MerryHearted

Unfortunately, there are a lot of Christians who believe depression is a sin as well, that if we really had a thankful heart and trusted in God we wouldn't need antidepressants. No doubt they are people who have never struggled with it themselves!! I choose to view the band as a tool, nothing more nothing less. God uses available tools to help - like that silly story about the person stuck on the roof in a flood praying for God to save him and refusing the help of the helicopter, boat, etc. We turn to God in trust that if we use the tools at our disposal - unless there is something inherintly unethical about the tool -- that we are not offending Him. It's still going to take work to lose the weight. Choosing to eat healthy foods. Choosing to exercise. Choosing to not turn to food in emotional crises. Our pastor is giving a sermon series on Questions God Asks. He pointed out that when our own kids misbehave, sometimes we can't help ourselves -- we ask them "Why did you do that?!?!" But God never asks us that, and God does not condemn us and push us away -- He says instead "Where are you?" and "I'd rather die than lose you." Please don't feel guilty for doing what you need to to get your health under control. We honor God when we care for our bodies, and if we need help to do so then we need help.

Seems like some people do once they get tight. I'm thankful at 2.5 yrs out to not have had a problem with it.

I try to make the Monday night ones. Give a holler on here if you'll be going - we can hook up and say hi. Did you go to the one last night?

Mine started back up shortly after surgery, so maybe I was around 250? I'm not quite under 200 yet and they are completely regular. I'm not sure if it is only the weight loss or also eating so much less & so much better.

Wow, glad they caught it and you are getting treated! You're doing great so far.

I'm with Jack on this one: "failure is not the falling down, but the staying down" -- jump on in, there's no 'window of opportunity' with the band. Get a fill if you need it and start following the bandster guidelines. And come out here daily for inspiration too!

Sounds like you need a fill!

I see her up there - she looks GREAT!!

Cool -- were you at support group last night? Wonder if we saw each other! :biggrin: If not, we NWWLS-ers should hook up next month. (or are you planning to go to the Thurs one? That's during work for me so hard to get away). You're in good hands on Thurs -- pop in and let us know how you're doing once you're up & about!

Really?? That's so strange -- I got 1.5cc in my 4cc band on my first fill. It definitely wasn't enough restriction. I'm at 3.5 now and just right -- still no problems eating bread or steak, or anything like that. I've never PB'd, don't have heartburn, can eat solids for Breakfast... Every person is different. So her saying 1.5 is a lot in a 4cc band is quite silly, imho. Some people have more than 4cc in their 4cc band and still aren't tight. I'm a big proponent of food tracking as I think it's extremely useful for seeing in black and white how much I'm eating. I know some people feel like it's too much like dieting. But if you find yourself stalled, it's a great tool to see if it's because you're eating too much. If you target a specific calorie range, like 1400-1500 per day, you can use your band to as a tool to stay satiated between meals rather than as a tool that stops you from eating too much at a particular meal. If that makes sense.

Have you tried paperbackswap.com? It's cheap to mail books around via media mail. I've got so many books sitting on my "to be read" stack it's insane. Have you read Jan Karon's Mitford series? They are sort of cozy mysteries.

I think it'll depend on whether you're self pay vs. what your insurance requires, and the tests that your surgery center requires. I went to the seminar and was banded about a month later, so I was happy it didn't take too long. Good luck!!

I have very few foods that are "danger" foods for me despite having good restriction. Are you "chewing to goo" with each bite? For example, when I eat steak or chicken I chew to goo and then anything that won't chew down that far I spit out. So my danger foods tend to be things that might gob together in my pouch, like french fries. I pretty much just avoid those things altogether. I always keep Glucerna bars or something similar on hand to use as a replacement meal. South Beach has some good ones too.

I'm sorry about your partner's job. Ugh. Some stress-relievers: Exercise. Stretching. Mindful breathing / meditation I used to go for a drive when I got stressed, but gas prices are so high these days! Hot herbal tea is soothing. Cleaning, believe it or not. Scrubbing something good and hard. Sometimes upbeat music helps, sometimes not. Writing down my feelings. Talking it out with someone. Doing something nice for someone else, to get my mind off my own stress. Reading something funny (like crying, laughing also helps release endorphins to make you feel better). I like Jay Leno's Headlines since I rarely get to watch the show. Or read a little out of one of my Dave Barry books. Sometimes, soaking in the tub or taking a hot, hot shower. There's something about Water.

When they give you a new fill, do they check that the amount of saline they added before is still there? How much does your band hold and how much is in it now? You might need to drop down to 1200 cals a day. You didn't say how much you weigh now or whether you are exercising. I find I lose best when I'm eating between 1000-1200 cals per day and getting in 1/2 hr of exercise 3x a week which is minimal... eventually I'll have to up the # of days, the time and the intensity. Other people lose fine on 1500 cals a day + exercise. What you are eating might matter too, in the end, but I wouldn't get that nitpicky up front. i.e. aiming for a certain balance of protein/fat/carbs, like 40/30/30. You must be frustrated. :huh2: I hope you find some answers!

I second TheDailyPlate.com -- much easier than FitDay, as most foods are in their database.

Re the flaming golf ball from hell: I think he's referring to getting something stuck that doesn't want to dislodge easily. It hurts like.. uh... heck.

That's right -- you're no longer gaining, and you're well within the normal 1-2lbs per week healthy rate of loss. Way to go on losing 44 lbs!! And yeah, I know -- I'd love to lose faster too. The great thing is that time is gonna pass anyway, and the pounds miraculously add up over time.

:redface: I'm totally cracking up. Sorry you got stuck, that's painful. I have to peel my apples now, since my last fill, or else chew chew chew then spit out the peel. So fun.

Welcome to LBT! Congrats on having a date -- you must be getting so excited, it's right around the corner.

One thing that has really helped me get back in gear when I faltered for awhile was to "recommit" to the banding guidelines, plus writing down everything I eat. So: - You can get a free account on one of the sites that lets you log all your food, like TheDailyPlate.com or FitDay.com to document everything you eat. Set a target # of calories if that will help you. Between 1000-1200 works for most average-sized women, but tailor it to what works for you. - Bandster Guidelines (off the top of my head, so I hope I don't forget one): 1) Eat Protein first, then produce. If you have room, you can add in whole grains. Typical meal would be 2-3 oz of protein and 1/2 C of produce. 2) No drinking with meals or for at least an hour after you eat. 3) 30 min of exercise at least 3x a week. 4) At least 64 oz of non-caloric liquids per day. Exception: up to 16 oz of milk. 5) No mushy foods or liquid calories. Exception: if you are too tight in the morning to eat solid food, you need to have something for Breakfast. Yogurt, a latte, a protein drink... 6) Daily multi-vitamin. 7) No junk food & avoid starchy foods like rice, bread, potatoes, Pasta. I'm sure now that I'm missing something. Drinking with meals: You could try sipping just tiny amounts of tea instead of drinking, to see if that gives you the taste you want without actually washing the food through. But if you're having issues with eating too much or feeling hungry too soon after a bandster-sized meal, then you might want to wean yourself off the tea. :redface: It's great to come back & recommit yourself though! I stalled for a long time and am now back on track losing again... you can be too!!

The center I used does most of their surgeries at their own surgery center. My insurance would not cover unless it was at the hospital, so the surgeon did mine there for me. There's no difference in preop or postop requirements, info, support, etc. between patients at this particular center based on where they got their bands placed.

Probably varies from surgeon to surgeon. I imagine they want anyone who has signs of it to do it, if they don't already know for sure. If there's a possibility of having it, getting treated will make you feel a lot better!! (less tired during the day)

Welcome to LBT!

Doesn't it feel great? Here's hoping you hear from your insurance with good news soon! :thumbup: