sparetire

Oh Paula, I am so sorry! I am crying there right with you! When you had your pre-surgery dental check up, did she discuss this with you at all? I was disappointed in my check up as I know I needed some work done but she just quoted me on cleaning. I hope your pain subsides and you can find a way to fix your teeth without jeopordising your band.

Yah...I know... but then it would be FUN

Yes, that is the best... I know when I quit smoking, I made sure my diet did not change, yet I gained 50lbs... never did get it back off. My friend also quit, she gained 20 but it eventually came off her. I guess what I am trying to say is that hormonal and nicotine changes to you body will also wreak havoc on your weight. be sure to tell Dr Miranda exactly what you have been doing...

Darn, I wish I could join you guys... just a little too far for me to travel.

I have heard of this before as well... really, 3 weeks is not a long time! I don't plan to go every day, but I plan to get there 3 days a week... with walking outside on the "off" days.

What a great thread! i am reminiscing, can't remember elementary school when I was less than a 14... that bein said, I am sure that after a tummy tuck and ahem, boob lift, I could be an 8. At a size 8, I will take up pole dancing...

Oh my Goodness, this is hilarious! did you return the stuff and get you money back?

Welcome Holly! sorry to hear of your loss. It is great that you have decided to get healthier! along with us all here. Keep up the great work, and soon you will be like your friend!

Welcome Trudy, Sounds like you found the right place for support. Many of us have similar stories. I am from the North Okanagan in BC.

Yes, I am using Spark People. I think Evette posted an invitation just a little while ago. It is a really neat site where you can earn spark points by doing certain things....helps with keeping motivated. http://sparkpeople.com

Jena, thank you for sharing this. I am also having this issue with some people and I really don't want them to know how high I actually was... your answer will be perfect!

My sister and I were banded the same day. She was always 20lbs heavier than me, but also quite a bit taller... anyways, I have gotten over that part, just hate the fact that I have no support from my husband or family. that is why I came back here to the forum...

Hi Yorkie mommy Yes, I also found this after getting my band. eventually though, you will be able to drink the water you need to. it is just during your first week or SO that you will feel totally unaable to drink it all. you can drink before eating, just not for an hour after eating. I too struggled with this rule. but now, it fits well with my work day. I have a cup from weightwatchers that is 32 oz. so i fill it 1hour after breaky and have to finish it about 15 min before lunch break. same thing after lunch, I fill again and have to finish it by the time I leave for home. then any water I have at the gym or while walking is bonus... hth... it will get better!

Yeah, I wasn't going to tell him either but then decided since it was time to see him and I needed some other stuff done and I was so excited... well Yah he is great. kids... oldest is 22 his wife is 20 baby is 4 months old... daughter is 21, son 19, son 17, son 15, son 12... lots of testosterone around here!

LOL must be the Canadian air....

can you drink it... also, dr Miranda said to not go directly to milk products. believe me, it is not pretty if you end up with an intolerance. I was there and in agony for a week... til i called her and she helped me figure out why.

My paperwork says surgery time was 35 min. I also had a hiatal hernia repaired during that time. My experience with recovery was much like everyone elses in TJ so maybe things are done differently... I have had surgery in Canada before where I was give a specific anesthesia that kept you under for exactly the time necessary and woke up immediately after. it was also a quick recovery surgery... compared to the other 10 or so that I have had.

dixie cups are 5oz ea so 4 would equal 20 oz or just shy of 1.5 regular cup measures. hth... btw cedar, I am not saying that having icecream is ok, but one can afford a few extra "creamy" calories when on the liquid phase due to your body not getting enough calories. i know i struggled with gettting enough. rarely could I even hit 800 in a day so having icecream would be a choice during this phase. the gist of this gal's post was owning up to her mistake and asking others not to do it. she held herself up as an example of what not to do.

Hi Cedartown. The wonderful thing about this forum is that we CAN support each other. some people have more willpower than others and some just need reassurance that they are doing the right thing. After all, we wouldn't be fat if we could restrict ourselves on our own. Read the posts that interest you, respond if you like but I don't think it helps those who are doing the wrong thing to judge them harshly. Instead, friendly advise, tips on making it easier to get through "bandster hell" etc will help those who are struggling. If you are pissed off, don't read them. Have you ever been on a diet where you have cheated? If not, I commend you. In the 30 years of yo-yo dieting, I can honestly say I cheated. It may not have been much, but even a candy on a low carb diet can ruin it for the whole week... Every one of us was told how to make our band work and sometimes just talking about it in order to figure out what we have done wrong, will help us in getting it right. Everyone also has the opportunity to talk with dr Miranda at any time after, she is as far as a telephone. The only thing I would be concerned about on the creamy stage is starting it too quickly without doing the lactaid part. believe me, it can make life miserable. I personally have been struggling with losing weight the last 6 weeks. I know that if I didn't come here to the forum, I would likely have eaten everything i possibly could. I like that I was able to glean information to help me get through this period. People may not have responded directly to me, but it was good to read that others were in the same boat as me and struggling. Now, did I cheat on pre-op diet? yes. Did I lose the weight I was supposed to? 10 of the 12 I was asked to in less than 2 weeks. Did I cheat on my post op diet? not really. by week 3 I was a guilty chew, spitter. by the last week I would chew a juicy peice of chicken and then spit. That is how I got through it. Everyone must make a choice when they are eating their creamy foods. Is this going to benefit me? Is this on the list of "good, healthy" foods? If they arent and a person has make a mistake, and the head hunger has taken over, they are here to get advise and help to get back on track. Everyone has to realize that they are in the healing stage of the lapband and losing weight is not the ultimate goal of that stage. it is an added benefit when it happens. they did not "waste their $$$" and will be able to turn things around.

LOL no, but sometimes I wish... actually it just reiterated what I had been telling her about my weightloss... she just compares #'s between my sis and me. I lost36 and my sis has lost 59... so she thought I was a failure. not too great when one is feeling down...

They will not turn you away here. You have a history of struggling with your weight. This is what they will look at. I think Dr Ortiz's book also talks about this a bit, once a person has the fat cells, while they may lose weight, they will never lose the actual fat cells. hence the tendency to gain excess weight with every diet or weight loss technique that does not allow for permanency. That is the beauty of this, the lapband is a lifelong change, but also a lifelong friend.

Gosh darn it... you always make me blush....

This is such a great idea! is the bracelet an "Italian" charm or a regular chain with charms? I guess it doesn't matter... either would work. Here's to many more charms!

Hi Kim, you are not alone and not crazy! the factthat you ache is reason enough to get help. My story almost mimics yours except I was not successful during highschool in maintaining my weight. after my 6th kid and quitting smoking I put on another 50+ and became a whopping 283 at highest... I am the same height as you. Read here, see if it fits you, call the center and ask your questions, you will get the help you need! btw, welcome! >

so today i started off with a dentist apt and then had a Dr. apt.. I started our conversation with "you know how we have talked about weightloss" and "have you heard of lapband?" Well... he blew me away with "Yes, I have a patient with one." Now, here in Canada this is a relatively new thing (he didn't know they were being done here) but he was so excited about his other patient and how she is doing... answered a bunch of my questions etc and then I dropped the bomb... "Well I had one done too in March" He nearly fell off his chair! He was so excited for me. (this dr is the same one who I had as a teen, delivered all 6 of my kiddos and was with me through all my other issues) It feels so good to have his support. his final questions were "where are you going for your fills? and how do they do it, can I feel your port?" He was GREAT!