bamboobabe

Holly; I agree with you whole-heartedly!!! Brina should represent the Bagnato Bandits as the columnist and we should have Nips featured for the success story!!!!! Mia; I noticed your ticker is moving again!!! Congrats! Who knows, by June you may have to completely remake the dress!!! I think we can all relate to the food issue, as I just don't know what to do with my free time these days. I'm sure my credit card company is happy. I've changed all of the rugs and most of the artwork in my house since last month! I think gardening would be cheaper!!

Nip, Congratulations Nip on your 6 Month Bandiversary!!! Wow, 95 pounds is simply amazing! You've been one of my inspirations even before the band when I was just a visitor to the site. When I reach that kind of loss, I'm going to give myself a party! When I get in the 90 range, I'm going to book a room at the club and send out formal invitations to Celebrate the new me that I'm about to become...... Great Job!!!!

Mia; Congrats on the weightloss! I noticed you're avatar has changed. The dress is simply beautiful!!!

Leslie, Welcome to official band-land!!! Here's to feeling better soon....(Cheers)

Georgia; Glad you were able to get a fill. Seems like Elizabeth is creeping up your restriction at this point. I had to get a slight unfill after the last one of 1cc, and she said from now on it will only be considerably less. Now I see what she means. Hope you feel better soon. I had staph last year when returning from a Cruise. Doc had to cut it out and then I had this round of very powerful anitbiotics, as I was doing everything possible not to end up in the hospital. After all, it's most prevalent there. Get some rest and take care of yourself. Brina; Isn't it just wonderful to continue having great experiences after having been so afraid of the unknown? Congrats on the two pound loss. You are well on your way!!! I only had 1cc left in my band at surgery, as I didn't really do a pre-op diet and Dr. B. wanted to make sure that I didn't experience any discomfort. All was well. I can definitely relate to the ice cream fetish. ( Not that big on cake) But these days I've traded my Blue Bell pistachio almond for Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches (140 cals.) It's such a treat at the end of the day when I find that I have a calorie deficit (thedailyplate.com) and can indulge. BTW, I simply love reading your posts! You have such a way with words. Good luck with your three days of liquid hell!!!:sad_smile:

Oneder: Congrats on getting your pre-op done!! As for the restriction, as you lose weight, the stomach gets smaller resulting in less restriction. Some of the fill evaporates over time as well, again; less restriction. This is what I was told by Elizabeth at the OTC. Not to worry. Once you reach that 'sweet-spot' where you're losing the two pounds per week, your restriction may lessen, but won't be completely gone. Though I can eat more at times, I haven't been able to eat the same volume of food as pre-band. And that was true for me even without a fill.

Yesterday B-Coffe with sugar-free french vanilla creamer, splenda L-1/4 Subway tuna on toasted wheat/bg. of baked chips D-Crab stuffed flounder, green beans S-2 Hershey's dark chocolate sugar-free chocolates (30 cal. ea)

I take the Centrum liquid, B-12 that dissolves under the tongue, and a Viactive chewable calcium. They all taste great to me. I've been a vitamin person since childhood, so it was no big deal.

I remember Elizabeth saying that she also works at the hospital in Therapy, so she's having to split her time between both places. That's why it's before lunch one day and after lunch the next. There was another nurse, but she left; so now it's all on Elizabeth. And she's a nurses' practitioner, not just an RN. I guess with the lack of practioners and having to get the correct training, they're just up against it right now. But like all of you, I'd also like to be able to do Saturday, even if it's just until lunch. Taking off mid-week does tend to get hectic, as it's usually a full day for me with a 2 hour drive each way.

Georgia; It's o'kay. Thanks for being willing. I'd PM'd you, but I had decided to keep my original appt. because my restriction seems to have kicked in. Guess I didn't have real restriction prior to this last fill, because I'm finding that I can no longer tolerate some of the things I did before, which was practically anything I tried. Now bread and fresh strawberries are a no-no. Weird, but good. Thanks again. You're a sweetheart.

Georgia; I think they will do that. I had a friend to cancel and she asked them to put my name in, I called like two minutes later and it was confirmed. Don't know if it was just a lucky one time thing or not, but it can't hurt to try. Mia; I'm glad that you've gotten good restriction. I don't know what's going on with my band these past few days. First I thought the 1cc put in on Tuesday was too tight, took out half on Thursday. Thought I could eat too much on Friday and Saturday, but today was COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!!!! I could hardly eat anything today. The band really does have a mind of its own. Congrats on the 2 pounds!!!

Thought I'd join this thread for accountability! Yesterday B- Coffee with sugar-free creamer & splenda L- L.A. Lite Caramel Protein Bar D- 1/2 Rack of baby back ribs, 4 grilled shrimp, 1/4 sweet potatoe S- Sugar-free popsicle

You look great!! Keep up the good work!!

I now have 6.5 cc's in my 10cc band. Lost about 8 pounds in three weeks with my second fill, got a third fill of 1cc, and felt I was too tight, so had .5 taken out two days later. Now I can eat about a cup of food at a time and that's fine with me for now, as I have increased my exercise. I probably was at "perfect restriction" with the .5 still in, but I don't think my head has caught up to the 1/2 cup rule yet. Perhaps by the time of my next fill.

I have the AP (10cc) Band. Good luck with your surgery.

Leslie; Sorry you had a rough vacation and hope you're feeling better now. As for the pre-op process, mine was relatively simple. Went to Dr. B's at 1 o'clock, then to the Hospital for testing, was there for about an hour 15 minutes. I signed in, was called back, answered the questions, went back for blood work, x-ray, ekg, and then back up front to speak with nurse. They'll ask additional questions, allow you to ask, give you surgical instructions, the dos and dont's, a number to call for surgery time, ect. Guess I was one of the lucky ones because with everything, I was headed home by 2:30! Good luck to you!

Hello Everyone; I love this thread!!! I've just been reading as of late, but finally had an NSV, (at least that I've really noticed)!!! I haven't really been able to change sizes yet and that may be because all of my clothes were too tight, but are fitting better. Needed a dress for a formal affair taking place soon and decided to shop in the closet. I was able to wear a dress that I wore three years ago when I'd lost nearly 60 pounds!!!! The funny thing is that I was 30 pounds lighter than I am now and the dress still fits. So yes, I have lost more inches with the band!!! I do love my band!!!

Kristin; Congratulations on your NSV!!! Keep up the good work. That's the one thing I'm looking forward to the most. Buying new clothes!!!!

Mia; Glad you're doing well. Sorry for the six pounds. It's hard enough when we're feeling 100% to stay on plan. I do like your optimistic attitude, as it will be your saving grace. The exercise has really been a great help for me this week because I've had a few rough days. So let us know how it goes.

Georgia Girl; I'm glad your restriction is back!!! You made me kinda nervous there. Malik did tell me the band sometimes has a mind of it's own. Like patients who have gone for several weeks feeling nothing, make an appointment to come in, and by the time they come in they're losing well again. So go figure..... Perhaps your band has decided to reverse it's MO.

Hi Mia; It's going well. Much better restriction with the 2nd fill. This is the first time that I've really had true restriction and it sort of freaks me out sometimes with the noises my throat makes. I've been staying on plan pretty much doing protein first, vegetable next, then no room for much more. However, those darn baked cheetos were begging me to pay them some attention earlier today, and not wanting to appear mean......... I just wish they didn't work so easily with the band. Can't have it all. I'm assuming that you're doing much better with the weekend to rest. I know you'll be back on board by Monday. I just have to be prepared to run from the fried chicken at church tomorrow. We have an afternoon service and I can eat more in the afternoon. Yikes!!! Isn't this the week for your fill? How much do you currently have?

Good Morning Leslie; Welcome to the Bagnato Bandits!!! We're glad to have you join us. Hopefully your mother will be understanding and happy to assist you. Good luck and let us know how things turn out. Take Care

RKJ123; Congrats!! That's absolutely fantastic!!! I can hardly wait to have that type of NSV!! I've had small ones like better flexibility and endurance since I've finally started to exercise. Just ready to shop for something new in a smaller size!!!! Keep up the good work!!!

Allykat; Glad to see that you are doing well. Nip and Mia are correct. Dr. Bagnato, Terri, Elizabeth, and Malik all told me NO for the carbonated drinks!!! Pity that I had to poll the entire jury? I didn't want to part with my Sprite Zero!!! :bored:I was totally addicted. And to be honest, I've just traded the addiction for Crystal Light (Wal-Mart Brand) pink lemonade. My boyfriend says that I go to the extreme with everything. Mia; So you're feeling better? Good for you. Just wanted to thank you for your encouragement. I was finally able to update my ticker. Down 2 pounds since my fill on Tuesday!!!! I pray that this will be the 'sweet spot' for me. Elizabeth would only give me 2cc this time. I now have a total of 6cc in a 10cc band. She said my fills will be very gradual from this point forward because there's such fine line between the right fill/overfill. I have another appt. on April 1st. Will probably be 1cc. Finally, I'm feeling what restriction is!!!!:drool: