Catherine55

The shakes are SO GROSS!! My doctor gave me an Isopure Protein drink that tastes more like Gatoraid, and once I had that, I never touched the shakes again. You can get it at GNC. You can see a photo of this drink in the 2nd photo on this post -- Chronicles from Band Land: Week 1 post-op: What I'm eating Hang in there! :seeya: Catherine

WOO-HOOOO!!!! Welcome to Onederland!! That is THE BEST feeling!! Congratulations!! Catherine

Hi! I have only two incisions. The smallest of the two has the teeniest scar -- and it's faded so much that it is barely noticeable. My bottom scar hasn't faded as well, but it's no biggie. It's exactly 1.5 inches long. Here is a link to a photo from a few months ago. As far as quality of life, mine has just gotten better with the band because I feel and look so much better. My social life involves a lot of going out for dinner and drinks, and it's fine with the band. I do a bit more planning (I used to check out menus on-line at the beginning so that I would know in advance what I should order), and I eat a lot less, but it's totally fine. For example, last night, I went to a 5-course dinner at an underground supper club in Brooklyn, and it was totally fine. I posted about it on my blog -- feel free to take a look. I don't feel deprived even a little bit when I'm out with friends. I order what I want (i.e. something delicious that isn't likely to get me stuck), eat a reasonable amount, and it all works out just fine. This is the best thing I've ever done for myself. I worried a lot about feeling deprived b/c I love restaurants, nice wine and great food, but it hasn't been a problem. Honestly, I enjoy my social life even more now because I feel better, can wear cute clothes from normal stores, and feel great about things in general! Also -- I don't go around feeling hungry -- if I am actually physically hungry, I eat something. The band cuts down the hunger feeling incredibly, and you get full very quickly. Congratulations on your decision! Catherine

Welcome to bandland -- it gets much better quickly after surgery! But, you should DEFINITELY check in with your doctor about how you are feeling now. It may well be 100% fine, but you should confirm that with the doctor. I hope you feel much better soon! Catherine

Congratulations! For me, it was after I had my first decent fill that it really sunk in. And, it's been a love relationship ever since! I am 11 months out and 14.4 pounds from my goal. I can't imagine any way that I could have done this without WLS and being committed to working the band. BTW, if you haven't taken your measurements and before/after photos, be sure to do it! You'll really want to have them later on. Best wishes, Catherine

You're doing great!! Don't get down! 51 lbs is fantastic, and with your new fill, you'll be back to dropping weight in no time. Also, remember that while you're plateaued, you are giving your skin a chance to catch up to the pounds you've lost. So, things are tightening up and your body is getting used to being smaller. This isn't a bad thing -- it's just part of the process. Congratulations on all of your success so far, and all of the success to come! Catherine

Today is my 11 month Bandiversary, and I feel incredible! I finally hit the sixty-pound down mark (60.6 actually!) this morning and am THRILLED! I now have only 14.4 pounds to go to goal! I LOVE MY BAND!! Thanks for letting me broadcast my SV! I doubt I'd have been this successful without all of the great advice, posts and encouragement of all the amazing bandsters on this site and on my blog! Catherine

I have a "desk" job, and only took a few days. It was plenty. Six weeks is excessive, unless you are a professional athlete! Catherine

I see that you only have 75 lbs to lose to get to goal. So, you probably have a much lower BMI than the bandsters who are dropping more weight during their pre-op diet. Four pounds is still 2 per week. That's a healthy rate of loss. Unless your doctor is unhappy with this, I really wouldn't stress. I started this process with 75 pounds to lose as well, and I have just over 16 to go to goal at this point. I've lost a lot slower than some other bandsters, but the weight has certainly come off -- and it all adds up over time. When I get frustrated about my rate of loss, I remind myself that slow loss gives your skin more time to shrink and is easier on your body. That helps a lot! BTW, I hope you have taken your measurements and some before photos! It will feel great to be able to track your progress as you go! Best, Catherine

I remember freaking out pre-op, thinking I would never be able to eat "normally" again or eat certain foods. BUT, that's totally not the case. If you don't have a fill in your band, you will still be able to eat a big old burger, pizza, whatever. Not that this is recommended -- BUT, I'm saying this so that you can relax a little and know that if you're really craving these things after you are banded, you will be able to eat them once you get on solid foods. I really wish someone would have told me this before my surgery. It would have cut down on my anxiety about how big of a change this was going to be! So. . stop cheating on your pre-op! This isn't the last opportunity you'll ever have to eat whatever you want! It's just that when you have the band, you probably won't want to do this and will be excited about getting to good restriction and losing weight. The choice will remain yours -- don't stress! Best wishes for your success, Catherine

Why does/did Lap Band work for you, above anything else you've tried? I agree with Jacqui and Trobison. My band keeps me from overeating at every meal, every day. Before, I used to eat just a little too much at each meal, then "splurge" once in a while. That added about 10 pounds a year for around 6 years. With the band, I sometimes have dessert or a treat -- but I never overdo it to the extent I would have pre-band. People say that the band is just a tool. . and that it's not a magic wand. That's absolutely true. BUT, if you follow the rules the majority of the time, it works like a charm. I love it. And, I've failed on enough diets (or succeeded, then gained it all back and more) to know that I would not be doing this well on my own. It just makes it easy to stay the course long-term. Catherine

It really is amazing! You can see when I started that I could hardly believe I'd be down 40 lbs by April! Fast forward a few months, and I'm down almost 60! It has really changed so much about how I feel about my weight and appearance, and I am feeling really great. Best, Catherine

Dawn, I've visited your blog, too -- looks great, and I love it that you and your DH are doing this together. I tend to make the rounds of as many blogs as I can, but I only post once in a while. You and Gen are so great -- I am so glad that you got something out of reading my blog!

