socalgal3

Great to hear from you Laura! Don't be a stranger! I'm up and down lately, but determined to be disciplined. I can't afford a fill until the end of the month, so I'm getting by on sheer willpower(of which I have little!)

I didn't weigh myself after surgery, so I'm not sure if I gained. But, like everyone always says....the first few weeks are about healing-not weight loss. The weight will come off when it is ready to. Just focus on getting better first!

I know you don't need anyone to come down on you, but I recently went through a slip and please avoid eating too fast and PBing, because a rebanding surgery is no fun! I agree that counseling is in order. If not, just really take some pamper time-bubble bath, massage, pedicure, read a book on the porch with some lemonade-whatever it takes! Best of luck to you.

You rock! I wish you luck with the next 72..........

That sounds like a stinky policy to me Barb! I hope all goes well for you!

I do miss the high I got from pigging out, but the actual food is starting to lose its appeal. I shared my experience this weekend in another thread, but basically, I went out to eat this weekend, having given myself permission to have whatever I wanted. I sent back the appetizer as it was so greasy, barely drank the cocktail I ordered because it tasted like liquid lollipop and only had a few bites of my steak and potatoes- no bread, no dessert. I was really disappointed that it didn't taste like I wanted it to. I was happy on the other hand because I finally got to that place I had heard so many banders talk about-when food doesn't taste the same. I think some of us may have a closer emotional relationship with food, so the time it takes for this to happen varies. But, I KNOW it is worth it. My band journey hasn't been without complications, but I am starting to believe the weight won't come back and I CAN do this for the rest of my life.

mommatrammel- I too am a little irritated by people's comments lately. Not that I don't enjoy compliments, but I question whether some comments are compliments or not. I agree with you because I am 190 pounds and still overweight on all charts. A co-worker told me today I better not lose anymore weight or I wouldn't be here. I posted earlier about a friend who said I was "wasting away". Another co-worker told me not to lose it too fast and another said she hardly recognized me. I guess I still feel like the fat girl and I still see her in the mirror. It is an experience I'll just have to learn to deal with I guess. On a side note, I always read in these forums how people stop enjoying the foods they once loved and I was waiting for that to happen to me. It happened this weekend! I went out to Roadhouse with a friend and we ordered "Spicy Lassos"(kinda like the Outback Bloomin Onion). They were SO GREASY we sent them back. Them I ordered a drink and it was so sticky sweet I thought I was drinking a lollipop, so I didn't drink it. Then I ordered a steak and ate a few bites and some mashed potatoes. I was so excited to go out to eat and had given myself permission ahead of time to eat whatever I wanted. But, it just didn't give me the same high it used to and it just wasn't satisfying. I am back on my MediFast today and did good. Lastly, I gave away a bunch of clothes today to charity. Some of my clothes are making me look "frumpy". They just don't fit right. I decided to budget a small amount for a few outfits at the end of the month. I tried on some old clothes and they did fit, but some of them were sadly out of fashion! Here's to a GREAT week Junebees!

Aimee- Exercise is a HUGE part of this! I'm not surprised the scales began moving after you started exercising. Cutiern- Congrats on ONEderland! That's AWESOME! I rode 30 minutes on my bike again yesterday, but I've been bad about calories, so I'm up again. I need to have a live-in chef, trainer, counselor and motivational speaker in order to stay on track!

I live in East San Diego County and I'm glad to answer any questions you have!

I've ridden my stationery bike 30 minutes both yesterday and today. Some people say exercise helps with hunger, but I find I get HUNGRIER when I exercise! Anyone else? I also did great on my water, but went over on my calories. Hope everyone is doing well.

Congrats Cindy! Thanks for the inspiration Leece! Thanks 4 getting the tix Barb! I like "Phase 3" Pinky! Good luck with the fill Poodles! I'm eating my oatmeal this morning. I had a little popcorn splurge last night, but I was at 190 this morning, so it didn't hurt(it was air popped). Let's keep it going!

You could always ditch the wedding and get married by Elvis is Vegas!!! hahaha Or you should have invited all of us to your wedding!! hahaha Just kidding WMS-hope to see ya next year. I was hoping to post that I actually weigh what my ticker says, but I was 191 this morning....I'll get there. Happy Wednesday Junebees!

Good for you! I think what you did was the best advice I could give. Just say you don't want any for whatever reason. Hang in there!

Congrats on your awesome progress and best of luck with the PS. You'll be a whole new person!

You could also just do an appetizer type theme. That way, you can have some small nibbles and not stand out for not filling your plate.

Just don't make it a habit. Depending on your health and starting weight, some doctors don't require a pre-op diet, whereas some are very extensive. Get back on track. It is to ensure less complications during surgery and will prepare you for life after the band. Hang in there.

My new motivation is that a group of people I went to elementary school with are planning a reunion. I went to Catholic school, so I spent 1st-8th grade with basically the same core group of kids. They are looking at May or June, so besides have to impress my fellow Junebies in Vegas, I have them to contend with! That should keep my hand out of the cookie jar(or the Chinese restaurant as was the case yesterday!) I'm starting my 5 weeks of Medifast, so that better kick start my butt. I am also getting a fill this week or next, so that should help too. And of course ranting on LBT is thed best release of all! Keep those scales moving down June Crew!

Giving up soda was seriously the easiest part of this for me. I thought it would be so hard, but I don't even think about it anymore. I drink water, Crystal Light, iced tea, etc. I still have caffeine once in a while in coffee and tea.

Welcome to Onederland! I hope your Dad continues to do better everyday. Congrats on making it through your first week at work. It will get easier. Happy Weekend ALL!

Well, I would go by what your doctor says. Do you have any symptoms of pain or heartburn? Are you able to eat normally or not at all? A partial slip is when the stomach is starting to come up through the band. A complete slip is when it has come up through and this makes the band tighten around the stomach. It's kinda hard to explain without a visual! My doctor pulled a tissue through the band to show me. Anyway, have you been PBing or vomiting alot? Overeating? That is what usually causes it, although a misplaced band can cause it too. How much were your fills?

Usually an unfill will correct a partial slip. An unfill will allow the stomach to fall back into place. If not addressed, the partial slip can turn into a complete slip, which MAY require revision surgery, depending on the individual situation. Do you have a slip?

Get well soon! Did the doctor say why you had a big hole in your stomach?

I need clarification AGAIN! I guess I am visual, but everyone has different ideas about how much to eat. I realize I have no fill right now, but I had no fill last time and I ended up with a slip, so I need to be hyper-vigilant! Some people say our tummy is as big as a walnut or a thumb, but I thought that was gastric bypass. Is our tummy the same size? Some people say eat 1/2 cup of food, some say 1 cup, some say "until you are full". I rarely get any "STOP" signals that people mention when I eat. That was always my problem before the band. I have a voracious appetite! Anyway, 1/3 of what I used to eat and 3 bites are certainly not the same. I know everyone is a little different, but I really have no idea how much I should eat. Don't worry about the fib Leece-I have kept my ticker at 188 because I actually got to that number, but I've been at 194-196 for weeks now. I'm happy to be below 200, but I haven't been losing either. I admit that I ordered a MediFast kit. I am disappointed that I am still doing so much "dieting" with my band, but I keep hoping I will get to a point that my appetite will decrease or I will get used to not obsessing over food, etc. Barb-Congrats on joining Curves. I know you were struggling with the exercise, so hope this helps! Pinky-I'm really sorry you felt that you had to quit WW. We all know this is no "easy way out". What a shame people can't recognize how hard you are trying to improve yourself and learn valuable info. Hopefully you can find what you need elsewhere. Hang in there Junebies.

It is definitely an emotional rollercoaster, which makes for a fun ride! I was stressed while I was at my highest weight, sad that I even needed to research this option, excited that I didn't have to re-route my intestines, worried about financing, hopeful to be thin, nervous about elective surgery, etc. When I was approved and got my date I was thrilled, then about 2 days before I FREAKED! I was so nervous, but my friends here at LBT helped me keep my head. I've continued the ups and downs since with weight loss, a slip, etc. Congrats on quitting smoking. I did that 11 years ago and what a relief! I just wanted to give you kudos for that accomplishment and reassure you that the emotions are a normal part of this.

Certainly a fill will help to some extent, but unfortunately, things like chocolate and cheetos goes down easily even with proper restriction. This troubled me at first(and still does to some extent). I thought I did a lot of research before getting my band, but I think I ignored some things that I should have paid closer attention to. I thought the band would restrict my portions as well. They said you would be able to eat 1/3 of what you used to eat. So I used to eat a whole pizza, now I should be able to get full after a slice or 2, right? I can't even eat pizza! That is just an example. I do like that the band makes me full sooner and that I have lost a good deal of weight, but it certainly isn't as easy as I dreamed. I'm sure everyone is as sick of hearing it as me, but the band is a TOOL and you can use it and work with it or throw it down on the garage floor....