Crazy4MyK9

PigsRFlying - Hi, I have a question about your fills. I recently had a fill taking me to 8 cc. I'm definitely eating less at a meal, but I start to feel hungry within 2 hours. Do you experience this, or are you full much longer? Is anyone able to last 4 hours between meals? Thanks! Anne

Dear God. It sounds like you're doing better now. Is the hole at the port site now closed? So, do you have a band with no additional restriction until you have the new port? I wish you the best of luck with the new port surgery.

Manatee, Oh man, that's rough. I realize you had no idea that this would happen, but were you hoping for a positive outcome?, or just thought you were spending time with a friend and didn't think anything of getting together? I'm sorry your hurting. I don't think you should attend the wedding unless you get involved with someone. And, it sounds like you should stay away from her for your own well-being. Congratulations on your weight loss success! Does drinking affect the band at all? I'm crazy about South Park. How did you get that image for your profile? Hang in there! Anne

Why are you so angry and frustrated? Is it food related?

Hi Jill, I'm with you. I've been struggling with low self-esteem for many years. Going to my LB support group meetings has helped. I'm also working hard on changing my thoughts to positive thoughts! God knows I've perfected being negative. I have to admit, I'm seeing some improvement. I just get disgusted sometimes when I look at myself in my birthday suit. Of course, everyone says that when I meet the right person, he'll love me for me and he won't carry about the droopy boobs! :hurray: All the words of encouragement in the world can't fix how we perceive ourselves, so we need to work at it. TO ANYONE - Regarding telling people about your lap-band, what's so bad about this? I often wonder if I should tell someone, and if so, on which date? Some say that it's no one's business. Not sure how I feel about it. ~Anne

Hi Laura, I like your "Shrinking Violet" title. If you don't mind me asking, why did you need a port revision? To those who had to have their bands removed... I am so sorry to hear about this. I can't even imagine what you're going through. I was self-pay as well. If you have any doubts, I would definitely seek legal advice. The one major thing I didn't like about gastric bypass is that it seems that a number of patients regain weight. I know a woman who turned to her old habits and regained over 50 lbs. During my surgeon's seminar, he described it like this. The lap-band is hardware, and hardware doesn't stretch. The stomach left after gastric bypass is going to stretch, and has the potential to stretch significantly. ~Anne

I'm a bit sad to read your message. Are you eating solids, or do you just mean that you're having a lot of liquids? I didn't think anyone felt much hunger so soon post-op. You can eat anything you want? You should be in week 2 of the post-op liquid diet. Are you following doctor's orders? Please be careful. It's critical that your new structure (stoma) has the time it needs to heal. You don't want to end up in the O.R. I noticed some hunger by week 3 post-op, and it gradually grew. I have the larger 10 cc band. My doctor told me yesterday that it can be filled to 14 cc. I'm now at 8 cc. I've been able to eat more than I'm supposed to, to feel satisfied. Also, I was only lasting 2 hours before hunger returned. Hopefully, this fill will make the difference. I was definitely discouraged over the past several weeks when I knew I was eating too much (based on the guidelines we're given), but the good thing is that I was eating less than before surgery. Because of swelling, you can't have your first fill until week 6. Do you feel like you're working on your bad habits as far as food goes? It's tough, I know. I think for many of us it's an ongoing challenge. If you have any concerns about your hunger and eating, please call your doctor or nutritionist. You don't have to sit home wondering and worrying! Are you drinking your Water? I've slacked in this area, but it really does make a difference between meals. Hang in there! ~Anne :hurray:

They sound like great ideas! Dance would be a great way to burn calories and tone your body. Sometimes I'll sing and dance around the house. :hurray: I also like the idea of the season pass at the theme park... just stay away from the food vendors. The smells might drive you crazy. Some people like to walk at shopping malls, but I haven't had any desire to do this.

