Band_Groupie

Hey Doodle, glad you're doing well! ThinWithin started a Friday weigh in thread for us and LingLing has started a spreadsheet (she needs your Friday weight and your starting weight-highest while on the LB journey, pre-op) post HERE. Also I started a thread for those of us yet to be banded so we can help each other through the initial period (since we've got people at so many stages now here). If you're being banded next week, or really I should have said, anytime the end of this month and want to support each other through our banding, post HERE.

My banding is a week from today, April 22nd. As far as what you're supposed to lose, well that is a loaded question, because it depends on your insurance, your current BMI, and your Dr. Here's a parts of 2 responses I gave to other posts and this should answer this (sorry that the information overlaps some). Oh, and I lost 9 pounds in the 6 mo. before approval, I've lost 11 more since then, and I can go below the minimum BMI now that I'm approved. PM me if you have more questions as these pieces of posts might be confusing. Good luck! *In response to someone who wanted to know if they could go below the min. BMI (either 35 or 40), and how much to lose: You can try, but you probably won't get a straight answer from your insurance co. on this (and you're going to have to figure out a way to ask 'what happens if I fall below my minimum BMI before approval?' either 35 or 40). I've found that the insurance person at the surgeon's office is the best source for an answer to this, as they deal with your insurance co. all the time (hopefully, if you're local). Be aware that even they are not legally allowed to tell you directly not to lose weight, so just ask the question so it's worded correctly, or pay careful attention to their answer. My theory is better safe than sorry. I attended 3 seminars and 2 of them actually put in their handouts that the expectation for the diet is not to gain any (people get denied for gaining even one pound) but no big expectation to lose much either. My surgeon's sample PCP letter includes the phrase "was unable to lose any significant amount of weight". My PCP 'gets' this as she's had other WLS patients...she actually scolded me last visit for losing 4 pounds. I think after you've had the discussion with your surgeon's insurance/billing person, if the expectation is not to lose much, then I'd have a frank discussion with my PCP. I'd ask my PCP to focus the time on helping to educate me on the changes that will be needed after the surgery (we discuss exercise, diet/protein, no liquids with meals, things like that). If your PCP doesn't know much, see it as an opportunity to spend a few min. each month educating them. *Another post answer: - Personally, I've found the insurance person at my surgeon's office to be the best source of information since she deals with my ins. co. all the time. Call that person with a list of your questions...ie. your ins. co. will never tell you or spell out in their policy that they expect you not to lose below the minimum BMI, and the ins. expert at your surgeon's office can't legally tell you that either. - Make sure you're well over the min. BMI you need (35 or 40) at your first weigh in. - Make sure you know if you are allowed to fall below the minimum (35 or 40) BMI during your 6 mo. (see second bullet point above). None of the three hospitals I intitially looked at expected you to lose more than a few 5-10 pounds and not go below your min. BMI. I should say that I've seen some ins. co.'s that want to see a certain % of weight loss (5-10%, or sometimes it's a specific # of pounds the surgeon gives you to lose) and they do want you to succeed. Those stories are less common, they seem to be mainly people who are well above the 40 BMI and I'm not sure even then if you can go below your min. BMI.

Exactly how I feel Thin...too excited! I've been planning this since last Spring about this time!

Or really, I should have said anyone getting banded the end of this month! Woot! One week out now and I thought I'd start a thread for all of us getting banded next week so we can help each other through this initial period. I'm doing a self-imposed pre-op diet since my doc doesn't require one (2 low carb Protein shakes and a healthy dinner). I go tomorrow for my pre-op physical (blood tests and I hear they can order a chest xray and EKG if needed...not sure why because the cardiologist did this already). How are you doing? Getting excited? Scared?

Thanks guys! Good luck to my friends still waiting and to those just banded...no matter what the docs procedures, we'll all get to the same place in the end...HEALTHY!

Wow...bootcamp! That's great! Good luck next week, I'll be following you! Join us at the April Bandsters forum HERE. Post your date and join us!

