coolcrystal

Well, with almost 60 lbs lost for me, it is AMAZING! it use to be so painful just to walk around, rolling over in bed at night.. sitting in a chair. I suffer from arthritis in my lower lumbar, and knees and the weight off those two areas I feel light as a feather now when I walk. I read somewhere that for every pound you lose, it takes four pounds of pressure off your knees and I believe it. I still have like 80 something more pounds to go, but let me tell ya, just after like 30 lbs the difference was amazing! Good luck!:eek:

What you are going through is totally normal. After the swelling has gone down your stomach is basically like it was before the surgery (until you get restriction with the fills). Some people never need fills and they have restriction for a long time, but you are like me. I lost that restriction after about 7 days. It is odd that you were suppose to be on just shakes for 2 weeks after. My doctor did one week of liquids and then one week of mushies like refried beans, cream soups, jello, etc. I definitely would not have eaten bread as my first thing back, but you should be alright. but don't do it again. The bread expands. Something I tried at two weeks was tuna with light miracle whip on whole grain crackers. I chewed that up really good and it filled me up and wouldn't expand. I'm not sure what plan your doctor has you on though. But the last thing you want is to mess up that pouch. I'm not a doctor, but, most likely you will be fine. But, definitely let your doctor know what happened, ok. If I were you, I'd just get rid of the bread alltogether so there are no temptations. (If you can)

Not to mention, most people confuse the band with the bypass! Several times when I told people I was getting this they said things like, "don't they cut your stomach apart for that and rehook everything?" or "yeah I heard about that 800 lb lady in TX who died from that".. well, she died of the bypass, not the band. I honestly think it is just uneducated people who don't know the difference between the two surgeries, and also the sleeve which is a newer procedure. I love having my band. I like losing slower and being able to eat a nice healthy small meal, so I don't have my band as tight as others might have their band and I can get plenty of nutritions.. I eat grilled chicken, tuna, salads, all sorts of fishes and veggies.. I definitely get all my Protein, carbs, and fat in. I think it's important to get all of that in... Even the naughty things every now again like fudgcicles, chips and salsa, and shhhh, NACHO's. lol. But, I average about 7-9 lbs a month and you can too!! Do your research and know that yes, things can happen, especially if you don't research the doctor (there are some bad ones out there), but most banded poeple don't have any issues and are successful. Good luck! :thumbdown:

And, I bet if we did a poll, most VV's have lost between 40-60 lbs, as opposed to 70-100. I haven't even lost 60 yet. But, it's good to lose slowly! this isn't a race and you have nobody to beat here.

I didn't have a bowel movement for like 2-3 days after surgery because I wasn't eating solids and then I had diarreah, so it did make my intestines a little sore. I don't think you have anything to worry about. Not to mention they pump so much gas into your belly for the surgery, I'm sure that area gets irritated.

My hair was thin before the surgery, so I can't tell if I've lost any or not. I know I've had to get my hair cut several times since the surgery, but I haven't noticed any major bald spots. It still looks thin as usual. lol. But, I do take flinstones vitamins every day. Don't know if that helps or not, but they sure taste yummy. I'm sure the hair loss will come at some point for me, and I'll probably just wear a crapload of hats.

Thank you KRISTI! Today Kristi gave me some boxes of clothes that are way too big for her. I didn't think I could fit into any of them because I'm in a 20 right now, but the first thing I tried on, this skirt actually fit me and it's an 18!!!!!!!!! an 18. I'm beside myself! When I started this thing I was wearing slightly baggy 28's (26's were too tight). I didn't think I'd be able to actually put on and zip up an 18 and it zipped right up.. So, thank you again Kristi and your clothes are really nice, so I'm going to be looking fashionable at work. Of course, this shirt in the picture is just one of my ratty shirts, but the skirt fit. Yay.. you can't tell in the picture, but the skirt is like a long pencil type skirt. And I chopped off my head because I look absolutely hideous right now and there are awful shadows on the back wall, but you get the idea. But yay. PS: I just looked at the picture and I'm standing funny so my feet look weird. LOL. I did this little knee up thing.. I promise to never do that pose AGAIN. lol

Well, not all the 18's fit me, only some of them, those skirts included. But, even if I can get one 18 zipped up, I'm excited. LOL. As soon as I saw those skirts I got excited. Very expensive high end skirts. You always dress so cute though! I promise to put them to good use and pass them on to another lapbander.

