I'm very happy with my decision, I don't miss anything (I can eat whatever I choose to) but have gained so much...things that I didn't anticipate. My only regret is that I didn't do this sooner.

If I ever am tempted to listen to the voice in my head that says "I don't see a difference", I'll take a look at these and thank Miss Pearlie (my band) for all she had done to make this happen. I'm not at my goal and these pics are 15lbs heavier than I am today, but they are my faves because they were the first evidence that I was no longer afraid to take pictures.

The EXACT same thing happened to me. I was .7 from my goal and guess what? I gained 7 whole pounds!!!!

After my stomach flu scare a few days ago, I was certain that I had damaged my band - especially since I was a rather frequent PB'er. To my relief, my band is in good shape in spite of me experiencing two very real, very serious vomiting episodes. As a preventative measure, I asked to have .5cc's removed to allow more of an "escape route" just in case it wasn't over. What a huge difference! My food goes down way too easy now, but in this, I realize how much difficulty I was having with 5.0cc's. I've come to the conclusion that 4.5 isn't enough and 5.0 is too much...when I go back to get another fill in two weeks, I'm going to request .25cc's instead of the full .5 that has been taken out. I think that's going to be perfect and I can't wait to see if that .25 will bring me to a "true green" - I don't think I was really in the green, simply because eating was a bit tricky to manage. Now, it almost feels like I don't have a band and even more than that, a couple of weird pains I had are suddenly gone. What a difference a tiny bit of Fluid can make!

I've seen quite a few posts asking what slider foods are. While we can all give a list of things that fall in that category for us or all bandsters, one point that goes overlooked is that you can make any food a slider if you drink with your meals - even doughy breads, sticky rice and potatoes. There are two main reasons not to eat with your meals: it flushes the food through your system faster and you can cause the liquid to take up space where an extra bite or two of lean Protein would be better suited. That being said, I understand what a chore it is to chew long enough make your food consumable but there is a reason for it and quite important in the grand scheme of things.

That was really nice.

Breathe. It's not that serious, you haven't done anything that will prevent or hinder your surgery. Just be good from here on out, you're almost there!

...and as Bandista mentioned, this is the exciting part. As much as I hated being on pins and needles, once I got the call for my pre-op appointment it all became real and I can't tell you the emotions I went through that day! LOL

If you're expected to be there all day, I would safely say this is your pre-op appointment. You've done everything else, gotten your approval, there isn't anything left to do now but schedule your surgery. Good luck!

I was told no Advil (ibuprophen), Tylenol (acetaminophen) or aspirin. You can use Aleve or call your doctor for a liquid prescription pain med. My headaches seem to go away much faster now and they are fewer than before I was banded and I have only had to use something once (BC Headache Powders) I'm not sure what medication is in them, but I needed something and knew that this would go down easilly. It helped almost immediately.

Welcome to banded life! The sounds you hear eminating from your belly and soon your posterior will be constants on this journey and tend to increase with higher Protein levels. We're sure you will find these unpleasantries worth the outcome. Please keep hands inside of the car at all times and no flash photography. Thank you.

The soup was a slider because it's full of sodium, carbs and it doesn't stay in your system long. Other sliders for me: Cereal (hot or cold) and the norm - milk shakes, chocolate, Cookies...everything that got us fat to begin with.

To be honest, I have a desk job and I needed a full week. I had my surgery on a Wednesday, I felt a lot better by Saturday and went to work on Monday...mistake. I was not ready for sitting up for more than a few hours and had to go back home at lunch time. I went back the next day and I was almost able to make it the whole day...but by Wednesday, I was completely ready.