Iziksmom

First posting to GFGC April 12: C/243 (-0 from last week) It's that (tom), so I'm hoping next week to make a good showing.

PhotoNut, I would love to join!! I just signed up for the bootcamp too because the support everywhere here is wonderful!:clap2: Here is my info that you need: H-274.5/S-268/G-135/C-243 (-31.5 lbs. total and -17 inches) I don't know how you keep all this straight but thanks a bunch!!

My son is 10 and I have yet to leave him home alone. I am one of those overprotective parents. He's an only child so it's easier for me to load one up than two or three. I think it depends on the maturity level (if there's such a thing for a 10 yr. old ha ha) and how long you'll be gone. Mine is also afraid he'll miss out on something if he stays at home... I'm thinking though I should start testing the waters on him soon and see how it goes. But for now, it's "let's go!"

I have access to having those silicone bracelets (live the LIVESTRONG) made. Would anyone out want one to Celebrate our banded lifestyle?? I am thinking a purple color (or another unisex color) with wording (please vote) Proudly on the BANDwagon! I'm a BANDED Bod! BANDED and BEAUTIFUL! BANDED and Proud of IT! They would cost around $3.00 each plus S&H which I would guess to be about another $1.00? If there is enough interest I will have some made and then post to where they will be. This would be a really cool way to celebrate our fraternity of the BAND! Just let me know what you guys think.... I've got to order some for my son's baseball team so I'll be working on them the next couple of weeks. Thanks!

Thanks a million JanetC!!! :clap2: I got the bootcamp thread bookmarked and can now check it easy!! I sure thought that I had to do something with "sticky", so I appreciate you taking time to explain that to me. I'm still figuring out all the website lingo and protocol.

Hi, I would love to join!! This is my first try at a boot camp since I was just banded in Jan. My starting weight as of today is 243. I am so hoping to lose 40 lbs. by my 40th birthday which is May 4th. So, I need to lost 8.5 lbs. in the next month. So, let's whip my butt in shape!!! I am doing my measurements every six weeks with my exercise physiologist that came with the bariatrics program. So, I won't post my measurements every week. However, here's where I am now... Forearm-17.5 Chest - 51.5 Waist - 47 Hips - 54.5 Thigh - 29 Abdomen - 51.5 These are what I'm tracking with my rehab coach. Can you tell me what a "sticky" is and how do I do it?? Will it make it easier to get to this site?? Thanks for the motivational bootcamp!! Ready for service!! :-)

Hi everyone from KY! I live about 40 miles NE of Louisville in Henry County. I was banded in Jan. '06 by Dr. Olsofka at Caritas in Louisville. I have also seen Dr. Lusco once when Dr. O wasn't available. They have been wonderful!! If anyone is thinking about using them, I HIGHLY recommend them. I was a self pay ($17,500) since my BCBS wouldn't pay for it. I did the 6 weeks of rehab at the hospital (included in the price) with Kirk and Lin who are part of the Bariatric program. It has been fantastic and taught me alot of things I never thought about or considered before. Now I look at things like Protein content, how different nutrients affect my weight loss and keeping up with my exercise and why it is SO important! The group at Caritas (now St. Marys and Elizabeth hospital) is absolutely wonderful! Hey busywoman, I was at my dad's in Princeton over the weekend and sat thru those awful storms. My brother in law works in Hoptown and he sent pictures of how bad things were. Hopefully you guys came thru okay. If I can answer anybody's questions on my experiences with the group I had, feel free to email. It's nice to see the KY contingent on this board! Good luck everybody!! :-)

Several of us were just talking about a clothes exchange. We think this would be a very beneficial section. Hope you get that idea going! Thanks!!

Alrighty, then. I guess we'll wait and see what they get worked out. I would think that lots of folks could benefit from this. Thanks for the offer of working on it! We'll keep a look out for the exchange!

Glad you know what we're doing!:scared: Do you want to contact the moderator or want me to? Do you know specifically who to send the email to?

When you say admin, does that mean the moderator? (again, I new to this stuff) :-) Do we just notify them directly and ask??

Hey there and welcome aboard!! I was banded in January '06 and this board has been a huge help!!! Good luck on your journey!:scared:

I like Wheetsin's idea of an area where you can post.... kind of like freecycle. If we can use what you've already got developed, that would be great. Since I'm pretty new here, is there anything any particular we have to ask the moderator or is it just something you'd set up????

I brought this up in another thread, so I thought I'd just make it a topic on its own. Has anyone ever thought of doing some kind of clothes swap through a posting board on here?? I know I've gone down 2 sizes and what now might not work for me, might help someone else through the "pass-thru" sizes. We are all at so many different stages and don't really plan on staying there, it doesn't make sense to pay alot of money for new clothes that we're not gonna stay in long. Sooo, anyone else have any thoughts on this or how it might work. I had one response in another thread that a group in Mesquite met and did this. Would love to hear some pros/cons and see whatcha think! :wave:

I started at a 26/28 and would love to see size 10. I just can't imagine that though! I haven't seen size 10 since kindergarten! I am currently in 22 jeans but still 24-26 tops. It seems like I'm losing faster from my waist down that in my top part. Has anyone ever had the idea of having a clothes swap, etc.? So many of us are at different stages and since we won't stay there long, wouldn't it be nice if we could all swap around clothes and save us tons of money on "pass-thru" sizes??:wave:

And oh, I forgot to say that I am religiously documenting what I eat. I love the fitday.com program and it really keeps my focus where I need it to be by tracking my food. It shows my breakdown of protein, carbs and fat. If you need a tracker, check it out.

