lisacaron

Hey Hope, I understand where you are coming from. Set backs are never fun, but that is all that this is. It's a set back not a failure on your part at all! Try to use this time as another tool. You know what all the rules are, and you know how the band should work, now while you are waiting to get all the parts installed in working order, is a good time to keep up and define your band practice! Don't allow yourself to fall back into the old habits! As you said that is the easy route and you have so far taken the high road with all it's trials and tribulations. Don't lower your standards or expectations now. Keep your goals in sight my friend. One step at a time, one mile stone at a time. Go back to the band basics, and reboot. You can and you will make this work for you!!! I have faith in you!

Thank you for sharing your story! I hate shopping also, I don't think that will change with my size...only think I like to shop for is jewelry and not the costume kind

It's normal to feel a bit tired after surgery of any kind. With this surgery you have drastically cut your intake of food, and your body is busy adjusting to all the changes and healing from the recent trauma.(Surgery the body doesn't know you chose to do this, it just reacts to it.) You are probably getting back to your regular routine, and your body is now being asked to put out movement with much less energy source and needs to tap into it's resources, so it's going to take some time to get back up to full speed. Be easy with yourself and take it slow when you can and as you need to. Up your Protein intake, and hydrate those will help the body assimilate. If you are feeling VERY tired or lethargic please call your Dr. right away and let them know, and ask them to advise you further. Feel better soon!

I understand the challenge that you have in letting your girls know that you are going in for WLS. They are at a delicate and impressionable age, where their own body image is being formed as they grow and start to develop those girly curves. You want to help keep their self esteem and acceptance of their own body image high, and hearing that Mom is going to for WLS could shift that perception for them if they don't understand fully. If you are going to share with your daughters, my advice would be to be as honest and straight forward as possible. Explain to them it is not a vanity thing, and you are not going to this extreme because you don't like who you are or how you look. Let them know that this is not a "short cut" to looking and feeling better, but that it is a commitment to your life, your health and your future. Give them all the information they need to understand the journey you are about to undertake, and answer any questions they might have for you along the way with as much clarity and positivity as possible. I wish you all the best in your journey!

Up your Protein as well. I have been using Nixon to keep my hair from falling out and I also take a supplement of Biotin. Once I started upping my protein intake that really helped the new regrowth. I still shed some hair, not as bad as it was though and I have lots of new baby hairs growing in. @ Donna... There is a Rogaine now for women, you might want to give that a try. My sister in law also had that baby fine hair all her life, and then sadly had breast cancer and through chemo lost all her hair. She was hopeful that as per some stories she heard that her hair would grow back thicker and fuller. Her hair grew back, but still baby fine. She used the rogaine for women and that really helped her out. Might be worth a try.

I always go for the lean Protein or fish dishes, or ask to have a special dish prepared the way I would like it. I never have an issue eating only the protein, I never eat the bread or macaroni salads that come to the table and often times ask the server to take it away. If the dinner is very large I eat the portion I am comfortable with for my band and take the rest home. Often I am able to make a couple of meals out of one dinner. If I am out with my husband who is also banded often times we will share the full meal with each other. Very cost effective as well I might add!

This is all true, plus your body is still healing. It took me a good 3/4 months to feel like I didn't have surgery. Where I was back to feeling like myself again with no pulls and pains. Keep to the program, and you will lose slow and steady. This is not a gastric by pass. It's going to take some time for your body to learn to work with your band. Your doing great keep up the good work!

I usually have coffee in the morning, and then around 10am a protein bar. That holds me till lunch time.

They are starting to crop up all over the place these days. I have found them in Walmart, and CVS recently. Hopefully soon to a store near you

I'm always on the run, I work 10 hours a week, drive 60 miles a day I have 2 kids in college who have to be shuffled around because they don't have their own cars at either end of the Island...and well I'm just not cooking a meal at 8:00 at night. That said I don't find fast food places to be bad. I get grilled chicken breasts and salads and other things from the drive through. The difference is....I do not consume them while I am driving. I wait till I get to a place where I can sit, and prepare them. If I get a grilled chicken sandwich I am not going to be eating it like it's made. I take the chicken off the patty toss that and then cut it up into mini bites with a knife and for and sit and enjoy the meal. Occasionally I add a side salad to it depending on my level of hunger. My hubby has made the mistake of trying to grab and eat on the run. That's a no go. So now he follows the same pattern as I do. Grab the grub, and wait till we are out of the car in a food designated area to consume it. There are times, when you are so hungry and you just don't have the time to even do that...and for those days I keep Protein Bars in the car and in my bag for eating on the run. I still try not to eat them while I'm driving, but maybe before I head out or once I get to my destination and have the car in park. I would love to be able to always plan for meals and cook them and have the time and place to relax and enjoy eating them, but that is not always workable with my lifestyle. I have learned the band is a tool and you have to find your way to work it into your lifestyle to make it work for you and it is possible.

Love those shakes MSGal! Premiere Protein gives you high protein and they are low calorie and low sugar for the same amount of oz.

My only advice, and this came from my Dr. is to be careful when eating the salad that you eat the Protein in it first. Don't "fill up" on the salad to the point where you don't get all the chicken or what ever protein in. That has happened to me before, and trust me you want to get the protein in first and not worry about how many leaves of vegies you get in.

I understand how you feel MissyT. I also had to have a hysto at an early age. For us that can cause it's own issues with weight loss and weight gain. If you are in a good place about it, you can do it. It's not a miracle surgery. Your not going to wake up at goal weight. It may take a year or two..if your anything like me your going to lose a bit slower. Hormonal issues can be a huge mountain to climb when it comes to weight loss, but it is possible! Best of luck on your journey, we'll be looking for you on the banded side.

Nioxin is a hair treatment system for those with fine thin or thinking hair. It promotes scalp care to help the regrowth of hair after things like surgery and or stress that might cause hair loss. Helps to protect and strengthen the hair that remains as well so hair loss is stemmed. It has really worked for me. I use the shampoo and conditioner only for color treated hair and I have tons of new growth and while I still shed a few strands that has slowed considerably. Most salons or beauty supply stores will carry the product as well as pharmacies like CVS. The product is expensive. $25 for shampoo. $25 for conditioner. They are not very large hotties either. Leaves my hair strong and thicker and soft as silk. I was about to chop it all off and then tried this. My sister in law used it after chemo for breast cancer to help her hair grow in and sh was right it has worked for me.

Due diligence is my thing. I do it for a living, and I make a nice one at that...so that said let me tell you my story short and sweet. 7 years ago at the age of 34 I was having major medical issues. Surgery after surgery, and finally my Dr. said Lisa what are you going to do about this weight? He gave me a doctor who was a colleague of his who did bariatric surgery. Lapband specialty. OK I thought maybe I will go and see this guy. I waited a year...then I went to see him. I loved him, he had a great practice, people were nice office chairs fit my big butt I was happy! Then he gave me the list of things I had to do..and the prep and the doctors and I checked on it some more..and I wasn't ready. Only a part of me was cheering...do it do it do it..the other half was saying...ummm I don't know...surgery...another one..complications...failure. I have personal friends I know who had the band, the 4cc one years ago and they not only failed but they had major issues...that was nearly 15 years ago...things have changed...but still. I wasn't ready. Then this January, newly married my husband facing a hip replacement and both of us over weight. Happy in love and overweight. WE went back to see the doctor and this time I was ready. I was all in. My hubby was all in, and we have never looked back! True it's only 5 months...(nearly) but I could not be happier! I am much healthier, I can walk and run I take the stairs now! It took me 3 years to get here from the time I first met the surgeon and 4 years from the time I was given his number. So take your time and be sure it's the right surgery and the right time for YOU. The band takes 100% commitment pre-op and post op. If your not ready to give that 100% your not ready.

I'm sorry to hear about all that you have been going through. I know for me emotional eating is my worst! When I am stressing big time I tend to lose weight, when I went through my divorce pre-band I lost 45 pounds. (but I also broke my foot and had to hop around for 2 months on crutches! That's a work out let me tell you!) My best suggestion to you is to give yourself some TLC. Go back to band basics like when you first were banded. Try the 5 day pouch test/reset to start. You can find it in posts on the site and online as well. Find a doctor that you like as your PCP let them know your banded, then find a bariatric doctor and make an appointment. Don't let your insurance company tell you no! It's all in the way visits are billed and if your having an issue, then it should be covered. Best of luck to you, sounds like things are going in a better direction for you already!

I agree with Missy. Take the time to do the research. Attend some seminars at your local hospital or where they perform bariatric surgery. Speak to you doctors and get their medical opinion and advice. You should not be vomiting at all. I am like you and I never like to have to vomit even when I was a child with a tummy virus. It always did make me feel better, Mom was right..but I hated it and cried the whole time. The band is not synonymous with vomiting and if people tell you it is, they are using it wrong and doing grave harm to themselves and their band. Good luck on your journey!

Spark people has loads of fitness video's for at home work outs even for those who are chair bound, and they are free. sparkpeople.com I think is the site. Good luck!!

Hockeymom, Your doing great! Keep up the good work! I am also losing slowly but steadily. I haven't reached that elusive "green zone" just yet. I've had 3 fills and I'm at 5.5 in a 10cc band I think a tiny fill next time might get me there. Either way though I'm happy that I am eating less, and moving more, and I know that the weight I have lost is NEVER coming back!!! I'm not gonna let it!

The Nioxin really has helped my hair start growing back in. It's not as thick as it was by any means and that stuff is expensive but it's working!

Hey us dumb asses gotta stick together!!

Love that when it comes out I'd be right on it!

I just got the flex. I have had the Ultra and the fitbit one. I really love the functionality of the the ONE but the flex is easier to remember to put on and it gets all the steps I miss when I forget or put the one on too late in the day. The flex you can leave on all the time, and it tracks your sleep as well. The ONE tracks your elevation levels for step climbing and I think that is the only thing the flex does not do. Well here we are Fitbit pals! Getting our steps in!

Happy Birthday my friend! You are Rocking that band! A true inspiration!!!

Please let us know how you are doing. What helped relax my tummy and get the fluids in was decaf. tea. It was warm and soothing. Also the Sugar Free Popsicles helped a lot give them a try!