Skinny_Jill

I had surgery on Tuesday before Thanksgiving and went back to work on Monday.

I get the munchies during PMS too. Popcorn works well for me. The good thing for me is that I get good restriction during TOM to get me back on track if the munchies get the best of me during PMS.

Protein drinks or you can buy those little cans of tuna and eat before class.

I had no co-morbidities before surgery but I knew that if I kept gaining (and I know I would have) it wouldn't be long until I had high blood pressure or diabetes. Insurance did not cover the band so I am self pay and it is definitely worth it. After 2 months I feel so much better as I have more energy and my knees don't hurt. I will enjoy life now and not watch it pass me by. The surgery will be much safer now than if you gain more weight and then the journey will just be that much longer. Good luck with your decision.

I am definitely tighter during that TOM. TOM hit the day after my 2nd fill and I had great restriction. Now that TOM is gone restriction is just okay. I now know that I will need another fill soon.

I have the APS band which holds 10cc and many have a fill during surgery of approx 3cc. My doc does not fill at surgery. I received my first fill 5 weeks after surgery (3.3cc's) and my second fill three weeks later of .5 cc's bringing me to 4cc's. They switched to Omnipaque at my 2nd fill. I had good restriction after my 2nd fill but I can now tell that I need more. I can't even imagine how tight I would have been if I had more and I was thinking that would not be enough. As others have stated your stomach size does adjust as you lose fat and everyone has a different size stomach. The reason the band is so wonderful is that it can adjusted to work for all of us. It can be a frustrating process but it is so worth it in the end.

Totally agree with Wheetsin.

Sadly, I starting smoking again after surgery too. My sister takes Chantix and the biggest side effect for her is gas! Like we need more of that. Of course, it would be worth it if we quit smoking.

I was a smoker before I was banded and my doctor didn't say anything about quitting but I did quit the week before as smoking slows the healing process and all of the other reasons smoking is bad for us. Good luck!

Hi everyone, I am also a lower BMI bandster. I started with a BMI of 41 and it now 36. I am losing slow but steady and it is great.

It sounds like good restriction to me. I would say you are okay if you can get mushies down. When eating solids chewing is the key. If I don't chew well it is painful. I chew until it is mush and then chew some more just to be safe. I also swallow tiny bits at a time even with my small bites. If you can't eat solids and it is bothering you then get a slight unfill. I think I will always have to be able to eat solids to be satisfied. I don't mind a few days of mushies but then I need to go back to solids. That is why the band is so great. It can be adjusted to fit all of us.

I gave it up after surgery but then I starting drinking it again but only 1 a day. After my 2nd fill I can't drink anything carbonated because it hurts going down so no more for me. I miss it terribly but the band is worth it!

Oh my! I think I would have passed it if I saw a 40 pound loss. I'm sure you lost a lot but 40 pounds would be wild. Let us know what you find out. I am also a Dr. Spivak patient and I was in his office on 1/16 too. Congrats on your great weight loss!

No, sugar does not affect us the way it does GBS patients. I would be going for lowest calories myself but everyone has different goals and ideas of how to get there. Check your doctor's list of foods too.

Sadly, I was and my doctor said that is normal before you get fills. Some people have absolutely no restriction without fills. I controlled what I ate because I wanted it to work but I can't eat any of the foods I was eating back then. I am actually starving right now too. I didn't have time to eat solid Protein and the Protein shake only lasts so long. I can't wait for lunch. The good thing is after lunch I won't be hungry for 6 hours or longer. By the way, I know you didn't mean anything negative by your comment. I just wanted to point how different everyone is.

Great pictures Longhorn! You look great and the dresses are beautiful.

Congrats! That is such a good feeling. I tend to the stay the same for a week or so and then the scale drops. These days I don't need a scale to know I am losing though because my clothes are really getting baggy.

Anyalee, You are one of the lucky ones that was not hungry and that is great but please remember that everyone is different. There are different size bands that give a different amount of restriction immediately. Some people heal faster than others. I was truly hungry 3 days after surgery. I have a 10cc band and that band allows for a fill during surgery. However my doctor does not allow for that fill so I had zero restriction after surgery until my 1st fill and I was starving. I know you didn't mean anything by your comment but I just wanted to remind you that everyone is very different. I still followed ther rules and I lost weight but I was hungry and it was very hard. Now I have some restriction and I am rarely hungry and it is great. Good luck to you!

My suggestion is to track everything you are eating which means you should weigh your food to make sure you are calculating the correct amount of calories. Be sure to eat solid Protein first and do not drink with your meals or an hour after. I couldn't figure out why I was hungry and then I realized I wasn't really following the rules. When I was honest with myself and ate protein first the band did its job with my help. Good luck!

I don't have this problem. I think I have always been in denial about how big I am. Don't get me wrong, I hate my body and I know that I am fat but I can definitely see the difference and I already feel better about myself. When I would compare myself to someone I just couldn't believe that I was bigger than them. DENIAL!!!!

I just love the skinny lattes. Yummy! Now I have a good reason to go to Starbuck's.

I switched from saline to Omnipaque after my 1st fill and then put in the same from the 1st fill plus .5. She said that would have been the same whether it was saline or Omnipaque.

It is definitely worth it. I have been banded for 2 months and I've had 2 fills. I have pretty good restriction right now and I've never thrown up or PB'd. I chew my food very well and take small bites and everything is fine. If I don't chew I get a pain in my back that reminds me to chew and after that I am fine. I love my band.

Shortgal, How many fills have you had? I've had 2 fills so I now have 4cc of Omnipaque in my 10cc band. I have pretty good restriction and haven't been hungry until today. I haven't eaten many soldis today though so I am hoping that is why I am hungry. I will have some good solid Protein tonight and hopefully that will help.

When I lose 6 more pounds I will be just "obese", no longer severe obese. I am actually excited about. I can't wait to be overweight! Congrats!