Tamyrn

I'm 3 1/2 months post-op with no hair loss...Hairagain hit the nail on the head with protien intake, too often we think only of our calorie intake a balanced diet is more important than ever for us.

What big changes you are dealing with, both wonderful and heartbreaking. You are in my prayers.

Princess SweetHooter Can I add an 's' and be Princess SweetHooters....I love it, it makes me giggle just to say it!

Oops, what I meant by "nothing" is I don't feel any restriction...I don't generally PD very often and I like it that way.

I need someone to calm my fears, 3 days ago I PB'd after each meal...since then, nothing...could I have stretched my pouch out or am I just ready for my next fill (I have it scheduled )...What do you think? Wouldn't it be the worst to send this much money only to stretch the pouch!

I, along with every third woman born between 1965 and 1975, am named Tammy for those Debbie Reynolds/Sandra Dee movies. The combo of my desire for an exotic name and being a nurse = RN

Hey Chabutter, I've taken Xenical before the band and have considered it with my band to decrease my fat grams. I never had the negitive effects but that could be because I was afraid of them so I didn't go over 10 grams of fat per meal and I ran for the potty everytime I needed to toot!

Michelle, I am so sorry that you had such a bad experience in Mx. My experience with Dr. Del La Garza and the Oca Hospital was lovely, each shift had at least one English speaking nurse and that nurse took the 3 lap band patients. My surgeon and my anesthesiologist came by at least twice daily, my pain meds and those of the other 2 lap band patients were given routinely. I requested something to help me sleep because I'd been asleep most of the day, my anesthesiologist ordered it and I was given a sleeping pill at 10pm...slept like a baby.

Amy, Run, don't walk to your doctor! The numbness and any rashes, yeast or just a good old fashion intergo (friction rash) documented in records along with a letter from your doc could be the push your insurance company needs. I'm not against your having the apron removal before the band, but no one has unlimited funds and if you can get the ins. to pay for it then you will have more money for tt and lift when you reach goal.

Lady06, Yes, I was banded by Dr. Del La Garza 2/3/06, I will go back for my second fill 2/3. I am quite pleased with the time and attention I recieve the doctor and his staff each time I am there. They are a wonderful "team" to have on your side.

Heaven's No!!!! I'm already 5'10" I don't want to be any taller!

I'm with you! I don't do the whole body fat percent thing, so 7% of my body weight is 14.7 lbs. and I want it gone...I will start keeping a food diary again and count calories ( 1200 to 1400 daily ), I will also start walking...I keep saying I should but I commit to DO it. We can do this!

NurseTeresa, I too am a nurse and I worked psych for a while, the food (fat) is not the problem it's just how we deal with the problem. Do you ever think we know too much? We know the nutritional crap, we know the psychological crap and yet doing something with our knowledge is so hard...Yeah, we can do something for other people, but for ourselves? I didn't vote, I've never considered suicide, but during nursing school ( I like so many others became an RN because I was going through a divorce ) I would drive home from school crying...because the sorry-ass was cheating on me after 15 yrs and 2 kids, because I was afraid of change even though I wanted change, because I didn't think I was smart enough to graduate, etc...but somewhere in side I must have had hope because I kept on going. I think there is a huge diferrence between living and surviving, when you hit survival mode you have to have hope that you'll live again or what's the use?

Soft breads are a no go, and ground meats: hamburger, sausage, meatballs, meatloaf, etc. Also, I have developed lactose intolerance my Mother has it so maybe it was going to happen anyway.

Did I ever tell you about the time when I was 24 and on diet pills? I got into a pair of size 5 jeans and wore them to a party....the food there was awesome, I never was able to squeeze my hiney into them again. My dream clothes are no longer size 5, I could live happily ever after in a size 10, I have a black and white clingy summer dress that I want to look great in again. I think I'll hang it on the closet door as inspiration to drag my hiney on to the eliptical machine.

I Tivo the show and am usually a day or two behind all week and then I catch up on the weekend....So, on Tuesday in group Iyanla talked to the women about returning home to people who expected the old them ( Did that make sense? ). Anyway, I'm thinkin' I was banded 2/3/06 and it was great for a while, but now my weight hasn't moved in 3 weeks and I'm starting to treat myself as if I were the old me. I need to remind myself several times daily that I am "the banded Tammy", I choose not to eat cake just because someone brought it to work...I choose not to buy a candy bar when I grocery shop and eat it on the way home...and so on....It was great, I love it when I get something for me out of show. My favorite is Christie, although every time Andy Paige is on I think, "I could be friends with her". I liked Allison a lot, but I got tired of her before she finally left.

I danced with an ipod because I'm sexy and I wanted to... No, really, what does this mean?

I hope my first fill evaporated...I don't feel like I have any restriction. I have arrangements to go back to Mexico the first weekend in June, I'd go sooner but my 17 yr old wants to go and he has never been to Mexico so.....Anyway, I have a 4cc band and my first fill was 2.8cc, so I hope it evaporated if not will I be able to get restriction?

I had planned to get weight loss revelations from Sommer, but it's not happening...I like her and am thrill with her progress, but it seems to me that she is doing "Growing up" stuff this time. Christie is just my favorite...I dread her graduation...How crazy is that?!?!

It never occured to me there were so many Febuary bandsters in the DFW area, I'm an hour east of ya'll.

Mo, congratulations to both Mother and Daughter! I don't get why Cassie is still in the house except to fill a spot until the end of the season...Christie is still my favorite, I'm so inspired by the work she does both emotionally and physically. I see her run and I think,"I could do that!". Antonia has potential, but her age is showing...she so self involved...like most kids.

I like Christie too, did you see the day Rhonda had her write her negitive beliefs on a "wall" and then instructed her to cover them with a paper heart or star as she changed each belief? I loved that, so I did the same thing in my Lap Band journal/scrapbook, it has been wonderful to be able to cover those beliefs that held me back with shine gold stars. Has anyone else done one of the exercises?

I so understand your doubt ladies, the decsion to be banded is a very personal one and I don't want to sway you either way. I was banded 3 months ago and have had 1 fill, I have lost 32 lbs. I feel as if that lost weigh was a gift from the band and now it's time for me to work at it, I scheduled another fill ( you have to take care of you band if you want it to take care of you ) and I went back to counting calories. At first I counted calories to make sure I ate enough, now it's to make sure I don't overeat. Don't fool yourself this is NOT the easy way out, you will spend the rest of your life watching your weight if you choice to be banded. You will however have a little helper, it will teach you to eat small portions and act as your willpower when you have none. You have to take care of it: eat slowly, take small bites and chew every well, get it filled/unfilled on a regularly ( the band is in charge and will tell you when ). If you do your part the band is wonderful. Good luck on your decisions. tammy

Is anyone else watching Starting Over? I find some of the exercises they have the women do are inspiring to me, I have repeated some of them at home. Sometimes they just give me ideas for things I can do, for example my "sugar divorce". All of my binge foods are loaded with obvious sugar, I haven't binged since my banding 3 months ago, but I was eating cake, cookies, and chocolate candy bars again. Now, I now there is hidden sugar in many otherwise healthy foods, however; if it just screams sugar ( cake, cookies, and chocolate candy bars) it doesn't have a place in my daily life anymore. Thus the divorce, I may see it around, but I won't have a close personal relationship with it anymore. Am I rambling? Sorry, let's talk about Starting over. Tammy

Be careful when you first start to drink again, my Doc said no alcohol for the first month...by then I had been on liquids and mushes for a month, one glass of wine and I was giggling and talking TOO loud!