Ramie A.
17 lbs down, 11 wks postop
Feb 13, 2007
02/13/07 -- I haven't written in ages! I'm feeling both encouraged and disappointed, isn't that strange. I'm encouraged because I'm down 17 lbs in 12 weeks (11 post-op plus 1 pre-op), which is a decent rate. The disappointing part is that 10 of those I lost on the pre-op diet, so I've really only lost 7 lbs in 11 weeks, and only 4 lbs in the last 9 weeks. So I haven't been doing all that well. It's easy to see why: I've been eating around my band.
I've had 2 fills and have good restriction when I eat proper meals. But eating those proper meals is really a problem for me. It's easy when I'm at work: I get some chicken and veggies at the deli across the street and I can eat about a cup plus a single serving of canned pears. My breakfast is OK, I guess, it's now oatmeal at 6:30 AM and Kashi Go Lean cereal at 10 AM. I was buying cottage cheese and fruit at 10 but that was getting too expensive. It's the time between lunch and bed that worries me. I buy rice crispy squares at Starbucks, eat crackers and peanut butter, and lots of other snacks of mostly the non-protein sort. At dinner I have whatever I can find at home -- 3/4 cup of cottage cheese and canned fruit (this time a big can), Kashi cereal or oatmeal, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or Healthy Choice canned soup.
I'm seeing my doc and nutritionist on Thursday to get their opinion. I may or may not have a fill.
I still eat like it's my last meal, scarfing the food down way too fast. I slime nearly every day from eating lunch but I'm not sure whether it's because I'm too tight or whether I'm still not chewing properly.
On top of all that, my blood sugar has been WAY WAY WAY out of control. Worse I've ever seen it. I finally went to my doc today and he gave me new meds.
I'm still exercising, about 3 times a week, but the last few weeks I've gone less than that. I'm going to step it up right away.
I feel like I have to plan my meals out but I just don't have the energy to think that hard. I look at sample menus but they contain so many foods that I can't or won't make that they become useless to me. Should I start buying my dinners at the deli, storing them all day just to schlep them all the way home?
Not drinking right after meals is really really hard. My mouth tastes nasty. I am probably going to start chewing gum (which is really not allowed) but I can't think of what else to do.
I've had 2 fills and have good restriction when I eat proper meals. But eating those proper meals is really a problem for me. It's easy when I'm at work: I get some chicken and veggies at the deli across the street and I can eat about a cup plus a single serving of canned pears. My breakfast is OK, I guess, it's now oatmeal at 6:30 AM and Kashi Go Lean cereal at 10 AM. I was buying cottage cheese and fruit at 10 but that was getting too expensive. It's the time between lunch and bed that worries me. I buy rice crispy squares at Starbucks, eat crackers and peanut butter, and lots of other snacks of mostly the non-protein sort. At dinner I have whatever I can find at home -- 3/4 cup of cottage cheese and canned fruit (this time a big can), Kashi cereal or oatmeal, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or Healthy Choice canned soup.
I'm seeing my doc and nutritionist on Thursday to get their opinion. I may or may not have a fill.
I still eat like it's my last meal, scarfing the food down way too fast. I slime nearly every day from eating lunch but I'm not sure whether it's because I'm too tight or whether I'm still not chewing properly.
On top of all that, my blood sugar has been WAY WAY WAY out of control. Worse I've ever seen it. I finally went to my doc today and he gave me new meds.
I'm still exercising, about 3 times a week, but the last few weeks I've gone less than that. I'm going to step it up right away.
I feel like I have to plan my meals out but I just don't have the energy to think that hard. I look at sample menus but they contain so many foods that I can't or won't make that they become useless to me. Should I start buying my dinners at the deli, storing them all day just to schlep them all the way home?
Not drinking right after meals is really really hard. My mouth tastes nasty. I am probably going to start chewing gum (which is really not allowed) but I can't think of what else to do.
3 wks post op
Dec 20, 2006
December 20, 2006
Well, it's been 3 weeks since surgery and I've healed just fine. I've been exercising like a mad woman nearly every day. I'm even jogging for a few minutes on the treadmill. Mostly I do 15 min on the elliptical machine and then walk/jog 15 min on the treadmill, burning about 200 calories in the half hour.
My first week or so I felt some restriction, but obviously by now all of that is gone. I know the band is there, certainly, because I tried to eat a piece of pretzle without chewing it properly first and I totally slimed.
I'm down 13.5 lbs since the start of the pre-op diet. My first fill is January 4. That's only two weeks from tomorrow. Hurrah! Until I just wrote that, I didn't really realize it was that close! I hope, but doubt, that I will hit my sweet spot on the first fill. I can't wait to feel real restriction.
I'm doing OK on my diet of about 1200-1500 calories a day. I'm a little worried about my sweet eating. I've had dark chocolate bars (eaten over 3 days) but today I had about 3/4 of a Toblorone bar. Of course, it's my TOM, so maybe that has something to do with it. Hopefully when I reach my sweet spot I won't crave chocolate so much.
