lisacaron

When I started my journey as a Weight Loss Surgery patient it was never my goal to "get fit". My goal when I started this journey was to be healthy. To take all the years, of pain and sickness and put them behind me. It wasn't about losing weight, though of course I knew that would be part of getting healthy, but I never really thought about what being healthy really meant. Being healthy, is more then the numbers on the scale or the inches of your waist. Being healthy is much, much more, it means eating right, and more then that it means having good nutrition to fuel your body. Not just the right number of calories but the right kind of calories. A balance of carbs and Proteins, micro and macro nutrients that help keep your body in harmony. Adding in the WLS tools changes the tone of the body's natural symphony and I realized as an obese person that my body's natural symphony was so out of tune it was not music to my ears. It was noise. It was like the noise of nails on a chalk board or a seized engine grinding and trying still to chug along. As my weight climbed I tuned out that noise more and more and kept pushing that engine harder and harder. In 2013 I went in for WLS and had the lapband and plication performed. Adding these elements to the mix, seemed to bring everything in line, and for the first time in years and years I could hear the noise again and this time I could hear the melody being drowned out in the background. It takes time to find all the elements to bring out that melody and then to get that melody to harmonize. Just like many voices in a Choir or many instruments in a Orchestra you have to find the perfect selection and get it all to work together to make something beautiful. So getting healthy became more then just having surgery, it became more then being compliant with the Dr.'s rules. These were stepping stones, and with each step I could see more and more of what was needed. Gathering the knowledge and learning the lessons, I keep moving I keep stepping. Getting healthy is about finding that perfect balance, creating that symphony of mind, body and experience. Being healthy is maintaining that balance on the ever changing surface of life. Today it may be an open field wide and flat, tomorrow it could be the roughest face of a mountain with the challenge of making it to the top and back down the other side. You could find yourself out at sea, the ocean vast and wide as you try to keep your head above Water and maintain that balance. That is my view of what being healthy is today. Yesterday was a big accomplishment for me in my journey. I walked in my first 5K! Over the last 9 years I have watched as others took up the challenge and got out there and participated. I looked on with envy I wanted to participate too, but every year there was always a reason I could not. Surgery after surgery and so many health issues who was I kidding...? Would I ever be able to do this? I was lucky I could walk from my car to my office without feeling like I was having a heart attack! This year 2014 I am so happy to share with you that I WAS able to participate! I laced up my sneakers and donned my number and got to stepping! I didn't start this journey with the idea of fitness in mind. I didn't count it as part of my WLS journey. I was focused on food, then on eating and on not eating food. On changing the way I ate food, changing the foods I choose to eat. As I made these changes and my body started responding to the changes, it naturally wanted to move more and become active. Fitness is the harmonizer. It brings all the other pieces together and helps to set the tone, and from there you can bring in all sorts of new elements, add flair and flourish as you go. Make it loud bring it in low, but fitness is what brings it all together. Here are some photo's from yesterday's walk! Today my friends, though you think I would be tired, or sore I feel great! I am bolstered by this accomplishment in my journey and I am looking forward to making it across more finish lines in the future!!

Oh and the shirt...I ordered by size wich they said ran small 3 months ago. Happy to say YES today is defiantly oversized!!!

the clock is 1 hr 15 min. My actual time was 45 minutes. The competitive runners start the race first. You have to run a 9 min. Mile to qualify for that. They start at 7 with a wheelchair race and then competitive runners. The winner ran the course I 19 minutes. Hubs could not participate but was there for moral support!

Completed my first 5k today!! My company had the largest amount of participants this year.

OMG I love this! Where are the photos???? COME ON SHARE!!!!

I would not think that you have bulimia, if you did have it you would have been diagnosed as having an eating disorder by your psychiatrist and be in treatment for it. From your post it sounds like poor eating mechanics that causes you to regurgitate food. I would work on those, pacing your bites, making sure they are small enough and chewed well enough, take 20 minutes to finish a meal. Sip don't gulp and then see if you are still having an issue. If you are, I would suggest a visit to the doc to check your band and your fill level which may need an adjustment. I vomit about 4 times a week with the band. It's not really full on vomiting. Maybe just the amount in my stoma. Sometimes it's only Water when I drink too much or too fast. I don't feel as though I have bulimia ! I think his statement was reckless and irresponsible. This is what I mean by follow up care and maintenance. It requires it from both the patient and the doctor to ensure that the apparatus is working correctly and the patient is compliant and healthy most of all. Some doctors want to have a one stop shop. Operate make the big bucks and push the patient out the door. Lapband is not a quick fix or cure all for the disease of Obesity. It is the first step on a life long journey.

@@sfie9669 I'm not a sleeved patient, but I want to encourage you NOT to compare yourself or your journey to anyone. You are uniquely yourself, and though we can all offer advice, inspiration and experience the experiences we share are purely our own. To find what works for you, is to keep going and not give up. Try it and see and if not keep moving until you find what it is that works for you. As for Protein, there are some pretty awesome protein shots out there by Body Fortress, they literally are 2 oz of liquid and you knock them back just like a shot. They give you 20 grams of protein and they go so quick you don't have time to taste or smell it Protein is important to your body and your health so try and get that in, and let your body work. It will figure out you need to burn some fat to keep your energy high. If your putting in carbs even if you are drinking them your body is going to choose that first, and you want it to choose to burn fat and not muscle. Good luck sounds like your right on track!!!

@@NolansNana if your severly uncomfortable or in pain call your doctor and fill them in on what your experiencing. Sometimes in the early weeks/months of banding you can be more swollen. I have allergies and as a result at night I sometimes have a post nasal drip, which can wake me up with that feeling of something stuck in the band. This also happens if I have a bad cold. It took some time for me to figure it out though. Now in the morning I will start my day with a nice warm cup of coffee to relax the stoma a bit. If you have changed anything over the last few days take that into account as well. For example I was taking Advil for a sprain and I was having that feeling again the mornings and later at night when I would be winding down for bed. I called my Dr. and it was actually swelling in the stoma as a result of taking the Advil. So I switched to Tylenol and that went away. Some foods can be an irritation as well. Keep an eye on things, let us know how your doing and note anything that changes and the best thing to do is always to give your doc a call and get their professional advice.

My take on this is, that doctors don't like the extra work that is involved in the Lapband procedure. It's not about weight loss expectation because they are wrong in that regard. Take a poll here and see who has lost weight and who has lost over 100 pounds with the band. Complications..well I will take an infection over my death and malnutrition any day. Also think this is a bit of reaching on the Dr's part to find something "wrong". If surgery is done well by a trained surgeon in a hospital setting the risk for infection is negligible to any surgical procedure. Addressing the issue of Bulimia this Dr. should go and see a psychiatrist (for more then one reason) to get his facts right. Bulimia is a psychiatric and mental disorder with the way a person views their intake of food it is not forced on anyone by anything. The band does not force you to vomit. If in fact you are vomiting after eating you should see your doctor because this is not normal. You should not be vomiting food any more then you should with the sleeve, or bypass. There is WORK involved in patient care for the Lapand by the doctors, their offices, and the facilities they operate out of. You can't just nip, tuck, staple, sew, pat the patient on the ass and send them on their way out into the world with no follow up care or guidance. You have to maintain your apparatus, you have to monitor the patients fill levels and compliance. There is WORK involved in the band and in my humble opinion there should be more work involved for all weight loss surgeries. I have read comments and hear from patients all the time about their lack of follow up care. I see patients who have had their surgery lost X amount of weight and found themselves 2-3 years later well on their way back to where they were before surgery, and worse. Not only in weight but other health issues as well. Why is that? Is it the patients fault? the doctors? the insurance company? When you have cancer, diabetes or heart disease you follow up and your doctors follow up with you right? They check to see if you are still in remission, if your heart is functioning in the right way, what your sugar levels are... Obesity is a disease too, and it needs the same kind of monitoring and follow up care as the "big name" diseases that it leads to. If we keep obesity in check maybe we won't have to work so hard to keep cancer, heart disease, diabetes etc. in check, but those are the money makers for the Dr.'s, hospitals, and drug companies right? Can't mess with that.... A little plastic band, that requires follow up and the dreaded accountability...that's the devil.

Did you have a fill recently?

Glad to hear that you are making it through this!!! Your a trooper don't let it get to you, we are all in your corner!

That is some good news! The next step would be funding some legislation to change the way BMI's are looked at when it comes to health insurance and approvals. BMI should not be the only indicator for need or approval, it is in fact a poor indicator at best.

