donali

We know fast food isn't the only thing we gave to Ireland - we gave you St Patty's day parades, too, remember? lol NO OFFENSE TAKEN!! By me, anyway! Oh, and I should have mentioned in my post before, that just the high fat/high carb content itself would be enough to start packing on the pounds, let alone the QUANTITY the combo seemed to induce me into eating... But it is "drug like" - actually, that shouldn't even be in parens - it IS a drug, and was my drug of choice. I used food as a sedative, and those high fat/high carb foods in huge quantities sedated me. I think that's why lots of people on depression medication also notice a difference in their hunger levels - the medication fills the missing chemical (or whatever it is) that revs our appetites. Too bad I never studied something that really mattered, like chemistry... lol

I guess we'd have to say: "Can you say S T R E S S ?" Surely that is the only thing we all have in common at this time? Unless... NO... THAT can't be it... You know how women in close proximity tend to cycle together... Perhaps we're starting to restrict "in sync." lol

I don't think it is mere coincidence that you started noticing a weight problem in Ireland after the arrival of American fast food. I think there is a truly addictive quality to these refined, high fat foods that make us want to eat more and more of them. I know that pre-band I was good for burgers and fries at least three to four times a week! Let alone the large, deep dish Pizza Hut pizza I would consume all by myself twice a month, alternated with fried chicken twice a month. I was commenting the other day that it was so weird to learn that these were not just "trigger" foods that I craved - but that I only really craved them in HUGE quantities. I can still eat pizza, and fried chicken, and not really so much burgers and fries, but I find if I can ONLY eat a piece or two, there is no point - it just isn't interesting to me. I have no good explanation, but apparently the chemical reaction in my body to obscene amounts of these high fat/high carb foods flipped the switch to "on" in my insatiable compartment. Now that the switch can no longer be flipped on, I do not have those same cravings and drives for those foods. Weird, huh? :cry

AH, SO, you check up on me, Grasshopper... lol They were so blurry, I thought I'd wait until I got the real pics to scan and repost. Goodness! You're quick! lol Thanks for the complement! Notice, however, that the huge body has been strategically cropped from view... It is nice, though, to be receding to one chin, and if you REALLY use your imagination, you might almost think there are some collarbones around there somewhere...

Just to remind everyone, when you are very restricted, do NOT lie down within about 3-4 hours of eating/drinking something. It is very likely it could come back up, and waking up choking is dangerous, as if you aspirate any of that liquid you could get chemical pneumonia, which is no fun what-so-ever. Avoid spicy foods, caffeine, carbonation, alchohol and acidic foods, such as orange juice, as those are all irritants and will make things worse. Try and do relaxing things as much as possible, like hot tubs (whoo hoo!), massages, listening to soothing music, drinking warm fluids... It is time to pamper ourselves!!

Three days should be plenty to calm the irritation, particularly if it is recent and there are no other reasons for the new restriction. It never hurts to have the band placement checked out, so it's good you're having that done. Don't worry about having fill removed - if you're too loose later, you can have some put back in. As you are finding out, fills are not an exact science - there are too many factors and day to day changes.

Yes, that counts. Definitely a dangerous cycle to get into. STOP!!! I recommend "priming" yourself with very warm liquids first, then eating/drinking non-challenging foods (full liquids, blended chili, yoghurt, etc.) for a couple of days to rest your stomach/esophagus. The more irritated they become, the tighter you will be. Although eggs are "soft", they don't really disinegrate into liquid when chewing, so I would avoid them for a while. Also, for the mornings particularly I would consider doing a liquid Protein source (if you're like most, you are tightest in the mornings and nights.) Save your "real" food for lunch, early dinner. Whatever you choose to do, I would recommend that your goal be to stop the vomitting, involuntary or otherwise. Take care of yourself, Kelly.

