ElfiePoo

So who won? Re: the lab peeing in the house. They say when a dog starts doing that, it's because of stress of some sort...or a urinary infection. Good luck figuring out which before he ruins the carpets. :smile: .

Haha! Beelz doesn't run away! My sil visited last week with her terrier shitzu mix and Beelz attacked it despite the fact that the dog had to have weighed 30 pounds! At first it stood its ground but completely freaked when Beelz leapt into the air and land in a Halloween cat stance, all claws out, on its back. I did manage to control myself until they left but then laughed so hard I almost peed myself. Menopause, eh? Well keep him away from 20 year old ditzes and little red sports cars. <g> .

The anesthesia they give you will take care of your headache <g>. I do get regular headaches from stress. I just crush my Excedrin migraine with my mortar and pestle. Tastes horrible but at least it doesn't get stuck by my band. I tried liquid Tylenol but it doesn't do anything for my headaches. .

I dunno...what'd he do? I might consider it if you take my demon kitty. I thought I slept bad before. Ha! This little terror sleeps in my bed but at some point in the night I'll find him nuzzling my neck like a nursing kitten...which wouldn't be so bad except he still has his claws and uses them like kittens do when they're nursing from their mom. Feels like someone is jabbing me with pins. Heaven help me if my husband or I move our feet under the covers. :smile: .

One day at a time...today is Day 3 on Atkins Induction. Surprisingly, I'm not craving as much as I have in the past when I went on induction. Maybe it's the mental attitude of seeing my carbs as a true addiction and knowing that I'm avoiding them completely for that reason...and not just a diet to lose weight? Who knows the head games we play with ourselves. :smile: At any rate, my headache is finally gone and I feel better than I usually do the first week. The mental fog seems to be gone as well. Bonus - my belly is shrinking again. At some point, after that initial reshifting of body weight (skinny legs, no butt or hips, belly reducing) any weight gain (which I did when I went from onederland back up about 20 pounds) went right to the tummy so it's nice to see it shrinking back down. Since I'm on the induction phase I don't worry about monitoring the quantity...just making sure I'm eating minimal carbs. So, since it's a cold, rainy day I think I'm going to make a pot of my chinese Soup so I can sip on it throughout the day. It's pretty low calorie anyway but very satisfying. Only 4 more days to Disney! WOOHOO! .

10 months postop and it still feels like a diet...and I'm struggling just as much (2 steps forward, 1 step back)...but I don't have restriction yet. That darned sweet spot just seems to be eluding me. .

OMG! So that's why I was eating constantly a couple weeks ago! I was on steroids for my hives! Argggh!

Yeah...and both parents are obese as well. This kid doesn't stand a chance. .

Betsy, I'd love to low carb with the band's help and I may take someone else's advice and have them take me up .1cc at a time because my records show that once I went from 7 to 7.25, I had major problems with any type of Protein and vegies. Perhaps my sweet spot is somewhere in between. .

Ok, so I just finished watching several episodes of 'Too Fat For Fifteen' and I have to say I'm a bit appalled. Yes, the teens need to lose weight, but this approach seems pretty brutal. One 14 year, quite huge, was in tears and one of the adults made the comment that a 14 year old boy shouldn't be sitting on the ground crying at the activities he was asked to perform. Uh...maybe a 14 year old who wasn't quite so overweight...and who wasn't made to do twice the reps that others did because they didn't like how he did them the first time. I have the same problem with this show as I do with 'Biggest Loser'...nobody seems to be taking into account the weight or the current physical status of these people. They're all just expected to (as the one instructor said) suck it up. Also, to go through such a brutal program, only to go home and gain it back...what's the point? All they've done is set these kids up once again for failure. It also ticks me off that a number of these parents who have shipped their kids out have weight problems themselves. What chance do these kids have when they return home to the same unhealthy eating that put them where they are in the first place. The one positive that I saw was when they put Tanisha in the pool to exercise because of her massive weight and bone disease (?). This girl should not be out in a field doing jumping jacks or crawling like a bear. Good grief. No...not impressed by this show or Biggest Loser. .

Thanks barneygirl. :biggrin: I'm not 'giving up' but I am going to focus (just for the immediate future) on a low carb diet using sheer willpower. I'm looking at the bad carbs the way an alcoholic looks at alcohol since that's how I respond to them (Pasta, potatoes, rice, flour products). With this new view, I've been more successful these last 2 days than in the previous 10 months. Melody

No, the band will not prevent the symptoms of hypo/hyperglycemia. I was hypoglycemic for decades. Now I'm hyperglycemic. In both cases, I had to eat something every 3 hours to keep my blood sugar stable. Still do. .

The liver shrinking diet preop is another one of those things that varies with doctors. I have no idea what you weight, but prior to surgery, I weighed 260 pounds and I carried a lot of that weight in my belly. I had no preop special diet and my surgery went very well. I'd say do the best you can and don't stress about it. .

Angel, The first thing you need to do is take stock of your eating behaviors. *Why* do you eat. If you're a grazer, the band will most likely not stop you from continuing that bad habit. If you're a sweet eater, the band will still allow you to get your sweet 'fix' because many of these high carb goodies slide right through. The band will, once you have restriction, help you control portions at one sitting. The rest will be up to you. 10 months postop and I've pretty much come to the conclusion that the band was not the right choice for me so I'm going back to Plan A which was responsible for me losing 70 pounds without the band...and that was a very restrictive low carb diet. I don't count calories or fats...just carbs. I also only eat the kind of carbs found in low carb vegies and fruits. Everything else is completely off limits...not even a bite for a special occasion. Good luck with whatever decision you come to. Melody

I have a number of books, but have found Fitday.com to be more accurate when compared against the book I bought for my Nutrition class. Now I use Fitday.com almost exclusively. Melody

Welcome to the forum! Melody

Leigha, Thanks for the support. I'm fortunate because my husband and son have said they'll go on the low carb with me (at least at home) so no special cooking for them or temptations for me. Melody .

