NewLife'sGr8

My band was installed empty. That methodology may have changed since I was banded. If so, I could be wrong about when, post-surg - you'll feel restriction & satiety

After that first overnight in the hospital, with crazy pain from being blown up like a balloon, I felt fine. No pain nor discomfort. Other than- I felt disappointed in myself that it wasn't a day surgery for me. Your lack of satiety is normal. After the 2nd or 3rd fill, you'll start feeling restriction & satiety

Aribay1 I hear you. I recently posted a thread and didn't get responses I'd hoped for/ expected. I'm still processing what everyone said, because I know they're giving me their best advise- even if it isn't concordant with what I wanted to read. Actually, I'd hoped to see a post from you to get perspective from the young-set. I understand It's hard to read when people don't agree with you or don't give the type of reinforcement you'd hoped for. Some of it can be pretty harsh. Take time to process it. It's a lot to absorb. I'm so relieved you've course-corrected. SO important. I cheated on my pre-op, and on my post op. I was on medifast liquid yuk for 3 months pre, and the post-op: Clear liquids and then more shakes Nothing solid for ~3months total? OMFG! I couldn't take it. Had to sink my teeth into 'something', can't remember what it was, but I know it wasn't crunchy. Probably a McD's happy meal hamburger (not the whole meal). I didn't do it a lot, probably 2-3 x's in 3 months. Even after the 1st 2 fills- I was ravenous! I could've eaten the bark off a tree. I had huge guilt, beat myself up to pieces and like you- course corrected. Not trying to make it sound ok- it wasn't. Still, I did lose the pre-weight I was supposed to and was no worse for the wear on the post- i chewed till extra mush. I'm banded tho- not sleeved. My stomach wasn't cut at all the way though, although it was stretched up over the bottom of the band and stitched to itself to prevent slippage. yours and mine, both MAJOR surgeries. The difference is: your stomach wall was sliced clear through. I know you know that. I'm just saying, it's a huge difference. The posters are right. it's easy for a tiny seed or even a ground up flaxseed to lodge in the incision, easy to get an infection or worse, tear the incision from an unchewed crunchy. (I wonder if you chewed to mush before swallowing) The raw stitched/stapled wound through the stomach wall is going to take some time to heal. Get something lodged in there- it could literally ruin the rest of your life- or shorten it. I think the bigger issue, is that when we're young, we think we're indestructible and we'll live forever. VerY common in young, early 20-somethings. We don't think twice about how the decisions we make could make us suffer later on- it seems so far away... When we're middle-aged, suddenly, we start feeling the repercussions of those bad decisions we made in our youth. Aches & pains all over, trust me. A LOT of middle-agers forget what it's like to be young, with so many years ahead, feeling indestructible- and those bad decisions they made then that caused themselves grief later on. I don't think you are selfish or have serious mental food obsession issues that you can't follow your plan. I think it sounds more like you didn't fully think through the repercussions of 'cheating' and the super serious ramifications that could result from.... a couple lousy chips. I hope I'm not making you feel bad. Not my intention. I'm just letting you know you're not the only one who's 'cheated' pre or post surg. That wasn't a good choice for either of us. We know that. There's probably others who've cheated as well but aren't brave enough to be truthful and/ or didn't post openly on it. I also want you to know I care, and want you to really understand that major surgery is no joke. We have to be patient and allow our bodies to heal. There's no rushing it. There's no such thing as wonder woman super fast healer. You just have to love yourself, love your body inside and out, whatever weight or size you are, and allow yourself the time to heal. And as your body heals, so will your mind, and your insecurities, and your head-hunger, dying for some crunch, and your poor outlook of yourself - all goes away - Super exciting prospect for your future- but only if you allow yourself to heal properly. And I know you will. With love...

Now that I've just typed all that, I'm thinking it's probably time to go & re-visit FitnessPal.

You body has been through one heck of a traumatic experience! Bloating is a biological response to trauma. It protects the organs. Drink a lot of Water to help flush it out. sometimes it takes 12 weeks or more for bloat to go down. Be patient & wear comfies as much as possible. I haven't had PS yet but I've had plenty of post-surgical bloating.

My scientific brain tells me: the more datas, the better. if I weighed myself daily & recorded- cycles and trends would be evident, probably screaming at me; week-to-week, month-to-month, year-to-year. There's value in visually seeing these trends in order to self-course-correct and adjust. If it's too cyclical, it would reveal times of the month/year weight goes up due to emotional, or biological (northerners put on 2-3lbs when whether turns cold) or something else. It would also reveal weightloss trends. I've never "officially" recorded my weight, heck, I never knew there was an OFFICIAL weight.. I've gotten a few apps- FItnessPal and a couple others- put in my starting weight, recorded a few daily weigh-ins, the food diary- for a couple weeks/months and gave up. It began to interfere with my day, constantly getting emails, notifications & the worst, reminders that I hadn't entered any data in awhile. The real me weighs in - mornings, before or after shower, sometimes sporadically, & sometimes daily for a few weeks. The last number that I see on the scale is my "official weight" I keep that number in my head (not obsessively) until the next number appears.

Also- feeling like you've gained when the scale says you haven't could be an indication that you're not eliminating effectively, literally, you could be full of shit & bloated from it. It's SO important to be mindful about that- our bodies reabsorb the toxins of we don't eliminate leading to lethargy, brain fog, and a host of other health issues we don't usually "connect" with pooping. No need to have your 1st go-to solution be laxatives. We become addicted to them and before we know, our bodies can't eliminate without them. Laxitives should only be used if everything else fails- requires patience to allow our bodies to self-correct naturally. What I usually do is back off a dietary step or two. Give my belly a break. back to soft foods (easier to digest) or liquids for a day or several. Next thing I know, I'm a super-pooper for a day and feeling fab once again.

Couple things: Our biology, especially women, naturally stores fat for the winter. If you live there's a white winter, you WILL pack on at least a couple pounds- holidays not included. Women's bodies do this to protect the continuance of the species- best chance of survival during the days when starvation was a huge possibility for the Paleos. Even if there wast much food, the fat stores would ensure enough energy to produce milk to nurse the babies. This biological response to winter & cold weather is NOT so great for us now in 2014 when starvation is much less of an issue for most of the population. Don't worry about it! Just go with it. Sprintime brings with it, a natural shedding of those excess pounds when everything comes back to life. The other thing- I learned from experience- Sometimes, I cut calories so far down, I couldn't lose an ounce, much less a pound. I researched it. What I discovered is that you have to eat enough calories so the body has enough energy to lose weight. Remember, burning fat is literally like a furnace burning (whatever kind of) energy. You have to put in enough energy for it to burn. If you don't the furnace will go out. I've noticed that when I listen to my bod and have an "eating day" once in awhile where I'm either grazing all day or eat bigger than usual meals- THAT's when I drop the pounds. I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but that's how it works. Of course, there's that fine line- if we eat too much too many days in a row, we gain. Best wishes for reaching your goal!

Tater tot: I'm so sorry to read about your struggles. I got really angry reading your post too. *hugs. I don't know a lot about bi-polar disorder so am trepadacious about giving my opinion. Still, I'll put it out there for consideration... From what I read, it's not the dietician nor the nurse but the PSYCH EVAL that's tripping you up- You said you'd lost the weight they asked you too. Did you ask what else they want from you? Sounds like you're stuck in a system that wants to keep you Unhealthy & under their thumb. Sun-SU: The Art of War says, "Know your enemy." In this case, the Psych. Know what they're looking for in answers that'll approve you for the WLS. You've already heard the questions they ask. Just Give them the answers they're looking for...nothing else. Since someone thankfully on this thread who also has bi-polar has had WLS, that, in itself is not the disqualifier. It could be very possible that the psych you went to has a hard-edge anti-WLS opinion and refuses a lot of them. Get back on your healthy eating program- wait about 4-6 months & SHOW the dietician & psych & doc (again) you're able to lose weight. TELL them you're not so much of an emotional eater, that you've pretty much got it under control (even if you haven't quite yet). Go to another Psych who has a lot of experience with obese patients and WLS effects on the psyche'. I'm pretty sure there are psych studies that show Bi-Polar patients show datas on improvements with WLS. Our chemical make-ups change with WLS so your emotional eating will take care of itself for the most part anyway. Better yet, seek out the psych bi-polar research studies that show improvements, print them out and bring them to your psych sessions & the conference call. SHOW them to the psych. They won't be able to deny it if you shove it in their face! Keep ALL your upcoming psych sessions upbeat & forward thinking. Excited about your upcoming WLS (as though you're already approved) Don't get into your childhood or other traumas during your WLS psych sessions- it's JUST for the WLS- not to heal all the mental traumas. Fake it till you make it girl!

