Candle

I weigh myself almost every day. I also keep a chart of my weight loss based on my weight every Sunday.

Pure Protein Bars are good and 20 grams of protein!!! (WalMart) I like the Luna Bars the best but they are only 10 grams. Both under 200 calories.

Will power, baby!! My doctor does the first fill at 6-8 weeks and since I was going on vacation* a few days after my 8 week appointment, they wouldn't even discuss a fill with me. My doctor is very conservative and bases fills mostly on weight loss but does ask about hunger and eating patterns. I had to BEG and really convince them to give me a fill at all because of my loss! My next appointment is next week BUT I'm going on another vacation a week later so I won't be able to get fill # 2 until probably Feb - if I decided to do it. My weight loss has far exceeded my expectations at this point. I'm comfortable for right now and have stopped obsessing about if I need a fill or not. Like Longhorn, my hopes for the band are to help me keep the weight off long term! * My doctor follows the manufactures guidelines about no fills for 1-2 weeks before a vacation. Especially if you are traveling far, just in case you have a complication. It seems for some reason that sometimes fills don’t kick in right away.

I kind of went through the same thing back in Oct. We went on vacation 2 months after my surgery. I'd lost 45lbs and was feeling great! I hadn't tried a lot of the "no-no" foods like bread, steak, chips, etc. On vacation the flood gates opened and I realized I can eat ANYTHING! And I did – lol!! 2 weeks after vacation I had a doctor's appointment and begged for my first fill. My doctor is conservative and since I had been loosing consistently, didn't want to give me a fill but they gave in. I got 2cc's in my 10cc band and physically it did nothing for me but mentally I think it helped. It made me feel better to get it over with, since I was a little nervous about the fill process and I just wanted to get the ball rolling. Plus, worrying about damaging my band really keeps my eating in check. Here I am 4 months later, still with only 2cc's and no restriction. I have not had a back slide and still been loosing very consistently. It's starting to slow down but I expected that. My next appointment is in Jan and since we're going on another vacation a few days later, I know they won't give me a fill. I'm going to re-visit thinking about a 2nd fill for my Feb appointment. Bottom line - don't panic. Just keep doing what you've been doing! Be glad that you have been successful without really using the band too much and know that it's there for you when you need it. Personally, I think I’m just going to stay on this track for as long as I can. It's nice to not have to worry about PB's, sliming, my fill level being too tight or too loose, etc ...

You make some good points and this thread serves as a good reminder. I'm glad you aren't being too hard on yourself; the holidays can be rough for most people. I ate entirely too much yesterday!! Have you thought about seeing a therapist? I'm looking into working it into the budget for the new year. (my insurance doesn't cover it) I really think dealing with "head issues" is one of the keys to successfully keeping off the weight!!<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

Merry Christmas to you too! I have to admit, I'm glad it's over! Too much family stress and I ate entirely too much crap! I got a ton of compliments from my boyfriend's family on my weight loss though!!! Most of them I had not seen since before surgery. I'm finding I'm not a fan of all the attention. I particularly hate this question >> "How did you do it?" It seems most people want to hear that I'm on some new magic diet. My answer to people who don't know about my band is usually "Portion Control and Exercise" They never seem happy with that answer - lol. I hope everyone had a nice holiday!

Don't expect restriction with your first fill. For most people it takes a few. My first fill did nothing for me.

My doc is VERY experienced and the band is all he does now. I was given pills too. Vicodin. I ended up never needed anything but Tylenol once I left the hospital. If you are really worried about it, you could ask for something liquid but I don't think pills should be a problem.

I was banded on 8/27/07 and we spent a week in Disney 10/21-10/27/07. It was an amazing vacation!!! Everything worked out perfectly. We stayed off site in a townhouse at Windsor Hills. 3br + 3ba, full kitchen, each room had a tv/dvd and the kid’s rooms had a PS2. We even had our own little 10 x 10 "splash pool" but spend most of our pool time in the big resort pool and hot tub. I would stay there again in a heart beat. It was cheaper than most hotels and worked out better space wise for 3 adults and 1 child. Our favorite parks were Universal Studios/IA and Animal Kingdom. Eating wasn't a big issue for me because I ate Breakfast and a few dinners at the townhouse. I brought Snacks with me to the parks (protein bars, fruit, etc) and that got me through lunches. Have fun guys! Our next vacation is Vegas in 3 weeks!! I can't wait!!!

I have the 10cc APS band with 1 fill of 2cc's so far. Didn't make any difference at all. Not even for a day or two.

Merry Christmas to you too! '08 is going to be a good year!

I hit 300lbs and finally said ... enough is enough.

Made my goal!!!! Woo-Hoo!!!! Candle................238.........221.5 ........223........... -1.5

There are 2 10cc bands. As mentioned above, the "new band" is the AP band. Small = 10cc and large = 14cc If that's the band your doc placed, it may be just because he wanted you to have the new band. There is also the 10cc VG or Vanguard band. If that's the one you have, you'd have to ask your doctor why he used that one. Usually they determine which band to use during surgery, depending on the size and shape of your insides. It usually has nothing to do with the size of your outsides. Although it sounds like he decided BEFORE surgery which band to use. For this reason, I'd guess you have the APS band.<!-- google_ad_section_end --><!-- google_ad_section_end --><!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Since I had a Disney trip planned at the time of my surgery, I asked this question. My doctor recommended 6-8 weeks to let the port site fully heal. If your port is still tender, I would avoid any ride that the bar is going to be in that area.

I'm looking at buying a moderately priced ($200-300) used treadmill. I've been checking ebay and craigslist but it occured to me that I really don't know what I'm looking at. Any brands and/or features to look for or avoid? Thanks

I've heard that the 4cc band can be over-filled to around 5cc's.

Thanks !!

I made this 2 weeks ago and it was really good. I think it's a WW recipe. Buffalo chicken Soup 6 cups milk (I used 1%) 3 cans 98% fat free Cream of Chicken Soup 3 cups cooked, shredded Chicken (thigh meat might work best if you have good restriction) 1 cup Sour Cream (I used fat free) 1/4-1/2 cup hot sauce (I like Frank's Red Hot) Everything in the crock pot on LOW, for about 4 hours

Yesterday- B: sugar free oatmeal w/ PB2 L: salad w/ Chic/Cheese/Hard boiled egg S: 1/2 cup cottage cheese w/ blueberries D: Chic Salad in a mini wheat pita & 1/2 apple w/ laughing Cow cheese Plan for today: B: Sugar Free Oatmeal w/ PB2 L: Chic Salad in a mini wheat pita & 1/2 apple w/ Laughing Cow cheese S: Yogurt D: Shrimp stir fry w/ Broc/carrots/snow peas/garlic & lemon Sometimes I snack in the evening - 100 calorie pop corn or cookie/snack cake, fruit, yogurt, fudge pop, etc. I've been trying to eat dinner a little bit later to eliminate that "after dinner snack"

I hope you feel better. If she has an AP band ... a lot of doctor's are putting in 1-3cc's during surgery. (mine did not)

Whoa! How did you lose 28lbs in 1 month!? You're kickin' ass!!!

What do you guys take for calcuim?

Long Island here

P.S. I like the orange, peach ice tea, and *raspberry ice. * my favorite!!!