ovahkummer

Hey Melissa, Congrats on your loss so far and you do really look great! I wish I had read your thread 4 days ago. I had my third fill on Tuesday and before I got the fill sad to say my restriction was at the level that you have right now. However I was not losing nearly as fast. My fill is bittersweet because I have lost about 8lbs (was on liquids for 3 days), however, I can't drink more than three mouthfuls at a time and then they take at least five minutes to go down. I have a constant gnawing in my stomach, as though I'm starving. If I try to force more than three mouthfuls I get a little nauseous (not to the point of vomitting though). I ingested about 4oz of soft cooked ramen noodles and mashed up sausage(not the healthiest, but most readily available) a while ago and although when I was finished I was looking around for more, after about 15 minutes the terrible gnawing pain stopped and I'm satisfied. So I think my liquid diet is over. I also had a terrible burning sensation in my throat last night.(is this acid reflux?) Any advice? I can't get a fill or unfill before the end of the year. I am self-pay, have a balance that I will not be able to pay off til then. Can't do any more procedures unless i zero my balance. Thanks for sharing your story and for your motivation. I will definitely be checking out your blog.

Jbperry,That was just way crazy man! No wonder you almost passed out! Sounds like you had trapped air in your chest. I had a fill with the whole sha bang and at one point we were amazed that only 0.5 ccs made the difference between the fluid staying put or refluxing and flowing right through with no problems whatsoever. It is IMMM-possible to get the corect fill without the fluro-thingy.No wonder the lap-band is the least recommended weight-loss surgery because the fly-by-night doctors don't want to invest in the proper equipment that is necessary to make the thing work! I would find a proper center with the right equipment if I had gone through that. The audasity(sp.?) of that dr. to be asking you whether or not you wanted him to take all out. Shows how professional he is. Has he never heard of medication to numb the area a.k.a local anesthesia? Make sure you ask for, no demand that next time.Hope your second try was much better. Keep us posted.

Hey everyone, I've been following this thread and I want you ALL to know that you are very inspirational people. I've decided to drop in and let you know how I'm doing. The weight is not dropping as fast as I thought it would. Funny... I guess I thought it would just melt off in a few months like on tv, like magic. However, I've evaluated my efforts and have decided that yeah I need to work with the band, it doesn't have to lose any weight! I figured I could eat what I want and the band will stop me from eating too much of it. WRONG. I've learned that my stomach is very elastic and if I give, it's gonna take. Eating less is only half the equation, you will only maintain. Keep up the physical efforts. I've been banded for over three months now and I've lost 22lbs. I have started to realize that even though I was not doing the right thing with the band it was still trying its best. Had I not gotten it those 22lbs + would still be on me. So I've apologized to it and now I'm working with it. The moral of my story... Work WITH your band. It does not appreciate the status of a slave. Thanks for sharing your stories everyone. They are helping this bandster through.

You sound just like me, however I've only had one fill lost 22lbs, and don't exercise. I can tolerate anything I want also.

Ok I just remember I had the turbo jam dvd's. Actually one was still in the Dvd player. So I pressed play today and did the 40 minutes cardio party. Although i could not get some of the moves in yet. The key was to keep moving the whole time and I think I pretty much accomplished that. However I think I ate too much today,so I'm going to make an appointment for a fill. thanks for the motivation all.

Knock, knock......Can I come in? I know I'm a bit late but I'd like to lose at least 10lbs by month-end. Weight loss has slowed lately, but before I get another fill I think I need to try getting in some kind of exercise. Have been doing nada! I have an elliptical and no time to go to the gym (I'm pursuing 2 degrees currently)! Any suggestions?

It's amazing to hear so many people with this common problem. I thought I was alone on this. I never talk about it unless she brings it up. I've always thought that she would be by my side all the way when i made the decision to do this. I only told two persons my husband and her and my biggest surprise was that my mom is my biggest fan,apart from my husband of course. The good thing is that it has spurred her into weightloss mode because as is common, she is smaller than me and probably can't bear to see me smaller than her. I've decided to wait her out. She was real skeptical at first, but it's wearing down. She sees how well I've been doing with dieting for the first time in my life and she realizes that it's not as bad as she thought it would have been. She has no problem with losing, it's just keeping it off that stumps her. I intend to show her that her best chances of this are with the band. So like I said I'm just going to wait her out.

I had nothing in the band and after week 2, I was famished all the time. I lost about 19 lbs in the first 4 weeks and then gained back about 8 when I started to eat solids again. Even though the scale was saying 19 I did not 'feel' it so i guess it was a lot of water weight. I had my first fill almost two months later and now I am filled with 1/2 cup and stuffed with 1 cup of any solid food such as rice or meat, but with about 1 cup to 1.5 cups of light food such as salad or popcorn. I eat whatever I want, just have to do it slowly. I did my fill under the fluro thingy and it has been almost three weeks now and i can't complain. The dr could see how fast the chalky liquid was flowing through, so he knew how much solution to put in the band for the right flow. I've lost about 6 lbs since the fill and I'm elated with that! I don't want to lose too quickly. My average is 2lbs per week since I got the band. I can really feel the loss this time. I have about 4.5 cc's in an 11 c.c. band.

I got my first fill on March 1st. I no longer fret about the scale, i.e. as long as it's not going up. My husband is my progress measuer. He tells me which parts of my body are smaller to him and he is always right. I can eat about 8 oz at a time and I do eat when I'm hungry. Most times it takes just a little mouthful to satisfy me,then I completely forget about food until meal times. Also I notice I'm really restricted in the mornings and as the day goes on I am able to eat more. Yesterday morning I couldn't even eat a whole egg in the morning! Normally I would be famished when I wake up. That really amazed my husband. I am very satisfied with my fill. I have 4.5cc in an 11cc band.

Hey everyone, Ovah reporting for duty... Well I finally had my first fill on 1st March and it went smoothly. The only unpleasant thing was drinking that chalky, glassy tasting liquid for the dr. to see how fast the liquid was going down. I lost 15lbs in all without anything in the band! I thought I would have gained because I was able to eat so much. It feels like I lost more though. He put in 5 cc at first then asked me to drink and everything stayed put so he pulled back .5 cc and things looked perfect from there. So now I have 4.5 cc in an 11 cc band. It is working like a charm. One of my uniforms that I wore last Friday fit me differently when I put it on today! That said to me I've lost so I bought myself some exercise dvd's as a reward. Towens 28lbs is not "JUST", you need to reward yourself. Don't try to measure your results against others. How hard would it have been in the past for you to take off whole 28lbs?! Congrats. To me any loss is success. I would be devastated if I went on the scale and it wasn't keeping still or wasn't going down! As long as it's not moving up, I'm happy! Here's to everyone, even if you think you should have lost more weight by now and have not!

I agree with you all... The band is our tool for helping with the weight, do you think their's any cure for their dumb... ah mean ignorance?

Wow congrats, what was your diet and exercise program like?

If you weigh on a body composition scale you would recognize that your weight is not all fat. I'm around 5' 5' and according to the composition scale that my dr uses my bones alone weigh 105lbs! Who would have thought? It also gives me how many lbs of fat is on my body and what the desired range should be. Last weigh-in I had, my weight stayed the same, however I lost 4lbs of body fat, but gained 4lbs of fluid so I wasn't unhappy and discouraged. According to my dr I need to weigh at least 150 lbs. If 105 is already bone mass, then 45 is not a lot to share among flesh, fluid and muscle. So your doc probably knows what he's saying.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news guys, but I think we're offcially in bandster hell. At one point I actually felt that I wasted my money. I lost about 19lbs on the liquids, then started to eat solids and gained back about 6. The scale went down everyday and then began to rise just as fast. But I've been reading around and realize that this stage will pass and soon we'll be giving someone advice about how we coped. I can comfortably eat about 12 oz of anything. My scale broke because of overuse LOL. I think its a good thing though. My clothes fit better and my face is so much prettier. I am not tooting my own horn here, people tell me that all the time. Some think its a new hairdo or whatever, but I know it's the weightloss. Anyways I was scheduled for a fill last week because I was desperate, however the dr. is out of town so I have to wait until he gets back. I have realised that i still do have restriction and even though the scale was not moving in the right direction I feel 'slimmer'. When I buy food my children and husband share with me, whereas before they would not even bother to ask. I am thankful... 12oz is far better than 32! Let's be thankful and be happy about our small accomplishments. Here's to being positive about our bands!

Hey Bandpal, Good to hear from you. I was just thinking about how long I haven't heard from you, last night and whata you know? We really do connect here. It's good to hear that you are no longer "morbidly obese". Congrats, I know you worked hard for that. To answer your question,I did not get my fill today. They were really busy today with emergency and I was not one so I was put on the backburner until Monday. I am reconsidering though. I've been reading a lot about "Bandster Hell" and recognized that my scale can be a liar. When I weighed in on Friday, the scale was recording 13 instead of 19lbs loss. My mind started to scream "ONLY 13 LBS???!!! Then everyone at the office started to comment on how 'differently slim' my face was. My mind kept telling me that they were lying. To reinforce that thought, along came one of my friends who have not seen me for a while with the comment "you have put on weight or is it the clothes?". To think that I had not worn that shirt in how many months because it couldn't fit me! Even when I got home, my mother and stepfather commented on my weightloss. Later that evening, it dawned on me that, hey I'm not even a full month out of surgery, not even exercising yet and I've lost 13lbs! The last time I lost 13lbs it took me almost a year! Then I began to really examine what portions I've really been eating. A sandwich that I used to eat for Breakfast now lasts me for half of the day, and it still takes me at least 30 minutes to drink 8oz. I've never p/b or slimed and I eat anything I want to. So I find myself asking what should restriction be. Should it be that you are only able to eat a certain amount only or should it be that you are able to eat less than before the surgery? I've asked my husband to put the scale where I can't reach it because I think I'm obsessed. When it's numbers are falling I rise and when they stand still or climb, I come crashing down. Help guys, should I wait until the standard six weeks to get my fill? Should I go with the rule that when you start to gain, its time for a fill? Was my weight gain, really a gain? Did I initially really have Water loss and not fat loss, so that now I'm eating again my body is now replenished? What should I do?

Hey guys, I had pizza last saturday and my poor hubby got so alarmed when he saw that I ate 3 out of the 8 slices lol.(don't worry,it was just an 8 inch one) Before the band I could have eaten two of those quite easily, so I guess it's still offering some restriction. I go in for a fill on Friday and then I will go back on liquids for awhile again.

Hey all, I did talk to my dr. (his nurse rather) and she called me back this evening and told me to come in on Friday to get the adjustment.

Thanks guys for the advice. Today wasn't too bad and my uniform skirt was sliding all around my waist today. I kept my eating in check today. I guess I was just having 'one of those days' yesterday.

Hey Guys, Remember me? Well, I'm officially three weeks and I don't think I'm getting the restriction that I should. I'm doing it on my own right now. Mornings are okay, but in the evenings I feel like I need to eat every half hour. My husband got alarmed when he saw me eat 3 out of 8 slices of an 8 inch pizza. I can eat about 1.5 cups of food at one time. Is that too much? The real problem is though even though i can eat that amount, about 15 minutes later I feel I can do it again! Somebody please tell me this will go away after I start to get fills. I'm kinda depressed because of this and i feel really bad because I fear that my weightloss has stopped. HELP!

Hey Megmarie, You sound so much like me. I am just about three weeks out and I feel like I can eat the house. The only restriction i have is to the amount of food I can swallow at a time! I am feeling depressed right now because I feel like I'm going to disappoint my friends at the doctor's office when I go for my next weigh-in. It seems like its normal though,so I feel just a tad better. My husband is alarmed and thinks I should go back to the dr immediately. LOL

Hey everyone, We all seem to be losing at the same rate,well,except for ladyroz - she's way ahead of the pack. I hope we all continue to see good results.

I will be banded on 3rd January 08. I attempted to do it in November, but due to complications the surgery had to be stopped and now I'm a member of the New Year Knockouts. Share your journey with me if you too will be banded on 3rd January. What are you doing to prepare? How do you feel...nervous, anxious..? Join me if you're a January 3rdster...

I'm doing great, just a bit sore under my left breast. My menu has been water, jello, high protein slimfast, soup and vitamin water. I've lost 6lbs so far. No exercise yet, only from the bed to the bathroom.

Hey all, Funny I thought I posted to this thread after my surgery... Anyhows I'm doing great! surgery went a little longer than usual (due to scar tissue from previous surgery) but I'm now six days out and feeling great. I'm restricted to 3oz and my menu consists of mainly, Water, slimfast high Protein, Jello, Soup,and Vitamin water. Exercise? - from my bed to the bathroom. I've lost six pounds so far according to my scale! I've struggled with cravings, but that's all they are - not hunger! Thanks everyone for your concerns and prayers.

I should have been banded since nov 20, however many hurdles have been place in my way. I intend to 'ovahkum' all of them. Tomorrow (7th Jan. 08) is the date and i can't say that I am as excited as you guys are, (having done this twice already). I am just anxious to get it behind me. All the best to all of us and see you all on the other side of surgery.