Wendydarling19

I just made this this morning and remembered how much I missed it. This is my step mom's recipe.
1lb shrimp- cooked, peeled, chilled
2-3 stalks of celery chopped
Dill- chopped (I use dill singles, used to taste)
Lemon (about 1/4 lemon )
Mayonnaise (1-2 large scoops)
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine ingredients and enjoy this is great by itself, on a roll (if you are able to eat rolls) or on a bed of romaine!

I hate mine too! I'm advising to the sleeve as soon as I possibly can.

Just curious

Just curious

Just curious

It's a little bit discouraging especially with a post op infection. Making me wonder why I did this all

I'm not having any problems with food. I went thru stage 1 enjoying the liquids. Then when purée came it was tasty. I've been able to keep things interesting and adapt my meals to the families. I'm moving on to soft foods and I have enjoyed fish dishes in lemon and white wine broth. Rather than thinking what we can't have Just keep things simple and master the new tummy and savor your new victory. I love cooking and it is what got me to where I am. So now I am thinking of putting a sign over my Kitchen that say's "Tasty Bites" and create just that! One tasty bite at a time.
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I think I'm in morning. This just goes to show how bad my addiction truly is. I'll always be a foodie. I'll always be obsessed with food, I just need to have a healthier obsession, like meal planning or something. Not eating is making things so tough. I don't remember this part when I had my lapband placed...

Not much better. And I'm
Not sure why people keep saying my pain is from not moving around... I AM moving around. As much as I can, it just hurts terribly! I'm on day 4 and I am having such a hard time. In nursing school we were taught that a patient's pain is always what they say it is. No one can judge someone else's pain. It's just cruel to keep someone in pain like this. And for what reason? There isn't one! My first bariatric surgeon gave me a second round of pain meds after my lapband which wasn't nearly as invasive. My biggest fear with the sleeve was the pain, it seems like my worst nightmare is coming true.

I am moving it just is hard and hurts very much. I'm also on Lovenox 2x a day. I am going to try to make a trip or have my BF make a trip for an abdominal binder.

I had my band removed 6/23 and today I go for my sleeve at noon! Can't even describe how scared yet excited I am!

I had my band removed 6/23 and today I go for my sleeve at noon! Can't even describe how scared yet excited I am!

Apparently Aspire bariatrics has invented some new WLS "device" that allows users to suck food directly out of their stomachs after meals. What!? That doesn't teach better eating habits and cannot help with nutrition. I view it as most do, "assisted bulimia". What are everyone else's thoughts?

I post my meals (usually low carb) on instagram. I am a bandster who is revising to sleeve on 7/21! I have a lot of low carb concoctions on my IG. Add me if you would like, @wendydarling19

I post my meals (usually low carb) on instagram. I am a bandster who is revising to sleeve on 7/21! I have a lot of low carb concoctions on my IG. Add me if you would like, @wendydarling19

Back in October 2015....the day prior to my surgery.....disgusted with the state I'd fallen to:

Taken today:

Few years ago there was pouch test people would do. And then simply start back. I will see if I can find info on it. I somewhat remember. So I did what I could when I started over recently. No one on this earth abused a band worse than me and I now have good restriction.

I thought that Sharon Osbourne also had the lap band because there was big controversy over her having it removed.

It could be from the popularity of the sleeve. The lap-band seems like yesterday's news. When I went for my initial consult my doctor said he recommended the sleeve for me and when I told him I still wanted the band he asked "why?". To be honest, I am kicking myself in the ass for not listening to him. I hate this stupid lap-band. I am going to try to get back on track though and make the best out of a bad situation. Also, not to mention, doing nursing clinicals on the bariatric floor at the hospital I work at, we see more lap-band complications than any other bariatric surgery, I don't know if this has anything to do with it.

I had often told myself during my journey that even if I were to ever possibly hit goal I would never post a success story. Maybe I was being modest or perhaps just really hard on myself or…just not able to forgive myself for ever letting my weight get out of control as it had. I guess a lot of it no matter how you sum it up is really just embarrassment.
Well I had a change of heart. That change of heart came because I can remember so vividly the feeling of the hopelessness and despair. At times I felt I was knocking on deaths door and that there was nothing I could do about it. So I am writing this tonight in hopes that if I can help just one person even if only one tiny bit then it is my responsibility to do so. I believe in paying it forward and giving back. If it wasn’t for the people before me that helped me then where would I be? It would be irresponsible for me not to do the same. You are not alone and there are people out there, really good decent people who can help you but YOU have to want it and at some point you need to swallow your pride and ask for the help. Help will not come to you. YOU have to seek it out.
I have told my story several times and you can read it on my profile. I lost 170lbs doing Atkins between 2003 and 2004. I went from 393 to 220 and felt great…and then I got sloppy and let my guard down and weight started packing on. I went from 220 to 488 in 8 years’ time.
At 488lbs doing day to day activities was quite a chore. My knees were taking a beating carrying so much weight on a 5’6 inch frame. I developed arthritis and serious sleep apnea. Walking from the parking lot to my office was a real task and that was even with the use of an elevator. I had to sit out in the car and have my Wife do the grocery shopping because I couldn’t last more than 10 minutes on my feet. I had to sit and fold laundry sitting in a chair. This list could go on and on about the limited mobility. My amazing Wife stood by me and encouraged me to make a change but we both knew until I was ready to commit to change it would not happen. I am not sure how many other women out there would have put up with what she did. My weight affected us both physically and mentally. I did not feel like much of husband at times and I am sure there were plenty of times she felt more like a caregiver than a wife at times although she never said so or complained.
Something had to give and it finally did and in September 2011 with my wife at my side I attended a local seminar for WLS. We listened to the Doctor discuss all the surgical options available at the time and being new and somewhat naïve we decided Lapband was the way to go. It was reversible and probably the least invasive of all procedures. I signed up for a one on one consult with the Surgeon that night. October 2011 I met with the Doctor and told him I ready to make a life change. He told me he wanted to see me lose 24lbs and work on shrinking the liver. Insurance required me to do a 6 month monitored diet so instead of losing 24lbs preop I lost 38lbs. My Surgeon was impressed and after completing all the preop requirements I finally got a surgery date of April 16, 2012. I weighed in on surgery morning at 450lbs on the button.
So there I was April 17th and getting discharged from the hospital and all that went through my mind is why the hell did I do this? There was no way it would work and I will be known as the fat guy who couldn’t lose weight with WLS.
As much as you research and prepare for this new life it seems at some point you say OK well I had the surgery why is the weight not coming off?? This is so frustrating!!! Well apparently I had never heard of bandster hell. Bandster hell is that time from when you have the surgery to the time you actually get the necessary fills to get the need restriction to control your portions. Some very few people are lucky they have the surgery and automatically get that restriction. Not me, it took me 6 months. 6 months of frustration.
Probably one of the most difficult pieces for me to learn was patience. Lack of patience made this road even longer. I stepped on the scale almost daily these last 2.5 years waiting on a large drop in numbers that never happened. How on earth could you possibly see a large drop if you’re stepping on the scale daily? Do yourself a favor and don’t do it. To this day I still step on it daily but now it is about accountability not so much weight loss.
Always look for other measures to success. We call them Non Scale Victories or NSV’s. Losing weight is not just about numbers. For a while I was buying new clothes every other month because I was shrinking so fast. I went from a size 62 waist to a 34. I went from squeezing into theater seats to have padded space on each side.
I could go on and on here rambling about all sorts of stuff weight and band related. If you’ve read this far then thank you and thank you to those who helped me get here. I would like to especially thanks @@Alex Brecher without him I wouldn’t have a home here and I perhaps would’ve remained lost.
If anyone has any questions or comments or just need someone to talk to don't hesitate to message me regardless how personal you think your question may be.
My name is Jim and I am junk food addict. I have lost 300lbs and the lapband saved my life. 2yrs and 8 months 488 to 188.
Peace!!

One of my absolute fav low carb Snacks is filling a plate with pepperoni and sticking it in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute and getting it all crispy and maybe adding some cheese (dabbing off grease along the way). I just ate some. Yum yum yum

This is just so frustrating. I'm thinking about doing the 5 day pouch test.

