Kaiser Richmond Pre-op

[MoniqueD 8]

Happy Friday!!!

Just wanted to pop in and say "Hi" and get us back on page 1......

[smallerj 2]

good looking out Mo....FYI-mark your calendars for May 14th...walk & talk Vallejo.

[smallerj 2]

Oh, did you all catch Dr OZ last weeks episode about lapband?

You can see exerpts online

http://www.doctoroz.com/question?query=lap%20band&type=droz

[momcof3 1]

I didn't see it but I will check it out online,.

I started doing Atkins today - have never tried it before but one of my friends at work has been doing it for 11 days and has lost 7 lbs. It is really close to the band plan - Protein protein. And even though I supposedly can eat as much meat as I want, my band controls that - I couldn't even eat half a chicken breast for dinner before I was full. Had two hard boiled eggs with mayo for Breakfast and canned chicken breast with mayo for lunch and an Atkins bar after work. - didn't eat dinner until 8 pm. Deja vu back to when to the first 6 months after I got my band.

Oh, did you all catch Dr OZ last weeks episode about lapband?

You can see exerpts online

http://www.doctoroz....0band&type=droz

[swrktp 1]

So Pam told me LBT was up and running again. Thought I would check in........

Watching Ruby so this is just a quick check in!! :-)

Not losing or gaining. Still at 5cc's. I have had three appointments since last May but no fills. I just haven't wanted one until I lose some first. I have restriction if I eat the right things. I can eat bread if I go really, really slow. LOL. I figure when I stop eating bread on my own and lose some weight than I will be ready for a fill.

I can't eat anything I want unless it is sliders. So I know I have a band still. I can feel it and it works when I follow the rules.

The good thing is I can't gain more than 4-5 without it getting tighter and than I go up and down 5 pounds over and over. Lets see since September I am up and down the same 5. Not great but not bad either. I am not that stress about it although I know eventually it needs to get down further. I am sorta Laizze Faire about it all right now. I figure it will happen when I decide to do EVERYTHING I am suppose to. Until than I am not gaining so in that alone the band has been worth it.

I joined Weight Watchers in January and was able to go free for a month. Now I can't afford it. WW's wasn't that band friendly but I tweaked it with band rules and lost 10 pounds in about 1 1/2 weeks. Let see I could only eat half of what they want you to eat so you lose faster. I think the food log was were the magic was. That and I like the numbers game that WW's is about. Easier for me than calories and worrying about to many details. I am working with a nurse at work that lost 80 pounds at WW's. SHe knows about my band and has been helpful. SHe knows all the rules since we spend alot of time working together. Gotta love having your own personal nurse.

Work is fine. Lots of overtime the last few months. No layoffs in the near future. Life is good. I am not really to into work right now. I try to do my best and not worried to much about the details. I only plan to stay for a couple more years than move to Colorado when my daughter is out of high school. I can survive anything for two years. I am LOVING my new job (well as of 18 months ago). It turned out to be a positive move. Great boss, great co workers, my own personal nurse. Working as a medical social worker among other things.

I have found that going on Utube and listening and watching all the lap band success stories has been fun. It reminds me that it can work. I think with so many of us struggling it gets easy to figure this is just another failed attempt but ya know..........I figure as long as I don't gain I am doing well and eventually lose what I need to.

Nice to see everyone.

CANDRA, JESS, PAT, TAMRA, PAM, NICOLE, RILEY, REGGIE........who am I missing.

I am going to try to come on May 14 to walk with ya all!! :-)

[swrktp 1]

^{I am juicing right now for a few days............loving it.}

^{Saw this movie Sick, tired and nearly dead. It is coming out in June. But it was a movie on juicing and detoxing your system for health reasons. I was impressed so we got a juicer and have been having a blast.}

^{I know it is a slider all this juice but I feel so good. It is a detox in a way I guess. I didn't buy it until I realized how good I felt the first day. Keeps you full and is good (well as long as you don't add spenich-blech) . Carrots, apples, strawberries, kiwis, pears, oranges, madarines. cucembers, pineapples.}

^{It is suppose to be a short term thing to get rid of sugar cravings and to clean out your system. You can do up to 60 days if your realy overweight. But they say for most people 10 is a great number than switch to healthy eating after.}

^{I am doing ten days but I am so likeing it and for sure am detoxing. So I might do it longer once I get to 10 days. Right now I am on day 3 and found out my Vitamin Water zero is to sweet for me now. To weird I don't usually believe fads or weird eating plans. But so far I really like it........I am gonna see how I feel about in a few days.}

^{I am not doing this to lose weight but you can lose alot of weight this. I am doing it to see if I can stop taking my anxiety medications and also because I keep getting hives and rashes all the time and this is suppose to help get rid of symptoms. I also get mirgrqines and thi is suppose to help with that. So if it works I will feel better. If not we still had fun with all the combonations.}

^{Made a killer naturaly strawberry lemonade today. A bit sour but it cleaned me right out. TMI I know!! :-P}

^{Oh yea exercise is suppose to go along with it.........:-)}

[Canolie 0]

Hello Hello!!! I LOVE seeing everyones pics and beautiful faces!! GOSH I miss EVErYONE!!! I am going to also plan to be there on the 14th of May. I NEED my support team back for sure. Its refreshing to know tho that I am not the only one who is living life and going thru the ups and downs of this Band....

After moving to WA Tam Tam and I busted ass together and did weight watchers /1200 cal diet and I lost 20 lbs. I got another fill in Sept of last year and that put me up to 7cc's (she put in 7.5 but that was too much). I definately dont think I need a fill until I lose 10-15 more lbs. I PB a lot more then I ever thought I could or would. I have noticed tho its mostly if I dont eat the first meal until later in the day or I chew too big or too fast. There was a point I thought I was too tight and wanted to get some Fluid out...I had a rough time also where I wanted to get it all out.. I was tired of not being able to hold anything down... But instead of letting it get me down I lost another 12 lbs. So as of now I am in the 180's and stuck... Thats ok tho.. I remember where I was a year ago at this time and I would take where I have come over that anyday.

Seeing you girls and John on here again has given me motivation to get my ass back in gear.. NO MORE Cookies ( my new weakness) The hubby and I are ready to start a family and with less then 30 lbs till goal its time to get back to the basics and I cant do it without my awesome support group!! Love you all. Miss you and cant wait to see you.

[wantshealth 0]

It is so good to hear from everyone and what everyone is up to.

Candra and Jess - I love you girls. Jess, I started walking again this past week after you wrote about your bridge walks - you were always an inspiration for me. Candra so sorry things are rough - I too believe in the meds if you can find a way to get them cheaper - I take Zoloft for anxiety and have for a while and don't want to mess with it - its not a perfect fix - like now with all the stress in my life, but I know I would be worse with out it.

Tam - your car accident story sent chills up my spin! I am so so glad you and your daughter were OK. You must have a really good guardian angel! Maybe she can help with the eating too! Protein is good. I can't wait to give you a hug on 5/14.

Tina - my nieces have done the juice shakes and they swear by them for how they feel (one of them has Celiac disease and it really helped her.)

Monique - your pic is awesome - you go girl!

Pam - good to hear you back too and that you are back at things. One of the things I've learned with my therapist is the right mix of Protein and healthy fat is important for sustaining us - keeping the hunger away - Atkins can do that. I do think it goes too light on the veggies. But it could be a good kick starter again.

CoCo - I am so glad you are nearby (sort of). And thinking of trying for a baby - OMG he/she is going to have so many mama / aunties! I agree get the weight off now - I always found it harder after each of my boys - that was when I really started to pack it on! It felt like a license to eat (you know - the baby needs some!!!).

Riley - where are you!!!???

I have been busy and up and down. I just did a quick trip to LA with my son to look at the college he was accepted at - The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Hollywood. It was a great trip and I am really excited for him. I just hope we can figure out how we will pay for it. I realy want to try to help do this for him, but I am also really torn about maybe going back to school myself, as I really don't want to go back to the high pressure job/work I had before.

For all you ladies, I mentioned that I have been in therapy the last year with the Dr. who specialize in people with eating issues. As I read everyone's posts, I know that everyone is dealing with something. It is painful to dig into the issues of why we use food for other than nurishment, but I really believe that is the answer to this puzzle. Figuring it out and then figuring out a different way to deal with whatever emotion/ feeling, etc. is the key. Its very hard work. In the spirit of sharing, one of my insights has been the I use food to numb out and not feel or express my feeling and my needs. Not sure if this resonates with anyone else, but it has been powerful insight for me. I can actually start to feel me 'leave' my body when I do it.

Anyway, I love you lots! Hope you have a good week. (I plan on having an awesome one - tomorrow is my birthday - I will be mumble mumble!! I had 2 gift certificates saved and I am having a massage and a facial tomorrow! I can't wait!)

Hugs to you all!

[swrktp 1]

Morning all,

Pat I agree with you 100% there are other issues besides just weight loss. I do the same thing and I am catching myself quite a bit "numbing" out with food. I am not so sure I would say exactly numbing but relaxing myself or rewarding myself. food and TV would numb/relax me everytime. Deadly combo. But I agree. I am not in therapy now but have had more than my share and I know when I am playing games with myself. Especially when I start to catch myself doing it.

I think that is why I know this is gonna be a process for me. Could take awhile. I am just so glad I am not allowed to gain while I am sorting it al out. Losing would be nice too...........but that part will come when I am ready to get my mind set straight.

I do know if I stress about not losing than I push myself back into the using food as a relaxer mode. So I am doing better just sitting back and seeing how it goes and watching my patterns and how I "run the show or how the show runs me."

The only reason I am considering getting off the anti anxiety meds is I feel they make it harder to lose weight. I know my weight loss slowed down alot when they came into the picture. But if I con't go off them no big deal either. Just suspect they aren't helping me lose weight.........and could be part of the hives and headaches.

[swrktp 1]

Nicollie:

Your post has me thinking. I have been afraid of more fills and PB's but maybe I need to move ahead since it has been a year and just "tough out" the first few rough days. I have done it before and dropped weight like crazy. Maybe the band is to lose and I still have room to "play around" with food.

But I know the feeling of wanting the Fluid out at times!! I think a few times if I had just waited a few hours I would have been fine with my band being tighter.

Maybe I will go in and get the fill intead of talking them out of one next time!!

[riley4183 0]

I totally get wanting the Fluid out! On our way down to the Giants game last night we stopped at Panda, I ordered by health beef & brocolli and got like less than 3 bites down and could not make anything get through the band. I was REALLY getting pissed about it, I mean that was my one chance to eat before we got to the ballpark where there's nothing under $10, but Chris and my son just said hey - that's why you did it. Does it beat the alternative? Uhm - yes. it does.

May 14 is on my calendar, I love my girlz!!

[HD Gloria 0]

Can anybody tell me how to remove myself from getting this group's mail? Thanks and good luck all.

[momcof3 1]

There should be a blue bar above the top of the messages on the page that says "stop watching topic" - I would guess you would click on it - hope it works for you.

Can anybody tell me how to remove myself from getting this group's mail? Thanks and good luck all.

[momcof3 1]

Riley -

I totally know that feeling. It makes me mad when I sometimes can't even get healthy food down - I actually had fish come back up after 3 bites. Makes me not want to eat at all sometimes.

I totally get wanting the Fluid out! On our way down to the Giants game last night we stopped at Panda, I ordered by health beef & brocolli and got like less than 3 bites down and could not make anything get through the band. I was REALLY getting pissed about it, I mean that was my one chance to eat before we got to the ballpark where there's nothing under $10, but Chris and my son just said hey - that's why you did it. Does it beat the alternative? Uhm - yes. it does.

May 14 is on my calendar, I love my girlz!!

[swrktp 1]

For me the protiens take alot more thought and time.

I also get stuck alot on protien and health food. It is much harder to eat and I never know for sure if it will go down. Protiens are still a guessing game for me depending ont he day.

If I am in a social event or just want to have a "normal" meal where I don't worry about PB'ing I go with easy and cheat my band. Not even thinking much about it my mind has adjusted enough to cheat my band without a second thought about WHAT I am doing. LOL. Except that I do know that I cheat my band sometimes if I slow down enough to think about what I am doing or eating.

Food logs and planing meals ahead of time is what I have to do to avoid the cheating syndrome.

I can't say I want all my Fluid out or I don't want my band. I don't even get angry when I can't eat. What bugs is me is that my band can't outfox my head hunger!! LOL.

I can just look at something now and know if it will go down or not. I like before when I didn't dare try a forbidden item!! I don't like knowing some of what I know two years out.

Something I learned today at a training. NOt band related and yet it so is. (in regards to assessment tools.)

A tool is not a solution to a problem, it does not have wisdom, thoughts or opinions. A tool is only a way to make an assessment or to help one come up with a solution to the problem. The tool cannot solve the problem it can only lead you to find patterns tha lead to the soution." Ah why does that make me think about my band ??? ONLY A TOOL.....................NOT A SOLUTION!!!