Dibley Dawn

I can totally relate to number 1. above. Before the band, I was a vacuum. I would literally sit down with a plate full of food and then a couple of minutes later not even remember eating it. I didn't chew at all....and I would be hungry again by the time I put my fork down. Now, it takes me at least 30 minutes to eat a meal and i chew every single bite. I realized that with the band, not only am I forced to chew things, but I am forced to taste them as well. When I started eating real food again (after all the liquids and the mushies) i tried to eat some of my former favorite foods. i discovered that by having to really chew them and taste them, I didn't really love the taste of some things any more. My favorite hamburger joint burgers now taste like greese and gristle. yuck! I remember eating my first chicken cordon bleu post surgery and not remembering that ham taste inside of it. before, I would just take a bite, maybe chew once and swallow. the band has really opened up a new world of tasting things, that's for sure. I think I actually enjoy eating food now more than I did before the band because i can really take my time with good foods and taste every bite.

I have about 200 pounds to lose myself. I am taking it 100 at a time and one day at a time. I am almost to my first goal of 100 pounds, and if the weight loss stops there, i will be perfectly happy. i am leaps and bounds ahead of where i was just 77 pounds ago. i have lots of energy and i feel amazing. there are a few of us bigger folk around and i know we can do this just as well as the smaller ones can.

I know you are starving, but it is important not to get ahead of what your doctor says. while you may feel fine, your insides are still healing and you wouldn't want anything to damage you internally. just try to get as much Protein in your liquids as you can and find something to do that doesn't involve thinking about food...ie, try not to watch tv as commercials are way to tempting. when you get hungry, drink more Water. this will pass and you'll get through it very soon, but don't rush. healing is important.

Hi Jenn, congrats on taking this step. I also live in NYC and had my surgery done at NYU by Dr. Fielding (Dr. Ren's husband). The staff there is excellent, and you will be in very good hands. Like you, I have chosen to keep this process a secret. There are exactly 2 people who know about it, my husband and a very close friend. I haven't told anyone else (not even my family). Even after 77 pounds lost, people don't really seem to notice, so I haven't had to explain it yet. I would say, don't tell anyone until you are ready to tell them because once you tell them, they can't un-know. know what I mean? once that cat is out of the bag, it's just out and you can't put it back. I am happy with people not knowing because i didn't want the extra scrutiny, or people watching everything that goes into my mouth and asking me if i should be eating it or not. the good news is, you won't have to spit wine out at wine tastings. I still drink wine. You will have to watch the nibbling at food tastings, but you should be able to still eat things with ease as long as you chew, chew, chew. my 6 months bandiversary is coming up in 2 days and I feel pretty great. I still have a very long way to go, but i'm taking it one day at a time and just enjoying the new things that come my way. please feel free to get in touch with me if you need any encouragement.

tell me about it. We had hot cocoa & chocolate mini muffins in the office today and i haven't had such a sugary drink in ages...i have a raging headache right now and I'm crashing. Yep. don't miss this feeling one little bit.

I was banded on May 4th. I have lost about 70.5 pounds and haven't had any fills yet. I hope I don't ever have to. I've been pretty much the same weight for the past month, but I haven't gained, so i'm happy with it. I'm sure it will get moving again soon.

I already booked my cruise for next september and am counting the days. as someone said earlier, how i feel right now is reward enough, but the cruise gives me the drive to keep doing what i'm doing as i have something to really look forward to. hopefully, whilst we are on that cruise, we can start working on baby #1. fingers are crossed.

I wouldn't be surprised if one day, someone joins this forum and says "my doctor told me in order for the band to work, I would have to do hand stand push ups 3x a week, alternating from left hand to right hand 30 times, while polishing my toe nails with my teeth. and I can't eat green Beans...does your doctor make you do this? " I wish these doctors would just all attend a seminar and get on the same page.

i am really convinced that half of these doctors and nutritionists make crap up. no two doctors/nuts tell patients the same thing. you pretty much have to do the best you can on the info you are given. it's a conpsiracy I tell ya.

I can't imagine giving up nuts. I have almonds almost every single day...wowza. I also have a good amount of cheese. Usually those 35 calorie laughing cow wedges or a cheese stick. i can't live without nuts and cheese.

you should go by what your doctor tells you. I have been banded just over 5 months, but I started drinking my wine at about 3.5 months after surgery. I'm enjoying a glass as I type this. I haven't had any ill effects. the one thing I would go slowly with is beer. I had a beer about a month ago and I drank it very slowly because I just wasn't sure what it would do to me and I was fine...but again, check with your doctor as we are all different.

