Recent Posts
Topic: RE: Greetings
Hi Jade,
You'll have to ignore me....I don't have ANYTHING good to say about LapBands except KUDOS to those who have it and have lost & kept off weight. I'm genuinely happy for you...
...and in the same breath, I'm elated for A (Inspire) for getting hers removed next month. She and I were not right for the band, and it's such a great feeling to have it out. Unfortunately for me, I will be reminded of the choice I made (to have the band installed) for the rest of my days.....I have 4 small scars and one large scar on my abdomen.
OK! To answer your question, A, I'm so happy to be over half-way to my goal weight on the VLCD. The company that makes my meal replacements is called New Direction. The program (my hospital has been offering it for over 20 years) offers *individualized* medical care, nutritional plans, and behavior monitoring. For instance, just today was clinician week. I weighed in, had my blood pressure taken, had my labs drawn, and THEN met one-on-one with the dietician, then face-to-face with the counselor, and finally alone with the medical director (a doctor, whom I LOVE and ADMIRE!) Anyway, the program works in 3 stages:
Stage One is all beverage (4 a day, plus half my weight in ounces of water)
Stage Two: Some beverage and transition to food
Stage Three: Practicing lifestyle habits with an individualized eating and exercise plan
I am in stage one, and when it isn't clinician week, like it was today, I am weighing in, getting my blood pressure checked and attending a 45 minute class with about a dozen other patients led by the counselor or dietician. It is so educational, much like a Weigh****cher's class, but a bit different.
Some patients lose most of their weight during stage one, and the last of their weight in stage two. I am going to lose all of my weight on stage one. I have been in this program for 19 weeks, and I plan to remain in stage one until August.
I have not been exercising, it's not recommended since our caloric intake is so low, but my dietician and I decided today to begin exercising for 20 minutes 3 times/week to help me get in the lifetime habit. When I'm in stage 3, I will exercise 3 hours per week for the rest of my life! I am totally committed to this! Before this program, I *knew* I was supposed to exercise and eat right, but would never follow through for long-term lifestyle habits.
Sorry for the novel....can you tell I'm very excited about this, and glad to share. I strongly recommend this program to anyone, but understand it may not be offered in your city.
Cheers!
You'll have to ignore me....I don't have ANYTHING good to say about LapBands except KUDOS to those who have it and have lost & kept off weight. I'm genuinely happy for you...
...and in the same breath, I'm elated for A (Inspire) for getting hers removed next month. She and I were not right for the band, and it's such a great feeling to have it out. Unfortunately for me, I will be reminded of the choice I made (to have the band installed) for the rest of my days.....I have 4 small scars and one large scar on my abdomen.
OK! To answer your question, A, I'm so happy to be over half-way to my goal weight on the VLCD. The company that makes my meal replacements is called New Direction. The program (my hospital has been offering it for over 20 years) offers *individualized* medical care, nutritional plans, and behavior monitoring. For instance, just today was clinician week. I weighed in, had my blood pressure taken, had my labs drawn, and THEN met one-on-one with the dietician, then face-to-face with the counselor, and finally alone with the medical director (a doctor, whom I LOVE and ADMIRE!) Anyway, the program works in 3 stages:
Stage One is all beverage (4 a day, plus half my weight in ounces of water)
Stage Two: Some beverage and transition to food
Stage Three: Practicing lifestyle habits with an individualized eating and exercise plan
I am in stage one, and when it isn't clinician week, like it was today, I am weighing in, getting my blood pressure checked and attending a 45 minute class with about a dozen other patients led by the counselor or dietician. It is so educational, much like a Weigh****cher's class, but a bit different.
Some patients lose most of their weight during stage one, and the last of their weight in stage two. I am going to lose all of my weight on stage one. I have been in this program for 19 weeks, and I plan to remain in stage one until August.
I have not been exercising, it's not recommended since our caloric intake is so low, but my dietician and I decided today to begin exercising for 20 minutes 3 times/week to help me get in the lifetime habit. When I'm in stage 3, I will exercise 3 hours per week for the rest of my life! I am totally committed to this! Before this program, I *knew* I was supposed to exercise and eat right, but would never follow through for long-term lifestyle habits.
Sorry for the novel....can you tell I'm very excited about this, and glad to share. I strongly recommend this program to anyone, but understand it may not be offered in your city.
Cheers!
Topic: RE: Greetings
Hey Toni!
How's the VLCD going? Can I ask what kinf of VLCD it is? I'm happy you're feelign good about yourself. When I lost some weight last year, I was feeling similiarly. Pretty much on top of the world, because for the first time in years *I* was in control. It's a feeling like no other.
PS - I also self paid for the first band. My BMI was ~36 (same as now) and no insurance company would touch me because I had no co-morbidities. PCOS isn't considered a co-morbidity. Fast forward 7-8 years and a band revision in between......now I've got the co-morbidities and the insurance company will pay for RNY. But one of the co-morbidities I have is diabetes....and one of the complications I have from my diabetes is atrophic gastritis. Atrophic gastritis causes malabsorption of B vitamins and it also is responsible for some serious anemia (for which I'm currently having IV iron infusions). So riddle me this: with malabsorption issues already.....why would I deliberately give myself *worse* issues? At this point, I'm not willing to do that. :) So....I'm looking forward to having the Band OUT (May 14) and getting on with a healthier life. Just like you. :)
How's the VLCD going? Can I ask what kinf of VLCD it is? I'm happy you're feelign good about yourself. When I lost some weight last year, I was feeling similiarly. Pretty much on top of the world, because for the first time in years *I* was in control. It's a feeling like no other.
PS - I also self paid for the first band. My BMI was ~36 (same as now) and no insurance company would touch me because I had no co-morbidities. PCOS isn't considered a co-morbidity. Fast forward 7-8 years and a band revision in between......now I've got the co-morbidities and the insurance company will pay for RNY. But one of the co-morbidities I have is diabetes....and one of the complications I have from my diabetes is atrophic gastritis. Atrophic gastritis causes malabsorption of B vitamins and it also is responsible for some serious anemia (for which I'm currently having IV iron infusions). So riddle me this: with malabsorption issues already.....why would I deliberately give myself *worse* issues? At this point, I'm not willing to do that. :) So....I'm looking forward to having the Band OUT (May 14) and getting on with a healthier life. Just like you. :)
Topic: RE: Greetings
Atta girl, Mary! You keep on whoopin' it! You are so awesome.....when I think of how much you've lost and the fact that you're MAINTAINING it - which is what we all want to do - you rock!
(deactivated member)
on 4/29/10 5:42 am - Rochester, NY
on 4/29/10 5:42 am - Rochester, NY
Topic: RE: What are you celebrating and proud of? Thurs
Today is a beautiful sunny day....mid 60's with a delightful breeze. I've been washing windows and curtains and enjoying the fresh air circulating throughout the house. My SO is out doing yardwork and it's just one of those days you have to be delighted to be alive!!
It's always amazing to me how differently I feel when making positive choices in my life. Today is only day #4 of being on WW, but my energy level is already up and I just feel so much better. I know the scale probably doesn't show that much difference from Monday, but my whole attitude has changed and I'm so much more at peace with my world....it's like the difference between a good and bad hair day! LOL Just proves that when I'm making healthy and positive choices, it influences every aspect of my life. So why do I have such a hard time maintaining those healthy choices?
It's always amazing to me how differently I feel when making positive choices in my life. Today is only day #4 of being on WW, but my energy level is already up and I just feel so much better. I know the scale probably doesn't show that much difference from Monday, but my whole attitude has changed and I'm so much more at peace with my world....it's like the difference between a good and bad hair day! LOL Just proves that when I'm making healthy and positive choices, it influences every aspect of my life. So why do I have such a hard time maintaining those healthy choices?
(deactivated member)
on 4/29/10 5:35 am - Rochester, NY
on 4/29/10 5:35 am - Rochester, NY
Topic: RE: Food for Thought
I'm a great believer in the power of prayer and usually fall asleep in the middle of my prayers each night (have to rotate the order of who I'm praying for so they all get mentioned eventually)...LOL.
Counting my blessings and thanking the Lord for them is always part of those prayers. I believe God always answers our prayers....maybe not in the way we imagined, but always for the greater good. When I'm feeling down, focusing on all the joys and blessings in my life always makes me realize how blessed I really am. I think the aging process has made me even more aware of the richness of my life and the people who make it so.
Counting my blessings and thanking the Lord for them is always part of those prayers. I believe God always answers our prayers....maybe not in the way we imagined, but always for the greater good. When I'm feeling down, focusing on all the joys and blessings in my life always makes me realize how blessed I really am. I think the aging process has made me even more aware of the richness of my life and the people who make it so.
