slm2007

I have two. A little itty bitty one that is about 1/2 inch long and then a 2 inch where the port was put in. They don't hurt and are purple right now. I was banded on 4/18/11 and they are healing nicely but I'm going to have a nice scar....better than being fat. I think the little one will fade was well as the ones I have from my gallbladder surgery.

just yet another vent from me....this band is supposed to help right? It's not going to do the work for me but I feel like I'm on the road to failure on yet ANOTHER DIET! I don't want to diet. I didn't want to diet. I wanted this band to help me not feel hungry and help me in this weight loss. I could have "DIETED" on my own and still felt hungry and unsatisfied. I am making better choices but still feel hungry and unsatisfied...which kicks in my anger and my need for emotional "food" satisfaction. I'm not happy and I'm not even close to being satisfied on the "Diet" I'm supposed to follow. Fact of the matter is that I'm on another restricted diet and hungry. I've failed diets over and over and over and here I am again. If I were successful at putting myself on a restrictive diet, I wouldn't have resorted to surgery and having this foreign object in my body. Okay, done venting.... thanks for listening.

See this is what I mean... .Giant Pills???? I have fish oil pills and my multi Vitamins that are huge...and I have NO PROBLEM getting these down. Not that I want to choke, PB or anything like that so I should be grateful for that but things like this aren't an issue for me and I thought they should be? I guess I'm lucky and should settle for a little frustrated rather than too tight that I can't get my pills down...Shut Up Staci and be happy (that's what I tell myself sometimes....)

LOL....thank you.....great words that help but now I've got the "just keep swimming, just keep swimming" song in my head.....I just hear Ellen singing the song....

Thanks Dave. I appreciate all the insight but let me explain that I do not expect it to stop me from overeating. I know I can still do that if I want to and I don't want to. I'm pretty good at controlling things. What is frustrating me is that it I'm hungry. I'm watching and counting and measuring.....but I'm hungry in an hour or two. I'm doing Protein first, I'm drinking enough and hope that the liquid will keep me full, but it just keeps me running to the bathroom. I have an 11cc Realize band and right now I think I have 4.5 cc's. I go for another fill on 8/10 so I'm hoping there is some more put in. I know the band isn't a magic wand, and I don't have a problem doing the work that comes along wtih it. I don't expect to be able to eat McDonalds, junk food, cakes, Cookies etc and loose weight. I'm not stupid but I'm doing what I should be doing probably 90% of the time and don't beat myself up for my occassional treats....if I didn't treat myself occassionally I'd go insane. Since 4/18, I've probably eaten 2 small pieces of birthday cake (maybe three bites each), 4 oreo cookies (yes, I know that is how many), two bites of my son's mcdonalds hamburger and 4 of his french fries. I've had 3 of 4 glasses of sweet tea and eaten some picnic food like corn on the cob, hot dogs, potato salad etc. BUT, whatever I eat that isn't on the "good diet" is so small in comparison to how I used to eat. I DO NOT overeat anymore....like I said. And my calories have probably been cut by more than half of what they used to be. I'm supposed to stay under 1,100 calories and am more like 1,500-1,700 per day. I'm not getting more calories because I'm overeating and bored, I'm getting them because I'm really hungry. Eating a greek yogurt to try and hold me over isn't cutting it. I am not expecting the band to do the work, and I'm not expecting it to stop me from eating...that is my choice but I was expecting my "tool" to help me control the hunger a bit. restriction/hunger control ...whatever it is supposed to do...I feel the same, I still get hungry and although I'm really, really cutting my calories, keeping it under 1,100 is very very very hard for me. I'm just so frustrated but I know I'll get there...I like to come on here and just vent, get some good tips, a few kicks in the butt and to hear that others have been there or are feeling my pain with me....Thank you everyone for letting me vent.

Has anyone tried it? Thoughts? Results? I'm considering.....

Yeah, may consider another weightloss gimmick because the gimmick that is attached to my stomach is frustrating the heck out of me right now and I need/hope something will give it a kick start.....my "dieting" sure isn't working for me right now because my 1,100 calories a day is leaving me hungry...not head hungry...stomach hungry.

