NormaRae

Hey! Two pounds lost is something to be proud of! I don't blame you for wanting to post it. It looks like you will have to create a new ticker. Sorry, the process worked for me. Perhaps I did not explain it clearly enough. I am verbally challenged at times.

I am a bit nervous about Thanksgiving too. :thumbup: I bet most of us are. I am trying to prepare myself for what I will allow myself to eat. I plan to stay busy and concentrate on serving and picking up and visiting with my guests. I have had one fill of 3cc but I know I am ready for another. Thank goodness that will happen prior to Christmas. I am still losing but more slowly but I am really working hard at not eating all I would like to eat. I am not so sure of holding on to that for Thanksgiving (pig-out) day. Please, if anyone has some Thanksgiving day strategy, share it with us.

Click on your ticker in one of your posted messages. That will bring you to a place where you can type in the password you saved for your ticker and then allow you to change the information. HINT...you will have to enter your password two times before it actually works so don't get frustrated when it does not work at first.

Don't worry, you are still one of us. It's hard to leave us once you join. Best wishes to you. Too me the hardest part so far is the weeks leading up to the procedure...it's the mental thing...wondering about the things we will experience...the unknown.

good question about the fill. i was expecting mine to be about 6 weeks and it was short of 3 weeks. it has not been a problem but i may have a 2nd fill before 6 weeks. doc said to call him if i felt like i need another fill before the scheduled date of 1/14/09.

To add a photo to your messages go to your profile and select the option of editing your photo. That will walk you through uploading a photo from your computer. I hope it all works well for you. I will watch for your pic and ticker.

To create a ticker go to Graphical Tickers and Trackers: Weight Loss, Trying To Conceive, Pregnancy... and follow the instructions. After you have created the ticker you want highlight the BBcode they show. Then copy that. Next go to edit your signature on the www.lapbandtalk.com site. Then paste the BBcode into the signature box. That should do it. Then you can edit the ticker just by clicking on the ticker from within any of your messages.

my plan does not allow breads and potatoes and starchy things until I have lost 70% of my weight...maybe it was 75%. It isn't because I may not tolerate it. It is because the carbs are not good for losing weight. I am suppose to fill up on protein. Plans sure do vary a lot!

3 weeks after my band I saw the doc. I told him I was afraid the band had slipped because I could not feel any restriction any more. He said no, it's just that the swelling from surgery was gone. He also said that fear of the band slipping was one of the primary things he hears from patients and that actually slipping is very rare. I think we all go through some thoughts of slippage and some of the other possible problems. Don't worry, be happy!

My surgery was on 10/14. I had a post-op visit on 11/05 which was an educational group meeting on what we should be eating. Then we went to the doc's office to weigh in and have him see how we are doing. I was scheduled to have a fill on 11/14 but he decided to do it then and there. I think that was good because I did not have time to worry about it. It was totally painless. I was so pleasantly surprised. My fill was for 3cc. I can tell some difference. My next fill is scheduled for 1/14 but the doc said I may want to have it sooner and just call and schedule the fill when I am ready. This keeps getting easier. I just hope I don't get complacent about it, that could get me into trouble. I can not seem to motivate myself to exercise. I would love to find an exercise buddy. Anyone in the Joliet, IL area looking for an exercise buddy?

Cyndy, I am so sorry that happened to you. Some people don't think beyond themselves. That waitress was just trying to build herself up. Besides that, most of us had have lost that much weight and more on our own but we don't keep it off. You (we) have chosen a method that has proven to have long term success but it still requires a lot of effort on our part. Be proud of all you have done. Your future is bright and you will maintain your lose so much easier than the waitress. Obviously your daughter is proud of what you have done so far. You are blessed with a wonderful family.

I will have my first fill on 11/14. How long does that take? It will be at the hospital. I need to work later that day so I am wondering if you feel ok after as well as how long it takes. Although I am following the prescribed diet, I find that I am not feeling full as I did the first couple of weeks. Is that normal?

Ok all you October 08 folks. Many of you have lost 20 pounds or more by now. Have your friends and family and co-workers noticed? I hope so...it feels so good to get their support. Maybe we can inspire others to try this. What do you think?

Thanks Ronda, I will try my local bookstore tomorrow.

WoW Ronda, You stated the situation very well! When I gained weight during surgery my doc said it takes week to ten days for the weight to settle down. I bet by Monday you will be seeing about the correct weight. I am down a total of 19 pounds since 10-1-08. That's a month today. I feel way better already. My husband was walking behind me and mentioned my...ahh fanny...is smaller. YES! What cook book did you buy that you liked for bariatric surgical patients?

