willowcat

Sadie, Thanks for posting this. I've read all of Geneen Roth's books (except her new one) and would have to say that she was instrumental in helping me realize the twisted role food has had in my life. I'm so thankful she shared her story with the world, but I never could get her strategy to work for me (the food savoring and the "permission" to eat as much of a "forbidden" food as your body/psyche wanted until you were full all sounded wonderful, but while I grew away from being a "good/bad" person based on what I ate, I was also growing in size!). I tried another author's approach called Intuitive Eating. Same thing. I think I made some sort of peace with food and really got in touch with my body's physical response to hunger and satiety, but I just kept gaining weight. I'm very interested in reading Eating Less. I've also been considering getting a bit of an unfill. I've been having problems eating healthy foods--blueberries, nectarines, tuna, chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, etc!--and can't believe that having the band means I have to be limited to a small collection of foods that don't cause me to pb. Thanks again for posting. Looking forward to new insight and strategies! :frown:

I don't know, but it sure seems that way. I know that when I get in a rut and eat the same things all the time, I start feeling like I'm "hunting" for food--even though I'm not hungry, I still want to eat. I've decided that's my body's way of saying it's not getting enough nutrients. When you eat the same things over and over, you limit the variety that is the hallmark of healthy eating--because by having a lot of variety you get a whole "soup" of micronutrients that the body needs--that's the way I understand it from my nutritionist anyway. I struggle with getting in a rut--for all the reasons you mentioned--but I'm really trying to have more variety, because I think a healthy body is better able to do the work of losing weight. Sorry, I stink at recipes. Try allrecipes.com or another online recipe source maybe. Good luck.

I had a revelation today about why it's so hard for me to drink more than even a minimal amount of water. It all comes down to which is more pleasurable. The band rules from my doctor (I think they're pretty universal) say no water/liquids one-half hour before eating and no water/liquids one hour after eating. Since I eat either a meal or a snack just about every three hours, it feels like there's never any time to drink water (actually, I just figured it out on paper and in any given day there's at least 5 hours "available" for drinking water). So...given the choice between eating or drinking, I pick eating--of course! Instead of thinking "I can't drink because I'm going to be eating," I need to change my thinking to "I can't eat because I'm going to be drinking." Just thought I'd pass along that ah-ha for me.

Good luck--hope all goes well!

I have problems with the lactose in whey-based Protein powders, so I went to my local health-food store and looked for a protein powder without whey in it. I found a protein powder by NutriBiotic that says Vegan right on the front label. It's called Vegan Rice Protein. I buy it in chocolate and vanilla--I like it just fine. It's not as high in protein as whey-based protein powders, but here's what the nutritional label says for one heaping Tbsp: Calories 55 Fat 0.3 g Cholesterol 0 mg Sodium 8 mg Carbohydrates 1.8 g Protein 12 g Adding it to soymilk would probably bring up the grams of protein enough to make it competitive with the whey-based protein powders. My nutritionist was fine with me using this protein powder pre-op (especially because I was throwing up the whey-based protein drinks!), but wanted me to make extra sure that I take a Multivitamin along with this if I use it as a Meal Replacement now--because it isn't a significant source of Vitamins and minerals. Good luck!

A year later for all of us sometime this month! :confused: How's it been? What have you learned? What are your hopes for the next year? Victories? Disappointments? Regrets? Praises? I'll start. Getting the band was the best thing I've ever done for myself. My only regret is that I didn't do this sooner. I hope next year sees me losing the rest of my weight and at goal. I hope my skin snaps back more. I feel strong, healthy, and normal-sized! I have more energy and no more leg, knee, and feet pain. I've learned that I still don't know how to eat slowly (and regurgitated food doesn't taste very good). I've also learned that steak doesn't really taste that good when eaten in really small bites. I've found that I like exercising and the more I do it, the more I want to do it. Also, I'm not afraid of airplane seats in coach anymore. I wish I could find the correct balance between too tight and not tight enough. What else do you have? Please share!

News that Sharon Osbourn had her band emptied because it was triggering her bulimia, got me thinking about pbing and bulimia, too. I've suffered with compulsive overeating--zombie-like, mindless, insane eating. At one time I considered "refunding" as a way to deal with my overeating, though I never did it. But I have gone to OA and have met people who have struggled with bulimia for years. Anorexics, bulimics, and overeaters all share the same obsession with food. It's truly a mental torture and has nothing to do with actually nourishing one's body. Eating (or not eating for anorexics) is a distraction for dealing with life and the emotions of life. I think the difference between pbing and bulimia is the purpose being served by the vomitting. If you're vomitting because you are panicked that you've eaten something "bad" or because you're afraid that if you don't get rid of all that food you'll "get fat" then I think you've starting crossing over into bulimia. If you vomit because you're stuck or you've truly eaten more than your pouch can hold, then you are not making good choices--but I don't think you're bulimic. That doesn't make it ok to be throwing up all the time, but I think one is a physical need (pbing) and one is a mental/emotional need (bulimia). Pbing, though, should be a yellow light that makes us stop and ask ourselves "Why did that happen? What do I need to change? Smaller bites? Slower eating? Different food choices? Smaller portions?" Maybe when you're secretly happy that you can just pb that up if it doesn't work out, you've started down a slippery slope? I don't really know. Just some ideas I've had myself.

Leigha, Sounds like your plate is already full with the C25K. I wouldn't name your decision as "giving up," but as "changing course". All things in good time. Enjoy the journey. :thumbup:

Everyone here is so tall! I don't feel short at 5'2", but I guess I am. Hmm...I didn't feel fat at my highest weight either...I must live in denial and not realize it (but then it wouldn't be denial now would it?! lol). 130 lbs will put me right at the high end of "healthy"--I'd be great with going lower, but as it is now, I'm already starting to swim in my loose skin--yikes!

Hi gals and guys! Leigha thanks for the invite! It's nice to hang out with positive people--Life is too short for the other kind, I think. I'm a teacher and school is over in one week! Yeah! Back to regular exercise! My bandiversay is June 4th--I'd like to see 100 lbs lost to celebrate! My husband says that it's only numbers and don't get too hung up on them--I guess humans are funny that way (I still want to see 100 lbs lost by then--wish me luck!). Last night we went to the movies--first time in a long time--and the best part of the movie (besides watching Russell Crowe) was sitting in the seat and having plenty of room to spare between me and the stranger in the seat next to me--no embarassing overflow!

Thank god for ibuprofin--it's the only otc pain killer that really works for me! I use the liquid gels with plenty of water. My reasoning is that as soon as the gel caps dissolve, the liquid pain killer will go right through my pouch into the rest of my stomach. Ibuprofin can be hard on the stomach (even before being banded) as it is. I prefer to not have the pain killer sitting above my stoma for very long because I've found that it can irritate the stoma and cause "stuck" problems until it eventually heals in a few days.

You've gotten lots of good advice about the bike, but I thought I'd throw in my two cents worth about the skates. If they fasten/close with velcro straps, just buy some double-sided velcro (they sell it in office supply stores for organizing your electronics' wires--I think I've even seen it being sold at Walgreens now). Cut it to the extra length you need and use it to extend the tabs. It's still very secure and it works! I've done that to get the cross-country ski boots I rented to fit and had no problems at all--even during a full day of skiing. I have short legs and thick ankles--even at a much lower weight, I had trouble closing the straps on ski boots; the porportions are simply designed for a longer leaner leg. Good luck and be safe!

Which direction do you wipe after peeing? I know that you're "supposed to " wipe from front to back, but when I was at my highest weight, honestly, it was a hard enough reach just to wipe my booty--no way could I reach behind and under to wipe from front to back after peeing. After losing a lot of weight, everything shrinks (including the distance between the two places?). Out of habit, I still wipe from back to front. I'm asking this totally weird question because lately I've been having a string of yeast infections--which I almost never have--and I'm beginning to wonder if my wiping habits are to blame. I know there are a lot of possible causes for yeast infections, and if I get one more, I won't treat it over-the-counter but will go to the doctor's. PS. This gives me the skeevies just writing this, but if not here, then where?

Every surgery has the risk of death, BUT lapband is minimally invasive and is not considered a high-risk surgery. I wouldn't let the fact that someone died after lapband surgery stop me from getting lapbanded--you have no information about that person's other health issues anyway. Life is full of risks. People die all the time from automobile accidents and yet everyone still gets behind the wheel of a car. Don't psyche yourself out over this.

