FLORIDAYS

no familar with a book but i would think you should be eating more calories. I was on 1000 a day during liquids and mushies. If it were me I would call the dr... Gaining 7 lbs eating 400 calories a day doesn't sound healthy. Does the dr offer any kind of diet plans? Or can he suggest a nutritionist maybe through the hospital?

I started at 377.... 24 months later I am 157. Don't ask me where the time went... I have no idea. I got banded, focused on the task at hand everyday...live my norml life and it just came off. I was thinking about it the other day... I am starting to forget those 10 lbs losses which were SO important to me over the last 2 years. It's like I woke up and was at 157 lbs.... That's unheard of of course but my point it....just do the right thing every day and it will work. Best wishes for your continued success.

How many calories are you eating?

I haven't visited this thread since I called it a day and went to bed... That night last week.....But now rereading it...(because I am awake trying to relax from a busy day I guess...) I wanted to add that since this thread started I decided to really pick and choose my responses. But it's hard... I want everyone to be successfull with the band because think everyone CAN be successful... But maybe some people just don't want it as bad as I or so many of us on this forum do... So I will consider that in future posts.. And if it's obvious they are just wounded whiners I may let someone else put forth the effort....

It's the holidays.... No doubt if you are a banded person in the losing stage... You have survived holiday office, neighborhood and family parties over the past few weeks by making good decisions and forgoing the sweets and booze. Or maybe you are on liquids, newly banded and struggled through sipping your meals out of a straw. Either way You have continued to lose during this time and you should be very proud of yourself. But we are down to the wire and the cooking for Christmas is beginning and all you can do is think about everything you can't have when really you should think about everything you can have. If you are on liquids during this time... I can relate. I was banded on dec 9 two years ago and wasn't allowed mushies until January 1.... So I found other things to do while people ate on christmas day and while I was feeling pretty sorry for myself I made the most out of it and kept telling myself it would be worth it in the end. I remember I took all the children outside while the adults were going for round two! If you are on solids... You can eat just like everyone else. You can have the same things everyone else does...just smaller portions of it. Spend your time looking up calorie counts and smile to yourself knowing your meal cost you 300 calories... Your uncles pile of food cost him 1500!!! My point it...the holidays are a time to Celebrate friends and family...being together and sharing time with loved ones. You are on a journey to increase your time on this earth...dont waste it on fretting over what you cannot have. Focus on what you do have...and that is will power and momentum to have a better you around for many more holidays to come.

Finally slept a full 8 hrs without any Vicodin!!! That was a feat in itself. But then I looked in the mirror and saw more bruises then I imagine are on those NFL players after a game.... OMG... I look like I have been roughed up pretty well. On Friday the dr warned me they would start appearing...well he was right... Yesterday I bought a Spanx like garment which is high waisted. The dr said it would help with the torso swelling. Well it helped alright... The swelling is down but the bruising has surfaced...LOL And I am exercising the girls..... So much to learn. Evidentially for the rest of my life every day I am supposed to do massage exercises to keep them soft and supple.... This cracks me up. But I am doing it... only takes a minute in the morning and night but for the next few weeks I have to add in an extra massage at lunchtime.

The way they look someone should pay me to do it. LOL

My pleasure.... It's those little things that help so much. My dr said my bites should be about the size of a finger nail...

So glad everything went well Ted!!! Your exciting journey is just beginning!

My dr doesn't fill the band during surgery either. In fact I was 2 months post op before I was given a fill. I think most bandsters go through it... It's shear willpower until those fills start kicking in!

I used my daughters baby spoons the first few weeks to teach me to eat small bites. Of course she is 28...but I always kept them in the silverware drawer for some silly reason... LOL

Nah... It will heal...But I am overwhelmed that it looks as amazing as it does... It's like Tuesday moorning the extra skin was there and my boobs resembled those of an 80 year old woman and Tuesday afternoon the skin was gone and my boobs look like i am a young woman. It's pretty surreal to me

You have lost 40 lbs in 2 months. That is fabulous. Your body is just adjusting and within days if you stick to your plan you will see the scale move. Plateaus are a normal part of the journey.... It just takes a special person to not give up and get frustrated during these times. Keep doing what you are supposed to...it will happen!!!

I didn't eat solids for 3 weeks per my drs instruction....It's not about losing weight right now it's about healing. Your body was invaded and a medical device was implanted..your stomach needs to heal. No matter how hungry you are you really should follow the drs instructions or you could do severe damage to your stomach and or band and then it's a whole other problem. Best wishes finding the will power to get through this tough time.

The weekend before starting my 2 week liquid preop diet my husband and I took a road trip up the coast of Florida and I was determined to eat and drink everything I wasn't going to be able to eat for some time. We had fried grouper, loaded fries, pizza, chicken wings, pasta and lots of adult beverages.... But funny the whole time I just didn't seem to be in a gorging mode..I think I was mentally ready for the lifestyle change and I was a tad mindful of my portions. I didn't gain a thing....lol

I was not.... IN fact I just had my tummy tuck and breast lift on Tuesday and I don't even have one for that. Interesting how drs differ.

The port is sewn into the wall of the abdominal cavity so it's still healing just 2 weeks post op... I would think it would be normal to have some irritation. I don't recall mine ever being bad however and if it were I would have called the dr.

Great job Irene... I swear I think the results are what motivates us to keep on making those good choices! Well done, Merry Christmas

My dr said when about a cup of food doesn't hold me for 4-5 hrs it may be time for a fill....

From the day of surgery to the start of mushies was 3 weeks and I lost 21 lbs for a total of 43 including pre op....

Mine were not only lost... they resembled some thing other than a breast as we know it...LOL. So This is good to hear... I just had my breast lift and augmentation on Tuesday and I am guessing it's going to be time for some pretty new unmentionables... Thanks!!

Everyone is different. In my case I had a monthly drs appointment. At that time I would get weighed etc and discuss with the dr how I was doing,... If I thought I needed a fill we discussed it and sometimes I got it..and sometimes he vetoed it. Once you hit the green zone you usually know when you need a fill. One day you are eating the way you are supposed to and are completely satisfied...and the next day you are hungry all the time, looking for food and realize you need a fill. The first year I think I had 4 to get to green... Then 2 or. 3 more as I continued to lose. The second year I had two and now that I only go to the dr every quarter if I wake up and need one all of a sudden I will just call. As you become one with your band you will be more in tune and know the signs. It's not something anyone can really explain well....

I have taken it..buy the caplets instead of the capsules . I cut the pill in 1/4s. You can use a pen knife or instead of risking losing a finger buy a pill cutter at the drugstore for $5