I'm excited and encouraged about the way I feel. More energy and certainly in a better mood. For the first time in a very long time, I'm hopeful that I can really get down to a decent weight. -- about 150. If I get good restriction soon, I'll even get there sooner rather than later. I am going to try to be as patient as I can if the fill doesn't put me in my sweet spot. Dori at Dr. Davis' place says she'll fill again in 2 weeks if necessary. I'm glad I have a doctor who is not afraid to be aggressive!
Well, it's been 3 weeks since surgery and I've healed just fine. I've been exercising like a mad woman nearly every day. I'm even jogging for a few minutes on the treadmill. Mostly I do 15 min on the elliptical machine and then walk/jog 15 min on the treadmill, burning about 200 calories in the half hour.
My first week or so I felt some restriction, but obviously by now all of that is gone. I know the band is there, certainly, because I tried to eat a piece of pretzle without chewing it properly first and I totally slimed.
I'm down 13.5 lbs since the start of the pre-op diet. My first fill is January 4. That's only two weeks from tomorrow. Hurrah! Until I just wrote that, I didn't really realize it was that close! I hope, but doubt, that I will hit my sweet spot on the first fill. I can't wait to feel real restriction.
I'm doing OK on my diet of about 1200-1500 calories a day. I'm a little worried about my sweet eating. I've had dark chocolate bars (eaten over 3 days) but today I had about 3/4 of a Toblorone bar. Of course, it's my TOM, so maybe that has something to do with it. Hopefully when I reach my sweet spot I won't crave chocolate so much.
I'm excited and encouraged about the way I feel. More energy and certainly in a better mood. For the first time in a very long time, I'm hopeful that I can really get down to a decent weight. -- about 150. If I get good restriction soon, I'll even get there sooner rather than later. I am going to try to be as patient as I can if the fill doesn't put me in my sweet spot. Dori at Dr. Davis' place says she'll fill again in 2 weeks if necessary. I'm glad I have a doctor who is not afraid to be aggressive!
Oct 12
Oct 12, 2006
Oct 12 -- went to local support group, met with nurse & dietition, have appt for stress test and psych eval
Well, I'm some more steps farther along in my road to surgery. The support group meeting was good; I dominated the conversation as usual. I got everyone excited about my prospects, but even as I was gushing about how I was so ready to take this step, I was feeling kinda false... like I was outside of my body, listening to myself talk. Weird.
I was reading on the Forum and someone said the eating rules after getting banded are RULES, not SUGGESTIONS. You can't deviate from them no matter how much you want to. I've been going through life deviating from rules my doctors and nutritionists have set for me. The funny thing is, this time I think it's going to be different. I've said that only one other time in my life (when I lost 30 lbs on WW). If this is going to work for me, then I HAVE to follow the rules. No exceptions! It actually feels pretty good to write that down and see it in print.
Maybe I should test myself. On Monday, Oct 16 (after the incision on my ankle has healed -- long story!), I am going to commit to walking for a half hour on the treadmill in our gym each week day. We'll see -- I'll be back here to report!
Well, I'm some more steps farther along in my road to surgery. The support group meeting was good; I dominated the conversation as usual. I got everyone excited about my prospects, but even as I was gushing about how I was so ready to take this step, I was feeling kinda false... like I was outside of my body, listening to myself talk. Weird.
I was reading on the Forum and someone said the eating rules after getting banded are RULES, not SUGGESTIONS. You can't deviate from them no matter how much you want to. I've been going through life deviating from rules my doctors and nutritionists have set for me. The funny thing is, this time I think it's going to be different. I've said that only one other time in my life (when I lost 30 lbs on WW). If this is going to work for me, then I HAVE to follow the rules. No exceptions! It actually feels pretty good to write that down and see it in print.
Maybe I should test myself. On Monday, Oct 16 (after the incision on my ankle has healed -- long story!), I am going to commit to walking for a half hour on the treadmill in our gym each week day. We'll see -- I'll be back here to report!
Oct 2
Oct 12, 2006
Oct 2 -- going to support group tomorrow, have nurse/dietition appt in 2 days
I'm feeling much more hopeful! I've been reading more and asking questions about the need or want to eat after surgery and from everything I've read, it sure seems like the WANT is less. And if you're careful about getting your fills to just the right spot, then indeed it will keep you from being too hungry between meals.
I'm feeling much more hopeful! I've been reading more and asking questions about the need or want to eat after surgery and from everything I've read, it sure seems like the WANT is less. And if you're careful about getting your fills to just the right spot, then indeed it will keep you from being too hungry between meals.
Sept 30
Sep 30, 2006
Sept 30, 2006 -- went to WLS seminar, have nurse/dietition appt scheduled for Oct 5
I wonder what makes someone successful with the lap band when they weren't successful at weight loss before the band.
I have this image in my head that helps me have hope... The image is of the amount of my "want" right now and the amount of want after surgery. My idea is that fat people have more want than skinny people. Let's say my want is at 100. I usually suppress my want by about 50 -- I only eat 50 out of 100 things that I actually want to eat! After the surgery, will my want be lower, on par with skinny people's? That is, will my maximum want be, say, 30? This would give me hope because I'm used to suppressing a 50 and now I only have to suppress a 15! If it isn't like this, how in the world is anyone successful after WLS?
I wonder what makes someone successful with the lap band when they weren't successful at weight loss before the band.
I have this image in my head that helps me have hope... The image is of the amount of my "want" right now and the amount of want after surgery. My idea is that fat people have more want than skinny people. Let's say my want is at 100. I usually suppress my want by about 50 -- I only eat 50 out of 100 things that I actually want to eat! After the surgery, will my want be lower, on par with skinny people's? That is, will my maximum want be, say, 30? This would give me hope because I'm used to suppressing a 50 and now I only have to suppress a 15! If it isn't like this, how in the world is anyone successful after WLS?
Sept 29
Sep 26, 2006
Sept 29, 2006 -- went to WLS seminar, have nurse/dietition appt scheduled
I've been reading everyone's "blogs" in their profiles and decided to start mine in order to create a record of my own journey. I am a little different than most of the people on the lap-band forum -- I have a BMI of 34.5 pre-op and weigh 195 lbs. I know that 195 doesn't seem like much to some people, but I have several co-morbid conditions that have really pushed me toward WLS. I have diabetes, high blood pressure and alarmingly high triglycerides. All of this would be cured if I could only control my eating and lose weight. But I can't seem to do that. I've been trying for 10 years. I have gone from doctor to doctor to plead for help but they all say, "oh all you have to do is eat more vegetables and exercise, come back and see me in 6 months" as if I didn't know I was suppose to do that already. It seems at least once a week I resolve to change my lifestyle and take the time to exercise and eat right, but all the usual excuses keep coming up (you know them all, so I won't list them here!). Here's my overriding question -- if I can't control my eating from the snack machine when I'm bored/tired/lonely, etc and the doctor told me if I don't lose weight he'll be "mad" at me. what will make me not turn to the snack machine once I have my band?
Another thing that makes we worried about choosing a surgical option (versus staying overweight and unhealthy for the rest of my life) is that I had a tummy tuck almost 3 years ago and I've completely blown the follow-up. The doc said that I needed to keep doing situps in order to keep my abs in shape or else the whole process (and 10 grand) would be for naught... and what have I done? Certainly not situps! I quit like 6 months after the surgery and now, although I have no fat on my stomach area, my "stomach" sticks out like a baby's (or a man's) because the ab walls are getting weaker and all the fat around my organs / inside my abdomen is pushing out...I look pregnant sometimes.
On the other hand, am I that different than all those people who have had WLS? They wouldn't have weighed 250+ without being completely out of control pre-op and yet they have managed to be successful. I'm not saying it won't be hard -- but am I weaker than everybody else?
I've been reading everyone's "blogs" in their profiles and decided to start mine in order to create a record of my own journey. I am a little different than most of the people on the lap-band forum -- I have a BMI of 34.5 pre-op and weigh 195 lbs. I know that 195 doesn't seem like much to some people, but I have several co-morbid conditions that have really pushed me toward WLS. I have diabetes, high blood pressure and alarmingly high triglycerides. All of this would be cured if I could only control my eating and lose weight. But I can't seem to do that. I've been trying for 10 years. I have gone from doctor to doctor to plead for help but they all say, "oh all you have to do is eat more vegetables and exercise, come back and see me in 6 months" as if I didn't know I was suppose to do that already. It seems at least once a week I resolve to change my lifestyle and take the time to exercise and eat right, but all the usual excuses keep coming up (you know them all, so I won't list them here!). Here's my overriding question -- if I can't control my eating from the snack machine when I'm bored/tired/lonely, etc and the doctor told me if I don't lose weight he'll be "mad" at me. what will make me not turn to the snack machine once I have my band?
Another thing that makes we worried about choosing a surgical option (versus staying overweight and unhealthy for the rest of my life) is that I had a tummy tuck almost 3 years ago and I've completely blown the follow-up. The doc said that I needed to keep doing situps in order to keep my abs in shape or else the whole process (and 10 grand) would be for naught... and what have I done? Certainly not situps! I quit like 6 months after the surgery and now, although I have no fat on my stomach area, my "stomach" sticks out like a baby's (or a man's) because the ab walls are getting weaker and all the fat around my organs / inside my abdomen is pushing out...I look pregnant sometimes.
On the other hand, am I that different than all those people who have had WLS? They wouldn't have weighed 250+ without being completely out of control pre-op and yet they have managed to be successful. I'm not saying it won't be hard -- but am I weaker than everybody else?
