NJGirl32

My dog looks at me funny when it happens! She knows my secret

You girls are fearless! I think the best thing you can do is get in shape-you'll feel in control. you'll have more energy, and you'll be doing something postive for yourself! I don't get why a doc wouldn't give you another fill when you aren't losing weight-I thought that was the whole purpose of a fill! Hang in there-you can do this girl!!

Some days I feel really tighter than other days! Truthfully I haven't gotten weighed in a long time because I don't feel like I lost anything. This week a lot of people have said how good I look so I am thinking maybe they are noticing something I am not. I might venture on the scale this week and give a full report. Having a tight band is not always good. Since I can't eat much I was leaning towards junk food (ice cream, chips, candy), not a lot mind you, but even a little is not good. This week I went food shopping and did not buy any tempting treats. I am committed to getting proteins in first! I want to buy some protein shakes for my mornings. They do tend to fill me up plus my shakes have lots of vitamins and 17 grams of protein in them! I wentto the boardwalk with my best friend. She does not know I had the band. I was sitting at an outdoor cafe and we ordered an appetizer to share. There was some breading and I tried to avoid eating it but it happened-slime. I wentto the bathroom and PBed came back and still had to PB so I said I left something in the bathroom. PBed again. Then I went a 3rd time blaming it on the cold weather. After that I felt better. Next time I'll order soup and not take chances! Sometimes I can eat fine with the band and other times it's difficult. I still thought I would be thinner 5 months post op but I am not really complaining. I just can't wait to get under to 200 mark! On a bright note I am starting to feel sexier! lol Have a great week felow bandsters!!

You are doing great! Are you sure you're not in the green zone? I am 4.5 cc in a 10 band-I would say I am a bit tight and I haven't needed a fill since the end of August.

For the last 2 days I was hardly able to keep anything down, I PBed on shrimp and had a really rough night. Yesterday I PBed on my way to work after I ate a teeny bit of tail mix-had to pull over my car. I couldn't really eat much the rest of the day. I thought I might have had a slipped band. I was googling it and getting info. Well today I get my period. I was able to eat again with no PBing. Does anyone else have a fickle band that time of the month? I

I am with B-52 -I like my band tight (most days). I also can not have pizza-that is a BIG no-no. Even when my band wasn't tight I couldn't handle it. Shrimp has been giving me problems. Most bread items are very difficult-unless they are cracker-like in consistency. I do take a teeny piece of bread at dinner (the size of a half dollar) just so I have the experience. If I am being honest I will say the tight band does have it's potential problems. I was having trouble getting foods down and was PBing more than I would like to admit. I was really hungry and it seemed like ice cream, candy, and potatoe chips could easily go down with no problem. That's what they call "eating around the band" and it's a real danger if you are filled tight. I now keep all those items out of my house. I have also learned what works and what doesn't and my PBing is now in check. Sometimes when food goes down I know I need to walk around a little, so I'll excuse myself to go to the restroom -notto PB , but simply to get things moving inside. This actually works. Mornings are rough but I can eat a granola bar but fruity yogurt doesn't go down comfortably. I usually can't finish a lean cusiene for dinner. Like I said you will need to keep healthy items in to munch on. If you have a tight band and even if you don't, eat solid Proteins they really do curb the appetite! Good luck!

That's a good question! I just simply feel like I can't eat anymore or I don't want to risk PBing. It's not the kind of full you get when you eat too much, but more like if I eat anymore it might not be so good. I am getting better at it-because before I would keep eating and then spend the night PBing and just feeling terrible. Now I try to stop before it gets to that point. Some classic signs are: runny nose (had to believe but this actually does happen) hiccup a gruggling sound simply not being ready to take another bite I am much more tuned in to my body's signs-not to say I don't still push it and suffer the consequences. It really critical that I don't skip meals and try to have a small snack between meals. If I do skip then I am hungry and tend to either eat too much or too fast (not chew enough) and then I am not feeling too good.

I know some people like Muscle Milk-but I thought it was the worst. It was so thick-like drinking pudding and the after taste was horrible.

I tried plenty and couldn't stand the after taste either! You can use Carnation Instant Breakfastwith milk, but you might need a little scoop of protein to boost it up. My absolte favorite is GNC's Total Lean (I get the ready made kind). The chocolate is great and you can but a single to try and see if you like it. It's a thinner shake and it's great! If you like strawberry that's good too. The vanilla was kind of plain. I use to pour it in a blender with ice and a 1/2 of banana (optional)and then pour it into a diaquiri-type glass and add a little LF whipped cream on top.

I think my fill is a little tight but I am okay with it. In the morning I simply can not eat-I do have my coffee. Sometimes later in the morning I can do oatmeal or yogurt. I rather drink a Protein shake on my way to work. Lunch-well it depends. Truthfully I usually skip lunch, but if I am meeting someone for lunch I will opt for Soup (maybe a salad). I also discovered I can eat a small piece of chicken from McDonald's snack wrap (no bread though). Dinner-a small piece of protein. I would say my dinner is less than an average Lean Cusiene meal. Snacks- vary I usually dpn't snack between meals but if I didn't eat lunch I come home and snack before dinner. I always have a small snack at night. I can feel food going down and I can sometimes feel in pop into my large stomache from my pouch. Sometimes my body makes all kinds of grugling sounds-only my dog can hear it and she tilts her head to the side! lol When I go outto dinner with my hubby we need to share because there is no way I could eat a full meal. I like having soup when I eat out. Sometimes I can eat more and other times I can't. I really need to get better eating lunch because I am hungry when I come home from work. I also need to drink more Water.

Someone told me their friend was paying over $150 for fills and she asked our doctor if he would do it for her-he agreed and I believe he is only charging $50! So all doctors are not the same-my doctor in at a center of excellence and he's awesome. After a few fills you won't need them as often. I am on my 4th fill and I haven't needed one in the last 2 months-I figure I'll call him when I need one, but at this rate I can't see that happening for a while.

Whoa!!! You look amazing!!! Yes, I agree you look a lot younger too! Congratulations on such a great accomplishment!

I just posted something on this a few weeks ago! I had a pain just below my ribcage on my left side. I went to the doctor's and she said there are no vital organs on the left side. She gave me a pain killer which barely helped-I had an xray too-a mystery pain for sure! It went away on it's on...thank goodness!! I thought I may have bruised a rib while PBing-and if you vonited for 6 hours you may have also added forced against your ribcage. I found that it hurt worse when I was sitting for any period of time. Oddly enough when I slept or laid down it didn't hurt. That makes me think it was a bruised rib or a nerve. Good luck - and congrats on the baby!!!!

I have had no problem with beer-none. There are beers out there with very little carbonation. I like having a beer or two on ocassion and have had no issues whatsoever. I don't get drunk any faster either.

OMG!!!!!!!!!!! I needed a good laugh today!!! LMAO!

OMG!! LMAO!!!!!!!! LOL

Thanks for all your replies! I feel better that I am not alone! Next month I will now know the reason I am tight-I actually thought my band slipped, but right afterwards I was able to eat without any problems at all! Thanks again

I usually order an appetizer to share and Soup, but all the suggestions are very good. I love seafood and it's a great choice. Crab legs always go down well and I agree that they take time to eat. If you order chicken make sure it's not dried out or it can get stuck. Stay away from all bread/pasta items. Basically no places are off limits- you just need to think small portions and healthy choices.

So I am at this out of town convetion for a few days. All the women sitting at my table seemed skinny-am I still the heaviest at my table-really?!! This time last year I was 258-and was 248 the week before surgery-now I am 207. I am wearing a size 16 (regular 16s-not plus size) and I am still the heaviest? Really? How is it that other women stay slender and I do not?! Is it genetics-seriously? Okay-my goal is to not be the fattest woman in any given room. Certain rooms that is true. I thought I looked really good today, before I left my daughter said I looked skinny. OK 207 isn't skinny for 5'6 but I felt good. Do you ever look around to see if you are the heaviest? I don't want to be the fat one anymore. I

I use this method and it helps. I also found walking around and going up and down stairs helps. The worse thing, for me, is to sit .

Oh the day I need to justify being a size 4 would be an awesome day!! LOL Relax-obivously you caught her on a bad day!

LOL- You are SO right!! We are crazy! Today, at the same convention I realized that I was just sitting at the the wrong table! IF I was sitting at the next table over I would have been the 2nd skinniest at a table of 8!! AND at lunch time I was right in the middle with at least 4 people heavier than me-and I did notice their plates were piled high with food!

Dear Shrimp, We have had a long and yummy time together. I always looked forward to seeing you in resturants and tasting you in my mouth (hee-hee). But things simply haven't been the same likely. I don't like the way you have been treating me the last few weeks. I have been so sick over this (literally) that now I must say goodbye-maybe not forever-but I need to do this now. I will miss you, but I won't miss the way you treated me. Fondly, NJGirl32

This study was completed by people in Belgium who had it 17-14 years ago? I would think A LOT of advances have come along since then. I know now they use a differnt technique to help avoid slippage then they did back then. I wouldn't base my decision on such old data since we are constantly fine tuning the procedure to make it safer and more successful. Also their percentages are flawed. They were only able to get 50% of the bandsters to compare. So when you see 47% were satified that means 47% of the 50% that participated. Too many variables and too small of a study if you ask me-and agian-far too long ago.

That's a good point about the blood clots. I would probably not travel 2 weeks post surgery especially if you have suitcases and a laptop to lug around. I was still sore 2 weeks post surgery. I was told not to lift anything heavy I think for 6 weeks.