Poodles

From what I have noticed, your restriction will change depending on a variety of things. Are you ovulating? (total restriction for me), did you eat something that inflamed you?, I have also noticed that 3 days before that "time" I am restricted, then on day one of my cycle I am wide open... When I asked about this they said it was due to Water retention. Crazy, I know.

I can feel my port if I push on it, but unless you go, "hey honey feel this..." I don't think the other person will notice.

Read somewhere on LBT that some doctor was recommending the OTC Dexatrim that you put in water for their patients. Don't know if it works or not though...

I did not know it was stretched until they looked at it when they were giving me a fill. They said that anything can stretch it when you are too tight. She asked, "did you feel hot/cold liquids pool and then go down?", and my answer was yes. The lady said even Water can make your pouch stretch if you drink too much and you are too tight. That is the reason I think you should measure things. Now, I still feel things "pool" a little, but not as much. I still need to follow my own advice and measure stuff though... the 3/4 cup idea did not work, and what I can handle changes day to day and meal to meal. Sometimes I can eat a whole cup, sometimes I am good to get in 1/4 cup. I have read that your pouch will shrink again. You just have to give it a break. Now as for if I could feel it stretching during my overfill time span... yes, I think I could. That, "oh my gosh that was one bite too much", and afterwards feeling bruised, I think that was it. But I don't know for sure. I am just trying to be a good girl. Carb free, and small portions. I have not scheduled another fill, but might do so in a few months just to see if my pouch is ok. Oh, and I would not worry about it much on mushies before your first fill. There should be little/no restriction until you get a fill.

yattila, everyone is different. I am quite full at .8 in my 4 cc band. Too full feels like you can not swallow Water. I would make a whey Protein shake in the am, and not be able to drink it unless it was really watered down. I have no idea what my "sweet spot" feels like. I like what I have now. I get full faster than unbanded, but can eat something for breakfast/lunch/dinner. Here are two examples: Too Full Day: B: coffee, whey Protein Shake L: Mushie type stuff, stuffing, mashed potatoes, spegghetiO's, etc D: lunch meat, blended chili, more mushie stuff or just sugar crap (that all goes down). Everything had to be blended, thin, or Soup like. Not so full day (today): B: 2 oz cream cheese, with 1 oz salmon, few black olives L: 4 oz tofu, 1/3 cup chicken salad Snack: SF Jello with SF Cool Whip D: Low Carb noodles with sausage and cheese, about 1 cup. Drinks: Water 40 oz (so far), frozen SF coffee, diet snapple tea I don't think I am too loose, but know that too tight was miserable. I even went to a Chinese buffet the other day and tried different things to see if they would go down. Beff, ok, some chicken, ok, crab meat, ok, chicken on a stick...no, cabbage, ok, mushrooms, ok... you get the point... Before when I went I would get egg drop soup and pray that would work. Totally miserable. I went way too long over filled. I will never go thru that hell again. Since I can eat meat now, I am doing really well on Atkins, and that says alot. Good luck. Please don't think that your fill level needs to compare to anyone elses. We are all different!!!

Jack- I went to the deli counter and asked the guy to cut it thick. I got 1 pound liverwurst, 1/2 lb corned beef, 1/2 lb roast beef, and 1/2 lb pastrami all cut the same. I can eat the beef and liverwurst, but the pastrami does not work... too hard. I must admit that I spit some of the tougher parts of the beef out too... yuck! I don't like the thin cut meat... except for turkey. Now keep in mind, the above is for 3 people, not just me. :love: I also bought 2 blocks of cheese to have with the meat. Good stuff. DH and son like it on crackers or sandwiches, I just roll it up and eat it. The Roast Beef was also good in a quiche that I made (and CAN EAT!!!).

There is a site called www.torrid.com that has really cute clothes, my teenagers wear things from there. I like the clothes, and my hubby does too, but it is just not me. I don't think it would look good on me at all. But then again, how do you dress a bowling ball? (j/k something I heard once). All of the "younger" looking stuff is too tight or too low cut. I can not flash the world when I bend over to help someone with their school work. I normally wear button up "big shirts" with slacks to work. I like cute patterns (mostly flowers and geometrics), but I do not get into the boot cut, worn looking stuff that has been around a while. I shop at Catherines, and love their big shirts. It covers the boobs, and the butt. I went ahead and bid on the dress BTW...

My hubby says I dress like a 60 year old. I asked him if he would be seen with me in public if I wore the "boho" type style (which they say is coming back) and he said why not, I'm seen with you now. Then I showed him this pretty dress on Ebay that I want to bid on. I said, "now isn't that just my style?" He said, "yeah, that is your style. Not saying it is a good style, but it is YOUR style." ****UGGGHHH****

Fills are definately an individual thing. Too loose? Too tight? It varies from person to person, and for me day to day. Just try to measure out things. If you stretch your pouch (restriction or not) that can cause problems. Also, remember it takes 30 minutes to feel full, so eating loads in 10 minutes flat will only hurt your pouch in the long run. Good luck.

I have not been back to see Dr. B. I just go to the fill center now. Figure I will go back to see him when I lose more weight. I am enjoying my new found freedom from band punishment, and have actually stayed low carb with no cheats since 12/26 (see my sig!). I think that being a little loose is way better than being too tight. Mushies are the devil, and carbs are often mushies, so I just stay away from them all. Protein, Protein, Protein!!!

In reply to my post, I found this article: http://www.dorlastan.com/96/Fashion_Trends_2007.htm Which basically says what I was thinking... I think...

Hey, like my new signature. Carb Haters Forever!!!!

Oh now Regina, are you sure you want to quit??? My property taxes depend on smokers paying that extra buck a pack.:smow: No really it is a good time to quit. My mother, father, and step father all smoked, and all passed away before 60, so something to think about. Those cancer sticks are not worth it. I try to think of fudge brownie sundaes as my cancer sundae. They are up to almost four bucks each too. Hope everyone is doing well. I am doing great since my unfill. No cheats since 12/26. I can eat meat, and I am loving it!!!:hungry: I need to find my scale (it is still packed somewhere) and see what it is doing. If it is going down, you will be the first to know it! Good day all!!

My new favorite is SF/Decaf Chai tea (David Rio Pink Flamingo vanilla sugar free Instant Chai) mixed with soy milk in the blender with ice. If I work it right it has the consistency of shaved ice and it is goooood... The only place I have found it is World Market, but it is well worth a trip. SF Jello with SF cool whip works on my sweet tooth too.

I now have phenegren on hand. Both pills and suppositories. Figure, one way or the other it should help. I caught the nastiest bug a few weeks ago and threw up multiple times (and I was overfilled), but when the checked my pouch/band last week, it was fine.

That seems to be the question of the ages around here. Search for portion sizes and you will see a variety of different answers. I have recently inquired myself. From my research 1 cup is the MAX you should eat at one sitting. I myself, have been on mushies for quite some time now due to an overfill, and have found that you can eat more than a cup at a time, but don't do it, because you will stretch your pouch... like I did. :girl_hug: Right now, after my unfill, I have started to measure everything. No more than one cup of solids at a time. liquids I still drink a 16 oz tea with no problems. Tomorrow, I am going to try for 3/4 cup at a meal to see if that will shrink my pouch, without leaving me hungry. If I had to do it over again, I would measure from day one. Start at 1/2 cup and see how that feels, if I am still truly hungry, move up in 1/4 cup increments. That is the best advice I can give. Hindsight is 20/20 you know...

I had been on Atkins for 3 years. Lost from 318 down to 268 and held that for 9 months straight. No matter what I did I could not lose. My husband said, "you know, I would understand if you wanted to do surgery like soandso did". So I started looking into it. When I was approved, I went off the deep end in carb land and gained back to 300lbs. Now, I don't know what I am, because I can't find my scale...

Betty Grable here. We all have winning smiles!!!

Most females can not stay on Atkins for any length of time without supplements. I have read many low carb books and have taken what I want from most to find my own plan. In the schwartzbein principal she says the following Vitamins help a woman stay on low carb, and once upon a time I took most of these vitamins and stayed low carb for 3 years straight (guess I should get some vitamins). Now her prices are a bit much for me, so I found basically the same thing at the vitaminshoppe.com. http://www.schwarzbeinprinciple.com/pgs/shop/suppl_packages/store_suppl_packs.html <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width="95%" align=center border=1><TBODY><TR><TD>Ultra Preventive III (UP3) MultiVitamin</TD><TD align=middle>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Calcium & Magnesium</TD><TD align=middle>1</TD></TR><TR><TD>Omega Synergy</TD><TD align=middle>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>B Supreme</TD><TD align=middle>1</TD></TR><TR><TD>Lipoic Supreme</TD><TD align=middle>3</TD></TR><TR><TD>Chromium Synergy</TD><TD align=middle>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Carnitine Synergy</TD><TD align=middle>3</TD></TR><TR><TD>Glutamine</TD><TD align=middle>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>CoQ10</TD><TD align=middle>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Stellar C</TD><TD align=middle>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>High Gamma/Delta Vitamin E</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> Then I read "Thin for Good" by Pescatore, he says you should have some limit to the amount you eat. For my sad state, he says I should have 2 oz Protein for Breakfast 4 oz for lunch and 8 oz for dinner. With 3 cups of veggies thru out the day. (From what I remember.) I have the Atkins for life book which has a MILLION receipes, and the other books have receipes too. You should be able to find something you like that you can afford. My main staples on low carb are meatloaf, salad, speghetti squash, decaf coffee drinks, and cucumber Soup (I have put the receipe on this site.) I went to bookcloseouts.com before christmas and bought an Atkins for life Kit for about $6.00 and it is wonderful. I would recommend it. No boredom, No carbs! We can do it!!!