Sorry, I posted my answer in the poll not realizing it said 14cc.. Mine is a 10cc and I had perfect restriction at like 7 'esque'. So, you can delete my answer if there is a way.

This weekend I finally bagged up my 26's and 28's and gave them to a friend. The question is, why do I still have my 22's and 24's when I'm a 20 now? I will still wear the 22's though they are baggy, but certainly have no need for the 24's. I just can't seem to let those bigger clothes go. I'm not sure if it's because in the back of my mind I feel like one day I'll need them again. Sometimes I miss being a 28.. it was safer for me. The funny thing is, as I was bagging them up I realized how moo moo they were. They just don't make attractive big people clothes. I dressed like I was 80 years old, because that's all there was unless I went to Lane Bryant and spent 50 bucks on a new shirt. No thanks. I wish I could start a larger sized clothing line, only it would be cool stuff and it wouldn't cost a dang fortune. You know what else is weird? My body is shrinking different than it was before. THe last time I was this weight I was a 22. Now my rear is getting smaller and I'm a 20. That is so odd to me.

Girl, thanks for all those clothes you gave me at lunch today! I can't wait to go through all of them and anticipate when I can wear them. The 20's are semi baggy on me so I could probably wear a few 18's. Depending on the cut and style. Wahoo.

And girl, that was one cute suit you had on today at lunch! was it the chocolate brown one? it looked fantastic on you. You do not need to lose another 30 lbs.. I'm being honest woman. You looked like a little model!! And thanks again for donating all your bigger clothes to Crystal De Poor! You have some good taste!

Yeah, that sounds about right. You should try to find a doctor that will also give you the fills for free with that price. My doctor charges 15k for everything including all dr. visits and fills for a year. I think there is a doctor in Colorado that charges 10 or 11k for everything, but then you have to find a fill center around you. But, it might be work it if you save 5k. Yes, I'm glad I got the band. I'm very happy with my results so far and I'm still on my journey.

Wow, I remember posting that thread several months before my surgery. LOL. It's funny to look back on all the stuff I worried about before. Just a mini-update - the only thing I have problems with are scrambled eggs and omelets. No matter how slow I eat them, I always get stuck and according to my doctor about 50% of patients have this same food problem. I also can't eat breaded fried stuff like chicken fingers or fries. Not that I care about that. LOL. I did have my weak moment of trying to eat it.. no, not good. Thankfully my band was there for me and said "NO, this isn't what you need". And believe me, I don't miss any of that stuff. I can eat salads, grilled chicken, veggies, tuna, fish, etc... and though I don't eat bread bread, I can eat very flat pita bread still! YAY. It's my bi-monthly treat for myself. So, I live a pretty regular life and eat lots of yummy, but healthy food. I do allow myself an occassional naughty treat like nacho's or a shake.. and my doctor says doing that is perfectly fine. I've never felt like I'm missing out on anything. I thought I would miss eating two huge bowls of pasta with texas toast getting so stuffed that I was belching up chunks of pasta and sauce..and having a belly ake for 2 hours... Nope.. I don't miss those moments at all.. So, if anybody reading this is wondering if they are doing the right thing.. you are. I was worried too.. worried about what I could eat.. worried about if I could lose weight at all.... I was always one who would lose 20 or 30 and then gain 50. It does work and I still go out to eat with my friends and enjoy life.. I just live a normal everyday life. The only advice I will give you is: never let yourself get too tight with your adjustments. If you can't eat a small healthy meal you are doing it wrong and you will be miserable. My doc told me this, and he was so very right. Good luck! :thumbup:

Hey Kristi! missed ya.. You are doing very well with your weightloss. It's probably normal to slow down when you get so close to goal. My goal is so far away I can't even think about it for at least another 50 lbs. lol. But, I sure miss ya.. Huggs

My doc put me on this for 10 days before my surgery and I think I lost like 12 lbs. My husband went from like 250 to 206 on it. We basically bought a bag of chicken breasts and low cal/low sugar sauce to cook it in and cooked green Beans or black eyed peas with some salsa... we ate that meal for a while. salad with that one cal. spray dressing or just oil and vinegar... it gets easier after that first 2 week phase one diet. It does work if you follow it.

Well, I will confess on here, I am a social smoker. It sounds weird, but every few months if I'm at a club or bar with my friends, I want a margarita and a swedish Sweet Dream vanilla ciggy. Does this make me a smoker? I don't think so. I can go months and months and months without them.. I don't have to have them. But, I enjoy one every now and again. And I have a lot of friends who are this way actually. Kind of like my husband who has a cigar once a year. Does that make him a smoker? No. He likes to enjoy one everytime we go to Mexico on our yearly cruise. I guess everybody's perception is different though. :embaressed_smile:

My husband and I use to play EQII, but switched to WOW last year. It's a better game graphically, and just overall. Last week we did that 14 day free thing for EQ II cuz I wanted to see if many changes were made and I was sleepy after 30 minutes. It was so boring compared to WOW. The graphics are just not that great or something. So, we are gonna stick with that for now.

I wonder if it could be a reaction from the anestesia. My father had major surgery a month ago and hasn't been the same since. It could also be the pain meds. He's been angry and in a bad mood and even called my 2 year old nephew a bad name. THis is not like him to do so. I think it has to be something in the meds or anestesia when they put him under.

Well the one girl who was at goal started out with a low BMI.. she was 230 when she started and got to 128. Only one of those two girls I mentioned was over 300 lbs with more to lose. And one of my friends on here in the Victorious Valentines group started out with a low BMI too and she's almost to goal with just like 20 more lbs or less to lose. I don't think you'll have anything to worry about.

This is very normal. If you read through the forum you'll see about a hundred other posts or more of folks with this same issue, including one from me a few weeks after surgery and complaining cuz I gained 2 pounds. lol. it's totally normal. You are still healing and as you can eat normal foods again you will gain some weight. Then you get your fills and bam... then you'll plateau for a little bit and it will most likely be because you aren't eating enough. So, you eat some nacho's or some other naughty food and bam, loose a few pounds and it continues like this until like 5 or 6 months out when it becomes like second nature.. trigger foods... plateaus.. the normalcy of it all. We didn't get the bypass, we got the band. And I love mine.. don't panic.

Judiboo, it is very doable! I have two friends (not on this forum) that were banded and both of them have lost over 100 lbs. It took one a year and the other about a year and 2 months. One is at goal and the other was like 345 when she started, but she's almost 6 foot, so she wants to get to like 185 as her goal. And as you see on this forum, there are hundreds more who have lost over 100 lbs. There is a thread somewhere with everybody's running totals of people who have lost over 100. I worried too.. I thought I was going to lose 30 lbs and stop losing, but I'm coming close to 60 lbs now and my whole life has changed. Man, it feels good not being scared to sit in chairs or having my hip dig into the side of the car door when I drive. Things like this. I have never regretted my decision. Good luck!

OOh, the scale... I know about that all too well. I weigh every morning when I get up and go potty. I never weigh after that, only in the mornings. I like doing it because it keeps me on the right path. For instance when I went through my hummus and multi-grain crackers phase. I was eating those everyday and I just wasn't losing. It was bloating me up bad. So, I cut it out of my diet and over that next week I lost like 3 pounds. It basically just helps me narrow down problem foods that I would never think was a problem food. But my official weigh in days are Tuesday's.