Janice S

I am so glad some of you began posting again. I was not happy with my weight loss to date. I was banded 9/21 and have only lost 34 lbs. I was in the gym 3-4 times a week and added zumba on Tuesdays. I would gain 6 lbs in a week and then lose it again. I was following my diet and exercising and was frustrated. I was losing weight..but it was the same 6 lbs every week. I consulted the nutritionist at the surgeon's office and they did a more in-depth consultation of my BMI, and diet, etc. I was in a way "starving" myself. I was eating healthy by eating a salads, etc. but while feeling full was not getting enough calories in. I also had become a creature of habit and my body was in a rut with the same foods every day. I visited my daughter in VA and was forced to eat out every meal. I made healthy choices and when I stepped on the scales back at home, I had lost weight! I've had a fill at every visit but only began to feel restriction when we reached around 8 cc. While I was frustrated, my surgeon is pleased. He said it is a marathon not a sprint. I've lost inches. I started in size 26 pants and can now get into size 22. My top had gone down from a 3x to a 2X. I had found my chin and neck once again. LOL It is good for me to see that other people are having similar results. The important thing is to stick with it...it will happen. After my last fill, the yo-yoing up and down has stopped.

Sharilo, Congrats on the increased walking and thinner thighs. I noticed at the gym today that I had increased in speed and elevation on the treadmill. My one knee also doesn't hurt since I lost the weight which allows me to move more. Slowly and steadily we are getting there!

Had my 2nd fill 12/16/2011. I now have 7 cc's in an 11 cc band. Still no sliming episodes. Don't go back to the surgeon for 2 months. Stalled on the weight loss but understand the reason is that I started eating carbs and backed off the exercise. Brush myself off and get back on the program.

It isn't so much cheating with me....but learning as I go. I was on a steady wt loss of 2 lbs per week but once I reached week 8 and could eat "regular" food again (meats, veggies, etc.) I began eating more carbs than before. I also started dating and my weekends (which had been my intense work out days at the gym) were now filled with car rides and eating out. I gained 5 lbs!!!! I had a serious talk with the guy and explained this couldn't interfere with my wt loss plan. He has lost 90 lbs without surgery and understands completely. He began taking walks with me. I went back to strictly monitoring the protein intake and I lost the 5 lbs again. I have my 2nd fill this Friday and I fear I'll get lectured about not having more weight loss....but I have learned an important lesson and will move forward. To have lost 5 lbs this week shows me it is still possible...if I just stay diligent.

Thank you Bandit. That is exactly what happened one day. Ate a taco and burrito.....but later couldn't eat a piece of pork roast.

Question fellow banders..... I am having a strange problem.... Some meals I eat and have absolutely no problem. Then, out of the blue, the next day I may nearly throw up after just a few bites. I'm chewing well and following the rules. Is anyone else having a problem like this? I am not understanding why some meals I can eat and others not.

I had my first fill Friday and I've lost 2 lbs already! I'm eating normal food. I feel full fairly quickly and that is it. I put down my fork and I'm done. I'm up to an hour in the gym 2-3 x week and walk on other days. I'm literally working my butt off in the gym. Nearly 8 weeks post op and no regrets.

I had my first fill yesterday. They had me recorded as losing 16 lbs since the surgery and I lost 12 before so that makes 26. I thought he would numb the site or something but nope....just cleaned it and stabbed that needle in there. Luckily he hit it on the first try. It hurt...but only for a little. He put 4 cc's in (mine will hold 11 cc's total). I was nervous about eating anything but so far as long as I chew and hold to the cup volume I'm fine. I ordered the 4 side dish special with a glass of milk. I made two meals out of it for less than $10. I need to get the word out to all of the single guys about how cheap a date with me can be. (snort snicker snicker)

How did your walk for cancer go? My employer has a 5K walk/run in honor fallen officers every Fall. My goal is to be in that race next year.

Today I hit a milestone. I now weigh what I weighed July 2010. I am trying to set little mini-milestones to keep my motivation up. My first goal was to get under 300 lbs. I accomplished that 4 weeks after surgery. At 7 weeks, I have hit this 2nd goal. My next goal is to weigh 270 lbs which is what I weighed in 1996. At 2 lbs / week, I should hit that by the end of February. Does anyone else have these little milestones or do you have your eyes on the final prize?

My surgeon has me on 800 calories / day. I see him tomorrow for my first fill. I've lost 14 lbs in 7 weeks and that is 2 lbs/wk which is what the doc told me to expect. I lost 12 lbs before surgery working with a trainer for a total of 26 lbs since I decided to change my life. Some people here had a band and plication (an additional procedure to restrict the stomach space). As long as I am losing at all, I try to see the positives. My clothes are looser. I feel better. I've gotten rid of one med. Exercise is key for me. If I slack off of it at all, my weight loss drops off as well. Maybe check with your surgeon's office nutritionist and see if she has any advice. Stick with it! We'll get there.

I am not to eat raw veggies or fruits until week 7 & 8.

Thanks for the good vibes.

I was doing great after my surgery (9/21)...or so I thought. Losing weight, exercising. My largest incision hadn't completely healed. THere was one spot at the edge of the incision that felt like it had a piece of fishing line sticking out of it. It finally went away but I now have an infection at that site. It is sore under the skin but isn't red or hot. Last night a 2nd smaller incision began to hurt. I called the surgeon's office today and the nurse scared me 1/2 to death. Said she expected the 2nd incision would also reopen so the infection could get out. If I run a fever I am to get to their emergency room (that is 3 hrs away). Now, I'm paranoid about watching my incisions for signs problems. Has anyone else experienced any of this?

I was banded 9/21 and don't see the surgeon for a fill until 11/11. While I know I could probably eat things like breads and pastas because there is little to no restriction yet, I am operating as if I've had a fill and those are not options. I am amazed I am not hungry eating as few calories as I do. I track my calories and protein consumption useing SparkPeople. I can still use their menus I just focus on the proteins. I run between 700-900 calories. I still cannot get 60+ oz of water in a day. I just can't hold it. My swelling around the port site has finally disappeared. I only notice pain when I've overdone it at the gym. My test was a meeting held at an Italian restuaruant. What would I eat? I found Italian wedding soup and couldn't eat the whole bowl. I also love that I eat out now for considerably less because I'm eating off of the sides menu or the children's menu. No regrets so far.

It is so fascinating to see how each surgeon has their own take on things. I'm on the week 5 diet stage and the list of foods the nutritionist gave me included cream of wheat, oatmeal, baked potato (without skin), baked sweet potato (without skin), applesauce, pureed vegetables. I considered these healthy foods as long as you weren't loading them up with sugar, butter, sour cream, etc. No wonder I've slowed down losing weight. Why put that on the list if we aren't supposed to be eating them? Sigh.