Oregondaisy

Definitely! I know if I hadn't gotten the band, I would be heavier by now, not 40 lbs lighter. I had been trying to lose weight going to the gym every day for 2 years before I got banded. All I did was gain more weight.

Hey that's a great suggestion for the baby food prunes. I really don't think it's healthy to be constipated all the time, and it's definitely a side effect from all the protein.

I know someone who had their band removed because the left shoulder pain never went away. It has to be more than gas, because the gas would have to be gone a couple years after surgery. I know mine is right after a fill, and if I eat too much. I don't have it nearly as much, because I worry so much about stretching my pouch. It's got something to do with the nerves and the diaphram, but I really don't get it.

The kid's menu at the places I go to are the same as the regular menu - just smaller portions. It's the same with the senior menu. I don't eat out nearly as much as I used to before being banded, but I still like to go out to lunch with friends. I am lucky that chicken doesn't bother me if I cut it up into tiny pieces and chew well. I will often get a chicken salad and just eat the chicken.

No wonder I never see very many Dec. bandsters. I am not a steady loser. I have lost half of what everyone else has lost40 lbs since 12-29. It drives me insane. I could see it if I was pigging out all the time, but I am not. I recently started running faster, hoping that will break this plateau. I seem to lose about 2-3 lbs a month. The majority of my weight loss was the first month.

I am glad to see some others with an easy recovery. I feel bad for everyone who was in pain and uncomfortable for days. I don't want to tell anyone that it was "a piece of cake" like it was for me, when I read so much about people having problems with recovery. My dr. gave me a patch to put behind my ear the night before, to make sure I had no nausea. I honestly wouldn't have known I had surgery, if it weren't for the little cuts on my tummy. I could have easily driven myself home, but they wouldn't let me.

Are you exercising? I am a slow loser too, but I know I wouldn't lose anything if I didn't exercise. Regular exercise and sticking to protein veggies and a small amount of fruit and you should lose, even if it's slow.

Why don't you join us on the singles thread? We have a lot of conversations about being single and banded. And to answer your question, Yes, I would definitely date a single dad.

I burp constantly, especially after I drink water. After every sip of water, I burp. Someone that has been banded for years told me that's a sign of good restriction. It's kind of annoying but I am used to it now. I am not sure if I am swallowing air every time I take a drink or eat. If I feel like I need to burp and I don't, I give myself a little pat right between my breasts and I burp.

I have a restaurant card that says I have had surgery and they let me order off the kid's menu or the senior menu. That works great. I use that when I am with people who know I am banded. Otherwise, I make sure I cut my food into tiny itty bitty bites before I even take a bite. I will usually just tell whoever I am with that I had a late lunch, or my stomach is upset or something- or even better yet- that I am dieting and cutting down on portions. I know what I can order without getting stuck and it's never been a problem. My problem might start when I go visit my dad next month. I never told him about the band because I don't want to listen to a lecture about spending $10,000 of my own money. Last time I visited him, food got stuck. My mom had trouble with her esophagus and I just told him I was having the same problem and must have a hiatal (sp?) hernia.

When I eat veggies I have to make sure they are cooked very well. They go down better if they are soggy.

It would make such a huge difference if they could give us a reason why we don't lose like other people. I know what you mean. I want to throw something at my dr. when he says stuff like that. I can eat a cookie and gain 3 lbs and be perfect for weeks and lose nothing. It makes no sense.

He doesn't have a nutritionist on staff. He did the resting metabolic test for me. I had to sit and breathe through my mouth with a clothes pin type thing over my nose. I was hooked up to a computer. It showed that I have an extremely slow metabolism . He just told me to eat 70% protein and 30% fruits and veggies, for a total of no more than 1,000 calories per day. Of course the more I exercise, the more I will burn and I am supposed to lose, but I don't. I figure I will eventually but it makes it hard to stay motivated. Thanks for putting that in the mail for me! I think I need to stop weighing myself every day. I get so disappointed when I think it's about time to go down again and nothing happens.

When you get more of a fill, that won't be as much of a problem. When I eat, I am so full I can't even think about eating again for a few hours. It's late at night that I have a problem, because I am not full anymore, but I don't want to eat so close to bedtime.

I wish we had some decent stores here. We don't have a GNC or Vitamin Shop. I never thought of putting anything in the low carb slim fast. I drink that a lot because like you said, all you have to do is pop open a can. It has more calories than the Atkins ones, but it also has more Protein in it. I kind of switch off between those.

Thanks Jacqui, that explains a lot. Maybe someday when I get more confidence, I will be able to run outside.I actually don't live that far from the high school track. I often wonder if I could run around the track. Somehow, running on the treadmill seems easier. Do you do any special breathing while you're running? I try to breathe in my nose and out my mouth or I seem to get out of breath more if I don't concentrate on breathing.

If you eat mainly protein, the cravings will go away. I do really good all day long, and then at night I start the cravings. I have a sugar free popsicle and then brush my teeth and chew sugar free gum. It seems to help me not want to eat after my teeth are brushed.

Has anyone watched the show that comes on afterwards? All the people are in the hospital from being overweight. One man had a huge tumor the size of a basketball related to obesity and yet he was still sneaking food into the hospital. The dr. on that show really seems to want to help obese people. It's great show too.

I hope you don't get tighter either. It sounds like you are tight enough. As for me, I never got tighter than the 2nd day after a fill. I guess it's the swelling. The 2nd day, I have a lot of trouble eating, then it loosens a little.This past week, it has loosened a little too much. I have always had problems with drinks if they are cold. It's strange that it took so much of a fill for you to get stuck. I have had problems with being stuck right after the first fill. That's when I learned to chew until it's liquid or face the pain.

Wishing you the best, IndioGirl! Welcome to bandland!

Getting food stuck is very common. You have to chew your food until it's liquid.

The show that is on after is pretty amazing too. Those people are about to die from being so overweight, and they sneak food into the hospital.

If I stayed home, I would never exercise. I go to a gym. I have to force myself to put on my work-out clothes, and get going. If I stayed home, I know I would be telling myself, "I'll exercise after this show is over" I get up and get ready and go in the morning and once I am there, I'm glad, even though some days I have to talk myself into it.

Audree, How do you know you are at your sweet spot now? How much can you eat? I had good restriction about a month ago, but I think I must have lost some of the fat inside because things seem to be changing. Are you eating differently now since this last fill? I have 2.5 in mine right now.

I haven't lost as much weight as I would have liked, but I would still do it over. I know I would be heavier by now, no matter how much I tried to stay on a diet. There is no way I would ever do RNY even if I had insurance to pay for it. I have seen too many people gain all of it back, without a band to force them to change their eating habits. And I have seen a lot of people with severe complications from gastric bypass.