It's_Christine

Estrogen is stored in fat. I have read there are two processes that happen when you lose weight, your body is still used to cranking out more estrogen then you now need and continues to do so and also estrogen is being released from the fat as you lose the weight. I had menstrual irregularities everytime I lost a significant amount of weight even before I was banded. At my current age losing weight with the band I am having fewer problems since I am so close to full menopause but I still have some. I can tell you in the past when I stopped losing weight the symptoms resolved so I think the best thing we can do is get to our goal weight and stay there. My wish for all of us!

I have always believed it was an emotional crutch to overeat. I have always gone to food even when I was on diets in the past. When I was "on a diet" the food would just be huge vegetable salads with balsalmic vinegar but it was still eating in response to emotion not because I was hungry. Because I did not deal with needing the food crutch the minute I stopped "dieting" I continued to eat for the wrong reasons but changed what I was eating from salads to drive-thru burgers. I have been doing this since I was child so I do not expect to "fix" this overnight but I do realize it needs fixing. We all need to open our closets and deal with the skeletons that may be lurking there for us to truely successful. Thanks for all of the great sharing in this thread. It really helps.

Consistent b/p readings >140/90 are enough for a diagnosis of high blood pressure. I would ask your PMD to make the diagnosis even if he/she would not prescribe medication. The treatment could be dietary changes and weight loss! Also I would suggest you start the 6 month supervised diet no matter if you are "sure" of being approved for insurance coverage. Most insurances will use the weight at the start of that process so make sure you "weigh heavy" that day. No I am not saying put rocks in your pocket but be real about this. Good luck and stay in touch.

I got mine from www.hypnosisdownloads.com. I like what I have from them but I am sure there are other sites/options available.

I don't know if this is helpful but it works for me...I measure all of my food and am working on "retraining" myself. I do not know what satisfied/full or any of those terms mean anymore but I do know I cannot eat more than 1 cup of food at a time anymore. That limit was set by my surgeon and that is the committment I made when I was banded. I am hungry sometimes and it can be head hunger or not but all I know is I cannot respond to that by blindly eating. I am on a 3 meals a day plan (some do better with more meals I know) and that is all I get. I have found once your know that you will not respond to whatever causes that feeling of "hunger" it does start to diminish. Not a perfect system by a long shot but for me after spending so many years eating to satisfy every urge or feeling it is something that seems to be working for me. I am glad we have this place to share what works for each of us.

what's the gastric balloon?

I think many of us are emotional eaters! I learned with other weight loss attmepts I had to have something else to "use" when I was upset or bored. Finding this is something only you can do because it has to calm you so you can resist eating. I have some self hypnosis downloads which help me and I have fully committed to eating only 3 times a day. This is one success strategy the dietcian I worked with stressed and it really does work for me. I no longer snack. I eat three meals a day and that is it! Most days this is fine and on days when it is not I find myself using the techniques I practice in self hypnosis. I think you are being smart identifying this issue before you have surgery but please don't think it means you cannot succeed. Good luck.

Congrats doc1857 for being ready to take the next step for your health. I have been overweight my entire life and tried not to have WLS for years. This included paying for an intensive weight loss clinic where I stayed for one month learning new habits. Everything worked but nothing stuck and my BMI was in the 50's when I went to the WLS seminar. I thought I wanted the RNY but after the seminar I changed my mind. When I thought about what I wanted all that came to my mind is that I wanted something to keep me from eating so much when I slipped. That for me is the band. I also have the security of knowing that the band can be adjusted as needed. The surgery for me was easy and I was back at work in 2 weeks. For me the band alone has caused a change in my hunger. It takes less to fill me and that alone has changed my habits. I have yet to have a fill because I have steadily lost weight following the band rules. I only eat three times a day, I eat protein first and then fruits/vegs and high fiber carbs and I limit the volume to 1 cup (OK sometimes 1.5 cups, I admit it). I just passed my 5 month mark from surgery and am very happy with my choice. I made my choice based on my long term needs because for me this will only be a success if I can maintain a significant weight loss. I know it will be hard work for the rest of my life and I think no matter which choice you make that is what you need to keep in mind. Best of luck!

Chicamam1 I disagree, I think I cannot believe it is butter spray tastes better than butter! It is truely an example of better living through chemistry...LOL. I love this site, where else would these conversations happen?