So, you're going to the reunion in your bunny outfit?

I would do your own research and listen to the doctors. JMO- the biggest difference to me is to ask yourself 'Do you need to lose the weight fast because of health reasons?' If you have a bad obesity related comorbidity, you may need to lose it fast- RNY. Then 'Do you need the extra help of malabsorption and the negative reinforcement of dumping for bad foods?' If you have a hard time sticking to an eating plan (not just portion sizes)- RNY. I can stick to a diet plan, I just need the help of feeling full and limiting my portion sizes and I don't mind losing slowly, so I decided on the band for me...for 2 of my M. Obese sisters, I would recommend RNY to them for the above reasons. It's a very personal choice and once you research it you'll figure out what's right for you. Good luck! -BG

I’ve been working on getting down another 10 lbs. before banding. I actually went down 1 ½ lbs. below the 10 lbs. last Thursday, but I knew I’d have to face a weekend of big meals and Easter candy with my family back home so I didn’t want to celebrate my goal too early. As I told you yesterday, I ate pretty healthy and had NO candy (very hard for a chocoholic), but I still gained a pound with all those family (high calorie) meals. There were many temptations ‘Drink Me!’ ‘Eat Me!’ and I only faltered once. I ate a sliver of the ‘Tart’ and I paid for it with a one pound gain. I’ve been back on my pre-op plan and after three mornings back home I feel confident that I can report I’ve officially lost my second ten pounds. So, I’m screaming ‘Off with her head!’ and knocking another Ten Pound Head off my Ticker. Go to the Head of the Class-Trivia Question: What movie is coming out March 2010 that relates to my post? Tim Burton is making Alice in Wonderland with live action and animation mixed. Stars: Johnny Depp plays the Mad Hatter, Anne Hathaway plays the White Queen, Helena Bonham Carter plays the Red Queen, Alan Rickman plays the Caterpillar, Crispin Glover plays the The Knave of Hearts, Stephen Fry plays the Cheshire Cat, and even Christopher Lee is in it, too. Let’s hope it’s better than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (not my favorite version).

I’ve been working on getting down another 10 lbs. before banding. I actually went down 1 ½ lbs. below the 10 lbs. last Thursday, but I knew I’d have to face a weekend of big meals and Easter candy with my family back home so I didn’t want to celebrate my goal too early. As I told you yesterday, I ate pretty healthy and had NO candy (very hard for a chocoholic), but I still gained a pound with all those family (high calorie) meals. There were many temptations ‘Drink Me!’ ‘Eat Me!’ and I only faltered once. I ate a sliver of the ‘Tart’ and I paid for it with a one pound gain. I’ve been back on my pre-op plan and after three mornings back home I feel confident that I can report I’ve officially lost my second ten pounds. So, I’m screaming ‘Off with her head!’ and knocking another Ten Pound Head off my Ticker. Go to the Head of the Class-Trivia Question: What movie is coming out March 2010 that relates to my post? Tim Burton is making Alice in Wonderland with live action and animation mixed. Stars: Johnny Depp plays the Mad Hatter, Anne Hathaway plays the White Queen, Helena Bonham Carter plays the Red Queen, Alan Rickman plays the Caterpillar, Crispin Glover plays the The Knave of Hearts, Stephen Fry plays the Cheshire Cat, and even Christopher Lee is in it, too. Let’s hope it’s better than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (not my favorite version).

Yeah that's it; fuzzy navel is one of the flavors. They come premade or powdered. Is the chocolate truffle low carb?

Holy Cow! That's like a blood donation! Good to know...I go in Thursday for pre-op.

Sounds like a sweet spot to me! Great news!

Thanks for the support guys! Yeah, I'm glad I don't live close to home starting into this...my willpower wouldn't hold...LOL!

Hang in there Sandy! Congrats on the banding...you'll feel better soon!