Welcome to the delayed restriction club!! Unless you have had some strong vomitting episodes, it is unlikely that your band has slipped. I just had three weeks of feeling super restricted (eating was pretty uncomfortable), but it finally seems to be easing up somewhat. I'm still frustrated with trying to get in all my liquids, so I'm not back to where I was yet. Since many people comment that stress really affects their bands, it could be the upcoming holiday season getting to you, even if you don't feel particularly stressed. I definitely would not get a fill at this point. Good luck!

lol - that's one of my wishes... Congrats, by the way, and lots of pats on the back for donating your lovely tresses to locks of love. Good for you! You just granted some wishes yourself...

Sue - Your wish is my command... lol

Most people do not note a big difference in how they feel between the resolution of post-op swelling and the 1st (or 2nd, or 3rd...) fill. As far as hunger goes, even when you get to your sweet spot, you will STILL get hungry - it just takes less to make the hunger go away, and you stay un-hungry for longer. Remember that hunger is not the enemy - it's not being able to satisfy that hunger that has been the problem for most of us. You may not notice that much of a difference even after your first fill - chances are you will be eating waaaay less than pre-band, but you may still feel pretty much the same, even though you are eating less. That's the key, though - you WILL be eating less. So even though your appetite may feel the same, you will still be eating less. How much less will really depend on how you react to the restriction of fills. Do not despair if it takes you multiple fills to really feel the restriction you're looking for. Use this time to practice chewing and eating slowly, and remember that once you move to solids it's a whole 'nuther ball game.

Hi Marsha - I was banded by Dr. Lopez 1/23/03 in TJ. He is an excellent and caring surgeon. I paid $9995, and that included all my testing, surgeon, hospital, hotel, and transportation to all my appointments and the hospital. It did NOT include tips to drivers or hotel meals. Fills are $50, plus $110 if you want it done by fluoro (recommended). Fill appointments have been very flexible, and Saturday mornings are a popular fill time. Sometimes it can be difficult to get a response from office personnel, but eventually everything gets taken care of. I am very happy with my choice of surgeons.

For me, restriction is felt in many different ways. The less desireable ways are: 1. golfball feeling :think 2. "stuck" feeling and the resulting slime Both of those feelings are signs of restriction, but are not what I'm looking for from the band (although I do admit that the "electric shock collar" of the the 2 feelings above have been very important in modifying my behaviour! lol) For me the restriction feeling I value the most is what everyone else described. I am eating along my merry way, chewing madly, trying to go slow, and then at some point, before the portion has been fully consumed, I can feel that things are starting to back up down there. I usually end up taking a last bite that doesn't quite clear the esophagus right away - not a pain like stuck, exactly, just... well, I can feel it sitting there, waiting patiently to go down. At that point, I know I'm done. Sometimes I feel "full", but usually it is just the knowledge that there is no place for another bite to go. On a couple of ocassions I have had a mouth full of processed food just waiting for the ticket down, and I've had to spit it out because I can "feel" that it won't clear the bottom of my esophagus. Believe me, it is NOT my head stopping me from eating more!! I definitely am letting the band tell me when I am done. Your way is probably healthier, but as you point out, does require a modicum of self-control which can be hard to maintain. If you can eat and eat and eat, and you never get that backing-up feeling helping you to stop, you probably could use more restriction. As Bright points out, it does take time to align the brain with the new physical capacity, and the brain likes to argue because the mouth is going yum yum. But a full stoma is a full stoma, and no amount of brain arguing can get past that.

It's posts like yours, OneMoment, that really convinces me that eating TOO little is not helpful to weight loss. I have not lost any since my band tightened up on me either. Although I'm used to these long plateaus by now... lol What do I eat? I have an EAS carb solutions pre-mixed shake first thing in the AM, about 5:30. By 10 I'm usually ready to eat something, so have a couple bites of the pork chop I brought for lunch. salad surprisingly is not a problem, so I usually will have a salad with bleu cheese dressing at lunch and try to have a couple more bites of pork chop - I throw away what I can't eat. About 4:30/5 I'll have a Designer whey shake with 3 scoops of mix plus 2 scoops of soy Protein. It's not delicious, but it gets my protein in in a small amount of volume. Mornings I also usually have a super-sized mug of chai tea that I brew from a tea bag (have you guys tried this stuff?!?! YUM!) doctored with half and half and artifical sweetener. Sometimes I'll have one when I get home, too. In the meantime I'm usually able to get down 2 quarts of Water, which is about half of what I'd like to drink, but I don't want to force it, and I don't have the good habit yet of sipping constantly throughout the day. Then there's the ocassional chocolate thrown in there, possibly a cookie. That's usually it lately. Today though I had the insides of a Taco Bell Enchrita and most of the insides of a taco salad at about 10:30, and for dinner I had most of a gyros salad. I think my protein was pretty low for today, but it's 10pm now so that's too bad. I'm most concerned at this point with not drinking at least 3 quarts of water a day, with four being my goal. I can really tell already by my chapped lips and dryer skin that my body's feeling the difference. I realize the above sounds like a lot of food to most people, particularly when they hear "very restricted" - but I have to really concentrate to chew well enough, and eat very slowly, and eating doesn't feel really comfortable. I can tell I am already longing for things that are easier, like Soups and blended chili... And I have to really concentrate and work at getting in my basal calories (about 1800), which I'm sure I missed today, along with my protein goal. So, as long as I'm not PBing/refluxing, and I'm able to get a good number of calories in I guess I'm okay, but I really don't like having to think so hard while I'm eating, or having to be so careful. And I really don't like not being able to drink ice water freely. As far as "planning" what to eat not knowing how my restriction will be, I can usually tell when I'm drinking how tight I am, and how well food will or will not go down. If I take a bite and it's super uncomfortable, I'll switch to a Protein Shake. Otherwise I eat what I can. Good for you for not being willing to stay too tight! I may be right behind you in getting a slight unfill.

I guess sounding like Minnie Mouse is better than sounding like Sean Connery (if you're a girl)... lol

Hi Vera - I am so sorry about your being sick, and the pill fiasco - yikes!! Oh, that must have been so scary! Yes, my fills kick in at about 4 weeks... or later! This last fill from 10/4 is now super tight as of about 3 weeks ago. And I was thinking when I had that fill in October I could have gone a little tighter. Thank goodness I didn't!!! I would NOT want to be any tighter than I am right now. I don't know what happens from this point on, as I have never been this restricted that I didn't want another fill. Will it keep getting tighter (hard to believe), or will it stay at the level it is now? If it does get any tighter I will have to have a slight unfill, as I am struggling to get in my Water at this point. Funny, but food is less of a problem. Don't quite understand that, but there you have it. Since I'm not PBing or refluxing I am letting it stand, but I have been toying with the idea this past week that I may need a slight unfill. If problems start I will definitely go and have some taken out. As for your situation, I would imagine that you would be naturally less hungry from being sick, AND since having the pill get stuck you will probably experience some swelling and may feel even tighter than before. A couple of days taking it easy should let the swelling go down, and then you will be better able to judge your restriction. Is it a cold that you have? It is very possible that the additional mucus will make you feel tighter as well. Good luck, and keep us posted. Hope you're feeling better soon!

Yum... cake... yeah, that was me... I just want to make a comment on this food amount goal that it seems many people have, as I have read it on many boards: I have no idea where that came from, and something deep, deep inside me rebels against this thinking. Since when is a measurement of food the "right" amount across the board for everyone? I personally think this should be the goal of the fill: To be satisfied for 3 to 4 hours on the amount of food I require to lose weight. I do not judge my fill by how much I can eat, but "can I lose weight without feeling hungry on the amount that I eat?" I hear of people getting ever more restricted, because they are not losing weight. I think they are probably eating TOO LITTLE when they can only eat 2-3 bites and then "they're done." We have been SO brainwashed into thinking that "if it's not drastic, we are not trying hard enough." Being so restricted that we can only eat 2-3 bites is just another sneaky way we have devised to punish ourselves for our food addiction. I do not know the magic answer, but I WANT to believe that we should be eating the number of calories our basal metabolism requires. The reasoning behind that just makes sense to me. And back in my dieting days I did a program that was based on removing all refined foods, eating til full, and exercising (walking) faithfully for 30-60 minutes a day. I was losing weight! And I was eating a TON of food. But, of course, I wasn't losing fast, and it just wasn't "drastic" enough or "short term" enough for me to keep it up. Just "food" for thought...

Hi Sparkle - I know it is so hard to manage our own expectations, let alone other people's, as well, particularly those we expect to judge us. If you are absolutely convinced that this is the answer for you, then no one can make you feel as though you made a mistake, and you do not need to justify your choices to anyone but yourself. Regardless of how long it takes you to lose the weight you want to lose, just losing weight in and of itself is a success - don't forget that! Does it really matter that it took me 11 months to lose 71 pounds? I don't think so - I'm still down 71 pounds. So I won't be one of those who lost 120 in their first year. Does that really matter? Nope. All that matters is that I'm happy, healthy, and losing (albeit however slowly). If I could chose between having lost 71 and 120, would I choose 120? You bet!! I'm only human, after all! lol But I feel successful, even though I would have dearly loved to be under 200 by the time boyfriend arrives 1/2. Was that a realistic goal? Yes. Does it matter that I didn't meet it? No. Am I disappointed? Not really. But I had to change my mindset. Since this is my life, I no longer set date goals. I choose to think of myself as "successful" right now! Am I done? Not by a long shot, but I am on the journey, and that's all that matters. I wish you a happy and joyous holiday season! Enjoy yourself, and congrats on starting your journey!!!

Angela - I know this is my problem, but I am still disturbed that you are calling 30 pounds in two months slow. More disturbing to me than that are those who seem to concur... I will ask this questions again: How much weight does anyone REALLY think they can lose a month in a safe and healthy way? Seriously? Unless you just cut it off, weight is "lost" via body excretions: fecal matter, skin and breath. If a pound every two days isn't FAST, what do you call fast? Would you be satisfied at a pound a day? Two pounds a day? What sounds unreasonable to you? I gotta know! Please, enlighten me! Am I supposed to be disappointed because I have "only" lost 71 pounds in 329 days - that's an average of .2158 pounds a day. Does anyone call 71 pounds lost "only" (regardless of the amount of time it took)? Okay, sorry, rant off... But seriously, what are your expectations?

Prune juice usually works in a couple of hours for me. I was drinking about 6 ounces each day, and it really kept me regular. Hmmm, why did I stop doing that, again? I guess that's why I'm having the same problem! Ouch! I am nothing if not inconsistent... lol

Ooooh, oooooh!!! I would LOVE to sleep all the time!!! {hand waving frantically in the air} Please pick me for that study!!! lol Thanks for the info, Bright, and congrats on your new plateau! Uh, I mean, breaking through your plateau! Every time I finally lose a couple of more pounds I get all excited, and say, "Yeah!!! I'm on a new plateau!!!" lol Just trying to be realistic with myself, and helps me keep my sense of humor about it all... :guess

or, just "full of it"... lol

FYI - I know for sure that red meat thing is an RNY rule. I bet it is just one of the many that got automatically transferred to the band by those docs who are used to doing the RNY. I had not heard of that "rule" about red meat until well after I had been banded, and I've never heard the bread "rule" until now. lol I eat both. Love that red meat, even though I am a vegetarian at heart... :sick

Hear, hear! Well said, Sue.

There is no "cheating" - just more and less nutritious choices. So, you chose sugar Water... twice. Big whoop. Bet you'll do it again, too. But I doubt you'll want to live on them. I'm glad you enjoyed it and that it tasted good! I'm also glad it wasn't carbonated, so you didn't experience something awful with a great big gulp!