I continue to practice. Back to that in a minute. I got my approval to go to the Seminar. It's this Saturday and my surgeon is Dr. Oliak in Orange, CA. After that, they submit my paperwork to be approved for the surgery. That should take about two weeks. From that date it should be about one month till I'm banded. I continue to lose weight on a 1200 cal diet with very healthy choices. Some things that I'm having trouble with are: chewing...I try to chew everything 40 times but it's so darn hard!...I use a timer that sits in front of me and I MAKE my meal last 30 min. Of course, no liquids with meals and none for 1 hour after. That is hard too! I know I'm whining but isn't that what these forums are for? And I'm hungry. Exercise is difficult and slow. I tire sooo easily. I need knee replacement surgery so I am limited. Any ideas? I've been biking, rowing and working a few machines at the gym that are low impact on the knees. I've only been at it for around 7 days. I did pick up a protien shake at Costco. They also have these berry/yogart packets made by Yoplat. I highly recommend them. They're in the frozen foods dept. Well I'm off now. Thanks to all you great people out there I'm doing what I'm supposed to before I see the surgeon. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Oh...and I quit drinking alcohol and diet soda!

Edited October 10, 200916 yr by illuminationlady

How do you chew forty times? Wow I can barley get in 20 times. I also don't drink for an hour after I eat and that gets easier as time goes by. Good thing to give up cokes and alcohol too. I have missed my diet coke so much. I only drink water day and night since I can not find something that taste good. Your doing good!!!

I'm with 123crod! I could never chew anything 40 times, LOL. Just chew it up so that it's not chunky, so that you're not on the verge of inhaling your food and swallowing it nearly whole.

Exercise. Google "chair exercise" You will get a lot of stuff and some of it will be good stuff. No, it's not a substitute for whole body efforts like walking, but it can be a workout. Do you swim? If so, go to the Y and swim! That is 100% nonload bearing, will not impact your knees at all. I have a friend in Chattanooga who was in the same boat as you pretty much. She'd had 1 knee replaced but had continued to gain weight and the ortho surgeon told her he wouldn't do the other knee unless she lost weight. So she gets approved for lap band surgery BUT the hospital said they don't do surgery on anybody with a BMI above 50. So she had to diet and exercise to lose 24 pounds. This is a woman who was walking with a walker, for pete's sake, LOL. But her daughter, who is a body builder, found "chair exercises" for her and got her some good Protein shakes and succeed she did. Had her surgery in April. No more walker, and she's getting really close to the knee surgery now. She walks some, on level ground but she is still doing her chair exercises and goes to the gym to lift weights and swim.

I do swim and it helps. I, too, have a walker. I plan on burning it after :sad:. I took two days off to rest my knees. Tomorrow is the Seminar. My hubby is doing everything in his power to talk me out of this. He has been talking about it alllll day!:thumbup: He makes some good points but I'm going through with this! I really want it! I've had a very rough year and my family is worried. I understand but am tired of everyone trying to talk me out of it. Of course, my husband has never had to lose a pound in his life! He is going with me. Hopefully the doctor and the whole seminar will turn him around some. I'm not saying he's totally against it, just concerned. I said that I try to chew my food 40 times but find it hard. I read somewhere on here that's what you're supposed to do. Thanks for your idea on chair exercising. I'll do that.