For me once I was approved I could lose the weight without fear of denial (I asked point-blank at my pre-op class). I've lost 11 pounds since the final weigh in and I'm now below the 35 BMI I needed for approval. Good luck!!!

You go girl! Awesome NSV's!

Has anyone seen the Nectar zero carb protein waters in local stores? Where?

I'm going over to GNC this week for a variety. Someone asked about the Atkins, I tried Milk chocolate, Dark Chocolate Royale and Mocha Latte, and they were all decent. EAS Cocolate fudge is good. Good to know the Isopure Water is good. I want some of the nectar waters too. I'm getting some of the waters to try- zero carbs and sugar and high Protein and you can count them in your water intake.

I had an interesting Easter weekend. In case you’re not caught up, we went to Ohio to see my family. We had a really nice time, but it was a smaller crowd…just my folks and two of my sisters/families (I have 4 siblings)…and one of those sisters/family I only saw on Sunday evening as they were returning from Spring Break in Florida. The interesting part was the ‘food’ aspects. I wasn’t expecting what I got, partly because I knew that Mom and the one sister who was around all weekend have been enrolled in Weight Watchers for several months now. Sure, I was expecting Easter candy, but I became acutely aware of how much of our family time revolves around food (reminder here that I’m the ‘thinner’/'same as some' sibling of the 5 of us and Mom and Dad are only little overweight). My Mom shows her love for us through food, and let me just say here she’s recovering from foot surgery (still wearing the ‘boot’), so there was way less home cooking than usual. We even ordered out dinner one night…blasphemy for Mom. As bad a cook as I am, Mom is that good. Sure, I’ve been on a myriad of diets around my family before, but I must have cheated around them way more than I realized, because this time was SO different. I arrived to find a box of dark chocolate covered raspberry sticks on my bedside…my two favorite flavors together (Mom’s a sweetie)…I felt bad doing it, but I left them there…I had to…no way would they have been safe at my house. Yes, I could have thrown them away, but I figured maybe I needed to send the message…don’t tempt me. I took my protein shakes for breakfast…Mom was up every morning before me…gourmet coffee made, bacon sizzling, homemade preserves and apple butter laid out, croissants and pain-au-chocolat (which had risen overnight…also my favorite French food) baking in the oven, Krispy Kremes in my favorite flavor-raspberry filling, DH’s favorite glazed, and eggs made to order…my kids were in heaven! DS2 made up a song for my Mom years ago entitled “Bacon and Eggs” and came down singing it (his grandmother ‘makes the best eyeball eggs ever!’…fried in bacon grease). I told her that I’m dieting and took out my protein shake to drink…I know she was disappointed and I felt bad that she had prepared all my favorite things. I stuck to the protein shakes for breakfast, but we had pizza and Chinese for dinners and lunch at Olive Garden (soup, salad, - the breadsticks, but still probably a ton of calories)…I tried to eat the healthy stuff. Sunday morning I had my shake and then Mom had everyone over for brunch after church. I ate a little of the egg casserole (with bread stuffing, sausage, cream and cheese…hmmm) and some fruit (until I remembered it was sugared). The Kringle did me in though…if you don’t know what one is they’re an enormous flat oval Danish treat covered in soft yummy icing and filled with anything you can imagine from fruit to nuts. My sister was sitting next to me in the family room and commented on my small plate of food. When I told her I was dieting she even said ‘But it’s Easter!!!’ I looked at her and said ‘Stop the Satan talk…please don’t tempt me!’…she protested a little more and then gave up (I get it…I never liked to see someone dieting as I was stuffing my face either…misery loves company). As everyone was later munching on their Easter basket candy I stole back in and took just a sliver of the Kringle before it was gone…I immediately felt awful. I suddenly realized then that in the past I’d usually made ‘excuses’ for holidays too…it’s a holiday, a vacation, we’re out to eat, a trip to the family, there’s nothing healthy so I have to eat it. I heard both my sister and mom make those excuses on why they weren’t following their Weight Watchers diets…I don’t say that to blame them, it’s just that it made me realize that’s what I’d usually done in the past also. My one sister, who has diabetes, high blood pressure, and has had two mini-strokes, joined us for our last dinner. There were margaritas, honey baked ham, beans slathered in butter, potato casserole (with cornflakes, cream and tons of butter and cheese), rolls and a carrot sheet cake that could have fed 4x as many people. It was hard to just choose the ham and beans and insist we didn’t need to take home any carrot cake. I got home and found ½ my Mom’s enormous homemade lemon butter pound cake in a bag. I reflected on the food frenzy of the weekend coming home. In the past I wouldn’t have thought much about it at all (even on a diet) because I’m so used to it, but this weekend was like a smack in the face…a wake-up-call. I’m glad my family saw me eating less and drinking protein shakes. It will make it easier to explain things post-op since I’m not telling anyone. I even announced that I’d lost 20+ pounds since they last saw me so they wouldn’t be shocked when they see me next. No one had noticed the weight loss…my youngest sister said ‘That’s nothing, I’ve lost 40# before and no one’s noticed…the fatter you are the less you can tell!’ My family is used to seeing me lose major weight though…what they’re not used to is me KEEPING IT OFF!

I had an interesting Easter weekend. In case you’re not caught up, we went to Ohio to see my family. We had a really nice time, but it was a smaller crowd…just my folks and two of my sisters/families (I have 4 siblings)…and one of those sisters/family I only saw on Sunday evening as they were returning from Spring Break in Florida. The interesting part was the ‘food’ aspects. I wasn’t expecting what I got, partly because I knew that Mom and the one sister who was around all weekend have been enrolled in Weight Watchers for several months now. Sure, I was expecting Easter candy, but I became acutely aware of how much of our family time revolves around food (reminder here that I’m the ‘thinner’/'same as some' sibling of the 5 of us and Mom and Dad are only little overweight). My Mom shows her love for us through food, and let me just say here she’s recovering from foot surgery (still wearing the ‘boot’), so there was way less home cooking than usual. We even ordered out dinner one night…blasphemy for Mom. As bad a cook as I am, Mom is that good. Sure, I’ve been on a myriad of diets around my family before, but I must have cheated around them way more than I realized, because this time was SO different. I arrived to find a box of dark chocolate covered raspberry sticks on my bedside…my two favorite flavors together (Mom’s a sweetie)…I felt bad doing it, but I left them there…I had to…no way would they have been safe at my house. Yes, I could have thrown them away, but I figured maybe I needed to send the message…don’t tempt me. I took my protein shakes for breakfast…Mom was up every morning before me…gourmet coffee made, bacon sizzling, homemade preserves and apple butter laid out, croissants and pain-au-chocolat (which had risen overnight…also my favorite French food) baking in the oven, Krispy Kremes in my favorite flavor-raspberry filling, DH’s favorite glazed, and eggs made to order…my kids were in heaven! DS2 made up a song for my Mom years ago entitled “Bacon and Eggs” and came down singing it (his grandmother ‘makes the best eyeball eggs ever!’…fried in bacon grease). I told her that I’m dieting and took out my protein shake to drink…I know she was disappointed and I felt bad that she had prepared all my favorite things. I stuck to the protein shakes for breakfast, but we had pizza and Chinese for dinners and lunch at Olive Garden (soup, salad, - the breadsticks, but still probably a ton of calories)…I tried to eat the healthy stuff. Sunday morning I had my shake and then Mom had everyone over for brunch after church. I ate a little of the egg casserole (with bread stuffing, sausage, cream and cheese…hmmm) and some fruit (until I remembered it was sugared). The Kringle did me in though…if you don’t know what one is they’re an enormous flat oval Danish treat covered in soft yummy icing and filled with anything you can imagine from fruit to nuts. My sister was sitting next to me in the family room and commented on my small plate of food. When I told her I was dieting she even said ‘But it’s Easter!!!’ I looked at her and said ‘Stop the Satan talk…please don’t tempt me!’…she protested a little more and then gave up (I get it…I never liked to see someone dieting as I was stuffing my face either…misery loves company). As everyone was later munching on their Easter basket candy I stole back in and took just a sliver of the Kringle before it was gone…I immediately felt awful. I suddenly realized then that in the past I’d usually made ‘excuses’ for holidays too…it’s a holiday, a vacation, we’re out to eat, a trip to the family, there’s nothing healthy so I have to eat it. I heard both my sister and mom make those excuses on why they weren’t following their Weight Watchers diets…I don’t say that to blame them, it’s just that it made me realize that’s what I’d usually done in the past also. My one sister, who has diabetes, high blood pressure, and has had two mini-strokes, joined us for our last dinner. There were margaritas, honey baked ham, beans slathered in butter, potato casserole (with cornflakes, cream and tons of butter and cheese), rolls and a carrot sheet cake that could have fed 4x as many people. It was hard to just choose the ham and beans and insist we didn’t need to take home any carrot cake. I got home and found ½ my Mom’s enormous homemade lemon butter pound cake in a bag. I reflected on the food frenzy of the weekend coming home. In the past I wouldn’t have thought much about it at all (even on a diet) because I’m so used to it, but this weekend was like a smack in the face…a wake-up-call. I’m glad my family saw me eating less and drinking protein shakes. It will make it easier to explain things post-op since I’m not telling anyone. I even announced that I’d lost 20+ pounds since they last saw me so they wouldn’t be shocked when they see me next. No one had noticed the weight loss…my youngest sister said ‘That’s nothing, I’ve lost 40# before and no one’s noticed…the fatter you are the less you can tell!’ My family is used to seeing me lose major weight though…what they’re not used to is me KEEPING IT OFF!

2 weeks CLEAR liquids post-op, then mushies.

Holy Cow Batman! I was gone for a long weekend and I'm not 1/2 way through reading everyone's updates! Hope you all had a great weekend too. The bunnies have been multiplying again...we're just under 250...that's a whole lot of people going through the same thing and supporting each other along the way! I had my pre-op class on Thursday; couldn't post until I got home today, so it's on my blog today (link below) for anyone interested. I noted anything that was different than the majority here. Have a great week!

Lingling- Sorry for the delay...just got back into town and I'm trying to catch up with everything. The spreadsheet will be great motivation...I gained 1 1/2# on my long weekend and that was with drinking a shake for Breakfast and being really good at meals (and I ate NO sweets...not even a single jelly bean)...so discouraging. Ahh well, back on the pre-op track. Here's your info. Highest Pre pre-op-248 March- Not sure April 4- 231 April 10- 226.5 (now 228 boo-hoo) MrsMitch- I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm glad you're still on the road to banding. Hang in there!

band- I hope your appointment went well today. Don't beat yourself up so much about the food obsession...we all have it. I think if we're honest with ourselved then most of us are frightened of 'what will happen when I can't turn to food anymore?' We've all turned to food for one reason or another and suddenly we won't have that anymore. I really believe all this self-reflection will help later on so that we are aware and can have a plan. You hear so much about 'transfer addiction'...those that don't have food and suddenly turn to something else to fill that void; I think they are the ones who never took the time to work this through. I think the planning is to make sure that your new addiction/obsession will be something positive instead of something negative...plan to start something new; exercise, family time, a new hobby, take a class...whatever it is I think you have to plan this as part of the whole lifestyle change. The initial comfort and peace (yes, followed by self-loathing and disgust) that comes from our food addiction has to be found in other things. I'm writing a daily blog to help myself and I've found it cathartic, I'm stepping up the exercise (maybe I can get addicted to that...LOL, not likely, but maybe), and I plan to start painting again...planning things that make you feel good is critical I think. Anyway, enough of my babble...hope your meeting went well. -BG