Congrats on your results! So many times, changing a doc or getting a 2nd opinion is the way to go. It's pro-active. Too many times I see people thinking docs a demo-gods and infallible.. Lets face it. Not all docs/surgeons were A Students and some are way better than others! Great choice! I'm glad you found a doc who you feel comfy with. I wish you ALL the best in your new (old) WLS journey. I was banded in '09 too. I've had good results but it took a loooong time to come off- for various reasons. Still, before I knew it, bam! I was down about 100# all of a sudden. I think it happens like that with the band. For some, big weight drops in the beginning, for me & others, slow & gradual. I am back to basics of what to eat, how much, how much supplementation, inflammation control, etc too. We are band-sistahs - '09-time.

My PA told me that if my band slipped, I'd know it! It's painful, he said.

It took me 4 years to lose the weight I have so far. I requested a slow-fill-course because I kept having to have ortho surgeries over that time. I wanted to have enough nutrients to heal well. And so I did and here I am, starting over- getting the basics back down; how much protein/carb/veg per day, etc Now, I'm struggling with finding my green zone. I think for the first time. my weightloss was primarily due to pain (theres no hunger with screaming pain!) and also inflammation around the band-site i.e.: a false restriction due to painkiller meds & stress of not working etc. Now, I'm also dealing with another unexpected complication. I'm working through it. NOT giving up on my band even though I've been maintaining around 160# for about a year- 25# from goal- so close. I'll make it! I spoke with my PA at last visit and told him I'd seen many posts about band failures. He told me that percentage-wise, I was the exception to the rule for "their" bandsters. "Most are have gone with revision to the sleeve" he said. So I asked him- "In your opinion, were the revisionist bandsters' failures due to impatience (want a quick fix) and not following instructions and/ or eating around the band?" At first, he wanted to avoid the question- mumbled a little. I asked more specifically & precise in a way he couldn't talk around. He ultimately said YES! That's why the majority failed. He said many people, aside from not wanting to give up old habits, want that next best thing, i.e.: latest fad. The sleeve, as the next best thing, many people jumped on board. A Quick fix. Quicker weight loss. Not as much patience required to lose the weight- at least in the beginning. I've read about complications on all the WLS forums here. There's a percentage in every category genuinely struggling with complications. (not lazy non-compliers or quitters) It's like that with ANY kind of surgery, not just WLS. There's always going to be a certain percentage of failed procedures. There's also a percentage of failures due to patients not following doctor's orders. Can't just heap everyone into one category. And then there are the successes! To my amazement, I've found so many band-success stories here. I've found a good many bandsters who've lost upwards of 150-200#, found their green zone, and are living happy lives in band-synchronicity. I'm not at green zone, nor at goal yet. Even so, I expect to be one of the many band-success stories And I will!

I like little appetizers these days. Sometimes a little of this, a little of that. I can usually only eat 3-4. Today, I cut up some leftover chicken breast into squares, not too thick put a little dab of mayo (I use Veganaise) salt & pepper and topped it with avacado YUM! little finger food bites. Does anyone else have any surprisingly yummy, hi Protein, low carb "bites" they've come up with?

I'm with innersurfergirl. This is a WLS journey for me with many adventures along the way and tangents. Lots of tangents.

My youngest daughter, 23, is extremely obese. Lane Bryant size 28 doesn't fit her. Actually, I think she's a couple/few sized bigger than that. She was there for me when I was banded- slept all night sitting up in a chair next to me after post-surg pain management didn't go well. I was out of my skull in pain. I think it was being blown up like a balloon that my mind couldn't wrap around and body couldn't handle- a whole new different kind of pain like I've never felt before (and I've experienced ALL kinds of really bad physical pain). Bless her heart for being there! Anyway, I think that experience may have imprinted on her negatively regarding WLS. I don't know for sure. We haven't really talked about it much. Not at all these last few years. Only about the 1st yr or so. Right now, she's on a diet that I know isn't good nor long-term-health-sustaining. I forget what it's called. She says it's kind of like the Paleo diet but to me, it sounds similar to Atkins- all fat & protein- and some spinach I guess. She's lost some weight on it, as has her fiancé' who's also on it. They're living together in their little apartment, doing well starting their new life. SO cute! She's convinced she's on a sustainable lifelong diet. I hope she's right. I'm supportive & when they come over I cook to accommodate her diet. I notice when she's losing & give her compliments, kudos and lots of love. What I see in my crystal ball is a lifetime struggle with weight, like me. One diet to the next. Big loss- bigger gain, back & forth. A Miserable existence, like I was. I love her SO much. I don't want that for her. It's a very touchy subject- approaching someone about their weight; telling them you're concerned about they're health. I don't thinks she's going to hear all the "I love you SO muches"or "I'm concerned for your health" or "I want you to enjoy Motherhood and be able to have babies without complications" I'm afraid all she'll hear (what I think she'll translate my concern into) is, "Look! You're Super Fat. Go get stomach surgery and fix it"- Or something super negative like that- which is NOT my thoughts nor intent. But of course, she'll think that. Especially touchy when they're convinced this fad diet will be the end-all answer to her weight problem. Even more difficult with that negative imprint from my WLS. I want to gingerly suggest she get WLS, possibly her fiancé' too who's struggled with weight all his life too. They both now have a good job with med ins that I think would cover it. I make it a point to stay out of her financial affairs unless she wants to talk about it, so I don't know all her details with ins & income etc (though I did strongly suggest they start their 401k's asap! lol which they did) I'm not sure what I should do. I don't want to witness her yo-yo dieting. I'm concerned with this all fat and Protein diet's effect on her heart and circulatory system. Any suggestions on the best way to approach this daunting task? Or even IF I should address this with her? I'm not sure what to do- or not do. The last thing in the world that I want to do - is offend her...

