auntlucy

Hi Sandra! Sorry no one has responded. :wink2: Where are you on the journey? I had surgery a little more than 5 months ago, and I'm doing well with it. It was one of the best things I've ever done for myself. I'm happy to answer any questions or just be here for support.

Congratulations Zia! That is excellent! You should be really proud of yourself. I hope you do something really nice for yourself to celebrate.

It gets so much easier as you go! Believe me, I remember how it feels. You start to question whether or not you can make it and why you did it to begin with. Remember why you made the decision to do it, and stay focused on that. I don't even crave the same things I did before. The hardest part for me is not being able to drink perrier or club soda. But, it's well worth the trade off.

Welcome to the site! I wouldn't call the liquid stage easy, but it is certainly doable! While you are in it, you don't feel like you will ever be able to eat again, but once you are past it, you can't remember why it was so hard. The best thing you can do is get a really good Liquid Protein supplement. The Protein is necessary for your healing, and it also helps keep your energy up during the liquid phase. I used the New Whey protein bullets mixed with crystal light. I don't care for the thick Protein Shakes, so the bullets saved me. If you have any questions, just ask! I am so happy I got the band.

While I know the ads can be a little big at times, keep in mind that those ads are how the site is paid for and why we don't have a fee to use it. When I start to have those thoughts about the ad, I ask myself, "would you rather pay $19.99 a month?"

I've been very selective about who I've told. I've only told a handful of family, friends, and co-workers. It's not that I'm embarassed about it. I'm not. I'm actually very proud of myself for getting a tool to help me. But, I am a very private person. I don't like a lot of attention when it comes to my weight, and I simply didn't want to be the topic of conversation. I also didn't want to feel like people were watching over every move that I made. For those people that I did tell, I told them one-on-one. I explained to them that I had come to the realization that I needed a tool to help me on my weight loss journey, and that after a tremendous amount of research and prayer, that I had made the decision to get the band. I explained the risks to those that I could tell were concerned about surgery. I let them know the path I had gone down. I let them know that I was being very selective about who I told. I asked them to honor that and not share it with anyone. Many people asked what they could do to support me, and I told them what I needed from them and what that would look like in my eyes. I'm very happy with how I've handled it. It was the right call for me. After all, we're all different! So, do what's right for you! When people approach me who also struggle with their weight and genuinely want to lose weight, I'm being very upfront with them about my journey.

It makes me very sad when I read that some of the most unsupportive and rudest comments have come from this site. I try to be very careful about how I word things so as not to offend anyone...sometimes the written word is hard to interpret. I think some of it (just like in the real world) is jealousy. I think other people just don't know how to say things in a constructive, tactful way. For others, I think it's just the fact that they have anonymity and feel bolder than they would if they were standing right in front of you.

Mine is back to normal now...just tried it, and I see the new threads just like I did a few days ago. Very happy!

I'm not feeling well, so I went to the doctor today. The bad news is that I have an upper respiratory infection (Yuck!). The good news is that I had a NSV! In the past, they have always had to use a larger blood pressure cuff on me. It's always so embarassing b/c they try the regular one and it doesn't work on my fat arms. They have to go find the one larger cuff that they have in the whole office. But, today, she used the regular cuff on me, and it worked! Yippee! If I would have felt better, I probably would have jumped around the office.

I don't like it either...plus, you have to use the horizontal scroll bar to see the whole screen. I sent them an email asking about it, so if I hear back, I'll post an update.

For me, it was a very personal decision. I made up my mind that I was going to have it before I told anyone. Then, I made the decision to only tell a handful of people that I felt like needed to know. I told my parents, my brother and sister-in-law, and an aunt. I told a few people at work that I have a lto of lunch meetings with. I knew it would be fairly obvious during the post-op liquid stage. When I told each person, I let them know what I needed from them. I let them know that this was a very personal thing to me and that I wasn't planning to tell people. I explained the procedure to them and old them I had done my research. I asked them if they had any questions or concerns that I could answer. I found that if I set the stage and let them know what my boundaries and needs were, most people responded relatively well. My brother seemed to have the hardest time with it. My sister-in-law shared with me that it was because he just didn't want anything to happen to me. When people care about us, they sometimes display it in odd ways, so keep that in mind. Ultimately, you can tell as many or as few people as you want. For me, I didn't want everyone analyzing every morsel that went into my mouth or passing judgment. I didn't want to be the topic of conversation or rumors. So, I told very few. It was the right decision for me. Good luck!

Paula, it sounds like you are doing great! You can make it...just a few more days. We all struggled with the clear liquid phase, but it will be over before you know it. Just make sure you are getting enough protein. I used the protein bullets...it is a clear liquid. The protein really helps! Did your doctor tell you you could have them?

No, I didn't eat breakfast yesterday. I was running late for church and ran out before I could eat anything.

I've only PBed once in the 5 months I've had the band. And, while it was a little gross, it wasn't a bad as I thought it might be. It was a few days after my 2nd fill, and I was eating some salmon. A piece slid right down my throat as I was chewing. I feel very fortunate that I've had such an easy experience. But, I follow the guidelines I was given to a T, so I think that's probably part of it. Good luck!

Welcome barburrito! You will definitely find the support you need here. I'm happy to help in anyway I can. Feel free to reach out to me here anytime. I live in McKinney and work in Dallas. Where are you?

I do ok wiht the finer cuts of steak...tenderloin or filet. Of course, that's what I preferred before surgery too. I also have no problem with lean ground beef. If the beef has too much gristle, I don't even try it. Unlike some of the other posters, I don't have any problem with chicken. I even ate some sausage yesterday and did fine with it.

I was in your shoes too. Just remember that you are doing this for yourself. Odds are that people are noticing...they either just don't know what to say or they are uncertain. Before long, you will see people looking at you differently. I have a lot of people tell me that I look great. Then, they ask me if I'm feeling ok. It's really odd. It's like they think, "wow...she looks like she's lost weight. I'm going to comment on it. Oh no...what if she's been sick?" I finally asked my brother if he had noticed, and he said, "Yeah." That was it. I asked him again, and he said, "I didn't know if you wanted me to say anything. But now that you've asked, I really notice it when you are walking away." In the past, I maybe would have been a little offended by that, but I asked. And, I'm happy that my backside is smaller! Hang in there. Give it a few more pounds. You are doing great!!!

Lunch - salad with baby romaine, shredded carrots, diced red and orange bell pepper, feta, toasted almonds, and dried cranberries. A little piece of grilled chicken. Dinner - another salad (similar to lunch) and some grilled sausage Snack - reduced fat cheez-its and sf pudding

pjtxlady, Hi there neighbor!

Here is my chili. I love it! I call it semi-homemade b/c I use a packaged mix that I've only found at Super Target. The brand is called Cugino's Chili Fixin's Mix. But, I don't follow the directions on the package. I brown 96% lean ground meat in a large skillet with 1/2 of a diced onion. When the meat is cooked, I add in 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes and 1 14 oz can of tomato sauce. (I like a tomatoey chili!) I also add in the mix and 3/4 can of water. I let it simmer for half an hour, and it's done! It's so easy, and I figured the calculations out. 1 cup of it has about 200 calories and 26 grams of protein. I usually make a double batch at a time, and after it's ready, I put 1 cup servings in small ziploc bowls. It's so easy to grab one of those and pop it in the microwave and know that I'll get some great, tasty protein. I take it to work for lunch a lot. I eat egg beaters quite a bit, and I think they are great. I've never cooked with them, so I'm not sure how that works. Ken's has some awesome light and fat free dressings. The fat free raspberry pecan is great. They also make two different varieties of light caesar dressing. I don't buy any other dressing besides Ken's now!

I had 1 cup of lean chili for breakfast that I made a few days ago with a few reduced fat cheez-its. Yes, you read that correctly...I had chili for breakfast! For lunch, I had a salad with baby romaine lettuce, shredded carrots, feta cheese, walnuts, dried cranberries, and Ken's low fat sweet vidalia onion dressing. For dinner, I had another cup of lean chili with a few more reduced fat cheez-its. I had sugar free dark chocolate pudding with some cool whip light for a snack.

Put your scale away for a few weeks. Your body is going to do strange things right now, and I found it was better if I focused on letting my body heal and making the behavior changes that come with the band. When I did that, I stayed in the right mindset.

Deanna, that is fantastic! It's such a good sign. Maybe he'll meet you half way and even become a lap band supporter! Good luck with you surgery.

I went back after 1 week. Had surgery on a Monday and went back the following Monday.

Welcome! I had never been part of an online forum either, but now I'm comopletely addicted. I find so much comfort in knowing I can anonymously talk with others who are going through exactly the same thing. Congratulations on your surgery! I'm sure you will do great.