Watch Me Shrink

Real beauty is from the inside! No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted! Mayby we should look to each other like God does… look to the heart instead to the outside appearence… more

Incredible video about the relationship between a father and son…. and God’s relationship with us. more

The lap band totally changes your life. Thank God! The way you think about food and deal with it every single day is completely different. Some days are better than others, but when you slip into bad habits the band is there to remind you.

The band is a TOOL. The better you follow the rules, the better the results. The great thing is that the band makes it so much easier to do than ever before. I’m only 6 months out and learning more and more every day.

Without further ado, here are the “Ten Important Rules for Living with the LAP-BAND®” from the manufacturer at LapBand.com:

Ten Important Rules for Living with the LAP-BAND®
Following the food choices covered in detail in the previous section and the general guidelines below is critical to your success. These ten important rules for eating, drinking, and exercise below will help you get the best results with the LAP-BAND® System:

1. Eat only three small meals a day.
2. Eat slowly and chew thoroughly.
3. Stop eating as soon as you feel full.
4. Do not drink while eating.
5. Do not eat between meals.
6. Eat only good quality food.
7. Avoid fibrous food.
8. Drink enough fluids during the day.
9. Drink only low-calorie liquids.
10. Exercise at least 30 minutes a day.

Rule 1: Eat only three small meals a day.
Your new small stomach pouch can hold only about one-fourth of a cup of food. If you try to eat more than this at one time, you may become nauseated or vomit. If you routinely eat too much, the small stomach pouch may stretch. Frequent vomiting will cancel the effect of the operation and can also cause certain complications, such as stomach slippage. To avoid this, you need to learn to listen to your body.

Rule 2: Eat slowly and chew thoroughly.
Food can pass through the new stomach only if it has been chewed into very small pieces. Always remember to take more time for your meals and chew your food very well.

Rule 3: Stop eating as soon as you feel full.
Once your stomach is full, your body receives a signal that you have eaten enough. It takes time, though, for you to become aware of this signal. If you rush through your meal, you may eat more than you need. This can lead to nausea and vomiting. Take time to eat your meal. Try to recognize the feeling of fullness—then stop eating at once.

Rule 4: Do not drink while you are eating.
The LAP-BAND® can work only if you eat solid food during your three meals. You should not drink anything for one to two hours after a meal. This allows you to keep the feeling of fullness as long as possible.

Rule 5: Do not eat between meals.
After a meal, do not eat anything else until the next meal. Eating snacks between meals is one of the major reasons for weight-loss failure. It is very important to break this habit. Patients with proper “fill” levels do not feel hungry in between meals. If you are feeling hungry, this may be a sign that your band is too loose and you should tell your clinician.

Rule 6: Eat only good quality food.
With the LAP-BAND® System in place, you should be able to eat only a small amount so the food you eat should be as nutritious as possible. Follow the nutrition guidelines in the previous section and specific instructions from your surgeon and/or dietitian. Also, ask your doctor or dietitian before you take any vitamin supplements.

Rule 7: Avoid fibrous food.
Food that contains many fibers, such as asparagus, can block the stoma. That’s because you can’t chew this food well enough to break it up into small pieces and your saliva can’t break it down. Fibrous food should be avoided. If you would like to eat asparagus or other fibrous foods once in a while, then be sure to cook them well, cut them into very small pieces first, and then chew thoroughly.

Rule 8: Drink enough fluids during the day.
Drinking enough fluids is essential for staying hydrated and for flushing waste products out of your body. Individual needs will vary, but you should drink at least six to eight glasses of water a day. Remember: You should only drink water, tea, or coffee (without milk, cream, or sugar). Also, keep your food and drinks completely separate during the day.

Rule 9: Drink only low-calorie liquids.
Drinks, including those containing calories, simply run through the narrow outlet created by the band. If you drink liquids high in calories, you will lose little weight, even if you follow all of the other dietary guidelines.

Rule 10: Exercise at least 30 minutes a day.
Since physical exercise consumes energy and burns calories, it is a very important component in any successful weight-loss program. Exercise can also help improve your general health. In addition to adopting a routine exercise program, you can increase your activity level in the course of daily living. For example, stand rather than sit, walk rather than stand, be outside rather than inside, walk rather than drive, climb the stairs rather than use the elevator. Remember that you should always check with your doctor about the amount and type of exercise that is best for you.