I weigh myself in the morning while I'm getting ready to go, in my undies. Not sure why mornings except that it's quick & convenient as part of my morning routine. My suggestion is- it doesn't matter what time you weigh yourself or what you wear doing it. The most important thing is: do it at the same time of day, every time you weigh yourself. Bloated or light- it'll be consistent If you want, wear regular clothes without shoes or nothing at all whatever you decide, wear similar clothes (not all bulked up) each time you weigh For reg. street clothes, you can average about 2 lbs off the scale-number for the clothes-weight If you don't weigh at same time of day, you can get a lot of frustrating variations showing up on the scale, which hinders motivation.

Anthony Robbins! I've been a student of his for decades. He is amAZing! He's a motivational speaker who heads of state, CEO's and movie stars hire to help them get over their shit- or over life-humps and bumps, team-building, relationships. He covers a whole gammot if topics (issues) He also had weight issues -ok, he was fat- most of his life & speaks to that in a lot of his seminars/ recordings (I have them on cassette tape lol). I'm sure he has digital now. He's really good at having his finger on the pulse of life Now he's in great shape at 7' (or more) tall. I think he's handsome. His Deep voice- comforting, filled with genuine concern & nice to listen to He offers Realworld exercises (not just physical, but also mental & breathing) I think you'll love him I do

The thing about the Graze box (don't know about Nature Box) was cost. It looked to me like you didn't get very much for the price. I checked it online. Maybe the pics made it look small? To those of you who've ordered these boxes, do you feel you got value for your money?

I've been having chocolate blueberry smoothies for 5-6yrs because I liked the choco better than the vanilla. How boring! I need to get out more... There's a whole new world of protein powders out there - I never knew existed!

Thank you, Aribay1 I've heard of a similar "box". I think it was called "Graze" or something like that. Sounds über yummy! I'll check it out

I have no idea what nature box is. Will you please elaborate?

Important note Re: the cleanse thing- if you're on RX meds, def. consult your doc first. The cleanse will detox the meds out of your system too.

My bedroom has been commandeered. Getting out of the shower, I realized I forgot to grab a fresh pair of undies. Put on my 'skinny jeans' commando no camel toe! None. Zip. So I just went with it TMI- I know Still, a personal NSV

