Shamrockgirl60

Hey I have had an "apron" for years, it's shrinking by the day, but I know even if it's smaller there will be some skin hanging. Luckily it wasn't a huge apron. Hope that I can get my insurance to cover a tummy tuck. Sometimes they do. :thumbup:

I really didn't get too hungry till about 3 or 4 weeks after my surgery, I just know that if I eat one bit more I get a weird feeling and have to get up and walk around till it goes away. Must be the new "filled up" feeling. So I can't eat a lot. I drink plenty of water also which helps. I had Japanese food the other day, ate about half the plate, the veggies and the beef, and had maybe two spoonfuls of rice and that got stuck. Horrible feeling let me tell you.

Yikes that's a lot of money for a shot of water and salt isn't it. Terrible how they got you coming and going sometimes. I have my first fill this Friday. The reason to waight 6-8 weeks for a fill is that the lapband has to heal so it won't slip with the fill. That's what they told me.

Welcome to the forum. I am 60 and just had the surgery and am so very happy I did it. I feel great now and am losing 2-3 lbs. a week, I go in for my first fill this coming Friday. Best of luck and it takes a while for all this but it's worth it. And you are doing great with your weight loss Wow, 44 lbs.

Well it's been 6 weeks and I would have liked to know that the first week wasn't all that smooth. After being really miserable for 4 days, I started feeling good. Now I feel terrific. It's worth a few days of pain. Also the gas thing... Get GasX melt on the tongue strips in extra strength they were a lifesaver.

Hey been offline for a few days, my computer is being fixed. Should have it back by Monday or Tues. I'm checking messages online for now. I am still losing about 1-2 lbs a week. Next week I go for my first fill. I am not looking forward to having them stick me with that needle LOL but hey I need it done. I got my appetite back with a vengeance. But I am doing good controlling it.

I am a new bandster, and even now people tell my I am looking better. Which is nice but I have about 70 more pounds to go. I think the last 20 pounds will be hard for me also. Most people are comfortable with us fatties and when we lose they get theatened a bit by our being able to do it. They may need to lose a few pounds themselves and can't seem to do it. They feel that maybe you are better than they are so they do things to sabotage the diet. By saying your fine, have a little piece of cake, pie, sandwich whatever. They like you fat and don't like you skinny. They won't admit it and probably don't realize that they are doing this. Good luck losing that last 22 pounds. I am just starting this journey and want to succeed so much. I know the lap band is a tool and it's mostly up to me to use it properly. As my shrink said, you can take that whopper, eat it in tenny tiny bites all day long, but in the end you still ate a Whopper. Pati

Kerrijean, I finally broke the 200 lb. mark...this morning. I am so happy. So far no real restrictions, just minding what I eat and sticking to the diet my nutritionist gave me. I don't want to froth or vomit at all. Yucky. I have my first file September 19th. My hospital has a whole weight loss clinic which is awesome. It took 6 months for me to go through all of it. Classes in nutrition, and 4 meeting with a group and the shrink to discuss why and how we overeat and how to not continue to do so. Very enlightening I must say. Continued support for a long time, and group lap band meetings every month. But I am still a bit fearful of eating. I wonder if anyone with the lap band has become anorexic? I doubt that will be a problem for me. I do love food and have to change my mindset about it. Food is fuel. Enjoy it but don't obsess about it. I keep telling myself that over and over LOL. Wow living in Europe must have been awesome. Yes I adored Ireland, and my family is from a little town in Cork called Dunmanway. My Mother was a McCarthy/Donegan. So she is all Irish. My father was half Irish and half old New England Yankee from the Mayflower. When I got back from Ireland last year I took up Scrap booking. Love it. Made a 45 page one of my Irish trip. It came out so good. Just finished one dedicated to my late Mother, and now working on Book One for my new granddaughter Christina Aileena (Aileen is Irish for noble). She is the love of my life. How does it feel living in the states now? Different and much changed from 32 years ago. Where are you going in Europe? I still would love to visit Paris and Rome. Maybe some day. Are you children here in the states also. How old are they and boy girl or girl girl. ? Take care. Thanks for the support and information. Pati

