Graceful One

I know that when you chew gum you tend to swallow some air. I also have reflux so chewing gum is out for me as a get a golf ball feeling in my throat. Maybe wait until your a little more post op to try it...

Hey Carmen, Happy to report my first fill was painless and smooth sailing...going for my second on Monday the 12th so we'll see how that one goes...I go to Dr. Chua in Milwaukee...where is your doctor located?

Welcome once again to a new international bandster. Please feel free to use catchy little phrases unique to your culture...I love it! I've been reading alot of books by English authors and have picked up some great alternatives to cussing...like you stupid cow! Happy New Year to you all!

I was happy to see this happening too! I'm now officially only "OBESE!" Can't wait to be just overweight...

Welcome to you as well Soo! Like I said to Audrey, I'm sure you will find this forum very informative and supportive. How cool we have an international mix on here! That excites me, perhaps I have a very dull life, but I think it is cool to hear from people in other parts of the world! Again Welcome!

Wow, 225 lbs! That is wonderful! I saw the post from Soo as well. I think it is so cool that this is an international meeting ground! At least I know if I ever have the opportunity to travel to Europe I will be able to arrange and meet you all! Invite as many bandsters as you want! The more the merrier!

Audrey, Welcome. You seem to be doing really well. Thanks for converting the stones to pounds...most Americans have no clue! I'm sure you will find this board very supportive and informational! I love hearing from the worldly bandsters...we have another on here, Bright, from Ireland and a few from Australia!

Carmen, Made the mistake with my band twin of going to Panera Bread in Mequon after our first fill...everything was good until I tried eating my foccacia...the soup was working out fine...EESH! Next time I'll just get soup!

The best place I found is to go to the Inamed website and register and they should send you doctor's names...or you can call their 800# and they should be able to give you the closest to your zip code.

Well, I know at least Donali wanted to hear it so here it goes... Last night I had my first "date" with Steve, the 31 year old Anesthesiologist...we went to Max & Erma's... Now I know all of you are thinking...what did you eat...well I ordered a glass of Cabernet to calm my nerves...yeah...I was lit like a Christmas Tree! I also ordered a chicken salad and picked at it...didn't want to PB on my new found love...it was good... I am pretty confident it went well...I felt I looked nice...I had on a red turtleneck sweater and my cute new SIZE 18 Tommy Jeans...I was praying like hell I would lose 50lbs yesterday but it just didn't happen...now let's pray he likes a girl with meat on her bones and my charm and wit is enough to cover up my size... He's on-call today and off tomorrow...coincedentally I am as well...hoping we get together again...I'll keep you updated!

Thanks Donali! I'm more interested in Fish Sandwhiches than the Fish in the sea...better yet I have my Vizsla Fischer...even better...my little man! Happy Holidays!

Carmen. What happened! NO CALL YET AFTER OUR DATE LAST SUNDAY! I don't get it...we had a nice time...EESH...guess what I'm giving up for the new year...MEN!

Hello! Great loss so far! Welcome. I'm sure you will find a supportive group of people here. Sounds like your loving your band...me too!

My first Christmas but I survived Thanksgiving... I plan on eating whatever I like in small portions... Thank goodness my family all knows...

Welcome. I'm sure you will find valuable information and experiences here. I also recommend www.spotlighthealth.com. If you select morbid obesity it will walk you through your varied options. There is also a very good support group on that site as well. Feel free to ask any questions you have of us!

Bright, You look great too! I can really tell your loss in your face...plus your new do brings out your cheek bones! I'm I the only loser that doesn't own a digital camera? My best friend is home for the holidays from Atlanta so I'm going to take some pics this week. When I get them developed you all will have to help me post. Well I'm off to work!

Shelly! Great new hair cut...brings out your face alot! I just got a trim and cut/color and am so happy...my stylist told me she could really tell I've lost some weight...especially in my face... You look great!

Good way of describing it Bright! I'm the same way...I went out to breakfeast yesterday morning and ordered an omelette with some hash browns...it was huge...I ate about five bites and I was full...brought the rest home and will probably be eating it for another two days... My head still wanted to eat more...I knew if I did I would get that stuck feeling...so...I had to stop... The way I have learned to look at it is this...I'll eat this amount now...stop...if I'm still hungry in a half hour I can eat some more...it's been difficult because I'm used to eating everything on my plate but it's worked thus far! Good Luck!

Sparkle, Have you been recording your measurements? It is very possible that your not losing weight but inches. Try doing that each month. I've noticed when the scale stays the same the inches are going down.

Hello, I was not diagnosed with PCOS but Insulin Resistance...same thing except I didn't have the whacked out periods. So far so good, I was on Glucophage for it and haven't taken it since my surgery six weeks ago...used to get really bad glucose swings daily and haven't had a problem since... PCOS usually resolves with a small amount of weight loss so I think you will notice good things once your banded. Good luck!

Kathy, Best wishes on getting approved...most of all welcome to a great group of bandsters! That is great that when you get approved you will have a close support with your daughter. Is she a member of LapBandTalk? If not you need to bring her in and show her off! Good Luck!

Angela, I just had my first fill last Monday and have only lost about 2lbs...I'm pre-period though so I'm hoping once I get it today some of the Water weight will fall off... However, my Mom took measurements after I had lost the bulk of my weight post surgery in the first few weeks...wouldn't you know even though my scale didn't change much I had lost 9.75 inches...that's a big change! I like what Donali said "This is your life" We are in it for the long haul...sure I wanted to lost 20lbs this month but I'm happy the scale isn't moving up...think of all of us who would gain over the holidays...now aren't you glad your banded? Good Luck!

I hated this stage...I was gagged out on sweetness! I chose alot of refried Beans...a soft omelette with peppers, tomatoes, cheese, and salsa...basically a breakfeast burrito minus the burrito... My save for this week was instant mashed potatoes and stove top stuffing...I know it didn't have alot of protien but if I wouldn't have ate this I wouldn't have ate... It's amazing I still can eat yogurt and pudding...I eat the pudding as a sweet snack when I'm in the mood and usually try the yogurt as a breakfeast... It will be over sooner than you know!

I'm suprised the calories are so low... You know how I view it...I wasn't a big Coke freak...when I drank soda I always drank diet...unless of course I was driving past Mc Donald's and was wanting for a Coke...that is the only time I drank it... For me if I have a frozen coke once a month...or a milk shake at that...it isn't going to kill me...I make good enough decisions daily to keep up my loss. Regardless, it is still going to be less than I would have eaten before...even with a frozen Coke. My sister and her fiancee's family made Christmas Cookies the other week...I told my Mom to save me some...she said, "You can't have cookies...your losing weight." I said to hell with that...if I want a damn cookie I'm going to have one...the only difference now is that I won't eat a dozen...I may have two...regardless there were none left when I went home...or any that I would like...so...no cookies for me... I'm very fortunate I'm not a big junk food eater...I like sweets once and a while and rarely eat chips...actually my ex-fiancee would get upset when I went grocery shopping because I never bought any "food"...apparently whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and dairy are not food... I know alot of women, most of my friends included are demonized by sweets...that has to be hard...I know when I get in that rare mood it consumes my mind...I used to be like that with bread, Pasta, anything with carbs until I was diagnosed Insulin Resistant and went on glucophage...then my cravings stopped...well I haven't taken glucophage for 6 weeks...today is my 6 week bandiversery...and haven't craved carbs much at all...actually I'm rarely hungry and it is more of a challenge for me to eat three meals a day (yes I'm a skipper - bad me - working on this). My toughest vice is coffee...no longer can drink caffienated which isn't a big deal...I drink it for the taste not the buzz...the only problem this causes is I need to remember to get that Water in... I have no clue what the point of this post was...oh yeah...the band is my little tool and I'm going to eat what I want in moderation...

Linda, Glad to hear your happy about not being pregnant! It would be hard with being recently banded. If you had gestational diabetes there is a good chance that you are/were Insulin Resistant...IR is the step before diabetes usually. I feel really good on Lexapro...I was on Prozac Weekly for a few years and was always moody and tired...I do feel alot better since starting the Lexapro... My best friend just got a prescription for it so I'll be really interested to see it working...she's been very irritable for a while and finally she said she was going to try it...