SueBee01

I love water aerobics. I have created my own hour long routine that I now do on my own 3-5 days a week and bike ride and strength train for an hour the other days. I love the pool because I get a good workout and don't even feel like I did anything!

Hey Yoly, I live in Orange Park too! I was banded 1/30/12. My NUT says only eat when hungry, eat healthy and don't worry about Protein or calories right now. I eat two meals a day with one snack for about 500 calories! It's crazy, but I am down 107 pounds. Who is your surgeon. Mine is Dr. Uchal. I had my surgery at St. Vincents. We will have to get together!

TampaGina, congrats on your surgery. Remember everything is still going to look good. It is aprocess that you have to go through to find new things that look good too! When you get to the mushie stage, experiment with things you like and put them in the blender. Your fav meat, Soup, etc. That will help! Mushies include scrambled eggs, fish, most soft stuff. I used to grind up ham, chicken and make mush out of it. Didn't always look good but at least you got something with a little flavor. But don't forget to get all your Water in after you eat. I know have a core menu that I stick to pretty much all the time so it is easier. You will get there!

Thanks Dacoop! The shampoo was very expensive and I agree with the drying out. I just normally use Suave and my hair never felt this dry. I certainly don't plan on spending the big bucks on it agai. Would rather spend it on the vitamins!

Sorry, didn't know you just had surgery. Definitely the gas. I got up and walked around the house at least every hour when I got home to get the gas out. You may have a little pain from where the port was attached also. I felt that discomfort for about a month. It is all normal as you had surgery and believe it or not, it does take the full six weeks to heal. Try to walk as much as you can and it will help. I also had hietal hernia repair at the same time and that pain was more between the breast area and lasted longer. It will get better. I just took the pain meds at night to make sure I got a good nights sleep so your body can heal. Also you can get liquid adult strength tylenol from the pharmacy if you want something that is not as strong.

You may be too tight. I would definitely call our doctor if you are having problems eating and really with your drinking. Don't wait too long. Dehydration is not good at all.

I am with you, I can't wait to see the 100's. I am headed out for vacation later in September and I was hoping to be down 100 pounds by then, and I accomplished that a month and a half early. I will be on a cruise for two weeks so I will really have to watch what I eat and figure out how to exercise since I will not be doing my normal routine!

My doctor said the Biotin does not help alone. Mine has been falling out for four months now and he put me on a Vitamin regimen and it has definitely slowed down. Thank God I have curly hair! Multiple, Iron, zinc, tons of Calcium, D, E, and biotin. I am taking something diff every two hours. He says you have to be careful to not mess up your copper levels. Also, he said that your hair grows in three month cycles. My hair dresser agreed and also said to try Niotin hair shampoo and conditioner. It helps for hair loss and conditions the scalp for new growth. The hair loss is a freaky thing! Glad mine has slowed down now.

Four pounds a week is great!

It is good to experiment with food, but really know what you are eating. Log your food with a program like MyFitnessPal.com. I was shocked when I started using it as now I could really see how many calories and fat I was really eating. I too loved pizza, but I don't eat it anymore because of the calorie content. I have found other things to substitute for it. Or I found the least calorie pizza such as thin crust Domino's ham and pineapple or pacific veggie or spinach and add some chicken for protein. One slice is like 150 calories. Good luck and keep experimenting!

Hope you feel better soon and let us know how it goes!

I put myself on a strict diet when first banded and my NUT convinced me that it can't be a diet and that you have to truly enjoy what you eat or you won't be satisfied and being satisfied helps with the cravings. If I have to have ice cream, I have one bite, if I have to have chocolate, I have one bite. I love cheese and have found I like Cabot 75% RF cheddar cheese with Special K multi-grain crackers. They are the best! 24 is 120 calories, so I eat 1/2 ounce of cheese with 4-6 crackers. It is a great snack! Also Laughing Cow lite Swiss spreadable is only 30 calories. You just have to find stuff that makes you happy and satisfies those salty cravings, crunchy cravings, etc.

Keep in mind that fills are different for everyone. Don't get a fill because you are not losing weight. Get a fill if you are eating a cup of food with 3 oz being protein and you don't feel full/satisfied for a couple hours (say 3-4). You also need to be tracking your food intake to really see what you are eating and how many calories you are burning. Personally, if I exercised three times a week, I don't think I would lose anything. I exercise an hour every day. When you find your rhythm, it will work for you. Intake and exercise is different for everyone too as all of our capabilities are different physically. Always talk to your NUT and surgeon about what you are eating and what type of exercise you are doing as they will guide you the right way!

I agree that I should have done it earlier. I am now 51 and have been overweight since I was a teenager. I was still very active until two years ago when the pain got to be too much from the weight so I decided last year to do something about it as the Yo-Yo dieting definitely was not working! I started changing how I ate two months pre-op to get used to smaller meals, chewing everything to mush, no soda, no white bread and no sweets. So the transition after surgery Jan 30 was much easier. It is truly a learning curve that is not easy, takes lots of exercise, and dedication to yourself!

I have been banded a little over six months. I had one fill at six weeks and am never hungry. My first meal is typically at noon and dinner at 7 or 8 pm. I am sooooo surprised with it and mostly shocked. For the first 4 months I forced 3 meals done because people are supposed to eat three healthy meals a day! My NUT and surgeon finally got it thru my head to go off the Protein drinks and only eat when I am hungry. I have been doing this for a month now and the weight is still melting off. I am down 104 pounds. Everyone is different with the hunger issue and I just feel really fortunate.

You are lucky, I had to wait six weeks to get into the pool. I love the pool too!

Hey Ashley, sounds like you are getting lots of help and support. I just logged in today. I have been hanging out on OH and just heard of these forums. I was banded 1/30/2012 and am down 101 pounds. Like Dennis, I have only had one fill and will not have anymore as long as I conti ue to lose. I also log every thing I eat and my exercise each day. I use MyFitnessPal.com which also has an app for iPhone and Android as I use both. I eat out all the time and also find many restaurants listed on it also. As aim losing, I am only eating two meals a day with One snack for around 500 calories in and burning 500 calories a day. Keep in touch with your NUT and surgeon so they can guide you. Oh, I forgot to tell you that I grew up in Boca Raton and have been living in Orange Park (near Jacksonville, FL) for the past 12 years! I would be happy to bea support buddy too.

When I was early post op, I remember drinking all the time, even now except for the 30 minutes after any Protein. I drank my shakes over a one hour period and half a cup of Soup at a time and did this every two hours. I spread the protein out with smaller amounts more frequently. I always felt full. Experiment until you find what works. Don't force too much of the Protein Drink in at once, especially like tomato soup because it is a little thick and doesn't go down as quick as Water. Good luck to all of you! It works, find your rhythm.