Bandista

Yippee! Isn't it great having that appetite monster shut down? Congratulations on finding a new doctor and getting to the green zone. So glad you're here on the forum.

I've done this, too @@terrydumont46 -- I've used warm Water. Also we have a couple of pegs in a beam and I can kind of hang from it, arms overhead -- that seems to release things for me. I have heard windmill arms, etc. as well. Now it's been a while since I had an episode but I had to learn to slow down. Was such a shoveler!

Congratulations on your band and best wishes as you go through the next phases. I love yogurt to this day. As others have said, don't worry if the weight loss slows for a while as your body adjusts to the new mode and you will probably have to go through the process of assessing with your surgeon for fills, etc. In other words, it can take a little while -- don't worry and just keep going and you will get there!

@@ksc1965 so sorry you had to go through that but it's really great they could get you right in plus put the Fluid back, etc. I have been stuck several times and it's no fun. There are many people that can't tolerate bread. I guess it gets gummy and seals up the pouch or something. I don't do bread, etc. because of craving Protein and other things. Best wishes to you! We all had to go through these kinds of episodes to get where we are now.

Thanks, every one! I could not do it without this site -- I don't think I would have figured it all out from the literature provided by my surgeon, etc. It was reading so many posts and asking questions of veterans that helped me understand what it is all about and then to figure out which of those things were a fit for me.

I am 52 and Just Watch Me is right -- your life is about to change. Your surgeon will help you with the medications. I have no trouble taking my various prescriptions and supplements and now i have only a few vs. a handful of pills. So happy!

Pea protein is worth looking into -- and as for soy, you are probably way better off without it anyway. Sorry about all the allergies. I don't do much in the way of protein shakes as I don't eat (drink) breakfast and for me shakes are sliders. I believe that when people are allergic to a lot of things it may be that you can go off basically everything, cleanse and start over. Just a thought....

I only wish I had gotten my band sooner.........I'm 52 and struggled for such a long time.

@ so glad you kept going! When I am feeling restrictive and "diet-y" that's when I know I need to see the surgeon.

For me the first couple of days on liquids were lower energy but then a surge of energy came along, plus better sleep at night, etc. And as the weight comes off the rise in energy is amazing. Good luck to you as you get ready for everything. Exciting times!

Way to go, Carrie -- you look so happy and healthy. Gorgeous!

Wow, you are doing so well -- way to go! I love the jean sizes for measuring success rather than the scale. I am wearing the same brand of Lee long jeans and I'm down from 18 to 12 and contemplating picking up the pair of tens for my next goal. It is all so exciting! Thanks for the inspiration......

So happy for you! And isn't it great that our bands are adjustable? Here's to eating real food. Well-chewed good food in the right amount and stopping. Best wishes for a wonderful summer.

You are fabulous! This is such a great post -- you inspire all of us over and over again. Way to go this last year of hard work and so much success. You have reinvented your life. Here's to choosing health and happiness!

Hypnosis for financial prosperity: You are achieving all your dreams. You are free from debt and have all the money you need. Luxury and wealth are at your fingertips. Okay, that'll be $1,500. All major credit cards accepted.

Not being able to eat food should certainly get you qualified for a replacement surgery. I think your idea of going back to Fielding is excellent. The band works by sending signals from the esophagus when food is being swallowed but those squeezes don't happen with yogurt and shakes. You need to be able to eat real food and not be living on sliders. I hope you get the help you need!

You are doing beautifully! Congratulations on all you're doing -- the exercise is great and you've really reclaimed your health. I have been very private about my surgery and when some people see my tiny portions they automatically think I am depriving myself and headed for some kind of eating disorder. If there are well-meaning comments I have started saying things like, "I had a late lunch so this is just a snack," or "I just had a Protein shake and can't believe how much it filled me up." Get a load of this -- my mother is quite thin and for the last 20 years or so she has handed me every single new diet book on the market. Atkins, The Zone, Eat Right for Your Blood Type, and probably forty others. She does not know about my surgery but I have lost more than fifty pounds and she hasn't said a word. We see each other regularly. I don't know if she can't see me shrinking or what's up, but I'm kind of fascinated.

Hi there and congratulations on your upcoming surgery. I was banded last November and I was very excited but of course also those undertones of nervousness. I had never been an overnight patient in a hospital before. It all went so much better than I thought. Every one was very professional and I felt well taken care of throughout. I have a good sense of humor and I think that helped -- it's all so bizarre, the gown and slippers, being wheeled on a gurney, signing those papers, etc. In getting the band I was really choosing myself and putting my health first -- finally! -- and it was a very empowering experience. It wasn't like being in the hospital for an injury or illness -- I was getting something I really wanted. Like you I spent years struggling with my weight and trying so many different things -- I worked so hard but always eventually could not keep on and then the inevitable regain plus some. With the band, I am not on a diet. I make good choices and have a healthy lifestyle but my years of restrictive eating are over. That did not work for me. Now I follow basic band protocol but my brain doesn't have any messages of being deprived. I never had junk food before and I don't do artificial sweeteners, etc., so I didn't have to address that as some do. I was just eating too much, way too much. Good luck to you as you get ready. The first couple of months can be a little baffling as you navigate everything. It can feel like it's not working and that you're still hungry, etc., but that's because the band needs to be adjusted properly for you and that can take some time. So be patient, employ that sense of humor and be gentle with yourself. It will all happen. And so glad you're here on the forum. I got so much out if reading people's posts and understanding how it all works.

In the first weeks of being banded I practiced with a clock and waited a full minute between bites. It was so hard, especially putting the utensil down. I really resisted that. It was good for me to notice that about myself so I could modify the behavior. Now I just eat naturally slower and I listen to my band, but I put the utensil down as a matter of new habit. I know when I've had enough and I stop. In the beginning I would push this a little and I had to learn not to do that. How did I learn? By getting stuck and regretting it.

My main exercise right now is gardening. Each task involves another set of muscles so I guess even if it's not straight up cardio I am building strength. We have a major flower garden where I've just laid down new paths, a lot of digging up plants and moving things around. Hardscaping is hard! We have three wheelbarrows going. Then there's the veggie garden -- twelve raised beds -- one of them is 16' -- so a lot of bending and weeding. It's all so much easier now that I'm thinner. I have a lot more energy.

@@Its-time this is great! I am pretty sure exercise is the magic ingredient. You are doing so well. I signed up for a 5K in September and am wondering who has taken over my body that I would do such a thing. I will fast walk it as I can't run on these joints, but I'm determined to do it. I'm not worried about the distance but just showing up with a bunch of people for an organized exercise event....me? New me, a 50 pounds+ thinner me. And who knows, by September I may be way stronger, more flexible and lighter than I am now. Thanks for the inspiration -- I don't use my iPhone the way I'd like to and am going to start by getting that app. Fun!

What a great post! You have completely changed the course of your life -- truly amazing progress. I really admire your courage and attitude, your willingness to work so hard for your health despite major obstacles. You are not letting anything get in the way of your happiness and that is a beautiful thing. You deserve a medal! Congratulations on Onederland -- way to go! I'm so glad you're here on this forum.

Call your doctor @@bulawookie -- your medical professionals are there for you and they need to know what's going on.

Interesting article, thank you. I have to wonder if there is a correlation to rising use of artificial sweeteners in these countries, or perhaps high fructose corn syrup.

@@Countryheart2000 how about requesting a fill under fluoroscopy - there are many Banders who insist on that. If he is having to poke seven times then he needs to be able to see better what is going on...... Meanwhile, maybe an ice lack on the port area? I bruise easily and even with just one poke I am usually bruised after a fill. I have had seven fills and am feeling really good about where I am now. My doctor is of the small fills school but as frequent as I needed, so we got me up to speed fairly quickly. Your doc is going to have to step things up.