MissManagement

You betcha...fluids...fluids...fluids! Hot compresses for the gas pain also helps! Things get a lot easier after a week. By two weeks you are feeling back to your old self again minus a few pounds!! Good luck to you, and thanks for your comments!!

Ok...so the last time I blogged I was three weeks out from the surgery, and was still on the liquids. Man was that the hard part indeed! I didn't mind the liquids so much...it was just that I was running out of different options, and they were getting so boring! It was also hard as well to eat/drink only liquids as well while having to prepare meals for my husband, and two kids!! I say this to encourage all at this stage to say this...IT IS ALL WORTH IT!! When I started real food again it was like a flavor explosion, and I started to enjoy the taste of food so much more! Not to mention the fact that you can't eat as much d/t the restriction so you get very choosy as to what you decide to eat. Make it count because you want the food you eat to sustain you for the long haul for energy throughout the day. This is so psychological, and you have to have your head in the game at all times! The band is merely a tool to help you succeed! You still have to decide what you are going to eat, and if you are going to exercise! I have joined a gym near my home, and have a trainer for a couple of months until I get a feel for all the equipment! I have never stepped foot in a gym, and what good is a membership if you don't know how any of the equipment works?! If you have it in your means I highly recommend it! I had all the excuses in the world why I couldn't exercise here at home!! I make the time now, and my gym has daycare as well which is awesome!! I just went back down to TJ to have my first fill with Dr. Acosta, and he was very pleased with my progress. He filled my band with 2.0cc's, and had a very smooth trip down to Mexico. I know there are a lot of warnings telling tourists to stay out of Mexico right now, but from the perspective of the locals there it is no different than what is going on here in America in drug/gang neighborhoods. I had no issues whatsoever, but then again they have you covered every step of the way. As of today, I have lost a total of 31 pounds, and am 9 pounds away from being below 200 pounds for the first time in 4 years. Crazy exciting!

Ok so my surgery was on 1/12/09, and did a strict Optifast pre-op diet for one week prior. I lost 10 pounds on the pre-op diet, and only 5 more pounds in the two weeks after surgery. I still have one more week of liquids left before I get to eat real food again, and I am really looking forward to that! I am a little perplexed as to why I haven't lost more than five pounds in the past two weeks...I have only been on liquids, but I guess I have to feel the restriction from real food to really start losing. I had a great experience in TJ with Dr. Oritz, and the surgical staff was awesome! Everything they said about what I would experience was absolutely true, and I felt like I was in great hands the whole time! I would be happy to talk about my experience with anyone who has questions because I remember I had a ton before I went! Here's to losing 15 more in the coming month!

Well, after months of planning I am finally within a week of my surgery date! On Monday I will be traveling from Buffalo to San Diego, and then on to Dr. Ortiz! I can't believe I am so close now! I am looking forward to dropping this weight, and shedding some bad habits. I know that being thin isn't the beat all end all especially if you don't like yourself inside. Luckily for me when I look at myself in the mirror I don't hate what I see...I just hate how she looks. Here's to a new outward look, and a New Year! Wish me luck my sisters and brothers!

It's all about self awareness. About realizing what helped lead me here in the first place, and last night it dawned on me! In order to lose weight after I'm banded I need to realize what my true vice is! ICE CREAM! I wish it was something solid like cake, or something else that isn't liquid that will go right through the band! I eat ice cream almost every night, and it is my most favorite thing. Curse that Schwann's delivery truck that brings it right to my door! They have the best ice cream in the world, and I don't know how I am going to change that after I have the surgery. It is such a part of my daily routine, and I just love it so much. I guess that is something I am going to have to will away, and ask myself what I want more? A healthy lifestyle, and a thinner body? Or the temporary satisfaction of the enemy? Maybe Schwann's makes a low-fat enemy!

Wow that would be so awful! I have been blessed with two beautiful boys, and haven't had any other problems like miscarriages, or pregnancy issues. I certainly don't want to start now! I plan to be banded in January, and was thinking about beginning to try next October. I wouldn't even think of doing anything prior to that. I have heard that it's important that your weight loss be plateau'd for at least two months before getting pregnant. I guess I will have to play it by ear, and talk to Dr. Ortiz and my OB before even thinking about it. It's better to be safe than sorry! Thanks so much for your response, and I would love to keep up with your progress! Good luck, and hopefully will talk to you soon:)

That's so awesome Dana! Thanks for the info, and good luck to you as well!!

I am having the Lap Band in January of 2009, and was wondering how long should I wait to consider getting pregnant afterwards? Should I get the Band deflated when I do get pregnant? Any special considerations? Thanks so much for your attention to my questions:)

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences! It definitely helps put my mind at ease! Have you had your surgery yet? Thanks again!

Today I have made a decision that will impact the rest of my life. I have scheduled the date I am going to have my Lap-Band Surgery. After 20 years of being overweight, and feeling constantly inadequate I have decided to make my move. Thanks to the insurance companies however they don't feel that a BMI of 36.8 is worthy of coverage on this procedure because I have the nerve to be healthy otherwise. I think that being 235 pounds, and can't purchase clothing at a regular store a bit more than a nuisance! So, after much soul searching, and investigation on the internet...I have chosen Dr. Ariel Ortiz to do my surgery on January 13th, 2009. I have a lot of support from my family, and close friends. However, I get a lot of "Going to Mexico to have surgery? Are you out of your mind?" I don't know...am I out of my mind?