betty_s

thesweatybetty .. i'm following you!!

@@2muchfun , i've noticed that i've started chewing my food to a soup like consistency, as well, meaning everything i eat slides right through. i'm so scared to get 'stuck' that i chew until my jaw gets tired. i'm wondering if i may be doing the same thing with my food. where's the happy medium, just enough chews so it doesnt get stuck, but not too many that it slides? haha oh the joys of being banded.

Name, real or screen: Betty Goal weight for June 30th: 260 Weight on June 1st: 272 Age: 26 City/State: Richmond, VA Dietary goal for June: Keep is low-carb, get prepared for my first FILL! Exercise goal for June: lift 5x week, cardo atleast 2x Personal goal for June: enjoy LIFE! Date banded: may 8, 2014 Total weight loss since banding/pre op diet: 31 lbs Favorite Summer Activity: tanning/pool/beach

I'll admit it. I did this for me to look better. I'm still young, 26 yrs old, and had zero health problems. Perfect BP, cholesterol, everything.. I was just fat. I've always gotten, you've got a pretty face, but I wanted to just be PRETTY, without having to name the part of me thats pretty. I wasnt happy with who i was, and didnt want to spend my life putting off pictures and parties because i didnt like the way i looked. I'm okay with that.

@@Averiex I had surgery the same day as you. I have lost some weight, but thats because I have been dieting, not relying on the band. I have cut out almost all carbs out of my diet. The only carbs I get are from veggies and I have had some watermelon/cantaloupe. Some meals I'm only getting my Protein in, and I'm stopping when I feel NOT HUNGRY, not when i feel FULL. I'm also already working out 5x a week, cardio HIITs + lifting. I've kept a positive outlook this whole time, because i know as soon as it shifts to negative, the weight will pile back on. Stay positive, this isn't a magic pill.

This is true, some people dont like them. I'm not sure if they ship to UAE, but you can order a sample pack of 12 to try out all of their flavors.

I sometimes do a protein shake for Breakfast if i'm in a rush, or for dessert, if i think my protein is low for the day. If you like regular vanilla, MRM Rich Vanilla is great, especially as a base for adding fruit. Flavored Proteins, I really like Protizyme Peanut Butter Cookie, and i LOVE UMP Cookies and Cream. The key to Protein Shakes for me, is mixing them with almond milk (unsweetened original). It only adds 30 calories, but makes them WAY creamier than Water, blech!

have you tried sliced lunch meat from the deli? i dont like pre-packaged, but borrs head roasted turkey is great with some laughing cow light. when i cook my chicken (i'm only 3 weeks post-op) i cook it with progresso recipe starters (cheese, mushroom, or creamy garlic), and that helps keep the chicken moist. for a snack, i love greek yogurt mixed with applesauce and cinnamon (sometimes stevia for sweetness). i love applesauce and you get the Protein from the greek yogurt. i always really like Quest bars (questnutrition.com). i try not to eat them every day, since i try to get real food in, but they are great in a pinch, plus they have 20ish grams of protein in per par. and the net carbs is low too.

@@JustWatchMe yes. this is a big learning curve. i thought i was prepared to slow down, but my band sure lets me know when i've had too many bites too quickly. i was ALWAYS the first person done at meal time, barely even enjoying what i was putting in my mouth. i've been timing myself at work, and i can only get up to 15-20 mins. i know i was told 30-45 mins in the pre-op classes, but its hard!! i put my fork down, chew chew chew, let it go down, take another small bite...repeat. so i'm working on it. hard to break 26 years worth of bad habits in 3 weeks tho!

@@2muchfun thanks. i had an appt with my NP yesterday and she said keep up with the 1/2 cup of food.. so when I feel like I need a few more bites to be satisfied, i feel like i'm 'breaking the rules'. i've cut out carbs, for the most part, so right now, i kind of feel like i'm on a diet, but the fact that i know there's an end in sight, having the fills and feeling satisfied on less, makes it more doable in my head.

