Poodles

Uhm, just My opinion, but make sure you check with your doctor first, and then think about it for a while. Make sure you get it in a place that no one else can see unless you want them to. My brother has "shirt sleeves" tatoos. I think he has around 20 going across his chest, on his back, and down each arm. He wishes he would have stopped higher up on his arms now, since we live in TX and he has to wear long sleeves to work every day to cover them up. As a young teen rebel, the tats worked for him, as a middle aged professional... not so much. Just something to think about.

OOOOO.... Cabana Boys.... might just have to pay for that view. :love: Well, I overdid it tonight. "Take it easy on your pouch, she said" yesterday, but tonight I ate steak. It was the best Sirloin steak I have ever tasted. I ate all of it and it was gooooooooood. I guess it was about 3-4 ounces. (less the parts I spit out) I love meat. But my tummy is in shock now, and I took a phengran cause I am feeling queezy. Guess I DO need to take it easy. Figure since I have not been able to eat ice cream for the past few weeks, I won't start back. Now I just need to totally get off sugar in my coffee, and stop drinking Ensure. (full of carbs) I envy all of the bansters going to Vegas. Cabana boys, gambling, and fun in sin city. Oh what fun!!!!

Mary; every one is different. Just try your best to eat healthy. If the scale is going down and you are happy, you are fine. I went for my fill, they removed .4, and I can drink. Yeah!!!! I am down 6 lbs in 4 weeks, miserable the whole time, but I lost weight. Have to do liquids for a few days... then mushies. Sucks, but I am so happy to drink liquids in the morning. :love:

They say you can put a little more than 4cc's in the band, but it is not recommended. As for when you get the hang of things, please let me know when you do. I am almost a year out and have not figured things out.

I saw a commercial for this today. Went to the web site and it has not changed. Still says coming in June.

I spoke with Regina tonight and she is doing much better. She is driving already (which I think she should not do) and enjoying being spoiled with gifts/goodies from well wishers. Spoiled little Bunny. Luckily, her family is eating all the cheesecake, so she is not tempted. :love: Hope she does not mind me giving the update, but saw some previous posts with concerns. As for my fill, I am totally confused. I will probably go back and forth until they get me into the room. Regina has stated that if I get a total unfill, I probably won't go try again... and she is right. If I get .3 taken out it might be my "sweet spot", as they added .5 last time, but I just don't know if I want to risk it. I have one month left of classes, and not really wanting to give up my sick days for this mess anymore. I just don't think this was right for me. I am too stubborn, hard headed, carb hungry, and lazy. But at least I am honest. Will let you know what they find, and what finally happens tomorrow. Wish me luck.

I think I am going to have my band totally emptied on Thursday. I have had the last PB in class I am going to stand. I talk all day, but never know when I can swallow water. I can not eat anything, solid, mushie, blended or otherwise most days, and I am frustrated beyond belief. Anyone else feel this way? I just want to quit.

:love: Thinking about you every day Regina. Good thoughts and prayers are being sent from me!!!!! Hope they help. :love:

I figure if my band does not start working without problems, I will get a total unfill at my one year mark. It does no good to try and go low carb, if nothing low carb will go down. I will be right with you, and totally understand why you did it. Now, you have the tool if you need it again, but learn to live healthy without the fill and you may never need it. :love:

Wonder if we can blast bad guys depending on how much rep power we have. Watch out evil doers... we have rep power!!!

BTW all, spoke with Regina tonight. She is doing well. Little shoulder pain, but she is up and around.

Well, if you are asking if you can eat crap... then yes. Ice cream, chocolate, crunchy chips, all work... Unfortunately. YOU must do some work with this band too. Just know, and fully UNDERSTAND, that this is a life changing surgery. Your eating life will forever change. You can not rely on food any more. It WILL NOT be easy, especially if you are addicted to food, just be prepared for all the physical, emotional, and social implications. Finding out the information is the first step. I honestly wanted this tool, begged and pleaded for the insurance company to cover it, thought I was ready... but was not prepared. Nothing anyone can say to you can make up your mind one way or the other, just try and look at your life. If your social life revolves around food, try to plan out your adjustments. Try a party or two living the bandster way and see if you like it. My surgeon said that about 20% of his patients can not handle it. I thought, I won't be one of them, but today I sat looking at a whey shake, watching my husband eat a good meal, that I had to cook, (pork chops, brown rice, snap peas) and thought "man this is not worth it." My DH says, "the band is doing its job, hugh", and I wanted to slap him. Prepare, read, and then decide. Oh, and I can drink today... it is true I may be overfilled (again), but can not take off of school next week because of TAKS... so I am stuck with this fill for a while.

Well, Chili did not work. Even after a spin in the blender. Went to plan b: whey protein shake, and it went down. I think I will hold out another week and see how the scale moves. If I don't get dehydrated and die, I should be fine. :love:

Yep, track four sounds blank. I have to stop it sometimes just to see it go back "on". Will let you know if my eating habits change any further. I just notice that I want to listen to it now before bed. I totally relax and have had great rest. They have a million more topics, so maybe there is one more in line with addictions. They do have a food addiction one. I know I am addicted to carbs. Hoping this helps me, and maybe some of you too.

I tried something last night that seemed to help with liquid. Before I went to bed I took three tropical papaya tablets, chewed up. This morning, after a few hours of going about, I was able to drink a shake. 1/2 cup Mushies for lunch. Cooking chili right now for dinner. I feel so much better today. Will try it again tonight and let you know how it goes.

I am a closet bandster, and I hate going out. I hate dinners with family, I hate all of it. Buffets are a waste of time, soup is the only option for fear of getting stuck, and it is always a waste of money. Before I was filled I could eat off the kids menu, but once filled "properly" I realized it is just one big mess. My advice is to stay at home, unless you like spending $6.00 for soup. Now, it is true, you are not hungry with the band... but there are a ton of trade-offs. If you are the type to not mind people noticeing what/how you eat (And they do), can sit and nurse a drink and a bowl of soup while others are eating stuff you really want, then you will have it made. I am coming up on my year mark... and I can tell you it gets old. It gets harder to hide from family/friends/co-workers with each fill, and you never know what is going to trigger a PB moment. I am currently fighting the "too-tights to drink anything in the morning" stage after my newest fill. I LITERALLY can not drink anything until around 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Then I can drink and EAT a nice bandster size dinner. (3 oz protien, 1/4 cup vegg.) Yeah the weight is falling off now... but what a pain... Then again you may be one of the lucky ones that never has a problem... and I truly hope you are...

Ok, my cd came in and I have listened to it for several days now. I truly enjoy the wave sounds. Track 4 sounds like nothing, and I loop it during the night (DH does not know about this part.) What have I noticed? I enjoy Stevia much more. I don't want chocolate... not even chocolate whey Protein shakes. Bought some vanilla shake mix today. DH went to Walmart and bought two cases of Water without being prompted. (Drinks it instead of coke now...) So there is an update...

Hey, guys/gals, I have a "too tight" questions. Since my last fill, I have not been able to drink/eat until around 3 in the afternoon. I have even tried sipping, using a plastic spoon to put the liquid in my mouth today. Still nothing will go down/it all comes up until late afternoon. This includes water, coffee, shakes, and I even tried wine at 11:30 this morning. Last night I ate some pureed stuff with no problems. So here are my questions: 1. Can you live only eating/drinking in the late afternoon/evening? (I can get in my 60 grams of protein.) 2. At what point do you say to hell with it and get an unfill? 3. If you can eat at night are you truly overfilled? The scale is going down... my DH has noticed... but don't know if this is unhealthy. Would HATE HATE HATE to have to take off to get an UNFILL... any suggestions on how to make this work?

Try to think about TOM too. I am really tight around then. I have dropped weight since Monday too. Maybe water weight, but I will take it. Have a good day yall, and remember to get those shakes in if you are too tight for food.

Well, I have resorted to being a wino again tonight. Had a protein shake for breakfast, 1/2 yogurt and a cup of coffee for lunch, a protein shake for snack, then a glass of wine and cup of blended chili for dinner. Not hungry, feeling a little tipsy... yeah wine!!!

Wow, looks like we are fill happy this week! Hope all goes well with you two too...

Good grief today has been hard. I must be swollen. I could not even finish a whole yogurt for lunch, but liquids are going down fine. Crazy...

I have found that cross-stitching keeps me busy, and my mind off of food. Do you have a hobby?

Well Monica, I don't know if you are a total freak or not... but you are a normal carboholic. The cd was under 15 with shipping and all, so worth a shot. I did "biofeedback" therepy before for back pain that seemed to work a little. You can actually slow your pulse rate and relax listening to soothing music. Skip the Metal/Rap Crap and go for Mozart, sit down, breath in your nose and out your mouth. Deep breaths, listen to the music, feel the beats/rhythm, breath... if you have to think about something think about the breaths you take. In/Out/In/Out... it works... kinda like doing Yoga.

Wow, there are alot of hotties in the Junebie thread!!! Got my fill today. They said they added .5 to bring me up to 1.7, but from my sig it says I was at 1.4 before. Wonder if I lost some? I just put on the sig that they added .3 to bring me to 1.7 just because I don't know who had the error. My pouch looks good, so the new 8 oz bowls have been working. I have lost 4 lbs since my last fill, but still not to where I want to be. Heck, I want to look like Regina the Superbunny. :love: Marianne says I need to get off my butt and exercise if I want to see a 50 lb loss by June... guess I need to wake up and dance with Richard. Darn it. Hope all stays well in bandland, looks like it is going to be a great week!