L.A. Girl, Why did you go off your anti-depressant last March? Were you under doctor's care, or did you take yourself off the medication? If you have a diagnosis of depression, I recommend you getting back on your meds. Depression is an ugly monster, and you don't want to let it rob you of your weight loss success. I've been on anti-depressant medication for over 10 years. What works best for me is Prozac Weekly, so the lap-band isn't going to stop me from taking it. So far, I can still get the capsules to go down, and they're not small. I just had another fill yesterday, and now I'm at 8 cc. My doctor still feels that the pill will work its way down. I'll never forget surgery day. I was a nervous wreck. I didn't expect this, but I cried so hard after the IV was set in place. People seem to think I was grieving... not to mention my nerves. I was very depressed for the first three days, but little by little it got better. I received calls from family and friends, watched TV, got caught up on movies, and worked on word search puzzles. I feel a sense of pride for all of us. I knew I was a strong person, but after surgery, I realized just how far I could push myself and how much courage I have. We all deserve to be proud of ourselves. Try to remember that when you're feeling blue. The best is yet to come! You'll be in my prayers. ~Anne

DawnWhite, Were you given the green light to eat Saltines during your first week post-op? Be careful. Your new structure needs these first two weeks for healing. I don't want to sound preachy... just concerned.

Hi Pat! That's great exercise advice. Dreamsize8, I'm struggling with this area of my long-term commitment to good habits. I agree with Pat that you need to find the type of exercise you're going to enjoy the most. I once ordered a DVD workout program from a TV infomercial, and I never used it! I enjoy riding my exercise bike and walking, but I'm not doing it nearly as much as I need to be successful. One thing that has helped is this. I bought a small TV and DVD player to have near my exercise bike. So now I can choose between my favorite sitcom or listening to music. The key for us is to GET ACTIVE! I don't recommend investing in a gym membership until you're ready to commit to going. You may have to lock into a year-long contract. If you need access to exercise equipment, and at some point weights, shop around for the best deal. Until you make a decision, at least go for a walk. It's a great workout for your heart, legs, and butt! ~Anne :rolleyes2:

Hi Everyone! I've enjoyed reading some of the messages in this thread. I really liked Fanny's remarks, especially 'success rate vs. head space' and "make eye contact and smile at everyone." Dating has been a source of worry for me. I don't have a lot of experience, and God knows I want to settle down with someone, so I need to get out there and gain that experience. I guess my main problem is the lack of self-confidence because I'm not crazy about the naked me. I've had different women tell me that men don't care too much about how the boobs look as long as I've got them. Do you think this is true? ~Anne

I'm glad I read this thread. I'm almost fitting into the category of four months / 40 lbs. Thankfully, I have long thick hair. :biggrin: I'd also like to know how much Biotin is recommended. Anyone? Thanks for all the advice! ~Anne

