tarajim

Jackiedi, Healthy people don't develop diabetes, Hypertension, and stroke risk. Screenable conditions. These things cause insurance risk. My company self insures and pay over 1 million dollars a year in claims. 33% are obese, 33% overweight. Much like the American population. Sure, drug addiction, pregnancy, and others things cause cost, but the ultimate cost in America for high healthcare costs have to do with lifestyle. Obesity is one of the leading causes. My company will not pay for motorcycle claims, or parachuting claims either. People skills. OK, I have been blunt. I have also been apologetic and explanatory. I am not perfect, far from it. And I have the band to change my life. I am not trying to be a KING ON TOP. Should you not like how I express my opinion, I am truly sorry. I frequently have to work one on one with people in my work environment and am considered successful. Sorry I do not click with you. BTW, as a painter, what medium do you use? I am in the art supply industry? Thanks for your response. Good luck on your journey too!!! TJ

Ms. Dawnlee, If I have offended you I truly apologize. Yes, you should be able to come here for support and encouragement. I hope you find that here. I am on the same journey you are about to undertake. It can be very hard at times. You have to have a place to get strength and encouragement, and also to get an honest view of what it is you are doing. I wish you all the success in the world. That you have decided not to be FAT anymore has taken a lot of courage. You have endured a lot of criticism, been rejected, degraded and made to feel inferior all your life because you weigh more than the norm of society. You have now chosen to change that, and you should be very proud. My experience is that you have to really treat the first few months like a life changing experience, and that it really is about diet and exercise. The benefits of the band do not really kick in till you have gotten several fills and that will be several months after the band is installed. This means, you have to change. But it is good change. You get to eat healthy food. You get to exercise with normal people. You can share this journey with all the supportive people in your life. And you can find positives every day. You get to see the scale moved down. You get to wear your smaller clothes. You get to see your Blood Pressure and Blood sugar return to normal levels. You get to sleep better. There are so many positives that are about to happen to you and that should be more of a topic on this board. Sure, there is pain and difficulty. There is also adjustment, but don't fear. Look to the rainbows ahead. Liquid diet? Eat soup. Get a good blender. Mix fruit in your protein shakes. Surgery week will have some pain. Walk and drink and it goes away. Get fun people around you to be with you. Not negative people. Laugh about the gas, the pain and the fear. WIth the liquid diet and the surgery, you should lose 15 to 20 lbs. When did you do that last..... celebrate it ..... Journey, that is what this is. A long, fun, encouraging journey. Fear it not... Embrace it. That is what my message is to you. Sorry it was put so blunt. I am with you. We all are. Seek support, but be not surprised at the form you will receive it.... TJ

Some people on this board are cheerleaders, and others are sometimes brutally blunt and honest. My remark was directed at the comment "After all, if we could stick to a diet, we wouldn't be going through weight loss surgery. I find myself wanting to eat everything in the house now because I know I can't after Saturday." Come on, you have to be pretty serious about a committment to get this surgery. You have to want it to succeed cause it is not bypass or sleeve which works a little differently. My thought is that if you make this committment, you need to step up and get serious about it. You have to have some disipline like a diet at the beginning, before fills, to heal, and to seat the band. We have to have discipline to shrink our livers too. While we need support, we also need a reality check at the beginning. The check to me seem like this-- Do I want to be FAT somemore, or do I want to do the things that it takes to make this tool work. Sorry if you don't like bluntness. Handholding may be appropriate too, but a support works in many ways. Glare???? too funny..... Been glared at before. Good luck to all of you though... I love the disipline my UNFILLED band has given me. My brutal honesty came from an employer that makes it clear healthy people cost less, and keeps our company in business and me in a job. TJ

I ate about the same as you (minus the brownies and cookies) Worked out today a bit longer, and after workout am down 3 pounds from Wednesday. You cannot beat youself up every day you eat more than you think you should have. Eat Good food everyday, workout, and you will probably lose weight. Let us know what you gained or lost.... And today is another day.... TJ

Yes, Total success.... I have not gained over Christmas, and have lost 15 pounds since Thankgiving. I was banded 3 days before Thanksgiving, so I was on liquids then and had limited my plans. I Cooked all the regulars yesterday, Turkey, Ham, stuffing, mashed and sweet potatoes, cranberries, apples, cheesecake etc for christmas. I ate a little of all, and the Cheesecake was made with sugar free Jello cheesecake mix and 1% milk, lite cherries and lowfat crust. Then to top it off, went to a movie without eating!!! This is my biggest success since I used to have to have a Large extra butter popcorn. This am, my BP is 123/76. Blood sugar 93, and weight still at the lowest yet. Get my first fill this next week. On to more losing weight and off the the gym this morning.... TJ

Yep, Very normal. Comes from the gas, liquid diet, and pain meds.... It will go away with time and firmer food. Drink lots of fluids. It will pass.... TJ

Pardon my bluntness, but are you being forced to have surgery? Did you get a Psych eval? Have you committed to change your life forever? If not, maybe you should re-evaluate having surgery. The band is not magic. It will not solve your head issues. If you cannot commit to what you have to do to be successful, why bother going through the surgery? If you have made the committment, stop overeating NOW. The liquid diet is just part of what you will need to do. Are you ready for the rest? Exercise?, High Protein?, No Junk - low carb? You need to get your head right to do this. It is not for the faint-hearted. TJ

I am now one month post op. It totally gets better at about a week. Take your pain and other meds. Drink. Walk, walk, and walk somemore. Then walk again. and again. You have been reborn. Read, learn and get on to your new life. You will get over the pain soon, the harder part is accepting your new life and discarding the old habits. See you in 100 pounds... TJ

If there was an award for the best poster on this site, you would win hands down. You are an inspiration, and a sage. Thanks for being here Jackie..... TJ

Lets see. I had pork roast with plum sauce and squash last night. Last week, I traveled and I was with a client who has been on a health diet. She took me to the Ritz Carlton and ordered her special dinner. I had it too. It was a child size filet mignon, two jumbo shrimp, and five asparagus spears steamed, followed by a bowl of fresh strawberries with no sugar. I at it all. I have eaten a lot of chicken, salmon, crab, shrimp and yes, even one slice of pizza. I have lost 41 lbs since preop diet, half of that since surgery. I work out every day. I don't obsess. I record all my food, just to reinforce learning what is good. Next week I get my first fill. The band is not controlling me. My head is. Keep the faith. You will succeed when you have more good days then pizza days. TJ

Protein is body fuel. You need the best fuel when you stomach is made smaller. You will be on liquids for a week or two, so you will need Protein shakes. They are made using Whey. My nutritionist recommended unjury (available on the web at UNJURY Medical Quality Whey Protein Isolate. Best Tasting Whey Protein Powder. Most Trusted Whey Protein Powder Supplement.) bur you can buy protein powder shakes at any health food store or even most supermarkets. Make sure that the shake will give you 20 grams of Protein per serving. You will blend it in a blender with milk, and using 1% milk it will give you about 220 calories per serving. You can throw a banana, berries, or other fruit in to change the taste and give you more healthy stuff. After your liquid stage, you need to EAT. Protein is usually meat, fish, cheese, milk and some other things. You need to eat them first since your stomach is smaller. Then, you need to eat veggies to add Vitamins. Here is a list of proteins: List of foods by protein content - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia You need to learn more about nutrition. Read. Search. Information will help you succeed. Good Luck to you.... TJ

First, have you had a fill? Guessing not, at one month, as I am also at one month and my first fill is next week. Second. Lighten up. pizza is just food. You had some. You did not eat a whole pizza. (I used to eat a whole one). You are not bad. You are just Human. Are you gonna eat a whole pizza today??? I bet not. So today, just go back to your new normal routine. Work out. Eat healthy. Eat Protein first, then veggies. Shy away from carbs. Life began for you one month ago. Pizza is not the problem, your head is. Eat a slice once a month, no problem. Eat a whole pizza every day..... Problem. Congratulations on making a new life. Stop beating yourself up, and get on with the new beginning.... TJ

You should not be lifting or pulling yet!! I had my surgery 11/23 and was told no lifting or crunches till January. Your gym time should be every day. 45 minutes, cardio, like treadmill, eliptical, or bike. Or walk 3 to 4 miles every day. Your head controls you. Not your band. You have to learn to be strong enough to let the band help you. Your band will let you eat 4000 calories a day if you let it, cause you can slide crappy food by it. Is that why you went through all of this? Be honest with yourself.... Cut the junk, exercise every day, and you will not gain. You will lose. Good Luck.... TJ

My plan had me off Clear liquids and onto all liquids the day after I got home. I was on total liquids for one week. This was the week for Protein shakes and Soup (without chunks). Do you have a nutritionist? Did your Nutritionist give you a plan or guidelines? Every Doctor has a different approach. If you can't rach the DR. can you reach the NUT? It would have been hard to be total clear liquids for a week, but I have read some doctors recommend that approach. There are other clear juices, Cranberry, and blends, Juicy juice too. You can strain chicken noodle soup or Beef Vegetable soup. Before you move to full liquids, make sure that your DR is ok with it. Also, make sure you are really hungry and not HEAD hungry. Walking, a lot of walking, will help the pain and the gas go away. You have to get up, get busy, and stop thinking about food. Time to change your life is NOW!!! Good Luck... TJ

Glad it went so well!!! Forget the potatoes though.... You should limit them and get into Protein and veggies. And Walk, Walk, Walk. Gotta change your life, the band is only a tool. Good luck to you though, you are on the right road.... TJ

