Lori_K

***** post spotted! ***** ***** Tosses cyber-snowball towards Amy ***** ***** It melts in the warm San Diego Sun ***** (sigh) gives up and starts packing bags to move in with Amy . . . OK, expect a visitor now! :biggrin2:

Well, today is February 29th (Happy Leap Year!) and I think by now, all of us Victorious Valentines of 2008 have been banded (maybe there are a few just getting banded today!). Just think everyone - WE DID IT!:hurray: Some of us may have had a smoother recovery, but all of us have had those ups and downs. We are moving forward through them! I thank each and everyone of you that I've had the pleasure to chat with, for your insight, for sharing your stories, and just being there to cheer each other along the way. Today I'm post-op day 8. I'm feeling pretty good. I'm reflecting back to the day I was discharged from the hospital - when my nurse was reading me my discharge instructions. She was embarrassed to read my diagnosis - Morbid Obesity. So I said it for her. That's what I am, that's what brought me to the hospital for this surgery. I'm not proud of it, but I'm not gonna feel ashamed of it either. I'm morbidly obese, but that's not all that I am! I'm a person with a whole lot more inside of me than what the outside shows. I got myself into this obese body, so it's up to me to get myself out. I've taken that first step into a new life . . . I have this wonderful thing called a lap-band. All of us here have taken this step, and I think we deserve to give ourselves applause. :biggrin::hurray::rant::confused: Being 8 days out, I'm pleased with my progress. Today I got back on my treadmill and did a half mile in about 15 minutes. Now, that might not be very fast or long, I just wanted to take things easy with my incisions yet. But it was such a good feeling to be up and about like this. Eating less, and feeling full on smaller portions has also empowered me - for the first time in my life, I feel I'm the one in control of my food. Not the food and cravings controlling me. Don't get me wrong, I still have my cravings - but I have much more control over them. I am able to say NO. I have goals to reach in my life, and I'm just not going to let food stop me anymore. 8 post-op days of feeling great - I hope it continues. I haven't experienced a fill yet, I don't know how a pb feels yet, or if I'll have complications down the road - only God knows what lies in store for me. All I can say right now is that I'm feeling pretty good, and hope that the road ahead remains as smooth. If it doesn't, I know that I will have this forum to come back to, and all the wonderful people here who've been with me through this journey. I hope all of us "Double V's" continue to stick together through good times and bad - I know I need all of you! :smile: :sad: Congratulations Victorious Valentines - we are BANDSTERS!:heart:

"Great Lakes" state of Michigan here . . . too cold & snowy for about 5 months of the year, but the rest of the time I love it. I love the water! I can't wait to put a bathing suit on and head for the beach!

User name.....................# of minutes...................# of days per week 4jin....................................30............................ .......5............. patticNJ..............................20.............................. .....5............. becca.................................20.............................. .....3............. abeaher..............................15............................... ....4.............. aliwatt................................30............................. ......4............. Rhapsody............................30................................ ....6............. Angie4b1g...........................30................................ .....5............. Marathinner.......................45-60....................................4............. DancingBelly.......................15................................. ......5............ mhazelrigg...........................30............................... jaunderwood 20 5 joyaddison...........................45-60.................................4.............. jlobyxmas............................30............................... .......4+ StLouisGal............................30.............................. .........6 OK . . . I needed to revise my exercise plan, my weight loss seemed to slow down and stop . . . so I'm now doing 30 mins of "fat burn" walking on my treadmill . . . I really feel great doing it! I lost another pound today, so it seems to be working! Keep up with the great job all! :thumbdown:

Apples! Thanks so much for sharing the pictures! You're a gorgeous lady! And that's a GREAT weight loss . . . congratz to you! I can't wait to lose more of my "double chin" . . . it's getting there! To resize your pictures, do you have a paint program? I think one usually comes with computers (I'm not a computer person so not 100% sure) . . . something called Paint Shop (or a similar name). Grats again beautiful lady!

Congratz Amy on your first fill! Even though a small one, it's still a fill! :thumbdown: You're doing so good! I'm not afraid of needles, but I know I'm gonna be a little nervous when I get my first fill too. Just something about poking around in the stomach area! I see my doctor for my first follow-up visit next Monday. I'm pretty sure he said in the initial consultation visit that he "numbs" the area first . . . did your doctor do that? I feel so good! Like I never have surgery! but my weight loss seems to have slowed down . . . I got used to losing almost a pound a day, lol. I've increased my exercise from 15 minutes to a 30 minutes, and making sure I get at least a mile in. Being barely two weeks post-op, I just don't want to over-do. I'll have to ask my doctor on Monday what's safe. I wish I could get outside! It just snowed 4 inches here last night :bored:. Ah well, soon enough! And I think I'm now entering (at least starting) "Bandster hell" . . . I'm *hungry*! lol . . . still sticking to my diet though, still under 1100 calories and eating mushies. Soft foods will introduced tomorrow! Thanks again for sharing your story Amy! I always love hearing from you, then I know what's coming next! hehe I know I have some time to go yet, but I just can't wait for that fill. Just taking time to heal for now! Big hugs and keep up the great work! :mad2:

Hello Alex, Mr. LapBandTalk.com! :thumbup: Just a small problem I've noticed . . . I like using the smilies, and there seems to be a problem with the "two thumbs up" smilie. When you click on it to put it into a post, it shows up as the "thumbup" guy with shades (you can see both smilies in the box below). Can you please fix the "two thumbs up" so it will display properly? Thank-you!

Awwwww, gosh (feels suddenly shy) :w00t: you're so nice Amy! I feel so old and fat somedays . . . calling me a sweet little thing really gave me a smile! Thank-you so much :tongue: That's a great post too Amy! I know what you mean by having to turn your nose away from pizza and other good foods . . . my (skinny-and-never-gains-a-pound-no-matter-what-he-eats, ARRRGH ) loving hubby and my growing-into-adolescence son still gotta eat, and I havta resist a lot. Hubby was eating hot dogs the other day (yes I'm sad, I like hot dogs lol), on soft buns with all the good toppings . . . and I was still on full liquids. I had to turn away! Oy that hurt. But like you say, it does empower you! Each time we say no, it does get easier. And makes you feel so good! :smile: Thanks again for your kind words Amy *warm hugs* you've given me a big smile and a happy tear in my eye. I'm thrilled if I helped anyone - you've helped me so much! Just Keep Swimming - and don't forget, Life Is Better With The Band! :smile: Warm Hugs all :wub:

Ouch Gibson :w00t: can you call your doctor, and ask if you can take a stool softener (without a laxative) or Milk of Magnesia? I took a stool softener and it did help me. Even if you're not eating much, you should still have some stool (your body is still producing waste products). I like the stool softener without the laxative, 'cus it's just more gentle. Ask your doctor first though! I think my heating pad is my best friend right now, lol . . . but I'm oh-so tired of the overly sweet taste of liquid Tylenol. Bleh! I hope you feel better soon sweetie!

Wow . . . I love this, and I definitely need in on it! I only did 15 minutes of walking on my treadmill today and was tired. I admire some of you doing 30! Think I'll stick with 15 for this week, and see how I do! So otta shape here :w00t: User name.....................# of minutes...................# of days per week 4jin....................................30...................................5............. patticNJ..............................20...................................5............. becca.................................20...................................3............. abeaher..............................15...................................4.............. aliwatt................................30...................................4............. Rhapsody............................15....................................5.............

Once you are wearing those, will you be sharing pictures with us Jack? :w00t:

Awwww, warm (but Gentle!) hugs Taismommy! :huggie: I'm glad I was able to share a little inspiration! You're so sweet. I hope your back feels better soon . . . does a heating pad help at all? When I had some bad pain in my left shoulder, the heating pad was my best friend. Warm and gentle hugs to you too Brenda! I hope the Excedrine has helped you. I'm wondering if back pain is a common referred pain after lap-band surgery? I read a lot of posts complaining of left shoulder pain, which I had. Stay cozy and get lots of rest! May those pains leave soon. :w00t:

What a great thread :confused: I love these stories! Angie and BeachBum - YES! I'm a sock hater too. I love the feeling of being barefoot. I can't wait for Spring/Summer! Gibson - again YES! lol . . . I thought I was the only one afraid of clowns. They give me the heebie-geebies! I don't know why - they are supposed to be funny and all. "Send in the Clowns" - not my way please! :hurray:

Hi Marilyn! Although Beaumont offers support groups, I might be interested in joining some of you in this meeting. Roseville isn't that far from me (about 40 minutes if traffic is good) and my sister (YankeeBlue08) lives there too. She's just starting her lap-band journey. I'd love to meet some of my fellow Michigan Bandsters! :rolleyes2:

I agree Blund, just one day at a time! I know I'm still struggling, just gotta hang in there. And I really hope your insurance doesn't let you down! I'll keep you in my prayers . . . please stay in touch, let me know how you do!

Yes, exactly Jacqui! When you take in fewer calories, your body turns to its fat stores for energy. Since matter can neither be created nor destroyed, your body converts it (the fat) into the waste products - the carbon dioxide you breathe out, and the water you pee or sweat off. I think the ATP you mentioned comes from Krebs cycle (also known as the citric acid cycle), and this is a quote from Wikipedia: "In aerobic organisms, the citric acid cycle is part of a metabolic pathway involved in the chemical conversion of carbohydrates, fats, and Proteins into carbon dioxide and water to generate a form of usable energy." So you're not wrong :rolleyes2: You've got good brain cells thinking back 20 years! It's been awhile for me too, I remembered Krebs cycle having something to do with energy. Interesting stuff! I love chemistry/biology.

