cheri52

Hay Liz, thanks for the pouch test info. I checked it out and looks good. I'm not sure I'm ready to do the whole thing, but it has explained a lot. I am going to try some of the ideas and see what happens. I've been going on the very moist and slow theory as easier to go down. maybe it shouldn't be so easy :cursing:. I wish I were closer (the boat is the bitch and you need to be rich:blushing:) I would love to go to some of the support meetings. You all don't know how lucky you are.

Janet, I really do wish I had an answer. It's definately a bitch! I used to wonder if there could be defective bands, like maybe a leak or something so it wasn't holding the fill. maybe they could do a scan of it? I'm reaching here! were you in class in the early spring at Lahey? there was a Janet among us who had to drop out for a while. She was on a long pre-op liquid diet. I wondered how that would work when you came off of it. I should think it would screw up your metabolism, like putting your body in extreame famine mode, so after when you continue to eat somewhat normal your body responds by packing on the lbs to survive the next depression. Jillian, on biggest losers had her people boost the calories every few days to fool the body and not let that happen. I take that to heart and eat too much every Saturday! I just want to make sure that doesn't happen...lol. so far as luck on the PBing, etc, not sure. that may be what keeps some of us from eating tooo much:redface: I know it slows me down:blush: . any help from Karen, the nutritionist? When do you go back? Tchilambe, keep up the good work, sounds like you are getting there...... like me, slow....but sure. I figure it took me half a century to get here, can't expect it to happen over night. I'm gratefull for the progress so far, it's a damm site better that it has been in years.

hi Janet. as a slow loser I hear your pain! I would need a little more info on your eating habits to really know how to help, I'm pretty good at knowing what we SHOULD do, I'm just not good at following it! Had a bad day today eating things I know are not good, tomorrow will be better. As I've said before, this is still a diet at heart. the band will not fix poor choices. How are you cooking things? what are you basically eating? How much? are you drinking at the proper times? Are you hungry a lot? this is still basically a DIET, I make a carrot soup that I have at night when I want to eat junk. It's thick and fills me up and is really only the veggies that I didn't eat earlier. they weren't too happy with the concept but it helps me. got it out of a cooking lite book. If interested I'll post the recipe. Please don't give up hope, you can still turn this around! I also have often thought I could eat a lot more that I assume others can at one sitting, but just because I can doesn't mean I should! the band is really only to keep you from getting "real" hunger. there is always room for more food to fix the head hunger. the band will not stop that, only you can.

Thanks, Cindy, I feel better now! we'll get there sooner or later....Luck to both of us!

Very good!.....when you start losing...... probably ......and very possible. I asked that very question to one of them and basically they are eating VERY little! the exercise part I think I'm in the ball park with, and people are now really noticing how good(better) I'm looking and asking me for diet info:lol: I find that a scream. If I eat as the great lbs. droppers do I'm still starved and where as I'm not losing as fast , the NP and I decided to go for more fill. I also think the fast losers are probably more motivated, or commited , or just plain have more GD self control than the rest of us. OR when the band stops them from eating either from being well tuned in to their body and knowing when they are full, or they just get that lump in the throat or get sick and forget the whole thing and don't eat. I'm very stuborn and don't give up. If I want it and it doesn't go down well, I just wait and try again later and generally have no problem the next time. I find it very hard to give up all the old habits. I'm surrounded by well meaning people that constantly try to get me to eat their "goodies" and I'm just a weak peice of S....... :thumbup: . so, you're on to me. don't listen to me, I'm not a good role model. :thumbup: ps, the NP suggested that maybe I needed a shrink. I'm rambling and sinking in the mud. The bottom line is that this is ONLY a tool , the rest is still just another damm diet. oops, sorry, a "life style change" so if your heads not ready, it ain't gona work! I will take this moment though to mention that I have lost 97 lbs from my life time high. AND, if I'm not sure of anything else, I AM sure I will not gain it back, and that my friends, is the band!

It's a nondairy whip topping similar to whipped cream. not a airy so it holds up better than whip cream from a can, assuming you have that? it's in a tub in the freezer section of the store. "lite" has less sugar. it's good for the calories involved.

Laura, thanks for the thought, but I DO log on to the thread EVERY time I get a notice, ( although I don't always write , sometimes just nothing to say or very tired) and I also check my junk mail (although not as offen) I have never gotten it in junk mail as LBT in on my safe list. I just don't know! I remember it happening to MS Dad long ago. still :thumbup:.

It is SOooo comforting to know you are still all here. thanks for caring and hope all went well with C.Monkey. I'm wondering howcome I didn't get the usual notice/email that there was a new post to the site? I just checked on a whim, is this something we have to renew and signup for? anyone else experience this :confused2:

:smile: WOW!!! Has anyone on here stopped to notice that Leena has just got to be one of the biggest loosers on here? she's averaging over 4 lbs a week!!! unreal girl. way to go:thumbup: carefull, you may just go poof and vanish ........now that would be a damm shame :smile:

So, is this it! looks like we've come to a end. anyone home? it's been sweet, hope everyone is skinny and happy or at least getting there. Miss you all.

Welcome ! Yes it's HELL! Glad to hear it is over for you. I'm definately close, maybe there but not sure, time will tell. I definately have restriction, but enough??? now that is the question. Pam definately takes it slow with me because getting back to the office in a hurry is a really difficult thing for me. have never had to because we do take it slow. Liz, sorry, I forgot to add this , there isn't really too much to prepare for for the 1st fill. It's pretty simple. I didn't feel much of anything and was hungry after. My biggest mistake was that I didn't take anything to eat/drink for after. I had lunch about 2 hrs. before I went, no one said not to. I was on the road and had not provided for the full liquids you will be on for the 1st 24 hrs. (then another 24 of mushy) So, later, around 8 pm, still on the "road" I decided I could take a bite....Just a little one! very,very well chewed.....of a roasted chicken I got at BJ's to take home. Well...stupid stupid stupid woman I am:puke::frown: I got my first , hard lesson in ALL the nasty side affects they warn about. So.... your prep is to take a protein drink with you. You will be hungry.....good luck

Hi Sherri, So when I hadn't heard any replys, I decided to do a little research into your delima and found that you did indeed have fills and there is more to the problem. It was a little vague from only this post. It seems that you are having some of the same problems with the PBing, etc. that I have had in the past. (and occ. now!) My nut. and NP gave me a few suggestions that seemed to help. there first is that I am probably not fully accepting the ideas of changing eating habits. I tend to eat too fast, even if it is only the 1st bit. That is usually the one that gets "stuck". Like a golf ball in the throat followed by sliming. It's just great! Usually I can wait it out and in about 20 min. resume with no problem. either the 1 st bite was too big, too dry, or not chewed well enough. Also if I am stressed or in a hurry it is not a good thing. I have found that I can not eat 1st thing in the am like I used to. I have coffee first , wait a couple hrs and it all goes better. We really do have to rethink how and what we eat. Usually when it happens to me now, I think I did nothing wrong, then I hear my honey in the back ground "You ate that too fast!":unsure: There are other lower calorie foods that go down easier. I have gone to eggbeaters in the am. About 1/3 of the box , sprinke with a little cheese, and a slice of turkey bacon for flavor. I found it has to be done in the pan and not the micro. Crazy! but it gets stuck if I use the micro. It's moister. Moisture seem to be the key!!!! You can make a ground turkey "chili" that is soft and moist with beans , can tomatoes etc. (got a recipe if you like) You just HAVE to stay away from DRY foods! A soft meat loaf made with ground turkey is good. I put in a lot of milk to make it soft. Also a thick spag. sauce with the ground meat , gr. peppers, etc. with only a little bit of well cooked pasta mixed in works well for me. I think you can get the idea. SLOW and MOIST.......really, it works, Good luck, keep us posted:thumbup:

jolaw1, My suggestion is simply to read a little more of this thread! there are some great ideas here, I just scaned pg. 10 and there are some yummy things there, Hamburger is difficult, but if you put in the chopper, should be good, just mix in some beef broth to make it smooth and moist. A little jar gravy on top and away you go!

Sherry, Let me get this stright, you never had a fill??? That's like putting in a swimming pool and not putting in any water! Sounds like you aren't getting much support. You have nothing to fear about the fills. They only put in a little at a time and with each fill you should be instructed to drink something before you leave the Dr. office. So the worse that could happen with an over fill would be that you would have to go on protein drinks till you could get an unfill. and OMG, you might lose some wt. in the process! sounds like a win to me:rolleyes2:. So far I've had 6 fills, it's generally a slow process, not something that is to be afraid of unless maybe getting back to the office is a real problem. But again, I think we all have enough reserve that we won't starve:lol:. I have heard of a few that don't need much if any fill, but I'm sure you and me are not one of them, otherwise we would be skinny by now! Maybe you could find a support group?? or maybe you could join the preband classes for a refresher? How do you start? Make an appointment for a fill.....easy. you already did the hard part.

