Cocoabean

Crystl, A bear? In your drive way? Wha? Does that really happen? Man, I am too much of an urban girlie. I freak out when I see an opossum in the yard. Oh, and Butters got skunked in the face once in the back yard. He came inside with his face wet, and proceeded to wipe it inside my prized Louis Vuitton bag. I did not realize it until the smell followed me to work the next day! The bag had to air out in the garage for two weeks. That is WAY enough wildlife for me!

Soup, girl, soup!!! Sliders are appropriate on a date. Congrats!

If you cannot eat that much because you feel satisfied with less, don't worry about it! Never force yourself to eat more than want. Just be sure you are going for protien first, then veggies, then starches if you have any room left. Again, this is dependent on your instructions for where you are post-op.

I am a bad girlie who does not exercise as she should. I am down 70 lbs and have reached a normal BMI. My doctor wanta me to lose a bit more, but I'd really have to work at it. But also, my fasting blood sugar is slightly elevated (105), I could probably bring that down if I did something daily. That said, I am MUCH more active than I was 70 lbs ago. For example, each year we go camping up the central Calif. Coast. We stay in a park that is about half a mile from town for a week. In years past I always wanted to drive into town. Now it doesn't even cross my mind. We always walk, every time. Once or twice a day. I try to work more activity into my life. But, I know if I did a more disciplined program, I'd be in better shape and at a lower weight. As Honk said, it is about finding something you like, I don't like it! :smile:

Way cool site! I see Allergan wants to lower BMI standard to 30. Daemon, I hope you find the answer, is your bloodwork normal? My niece has systemic sclerosis. It is not fun. Perhaps removal of the band would help.

If it isn't a sit down, just carry a plate with some lettuce and other non-tempting items and do your thing. I did a superbowl party during my pre-op. People there knew I was on it, so there was no pressure. But I carried around a Water bottle and the people who didn't know never noticed I wasn't eating. You can also say that you are on a special meal plan due to an upcoming medical procedure and leave it at that, if anyone asks. If it is sit down, it will be more challenging, in that case, I'd go with the previous poster's suggestion and say my stomach was off that day. Last suggestion, call your surgeon's office, explain, and ask if there is anything you might be able to eat. He may allow a green salad and lean meat. Obviously no cake, but at least you could enjoy and not feel guilty.

Did your doctor or nutritionist give you any guidance at all? Each doctor is different. As to what you should feel like, you are not looking for "full." You want "satisfied." As an over-eater I was always looking for being full. Now I want to be satisfied. Full hurts. When you are on a regular diet, you will find what works. For me, it is about 3-4 oz of meat, veggie side dish of about 1/4 to 1/2 cup, and a little starch. This will be after you are done healing and get the all clear by your doctor. Congrats on your loss so far!

Stacie, it's a deal! Way to go on the school decision. Wootwoot!

Shammah, prayers going up for you and your doctor for tomorrow!

[quote name=LoserHeather37;1531139 I can get liquids down and soft mushies too. I just feel like something is stuck in the back of my throat. I also have that uncomfortable feeling in my chest like I do when I overeat' date=' and a little heartburn. So I am getting nutrition, I'm just slightly uncomfortable.[/quote] You might be just a hair too tight. Heartburn can be a symptom of that. You might give it a couple more days. It's possible you got something stuck without realizing it and have some swelling. Stick to mushies for a bit. But if it doesn't resolve, don't hesitate to get a slight unfill. Being overfilled does not lead to quicker weight loss. It just leads to discomfort and possible slippage or erosion. It is not something to mess with. It can be amazing what one or two tenths of a CC can do for you. But if you wait too long, you might need more removed. Having a band should not be painful :smile:

Hey Leigha! He's trying to tell you something! Or maybe he is sick. Or the party stressed him. The mouth is OK, thanks for asking. I don't ever want to go through this again! I think this was worse than my rotator cuff repair. I KNOW it was worse than band surgery! sheesh! I have decided I am a wimp with a very low pain tolerance. :smile:

I love this!

Yikes! DH is going thru menopause or something! Love him to pieces, but MAN! Anyway, I'd do the trade, but I think Butters would see Beelz as a snack. :yesnod: Not a good thing! Small things that run away are a challenge to him, and he loves a chase!

Heather, can you get liquids down? If not, call your surgeon ASAP. If you can't get any kind of solids down, you might call now anyway and get a slight unfill. Are you able to get yogurt or protien shakes down? You need some form of nutrition. Rebecca, I have days where I am hungrier than others. It is just the way of things. I asked my surgeon about it. He said that the stomach moves a little bit within the confines of the band giving more restriction some days than others. Other things can affect it as well, such as your level of hydration or Water retention. For some, altitude plays a role in restriction level. What I have learned is that now I am like my normal weight friends, some days they are hungrier than other days. It is what it is. For me, it's all good. :smile: Except when I get stuck.