I do understand exactly what she is saying. I feel similarly. Do I regret having weight loss surgery? No absolutely not. Do I regret chosing the band as my surgery? Well... yes, I sure do! It works for some people but it does not work for me. I have lost 50 lbs so far but that is from dieting with the band. I cannot lose weight just by eating smaller portions, I cannot lose weight just by eating healthy, I actually have to be on a strict low carb diet. At this point I have spiriled out of control again. I just do not have time to think about what I put into my body. I am lucky if I find time during my day for sleep! I work overnights and I am in nursing school during the day. The last thing on my mind is food. Sometimes when I eat, I am so tight and nothing will go down, everything comes back up and yes it does feel like you are choking. I have ruined dates and family outings to restaurants because I had to either run to the bathroom every few minutes to vomit or because I looked like a jerk by only taking one bite of food and taking the rest home. It is unpleasant when you get stuck. You can try to make it go down but for me, so much mucous comes up! This goes with any foods when I am too tight, junk food, healthy food, or slider foods, or even Water. NOTHING will go down! I hate it! The rest of the time if I am not feeling "too tight", I am too lose and literally everything goes down. I could eat A LOT of food, just as I did before I had surgery. This is not because I want to but because of the addiction I still have to food. I really wish I chose the sleeve because then I would physically feel full. I am going to look into revision. Not everyone is the same though. Some people find that the lapband is exactly what they were looking for.

I do understand exactly what she is saying. I feel similarly. Do I regret having weight loss surgery? No absolutely not. Do I regret chosing the band as my surgery? Well... yes, I sure do! It works for some people but it does not work for me. I have lost 50 lbs so far but that is from dieting with the band. I cannot lose weight just by eating smaller portions, I cannot lose weight just by eating healthy, I actually have to be on a strict low carb diet. At this point I have spiriled out of control again. I just do not have time to think about what I put into my body. I am lucky if I find time during my day for sleep! I work overnights and I am in nursing school during the day. The last thing on my mind is food. Sometimes when I eat, I am so tight and nothing will go down, everything comes back up and yes it does feel like you are choking. I have ruined dates and family outings to restaurants because I had to either run to the bathroom every few minutes to vomit or because I looked like a jerk by only taking one bite of food and taking the rest home. It is unpleasant when you get stuck. You can try to make it go down but for me, so much mucous comes up! This goes with any foods when I am too tight, junk food, healthy food, or slider foods, or even Water. NOTHING will go down! I hate it! The rest of the time if I am not feeling "too tight", I am too lose and literally everything goes down. I could eat A LOT of food, just as I did before I had surgery. This is not because I want to but because of the addiction I still have to food. I really wish I chose the sleeve because then I would physically feel full. I am going to look into revision. Not everyone is the same though. Some people find that the lapband is exactly what they were looking for.

I do understand exactly what she is saying. I feel similarly. Do I regret having weight loss surgery? No absolutely not. Do I regret chosing the band as my surgery? Well... yes, I sure do! It works for some people but it does not work for me. I have lost 50 lbs so far but that is from dieting with the band. I cannot lose weight just by eating smaller portions, I cannot lose weight just by eating healthy, I actually have to be on a strict low carb diet. At this point I have spiriled out of control again. I just do not have time to think about what I put into my body. I am lucky if I find time during my day for sleep! I work overnights and I am in nursing school during the day. The last thing on my mind is food. Sometimes when I eat, I am so tight and nothing will go down, everything comes back up and yes it does feel like you are choking. I have ruined dates and family outings to restaurants because I had to either run to the bathroom every few minutes to vomit or because I looked like a jerk by only taking one bite of food and taking the rest home. It is unpleasant when you get stuck. You can try to make it go down but for me, so much mucous comes up! This goes with any foods when I am too tight, junk food, healthy food, or slider foods, or even Water. NOTHING will go down! I hate it! The rest of the time if I am not feeling "too tight", I am too lose and literally everything goes down. I could eat A LOT of food, just as I did before I had surgery. This is not because I want to but because of the addiction I still have to food. I really wish I chose the sleeve because then I would physically feel full. I am going to look into revision. Not everyone is the same though. Some people find that the lapband is exactly what they were looking for.