raedelicious

What should you do?....I think that some answers may just irritate the crap out of you, and my answer probably will....you know exactly what to do....and just like the Nike commercial...just do it. For some strange reason, people (lap banders included) think that this journey is EASY....it is not...it takes work. Do not give up and you should surround your self with positive people and situations...it sounds like you are in the "vortex of doom and despair"...know the feeling-been there, done that and got the t-shirt. You are worth the work that you need to embark on. This is a learning stage...you are still learning about how to live with the lap band and what actual hunger feels like. It took me 6 months to figure out that I didn't know how to recognize hunger. I am a little stuck on path. I want to be 100 pounds down by my banding anniversary, but I have been at this weight since Jan. 17th. But, I know what to do...and guess what?...I am not doing it. I am choosing to make poor decisions. But, I am not kicking myself to hard in the butt...we are not perfect and I will get back on track. Don't worry you will do fine.

They say not to chew gum...just in case you swallow it, but I chew LOTS of gum.

I MUST take metamucil or some such Fiber twice a day. If I do not, then I pay the price. So, I made it part of my routine. I drink it before Breakfast and before dinner. No problem...problem solved.

Ok...I posted on the this thread awhile back, and then faded off to the ether. I finished the Couch to 5K and I just raced for the first time at our city's Turkey Trot. But, it wasn't a 5K...it was a 4 miler!!!! And I did the entire thing running!!! I finished the program on November 21 and I was only running 2.7 miles (a 5K is 3.1 miles). Then this Sunday, the 23rd, and Tuesday, the 25th, I bumped up my distance to 3.2 miles. And then today, I increased it another .8 miles. I never ran that far until today. I had no idea if I could make it, but I did. My God daughter was supposed to take my picture as I crossed the finish line, but she thought it would take me longer and so she wasn't ready...at first I was a little upset, but...hey, I finished faster than she expected.

Hitting those milestones is sooooooooooo uplifting...you need to celebrate...when I meet wonder-land (less than 200 pounds) it was my fifty pound mark, too...so I celebrated with a brand new red bra...and a camera...when I hit 75 I will buy some new clothes...I have been shopping at Good Will because I hate to waste money on clothes I will only wear for such a short period of time, but in celebration of the 75 I will buy something brand spanking new!

I have had 6 fills and I know it is time for a new fill when I can eat more and if I do not have to chew everything like crazy. Right now...I am very tight. My last fill was on October 3rd and usually 3-4 weeks after a fill I can tell that I am getting close...but I think I am near my sweet spot. Some people are reluctant to get fills, but I am slightly aggressive because it keeps me in check...since the last 2 fills, I have had great difficulty with bread which is a good thing, since it is my down fall (especially pizza).

Here is the couch to 5 k website

Cool Running :: The Couch-to-5K Running Plan

I just started the couch to 5K on 9/15. I am amazed that I can actually do it so far...I know it will get harder, so I will keep looking at the posts to this thread for motivation. Thanks for the site info. Also today at work they are starting the biggest loser. If you participate, you throw in $25. We start on October 3rd, our first weigh in. We will have weekly Friday weigh ins. The last on Dec 19th. The winner (biggest loser) wins 70% of the pot, 2nd place gets 20%, and 3rd gets 10%. So I am gonna go for it. I am half way home and I am gonna run the rest of the way!

I started this at 250 and wanted to lose 125 (my goal also happens to be the same number...kinda cool, huh?)...I am half way there...no going back, baby!:sad:

Density=Mass/Volume

Mass is a constant...weight fluctuates with gravity

Muscle is more dense than fat.

My cheesy vote goes to Barry White...Never, Never Gonna Give You Up and Can't Get Enough of Your Love Babe

Also, please remember, you can actually go to the first appt. and not get spread eagle...meet and greet the doc...get everything else taken care of...and if you feel comfortable then do the pelvic...

OMG Froggi...you make my day! I am addicted to my waterproof purple toy (brand Trident)...It vibrates, it spins, it has a clit stimulator, it makes me climax!!! Too bad it doesn't wash dishes and mop the floor...because if it did then I would marry it.

Speaking of toys and children finding them...I caught my god daughter talking about sex toys with her boyfriend...she called it a "pleasure stick." I cracked up laughing my butt off. I asked her why she called it that and she said that it sounds nicer...she also refers to masturbation as "quiet time."

I pay $70 and it is with a barium swallow and my insurance doesn't cover it.

I am really concentrating on Protein. I take my 3 calciums and 2 Multivitamins every day, and I also take Fiber twice a day. I try to drink more than 64 oz of Water or crystal light. I occasionally make it to the gym (right now I am extremely lazy and haven't been in 2 weeks). I weigh myself first thing every Monday morning. I use the Lapband Talk Forum as a support, but I also started seeing a psychologist. I am trying to correct bad behaviors like 'eating like I am in prison." I have posted my pre-op picture near my computer and my doc's "Prescription for Success After Weight Loss Surgery." It is his guidelines to follow...kinda like the 10 commandments.

All that happy sunshiny stuff being said...this journey is damn hard and I mess up on a weekly basis. Once I actually gained 7 pounds in a week, but I always manage to get back on track.

I think the key for me is being able to get back on track. Before surgery I just kept on doing the same problem behaviors and got fatter and fatter. This time I have a tool...the band. I am trying harder than I have ever tried in my life because I don't want to fail and I don't want to have wasted the thousands of dollars it cost me (self pay).

Heard a lot of good stuff about your doc on this site. Mine is Dr. Stegemann...he is a good guy, too:)

I eat like I am in prison...really fast, just in case someone is gonna take away my food...my quick eating habit is really hard to break, but I am trying...lol

I just talked to the doc about this very question...I knew he said nothing but tylenol, but I had cramps, damn it! Tylenol doesn't do anything for that...lol. He said exactly the same thing about ulcers, etc. I had back and knee problems...I have lost 50 pounds and they magically disappeared, but now I have regular periods with breast tenderness and pain, and the cherry on the period sundae is cramps from hell....yeah...lap-band...lol...gotta love it!

Hey there fellow San Antonian:)...who are you going through? Good luck with the surgery.

Before surgery I couldn't walk far without getting winded or my feet hurting. I couldn't use the elliptical because my feet would go numb. The last 2 weekends i have been camping. I have hiked my butt off...and yes my feet hurt...BUT it was the normal foot pain of hiking...damn blisters, too!

How many fills have you had? You are an equal part in your health care decisions, so request a fill...do not wait for your doctor...you know your body better than anyone.

Today I have celebrated my first exercise NSV. I have had to ride the bike before the surgery due to pain in my knees, back, and feet. After a class at the gym, I decided to get on a treadmill. I only did 15 minutes, but 5 minutes of it was jogging at 4.5 mph...the other 10 minutes I walked at 3.5 mph or more. I think I might want to become a jogger/runner...I think that will be a new goal...not weight related, but exercise related. Holy crap, did I just say that?

OMG, yes. Hopelessness was the straw that broke the camel's back. I had given up on trying to lose weight. When I first heard about gastric bypass and lap band, I thought, I would never do that. But, here I am. I feel better, I look better...and this is only 4 months out! I can only imagine what is to come. However, this is still hard work. I have my ups and downs...and old habits are hard to break. It has been life changing.

I have it, too...and take 5mcg daily. I was not denied...I am not sure it was a big deal at all...good luck.

Howdy dsmit13 and welcome. You know the saying "slow and steady wins the race"...well, you are doing it and you will be the winner:) Keep on rockin',