lucky2bLAURA

I'm a little excited! I just bought a Stamina UX2 Air Resistance Upright Exercise Bike from Walmart and got it all put together! I'm looking forward to using it tomorrow. I've always loved to exercise but after some trouble in college, I got out of the habit and started gaining weight and then exercise was a little uncomfortable. But since I've lost almost 50 lbs, it's a lot easier to move and I have so much more energy.... One of my major goals is getting a really nice bicycle and perhaps getting into cycling someday. I loved my bike when I was a kid, there's nothing like the feeling of the air streaming by as you peddle faster and faster. I'm on my way!!!!

ditto on what they said... But it's kind of neat (and a relief) how it feels when it finally moves thru the stoma... and when I first wake up and get a drink of water from the fridge I can feel it go all the way down.

I have psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. I take Methotrexate and Enbrel. I was banded in June and I have had no issues. In fact my rheumatologist said it was the best thing for me because I need to get the excess weight off, and if there are side effects they would be small considering what the excess weight is/and will be doing to my skeletal system.

I'm a total asexual and when I first read this I couldn't figure out what he was going to be cutting off.... I didn't figure it out for several seconds. :-p hehe

I was the same way... but since this last fill I've had to "puke" several times. It's not the same as puking when you have the flu or something, it's more like coughing up the obstruction. At least for me anyway....

I work at a semiconductor plant in a cleanroom. We have to wear these white jumpsuits and hoods to keep particles (i.e. dust) down. I've worn a size 3X jumpsuit for 10 or 11 years. But yesterday I tried on a 2X and IT FIT!!! I asked my friend if it looked too tight and she said it looked almost too big! I'm so excited.... It makes all this hard work seem like there was nothing to it and I can keep going and fit into even smaller jumpsuits.

Wow!! That's cool... I'll check that out next time I'm at the store!! Thanks.

I'm having a tough time figuring out how I'm supposed to get enough vegetables when I can only eat a cup of food at a time. I would really appreciate any advice about how to get a balanced meal out of one cup of food.

Unfortunately I cannot stomach V8 juice. To me it tastes like cold vomit.... I've thought about the fruit blended ones (I can't remember what they are called right off) but I was worried about the sugar. I'll check into them and see what the nutrition label says. But I'll try the 4-2-2 type thing. I'm losing pretty steadily but I just had a fill last week, and I've noticed that my food intake has dropped a great deal. Where previously I was getting probably a cup to a cup and a half to eat I felt like I was getting a good amount of veggies, but now I get so full with just the protein that I barely get a bite of the vegetables. I know it's a learning process, and I really like knowing I can ask advice from other bandsters. Thanks for the help ya'll!!

Oh sweetie.... I know how you feel. I hope everything is okay, just wake up tomorrow and do better. And try really hard to change your mindset, it's why diets and trying to eat properly have never worked for us in the past. We eat 3 potato chips and then figure we're big fat pigs that aren't worthy of being healthy and happy. One tiny mistake isn't the end of the world.... Just try really hard to keep your goal in front of you at all times. You will be fine.... You'll find great support here! :-)

Thanks for this topic... I never thought to ask for ideas. I've just been trying different things... but could never get it just right, but I will def. try the instant coffee. That sounds good....

I know all about getting stuck because your mind wanders..... My mind is always going off on it's own and leaving my body to do it's own thing. But after the last time I became stuck, I concentrate on everything about a meal. The only time I give my mind permission to wander off is when I'm drinking a protein shake or eating something soft like yogurt. I'm going to try my hardest to never get stuck again, but I know it will happen. I just don't want it to be because I forgot to pay attention to what I was doing, after all that's how I got to be obese in the first place.

My boobs hang straight down. Although they are getting smaller, when I've lost all my excess weight I think I'm going to go get uplift surgery just to remove all the excess skin on my breasts. I don't really care what size they are, in a way I'd like to convince a doctor to totally remove them, not a complete mastectomy(sp?) but so small I wouldn't need a bra at all, since they aren't needed at all in my case. I'm asexual and do not have children and have no desire to have children. But I doubt a doctor would go for that.

I had my first fill last Wed. I have a 10cc band, my doctor added 2 cc's so I have a total of 3 in my band now. I'm only about 10 or so weeks post-surgery, and I can tell with this adjustment that things are harder to swallow and I have to be extra careful. I'm still becoming pretty hungry before time for my next meal, so I guess I'll have to get more added next month. I asked my doctor how much he's ever had to add to someone's band and he said no more than 7 cc's. So I'm getting there.... but I'll be glad to find that greenzone too!

I don't have any big mirrors in my house. I haven't in some time. They always made me feel sad and discouraged. But today I went shopping for new furniture and passed a full-length mirror.... I had to stop and go back and I just stared for the longest time. I couldn't believe how good I looked.... well compared to how i looked before. I'm at my lowest weight in over 10 years. I was so excited!!

My incsision is still healing and I was banded on June 5th. The other day the last stitch finally came to the surface, so maybe it will finally heal now. I've been cleaning it and putting neosporin on it all the time, but that one little spot just would not heal. But I can feel my port if I press in, and sometimes when I sit down I can feel my pants press into it, but I just re-adjust my waistband and it's better.

I rolled over to my right side in the recovery room.... And slept on my tummy that night. I think everyone is different. I think might depend on the amount of belly fat that a person has at surgery time, because the incision is so deep. I'm bigger in my butt and thighs than I am in my belly and I've noticed from other people I know personally that had larger bellies that had trouble sleeping on their side or tummy for weeks or months after surgery.

I KNOW!!!! now the only way I burp is really slowly and quietly.... but it can go on for several seconds. I think I'm going to start trying to say the alphabet!!! :-p hehehe

Don't worry. The bloated feeling goes away in about 3 weeks or so. But definitely check with your doctor if you don't feel right. I'm 30 days out and I'm just now beginning to feel 100% again. I had a hiatal hernia repair done at the same time and I still can't burp right. But GasX works wonders. Make sure you are getting enough fiber and drinking enough water or else the constipation is terrible. Or it is for me anyway. But I don't have the world's fastest digestive system in the 1st place. Good luck!!!

I geek-ed out and named my band Bando Calrissian after the character Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars movie.... I usually call the band Lando the Bando for short. :-)

In my paperwork for the pre-op diet it says to stop multi-vitamins 1 week prior to the operation. I didn't ask the reason why, but I didn't take them for that 1 week. I've been doing the chewable One A Day vitamins since tho.

I'm not scared about it... I've been on methotrexate for psoriatic arthritis for 6 years so I know all about hair loss. Losing a little hair is no big deal after I lost so much back then. I usually wear my hair short so it's no big deal.

Make sure you get enough protein and you shouldn't have a problem with hair loss. That's what my doctor told me. And so far so good.... :-)

I have a lot of pain when sitting at work. Of course I sit at a microscope all night leaning forward.... When I come back from eating lunch it's absolute torture. But I think I've worked out a compromise where I can lean back in my chair and watch the images on a computer monitor. I've only been back at work for 2 nights so hopefully it will get better after my incisisons heal all the way.

I'm 11 days post op and my incisions itch!!! They were glued but it still itches, and the glue is all worn off. Plus I'm a scab picker.... I've never been able to leave a scab alone and now I've got 5 right on my belly. I feel like I have fleas!!!!