sassaay

Hi Mandy, First congratulations!!! I am curious to know what state you are in and also if you have Highmark BCBS PPO or HMO? I had to change from Cigna HMO to Highmark BCBS PPO in January. Cigna paid for my band and re-band due to leak... but I have been weary to call Highmark BCBS about my aftercare. The doctor has been submitting bills and so far I haven't had to pay anything... but I think the doctor may be discounting me the difference between what the insurance pays for office visits and fills, etc. I did have an upper GI at the hospital and they paid that 100%. Thanks and good luck with your band journey.

All -- I appreciate this thread and want to thank (especially) Michelle and Alexandra and others for posting your thoughts and comments. I have learned a lot about what may be normal and what may be more of a concern from reading about others experiences. But I have to agree that we must not lose sight of the long-term benefits of appropriate band management and do our best to stay in close communication with our doctors for the most experienced and healthy advice. Thanks for this great thread!

We will be thinking of you and sending your prayers for a safe surgery and quick recovery. Check in when you feel up to it and let us know how you are doing. You are going to be one hot mama and we will want to see all your after pics! Take Care and feel better soon.

I think your grandma just gave you a hug! How sweet... even if you didn't shut the door just right, you made it easier for her to push it open and wrap her arms around you Have a blessed day!

Hi Jonathan, I would like to join the challenge. I sent you a quicknote on your website with my starting stats: sassaay start weight: 214 goal: 10lbs in 10 weeks for an end weight of 204. I am going to opt out of the photo as 10lbs won't make a noticable difference on me. I have before and now pics where I cannot see a 40lbs loss!!! Good luck everyone. I have only had my coffee this morning, so I still have a chance of eating healthy today. I am taking this one day at a time. Especially since I am addicted to ice cream and it has been calling me every night this past week. :dead Thanks for the support!

How my body responds to gum chewing depends on my level of restriction. At little to no restriction - gum gives me shoulder pain and when I throw it out the pain goes away (must be gas)... But at higher levels of restriction, I can chew gum just fine and I am very careful not to swallow it. You might have to test it to see how it goes.

I am going to try as well... I have been lurking (only) lately, but I need to get it together. I had to have all of my fill removed due to heartburn & reflux and I cannot get a re-fill until July 6. I have already gained 3 lbs and feel like I am craving things I haven't craved in many, many months. I cannot stop myself from eating!!! I need serious help and support, so count me in. Thanks everyone, I LOVE THIS BOARD!

It sounds like you are doing things right, but how is your level of restriction? I know for me, I can eat the right things 90% of the time and exercise like a maniac... but if my portions are still too large I won't lose weight. Too much yo-yo dieting over the years has killed my metabolism. Maybe you need a fill?

Me too! Now, I keep a throw-away ziploc container full of paper towels under the seat... just in case, I can grab it quickly and not have to look for a secluded place or save haven! AND the paper towels come in handy!!! Some times there is no advanced warning and you gotta do what you gotta do :-)

How many calories you consume is what determines whether or not you gain or lose weight. If you ate a pound of lettuce, it would have far less of an effect on weight gain/loss than if you ate a pound of chocolate. 1 pound of weight gain or loss is equivalent to 3500 calories. Everyone burns a certain amount of calories by just existing and this amount is different for each individual and depends on many factors. The more you exercise the more you burn. Let's say that you burn 1000 calories by just existing (no additional exercise, movement, etc.) and you eat 4500 calories in a day, scientifically speaking you should gain 1 pound... but there are other factors that also play into how much you might gain/lose... if you are retaining Water, you may find that even though you didn't consume enough calories to gain a pound, it may still happen. All in all, gaining a pound has nothing to do with eating a pound of food. You win this one over dear old dad. Have a good day.

Hi All, I sampled a Protein at my support group meeting the other night and it was by far the best tasting protein I have had to date. All we did was mix with Water and ice - no other flavor enhancers like fruit or Peanut Butter or juice - AND it was great! Tasted like Vanilla Ice Cream!!! I just ordered some online, here is the link: http://www.permalean.com/ It says that you can email to the following address to request a free sample: orders@permalean.com We tried the Vigorously Vain Vanilla flavor. Here are some additional details about their protein: Why are they the best protien company? 1. The taste 2. Only 3 net carbs 3. Only 2 grams of sugar 4. 21 grams of protein with only 190 calories 5. No trans fats, no preservatives, no hydrogenated oils 6. No high frutose corn syrup If anyone else tries this one, please let me know what you think? Thanks,

Hi Karri, I agree with Kathy... I think that is a good plan. It is great that you are not feeling hungry (I am sure it has to do with the Protein ever hour)... but if you stick to high protein when you do drink it... I am sure you will be fine and can still get in some of your Water. Feel better soon and keep us posted on how it goes. Take Care,

Was this the menu that your doctor gave you? You will find that EVERYONE gets different orders from their docs and you should follow what he/she tells you to do, but IMHO... it seems that maybe you could cut out the extra items like the clam chowder, yogurt, rice and banana and stick to 2 oz of pure Protein shake each hour and sip on Water throughout the day. It looks like you are getting close to 50 grams of protein with your current menu and the vanilla protein in the crystal light is giving you 12 grams of protein with a 2 oz serving. Maybe you are getting too much protein in one sitting and it is making you feel too full. Don't get me wrong, you need protein to keep you from feeling hungry... but water is just as important during this phase. I would discuss with my doc.

Sorry, but I have to agree with La madam. You are in a very trying phase of your journey, but it does get better. I put a tablespoon of Peanut Butter into my Protein shake before blending. This seemed to help. I was only allowed to drink clear fluids with 1 Protein Shake a day for 2 weeks. By the end of week two I think I was having constant stomach grumbling and hunger pains... but I was very proud of myself for sticking to my doctors orders. Stay strong and try to sip some fluids all day long.

Great Job! You look fantastic. Thanks for sharing!

Megan, Your personality is just shining bright!!! You look fantastic! Thanks for the update and keep up the great work. What is your final goal? Because I would think you would have made it at another 30 lbs??? I am not for being a skinny minny, so maybe I just see people differently.

Esmeralda, My thoughts are with you and I hope you can stay strong and move forward. Relationships are so hard and I think a lot of us on this site can relate to your situation. Some men are attacted to larger women just don't want to see us lose weight and feel better about ourselves. It seems that you have made a positive move for you and your children. Keep your head up and remember that you can now move to a place where your heart will be open for someone who truly deserves what you have to offer. I hope things start looking up. Take Care,

Hi, I am just wondering... Did you get this info from your legal counsel?

Alex, Congratulations!!! What a great share! I can't wait to be in your shoes!

Hi Tellie, My band doc was scheduling me for fills every 6 weeks. With my first band I started at 1cc, came back in 6 weeks and it was pretty much gone. She thought maybe a lot of air was in the band and filled me to 1.5cc. After the next 6 weeks it was under 1cc. She then ordered a fill under floro w/ contrasting Fluid. This is when we saw that the fill was spilling out around the band. We believe there was a leak in the balloon. She filled me to 2cc and I was tight for a couple of days and then no restriction again... so I got my new band. My fills are much easier now and at every fill, I still have what was put in the last time. Hopefully, the end of my drama. :cheeky

Hi Judy... not sure if you meant me... but I have the Inamed 4cc band and I am currently at 1.3 cc. I have been as high as 2.4 cc in my present Band, but started having problems so I kept getting slight unfills until I got to where I am today... 1.3 cc's seems to be working for me.

I too have had two bands and experienced differences... but in my case they were both Inamed 4cc bands. I have summed up my differences to the fact that my first band had a leak in the balloon and I never had restriction for more than a couple of days. But, with my first band if I overate I would get this pain in my side... almost like the stitch you get when you exercise... with this band I feel like the food is filled in my pouch up to my 'adam's apple' and this means I have had too much. I am still learning how to work with my restriction, but here are some of the realizations I am coming to: * When I am hungry, before my stomach even rumbles and growls… I get the shoulder pain that some experience after surgery. It only goes away if I eat and if I ignore it, I will eventually experience the other signs of hunger. I have tried my best to understand this and all I can say is that when I have too much restriction, I never get hungry and therefore never experience this pain… but at a good level of restriction (eating less than 1 cup of food at meals and having it last 4-5 hours) I will get this pain at least 1/2 hour before I feel other signs of hunger. * When I am eating (and have a nice level of restriction) at first everything is comfortable. When I start getting full, it seems that things start backing up and it starts getting uncomfortable to swallow. Almost feels like something is stuck in the stoma. This is my sign to stop eating. Sometimes if I wait a while I can continue to eat, but I try to remember that if I am satisfied I should just stop eating and I can have a snack later if I get hungry. This normally never happens and I can wait 4-5 hours for my next meal. * If I am really tight (like in the mornings) and I eat something… I might not have a PB episode, but I will feel like something is stuck in my throat every time I swallow. When this happens I can normally wait at least 2 hours, then drink a hot beverage and this seems to help. * Finally, the last odd thing I experience when I am really tight is the feeling like I need to burp but cannot or barely can and it doesn't help the feeling. I also experience this if I eat something that doesn't work well with my band. For example - nuts. I have tried having a small amount of nuts and each time it gives me this feeling, so I am starting (I am a bit hard-headed) that nuts don't work for me. * With my first band, I could still eat bread, chips, nuts, dry meat, etc. Probably because it wasn't working properly. Now, I have to be more selective with my food choices. My band does not like leftovers much! Thanks for sharing your experiences, it is nice to see that each of us is different and our experiences are not always the same. Great job with your weight loss… you are doing an excellent job. Take Care, A.

Hi Natalia, Sorry to hear that you are having a hard time. I have lived with that vicious cycle of not allowing enough time between PB's and eating solids... it is no fun, so I can only imagine how frustrated you must feel having to deal with this for an entire year. Not sure if you have tried any of the following... but these are things that I have had to come to terms with and basically try and remember each time I sit down to eat: * Try a variety of solid foods. Maybe you won't be able to eat Tuna and chicken like others... Or maybe these meats are not moist enough. Chicken breast can be very dry and tuna is also difficult to disolve without a lot of help (mayo/dressing). Have you tried very moist meats cooked in a crock pot until they fall apart? * How big are your bites of food? I have learned that I need to cut up my food into very small pieces before trying to put them in my mouth. Otherwise, I find myself rushing to eat (because I am hungry) and my bites are too big and this leads to problems. I have seen some recommendations of bites no larger than a pencil eraser... I think my bites are about 2x this size. * If I think I have taken too big of a bite... I will hold some of the food in my mouth. I know this sounds disgusting, but I will chew, chew, chew... but only swallow a very small amount. Then I will chew, chew, chew and again swallow a small amount. I keep doing this until my mouth is empty and then I stop and rest before taking another bite. * I found a mindful eating tool called the Powerseed. http://www.powerseed.com/ It is a small audible or flashing light unit that helps you slow down when eating. You take a bite every time the Powerseed flashes or beeps (every 30 seconds)... You cannot take another bite until you get that signal. After 5 minutes there is a different light flash or signal that prompts you to examine your level of hunger. Are you satisfied? If so, stop eating. If not, then continue eating at 30 second intervals for another 5 minutes. I have found that often I don't feel ready to take another bite after 30 seconds... so I will wait for the next signal. I also find that I am almost always satisfied after the first 10-15 minutes. I guess the bottom line is... if you haven't already tried very moist solids and very small bites with lot's of time between those bites... maybe some of these suggestions will help. Now, I am only suggesting this for those times when you haven't PB's in at least 24 hours. If I have a BAD PB episode, I actually go at least 48 hours on fluids. I am getting to the point now where I can tell whether or not I have let enough time go by after a PB before eating solids... I drink a semi thick Protein drink and unless it goes down easily... I stay on fluids until I can drink one of these comfortably. I hope you are feeling better really soon. Take Care, A.

Hi Kelly... sorry to hear about your problems. I don't have the reflux, but thought I would share my experience with what you mentioned about your stomach shrinking. My highest fill was 2.4... which I thought was my 'sweet spot' for about 3 weeks, then I couldn't get Water down. I had been at 2cc's over the holidays and still thought I was eating too much. I went from 2.4 down to 1.5 and about 3 weeks later starting having problems again. Now, I am at 1.3 and have been for about 5 weeks. Months ago, I was at 1.3 and could eat anything and everything. Now at 1.3, I have a completely different level of restriction. There are definitely things I can no longer eat like breads and my portions are now at an amount where I once again think I am at my sweet spot. It is so weird to me... I once thought my sweet spot was 2.4 and now it is 1.3??? I had an upper GI today... just to make sure no slippage, etc. According to my doc everything looks great. Band is in perfect place and I have a small pouch and the barium goes to the lower stomach in a very small stream... My doc doesn't thinks I have the perfect level of restriction at 1.3. So, now we will see if I can get the weight loss going again. I have been turning to liquids, chocolate and ice cream out of frustration and this has dramatically slowed my weight loss. This is definitely a journey and not an easy way OUT! I hope you are feeling better. Also, I don't know if you mentioned this... but are you allowing enough time after eating before laying down? I know that if I eat late, I can still feel food in my pouch before I go to bed. On these occassions, I always sleep sitting up... just in case. I think I read somewhere to only lay down 2-3 hours after eating. Take Care, (Anne)

I made a very quick chicken curry last night. Here is what I did: Sauted onions and garlic in a small amount of olive oil. Cut seasoned chicken breast (seasoned with garlic, grill seasoning and pepper) into bite size chunks Removed onions and garlic from skillet and added a bit more olive oil to brown the chicken. Once chicken was brown on all sides I added the onions and garlic back and sprinkled curry powder over the entire mixure. I added enough Water to cover the chicken and stired everything to combine the curry powder. I brought the mixture up to a simmer and covered it for 15 minutes. I then added a couple of new potatoes slices into bite size pieces. I let this simmer until the potatoes were almost done, then I added some leftover cooked veggies (peas and corn is what I had) and added a bit more water to make a little more gravy. The whole process took less than an hour and I ate it like a stew. Just be careful not to overcook the chicken as you know -- breast can get tough... but this is also a great recipe for the skinless, boneless chicken thigh. This is a great idea to share quick meals... I am always looking for new ideas. Thanks!