Hi Michelle, I'm not following food list guidelines, not really. As time went by, I tested the waters with some foods and found that they could go down. I admit, I've been thrilled that I can still eat a bagel as long as I chew it thoroughly. I had one BAD incident with a bagel. I wasn't paying attention to my chewing or speed of eating. Food got stuck and it had to come up. When food gets stuck, you will feel pain and pressure. If you don't belch or get some kind of relief, you'll bring it up by coughing (at least that's how it worked for me). It came up with a lot of slimy Fluid. They use different terms in this forum (PB'ing and sliming), but I don't understand them. I only know that PB stands for productive burp. I've had no desire to put rice, Pasta, steak, or pork in my mouth because they can most likely cause issues. I'm proud that I haven't had one drop of soda since October 1st. I do miss it, some days more than others. It's not worth a possible complication and going back to the O.R. if the band slips. The carbonation is the culprit. I went to my support group meeting last Wednesday, and it seems that several of us (or at least a few of us) are struggling with our sweet tooth, perhaps more so since the holiday season. I started eating Cookies during the holidays, and it's the worst thing I could have done. I'm hearing that some of us have the sweet tooth problem, and others have the salty/crunchy junk food problem. I know that there are hard-core self-disciplined patients out there, but I don't know if it's the norm. I would think that many of us have our weak spots. I would advise you to stick to your food list guidelines as much as you can. While you're on your post-op diet, try to think of ways to not fall into bad habits. I don't know if this will work or not, and I don't know how much willpower you have. I need to work on the sweets! One option would be to only allow myself one sweet per week or something like that, but I'm not there yet. As far as Protein drinks, I really like Worldwide Pure Protein Drinks (Shakes?). The best two flavors are vanilla and chocolate. I think the banana is awful. The best price I've found is at VigorousLiving.com. Worldwide has two drinks. I like the one with 35 grams protein. It's 11 ounces, very low carbs, and 160 calories. I have the larger 10cc band, which can actually be filled much more than 10cc. I've had three fills so far (6.5 cc total), and I'm having another fill next Thursday. I've read threads here where people are in the same boat as me. We'll eat a meal, but won't feel sustained for more than a couple of hours. Part of it may be mental, but I do start to get hungry again. If this happens, and you're eating right, than you're probably going to need more restriction. My nutritionist reminds me that Snacks like yogurt aren't going to be satisfying for long because yogurt is basically a liquid. Same with maybe eating some dry Cheerios. She calls that dust. I've been told to focus on the heavier food during a meal (i.e., the meat, then veggies), and for snack cheese and crackers. Jell-O isn't going to satisfy for long. I feel like I've been rambling. I hope I've been of some help. You can ask me anything! Feel free to send me e-mail. I think you just have to click on Messages (in the right margin). As far as Tickers go, if you see a ticker that you like, click on it and you'll be taken to that website. I've seen a few different ticker websites in use. I chose TickerFactory.com. Once you create your ticker, you'll see the URL code for it. Be sure to copy and paste the entire code into the large text box where you Edit Signature (see the right margin). ~Anne

Fanny, you raise many good points. Thank you! Now I just need to backtrack and read the comments from Wasa. ~Anne

That last bit is hilarious! ~Anne

Congratulations for taking that first step... SURGERY. I'm fairly new to LBT. I was banded on October 3, 2007. I think it's awesome that you're returning to work so quickly. My recovery was awful. The pain was bad. I had a burning sensation that lasted for three full weeks. I have no regrets as far as choosing surgery. It's hard work though! I've slacked off a bit with keeping my food journal, and I'm not drinking lots of Water. I'm glad for this website. It seems that we're ALL going through the same ups and downs. ~Anne

Congratulations! I do the same thing. If I find something that I really like, and it's at a good price, I'll buy smaller size(s). Jeans have been tricky for me because of the stomach/butt thang. ~Anne

Ahhhh! Thank you!

What is NSV?

I really like what Neveragain had to say as well. I'm also struggling with finding the motivation to exercise. I bought a small TV and DVD player to have near my exercise bike. It's definitely helping, because I don't always want to listen to music. I like watching comedies like Everybody Loves Raymond, The Office, and South Park. Little things like taking steps instead of elevators, parking farther away, dancing around the house (or maybe even the office) all help, too! Like Neveragain said, "we can't not do it." If we want to be successful, we must put in the effort. It's not easy! Banded 10/3/07 Heighest weight 311 Consultation weight 299 Current weight 266

I also liked the reply from Neveragain. I'm struggling with finding motivation to exercise as well. I bought a small TV and DVD player to have near my exercise bike. I don't always feel like listening to music. I think I made a good decision! I've been watching various DVDs like Everybody Loves Raymond, The Office, and South Park. I've found that all the advice in the world isn't going to help me until I learn to help myself. Like Neveragain said, "we can't not do it." I must say, I'm loving LBT. :rose: Banded 10/3/07 3 fills; now at 6.5 cc Highest Weight 311 Day of Consultation 299 Current 266

I was banded last October. I get tired of hearing, "your face is thinner" or "I can really see it in your face." Enough already with my face! One thing I don't like hearing are comments that basically confirm how I've always felt - that dating will happen when I'm smaller. Right now, I have two big challenges. Taking control of my sweet tooth and changing my negative thinking. I'm getting there one day at a time. I'm new to LBT. Can anyone tell me how you add your goal / weight loss info below a posting?