I haven't had any PS done yet. I'm close to my goal & will wait until I'm at or below goal before I have it because I've read quite a bit and saw on that "Botched" TV show- the PS surgeons always recommend to be at or below goal and maintain for awhile before the procedure(s). I'm definitely planning on it- and remain very attentive to these posts about PS procedures. Thanks all of you who've had it done and share so openly/freely. For a lot of us, it's the last step in this WL journey. That said, I'll share something I noticed last spring while escaping the frigid great white north last year. We took a trip to a tropical place to soak up the sun (Vita-D!) and get some relief from snowplowing & shoveling long past the regular season. I have a bit of an 'apron' though not super large or low-hanging. When I go to tropical places outside this overly-judgemental country, I wear a bikini. The bikini bottom hides my apron My thinking is: As a human being, living on this Earth, I deserve to get sunshine on my belly just as much as anyone else! The more skin exposure = the more Vita-D our bodies make. It's a natural biological process that I deserve to utilize just as much as anyone else. I don't care what anyone else thinks about what I look like- especially now. I've had soooo many ortho surgeries it would take a full body bag to cover all my scars & imperfections. I feel pretty good about my new slimmer self & am glad I actually have a body & can walk. It's not like I'm in a bikini trying to attract males flirting around with my 20-something body. I'm doing it for the sunshine health benefit. I even wore a 2-pc in Mexico when I was quite a bit heavier. I've seen a lot of other heavier women wearing 2-pcs in Mexico & topless sunbathing is common too-though I didn't participate in that at the resort where overly gawking, overly judgmental, overly indulgent (drunk) Americans were the main clientele. Topless is something I have done tho, but off the-mainstream tourist track- at a private cenote or stretches of beach where only locals go. They don't care if you're topless/ heavy/ have scars, whatever.... they're live & let live anyway, last year, it wasn't Mexico but I still wore my 2pc at the overly-crowded mostly Americans resort beach. So there I was, up on the scale from an unfill, feeling crappy & exhausted, rejuvenating myself soaking up the sun in my bikini. 3 women set up shop nearby (lounge chairs and umbrella). 2 thin women and one heavier. The 2 thin women looked like sisters- both wearing bikinis. The heavier one wore a beach cover-up- neck-to-toe. All in their 50's. The 2 sisters were very skinny. Looked like genetics- naturally thin. They must've been size 4 or 2. One sister had the signature "mom-bod" - a little bit looser tummy, a tiny little mommy-tummy bulge, a more square-ish waist, stuff that she and maybe her hubby noticed but IMHO, she looked really good. The other sister was tight tight tight. not a bulge or sag or looseness anywhere. I was really impressed with her body & thought right away- she must've had PS TT. Nothing hung, jiggled or wiggled. I thought: "wow! I wonder if I could get that result on my saggy, wrinkly, jiggly body?" The difference between the two sisters was staggering, even though they were both naturally skinny women. Very noticeable, side-by-side. Probably not noticeable at all if the non-PS TT sister were there by herself. She looked really good at 50-something Another big difference I noted was: The young, muscular, handsome beach waiters and beach umbrella staff were extremely attentive to the woman with the TT- made sure every little detail was done for her - wouldn't let her lift a pinky while her sis huffed her lounge chair & umbrella around positioning them by herself. Sadly, the heavy woman- sat in the sand in her neck-to-toe beach coverup while she waited for her lounge chair to arrive- a good 15-20 min later- AFTER making sure the PS TT woman had every little thing she wanted- which was a lot. lol This observation was very telling for me; how people are actually treated, according to what they look like/ how firm they are. Sad but true. I felt bad for the sister and really bad for the heavier woman- who was basically ignored like she didn't exist. IMHO, it's a sad state for humanity in general but it made me really start thinking hard about getting PS TT with stitching the muscles together so I can be flat, flat, flat, and lower body lift- so I can get that same sort of attentive service that woman commanded- just with her figure! I was blown away by this harsh realization that I'd just observed. Of course, I'll be doing it for ME- to feel better about myself but also, In a sadder, real sense, it'll make me better able to compete in life: career, socially, dating, getting good quality service, etc.

Puppy- Yes! I've found a good body cleanse/detox once or twice a yr is a good thing. makes me feel lighter, more energetic, better skin, no sugar/fat / junk food cravings. The Vitamin stores have them. Basically, it's a box with a few pill bottles in it and some instructions. Some come with a disc. I get the regimen that detoxes heavy metals (aluminum, mercury) out as well as a general body-cleaning of chemical micro-junk we eat like pesticides on foods. Besically- cleaning out all those environmental and food toxins we breathe or ingest. You can't drink coffee or alcohol during the course (takes about 2wks) and you have to really follow the eating/drinking program and take all the pills on a schedule. The metal detox also detoxes Iron, copper, zinc, selenium- so you have to re-introduce them with a good quality multi-vitamin Afterwards, you have to get GOOD bacteria back into your gut- Probiotics. I get Acidopholous (sp?) and yogurt with LIVE cultures. It's a good idea to get these in regularly anyway, but the detox kills all the bacteria in your gut so you have to be extra diligent about replacing the probiotic bacteria. For the 1st week or so, you'll feel like absolute dog-doo doo! Really Tired, aches and pains, head fog, headaches. Just overall, lousy feeling. This is basically sugar/ caffein/ etc. withdrawals combined with lifting those toxins up out of your systems & organs: blood, renal, brain, liver, kidneys, glands, etc, and eliminating them through your urine and excrement. You'll pee & poop like a champ! lol After that, your energy comes back the aches and pains go away, no more headaches, you'll feel mentally sharp and eliminate regularly. No cravings either. The return to natural, (non-caffeinated) metabolic energy and overall feeling great is amazing.