Lee

Tamra, ONE more sleep! You are gonna rock this girl! We are all so excited for you. I can't wait to come on here and read that it's all over and you're on the Loser's Bench! I hope to see lot's of you at the meeting tomorrow night. My scale this morning: 131.6 Home scale same as Kaiser except I can't do it naked so still a few pounds away. By next week I hope to have a surgery date. Let's make Good choices today everyone!

Bambi, congratulations on your success! Excited2, have you tried the unflavored Protein powder? I read about people mixing it into coffee. I tried it in tea but didn't like it very much. Decaf coffee would be much better. You can't mix the protein into the hot coffee because it becomes a hot mess, but if you make a paste with the powder in some Water, then add it to coffee or hot chocolate that is 130 degrees or less, it mixes easily. I use the

Happy Birthday JES!!! Liz, welcome to the forum. Tamra, I'm so excited for you. Only two more sleeps!! I had to work today. Took Zach to the airport at 6am and then to the office. I'm in serious, get this weight off mode! I hope you all had a fun day off work today!

Welcome to VST! I can't wait to hear about your journey.

Good Luck Ready2Be!!!

Lucy, I'm so sorry to read your story. I hope that your energy picks up and that you start a smooth road to recovery. Please keep us posted on how you're doing.

Hi Laurie, Welcome to the forum. This is a great place for support!

Obesity Health LapBand forum LAP BAND - Your LAP BAND Resource California Forum http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/CA/a,messageboard/ Link to the page about the luncheon at Mimi's in Concord next Saturday: Nor Cal New Year Luncheon & Clothing Exchange

Oh right! DUH!!! I forgot that LB is an in and out procedure. I'll be spending the night at Kaiser Richmond when I get my sleeve. Tamra, you are doing great. You'll be below your goal when you go in on Wednesday morning. I would say to cut all carbs before then. Stick to meat and nothing else. Ask what they put into that chicken that you like to buy. If they have sugar in the rub, ditch it. This is just for a few days and you can go back to eating before you know it. You'll lose the few pounds of water weight that you're carrying around if you do all meat. And don't go hungry either. Anyone planning on going Wednesday night? I wish they would still have the scale there but they won't anymore.

Good Morning! Pam, it sounds like those that could make it had a good time last night. I didn't realize how far north you lived. For some reason I was thinking Vacaville, which is still a long drive from Oakland. I'm hoping to make one of the next walks which would be closer to home. Tamra, there's a support meeting next Wednesday. I wonder if they would let us come visit you?? Where at Kaiser is the Hospital part, which building floor etc? John, have fun in Cancun! Mo, do you find that when you eat a little too much, it sets you off to want to keep eating? Your dinner looks bigger than usual. For me, when I eat a little more, it just sets me off off off and I can't stop, or don't want to stop. That's a reality for me that I've always hated. I guess the sleeve is going to keep me from doing that because 1 bite too many causes foaming at the mouth and vomiting. Amazing to look forward to that repercussion to keep me in line, eh? My scale is holding at 232.2. Tomorrow Zach leaves and I'm going to be at my goal within a week. This week, I'm going to tell my boss I'll need time off. Not saying why, just saying I'm having a procedure done. YAY for Sunday and no work!! :w00t:

I know documentary film makers in LA but they'd need expenses and probably some payment as well. Let me know if you get to the point of looking for someone that you'll pay to do it.

I'd like to hear a review as well. They have it at Vitacost . com for $8.53

Blaqk, I understand what you're saying about your friends. My doctor is the same way and she's the one that recommended that I have the surgery. She watched me do Weight Watchers, always staying within my 28 points, to lose only 1 pound a month. I'm 59 and I've done every diet with very little success. So many people say, I can get the weight off but I can't keep it off. I can't even get it off but it's not for lack of incredible trying. I can't even imagine what I would/could have created in my life if the energy devoted to diet had gone into other endeavors. I think that people don't get that WLS is the last block on the house. That most of us have tried everything else... over and over and over, only to end up hopeless and seeking professional help.

That is so remarkable! Congratulations Judy.

Ready2Be, THREE DAYS!!! How excited are you? I'm so happy for you. I can't wait to hear how you're doing post-op. Please keep us all posted!!

Tamra, I'm so happy to see you so excited! Get out there and get those groceries you'll need. :w00t: I have a question about our binders. We have those pages for feelings/food/water/exercise etc. Do those get reviewed by Liz or Robin? I track food on Myfitnesspal and don't track it in the binder. I also drink 100oz of fluids a day so don't track.

Good Morning! I finally slept through the night. For the last week I've been waking up every hour. Pat, not happy that you've been waking up as well but glad to know it also happens to you when stressed. I think I wake up thinking/dreaming about the surgery. Anyone else feel obsessed with getting info before the surgery? I read an article posted on either obesityhealth.com or verticlesleeve.com yesterday. I frequent both of those sites. The article talked about how much better patients do that lose 10% of their body weight pre-op. The article was about RNY patients but I bet it holds true for all WLS. They said that there are less complications post-op, breathing/blood clots etc. It seems that the Kaiser program is built on research, which is why the Sleeve is just being offered since it was just approved as a stand alone surgery, not just the first part of the Duodenal Switch. I love coming here because all of you are local to me. I see some of you at the Kaiser meetings and I hope to walk with some of you. Speaking of which, Jes, when are you next coming to get your nails done and walk the lake? I'd love to join you for that walk. I think the forums over at ObesityHealth really rock as well. I participate mostly in the Lightweights forum for people with a starting BMI of 35-40. The thread that I like best is called Meals and Miles. Everyday people with all three surgeries post exactly what they eat and what exercise they do as well as accounting for vitamins and hydration. I love seeing exactly what others eat. I notice that most people there focus heavily on three very small meals with protein shakes between meals to get in their protein. There's also a California forum. I signed up to go to the Contra Costa Groups lunch next Saturday at Mimi's in Concord if anyone is interested in checking out their pages. Last night I had my "last supper" with my son for his 36th birthday which is next week but he'll be back home in NY. We went down to an organic restaurant on the coast in El Granada. We order slowly, one dish at a time and while I said this would be my big splurge (not in diet mode), we ended up with two appetizers, 1 salad and 1 dessert. I guess not bad because I'm down 1/5 pound this morning. Maybe it's the walk around the lake on Thursday and Friday. This morning we're going down into the gym so that he can get me going on a weight routine. I want to have something going pre-op so that I can continue it post-op. I saw pictures of a woman yesterday who started out at my size I think. She started swimming post-op and learned to lift weights. She has professional arms and back muscles. I was blown away by her pictures. Ok, enough book here. Have a wonderful day everyone and have fun tonight! Take lots of pictures please. :w00t: Pam, what city do you live in and may I come if Zach goes off to play with his friends and I'm home alone?

Loser, that's a great idea about Peanut Butter powder in the unjury. Thanks for that tip! Kaiser in northern california tests your urine to determine whether you've been smoking. I know someone that just met her pre-op weight goal and now has to wait 2 weeks for the test to come back before they'll schedule surgery. I went to a hypnotist in 1990 and haven't smoked since. I was pack a day smoker for 22 years. It really worked for me!

I'm still pre-op. I've told my six closest girlfriends. We're a tight circle and it would have caused problems if I didn't tell them all. Five are thrilled for me, one thinks I'm nuts. I did tell a friend that lives out of town and she insists everyone gains it back. She's fat too so there's probably an emotional tie in for her. My son who's 35 is thrilled because I've been in diet hell his entire life. My life has focused on food/diet/regain etc. I'm done. I'm not torturing myself anymore. When I walked into my surgeon's office, he asked why I want the surgery. I told him I've been on a diet for 50 years and it hasn't worked yet so I'm ready to try something else. I'm not going to tell my boss until the weight loss becomes apparent. Nothing in California law says that I have to give the medical reason for needing time off. When I had my gallbladder out in November I just said I needed a surgical procedure done. If/when people ask me, I'm going to tell them that it was a very personal decision made between my doctor and myself and say it in a way that lets people know it's not up for discussion. I may feel differently post-op but for now I want to leave it at this. If I'm having any difficulty post-op I don't want the door open for people to tell me that I made a mistake. I know from reading everything here that difficulty in the first month doesn't point to a mistake but simply part of the journey!

This morning I'm trying the

Carolyn, I've been reading on OH that Protein heated to over 130 degrees will turn into a hot mess. The people on there who have Protein drinks make a paste of the protein some Water, then add it to tea or coffee that has been heated (or cooled for brewed coffee) to 130 degrees. I ordered some unflavored protein from

Hi Everyone! Tina, I so know that you're not in the 35%. I really hope you didn't think I was talking about you. I was just saying "in general". The shrink said it was 35% of post-ops that fail. Bev is saying 30% but it's going up. Tamra, it's great to see you so excited. I had a good day. Son came home today. We made big salads for dinner and watched a movie together tonight. He just left to go upstairs to sleep. We're planning a walk around the lake in the morning since it's not supposed to rain. Sweet dreams!

Good Morning! Still not at pre-surgery weight here. I've been cutting carbs and calories but last night had a lot of sodium in a Thai eggplant and shrimp dish. My son gets back from LA today, then leaves for NY on Monday morning. I am hoping to hit pre-surgery goal next week or the week after. I need to talk to my work about being out before meeting with Liz. I think support is very important and this group is great. I'm not sure that it's about Liz and Kaiser wanting to be in control. I think it's more about them wanting everyone to have success. When I went to my psych eval, I was told that the figure of 30% failures is now at 35% and rising. I'm sure that they see this from people who are not in compliance with the program. Kaiser wants us to succeed and get to goal as quickly as possible, if for no other reason than to minimize future health risks. They're making an investment in each of us through the surgery. They have one of the top programs in the country. How lucky are we to be part of it. When I go to the Wednesday night support meetings, I listen particularly closely to the post-ops that got to goal and are maintaining it over the long run. It looks like they stick very closely to the Kaiser recommendations. I think it's fine to tweak things to fit our personal life etc, but why try to fix their system if it's not broken. I find I need to look to myself when it doesn't work. I've been eating less than 1200 calories. Maybe that's holding me back. Maybe I really do need the 1200 etc. I spent over 15 years in OA trying to do it my way. That got me to 249. I always think I'm smarter when it comes to dieting because I've been doing it for over 40 years. I'm not so smart or I wouldn't have been 249. I view the surgery as hiring Kaiser to teach me/train me/help me get the job of getting to goal finally done. I think I'm done trying to do it my way. Does any of this make sense? Let's make great choices today and find joy! Tamra and Nicollie, I'm still riding your high!!! :thumbup:

Sending lots of prayers. You're gonna do great!

Tamra, I am SOOOO excited for you. Please come back and share your story! Ali, I'm getting a Sleeve, but these banders let me hang out here with them. :thumbup: