auntlucy

Yes, it will be fun. My nephew is so much fun! He is just a joy to be around. I know these early years with him are precious and I'm taking full advantage of the time I have wiht him now. It will be hot in San Antonio, but I'm used to it since I live in TX. I'm hoping that there will be food in the theme parks that I can eat...surely there will be some healthy options.

It sounds like you had a wonderful time...maybe that should be your reward when you hit goal...your own cabin there. Just tell DH I said you deserve it! I'm just going to San Antonio. I'm single, but I'm going with my parents, my brother, sister-in-law, and my DN (darling nephew and the reason for my screen name). My sister-in-law's mom and sister are also going. So, it will be a big family thing. My nephew is only 2, and we didn't want to go too far. San Antonio will be perfect. We'll go to Sea World, the zoo, and spend time at the pool. It should be fun. Well, good luck getting re-acclimated to home. You can get back on track!

Hey Tess! Good to see you posting. I've been struggling a little bit with the same 3 pounds for the last few weeks...I'm so close to being under 300, and this plateau is just not budging. But, I got a 3.5 cc fill Tuesday, so hopefully, that will give me the little bit of something extra that I need. I go on vacation next week, and I can't wait! I really need it. Work has been stressful lately.

I just had my 2nd fill Tuesday...I was nervous about the first one b/c I didn't know whether or not it would hurt. My doctor injects some sort of deadener before he injects the saline. It stings a little, but I wouldn't say it hurts. I don't think it's even uncomfortable. I'm a little sore afterwards, but it's not painful. Good luck as you go down the process.

Bragger! Just kidding...I'm thrilled for you. You are a great success story, and you were definitely ready for the band. Hang in there and keep up the great work! You are turning into a better (and smaller) version of YOU, and you are going to be a role model to so many, whether or not you want to be one.

I also have United Healthcare. My BMI is higher, but other than that, the only problem I had was with sleep apnea. Have you had a sleep study? While I hope you don't have apnea, it might help you get approved. I was approved in less than a week. Good luck! I know how frustrating it is. A few years ago, I tried to get approved and was repeatedly denied by Aetna. So, I understand.

I was thinking about your situation some more, and I had some thoughts...You also might want to think about journaling your food and water intake daily. A recent study showed that people who write it all down (every morsel) lose twice as much as people who don't. I use www.thedailyplate.com to track mine, and it's really easy. It also tracks how much protein, calories, etc. that you are getting, and you can also track your exercise. I definitely do better when I track it. I find that when I don't do it for a week or so that I don't lose as much. You also may need a lot of structure to train yourself. You might want to get a timer to use to time 30 minutes before and after you eat. Get everything you shouldn't eat out of the house. Pre-make meals and put each portion in a separate container (that works well for me).

Cajuncutie, are you getting any counseling? That might help. I know that can be scary, but we all have issues and need help with them at times in our life. If you aren't seeing someone, you might want to find someone who specializes in eating disorders. I feel for you as I can't imagine how I would feel if I were in your shoes right now.

bamboobabe, 50 pounds in 6 months is great! You should be very proud of that accomplishment, but I completely understand your feelings. Dear Lord, thank you giving bamboobabe the courage and strength over the past 6 months. Please give her a renewed commitment to her band. Remind her of the gift that you have given her in the band. Help her to jumpstart her continued weight loss so that she feels empowered and motivated as she enters her 7th month.

neverB4, thank you for your sweet prayer...I really appreciate it. I'm doing better. I had my 2nd fill Tuesday and had some problems with it Wed, but it seems to be getting better. Now, here is my prayer for you: Dear most gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for giving neverB4 the courage to get the band. As she continues down this journey, I pray that you will give her the will power and the endurance she needs to succeed. She is your child, Lord, and she just wants to have a healthier body to honor you. Wrap your arms around her, allowing her to feel your presence...especially during those times that she may be tempted to eat out of emotional hunger or boredom.

mphs, you mentioned that your surgeon went over the risks of the band. Did she also go over the risks of bypass? All it took for me to make the decision was to hear the mortality rate and side effects possible with GB. They are much more severe than with the band. Of course, as others have said, this is a personal decision. My question was just did she give you the facts for both procedures? Did she mention the gastric sleeve at all as an option? Good luck!

