glorybee123

The only time I can feel the band is when I eat too fast or take too large a bite. Then it kind of gives you a "warning hurt" that you learn to pay attention to really fast. I can feel my port if I press down on it but it doesn't bother me.

I think anyone that has the band has felt the same way. I felt like I had conceeded defeat, I couldn't lose the weight by myself. At first I didn't tell anyone that I had been banded other than my family but when people started noticing my weight loss and asking about it, I told them. Now I'm proud of what I have done so far and I feel soooo much better! You won't regret being banded.:thumbup:

The band is definately worth it but I would re-think putting it on a credit card. You could probably get a much lower interest rate by taking out a personal loan. Good luck whatever you decide!

Just a thought, you could add some type of liquid and blend the beans or tuna into a more liquid consistency. I blended some chili and a hot dog once!

Yep, unfortunately it happened to me too, post-op. I guess it's liquids in.. liquids out. Be careful not to drink much juice, especially apple! It will go away when you can start eating more solids.

Congratulations on the smaller size! I'm thrilled too because last week I bought a size 18 dress! I started out in a size 24 and had a few size 26's. It so much fun for the sizes to go down for a change isn't it? :rolleyes2:

Lora, Look at it this way, when was the last time you EVER lost 21 pounds in 2 months? The weight loss is different than I expected it to be. Mine seems to be a little uneven in that I lose pretty good after a fill but then it slows to almost nothing. Looking forward to my next fill! Hang in there, it will happen!

Try protein shakes, they work wonders on making you feel better! Also try to get all of your protein in, it helps fill you up.

When I was on liquids and sick of them I made a chili dog in the blender (without the bread). Sounds gross now but it was pretty good then!

You could always get creative with the blender and make soup. I once pureed some chili and a hot dog with a dash of mustard! Sounds gross now but at the time it was delicious!

I can't eat soft breads, flour tortillas, rice, pasta, dry meat and have to be very careful with some crackers and chips. Of course no soft drinks, but after a little while you get used to not having them and don't even miss them! I drink lots of sugar free lemonade and koolaid type drinks.

I usually drink a protein shake in the mornings and take breaks between taking my pills. I've been taking 1 at home and then taking the rest to work so I can space them out. If I try to take them all together they get stuck which is very uncomfortable. I didn't have to do it this way until after my 2nd fill.

Plateaus seem to be the norm for me so far. Of course I've only had 2 fills but the way it works for me is I lose pretty well for a couple of weeks after a fill, then I can eat more again so stop losing. The plateaus are discouraging but I think I will get there eventually, just not as soon as I had hoped.

I have a co-worker who was banded one month before me and didn't have as much to lose as I do. She is 10 years younger. We each had a fill one month ago, my second and her third, and saw the doctor this morning for a weigh in. I had lost 8 pounds and she had lost 12. I know this isn't a competition but I really wonder if the fact that I am 10 years older has something to do with it. She has lost 20 pounds more than I have all together. What do you think?

That worried me too at first. Even after my first fill I didn't feel all that much different, but after the 2nd one it's a whole new world! Now I keep doing dumb things like forgetting how tight I am and getting stuck a few times. No fun! Just keep eating healthy for now. I also went through a month and a half stall where I didn't lose anything between the first and second fills, very discouraging but it too shall pass. I'm glad you are feeling good.

What kinds of food do you order when you go out to eat? I never realized how much food is based on bread or pasta! For fast food places are we limited to chicken nuggets and salad? For a sit down resturant, do you order whatever you want and take most of it home or do you order soup? Most servings are so massive that it would make 3 or 4 meals for me. Just wondering what everyone else does...

I felt some shame and embarassment at first. It was kind of like I was admitting defeat, my lifelong battle with weight had gotten the better of me. I told my immediate family and people that I work with but not my friends except for 2. Well some people just can't keep a secret so eventually alot of people knew. Now if someone from church asks me what I have been doing to lose all the weight I just tell them ,( I certainly won't lie about it). I want to be able to help someone else that may be struggling with the decision about the lap band. I do say that it is not for everyone and it is not magic. The band is a tool to help you but it will not do all the work for you.

It's frozen in a bag. There are 10 pieces in the bag for about $10. The brand is Treasures from the Sea.

For times when you really don't want to cook, Sam's club sells an awesome Parmesan encrusted talipia. Bakes in 15 min, 230 calories per piece. I know that's a little high but it's so quick and easy and it's just about all I can eat for one meal.

The surgery pain will only bad for the first 3 days. The liquid diet is only temporary and it too shall pass. It is SOOO much fun to watch the scale gradually go down instead of up!! Yes it is alot to get used to, but you will, and you will be so much healthier!

I think it is entirely possible that your coworkers feel threatened by you. After all, if you are sucessful in your weight loss then that just makes them look and feel even worse because they are not losing. I actually had a few friends try to discourage me before surgery and I think it was because I had always been bigger than them and they didn't want the tables turned. Just hang in there and try to be nice!

I have a friend that was "missing a year" because she didn't see a doctor and they let her send in a dated photo of herself to show that she was fat.

If you decide not to report her in order to save her job I think you should tell her how you feel about her sharing your private info with others. It was none of her business or anyone elses!

I had the same problem with being dizzy but when I started drinking a protein shake I felt SOOOO much better!

I've had 2 fills now, both were with the fluroscope. You lie down on a table, they put the fluroscope over you and if you look at the screen you can see rgiht through your skin and see your port! It looks like a circle within a circle with a tube attached. When the doctor puts the needle in it you barely feel it. If you pinch the skin right around your port you'll see that it's kind of numb so it doesn't hurt. You get sort of a weird feeling inside almost an air bubbly type feeling. Then I have to take a swallow of barium so they can see that it goes through. My doctor says to go 24 hours on liquids afterwards. I don't know if everyone experiences the same thing but that is what it is like for me. Hope that helps.:thumbup: