Jenn1214

I'm about two months out from surgery and I have not vomited, slimed or gotten stuck once (knock on wood!). I was very afraid of these side effects too because I know someone who keeps his band way too tight and he kept telling me his horror stories. So far so good for me!

Wow that is pretty extreme. My surgeon requires two DAYS of clear liquids, followed by two weeks of full liquids, then two weeks of mushies and finally solids.

I've been having the same problems! I have PCOS too but my last sonogram after surgery showed my ovaries were normal. I can't believe I'm breaking out again...I haven't bought pimple cream in years!

I would say liquid Tylenol is a must have. A lot of people say Gas X but it didn't really help me much with the gas pain. Have plenty of heat/ice packs around too.

This afternoon my fiance went to a christening for his cousin's daughter. We took some pictures and after looking at them later on I thought to myself "Hey, I don't look half bad!" It's amazing I actually let myself have my picture taken in the first place because normally I hide from the camera at all costs. Definitely an NSV for me!

Your surgeon is crazy. Here's what mine says: 1. Wait 15 minutes after drinking before you eat. Don't drink until an hour after you eat. 2. Don't spend more than 20 minutes on one meal. Chew, chew, chew. When you think you're done chew some more. 3. Take toddler sized bites (Mine actually says the size of a pencil eraser but it would take a year to eat at that rate). Unless your pouch is the size of my fingernail, there is no reason you need to wait 10 minutes between bites. Maybe a minute at the most. I remember you posted about this before...who is your surgeon?

It's getting to be that TOM and I'm sure some of you ladies can relate to the evil chocolate cravings we sometimes get. Truth be told, I don't really crave sweets like I used to but for some reason I pigged out on chocolate yesterday. I'm not going to beat myself up about it because what's done is done and I'm not doing to undo my weight loss in one moment of weakness. It just reminds me to be more diligent about what I put in my mouth and that one Hershey kiss leads to another (and another and another!). Why can't we crave brussel sprouts or something when we're PMSing? Oh well, today is another day and I'm doing fine.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are my ultimate food weakness! I also used to eat several bowls of sugary kids' cereal for breakfast pre banding.

Awesome! Keep up the great work!

I never want to be one of "those people" either. I know of one person who got the lap band who hasn't lost any weight in years because he guzzles beer and hard liquor, eats large portions of junk, and throws up constantly because he's too tight (but of course denied it when I pointed out that nightly vomiting is not normal). He also tried to rain on my parade by telling me I'd have the same problems. Everything has been fine for me so far! (knock on wood) You get out of the band what you put into it. "Those people" don't realize that. Keep up the good work and you'll never be one of them!

Rebecca, First of all, congratulations on your AMAZING weight loss! 146 pounds in a year is just incredible...you should be really proud! I definitely know where you are coming from...I have been an emotional eater most of my life and have always used food to soothe myself during tough times. It's hard to actually feel the emotions now and deal with them without food to "stuff" them down. I even have things from my past come up that I thought I had resolved...now I have to do it again WITHOUT food. It hasn't been easy and sometimes the urge to binge is very strong. I see a therapist once a week and journal about my feelings, which seems to help. As for the dating scene, don't be hard on yourself. Love comes when you least expect it...sounds so cheesy but that's how I met my fiance! He loved me at my highest weight because he could see past the fat, but it wasn't easy to love myself. With the lap band I'm slowly getting my self esteem back, and hopefully you will too! Keep up the great work!

No offense to your doctor, but that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. How can anyone eat that way? My doc says not to spend more than 20 minutes on a meal. As long as you take small bites and chew them well, you won't stretch your pouch.

Congrats! Can't wait til I'm there with ya!

I don't think I had one until a week after surgery. It was weird but perfectly normal.

My sweet tooth is much better than it used to be. I don't have to run into a convenience store on my way home to buy candy anymore. I still do have sweets on occasion and I'm fine with that decision. The lap band is a lifestyle change, not a permanent diet, so if I feel like having a sliver of cake at a birthday party or something, I'm going to. I just don't crave it like I used to. There are bags of peanut butter candy in the pantry that have been there for over a month along with boxes of Girl Scout cookies. I haven't touched them and don't really care to. Pre-banding I would have demolished them in a few days. The lap band has taught me that food is fuel, and I need to put the right stuff in my body to nourish it and keep healthy. The more you focus on getting in protein rich foods to meet your daily goal, the less room there is for sugar. I never thought I would be saying that but for me it's true now. It will get better for you too!

Are you getting enough water? You could be dehydrated...I know I had that problem before surgery and felt better once I started drinking the recommended amount.

I find that what helps keep me motivated is setting little mini goals for myself. The overall goal seems so far away that sometimes it's nice to have little milestones to look forward to. It could be scale related (mine tend to be) or not. See if that helps. How much water are you drinking? If I don't have at least 64 ounces a day (and that's the bare minimum for me) I find myself being hungrier and eating things I shouldn't. Also try remembering why you got the band in the first place. I know personally I didn't go through all the pain of surgery and recovery and that horrible post op liquid phase just to go back to how I was before. I don't have that all or nothing mentality anymore that used to make me fail in the past. I don't have to be "good" all the time to lose weight and reach my goal, but most of my decisions should be healthy ones. Maybe that's what's getting in your way too. Don't give up! You will find your motivation one way or another...good luck!

Wow! That must have felt pretty darn awesome...congrats!

Mine is a few inches underneath my belly button...I can't feel it but luckily my doctor can!

I've done Nutrisystem. The food wasn't terrible for the most part but it was horribly expensive, plus you had to add your own groceries to it. I lost 60 pounds on it but once I couldn't afford it anymore I gained all the weight back anyway.

I get hiccups all the time for some reason...it's usually my cue to stop eating, but sometimes they are random and happen out of nowhere. Sometimes I'll hiccup and then let out a huge belch (which my fiance seems to think is hilarious). The hiccups never last long and I just chalk it up to the new configuration of my stomach.

Before the band, I was a serious coffee addict. Tons of coffee, Red Bull, soda and any other form of caffeine flying down my throat all day long. I couldn't understand why I was so tired all the time. The more caffeine I had, the more tired I was, so the more caffeine I wanted. I was trapped in a vicious cycle of exhaustion. I could literally drink a cup of coffee and then go right to sleep. After the surgery, my nutritionist told me to avoid caffeine, or at least replace what water I was losing from drinking it. I thought "Oh god, how am I going to get through the day without my precious coffee?" So I started drinking lots of water to flush out the caffeine and whatever other nasties were hanging around in my body, and I couldn't believe it...I actually had energy again! I mean, I wasn't bouncing off the walls or anything, but I definitely noticed an improvement. I should have realized with my medical background, but my exhaustion was coming from dehydration. Duh! Nowadays I definitely notice a difference if I'm not getting adequate water. I feel down, like I'm dragging myself to do anything or go anywhere. Instead of reaching for the coffee, I'll have a few glasses of water and I feel better almost immediately. I love you water! Where have you been all my life?

I've definitely noticed a difference after my first fill, but my band can still be finicky. There will be times that my stomach is growling after a few hours, and then there are times that I can go four hours or more without eating. Sometimes I notice that I can eat more than at other times. Bandy gets what Bandy wants!

I would love to try Zumba but I am so afraid of tripping over myself and falling on my face!

Drink plenty of water in addition to your full liquids. I was told to avoid caffeine since it's a diuretic, but I don't think a cup every once in a while will hurt. Good luck!