cashley

It makes a huge difference if the person has been a yo-yo dieter most of their life.... each time they lose and gain it's harder to lose because the metabolism slows down. The 3500-calorie rule is not the same for every person since the body becomes more and more efficient requiring fewer calories and more exercise then someone who was not a yo-yo dieter. Also, no one said that protein changes how fast you lose but protein does help curb hunger unlike simple sugars, which metabolize faster. For someone who feels like it's so easy to lose and such a simple formula then I doubt you need a lot of support from a forum like this.

Are they really Philly cheesesteak sandwichs if you are in France? (Just Wondering) Also, what's a mid band? Do you still get adjustments like the Inmand? I'm so excited to get my fill tomorrow.... I can't wait to fill some restriction.

Everyone says it's a gift if you loose before your filled and that the "doctor should have told you that you wouldn't because you're wide open". But it's discouraging when you go to the support group meetings and everyone else has lost a lot since surgery. I've only lost because I went to weight watchers to try to control this 6 weeks some. I'm keeping my points at 26 and I'm exercising about 2 hours plus per day. Anyway I've been hungrey like crazy (which I hear is normal) and if it wasn't for weight watchers I'd eat like crazy. I was always good on a diet plan for the first 6 weeks or so. I did splurge this weekend at a birthday party and was amazed at how much I could actually eat - Pasta, bread and cake. I get filled tomorrow and will be so happy and hope I can tell a big difference. I'll let you know.

In defense of your hubby I have one comment.... it's much harder for the person that sees you every day to notice. And he could just be a bit jealous and tired of hearing about your success. Is he worth fighting for? If so, fight for him and fight for youself.

Well I see others on here who talk about still making bad choices. That's what I was really referring too. I can tell now that the felling of fullness (even filled) is not the same as it was then. The sad part to me is that you still really need to "diet" in the form of healthy sensible choices. It not like chocolate or Cookie Dough or Crap Carbs suddenly turn your stomach, the bad news is they go though the band easly so if you don't make good choices then you are still screwed. On the other hand if you make good choices the band will help a lot to make a person full. I'm sure this will work for me but my response to this thread is sadly it won't be "diet" free. Since I am the kind of person that needs strict "diet" guidelines to make the right choices. Bad choices got me into this situation and I was hoping to take some of my "mind" off of that. Don't get me wrong I think the band is "GREAT" but as Dr. Phil said I need to get right with my emotional need for food too.

Only half of it was speed the other half was a sertonia enhancer which is what keep my mind off of eating. If I take Merida, Phethermine, or anything Over the Counter for weight loss my heart races and I feel like general crap. The second part of the Phen Fen is what balanced that out. It was like a combo of speed and mood enhancer. I don't want the speed part but would like the mood part. Sometimes (and I'm sure i'm not the only one) I just stand in the refridgeraor looking for satisfaction even though I know I'm not going to find it in there. I thought about one of the anti-depressents but I don't think they help wth that part of the emotions. Sorry for my awful spelling. :confused:

If you want to try something less expensive there is an audiobook website for your iPod or Mp3 called www.audible.com You can buy a book on weight loss hypnosis for about $20 and I use it. I don't guess it works but I listen before I go to sleep and it's relaxing. It helps me calm my mind so I can get to sleep faster. I wish it worked on the weight loss but I don't guess it does.

How many of you tried Phen Fen when it was on the market? What was your sucess rate? I tried it - lost all the weight I wanted and felt great! I was never hungrey and ate only to survive. Most things made me sick to my stomach to think about eating so I ate a lot of raw veggies (which I hate now) and salads. Other then the sick feeling in my gut I felt great... happy... fun.... not pre-occupied with food. I wish it wasn't bad and cause heart valve problems. The lap band helps with 1/2 the battle which is the amount you can eat. But Phen Fen had the emotional component that I think really made the difference. Did anyone else have similar experience.

I agree and think it's depressing! It's just so frustrating when everyone else can enjoy food, candy, birthdays, weddings, etc. and I'm always "No I'm on a diet" "No thank you I don't want any" (Lie) The thing is I want that stuff.. I'm tried of pretending like I don't and I'm tired of thinking about it.

My main thing that I was hoping for was.... to not care about food period. Maybe that was a misconception I had about the band but I took the phen fen pills in the late 90's and I just didn't care... I could get an order of french fries or a small bag of carrots and neither was better then the other. Does that make sense? Back then I had very little interest in food at all because I was always "repeat" always full and slightly nausus. I actually loved it. That felt like control over my hunger like I could actually make good choices and not be punished because I was fat and liked food! I know now that the band and phen fen aren't even close to the same feeling of fullness. I had false expection that the band would be like that and Magically I'd make better choices.