Yes, I'm not hard core exercising...but I walk at least 5 times a week for 45-90 minutes. I usually just walk during my lunch hour and if we go to the park on the weekends that is when I get my long walks in. I am up at 4:15 a.m. M-F and don't get home from work until 6:30 p.m. after I pick up my son....so there isn't much time left in the evenings for a workout at the gym. Once I get some weight off and feel more comfortable going to the gym and being "Seen"....I'll get back to my gym membership and do more but I don't like going to the gym with all the Bally's Beautiful people. I know that is stupid and I admit it but it is my insecurities that I have to deal with . I'm going for my next appointment on 8/10 so I'm hoping a little more fill will give me something to work with. Honestly, if I wanted to sit down and eat a quarter pounder hamburger, ff and a drink, I could do it with no problem...that is what is frustrating. I don't do it but I COULD DO it...I shouldn't be "ABLE" to eat like that anymore.... Again, I'm just venting. I know I'll get there, I'll fall off the wagon once in a while and get back on the wagon. When I sabatoge, I do it to myself and I know it...those two oreos last month did not stop me and cause me to only lose 2 pounds....Yes, it is 2 pounds but it is ONLY two pounds. I'm not looking for 5 or 6 pounds a week. I'm hoping for 1 pound a week and would be thrilled with 2....I'm not unrealistic. Just frustrated. I'll get over it.

I was banded on 4/18/11.....and I know, I know, I know...the rules. I know I have to work it and it will work for me. I get all that. I'm fine with my proteins first, I never was a huge junk food eater (candy, cake, cookies) so I'm good with that too. However, around that time of the month if I want two oreo cookies I'm going to give in or else I'll eat the whole box! I track my calories already....and I'm limited to 1,100 calories...and I'M HUNGRY. Not head hungry...stomach hungry. I try, I drink with the hope it will fill me up a while longer....nope, still hungry. I know it is a process, and I know I'll get there eventually but I'm frustrated and irritated right now. I really just felt like B*tching because I feel like I'm on a diet and I don't want to be on a "diet." I do good with my changes, high protein foods for the most part but I have a hard time getting in the 60 grams a day but I do pretty good. I'm good at watching my carbs etc. but I'm not losing because I need to eat MORE CHICKEN, more yogurt, more whatever and I'm going over my 1,100 calories on "the good foods" because I'm hungry. I try to wait out the hunger. I'm just b*tchy and hot and miserable right now and being told that I can't eat when I'm hungry is making me cranky. That's all....I really do know the rules and follow them pretty well about 90% of the time but I will have a little piece of cake and allow myself that indulgence without eating an entire cake, brownie tray or even fast food....I'm a slow loser apparently (and a sore loser too). My calories are averaging 1,500-1,700 - - - which is still probably a huge reduction from what and how I used to eat. Thanks for letting me vent.

I guess I don't have restriction because I don't feel my food going through the band at all??? That would be strange...I do "sigh" when I start getting full and have noticed a huge decrease in what makes me "sigh" - maybe I'm getting there. Is it strange to feel the food going down and through? I don't know if I'd like that?

I had my 2nd fill on 6/27...and honestly, just think I started feeling it this week (7/11) so that is about two weeks. It was the first time that I noticed I started "sighing" after 1/2 a lean cuisine pizza. .... when normally I could have eaten one with no problem and before surgery it would have taken two to stop the hunger. So I think after reading this...yeah, 2 weeks seems like a common thing? strange.

Anyone from Western PA that has Highmark BC/BS insurance....don't know if you are aware of the heated debate between UPMC and Highmark but apparently, the contract is about to expire (JUne 2012...). This means to us, any UPMC doctor, surgeon, hospital will become OUT OF NETWORK! I think this probably covers every doctor my family uses. If this happens, I personally will have a $4,000 deductible for out-of-network expenses! I will have to find a new "fill" doctor, a new pediatrician for my son, a new family doctor and new ob/gyn. Any specialist will be extremely limited and we won't be able to go to any UPMC hospital unless we are willing and able to pay the deductible pursuant to our plan. Maybe this is something everyone who has this insurance should be inquiring about. I really can't imagine this being allowed to happen...Highmark will have to come up with something and UPMC really can't be that unfair to the thousands and thousands who are covered by Highmark....this is really scary if it does happen.

Thanks, that makes me feel a little better I just can't imagine a huge organization like Univerity of Pittsburgh Medical Center isolating thousands of potential "users." Putting Highmark BC/BS insured people in the Out-Of-Network category cannot be something they are putting in the "Pro" column???? Thanks again....

I know isn't it crazy.....Imagine of the 100,000 people that use the UPMC facilities (probably way more than that) but even if half of them find other doctors to go to because of insurance...that is a huge financial hit to the UPMC doctors/system. I know I'll find other doctors, hospitals etc., if they no longer accept my BC/BS. We'll see what happens. The only thing that really upsets me cuz I can adjust to anything is that Children's Hospital is a UPMC hospital and I won't be able to take my son there as "in network" - granted if it is a true Children's Hospital situation, money isn't an issue and he'll be there but for the every day ER issues, I'll go to a different hospital if it is necessary. I can't imagine them wanting to lose more than half of their "clients" who use these hospitals/doctors. Time will tell.

