Marissa1014

Name, real or screen~ Marissa Goal weight for October 29th~ 197 (that will put me at 100 pounds lost!) Weight on October 1st~ 208 Age~ 25 Dietary goal for October~ Get on a consistent Vitamin regimen, stop eating when full, not stuffed Exercise goal for October~ Find more time for the gym! Personal goal for October~ Apply to medical school Date banded~ 4/6/12 Total weight loss since banding/pre op diet~ 89 lbs What is your favorite Halloween Activity?~ Carving pumpkins

I like "baked ricotta" which is really lasagna without the pasta and meat. I also like "taco dip" with taco sauce, fat free refried beans, puréed avocado, fat free or light sour cream. Mashed potatoes with a puréed chunky soup gravy on top is pretty good too! Pea soup also purées nicely.

Alex, From one young bandster to another (or so it appears!) congratulations on making the leap! I had my surgery in April and it was hands down the best decision I ever made for myself! Follow the rules and take each day as it comes and you will do great! It's already changed my life and I am so grateful! Best of luck!

Echoing what everyone else said, drinking in moderation is okay. Be sure to track your calories to make sure you don't overdo it. Alcohol can be high calorie with no protein payoff, and consequently I avoid it. My doctor also said both alcohol and caffeine are appetite stimulants as well.

Way to go!! I can't wait to reach that milestone!!

I had my surgery in April and I have yet to get stuck or experience any warning signs! I really chew my food to mush and spit out anything that I can't get to that consistency. I had my fourth fill yesterday, so when I'm back on solids, we'll see if anything changes! I, too, worry about getting stuck, but I'm careful and hope for the best! And if it does happen, I'll make adjustments and deal with it. I'm down 72 pounds and feel like a whole new person. If throwing up every once in awhile is the price I have to pay, so be it!

I second what toomuchfun said! I love my band! The diet process is still, to me, a diet and is consequently difficult, but the band certainly makes things easier! I'm four and a half months in and I NEVER last this long on a diet. Having the band there keeps me accountable and having specific guidelines to follow has helped me be successful. Checking in with a doctor for fills has helped to keep me accountable as well. I rarely notice my band (discomfort-wise) unless I'm laying flat on the floor on my stomach with the kids, or like today when I'm sore because a resident poked around me like a pin cushion for two minutes to find my port until my doctor came to the rescue! I also want to add that everyone's experience is different. I have yet to get stuck at all or have difficulty swallowing anything so maybe the same will happen for you! Good luck with everything!

Doctor responded as I thought he would! He said it's completely normal and will not last forever. What I've lost will grow back once my body levels off. He tends to be really positive/never worried about anything, but he definitely knows how to make me feel better and he has always been right so far!

I commented with the same question last week! The hair loss is scary! The responses I got included carefully watch protein intake, take biotin, and get a better multivitamin (I was taking women's one a day gummies). I am going in for a fill today and will ask my doctor about it. If he has anything to add, I will post it!

I am down 71 pounds since April and my boobs have WAY shrunk! I have been putting off buying new bras because the new clothes shopping (while a blast) has become expensive, but the cups on my bras are so big now they are kind of puckering and it is not cute! Is the Victoria Secret policy like that at all locations or just at your store?

When I am on liquids only I actually enjoy cooking for others. It keeps me busy so I'm not bored and wanting to eat, and in some weird way the aromas help satisfy my hunger. Occasionally if I need to taste what I'm cooking to make sure the seasonings are right, I chew a little up and spit it into the sink. My family always feels bad about eating what I cooked when I cannot eat, but I try to tell them it actually helps me! I'm sure this is not the case for everyone, but it works for me!

I'm about 4 months post-surgery, and my hair has been coming out pretty heavily for the past few weeks Fortunately it was really thick to begin with so it's not noticeable to others (yet), but I can feel how much it's thinned out and it's starting to freak me out a bit! I'm seeing my doctor next week for a fill, so I plan to ask him about it then, but has anyone here experienced this? From what I've read online, it sounds like it may be a post-surgery effect that will go away? Or it could be a protein issue? I track my meals and get a minimum of 50g a day. My initial goal was 79g, but I figured since I've lost 70 pounds my protein goal probably isn't as high anymore? Feedback?

Thanks for all of the feedback, I am loving this forum!! I do take vitamins, but they are gummies (one a day women's with calcium). I will look into getting a better brand! Also the biotin..is that just another separate vitamin? And thanks for the protein calculator, that is very helpful! I had talked to my doctor about protein intake and he had said as long as I get 50g I am fine. Then again, he is not a nutritionist! Thanks for all of the pointers. I am glad I am not alone! Hopefully the shedding season will be over soon, ha!

Hey guys! I'm new to this forum, and while I have a lot of questions, one burning question is: do you all get stuck? I was banded at the beginning of April, I've had 3 fills, have lost 67 pounds, and have yet to get sick. Everyone I've spoken to says "just wait, it will happen!" I have yet to eat something that doesn't go down. I do chew everything very thoroughly to a mush, and I spit out things that I can't get to this consistency such as strings from pea pods or celery or really chewy pieces of ground beef. I worry that at some point I will get stuck, but my doctor said it won't necessarily happen to me. I also worry that it's a bad thing that I can eat whatever I want (just smaller quantities, of course). So I guess my question is, are there any other no-stuckers out there? Or am I simply in a honeymoon phase? Although the lifestyle change was a major adjustment, this whole thing has really been a dream so far!

Thanks for all of the responses, guys! It's good to know that it is possible I will continue down this non-stuck path, but if eventually that changes, I'm okay with it. I will just cut foods from my diet like I assumed I'd have to in the beginning. But until then (if that day should come), I will enjoy the honeymoon!

That really sucks! Makes me appreciate my doctor and the office he works for. They are always encouraging, high-fiving, and leaving most decisions to me (with guidance, of course). Shout-out to Dr. Haag and Pioneer Valley Surgical Group! And keep on pushing, you are doing just fine!

I second what other people were saying about logging your food. I use My Fitness Pal to track what I'm eating and I find it helps keep me accountable. Exercise is another big one! Be mindful of the amount of sugar you are taking in. Drink lots of water. Most other drinks have lots of sugar!

I told next to no one the specifics of my surgery. I told my work I was having surgery and left it at that. For people who asked what I had surgery on, I said my stomach and no one pushed any further! I chose to keep it private because I didn't want to hear anyone's opinions. I didn't want people to ask me how things were going, because if they weren't going well I knew I wouldn't want to talk about it! I didn't want people talking about me and my decision to have surgery and my successes/failures behind my back. I had the surgery for me and it was no one else's business! Once my weight loss became noticeable, people began asking how I was doing it, and mostly I would say small portions, high protein, low sugar and exercise! Now that I have been quite successful, I'm more comfortable with sharing, but I am glad that I kept it so private in the early days!

Occasionally I get the same shoulder pain. I asked my doctor about it and he said that gas in the abdomen can localize pain to the shoulder. He suggested that I make sure I am eating slowly, drinking slowly, not chewing gum, etc. to help prevent this gas from building up. I have also heard some people say Gas-X helps. I have been more careful about eating slowly and I haven't had shoulder pain in awhile!