Hay Liz, that's what we are here for! Support for each other :thumbup: .the band does more than just suck in our bellies, it ties us all together. I have the left heal bone spur also, I got a Dr. apt. for it tomorrow, not that I have much hope of a fix. Maybe a cort. shot. done all the other simple things like the stretching exercises, heal support, etc, etc. I do wear the gel heels by Dr.Scholls and got Croc shoes. they have made it a little better, the Crocs helped lots at first and I'm sure without them it would be much worse, but I want it GONE:cursing: . I put the gells in my gym shoes, the Curves doesn't seem it make a difference one way or the other. I think the port will be better by then. I have never met Corinne, the two seem to keep with there respective Drs. You'll like Pam, she's a sweetie!

Hi Liz, welcome to band land, not to worry, the motivation will come when it's time. If you are like me, right now you are adjusting to the whole idea of the thing and trying to get hold of the food part. you will probably lose even though the restriction isn't there yet. when that tapers off, which it often does, you'll be looking for the magic bullet to make it work and that will be exercise! it took me long enough but I finally "got" "it". I'm certainly not one of the biggest losers, but I am getting in better shape and people are noticing. Still got a long way to go though. I joined Curves which was ok at first, but now they have Curves Smart that follows your own program electronically! Before that I would sweat, but now I'm drenched, it's really a good workout. I have foot problems and walking hurts, but for some reason, this isn't bad. going to have the foot looked at on Thursday. I had my LB done at Lahey also, did you have Dr. Bram and Pam? Love Pam, my NP. Check out the Mushy Recipes thread, got some good ideas there, as you do fills you will still need them. Keep us posted, Good luck :biggrin:

Hi you two, seems that you are only two! I just don't know what happened to everyone. They have been doing things to the site, evident by all the new little design changes and such. like the new little green dot with numbers , what the heck it that all about? can't find any reference to it. I've been trying to figure it out, we had such a great thing going, as you can see by the 72 pages of "family time". I don't think it is a glitch, but who knows. I'm not sure how I found this thread in the first place, kinda dumb luck:confused2:. sorry we don't seem to be here for you:frown:. I'd like to think of it as a good sign that people get to lose , become "normal" what ever that is, and move on to a new and better life, the band being just a stepping stone to that life that no longer defines us. I don't really feel qualified to advise any one, as I've been in limbo here for all together too long. I need to move over to the turtle thread. Slow losers unite!!! Just went for a 6th fill last monday. we'll see...... I'm really working the exercise thing, not doing so well with choices. it's really still a diet in my book. again, still don't do well with diets. I really shouldn't go on, just discouraged at the moment. My one year just passed, I should be happy that I am a lot smaller than I was a year ago, but not where I should be. My only redeeming though is that my cousin had the bypass about a year before my band and she is no further than me. So when I ponder if I made the right choice, I think of her and all the complications she went though, including nearly death. for sure none of this is easy. but all said and done, would I do it again? YES! for surely other wise I would have put on 20 lbs this year, and not lost 48. Good luck to you, and do keep us posted. .

Dee Amazing!!! Great picture, of you and the secenry. nice to SEE the results , encourging to know where we are going in this adventure. :thumbup:

soups don't keep you full for long enough, they go right through the band. they are good for the full liquid stage. they are also more calories and they want you to lose wt.! Lettuce in mushy stage?! yes that could be painful. last I knew lettuce was not a mushy. your stomach has not healed enough for the Fiber, there is a reason for the mushy stage! so far as applesauce goes, got me there! I never heard that one. I had it a lot, went down well. I think some drs. frown on potatoes as they feel they are high empty calories , they also want you to get in your Protein and don't want you to fill up on carbs. if you got room and are still hungry after getting in all your protein, then I don't see the harm in a little spud. But then, I'm "not the biggest loser" here, so maybe you shouldn't listen to me:unsure:. when were you banded?

Hi Chris, you two are doing great! keep up the good work. Sorry, Steady, too bad you were'nt around here in the past, we used to be a real social group. seems the family has moved away from home. Maybe they will join us on the hollidays. good luck to you. Juli I'm sure will always be here for you , she's our rock!

Hi Cara, I think it was a good question. I'm only sorry it still has to be a question! someday........... no one will care what you are, only who you are. I have the good fortune to live in Mass. and am happly legally married to my sweetie. It was as simple as not lying on the forms. they ask you to list your spouse, I did! Everyone was great, most didn't even have any reaction at all, one office worker I think was a little taken aback, but she quickly recovered and continued in a professional mannor. I think I get an extra hug from my NP on each visit. She knows how to give a good squeeze:wink2:. I think it might be wise to consider your location and trust your gut. there are unfortunately areas of this country that don't embrase us, so why add that stress to the mix. AND, if it is stress, you might consider moving!!! Keep us posted.