sadie11

I understand your situation. If I eat mashed potatoes, ice cream and candy- they go right down my band with no problem. If I eat chicken and other good foods that have some bulk to them, the band works as it should. I can eat a whole order of Qodoba's queso dip and chips with no problem but give me chicken with BBQ sauce and I can eat 1/2 cup. I wasn't losing weight and realized I was sabtoaging myself. So I went back to the basics and just give myself a FEW chips and I am exercising regularly. And I'm losing weight again. I also joined weight Watchers and weighing in every week REALLY helps! I didn't tell them anything about the band cause I feel like I am working pretty hard at this. So try laying off the easy foods and use the band as it is supposed to be used.

Jim- you're being too hard on yourself. I don't believe that the current problem in America with obesity is a matter of self control. It is obvious to me as a scientist that there are other significant factors going on. A 98% failure rate is a statistical impossiblity if the operating factor is just self control. I suspect that there are significant physiological changes in our bodies when we eat high fructose corn syrup or white flour or white sugar. Something happens to make losing weight so impossible.It is not just will power. If it was more people would be successful at losing and keeping weight off. The recent discovery that cutting into an area of the small intestine cures diabetes immediately after surgery without weight loss tells us that a lot of the knowledge about obesity and the resulting problems are probably wrong. Reminds me of the theory of ulcers- that stress caused ulcers and the dr's put you on milk etc when it was a bacteria all along. Oops. I think "diets" will be viewed the same way in the future. So forgive yourself and wait for science to catch up to us. Be glad that you could afford to self pay (and I am thankful for that also in my case). Love and success to all on our journey. Sadie

Anyone ever had their port move? Mine is now over my left ribs, two months out of surgery, and it is not a good spot. When I breathe which I do frequently, it hurts. Can they just smooch it back over or is it a surgery? Advice please! Thanks Sadie

Medge- I'd raise hell with that doctor. I would not let him intimdate me with "use willpower". He changes his policy at your expense- he can change it back for you! Who gives a rat's a** about his "policy"? Tell him you'll be happy to adhere to the 1 a month policy after he helps you now. And the once a month poicy is called "extra profit" BTW in the business world. I would demand he fill the band or ask for a refund or referral to another doctor. Yeesh these guys kill me! sadie

Karey- we all choose different paths early in life never knowing how it will all come out in the end, do we? I had a successful career that I enjoyed immensely but, like the T-shirt says, OMG I forgot to have kids! I regret that somewhat but worked with kids as a psychologist so that was good. I know I could not have been that fabulous single mother with a great career and wonderful children. I never had that much energy or stamina. I have had a wonderful partner for the last 10 years but by then it was really too late to start a family. I am truly fortunate to be loved and treasured. Like the Robert Frost poem says, I took the path less traveled and that has made all the difference. Love and success on your journey everyone. Sadie

Thanks Foofy- I think grief is a more prevailing emotion than we think. I am also grieving not having a happier childhood- probably one reason for the beginning of my food problems. Trying to make up for it now by have a great adulthood! BTW -I'd worry more if the Lynx was not sedated! yuk yuk --I got to help with the release of 3 lynx in the San Juan Mts. It was awesome- they are so beautiful and smell just like a kitty cat- clean and fresh. They have paws the size of a salad plate to use like snowshoes. Great experience. Sadie

I have been following this thread with great interest. I also want to have a TT I think when I lose my weight. I have always had a pot belly and no waist even when I was 145 lbs and I'm just sick of it. It's my father's fault - I got his body! I am a retired psychologist and since I don't have clients anymore I get to think about myself! It has occured to me that after losing my excess weight (and getting a TT maybe), I will probably go through an extended period of grief. The grief will be for all the experiences I didn't get to have as a fat woman and all the pain that I went through over my life. Even though I have had a wonderful life, I believe I will grieve for the Lost Person I feel I could have been if I didn't have a weight problem that inhibited me so. Being fat in America is a traumatic experience and I swear we all have post traumatic stress syndrome at least a little bit! I feel like the impluse after the TT will be to correct all the other areas wrong with me but I know that even if I end up with a perfect body, I will never recover my Lost Person or the time lost. I am already in mourning for all the energy I wasted dieting since I was 12. The talents I might have nutured with the energy spent counting calories and obessively exercising, etc, etc. I am 58 now and I hope the next 20 years will be the best of my life. I hope that having a smaller body will be enough to please me (and wearing a bikini has never appealed to me anyway). My little TT will be enough (I hope). Maybe some of this is part of what some of you may be going through. I am not even close to goal or a TT so this all may change when I get where you all are. But I thought you might be interested in my thoughts. Love and success on your journey! Sadie

Bgrand- what happened?

Hi Folks; I have been banded since 3/3/08 and I think I am eating too fast. I usually have pain in my band area when I am eating and it just occurred to me that maybe this isn't normal. So waddya think? I can feel the food go down and it is painful (about a 3 ona scale of 10). Is this normal or do I need to slow way down?????? Thanks for your input! Success to all on their journey! Sadie

Be sure to order the samples to make sure you like it. I ordered a bunch of stuff from them for mucho $$$ and can't drink any of it. It does not agree with me at all. Anyone wants to buy it from me I can give them a good price! Email me. Sadie

I can eat rice and lots of other things but not everyday. What I mean is sometimes things go down very easy and the next day I can't eat the very same thing. But i am still learning how to deal with my band. Overall I can say that i have no regrets but it is not easy to get used to either. I am so glad to not have the cravings I used to have and I no longer feel like food rules my life. That is such a relief to me. I have found that I really don't care if there are things I can't eat anymore. I'm having trouble with chicken lately and my band is a bit tight I think. But I lost 4.4 lbs this week! I am comfortable with my appetite for the first time in my life. And I could care less about eating Pasta or chicken if I have control over my eating. That's my 2 cents! Sadie

I got a 2nd fill of 2 cc's and they had to take out .04 because I couldn't drink Water. Okay we went away for the weekend and every meal out was a minor disaster. I guess I eat differently when I'm out than at home. I had a skillet with chicken and ended up vomiting the whole thing. the chicken just wouldn't go down at all. Very unattractive. Of course I wasn't hungry after that. Then i had some queso dip with chips at Quodba's and slimmed that big time. So I haven't learned how to eat out yet. But i did have success with tortilla Soup at Quodba's the next day. So soup it is for now when I'm out. The good news is that I lost weight on my road trip and didn't feel deprived at all. I wasn;t hungry after all these unfortunate dinners out. Do you all avoid chicken and meat when you go out and stick to Soups and easy stuff? Sadie

I think I am going to just avoid chicken for a while and get used ot eating out with my band. Don't get me wrong- I love my band! It is more than worth it to feel like a normal person with food. Courage to all on your journey; Sadie

Indigo- I don't think I'm too tight cause I eat fine at home. I think I eat differently when I'm out. I take bigger bites or eat quicker or something. I have had chicken at home and done fine. I need to learn how to eat with other people around i guess. I must be more distracted than I think i am. thanks for your thoughts Sadie

Hello ladies; I have been lurking and not posting much. I went to the Glenwood Springs Hot Springs Pool this weekend. It was wonderful! And yes i was in a bathing suit and man, I looked bad! Yuk yuk. I have cottage cheese thighs! They look worse since I've lost weight I think. Hopefully they will smooth out a bit as I lose or I'll need to start saving for a thigh lift in addition to the tummy tuck. Of course at the Pool everyone looks bad in their swimsuits- there were people much bigger than me and smaller than me but I have never cared anyway- I love to swim so no matter what weight I am I go swimming. Hardly any super models were there - yuk yuk Anyway I had the hardest time eating out all weekend. I PB'ed Quodba's queso dip and then chicken at Village Inn. I just could not get that chicken down! Lost everything I ate. I had another fill of 2 cc's and they ahd to take out .04cc's couse I couldn't drink. So my total fill is now at 6.4 cc's in a 10 cc band. Maybe I'm a little tight. But i lost 2 lbs this weekend and that's a first for me on a trip! Yea!:wink2: I am going for Soup in the future. I just don't care that much about eating out anymore anyway.:tt2: I eat a lot of Medifast bars BTW -- the chocolate and chocolate Mint are great with hardly any carbs and it's a Meal Replacement for 160 cal- fills me up and has 4 grams of Fiber with 12 Protein and 20 grms of carbs. Get em online. Great for traveling too.:tt2: Love and courage to you all; Sadie

Hi all; I am doing well- had my first fill and it helped with my appetite. But i can only eat about 900 cals a day or I don't lose ANY weight. I spent one week or more going up 2 lbs, then down 2 lbs and I realized I was just eating too much. So I cut back and started losing again. I am eating high protein primarily but I do get hungry. I have my next fill on May 1 and I need a bit more I guess. I started a vigorous exercise program last week and man oh man are my legs sore. I kind of overdid it yesterday so today is an involuntary rest day. Just a little walk with the dog, who loves the new exercise program BTW! She is in heaven. It doesn't seem fair to me but it looks like I can only eat 900 cals a day of protein and must exercise 45 minutes a day to lose. So that's what I have accepted as my new life. I don't miss food like I used to so the band has really helped in that sense. I gave up Diet Coke at surgery and thought I would miss it like crazy but I had a sip the other day and it tasted terrible. So that's done. Sugar is not a craving anymore either - thank goodness! My tastes have changed for the better. Wish I could eat an apple but only applesauce goes down. Glad to hear others are doing well. Keep up the fight- it's worth it! Love and strength to you all! Sadie

Let's give the girls a chance. Vote for Roger although Mark will rpbably make himself anerexic to win. Kelly has a good chance since she has the most to lose if Roger is eliminated. The girsl must be pissed to not be able to vote. I would be.

Hi all; Got banded on 3/3/2008 and lost about 20 lbs with fasting before surgery and such. Then I was just stuck scale-wise for a couple of weeks- up 2 lbs down 2 lbs - eating less but close to regular meals in volume. Oh yeah and that ice cream I had just before my first fill. Let's not forget that lapse in judgement. Anyway I got my first fill on Wednesday 4/2/2008. I got 4cc's in my 10cc band and followed the mushies diet for 2 days as instructed. Today I started a regular diet more or less and now I see why the band works so well! I had my one egg omelet for Breakfast (w/ black Beans, salsa, lite sour cream and cheese= 225 cal- mucho protein) at 7:30 am and have been stuffed until 1 pm. I drank 20 oz of Water with K2O in it (30 cals) during the morning. I just had 4 oz of chicken with BBQ sauce and I'm stuffed again -pleasantly so. I had to eat it very slow or it got stuck. K2O in 20 zo of water this afternoon and a small dinner and I'm done! plus 20 oz's of water at night. If I eat regular food (not drink it) the band works as it is supposed to. I feel SO relieved! It works- it will help me! I didn't waste my $10,000. Yippee! :cursing: Just thought newbies might want to know that a little restriction goes a long way. This band stuff takes a lot of patience that's for sure. Best to all: Sadie

I just read my own posts and releazed my band must have opened up a bit. I used to be stuffed with my one egg omelet but not anymore. Now I need the bulk of a Lean pocket in the morning. Now i need a bit more bulk to make the band work. I have only had one fill for 4cc and the band was tight. It has been a week and the restriction must be less. My next fill is in 3 weeks. So the lesson here is to be aware of your band and eat more bulk if you are starting to be hungry when you are eating the same stuff. I guess I'll hit my sweet spot when I have restriction even if I eat the same diet. Sadie

Warm sun- you are absolutely right! Case in point- yesterday I had an egg with black Beans, cheese, and salsa- I was hungry all day even though I had lots of Protein. Today I had a Lean Pocket for breakfast and I could not finish it- I ate the meatballs out of it and left some of the outside crust. I could feel it sitting right at my band moving very slowly into my stomach. I felt stuffed. A little more bulk seems to work better. Regular chicken with a bit of BBQ sauce, a little (just a little!) bread with your meat seems to give the bulk you need to slow down your food through the band. I lost 2 lbs this weekend even though I had chips and queso and some Quizno's Flatbread pizza yum! I kept my calories at about 1000-1200. I still have to diet! No ice cream, chocolate, candy etc. Same as always. Fortunately since my surgery I have little interest in these things. I have suffered enough! Sadie

I have a 10cc band also and felt some restriction after the surgery. My first fill on Wednesday was 4cc. My restriction is great right now. Starting to lose weight again- yea! Sadie

I didn't hear the part about America voting next week. That is great and they have probably figured out that the only way a woman is going to win is to change the rules a bit. None of the women come in weighing 400++ lbs so percentage wise they will never beat the guys but Ali is kicking butt. Good for her- I hope she wins. If the guys had the odds stacked against them like the girls, they'd be whining all the time and saying it wasn't fair. What the heck is wrong with those 2 brothers? I'm a psychologist and I have never seen two men cry like that. Jeeze! they need some therapy or something. Mark cannot win!! Pleeeeze! Sadie

I got my band on March 3rd and will get my first fill on 4/2. I feel a bit restricted now however. I would recommend that you and anyone considering it to choose a surgeon with lots of experience, like 1000 bands. It takes a very precise placement on your stomach (over the area that secrets appetite hormones) and a knowledgable staff to be effective for you. I am surprised at how my tastes in foods have changed just in the last 3 weeks. I no longer have cravings and am in control of my food choices. Feels great and hopefully my band will continue to supress those appetite hormones. I feel normal with food for the first time in my life. What a blessing! I expect to be totally successful with my weight loss and more importantly, to be able to keep it off forever. It is hard however and not a walk in the park. The journey is worth it and remember you only have one life and a limited time on this earth. Make sure you spend your time on earth as your best self, healthy and active. Do whatever it takes to achieve that. For me, I needed the band to do it. Love to all; Sadie

Janet- you are so right- I am indeed thankful that I have the resources to self pay for this life saving surgery. I am paying the VISA bill today (the biggest VISA bill I have EVER had!) and aren't I lucky to have the money to pay it. (Even if I had to hit all my savings accounts! yuk yuk) And I am thankful that I had the courage to go ahead with the band and put up with the gas and pain for a couple of weeks for a better, healthy life. I am sure that the $10,000 I just paid will be repaid over and over again in happiness, longevity, and just plain savings on health costs. I have good friends who are literally drowning in their fat and will not even consider band surgery. I see them trapped in a sheath of fat and I am sorry for them. I wish I could get them to open their minds a bit. My ah-ahh moment was realizing that I just could not COULD NOT go on another diet! 50 diets over my life and i finally realized THEY DON'T WORK! I lose, then I gain back more. Just took me 45 years to get it. I was either going to have WLS or just be fatter and fatter and die of a stroke and/or diabetes. No other choices. The band as changed my life already! My motto has always been "Leave no stone unturned" and it has served me well in my career and now, my health. Best to all Sadie

Wowee wow! 75 lbs lost- you are doing well. The problem with losing weight is the body does as it pleases! And it takes what it takes. Annoying but hang in there. Good news to report from me. Even though I've only lost 20lbs, my blood pressure this morning was 125/74. I am thrilled! My dad died of a stroke and this was my main reason for getting the surgery. I read that high blood pressure is worse for you than smoking! Yikes! So I am thrilled with this reading. I take medication but often my BP was 150/80 or so. Also I got the surgery to avoid diabetes Type II which my dad also got and never did one thing to make it better. Before he died, the doctors were talking about cutting his feet off because they had gangeren (sp?). I was horrifed and I never want my partner to have to make a decision like that for me. So far I have avoided sugar for the most part but just couldn't get this darn weight off. The band will help with that. My dad was a stubborn man and so am I sometimes but I realized I need to learn from his misery and make my life better than his. There is good stubborn and there is stupid stubborn- I'm aiming to be good stubborn and using it to get rid of this weight finally. Just a few thoughts on this beautiful Colorado morning! Love and best to all the nifty fifties;:biggrin2: Sadie