Bandista

The healthy kids meal and a glass of wine is a great idea -- and isn't it amazing how large those portions are? No wonder our population is getting heavier when kids are trained for large portions from the get-go. We have a teenager so if we eat out I am assured of having some one right there to eat whatever I don't want! @@Mikee57 good luck with your first week on the new job! At a Mexican place I sometimes get a side order of black Beans and then I have just a few chips with guacamole. Yum! I have to stay away from cheese in a setting where I can keep nibbling. So nachos, etc. are just too tempting for me. At a sandwich kind of place I usually find a nice little bowl of chili or a Soup of some kind. Have fun!

Seems like it's worth checking out other possibilities besides the band in case something is up with the gall bladder or something like that. Referred pain can be strange sometimes. I would get right into the doctor. Obviously not your surgeon if he's in Mex, but your regular doctor? Finally had my GB out years ago after almost a year of trying to figure it out myself. My pain was left shoulder, not presenting in the usual way, but a sonogram showed the GB was full of stones. Best wishes to you!

Way to go, and I got a good laugh over the driver's license. Like a reverse fake-out! Enjoy your new health and vitality. This is so inspiring for me!

I'd get right into the doctor. If you are on Prevacid already you must have some issue already and maybe you just need a medication or dietary change. Some people benefit from blocks of wood (inch or two) to raise head of bed. Did this for my husband -- we don't even notice the angle but I guess the esophagus does. For my mother we got a special angled wedge pillow that she loves. After so many difficulties with acid, various meds, endoscopes, esophageal stretches, etc., it turned out my husband is allergic to wheat. Has had no difficulties since going gluten-free but if he has a stray crumb from a counter or something, oh boy. Three days of intestinal distress. Good luck diagnosing this -- don't let it go and injure your vocal chords or endanger your band, etc.! Best wishes!

So happy for you -- hope you're having a good restful weekend and getting some walking in to help with that gas. Best wishes!

@catfish87. You guys look fantastic -- congratulations to your girl. 5K, wow! Lake walk today then assembled my new little elliptical. Bit of a balancing act but it's going to be fun. Also can be used sitting down for people with mobility issues.

Hi Punkin, way to go! I was sore, etc., but so damned excited I didn't care about any of the discomfort. Start of a whole new chapter in our lives......congratulations on all and have a good weekend of R&R.

Your doctors will want to have a look -- that's what they are there for! Get this resolved so you can feel really well and your body starts humming along.

I loved the pre-op for the cleansing aspect and also that, for me, this was the first time I ever dropped a chunk that was not coming back. It set me on the trajectory for the whole project. I journaled a lot and of course this is the time leading up to the surgery so there's so much to think about and now no food to tamp down concerns, etc. So I wrote about that. I wrote down what I really wanted when I thought I wanted food, what I felt like I was missing or what it was that set me off, that triggered an impulse to fix myself a little something to eat. What are those times? This really helped me later. Oh, and I upped the exercise even though I was already exercising I started walking a lot more. I had a ton of nervous energy and I used it to walk. This gave me something to step into right after surgery and I think that really helped my body kick into healing mode. It got the clear message that things were different now. Best wishes to you! So happy for your determination and choosing a healthy future.

@JustWatchMe. I know what you mean -- it's starting to happen and I'm not quite sure how to handle those moments yet. There are those deep feelings about being seen or not being seen, did you see me before and what do you really really see. Do you get me, who I really am? Interestingly, some of the people who "get me" best have not noticed the weight loss. Or at least have not really commented except for the usual, "hey, you look great" or some such. They said that before and I think after a couple of decades of being fat I am inured to comments. I have not been able to process some complimenting me because I couldn't process myself how I could possibly be worthy and deserving after gaining so much weight. So this is something I'm working on. I put my thumb and forefinger together, breathe in and say to myself, "receive graciously." I've had to work on receiving feedback in my creative life -- those awkward moments when you show some one a piece of art or ask them to read something you've written and there's a freezing up, a silence. It isn't in response to the work -- they haven't even had a chance to see it yet -- but they are so worried about how they are going to respond, what is expected, will they measure up, will they screw up.... I suspect people don't know how to handle complimenting because they may worried they'll do it wrong. I worry about this sometimes when I know how sensitive some one is. It's easy to see pain or embarrassment in some one's face. Do you keep on, "no really, you look amazing," etc. or don't say anything at all because you don't want that person you care about to ever feel ashamed of how they were before. So tricky! I prefer something with humor, like a well-timed "Hubba Hubba!" Bottom line, mostly people are thinking about themselves and how things relate to them. Not how we look, looked or whether we have gained/lost.

I'll keep you posted -- hope I don't fall off. Had to laugh as your signature says, "it's all about balance." True that.

OMG, you are going to need to shut those people down ASAP. One statement I like is, "It will take the time it takes." I say that to remind me that I didn't put it on overnight and it won't come off magically just because I have a band. But I have to admit, it seems a little bit magic sometimes, that decrease in appetite, etc. And I don't talk to other people about this at all, besides you guys. This is my safe haven, where I know people get it and I won't be judged. Don't forget to congratulate yourself on how you have chosen yourself and your healthy future and you've taken this tremendous step of weight loss surgery. You are doing GREAT! Sorry about all the complications -- pain medication is such a drag sometimes and I don't feel like enough caution is issued along with those prescriptions. And the stitches healing up, etc. You are going to feel so much better shortly -- that moment when the turnaround happens can be subtle but it's such a relief. And then hang in there for the coming weeks when the band is installed but the right fill might not be there yet -- it can take some tweaking but it is all so worth it. Be gentle with yourself. The transformation into beauty comment was badly phrased but I'm sure it was well-meant, as in your beauty is very evident. Happy May and happy new life!

Name, real or screen~ Bandista Goal weight for May 31st~ 195 Weight on May 1st~ 204 Age~ 52 City/State~ New Hampshire Dietary goal for May~ Liver Cleansing diet, no alcohol, health protocol Exercise goal for May~ Add in new mini-elliptical exercise upstairs Personal goal for May~ Finish scanning all photos for various projects Date banded~ November 5th, 2014 Total weight loss since banding/pre op diet~ 44-46, depending on the day -- trying to get to 50 pounds down for my six month Bandaversary! Favorite Flower? Lisianthus

These first few months can be so hard. Hang in there -- your body will get the right idea and start shedding. Could you be a little low on calories, is that possible? Or could you fluctuate one day to the next, switching off as in carb cycling, etc.? Just a thought. Good luck and don't worry -- it's happening even when we feel like it isn't. TMF has a great idea about measuring. I always notice that when the scale isn't moving that's exactly when I am ready for a new size of jeans. I'm not setting the world on fire with my weight loss but I'm pecking away at it and just have to be grateful it's going in the right direction -- even when I'm UP one day then down the next, etc. That's also when I usually drop to a new number on the scale, when I've gone up first. Or if I've had a splash out the night before. Makes no sense but there it is.

PS -- I've never had any post-op protocol other than, "take it easy." But I'm not hungry afterward. Also, I don't think I'd like to see a YouTube of the process but that's just me -- I'm very visual and I think seeing the needle might freak me out. It really is just a pinch, though. I have had swelling after each time -- well, more like bruising. But I bruise easily and it goes away.

Hi Karen, I'm always amazed that it is so quick and easy. I was worried, too, the first time but it was nothing. There's a little pinch and then suddenly the doctor is giving me his arm to sit up and I say, "is it over already?" Congratulations on your surgery. Sorry you had a tough recovery. These initial weeks can be difficult but you will be on your way as you find the right fill for your body and really start losing. I am so happy to have my appetite dimmed!

Buon Viaggio! So much really good food in Italy, nuts and fruits available in markets, beautifully cooked meat and fish, etc. Have a lovely time! Italy is my favorite place but I haven't been there in a few years.

Yippee! Way to go -- so happy for you!

Hi there! Great thread -- you came to the right place. So good to reach out. I needed to work to find the green zone and I'm so happy to be there.

I never considered anything else but the band -- other surgeries way too drastic for me. But that doesn't make it right for everyone. The band requires a lot of followup, which I like as it keeps me accountable. In this first year I see my surgeon 8-11 times. Not all surgeons desire that much patient interaction. I had to get up to 250 to qualify. Hoping to get down to 148 but I have no idea what the right weight for me now will be as it's been a long time. Good luck to you! Whatever you decide, you are doing the most amazing thing in choosing yourself and your healthy future.

http://www.amazon.com/Stamina-55-1610-InMotion-Elliptical-Trainer/dp/B000VICRO8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398988869&sr=8-1&keywords=stamina+in+motion+elliptical+trainer I work out in the basement on a treadmill (kind of a beater, but it still works), switching off on a recumbent bike and then some BowFlex thrown in -- but I really wanted something for upstairs in front of the screen or just to hop on for short spurts here and there. This thing is so inexpensive and has great reviews, plus won't take up room. Low profile. Also my husband has some serious ankle and foot issues that this should help with -- or at least not hurt. Posting In case some one else is looking for something like this! Happy exercising!

Absolutely fantastic! You are amazing -- so shiny and healthy, you're beaming!

Call this in -- put those medical professionals to work!

Very inspiring, thanks! I am considering a personal trainer at some point, gym world, etc. A bit daunting but possible. For now I'm working out at home but would be good to have a pro give me some tips on working certain areas. You look great and I'll bet you feel great, too!

Hi there, congratulations on being on the other side! Walking is absolutely the best -- and windmill arms, etc. If you're in bed (I know, so hard to get into and out of bed, up and down from couch, etc.!) the "happy baby" yoga pose was recommended to me and that really worked. On your back, arms and knees up, roll around a little. And people talk about rolling on to left side for relief. You'll figure it out and feel better shortly. When the incisional pain was hard I compared it to what I hate most in the world, dentistry. Made the banding seem easier. And I was doing it for a reason -- for me, my future, my health. So being full of purpose helped me. Still does! Good luck with all and let us know how you are doing.