would anybody be interested in meeting in the LBT at 6pm Central time 12/2/06? I thought it would be nice to meet each other on a safe chat room. Any takers??????

Hey Carol - I'll try to be there - never know what'll be happening here on a Saturday at 6 pm - lol
I'm so excited for you - can't wait to hear all about it on Tuesday or when you're up to chatting with us.
Babygotback - As for the avatar - you did it right - just click the save and it should work - once your pic is on the little screen then I hit save again - don't know if I needed to or not. No moderators to preview. try it again.

Hi Audree -
Did you set your profile picture or your avatar? My avatar picture did not need any approval from a moderator or anything. To my knowledge no one else did either. I can see your signature now. Keep testing. :)
_ _ _ _ _ _

Carol -
I am in Eastern time. My little one doesn't go to bed until 7:30 (6:30 Central) but I can meet you then. If I try to chat while he's awake he acts out because he wants Mommy's attention. Let me know if you want to chat at 7CST. That should give me enough time to get settled.
_ _ _ _ _


I have been up since 6:30. Also couldn't sleep. I am stressing about losing this weight before my surgery. My surgeon told me he wanted me to lose 10 pounds on my own, plus the 10 pounds on the diet. Well here it is, less than 2 weeks before my surgery and I actually GAINED 9 pounds in the past 3 months. Once I realized I had my date, I lost the 9 pounds (which was great) but now I still have a generous 10 pounds to lose. My PA said he would be happy if I lost 12 - 15 pounds before my next appointment (12/12).

SO I am up and at 'em this morning. I broke out my pre-op diet. It's not liquid as I thought. It's high protein and pre-packaged. I will be eating hot chocolate, protein bars, soup, soy nuts and chili/spaghetti for the next 2 weeks. I am also drinking nothing but water in that time. I hope to take in a gallon per day - I know water flushes the fat out of your body. And if I can exercise an hour on my elliptical each day, I am nearly guaranteed to lose the weight required. The PA said my surgeon is strict about his patients losing weight on this diet. He said that one person gained weight on the pre-op diet and he refused to do the surgery. HA How can you gain weight on a pre-op diet??? ahahahha Cracked me up.

All I can think about is my life after the band. Being thinner, nearing goal, getting under 200 pounds, feeling stronger and healthier and happier about my appearance. I wonder how much I'll lose in the first month. I wonder how much I'll lose between now and January 2. I think close to 30 pounds. Maybe more! I am so excited about my future!!!

I still haven't told my Mom and Sister about my surgery. Now they are horning in on my Christmas celebration. I don't want them over here. They'll try to force food down my throat, first of all (I think they like me fat) and they will question and question and question me if I tell them I'm not eating. Maybe I'll put dark circles under my eyes and tell them I'm sick. I will sip tea and dare them to say something. Hateful jealous old goats. They have always been similar sizes, usually an 8, maybe a 10. Meanwhile I'm a 24 right now. I have one pair of size 26 jeans. My thighs are the bane of my existence.

I know, I'm rambling. but I'm so excited and I don't have anyone to talk to! I daydream about seeing my ex boyfriend again in April when I'm about 220 lbs. I daydream about wearing a leather coat again without being responsible for the slaughter of a herd of cows to make it. I daydream about wearing skirts above my knees - or at my knees - and not feeling like people behind me are remarking at the muffin tops aka my knee fat. I have visions of being lighter, slender, thinner and more energetic; I just want to dance to express my joy at my outside me matching my inside me.

Do you all know the song UNWRITTEN by Natasha Bedingfield? That song is my theme song lately. It makes me teary eyed just thinking about the lyrics:

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words
That you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

That's how I feel. TODAY is where my book begins. I want to live my life with my arms wide open and experience all of the things I have denied myself because of the shame I've always felt at being so friggin fat. The rest is still unwritten. I feel so grateful. I feel so lucky. I feel like I am in a healing place, and losing weight will bring me to a higher quality of life. My life is already a beautiful gift, and this will help me to reach higher goals. I am so happy for us.

Sorry for getting all sappy and chatty, December Bandivas. I just got myself all filled up there for a minute! Let me redirect this crazy energy to my elliptical. 60 minutes pumping it out.

Big love to you all!

Nathalie

Nathalie, you are so great. I lol about the herd of cows. I know what you mean. Won't it be great to be able to walk into a regular store and buy something cute and on sale instead of having to go to the back corner of the store where they keep the fat old lady polyester clothes with huge purple flower print?

Keep visualizing, you are doing great. What is that saying...If you can dream it, and believe it, you can achieve it. I have no doubt that you will achieve your goals.

Thanks for the inspiration.
Victoria

I am being banded this Tuesday 12/5 at 10:15 am. I am a self pay, couldn't wait any longer with the insurance battle. My procedure will be done at the Cincinnati Weight Loss Center. I do not have a pre-op recommended diet. I almost wish I did because I feel like every meal is my last "real" meal. I can't wait for the process to being, the anticipation is most annoying. At least once it is done, I will know how I it feels (how much pain, tightness etc..) rather than just guessing and most importantly start the loosing process. I am glad to have found the December banders so we can encourage each other! 72 hours to go!

Hi hermonsa and welcome, I am tuesday at 10am. so we are in the same boat except I am on day 13 of the prediet. ive lost 13# with it and feel pretty good about that. Best of luck 2 u and keep me posted.

Itsuptome, I like that and what a true realiziation. Thanks for the welcome. Congrats on the 13# down. It's only the begining for us. Let's try to post Tuesday evening if we feel up to it and see how each other are doing. Best of luck!

I will do my best, I am a little nervous and fighting the urge to go EAT anything and everything I can get my hands on. Last meal I guess, this SUCKS! I have been doing okay just realizing I have another 2 weeks till I can eat again, (I think) I havnt really looked at my stuff. Right now I want a steak and blooming onion, or panda express or taco bell or hell anything other that protein shakes, jello, pudding, broth jeez, how pittiful am I. Sorry for the whining just having a bad moment.:think :think :think :angry

Sweethot143
I haven't been able to be online for several days and just read about your postponed surgery. I am sorry. I know you must be disappointed. Hang in there. I had to have a chest xray prior to my surgery and I got a call that they found something "suspecious" on my lung so I have to have a chest CT Scan on 12/6/06. If its nothing I can still go ahead with my surgery on the 12th. This has certainly not be an easy process for me but hopefully all with go well and I can get the Lap Band as planned. I am also on the all liquid diet for 2 weeks pre op and I'm on day 5. It is very hard but so far I am hanging in there. Good luck to all who are having surgery this coming week. I will be thinking of you.

itsuptome - I had to laugh because your post sounds almost identical to mine yesterday! I just wanted to EAT - so today I at a grilled chicken salad for lunch - I don't think that is so bad - ff dressing - and I am going to eat the frozen dinner for supper and my protein shake for snack. Its just the liquid thing that is so hard for me - but I keep trying and I keep my calories below 900 that alone has got to be shrinking my fatty liver! :o

Kari - I hope everything is ok with the xray. I'll be praying for you. You get your sugery the day after me. How are you doing on the pre-op?

Hi I'm getting banded on 12/15 w/ Dr.Ortiz. I feel really confident in my decision, but I'm not going to lie, I nervous about life post op. Im 225 and 5'7. I was 240- and I lost weight doing weight watchers. Since deciding on getting banded I (3 weeks ago) i have gained 5 lbs. I have eaten everything I wanted and more and I start my 2 shakes and a lean cusine tomorrow and then the last 6 days pre op I'm going to do 3 protein shakes a day to make up for the weight I gained. I'm nervous about losing too quickly and getting excess skin. Is anybody else nervous about this? Im 24- so I'm hoping my skin will be resilient. Is anyone else getting banded by DrOrtiz?

Hi All -

My first day on the POD (pre-op Diet) was good. My surgeon's office uses the Bariatrix line of products. I get 10 "points" worth of food, and today that translated to 1 cup of hot chocolate, 1 cup of cream of chicken soup, 1 package of soy nuts, 2 protein bars and a cup of chili. I also had 2 containers of sugar free jello. Oh, and a gallon of water.

I was on my elliptical for 35 minutes today - tomorrow I want to go longer on the elliptical.

I feel pretty good, a little tired, definitely more "empty" inside since I don't have tons of carbs trucking through my intestinal tract.

Day 1 down, only 11 more to go! The hardest part was not pouring myself a glass of wine tonight after the little guy went to bed.

Hope you all are doing well!

Nathalie

Good luck to everyone as we start this new adventure together! I cant wait for us all to post pictures a year from now!!!!!!! I am not doing the best on my pre op diet. I was really struggling b/c those darn shakes give me such a belly ache. I called my Dr's office and they put me on high protein one meal a day so that has helped alot. I at least get some food. I have lost 5 lbs in 4 days so I guess that is a start right??

Brwn Eyd Grl 82- I am getting banded by Dr Ortiz Dec 18th, I am so excited. I bet your skin will bounce back just fine. I am an esthetican, and I see a lot of skin! You are young, so you will have great elasticity. Just remember moisturizer, water and sunscreen are your best friends! Congrats on your decision.

I ate a bit too much today. I have some veggies for breakfast, ckicken calad for lunch and spinach salad for supper....then I had popcorn and chicken wings. Oops.

Tomorrow is another day.... I will do better.