I'm in McKinney, and I'd be open to getting a group together...

I think we need to be careful about making blanket statements like psych evals are a joke...with anything, there are probably some psychologists who are very good at it and some who are not. Mine was excellent, and she actually is a GB patient. So, she truly understands the ramifications and the changes necessary. I have no doubt that she would not hesitate to recommend to a doctor that someone was not ready for LB.

Good for you Perky! Back pain is the worst...if your foot hurts, the rest of your body doesn't hurt. When your back hurts, it seems to impact your entire body. So, I know you completely understand how big of a victory it is since you are experiencing it too! You should be very proud of yourself. That is fantastic that you are off of BP meds!

In reading everyone's responses, I do believe that the lesson is that through this, you really find out who your true friends are. Their true colors are coming out, and they aren't pretty! Let's all work to get more positive people who can be true friends to us.

FridayI had some friends over for a day at the pool. My day started off with me cleaning my house and getting things ready for them to come over. That included replanting a tree and some other heavy lifting type things. I cooked dinner that night for all of us. OK, so what was my non-scale victory? Well, in the past, my back would have been absolutely killing me by the end of the day. I was in a minor car accident a few years ago that did a number on my back. :thumbup: Several months ago, I would have been taking pain medicine and muscle relaxers just to get to sleep after a day like that. The pain would have been all over my face. But, I realized by the end of the night Friday that I was 100% pain free! I love my band!

Try to put all of the thoughtless comments aside. If you choose to limit the people you talk to about this, don't feel guilty about that. It is ok right now for you to be a little selfish and focus on yourself. I definitely feel like I've been more self absorbed since I decided to get the surgery. I'm doing the things that I need to do in order to be successful. If you are anything like me, you've probably spent most of your life doing what other people wanted you to do and trying to please others. I'm finding that I'm making decisions now based on what I need. I deserve that, and so do you!

Ok, here is my thought...we can all use prayer from time to time, plus, praying for others helps us take focus off of ourselves some times. So, I'll start by sharing something that I could use some prayer support on. The next person who posts will pray for me and then post their own prayer request. The 3rd person who posts will pray for the 2nd person who posts. And so on... I will commit to praying for everyone who posts. Here is my request...I'm feeling a little down today. I don't really know why, but I'm just blah. I am excited though because I go for my 2nd fill Tuesday, and I could really use it. Please pray that I will perk up and stay focused on the things I need to do to continue making my journey successful. I appreciate your prayers!

I love that movie too...the acting isn't the best, but the message is so good!

My psych eval was not a big deal. She asked me some questions about why I wanted the band and what I was expecting to gain from it. She asked me if I had thought about what life would be like when I started losing wieght and how I would respond to different reactions I would likely get. Actually, she didn't ask me a lot of these questions, I just started talking about what I wanted to do and why and I ended up answering most of her questions through that. It was a one-time thing, but she is someone I had gone to in the past when I needed someone to talk to about some changes in my life. I will tell you though that I wanted to make a reconnectionw ith her in case I need someone to talk to as I go through this someimes emotional journey. Good luck as you pursue this! You will learn a lot through this site.

How long has it been since you have lost anything? I'm definitely finding that all of our bodies are different. I recently gained a few pounds even though I was doing everything right. The last month has been up and down. Sometimes I think our bodies go through an adjustment period. Our job is to just stay focused on eating the right way and exercising and not fall into old habits.

My favorite flavor of the protein bullet is fruit punch. I mix it with fruit punch flavored crystal light.

Are you talking about the New Whey Protein bullet? If you are, it's a form of liquid protein. Here is a link for you to check out: New Whey Liquid Protein 42g - 12 Vials by IDS Sports, Supplements.Net

babygrl, I don't think you offended anyone (you certainly didn't me)! I completely understand what you are saying.

That's fantastic! I have United Healthcare too, and my approval was very fast (I think less than a week). So, hopefully you will have the same experience!