I am 9 weeks post op and feel like I have no restriction. I am losing steadily so when I went in for my first fill at 6 weeks, my doctor said that I didn't need one because I was losing so well. He said that a fill at that time wouldn't accomplish anything. Well, I'm still losing but I'm starting to feel more hungry between meals. I still eat only between 1000-1200 calories, but I couldn't tell you if I had a band or not. I don't feel like there is any restriction. I haven't tried any bread though. I think I marked bread off my list as soon as I had surgery because so many people said they couldn't eat it. I don't miss it so I'm not gonna try it. But back to eating large amounts, I can eat 4-5 oz. of meat at one sitting plus a cup of vegetables. I'm still staying in my range of calories for the day so I don't know if I'm doing right or wrong. I go back for another visit April 18. I guess as long as I'm losing, I should be glad I'm not pbing or having any trouble. (I am exercising pretty regularly too). I think this is something that will vary depending on each person. Good luck with your journey!!

Oh my gosh, I had so many last suppers, I lost count. In fact, I ate so much of everything, that by pre-op diet, I didn't want anything to eat!!! I'd probably thrown up:puke: if I'd eaten one more slice of pizza or had another taco. That made it easier for me though....I marked all of those "last meals" off and now, don't miss a single one of them. I think I had stuffed myself so much, I found myself almost getting sick by overeating. BUT, I checked all of that stuff at the door and it has stayed. I'm in total control now and god, it feels so good!!!! It's been almost 2 1/2 months and I'm down 30 lbs. The day I started the pre-op diet, was the first day of my new life! I feel like a little kid at Xmas!!! :confused:

I am two months post band and I couldn't be happier!!! Before the surgery, I ate everything I could find and would even eat when I wasn't hungry. I seemed to crave and graze like crazy. That has all changed!!! Before I was a pizza, taco, soft drink freak! I haven't had any of them since Jan. 16th. And to beat it all......I don't crave them at all anymore!! I don't know if its because I told myself before the surgery that things were definitely going to change or its because I stay full now. I am eating my protein first and then filling in with vegetables (which I rarely ate before). I eat a small portion and I'm done. I just don't crave anything. In fact, things have gone so well, that my doctor said I didn't need a fill at my first six week post-op visit. I'm hoping the same happens this next visit as well. My doctor/hospital offered a 6 week rehab program as part of the bariatric program. I went twice a week and worked out there and also had access to the nutritionist who worked with me to help under the importance of nutrients and how they affect my body. Just take the time and make the effort. I am like a little kid these days. I'm 30 lbs. down and I can't tell you how wonderful that feels. Let the good thoughts of things to come override the anxiousness. That's what I did and it has really worked for me. Good luck to you and know there are lots of folks on here for support!!! :clap2: Take care!

I am headed to the grocery tomorrow and spray butter will be in my cart! Thanks for the insight!!

:help:I just had some potatoes and put a tablespoon of butter on them. The real butter is high in saturated fat. Has anyone tried any low fat butters or butter sprays that taste good and are lower in fat/calories?? Thanks so much!!

Thank goodness someone told me about Unjury. I tried some of the others and they were nasty! I have stocked up on the chocolate, unflavored and the strawberry sorbet Unjury. It may cost a little more than some in the stores, but to me it is well worth it!! Good luck with your surgery...

Thanks for the Unjury website Bandtastic. I had kept reading about Unjury and didn't know where to go it. I went to the website and ordered the unflavored and the sample packets of the rest. After trying the nasty whey powder I got at wal-greens, I had almost given up looking at trying protein powders again.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who hates vegetables. I won't eat anything in a salad. Most people think I'm nuts. I will have to look into the "veggie pill". Do you still really get enough of the nutrient value even if you do shred it up and put it in a meatloaf or other food item? I would be willing to try that. I know I need to...especially since my 9 year won't eat salads either. I haven't set a very healthy example for him at this point. Thanks for sharing the tips on here...

I had the same problem earlier this week. My nutritionist has me shooting between 1000-1200 calories per day. Well, when I went in to work out on Tuesday, I felt like I could just fall over. We did a quick snapshot of my calories and I had cut back to about 600 per day. He had a fit! That day alone I had only had 300 so far, so he wouldn't let me work out. He said that if you don't get enough calories in, then your body can go into a starvation mode and even though you are eating less, you won't lose weight. He said that I did need some carbohydrates because they do give you energy. I had concentrated so much on the protein, that I had gone off one end, and forgot about the other. So, I'm back to trying to eat at least 1000 calories and do it balanced. My protein and some carbs. Don't know if this helps you any, but I do feel better getting back onto the path the nutritionist helped me with. Good luck!!!!:confused: