Marimaru

I was gonna say what Wheetsin did, but she beat me. My weight bounces around in about a 7 lb range, so popping up 3 pounds overnight is not 'fat' gain, it's Water, food still in your system, etc. Regarding the fill, I can see why you don't want it, but like others have said, you might consider a teeny, tiny one. But yes, exersize will help counter the extra calories. Keep in mind though, it usually takes me a couple of months of exersizing to see any real results on the scale if I haven't been exersizing. My dad says give yourself a 3 month cycle before you expect any results... it's pretty demoralizing, but the reward is good if you can make it.

I didn't vote because none of the options really applied to what I did. My doctor didn't give me any preop diet, and I didn't really diet, but I made a few changes, like cutting out soda and whatnot, to prepare myself for it. I think my doctor must band lots of bigger patients, because while he didn't act like I was a person who didn't need surgery, he kind of acted like the surgery would be no big deal... which it wasn't, but it was interesting.

If you are getting stuck, you don't need another fill yet. You need to learn to work with the fill you already have. Getting stuck means that you are too tight, you aren't chewing enough, or you are eating foods that just don't work for your band right now. I would highly recommend figuring that out and getting stuck episodes to a minimum before trying for another fill. "I know I need a fill because I am not losing weight"; this isn't necessarily true. It depends on what you're eating, how you are exersizing, etc. My recommendation would be to count calories for a week or two, and find out what level you are at when you eat how you are eating now, and then find out how many calories you need to cut to lose weight. I know I have to be below 1300 calories to lose weight. If i'm between 1300 and 1500 I don't lose anything. If I eat well, I can easily be below 1300 and not feel hungry, but it's hard for me, it's WHAT I am eating that is causing my stall right now. I've started working out really hard lately to try and counter that a little bit, but it's going to take me time to figure out whether it's going to work. I can't get another fill, because there are days when I'm so tight it's liquids only, and if I got a fill that would mean that it'd be all closed up those days, so I have to figure out how to work with what I've got. I've lost 80 lbs in almost 3 years, which is slow, sure, but I'm going the right way, and if it takes another 2 years to get to goal, whatever. I do not lose steadily, I haven't ever. I get stuck for a few months and then lose 5, 10, 15 lbs, and then get stuck again. My stuck periods have given my skin a pretty good chance to get pretty decent looking, all things considered. I don't feel like I'll be worried to have surgery for my arms, and a few other places I thought for sure I was going to want it.

I guess when I recommended that you could wear it for a while I was thinking more of a bustier, not a girdle. A girdle specifically is probably not the best idea. Something like a spanx body suit might do you well though.

Are you apposed to counceling? If so, why? I hope this doesn't come out snarky or anything, but you got banded because you couldn't do it on your own (as we all did) and counceling is just another type of tool that can be used similarly. I hope you get it figured out, I'm rootin' for ya!

Regarding the girdle, it would probably be okay to wear for a few hours, but I imagine it would start to bother you after that. Maybe have another outfit for after the ceremony and a few hours of the reception?

I do okay looking in the mirror. I can see that my stomach is smaller (yes, I hate the skin, but I try to focus on that it's smaller and what I can see that it doesn't cover anymore), etc, but when I look down at my thighs, when I am sitting in a chair or something, I feel like I'm still 280 lbs. I also hate that if I am laying down and lift my leg up in the air it looks great, but when I stand up my thighs sag and make my knees look fat. One thing that I think we need to remember though, is that there are people who are skinny who look at themselves naked in the mirror and hate their bodies as much as we hate ours, just in different ways. My fiance told me last night there was a huge difference in my body and gave me a big hug. It's stuff like that which lets me know I am doing okay despite what I still don't like. Look at your feet, and your hands, and look for your collar bones n' stuff like that. That's what I love looking at.

You will probably not go down steadily. You'll go down then up then down a little more, up a little, etc. You will especially see this if you are weighing every day, and you will figure out what your pattern is. Also, your period will likely cause you to jump a few pounds... it's all Water. Keep in mind that just because the scale goes up a little bit doesn't mean it's fat gain, it could be water, muscle, etc. Plus, you haven't even been banded for 2 full weeks yet, give yourself a chance to heal!

My ultimate goal is to feel like I could pull off a good cosplay at an anime convention. I haven't chosen the character yet, but most of the ones I've considered wear outfits that aren't all that flattering to a bigger figure, lol.

It was an interesting set of stories. I really like the doctors explaining that it really isn't a calories in calories out equation. I also thought that it was good that they showed Rocky struggling with his liquid diet before surgery. Alot of people struggle with that, and I think they should know they aren't alone. I don't think there's any way to really explain this to someone who's never been through it so that they 'get it'. Probably we wont be able to make them understand until the scientists are able to figure out the answer; then we'll be able to get people to understand the problem. *sigh* heh..

So, I'm looking to find a swimsuit for my honeymoon in June... I'm trying to find something with a little more than a shelf bra, but I'm running into a couple of problems. Evidently if you are a 36, you can't have boobs bigger than a C cup, and if you have a DD, you must be a 40. I haven't looked in ALOT of places yet, but I thought I'd post here while I was searching to see what people have found... Thanks guys!

