Longhorn

I've found a cure for my vague, hungry, can't-stop-snacking jags that often occur in the evening -- a dose of protein! A can of Low-Carb Slimfast with 20 grams of Protein does the trick every time. But before that, I have a Luna bar, which has 11 grams of soy protein. Together, it's over 300 calories BUT the combination: 1. Takes care of my urge to chew. 2. Satisfies my chocolate cravings. 3. Satisfies my sweet tooth. 4. Quells my hunger immediately. 5. Keeps me satisfied the rest of the evening. I realize that I may not be able to have the bar when I get better restriction but, for now, my "combo" is keeping my hunger in check. Now I just need to remember this and reach for my combo BEFORE I start snacking rather than after. :eek:

Thanks, Kristin. I've had to adopt this philosophy because I've always been a slow loser -- I'd go insane otherwise. You've done great and I'm so jealous! I know it's tough when things slow down but at least this time, you know it will get better when you reach better restriction. That's the difference for me this time -- I can hang in here because I honestly believe my band will work eventually. Keep up the good work!

I think there's a difference between "worrying" about the number on the scale and monitoring it! People post on here daily, if not hourly, , about being up a pound or no loss or down only a pound or even HALF a pound. I read about people saying they are going to "demand" a fill because they haven't lost according to some arbitrary schedule (let's face it -- it's never fast enough!) I've read about people complaining who lost *only* 15 pounds a month for the last three months! The fact is, what we're doing now is NOT temporary. To me, the goals are, first, to heal; second, to practice new eating behaviors; third, to learn to deal with any emotional or physical issues that come with this new lifestyle; fourth, to eventually lose weight; and fifth, to keep it off and learn to deal with any setbacks. But a lot of people only seem to focus on #4, losing weight. And if we don't also do #1, 2, 3, and 5, we're not going to be successful. Just my two cents. :girl_hug:

Well, Trixie, that's great except we've already started updating on this thread: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f99/nymph-s-valentine-s-day-challenge-week-1-1-10-07-a-49048/

That's great, NYTrink! As hard as you've worked to get approved, you're sure to be successful with the band! Good luck!

Same here! I wasn't told not to wear a bra but while I was home the first few days, I wore a leisure bra. After that, I avoided underwire bras until my stitches healed up.

On the initial challenge post, some people put their starting weight (before surgery, etc.) but it was supposed to be the weight at the beginning of the challenge, followed by the current weight (at the beginning of the challenge, they should have been the same,) the goal weight at the end of the challenge, and how many pounds to go. For example, for me it was: 211, 209, 199, 10. So subtracting 209 from 211, I lost 2 pounds since the challenge began. I hope this answers your question!

Wow, Sades, I didn't realize you only had two mls! No wonder you're so hungry! I don't feel like I have much restriction at 4 mls -- I do feel like I get full on less food but still much more than will be required to lose weight. Here's hoping we get a step closer the next time! Funny how we use ccs instead of mls since they're both metric and therefore "foreign." I teach metric conversions in my math classes so I'm a little more comfortable with them than the "average" American.

Your first fill sounds exactly like mine! I'm glad everything went well. I take it yours was also not with fluoro? I know some people swear by it and wouldn't get a fill without it. I think we all tend to prefer what we're used to, especially if we haven't had any problems. I'll see my doctor once a month from now on but he said we'll decide together if I need another fill, depending on my weight loss and level of hunger. I expect I'll get one next week, though. I've lost a couple of pounds in the last month but not even a pound a week. I'm really looking forward to it! Thanks for sharing your experience!

1. Hollyberries...........298.............296..............285.........11 2. Cagstorm..............360.............357..............345.........12 3. Longhorn..............211.............209..............199.........10

Just be sure to hit "Next" so that you get to the page that shows all the code. But you don't have to copy and paste the code -- it will update automatically. You can check by going back to one of your posts on this board and hit refresh. Hope it works for you! I love graphs -- I'm a math teacher!

So how did it go?

Yep, we're all band sisters. I have 4 ccs now so I'm expecting he'll put in one more. I do want him to take it slow and allow me to adjust. I will also need to adjust my eating habits further. I think I've done a good job of chewing more and my bites are smaller but I suspect not small enough and I don't eat slowly enough for when I do get some restriction. That's one reason I'd just as soon take it slow, to give me time to adjust rather than be forced to adjust. I'll be watching to see how your next fill goes, too! :grouphug:

While I certainly sympathize about the scheduling problems, I'd be thrilled to be losing at the rate you are and from what I've read, there are many others on this board who would also wonder what the problem is! For me, if I was losing weight without "suffering" -- that is, being hungry all the time, feeling deprived, etc. -- then I'd feel like the band was working perfectly and I couldn't care less how much saline was in it. You didn't mention how you're feeling, just that you feel like you need a fill. Some people lose with no fill at all and others are filled to beyond official capacity of the band so there's little value in comparing fill numbers. There's also not a lot of value in comparing weight loss numbers because some have a little to lose and some have a lot; some are exercising; some are dieting in addition to the band while others are relying more on the band to do the work. I'd be really depressed if I felt like I was competing with others in any way because I've pretty much lost that race (though I WILL finish! :grouphug: )

I'm right there with you, Sades! I go in Friday, the 18th so with the time difference, that's practically the same day as you! We'll need to compare notes afterwards -- we've done everything else together! :grouphug: Thanks for that summary! It's great! I'm definitely in the "Add Fluid" zone! Congratulations! What a nice surprise!

Doddie: When you update the info at the Ticker Factory, you don't have to do anything to your signature. At is updated automatically.

Wow, if that's true, I should never have gained a pound! I live in Texas! :eek:

My doctor does them but it's $1000 for the paperwork and initial consultation and then $1000 per year for the fills. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, if you're interested: ::: AUSTIN INSTITUTE OF BARIATRICS & LAPAROSCOPY :::

My doctor said not to soak in water until the stitches were healed, about two weeks or so. Showers were okay as long as I didn't let the waters stream onto the stitches for a long time.

I managed to hop on the recumbent bike for 30 minutes and get in a good, short workout. It's a good thing because I then reported for jury duty and I was selected! The trial is expected to last through Thursday. It's a good thing I spent the weekend getting ready for school next week or I'd be really stressed out right now!

Whatever you change in your signature becomes retroactive to your old posts so whether you type it in or change your ticker, your old posts will still show your new information. I think including your banding date helps newbies figure it out when they read old posts.

Here are my totals for the week: Today's weight: 211. Total Cardio: 188 mins Total Strength: 0 mins I got busy working this weekend and didn't exercise. But getting this work done now, when I'm on a roll, means more time for exercise on a daily basis later.

We were given a box of four Irish whiskey creme cakes (or something like that -- I never got a real good look at the box.) We left the unopened box on the dining room table when we went to San Antonio overnight on New Year's Eve. Our five dogs managed to knock down the gate that cordons off their "Doggy Den" at the end of our sunroom. A friend came by and put them back in the pen (which has access to the backyard via a doggy door.) When we got home, there was trash all over the yard -- turns out, it was a destroyed box of tissues and the remnants of the box that held the cakes. We got home around noon on New Year's Day -- if the dogs had hangovers, they were gone by then.

I plan to take the Citracal when I finish what I have now (chewables that I don't particularly care for.) And I have Centrum chewables ready to go for my multivitamin. So I just need a good chewable or liquid for glucosamine-chondroitin-MSM. I have a chewable now but I can't stand the taste and I have to eat three of them every morning. But I really think it helps my knees.

I sure appreciate the encouragement! My brain knows that it is normal not to lose much weight until I get to proper restriction but even with my history as a slow loser, I was sure hoping it would be different this time! But I'm enjoying the weight I've lost so far and can be patient. :faint: