katerzz

personally i think its kinda neat.. 5 bucks for something thats easily 6k in the US. Its useful to explain how the band works to someone.. especially in support groups. The support group here has one they pass around so that you know what ur gettin put inside of you =)

Here is the pyramid I was working on for someone on bandsters yahoo so i figured id post it here also... I don’t have my scanner up so I couldnt scan in what i got in my newsletter from the surgeons office. Instead, I just made a new one based on what was given to me from my surgeon's newsletter. I hope this helps many of you who just aren’t sure and weren’t given very good instructions. This also is great if your trying to get back on track. The article, though long, is very informative and useful for any weight loss surgery. food Guide Pyramid pictured at the above link was designed to provide you with a visual guide of nutrition recommendations after bariatric surgery. I copied this information from my surgeon's office to share with you. Please talk it over with your surgeon because every surgeon's recommendations are different. Protein: Protein is on the bottom of the pyramid which means that this should be the foundation of your diet after undergoing weight loss surgery. Protein, especially in the first 3 months after surgery, is the most important macronutrient in the diet. We focus on protein intake because our body’s daily functions depend on the amino acids that make up protein. Proteins carry out the work of the living cell by serving as transporters, hormones and enzymes to build, repair and maintain the body's tissues and immune function. Therefore, we recommend you to aim to eat 8-10 ounces of protein per day which is equivalent to 56-70 grams. For example, a cell phone is approximately a 3-4 ounce piece of chicken, fish or meat (depending on thickness) and a computer mouse is about 5-6 ounces. A good way to ensure you are eating adequate protein is to aim for 3 ounces at every meal. Protein sources include low fat or fat free dairy, legumes, lean fish, poultry meat and soy based products. VEGETABLES: The next food group you should focus on is vegetables. Two servings of colorful and leafy vegetables are recommended daily. A /2 cup of cooked vegetables is probably easier to tolerate at one time than 1 cup of raw vegetables for some people. The more colorful, the more nutritious. Look for deep green, red and orange vegetables. Vegetables not only provide you with essential Vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, but also much needed Fiber for bowel health and regularity. FRUITS: Two servings of fruits are allowed, but remember, fruit skins should be peeled to avoid blocking the gastric outlet or other digestive problems. One serving of fruit would be a small banana, the length of your pinky to your wrist. 15 grapes, or 1/2 cup of sliced fruit (rinsed, not in syrup!) Fruit is also an excellent source of fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. CARBOHYDRATES: The feared carbohydrates: grains, Beans and starchy vegetables are in one group. (if you recall, legumes (beans) are also a good source of protein). Initially you were told you will not tolerate gummy breads, rice, or Pasta which still may be true for many of you. However; adding 2-3 ounces of whole grain to your diet after WLS is not going to sabotage your weight loss. In fact, it may help you feel full due to the swelling properties of starch and the filling properties of fiber in the mature pouch. I often recommend 1-2 slices of the light whole wheat bread on the market which has more fiber and half the calories as regular whole wheat breads. The remainder of the carbs in the diet should come from starchy vegetables (like yams) that provide fiber, and other vitamins to complement those found in whole grains. FATS: Fats should continue to be limited as it imparts more calories per gram (9 calories per gram) than do protein and carbohydrates (4 calories per gram) however, fat is necessary in the diet for Vitamin absorption and for survival. A major source of saturated fat is from fatty meats/protein. Condiments like salad dressing, mayonnaise, cheese dips, creamy sauces, high fat milk and dairy products and fried foods. These you want to avoid. Select healthy fats from olive and canola oil, a couple slices of avocado, or a few tablespoons of slivered almonds on a salad or in a light yogurt. Whenever you are given the choice of low-fat or light dressings, choose those instead of the original full-fat counterparts. You save approximately 120 calories 120 per 2 tablespoon serving! Also use portion control when utilizing even the healthy oils. Each tablespoon contains ~130 calories. That's approximately once around an 8" pan if you free pour while cooking. Although Fluid intake is not shown on the pyramid, adequate hydration is just as important as choosing a healthy, balanced diet. You should aim for at least 64 ounces (8 cups) of caffeine-free fluids each day to prevent dehydration and constipation. Remember, fluids should be as calorie-free as possible, (I recommend fluids be no more than 45 calories per serving with the exception of some protein supplements and low fat milk) and they should be sipped between meals. Avoid high calorie juices, smoothies and fancy coffee drinks. Save your calories for the enjoyment of whole, nutritious food! Article by Carol Signore, MAT, LMFT, FAED