OMG -- shameless! LOL :sad: I actually HAVE visited your blog! I just didn't post a comment. Blog looks great, and I look forward to reading more.

Here is mine: www.chroniclesfrombandland.blogspot.com! I love Amy's (Malukafamy) blog, and several others -- there are a number of links to other blogs on my site. Catherine

I'm losing more slowly now, but put me down to be at 165 for October 31st! Catherine

I'm not sure if it's totally obvious, but I activated the words "Pro/Con List" and "post-op plan for success" so that you can click on them and see mine if you want an example. Catherine

Pretty much everyone feels like that before surgery -- I know that I did! What I did to help me get through it was to make a Pro/Con List, and whenever I was having doubts, I'd read it and the decision would once again be clear to me. I even brought my list to the hospital with me, just in case I got cold feet when I was there. Anyway, you might want to make one. Honestly, the changes I've had to make with the band have been so minor compared with how great this whole process has been, and how happy I am with the results and with my health, fitness and appearance. A few other recommendations -- think about writing out a post-op plan for success, and definitely and write down your measurements and take some "before" photos! You are going to want to be able to measure all of your progress (because it feels so good to do that!) and see the difference as you progress. Hang in there! Catherine

DaMomb, I love your VS NSV!! That is great! :mad2:

Cappy -- I like Sahsue's suggestion about joining WW. That could be a big help! You probably should go in and talk to your doctor about this -- and maybe get a fill as well. There is no reason that you can't get back on track now! I've been relatively consistent, though I do go through bad eating weeks like everyone else. Actually, blogging and being on this board has been a big help to me. It keeps me thinking about being banded and makes me feel like I'm in this process with other bandsters. Maybe you should think about starting a blog about getting back on track. I bet there are a bunch of other people in the same boat who would love to read about that and who would be inspired by your success! Best wishes, Catherine

It works great! I was 37/230/ and 5'6 when I started this process 10 1/2 months ago! I am so, so happy with the results I have had so far. I've been keeping a blog and tracking my progress since the beginning, complete with comparison photos, etc. Link is below -- feel free to check it out! Also, check out Lise the Loser's blog (link on my blog). She started several months before me and also had similar stats. Congratulations on your decision! Definitely be sure to take your measurements (and a few "before" photos) as soon as possible, if you haven't already! It will be pretty incredible to be able to look back and see all of your progress! Best wishes, Catherine

I totally feel the same way!! Congratulations on all of your success! There are so many more good things to come! Catherine

It's good that you have the mindset about being afraid of doing something wrong! I felt the same way, and it helped me to stay on the straight & narrow. At some point, I did figure out that I had no restriction. I think that happened after I was on solid foods. I was hungry (. . and it was around Thanksgiving. . ) and I could pretty much eat anything. BUT, I controlled myself to large extent. Still, I did put on about 5 pounds during "bandster hell." And, then I lost those 5 and many more! On the soup front, I made a few Soups from scratch so that I could tell what I was eating (and had band-friendly food to bring to work for lunch). I put individual portions in those Ziplock containers and froze them. So, I controlled portion size that way, and it worked out well. BTW, if you are interested I have 3 or 4 soup recipes (with photos) posted on my blog that I really liked. If you try any of them out, let me know how it goes! Catherine

My 11 month Bandiversary is coming up on the 23rd, and I just wanted to share how great of a ride this has been so far! Some of the many good things: This past weekend, for the first time ever, I participated in a 5K race (Race for The Cure) and ran it, instead of walked! This is HUGE for me, since at this time last year, I was physically unable to run due to a co-morbidity called "compartmental syndrome." I recently noticed that my legs no longer touch when I walk! I fit in regular sized clothing and am finally able to shop in normal stores again! As a result, shopping has become fun again, and I actually enjoy shopping with my friends (since now I don't have to pretend to look at accessories while they try on all of the cute clothes that were too small for me)! I actually LIKE how my body is looking these days. That's surprising & interesting to me because when I was gaining, I felt huge at this weight. I am not uncomfortable on airplanes any more (well, not more than the average person anyway) and no longer am terrified of getting stuck in a middle seat! Some funny observations: Sometimes I look at a pair of pants and think "There is NO WAY these are going to fit!" and they do! It's hard for me to really understand what I look like right now. I had some anxiety about getting rid of my "fat" clothes until I realized that -- unlike after any "diet" I've ever done in the past -- I'm not going to need them again. The other day, a woman I know at work (who I don't work with or see all that often) INTRODUCED HERSELF TO ME IN THE ELEVATOR because she didn't recognize me! How crazy is that?! Just wanted to share these things! We all have a lot to look forward to! Catherine

I agree with the people who say it is really uncomfortable -- I'm 11 months post-op and haven't had a painful stuck experience. What generally happens is that I feel it, and may "slime" for a bit (you can't swallow your spit when you are stuck, so it bubbles up and you will have to spit it out) before it passes through. Once in a while, I have to PB. I always know minutes ahead of time when that is going to happen and have never had an embarrassing PB situation in public, thank goodness! Catherine