areellady

Okay, first of all, what you need to do is.....sit back, take a DEEP breath and blow it out. Visualize yourself the way you want to look and open your eyes and say...."I WILL LOOK LIKE THAT"...you will be fine. I went through the exact same thing...EVERYONE does. It is an emotional ride but A GREAT FUN ONE!!! I am two months post op as of yesterday, have lost almost 50 pounds since starting two week pre op diet and feel LIKE A MILLION bucks. Can't wait to see what the next 50 feels like!!! You are wonderful, beautiful person who will do this!! This is the LAST time you will be this heavy!! I cried my heart out when hubby was driving home the next day after surgery and could not stop. I can NOW think how silly that was, but it wasn't at the time. It is a major surgery and emotions run rampant. Enjoy yourself, soon there will be LOTS less of you to enjoy..LOL...Deanna

Powerade Options would be a better choice instead full stregth gatorade..

Waters, You will BE JUST FINE!!! A lot of people try to eat around the band and want to take no responsibilty for their actions!! Comply with what your doctor tells you, EXERCISE, starting with the first walking after surgery to get rid of the gas and NEVER stop exercising and you will do great!! Eat slowly, chew, chew, chew, stop drinking carbonation. Good luck!! Deanna

Sarah, You are right about that. At least my hubby supports ME...and not the parents on this one. They are really nice people who just say stupid things...LOL...Deanna

Good for you Dieta!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good Job!!! I love it when someone starts moving their bodies more and pretty soon you will be wanting more and more and more. Deanna

I agree with both of you so much. I just wish everyone would see the benefits. I know its hard to start, but just start and do it for two weeks. You will be hooked. I always see people saying "I don't have time to exercise".....these are the same people who probably have HOURS of time at the computer and the tv!!!! Get up and move people. Your body will LOVE you. Deanna

Ok I can't believe NO ONE has a bowflex....maybe all the clothes are hanging on it????

I am personally not counting either. I started counting calories but am losing weight nicely so stopped and have continued to lose nicely. I used fitday and found it ridiculous to try to find what I was eating on their pre planned foods to pick from. I eat until I am satisfied and then MOST of the time...stop....LOL...have had a few times when my brain said, um noooo you need to keep eating but then I was miserable for being too full. I am one of the lucky ones I guess though because I have restriction without a fill. Good luck in finding what works best for you. I think that is the key, everyone is different. Deanna

There are actually a lot of guys on here. There is a thread called Just for us guys...look for that...Deanna

I was not trying to insinuate that at the first sign of trouble leave your partner!!! I have been married 14 years and I think I know a little about ups and downs of marriage. Also about giving AND taking. What I was referring to was nume130 and she knows I was talking with her. I have pmed her and she knows what is behind my response to her. I am sorry if anyone else thought I was talking to them and telling them to leave their spouse. Nume has a very different situation than the rest of you have with your marriages. Marriage is a life long commitment UNLESS it happens that someone is cheating and no intentions of quitting or doing things that can not be tolerated for a life time and are unwilling to change. Life is too short to be without intimacy with the one person the God gave to you to be with in that way. Making love opens all sorts of other doors into your lives that to say that part can be left out and be ok is insane. That is the one way to share the very most being of ourselves with the one person that we love the most. I think that you are all strong ladies and I feel for your loss of intimacy. No hard feelings I hope what I have said. Deanna

This really has got to be the hardest of hardest. I mean going on vacation we all USED to dream of ALL the food we would eat and all the drinks we would drink.....now its like a squash on the dream. BUT..I like the post that said coming back from vacation and having LOST weight instead of GAINED....I mean THAT is what it is all about NOW!! I love all the people who chime in with their opinions about this. Everyone takes a little bit different angle on it and when you put it all together you get some AWESOME EXCELLENT advice!!!! Deanna

I also do not watch my carb intake AT ALL!! I eat healthy carbs(brown rice, whole wheat tortillas, cous cous) I limit very strictly my high sugar carbs just because I am doing so much for myself health wise I do not want to screw it up by adding unnutritional food to my eating. I eat a variety of things and my favorite things to eat are avocados and plain whole almonds. These fill me up fast and stick with me a long time. Good luck on deciding on what to do. Deanna

I want to run also, but am not able to do it now. I am gonna wait until I am 200 then start. I will already be "heart healthy" and ready to go, it will just be the new exercise method that I will have to endure. I am sure it will not take long to master it though. I always envy people when I see them running. They are always the ones I wish I could be like. Deanna

I feel like shouting......"I LOVE TO EXERCISE!!!!!!" I knew you all here would understand!!! I just wish that those who are trying to do this all on their own(with the band's help) would let go and let exercise!!!! LOL...I love it, and I love it , and I love it more everyday!!!! Deanna

