Lindsay

errr yeah!!! kinda scary isn't it? i've had bad port pain (not nearly to the level you describe), but i figured it was just because i was in the post op stage of my body adjusting .... Hopefully that's the case for you, sweetness.

Have you heard from them yet??? How is the pain today?

When you're only eating 900-1200 cal a day, weight training & doing cardio, there is no value. I completely hold my ground on that. I was dieting with Cathy Savage (from Oxygen Mag), and she advocated Ezekiel bread, but only half a slice, once a day - only for the initial dieting phase - first 3 months or so, you have that option -- it was barely worth even adding ... there are so many other carbohydrate sources to pick from, that are far more filling. The majority of us have problems stopping at half a slice. She's the only fitness/bodybuilding nutritionist I've worked with that has had it on the 'eat' list. The rest, no way. I want to be CLEAR -- I'm talking about dieting. Not casual eating healthy, where other foods are permitted, such as fat free salad dressings & other pre-packaged foods. Those are 2 different things. I'm a whole food eater, and I've found with years of fitness dieting, that pre-made foods made me stray ... The only foods I eat are: Fats: (DO NOT use oil for cooking, only pam spray) almonds (use almost exclusively) – 14 almonds is about 7g fat olive oil (too easy to overuse) flax oil, same dosing as olive oil Natural peanut butter, cashew butter, almond butter (too easy to overeat) -1 tablespoon Proteins: Chicken breast egg whites whey protein (use sparingly, too fast acting, can be mixed with another protein source though, IE: 6 egg whites, 1 scoop whey, etc.) Caseinate protein powder Flank steak (up to one time a day) filet mignon better than flank steak fish (if you use salmon or another fatty fish, only have it once per day, and would be in place of the flank/filet mignon) turkey breast EXTRA lean ground beef Carbohydrates: brown rice potatoes Yams grits oats (not "instant oatmeal in packets") Plain or lightly salted rice cakes white rice (only post workout) Veggies: Brocolli cucumbers cauliflower Asparagus pickles lettuce (use red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and even splenda as your dressing) ..to name a few of my usual. Drink only water or the sugar free juices listed below. You do not want to drink calories. No milk, no juice. Eat as much as you want of the following: Splenda equal sugar free jello sugar free kool aid Crystal light Wyler's sugar free juice any sugar free, fat free spice. IE: mustard, soy sauce, salt, pepper, garlic, etc. AGAIN, my background is in fitness nutrition. This is the basis for our diets - and our results are based on hard work & dedication to this diet that we can't stray from or our results will suffer. It's important to have a full understand of how the body works, including how it responds to GI levels .. and how YOUR body responds. My body HATES breads, which is why I have never really kept it in the house - my boyfriend can't live without it, though.

I cant excercise im too lazy and have no motivation as is the story of my life, what do you do to motivate yourself? >>find something YOU like to do ... swimming? tennis? take a salsa class? go for a bike ride? walk the dog? ... Also frigging chocolate and ice cream.... how do i stop? >> DON'T BUY IT. DON'T KEEP IT IN YOUR HOUSE. I dont eat big meals thats GREAT but then i eat the rubbish that goes down so well and yum. >> SEE ABOVE. DON"T BUY IT. Only keep high protein foods in the house. Pre-pack all meals for work/school. Stay away from pre-packaged foods. I dont eat bread much at all, cant get it down, same with my vegetarian chicken fillets. >> There is no nutritional value in bread, so don't bother with it. Time to start eating HIGH protein foods. Oh and im soo lethargic... >> This is caused from lack of PROTEIN & healthy fats.

I"m waiting until i reach my goal weight, of around 155-160lbs. i want to make sure i'm removing all of the extra skin, and don't wan to return for revisions, or modifications as my body really changes shape when I drop my bodyfat.

1/2c oats 1 scoop whey protein

That is not true. I went back to the Marriott, only a few hours after i had surgery ... so i'm not sure where that statement applies.

i had a very comfortable stay at the Marriott, and I'm a bit of a hotel snob .... pros// - very new and updated. - we got a room with 2 dbl beds, which was super nice for the day after surgery. Sleep in your own cozy bed! - staff is very nice. - overlooks a nice golf course, which my boyfriend took full advantage of and was treated like a King by the manager on duty .. - room is quiet, and you can request the location - i wanted one over looking the golf course, so i got it cons// - shitty room service. took almost an hour to get orders. - communication - or lack there thereof. They don't speak english well, so requesting broth was a game. You never knew if they understood what you were requesting. - busy. the computer room was always very busy - conventions were being held in the hotel during our stay, which is apparently very - common. - everyone from the OCC is at the Lucerna - or it felt like that during my stay.

i use fitday. Monday Aug 17/09 breakfast// my usual am shake: 1/2c oats (not instant) 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder (optimum nutrition) lunch// post workout meal: 110g egg whites 1/2c white rice 1tsp extra virgin olive oil & 4 slices of cucumber i don't calorie count, but concentrate on protein/carb/fat ratios.

PLEASE read this book: Weight Loss Surgery with the Adjustable Gastric Band: Everything You Need to Know Before and After Surgery to Lose Weight Successfully (Paperback) by Robert Sewell M.D. http://www.amazon.com/Weight-Loss-Surgery-...7070&sr=8-7 Half the book is explaining how to reprogram yourself, adjusting to life AFTER the band ... it was a great read, and had tons of fantastic tools for self improvement.

can you feel the port? (poke around your port scar, while laying on your back ..)

err, ew?! that's alotta sugar, yo!

just make healthy food choices. stay AWAY from processed foods (pre-packaged, etc) .. and empty caloric foods (like those 'krab sticks' .. ugh) Good rule of thumb: if you don't know what's in it, don't eat it. Just keep in mind, that the pre-op diet is low carb - and now that you're back to eating carbohydrates & liquids, your body will hang on to those, which will be reflected on the scale. It's not actual weight gain you're seeing, it's WATER. Start exercising & eating well - and stop watching the scale.

just keep in mind, that the younger you are, the better the chances your skin will tighten up on it's own. it's also genetic, so don't assume it will be horrible! i've never had issues with my arms ... they seemed to tighten up with time (a couple of years), but my tummy never did.

can you post a few days of what you're eating?

in a nutshell, what's more painful ... carrying around 100lbs+ .. or a few days of gas.

me. and no, it never went away for me. i'm seriously considering a tummy tuck ... but it's always a reminder as to where i was. and how far I've come.

abs / core - specific anything for that area isn't really necessary.. ... you should be getting enough core work by lifting & cardio. everyone has abs - they're just normally covered by fat. that means more cardio. what are you currently doing for arms, tri's and ab/core? you should be concentrating on shoulders/biceps & triceps. They're all important, and connected in one way or another. I'm a fan of keeping it very simple. More exercises, won't make things happen quicker. Keep the sets easy - ie. 3 sets of 12 - then pick 1 exercise for each muscle group. Once you reach a physical plateau, change it up, and/or increase exercises, to maybe 2, but no more than that. This is pretty standard split, and what I do: 12x3 for all exercises - about a 1 min between sets. Intensity should be at about 6/10 for the first set, and increase for the other 2. You want to max yourself out by the last set. shoulders - seated db (db=dumbbell) shoulder presses OR ez-curl bar upright rows OR standing bent over flyes. biceps - db hammer curls, seated db curls triceps - standing t-bar push downs (on a cable machine) OR, DB bent over kick backs ... or sit your bum on the back of a bench, and do dips - elevate legs for more intensity. hope this helps!

MOST clinics in Canada won't touch you, because you're not their original client. I did find ONE place in Ontario that does fills - at $150 each. No guarantee's on fills. I've had 3 fills - the first 2, i felt NOTHING. And that's typical, and what you want .... it's a very very gradual process.

There aren't many people who know I have it. There will always be people who will judge you .. but really, we're our own toughest critics. The band is NOT easy. You can still eat crap. You can still eat a lot of crap. That no one will tell you differently about ... eating habits can't be transformed by surgery, nor the band. Eating habits, and good ones are self taught - and the band won't provide that for you. You may feel like you need more guidance. I know that there are lapband places here in Toronto, who provide FANTASTIC follow up care in terms of seminars, nutritional sessions, ect on living with the lapband. Getting the band in Mexico will not provide you with that ... that's something you may feel is crucial in terms of your success. I didn't think about getting the band for very long. Maybe a month, before hopping on a plan to Tijuana .. Would I do it again? I'm not sure. I haven't found it easy to live with ... and in reality, my weight gain has been due to lack of self control - not anything else. I could diet with the band - but I could also diet without it, just as easily. I really wouldn't be able to do this without the support of my boyfriend. Please educate your wife (&yourself) before going further ... i can't imagine have done this without the support of the person who means the most to me. It's definitely a HUGE lifestyle change. There are still times my boyfriend is slightly offended when I can't 'join in' on our Friday night pizza ... my stomach can't hold it anymore - and the thought of gagging and barfing over the toilet because I didn't follow my obvious intuition doesn't make it worth it. Our lifestyle has often revolved around food, and after the band, boy does that change. The key to weight loss, is LONG TERM ... results don't come quickly. You want to re-teach yourself how to live, with healthy food choices. Eating less & moving more. While we all want to get to a healthy weight, having the support system around us to be successful is so important. Keep researching. Keep asking questions ...

'Cosmed' is a popular name here in Toronto - for clinics that do stuffs such as lips, and crap like that. I think it's a chain of pop in clinics ... Anyways, interesting to know they're all related - I was reviewing the Cosmed website, and even found pictures of the Recovery By The Sea ... looks like a fab place to recovery, and definitely a great option. DOLITTLE: Did you find a week was long enough to recovery, before flying back home??

Is this the Cosmed location everyone is referring to? I think they have quite a few locations all over the world .. http://www.cosmedclinic.com/cm-aboutpractice.htm

i didn't find the pain bad flying back (i had a 6+ hr flight), it was the gas that was reeeeeeally uncomfortable. Make sure you bring soup with you - or you'll end up not eating at the airport. there's nothing there that can be considered clear. You should bring clear broth with you - like knorr soup mix (not the cream) for broth.

what does a LBL do that a tummy tuck wouldn't in terms of that 'apron'? for me, its only my stomach that doesn't fit with the rest of me.

Lisa, AMAZING. that's all i can say.