Bandista

Hi Dreamer, congratulations on a surgery date. So natural to have pre-surgery jitters and also to worry about not being able to make it work. I worry about that -- those feelings of "what if I don't have what it takes," etc. This is because I have not been a success at so many attempts when I have had to work so hard only to regain the weight, etc. It's different now that I've made this choice. I feel so much more powerful in my life and I don't have those nagging food obsessed conversations ruling my life. They are there to some extent -- the volume goes up and down, which is how I know I need a fill. Just know you are not alone with these thoughts. You are starting a new chapter in your life and ushering in a time of health and happiness. Good luck to you!

Yippee MzEboni! What a great decision. We have a recumbent bike in the basement that is part of my workout routine. Now, there is another bike in our house. Upstairs. A regular bike but on a stand so it can be ridden indoors. I think I'm going to move that down to the TV area now that Christmas is over and there's more elbow room -- I need to get more mini-workouts in and heaven knows if I spent ten minutes on that every time we sat down to Netflix I'd have a lot more calorie burning going on. Thanks for the inspiration! And I have a friend in Chicago -- totally get it about the nasty weather. Here, too. A lot of frozen yuck this morning. We need these inside options for our climates. Best wishes to you Eboni!

Hi Khelm -- big day nearly here! So happy for you. I was very happy that I walked all I could as soon as I woke up. I needed to pee -- or thought I did -- fairly frequently so I just used that opportunity to grab my IV Pole and have a stroll up and down the hallway. You will want a bathrobe for this and maybe some slip-on sandals or whatever. I had my flip-flops with me. I'd walk and walk then lie down and fall in and out of sleep for a while then get up and do the whole thing all over again. When I went home the next day I kept it up by going around the driving circle. It helped my body regulate -- needed to shake off the anesthesia and kick off the healing process. I was so ecstatic over this decision for myself -- this choice to be healthy was kind of like reclaiming a part of myself. There was a fierceness that made for such positive energy. I will go look at your blog now -- fun that you are doing that. Best wishes for a speedy recovery and a wonderful beginning to your new banded life.

Best wishes! I am so happy with my surgery and the promise of a healthy happy future. Glad you found the forum. It has been so helpful for me to read through threads, ask questions and get input from so many different people. Much more info than has been available to me through the medical community......

Yes, congratulations on your engagement!! Here's to a healthy happy future together. We had so many get-togethers throughout the holidays and it's only just started to let up. One thing I found was that at every party there was something appropriate for me to eat. Usually this was something to do with Beans. I ignored the sweets and tried to stay away from cheese as much as possible (a real downfall in my pre-band life). Before I was banded I worried that I wouldn't be able to go out and have a "normal" life -- this proved to be a silly thing to worry about. I did pretty well but I really only maintained my weight. It's hard to tell if this plateau was just going to occur anyway or if it had to do with caloric intake. Either way I'm happy not to have gained weight during the Merry season. I was banded in November and have lost almost 25 pounds. I am happy overall but wishing for the next chunk to start disappearing. This afternoon I go for a fill and I know I really need this as I am quite hungry and able to eat more than the tennis ball sized portion my surgeon recommends -- plus I am hungry again soon after. Not sure why this has changed like this as I did have more satiety earlier on, but it is what it is. Oh, and I exercised on Thanksgiving Day and New Year's Day and as many other days as I could swing it. That is a major milestone in my life. Next year I hope to be wearing sassy little pajamas on Christmas morning when I open my stocking, and I'd like to wear a great Christmas outfit somewhere, not my usual all-black ensemble. That made me laugh, Sharpie! It's so slimming, right? And Terry, the Moose Munch sounds like the crack cocaine of the snack world. Way to go removing that from the house. Great blog, Debbie, you are doing beautifully. Speaking of beauty, are you the Debbie that took the photo at the top of that blog? What a garden!

Hi JDunn, glad you're here on the forum! I hope you're able to get your band working well for you. I'm going for a fill this afternoon. It will be my fourth one. I was banded in November and while I have been able to be "good" for most of the time through the holidays and so forth, I know the band is not really doing anything until I can get to the Green Zone. Most of us have never been able to sustain a diet and chose the LapBand to get out of that vicious cycle of deprivation and rebounding to the world of food. But there are choices we have to make, like no slider foods. I am also seeing a therapist to discuss food issues and why it is I sometimes sabotage myself or just want to throw in the towel. It's been helpful for me to address that head-on, to face up to addictions and have an objective third party to talk to once in a while. I think it is helping me with self-esteem and choosing myself and my health first. We can do this, JDunn -- we are here for each other! Best wishes to you......

Hi Wendy, My starting weight was just over 250 -- my goal is to get down to somewhere under 150. I was banded in November and have lost almost 25 pounds. I expect to be able to get the other 75 off in the next year but if it takes a little longer that's okay with me. My main goal is health and vitality. I am plateaued right now but can feel my jeans are looser -- down from a size 18 to a size 16 and thinking about picking up those 14 Longs soon, to have them on hand. I am pretty sure exercise is the key to losing inches as well as pounds -- my body wants to be healthy but it's been so mixed up over the years. I think that it will get the idea that it's okay to shed the weight. The famine is not coming after all and this stored fat can go. One day at a time! Best wishes to you -- you will do beautifully. Just believe in yourself!