The band can give you portion control *if* you've hit your sweet spot. At 7cc I still haven't hit mine and at 8.5cc I was too full. The band has yet to work for me as promised. I don't have any restriction and am not planning on getting any more fills because when I went above 7cc last time, I could no longer eat most Proteins or most vegies. Unfortunately I still had no problems eating potatoes, Pasta and rice. I've come to the conclusion that I'm pretty much on my own and have seriously been debating surgery to remove the band since it does cause some discomfort every now and again as it rubs under the skin. I've recently discovered that my problem is that I am addicted to carbs in the same manner that alcoholics are addicted to alcohol. If I stay away from them completely (except in low carb vegies and fruit) and keep my carbs under 35gm a day, I'm no longer hungry or craving. I lost 70 lbs 7 years ago and have kept it off and I guess I'll just have to do that again. So when I get down to 140, I will not give credit to the band as it will have had nothing to do with it. I know this isn't a popular view here but take a look around...there are an awful lot of people who are not losing. Kudos and congratulations for those who do, but the many people here who aren't losing is proof that the band may not work for everyone...just like JC, WW, bypass, etc. doesn't work for all who try it. Sara Rue obviously was not successful with her band so if she loses weight with JC, it will be JC that gets the credit as the right tool...for her. <done> .

I managed to get through yesterday but only because I went to bed at 8:15 p.m. One day at a time. I feel pretty good this morning but am dealing with a nagging headache that woke me up in the middle of the night. One of the sure signs I'm starting carb withdrawal. I did eat an incredible amount of food yesterday but I know from past experience this is pretty typical for my first week withdrawing from carbs. I think I calculated that I ate about 3000 calories. By this next weekend, that will slow down. One thing yesterday did prove to me is that I definitely am not at my sweet spot. I have enough restriction that it's a problem if I don't chew well, but I don't have to chew as much as I did before and I don't have to take small bites. I can also eat *way* more than 1 cup. That's ok because I've come to the conclusion that the band is probably not going to be a help for my particular eating problem. From past experience, once I get the carbs out of my system, my daily calories are around 1200-1400 and I lose at a steady rate of 4-5 pounds per week. However, I'm also 100 pounds less than the last time I did this so I have no doubt the weight loss will be slower...and that's ok too. So, time for Breakfast. Hope you all have a good one. Melody

Here's hoping the government never sticks its busy body nose into this arena, deeming parents to be negligent if their child is overweight. There is a *vast* difference between a parent who withholds food from a child and the parent of an obese child. That child's obesity is not just because of overeating. It's most likely a combination of overeating, eating the wrong foods and lack of exercise. Go through most neighborhoods in this country and you won't see children playing in their yards or on the playgrounds (which btw many cities are closing in order to cut expenses). They're in front of a tv. Also, keep in mind that not everyone can afford to feed their family fruits and vegetables as good Snacks. In a poverty home you'll find excessive amounts of rice, Beans, Pasta and other 'cheap' foods. I've worked at our local food pantry and one of the main staples donated to them and given out is prepackaged mac and cheese. Please let's not equate parents of obese children with parents who abuse their children. .

Has to do with the referred pain and it is documented on several medical sites. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to go looking for them again. Which is not to say they shouldn't rule out a heart problem, but all you have to do is read through these boards to see there are quite a number of us who did/do have the referred pain. As I lost weight, it lessened but then I'd get a fill and I'd have it again. When I went down to 6cc's, it went away completely until they put 1cc back. I've since lost 5cc's and it only bothers me when I'm sitting in the front passenger seat of the car. Most likely because I'm forced into a position that pulls the band a bit more taught. Which doesn't mean that someone shouldn't make sure to rule out a heart condition. .

No need to be insulting by telling us we're making foolish comments. I'm very happy that you haven't needed a fill...but the fact is you are in the rare minority. For most people, the band is just that...a piece of plastic that is doing nothing until there is some restriction. Perhaps those who never need a fill were actually given a fill at surgery and they just don't know it. I've met a couple people over the last year who found out several months after surgery that their doctor gave them a fill during surgery...even tho they were told he hadn't. So we'll never know. We'll never know whether Sara rue has restriction or not. .

From past experience, I lose best at 30-35 carbs. Over that and I have to deal with stalls. My carbs are only in the form of low carb vegies and the very *occasional* fruit. I do not deduct Fiber carbs as I found they also contributed to stalls. .

She may have done it without the band. If she had no fill in her band, then it was without the band because without a fill, there is no restriction and without restriction, the band is just a piece of plastic.

Well say 'hi' to the sharks for me. Personally, I don't swim in anything that's no chlorinated...although I hear that hasn't stopped alligators in Florida from crawling into a few. Went to my first meeting. Not quite what I expected, but I'm going back and we'll see what happens. I'm doing very good today with avoiding those carbs. Can't say I'm not craving them, but every time I reach for one (like a cracker), I remind myself that it's my 'alcohol' and walk away. If I can get through this first week, the following week will be easier because we'll be at Disney where there are tons of things to do to keep my mind off food and I won't have ready access to food. Yeah I know there are food places all over, but it's still not as easily accessible as opening up a fridge. Oh goodie...it's 2:30 and I can have my Protein drink! That should help with the cravings! Melody