Marimaru

I think you need to remember that you just had major surgery, compacted by the idea that you are eating less than your body is used it. I think that your body will catch up with you, but it will probably just take some time. *hugs*

Currently I have one pair of 16's that doesn't fit. I have other pairs of 16's that fit fine, but this one doesn't. I'm pretty sure that when I fit that pair of jeans, I'll be able to go buy some 14's and have them fit. Those are my current inspiration pants for the short term. I'm already to the point where I can wear my fiancee's tshirts. I want to be able to wear his jeans. That is my ultimate inspiration clothes!

I think your site is very nice, very classy, and of course honest. It seems to be a great way to get donations for what you want! Good luck!!

I think we should keep the thread, but someone can remove their post. I agree that we'd need to figger something out for if a post is quoted, but if it doesn't happen very often, maybe our wonderful mods could just edit the quote also or something?

I've taken Paxil and Wellbutrin, but never prozac. Paxil worked well for me, but you've already tried it. Wellbutrin is different than other anti-depressants, so maybe it would work better for you? My doctor did say though that it's not good for folks with anxiety, don't know if you have any of that. I started taking Wellbutrin exactly one month ago today and have since lost 5 lbs, where I was stuck before that (since August!!!!!!!!!!!). I'm not crying all the time like I was, and my fiancee is very happy because it severely lessens the affects of my PMS. I know that Wellbutrin does not work well for some people, but for the people it works for, it seems to really work!

Some people have talked about waiting to feel the food move through and then eating more. I think if you've literally had 2 bites of your meal, and you wait until the food moves through, and then eat more, this is good, because you aren't going to be eating enough if you just stop at 2 bites. The other side of the coin though is that if you eat your meal (or a good amount of it) and THEN wait for the food to move through to eat more, you, at the very least, are going to cause a problem to your weight loss. I think the latter is more of what 'pouch packing' is, and while I don't know much about stretched pouches, I would think that would be a likely cause for it. My 2 cents on the subject . I've recently been learning the "what's enough" thing lately too. Honestly, I do better about my eating when I eat out, simply because I don't want to have a problem in public. I KNOW the feeling I get when it's time to stop, and I KNOW what will happen if I don't listen. I also know that SOMETIMES I can eat a couple more bites after I get that feeling and be okay, but sometimes I can't, and it's when I'm in public that I don't test that boundry. Go figger.

Benefiber is good for avoiding it, or if you start to notice you are a little backed up, it can keep it from getting worse. I also can't really eat if I'm backed up. I guess it kind of makes sense, lol. If it happens every month during your cycle, maybe start taking a fiber supplement (like benefiber or other) a week before or something. You could work it into your diet to take every day also.

Flying gets me almost every time. I'm not *sure* about altitude, but I can see how it would cause a difference. I know stress does it to me, so flying + travel for any kind of stressful reason = major restriction for me. But at the very least, you aren't crazy, it happens to lots of people.

I had this work for me on an airplane, and I'm so glad, it was an emergency!! I took a bite of a snack I'd brought, and a sip of something and got stuck. I was in the window seat, with 2 people next to me. I really didn't want to ask them to move, and wasn't sure I'd make it to the restroom if I did (it usually doesn't hit me that hard, I usually have more warning). I held my breath just to keep from swallowing and it finally passed. I honestly hadn't given too much thought into it being a solution though. I'll have to try it more often!!

I think that your husband needs to realize that if people weren't at YOUR support forum, they'd be at some other forum. Support forums don't make me sit at a computer any more than anything else. Sitting at a computer all day pays my bills. When I get home from work, I sit down at my computer most nights. I may or may not visit LBT, but I'm still at my computer. No, I have not been exersizing lately, but sitting at my computer is not the reason I choose not to exersize... it just happens to be what I do, when I choose not to exersize, lol. I would be lost without a support forum for the band. I don't actually post new threads for band related advice very often, but I know the forum is here if I need it, and just talking with people who really KNOW what I am going through helps alot.

If you hungry folks are on Clear liquids, I would definately go after the Isopure drinks. I was only on clears for 48 hours, then allowed 'full liquids'. Keep in mind if you are hungry when you wake up from surgery, you didn't eat the night before (usually), then went however long that day, and I imagine there's not much in the way of calories in those IV drips. There's also not much in the way of calories in anything 'clear', lol. Maybe have some Jello? Not sugar free (unless you have issues with sugar), but just as a way to get SOME calories in. Feel better!

Rock on, MelAnne!! That's a fantabulous promise! I have a HORRIBLE time staying off of my scale. But if I threw it out, I'd go buy another one!!

