robbynnoel

I have a funny twist on this. I think I mentioned that I used to be a weight loss consultant. It was a firm that didn't feel their consultants needed to be at goal, just able to relate to weight loss itself. Anyway, I walked into a fast food restaurant with my children and my mother one holiday for lunch. In walked one of my clients. These situations were always uncomfortable. Some clients didn't want to be acknowledged if I ran into them in a restaurant others were okay with it. I didn't say anything, and neither did my client. A few days later I met with the client for her regular consultation. She asked "Was that you I saw at Chicken Little a few days ago?" "Yes." I said. "Was that woman you were with your MOTHER?" The client interupted and continued. She was pretty sarcastic. I got the impression she didn't like my mom. "I feel so sorry for you." "Why?" "Don't you live with her?" She persisted. "Yes." (After I divorced the kids and I moved in with my mom for a time...) "I can't imagine how hard it must be for you to live with someone who has no idea what it's like to NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT!" Then I got a shocked look on my face and I shared with my client that my mother was heavy all of my life, but when she found out she was going to be a grandma, she was motivated and she had been 134 lbs (5'9) for over 15 years. This totally embarassed my client. She met my mother as thin, pulling chicken skin off chicken, taking small bites, eating a quarter of her meal and formed an impression. But the story gets better. So I get home from work and my mom is on the couch with a friend of hers she'd known 40 years (oh and the friend was slender). In other words, mom met her friend when my mom was was heavy. (Can you feel where I'm going with this...) I open the door and I call to my mom, hey mom...a client of mine is mad at you because you have no idea what it's like to be fat. "Who do I write the check out to?" My mom asked in a joking way. Then her friend barely whispered, "Oh, yea. You've lost a little weight since I've met you." And I said, "She's lost over 100 lbs since you've met her." So point is, strangers will never assume what you weighed and there will be friends, even good ones, who will never acknowledge your loss or compliment you. That doesn't mean everyone is like that...but you get the idea. Hugs.

Every doctor is different, but here are the guidelines given to me. I was allowed to start the program immediately so during my initial consultation I was 257. Today I'm at 239. Then again, he told me my calorie range is between 400 and 800 calories a day. 2 Weeks Before Surgery * Lose weight by a low carlorie, low carbohydrate dieting. or * Replace all meals with Pre-Op Kit. As far as liquids that are not purchased from my doctor. Trader Joes Designer Whey Protein Powder Designer Whey Aria Women's Protein Powder Met-Rx Protein Plus Protein Powder Trader Darwin's Soy Protein Powder Worldwide Pure Protein Shake (can) Safeway EAS AdvantEdge Carb Control Atkins Advantage Shake GNC GNC Pro Performance 100% Whey Protein GNC Pro Performance 50 Grand Slam EAS Myoplex Carb Sense Drink ON Procomplex Augmented Protein System ON 100% Whey Gold Standard Powder Perfect Zero Carb Isopure Powder Perfect Zero Low Carb Powder Perfect Zero Isopure 20 Ounch Drinks ***** This was my doctor's top choice so that's what I have in the fridge American Body Building Whey Force Drink American Body Burilding Whey Extremem Body 50 Worldwide Pure Protein Shake (can) Stacker 2 Protein Water Muscletech Nitro Advanced Protein Drink Whole Foods Market Biochem 100% Whey Protein Powder Biochem 100% Greens and Whey Biochem 100% Raw Foods and Whey Biochem 100% Hemp and Whey Bioplex Nutrition Pure WPI 100% Whey Protein Isolate Powder Bioactive When Protein Complex, Aspartame Free, Acesulfamine-K Free Jarrow Formulas Whey Protein Jarrow Formulas Vegetarian/Vegan Iso-rich Soy Jarrow Formulas Vegetarian/Vegan Iso-rich Greens MRM Whey Pumped Nature's Life Super-Green Pro-96 Soy Protein Powder Whole Foods Market 365 Whole Foods Soy Protein Powder My doctor said if I have 80 calories of protein a day I can eat as few as 400 calories a day (but no fewer). That's another reason why I reach for ISOPURE...they are 40 grams of protein each...so 2 are 80. They are 160 calories each, which is why I have to reach for something else in addition to that. My fridge and pantry has: Sugar Free Popsicles Sugar Free Fudgesicles Sugar Free Jello Sugar Free Jello Pudding Herb Ox Chicken Broth Cubs Sugar Free Hot Chocolate Diet Cranberry Cocktail Instant Decaf Coffee Decaf Tea Instant Grits Weight Watcher Carb Controlled Oatmeal The day before the surgery - Stop before midnight * Drink clear liquids only Clear Liquid Diet Info: http://www.gicare.com/Diets/Clear-liquids.aspx http://www.drugs.com/cg/clear-liquid-diet.html Surgery Day * Nothing Hugs to you. I hope this helps.

Day 7... Well I fell off the wagon. Maybe it was too agressive to cut over early prior to the surgery. Maybe I was asking too much of myself? I'm not waiting until tomorrow to start over again, I'm putting down the fork and starting now. xo

(((((((((((((Shelby)))))))))))) I got a great tip today. Is your bridesmaid dress one peice or two? If it's two, when you get the dress you'll probably have little white strip that you'd use to hang the skirt on the hanger. If that is the case, the strips are so long you can actually hang then from your shoulders for extra protection. Who was the genius who thought of that? Sending you skinny vibes.

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((Slim)))))))))))))))))))))) Hugs to you! Good for you! I admire your thirst to bike over several days. It sounds like you are inspired and motivated. Wonderful wonderful news.

(((((((((((((((Lisa)))))))))))))))) - Hugs to you. I love love loved your post. You do not look the age you said you were in your post. I don't believe you. What an accomplishment. There was a diet guru named Susan Powter. Her coined phrase was "Does it grow that way?" That sounds very similar to what you are doing now. Marilu Henner has some books out that have the same premise as well. I'd love to know more about your food choices!

Thank you everyone for your heart felt condolences and support. I learned a big lesson from this, and I'm learning about my body, mind and spirit.

Day 5 Phew...my technical cut over date to liquids is tomorrow and I'm hanging in there. Yesterday I did eat a sour pickle but aside from that I've been on program. I can't believe my body is able to function on between 400 and 500 calories a day. My doctor's data specified I was to have between 75 and 90 grams of protein to prevent hair loss so I'm keeping that in mind. I've been using ISOPURE (which is 160 cals/40 grams of protein) and a Costco Chocolate Whey Powder (which is about 200 calories with an 8 oz class of nonfat mile and 20 grams of protein). I guess th protein is preventing me from falling over. In addition to that I have sugar free popsicles, non fat yogurt, chicken/beef broth...the usual stuff. Onward and upward.

There is some back story here. On 3/12/07 at 294 the moon, stars and sun aligned. I lost weight and I was motivated. I logged every bite, lick and taste. Fast forward to June 08. My best friend is engaged to be married, I'm her Maid of Honor and my mother and I go dress shopping. I weigh 212. So, they bring out an 18 and it fits me okay, but since my mom and I knew I was losing weight we purchased the dress in a 16 (which did fit). After all the wedding was in September. The moment, moment, moment I pay for and pick up the dress, my friend calls me and says the reception hall was accidentially double booked. Yikes. The wedding was moved to March. And did I mention my mom, who I consider the best in the world died. Talk about rock bottom. So this dress haunted me. In dealing with my mother's death I started to put on weight, I stopped logging food, I started watching the food network (I didn't know how to cook) and I fell in love with the Barefoot Contessa, who looks a bit like my mom did when I was a child and the way I did when I was at my heaviest. I'll post a photo, I was a brunette then (and my mom was too). A small off topic comment, when my mom passed away, she was a 5'9 blonde who weighed 135 lbs. She lost weight 20 years ago when my father died and kept her weight off. Okay, so the Barefoot Contessa...beautiful, happy, charming and she got more and more beautiful. And I thought how wonderful it would be to cook and eat whatever you wanted (not that she does that) and just be who you're meant to be. So I mentally, physically and emotionally wanted to weigh 300 lbs again. Yep, I wanted it. And I wanted it quickly. Crazy I know. Despite the obvious, what was the problem with this? I had a bridesmaid dress in my closet that was a size 16 so I kept on being roped back in to who I used to be. But as the months rolled by, I got sloppier and sloppier with my program. The dress was like a curse. It haunted me. I felt trapped by it. So flash forward to January and a dress fitting. Yikes. 4 inches taken out on both sides. Oh yea, that was a mess. Had to find fabric...etc. And the simple solution of buying another dress wasn't an option, it wouldn't be in before the wedding. Can you guess what brought me to my knees and commit to lap band? The dress. So I commit to surgery and on 2/13 I see my doctor and he says that although two weeks of liquids prior to my surgery would be 2/16 I can start at any time. I mean I was 257 by this point and I didn't want to feel as if I was working in reverse so I started early. Ah yea...start early and then go in for the final dress fitting...which of course is now 2 inches too big on either side. lol I know I know, I am happy but I think it's funny. This poor dress looks so odd. At least there is only one other bridesmaid and she was smart and didn't order her dress prior to the date change so by the time she purchased hers the material had been discontinued and replaced with something a similar color but different in texture...so we aren't going to look alike anyway. My final final final fitting for the dress is Friday and the wedding is in 10 days. I've already warned the bride we may have to use safety pins to keep it on. She is very understanding but that is what best friends do.