Congrats! You're doing awesome! And I'm so impressed with you vacation weight loss! I have my first fill in 2 weeks, cant wait to start feeling some restriction.

Ok, so I'm 3 weeks post-op, yesterday. I have my first fill in 2 weeks, but as all you vets have probably experienced, I'm not quite full after my 1/2 cup of food, and it definitely doesn't stay with me for more than 1-2 hours. After years of binging on food and never really listening to my 'full' signals, I'm not quite sure what 'not hungry' feels like. I know I'm not striving for 'full' after meals anymore, just looking for 'no longer hungry'. I guess my question is, did you immediately have the soft stops or did they not happen until you got closer to the 'green zone'. I'm not getting the runny nose or hiccup like some have mentioned. So I'm wondering if I should eat a little more than the 1/2 cup, or just deal with it for 2 more weeks. Just trying to figure this whole thing out.

i had to do 12 months with a health 'coach' required by insurance, so 16 months after my first appointment, i was finally banded. it was worth the wait tho, 3 weeks post op and feeling great you got it!

ahhhhhh! you're so awesome!!! i love this post! congrats girl, you deserve all of this. you worked your butt off (literally!) to get where you are from a year ago!!!

did they have to give you an unfill and move your port? i'm 3 weeks post-op receiving the lap-band, hoping for not too much excess skin, but i'm curious about how the TT goes. congrats on your success!

I was just banded 3 weeks ago! I cant give you much, but I know i appreciated all i could take in before banding!

still 273. 2 lbs more than what i was hoping for!

i lifted some and did a few cardio sessions, but i never really felt bad on the pre-op diet..

alright.. well now i'm following both of you.. thesweatybetty

Hey! I had suffered from severe GERD before surgery. I would wake up in the middle of the night on many occasions, choking on stomach acid. I ALWAYS had heartburn, I didnt really know what it was like to not have heartburn, actually. My mom and dad both suffer from severe reflux so I assumed it was just something i was going to have to live with. I had the band, and my surgeon repaired a hiatal hernia during surgery, but I have no had any symptoms of heartburn since i had my surgery May 8th. I'm not sure if its because I'm eating healthier food, but all i know is, I'm enjoying not carrying around tums with me everywhere I go.

Congratsssss!!!! AHHH what an amazing feeling!!!!

Good luck with your next fill! I get my first one June 11th! SO nervous!

Getting into a fight with my SO (or prev break-ups) is the only thing that STOPS my appetite.. everything else makes me want to eat more. its so weird how our minds decide when they want to eat.

Had my 3 week follow-up today! Nurse practitioner was really happy with my results so far. Got moved to solid foods, still no restriction on calories, just making sure I'm getting my Protein in. Still at 30 lbs lost. And I'm allowed to lift weights! I've been doing cardio since last monday, but i really hate it. I'm happy i can start building some tone back that i lost while recovering! She said, the average band patient loses 1/2 lb a week.. but that seems really low to me, especially starting out. I'm working for 2-3 lbs a week, but I'm not going to beat myself up if i don't make it every week. Right now I'm 273, and instead of focusing on losing 98 more lbs, i'm going to focus on getting to 260's. After that, i'll focus on 250's and so on.

Had my 3 week follow-up today! Nurse practitioner was really happy with my results so far. Got moved to solid foods, still no restriction on calories, just making sure I'm getting my Protein in. Still at 30 lbs lost. And I'm allowed to lift weights! I've been doing cardio since last monday, but i really hate it. I'm happy i can start building some tone back that i lost while recovering! She said, the average band patient loses 1/2 lb a week.. but that seems really low to me, especially starting out. I'm working for 2-3 lbs a week, but I'm not going to beat myself up if i don't make it every week. Right now I'm 273, and instead of focusing on losing 98 more lbs, i'm going to focus on getting to 260's. After that, i'll focus on 250's and so on.