Thanks for all the tips. My doc's office really discourages doing many carbs. In addition they told us no milk (even skim) until 6 months out. Oops...I had a cup of 2% milk mixed with strawberry sorbet from unjury a couple of hours prior to the meeting. BTW, it was really good. I went to my local support group last night. There were over 50, maybe close to 60, people there. Some two years out and some waiting for their date. Anyway, everyone goes around and tells how much they have lost so far. Someone ran a total and came up with over 4,000 lbs lost. The support meetings are very encouraging. If your doc's have them, try to fit them into your schedule.

I can see there are many varying pre-op and post-op diets. I am allowed to have soft foods 2 weeks post-op as long as everything as gone well so far. I know this may sound dumb, but I am no so sure what soft-foods are. I personally thought mashed potatoes would not work because of the carbs? Isn't that pretty much how I go fat to begin with? My list from the doctor says soft, moist proteins. It also says, vegetables allowed on week 9 to be introduced one at a time to check how well tolerated they are. Help? Tell me what soft foods are on your approved lists please??????:thumbup:

I have been averaging a little less than 500 calories a day and yes it is difficult to get it all in. I get uncomfortable too but I hope that is normal. Did you ask your doctor if it is normal? I have not. I don't really pay attention to calories. I have the realize band/web site and I mainly track protein and let the software do the rest. We are going out of town for the weekend for a gymnastics competition (lol...no I am not in it). I am a bit concerned about meals. I know we will be going to restaurants. I am afraid I will be sitting there with my cottage cheese or scrambled egg trying to get it all down and everyone will be finished and ready to go. Oh well, I will do my best!

I believe her. I know when to eat more slowly or get up and walk before I finish because there is strong discomfort below and between my left rib and sternum. If I lie down and gently push in that area I can actually feel what I believe is full stomach pouch. :eek:

Hi Lynn, I am also an over 60 :grouphug: Realize gal. I am feeling really well too. I had some post-op pain in left surgery. I was told that it was refractory pain as a result of the work placing the band and repairing my hiatal hernia. It lasted a couple of days was not severe at all. It sure seems as if most docs have their own ideas about pre-op and post-op diets. I ordered the Unjury that will should be here today because my doc wants me to have 60 g of protein a day and I can not seem to get it all in with cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, protein shakes, broth and 64 oz of water. I plan to make up my protein with the the Unjury by mixing it with my water or in some broth. I'm not sure how it will work. Gotta run...taking my sister-in-law (stroke-victim) to an appt. Best to all!

:party: Congrats on the great results. I am trying to be patient with the lose because I know it came on a little at a time and expect it to take longer than I wish to melt away. How is your hunger level? I assume you are still waiting for your first fill? I have my first fill on 11/14 but I am not having any hunger issues anyway. The McDonald's commercials make me a bit nostalgic but not hungry. :Dancing_biggrin:

My only disappointment was that I actually gained weight at the hospital. Of course I was only eating broth and jello but they pumped me with so many IV's as well as the air they used during surgery. I have lost all that now plus a small amount more. I will see what tomorrow brings but I expect a couple pound drop because I was very active this weekend and feel certain I got rid of all the extra fluids. BTW...during my surgery they discovered a hiatal hernia which they repaired. That did not seem to influence recovery at all. I am doing very well. Don't worry is you do not lose at first. It may be a good idea not to weigh for a week after surgery but I know it is one of the first things you want to do, at least it was for me.

I had my surgery on Tuesday morning. I felt well enough to go to my 3 hour receptionist position by Friday. However they had no clients coming in that evening so I did not need to go. You should be fine, perhaps still a bit sore and tired but haven't we all worked that way at some time or another?

:tongue_smilie: Thanks, I just ordered from unjury.com. This is a solution to my problem of getting enough protein.

LOL...proves you are human! Somehow I know we need to follow the pre-op to the T, but I have trouble thinking that one little slip of a few grains of rice is going to interfere with success especially since you have several days to digest the evidence. Best of luck! :tt1: 4-days post op here...Feeling fabulous...almost back to the weight I was b4 procedure. The eating challenge for me right now is getting in the 60 g of protein. Seems like I am drinking (sipping) all day long to get the water in but have to allow time after my protein (90 min) to sip some more. It's a day long process. No overwhelming desire to ingest anything but I know I must. :tongue_smilie: