coolcrystal

That's so cool about your hubby getting the band! Ya'll can be there for each other. Carbs do suck and they get me quite often!! It doesn't seem like you are off track to me. Your weight loss so far is great! Everybody's body is different.. I have completely slowed down big time with my weight loss, and it's some type of plateau, but plateau's are actually good because it means your body has accepted the weight loss. I miss you on here!!

Go to GNC and go to their refridgerator and get the Isopure Clear protein drinks. They are yummy and come in cool flavors like Apple Melon and Razzberry. And they aren't that shake consistency.. they are like water consistency.. They are like $4 something a bottle, but it has 40G of protein in it and you can drink half in the morning and half at night. You can also try Low Carb Slimfast, chocolate shakes. They are about 40g also and pretty good.

OH man, that sounds scary and painful... now I keep wondering when is this going to happen to me.. if it does, at least I have your story to remember and will say something.. I'm going to do some research on this so I can be better informed. It seems to be a pretty common thing and I'm wondering how to prevent it.. EEK. Get better soon sweetie!

Oh I know! lol.. I have snuck on to a few bypass discussions just to see what they say and it is quite hilarious.. but, we diss them too.. like when I say that all my bypass friends have gained all or most of their weight back and regret their decision because they suffer from severe health issues now... I'm sure that doesn't help the bypass community get bigger.

I have to disagree with this one.. everybody's metabolism is different. I went to dinner with two of my gal pal's a few weeks ago and they are both thin/physically fit, and under 125 pounds and one of them ate a cheeseburger and fries and the other ordered TWO dinners.. I repeat, TWO DINNERS... a cheeseburger dinner and a taco dinner... she ate everything on both plates except for the garnish and a few onion rings. There are people who can eat like this and don't gain weight. If I would have eaten like them I would have gained 5 pounds easily. It sucks, but it's reality.

I didn't start having problems with scrambled eggs until after my second fill and then they would get stuck and cause me to slime. So, I stay away from them. But, I can do deviled eggs just fine. I actually talked with my doctor about this two days ago and he said that about 50% of people have issues with scrambled eggs. A lot of people have problems with rice, but I never have.. thank goodness for that, becuase I love SUSHI!

Kristy, don't worry, you'll do good.. you have the band now and everything will be different. Ive gone up and down my whole life too.. it does suck. I got my fill two days ago and lost a pound, then started my TOM and then gained it right back.. I'm highly bloated right now, so I won't be losing anything for a few more days most likely. It sucks. BUT, the sweet tooth cravings are done.. I haven't been craving anything like the pop tarts at all now. I think I crave these things when its my TOM.

Awesome! I'm glad you liked it... I drank it a lot right after surgery too. It's very refreshing and filling for when you are swelled up right afterwards.

Aweeee, how cuteeeeeeeeeee!! I love pics like these!! great action shots.. lots of fun!! You are looking fantabuless!

I am still curious, because I dont' think anybody ever answered me on another realize thread... does the realize band shape like a triangle around your stomach when it gets filled? I know it looks like a circle when its not inflated.. but when you get fills, is it a triangle or what? I keep hearing conflicting stories on this. Does the website show it inflated? Oh and Northwest, I'm not "lumping" you into ANY group... my comments were a figure of speech, and if you can't recognize that, I'm sorry.... but, anybody who disses or questions the realize band gets trampled on by SOMEBODY on this forum.. and I get it. It's perfectly natural to defend your own band if somebody disses it. But, people who are searching for somebody to give negatives about it on here is not going to get what they are seeking.

The people I've known to have the bypass all gained their weight back and have MAJOR health problems. The pouch from a bypass can still be stretched out.

Somebody mentioned pizza.. I use to be able to eat a medium thin crust pepperoni pizza slathered with pizza sauce.. I haven't even tried eating a piece since being banded.. not sure how that would go down.. but sometimes I do miss that pizza.. lol.. ooh whataburger.. just a plain cheezeburger with ketchup please.. oh man.. YUMMM.. why did you have to say whataburger!

Here is a comparison of what I use to eat: A HUGE bowl of Pasta and meat sauce (not one of the regular bowls that come with a set, but like the bread bowl thing) and three pieces of texas toast... I don't eat pasta at all anymore.. though I have tried whole wheat pasta once but was stuffed after a few bites, so it was pointless to me and will never try it again. I use to be able to eat the 12 pack of nuggets from chic-fil-a with a large waffle fries and a large sweet tea.. now I get a 6 pack nuggets with a kids milk. At wendy's I use to get a cheeseburger and large chili, now I just get a small chili. I could down a HUGE chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, red Beans and rice and rolls and now.. i can't have that at all.. I would eat a full footlong from subway.. WITh a bag of chips.. nope.. can't eat that either... At mexican places I would get the enchilada's and polish off a basket of chips, now I eat one fajita and 3 chips. At Red Lobster I would eat the entire salad with at least 3 of the biscuits, and all my popcorn shrimp, baked potato and get a dessert. Now I eat some of the salad and some of the shrimp and some potatoe no dessert or biscuits.. if I have a good adjustment I can only eat about 5 of the shrimp and some lettuce.. and potatoe but very little.. I eat a lot of chili, chicken, tuna and vietnamese pho.. Love that stuff! So, it is a big difference for me... sorry this was so long...

I lost 22 pounds from my pre-op diet (South Beach) to my first fill which was exactly 4 weeks out from surgery. Even though you don't have a fill, your band is swelled from 1-2 weeks, so it was like having a fill in. My doc primed me with 3cc for my surgery, so I had restriction for the first two weeks which helped with the weightloss. From my first fill to my second fill I lost 6 pounds in three weeks. And from there I have averaged 5-8 pounds a month.. a great healthy weightloss, but I prefer not to be too tight to where I can't eat healthy foods in small portions. In MY opinion, when people say they've only lost 3-4 pounds in several months.. they aren't doing it right.. period.. they need to get honest with themselves. I have a friend who is going through this right now and she sits around eating pizza.. Pasta... chinese buffetts... chips and all sorts of crap and it's because she's scared to go get a fill because she doesn't want them knowing what she's been eating.. well, if you don't go get the fills, you will not be successful , unless you are one of those rare people who never need fills.. but those people are pretty rare. Anyway, this happens a lot.. people get off the bandwagon, don't get their fills and slip away, and then later blame the band... the band is the last thing that should be blamed... if the doctor doesn't talk to them about these things.. then it is their fault and the banded person's fault. My doctor told me up front.. if you gain weight or are scared to come, don't! we won't be mean.. we will just try to get you back where you need to be. Disclaimer: there are other reasons for no weight loss.. leak in band.. band slippage.. just wanting to throw that out there for folks who this has happened to, but a simple barium swallow can bring this to light. To me, my band is my little miracle. I have tried so much stuff and it never worked,. I was addicted to breads and greasy crap. Fast food... pasta... I have NO desire to eat those things anymore.. none.. every now and again I treat myself to half a shake and because I needed my fill I got today I ate some naughty sweet stuff recently and luckily it didn't affect me very much... BAM, get the fill.. happy again.. no cravings.. Sorry for the long response.

I think you are doing really well... you have lost over 10 pounds a month... and lets even it out to 4 months.. for pre-op diet and few days into June... that's 9.25 pounds a month! umm.. that is REALLY good. I know there are some folks that have lost in the 50's and 60's, but we can't compare ourselves to them.. it's very hard.. trust me.. I did it.. but we all have different metabolisms and are on different journeys. It sounds like you are just on a plateau right now which is a good thing because it means your body has accepted the new weight and is happy with it! I wouldn't call .5 pounds weight gain.. lol. that could be some bloating.. to a pair of pants.. And I totally know how you are feeling!! From my last fill two weeks ago I lost nothing..... didn't lose or gain...

You crack me up! you mean.. pop tarts aren't luscious in your country??? the heavily processed sugary fructose jammy in the center of a fatty crackery substance didn't get snatched up right away?? ha ha..... pretty much every person in there 30's remember when pop tarts came out and how we would hoot for joy when our moms would buy them for us.. it was like the treat of the century!! thanks mom! lol man, why did you have to say lemon coconut slice???? that sounds good.. I just got back from getting my fill and it was a big fill so she said this will fix things. I'm hoping so... I'm ready for the 240's!!

Which band did you get on your revision? are you too tight to eat properly and healthy? if you are consuming too little calories that can cause just as many problems as eating too many calories... do you work out? are you drinking your calories? please return a response with a normal day .. what you eat and what you do...

Nobody is going to diss the realize band, because if they did they'll get their asses chewed out by all the realize band patients.. so, you won't get an objective opinion here.. I will tell you that my doctor refuses to use them. And that's all I will say on the manner as there was a huge thread on this before and when anybody said anything bad about it, every realize banded person and their dog had to post and get all offended.. so on this topic, you won't get anything. I was upset at first when I heard my doctor tell me he didn't use them and then I did my own extensive research and was glad he didn't use it. As for the website.. big deal.. everybody talks about this "website".. I wonder how many people continue using the big exciting website 6 months later, not many because they go on living their lives and being banded becomes second nature and they dont' have to track every aspect of their banded life... and I do believe allergan is working on one or has already released one, but is that all it takes to have somebody pick a band??? there are tons of journaling websites out there that are free.. heck, I just use an excel spreadsheet to track my weight.. sorry if this seems bitchy.. but it just cracks me up that everytime somebody mentions the realize band they bring up the website as the reason they picked it... that a website is the deal breaker on something that is put in your body... it cracks me up... yet dissapoints me.

I hear you.. Go to GNC and go to the refridgerator in there and get the Isopure CLEAR Protein drinks. It's like drinking Water consistency... and they have flavors like Apple Melon and Blue Razberry.. I like the Apple Melon the best.. it tastes like a jolly rancher.. and its not that thick shake crap.. each bottle has 40G of protein. They are slightly expensive.. about 4.50 for a large bottle, but I would drink half the bottle in the morning and the other half at night. You can also do the LOW CARB Slimfast shakes. It also has 40G of protein with low carbs and sugars. You can get a 4 pack for like 5 or 6 bucks. And it doesn't taste bad. Sorry you are stuck doing that damned liquid pre-op diet. I wish some doctors weren't brainwashed into thinking that's what they have to do. If you get to the point you simply have to eat something, just eat a can of tuna.... you'll be fine. Sorry, it just irritates me that people are forced to do these stupid liquid diets when you can do the South Beach diet and get the same results... :thumbup: oh, and not starve... and learn to eat properly.. gee... what a good concept!! sadly, a lot of the liquid dieters run out and have a damned cheeseburger because they can't help it anymore.. so, if you get to that point.. chicken or tuna and that will help out and your liver will still shrink and all that.. Good luck! :frown:

Woot woot!! I need a cute little work out outfit like that dangit!! You look totally awesome!!!!

Girl you are looking great!! I agree with others, you look so much younger! That's totally awesome!! Aren't before and after pics fun??!! It really shows our progress. My friend Jayme lost over 100 pounds and she never took before pics and she says she feels like she hasn't lost any weight and that she wished she had taken before pictures so she could really see it and see how she was before.. so, it's totally awesome that most of us Victorious Valentine's have taken the befores.. it's truly inspirational!! Keep up the awesome work!! :thumbup:

When did you get this last fill? have you thought about getting some taken out so you won't feel so miserable like that.. it's not good if you can't eat solid foods after the 2-4 days of liquids/mushies you are told to do after a fill. The band isn't about being miserable when we eat.. please consider it so you won't have to feel that way ..

WOOT WOOT!! congrats sweetie! I can't wait to get to that point too... I wonder what that BMI is.. and then the BMI for just "overweight".. I'll be happy if I get to that because I thought I looked pretty good when I was considered "overweight".. lol

Here's the funny thing, I'm actually pretty wide open.. I can eat an entire can of tuna right now... a decent sized salad... a large chili from Wendy's... (not all at once obviously. lol) and just about anything except scrambled eggs which I have a problem with. Every now and again I get that slight stuck feeling if I eat too fast, but I've never PB'ed or anything... My doctor said my stomach was pretty small, but he doesn't place 4cc bands, only 10cc and 14cc, which is probably why I have a decent amount of saline in there. I also don't want to be super tight to where I can't eat food.. And I've never had a fill that prevented me from eating regular foods the next day. I do the liquids for the rest of that day I was filled and by the next day i was eating my tuna, chicken and chili... I wonder if I should get a better fill, but I just don't want to be miserable.

Well I know what the deal is.. I haven't worked out in a week. I got sick then my husband got sick so he couldnt' go and now I'm coughing again!! When I don't work out, I just don't lose weight... and I really need to go back to that phase one of south beach.. it's the only thing that gets me off the carbs and sugars. So, I'm not going to feel all guilty about it. In the end, it was one cookie and one package of two tarts.. but this is how it can start.. like some affair in the movies.. it starts off with one little flirt.. then one little kiss.. then next thing you know they are gettin it on... I'm a firm believer in not denying yourself these yummy things every now and again and not feeling guilty over it, but at the store last night I was making poor choices. It wasn't half a chocolate shake from Chic-Fil-A or a piece of candy.. I was starting to get back into bad old habits.. Not good.