Down with Carbs!!! And by that, I mean down the toilet!!! If I am off carbs I have no acid reflux, my joints do not hurt, my cholesterol goes down to 188 (milk thistle helps this too), my "liver levels" go down to normal (helps if you stop taking tylenol too) I lose weight, my PCOS gets under control, I feel better, and actually have more energy. But one bite, even by accident, will set me off for months. (BTW Poncho's beef has sugar in it. I cried when I felt the sugar rush, because I thought a taco salad was a good choice.) Anyway, I would love to join the Carb Haters Club. Carbs are the enemy!!

If you are not on pain meds, try a little liquid tylenol. That helped me. I loved the feeling right after surgery. I was not hungry, and 1/2 ounce would fill me up. Wish I still felt that way!! Good luck!

Diva, you know compulsive eating no matter which way it swings is hurtful. Being too thin, or the binge purge cycle. With the band, you can NOT binge purge anymore. If you do you will cause major issues. As a recovering "compulsive eater" myself, I have found that my head issues pop up more now that I can not binge/purge. You have to work on those issues. Eating disorders are more about control that food, in my opinion. You must be ready to control what you eat. The best way to do that with any eating disorder is to get off the insulin roller coaster so that you can focus on what is really bothering you. I read a book called "Its not what your eating, its whats eating you." The title says it all really. I am on day 6 no carbs. The pull has minimized, but I am eating way too much sugar free jello. But guess that is ok this early in the game. :love: Good luck to everyone in the new year. Be good to yourself.

I swear it is the stitches girls. I can feel them pull sometimes if I bend the wrong way (Don't have to clean the bath tub anymore, cause that hurts.) DH takes care of that now. They had to "anchor" the port into place with stitches. Once the tissue grows around them it will be better, but for now just pray the stitches don't break or your port will flip. That is my theory anyway...

I can eat eggs!!!! I ate a piece of quiche and LOVED IT!!!! I am so happy! I feel like a kid in a candy store, only its meat/eggs that I can eat! So Wonderful!!! Happy New Years Everyone! Hope everyone has a wonderful year!

I was wondering when this topic would show up. In my opinion, we did this the wrong way. As a teacher, I can not go up to a student two years later and go: "Hey, you remember when you were chewing gum in my class? Well, here is your detention." You must give the punishment when the offense occurs. (Now, I am in no way saying that killing people is equal to chewing gum... it is just an example.) We should have handled Saddam back when, not wait 20 years until he was old and we had taken away all his weapons. (No weapons of mass destruction found, another Bush OOPS!) He was defenseless. Now, Osama should have been delt with. If we could find Saddam hiding in a hole, we could find Osama. But, of course, Osamas family has ties high up in our country. So, I figure "we" focused on Saddam to divert attention away from Osama. Now with Saddam dead, I would like to see Osamas head on a platter. My friends in other countries hate Bush. The "white cowboy hat" thing does not go over well. We push our ideas on others like bullies, and have become the bullies of the world, not the heroes. When other countries get away with killing one another and we look away, calling it a "civil war", we don't get involved, but if they had oil (like green pointed out)... well... stand back 'cause we will blow you up. Bush does what serves Bush best. He does what will bring himself and his family/friends the most money. Screw the rest of the world, including those in the good 'ol U.S.A. I know the horror that Saddam created in his lifetime, and he surely deserved to die, but it should have been done a long time ago. Bush SR, should have handled that, Bush JR, should have left us out of Iraq and fighting daddy's war, and went after Osama.