"Yeah right" are the thoughts I had when I read things about the "soft stop" and signals of your body telling you that you are done....a sign, a slight shoulder pain, hiccups, belching etc. I don't think I have "Good" restriction yet, but there is something happening because I actually "sighed" yesterday with a small amount of food for lunch. I paid attention and stopped. I was good! I have a really hard time with getting my Protein in but I don't know if that is even really mattering because what I ate yesterday at 1:30 p.m. for lunch was 1/2 of a lean cuisine pizza...okay not the best choice but it was in the fridge at work and it was my only option. Anyhow, half way through it, I gave out this little *sigh* and decided to stop. I ate dinner at 6:30 or so because it was dinner time, but I wasn't even that hungry. I could have waited but really don't like eating super late. Dinner was 1 sweet sausage, an spoonful of mixed veggies and a hard boiled egg. STUFFED. The other thing I need to work on is not drinking while I eat....this has been a super hard habit for me to break because I feel like i'm choking on my food at times, not because of the band but that is how I've always been. So I do drink a little with meals. Anyhow, just wanted to mention for others like me that are struggling with finding that sweet spot....maybe I/we need to pay attention more, perhaps I was expecting this huge billboard to smack me in the face telling me that I've got restriction....maybe it is just more subtle than I thought it was going to be. It was a good moment and I'm still just learning as I go..... Staci

I had decaf within the first few days. Now I have a cup or two fo regular and I was banded on 4/18/11. Check with your doctor but the only issue is the caffine and you just have to make sure you "make up" for the caffine you take in...i.e. we are supposed to have 8 cups of "water" per day (64 ounces), my doctor told me if I have two cups of caffinated beverage (16 ounces), I have to drink an ADDITIONAL 16 ounces of non-caffinated beverage to balance it out. Make sense? Honestly, I'm lucky if I drink 32 ounces of ANYTHING per day. I didn't drink that much before surgery so trying to do so after is hard for me...I do notice if I drink more, I'm not as hungry so I don't know if that is part of the doctors strategy...keep em' full with liquid and they won't be hungry???? Anyhow, yes, I drink coffee and I LOVE IT! Good luck to you on your journey.

<A class=bbc_url title="External link" href="http://www.idiaper.com/Capsul-Pro-Protein-Capsules_p_13946.html" rel="nofollow external">http://www.idiaper.c...es_p_13946.html</A><BR>Okay, out of curiosity and the hope that this would be helpful because I know I'm not getting my protein in....I looked this up....and just about fell out of my chair when I saw the price. But after further reading, I'm hoping this is for a 12 month supply...I HOPE. I'm thinking you can only get this in a "case"....If anyone sees where we can try a single bottle, please let me know I'd like to try it out.

I think you totally hit he nail on the head when you said that the billboard is very deceptive! NO, we can't eat an entire pizza and this magic band is going to make the fat disappear. Advertising is making the band seem like the easy way out and maybe if they would put the 3 ounce piece of chicken 1/4 cup of veggie on a plate and say "Welcome the the Banded Lifestyle" - people would get it?

Holy cow does my port area hurt today. I busted my butt cleaning house yesterday and today it hurts to literally breathe and every time I do my port area hurts/burns/aches. I was banded on 4/18 so I didn't think something like this would be an issue....but geeze I'm almost as sore today as I was the day after surgery.

If you were just banded on 6/10, then you are going to be in pain if you over-do it. I was careful picking up my toddler the first four weeks. Watch what you do so you don't damage.

Whoot Whoot! :party: Every excited for you and I was glad to read your post because I'm at a point where I have no restriction yet and I'm so frustrated so reading your post gave me a little inspiration that once I get good restriction I will be able to work toward my goal a little better. I have to work on the exercise part...I hate that idea...but if I can get restriction and start seeing/feeling things happening exercise might be easier if I see it is working! Keep up the AMAZING work!

I haven't done it with the band but it reminds me of a funny story when my friend and I worked at McDonalds as teenagers. We didn't want to "eat" calories, so we would do this with our lunches.....it gave us the "taste" of the food but we weren't ingesting the calories. Gross when I think back to it but it worked. THis was one of my many yo-yo weightloss attempts.

I've posted here before about how frustrated i am with this new "DIET" that I'm on...yes, right now it is a diet because my band is not a tool that is helping me...anyhow that is a different post. My question is: MY PA told me that she gave me a .5 cc fill and that is the "high end" amount of a fill.....seriously am I only going to get .5cc each visit till I get good restriction? This could take a year at this rate!

Thanks....it was my 2nd fill. I had nothing in my band after surgery. I was told they don't put anything in the Realize band. I got my first fill on 6/2 and it was 4cc's. Felt nothing. Got another 1/2 cc on 6/27, felt no difference. I only lost 1 1/2 pounds between the first fill and the second fill.