This year I came up with the PERFECT Christmas gift for Jessica. Karen Kingsbury, her favorite author, was guest speaking at a women’s conference near by. So I got two tickets and contacted Karen to ask if she would specially autograph a book for the occasion. She and her mother, Anne Kingsbury, were so wonderful in helping me to pull this off. I bought the Red Gloves book and Karen signed it with a message saying “Christmas, 2007 Jessica, See you soon! Love and Joy! Karen Heb 12:2 Jer 29:11″. She always has the perfect words!

When Jessica opened the book, and red gloves I included, it took her a while to put it all together and figure out that she would be meeting her hero, Karen Kingsbury on January 5, 2008. She was so excited and the present was a hit!

We went to the conference yesterday and had a blast! The break out sessions on improving relationships with men, children and ourselves were good. The lunch was delicious– I had chicken, jess had fish. We even sat with a friend of Karen’s who shared some very touching personal stories about how truly sweet and down to earth Karen and her family are. But the very best part of all was Karen’s presentation.

She told us some very funny stories from her own life and shared pearls of wisdom about living our best every day. There were two main points that stuck with me in particular: “life is all about how we live our lives between Sundays” (the title of her latest book) and a letter a father sent to his estranged daughter simply said “I’m sorry. I love you. Let’s start again.”

“I’m sorry. I love you. Let’s start again.” This is my letter to myself and my mantra for the year. I haven’t been very nice to myself over the years. I have neglected my body, health and personal needs for the people and things I mistakenly thought were more important. “Dear body, I’m sorry. I love you. Lets start again.”

We were able to meet up with Karen and her mother, Anne, at the end of the conference. They were even nicer in person! Karen had wonderful words of encouragement for Jessica’s aspirations of a career as an author. She said “My father used to always tell me ‘Somebody has to be the next bestselling author. That’s going to be you.’ Now I say that to you. You’re going to be the next bestselling author.” Isn’t that just the sweetest thing ever! Thank you, Karen. You are such a great role model for young aspiring Christian authors!

I was even more touched when her 15 year old son pulled a handicapped woman out of the book signing line and brought her straight to his mom. What a genuinely kind family!

It was a great day and a great memory to have with my daughter! If you have a blog post with a similar story or would like to share your 2008 mantra please post a link or comment below.

(This may have been a little long for a post, but trust me it’s the short version. LOL!)

Happy New Year! 2008 is going to be a fabulous year!

I just got home from my first fill of the new year. I now have 7.8cc in my 14cc band. I’m on liquids for the next couple of days– which is fine with me after all the holiday eating I did. No weight loss to report, unfortunately.

I plan to get serious about my weight loss with my band in 2008! My number 1 focus is my body. I need to exercise, eat nutritious foods, use healthy eating habits, spend more time pampering myself and just loving and appreciating the marvelous body that God gave me.

What are your plans for the new year?

As I look back over 2007 the one thing that sticks out most in my mind is getting my lap band. I started looking into what it was and how it worked in late winter and decided by mid-spring that this was the answer for me. I’m glad, now, that it was such a tough journey to get information, find the right doctor and get the surgery. In having to fight for this I knew without a shadow of a doubt this was for me.

The pre-op and first month was really tough. Not because of the pain, but it messes with you emotionally. I’m not sure how to adequately put it into words, except that it brings up every food issue you have and even creates some new ones. I had a lot of prayer chats with God. I’m just so grateful I had a few hundred online friends to go through it with and a wonderfully supportive family.

I’m healed and I’ve had 4 small fills. I still haven’t hit my sweet spot but I’m losing slow and steady. So far I’m down 30lbs and due for my next fill in a few days.

I’m still learning how to use my lap band for all it’s worth. I’m improving my eating habits and exercise more and more each day. I LOVE my band!!! It was the best thing I have ever done for myself. 2007 was a great year, but it was just the start!

Today completes the last day of week five of my Lap Band weight loss.

The first 24 hours following my fill I was on liquids. I had been warned that this would be harder the second time around. “Chris, you were right!” My stomach was still adjusting to the fill but was much better– better enough that I was hungry and the liquids seemed to pass quickly.

On the third day I had mushies– salmon patties and potato salad. It was fabulous! I had to be very aware of chewing well and taking small bites, but it sure tasted good and kept me full. It was the most “real food” I had in four weeks.

The next day I was on regular food again, but took it easy because I’m still getting used to my band and healing. Steve and I went out for lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant, El Sol de Mexico I was able to eat the chips, my favorite, and some of the beans and rice off of his plate. I’m such a cheap date now! LOL

I’m doing great! No more pain. I am eating normal food again. I feel like life is starting to get back to normal again!

I have gotten a lot of good information and support on the web about the Lab Band. However, I get a bit frustrated that everything is so scattered across the net, or worse: pearls of wisdom buried in unrelated content. I’m a Web Developer by trade. So, naturally my mind goes to an internet solution. I’m creating www.Lap-Band-Weight-Loss.com as an information hub for everything Lap Band related.

Lap-Band-Weight-Loss.com will primarily be an organized source: a great place to start your search for anything Lap Band related. It will also be my platform for Chris and I to launch our local support group, swap recipes, share any new things I learn or find, as well as blog my personal journey with the band.

I hope you will find this site helpful. Please feel free to email me with any requests and comments. This site is created by bandsters for bandsters!

I’m doing great! I’m healing and feeling good. My incisions are healing nicely and the tape/glue has all peeled off. I will probably start putting a scar prevention cream on them– I just haven’t decided which one yet, maybe Mederma.

I got the OK to get in the spa again. That felt great! Now, I’m dieing to get back to my water aerobics, but have to wait for the approval at my four week post-op appointment with Dr. Neal.

I’m eating mushy food, but it’s pretty normal stuff. So, I don’t have cravings or miss any particular foods. However, I confess it’s probably not the best food I could choose. I keep a daily food journal. It starts two days before my pre-op diet and continues through now. I was at well over 2,0000 calories to start, 1,000 a day or less for pre-op diet (lost 14 lbs in 2 weeks), about 300-700 calories on the liquid phase post-op, and I’m now heading back up to 800-1,0000 a day. I’m getting hungry again and looking forward to hitting my “sweet spot” of restriction.

I am counting down the days to my first fill: 4 days 23.5 hrs from now I will be back at Dr Neal’s office for my first fill

I’m two weeks post-op and doing good– half great + half hurting = “good”.

GREAT… I started on my mushy foods this week. Refried beans are the best food on the planet right now! LOL Tomorrow I will be trying a Salmon patty recipe a fellow bandster posted. I have also eaten some macaroni salad with tuna and light mayo. Yumo!

HURTING… It’s my own darn fault. I was feeling so good on Sunday and overestimated my healing. School started for our kids this week. So, I went out rushing around for last minute soccer cleats, school supplies, etc. I over did it and was out of commission all day Thursday. I took some pain meds and slept most of the day. My port is still sore, but I’m thankful to be doing much better.

Hubby and I went out for movie and lunch today. It doesn’t take much to fill me. About one cup of food and I’m STUFFED! (”stuffed” is not good when recovering BTW. Oops!) Cool! I have leftovers to last me for days!!! Instead of eating my favorite meal once and paying the price for “bad calories”. I can enjoy it again and again, for only 200 little “bad calories”. LOL!!!

Last week was so crazy that I didn’t have time to post. So, I thought I would do a little recap today. Long story short… I had to go in for a second sleep study because the first one was flubbed by the technicians at the hospital (an awful experience). If I didn’t get a sleep study and CPAP right away I would have had to reschedule my surgery. Oh no!

I found Mt Scott Sleep Medicine. They were SO AMAZING! They got me in for a sleep study that night and loaned me a CPAP! Kendra helped coordinate with Drs, insurance and got me the appointment. The sleep study it self was like having it done at the Hilton or something. I had a soft queen sized bed, TV, private bath with basket of hygiene goodies; and the next morning the technician (a very nice gal) served me breakfast in bed!

The CPAP was a bit annoying at first but I love it now. I get much better sleep and it has helped me to breath deeper and clear my lungs since surgery.

To top it all off, I started back to school last week. This is my first term at University of Phoenix. When our two oldest daughters started college, I figured it was about time I got back to school. So, needless to say, I haven’t had the time to enjoy it, but have been trying to keep up with weekly assignments. I’m off to go do some more work now