Hello my name is Christine and I am also a mustard addict...LOL. I do crave mustard and also Frank's hot sauce, which alarmingly I can drink out of the bottle. I only allow myself these things on my regular meals and they are low calorie so I am just accepting it as a quirk. Before I was banded I would dip pretzels in mustard and would eat celery with hot sauce and blue cheese dressing and that is over so maybe I just find comfort in the biggest part of the taste? Since these foods have no nutritional value could it really be a deficiency? I hope not since I think I am spicey enough!

If you met their criteria they may have missed the documentation. When my papers were submitted I got a quick refusal because I "did not meet weight loss criteria". I had a documented 6 month supervised diet and lost 9% of my body weight so that did not make sense. When I called to ask what their weight loss criteria was the woman I talked to on the phone saw the error and resubmitted everything and I was approved in 48 hours. So, yes they can make errors and it is our job to make sure we submit charts that meet all of the insurance criteria and then make sure they actually read it all! Good luck.

-79 lbs as of this AM! I also highly recommend thedailyplate.com. I use it everyday and it does more than keep me honest about my intake. I enter my weight there and I noticed that I can go 10 days and not lose a pound but then in the next 10 days I will lose enough to average out to 2-3 lbs a week. That insight has made me far more patient and less likely to get discouraged. Congrats all May bandsters!

LOL rock on bindi!

It's probably the MMPI which is just a test to make sure you don't have any serious psych issues. It sounds horrible but the questions are very easy and I did it on a computer so it went real fast. Just bang it out so you can get approved!

I am a health care professional. What I said is accurate. If you have questions about what I post may I suggest you contact me privately. I would offer you the same respect.

As serene and calm as I was about my decision to be banded I was sad for a while post-op. But I was also sad in the past when I was trying other diets and realized I could no longer use food for comfort. Give yourself some time to "even out" and talk, talk, talk to your friends and loved ones. And of course this site is always open!

I would just like to say this....pain meds are for pain and should be used for sleep only when it is pain that is stopping you from going to sleep or waking you. Pain meds slow down the gut and that can cause gas and other discomforts so using them appropriately is important. If the discomfort is mild and your surgeon approves it use tylenol or even tylenol pm to help with sleep issues. I wish you some good zzzzz's soon!

BB, I think there is a problem with phrases like "low carb". It means one thing in the Atkins plan and something different to South Beachers. These plans are not based on the limited volumes that are characteristic of a banded eating plan. I follow the rule of eating Protein first and then vegetables. I am trying to structure a healthy diet including whole grains, vegetables and fruits along with my low fat protein, mostly chicken, fish and Beans. The control I get over my hunger from my band has allowed me to do this. I had a consultation with a band savy dietician before I was banded and she created an eating plan outline for me prior to my surgery. This was very helpful and I still follow it. After you gather info her if you are still not sure I would recommend this highly. Good luck with the journey

Welcome Ed! I was banded 5/28/08 and am loving my new banded life. I love having band buddies as I too at times can feel isolated in my every day life. Whenever that happens I log in and read and I know I am not alone. Feel free to contact me if you would like...

Plus most insurances clearly state that the weight that "qualifies" you for surgery is your initial weight. So you are correct they cannot mandate that you lose 10% of your body weight and then deny you for being a few pounds shy of being "officially" obese. Good luck and I am sure things will go your way

Thanks for the inspiring story. I did not get a band thinking it would be easy, I just wanted a fighting chance!

Just prior to being banded I did what I called my "farewell tour" to drive thrus and happily ate McDonalds, Portillos and Wendys daily and LOVED IT. Now that I am banded I realize that fast food is just off limits for me. I can live without it. Every once in a while I will look up the calories of one of my old fast food faves like the McDonalds double cheeseburger and I see it has no place in my new eating plan. Good luck, it's not easy but it is so worth it!

LOL fireman were your steristrips made of duct tape?

Congrats everyone! I was banded 5/28/2008 and as of this AM I have lost 63 lbs....woooohooooo. I have hit some rough spots with the weight loss but have been able to keep my eating pretty steady. I try to focus on what and how I eat and being consistent with exercise but let's be honest we all want to see the scale continue creep downward.

NSV....when I wrap the towel around myself after my shower IT STAYS WRAPPED! Ok so my clothes are looser too but I am pretty psyched about the towel thing...heeheehee