@@Ga Gurl your doing great, right on track working with your doctor is the best way to find your sweet spot. I have had multiple fills and am high in the number of CC's in my band before it kicked in for me. Hubby who is banded at the same time is much lower in CC's and the number of fills. There is not "right" formula for everyone. We are all different there is no generic one size fit's all or average take on it. I personally like that, cause it means that every time I see my Dr. there isn't a cookie cutter formula that they dispense out and send me on my way. I get personalized attention, and we all deserve that

@@RedStorm what everyone above said is right on target! I will add this, as you start to move more getting your heart rate up and building muscle you will find that you are more hungry and your body is going to initially start looking for that "quick fix" meaning the calories you put in. The body would rather burn the carbs and food you are eating then dip into it's fat reserve, so for a few weeks you will see resistance in your body as you keep pressing it for more output and giving it less intake. It will balance out and start going for the fat stores, if you stay the course and don't give into that "hunger" it is real hunger but you want to try and stave it off. Hydrate, when you have that "hunger" feeling after a work out hydrate, give your body Water and let it dip into fat stores for the energy. If you have a hard time staving off that hunger, follow the advice above and talk to you doc about a fill. We have the band as a tool to help us so use it and let it work for you and with you! Best of luck to you, sounds like your doing amazing!

@@NolansNana you go girl! I know how you feel when I see my boys eat a meal I can't even look!! I have to tell you though they are all three fit and thin but oh BOY can they eat when they are hungry! Takes my appetite away I'm lucky I finish one crepe and some fruit.

@@NolansNana it sounds to me like you are right where you need to be. The Dr./PA should assess your need for a fill not just give it to you. They should schedule you for a follow up in a few weeks to see if you are still having that same level of restriction, losing weight and feeling fine. If you feel that in a week or so things change drastically for you and you are hungry, truly hungry not just head hunger between meals then you should call them up and schedule to come in to see them sooner and discuss a fill again at that time. If you are still feeling good with your level of restriction, then hold off till you see them at your next visit and discuss your need at that time. I hope this answered your question....?

@@bajagal101 Try not to beat yourself up. You have made a commitment to make a huge change in your life and it won't happen overnight. Here is some well learned advice... Those food funerals that you are having for the foods that you "can never eat again". Stop having them because they will haunt you after you are banded for a bit and realize that yes you can eat them again and yes you will eat them again. Your "bad" habits aren't really bad though they may be bad for you. The power to modify them and ultimately change them is within you. Your not going to quit eating, but you are going to eat healthy. Your body needs food to fuel itself and survive, but it needs nutritious food not junk food. Start there with your modifications. Try making some healthy substitutions. Start cooking some of your meals, pre-planning your lunch/dinner. Making a shopping list and sticking to it so you have those healthier choices available. Don't make 180 turn, it's easier to start out with a 30 degree shift in focus and keep moving in the right direction until you get to there. Take it one day and one meal at a time. Make a plan and try your best to stick to it. When your pre-op phase comes be ready. Have that plan. Know what kind of shakes you like. Start sampling them now. When you find one you like, have it ready and on hand. If you know you have 2 weeks on full liquids, start out 4 weeks ahead and just replace one meal at at time. Start with Breakfast...replace that for a week...move to lunch the next week...and then by week three you will be there and on full liquids ready to rock and roll! My final tip...check in with your support groups or here on BP and let everyone know how you are doing, and if you have questions that's what we are here for!! Best of luck to you and congrats!!

I love it you look so happy and relaxed!! OK I'm jealous too!!! Wish I was with you all...and relaxing in the sun!!

The NYC/LI chapter is meeting is set for August 2 from 2PM till 4 PM We will be meeting at The Atrium at 805 Third Avenue. The building is on Third Ave between 49th and 50th Streets. The Atrium is at the back of the space on the lower level past the shops. We are looking forward to seeing many of our forum friends there for a fun filled afternoon. We hope to share a bit of information, education, and ultimately support with our friends and we also have a few special surprises planned for those in attendance!!! So mark your calendars today forum friends and make plans to spend a beautiful summer afternoon in NYC, please RSVP to the site and let us know if you plan to attend!!! If any Jersey friends want to attend, please feel free to cross the Hudson and join us.

Good Morning everyone!! I hope this post finds everyone happy and healthy!! I apologize for my absence from the forum, it's been a bit of a crazy start to summer for me and the hubby. Tag teaming Dad's in the hospital back to back...and well you can just imagine so I won't bore with the details How is your summer shaping up??? I participate in my first 5K tomorrow!! I'm nervous and excited and I hope I don't throw up or trip on my own two feet!!! I am still geared up to meet everyone at the Atrium this Saturday August 2nd, here are the details!!! The NYC/LI chapter is meeting is set for August 2 from 2PM till 4 PM We will be meeting at The Atrium at 805 Third Avenue. The building is on Third Ave between 49th and 50th Streets. The Atrium is at the back of the space on the lower level past the shops. We are looking forward to seeing many of our forum friends there for a fun filled afternoon. We hope to share a bit of information, education, and ultimately support with our friends and we also have a few special surprises planned for those in attendance!!! So mark your calendars today forum friends and make plans to spend a beautiful summer afternoon in NYC, please RSVP to the site and let us know if you plan to attend!!! If any Jersey friends want to attend, please feel free to cross the Hudson and join us.

@@Tisa you really do have to be your own advocate when it comes to this. Are you ready to accept the differences in maintenance between the two surgeries? Have you done your background and research on them and are you comfortable living with this for the rest of your life? If you are not sure then I suggest you go tell the Dr. that this is NOT what you told me I was going in for and I need some more feed back. Don't just settle because you want to be done, I know it's a long process and you are in the home stretch and nothing should change for you in timing but get the facts first and if you are good with it then go forward, if you have doubts or questions now is the time to speak up!! This is your life and you will have to live with the consequences, for them it's only paper work. Make the choice that's best for you.

I have to tell you this...but the choice is always yours. My husband needed a full hip replacement. He was having similar issues the pain was unbearable and he was starting to have tripping issues. All that said, he had WLS first. He lost about 60 pounds and then just this May had his hip replacement surgery which went so smoothly he is not 2 months post op and going back to work as a Fire Fighter. He has joined the gym with me and see's a personal trainer he's walking every day and biking and feeling awesome! Talk to your doctors, and see what they advise. Rehab and recover as well as overall surgery is much easier for you if you can lose weight prior. If the docs advise you to go forward with the replacements and surgery for the joints go for it, but definitely talk to them before hand. Best of luck to you all.

@@Colleen C You had surgery to add a tool into your life to help you change your life style and adopt a new one right? That said, if your Dr. did not fill you because of your weight loss to date then why did he help you get this tool if not to use it? Can you over come your cravings? Sure we are powerful beings we can do anything we set our mind to. Will this be enough long term for you to change your habits? Probably not, if it was you would have done it already right? So can you reset? Sure, take a second and go back to band basics reset your mind to get into band compliance again and then really discuss your hunger with your doctor. If you are hungry after eating, or eating larger volumes of food more often that is what should dictate your need for a fill/no fill not only the amount of weight lost.

@@NolansNana this is not a race my friend. You will get there in your own time. Everyone of us is on a different journey. I"m sorry to hear about your brother, and I commend you for taking care of your loved ones. This is not an easy task to undertake and often we will put the needs of others before our own even though we know we shouldn't. You are on the right track, keep stead as you can and you will do great. Take time to take care of yourself even as you take care of your family, for that too is an act of love and giving to them. If you are not well and strong you can't be there for them when they need you. So don't lose sight of that. I am on the slow and stead course and I am very happy. I look good and more importantly I feel great!! I have not lost 100 or 150 pounds in over a year I have lost maybe 65 all in all but you know I am working out every day I see a fitness trainer 2x a week, and I am going to participate in my first 5K this coming Tuesday night! The changes in life and in life style are not only about the numbers on the scale they are about you and how you feel in your life. So don't stress, keep going and living your life to the fullest!

Grrr. I tried to respond and lost my text. Long story short when I can I will substitute for craving. I have learned on this journey that cravings for me usually stem from a mental or emotional state that is less then desirable. In the past indulging in the craving would sooth me enough to work through the issues, or I would eat my frustration at having no control over the issue to resolve it. Today I try to work through these things directly and when they are out of my control and frustration is the result I will turn to non food things that bring me pleasure or happiness. I might take a walk on the beach, take a nap, read a good book, listen to music, or indulge in lounging on the couch and watching movie. When there are things that you just have to have..like that once a year "treat" that you only can get at a summer carnival or on Thanksgiving some special family recipe or something I enjoy it, and eat what my band will allow and I don't feel bad or guilty about it at all.