bandedsinger

I was a huge Diet Coke fan before my surgery. I stayed away from it for about 6 months post op, but then was told by my doctor, it was OK if I really wanted it. I usually have about 1 glass a day now - I just drink it slowly and savor every sip.

That's fantastic & happy birthday!!

I was never much a drinker - if I drank more then twice a month, that was a lot. I would always prefer to eat my calories, from large amounts of carbs, rather then drink them. My doctor has always said that having a small glass of wine every day, cannot hurt you, unless you are one of those people who have a problem with alcohol. You do need to count that 100 cal into your daily totals for the day. I very much enjoy my wine now, (maybe 2 or 3 times a week), and savor that glass like it is a dessert.

I did, and proudly announced it yesterday - first time in 10 years that I'm under 200. Congratulations to you, and to all the future Onderland people! If you haven't gotten there yet, just be patient, your time will come.

Thanks everyone. The encouragement on this site is amazing, and has really helped me through this journey.

I'm so excited!! I never thought I'd see that number again - it's been over 10 years. I have a talking scale, and when I heard the number "one hundred," rather than "two hundred," I was practically crying, however I really expected my scale to do more than just utter the words "one hundred and...." I though it should at least play some music, sing me a song....lol. For all those waiting...just keep working it - if I can do it anyone can!!

He actually got it done at NYU Langone Weight Management Center, (where I had it done), and used the same surgeon as Rex Ryan, (NY Giants manager).

Yup, I also had it done at the same NYU group. I keep wondering when the media will start hounding him for his results. Each individuals pace of weight loss is very different, plus he's over 50, which can be more challenging as well. I know he'll be able to handle the press, but it's always scary when someone in the public eye gets this surgery - they will be scrutinzied down to the last detail.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I tried drinking slowly some tea - it was painfully initially, but I finally was able to "rid myself" of whatever was stuck. It was a slow process that took about 4 hours. I've been on liquids the rest of the day, but thinks feel back to normal. I never want to go through that again. I've just got to eat slower - and I think I will not be eating microwaved re-heated Ahi Tuna steaks - no matter how much I love them and how much they cost..lol

Yeah, I did reheat it in the microwave, and I shouldn't have done that - but I also ate it too fast, (old habits die hard). I'm definitely going to drink liquids for the rest of the day.

I've had the band since July of 2012, and have had a minimum of fills, which occured during the 1st few months. I've had probably less then 5 stuck episodes during this whole time, and they usually have resolved themselves easily and quickly. Last week I had decided to go for a small fill - my weight loss had slowed down, and frankly, I've always thought I was on the edges of the green zone, but not really "in it." The doctor gave me .25 cc's and I went on my way. Things seemed fine, and I didn't feel any different, but today, after re-heating and eating some Ahi Tuna steak, it got stuck, and I'm in a lot of pain. I've tried to get "rid of it," so to speak, but I haven't gotten too much relief. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how to ease the pain. I don't think I need or want an unfill - I just probably ate too fast, (still one of my problems). Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

That's so great!! I can't wait for that number myself. I'm a little under 5 lbs away right now, but I feel I have been waiting for that moment forever. We have a scale in our house that talks to you. I'm wondering if it even knows how to say any number in the 100's. The only people that step on that scale are myself, my husband and my son..lol.

Thanks - I appreciate the info.

That was a very interesting article Missy, thanks. I was curious about something - how did you get your basal metabolism rate? The reason I'm asking is that I took a test that measures your REE -Resting Energy Expenditure, (I think). . It measured the amount of calories I need every day to maintain my current weight, but at total rest, (first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, no Water, and you can't even read or listen to music during the test). When I took it, I weighed 217 lbs, and my REE was 1290, (that would be for no activity, just lying in bed and breathing). Then they multiply that number by 1.2, which would account for getting up, walking around, (typical activity without anything formal). For that, the number went up to 1548, which to me still seemed low. I then asked if my REE would go down as I lose more weight, but they didn't think very much. They also said the one way to raise your REE was to build muscle.

For the most part, I eat in response to hunger - usually it's 3 meals a day, and 1 to 2 snacks. I use "My Fitness Pal" religously, and mostly stay at a range of 1100-1300 calories a day. I find that amount of food is very satisfying, and I'm not hungry as long as, (and this is the most important part), I have a minimum of 60 grams of protein a day. My doctors also believe that one does not slow their metabolism down by taking in few too many calories. They feel that it's all a numbers game, with calories taken in verses expenditure going out. We all go through plateaus, but that's just the bodies way of catching up to the changes happening.