Hugs to you. I have been reading the boards to prepare for my surgery. I have a question for you, prior to opting for the band, I lost over 80 lbs BUT in July I lost my motivation (due to a dozen reasons) and the weight flew back on VERY VERY VERY quickly. I gained 50 lbs. Ironically enough, I was then eligible for lap band. So my question is, how stable was your weight prior to the surgery? Did you struggle to keep your weight balanced? In the past, the first few weeks of a diet did you lose quickly or slow and steady?

Hugs to you. I haven't had my surgery yet but I read your post and I can understand why your results might have you a bit down. I used to work as a consultant for a national diet plan...(I know I know...and I still decided to have surgery) anyway, this is what I know because I saw it personally all of the time. As you lose weight, your body requires less calories. Simple enough. So at 200 lbs your body would lose weight at 1500 calories a month, and each 10 lbs you lose, in theory, you should eat about 100 calories less ... and in the world outside of surgery solutions, we didn't let our clients eat under 1200 calories a day. So when we begin our journey, I can't speak for everyone, but my liquid diet is just a smidge over 400 calories a day. Again, I can't speak for everyone but from what I've read, once solid foods are introduced our daily calorie allowance goes up...until it settles at about 1000 (which is the reverse of the commercial diet world). Because when we are on liquids our daily calorie intake is low and then slowly rises the weight loss results will slow down, plateau...etc. To be at your current weight and losing .75 percent of your body weight each week is really an exceptional result. I know that's not what you want to hear...but honest, it really is. I hope my post makes sense. I also have a list of about 100 items that might have occured with your or your body that would say to ignore the scale...a little too long to post here. Hugs to you!

Day 3 and I'm not climbing the walls. So I've been allowing myself ISOPURE (which is the protein), sugar free jello, sugar free popsicles, and chicken stock cubes. Does anyone have ideas regarding what else would be okay in the liquid phase?

I made it through day 2 on liquids but I think I'm going to go to sleep a little early to resist temptation. Since I started liquids early I'll be on liquids 18 days prior to the surgery. My doctor said the first 3 days will be the hardest. Between now and my surgery I am throwing a huge birthday party for my husband and then flying to Dallas to be the Matron of Honor in my best friend's wedding. I fly home from Dallas about 72 hours before the surgery. I could have postponed my surgery until the end of March so I wouldn't have to worry about liquids right now, but I thought to myself that the band isn't a diet...it's really a life style change so there is no time to start like the present.

I've noticed since I began to cut over to liquids only my sense of smell has increased. I seem to be able to smell everything. Has anyone else noticed this or am I crazy?

My surgery date is 3/13/09 in the San Francisco area. This is an excellent support website and my support group won't meet face to face until April...thus... I'm very excited and my doctor said I could cut over to liquids only a few days early so I cut over yesterday. When I hit Onderland, everyone will hear me screaming for joy from SF.

Name and Location: Robbyn from San Francisco Age: 42 Gender: F Band Date: March 13, 2009 (Pending) Height: 5'7" Highest Weight: 294 Consultation Weight: 257 Surgery Weight: Pending Current Weight: 244 Goal Weight: 133 I'm feeling invincible today!

I did it! I did it! I did it! Phew. I followed program 100% today. I last saw my doctor (Dr. Feng in California) on 2/13. He told me I had to be on liquids only two weeks prior to surgery but if I wanted to start earlier it was up to me. So for about a week a began to prepare myself to cut over. Today I was 100% successful! I'm really pleased. Now that I've had a day offically cut over, I know I can continue until my surgery. Hurrah! I feel really good right now. BTW, is anyone else using ISOPURE? I actually enjoy it.

That is wonderful wonderful ONDERFUL news. It counts. xo

My surgery date is Wednesday, March 11, 2009. I'm so excited.