lisacaron

I don’t have a set schedule. I get it in when I get it in. Exercise is so important, though I would love to be able to get it done in the morning most days it's impossible. I have a hairy schedule most of the time, so fitting it in when I am able to is the best way for me. Some days it's after work, some day's it's early morning or after noon for a lunch break. On the weekends the same applies. There are some days when I can get to the gym early in the morning and others where I can't get there until the afternoon. If I can't make it to the gym I'll work out at home or take the dogs for a nice long walk as long as there is some movement going on I'm happy!

@@Ky89 I think you are doing pretty awesome! Your learning what makes you comfortable and how to respond to the world outside of your comfort zone. There is nothing wrong with the things you are feeling, and I know what you mean about the little things...but sometimes those little things are merely our own perception we are reflecting back. Like what happened with the DJ you were thinking he was thinking one thing and he was really thinking the other! All I can say is give people and yourself a chance. If you are already expecting the worst than it can only get better from there, and if it's not well you were ready for the worst already so your ahead of the game! Besides I totally think you are out there enjoying life and friends...just reading your post I was getting tired!! Your out all hours of the night and day and enjoying all groups of friends and that is awesome!! Keep enjoying and living it up!!

This statement is the main reason to not drink and eat at the same time with the band. You can swallow your bite and allow that food to pass through the stoma to the lower chamber of the stomach and then go ahead and have a sip. If you are drinking and eating in the same mouth full then you are going to be pushing the food through the stoma quickly and not giving the esophagus muscle the chance to stimulate the band as it pushes the food past the band and through the stoma into the lower chamber of the stomach. Think of an hour glass and the sand flowing through it. If you give it more pressure from the top the sand flows through to the bottom faster then it would if you just let it move through at the natural pace. This is what stacking bites and drinking do, they increase the pressure at the top. Eventually if you stack bites enough you could cause a dilation if the food can't process through the band fast enough. So if you can take a sip before a bite, then take a bite chew and swallow give it a moment to pass through the band, usually a minute or two is sufficient and then another sip as needed before another bite. Also for issues with dry mouth from medications etc.give biotene a try it really does help!

@@verna2197 it seems to me an odd way of doing the fills, to wait for liquid to push back into the syringe...if liquid is pushing back into the syringe I would think that means the band is full...but your not if you are only at 3.6. What size band do you have? Is there another Dr. or PA in the practice that you could see for your fills? I know different Dr.'s have different ways of doing fills. Some Dr.'s do them under fluoroscope and some like mine just add in a few CC's at a time and if you can drink Water with no trouble after the fill your good and they send you home. Do a little research at your Dr.'s office and let them know that your not happy with the volume of fill you have in right now and see if they can assist you. Let us know how it goes OK?

Try putting an ice pack on the port site. It will help with the pain and swelling in that area. Good luck to the both of you!!

I find all of this very interesting. Our signals for hunger and cravings etc. come from the hormones produced by our organs and the food we eat. I can see how the GB and VSG change those by removing the glands that are associated with the production of those hormones and or bypassing them all together. As a banded patient that does not happen and it's more of a physical response to eating that sets those signals off to release hormones to the brain. All in all it's the brain that is the control center...and the way our hormones are triggered the amounts and types of hormones and the way our body responds to them that affect what the brains response is going to be, which is probably why the affects of surgery are different for everyone. That's just my 2c

Ah I am a band plus plication gal and I needed fills and I could use another one to get me back to my green zone!! Until then my friend it really is a bit of a struggle, but your doing great. Try not to get frustrated, and don't beat yourself up for making mistakes. Use them as learning experiences and before you know it you and your band will be working together happily ever after.

@@danni#L The biggest thing you will fee during your fill is the pinch of the needle and the Dr. poking around for the port. You won't feel the Fluid going in, and you may or may not feel any difference in the "tightness" of the band for at least the first week. Dr.'s are different in the amounts they tend to put in during fills. My Dr.'s office was very conservative with the fills and put in only .5 to 1 cc at a time. There are some Dr.'s who might fill up to 3 cc, so you want to ask your Dr. when you go what they plan to put it. You should also ask them if your band was primed in surgery with any fluid, as adding more will add to that amount of volume in the band. Over the course of the next couple of weeks after the fill the fluid will make it's way around the ring and settle in, and at that point you might feel more restriction to the band, but you might not and may need more fills. On the flip side you may be just perfect after this fill everyone is different. There are some on the sight who have lost tremendous amounts of weight with no fills what so ever. The best course of action is to write down your questions and be sure to ask them of the Dr. or the PA when you are in the office. Don't worry about pain the discomfort if momentary and before you know it your all done. Let us know how you do!

@@JustWatchMe pick up those panties!! You should be very proud and we are all very proud of what you have accomplished and the inspiration you provide to others! I look at my band and think of it as a long term attachment to me the same way I look at my hubby's new hip, it's there it changed my life and it is a part of me. If it's got an issue I've got an issue and vs versa, but mostly I don't think about it I just live and enjoy my new lease on life!!

@@funky_monkey800 Bandista gave you some good advice and some great inspiration above. it is not easy to be an emotional eater and change your habits over night. The beauty of being banded is that you have that time up front to get to know your band and learn to live with your band. Right now you probably don't even feel as though you had surgery, the pain is gone the discomfort is mild and you are HUNGRY. I know I have been there. Commercials would drive to the edge to the point that I banned TV in our house while I was home! Hubby and I were banded 3 days apart and he had no interest in food but by week 2 I was ready to start licking the TV I could smell those wings through the screen (and a side note I don't even eat or like hot wings at all!!!) All that said, the best thing for you to do right now is take care of yourself. Your going to make mistakes, but make them learning experiences instead of blaming yourself for screwing up. Keep yourself busy, what are somethings that you enjoy doing that are not food related? Do you read, write, underwater basket weave? What ever it is...do that. Take the time to nurture and care for your emotions. Your going through a rough time,you just had major surgery and your body is still healing even though you feel great your insides are still settling into this new routine. There is a foreign body in there that wasn't there before and it's not sure how to cope with that just yet. So take the time to learn, and keep busy. If you are on a special diet from the doctors soft foods, mushy or liquids, stick to that and hydrate. If you down a bottle of Water or more between your "meals" you will find you are not so hungry. When you find yourself mindlessly picking on something...stop and ask yourself why you are doing that? Then divert your attention away from the noshing and if you must do something with your mouth grab the bottle of water and sip away. I am a "chewer" and I know some docs say gum is bad...but I chew my gum and pop my bubbles and I don't eat and it keeps my fingers and pens out of my mouth so now I don't get sick as often!! (bonus!) These are the times to rediscover the aroma, the texture, the flavor of all the items that you love to cook. Take a new approach to cooking, and put that extra flair to it and make it lower in calorie and fat for yourself while your at it. I find when I am cooking enjoying a nice cup of flavored coffee or tea, sweetened with one of those coffee creamers makes me feel like I'm getting a special treat and I'm not picking at the food I'm preparing. I also do this when I need to unwind and relax of course using decaf coffee or tea It helps me find that "comfy" place I need when my emotions and stress levels are out of control, which can be too often for my own good

@@ashly200423 Everyone has their opinions, and every surgery has it's pro's and con's. The best way to make a decision is to sit with your doctor and ask him WHY he thinks you should do one over the other. Let him know you are not comfortable with the RNY and you are more comfortable with a procedure like the lapband and let him know why you feel the way you do. Then you can work together to ensure that you get the right surgery for you, and that you are both on the same page working together toward your long term goal of health and well being. It's not all about losing weight. We can lose weight reach our goals and still be or become very sick. So work with the Doc, get him to explain his thinking to you and you explain your thinking, understanding and preference to him. Remember this is your life and you are the one who is going to have to live with this, and no matter what the surgery is you will need to modify your life style accordingly to be able to successfully use your new tools which ever surgery you choose. Let us know what you decide, and how your doing!!

That is more then likely why you are not going. That said it's not good to not keep yourself hydrated. Please start getting in more Water. Try sips of warm decaf tea, use the spoon to take a sip and or get a small medicine cup and keep taking sips. You need to get the fluids in my friend, if you are on pain medication that will also bind you up so drink drink drink. The warm will help to relax the muscles in the esophagus, but for swelling another great trick and a great way to hydrate is to get some sugar free Popsicle. they are yummy and they will keep you hydrated as well and help to reduce the internal swelling. Let us know how you are doing OK?

@@Rena's got this I can relate to this in a BIG way. I too never looked at myself as "fat" even though I knew better. I carried my weight well and I was evenly proportioned, I always dressed appropriately and I didn't carry myself or act like what to me a "fat" person would be/act like. I used to tell my son when he was very chubby that he was a "typical" fat person. Lazy and living hand to mouth. Not thinking about what he was putting in just unconsciously consuming food. As I have gone through this journey, I am still me. I don't look at myself as fat or skinny and I don't stereo type those words anymore. What I told my son, was obvious that I was doing this as well! I might not have been sitting on my butt eating cheese doodles and watching Nickolodian but I too was unconsciously eating. I wasn't thinking about what I was eating or what that was doing to my body. Not just in making me "fat" but in the way it made me unhealthy. I drank diet soda thinking it was better then regular soda but I drank it like it was Water and that is the LAST thing it is. I could have drank gasoline for all the damage it was doing to my digestive tract. I would consume high fat high salt high sugar but low nutrition foods and thought nothing of it. We lived on fast food and soda. Today I still see me as me. I am Lisa no matter my size, the difference in me today vs. 70 pounds ago is that I no longer eat unconsciously. I think about what I am going to consume. I think about it's nutritional content, what it will do to my body. I exercise to feel better, and if I want to eat that cookie, or have that piece of birthday cake, I have it and I don't sneak it. I just enjoy it for what it is, and I let those things be what they are "treats" something that doesn't happen every day, something that is out of the ordinary and not my every day choice of meal. I'm not 10, so for me making these changes takes commitment and work to always be conscious when I put something in my mouth. I'm not perfect, and I can admit that it will often happen that I am distracted and/or stressed and I fall back into those old habits but as the years are passing, the old habits are being replaced by good habits and I find myself falling back on those and working every day to keep incorporating more and more so they become my old habits and the bad habits disappear from memory. I also find it odd that as I lose more weight the sleeves on my jackets are getting longer. I might could get away with this rain coat through this fall with the buttons done up and the belt cinched if it weren't for the sleeves. Maybe worth a quick trip the tailor to hem them before it ends up in the donation bin!!

@@Victoria48 This is a great place to come to for support. You will find lots of people here who will give you inspiration, motivation and support. There are a great many people I have seen on here from the great state of TX as well. Feel free to share with us your feelings and what your going through and we will be happy to help in what ever way we can. If you like let us know what's making you feel overwhelmed right now? You are about a week post op. How's the pain? Are you uncomfortable? What's going on?

@@dalmania don't worry about it. The more obvious you make it that you are not eating or not hungry the more people will notice. If you can serve yourself take a smaller plate and smaller portions, if someone comments just tell them you are watching your portions. Eventually they will notice weight loss so this is a good time to let them know that you are working on losing weight without disclosing you had an operation. That is all you really need to say, you can tell them you are eating portion controlled food. If you are still on the mushy or soft phase of the diet, or you have your shakes with you then you can simply say that you are replacing a meal with a supplement. More importantly don't let people make you feel that you need to disclose information that you don't want to disclose, and on the flip side don't be so obvious as to draw that attention to yourself. I have run into people who obviously want others to know they have a "secret" and that only puts them more on the spot and those that are not in the know...want to know..and will gossip and snoop to find out. So if you truly want to be private then be just that. Keep it to yourself take care of your business and let others take care of theirs

@@briefs199 How's it going?? No pun intended. I'm going to say you probably weren't putting much in prior to surgery, perhaps a liquid diet? What type of diet are you on as of now? Are you on clear, or Protein shakes? Are you sure that you are hydrating well? I would suggest giving the Dr. a call and letting them know you are not expressing anything tell them that you are concerned. They will probably tell you to take a stool softener to help things along, but give them a call first so you don't take anything that you shouldn't. Let us know...ummm how it goes.....

@@Miss Meg It's awesome that you have such supportive friends they are working on this phase with you!!! Your going to do well. The first few days could be a little rocky, your body is going to be detoxing a bit your friends as well but you will level out and feel good. Keep up the Water, it's a great way to trick your body into not being hungry between your shakes. If you are drinking something every hour your body won't be craving the food as much as you keep it busy with hydration and digestion. Keep it touch and let us know how it's going!

@@sexy_mamma1224 you can do it you are almost there!! There are some good Protein bars and shakes out there you just have to find the ones you like. You can do it!!

@@Ceradad I would go back in and I would have Fluid removed. Sometimes even 1cc can make all the difference. I was having some of these issues very mild, and I went right to the Dr. at the first indication and I had a dilated pouch. I didn't just take their word for it either, I saw the x-ray's and the fluoroscope and the fluid was just sitting in the pouch and not going past the band faster then a drip. . I had to have nearly all the fluid removed from my band and then be on a liquid diet again for 3 weeks!! That was ROUGH let me tell you. I am still not back at my fill level or even in the green zone and battling it every day so I don't gain back weight I have lost. Don't hesitate you don't want to cause damage to your organs. You can lose the weight, keep working out and eating sensibly, sliders are not the answer eventually they will drift from shakes and bars to ice cream, Cookies, pastry or other soft high calorie foods. Don't risk it, have them take out a little fluid now and save yourself a large un-fill later if you have problems.

@ Love love love this!!!!

Last night as I was walking out the door from the office, (We have large long glass doors in the building) I noticed that I kind of look like a hobo in my too big jacket and clothes. Here I am this tiny woman carrying all these bags with her coat hanging off her...it's time to buy a new rain coat...but not just yet...

Great topic! I love all of the responses! I will say this, I'm not one to "look" at myself as any one way. I have had the frame of reference of being super skinny and being severely obese. Through all of it I have never let my size affect what I want to do, I just do it. I do see today that my appearance has changed and in some ways dramatically with the weight loss. At work we are required to have a picture ID that the company takes when you first start. Now we operate on MS 365 and our e-mail and Lync IM show our photo's, let me tell you I hated that! I think I look terrible in my photo! It's not the first one I took while working here, my first one had me in these red glasses that were tipped on my nose I looked like the typical ditzy blond secretary. So when we had Weight Watchers at work here I joined with a friend and we said when we lost 20 pounds we would take new photo's. Well she lost 50 and I lost 19 so I took a new photo. Recently I got an e-mail from a new co-worker that asked me if that was me? I have one of those faces that just stays the same, so you can tell it's me...but is it really you? Yeah it was me in a fat suit Yes it's me! OK maybe after 70 pounds it was time for a new photo. I look younger in my photo today then I did 8 years ago and that feels pretty good!!

@ thanks for the updates! I could not make it there, so it's great to hear what's going on!! It would be wonderful if we could get our reporter at large to do an interview with one of the program sponsors...perhaps a Q&A with questions from the forum posters? (maybe pushing it for this week but maybe next year...) @@amponder good for you! We need to be active participants in our health care. I understand some Dr.'s think that being harsh or giving tough love is what an obese person needs but more often than not they are 100% wrong! We are probably the harshest on ourselves, and what we need is understanding and guidance. So we need to seek out and find the doctors that are ready willing and able to assist us in our goals to get and stay healthy!!

@@Bandista doing AWESOME!!!! Next time include your head, I need to put a face to that bandista!