Topic: RE: Greetings
Hmmm, about those abbreviations, I had to look up HCG because although I know what it is, I didn't know exactly what it stood for. I copied this:
hCG stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, a hormone produced by the placenta during pregnancy. During pregnancy, the substance almost completely controls the woman's metabolic functions. Generally, the hCG used in the diet protocols, is synthetic.
This is a hormone used in conjunction with a VLCD...Very Low Calorie Diet.
PCOS is a metabolic syndrome caused by the ovaries producing too much male hormone...testosterone. It causes cysts on the ovaries and insulin resistance and a whole other mess of symptoms that make you mostly miserable, like serious weight gain that is resistant to weight loss. Boo hoo, that's what I have, but I am currently whooping it's A$$!
Mary
hCG stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, a hormone produced by the placenta during pregnancy. During pregnancy, the substance almost completely controls the woman's metabolic functions. Generally, the hCG used in the diet protocols, is synthetic.
This is a hormone used in conjunction with a VLCD...Very Low Calorie Diet.
PCOS is a metabolic syndrome caused by the ovaries producing too much male hormone...testosterone. It causes cysts on the ovaries and insulin resistance and a whole other mess of symptoms that make you mostly miserable, like serious weight gain that is resistant to weight loss. Boo hoo, that's what I have, but I am currently whooping it's A$$!
Mary
Topic: RE: Alli or Full Bar??
i do understand that, truely!! i was supposed to have surgery this past tuesday (27th) but changed my mind at the last minute because with the surgery there are possibilities of hypoglycemia and ulcers, which i felt were just as bad as some of the obesity related diseases- now that was a little easier for me to decide because even though i am morbidly obese, i don't actually have any co-morbidity diseases. i am in no way trying to sway your decision, this is a big decision and although everyone on all these boards have different opinions, in the end it's your opinion that matters!! however, if you want to try the healthy cooking, there are tons of cookbooks on the market now to teach you how to cook a little more healthy- you can check these out at your library as well, instead of going out and investing tons of money, check them out to decide which one works best for you. good luck, think long and hard and remember to listen to your heart and your decision will be the right one!! i'll be praying for you whatever you decide!!
Topic: RE: Alli or Full Bar??
I know that even if I do have WLS I still need the self disiplin, I just feel like having the surgery is more of a tool to teach it to me, I know you dump when you eat foods that your not supposed and stuff like that, and I feel like thats what i need in order to learn the self disiplin I need.
Like I said I want to try it on my own the thought of all the risks with the surgery I have a 3 year old and I want to be here to see him grow up, I dont want my weight to kill me and I dont want to have sever complications from WLS and that kill me.
I am giving it my all to learn the healthy ways to eat and the right choices. I have no clue how to fix a healthy meal I cant find anything online with free help to teach me or give me a meal plan. I feel like if I could have someone tell me weekly or even monthly what my meal plan is dor each day I could do it, but having to think it on my own I have no clue and it makes me feel hopeless. I would so much rather lose the weight on my own then have WLS I just feel I have no other options.
Like I said I want to try it on my own the thought of all the risks with the surgery I have a 3 year old and I want to be here to see him grow up, I dont want my weight to kill me and I dont want to have sever complications from WLS and that kill me.
I am giving it my all to learn the healthy ways to eat and the right choices. I have no clue how to fix a healthy meal I cant find anything online with free help to teach me or give me a meal plan. I feel like if I could have someone tell me weekly or even monthly what my meal plan is dor each day I could do it, but having to think it on my own I have no clue and it makes me feel hopeless. I would so much rather lose the weight on my own then have WLS I just feel I have no other options.
HW389 SW367 CW273 GW180
1lb lost is 1 step closer to your goal !!
1lb lost is 1 step closer to your goal !!
Topic: RE: Alli or Full Bar??
i can't use ali because i have no gallbladder and i won't get into the problems that can cause!! but regarding the full bar- i compared it to a regular protein bar and this is what i came up with:
the fullbar has less calories, sodium and fat than the protein bar and is 1 point less (ww) than the protein bar. however, it has more sugar, carbs and less protein than the protein bar, so i choose to eat the protein bar because it keeps me full longer. i normally eat one either mid morning or mid afternoon when i get hungry but don't want to waste points something non-nutritional, the protein bar has 20 grams of protein and only 2g of sugar, so, for me, it's a good replacement to my habitual candy bar at that time and normally keeps me satisfied until dinner. hope that helped!! 
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