I still have the pain in my feet which makes walking the dog for exercise harder. I'm currently doing the elpitical machine at the gym for 30 minutes 5 or 6 days a week plus some of the bike and weights. I'd love to walk more (and my dog would be estactic) but the pain in my feet still stop me from taking very long walks. I hope when I finally start losing that I will be able to walk more and get up in the night without the pain.

I'm not an expert but I wanted to just let you know my experiences and some document facts. I don't think you are feeling full because ensure is full of simple carbs (sugars) and that increases hunger. Just from my experience I did Dr. Atkins Protein shakes prior to surgery and wasn't hungrey at all... Then post op he switched me to Boost Hi-Protein and I was drinking about 5 a day and starving. He switched me because he wanted me to have more calories after surgery to heal. After my two weeks I went back to Dr. Atkins shakes and my hunger is so much better. They don't taste as good though as Boost or Ensure but I'd rather not have the entire day of cravings.

cashley Surgery - 2/8/06 Weigh Lose during Pre-Op - 5 pounds (I was weighed with shoes and jeans so this was high - I don't think I really lost 5 pounds - my scale at home said 215) Weight Lose Since Surgery - 7 pounds (as of 3/10/06 - I'm Impressed since I've been a turtle in the past) Surgeon - Dr. Lusco - Louisville Kentucky First Fill - Scheduled for 3/21/06

I'm added.

I just discovered the journals and I just have to say they are pretty cool. It's nice to really peak inside of another person's life (especially one that is going through a similar journy.) It's like reading a tabloid magazine with just all the articles you'd want to read. Especially when you are new to the lapband world. It's neat to read storys of sucess, stuggles, people getting close to 100 pounds lost... I'm just ranting now but I wanted to mention how nice they are.

I try to appreciate it more now too. I try so hard to take small bites - make it last - chew chew chew.... I didn't realize before how much I could eat without any awarenes.. If anything I can't do that now - even with no fill I get the hiccups or pain if I don't go slow! And going slow really makes my senses notice the food, taste, smell much more.

I'm so sad I'll be out of town on Monday and wont' be able to check the boards to see how great you both did. I'll be back on Tuesday so if you both feel up to it - don't forget to let us know how things went. Leener - I read some of your journal and I wanted you to know that my doctor didn't wake me up until recovery room. The surgery was so easy. I think you'll do great! Good Luck! Good Luck Both of you!

Good Luck on Monday... We'll be thinking about you! I'll be out of town so I won't get to check the board until Tuesday but hopefully you can post how great you did soon after surgery.

They didn't weigh me again before surgery. So you might get lucky!

Went to the grocery yesterday.... Finding it really hard to still make good choices. Of corse I'm not filled yet so these first 6 weeks are so hard. I keep hearing everyone say... It's a bonus if you lose but *#@*@))@, I just spend $17,500 on this and I want my new life to begin as soon as possible. I'm not getting any younger. In the past I would spend about 6 - 12 weeks on a diet before I'd give up. Usuallly in that time I might lose 3 pounds. I'd sit and watch at Weight Watchers as others would lose 2 or 3 a week. But I'd also see a lot of people like me that would lose .2 or even gain after a week on plan. I'd hear other optimistic people say "Don't give up you are at least going down" and I'd say "It's not worth that much work and it being that hard to only lose 3 pounds". When people think that overweight people are lazy it kills me but I've never seen my skinny friends work so hard for a goal and they don't have a clue what it's like to never see it. I'm doing weight watchers now so I can at least maintain these first 6 weeks. Today is my 5th weight in.

Went to the grocery yesterday.... Finding it really hard to still make good choices. Of corse I'm not filled yet so these first 6 weeks are so hard. I keep hearing everyone say... It's a bonus if you lose but *#@*@))@, I just spend $17,500 on this and I want my new life to begin as soon as possible. I'm not getting any younger. In the past I would spend about 6 - 12 weeks on a diet before I'd give up. Usuallly in that time I might lose 3 pounds. I'd sit and watch at Weight Watchers as others would lose 2 or 3 a week. But I'd also see a lot of people like me that would lose .2 or even gain after a week on plan. I'd hear other optimistic people say "Don't give up you are at least going down" and I'd say "It's not worth that much work and it being that hard to only lose 3 pounds". When people think that overweight people are lazy it kills me but I've never seen my skinny friends work so hard for a goal and they don't have a clue what it's like to never see it. I'm doing weight watchers now so I can at least maintain these first 6 weeks. Today is my 5th weight in.

I feel you!!!! I've had way more days then I care to remember like that. I swear carbs are a total drug. They should be illegal! (well maybe not - but why do they have to taste so damn good?)

Wow - I've been Banded for a month and just found this journal area. It's really nice because so many questions I have of others are right here. It's nice to see other people who have been though what you are going though. I'll start this jounal with how I got to this point... I was young in college and thin. I could eat anything I wanted it was great. Of course you don't realize it then. I taught aerobics to put myself though college and had a weight lifter boy friend. What a life. Had I know that would be part of my metibolic issue now I might not have tried so hard then. I busted my butt to stay fit and thin but didn't diet. Soon it got harder and harder. I had to workout more and there just wansnt that much time. I started dieting but it seemed to be a downhill slope. Getting worse each time and harder to lose. I finally tried Phen Fen... It worked - Lost it all - felt great Until they took it off the market. Gained it all back. Nothing worked.... My doctors didn't believe me they said I wasn't working out enough or I was eating too much. I kept journals they didn't want to look at. I finally went to my endo for my hypoglcymia and she said most people don't really have hypoglcymia that it's in their head... she sent me home but first wanted to do a blood test. My suger was in the 50's and they wouldn't let me drive until it reached 70... and she thought it was in my head. She send me to a dietian and she said cut your carbs... it was such BS! I've told a lot of people I was having this surgery and they said but you don't need it you're not that heavy. (Just diet) People don't realize I work my butt off just to stay at 220 and not go higher. Well I workout more then anyone I know, I eat less then many people I know. My mom has diabetes and heart disease. She had a massive heart attack at only 45 years old and had to have by-pass surgery. She's thin for the first time in her life and she didn't diet or change her eating at all. I swear it's hormones... why would my mom's body change so fast and now she eats way more then me. Anyway here I am - tired of fighting the fight and not going anywhere. I'll just cry if this doesn't work becuase I don't mind the work as long as I can at least see some results. It's the weeks after weeks that turn into months after months of staying on a strict diet, working out and not losing. My doctor finally said once - You're body is just "used" to your workout - you'll have to workout harder. (There just isnt that much time in a day)

Wow - I've been Banded for a month and just found this journal area. It's really nice because so many questions I have of others are right here. It's nice to see other people who have been though what you are going though. I'll start this jounal with how I got to this point... I was young in college and thin. I could eat anything I wanted it was great. Of course you don't realize it then. I taught aerobics to put myself though college and had a weight lifter boy friend. What a life. Had I know that would be part of my metibolic issue now I might not have tried so hard then. I busted my butt to stay fit and thin but didn't diet. Soon it got harder and harder. I had to workout more and there just wansnt that much time. I started dieting but it seemed to be a downhill slope. Getting worse each time and harder to lose. I finally tried Phen Fen... It worked - Lost it all - felt great Until they took it off the market. Gained it all back. Nothing worked.... My doctors didn't believe me they said I wasn't working out enough or I was eating too much. I kept journals they didn't want to look at. I finally went to my endo for my hypoglcymia and she said most people don't really have hypoglcymia that it's in their head... she sent me home but first wanted to do a blood test. My suger was in the 50's and they wouldn't let me drive until it reached 70... and she thought it was in my head. She send me to a dietian and she said cut your carbs... it was such BS! I've told a lot of people I was having this surgery and they said but you don't need it you're not that heavy. (Just diet) People don't realize I work my butt off just to stay at 220 and not go higher. Well I workout more then anyone I know, I eat less then many people I know. My mom has diabetes and heart disease. She had a massive heart attack at only 45 years old and had to have by-pass surgery. She's thin for the first time in her life and she didn't diet or change her eating at all. I swear it's hormones... why would my mom's body change so fast and now she eats way more then me. Anyway here I am - tired of fighting the fight and not going anywhere. I'll just cry if this doesn't work becuase I don't mind the work as long as I can at least see some results. It's the weeks after weeks that turn into months after months of staying on a strict diet, working out and not losing. My doctor finally said once - You're body is just "used" to your workout - you'll have to workout harder. (There just isnt that much time in a day)

Hi! I've been reading your journal. It's very interesting. I haven't been though the exact same problems but I really feel for you. I have fought and fought with doctors the last 10 years and they have no respect. I'm tired of begin handed one medicine after another without any care for what is causing the symptons. I've dieted and dieted and all I get is blank stares from the doctor that I must not be doing them right because if I was they would work. I've pee'd in my pants for the last three years and they said "You're fine just try this medicine" I say "BUT WAIT -I'm young do I have to take it the rest of my life? What's the problem? They just don't know. My mom can't control her diabetes and they don't know why... they say just "Eat Better and try some more medicine" Needless to say I'm so flustrated. I have lost a few pounds since surgery so maybe I won't be a slow loser this time but I read your story and know in my heart how hard you must be struggling. I wish you the best of luck and that they find a solution to the cushing and take you seriously. That's the part I really understand is that feeling of them not taking me seriously. Sorry about the rambling above but after I read your most recent journal entry I was so overwhelmed with things I wanted to say and had a hard time forming a complete thought.