Elfie, way to go!! Hotter than Hades here, hottest day of the year yesterday. I got home from the beach and the INSIDE of my house was 90 degrees! Not much else to report. Oh, I have a husband I am giving away for free, any takers?

Glad you are feeling better. There is a learning curve, that is for certain! And to be honest, I still make mistakes! Walking truly is a great wepon in the too full/stuck battle.

Not a silly question at all!! The skin is very tough to chew. So it goes down as single piece sometimes. Then it will get caught in or over the stoma (the small hole from the pouch to the bigger part of the stomach created by the band). When this occurs, it causes significant pain that can last quite some time until the offending item is moved away from the stoma. And yes, sometimes that involves its return from whence it came. It comes up and out, or sometimes it can work itself down. It is a very uncomfortable process, and one that I like to avoid. So, if I eat tomatoes, they are cut into small pieces or the skin is removed. 2beskinny, if your blood work is doing well, your blood pressure is good or improving, and you are losing or getting smaller (or even maintaining for that matter!), then you are NOT failing! You are exercising, which is wonderful! Your doctor said your diet may be acceptable with your level of exercise. Give it a while and see. If needed, you can adjust later. That is the thing about the band, we can easily do moderation and portion control. My PCP wants me to lose another 10 lbs. I told him I wasn't sure I was ready for the extra work needed, as I am easily maintaining where I am. He said fine, take a break and stay where you are...evaluate again in 6 months. The only thing that is off for me is slightly elevated fasting blood sugar (around 105 rather than below 100). So he is not overly concerned if I don't take off the extra he'd like me to lose. The bottom line is, this is my body and my life, I follow my bandster rules as given to me by my surgeon as much as possible. Do I fall off? Its coming up on 3 years for me, so of course I do. But each meal is a new chance to get back on the horse. Not each day, not each week, but each meal. Oh, and back to the original topic...salad as a slider, it may be for some, but it can also contain tons of nutrients, and unless you overload it with croutons, cheese, eggs, and high-fat dressing, it can still be a valuable addition to your diet. As a side dish to a meal with Protein, it can become a non-slider.

salad is hit or miss for me, depending on what is in it. Tomatoes give me trouble because of the skin. Iceburg lettuce is no problem. Some of the darker lettuces can be troublesome. As to Pasta. Lasagna noodles are too doughy. Even if I eat small bites, they tend to reform in my pouch, like play-dough. Spaghetti noodles are usually fine, unless I cram a whole bunch in my mouth. I know, against band rules to not take small bites! Yeah, Betsy is a good low-carb girlie! I, on the other hand, am not! :biggrin: And I am OK with that, I have found what works for me, and look darn good in my size 10 jeans :crying:.

I don't know about the BC aspect of it, but the expectation for loss with a band is 1-2 pounds per week. So both of you are within expectations. :biggrin: We'd all like it to be faster, and it certainly seems to come off slower than it went on. Also, some just lose at a slower rate. When I was actively losing, my average was 3/4 of a pound per week. It sucked, but it got me to a normal BMI, normal blood pressure, and normal cholesterol. I think a pound a week is something to cheer about! Just my two cents.

Walk, wait, and learn from the mistake. Hope you feel better soon.

Different surgeons have different rules. I have one coffee a day, mine is ok with that. The bigger question is what does yours say?

I suppose one could make the argument that since a band is restrictive only, if she only ate jenny food, then she did it on the jenny plan. She just wasn't starving between meals. It still seems dishonest, though.

So what if they think it is the easy way out? Who says we have to do things the hard way? I drive to work so I don't have to walk. I use a computer rather than a pencil or calculator. I sit in a chair so I don't have to stand. A co-worker had stents put in rather than wait for a heart attack, is that the easy way out? My father had triple cardiac bypass surgery for the same reason. Should he have said no and died? We took advantage of a medical procedure to help us be healthier, weight loss is a side-effect...oh darn the luck! (ok, so it is called weight loss surgery, but you get my point!) as Betsy said, I took the way out.

You are gaining about a pound a week. 3500 calorie excess. You got your band tightened, that is step one. Are you eating by band rules, or are you eating sliders and/or brainlessly eating between meals? Are you drinking liquids with calories? Are you getting all your Water in? You might try journaling your food to be sure there aren't hidden calories somewhere. Also, if I were cycling that much and knew my diet were truly under control, I'd be in to see my primary care doctor for some bloodwork to be sure everything was working properly. What has your weight done since your fill?

Maybe your surgeon would accept a letter that you are medically healthy enough for the surgery and could benefit from the procedure? Nowadays in the US there seems a big push on the patient being responsible for choosing what care is provided. We are given a list of options and told to chose rather than being told that any one treatment is what we should do.