Zannie

You're certainly entitled to disagree! I think the world is better for diversity of opinion -- keeps us honest. It's funny, in most areas of my life, I'm not one to surrender to "doctor's superior knowledge" at all... I'm "you're your own best patient advocate" all the way! Especially when it comes to my kids. But I figure I've been overweight since puberty, dieting on & off for 20 years. And I've taken several courses in nutrition (both college-level & community-based) myself. Not a bit of that has helped me in my struggle with weight. So...for a change...I'm just gonna go on faith. Maybe that's naive. Maybe I'll regret it. But I don't want to 2nd guess this time. Ya know? I'm tired of getting this weight loss thing so wrong!!!! I want this to be the tool that works. And this clinic (with a reputation I did research) is where I can get "service" with the tool. So be it -- I can (try to) give up control this one time & trust "the experts" on something I've not been able to control myself: how to loose weight. They want me taking in a certain amount of protein, so a certain amount of protein I'll take in. They want me to shoot for around 70g of carbs a day (more than double the 30g Atkins limit), then I'll shoot for 70g. Really -- what could it hurt at this point? I've tried nearly everything else already! :tired Suzanne

Right - I thought the Protein Calculator at a protein site would surely say I needed to BUY more (of their) Protein powder! But, instead, it showed that I was doing well from whole foods. I was very surprised! My clinic gave a formula to figure out how much protein is needed, based on the Lean Body Mass reading from their Body Composition scale (which we get on at adjustment appointments). Maybe somebody else could also benefit from this information: Protein needed for weight loss = (lbs LBM/2) x 1.3(female) or 1.5(male) Protein needed for maintenance = lbs LBM/2 Suzanne

While looking for different protein powders, I stumbled upon this Protein Calculator: http://www.unjury.com/reg/calculator.shtml I was really surprised at how much protein a day you actually can get from food alone. My doc wants a minimum of 75g, preferably 90g of protein a day. I've never bothered to add my whole foods up -- just kept up with sipping on a daily 50g Protein Drink. As it turns out, I’m doing pretty well with my protein intake from real foods! :thumb: I still drink at least 25g of protein supplement a day, just to be on the safe side. :biggrin1: (My surgeon also said to keep in mind that body builders of the past are NOT after all having liver issues now, so the concern for "too much protein" isn't as real as everybody thought it would become for that population.)

Good thinking! :clap2: I say we treat ourselves & all go on one of the WLS cruises I heard about at my local LapBand support group! :biggrin1: Ya know, with WLS conferences on board, and fellow flappy former fat people to lounge with at the beach/poolside! The least-costly one I know about would sail in Sept '08 -- 4 Day Western Caribbean Cruise/Conference departing from Miami, Florida on September 8th, 2008, aboard the Carnival Fascination, to Key West, Florida and Calica, Mexico :ip: -- 19-months after our Feb'07 surgeries! If you don't like the SUN idea :heh:, there's a 4 Day Canadian Coastline Cruise/Conference departing from New York on August 28th, 2008, aboard the Carnival Victory in August '08! (Or, heck -- let's all go on the June'08 12-day Mediterranean cruise!:flypig:) Whadaya say? Suzanne

<p>You're a good cookie to take us all on, Teacher! <img src="http://www.LapBandTalk.com/images/smilies/biggrin1.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Biggrin1" smilieid="199" class="inlineimg" /></p> <p> </p> <p>As I browse through the other threads on LBT & see all the "same month" groups of Bandsters with active threads still going... Well, I just can't help wonder where will we all be this time next year? The LapBand doesn't give instant gratification; this is a 18-month/2 year plan we've signed on for... Oh, how I wish I had a crystal ball!</p> <p> </p> <p>Many of us will be at goal already! A few of our number may have fallen off the Bandwagon, unfortunatly... Statistically, our majority will be well on our way, but with work still to do. I'd love to have met (if not surpassed) my surgeon's goal of being down by about 125 in April of 2008! </p> <p> </p> <p>A year from now, how far do YOU hope to have come with your Band?</p>

I've never had issues with timing out -- and I never have to log in either. Sorry... As for your ticker -- the 500-character limit includes things like the code for your font style, size, color, etc. And the shade of purple you’re using is one of the longer color names to select. By clicking the A/A button in the upper right of the sig.editor box, you can switch to the mode that lets you see the BBCode info. Rather than alternating colors (each switch requiring a separate entry of BBCode), you might try just switching from regular to bold for H#/S#/C#/G# (which have shorter codes than the colors). Or try choosing colors with shorter BBCode names. How's that for tech-speak, eh? HTH :gluck: Suzanne

Heh! Yeah, well I was feeling a tad pessimistic about ever getting any restriction when I made the graphic! :heh: I wanted to see how many would fit. :thumbs_up: And it didn’t look nearly as busy all alone as it does in the complete signature! But it was late & I just haven’t gotten around to reworking the graphic part. :becky: (I know what I’ll be doing in a few minutes, eh?! ) Why post fills at all..? Well, to use an analogy...all kids are different, but parents still tend to compare ‘milestones’ (how big was Jane at 18-mo vs. how big John is at 18-mo; when did Billy cut his 1ST tooth…). It’s the same sort of thing, I guess. :guess Apples & oranges because we’re all going to react differently to this whole thing, but it’s A) comforting to see that your not the only one who’s hasn’t got “sweet spot” restriction with 8.5 cc in a 10cc band, or reassuring that you’ve got restriction already with only 1.5 cc in a 4cc band. That’s what these boards are great for – sharing information & knowing we’re not alone on this journey. Plus, the detailed sigs let ya glean info without asking questions that seem intrusive or unimportant in the bigger picture. I’ve had all sorts of PMs about self-paying, which was something I hesitated to put in my sig at all. I like to think it’s actually been useful rather than TMI. But I’ll certainly concede that info’s only helpful if you’re looking for it! And I agree that scrolling through empty space in sig that goes on & on does seem pointless. I'm also not above turning off my sig in a volley of opinion (such as this) -- how many times does it need to be seen? To each his own! Suzanne

I’m a details girl. Personally, I like seeing the progress everyone's made in the signatures. I had all sorts of questions when 1ST starting this process that were so basic…many sigs addressed them! And it tells “your story” without having to go into it every time! But that’s just me. (I'm also fond of emoticons.:cheeky) My original signature fit the parameters – if I removed some of my “challenge” info. I did not want to do that. So I got creative – and a bit carried away. :becky: I’m not actually all that happy with the end results (contains more info than ever before & is now too busy for my taste), but it will do for now. Here is how I’ve attempted to “get around” the new signature requirements: I used an art program (msPaint, Adobe Photoshop, etc) to create a 500 x 100 signature image, made in the transparent setting. To that “.gif” I include all my information that doesn’t change much. I then uploaded it using the “Upload Signature Picture” feature below the signature editor itself. This image counts as one of your 6 lines, but only 17 of the 500 characters. Just fill in the other lines with stuff that is updated frequently (i.e. ticker, challenge data, any URL links so they remain clickable). Now your sig doesn’t take up more space than it ought to, but it can still contain all the information you want to share! HTH :laugh

I like the Raspberry DaVinci syrup with chocolate. And, since we’re talking where to get products for less, I often find the S/F syrups in the gourmet food sections of our local Marshals & TJ Maxx. The flavor selection is limited, but the prices are better than I’ve found on-line. I also found (just last night, so I can’t comment on service) a website that claims to price match and give you 5% off the lowest on-line price you find. The shipping wasn’t all that great, but most places seems to have high shipping. www.SupplementPriceMatch.com

I also didn't have food restrictions before my fill, and in fact I'd had a protein drink in the car on the way to it. I thought that was concession enough, not wanting eggs or something in my stomach at the fill itself! But no one told me to eat any particular way prior to the 1ST fill. After the fill, I was on full liquids for 48 hours & mushies for another 48 hours. That, too, seems to vary base on your surgeon's protocol. Good luck with your fill! :clap2: Let us know how it goes.

<p> </p> <p>I'm glad the fast worked for you, Lizrbit! <img src="http://www.LapBandTalk.com/images/smilies/clap2.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Clap2" smilieid="217" class="inlineimg" /> It's gotta be nice to know you've found a way to get past the "stuck" periods.</p> <p> </p> <p>This week I'm trying liquids (protein drinks & water) during the day, and having a regular "band diet" dinner with my family, and then back to liquids for the rest of the night. I'm hoping this'll help get me back on the track my surgeon wants me on... (With the weight I've got to loose, he wants to see me down 2 to 2-1/2 lbs a week on a monthly average for the 1st year.) But liquids all day does seem a bit crash diet-ish, if you know what I mean...reminiscent of the Slim Fast plan I followed for two years in high school! <img src="http://www.LapBandTalk.com/images/smilies/silly.gif" border="0" alt="" title="" smilieid="59" class="inlineimg" /> I (naively?) hoped that the LapBand would be the end of crazy diets for me... <img src="http://www.LapBandTalk.com/images/smilies/straight.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Straight" smilieid="14" class="inlineimg" /> </p> <p> </p> <p>What I really need to do is start exercising again, but I just "don't feel like it"... <img src="http://www.LapBandTalk.com/images/smilies/tired.gif" border="0" alt="" title="tired" smilieid="48" class="inlineimg" /> How stereotypically "Fat Girl" does that sound? But it's true for me -- I have never been one for much physical activity. It's gonna bite me in the butt again if I don't get off my butt -- and soon!!!</p>

Deanna ~ Safe travels & good luck with your surgery! Be sure to post your experience when you return! We'll all be thinking of you!

I, too, have been interested in trying these new test-tube liquid Protein drinks. After reading the mixed reviews on this thread, I decided to see what I could find locally & just make the leap. I only found the New whey (3 flavors) here. I have yet to try the Orange or Fruit Punch, but I just tried the Grape. S-O-U-R!!! I’m not a “sour patch kids” kinda girl, and that is the flavor here. It’s sweet like candy, with the consistency of syrup or sno-cone flavoring – no whey taste at all, or sweetener aftertaste. (I bet you could actually get this over shaved ice!) I hated it ~ icky!!! :yuck: My 4-year-old (very picky eater) loves sour candies. He actually said to me, “Mommy, that is terrific! If you don’t like it, can I have the rest?” as I was gagging on my sips from the tube! So if you’re a sour person, especially one missing candy, then I say go for the Grape! Frankly, I’m now scared to try the other tubes. :help: Are the New Whey Orange & Fruit Punch flavors SOUR too? What about the other brands?

<p>Okay – this thread has been quiet lately. Perhaps, in the silence, I’m just projecting my case of the blahs onto the rest of you, but I have to ask… Is it just me, or has anybody else fallen off the wagon?</p> <p> </p> <p>I’ve slacked on my Water sooo much, and have not been on the treadmill in almost a week! <img src="http://www.LapBandTalk.com/images/smilies/eek.gif" border="0" alt="" title="EEK!" smilieid="10" class="inlineimg" /> Egad! I’m eating fine (though I am hungry between meals, which is a 1st since my banding), but that’s about all I’m doing right.</p> <p> </p> <p>I need to get my tuchus back in gear again…but…well…….. The Pod Person I’d really come to like has vanished, and good ol’ lazy Suzanne is back. <img src="http://www.LapBandTalk.com/images/smilies/bored.gif" border="0" alt="" title="bored" smilieid="36" class="inlineimg" /> I have no motivation, no drive, no energy… I am sure this has to do directly with having stopped the very things I can’t seem to start again: water & exercise.</p> <p> </p> <p>I’m trying to pump myself up for the April challenge once more, but I just can’t seem to do it! <img src="http://www.LapBandTalk.com/images/smilies/straight.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Straight" smilieid="14" class="inlineimg" /> Not even attending (our good & very informative) local support group meeting helped, so I thought I’d check in with the rest of y’all. Maybe this bit of a whine… er, I mean…um… confession will prove cathartic!</p>

My surgeon recommended an elliptical trainer and a treadmill as his two choices if we were going to spend money on home equipment. (We had a treadmill & recumbent bike already, and DH wanted to add strength training – thus the Gravity Force Trainer.) Good elliptical machines can be very pricey! Try http://freecycle.org/ if your area has a “chapter” (they’re global). The concept is rather than throw away or bother with eBay/garage sales, people post things (online) onto FreeCycle that they no longer want. You almost always have to go pick up the item yourself. And the good stuff goes fast (how we got our recumbent bike)! But – and this is the key – it’s FREE stuff!!!

Are you really able to eat 3/4 cup of raw spinach leaves at a time (plus the other stuff), or is the spinach part of what you sauté? I adore a nice mixed greens-n-romaine salad with cucumbers, slaw-shredded carrots & broccoli, apples, raisins, slivered almonds or sunflower seeds, colby-jack cheese, (occasionally a hard boiled egg), and (Wishbone's Just2Good) ranch dressing. Yummmm! :hungry: We used to start dinner every night with a 1-or-2 cup salad like that, depending on the size of meal to follow! But I haven’t had one since the Band. It seems like a waste of space in the pouch. Protein first! Plus, all that fibrous food…isn’t it hard to get a salad though the LapBand? Apparently, I’ve become quite the timid eater since my banding! I haven’t tried soft breads at all, and “cheated” with some Kraft mac-n-cheese once (trying not to panic that it’d swell). I know it’s bound to happen, but I just don’t want to get anything stuck! I figure that if I let this “fear” sort of guide me away from the foods I shouldn’t be eating anyway, then what’s the harm?!? But I can’t help think that a salad would be problematic, too! And I’d love to eat that again as A) a healthy source of veggies, and something I liked “from before”... :help: How’s everybody doing with the salad thing?

:happybday: Happy birthday to you, Lizrbit! :happybday:

I wouldn't wait it out the 10 days without checking in, if it were me. As Lizrbit said, I hope you don't need an unfill, but we're not the experts here...that's your doctor's call! Like you, I've got the 10cc band, but I've only had one fill. After about 10 days it seemed as though the fill "wore off" if that's possible. So the same thing might happen for you now, but who knows!? (My 2nd fill will be May 17th, though I could use it NOW! I'm hungrier now than I was before the fill! :hungry: I plan to ask him to "unfill" the band to see if all 4cc are still in it or not. I assume it's just me adjusting to the fill, but I've heard that there's some permeability of the silicone membrane & I'm curious. ) What are you eating? For the 1st 48 hours, they had me on full liquids; the next 48 hours I was back to mushies. Maybe your meals are "too solid too soon"...? That's the only thing I can think... And please, keep us posted!

We've bought both the Total Gym (3 years ago) & the Gazelle (10 years ago) off of QVC. (Our Gazelle came busted from the manufacturer, so it was sent back -- but it was fun to use!) I was excited about the Total Gym because I’d used something similar in physical therapy after hurting my knee. It was easy to use & great for stretching, but we didn’t keep it long enough (3+ weeks) for either of us to see any results from the “workout” routine. And ours didn’t come with the large, square, padded foot platform. (I didn’t realize you had to buy it separately & QVC didn’t carry it anyhow.) I felt insecure balancing on what amounted to a “toe bar” while laying flat on my back – like my foot could slip off & I’d do some damage. Someone else might not have that sensation, but I was used to a foot platform… We sent it back after about 25 days (huge & heavy, FYI). The problem: you need ROOM for that thing!! Room we just don’t have. It is HUGE!! Sure, you can “tuck it up” for storage, but it has to be deployed to actually USE it! We just couldn’t fit it anywhere practical! I’d go to a athletic equipment store & check it out for size (literally – will it fit where you need it?!?) before buying it on QVC, which had the best price when we bought it.

Ha! I'd never seen that one before -- until last night! Too funny! I stopped to watch (and made DH watch) BECAUSE you mentioned it. Now that one...I could never do that. A) I have no coordination whatsoever, and I'm not physically fit enough! But he sure is full of pep!

:happybday2: Hope your birthday wishes come true! So :hungry:, what did you choose to splurge on?

Skinny to me would be any size that doesn't have a "W" next to it. :laugh (And my real goal is to wear jeans 1 size smaller than my husband! :kiss)

:wow2: You're doing wonderfully!! You've plenty to be proud of -- 10 more pounds & you'll be 1/2 way to goal! That's awesome progress, Ravenheart!:cheer2: If you don't mind my asking, did you do a pre-op diet or loose it all post-op? I didn't have a pre-op diet & wonder if (& how much) that jump start helps in loosing post-op...? Just curious. Great job!

Frustrated here, too... Before our local support group last night, I weighed in on my clinic’s scale (in the same clothes, at the same time of day as usual). While I have thankfully NOT gained, I’ve only lost a pound. Having 200 pounds to loose, I’m supposed to be hitting 2 pounds a week the 1st year -- not half of that! It’s been exactly 2 weeks since my 1st fill. Last week I lost 3.5 on the same scale (after stalling for a week prior to that!), but the effectiveness of the fill seems to have “worn off” now or something. I don’t know... :straight One pound would be great bandless, but it seems such an underachievement after going to these lengths!!! (Something’s wrong with my ticker - can’t update it. Down 32.5 pounds as of Thursday - 9 weeks out!)

With my clinic’s program, you begin "mushy foods" after 2 weeks of full liquids (Protein drinks, brothy part of Soups, yogurt)...and you're on mushies (egg salad, chicken salad, refried beans) for 2 weeks before slowly introducing easy-to-eat solids (like fish). So no, you'll likely NOT be eating "beef or chicken" at the reception... But you could ask them to see about an appetizer from the mushy category (even if it’s served on a carb, you can eat only the ‘salad’ part), or mashed potatoes/whipped veggies with the meal -- if you feel comfortable doing that. Or you could be "making the rounds" of guest tables while eating is in full swing. Have a Protein shake in your bag/car to drink between the ceremony and the reception to keep hunger at bay while you Celebrate (a good tip right before you do anything where temptations abound). At least then it’ll only be head-hunger you battle.:hungry: How to help -- Along with volunteering to do the pre-wedding phone calls (confirm florist, cake, limo etc.), you could offer to assemble favors and/or write names on place cards. Unless you have a uniquely close relationship with your son’s fiancé, the mother-in-law isn’t generally expected to play a huge roll in the details. (NO offense intended here, but the bride’s "officially" gonna have you (not just your son) in her life from "this day forward" -- this is the last time your opinion on "the big stuff" won’t have to be a consideration for her! Many brides would prefer the soon-to-be in-laws not be in the details of this event. Not me, of course -- my in-laws live out-of-state, so I wanted them to feel as welcome as possible at our wedding! But they also weren’t "right there" to grate on my last nerve at what can only be called "a stressful time" for the bride! Plus, the doing part of "my wedding" was something I was able to enjoy with MY mom...something I’d dreamed about since a little girl, ya know? Please, don’t be offended by my honesty or if she doesn’t seem overly receptive to your efforts!) Physically -- you won’t be able to lift that grandbaby yet, but you will be able to dance with your baby! Or at least I was dancing with my 1-1/2 & 4 year-old at a month out. Bending, stretching & lifting were painful when it tugged at my port site, but mostly I was feeling pretty good by then! Barring any complications, you’re gonna be feeling great! Yes, it will be a challenging environment, especially if they go buffet rather than sit-down, but you can do it! Congratulations, both on choosing to get banded & on the wedding! Relax! (It’s so much easier than I thought it would be!) And have a wonderful time!