SuzanneG

Seems like I remember from my WW days that it takes about 3 days. Don't sweat it too much, sounds like you probably offset the calories with the shakes. The biggest motivation I use to aviod sweets is that they are adictive and make me HUNGRY.

I don't know about a clear one, but there is a brand called Nectar that has the flavors like Crystal light and you mix it with water I think. I saw it at the Vitamin Store. I haven't tasted it, but heard it was good.

The fills don't hurt. I got 4.5cc in my 10cc band the first time too and, like you guys didn't get good restriction. I went back 4 weeks later and got another 1.5, but was told he pulled out 4, not 4.5. So I don't know if I have 5.5 or 6cc right now. I sure hope I don't have a leak. The doc didn't seem concerned. Anyway, I had good restriction for week or so, but am starting to feel hungry again. I guess I'll need schedule round 3.

I ate like there was no tomorrow, until my pre-op diet. I followed that for 2 weeks to the letter. Except Christmas Day, I had permission to cheat a little and I did, but still lost 11 pounds in 2 weeks pre-op. My motivation then was that if I didn't follow the diet, my liver wouldn't shrink and he could end up closing me up and sending me home with no band. I wasn't willing to risk it. Good luck to you!

Makes you wonder how caffeine and cigarettes are legal. Congrats on your effort and best of luck to you!

He has a lawyer, but supposedly they can do that if you have been employed there less than a year. Either way, they're doing him dirty and hopefully he'll get restitution.

My brother tried to take off to have this surgery and his boss told him that he would have to fire him if he took off because he hadn't been there for a year yet. Does FMLA address time on the job? He's a truck driver and a month or so later a pallet fell on his leg and tore ligaments in his knee. He's having surgery for that tomorrow and is on Workman's Comp. Funny thing is, if he had the WLS, he probably wouldn't have been there that day and could have avoided the accident. Now he's still off work, but no band. They even cancelled his health insurance while on workman's comp. He and I both believe there is major prejudice agains WLS and he has fallen victim to it.

LOL - I hear ya!

Heck no! Ditch those babies. I'm having a yard sale in a couple of weeks to ditch mine! Congrats on the weight loss!

Well, my ah-ha moment is not a poignant one, but a practical problem. I hope this isn’t TMI, but my moment was when I had to figure out a new way to wipe my behind because I could no longer reach. :sneaky: I was appalled that I couldn’t normally perform a function that was necessary to everyday life. I immediately thought about some of the folks on Big Medicine who are bedridden and totally dependant on another person to take care of them. I realized then and there that I was heading in their same direction, even though it was far down the road, I was heading straight for it. I decided to get while the getting was good.

Congratulations, that's amazing. What a bonus that you two could do this together. You always have that someone there to root you on and also someone who truly understands what you are going through and you can share your hopes and fears with total acceptance. My DH is so supportive, but try as he may, he can never truly understand. Of course, that's why I come here!

Hi Shannon, I know exactly how you feel, I've had a million mornings exactly like yours, it sucks. <hugs> I started trying to get lap-band in August 07 and met a friend at the seminar. She got banded in October, when I finally go approved. I had to wait until Jan of this year and I was gaining weight at an alarming rate while waiting. It's upsetting, but I decided I'd just buy clothes that were big on me and hope I could wear them for a while before having to get another size. It was awful, but in the end it was worth it. I'm still way behind my Oct friend in weight loss and when we met for lunch the other day, I was really feeling like the chubby friend. She was bigger than me pre-surgery, but a couple sizes smaller than me now. Having said all that, it's worth the wait. Do something special for yourself today. Maybe go shopping and get yourself an outfit that feels great!

Congrats!! I just got my first 16's as well. It was so exciting to leave the plus sized dept for the misses. I've seen severl on here that went lower than their goal. You're already at goal, so keep on truckin. I hope to do the same!

Rascal76, I haven't gotten in front of the camera at all, but was thinking of taking a "during" picture when I hit my mid-way mark. I'm almost there!

The ticker is a visual representation of something we are counting toward. Most count how much weight we lost. It has a background image, there are tons to choose from, mine looks like a road and it has a little red car on it. The car moves down the road as my weight changes. The beginning has my starting weight, the car sits at my current weight, and the end is my goal weight. Some folks track excersize, days until a trip, BMI and other stuff that I can't remember right now.

Thanks. That did the trick! It was driving me crazy.

ColoradoChick, I was so addicted to pizza that I actually brought it up in my surgery consult. I asked if I would be able to eat it and he said probably not and I said how about thin crust and he said, trust me, you won't want it. He was right, but not for the reason he said. I can physically eat pizza, well I could before this last fill, not so sure now. The amazing part was that I didn't even THINK about pizza unless I saw a commercial and even then it was more like, "hey, I don't even crave pizza anymore". I would have never thought it possible. Best of luck to you!

Boo Boo Kitty, I never noticed that "before" shot in your pics. You look AMAZING! Congrats.

I stated this in another thread, but for some reason, the idea of us losing weight seems to intimidate those around us, even the skinny. Seems to me that no one really wants me to succeed. Some are afraid you wont want to hang out with them if you're thin, some don't want you thinner than them, some like having their fat jolly friend. It's a sad thing, but oftentimes people aren't truly happy when someone else has good news. What part of VA are you from? I live in Spotsylvania and work in DC.

I had more last meals than I can count. I tried to have everything that I love one last time. I gained a few pounds, but I don't think it hurt anything. Much to my surprise, I don't pine after the foods I thought I'd never eat again. I used to eat pizza religiously every Friday night. I've been forced to have it twice since surgery and it just didn't do a thing for me.

Congrats. I know that had to feel amazing.

I have the same problem here. Every time I turn around there is cake for something. My boss and her boss are both pencil thin and eat like line backers, it's so unfair. Anyway, they used to get upset with me if I skipped it and they would make me come in there and watch them all eat cake. Yesterday for the first time, nobody asked me if I wanted cake!! Either they just forgot about me or they are finally getting the message.

LBT talk has been so important to me in this journey. Thanks everybody for your support and the pats on the back. I needed that.

Mine bothered me quite a bit that first week so I'd say it's pretty normal. Sounds like you're doing great. Congrats on your band.

For me, the band has made 100% difference. I was so at the end of my rope with dieting, I couldn't even make myself try one more time. Now, I don't feel like I'm on a diet and although others on here still go to WW or weigh and measure their food (all great things to do), I still can't make myself do it. I just can't do that for the rest of my life, I just wanted to learn to eat less for the rest of my life and so far that's working for me. Good luck to you and congrats on your upcoming band.