brandyII

GraceUtah, I know it's not a good term to use and have to sort of change the way I think and using words like cheating, good, and bad are those types of words. As I can tell by your ticker you've come a lot further than I have, my ticker would go in the other direction if I had one which I don't lol but I'm a lap band newbie in a way and still have a lot to learn! Lap band was done 8/22/07 and I've gained 20 of the 25 I originally lost but by joining this forum I feel confident again that I can do it! Congrats on your success.

AthinnerDenise, congrats on your success, I'm really starting to think my problem was that I wasn't eating solids when I was supposed to and just gave up and used soft foods, even the sugar or fat free ones add up when you eat enough of them. They told me I need to stretch my pouch, which sounds funny to me but I'm trying and I feel so much better now that I've actually joined a forum, I should have done this prior to my surgery maybe I wouldn't have screwed up so much! You all are so much more helpful than the medical people we pay, sad but true! PS Weight Watchers large fudgecicle (sp) bars, one point, are really good but I had a bad habit of putting 2 in a bowl with chocolate shell on it and eating them like a sundae, I'm badddddd!

RHS OMG, $10,000, I knew the dog would cost a few thousand to purchase but why so many surgeries? Wow, now I'm scared. My second dog was a pure bread beagle, which I'm very fond of beagles and Basset hounds also but they have lots of problems with ear infections and allergies so I'm sure over the years I spent that much on my beagle before she passed but not in the first ten months you poor thing! Maybe I'll just stick to pics of bulldogs for a while, lol! Maybe this is your puppy, I don't remember what site I found it on so don't sue me, lol! How could you not love a dog like that? But still that's something for me to consider down the road. I've only had one purebred dog, the rest have been rescue or pound puppies and they're usually a lot cheaper in the long run for some reason. Good luck with your little bully and I hope things go smoother with him from now on!

Can anyone give me instructions on how to put up a picture of a bulldog puppy, cute one of course, I've gotten my husband, masters in computers, and two post-teenage daughters, masters of anything computer help me and I can't get one to be accepted. Thanks for assist, brandyII.:thumbup:

OMG, Easter candy goes down like water, but I did buy it!:thumbup:

BabyNicole, Thanks my hubby got the picture working because of your help, thanks again!

BabyNicole, Thanks for your response, no one else has helped! Anywho, I'llshow this to my husband and see if he can do it now. I don't even know what avatar choice is, it sounds like one of those animes my kids watch, thanks brandyII

RHS, This is going to sound crazy but I don't have one but would really love one! I have two rescue dogs, one from Katrina and one from Puerto Rico where they stone them to death and they are too much to handle to add another dog to the mix. But I think they are the cutest dogs grown or puppy ever and one day would love to get one!

BabyNicole, I got into big trouble with a sugar free soft food/liquid part of post-surgery. I got to the point where I preferred the soft food because of the obvious problems you have at first with solids. I got addicted to sugar free/fat free yogurt mixed with sugar free cool whip and sugar free Jello and would even add a tablespoon of sugar free orange marmalade. I know this sounds like a weird combo but for a while it was all I could stomach and craved. Any food can become a problem for "some" people unfortunately. Now I have to stay away from sugar free!!!!

Is there a site for CPAP machine users, sleep apnea or am I missing something. Was wondering if anywone out there had issues with their CPAP machines or would want to discuss? brandyII:confused:

Thanks JimLBNY

Had same problem, hope you went to ER or met with a doc on call, like I did to have it fixed, keep us posted on your health.

I was signing off as brandyII but then became talkative again afterwards, as far as I know I am the one and only brandyII!:thumbup:

Mandi, I'm no expert and I try not to preach either because I know how obnoxious that is to hear! I'm just a person who struggles with it too and I can't even put up one of those d%%%m weight strips because mine went down then up again so who wants that on the site? Anywho, my trademark word, do you find it's much more difficult the weeks before your period, I'm a six week cycle person so it seems that my cravings last longer than a person who gets their period every 4 weeks. I do tend to do better when I'm no in that PMS phase of my cycle. I don't know if you feel that makes a difference. Either way I know it's hard and I even try to walk on the treadmill but like you that bs about calling a friend, take a walk, buy yourself something pretty does not work for me and I wish that it did. Also I don't work now but when I did work in an office they can be the worse sabotagers of your weight loss and you feel like they're breathing down your neck and you end up getting paranoid if you eat something they're frickn judging you all the time. You have to get a tough skin, I was told that by someone who I felt I could trust, and blow them off in your mind somehow. Maybe that did sound somewhat preachy but I know how annoying people can get especially if they comment all the time on the surgery. Now I know why Star Jones didn't tell anyone, she was smart! Anyway, I think weight loss can come in waves so we know we're not perfect so we have to say to ourselves that we're doing the best we can and if something isn't working that we think should then we'll try something else or ask an "expert". But so far I think you're doing a great job and probably just hit a bad pot hole in the road, who knows tomorrow you may see things in a whole different light, good luck we're all pulling for you, brandyII, sorry I was so wordy I get that way sometimes! lol.

Mandi78, I have issues with eating the wrong foods also but thought that they would be just as difficult to eat as the good food were but found out I was wrong. I'm always open for suggestions now and feel somewhat powerless at times but I might check out that Beck Diet Solution book since so many people are reccomending it also. Don't feel too bad I'm 7 months post surgery and have gained back all but about 5 pounds from my original loss (20 all together) but everything can turn around. Good luck to you too Brandy II. Anyone with suggestions on how to get a picture up there? I want a cute picture of a bulldog puppy, thanks brandyII.

You do need to do more than list "other". I am an "other" but I am an ex-Catholic who still considers her self spiritual but does not choose to belong to any religion or wants to be labeled as such. After 12 years of Catholic school I retired! Go lap bands:thumbup:

Thanks Vicki J, Sometimes we just get down on ourselves and it's nice to be able to vent and also find out if we are alone out there with similar probs. I think because I wasn't with a normal fill for the first three months after surgery that it kind of screwed up my head a bit and I really needed to get back to the basics like a lot of people suggested. I have been saying I'm not giving up yet, I'm not giving up yet but in a way I was. I really, really, really thought that all foods would be difficult to eat, including Cookies and cakes, chips etc... I knew that ice cream would be easy so I kind of was under the wrong impression. So if I sound like I'm b''chn about the good foods alot I am but I know now what I'm dealing with and have to go on and not give up. I still haven't completely decided whether to remove more of my fill is necessary or if I should just try harder and as they say choo choo choo! Thanks for everyone's advice and help I always appreciate it, Brandy II who still needs to get a cute pic up on the screen, not of me of course but a cute pic!

Losing it in ne, I have a therapist so that's not an issue for me. I have an endocrinologist also. I really don't feel that the doctors are a problem for me, it's truly me. I still don't believe you can treat all obese people the same way as they all have different issues, physically, mentally and emotionally. What works for one may not necessarily work for another. I'm no spring chicken either so I've been around the block shall I say. I want to be at a healthy weight and am not concerned anymore with being "size cute" any more as that is not important to me, I've been there, done that. The older I get the more difficult it is to take off and keep off the weight and my meds have a bit to do with it. Alot of the cravings I have come across "could" have something to do with not getting the satisfaction from a bite of turkey and a bite of veg. It's hard to explain until you've actually experienced it yourself. Some people do well with just having that "hunger" part taken away but not all people do. So it's something that you may not know until you've actually had the operation if no one is there to tell you this ahead of time. It's not really something you can practice and a Protein shake is good but it's not a piece of cake right before your period! Good luck to you on yours, I hope you succeed, brandy II.

Thanks Sue for your support I appreciate it. It's so difficult not be hard on yourself and give up. I don't live in a "major" city so there really is only one place to go and I have confidence with them but they're more gastric bypass than lap band. I don't know if most places are like that or not and they're probably not used to having someone fail pretty much from the start like I did. Do you ever feel like your fill is at a place where you don't eat the bad stuff anymore? That is a question anyone can answer me. I'd like to know what makes people so successful because there are more of you out there than not, thanks brandyII.

bafranco, Go back to "Home Page" and then scroll down to "Complications" and then go near top of page and it says "New Thread" near top left.

That last posting was for Susan 4794

Thanks for your advice, I do think taking out most of the fill and trying a balanced diet again will help me and have scheduled an appointment with the surgeon instead of the PA who normally fills me next month. I'm also using the treadmill and even though I'm not up to a good speed yet I feel better when I walk. Thanks again for your advice.

Mummybandit, I really think that you need to get better medical support, maybe that's obvious but I know when you breast feed a baby it takes a lot from your body and you're not able to give yourself enough food to sustain yourself during breast feeding. Could you possibly have the fill removed during breast feeding and give body a break until you've weaned your baby? It worries me a bit that you have a lap band and are breast feeding. I'm sure I'm not alone in this feeling. Think about it for your health and your babies. And don't be so hard on yourself. You are an athlete and are probably much tougher on yourself because of that but taking care of yourself and your children come first and worrying too much about your weight now might not be in your best interest. I am going to have my fill removed in about a month when I can my next appointment with my surgeon and give myself a more balanced diet for a while. Good luck to you, we're pulling for you!

Excuse My Misspells

I certainly know now that the surgery won't conquer my "demons" but I had a different impression on what the lap band was to do prior to surgery and think it's reasonably to be disappointed. I now have to deal with more issues than I thought I would as do most people who have it and are also disappointed. It's nice to know there are others like me who are having issues with it and are not alone. It can be quite embarrassing when you think you're having a procedure done that will somewhat change you for the better and seven months later have put back 20 pounds and you just spent $30,000 on surgery that should have helped and not hindered the problem. In some ways gaining 20 pounds I feel lucky compared so some of the complications I've read about with some people in these forums. Bless all who do well and bless all who don't!