newbandlady

I second the heating pad suggestion. It really got me through. I bought one that is made to hug the shoulders.....I think sunbeam makes it and my husband got it at cvs or Walgreens.

Before the "zone", pretty much could eat (within reason) anything I wanted. Wasn't overly concerned with the size of my bites or how quickly I was eating. After reaching the "zone" I got a big wake up call! God forbid I take a bite too big because I will be stuck for hours/days. Stuck is super painful for me. like having a heart attack painful! Before I could eat a snack of candy bar here , a little cheese there, maybe some popcorn....now no interest. I need the room later for so something more important like food to keep me living! Before i was breaking the rules and drinking diet soda, now it is almost painful and gives me heart burn! No interest in that at all! Now I order food and its a waste of money so I pick a few bites off my husbands plate or have a bite of my kids food but my nights out aren't so much fun when they involve a big juicy steak and baked potato. That all being said I have lost 60lbs which includes losing the 10lbs I gained back after a 2cc unfill (due to an overfill earlier in the year). And 20lbs was in the last 2 months after reaching my green zone! I am probably slightly over a comfortable green zone but I know myself. Give me an inch (or.1 cc in this case) and ill eat a mile!

I am a self pay and my 1yr of fills included was over in march. I am paying $125 per visit or signed up for a special $250 for 6 months. Can't remember what that was called. It's some payment discount they offered pretty openly. I think you either pay all upfront or do a auto pay. There was a 1 yr option too for $400 something. I had an overfill in April and had to have 2ccs removed. My pouch dilated, etc. long story. Needed a little more time to let things calm down and get back to restriction so I did the 6 months option which was $250 for unlimited visits for another 6months. Hope to be back in a good place soon. Still like true results. Hate the wait times. It's almost a 2 hour ordeal for every fill.

Strawberry Gladiator (made with the strawberry powder) and then I add pineapple and strawberry for the fruit. I've had them many ways but this is my fave.

$125.

Hi! I'm new here. Just got banded on March 4th ,2011. Now that I am feeling better I have been pushing around feeling for my port. I thought I should be able to feel it but cannot. Is this normal? Can you feel your port?

Yep! On the weekend I drink a glass or two of wine with my husband. I also enjoy a margarita every once in a while. No problems with it except a little goes a long way now!

I put 1/2 a banana in my smoothie. I love bananas but feel bad about the carbs/sugar. I have eaten (tried) one raw but it quickly becomes painful. So just the smoothie. I find they halp with the whey flavor.

Be careful putting off getting this checked. Around Easter time I got an overfill. I was fine for a day or two I was drinking ok and barely able to eat. I kept thinking maybe when the swelling goes down it will be ok. Drinking became painful a couple days later and I started throwing up everything. Didn sleep for two more days and was choking at night. Wound up dilating my pouch and tilting my band! They had to remove over 2 cc's from my band! Now I've gained 12lbs and am completely feeling depressed. Hoping to get back on track soon but I wonder if I've messed up things. I remember thinking "just a few more days, just a few more days!" if I knew then.....

Hi. Sorry you're suffering with the itch. I understand what you're going through. About 3 weeks post op I started having some really bad itchiness around my incisions too. I made the mistake of putting neosporin on it because I thought that I was just healing and itching from that. Well then I broke out in a huge rash around a week later. Moved under my breasts all over my stomach and sides. I had some kind of allergic reaction and my surgeon told me to stop the neosporin. He recommended cortisone cream. Nothing in it like aloe just straight cortisone cream. Or he also said to try the Aveeno oatmeal cream/lotion unscented. I did both. I would just put a big glob in my band and rub it on like it was lotion all over my stomach. 1 tube and 2months later it finally started to go away. Hopefully you won't break out in a rash like I did but I wanted to share what my surgeon said was safe to use on the itchiness in case it helps. If it's too bad I would check with your own doc. just to be safe. Good luck and I hope it goes away quickly for you!

I prefer biking. I'm kind of paranoid sometimes about walking and being kidnapped. LOL I feel like I'm safer on a bike. Can get away faster. Probably a weird reason. Also, I like the wind blowing against my face and hair when bike riding. Keeps me cool. I don't feel like it's exercise so much as just fun.

Hi again everyone. Nice to see so many of us on there from True Results Houston. I've lost 35lbs now since my surgery on March 4th. My only complaints about True Results is the wait times. Oh my goodness they need more help! No complaints about surgery or dr. Hollis though.

I've been reading about what people are eating and about how you need to eat about 1000-1200 calories a day so your body doesn't go into starvation. Etc. Etc. But I'm just wondering how the heck you get that many calories in. My doc said to eat a 4oz meal for women. That's the entire meal. Meat, veggies, everything. And to not snack. Just 3 meals a day. Well a protein shake for breakfast and 2 meals really. At 4oz I feel pretty satisfied I'd say. I do sometimes wish I could have a snack. But I can't imagine at 4oz total meal x3 a day how I'm going to get so many calories with no snacking.

I'm not sure what the right answer is here. Part of me is thinking "you can eat the sugar free popsicles, they turn to clear liquid and that is ok". So technically if you chew them and they turn to liquid you probably "can" eat them if you're careful. I still think those gummies have a lot empty calories. Maybe I'm wrong. My popsicles are 15calories a pop. My personal concern would be not chewing one and it getting stuck to a clump of them because they are sticky. Also, the sugar free stuff makes me gassy and that wouldn't feel good either. Seems like you're also a little too soon out of surgery to be grabbing for gummies since you are probably still swollen. Are you able to have protein shakes? Chicken broth? Maybe something not so empty in calories. Just what I would do. Everyone has different advice from their docs. Will ultimately be your decision.

I just switched to the AMP from the Isopure. I didn't like the chocolate and that's rare for me not to like a chocolate anything. I wanted to tell you if you like the vanilla that the Cookies and cream one is pretty yummy too. I have to mix most things but the cookies and cream one I can drink straight with just water and ice. Next i'm going to try some from the Vitamin shoppe that people on here had talked about. Seems like their prices are better with the same return policy. Good luck!

You look amazing! Congratulations on your achievements and success! I loved reading this post. Thank you for taking so much time detailing what you have learned and what you went through. I feel very inspired! Best of luck to you in the future!!

Yep! I was banded by Dr. Ken Hollis on March 4th! Hi!

Hmmm, I'm not sure if we're suppose to avoid them or not but I eat both pickles and freshly cut cucumbers w/ranch dressing all the time. Cucumbers go well with my tuna at lunch. I haven't had any problem with the skins at all. I just chew really well. I have 5.5cc's in a 10cc band atm. Not sure if it will change if I get more in my band but so far so good!

Nope you are not alone. I can't say it's always in the evening or even what exactly causes it. Sometimes it feels like it starts gurgling on the left and gurgles over to the left. Weird sensation. I'm guessing gas or food moving through the band? No clue.

Totally agree with you. I got/get the tropical popsicles and enjoy them still. they are so yummy and only 15calories.

Congratulations! A day at a time. It gets better. Took me a couple of weeks to feel like myself again. But once I did I felt amazing and still do! Good luck on your journey!

Congratulations! And thank you for sharing your inspirational story with the rest of us!

I have been dieting since I was 11yrs old. Up and down, up and down with my weight. I was watching it go up again to it's highest @ 213lbs and I just felt like it was going to keep going up and if I didn't do something. I just knew I was going to be 300lbs if I didn't change. Problem was, I was always hungry. I could eat and eat and eat. I would wake up thinking about what I would eat for breakfast. After eating a large meal I would want desert, a snack, and then I'd start thinking about what I was going to eat at the next meal. I never felt full. I just had no desire to even try any more because I knew I was going to fail again. I'd start a diet and then cheat and then fail. Etc. Etc. I knew I could diet if I just wasn't hungry. If I could get that feeling of satisfaction or of being full. And if I could diet and not fear putting it all back on. I also was afraid of getting anything cut, altered, re-routed, etc. If I had problems or regretted it or whatever it could be removed. Good luck on your decision. I am happy with mine.

I didn't cheat. I knew my doc was going to fill my band if I lost enough weight. I lost 9lbs and got 5cc's an hour after surgery.