Trav

Yeah but to me, soup has "stuff" in it. Otherwise, it's just broth....(and 'mater soup is just 'mater broth lol)

'round here there are several thrift stores that receive new un-worn clothing from department stores that are either out of season, the store went out of business, or part of an odd lot they didn't want to sell. (there are also the usual apartment abandonment and death turn ins as well.) Here, they're required to clean the items donated, so it's pretty good stuff. I myself have bought many shirts...also good source if you're into vintage wear. and before anyone asks, the only reason I know of these things, is because of an evil ex-girlfriend that turned me onto thrift stores. That's about the only good thing she ever did, not because I play for the pink team haha. (though I do have kind thoughts for our hairdressers and decorators out there...just clearing that up, because I get asked "and how do YOU know that, that's chick stuff" lol.

or upstage the bride and wear red.

I'm an atkins pro myself. I probably have one of the biggest appetites known to man pre-op. (I hold a pizza eating record set in 1992 that has yet to be broken). take it from me, if you were to do the protein shake meals, and have a small carb-free or low carb meal in the evening, you'll lose the weight., I lost 24lbs pre-op. Gabriella is pretty bright and knows what she's talkin' about, (and kinda cute too haha) If you're extra unsettled, you can always switch for the last week and do the 3 full shakes a day. Drink tons of water, and just do what you need to do.

drinking water and juice freely as I feel the urge. Gatoraide is also the order of the day. When I get hunger pangs, boullion cube and a cup of water. Danactive immunity 3.8oz (*unsure of the decimal, it may be 3.7 and I'm too lazy to go look) 3 times a day and a 7oz drinkable yogurt, any variety. sugar-free hard candy. Cravings: chew it up and spit it out...(my friend said, "That's spoken like a true anorexic" haha) I still think I'm hungrier than most, but compared to what my appetite was, I'll take it. I don't feel any pain to speak of, now I do recognize when I'm actually full though. I get a pressure in my stomach area, and then I stop.

It's been 10 days post op, and I'm already down almost 37lbs. He was saying 50, and at this rate, I may surpass that.

on cats: You have to earn their trust. We have a feral cat at my parent's house. Now that she trusts me, I can pick her up and hold her and it's no big deal. Same with her kittens, but they have to figure out on their own that you're alright.

The band will only affect how much you can eat at any one time. That being said, it might help you control how much you eat, but as the band is supposed to be used as a tool, and not something you rely on, I could only recommend it as that, a tool. Also, because you have Type 1, you'd have to pay closer attention to what you eat, so that you aren't putting yourself into insulin shock or a sugar coma. It wouldn't hurt, but it's not a cure.

Remember, to eat the right way too, proteins first, then veg, then carbs, (if you eat them). For a while, i'd try to stay off carbs for a while, and try just protein and vegetables, and see how you do on that. that's just a tool to use when you don't feel as restricted. When restriction doesn't seem to be working, try changing your diet a little bit, until you can go get a fill.

In our little book it says that we're allowed a fiber pill for hunger. Does this mean crushed? or if it's a capsule to break it open and mix it with something? I just want to make sure that I do things right.

More and more insurance companies are covering it. Some 80% some @100%. They see it as a better investment than having to pay for the co-morbidities associated with morbid obesity. That being said, even if you do go to Mexico to have it done, some insurance companies will still allow you to submit your bill after you've paid it, and re-emburse you. It may not be the 80-100%, but some of them do pay, sometimes you have to use their appeal procedure.

Well here's my 2¢ When you workout, there's few schools of thought. Work out a muscle group regularly, or working a muscle group out to exhaustion, and finally negative resistance. Regular working out, would be someone who runs every day. Thus working out the same muscle groups daily. Exhaustion, basically doing enough sets so that by the time you do your last set, you have to struggle with help. Negative resistance is an extension of the 2nd. You do your reps to exhaustion, then have your partner lift the weight for you, and then you do the negtive side of the rep. i.e. a bench press the idea is to lift the weight from your chest. The negative would be starting from the extended position, and slowly LOWER the weight to your chest. Then your partner lifts it back up for you. (these must be done with a spotter, fyi). Examples 2 and 3 require a day's rest between focusing on those muscle groups, but you should stretch them out. If you try to exercise a muscle group too soon, you risk insertion tears (where the muscle inserts into the bone), and origin strains (where the muscle originates.) This is why they often work different muscle groups on different days. A word on supplements, in all honesty, they're 100% quackery. (generally speaking). Your body can only absorb so much at any given time, so to load up on protein, amino acids, and "other", does little good. However, our case is a little different, whereas we can only consume so much at any given time. Eating a balanced meal gives you the proper ratio of proteins to bodily digestive processes, but because we can't consume a "full" meal, we might see some benefit from supplements, albeit a limited benefit.

The day I was there, there were a few there who were on the high end of the scale, (both people who were there the day before and day of), and their surgery went just fine. I'm sure there is a high-end limit, but I do know that the upper limit of obese and morbidly obese weights and BMI's is pretty high. One word of caution, and Dr. Ortiz mentioned this to me post-op. If you're like me and have a history of losing a lot, gaining a lot, losing a lot, and gaining a lot, you might want to work very closely with the staff and let them know about that. He had told me that there was some funkiness about how we had to do my surgery and that he had to really work at it to get mine done. Even though I lost 24lbs, pre-op, my liver was still pretty big, and this was a result of my loss/gain/loss/gain.* *note: The reason for the low/no-carb pre-op diet is to make your liver shrink, so there is more room to work. The part of your stomach they need to get to is slighty behind your liver, and right next to the major descending vein and artery in your lower torso, so they really do need that extra room to work, or else there could be a major catastrophy...(i.e. death). Not to scare anyone, because Dr. Martinez and Dr. Ortiz are very capable.

1. Broke 300 yesterday. 299 2. 294 this morning. 3. Had to buy a new belt today. (ran out of holes) Bought one that has holes all the way to the buckle, so I don't have to get a new belt for a while. 4. Pants will fall down past my hips if I don't pull them up. (42"s)..haven't tried the 40's I bought on clearance yet. 5. only cheated a couple times, but I don't really consider it cheating, it was sugar-free hard candy, and I sucked on 'em. Craved some chips, but I chewed up some mexican cheetos, then spit 'em out so I wouldn't swallow 'em. (I find that's great practice for chewing real food, forcing yourself to chew it up till it's mush, so it's easier to spit out, just so you can have "the taste" and it usually satiates the craving)

I'm guilty of the "last meal" Daniel brought me some salsa, "This is extremely hot"....and I finished the whole thing and said, "I thought you said that was hot?" haha...but the burritos are excellent (well what they call burritos on the menu....think chimichanga without being deep fried" Hotel cable was limited but I did learn something. When you're watching American films with spanish subs, they don't translate the swear words....and there's some Mexican game show I got a kick out of but couldn't quite figure out the object, called, "12 Corazones" (12 Hearts)...some dating gameshow based on Astrology. But yeah, puzzles, gameboy, anything to keep you occupied is a good suggestion. Also, there's a convenience store on the corner across from the Hotel that has a pretty decent selection of goodies to save you some money on drinks. They take dollars, (in fact most places in TJ take american money)

Did you have some problems coming out? Or were you still groggy? I had an issue where I was awake, but I wasn't all there, and I had to be reminded to breathe after I came out. My blood O2 was down around 90% for a while...and probably lower for a time, (the alarm went off in my room). I've found that I can eat more broth now and that'll fill me up for a bit, but OtterPops are helping too.

Well I think I finally got all the CO2 out of my system. Funny thing is, some of it settled in my TEETH....and it hurt like hell. Night 2 my teeth hurt real bad, and I thought, "Oh, it's just the cold from the A/C in the room, it'll be okay. Then I realized it wasn't cold, they just hurt for no reason. The only thing I can attribute it to is CO2 settling into my teeth and slowly bleeding out. Increase pressure in the endo-dental canal would explain the unexplained pain.

2 reasons 1. Fat: 1 gram = 9 calories Protein: 1 gram = 4 calories Carbohydrates: 1 gram = 4 calories Alcohol: 1 gram = 7 calories Metabolically speaking, alcohol is processed in the metabolism hierarchy as a carb. So instead of 4 calories, you're getting 7. Carbs-Alcohol Fats Protein 2. Addictive personalities. A lot of us have our weight problem because of a food addiction, or a an addictive personality. It's too easy for someone with a food addiction to replace that with an alcohol addiction, and because alcohol goes down easy, it's very dangerous because it's easier to drink our calories, and replace one addiction with another. It's very common in WLS patients.

Name: Travis in Oklahoma Gender: Male (I'm single AND I cook, just for reference haha) Age: 36 Height: 5'10" Highest weight: 340'ish? (unknown) Weight at decision: 325 Weight at surgery 301 Surgery Date: Oct 21, 2008 Current weight: 299 Goal: 190'ish

...and I assume that it's probably because most of you are married, or "other"...(I place no judgements...just making note)... ...but has anyone been far enough along in their journey that they've been testing the waters as far as post-op dating and the ilk? (dating is the devil, imo)...but I'm curious to know, what types of things people say, or when and if you let them into that tidbit of knowledge that you're a WLS patient. OR, is dating just a distraction that you don't feel you need, because it would add one element of stress that you don't need while we're all trying to get into smaller clothing? I don't know if anyone suffers from stress eating, I suppose the band would be a blessing and a curse. You can't eat that chocolate triple explosion fudge brownie mint chocolate chip with shots and chocolate syrup........but you really want to. anyway, hardly the point. I'm just curious as to what people's experiences have been, if they even have done a little bit of dating.

Well I honestly blame that damned "food pyramid" as the main contributor. (granted these days with nintendo and xbox that doesn't help)...but unless someone is working like a 1910 coal miner, nobody needs 5-8 servings of carbs a day. (I argued DAILY with my nutrition instructor back in college.) That food pyramid was designed for people who do intensive physical labor or were highly active, not for middle American desk job worker, who commutes to work 2 hrs, works 10, commutes home 2 1/2 hours *(construction and that one moron who doesn't know how to merge), and then it so exhausted doesn't feel like doing anything but having something easy for dinner, and sitting on the couch to unwind.

Someone I used to know used to recite this all the time. Not because he was overweight, but because of the humor it invokes. I believe it was by none-other than Bela Lugosi (yes the "Dracula Guy")....often uncredited and always added to, or misquoted. Still, a fine work, and felt it needed sharing. DIETER'S PRAYER by: Bella Lugosi Lord, my soul is ripped with riot incited by my wicked diet. "We Are What We Eat," said a wise old man! Lord, if that's true, I'm a garbage can. To rise on Judgment Day, it's plain! With my present weight, I'll need a crane. So grant me strength, that I may not fall into the clutches of cholesterol. May my flesh with carrot-curls be dated, that my soul may be poly unsaturated And show me the light, that I may bear witness to the President's Council on Physical Fitness. And at oleo margarine I'll never mutter, for the road to Hell is spread with butter. Cake is cursed; and pie is awful; and Satan is hiding in every waffle. Mephistopheles lurks in provolone; the Devil is in each slice of baloney, Beelzebub is a chocolate drop, and Lucifer is a lollipop. Give me this day my daily slice Cut it thin and toast it twice. I beg upon my dimpled knees, deliver me from jujube's. And when my days of trial are done, and my war with malted milk is won, Let me stand with Heavenly throng, In a shining robe -- size 30 long. I can do it Lord, if you'll show to me, the virtues of lettuce and celery. Teach me the evil of mayonnaise, And of pasta a la Milanese and crisp-fried chicken from the South. Lord, if you love me, shut my mouth. Amen

Glad to help. I'm a big sissy when it comes to needles, and it really wasn't a big deal. Once you make your date, it all happens really fast, so be prepared for a little shock once you're there. It's normal and natural. They're all pros there, and it goes very smoothly from start to finish.

When I first heard about this "lap band thing" I was like, "wow, that's pretty cool." I had just finished losing about 100lbs via the "Atkins" thing, and never thought, "yeah I might wanna get that some day". I never saw myself as "the fat guy" even when I was. It took seeing myself in my sister's wedding photos to say, "wow, who is that guy?"....which lead to the Atkins diet mentioned above. time passes, I get down to around 220lbs. I start getting dates again. Everything seems pretty cool....go through some major relationship problems, lost my job, had to move, and I get back up to 275lbs. I go back on "the diet"....(I affectionately know as "the Devil")...get back down to around 240. rinse repeat, with various other events, but the theme is generally the same. So here I am back up to 325lbs. My joints kill, I can't work a job where I'm on my feet all day. I'm miserable, and can feel myself falling apart. (physically, not mentally) It's especially hard for a male to reach out for help, whether it be through a friend, loved one, or medical device. I'm hoping that this is the cure for my ills. After seeing all the success stories, I'm quite confident that it is. I really despise hospitals, the idea of being cut on, needles, foreign objects in my body.....it's a pretty big hurdle for me to get over. I often found myself in the pre-op area blocking things out and saying, "I'm going to sleep, and when I wake up, I'll have the tools to get my life back." My first impression was (before all the research, and all the questions, and answers, and deep thought) "Yeah I'll just run down to Mexico, and get this surgery thing and it'll all be okay."....but knowing what I know now, it's not that simple. You have to focus on your goal, you have to have people to support your decision, and you have to want to succeed. This all happens so fast, once you decide to do it. You're down there. You're cut open, your banded. Before you know it, you're back home, and everything's different. It's a lot to absorb, it's a lot to digest (no pun intended), thankfully we can all get together and talk about things and gain strength from that.

Now I feel guilty for complaining about a little gas. I had almost 0 pain, other than some slight pressure discomfort. Sore, yes....pain...going on day 3 and still nothin' but a feeling of something in my stomach that my body doesn't know how to explain yet. Congrats, and I hope you do well.