lisacaron

The best marketing slogan out there is really the best way....JUST DO IT! I am not a big Nike supporter, but hey lace those suckers up (I'm a Sketchers Memory Foam fan myself) and get movin. I am the Queen of excuses, and I live in my own little country as do all my fellow Kings and Queens on this site. We have all got the excuses down pat. There are days I don't wanna...I don't wanna.... I don't wanna!!!! I have a million and one at any given time ready to fire away and do my self in. So I just yell at myself. (in my head but sometimes out loud too) Just do it Lisa! Most of the time that gets me motivated enough to get up and get going. So my friend...Just do it!

I agree with you Bandista 100%. Too many jump into surgery before they really know what to expect and even then, every ones experience is different. My advice to Sbharris is to stay in close contact with your insurance carrier and your Dr. office. They are both on your pay roll so to speak, keep them accountable to each other and most of all to you. Be the band leader for yourself!! Best of luck on your journey.

I agree! I have learned that it is best to enjoy life and take a bite out of it when we can. My hubby would say far too often for me "when the time comes". I was growing to hate that expression. I'm all for savoring the moment, for waiting just long enough till it's ripe and ready. Then jumping in and enjoying it! I have found that the time never comes for those who are constantly waiting for it. They are so caught up in the waiting and wanting they lose sight of the here and now. That bite of something ripe something fresh, is 100 times better then the bite your waiting and waiting for. Sometimes you wait so long the opportunity passes or the bite you do take is spoiled. We don't have to gorge and consume all. Most times the bite is just whats needed and then there is room to share and enjoy a balanced meal and a balanced life.

You go girl! Give that "boy" a piece of your mind. He should have treated you better and maybe there would be something more to say then see ya!

Say it isn't so!!! At least it's not a rainy Monday here on Long Island. I can see a nice afternoon stroll ahead!

I was very lucky, I had a great surgeon and bariatric team that handed out these pamphlets before and after surgery. They went into detail and encouraged patients and potential patients to do their research, and helped them along the way if they had questions.

Are you banded? For me after the band I was having major fatigue from not enough protein in my diet. I think the ratio is .4grams for every pound you weigh. I was getting only 60 or less and should have been 80 or more! I started supplementing with protein shots and feel 100% better. Check your protein intake.

Sadly a simple comment has derailed this thread. The question was important to all of us. The answer subjective to each of us. Some of the opinions like having a Lapband, some of them hard to swallow others not easily digested and still others intolerable. We all find our way and we all figure out what is palatable and good I for us. Some things like the comments of harsh but well meaning bandsters may not be our favorite flavor but we need it non the less. For every plus you can find 2 negatives, so choose to be the positive by learning what the negatives are even when /if they are hard to swallow they still have some value. Let's put the axes down and let this thread die out. The question will come up again, for every new old and current bandster and we will learn some more from their experiences as we share ours. I'm going to unsubscribe to this thread and read you all on another. Thanks all for your candor and comments have a nice evening.

You just touch my heart lady! Your perseverance and fortitude going through this process has been nothing short of amazing. Your a great Mamma, and your family is lucky to have a woman like you taking care of them in all the ways you do including taking care of yourself so you can be there for them! I know you are going to Rock this band!!! I'm so happy to have met you and I'm proud to be able to call you my friend! I'll be thinking of you all day today!

Glad your through it and feeling better already!

About a week after surgery I was so hungry!!! My husband was really swollen, and didn't even want to think about food. He was sitting on our couch and me on our love seat and the ball game was on, and don't you know all those games have to have FOOOOOD commercials! I was STARVING!!!! I jumped up and yelled at him, shut that thing off!! I can smell the wings through the TV!! He said to me with a grimace of disgust on his face "How can you even think about eating ANYTHING?" I'm STARVING I shouted at him! I'm so hungry I'm going to find a Cow and eat it! We had a good laugh, I'm sure I looked rabid at the time! We laugh about it now when we see the millions of food commercials that play on TV, but at the time I was dead serious! I was HUNGRY!!!! I learned later on this forum others call it bandster hell. Yep I was there...the cats and the kids all hid in fear! :D

Thanks for the props Zingy

That all sounds yummy, though not the best nutrition. There isn't one complete set of foods you can have or can't have. It's all subjective to you, your taste and your tolerance. If you want to have something have it, know the calorie, protein and sugar content use good band mechanics when eating and go for it if it's a good choice. You are in the drivers seat, the band is only there to guide you to your destination.

Everyone loses differently it's interesting to see the stats! I was banded May 5th and I am down 32lbs at last weigh in.

The band is there, and it's ready to do it's job. Usually they are installed with out any Fluid in them. Sometimes they have tiny bit to "prime" the device. The restriction or lack of hunger you felt initially was probably swelling from the surgery itself and your body's adoption of the band around your stomach. It is normal to feel that hunger return, and even though you feel as though you can eat like before you should make every effort NOT to do it! You are a bandster now, and must comply with the rules of being banded. If your doctor put you on a diet follow it. Once you are able to get into the office explain your feelings to them and they may or may not give you a fill depending on what their policy for fills is. This part is the hardest part I have heard people refer to it as bandster hell. Your hungry and you can't eat like you want to. Remember that it will all be worth it in the end. Follow the instructions your surgeon or nut gave you and you will do great!

Good for you practicing good eating mechanics! I would refrain from the drinking and eating at the same time. When you are sitting with the kids and having your COW (love it) just have that. Then wait a half or or an hour and go back to your liquids to get in your hydration and other nutrition. Sounds like your going to do great with the band!

Are you eating mushy type or soft foods at this point? When it came to soft foods, we had a lot of egg dishes, Omelets, Egg Foo Young, Soups like minestrone, chilli's, beans and all kinds of soft fish fillets. Anything that you can chew up to a pasty consistency and still get protein in. At this time (and pretty much for the long haul) I would steer clear of breads, and any white colored starches. You can get as much nutrition from wheat and multi grain as white starch, though they all have a propensity to cause discomfort with the band for most. As you move to more solid foods, I would be extra careful to take small bites and cut items up well and chew chew chew.

Lady J this is a great question! One I have been exploring at length with myself as well as with my hubby and even in Nutritional and support group. This question is raised often by members and by the Nut when someone says they are hungry. "Is it true below the neck hunger" she will ask.."or is it mouth hunger or head hunger, which also covers boredom and emotional hunger." Last night this question came up when a fellow member said she was hungry, and was snacking between meals or at the end of a long day. I have pretty much driven myself batty with this question. Sometimes I have this internal battle with myself to figure it out. Am I truly HUNGRY or is it a maybe a not quite full and could eat, but not really "hungry" feeling? Am I bored or upset or possibly thirsty??....oh the questions!! I been asking myself them and pushing myself to understand what true hunger and need to eat is as opposed to that "above the neck hunger". What I have come up with so far as my answer is pretty much..feeling the "fullness" or "emptiness" in my belly, and then thinking on a scale of 1-10 what is my need to eat? Then checking to see how long since I have had food or drink has it been 2 hours or 4, maybe 5. Then I think about, did I drink and hydrate enough? Do I maybe just want to "munch" or chew on something because I am bored, or upset, feeling lonely, out of habit...? If all those are on point then I will move on to have something to eat or drink. If it's just a need to chew or fill a gap maybe a piece of gum I can blow big bubbles with like I'm 5! Always makes me feel better (unless it pops all over my face and gets in my hair then I just feel silly) I'm still working on getting comfortable answering this question.... How about you all??? How do you know when/if your hungry?

Yes please let us know how you do going forward especially when you start getting fills and having to travel. My Doc always asks me if I plan to travel in the next 2 weeks, or be out of town and I always think twice when we plan even a road trip out of town for any extended amount of time. I would be great to get the perspective from someone who is always on the move. Thank you for sharing!

I also am a desk jockey. I took about 10 days off from work and in hind site I wished I had taken the full 2 weeks off. I travel pretty far into and home from work, about 30 miles each way. By the end of the day I was so exhausted I would just crawl into bed and crash. I could have used a few more days just to recover some of my energy. This is a major surgery and you will still have open wounds that need lots of TLC. If you have a laborious job and need to lift patients or assist them that could compromise your surgical wounds. My husband is a fire fighter and he had to be home a full month before he could return to work due to the heavy lifting nature of the job. Check with your surgeon and go by what he advises above all else. Best of Luck on your surgery and a speedy recovery.

Amazing! Thank you for sharing!

-Correction- It's a Corset Trunkplasty that does the upper and lower abdominal. Trunkplasty could just be for the lower though some call it vertical and do upper and lower.

Zen, in this forum there was a poster who posted pictures of her trunk lift. I had never seen anything like it before but it was basically a vertical removal of excess skin rather then a horizontal removal under the belly. If you google it you might find more information about it and if that might be something to consider for the upper part of your tummy near the port. Best of luck and congrats on the amazing weight loss!

Hahaha! I love it! You go girl!

Please do let us know how that DVD is!