ill know the for sure number on thursday but looks like down about 95 lbs.. skin is starting to show it =/ which kinda sucks. but overall doing good =)

if i were you i would wait.. my wedding ring has a crossover type design that can only be resized up or down 1/2 a size. after 90 lbs its almost falling off.. and theres NOTHING i can do about it. we talked about buying the same design.. but its not the same =(

i had a berrum swallow the same afternoon as surgery.. nothing was passing through. I had another the next morning.. still nothing. again that afternoon.. nothing.. again that next morning.. nothing. They decided to go in and put in the larger band i slept through the night and the following morning i had another swallow.. this time it went through.. then i had a last one the following day before i was discharged.

Even after all that i've gone through with the band, and then having it replaced with a larger band 3 days after surgery I would do it AGAIN FOR SURE! I've lost almost 100 lbs.. in less than a year. I have never felt this good or looked this good. But.. with that being said i will point out.. dont have the band if you dont have good insurance or the cash to pay for problems.. my bill was $70,000 thank god for insurance! And, complications DO happen i had a friend who was so convinced going to Mexico was great idea blah blah its cheap and she only needed to loose 60 lbs.. well thats crap imo she was so convinced NOTHING could go wrong. She actually told me that US surgeons arent as good as mexican ones.. I dont even talk to her anymore because i cant stand when ppl are not willing to open their eyes especially when a close friend DID have problems. I wasnt mad she was getting the band.. i was mad she wouldnt own up to that there things go wrong and that having your surgeon clear across the country is not the best ideas without a good followup surgeon close to home.. her answer was that her support group has never had anyone with problems.. wtf gawd ppl suck =) anyways.... id recommend it to anyone who knows what they are getting themselves into and yes id do it again!

liquid diet blues? Want a great holiday feast.. liquid form? http://www.jonessoda.com/files_new/turkey05.html hahahhaa my hubby bought some for a gag gift at work.. ill let ya know how bad they are in a few days after i hear about it =)

i usually drink a protein drink in the morning instead of eating.. and then again maybe a few hours before bed (which was recommended by my nutritionist to sleep better, and it works) plus curves the late night "im hungries"

i really can eat whatever i want honestly i cant think of anything that i actually like that i wasnt able to eat so far granted after my last fill im taking it easy and not pressing any luck.. but the last 7 months ive been able to eat chicken, beef, Cereal, potatos (i like potatoes =D) honestly anything really lol the only difference is now i dont eat ALOT i only eat a serving there was a month there that we were going crazy had inlaws here and a bunch of stuff so we did eat fast food.. had no probs with that either i just eat ALOT less and usually skip most bread cuz i find it not worth the space it takes but i can still eat it i think the secret to my success is Protein drinks honestly =D i quit them for about 2 months and noticed a HUGE difference in my weight loss now im back to 2 a day

Well i figured id put an update up i dont have much time to visit the boards much anymore but im still here =D I am now down 91 pounds lighter from the day of my surgery April 11th, 2005. I wanted to hit 100 lbs by my one year date, and it looks like I'll be hitting it before the new year date cant really complain much!! Things seem to be going good havent had any wierd things going on, am going in for an MRI on my knee (obviously not band related) starting to notice huge difference in clothes etc. which sucks.. cuz a couple of u sent me very nice clothes and they are all to big now!! Once i get time Ill go through them and send them off to another bandster. Eating is good.. i slipped up for about a month and now im back on track I had actualy gained 5 lbs over thanksgiving.. but lost 20 lbs since then. Still not exercising havent since day one. I know I will need to and really should be.. but eh i just cant find the time and at this point im not sure i want to be loosing any faster than I am. (sounds crazy i know but i cant afford to have to buy smaller clothes) I am back to drinking Protein once or twice a day, i took a break for awhile i was sick of it but now im enjoying it esp. since i drink it like hot chocolate (well kinda warm chocolate) with just Water + choc protein mix. I've noticed huge difference in energy and the scale since i started it back up. Dec. 1st i got a fill.. i got a real fill this time.. sorry i cant remember what im currently at haha but i will tell ya ive had to relearn some bandster business with this fill and its working out good i didnt realize how much i slipped up the last few months with eating not eating bad food.. just how much i could eat.. easily could eat an 8 inch sub with only eating the top piece of the bread (i have this weird thing were i take of the bottom piece of any sub sandwich and only eat a little bread and the meat + cheese) so anyway now im back down to eating half a cup or so and ill tell ya it feels good to be back on track i can only imagine how much id be down if i did actually exercise and hadnt slacked off.. but on the same note i am really glad its going slower than it could have because its hard to get used to all the changes.

well im thinking it has to do with the hormones and the PCOS, since PCOS can cause weight gain and or difficultly loosing weight heh

So I'm sitting here thinking about something, I stop taking my birth control about two months ago and thats when my weight pretty much came to a stand still. So I started taking birth control about a week ago, and I've lost 10 lbs. I have not changed ANYTHING in my diet, exercise or anythng else.. the only thing different is birth control. (btw i have PCOS) is there something to this? anyone else experience this?

Ok.. if you wanna tell me "your supposed to wait a year" i dont want to hear it... I get that surgeons want you to wait a year. =) I want to get pregnant now. Its 6 months after surgery I'm down like 80 lbs and I don't want to wait another 6 months to start trying. My husband and I have been married for 4 years, together for 5. For the first time in our relationship he has started to talk about really wanting to get pregnant and starting our family. We tried for all of those years btw.. including a few months on clomid. So hear I am thinking.. do I ask my surgeon? Cuz if he says to wait.. well what happens if I dont wait? is he going to be upset at me? I have lost more weight in 6 months than most are able to loose in a year, and much more than my own surgeon expected of me. I've heard so many ppl who did "oops" get pregnant.. and they did fine and things were great. So whats 6 months u ask? well.. considering I still am not ovulating and I've been through the process before.. it takes at lesat a couple months even to get going with a good fertility doctor and on meds for it.... plus this being the 2nd round.. im sure they will want to test other things instead of assuming its because of PCOS. My brother is now expecting #2.. my best friend is trying to get prego for #2.. everyone we know has small children. We are like the childless couple in our little ring of friends.. and anyone who has been in my shoes knows how bad that is. Not to mention both of our parents are getting very old.. and both of us want our children to at least remember their grandparents. I am ready now.. I want this now. 80 lbs is a huge accomplishment.. yes i know i could loose more if i wait.. but honestly that isnt what I want right now yes thats crazy.. but right now I want to start a family. Anyways.. had to get it off my chest. thanks for listening to my rambles

I hate to bring down the house.. but my psych eval was based on who was my support system. Afterwards she todl me that is exactly what they are looking for. However.. i used LBT and she totally loved the idea. Is there any local support groups?

u in marketing by chance? =) i hear ya.. and ive been there.. am there now. I'm hoping this last interview comes through because 80 lbs lighter i know my confidence shows... but i work in marketing/graphics 90% of the jobs im qualified for are jobs that apperance DOES matter. I take it with a grain of salt and know someday soon it'll work out. life always has a funny way of doing that i just wish it wasnt so slow so i could pay the bills =)

My best advice: Be completely honest no matter how worried you are of the outcome. This evaluation is an important step in this process and the best way to make sure you are (no matter how much you think you are) ready for this lifestyle change. I felt wonderful after having my eval.. it made me really open my eyes.

i called to verify.. definately says no tylenol. i didnt get to ask the surgeon so next time i go in ill ask why

great example of diff surgeons say diff things. i was told no tyelnol at any point.. to take advil or ibuprofen granted.. only liquid form he told me i could try coated advil.. but it just got stuck and i wont do that again

whenever im in a mood for soda i drink a rootbeer float. i let it sit a bit before drinking so that the carbination is gone.. we were told we can drink soda.. just only flat soda. thank goodness i was never a big soda drinker to begin with =D

Right now I'm about 26/28, pants tend to be 28 or 30. but im loosing very quickly so im like always between sizes its seems.. some walmart stuff i can fit into 26w but then i also have a pair of pants that are 24w that fit fine (but not in good shape so i cant wear outside of house) shirts i wear 2x/3x is amazing compared to the old 5x lol I'm going to ask my mom if i can borrow some money and go to goodwill or somewhere and see if i can find *anything* that would even work for a month or two.

so many of the symptoms above are much like gallstones/gallbladder issues.. which happens with about 1 in 10 weight loss surgery patients when it doubt.. check it out!

NSV: Energy.. wowzer i feel so much better Sex.. its the best ever. sleep.. if i manage to fall asleep (late nite tivo watcher) i sleep sooo good Bras.. first time I tried on an old bra i had lost 9 inches off the one i wore before Cuddling.. me and hubby can cuddle on teh couch now.. i can even lay on him nps Shoes.. i can now wear shoes that are cute instead of the only ugly ones that would fit Clothes.. Nothing fits.. my closet is empty and i have like 3 things i wash and rotate since nothing else fits Seatbelt.. i dotn have to fuss to get it on.. its simple click People look at me now.. im not just fat anymore i mean im still big.. but wow peoples attitudes ar so much better around me and i dotn get "stares" like i used to in stores attitude.. i feel better now i am more confident hubby.. he loved me before but you can totally tell the changes and he is soooo all for it. EVERYTHING has gotten better in our marriage. Smiles.. hubby told me i smile wayyyy more now Apperance.. 6 months ago I would throw something clean on and walk out the door now i take such better care of myself and i try my best to look good when going out thats my short list =) hope it helps

so my parents are coming up this weekend so hubby and I decided to go through EVERYTHING in the house and get a truckload of stuff to take to the goodwill (no joke either hehe we had 3 bed house now 2 bd apartment no room!) so tonight i decided to go through my closet... I found a pair of jeans that i wore pre-surgery that were size 34 I held them up to my body and HOLLY cow im like half the size of them now lol its soooo crazy. I have only bought two pairs of pants and a few shirts since after surgery and 70 lbs ago but as my last NSV when my nurse laughed and said it was time to retire my fat clothes i had to. The problem now with money so tight and STILL trying to get a job i cant afford to buy anything since we are barely paying the bills right now. Its kinda sad to see my closet empty but happy at the same time.. what a rush of mix emotions eh? anyhow i keep treking i just had a job interview hopefully it works out alright but i am absolutely terrified that I will get it for the fact i have to dress professionally and im about 1/2 size to big to fit into the dress pants that walmart has not to mention the fact were dead broke. Its a scary situation cuz i need the job to buy clothes.. but need the clothes to work at the job hahaha shrug good laugh i hope hehe I'll have to take a pic of me holding up my "fat" jeans!!

I am sooo there right now.. after like 70 lbs I've noticed walking up to a business and seeing my reflection. THe other day i had a job interview and was all dolled up i decided to go see my hubby at work.. they havent seen me sinve january and WOW you shouldve seen there faces!

wow im amazed at so many surgeons who NEED to do it under fluoro.. My surgeon pushes around on me.. finds the port (has me kinda do a sit up he can pinch it with his fingers showing wher it is..) then he numbs me up and POP hes in no problems. I've only had 1 problem where they couldnt find the port and that was the nurse not the surgeon and only after i had already had a fill (they were taking some out a few mins later after i couldnt drink) which ive heard that the material on the port gets "stiff" sort to speak after a fill (to close back up would be my assumption) But even after they couldnt find it it was just a matter of them not being able to pierce it.. they were in the right place it just wasnt piercing through the port. Now if i could just be so typical on fill lvls as the average person id be set hahaha