Leena

Very interesting point Felicia. I kinda have to laugh because I've been dating more lately and every woman I've dated has been a BBW. Yeah I know I think I have a thing for them. I have literally been smaller than each and every one of them. Maybe I'm not as attracted to skinny girls. Right now I'm 194, have made it to the ones, YAY! And still I could care less if I loose another pound. I'm a freakin size 12. Yeah me a 12. Still trying to pinch myself awake on that one. I've taken up running, swimming and most recently karate. And thanks cheri, I don't think I'm one of the biggest loosers here. I technically still have a lot to go. Thanks though. I'm the worst at accepting compliments and have been on the receiving end a lot lately. -Leena

Just thought I'd update you. Dating in the last few months has gone very well. I'm met some amazing accepting women who aren't at all, even remotely freaked out by my ever changing weight. I have also become so comfortable in my skin, and I think that has a lot to do with it as well. I'm confident in who I am as a person, and that seems to be all I really needed. This morning I was 203 on the scale and can honestly say I'm very happy with that number. I'm so excited to see a 199 or less and I know once I reach that point I'll be dancing around my kitchen in utter happiness. It's amazing how loosing weight can change so many things in ones life. Thanks all, Leena

I'm 7 months out and have lost 58% of my excess weight since surgery to total 118 pounds post-op. I didn't include the pre-op loss of 17 pounds. I'm down a total of 135 pounds in all and still have 85 to go. I have been working out a whole whole lot and really watching what I eat. I've also become a vegetarian in the last 4-5 months, still have cheese and eggs though. Hang in there, it will come off. -Leena

I like the lo carb EAS shakes, 110 calories, 17g of protien and I think 3 or 4 of fiber. These are the only ones i can even remotely tolerate.

I'm more concerned about all the loose skin that's going to be hanging around. My arms already look like sagging boobs.

Here are my progress photos, from 350 to 240.

Hi Chris, I'm in NJ too. In the beginning you will get hungry as the swelling goes down. Most of the initial restriction is swelling, very little has to do with the band size, even if you have a 4cc. Most likely your band is empty. I didn't have anything put in my band at the time of surgery, it wasn't filled unitl 5 weeks post-op. You can look up "bandster hell" as that's what that time period is considered to be. Getting to the full liquid and then mushie stage is going to help a lot with the hunger you're experiencing. Just hang in there until Thursday. -Leena

I think we should take into account % body fat as well as it makes a huge difference as well as bone structure. I have a small bone structure and my % body fat is about 33% right now. Now if I reach 8-10 % body fat at any weight I will most likely get an unfill and be very happy. I think body fat plays a very important role, maybe even more so than BMI in how healthy someone is. That being said to answer questions of how I lost so quickly: In Aug 07 I started my pre-op diet at 350 pounds, but Sept 07 I was 333 and had surgery. 4 weeks post-op I started working out, 20 minutes a day and now I'm up to a few hours a day. I mainly do cardio, but have recently (in the last 4 weeks) added some strength training. The less I weigh the more I work out and the more energy I have to dedicate to my workouts. I have a room dedicated to working out in my home and I moved my recumbant bike to the living room so I get in additional workouts while watching TV. Yes I am a bit obsessive about working out. I figured I payed so much for surgery that this is going to work. And I'm going to make it work. I watch every little thing that goes into my mouth, literally every thing. I switched to soy milk as I became lactose intollerant. I can't/don't eat bread, rice, Pasta, candy, Cookies. I allow myself one slice of pizza a month from a medium thin crust pizza from Domminos. But on that day I add an extra hour to my workout. I drink lots of Water and 2-3 cups of tea a day. On a day I try to get in about 600-800 calories and as much protien as possible. I also quit eating meat, due to the fact that I get sick of chewing it and then it looses its taste. I eat boco burgers, tofu, smartdogs and egg whites for protien. Since being banded I haven't had a whole egg, only whites. And I'm very satisfied eating this way. The only craving I get is for hot tea, probably because it's winter here.

I started in the Super Obese category and now am just Severely Obese. Oh 100 pounds is nothing, try having over 200 to loose.

I had my surgery and was able to keep my IUD in. I had the mirena IUD that releases hormones. My doctor did put me on anti-clotting injections for a week and I also had the compression cuffs on my legs for about 12 hours post-op. Ask your dr. about these things.

Just a bit of advice, it may be a good idea to get banded 2 weeks apart, instead of just a week. I know a week out I was still not 100%. On day 9 I made it to the outlet mall and that was draining. I'm sure you're going to want to be there for one another so spacing them out by two weeks will make supporting one another easier. I don't know your support system but it is something to consider.

The pre-op jitters are completely normal. I had second thoughts in the OR holding area, surgery is scarry. I have a huge fear of the denists, so much so that I have to get nitrious oxide to just be able to unclench my jaw there and not cry hysterically. Yes,once they tech forgot to turn on the nitrious part and gave me pure oxygen. Something just didn't feel right and I was freaking out, crying, begging to just be able to go home, etc. And having surgery scares me too, even more than the dentist. So I was put on a beta blocker and it calmed me down somewhat. Hang in there. It helps to make a list of reasons why you want the surgery and just look at when those last minute jitters hit. I cancled my consult with my surgeon about 4 times, technically just kept on rescheduling it. Anyway the list helped me finally go through with the appointment. Hang in there -Leena

I did a modified/partial liquid diet: 2 slimfast shakes a day and one meal of whatever (trying to keep it healthy). Anyway in a month I was able to loose 17 pounds eating that way. All liquid pre-banding is difficult, but throwing in a meal of real solid food makes the shakes a bit better. Anyway I suggest finding a shake you like, not loath, pre-op.

I know I wasn't allowed to work out until my Dr gave me the clearance, one month post-op. And even then I skipped my abs because I was still sore when I tried crunches. Please ask your dr. if it's okay. That being said, most gyms give you an introduction session when you join. Basically it's a trainer who shows you how to use each machine and can chalk out a plan of action in the gym for you. Personally 2 weeks out I was not working out. I'd go for a walk around the block, or at the mall, grocery store, etc, but that was it.

Could you just have your parents file their taxes after your surgery? The official deadline isn't unitl April anyway. Just a thought because then it wouldn't make a huge difference for your surgery, especially if your dr includes aftercare in the price.

I don't like pancakes, never have. But since banding I have been able to eat thin crust pizza. Only one small slice at a time, ie it can be a slice from a medium pizza from domminos plain. After that one slice I am full and couldn't even imagine eating another slice. I only eat pizza once a month now anyway so it's not going to kill me. Thick crust is impossible for me to eat as are breads, rice and even potatos

I;m looking back through my calander of weightloss and have noticed that I tend to loose a lot more weight during the PMS time. Pre-band this is when I would gain 5 pounds of Water weight and then loose it during time of the month. Well last night my PMS started and I noticed I was really tight (my last fill was the beginning of december-so not recent). Does this happen to anyone else? I can get liquids down with no problems I just feel really tight. Last month I didn't notice it too much. But this month I really have. So does anyone get a slight unfill for PMS time?

My snoring stopped post-op. It came as such a big shock to DH that a week post-op he woke me up, by shaking me in the middle of the night and screaming. He thought I was dead. Anyway now I only snore if I'm congested, which is pretty normal.

I went on liquids yesterday and am planning on staying on them until this extreme restriction goes away. I can't see paying $250 for an unfill and then a week later paying again for a fill. I had better stalk up on shakes. How I'm going to miss my Boco burgers :tt2:

I thought this was a great eye-opener for me. I place so much emphasis on that crappy scale. Wednesday January 16, 2008 Asking Too Much of Your Scale? Posted Wednesday January 16, 2008 at 08:04 PM EST in Ask the Experts Your scale is good at telling you how much you weigh. But are you asking it to do too much? Are you expecting it to make you happy, lift your mood, set the tone for your day, or establish a higher sense of self worth? If you are, then you're asking too much of your scale - it can't be your friend, your enemy, your mood lifter, or your spirit crusher. All it can do is tell you the total of your weight - your skin, hair, eyeballs, bones, fat, muscle, fingernails, etc. It will never be your friend or your enemy. It is a piece of equipment, nothing more nothing less. It has no power over you except that which you give it. It’s the second week of the Challenge, and the initial rush of enthusiasm may be fading. When the daily drop in scale weight tapers off, what will you have left to make you feel good about what you are doing? Putting yourself through a workout and then expecting the scale to lift your spirits is missing the point of activity. Overemphasis on the scale will lead to more negativity and failure unless you can find a way to adopt a different mindset. Try these 4 Progress Questions to determine how you're doing: 4 Progress Questions: (a “yes” answer to two or three of these is a sure sign you’re making real progress.) 1 – Do you have increased energy, or do you feel more capable? 2 – Are your clothes fitting more losely? 3 – Are you starting to like what you see in the mirror? 4 – Are you getting people asking you if you have “lost weight,” or “gotten in shape?” (especially people who are only acquaintances and don't see you daily) If you had ample energy to get through the day, were feeling good in your clothes, moved confidently about your daily activities, and were getting compliments from others that you were getting in shape, would you really care if the scale read 100 pounds or 400 pounds when you stepped on it? (If you're thinking "yes," re-read the description in the first part and truly imagine what it would feel like to live that way, then ask yourself again and again until the answer is "no.") The source of your frustration isn't you! There's nothing wrong with you, just with how you measure fitness. Using an intense focus on the scale to determine success or failure is certain disaster. Read my previous posting on the scale: The National Body Challenge Community Jonathan Ross, National Body Challenge Fitness Expert Award-Winning Fitness Expert Jonathan Ross Make my blog one of your Favorites! The National Body Challenge Community

jachut- I can now completely understand what you're saying. I used to thnk I was "big boned". Well as it turns out I have really small bones inside. My wrist keeps on shrinking, now at about 6.5 inches, down from 8. And I have discovered my knee caps, yes sounds strange but they are tiny little things slightly larger than golf balls. Go figure. I haven't seen them in years, literally atleast 10 years. DH thought I had some sort of birth defect because he's never seen them until recently. He even started looking at my family's knee caps a few years ago to see who else was defective. It turns out my mom has small ones like me, but my dad, brother and sister all have ones as big as if not bigger than softballs. it's amazing what you'll find under all these pounds of fat.

Mehta Bariatrics has a monthly support group in New Brunswick, NJ. You can google them to get the information.