iamworthit

That is so awesome! You are such an inspiration!!! I am 5'3", so I use you as an example of what can be done all the time. I can't wait to be in the same position as you. When I met my husband 13 years ago, I weighed 145 pounds and that is my goal for the first year. I remember how great I felt at that weight and of course falling in love didn't hurt. Anyway, congratulations! You look fantastic!!! Keep up the great work and keep on being the inspiration you are. :) :)

These are the ones I use too. I am glad you found them. I have tried the grape and the fruit punch an both are good. When I did the grape, I just mixed with water and it tasted like grape with water. I drink 1/2 of a tube at a time for 21 grams of protein and 88 calories. I use it as part of my mid morning and and afternoon snack.

Eek! That sounds pretty painful. I am not a patient of the OCC, but I was wondering because my dr. offers it both ways. I think insurance covers it for either way, so I think I will stick with the fluoro. I just wasn't sure why it mattered...

Wow! You look fantastic! I hope to be there by the early next year! Keep up the great work!

I keep reading that it is better to get a fill with fluoro. Why is this the case? Is there something different that happens? Can someone please explain to me? I am not ready for a fill yet, just 2 weeks out from surgery, but I was wondering regardless. Thanks!

Well, I broke down and finally weighed myself today. I had surgery on 07/01/08 and was trying to hold off till my 1 month follow up on 07/30. When I got to the gym today I couldn't resist the scale any longer. I weighed myself and lo and behold, I have lost 10 lbs since surgery. I realize it is a lot and not to expect that much in the weeks coming up, but I was still happy. It is nice to now be closer to 200 than 250!

Good for you Kim! I know you were getting really discouraged with the plateau. I am proud of you!!!

Lisa, I completely agree with you. I had my surgery at the Mayo Clinic and my dietician there stressed good protein supplements like Isopure. Also, she said your protein requirements are based on your weight of where you are now... With that said, I struggle getting my required protein with the little amounts of food I am eating, as well. I supplement my protein with the Isopure Melon Apple drinks, as well as the fruit punch protein bullets. The protein bullets I put in fruit punch krystal lite and you can't taste a thing. I buy the 42 gram bullets and drink 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 at night. Same goes for the Isopure drinks. They are pricey, but I figure I used to spend a lot on eating out, drinking starbucks, running through fast food, etc., it offsets it somehow. I too take a daily multi-vitamin and biotin as well. I work out daily and have done so since January, and I think that has made a huge difference in my success. Prior to January, when I was just dieting I lost like 6 pounds. When January hit and I started going to the gym 5 days a week rotating cardio and strength training is when the pounds started coming off like clockwork. The moral of the story is everyone is different, but once you find a pattern that works for you stick with it. For me, it is having 70 - 75 grams of good, high quality protein; as much from my diet as possible the rest from supplementing. Exercising every single day even if it is just for 30 minutes and watching my sugar and fat content in foods. Trina - If you are willing to try one more thing, go to GNC and get the little protein bullets. They will know what you are talking about. If you like fruity drinks, like fruit punch, buy one and put 1/2 of it into a glass (I chill them first in the refrigerator). Then poor the rest of the class up with fruit punch krystal lite or some other sugar free fruit punch drink. I bet you won't taste a thing and with 21 grams of protein for 1/2 a bullet, it is a great way to supplement. They are like $3 dollars, but I have 1 a day and that isn't anywhere near what I used to spend on discretionary spending every day. I think they have other flavors too, so if you try one of the other flavors let me know. When I found these and actually liked them, I stuck with it... Good luck!

I have read the same thing about protein. I believe anything more than 20-30 grams in one setting is about as much as your body can metabolize. My dietician told me to focus on getting protein from every meal and having it add up to 65 - 80 grams per day. With that said, you shouldn't eliminate carbohydrates from your body altogether because that is when the kidneys are hit the hardest. I am still on the mushy stage, post op, and I am supplementing my diet with the protein bullets; they have 42 grams of protein, but I split it in 1/2 and have 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 at night. I use the Isopure drinks as well (I like the apple melon) and I do the same with those as well. The last 3 days I have been averaging around 750 - 800 calories and have hit 70 grams of protein all three days. I feel that is pretty good considering I was only getting 400 calories per day right after my surgery. Needless to say, I am feeling stronger with the additional calories. I am not sure yet though how it is affecting my weight because I am not weighing until next week when I have my 3 week follow up with my dr. I hope I am losing, but I am trying to not set myself up for disapointent. Good luck with your diet. It looks like you have done really well!

Hey Kim, I drink Isopure - it is what my dietician has recommended. I have tried several and in my opinion the best one is the apple melon. It has 42 grams of protein and I drink half in the morning and half at night because I read somewhere that the body cannot process more than 20 grams of protein at one time. Having said that, GNC has these protein "bullets" that are flavored. I get the fruit punch one and I mix it in fruit punch krystal light and you can't tell that it is in there at all. It has 42 grams of protein as well, so I do the same thing with this type of protein 1/2 in the morning, 1/2 at night. The Isopure is not that great tasting, but at least the apple melon is semi palatable (COLD). I struggled initially with my protein too and these products have helped me a lot. Another good source of food protein is tuna. 3 ounces of tuna has 20 grams of protein and makes a great lunch. I am not sure if you eat tuna or not, but it is good for you and adds a lot of protein. I agree it is tough getting it all in, but you can do it. Good luck!!!

I think you have done really well. When ever in your life have you been able to take off 15 pounds in a month? That is incredible. Remember, with the band we should only expect 1-2 pounds per week and the first month is a healing time not a time of losing. The losing is just a benefit! Good luck with continued losing! I am sure you will succeed.

That is good to hear that you were able to eat steak. That is one of the things I was worried about for myself. I am still on the mushy stage, so I am waiting till I get to solids. Yesterday was the first day since being banded that after eating a meal, I stayed full for hours. I made cream of brocolli soup and put in cooked chicken that was blended; I had about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup over an hour and I was full for hours afterwards. It stayed with me for hours. Glad to hear you had a nice meal though! Sounds like you stayed on track too.

I definitely think you should be drinking more. Especially with the amount of walking you are doing. Without water, you have no way to flush the toxins out of your body... Don't get upset because of the scale. Remember, we are all in this for the long haul. Don't get hung up on numbers or allow them to drive how you feel. You are doing great - and it sounds like you have definitely lost inches. Maybe you should put the scale away for a couple of weeks and focus on inches and clothing. That will give you a better outlook. Hang in there, we are all rooting for your continued success!!!

Cathy, Great job! You are looking really good. I can tell a huge difference in your tummy and upper body. It is amazing was 30+ pounds does to change a persons body. Keep up the great work, you are an inspiration!

Congratulations! Remember to sip, sip, sip!

I called my doctor today. He called right back. He suspects my dizzyness and lightheaded feeling is a result of too low calories, not enough protein and not drinking enough water. He told me to go up to 1/2 cup of food at meal times - I have been doing 2-3 ounces. Also, he said to shoot for 800 calories a day (right now I am at 400-600). He seems to think this will work, but said he will call back in a couple of days to check. As for protein content, he said to shoot for a minimum of 60-75 grams a day.

I am lightheaded a lot lately. I am only a week out, so I attribute it to that. Also get dizzy from time to time. I often wonder if I am getting 'enough' as well. I average between 400 - 600 calories a day right now. I have been supplementing my protein with protein bullets and Isopure because I was concerned about the low amounts of protein I was getting per day... I wonder if that is it?

Mine came three days after surgery. Just what I needed then, right? I haven't had restriction since the surgery. I am hungry all the time. Although, I am eating between 500-600 calories a day when I count it up. I journal faithfully everything...

No, I am a Programmer Analyst. My employer just has great short term disability benefits and my surgeon signed me out for a month. I have worked and gone to school since I was 15 years old (now late 30's) and it is the first time I have ever had this kind of time off. I am taking classes for my Master's as well, so it is nice to just focus on school right now and not have to juggle a full time job, school, family, and this.

I have tried all of these except the russian air force diet, the cookie diet and the hot dog diet (who thought that one up??). Pretty amazing the things we put our bodies through. I did the Atkins diet several times but was never able to stick on it. It is just too hard to stay in ketosis for long enough to get off the amount of weight I have. That coupled with destruction of your kidneys... Anyway, thanks! Another great post!!!

Good for you mona! That is a great victory. Don't let the scale dictate how you feel. I think we all get caught up with that from time to time. I am only a week out from surgery and I made a decision to not weigh until my first follow up appointment. I didn't want the disappointment and anxiety that comes with the scale. I think weighing once a week is a great pattern. It is tough because we all want to jump on it all the time. I cannot even keep a scale in the house because if I did, I would be on it several times a day! Great job on the pants! Now, on to the next ones! Woohoo!

I think I am going back to full liquids tomorrow because I am thinking it may be the mushies too. I was fine on the mushies the first 2 days and then I started this today. It won't hurt to go back and hopefully will make me feel better. I definitely am not getting enough liquids. I used to drink 100+ ounces of water pre surgery. Now, I am lucky to get 48 ounces in. It is tough.... I am just glad I am out of work for this entire month because I cannot imagine having to work while healing. It must be rough....

I was banded on 07/01 here in the States.... I have been healing nicely and have done better every day. Today though I have felt nauseous all day. I haven't vomited yet, but I have felt low grade and kind sick to my stomach all day. My doctor has me on mushies and I haven't been eating a lot but I have focused on the protein first. My question is do you think it is still just my tummy healing? Did anyone else feel nauseous a week out? I hope this passes soon because this definitely is not fun.

Shy, I too was banded on 07/01. I am sorry you are having some problems with your incision. Mine all are healing, but I noticed they all have a little bit of pink around them, they aren't hot to the touch and look better every day. Do you think this is normal? I would call your doctor to rule out infection, just to be sure. You don't want to risk having complications like that. I have kept you in my prayers because I remembered that we got banded on the same day. I haven't weighed myself yet so I don't know how I am "doing" yet, but every day is better. I hope you feel better soon!

Ok, that seems about right for me. I am only a week out and feel full after 2-3 ounces, but I get hungry again about 1.5 hours later... I too have found that chicken stays with me longer than anything else. I put it in my food processor with chicken broth and mush, mush, mush. Then I eat it taking 30 minutes or more and boy oh boy does it stay. I eat about 1/3 of a 1/2 of breast.