the best me

No problem with coffee! Gotta have it. However, when I was first banded, I sipped coffee on days 2-3, then added V-8 on day 4 and, I believe, all of that was too acidic. I began having trouble with reflux, PB's, swelling and got myself into a big mess early on with being too restricted due to swelling. If I could go back, I would lay off the coffee for at least a few weeks, if possible. Or I would keep the coffee and drop the V-8. Just be careful in the beginning and listen to your body. Otherwise, look forward to a happy life WITH coffee after banding.

Yay Melissa from Charlotte! How do, neighbor? So glad you posted a great intro. Welcome to LBT!!! See you on the NC forums!

Someone please confirm, The View is on ABC network? It's set to record! Thanks for the head's up, Michelle. I, too, wonder if ole Starr is going to come out of the closet. I know she has been hush-hush about her weight loss. Joy became a Jenny Craig? spokesperson and talked alot about her weight loss on the show, and Starr was determined NOT to discuss the personal side of that struggle on national TV. Can you say, "CAT FIGHT!" wroooow! hiss hiss

I have been considering the grazing/bingeing thing for a week or two, now. When I graze, it tends to be junk. When I eat well and healthy, it's usually a huge meal. I have come to the conclusion that if I eat 2 good meals a day (lunch and dinner), a small Breakfast (I'm talking a bowl of shredded wheat with a bit of milk or a CIB (Carnation Instant Breakfast) or a Boost as small), then maybe a snack in the afternoon, I am making much better food choices. The sheer reality of only being able to eat but so much changes the eating dynamic pre- and post-band. The need to stress eat doesn't change much, but that has nothing to do with hunger. Just some thoughts. Good luck to you!

Wow, that is really cool! Oh, and the part about you and John is, too! Isn't it funny how just a little bit of that "connecting" goes such a long way?! Men, give 'em food and sex and they are happy. Women? Just connect with me!! All I need is a few minutes at a time!!! Good for you!

Oh Jack, you are so good! pizza still haunts me. But I CAN eat it! I am 10 weeks post-surgery with no fill. Yummy! The good news, Paul, is that OH so much LESS pizza does the trick that almost a whole pie (depending on the pie) used to! For example, a few weeks back I ate one slice of pizza with a small salad for dinner and was stuffed! Now that it's fill time and I have less restriction, just the other day I ate 2 slices with a small salad. My meal was equally as satisfying as 3-4 (or more!) slices was pre-band. That is really good news to me. I fully expect not to be able to eat pizza again for weeks after my fill. But that's okay. What I am finding out about banded life is that not many food issues last forever, except that of less food, which satisfies just as much. Hooray!

(small quick hijack...) Hey Lori, were you banded on April 18th? How's it going? No info on a fill doc for you Heather, sorry, just had to say hi to Roo-Roo. Thanks!

Oh it's so good to hear from all of you!!! I was banded April 8th and have not had my first fill yet. I was pretty restricted up to about week 8-9, then started noticing that pretty much had no restriction. Sat with that for a few weeks until I was sure and scheduled my first fill.. Problem is, I have to wait until July 6th!! That's just shy of 13 weeks post-surgery! As for weight loss, I lost 15 pounds in the first 12 days and have kept it off with no problems. So now I am stuck at 208. I will occasionally lose to as low as 206, but really I keep gaining and losing the same 2 pounds and have for weeks now. I am anxious to get under 200! Can't wait for my first fill!! Wow, remember when we were all gearing up for our surgeries and watched everyone go and come back banded? I'm SO glad you started this thread Angeleyes!

Here's a link to Ann's journal on spotlight health... http://www.spotlighthealth.com/common/ediary/MO/ann/home.aspx I saw her (Heart) on TV a few months ago, I believe it was a Country Music Awards show and she looked good, but certainly not thin or even thinner. I was dissappointed that it looked as if she had gained her weight back. A testament to the band, actually. I really love the NO Malabsorption feature of the band. But it does make for some difficult work some days, weeks, months, years? if you aren't careful and don't keep up with fills or have good support. Good news is, she can jump in where she is and get started back at it. She has not missed a "window of opportunity" for weight loss, unlike Carnie, who has just taught her body how to hold onto enough calories to produce a healthy baby, now how will she lose it? Will her metabolism recover? We'll see, I guess.

The chances are high that my TV, if on, will be showing Blue's Clues or Dora the Explorer or The Backyardigans... Is The View on ABC, CBS, NBC?? I'll go set the timer on the DVR. I know it starts at 10am here, just need the network and I'm all set to record it, no matter what's playing! Thanks, can't wait to see it!

Welcome and congrats on your journey to come! Hope all goes smoothly for you. Read lots and learn!!! Good to have you.

Welcome to LBT! So glad to have you. Well, you are off and running now, aren't you?! So glad you kept coming back. Congratulations!!

Wow Alice! I agree with Christina about getting sound medical advice about thhis. Induced vomiting is an absolute NO-NO when banded. I would get the stricture thing figured out before moving forward on ANY weight loss surgery. I wish you the best! Please let us know how your appointment goes on Tuesday!

I'd do another day or two of full liquids until it gets better. Sounds to me like you may have just a bit of swelling for some reason. I get my first fill on the 6th. I can't wait either!

That was a great read Donali! Glad you made it through Heather. Good luck with your fill!! Hope it turns out perfectly for you.

Why you did what? Get banded? Girl, you JUST got banded! Give it a minute! You are in this for the long haul and you CAN do it. Each person has their own journey. Each person goes through the experience differently. You have hit a "down" stage, but you will get it figured out and move forward, and lose your weight! Let us know what's gong on. You have loads of support here, and a wealth of experience and ideas and suggestions and advice. USE IT! You are not allowed to get depressed for more than a day. Or two. But that's IT! Put a smile on and get this figured out! I'm giving you a banana just so you will smile! :banana

Christine, what are you eating these days? That may be the problem with the feeling like you need to belch? If you are moving too fast to more solid foods, you may have gotten stuck or PB'd? Then caused swelling and that's what's giving you the need to belch feeling? Shot in the dark. Let me know what you think. ALSO, if you are moving toward solid foods, you weight loss will slow down, at best, and stall if you are lucky. Or you could gain. Don't worry. It will come off again. You are headed nowhere but DOWN on the scales!

lottie, sounds normal to me! Many folks have an easier time with warm liquids. Give it a few more days. It will slowly improve as the swelling goes down inside you where the band was placed. Sip tiny baby sips. I got to where I was sipping, and then swallowing the sip in 2-3 swallows. Just to keep the sips VERY small. It helped. Don't worry though. I can guzzle like a sweaty football player now. It does get better. Hey, glad you are no longer lurking! Welcome!

((((hugs)))) for you Kathy! A new and better job will come along. Take a breath or two and use your time to take care of yourself and get back on track with everything! All those little things you want done at the house, closets, junk drawers, clothes, get some organization going, get rid of clutter, dust, FREE yourself with your new FREE time and make the most of it. I don't know about the vacation. I tend to be cautious and would probably cancel, too. Especailly if it means I could put getting another job for a few months! I LOVE Penni's suggestion. A coconut bra is Perfect! woohoo! Also, no sweat about the fill doc. DtDtKty found another one, look her up. I can't recall the doc's name...you may know about it already. Chin up! You can handle this!!! I'll be thinking of you and enjoying your posts since you have a little extra time. Keep us posted!!

Yay Allen! Great job on your weight loss so far! Welcome to posting-land. So glad you are out of lurkdom. Congratulations!

That IS a hoot!!!! Very funny and well-written. Best of luck to Caro, thanks for the perspective!!! We CAN get a little obsessed about all this band stuff, huh? It's reminding me to sit back and just be banded a minute!

Don't worry about the commitment. Life gets pretty well back to normal in most areas, so you are not changing YOU. You are just adding in this little band-friend (I call mine Fred the Band and my little port). My Fred leaves me be most days, as long as I eat slowly and chew chew chew, he's happy. Otherwise he kicks back with a stuck or slime and reminds me he's there. He will have a little more say-so after my first fill, I'm hoping. So don't worry about the commitment and the coming changes. It's still a struggle to lose the weight, you just have the help you need! Kudos to you on helping your daughter with your sweet grandson. God Bless you!

Nope, Kris, not normal bandster eating going on. You should get full, not stuck. I like what Kelly said about not eating, then going back to liquids, etc. Go back to surgery day, sipping water, then try your liquids, etc. Watch out for that swelling. It's frustrating because you are in limbo land. If it's just swelling from the fill, you don't want to get unfilled and lose your restriction. On the other hand, you may very well need a slight unfill, but you'll never know how much you truly need out until you get the swelling gone. Limbo land. Work on getting the swelling down and keeping it down till you see just how much restriction you have gained from this fill. Then you'll know what to do. And think of it as a jump start on another round of weight loss! I know it's a pain. Post surgery eating for me was not that long ago and I remember it well! Good luck. Keep us posted!

Yay Kim! See how nice everyone is? So glad you introduced yourself. I'm hoping the few Charlotte folks can plan a little get-together sometime soon. Let's get you healed up a little better, first! Congrats! You are doing great! editing to add: Hey Kim, just curious...since you are in Concord, how come you didn't go to Dr Bauman in Concord? (Angie-Bondgirl is seeing him for her surgery) Just wondering. I haven't really heard good/bad/otherwise about Bauman or Voellinger, just wondering what took you into Charlotte?

Now why would you want to do somethng like that? Just kidding. I'm sure a moderator will contact you about what to do. If I knew, I'd tell you. Sorry! Sad to see you go!