Band_Groupie

I'm loving reading these too! ...and why can't I have 'followers' on LBT?!!! LOL. Sarah- Congrats on your approval!!!

For a laugh/advice...Read my blog from my first weigh in (on LBT) HERE.

"Mine doesn't show up here but it does if I post in the regular forums." This is correct, it won't show up on blogs, only on posts. -BG

WOW that was some excitement! Glad you're all patched up now! -BG

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Happy Banding!!! If you weren't nervous, it wouldn't be normal! Hang in there and feel better soon! It will get better each day! Best wishes! -BG

I add soy protein powder to oatmeal every morning so I'm still getting solid protein. I've used the Isopure for drinks after fills and they're not awful with frozen fruit/banana added. Your WL is amazingly fast!! Great job! -BG

You're doing great and your WL is great! Those new pants must feel wonderful! Keep it up! -BG

Check with your doc/NUT, but my doc would say you're eating too few calories and anything less that about 800 puts you into 'starvation mode' and slows your metabolism way down so you'll stop losing (your body is hanging on to every calorie thinking there's a famine). I'm told to stay about 1000-1200. It will happen Kim...I think the 'Bandster Hell' right after banding is even harder than all that waiting before. Best wishes...and keep getting those fills! -BG

I sent you an email with instructions...did they come through? -BG

It will start to speed up soon! Hand on to your hat! Best wishes! -BG

Great attitude! Buy some of the K2O protein drink powders and the Crystal Light individual packets...it will help you keep it a little interesting and not having to drink plain water. I made some homemade broth with VoiceOMT2002's recipes and that helped. Hang in there! -BG

Let's see...game food...FF refried beans and gr. beef on a flat taco shell with taco fixin's? I bought some edamame/chick peas, but I haven't made homemaade hummus I want to yet, but even store bought is great with veggies. Greek yogurt with SF preserves.

GREAT job!!! I know what you mean about 'being here before' and being terrified. We have to believe it will be different this time...because it's been different already, hasn't it?!!! Keep it up! -BG

*Portion of Post Deleted for Lap Band Book Now, on to my vacation adventures… I flew out to Phoenix and using the light rail, I met DH at his hotel where he’d been for work. We got the rental car and stopped at Wal-Mart to get the cooler and my water bottles. We stopped to tour Montezuma’s Castle (an ancient cliff dwelling). We drove into Sedona (hotel) and our jaws dropped as we got our first glimpse of the red rocks. Saturday we watched dawn and then headed up to the Grand Canyon. Like I said; I teared up with my first view. Photos can’t do it justice and it’s way bigger than I imagined…ENORMOUS is too small a word. I was shocked by how little of the canyon has any rails (not a place I’d take kids…amazed how many people let their kids walk loose). We took the obligatory photos standing on the very edge of the canyon. You don’t really know how thick that rock you’re standing on is…glad I’d lost weight! I watched as a tiny teen Asian girl walked out on the rim rock where I was to get her photo taken…I waited to make sure she made it back as the wind scared me and I must weigh twice as much. We had our OSU gear on (a game day tradition); I wasn’t at the canyon 5 minutes when I heard someone scream from another path “O-H!”…I laughed and screamed “I-O!” (an OSU chant). This was the start of about 10 comments I got that day from other Buckeyes. It’s a small world! Lesson- wear your favorite team hat/shirt, or one that names your state and you can make friends anywhere…I’m telling you…we get this even outside this country. The OSU saying is that you could scream ‘O-H’ in the middle of a Moroccan market and someone would reply ‘I-O’! We drove to a few other observation points and then off to our first hotel in the park (Maswik). We walked back up and had lunch on the outside porch of the El Tovar (the huge old hotel) overlooking the canyon. We walked to all the sites on the South Rim center and walked partway down the Bright Angel Trail (yes, it’s the widest, easiest trail down into the canyon there, but one false step and…again, we were was shocked by kids running and one mom pushing a stroller partway down the trail…dangerous). We got on the park’s bus and rode all the way to the Western point and walked a little way down Hermit’s Trail there. We saw general warnings at other trailheads, but this was the only place we saw info. on someone dying there and the mistakes she’d made in preparing (young fit gal who had completed the Boston Marathon before). We made a short trip up to the Sports Lounge just to see if the OSU game was on and to find out the score…while the bartender checked, a Buckeye came over to tell us it wasn’t on and gave us the score. After sunset we grabbed a seat in the Bright Angel Lounge where a two man band was playing/singing to have dinner/drinks. Again, soon the guitarist/singer commented that OSU Buckeye’s had arrived and that the two of them were from Ohio. They both came over during their break and we had a long fun chat with them. The next morning we were up before dawn again to grab breakfast (PB incident) and start our day hike. The front desk posted high wind warnings (50-60 mph gusts) and the helicopter and boat tours had been cancelled. I was already nervous about my lack of exercise going on this hike, but I didn’t want to disappoint DH who has walked (with his Geology Field Camp Group) all the way down into the canyon from the North Rim (farthest hike) and back up in a day (something all the trailheads warn you not to even attempt). We went on the South Kaibab trail down into the canyon to ‘Oooh-Ahhh Point'. It was steep with lots of switchbacks and loose sand and pebbles on the trail that made you slide sometimes. We had gusts of wind that created sand storms so bad we’d all press our bodies against the canyon wall and cover our faces. Still the dirt would be in your eyes and mouth. There were were lots of very steep log/rock steps. My legs were shaking a little and after we made it down I was wondering how many hours it was going to take me to get back up. I had to stop just a few times to catch my breath (my asthma and the thin air in that altitude didn’t help), but get this…I had an easier time on the way up than the way down!!! I was shocked by my ability to keep on marching up! At lunch the waiter warned us about being careful with the high winds. He told us that this year there was a day very similar where a tiny old Japanese woman was getting her picture taken by her family standing on the edge of the canyon…a gust blew and she fell over the rim (yes, I was thinking about the Asian girl I saw). There was a book in the gift shops about all the deaths at the GC…pages and pages of people and their stories. Here’s a description I found “the book Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon. Describes in grim detail the many ways people have gotten killed there, including falls, cardiac arrest, hypothermia, sun stroke, flash floods, drowning in the Colorado River, lightning, boulder crushings, airplane and helicopter accidents, etc. All too often tourists treat the Grand Canyon as if it is an amusement park in which everything has been idiot-proofed. To the contrary, the only thing preventing a person from walking off the edge is common sense – a slim thread indeed.” I came home and Googled…on average one to three people still die every year accidentally falling off the GC rim (not including the ones who die in the canyon on trails, and from heat stroke, etc.). Lest I sound overly morbid…I didn't buy the book, but they ought to post better warnings. Over 600+ people have died since the late 1800’s and some 23 people are classified as being murdered in the Grand Canyon (earlier, I laughingly said to DH while I was videotaping him standing on the edge “…and this is DH right before he *ehhemm*… “FELL” off the edge!'). We took the shuttle back out to the west and hiked the rim several miles between overlooks and then all the way back to the lodge we were staying at that night (Kachina- our room had a beautiful view overlooking the canyon). We were walking back from dinner in the dark and there was an elk (first time I’ve seen one) eating the grass about 10 feet from our lodge and right on the rim…DH was hissing at me in a loud whisper as I joined others taking photos (flash, flash, flash) about 10’ from the elk ‘Get away from there!…what was all that you were reading to me on the way here about it being rutting season and the elk being aggressive this time of year?!!’ I couldn’t help myself…I was mesmerized by the giant beast (and darn it…my photos are all black LOL). We woke early and drove the Eastern road out stopping at all the overlook. It was hard to say goodbye to that beautiful canyon. It’s easy to see why it’s one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World…I can’t wait to see the other six. More on Sedona next… 1- Rim 2- S. Kaibab Switch-backs 3- On the trail 4- Oooh-Aahh Point 5- Up the trail

186.5 for me today. I was away for check-in last week, but had gone up 2 pounds to 189 (that stress must have been catching that week). So with a little pre-planning I lost those 2 I'd gained and another .5 pound ON VACATION last week...simply amazing...6 days of every meal out and lots of alcohol (yes, I did) and I lost weight. I love my band! GO BUNNIES!!!

I wish I had that 'stop' button sometimes too! Keep up the good work! -BG

Yeah! Countdown time!!! Congrats girl...it will be here soon! -BG

Agreed. You definitely need an unfill...even a small one may help a lot. You need to be able to eat solids. Call your doc and tell them exactly what's going on. Good luck -BG

Great job!!! Seriously, I think it's great and smart that you know your too tight and you're doing something about it! As you know so many here avoid unfills and end up with much worse problems. Good for you for adjusting this now! Like you said...a tiny bit may be all you need to make all the difference! Hang in there this week and stay on sliders so you don't end up with PB's. Good luck! -BG

Way to go! You do have to be your own advocate in this process! -BG

You may have gotten 'stuck' with the food or eaten too fast. Remember, it sometimes takes a week or up to 4 weeks for a fill to fully 'kick in'. Call your doc if this doesn't improve. Best wishes. -BG

Thanks gals! LOL...fixed the date Barbara (where did Sept. go while I was gone?!)...and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Welcome to Onederland Kathy!!! I got my computer back today...more error messages...I've been trying to get it to work all afternoon...grrr...back it goes...I've got blogging to do! Mechelle- sending you ticker info. momentarily...

*Post Deleted for Lap Band Book 1- My first glimpse of the Grand Canyon...brought tears to my eyes! 2- View from Desert View Rim 3- View from the East Entrance Watchtower of the Colorado River 4- Sedona Sunrise 5- Sedona Sunset

OK, glad to see others are working this out. I've got some new ideas of things I didn't think of; have been doing the greek yogurt, but hadn't thought about it as a sauce! ...and I'm going to have to look up canellini Beans (what are they?)...but I've been looking for different beans to add. Bought some chick peas/edamame...anyone have a hummus recipe that's not spicy? I just started adding 3T of soy Protein to my morning oatmeal 1/2 sv. It's now more protein than oatmeal...blech! I need another trip to GNC- good powder additions to solids, thanks! Lots of good ideas here...keep 'em coming! I've been reading the 'what I ate today' thread for awhile and it was just depressing me and wasn't helping with my needs, thanks so much all (SweetZ- doc says if you wanted to go on a Liquid Protein diet you should have done that and not gotten the band LOL....defeats the purpose of the band. Yeah, my sis lost a lot of wt. on a liquid protein diet...gained it back...doesn't teach you how to live.)

Thanks SweetZ! I was beginning to wonder if ANYONE was able to achieve this...and yet, most of our docs give very similar requirements; at least those of us that were told not to have liquid calories. I'm thinking I might have to start adding some Snacks in (my doc doesn't allow), even though I'm not hungry between meals, but I'm only losing a pound a week, so I'm not anxious to add more calories. Even on your day, I see you didn't get fruit in either (maybe in the yogurt?)...I never do. I'll have to look for some of those soy snacks...great idea. I'm beginning to see why so many here still use Protein shakes. This seems impossible to acheive...but I'm not giving up yet! Thanks!