steph_co

I have seen this same post 100s of times and it's always the newbies that've been out for a couple months or less saying to go ahead and do it - they did and they are fine. Can you say misery loves company? What is the point? Trying to get people to do the same thing so you don't have to feel so bad that you did it? I really don't see what the big deal is with her calling her doctor at the very least before taking the advice of some faceless people on some online chat board. Give me a break. Longtimers....I'm really beginning to see the oversensitivity that seems to run rampant. I just thought it was a certain batch of people right when I started posting here. I guess there's a reason I don't spend much time in pre-op/post-op forums. Sheesh. This post can be hammered into the ground and it still will continue this way because new people will come and ask, and other new people will tell them to violate their doctor's orders because they, themselves did it.

LOL, I love that song. DH wants to see me dancing to that song because I have a major booty. I had no idea the jeans were an actual brand name - I just thought it was jeans that hugged the curves like that. Although...my poor booty seems to be deflating. More skin hanging down than I had before. It's really sad because I did like my ass. It was rounder before. I was just hoping it would get smaller, but keep the round. I may have to consider a LBL, now. Grrrr.

That is AWESOME! Keep up the great work - that is a tremendous accomplishment! Wow.

Now this is something I wish I had available. I'd probably be even further along if I did have one. I had my surgery 4 hours away, so don't feel like attending THAT support group. There is one an hour from my house in the other direction, but I have not heard any updates from that group since I had to miss the meeting in December. I gave up.

I'd like the ring on your friend's finger, Liz. LOL But how she looks is how I USED to look. That's my look.

LOL...it strikes me as humorous that I could have read your sentence, "So I ate a bite of something, didn't chew well, took a big swig of water" before surgery and thought, "Yeah? So?" And now it's like watching a train wreck. I have not PB'd. I have gotten stuck numerous times and I can feel a "backing up," so to speak, but in order to actually have it get OUT, I'd have to kind of push. Gross, I know. LOL I feel I have good restriction, so maybe that's why it's similar to Liz? I would say good restriction is being able to eat a cup or less and being full for 4 hours. That's what I told the receptionist I was like when I canceled my last fill appointment and she agreed I was good to go for the time being. My last fill was...uh...in February? Or January? I can't remember. But the fact that it has held on this long is encouraging. I may consider going in for another fill in a month if I lose any restriction at all...because I hear it can loosen as you lose weight.

YES...this is very much so the case with me. Like you, though, I am amazed after I eat all that stuff that I don't gain like I used to. Chips, cookies, candy...it ALL goes down so easy. Then I go to eat something substantial nutritionally and it's such a pain to get down. But I do my best to get in 3 "good" meals and treat myself occasionally. Right now I'm doing a push to lose more lbs to fit into new work pants (men's 32s!!/ women's 12s)...they pull on with a struggle and button just fine - but they would not be comfortable to work in for 12 hours. So I'm back to Slim Fast for a bit. Then I get to work on the more relaxed method of eating and trusting myself.

I want to look how I looked in high school...which was a size 8 and fit. I was not muscular, even though I did weight-lifting 3 times a week for a conditioning class. I just looked nice. I'd love to have a runner's body. When I am back to not working every dang day of my life, I'll get back into running again. My mom used to run marathons and she had the most incredible legs...that's what I want. I would actually love to have some nice biceps. I wish I had the discipline and drive to get Angela Bassett's arms: Celeb models in red as Fashion Week begins - Fashion Week - MSNBC.com

Andie - You may want to consider looking into Paul McKenna's book, I Can Make You Thin. He gives some good ideas on eating consciously - the way we are supposed to be eating with the band, anyway. If I could break my terribly bad habit of eating while I'm distracted (like sitting on the internet, for instance), I can guarantee I'd be losing weight a little bit quicker. I've been stalled since the end of February because I was eating more than I should. I would fluctuate up and down. I'm trying to apply the principles I learned with that book/TV program and I seem to be making a downward trend again as I lost the fluctuating pounds and have lost an additional 2.

The band itself cannot stretch. Do you mean the pouch? There's no way to tell that without an x-ray. As for slippage, based on what I've read in the complications forum, it can be pretty obvious as you'll have bad reflux, especially at night. You can search around in that forum for more symptoms. But honestly, it just sounds like more fill is necessary. Do you regularly chew your food to mush? Or are you saying that you can't eat the foods you used to be able to eat the way you used to eat them? I have excellent fill - I can't eat more than a cup. But if I do not chew my food to mush, I suffer the consequences. But I can eat pretty much any type of food. Even .2cc can make a difference. Good luck. I wanted to add...I have 6.5 cc in a 10 cc band.

I itched for a long time. I want to say until about the 3rd month. But the NP said everything looked fine - nothing to worry about. Just one of those things, I guess.

Bravo! :puke: Awesome first post! LOL

It's quite common for the band to loosen as you lose weight because there's less fat pushing on the band. I would just talk to your surgeon about more fill. :puke:

Keeping you in my thoughts, Kendra. I hope your appointment goes well - I'm really glad you got one. Keep up the good thoughts!

But I am learning something more valuable. And that is to trust myself. I started reading a book called, "I Can Make You Thin" by Paul McKenna. I read it about 75% of the way through, put it away for awhile, then I've read it again about 50% of the way through. It's kind of short, so that's not that big of a feat. But my point is that it's starting to get into my brain. And I don't WANT to diet anymore. That's exactly what this book is about - not dieting anymore and just trusting yourself. I got down to 180 on my weight loss ticker and gave up and gained about 7 more pounds back. I have struggled with myself since then because I'm seriously fed up with dieting. I can lose the weight fast, but I know I can't keep up that way of eating. I'm not very organized, so that makes it harder. I haven't applied all the tools from the book. My biggest struggle is focusing on JUST eating. No distractions like TV or radio or...uh...internet (as I sit here eating dinner). I am forced to eat slower because of the band, and I do stop when I'm satisfied because of the band. I have some work to do. But anyhow, I've been eating whatever I want and after the initial rush binge that comes after breaking a diet, things have evened out. I started running and I've done 2 weeks of the Couch to 5K (but I'll be starting week 4 this week because I accidentally skipped week 2 and ran the week 3 schedule this week). I'm back down to 180. I'm relaxed and not stressing about what I eat. If anybody's interested in that book, you can find it pretty much anywhere. AND - he is starting a series on TV by the same name. It runs on TLC and the first one starts tonight. I'm sure the time will be different depending on where you are, but for me it starts at 7p. I'm DVR'ing it since I'm stuck at work tonight. But I look forward to applying the tools...ALL of them. I'm going to catch up on the posts - I've been crazy busy with work and home life but I've dropped in now and again. Hope everybody is doing well.

I have it on DVR - I'll probably watch it tonight. I'll let you know. His book is very interesting, though - I agree with his theory as I've seen it work in my own life. I just haven't used the audio CD that comes with the book, yet. So who knows what I can get from this program - I may be pleasantly surprised.

4 miles per hour. Divide 60 mins by 4. That would be 15 mins per mile. :mad2:

I don't know - I'm still able to eat anything, just much less than I used to. Everything goes down. LOL The only thing I can say I'm turned off of since getting banded is Wendy's french fries. Goodness, I used to love those things. The first 3 months after banding I was so good and didn't have any fast food at all. Tried a Wendy's combo and the fries were so greasy, I felt like I was drinking from the grease vat. Oh, it was gross...I thought I was going to be sick. LOL As long as I remind myself to chew a ton and take very small swallows, everything goes down okay.

I fully and completely agree with this. I could get a fill and be at ^that^ point, but WHY? I want to learn to eat NORMAL.

You are definitely going to get a range of answers to this question. As for me... My sweet spot is where I am at. I have no food restrictions (IE, nothing gets stuck if I chew it as much as I'm supposed to), but I eat around a cup of food and stay full for at least 4 hours (if I had some good, solid protein). I'm eating like a normal person and I'm losing weight.

I had my first fill at 5 weeks. But even that did nothing. It wasn't until my second fill about 2 months after my surgery that I got good restriction.

It's not a bad idea. But honestly, as the months have gone by with this band, I have gotten fed up with having to diet. I did all of that before the band. I paid $10,850 so I wouldn't have to be stuck on a diet for the rest of my life. The past couple weeks, I have eaten whatever I wanted and started running. I've lost 7 lbs that I had regained when I went bust off of yet another diet. My portions are in control because of the band...I'm so glad I don't have to worry about that anymore. You may want to consider Paul McKenna's book, "I Can Make You Thin." Very interesting and I think it is truly turning around how I look at eating (and has contributed to my 7-lb loss). I don't want to spend the rest of my life obsessing over food - this is making it possible. He is also starting a TV series on TLC that started tonight. Everybody has something different that will work for them - this is simply one suggestion and I'm not implying that it is the cure-all for everyone.

I never thought I would have heard myself saying I'm so happy my pants fall down. LOL I SO feel you on this one, Cindy. You are doing so great! I bought a pair of stretchy-type track pants before the surgery to wear to my surgery since it was comfy clothing that could easily be put back on. I love those dang pants. I have been wearing them running and that's turning out to not be such a great idea because I have to keep hiking my pants back up or I'm going to end up by the side of the road with my pants around my ankles. So I'm wearing a pair of black yoga pants that used to be tight...they are so saggy on the butt. I LOVE it! I guess I don't mind having to hike my pants back up because I get to say in my head to the passing motorists, "See? You see how skinny I am? My dang pants are falling off!" LMAO What'll be big for me is hitting "normal" for my BMI. 21 pounds, dangit...21 pounds. *sigh*

You are doing so great! Holy moly @ 88 lbs in 4 months!!! That is incredible!

I wanted to add my newest tool - running! I can't believe how much better it makes me feel. When I'm feeling kind of down in the dumps, nearly any kind of exercise helps out tremendously.