angelnurse

Walked to and from the gym: 2.75 miles, 36 min. Elliptical for 63 min. Wt. training 30 min.

There is an omega3 supplement called Coromega. I get it at Super Supplements or Pilgrim's Nutriton. It comes in 3 flavors: orange, orange with a hint of chocolate or lemon-lime. It comes in a little packet like ketchup, it's the consistency of pudding, and doesn't taste too bad. I take my multi-vitamin or calcium right after to get the taste out of my mouth. It is 2 grams of fat and 20 calories. I take one packet a day.

I was on Opti-Fast 5 weeks Pre-Op and 3 weeks Post-Op. I use sugar-free floavored syrups. I get them at URM or Cash & Carry. I like choc. shake w/toasted marshmallow syrup, Peanut Butter & banana syrup w/ choc. shake. I also like pineapple, coconut and banana syrup w/vanilla shake. There are an endless flavor combinations. They have tons of flavors to choose from like cookie dough, almond rocca, peppermint patty, and just about any fruit flavor you can think of. I tell you, these sugar-free syrups have made my shakes very flavorfull and I continue to use them daily. Hope this helps!

Pineapple juice works because it contains Bromelain which is a mixture of sulfur containing protein digesting enzyme called proeolytic enzymes or proteases and several other substances in smaller quantities. The 2 main enzymes are stem and fruit bromelain. Papaya can also work because it contains Papain which is also a proteolytic enzyme. You can get either one or a combination chewable tablets at some Health Food Stores.

I lost 35 pounds pre-op on Opti-Fast. Lost 16 pounds 1 month after surgery, also on Opti-Fast.

...because I made an appointment with the Plastic Surgeon for October 15th and I'm 20 pounds from goal.

My starting size was a 48 G and I'm down to a 38 DDD and hoping to have a breast lift early next year. Would like to be a C or D when I'm finished with the PS.

I've gotten rid of all my "fat" clothes except the ones that I wore on my surgery date. I kept them to remind myself of how far I've come. It also helps my brain catch up with my "new" body.

I'm down to my last 21 pounds and they don't want to give up the ghost. I too am really watching what I eat but have decided that I need to amp up the exercise. I've lost 4 pounds in the last 3 weeks so I think the increased exercise might be doing it. Good luck and hope this might help you.

It really depends on what type of work you do and how well you recover from the surgery. I recovered relatively fast but I'm a RN and work Pediatric Home Health, which means I do a lot of lifting. I took 2 weeks off and when I went back, no lifting by myself. The boy that I take care of weighs 96 pounds. I also think that the time off helps you get a routine down with your Post-Op eating regimen and any "bugs" you need to work out. The pain meds constipate me so I had to deal with that as well as the Optifast or Protein shakes and getting my water in. I would definitely try to take a week off if possible.

Kim, I live in Spokane. Who is your Doctor here? My Doctor is in Post Falls, ID.

Time4Me, I live in Spokane,WA. I got my lapband on 12/21/05 in Post Falls, ID. What part of Washington do you live in?

Sooverit, I'm 46 and had my surgery when I was 44 and have lost 129.5 pounds so far. I'm not post-menopausal, still dealing with peri-menopause. I think you can lose the weight no matter where you are with your hormones. It's just a matter of using your tool correctly. One of the life-style changes that has helped me the most with weight loss is EXERCISE! After all, it's a mathematical equation, burn-off more calories than you take in. You have to decide what WLS is right for YOU! Good Luck!

I took out a second mortgage on my house. I wish my insurance would of covered it, but...

The reason that you burn more calories on the eliptical is that you are moving your whole body mass, while cycling you are only using your legs. I find that I almost double the amount of calories I burn if I use the eliptical. It's certainly my cardio of choice.

cj ole, I use Isopure from GNC mixed with water to get my water in but also it adds protein so that I can go longer without a meal. You might want to try this. They come in a 20 ounce bottle that has 40 grams of protein. They don't have any carbs in them and come in lots of flavors. I put 5 ounces of the Isopure and 15 ounces of water in a 20 ounce bottle. I drink 4 a day between meals. I like the Apple Melon flavor, but don't like it undiluted without the water (too strong tasting and it "coats" the tongue).

Deanna, You should be so proud of yourself for getting a 3.9 GPA. That's excellent. The only time I got that high of a GPA was during summer semester with only 1 or 2 classes. Not that I didn't get at least a 3.0 GPA throughout Nursing School, of course I was much younger.

ONLY 3 more semesters left, I'm sure you'll be glad when it's finally over. I wouldn't want to go back to school for anything. I put my time in over 20 years ago and don't think I could "hack it" in school at my age. Guess what? I got back on my bike for the first time yesterday. I was a little afraid and made sure that I didn't "accidently" shift gears. I also decided to skip the treadmill at the gym and went right for the elliptical and did 1/2 a mile. Had to lower my weights a little on the lower body, but I felt real good. I'm going to go for a ride this evening after it cools down a little. I'm bound and determined to lose these last 40 or 50 pounds this year!

areellady, I actually live in Spokane, Washington. I had my surgery in Post Falls, Idaho. Where in southern Idaho do you live? I went to Nursing school in southern Idaho. Did my Clinical in Idaho Falls and Blackfoot.

Nothing broken but my budget. Got the bill from my insurance company and after they pay their portion, I owe $670. Ouch! I was not racing, the bike I got @ Wally-World has the shifting mechanism on the handlebar grips, no thumb index shifters. I think that I accidently shifted both handlebars as I was going onto the sidewalk and I biffed it. It happened so fast, I'm not sure what really happened. After the crash, I looked at my bike and the chain was half on and half off of one of the gears. I purposely got that model of bike because it didn't have the thumb index shifters, I thought it would be less likely to break off the shifters. I'm re-thinking this and will have to be careful of this when I get back in the saddle. Thanks for your concern.

I too bought a bike this year and have enjoyed biking. That is until 2 weeks ago, I had an accident and ended up with 16 stitches in my left knee. I was so bummed, I was just starting to enjoy it. I'm not ready to get back on my bike yet. I'm going to start on the treadmill tomorrow at my gym, then I'll "graduate" to the stationary bike and see how it goes from there. I'm looking forward to getting on the open road again. I guess this is just a little bump in the road.

I like the Twisted protein bars from Premier Nutrition. You can get them in a box of 24 bars, three flavors: Chocolate, peanut butter and vanilla, at Costco for around $20. They have caramel, nougat and pretzels in them. I love the crunch of the pretzels. They have 15 gm of protein, 190 calories.

Add benefiber to your protein shakes and that will help with the constipation. There are also fiber tablets you can take that are sugar-free. Hopefully this will help you.

I used to wear a 9W and now I can wear an 8 or 81/2B. My balance is about the same, I think.

Vixie, I weighed 321 pre-op and went on Optifast for 5 weeks and lost 35 pounds before my surgery, so I know it's possible. With the Optifast, I had 5 shakes a day, that was 800 calories per day. I really wasn't hungry as I had a shake every 3 hours during the day. I also made sure to get at least 80 ounces of water a day. I know you can do it, it's not easy, but you can do it. Good Luck!