La_madam

You got my attention! Although I'm a little bummed out ..I was so excited to see a thread started with your name and the topic SEX cuz I knew it had to be good

How about mixing your protein drink with different flavored extracts..like bananna, vanilla, rasberry, mint, any one of those with some splenda will help it to taste better.

Hey Delarla Have a great time here in California, I hope nurse Penni can look at your incision and can help you one way or another. Sorry we did not get the chance to hook up while I was in Vegas. Send me your address so I can mail you a big box of the clothes I was to give you

I have that exact pain in my left side from time to time ..a sideache like I have ran too fast. It just comes out of no where, not constant but uncomfortable when it does come.

I did not take Zoloft but did take Paxil..same anti depressant family. The paxil is why I'm here today. I 'm 38 yrs old but when I was 29 yrs old I had lost 100 pounds all on my own with hard work and determination...at age 35 I was put on Paxil & Xanax for depression/ panic attacks & anxiety issues when I had MAJOR tragedy hit my family. While on the Paxil, nothing in my daily routine changed, I ate the same exercised the same, my activities were the same, but I was gaining weight, now after keeping the 100 pounds I had lost for well over 5 years I was baffled as to why I was gaining weight. I know they tell you a womans metabolism changes when she hits 35 but that could not be the reason for me to put on so much weight. SO I went back to my doctor and he told me anti depressants will slow down the bodys metabolic rate to almost zero. *sighs* wish he would of told me that before putting me on the paxil. He then prescribed me the Phen Phen, he said alot of women are now doing the Pro (for prozac) Phen (for phentermine) diet. Many women put on weight with any kind of anti depressant and no matter how hard they try it is very difficult for the weight to come off. I finally told the doctor to ween me off of the paxil, the weight gain was making me more depressed then the depression I was taking it for. I also took xanax for anxiety also, since being banded and losing some weight I have only taken it maybe 1-2 times in 4 months which I used to take it daily. Now that Im feeling good about myself and have some self esteem back I do not get my panic attacks or anxious moments. Good Luck to you Audrey.. I hope everything works out for you.

Letha Could it be appendix or gallbladder related? Both of those are located on the right side area. Does it hurt at certain times? Like when you eat? Or is it constant? I hope you get answers and relief soon!

I'm like Alex....I'm between 1000-1500 I take the Viactive chews and the dairy products I consume daily.

That is a difficult question to answer becasue everyone is so different when it comes to fills and how much you get with your fill. I, personally have only had one fill of 1.1cc;s and I have plenty of restriction and have done well with it..I'm losing 1-2 pounds a week. I do not think you will never ever experience that "Thanksgiving dinner" full feeling again but I do feel full after I eat but it is not an uncomfortable full it is more of a satisfied full, that is where your head has to do some of the work..I now only eat when I'm truly hungry and stop when I'm satisfied. I do not eat just becasue I " think" I'm hungry like I did pre band. I have the same problem at night..I crave sweets so instead I go into my room with my 24oz water bottleand read, post here or watch TV to keep my mind off the cravings. The water helps. I stay as far away from the kitchen as I can Good Luck to you

My Monday weigh in is the same as Fridays 225.5 Congrats Darcy..3 pounds is fantastic! Especially with all that you are going through.. I hope you are feeling batter. I was out of town last week and just read the whole thread of your pain ordeal. I hope you get some answers real soon, sort of sounds like gallbladder issues to me..lets hope its something simple. I know all too well about the buffets..I was in Vegas for 5 days last week and ate 3 meals a day at those damn buffets...was so afraid to get on the scale when I got home but when I did it was a loss of 2 pounds...Hope you have a great week..please let us know what happens Wednesday.. Alex way to go with your loss!!!!...any loss is a "good thing"...Keep it up..

Hi Dee I started this journey at 265lbs, close to 300 and I can honestly say there is no way I will need plastic surgery to remove any excess skin. I have lost 40 and am almost half way there as my goal is 90 pounds. I swim and my job keeps me active which I think is helping me from becoming flabby also the slow rate of weight los of 1-2 pounds a week helps. Maybe I'm still young enough at 38 and have not been morbidly obese for very long...dont get me wrong I have battled with my weight all my life but at 29 yrs old I made a life styl;e change and lost 100 pounds and kept it off for over 5 years but then tragedy struck my family and I mean tragedy..I was put on an anti depressant and that was my down fall..the weight just started coming back on.

WOW What a difference..you look fabulous Alex.. Cute girls too...and hubby is a cutie too Keep up the great job!

I would ask your doctor about the fill at 4 weeks. If you tell him you are going on a cruise and are concerned about eating too much ten maybe he will. My doctor says no fill until atleast 6 weeks out but he will make acceptions if you are starving and have had no weight loss since surgery. I had my first fill at 9 weeks post op.. Hey it wont hurt to ask, the worst he can do is say no right? But also see how you do once you get to solid foods, you may not need it. Right now is hard to say since you are only on liquids. I had alot of restriction just with the band placement this is why I waited 9 weeks post op for a fill and at that time I had lost 25 pounds so since June 7th I have lost 15 pounds (average 2 pounds a week since fill) Since you are around food all the time too like me..you understand the temptation. I keep a large glass of ice cold water near by at all times. I make good choices and I do not pick at food. I eat when it is meal time and that is it! Sometimes I have an occassional afternoon or late evening protein bar maybe once a week. You will do great, you will have the 75 pounds gone in less then a year as long as you are living the bandster way of life and following the rules.

You dont sound over critical..believe me I tried talking my friend out of this but many think quick weight losss is the way to go. I have another friend who had the bypass 2 years ago and I saw her yesterday for the first time in about 6 months, she got to goal and had the plastic surgery to remove the loose skin but when I saw her yeaterday one look and I knew shad had been putting weight back on and of course she told me she had gained about 15 pounds back, I noticed though she was grazing all day long near the food table. Not to mention she had the dumping syndrome going on all day long due to her sugar intake with the cookies and brownines she was eating, if she wasnt at the food table she was in the bathroom. This is what happens alot with bypass patients there window of opportunity runs out and eventually the start regaining the weight back unlike us who are banded can just go get a fill to tighten our bands to decrease our appetite and our intake. Yesterday was the firsttime she had seen me since my surgery, she was very surpised with my progress and very happy for me. I just hope and pray for her sake she gets control over this and does not put all her wieght back on.

Yes I have had a fill of 1.1cc's and am losing 1- 2 pounds a week and I couldnt be happier with my weight loss to date. 10 lbs a month is pretty great I think with minimal effort. I do track my calories and it is anywhere between 1200-1500 per day. I was just on vacation in Las Vegas for 5 days and I ate 3 meals a day at the buffets and even then I came home and had lost 2 pounds! I told my hubby I was afraid to get on the scale and he assured me I did not gain weight. He told me " I watched you eat at those buffets and trust me you did not go overboard. He was right I guess. Not to mention I walked my ass off in Vegas with my kids. I eat strictly Protein for breakfast this way I'm not famished by lunch time and for the rest of the day. Any time I start my day with carbs..forget about it. I'm hungry all day long. To me breakfasat is the most importan meal...or I struggle all day long. Trust me 2 scrambled eggs and 2 sausage links sounds like alot but when it is on your plate it is not. Pre band I would eat this plus 2 more pieces of bacon or sausage and the hash browns and the toast. I own a restaraunt so I eat 2 of my 3 meals a day at work. We all have our different routines, my routine is working for me..right now my hubby is BBQing teriyaki chicken BBQed corn on the cob and I made some baked Beans. I will eat 1 chicken leg, i/2 piece of corn and a spoonful of baked beans....that is less then half of what a normal person would eat. Today for lunch I has 1 /2 chicken bresat/ 1/4 cup of cottage cheese and 1/2 cup cooked spinach with salt pepper and butter at 12:00 and at 7:00 am this morning I ate 2 scrambled eggs with homemade spanish sauce and 2 pieces of bacon. dinner will be at 6:00pm 90 pounds is my goal and in 4 months I'm down 39.5..I'm almost 1/2 way there. You will find the foods and ammount that work for you just as we all have...Good Luck to you

On a sad note I had a very dear friend who had the gastric bypass in January..she never left the hospital until she died this past Tuesday morning..her funeral was today. I wish she had done the lap band, her problems she has suffered since her surgery is part of what made me go for the lap band over the gastric bypass. She was 58 years old and a nurse here at our local hospital.

This is my daily routine starting at 5:00 am Water 24oz & coffee then 8:00 am Breakfast: 2 scrmabled eggs & 2 pieces of sausage or 2 slices of bacon then Water 24oz 1:00pm Lunch: scoop of tuna with rye krisp crackers or triscuits with sliced cheese & a cottage cheese doubles then water 24oz snack: balance gold bar (sometimes) then water 24oz 6:00pm Dinner: whatever I make for the family except Pasta or rice water 24oz I drink water 1 hour after meals but do drink right up until meal time

For what it is worth... we all chose our surgeons for our own reasons. Just because some of us had bad expereinces with some of them does not mean everyone else will. I personally had a great experience with Dr. Ortiz , my surgery was 4 months ago today and I'm down 39.5 pounds and could not be happeir with my progress or my aftercare from Dr. Ortiz,he has been nothing but professional from day one! however there are some who have used Dr. Ortiz and did not have a plesant expereince like I did. It is the same with Kuri, Lopez, Rumbart, Rodriguez, and all the others out there who preform this surgery, some patients will have good experiences and some will not. ...but when someone asks an opinion on certain doctors in Mexico I feel it only wise for those of us who have had first hand expereince with a certain doctor to post our expereinces, good or bad. Happy Ortiz Patient

I was on Vacation all last week so I did not get on the scale on Monday morning. I hopped on it today thinking it would of gone up a pound or so since being on vacation you know ..but to my amazement I was down 2 pounds to 225.5 How awesome is that being on vacation all week long not makingthe best choices and still losing?

I love it !!! It is perfect...you sure have a fantastic way of expressing yourself. I even think your Dr. will appreciate your answers and I bet he has never heard any so true and so well said!!! Great Answer to "why do you want to lose weight" You are the man Ryan

Ok Its official... I just had my first PB on a damn triscuit cracker. I don't get it. I have been eating trisquits and cheese every day this week for lunch and not one problem, today I ate a trisquit without chess and that did it. It felt like it was stuck and wanted to go down it was almost like having contractions in my throat. It would hurt for 5 -10 seconds then go away 30 seconds later it would hurt for 5-10 seconds , this went on for about 10 minutes, then the slime and the watering of the mouth. Once the piece came up my mouth started watering uncontrollably and my heart was pounding. It was actually quite scary. I'm still here recuperating from all that trauma. My band had been so fickle lately..two days ago I could of eaten a horse (but didn't) and since then I have been having so much tightness in my chest and where my band is placed with some strange discomfort not reflux or heartburn just tightness.( i know it's called restriction right?) So now I'm going to go on liquids for 2 days per my doctors instructions on a PB episode. I do not want this to happen again and I know if you PB you need to rest your tummy and esphogus right? When you go on liquids is it just Clear Liquids or anything that can go through a straw? Any input wouldbe appreciated. I feel so silly asking questions I really know the answers too but need some input since this is my first official PB Thanks

OUCH!!! From The visual I'm getting from making your ears bleed

Hey Cindy...Congratulations on the 36 pounds!! That is fantastic. I too feel for the first time I will never re-gain this weight back and that I finally have some control over my weight. Isint the band great? I love my band, best thing I have ever done for "me" Keep up the great job.

Hi Gina Fabulous progress so far! Congratulations. I'm glad you decided to finaly post here and now that you have...keep postin' This is a great group of people from all over the world here. As you know from lurking there is so much support and kindness and even some humor . Keep up the great job!

This is NOT a charade and you CAN NOT GIVE UP!!! Look how far you have come. When you have the urge to eat at night and you are alone, come here and post, that is what I do and it definately helps. I also stay far away from the kitchen after dinner like in my room here on my comp with as big 24oz bottle of ice cold Water. Night time is the hardest time for me and for alot of us here. We do great all day with healthy food choices but once the sun goes down it's like we are vampires but instead of looking for blood we look for food! Well for me it is like that anyways. You have been successful until now Chantal, you can not give up! I agree with Neicy, call your doctor and tell them to call you if there is any cancellations, tell them you are desperate for a fill A.S.A.P.. Hang in there, you can do this!!!

WOW Patty! What an inspiring post. You have done a fantastic job. Those mini goals we set and accomplish are an awesome feeling inside arent they? I too have the old Dr. scale w/ the sliding weights so I know that feeling of when one of those big weights gets to be slided in the ooopsite direction... Thanks for sharing your story with us. You have definately inspired me!