I can only speak from my own experience, but I had no trouble getting insurance with my company's insurance. The only things were that a) they don't cover anything 'pre exsisting' for 6 months, and after that, I don't know whether they'll cover anything band related that isn't an emergency. But do what Alex said and call the insurance commissioner. They can tell you what the rules are.

If you are only eating veggies, soup and mushies, you may be eating more than you intend to. The band is designed to help keep solid food in the pouch, not liquids or mushies. Also, like someone said, you might need more protien. The other thing is, that your body has lost alot of weight in not alot of time. It may just need a break. Even if you aren't losing pounds, you should keep track of how your clothes are fitting and how you feel. Your body may be re-arranging itself on the inside, without shedding actual pounds, and then later when it's ready, the scale will go down again.

eggs are bad on alot of people. I think you'll find alot of good breakfast options in Mexico. And if all else fails, they always have refried Beans available (they serve them with the eggs anyway, lol). Have a great time!

Go for the unfill. For a few reasons; I assume you are flying to your seminar? Flying ALWAYS makes me extra tight for a few days. Stress makes me tighter also, and traveling can be stressful. If your doctor is pushy about you telling him what you'd like, ask to have a 'little bit' taken out, and let him decide how much that is. (as a side note, I think the idea that he'd give you that much when you only wanted a little is arrogant) I know you are happy to be losing, but even if you don't get tighter with the travel n' stuff, you'll get sick of being on liquids, and you will probably find yourself frustrated as heck to go to dinner with people from the seminar and not be able to eat. Even if soup is always an option, what if the 'soup' is chili? It's all chunky and stuff and there's not alot of liquid to satisfy you, you know? I've been too tight before. It's icky.

I don't know about the pictures other than you looking super tight, but I have experienced what you did with getting tight seemingly with no explaination. My last fill was on November of '04. Near the end of April '05, I started getting tighter than I had been. My grandfather had died that month, and I think it was stress related, but it just didn't want to let up. I could get by on liquids/mushies, so did for a while hoping it would let up. I finally got a .3cc unfill in June. I haven't had a fill since. No explaination for why, but just thought I'd share that it happens..

Some days I look and think to myself "wow, I'm lookin good!" other days it's "gawd, I am still SO FAT!!". It kind of depends on my mood I guess. Sometimes I'm in a decent mood but see my fat self in the mirror and get depressed. As for final goals... I also was very unhappy at 160 lbs, but I don't remember a weight that I was previously happy with. I believe that once I get to 160, I can decide whether I'm happy, or if I think I need to do more. For calculation purposes, my final goal is 140; I started at 280, my goal is 140, and so at 210, I'll be halfway to goal. 140 was my original goal but I've revised it to 140~160.

<<<Hugs>>>

Dana, keep in mind too that the surgery itself doesn't really help most people with weight loss. It's the fills afterward that do the most work. There are some people who are restricted with just the band, but most people aren't. Now is for healing, later is for losing.

I drink right up until I start eating, and try and load up on liquids right before so that I don't feel thirsty during my meal. Only rarely do I drink during my meal and right after. It usually causes big problems for me.

Personally, I think anyone should be able to edit a post at any time. If a poster decides to edit their post in such a way as to remove all of their comments, that's up to them, but everyone else's comments are still in tact. Maybe if there is something they really want deleted for a specific reason, they could ask the moderators if they could do it, and then it's at the moderators disgression. My 2 cents

If doctors in your area are banding patients with no flouroscope available anywhere locally, I'd say that's pretty irresponsible. I don't think that flouroscopes are needed for all fills, but certainly there are some people out there where the doc just has to use a flouroscope to see the port or else they'll never find it. It is also used to diagnose slipped bands, or tilted ports, etc... 7 lbs since February isn't as horrible as you think. It can be frustrating to see other people on this forum and others who lose more sooner, but for many people, they just don't lose much until they get a good restriction level. Also, make sure that learn the difference between head hunger and real hunger. Are you truly hungry, or do you just want to eat? (don't take that as a slam, most of us had to learn the difference).

If you are having those reactions to the amount you are eating, you probably need to eat more. People at a higher weight can eat more and still lose, and then adjust their calorie intake later as they start to plateau. Especially if you are doing that much exersize (congratulations for that!). I don't know anything about good diet pills. I never found any that worked...

Diane, I am right there with you. I was recently in my sister's wedding as a bridesmaid, and I really just think I look horrible. Even looking at the pictures doesn't make me feel better now after the fact. I got tons of compliments that day, but it really just doesn't help much. I agree that the brain takes longer to catch up with the idea we've lost weight... I have caught up some, and I no longer see my self as the person I started as before banding, but still... I guess I don't have any advice, just to say that you aren't alone..