Carlene, I hope things are all good when you get checked out again... keep us posted please :eek: Also, you'll do fine on the mushy diet, you can do it!

When I was banded, I was not given any pain medication, I was given muscle relaxers, because it's the muscles spasming that causes the pain. I would see if your doctor would give you muscle relaxers that you could use when this flairs up.

Denise, I would put it on the main Lap Band Support forum. When you post, the more successful losers are going to ask what you're eating, when you're exersizing, etc, so be ready with that info :eek:. There are other similar posts, but it wont hurt to start a new one with all the newer people around.

I am right at 200. Really, I am anywhere between 195 and 202 depending on the day, and I refuse to say I am in onederland until I never see the 200's again. I know I was over 200 as a sophomore/Junior in high school... haven't seen it since. :eek:

Turner, 39 lbs in 7 months is not slow. Anything from 1 to 2 lbs per week is average... I completely understand your frustration, because when we all get banded, we want the weight gone yesterday, but you didn't put the weight on in a year, and it's gonna take longer than that to get it all off.

The biggest size I wore was 11's, the shoes I'm wearing now is 8 1/2, no longer wide. I got 11's more because my foot wouldn't fit in the shoe, not necesarrily because of the length though, but still.

There are a number of folks from Europe and Australia on here, and I haven't heard anything like that (not that this is the only place it would come up, but still)

Honestly, I feel the same way about this that I do about the pharmasists; you took the job, do it. Almost more so in the case of cab drivers, because one of the uses for a cab you hear about alot is to drive someone home who's too drunk to drive.

neveragain; There are guys out there who don't do that obnoxious stuff. And, there are women out there that give us women a bad name, so I think all in all we end up even, lol. Noticing that I've caught someone's eye can be nice, and it IS nice when someone makes a point to say "hi" or something polite like that. The frustrating part is that it happens more, the 'better' we look. ALTHOUGH; I have to agree with the the idea of putting off a different vibe. When I was at my highest weight and went into a store or whatever, I didn't want people to notice my big ass, or my chins, or whatever, and I probably put off a vibe that said as much. Now that I've lost weight I WANT people to notice that and see it (even if a stranger who wouldn't know me from Jane wouldn't have ever known I was fat)!

My 'goal' is 140. I picked it because it's in the mid range of healthy weight for my height, and my sister, who has a similar frame to mine, looked pretty good there. Also, the thinnest I remember being is 165 in Jr. High... and it would make me HALF the person I was!! I've adjusted that to consider that when I was 165 before I was still developing and whatnot, so 160 might look pretty decent on my now... I still list my goal as 140, and all of my mini goals are based on that (halfway there, etc). But, I'll take a long hard look at myself when I get to 160 and see what I think.

I agree in being conservative, but unless someone already has *some* restriction, .3 usually (there are exceptions) wont do much, and if you have to pay every time with fills, and in the OP's case, drive a long distance, it starts to feel like waste.

Walking down the street, I used to get honked at, had nasty things hollared out of windows, nasty looks. Now, I get honked at, whistled at, etc. Not really any more or less than before, just different. What irritates the CRAP out of me is knowing that it's the same people that do both. If someone only honks and waves it still trips me out to see a smile instead of a scowl. I have noticed that grocery clerks ask if I need anything ALL THE TIME, whereas I couldn't find one to save my life before. Here I thought the stores were teaching there staff better customer service. HA! I do like this kind of attention much better than the guys that hollar when I am walking down the street. I honestly used to think that I'd love it if someone whistled at me, because it would be flattering, but it honestly just pisses me off because I know it's the same (type of) guy who would have yelled "moo" another time.

Not all people are affected by this, but it happens to alot of us. I used to get REALLY tight after flying. I especially get tight when I fly from California, where I live, to Colorado, where some of my family lives. I think the flight plus the change of altitude just does me in. I have traveled this year more than any other year since I have been banded, and I gotta say that the last couple of flights don't seem to have affected me as much (or I'm just getting used to it LOL). I just plan to have a soft meal after I land. Usually something like yogurt, protien, nutrients, not too high in cals. I think it's just an 'effect' rather than an 'issue' if that makes any sense.

There is a doctor in Southern California who has helped a number of people banded in MX that have had issues. His name is Dr. Helmut Billy. If you are nervous about Mexico, but not getting help where you live, he might be a good option. I've never met him, but a number of the people on this board who had issues when to him and were helped. I was banded in Mexico, and have not had problems, for which I am very thankful. Problems can happen no matter where you get your surgery, it's just a shame the doctors here see that as some kind of red flag... I'm not sure why, seeing as most of the band doctors in the US were PROCTORED by Mexican band surgeons, but I guess that's neither here nor there. In many, many ways, the attitudes of the American medical community need to change, in my opinion. All that to say, I hope you quit getting the runaround and get the help that you need to feel better, one way or the other.