FLORIDAYS

I wouldn't have been interested or capable in caring for a puppy the week after surgery..... It was 2 weeks before I felt normal.... But that's just me.

You should be so proud of yourself for making a good healthy decision. You are going to be so successful!

It doesn't hurt. I usually go alone on my lunch break from work

Donna.... As you are learning we do not have to have a husband to make us whole. There is a whole new world out there for you. It's yours for the taking. All the best as you embark on this wonderful new phase of your life.

Accepting a compliment is really very easy. Just smile and say thank you and move on if you don't want to engage in conversation about the specifics of your loss. Once you get down several sizes I bet you won't have any trouble. Enjoy!

Lettuce is tough to digest....Burping is pretty normal... I don't know how to tell if the band slipped but I would speak with your dr if you are getting sick. I am not sure if you mean flu or cold sick or sick to your stomach.

Instead of drugs.... Why not do as you did before you got in The green zone the first time... Count calories and weigh your food. You know you will lose weight.

My take is..... If you bend the rules on the pre op diet.... Then you are setting yourself up to fail after you are banded. It's just my humble opinion but if you are in the mindset of doing whatever it takes to be successful.... I would skip the wine for now. Have fun at the wedding.... It's possible even tho you will be alcohol free.

I agree with Missy.... I too am a calorie counter. I track everything except toothpaste and when I hit 1000 for the day I am done, I also measure my portions... 3/4 oz Protein, 1/2 c veggies and 1/4 c startch every meal eaten in that order.... If you start doing that you might be surprised at how much you might be eating....

its horrible..... but a pre op liquid diet is so Important in my opinion You will learn that food is fuel... You don't need to ingest food to survive....just nutrition After the first few days of hell ... Being on liquid will not be so bad and it will prepare you for being on liquid after surgery You are preparing your liver for a successful surgery You will lose weight if you stick with it which is motivating in itself! Best of luck!!

From what I under stand an unfilled band still offers restriction...just not as much as when it's filled.

You have been banded a month. Why would you sabatoge all the work you have done this month? Besides the fact that alcohol has no redeeming nutritional value...it has empty calories, why not save it for when you reach a mini goal in a few months? I made my goal 100 lbs which was about half way. It was good but honestly... Not worth the calories. Now that I am almost to goal I will be a lot less strict with myself but still find I don't want to waste the calories.... this from a girl that enjoyed happy hour a few times a week with friends and family.... Not a drunk by any means but it wasn't uncommon to have 2 cocktails 3x a week in social situations. Now I just order Water with a twist or a glass of wine and sip it for 2 hrs.

LOL its a bad habit I have learned in the past 2 years... I mentally count calories. Geesh who knew I would turn into one of THOSE people! Best of luck you!

Its a wonderful feeling! Congrats

sounds yummy... try the sugar free which is less calories than the fat free.

It was 2 weeks before I felt normal. I was banded on a Thursday and thought I would go back on Monday...but that didnt happen. I went back for 1/2 days on Tuesday and Wednesday then full days after that. Best I can tell you is rest when you can. Hopefully you can have help with Laundry and Housework... but if not it will be there when you feel better. Best of luck to you.

If you do not trust your Dr then you should find a new one. It wouldnt make sense for him to "scam" you but I suppose there are bad apples out there. If you want you might want to look around for another Dr and share your concerns with him. I think I would be more apt to have a frank discussion with your surgeon and ask him to show you the amount he is putting in your band. Unless of course you have a leak ...then that is another issue all together. As for your question about taking control... The band isnt a magic cure. Especially if you arent in the green zone. When you do get there it will be a wonderful tool to prevent you from overeating but even then you must take control over what you put in your mouth. When I decided to get the band I researched and had frank conversations with my Dr. I knew I could lose the weight on my own but I always got bored with diets and always gave up and gained it all back. My Dr explained that if I limited my portions and controled my calories I would lose weight and then the band would prevent me from overeating. I am almost to goal... and for example today... there are donuts and fruit in the breakroom at work. I could eat one with no problem... well maybe 1/2 of it. But I did not. I chose the banana instead. The band will not prevent you from eating the donut. You have to do that your self. Best of luck to you!

Just becasue you can still eat normal portions doesnt mean you should. I agree with the others... you are eating too much. From the begining I tracked my calories to make sure I didnt exceed my daily amount (1000) and made sure my portions were not more than 3-4 oz protin, 1/2 c veggies and 1/4 starch at each meal. I usually would have 2 Snacks... one a piece of fruite and the other something sweet like sugar free pudding cup or sugar free popsicles. The band isnt a magic cure. Especially if you arent in the green zone which looking at when you were banded you are not. When you do get there it will be a wonderful tool to prevent you from overeating but even then you must take control over what you put in your mouth. Best of luck to you!

I am no scientist but For those of you who are wondering about evaporation.... I had a fill in April. I was at 5.7ccs In September I felt I needed a fill so the Dr measured and I only had 5 ccs in the band. I asked the Dr where did the .7ccs go... he said even though it is a sealed unit the fill is saline which is water and water evaporates. I decided to do a little experiment... I put a cup of water in a ziploc bag and duct taped the top to make sure it was sealed air tight. I opened it after a month and there was less than a cup of water.... so I guess it would be the same with the band.

As we know all Dr's have different views but My Dr tells me the amount of food I eat at each meal should hold me 4-5 hrs. Any more than that you may feel weak... you might want to keep a protien bar in your purse for times like this...kind of like a safety net. Just make sure to include it in your calorie count.

I dont know about a leak but I do know the Fluid does evaporate. I had 5.7ccs in my band and at my last fill he measured it and I was down .7ccs so no wonder I felt I needed a fill. That said... I am not sure how long it would take for 4ccs to evaporate. I think thats pretty individual. But your Dr. seems to be monitoring it... so I wonder why you don't trust him. I think its highly unlikely he put the saline in the wrong place. The port is pretty easy to find. As for not losing weight. During the time until you get in the green zone you must monitor your calories and take charge of your loss by eating proper portions and the correct foods. Even if your band isnt functioning properly you will still lose weight by reducing calories. Granted you want your band to function so I would work with the Dr to find out what is going on.... and if for reasons you didnt mention it may be better for you to find a new physcian.

to me it just sounds like you didnt chew the ground been enough or maybe you did but your band is like mine and doesnt care for ground beef. I dont think its serious but I am not a Dr so if you are concerned I would call the office.

] Plateaus have no rhyme or reason in my experience. I have continued to the exact same things day and and day out for 23 months... some months I would lose 6 lbs and others 15.... I wish I could explain it. If you are only eating 900 calories a day you will lose weight. As for your calorie counter ap.... I manually changed mine from the 1800 they recommended to 1000 to be my benchmark

Its is an amazing feeling. Congratulations!

If I could lose weight eating 1900 calories I would be very happy... but my number is 1000. You may be hiting your first plateau... just keep doing what you are doing and the scale will move. Maybe increase your Water intake for a day or two. It might get things moving again.