I've been teaching for 20 years, but last year was the worst. At 5'2" and nearly 300lbs, I was in pain, felt exhausted all the time, and spent as much time sitting as possible. I had resisted even the notion of bariatric surgery for quite some time, but as my weight rose during the years, I began to fear that I wouldn't be able to continue doing the job I love--I felt SO old and worn out. Sometimes I laugh to myself when I think about all the weight I was carrying around--I imagine myself hoisting two of my second graders (about equal to the amount of weight I've lost so far) on my back and trying to do my job! No wonder I was exhausted. I feel younger for sure! Yeah! Hoping I can continue teaching for another 15-20 years now! :thumbup:

Starzie, YEAH for you!!!! I'm so proud of you! It's kind of like you did it for all of us 2009 June Journeys--look what one our own accomplished! So glad that your son could be your cheerleader, too! Good for you--enjoy your BIG NSV! :thumbup: Willowcat

So...how was it?! :thumbup:

60 miles is my goal

March total: 56.3 miles close...but no cigar

I am aware that I am a slow loser, comments in regards to my slow weight loss are not welcome, I have done nothing wrong, there is nothing wrong with me, we are individuals and lose weight differently. Your silence will not save you I don't get your signature--what's the last part mean? Just curious. Sorry for hijacking the thread, so in response to the OP, hunger has always hurt my stomach--that's one of the reasons I could never last long on WW--when all the points were gone for the day and I was still hungry (painfully) it was unbearable. I thought everyone felt hunger as stomach pain--no? I still do--even after being banded--but now it takes much longer to get to that point. That's the reason I don't stick to the "three meals a day, no snacking" lapband rule--I have three small meals and three very small Snacks every day. Works for me.

I'll add my two cents for what it's worth. I had to give up coffee prior to surgery because my surgeron said he didn't want it in my system during surgery, and he also didn't want me to suffer from caffeine-withdrawl symptoms (headache, etc) on the day of surgery. I slowly cut back to nothing for my surgery. Then, directly after the surgery I was told to refrain from coffee because it is a stimulant and may irritate the newly-banded stomach. I figured since coffee can sometimes be a bowel stimulant (contractions and all--not to give TMI), that maybe it had a similar effect on other parts of the digestive system (?). I slowly added coffee after about a month after surgery and and am now (10 months later) back to my full cup of coffee with a bit of skim milk. My nutritionist said that she didn't have a problem with coffee--as long as it didn't replace my water intake. Everyone says that coffee is dehydrating, but I remember reading a study that said while that may be true in people who drink coffee now-and-then, that it isn't true in people who drink coffee daily.

Starzie, How awesome! I have to admit I'm a bit jealous--but in a good way. :smile: My nutritionist asked me early after lapbanding what I wanted to be able to do, and my answer was "run." At this point, I'm afraid of hurting myself. I've lost 90 lbs, but still have 65-70 lbs to lose. I don't think my joints are quite ready to handle the pounding that those extra 65-70 lbs would give them. But, oh...do you ever give me hope! When I'm closer to goal, starting the couch to 5K is my next goal! Celebrate your success and don't let the little judgemental voice in your head tell you anything but, "Way to go! I'm so proud of you!" (no matter if you do go slower than others or have to walk a bit--BFD!). Good luck on April 11th. I'll be thinking of you running and thinking "If she was able do it, then I'll be able to, too." :laugh:

Week 2: 18.3 miles 23.6 miles to go I'm on Spring Break this week, so I have high hopes of not only meeting my goal this month but also of passing it! :laugh:

Headin, I'm sorry to hear that all is not going well for you (I remember the struggles you overcame to get banded)! It is true that "insanity is doing the same thing and expecting something different." I got off to a slow start with the lapband, but then found a post on the slow-losers thread that worked for me. Her name was NewSho and this is the link to her thread: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f137/few-tips-slow-loser-now-past-goal-69621/ Just like she says, the more protien I eat, the more the weight seems to melt away. I really hope that you find that what works for you--whatever that might be.

Ann Landers used to recommend that you just look increduously at these busy-bodies and say "What an odd thing for you to say to me." Then change the subject and ignore their rude comment entirely.