Two months and one week ago I made the decision to get the band. Self Pay, (actually, employer paid) so no Insurance nonsense to deal with or slow me down. I came to the decision after visiting my Endocrinologist and having seen my weight up, my AIC up, my BP up, my liver enzymes up and knowing I was heading down a bad road. Went to the seminar 2 months ago. I was banded 1 month ago (11/23). Today, I saw the Endo Dr. again. I am off ALL type II diabetes meds completely. I am off one BP med (out of 3) and take the other two only every other day. Off depression meds. Can sleep without the CPAP when I travel with no problems (still use it at home cause it is like an old friend). According to the Dr. scale I have lost 32 lbs (clothes and shoes) and my scale (Bare after working out) 38 lbs. I can do 1 hr+ on the eliptical and do at least 35 to 40 mins on it every day. I am in the gym or out walking at least 4 miles 6 days a week, even when I am on the road traveling. I record all my food and exercise on my Iphone using the Loseit App, and eat about 1400 calories a day. I have my first fill next week, and can't wait. The band has been the motivation to do everything else right. It has given me accountability to others, and self realization everytime I see the scars and feel the port. While I have 106 pounds more to my goal, and know it will take all of 2010 to come close to reaching it, I am so motivated, happy and proud to have come this far. I want to thank all of you that post. I read your posts and learn from them and feel your struggles. I truly appreciate the honesty so many of you bring to this board. The difficulties, emotions, physical challenges, etc are all laid out for us all to read, and absorb. Knowing I am going thru the same things as so many of you is a comfort and an assurance that this journey is possible, not always easy, but well worth the effort. Thanks again to all of you, just wanted to share my story a little. I have been FAT all my life. It ends now. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Best Wishes to you all..... TJ

Jaqui, While I am surely not the poster boy now, I know exactly what you mean. I did train and run a marathon once in my life, and ran for hours a day training. It as the puking, sweating, overheating workout you describe as necessary to get to the goal. I have that kind of plan ahead of me, and I love your honesty about how you have used the band as only a part of your life changing tool but have added so many other tools too. Keep being honest to us newbies..... you are a great reality check for us all. We need the truth to become what you have become...and you are a great model for what most of us want to be!!. Thanks... TJ

Ok, no tears allowed..... TJ

Ok, but promise me you would be just as honest to me if I ever need a kick in the butt!!! TJ

How bout the proof that I never stop and ask for directions!!!! I do the same thing on my Iphone with a program called Loseit!!! It has a website component that automatically updates from my Iphone. Best this about this is it is always with me, and I can use it to make decisions by plugging in a food to see what it's calories/fat/protein are before eating or ordering it.... But ANY tool, yours, Livestrong, The Realize site, or mine or the 100 others is better than guessing and lying to yourself about what you are doing..... TJ,....Sitting on the couch with my hand in my waistband... just like Al Bundy.... :-)

Tarajim is a guy!!! Sorry, Tara is a company, Jim is my name. Thanks for the response.... TJ

I find it hard to believe you are doing everything right if you can't lose at least 3 to 4 pounds a month. When you are obese, it takes a lot more calories to maintain your weight. My calorie counting program allows me 2600 calories a day to lose 2 pounds a week. 2600 IS A LOT OF food, AND A LOT OF BAD FOOD. I track everything. Do you? I find I have to exercise every day or at least 6 days a week for 45 to 90 min. I maintain my calorie, fat and Protein count to keep calories below 1400 (when exercising, 1200 when not), fat below 25% and protein above 80 grams. Absolutely no Snacks with sugar, and then only one snack a day (jello, pudding etc... all sugar free). Ok, that is discipline. It is hard at first. I do not plan to do all this work for the rest of my life, but at least for a year till I have conditioned my head to know what food should look like to a new, normal me. If you are not losing 3 to 4 pounds a month, I would either be at a doctor demanding tests to see what your body is doing to you that most peoples bodies don't do to them in the retention of weight. OR, I would be looking hard at the mirror and being honest with myself about what I am doing and what lies I am telling myself about what I am putting into my mouth...... This band is too dramatic a step, costs to much, and is a big decision. To not support that is such a waste. Be honest with yourself. If you cannot control your impulses, get head help. I would bet a lot that your slow weight loss is due to what your head is doing, not your tummy! TJ

Two weeks out from banding.... After the first week, all liquids, I was down to 335, started mushie solids and was back up 5 lbs by last wednesday on my post op. Stayed on the mushie solids all week with about 900 cal net, 1300 cal total (400-500 cal exercise) and the 5 lbs are gone again and I am back at 335 today!! Moving into bandster hell weeks with my first fill Dec 30th. Traveling the next two weeks and I have a plan with protein shakes, tuna and crackers, eggs restaurants, and lots of steamed veggies and fish. Good thing my favorite hotel has a good gym and a chef that will cook whatever I need him too!!! Wish me luck, hope to lose another 5 to 10 by the end of the month..... TJ

I would think more than one Protein shake a day would be defeating the purpose of the band. shakes, Soups, and creamy things like ice cream and pudding are "Slider Foods" and move quickly thru the band. If I had the willpower to exist on just protein shakes and one small meal a day, I would have save $17,000 and not gotten the band....