I was banded in May and am down about 70.5 pounds with no fills. I have my 6 month check up on Nov. 10th, so i'm going to try to lose 5 more pounds by that point to put me at 75 pounds lost...if i can. If i can't, oh well, i am still happy with my progress and even more happy that i am fill free and can eat any type of food that i want to eat (just not in huge portions) people are finally starting to notice the weight come off, but they don't know how i'm doing it because when we go out I still eat. I feel amazing and I look great. not that i'm bragging or anything

I have more than 100 pounds to lose and I opted for the band as well. so far so good. I myself would never have the sleeve or bypass....at least the band is somewhat reversable if something goes wrong. everyone has to decide for themselves what risks they are ok with. every surgery carries the risk. the sleeve and bypass may or may not work in the long term, just as the band may not work....but for now, I'm doing great and am happy with my decision.

i'm not gonna shoot the messenger since your doctor said it. but he was lying. Just because he isn't personally able to do it doesn't mean it can't be done. I don't want anyone to have wrong information. I had one of the best surgeons in the country do my surgery and if he had said that it couldn't be safely done, i wouldn't have done it. He has done this surgery on people who weigh over 500 pounds, so he was pretty confident that it would work for me. i am well under that number.

it's absolutely not true that you can't get the band with a BMI over 50. My BMI was over 58 and I had no problems having the procedure. I also didn't have to lose a percentage of weight before being banded. The only weight I lost before being banded was caused by the liquid 2 week pre-op diet.

.....also, if you have been throwing up a lot, you might be swollen. you should maybe do 24 hours of liquids only to see if the swelling will go down and allow you to eat again.

is your band too tight? you should possibly go for an unfill. if you are too tight, you could gain weight even though you are not eating what you would consider to be a lot. you should definitely talk to your doctor, make sure the band hasn't slipped, maybe get an unfil...SLOW down and chew, chew, chew. be present when you eat for a few days without distractions and see if that helps.

adding to what most people have said about being able to shop in regular stores, cross legs, ride roller coasters, etc...I booked a cruise for my 10 year wedding anniversay when i hit the 25 pounds lost mark, figuring that if i could do 25, i could possibly do more. The cruise is still just under a year away, but when it gets here, I would like to fit in the weight requirements to be able to zip line, parasail, hike, kayak and do all kinds of other excursions that i haven't been able to do on other cruise vacations because i was too fat.

that's great news Zoe. congrats on wearing normal sized clothing. my next goal is really to lose 30 more pounds because i am going on a cruise next year and some of the weight requirements for various excursions are 30 pounds below what i currently weigh....soooooo i have a goal to keep me motivated. i booked this cruise as a treat for myself when i lost the first 25 pounds...hopefully by the time it rolls around, i will have lost 100. fingers are crossed.

Hi May bandsters. today is my 5 month surgiversary, so i thought i would check in. I have lost 70 pounds and I have had zero fills. I will see my doctor next month and then if everything is ok, i won't see him for another 6 months after that (unless i need a fill). so far, I feel amazing, i reached twoderville and still have a loooooonnnggg way to go to get to onederland. i may never get there, but i'm so happy where i am that i really don't care any more. I can eat any type of food and have never been stuck or PB'ed or had any issues really. there were a few instances early on with nausea that we narrowed down to being caused by my time of the month and i take medicine for that now just a day or 2 before my period and it stops nausea in its tracks. i hope everyone else is doing well and seeing lots of NSVs in addition to the weight dropping.

Congrats on quitting smoking and on the weight you have lost. and happy almost 1 year surgiversary. I hope i am successful at keeping my 70 pounds off after 1 year. i think that is the scary thing. i can lose weight pretty easily but i can't keep it off. i'm still in my "yeah sure i've lost weight, but it'll probably come back with a vengeance" phase mentally. for instance, i cleaned out my closets this past weekend and donated a lot of plus size clothing, but I did keep several things that I really loved that are now too big for me...just.in.case. i know that is the wrong mindset, but only time will tell. and hey, if summer rolls around and those things are still too big, well, that box will go out. but i just couldn't let go of everything. I did only allow myself to keep 10 shirts. the rest went out.

I really liked Muscle Milk Light and Glucerna. I still drink Glucerna when I feel like munching on something just because I'm hungry in my head. I think they are delicious and they are kinda like a treat for me now.

that is amazing. I really hope that this is what happens to me, that I don't ever have to have a fill but that I can still lose weight. even if i stopped losing weight, I am fine where I am. i just don't want to gain any back. that would probably be the only reason that I would ever get a fill is if i start gaining copius amounts of weight back. i am hoping that by relearning how to eat, that won't be neccessary

slips are going to happen. just learn to not beat yourself up over it. you are in this for the long haul and in the grand scheme of eternity, 4 pounds is nothing. just eat your Protein and do what you need to do. if you feel like you need to have wine or chocolate or whathaveyou every once in a while, then enjoy it, but then go right back to doing what you need to do. you can't live on the band forever denying yourself of things you enjoy. so if you slip, enjoy a little bit of something. it's better than denying yourself and then caving in and eating all of something. you'll be fine.

I take Flintstones complete, and I take 1 a day.