Hi there, recent article on sleep: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/29/sleep-health-benefits_n_4461303.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009 For many of us it's easier said than done -- we know we need better sleep but have difficulty achieving it. What I liked about this article is the idea of committing to the idea of better sleep, reducing screen time at night, having a regular bedtime routine, etc. Best wishes, every one, for good sleep and excellent health in this coming year......

Hi there and congratulations -- Wednesday is almost here! I was banded in November and I am so happy. I really believe in the walking all you can to kick off the healing process, release any trapped gas, etc. Really helped me. I had filled a pain medication prescription but didn't use it as I didn't want the side effects. Was fine on a little liquid Tylenol and Ibuprofen. Popsicles were nice to have at home. It all seems like so long ago and that's the way you'll feel a few short months from now. Best wishes to you!

I was a vegetarian for 17 years. Now I eat poultry and fish and some red meat, but not pork. Even pre-band I just didn't eat it -- couldn't eat it. It's amazing how many people think this is a religious decision and want to make a "thing" out of it. Um, no, I just don't eat that. The great thing about the band is the listening to our bodies -- when I do this, I really do know the difference between a craving from that old mindset of overeating or the need/desire for something particular that my body must need. I'm learning to trust that. When I first got banded I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to have dairy afterward, at least not cow dairy. I have had various issues with dairy over the years and I think of it as an excluded food. But it turns out I am okay with dairy, at least for now. Since it's been a major trigger food for me in the past, I know I need to be watchful, but I like it that I can be "friends" with cheese and not feel overriding compulsions for more, more, more.

I am taking this to heart. And possibly taking my scale out to the barn. The other day I woke up very early -- 5:30 or so and weighed myself. Weight up. Went back to bed for a couple of hours and then weighed again. 2.5 pounds down. What? Who weighs themselves multiple times to try to get a better number? A Scale Junkie! I really want to stay focused on how my blue jeans are fitting. I'm down a size and these are no longer tight. I think the weighing in at the doctor's office is probably a great plan for me. Currently I plug the weight into MFP every morning and it's that frustrating up two down 1 up three stay the same, etc. I don't want to drive myself crazy -- that's why I got the band, so I can relax, eat the right foods in small amounts and let the weight come off. It's that simple -- why do I have to over-complicate it? Thanks for the post!

Hi Thea, you are definitely doing the right thing researching all you can. For me, finding this forum was so helpful. I joined in June and was banded in November. It can be a long process and I was glad that I also got a therapist at the same time. I wanted to have every base covered and I was worried that emotional eating may keep me from being a success. I liked having the accountability of meeting with a therapist to discuss food issues. We really worked on the triggers -- breaking down the desire for food so I came to understand better what I was doing. The band is designed to dim the appetite, so having it gives me the extra mental space and ability to ask myself the questions that keep me from overeating. Do I need that? Am I really hungry? Before I just couldn't do it -- I would jump right into the behavior knowing full well what I was doing but deciding I was going to do it anyway. The band is keeping me from doing that. For me, getting the band was a way of choosing myself and my health first. I knew I needed to do something to change the direction of the way my physical body was going. I'm 52 and have serious joint issues, high blood pressure and sleep apnea. I don't want to age prematurely. I want to have a vibrant full life and I want to be as pain-free as possible. I also really wanted the conversations in my head around food to stop. I felt like I was thinking about food and overthinking eating all the time. Can I have it, should I have it, I'm having it anyway, I shouldn't have had it, etc. Very mixed up after so many years of dieting, deprivation and the inevitable swing back the other way. Getting the band has stopped those voices in my head questioning everything to do with food. I have only told a handful of people about my band. My husband, our son, a supportive cousin who is also my workout partner, and a few friends. I didn't tell my parents. My mother has handed me every single diet book for the last twenty years and I know my weight makes her uncomfortable not just because of my health but because I am not as presentable as she would like. It's a terrible thing to say, but there it is. And I didn't want my parents, who are elderly, to be worried about me. I don't want any one monitoring how it is going unless I initiate that conversation and I didn't want to risk negative feedback. The main thing is you are plugging in to your health and deciding to do something -- whatever it is. You are not glazing over the issues and continuing down a negative path. It's very empowering to be in that place where you decide to take hold of the issue. I think it's good to have a partner in that process and I recommend a therapist. Even though I had done quite a bit of work on myself before, it felt very different since I was fully admitting my inability to diet on my own and that I was eating inappropriately. It wasn't just genetic issues, all the frustrations of dieting over the years, the yo-yo syndrome. It was me, not able to stop overeating. Wishing you the very best and a healthful new year!

Congratulations on your upcoming surgery date -- very exciting! I have always found detoxing of any kind can cause a headache at times. Your body will thank you for this extra TLC. I started my pre-op diet a little early, too -- just wanted to get into the pre-surgery mode and feel like I was on my way. Like you, right now -- you are on your way to health and happiness. Here's to 2014 and all it holds for us!

