hollyberries

I was banded 11/6/07 and have 1.5cc in my 4cc band. I have lost 78lbs. and have some restriction. I go for my next fill on 3/12/08 and will need a little tweak. Can't wait until full restriction so that I won't eat as much.

Keep your chin up Longhorn! My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Wicked Cool and Totally Awesome! You are just Obese. Yeah! Party!

Name...................Start..........Current..........Goal ......To Go 1. TxArcher............345 ............342................325.........17 2. Skinny_Jill..........186.............184................178........... 6 3. Momto1plus1......228.8..........229.2.............218.8.......10.4 4, Longhorn...........204.............199.4.............195...........4.4 5. Mariegabrieleee...252.............251................240.........11 6. Teresajo............195.............193...............185.... ... .10 7. Shortgal............189.............189.................184......... 5 8. Trixie................241.............235.................221......... 14 9. want2lose........226.............223.5...............216..........7.5 10. bandchick64.....241.............238.................230...........8 11. Shalee04..........205............204.................197............7 12. Hollyberries.......278............276.................270............6

Awesome Job! Can't wait until I get there. Only 11lbs. to go!

I have been dealing with bad eating choices in the last week or so. I believe that it is mostly a result of head hunger and not real hunger. For some reason since my last fill I haven't been able to make good nutritional choices. I seem to want what I shouldn't eat even things that I normally would not crave (i.e., chocolate). I have been also overeating but not like before surgery because I feel very full and am in pain if overeat to much. Why am I telling you all this. Well, I Googled head hunger and dealing with it and came across this interesting read and thought if anyone out there is having the same issues that this might help. I liked some of the suggestions and I really want to nip the head hunger thing in the bud before it gets out of hand. Also, my body does not seem to tell me when I am full until I am over full. What are some of the signals that you have that I might relate to. I need to listen to my body more and identify true hunger and a true feeling of full. Here is the blog that I found. Hunger. That is one powerful word when you are on any weight loss journey. Whether you have had WLS or following a more conventional weight loss regimen, you deal with hunger cues. You know how it is. Your day is just bopping along and BAM you are starving. Is it really hunger? In our society there are people who know true hunger. But for the most of us we really have no idea what true hunger is. We've been conditioned to food so readily. A good bit of this can be emotional hunger. In WLS circles we call this "head hunger". How do you deal with it? I have always been an emotional eater. During my weight loss, better health journey, I've usually been of the mind to simply feed the hunger, no matter the cause. My first choice has always been to sit down and eat. I believe in listening to cues from my body first. So I eat. Most who have WLS will not do this. But I believe they may be wrong. My opinion only of course. When you have a malabsorptive procedure like the RNY surgery I had, a large portion of the intestine is bypassed. Meaning you absorb far less nutrients than someone with a normal digestive system. Hence the reason for the rapid weight loss. But you can possibly be starving your body of vital nutrients. So what you may think is "head hunger" may actually be your bodies signal that something is missing. You need to be feeding it what it needs. Most don't want to give in because they are caught up in the whole calorie counting thing. That is a rant for another day. The real thing about this is---is it hunger or just merely cravings. I received a good article in my email on how to deal with cravings. It was written by Dr Jonny Bowden. He is a board-certified nutrition specialist and a nationally known expert on weight loss and nutrition. He has a Master’s Degree in psychology and counseling and a PhD in nutrition, and has earned six national certifications in personal training and exercise. He is board certified by the American College of Nutrition. How to Fight Cravings and Win Think back to high school biology and you'll probably have a memory buried somewhere of a Russian researcher named Ivan Pavlov. Pavlov, you may recall, repeatedly rang a dinner bell right before feeding his dogs a big, juicy steak. Eventually, the dogs would salivate at the sound of the bell. Pavlov had trained his dogs to have a physiological response to a neutral stimulus - a bell - simply because the bell was associated with food. Think about that the next time you're at the movies and pass the popcorn stand. Our brains are wired in much the same way as the brains of Pavlov's dogs. We associate all sorts of things with food - from a holiday celebration to a fight with our spouse. Food nourishes us - but it also comforts us, soothes us and even medicates us when we're feeling anxious, lonely or tired. And it helps us Celebrate when we're feeling happy. Put that together with the fact that obscene amounts of food are everywhere and you have a perfect recipe for eating disorders and mass obesity. But just as we were conditioned to associate food - and overeating - with all sorts of things, we can undo that conditioning. It's not easy - but it's also not as hard as you might think. And it generally takes no more than 21 days. Our overeating triggers are actually chains of events - like Christmas tree lights that go on in sequence. A stressful argument leads to feeling helpless which leads to a journey into the kitchen which leads to ten packs of ring-dings. Usually the chain of events is faster and shorter - think of feeling stress and immediately reaching for a cigarette. So here's the trick: short circuit the chain. On my CD audiobook "Change Your Body Change Your Life" I call this short-circuiting "putting a chink in the link". Break the circuit and the remaining lights don't fire up. You can accomplish the same thing with your overeating triggers. First, isolate exactly what your five biggest triggers are. (Write them down.) Now comes the part where you put a "chink in the link". You're going to substitute a new activity for the destructive activity (much like an addict learns to go to the gym and get "high" from running). Try any one of these simple activities next time you hit one of your triggers: * Brush your teeth * Eat a pickle (eating something completely different from what you're craving tricks the brain and kills the craving - try eating a hot pepper when you're craving chocolate and you'll instantly see what I mean) * Reward yourself with a relaxing activity you normally wouldn't do - i.e. a warm bath or uninterrupted reading of glossy magazines! * Go for a walk (the endorphins released will often balance the chemistry of a craving brain) * Write down what you're feeling. Try "being" with that feeling for five minutes. Most cravings (and overeating triggers) only last 15 minutes. If you can outwait - or outwit - them, you can beat them. Tell yourself "I can have this food" (thus eliminating thoughts of deprivation) but "I have to wait just 15 minutes". You'll be amazed (and happily surprised) at how differently you'll feel a quarter hour later.I have used these techniques myself. Even though I advocate eating when hunger strikes. It may not really be hunger after all. I'm still wanting something even after eating. I make sure what I eat is a nice fat laden Protein source like beef, shrimp, or eggs. But I'm still not satisfied. So this is where these techniques come in handy. However you deal with your hunger---these tips will come in handy. Just never give in to the cravings for junk. When I say eat to fill that hunger, I mean food. Don't go stuffing yourself with a bag of chips, a half gallon of ice cream or the like. Get some real food. Another tip on these lines. Drink some Water. Thirst, dehydration can actually show itself as hunger.

Janet- I am having that stuck feeling a lot since my 2nd fill. I hate it. I am not sure if it is that I am not chewing well or if I am taking too big a bite. I kind of get the same feeling in my chest. Sort of like it gets stuck in the chest. I know that it isn't stuck there but it sure does feel like it. One good thing is that I haven't slimed or pb'd and I want to ensure that it doesn't happen. I am really learning to slow down and chew chew chew. I now understand why they emphasized the chew chew chew rule. I guess since I haven't had restriction yet that I was just getting by with it but now it really is hurting to eat. I need to nip this in bud asap or I am in for trouble. Good luck! Cindy

Longhorn- Onderland is just around the corner for you. You are doing great! :thumbup:Make sure we have a party when you hit it. Tell the world...shout if from the rooftop. Cindy

Name...................Start..........Current..........Goal ......To Go 1. Momto1plus1......228.2..........228.2.............218...........10 2. Mariegabrieleee...252............252................240...........12 3. TxArcher............345.............345...............325...........20 4. Trixie.................241............241................221.......... .20 5. Longhorn............204............204................199............5 6. Tralynn222.........320............320.................310..........10 7. shalee04............205............205.................197.......... 8 8.ellebrookes..........178............178.................169......... ..9 9. Skinny_Jill...........186...........186..................178.......... 8 10 Shortgal ............189...........189.................184............5 11. Sades...............201...........201..................190..........11 12.lisawach.............300...........300.................285......... ..15 13. BiggestLoser2be..198...........198.................188...........10 14. want2lose..........226...........226.................216...........10 15. Osangriared........263...........263................250............13 16. Cindyg...............215...........215................200............1 5 17. Teresajo............195.............195...............185............1 0 18. BarbBee.............270.............270...............259............1 1 19. BandChick64.......241.............241...............230.............11 20. Hollyberries........278..............278..............270............8

:biggrin::wub::wink2::wub::Dancing_chief::wub::Dancing_wub::wub::coolgleamA::wub::welldone2::wub::Banane12::wub::Banane55::wub::lovechoc::wub::grouphug::wub::hurray::wub::hurray: Happy Valentines Day! Name................Start..........Current..........Goal ......To Go :lurk5::wub::party::wub::wub::wub::wub::wub::wub::wub::wub::wub::wub::wub::wub::wub::wub::wub::wub::wub::wub::wub::wub:

Mine is in the same position and my first 2 fills have been a piece of cake. Good Luck! Cindy

Leena- You are doing friggin awesome and kicking some weightloss butt. I have about the same amount to lose as you and hope that I am as successful as you are. I have a 4cc band and am at about 1.5cc's but think that I need some more. I can eat more than I should be able to but I also pay by being overstuffed. I am trying to just keep my portions at 1 to 1 1/2 cups of food because I do feel like I am satisfied. My goal is to hit 100lbs. by May 31st and by looking at your results, I know that I can do it. Keep up the great work; you are an inspiration. Cindy:thumbup:

Close- I have a 4cc Band and am at 1.5cc and am feeling some restriction but can eat more than I should. I am feeling it when the food goes down especially if I have not chewed or taken to big of bites. I really hurts to go down. At my last appt on 2/6/08 my Doc asked if I thought that I could go another 4 weeks without a fill. I told him heck no; I am still eating more than should I need something. He figures that since I lost 11.5lbs in 5 weeks that I am doing great but it has been through my own willpower. My next fill is 3/12 and it won't come soon enough. I haven't lost a lb in over a week and am stalled. I am not complaining though. I am quite happy with my progress. Cindy

Here is my take. I had surgery on 11/6/07 and since then I have done very well losing weight. I must admit that I have had the hardest time dealing with head hunger vs real hunger. I was a big eater. I could eat anyone under the table. I just never seemed to have the full feeling. The biggest reason for my weight being 358lbs. I was told when researching the Band that it was great for the overeater because it restricts how much you can eat. I definately agree because I cannot eat the portions that I used to at all without feeling very full. I am not at a restricted level yet because I do find that I can still eat more than I should but still not as much as I used to. Take tonight for example. I was hungry because I had eaten lunch at 11:30 and starving. I stopped at the store and got some cashews for a snack and ate every bit. Since I have been very busy today we decided to have Chinese for dinner. I had a plate of a little bit of everything but as I write this I am very full....I ate to much. I have not been able figure out the signal that tells me when to stop eating until it is to late and I am over full. So I guess that I have to still learn some self control or I will be uncomfortable a lot. The Band works because it restricts how much you can eat without feeling overfull if you learn the signal. I am pretty conscious of this so I do try to work it through portion control. Sometimes I overdo it but most times I am very satisfied with the recommend portions. Not sure if this helps. But best wishes in your journey. I am so glad that I did it.

Name................Start..........Current..........Goal ......To Go TxArcher............360.............345................345.........Zero baby! Foofy ................249............242.5 (yay!).....237.........5.5 Momto1plus1.......241............228.8..............229..........-.2 mariegabrieleee....261............252................256..........-4 Shortgal..............198............189................192.........(-3) Hollyberries..........298............282................285.........(-3) Looks like everyone is doing great. Look at this way....at least we didn't gain. Have a wonderful Valentines Day and I hope someone is sweet to you today because you deserve it. Hope everyone joins the Memorial Day Challenge. Lets Spring into Summer with big losses. Give some thought to your goal and I will post new thread next week. Cindy:wub:

Good for you! Any loss is better than gaining. Besides is this the lowest that you have been in a long time. You have something to Celebrate. I am very happy with your accomplishments. You are a winner!:smile: Keep up the great job!

Great Job Dude! We are going to do the next challenge for Memorial Day. I will post details soon. Keep up the great job! You'll be catching up to me in no time. LOL! Oh by the way, you jinxed me with routing for the Giants in the Superbowl. I lost 3lbs. over that Superbowl loss. I still can't talk about it without feeling a knife in my chest. Cindy

I will be on a business trip this week so I am not sure I will get to check in much. Hope all are having a loser week. Me can we say STALLED! Yikes! I hope to make good choices this week while eating on the road. Name.......................Start..........Current..........Goal ......To Go

I was thinking a bit longer. I thought about maybe Memorial Day and call it the Spring Challenge. I think 15lbs great too, but remember I started with 358 (docs scale) or 354 (my scale)lbs. I have about 175lbs. to lose so I will lose fast at the start and slow way down. I would be happy with 1 to 2lbs. per week because it would mean I was going down. I am glad that you moved your fill up but take it easy because you don't want to move to fast as you may get uncomfortable. I am sure you know this but me being mother hen just wants to make sure the band is comfortable and not miserable like poor Liz. I agree about after the weightloss and managing it. It will be difficult but one thing that we have that most don't a BAND RESTRICTER (lol) Shortgal...you doing great and don't let the scale or hunger get you down. Keep coming here for support and logging your food and drinking your Water...you know the drill. I find that this site and posting has been great support. Even if I don't get to post a reply, I read this site everyday because it helps me. Cindy

Shortgal...Congratulations. I guess you were excited, I popped on to create this thread and you beat me to it. I am excited as well, I am pass my goal and after my fill yesterday, I am trying to drink my shake and I can't do it. Just don't want it. I was hungry for Breakfast but seem satisfied with just 4 oz. not sure if this is restriction or an illusion. Name................Start..........Current..........Goal ......To Go shortgal ..............198...............190...............192........ minus 2 hollyberries...........298...............283...............285........(-2) Good luck Nymphs! Keep up the great work.

It is hard to believe that I have made it 19 days. It has been alot easier than I had ever thought. I survived the 2 week Pre-op diet which I thought was going to be hard and turned out to be easier that expected. The surgery went very smooth. The only thing that I thought was hard was recovery. I thought I was superwoman and started to do more than I could and my body told me that I was not ready. I started on Stage 3 of the diet the day before Thanksgiving; so I had something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving..."That I could eat real food". So far the diet has been easy to follow, I find that I am a little more hungry but I can just eat something small and no more than 1 cup of food. I feel satisfied. I do know that this is the homeymoon period and that things will change. I see my surgeon on Thursday for my post-op and I hope that he will be pleased with my 40 pound loss since my pre-surgical visit in August. I lost 24lbs prior to surgery and have lost 16lbs since surgery. I am pleased with the weightloss so far. "For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you...." Lord, I can do all things through you. You have given me this Lapband as a tool to overcome my addiction to food. Please help to me to use this tool to help me. Help me today. I pray for all Bandsters that struggle..help them too.

Hang in there Shortgal. It must get better. Cindy

Had my 2nd fill this morning and finally found out that I have a 4CC Band. I had 1cc put in with my first fill and not sure on the 2nd fill. I forgot to ask. I have lost 72lbs. since starting this journey. I had a new doctor do my fill; my doctor is really busy so I think they hired another doctor to help him. He was just as good as Dr. Lautz. He looked at my chart and stated that I have done a remarkable job. He did ask me if I thought I could go another month without a fill and I told him I needed enough to keep the edge off. I have been hungry between meals and have noticed that I can eat more than 1 to 1 1/2 cups of food at a sitting. He agreed that I have been losing more on willpower than restriction. This doc was from New Zealand and had a very cute accent. Overall a great visit and the fact that I lost 12 lbs in 5 weeks made me very happy. Here is hoping that this fill helps with the hunger. Cindy

OK...I love you NYMPHS..I truly do but as I write this I am in a state of depression over the lack of love from my PATS. I will give my kudos to the Giants they played a great game. The best team did win IMO. Watch out for next year, you can't keep a good team down. This is great fuel for next year and Belicheck will use it to his advantage. Can we say pit in my stomach for all 4 quarters. I never did feel confident that we were going to win; except maybe in the last 2.5 minutes of the game. I can't talk about it anymore to depressing; just want to forget. As for another NSV moment. I lost 3lbs from Sunday to Tuesday and all because of the PATS loss. This Superbowl loss was good for my weightloss. Love you guys, Cindy

starting # current # goal # to go# TxArcher................360....................346..........345....... ..1 Shortgal.................198....................192.6.......192. .......1/2 (now I'm aiming for 191) Trixie......................264...................248..........244.... ......4 tyman311................168...................161..........150........ .11 Shalee04.................218...................208..........206....... .. ..2 Steph.....................203.5................188.5.......188.5...... .. ..0 hungry....................227.5................218..........215.5..... ..2.5 Longhorn.................211...................205..........199....... .. ..6 plump_princess.........237...................227..........227......... .. 0 Momto1plus1...........241...................235..........229.......... .. 6(229) ellbrookes 191.........181...................175............................6 want2lose...............236.8................229.8.......225......... .4 .8 Hollyberries.............298...................285...........285..... ... ..0 Skinny_Jill..............195...................187..........180..... .......7 kristin1031.............256...................246..........240........ ....6 Cindyg..................218....................215.........208...... ......7 Teresajo.................212..................199..............205.... ... ..-6 Couldn't tell you how overnight that I lost 3lbs. I think between TOM, return from my business trip and depression over the PATS Superbowl loss I lost. I guess a Superbowl loss is good for the band and weightloss. Cindy