Hi Blund! I'm new to the "Bandster" life yet (7 days post-op) but I've had to deal with "head hunger" during the two weeks pre-op diet. How I handle it - I try and stay focused on why I'm doing this and what my goals are. Being overweight has slowed me down, and I really want to be active again . . . walking, shopping, traveling, without feeling "out of breath" and tired everytime I move. So whenever I find myself "hungering" for a food I love, I try and switch my thoughts to the goals I have - the places I want to visit, going to the beach in a bathing suit (oy, haven't done this in so long, and I love the water), shopping for smaller sizes, better health, etc. you get the idea . . . think about the reasons why you want to lose the weight. Then what's more important to you . . . eating that food you're craving, or reaching your goals? Right now I just tell myself that food does NOT have control over me, I have control over it. Yes, we all slip up . . . the thing is to try and not do it big, and to not worry about it when you do . . . just pick yourself up and get back on track. I think another thing that helps "Head Hunger" (cravings) is to make your diet as fun and as interesting as possible. When all I could have was protein shakes on my pre-op diet, I tried changing the taste of them by adding extracts (i.e. maple, almond, coconut, banana - they add no calories) . . . and that really helped with getting tired of the protein shakes. It was interesting to try new combinations! There are also lots of low-fat, low calorie recipes (you can find them here in many of these forums!) for the foods you crave. Right now I'm on the "mushies" stage of my post-op diet . . . and one thing I'm gonna try is egg beaters with salsa. I *love* mexican food. This will keep me on my diet plus help with that "I want Taco Bell" feeling. Sure, it's not a taco, but it's still spicy and good I've read some other posts from people who've had the band much longer than me . . . they give good advice, by not denying yourself. If you want a piece of chocolate, eat a *little* piece. Stay focused on your goals, keep the diet interesting . . . and remember to not let any food control you! You're the one in control - you can do it! I hope some of this helped . . . good luck with your lap-band journey, may it be a successful one! :thumbup:

Hi Julia! Have you tried the ticker tutorial (with pictures) that's found on this site? It really helped me! Try this: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f5/ticker-tutorial-pictures-41782/ If you still have problems, feel free to let me know and I'll be happy to help you out! :thumbup:

Thanks Mary! Both cream of Broccoli and cream of potato sound sooo good! :thumbup: I'll definitely try this! Maybe some shredded cheese with the egg beaters/salsa would work too (even if just a little cheese, don't wanna add too many calories!).

Good question! Here's an answer I found on the 'net: The Know-It-All author A.J. Jacobs weighs in with the answer. "It breaks down into carbon dioxide and Water," A.J. says. "The carbon dioxide you breathe out and the water you either sweat out or you pee out." The fat cells stay in your body, he says. "They just get thinner. They're just waiting for more fat to come in. They're very sneaky." Oy, I know about those sneaky fat cells! So it sounds like we breathe, sweat and pee out our fat loss. My dietitian did mention this is one reason why we need to consume 64 oz. of water/fluids each day . . . to help our body excrete that fat we are losing!

I started mushies today (2-28) so far I've had only some cream of wheat (which I love). I have the same worry as Mary about cheese. I love your recipes 4Jin! So shredded cheese is ok? Finely shredded? Do you use low-fat cheeses? (sorry for all the questions!) My dietitian recommends mushys to be "pureed" . . . I'm just unsure if shredded cheese is a mushy. I'm definitely gonna try the egg beaters with salsa . . . that sounds soooo good! One food I'm missing the most is any type of mexican. The potato salad sounds great too! (I'd havta add some yellow mustard as well :thumbup:) Thanks again for the great recipes 4jin!

Onderland . . . oh how "wonderful" that sounds! I've got a ways to go, I can't wait to join you. Big congratulations on your success Patti! Cheers! :thumbup:

It's so nice to hear how well everyone is doing! Life really is better with the band. I said goodbye to the 250's (pounds), then the 240's and now I'm working my way out of 230's. I'm *hoping* to get to onederland sometime this summer, I'm gonna do my best! When the weather gets nicer here in Michigan, it'll really help to be able to get outside and walk. I want to buy a new mountain bike as well. Diet - 7 days out here, and finished with my full liquids phase - I can start some mushies! I had a half cup of cream of wheat this morning, it so soooo good. My dietitian recommends introducing only one mushy (or pureed as she calls it) food a day over the next week. Taking it slow is ok with me, I haven't been all that hungry. Feeling great otherwise! I too wish I had done this sooner, but ah well . . . I'm here now, and that's what counts! Just keep swimming all! :thumbup:

Welcome to Bandland Gibson! I'm so happy everything went so smoothly for you It sounds like you had a really great experience and some awesome care, congratz to you! Praise the Lord for His blessings to you. I had similar issues with nausea, and my surgeon prescribed some compazine (anti-nausea drug) for me. It helped a lot, although it really made me sleepy . . . which is not too bad a thing after surgery :thumbup: Congratz again, I'm so happy for you! Sounds like you're doing great. I'll keep you in my prayers for continued smooth recovery!

Great tip Coolcrystal, sounds like a nice change of pace from the Protein shakes. I'm gonna pick up some of that Isopure today! Good way to get both fluids and protein in . . . my dietitian says I should get getting about 40-60 grams of protein a day, plus 64 oz. of fluids. The protein is easy enough, but 64 ozs. of Fluid I'm struggling with . . . I just can't drink that much! Thanks again for the tip! :thumbup: