rharriet62

That same sort of thing happened to me and it was due to inflammation at the band site (stomach swells). The more you slime and PB, the more it swells. If you are like me, it will eventually move to dinner time and you will be miserable all the time (eventually). I would get a slight unfill now so you don't have to get a complete unfill, like I had to do. I'd unfill a bit and let your stomach rest for about 3-4 weeks ... I had a complete unfill for 30 days ... see how your eating goes then. Good luck!

Hi, I'm laughing because it's SO true! I get one thigh that loses inches and then the other one catches up. My guess is that you are maybe using that side as your "strength" leg...you know, it does more pushing off when you work out? Who knows? The other thing is that I'm sure YOU notice it's smaller, but honestly, WHO else is going to study your calves and go, "WOW...look her left calf is smaller!" Yeah. I doubt that will happen. I wouldn't worry about it. Sounds like you are doing a STELLAR job with the working out!!!! NICE!!! I think it'll all even out!

Wow! You and I are only 2 days apart in our surgery dates! Awesome! You need a fill! I just got another fill last week and I'm at 3.0 in my 4.0 band. I finally have restriction and feel great. This is the best fill I've ever had. I can still eat some and not slime or throw up. I feel it's the first time I've hit a "sweet spot". SO, if I were you, I'd go in a couple of segments. Get a fill, try it for 10-14 days, and go back and back until you are just right and losing. I had to do an unfill in Dec. and I went back 4 times to get to 3.0 and get it where I needed it. And, I have to drive 5 hours each way. I went every 10-14 days until I was where I needed to be. DO IT! Good luck!!!

From experience, I have to say...DUMP the time pressure to lose 10 lbs in less than a month. That will just freak you out and put so much pressure on you that you will be miserable. Instead, have a celebration WHEN you hit 100, regardless of when it happens. OK...I lift all the time. You said you started machines...you are right, you probably are not gaining muscle at the rate of Arnold, but when you lift, your body also hold fluid because it's supporting the muscles in their time of need! So, it's not all muscle, but it's a reaction to the lifting. It will go away. I'd add another 10-15 mins of cardio per session and/or boost the intensity of your workout. Your body is probably going...Oh I see what she's doing; I'd better CONSERVE all this fat! My body does its own thinking like that from time to time and I could die! HAHHA. Do you need to tweak your diet? Is your body used to eating the same things? Too much fat? Too many carbs in the overall cal count? Just something to think about! You'll move eventually. You might have to cut your cals to 1000 or less for a while and see if that gets you going.

I think most people are afraid of failure because that's what we've done all our lives with it came to weight loss...FAILED! However, you've NEVER had a tool like this in your arsenal! Even after I lost like 60 lbs, I was afraid of failing when my loss stopped for a while. And, here I am almost down 125! Yeah...it's awesome and you won't fail this time when you use the band as a TOOL and change your life. IT WILL WORK WHEN YOU USE IT!!!

Ok...take a deep breath! You will be FINE! Don't borrow trouble!! LOL. Lots of people have reflux before surgery because of their high weights. In most cases, the band and weight loss resolves it. If it doesn't at first, your doc will help you with some meds. The other thing to remember is that people often come to this support board when they are having troubles and need help. You are not hearing 100% of the easy days, the great changes, and the victories! So, it's good to be informed, but you will be fine! It will be SOOOOO worth it!!!

I am a therapist and you have classic symptoms of anxiety. The family is very important for any prescriber to know. You have to tell her and tell her about the anxiety. Paxil is OK, but I have to say, I would never take it because it is SO hard to come off of. I have had clients who were nearly hospitalized because of the side effects of stopping using it. But, anyway, have you considered seeing a psychiatrist? Sometimes, general practitioners just aren't as comfortable prescribing drugs for mental disorders because they are so afraid of being sued. I would totally check into seeing a psychiatrist for these meds. Just a thought. Hope it works out for you! I KNOW you can feel better with the right meds to help. Also, have you ever considered self-hypnosis for help with the sleep and to lessen your anxiety naturally? I almost always teach my clients self-hypnosis because it is SO helpful! Good luck!!!

Wow! You got banded last year on my birthday! LOL. YES! I am totally considering a mini-tri. I am working on running and biking and this summer I am getting swimming lessons. I can swim but am not a strong swimmer. Last year I could not swim because I had shoulder surgery, but it's all good now! SO, it is very exciting!!! I would love to know more about your training schedule!

Sounds like you are for sure too tight. Call your doc's office tomorrow and schedule an slight unfill. Even .1cc removal will make a huge difference!

It seems the elliptical can do that to my feet at the end of a workout where I've been on it for about an hour. Make sure your shoes are wide enough in the toe box and don't lace up really tight. I also wiggle my toes inside my shoes while working out to prevent this. I think it has to do with the angle or the way you step on the pedals or something. Whatever the reason, the wiggling seems to help me and I often move my feet forward or back on the pedal to just vary it. Or I will put more weight on toes or heels for maybe 5-8 mins to move the stress around.

The traditional formula to determine your rate is: 220- your age x 65% = 65% at your target heart rate 220 - your age x 75% = 75% at your THR 220- your age x 85% = 85% at your THR I always have all 3 figured out because there are days when I keep it up to 85% and other days when I vary it during my workout. If you hang around 75-80% you will be doing super great! You should be able to get this by walking if you are fast and do inclines in your route.

Yeah, I think it is super hard to take that rest day. However, when I started running and wanted to drop weight, I was exercising every day and my trainer was like...NO! You NEED to rest 1-2 days a week. So, even tho I did feel guilty, I took the day off. Now, sometimes, I will work out 3 days (I work out hard!), rest one day, 3 on, 1 off. On my rest days, I usually take my dog for a longer walk than usual and try to do more of my up and down housework! It is hard, but I keep hearing my trainer telling me to rest my body so I don't get an injury and then am forced to stop! So, maybe you can balance it like that in your head! Good luck.

Glad you are scheduled for an unfill! It's miserable to be too full. I did go thru this recently. I let it go too long. Sounds like you are having classic irritation of the stomach, not band slippage. Mine kept getting tighter and tighter until it became "normal" for me to throw up almost every time I ate. Yeah. Dumb me. However, I was SO irritated that I had to get a TOTAL unfill and let my stomach heal for a month. That was Dec. 14 and Friday I got my fourth fill and have restriction and feel great! I had forgotten what it was like to eat and not slime, PB, or throw up! When I was too tight, not only was I miserable but I didn't lose any weight! It was going up and down the same 5 or 7 lbs and it was making m crazy! SO, you are doing the right thing. You might want to go on mushies or liquids like protein shakes until your unfill to just rest the band.

You are wise to follow your logic and get an unfill Monday. It won't slow you down! In fact, being too tight can cause so many problems that it will inhibit weight loss AND you'll feel miserable. I was over filled and ignored it. Stomach swelled, making it worse. I had to get a COMPLETE unfill Dec. 14 and yesterday just got my fourth fill back to restriction after having no restriction for almost 2.5 months! Luckily, I didn't gain, but I had to really "white knuckle" it! SO, not to worry...once you have perfect restriction, you'll be feeling...PERFECT! LOL! Good luck!

At about 2 years, I went on "hiatus" too and while I didn't lose my motivation to work out, I lost my motivation to eat right. Didn't lose much weight at all. In fact, I remember going up and down the same 5 lbs. I eventually got motivated again by adding running to my workouts. That inspired me to start eating right and get losing again. Maybe you need to change things up? Good luck!

It seems to me that 3 ccs in a 4 cc band is a lot for only a second fill. I have the 4 CC band and the most I've ever been filled is 2.9. I'm at 2.7 right now. The important thing is how you feel. So, are you sliming a lot? Throwing up? Reflux? If not, I'd wait a couple of days and see how you feel then. Sometimes, it takes a day or two after a fill to get past the possible swelling of the stomach after a fill. If you have questions, tho, I'd for sure call my doc's office and talk to a nurse. You might just need a bit of an unfill. Even .1cc can make a HUGE difference!!

What a bummer than now you are so skinny you can feel your port! Just kidding. I have been able to feel mine for a long time and it's totally NORMAL! Yours is in the same place as mine. In fact, when some people get a tummy tuck later, they move the port because it's RIGHT THERE! So, good for you!!!

Hi. I'll be the devil's advocate here! HAHA. 2.5 weeks is more than enough to know if you will have any problems. Also, since this if your first fill, you won't have a lot of restriction anyway (usually the case). Personally, I'd get the fill and get another one when you get back from the trip. I've gotten fills and gone on vacation in a few days with no problems. But, see what your doc thinks and take his/her advice.

My doc does an "unfill" everytime! I can't even believe some docs don't do that! She just pulls the fluid out and says, "Yep. You have 2.7 in your band. I'm giving you back your 2.7 and adding .1 more for a total of 2.8." She literally says that every time I get a fill! I think it's very important to check the total fill level because your device itself absorbs fluid from time to time. It's just the same ONE injection and it feels like nothing. Don't worry!

Um...you WILL be losing weight "the natural way" as you put it! You will be eating healthfully and exercising! The weight will be coming off based on how much effort you put into it. Change is scary for people, especially when there is a role you fulfill in their lives. Keep the focus on YOU! You are doing the right thing for YOU.

CONGRATS! You WON'T regret it for a minute!!! Everyone is a little nervous waiting, but then it's awesome! You can still eat pizza and bread, and I drink diet coke once in a while, but I promise you, it will have an entirely different meaning to you! It just won't be that big of a deal! Slippage is pretty rare, so don't worry about it! Don't even send that energy out to the universe! Think health and joy and all good stuff!!! Can't wait for you to be in!!!

Did he tell you what he was looking for? My GUESS is that he was worried you were developing pseudotumor cerebri. I had it TWICE..once when I was 19 and then when I was 35 (I'm 45 now). It's unusual to get it twice, so of course, I got it! It's when you are fat the spinal fluid in your spinal column build pressure and keeps making more fluid. Your body, being frugal, wants to save it all. It builds up in your column and eventually moves into your brain. This fluid then puts pressure on your optic nerves...that's why he was looking for pressure...your innerocular vessels bulge. I actually had it so bad the first time that I had a spinal tap to removed fluid and had to be on steroids for about 6 months. It can cause blindness if you don't treat it and once the 6th optic nerve is pinched off, it cannot be fixed, even with surgery. This condition was about the only co-morbidity I had and it got my insurance to approve me! I'm SO glad yours is improving! Weight loss will do it!! YEAH!!!

I thought all the same things when I was too tight...it will go down as soon as I lose some weight...I don't feel like driving back to my doc (5 hours away) to get .1 cc out, it will loosen up, etc. I ended up ignoring the reflux, the not eating, the throwing up and I irritated my stomach so badly that after SEVEN MONTHS of this (yeah, that's how goofy I was) I went back and had to get a complete UNFILL! Talk about terrifying! Had to let my stomach rest and take prevacid for 30 days. After 6 weeks of healing, I was fine and started back up on fills. I'm not at my optimum level yet, but am close now. DON'T be miserable and wait. Learn from my stupidity! If you are that restricted, it is miserable! I didn't even realize how bad I felt until I was unfilled and it was an instant cure! Call your doc!

Before my banding, I would go on these great diets like Phen Fen, my own creation--the yogurt and popcorn diet--and I would lose about 100 lbs. I would be at that weight for about...um...12 seconds and then I'd gain back 140 or more in a few months. Yeah, I did this over and over again! When I got my band, I started losing slowly, which was hard for me because I was used to losing 100 lbs in 4 or 5 months (stupidly!). Can you gain weight even with a band: YES. However, I have to say, during the times I ate wrong and didn't really put my focus to losing and eating healthfully, the most I gained back was about 5 or 8 lbs. If I didn't have my band now, I think I'd be well over 400 lbs (I started out at 367) and I would be one of those people who would end up weighing 600+! I believe that! I know me! The band seems to make it easier to focus on eating right, eating less, and once that frenzy feeling goes away (like Jack described above) you can focus on health and working out and I'll be you won't gain back a lot. Hopefully, you'll just keep losing and losing...that's my goal! It can be your goal, too!!! You can do it!!! IT"S A TOOL!!! Just part of the whole equation!

I'm with it! I'm working out 5-6 days a week. I informally joined up with the 500 miles on the treadmill group when it started up in Jan. In fact, I set up a little program using that idea with some friends and family members and I am giving the cash prizes when they get to 500 miles! I am just over 200 miles right now, myself! So, I'm pretty pleased with it! Last week, I joined the Jillian Michaels workout line just to shake up my routine a bit! I love it when people talk in the exercise threads, but it seems that it's not as active as the other sites! HMMM? We need to shake that up!!!