These posts are so helpful; thank you so much! An important reminder of how easy it is to get caught in that mode of mindless wolfing down of food. After all, we did that for years! Sorry about the stuck episode. So far I have only had one but I am still in the process of getting fills. I am also reminded of how being out in the world can be more distracting and that I should be doubly mindful of how I am eating. Love looking at your stats. Woowoo! Way to go!

The bills for my November surgery arrived. I think I won't hesitate to call them about any little thing at all for years to come -- they are getting paid pretty well for this! Put those medical professionals to work, even just to relieve your worries. Hope you feel better today.......

Congratulations on this halfway mark -- and 55 is tremendous. Way to go! And inches lost as well -- I need to remember how important that is and not worry so much about the number on the scale. Love the fat vision contact lenses -- that is hilarious! We need more compassion when we look in the mirror, that's for sure, and just in general. Here's to an amazing success and to this upcoming year of health and further loss. You are doing beautifully. Thanks for the inspiration today!

Hi Joanie, sending very best wishes for you tomorrow -- so natural to be nervous before any surgery. Hopefully this will be very easy and this time tomorrow you'll be recovering and just so happy to have it over with. Let us know how it goes -- what they find and how you are feeling. Your positive energy is the ticket to healing.......Best wishes!

The whole "for now" thing might be working for me. Satiety definition is having had enough food for now. Doesn't mean we can't have some later, just that right now I'm agreeing with my brain that, guess what, I've had enough for now. Hoping this will work for me -- it's a completely new thought. Evenings are brutal. We live very well.

Jean, thanks so much for this. I have your words from the other day and another great piece you put up -- that satiety is the sensation of having had enough food, for now. I like the "for now" because for over-eaters there is something in the brain that makes us feel like we have to pack it on for later. All set for the famine, thank you very much! For now, though? Yes, I've had enough Also I just have to say that my husband and I watched the Dr. Paul O'Brien youtubes and his thick Australian accent is such fun with the word, "satiety." Suh-tie-i- tee. We are having a lot of fun with that. Best wishes and thanks so much for all your thoughtful input -- much appreciated!

Congratulations! You must feel great -- you look fabulous! Thanks for the boost today......very inspiring.

Did my 80 minutes today -- yippee! My goal is to get this workout in four times a week plus to add in two walks at the lake with a friend (3.5 miles). Problem is it is below zero here and I just can't hack it out there. Thank god for treadmill, recumbent bike and Bowflex in basement. And a lot of new insulation down there. But I'm getting into the head-space, which is vital. And something of a miracle, I must say. Happy Saturday night every one!

Congratulations on your surgery! I found egg drop soup to be very satisfying. Also there is a potato leek soup made by Imagine that comes in a carton. I loved that. You will find your go-to foods for this stage. My surgeon described full liquids as those which would slide off a plate if you held it up. Thinned out hot cereal, etc. I grooved on Popsicles made by MinuteMaid -- soft lemonade. I didn't mind having a little sugar as I was having few calories overall and I don't do artificial sweeteners.

Your idea to cook ahead should help your pocketbook as well as your waistline. Do you like chili? You can cook then eat for days. The basic concept can be turned into so many different kinds. Turkey and black bean chili, White Chili with chicken and white Beans, etc. Same with stew -- hearty vegetables and some kind of Protein. Get a few small thermos containers so you can carry food with you, something yummy and nourishing. If you're out and about there is so much that can be purchased at a grocery store these days. Soups, salad bar has eggs and tuna, a Greek yogurt, etc. Maybe you want to keep a few Protein Bars in your glove compartment or book bag. Good luck with everything -- you are doing so well!

Hi there, big day tomorrow -- so happy for you! I was banded 11/5 and it was my first overnight stay in a hospital. I was also nervous and excited -- what you're experiencing is very natural. The whole thing was so much better than I thought it would be. The discomfort wasn't bad for me -- not nearly as bad as a root canal or back out, etc. I recommend walking all you can starting as soon as you wake up. Keep us posted on your progress!

You are great to be researching and reaching out for your own support as of course this is a lifestyle change for both of you. The date is coming right up and it will be so good to have that over with -- tension sure does build before something like this! My advice is to get him walking as much as possible. I started that night in the hospital and it's made a tremendous difference -- first for the healing but then for the attitude and weight loss, too. As far as food, there will be the protocol to follow post-op and then once he's hungry again and eating real food it's important that you both know the band won't be doing it's job until it is adjusted properly. This is a process -- it can take a while to get to the Green Zone. Otherwise it's basically just like being on a diet, with all those feelings of deprivation, etc. He will probably drop weight just being a guy -- but the process of healing up and then getting the fills is the time he will be learning about his band, how to eat slowly and take small bites. You're probably going to lose your twenty pounds and feel great! I finally let my husband come to an appointment with me; it was a mandatory meeting with the nutritionist. She announced my weight, a number I had successfully concealed for over twenty years. ACK! I know, stupid to worry over that -- he loves me. But it is a surprising number. Gone are the days when I am told how well I carry my weight. Um, not so much.