GREATFUL

Hey everyone, looks like all are doing well. After my second fill it has been great. I think I am at that sweet spot. The other day I was working on a project and got real involved and the day went by. I later realize I forgot to eat. We are talking about "ME", I might forget to breath.... but never, ever forget to EAT. So this is how skinny people feel. Mellisa - So sorry about the job, I know it can be hard. Been there done that. Chin up, there is something out there that is just for you. I cant believe it I have been banded for 3 months now. This has been a great journey so far. Take care everyone, Laura

I get a newsletter from the Bob Greene's Best Life Diet website. Today I got this one. I thought I would share it beacuse we are seem to be getting to the point where the weight loss is slowing down and maybe hitting our first plateau. I know it helped me to read this. Nearly every dieter gets to a point where the weight loss slows or, worse, comes to a grinding halt. Even if you don't start regaining, it can be frustrating to see your progress slow, especially if you haven't reached your goal weight yet. Experts call this phase a plateau--and arriving here is actually a sign you're on the right track. "The first 10 percent of your weight loss happens more easily, so when you get to a point where you have less fat, your body has to readjust to the new composition," says Audrey Cross, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York City. It does this by slowing metabolism and holding on more stubbornly to the remaining fat. But now is not the time to give up! The tips below can help you stay positive--and stay the course. Look at a plateau as an opportunity. Try not to get discouraged. Instead, recognize the plateau as a positive sign that you're ready for a few more changes. Shop for new clothes. "Women tend to wear their larger clothes and put off buying new ones until they hit their goal weight. But you deserve a new look right now," Cross says. So go out and buy yourself some transitional clothes today. "It's amazing how flattering the correct clothing size can be." Don't obsess over the scale. Your body is changing in ways that aren't reflected on the scale. Because a pound of muscle weighs more than a pound of fat, you may not notice a drop in actual weight, Cross explains. But muscle takes up less space in your body than fat, so you may find some extra room in your clothes.

I am so thick headed sometimes I just suprise myself. When I had my first follow-up with the Doc I asked him what size band I had. He looked at my chart and told me I had a 10. Well, here I am thinking I have a 10cc band and well, I have heard about the restriction trouble with them and was thinking BUMMER. Oh well, I received 1.8 cc on my first fill. So I went back yesterday to get the second and he said " are you sure you need another fill with the size band you have?" I said, well it holds 10cc's right? He said "NO yours is a 10 cm band and holds 4 cc's" I felt silly, but very happy. He put some more in and I now have 2.5 cc and very good restriction so far. Anyone else have this misunderstanding, or am I the only thick headed one? LOL

I have made an appointment to have my nails and feet done on Thursday. It is my 40lb goal. I am at 39 lbs loss now, but I am working real hard to loose that 1 pound by then. I had my second fill yesterday. On liquids today and soft for a few days. So thinking that one pound will be no problem.

Hey I had refried beans for breakfast too. And at the time it seemed like the best tasting thing in the world. I started walking right after my surgery. Doc released me to do the other (weights) after the six week mark. But he did say to take it easy on the tummy area, it will get sore around the port. I now walk about 30-45 min per day and use my hand weights. Good Luck.

First of all Congratulation on being banded! You are going through a hard stage, at least it was for me. Still on liquids, not much restrictions, and missing food. You just want to chew something. My Doc. will only do fills 6 weeks out. So I had a few tuff weeks of Banster Hell myself. When do you get to start mushies and soft food? That will help alot. Also, my doc recommended a clear liquid fiber to mix with my drinks. It did help me to stay full longer. Just remember, this is the healing stage, give yourself a break.

Thank you Sandra, you are doing great yourself. Putting your colthes in stages may seem silly, but it is a real motivator. What is funny is, well, I have them grouped on hangers, with a ribbon tied around them. So when I think I can wear them it is like opening a gift. Silly I know. Melissa, WOW, great job.

Hey Everyone, When I was on my pre-op diet, the liquid part, the hard part, I tried everything to keep myself busy so I would not think about food. Well I had a little project, I cleaned out my closet and all of my dressers. I piled the clothes on the bed. I went through them and put them in stacks according to their size. Like alot of you I bet, I had sizes ranging from XXL all the way down to size 7 (I think I was in that over 10 years ago, phen phen, only stayed for about a week). Well I took all of the clothes, and put them in stages - Stage one was what I was in when I started this journey, I hung that in my closet. Stage two was the next size and so on. I hung stage two and three in my closet and put other stages in my dresser. I am so excited...... I am am in stage 3, soon to move to the dresser. Have 2 bags of clothes for good will. I just love my band.

I am taking wellbutrin. I take it at night right before I go to bed. Like you, the Pharmacist told me not to crush them because they are time release. Mine are white, about the size of a baby asprin. I have had one fill and I have had no problem with them at all. Good luck.

Hi, I'm Laura, from the Murfreesobor area. My surgen was Dr. Eckles,( Murfreesboro Surgical Specialists) great guy. I am a little past 2 months since being banded. I had my first fill 7 weeks out. I have a appointment for my second fill on July 16th. Good to see so many from TN.

Just like you I am a big emotional eater - happy, sad, bored etc. What helped me was my Doc. required a six week pre-op diet that included 2 weeks of liquids. Talk about having to face your snacking deamons, that will make you do it. I have found out that my biggest snacking problem is when watching TV. So I plan ahead. Stay busy with my hands, fold laundry,knit, chewing gum, drink water. Or just get up and do something diffrent. You will learn your triggers when you are faced with them, some will be harder than others. You will stumble a few times, but the band will limit the amount of junk you can stuff in your face. When it gets bad, come here, read, chat. Good luck..........

Sandra, I am no expert, but I have read here on this forum that your restrict can be delayed. Also, you could have irritated your stomac. Even stress and TOM can effect your restriction. Have you tried a liquid diet form a day and see if that helps. That will help if you have irritations, give the swelling time to go down. Just like after surgery. Like I say, not an expert, just a suggestion. Hope it gets better.....

Hey Everyone, How is it going? I had a good weekend, did alot of work around the house and yard. It just suprises me sometime how much better I feel with just the weight I have taken off my body so far. I am able to work in the garden longer and vacuming does not kill me like it used too. Hey I just have to tell you about what happened Fri. night. We went out to dinner a couple that we are close friends with. I have not told them about my surgery. (Only my DH knowes) The lady is a larger woman. I order griled chicken and vegies and water. We are eating and I do not drink of course and take my time and chew, chew, chew. I cannot finish all of my meal so ask for a to-go box. After I do all of that, she leans over and says "Laura, can I ask you a question, did you have lap band surgery?" I was so suprised, I said "Yes, how did you know" She said, "Well it is plan to see that you have lost weight, and I noticed how you don't drink water with your meal, and chew real slow and cannot eat all of your meal." come to find out she has been researching the lap band for herself. It was great to be able to share it with her and tell her about the surgery and what it has been like up to this point. I was glad she guess. I shared with her why I had not told anyone, that it was very personal to me. She said she understood and felt the same way. So, she is checking into it and I hope the best for her and told her about this site and how wonderful it is. So it just goes to show, we don't know who is watching.

Hey how is everyone doing? Well I found out lastnight that my band does not like spaghetti. Made my DH one of his favorites, chicken spaghetti. Thought I would try a little spaghetti, chewed real well, but not go. At least I have learned from my previous experiences when to stop, and dont take another bite. So I just picked out the chicken and was just fine. I have funny restriction, it seems to come and go. I am having to learn my body and this band. Sometime I can eat more, then the next time not very much. I have read here where alot of people are tighter in the morning. I am backwards, I am tigher in the evening. I love that because I am an working on being a reformed evening grazer. I would get home from work and it was a non stop snacking event, chips, ice cream etc. But not now. I love my band. I have a appointment for my second fill on July 16th. Take care all.......

Are we starting this now, or on July 1st?

Thank you, Sandra. WOW, You are doing great yourself!!

Sandra, I hiccup when I get full also. I dont get the hiccups, I usually just have a few big hiccups. It has gotten to where when we are eating and I hiccup, my DH says, "I guess your full". I asked the doc about this and he said that it was when your full stomach pushes against your diaphram causes this to happen. I say it is my body telling my hand to put the fork down.

I had my first fill a week ago. All is going well, learning what this banded life is all about. Just as reminder, CHEW CHEW CHEW..... I had my first (and hope my last) PB this morning. And it was with a banana. I was sitting at my desk and eating my banana, checking emails. Not paying much attention to how I was chewing. Well believe me, a banana can get stuck if you do not chew it well. Had to run to the bathroom and just kinda burped and a piece of banana came out. Hope I don't ever have to do that again. Note to self; pay attention when eating and chew chew chew.

Count me in. I have been walking each day after work for about 45 min. and doing some free weights for my upper body. I am looking into joing a place here called "1,2,3 FIT". Has anyone heard of them? I think it is something like Curves. I manage to get my Water in most days, but need to work on it. This is great, I need all the motivation I can get.

I am with you guys. It is hard to stop eating. I find that I get that full feeling and I only have a few bites left on my plate. So I almost feel funny leaving them there. The band is working, it is real hard to overeat. It is almost like now I have this protective force field between me and food. Now if I can just get my mind to let go of this need to eat when I am tired, bored, watching tv...etc. I have now started kniting to keep my hands and mind busy............anyone need a sweater? lol

I have a friend who had gastric a little over a year ago, she lost 100 lbs real fast. Now, she has stretched her stomach out and is gaining. She is looking into getting the lapband now. She tells me that I made the right decision with the band and not gastric, she wishes that is what she had done to start with.

OUCH!!! I am so sorry you had such a hard time. I guess it helps that my doc is banded himself, and he knows what we are going through.

Hey Everyone!!! How is it going? I had my first fill yesterday. It was not bad at all, doc gave me a shot to numb the site, felt like a bee sting. I felt only a slight pressure after that. It was not bad at all. I was talking to him about the banster HELL, and he said it was a good thing, you want that. He said it means you are healing properly, all of your swelling is going down. I trust my doc, he has been banded himself. So I trust him to know what he is talking about. I am on liquids for two days and then a few days of mushies. I now have some restriction and the hunger is not there anymore. I feel like I did right after surgery. Hang in there guys, I know what all of you are talking about when it comes to the guilt, and worrying about food. I thought I was going crazy. That is why I love this site. My doc said remember, there is nothing off limits, just take a few bites and move on. The band is to help you eat less, and it is for the rest of your life. How many times have we been on diets where we would say "this is a lifestyle change" and could not stick to the changes in the diet. Well we now have a tool, and we can do this. ONE DAY AT A TIME!!!

I don't know how your Doc tells you how to track you protein intake, my told me to get in a certain amount of grams of protein per day. So if I had powder in a soothie, or slimfast, I would keep track of the protein grams. I was trying to get around 80 grams per day. Hope this helps. Good luck on your journey....

I guess I am in what thye call "BANSTER HELL" big time. I could eat the paint off the walls. I am getting in all of my fluids and protein and eating between 900 - 1200 calories a day. I try real hard to keep it on the lower end, but most days are real hard. I walk everyday and have started some weights. The way I am feeling now reminds me so much of ow I felt when I would go to Weight Watchers. I have appt. to get my first fill on the 18th. I can't waith, hope it helps with this hunger issue. Just part of this wonderful jurney I guess.