rockonhan

You were probably just really swollen from surgery and that decreased your hunger. Once that swelling went away, you were hungry again. I think that's pretty normal!

Well, I have no advice on the belly button thing, but it wasn't really that painful. Just a needle prick. And some people get to their green zone on their first fill, but I certainly did not. It was like not having any fill at all. Good luck!

My advice would be to be absolutely honest with him/her. It does you no favors to lie/say what they want to hear. Their job is to make sure you're mentally prepared and if you're not, then it's not the right time/decision for you. Don't be afraid! Good luck!

mushy phase, not mushy face. LOL!

Every doctor's advice is different, but in my mushy face I was told to eat eggs, cheese, deli meat, and soft veggies. I lived off of Laughing Cow and Roast Beef.

That's great JustDoIt!!!! High five!

For me, it was the severity of the procedures. I was hesitant enough about WLS, but removing part of my organs was just too much for me. Also, since I'm self-pay, I was FREAKED out complications because my insurance would not cover any complications. Lapband was far less risky, IMHO, and therefore, less of a risk financially. I've been infertile for four years and would like to get pregnant one day, and the fact that you can remove all the liquid from the band and have a normal size stomach again appealed to me in terms of nutritionally providing for a child if I was pregnant. It's different strokes for different folks. I think Gastric Bypass is a fine procedure and is a better fit for some people. I think Lapband was the right fit for me. The best advice I can give is research, research, research! Good luck!

You might need another fill--when do you see your doctor again? The restriction from my first fill wore off in like 3 days and I was starving all the time. Also, are you journaling? If you don't track what's going in your body, you won't be able to know what's causing the scale to go up. Try journaling for one week and see how it goes. I didn't journal for the first 2 weeks after my first fill. I lost 1.4 lbs. In the one week since my 2nd fill (with journaling), I'm down 3 lbs. Journaling is key for me. Take an honest look at what you're doing and be proactive about getting filled to your green zone!

Good luck! Can you figure out what you want ahead of time? It's always best for me to look online, figure out what I'm going to get, and not even open the menu. Once I'm in a restaurant and open a menu, it's like all the crazy comes out!

Are you feeling any restriction at all? If not, maybe you can try to move your appointment up. That seems like a long time in between fills (although I know every doctor is different). After my first fill, I had no restriction and was hungry all the time and it was very tempting to eat poorly because it had been so long since I had real food. It's great your back here and trying to get back on track. I highly recommend journaling every bite that goes into your mouth. I love the Lose It App--easy to use and it gives you good feedback. Hang in there!

I'm at 5.25ccs/10ccs and I can totally feel restriction. I've had two fills and I feel really tight and restricted right after the fill, and then after about a week it fades some. With my first fill, after a week it was like NOTHING was in my band at all. This second fill, I can tell I've still got restriction and stay pretty full. Hopefully you've hit the magic green zone!

Respect--when do you go back in for another fill?

I always prefer "bad food" over "good food." Are you tracking your food? I am using the Lose It app on my iphone and it's really good for me to keep track of my food choices. I don't want to see the calories going up, up, up with bad food. Remember why you started this process. You've done a great job so far. You can refocus and recommit to a healthy lifestyle. I find it's best for me to eat the same thing pretty much every meal every day. Same breakfast, same lunch, etc. This prevents me from having to make too many choices. I don't do well with choices, so it's best if I'm just on autopilot. Get that snack food out of the house too! I've heard it said many times, "I need a band for my brain" and I can relate. But, you can do this, so don't give up!

Thanks Misha, glad to see I'm not the only one with that trouble. Also, the scale keeps bobbing up and down for me, but I know I'm losing. I'm wearing clothes that haven't fit in years (took a progress pic of me in size 20 jeans that I haven't worn in 2 1/2 years...was in a size 24 to start). So, I am trying to just stay away from the scale and go by my body size. I just wish the scale would get it together!

Hi everyone! I had surgery on Jan. 10th. I have had 2 fills and have 5.25cc in my 10cc band. I feel like I could handle some more fill, so we'll see. I go back next Wednesday for a checkup. I am having about 1 "stuck" per week, but mostly due to eating too fast. I have noticed though that breakfast is just really hard for me. I need to drink at least two cups of coffee and wait until like 9:30 a.m. to eat. Otherwise, I get stuck. Anyone else having issues with breakfast? Thanks! Hannah

Hi! I'm new to these parts too. Banded on Jan. 10, 2012. Yay us!

I've enjoyed some wine since surgery, but not nearly as much as before. I haven't noticed a change in my tolerance yet...I think that will affect me more as I lose weight. The hardest part of drinking is the dumb food decisions that I make when I drink too much. So moderation is key so I don't get myself to that place of fuzzy decision making.

Hi! I know it’s frustrating to see the scale moving slowly. I had surgery on Jan. 11, 2012 and sometimes I feel like “man, I’ve ONLY lost 20 lbs” and then I have to remind myself that it’s been almost 8 years since I was able to “ONLY lose 20 lbs” before. That is a victory. Are you keeping a food journal? If not, I highly recommend it. You can cram a lot of calories into 6 ounces if you’re not careful. Also, the fact that you’re losing inches is great. People can’t see the scale—they can see your smaller body. Be proud of what you’ve accomplished so far, and really be honest with yourself about what you’re eating. If you’re sneaking food, overeating, etc, the only person you’re cheating is yourself. Hang in there!