Yeah, I am really not sure how I have done it. I exercise a lot!! I started walking right out of surgery, like an hour later and slowly worked my way up to two miles about two weeks out. Then I got a bike and started doing that. I now ride 50-70 miles a week. I had a weight set, and started doing basic weight training and then bought a bowflex and started using that. I feel like a skinny person now. Its weird, when I look at pictures of myself I am like...is that all I have lost...I feel way skinnier than I am, LOL. I am at 49 pounds down as of last week so on Thursday I will see if I have hit the 50 pound mark. I only weigh once a week. Good job on your weight loss and keep up the good work. I also think that I have some restriction without a fill because I can be eating and then all of a sudden I have a really weird feeling..can't even explain it, like a tightening in my chest and then I burp. Thats when I stop eating. There have been a few times I have NOT stopped eating when I get that burp, and I am sorry. Not because I PB or slime, just feels miserable and STUFFED!!! Deanna

Weird that you say it does not hurt, I have heard some say that is DOES hurt. If it is like a shot then it will be no big deal, but I would rather know it is gonna hurt than think it is not going to hurt and then it does hurt. LOL...did anyone understand that? Deanna

My fill RN told me that there was no way she would unfill me if I just wanted to go on vacay to eat to my hearts content. I don't think I would WANT to gain 28 pounds back!!! That would suck, plus clothes would be tight again!!! I have not had a fill as of now though, and can eat anything I want, so ask me in a year or two and the answer might be different. Deanna

Trvlgrl, THAT is even funnier...maybe when you marry into a family the rest of the family get inherited diseases and such...LMAO!!! Marimaru, the thing of it is, she HAS NO DESIRE TO EXERCISE and she knows this and I know this. Many, many, many times I have tried this with her and she always ends up bugging out on me at the last minute. It gets tiring thinking that you are going to have someone to walk with and then at the last minute they call and say, "oh, I have to go here and here, so I can't make it today." It is SOOOOO much work trying to get her to go. I get in my car, drive over there, go in the house, she is sitting in her pjs, "oh I guess I will go get dressed now." WTF? Get dressed BEFORE I come over!!! God, it pisses me off. I have just started not answering him. OMG, when we first got our bikes we rode them to her house and took her with us. She couldnt even make it a mile before we had to stop. I told hubby, I know she is your mom, but honey, I can not exercise with someone who is going to slow down MY progress. He agrees!! If she gave it some effort and rode a bit every night to get into shape then it would be one thing, but she just wants to go once in awhile whenever FIL gets after her for not exercising and that is doing NO GOOD!!! Oh, if only we could change the in laws!!!! LOL...I am going to have a DIL pretty soon and she will probably think the same thing about me!!! LOL...I don't know...guess its just life...Deanna

LeeAnn, I whole heartedly agree with you!! I know if I was put in that same situation I would say the same thing. God, life is sooooo short. WHY live if miserable? If the person you are with is not making you complete then they are not doing their job. If they are unwilling to change, then time for a change of scenery!!! I always hate the excuse of "but the kids!!!" My parents divorced when I was 7 and I am GLAD they did!!! Seeing how my dad treated my "soon after the divorce with my mom" stepmom, I am GLAD that they were not together while I was growing up. I used to feel sorry for myself that my parents were divorced when I was growing up but now that I understand it all, I am glad they did not stay together for us kids. Take control of your life and find some true happiness in your life. Deanna

LOL...sorry, I had to laugh!!! Why can't people just keep their mouths SHUT?? Guess it is what they do best!! Deanna

Well, Edie, I am glad that I am not the only one who would love to shove a big sock in someone's mouth!!!

Well, I bought a bike tonight. It is a Raleigh. Yes, it is another hybrid but I just love my Schwinn, it just didn't have enough gears. So, I will quite moaning about a new bike now. Deanna

I weighed 305.5 when I went for my pre surgery consult with doc. I could not exercis because it HURT like hell. My knees hurt, my back hurt. Everything hurt. The only thing that did not hurt is sitting and eating!!!! I am almost down 50 pounds and feel great!!! I exercise ALL the time. I love it. At first I had to force myself. For like two weeks I did it because I knew I had to....my knee pain went away. Back pain went away. I now LOVE to exercise and when I am not doing it I am thinking about it. It is like my crack now. Food was my crack, now exercise is. I really think that is a good trade off. Deanna Good Luck! You can do it!

I am not a swallower so I am not sure about the pb of sperm. Well, now, that would be quite embarassing if you were pbing sperm with the in laws around. LOL...just kidding. I really don't know, but can't imagine it would be any different than having a sip of something kinda thick and mucuosy (sp?)...lol..now that sounds gross....I am gonna shut up now...LOL...Deanna

I think if men have time to watch t.v. or go out with their friends fishing or whatever then they HAVE TIME TO HOLD THEIR WIVES!!!! That is ridiculous the amount of people who have no one to hold them or be tender or affectionate to them. We as humans need to be touched. This is a serious issue that a person should NOT have to live with!! Why be miserable for YEARS!!! I feel so deeply sad for all of you without an affectionate person to hold you or touch you. I wish you all the best in figuring out what you are going to do in your situations. Deanna