CallMeStacy

On April 24th I turned 42 ... My husband's birthday is the 22nd and I made a big deal out of it because he turned 40 ... I made his favorite foods for dinner and even made him a homemade pineapple upside down cake (his fav), we stayed busy all day and played with the kids ... We have 3 young children; 10, 8 and 4. They had a very hard time understanding why on my birthday there would be no cake and no special meal. I was very good on my hubby's birthday and was not going to blow it on my birthday !!! It was still a very special day and for the 1st time in my life I was able to celebrate something without making it about the food !!! I know that doesn't seem like a very big deal to some people, but those of us that have struggled with our weight, know how difficult that can be. Even with all of my hard work I did not reach my goal of losing 10lbs this month but I came very close, losing 8lbs. I have started shaking things up a little in my work outs in hope that it will help me reach my 10lb goal for May and maybe even give my that extra 2lbs I didn't get in April ... My husband told me a few weeks ago that he didn't realize that losing weight would be this much work for me after having wls ... I must admit I didn't really know what I was getting myself into either, but I refuse to have gone through all of this and not lose the weight !!! Getting banded was the best thing I ever did for myself and my family. My husband even bought me a pink and white beach cruiser for my birthday so we can start riding along the beach with the kids this summer !!! Before I was banded I would have returned the bike and spent the money on bills or even going out for a nice dinner but now I can't wait for the kids to be out on summer break so we can start riding !!! I am very blessed to live at the beach in SoCal where the wether is usually beautiful but I never took advantage of it until now and it feels great =0)

Congrats and good luck to you =0)

You should order the book Bandwagon by Jean McMillan ... you can also find her on this support group. Order the book and read it, it is very informational and has helped me so much. This is not going to be easy but it is going to be worth it as long as you work hard. I was banded 1/16/12 and I have had my moments of regret but overall I am so thankful for my band. It helps to keep me on track. You can do this as long as you remember that your band is a tool and not a 'fix all'. It takes a total life make over to lose the weight, so make sure you have a good support system in place and know that you can do this !!! Just stick with it and do what your dr tells you and you will be fine. If you are feeling nervous just know that we have all felt that way before and after banding. Good luck to you on your journey =0)

I have heard of this being done ... I think a lot of people went through wls w/o getting the help they needed for their 'food issues' afterwards ... I think if it will help you to get back on track then you should go for it ... Just remember that it can be taken out if it isn't working for you ... Stay strong and try finding a dr that can help you find a good support group =0)

I have bc/bs NJ and they said I had to wait 6mo before submitting for approval ... But my consultant went ahead and submitted my paperwork in 3mos because I have sleep apnea, high BMI and was starting to have issues with my blood pressure. Within a week I received my approval letter ... I never even had to deal with them. I had my surgery from an out of network dr and the only time I hear from bc/bs is when they send me checks to send to my dr. Good luck and I hope you hear something soon =0)

My surgery was Jan 16 and I'm only down 6 bags of sugar ... I guess I need to kick it up a little LOL

It took about a month before I could sleep on my tummy after being banded. The 1st month if I rolled over in my sleep I would wake up in terrible pain. I used pillows to help position myself to prevent rolling over. But when the swelling went down I was able to get a good nights sleep on my tummy. Just like everything else after major surgery, it all takes time to heal. Good luck to you =0)

I asked my dr about that a few weeks ago and he said to just ignore it. The food hasn't traveled to your lower stomach is all. My kids think its funny when my tummy talks to them LOL. Good luck to you =0)

I am a grazer as well ... I try to avoid the kitchen as much as possible these days. I have stopped buying my trigger foods like chips and pretzels. If the urge hits me now I will drink a little flavored water (crytal light) over ice or grab a sugar free popcycle. It helps, it isn't fool proof but it does help. Good luck to you and remember to listen to your body. Take a few sips of water and decide if you are hungry or just bored and go for a little walk or start a new hobby.

Thank you for your words of incouragement ... I lost 11lbs pre-op and 13lbs since being banded on 1/16. I guess I will just keep plugging almong and not stress as much. This site and the amazing people on it are a God Send !!! Good luck to you =0)

Even though I know that it's OK not to lose for one week it is still frustrating !!! I am having issues getting in the full 1000 cals a day. I am simply just not hungry during the day. I have to remind myself to eat in the morning, drink my protien shake and force the 60oz of water down. But in the evening I get hungry. I eat a light dinner and when I get hungry later on in the night I eat a couple of sugar free popcycles(I don't want to eat anything heavy before I go to sleep). I am at a loss for things to do. I walk 30 mins a day and am starting beack at the gym tomorrow. Does anyone have any advise for what they did if/when this happened to them ???Thanks for any and all advise. Stacey

I was told that sipping on pineapple juice helps when you are stuck. I haven't tried that yet. When I get stuck I usually get up and walk around. That seems to work for me.

Good for you !!! I know from my short experience with being banded that this is about ME and no one else. Being a mom makes it very difficult to put yourself 1st. You can do this, you deserve it =0) Good luck to you and cheers !!!

Thanks .. I sure hope I see something this week ... I go to the dr Sat for my 1st fill and I want to see that scale move !!!

Thanks, I will try not to stress about this little bump. =0)

I have been to the dr a couple of times and I go in for my 1st fill on the 18th ... I can't wait (even tho I am a little nervous about the needle). Thank you for responding, hearing that I am doing things right really does help =0)

I am glad you are healing well and getting ready to be banded ... I want to offer up a little advise however: Order the book Bandwagon by Jean McMillan, it's $19.99on Amazon.com. It is helping me through my journey and I know it will help you as well. You can also look for Jean here on this site and friend her, she is very sweet and willing to answer any questions that may come up ... I have been telling everyone that will listen about this book lol To get a weight ticker just click on the one below and follow the steps ... Add it by copy and paste it to your signature in your setup page. I know that sounds kind of confusing but it took me a few days to figure it out on my own LOL ... (do not use the html one though,it doesn't work on this forum) Good luck to you in your journey =0)

Sounds like you may be too tight ... Maybe you should go to the store and by some Isopure (a clear protien drink) just so you can still get some protien into your system ... Call your dr for sure though !!! And maybe if it is just swelling you could eat a popcycle to help relieve that swelling ??? Its just a thought. Good luck to you =0)

Every dr seems to put it in a different place, mine is right above my larger cut (by my belly button). If you lay on your back and kind of feel around you will feel a hard, round thing, that is your port. My dr says it may move as it settles and you lose more belly fat. I hope that helps. Good luck to you on your journey =0)

You may have eaten too much. If I eat a bite or two too many I get that pressure feeling. I have never gotten sick after eating too much, I just get that pressure. I say just wait for an hour then try sipping on some Water. Maybe you just aren't ready for bananas yet ??? The soft foods were a little hard for me to adjust to as well. I just added them slowly and chewed them until there was nothing left to chew. But I am not a dr and if you continue to have issues with this stage you should call your dr. Good luck to you =0)

I am glad to hear that it doesn't hurt to get a fill, I go in for my first fill Feb 18th. I am getting nervous =( I am starting to get hungry now and I am afraid that I will eat too much and get sick or gain weight !!! I am reading a wonderful book that one of the members on this site has written and it is helping me a lot. The book is Bandwagon by Jean McMillan ... You can order it from Amazon.com and it is only $19.99. She is very witty and the book is an easy read. A lot of people on this site call it their bible lol. Good luck to you on your journey !!!

My 1st goal is to lose 10% of my body weight (28#'s) I was banded 1/16 and am down 11#'s pre-op and 11#'s post-op ... So I only have 6#'s to go. When I reach my 1st goal I am going to get blonde and purple highlights in my hair LOL ... It feels a little strange to reward myself with a new hairstyle but its better then food !!! and I am just not going to waste money on new clothes for a few more months =0) Good luck to you on your journey =0)

I was banded 1/16/12 and I used to be able to see a 'port bump' but now that the swelling is going down its not visible. I can feel it if I try to sleep on my tummy or lean on the anything. I am thinking that will just be something I have to learn to deal with. I am sure as I lose more weight it will be less of an issue. Good luck to you =0)

I was banded on 1/16 as well and lost 9#'s the first week and nothing the 2nd week ... I am hoping to see something by then end of my 3rd week.