Well it's bright and early, waiting here in MA for Tropical Storm Hannah. I am surprised and delighted I finally broke the 200 lb. mark. TA DA!!!!! I started on small amounts of solid food, No problem surprisingly, no frothing or vomiting. Eating my 3 oz of Protein and then veggie a few tbs. and some starch a few tbs. No restrictions except for moi' willpower. I am so afraid of vomiting and messing this up, I am so careful eating just what the doctor ordered LOL. And eating mindfully and slowley, I was totally full last night after dinner. I got a few Healthy Choice Cafe' Steamers. They have between 17 and 22 grams of protein in them which is good. I had the Rosted chicken with Pasta and marinara sauces, pretty tasty after eating nothing much for over 5 weeks. LOL It's 270 calories. The "household" ate steak, cheese, onion and pepper subs last night. And I even made them LOL. It did smell mighty good. So I am off to a luncheon for my disabled Aunt today, and will see a bunch of family I haven't seen since April. I know I look so much better. I will only eat some protein while there. Going to be good of curse. Well off to color my hair, cover up my little gray streaks LOL It's medium ash Blond. I think I'll wear my skinny jeans LOL Size 18 Ta Ta and hope you all had successful weight loss too. Pati

Kerry I have been to Ireland two times in 2000 and last year I was there at this time. It's so very beautiful. I went with my daughter and friend the first time and went with the same friend last year. I hope to get my husband to go at some time. He hates to fly. I am of mostly Irish ancestry. And my daughter's name is Erin LOL So far I am not having any problems eating. I had my first solid food last night and did well. We have a great weight loss center at my hospital/Clinic and it has tons of support including Lap Band support groups and also a nurse practitioner and a nutritionist. It sounds like you band my be too tight if you can't eat solid foods by now. Do you have someone to go too in CO for your band fills? I am off to my new Breakfast of scrambled eggbeater and an oz of fat free cheese ....yummy, after 5 weeks of mostly liquid diet I am very happy to eat food again. I hope you can get back onto the lap bandwagon and lose the weight you want to lose now. take care and check my photos, my before one was taken in Ireland last September. Pati

Hey thanks, how have you done being banded for 2 years and more? I am so new to it. I am pleased so far. I can think that after a few years it's old hat. Do you get discouraged, have you lost as much as you wanted to? I am being pretty realistic I think. My best weight ever was around 120. So 10 lbs. over that would be good. At my age. Do you find it harder to lose when your up there in age? I am amazed at so many very young women being banded. Where do you live? How may kids and does your family support you? thanks for being a buddy Pati:tongue2::thumbup::tongue2:

I will try for the 1200 or so. My doctors say don't count calories just go by the diet they gave me. Well I will do both. Tonight I stared on semi-solid food. I had 3 oz of chicken breast I shredded it and it was too much. I ate about 2oz and 2 tbs. of pureed butternut squash. I can't really tell if I am full, bu they said eat slow, and chew, chew, chew. And when 30 minutes pass stop. Don't eat any more. I think 800 is very low and might put your body into starvation mode. You know your body and know how it works. Good Luck

I just started eating real food, although in small amounts. I crave meat, especially beef, Although today I had chicken breast. About 3 oz. and I cooked in wine and spices and shredded it. I also had a few tbs of pureed butternut squash with a bit of splenda and pumpkin pie spices. I took tiny bites and took the 30 minutes to eat it and chewed till my teeth hurt (only kidding). After the 30 minutes I had about an oz of meat left. I didnt' want to force it I felt strangly full, not like the old kind of full but a full feeling and totally quit eating. I am going to a luncheon on Friday at my Aunts. I will have my Protein shake before I go, I have to have them for another week. And I will nibble on a bit of whatever meat they have, roast beef or turkey and a small bit of cheese. That should be fine. I hope I get down below 200 by the time of my first fill September. 19th. I went shopping for a Halloween costume, and I have to take it back it was a Plus Size very pretty witch costume sized 14-22 and it fell off me. So I can go back and get a regular sized large or xLarge one and not the Plus Size. YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Halloween party isn't till October 26th so I may be even a bit thinner by then.

You can get the EAS Advantage in Chocolate at Wal-Mart in the pharmacy section with the other weight loss foods. It's enough to last a week and it's under $9.00 and it's Soy protein which is easy to digest. I buy Hershey's sugar free syrup and add some to make it more chocolate flavored. Also I blend with 8 oz skim milk, and 3 ice cubes. Blend and Blend till all the ice is gone. It's best very cold, and sip at it.

Hey I am a "young" 60 and feel great, I was banded on August 7th this year. Most people tell me I look around 45 or so. Very few wrinkles and good skin and not much gray hair ( I do color it dark blond). Even though things are going to sag and bag at my age, I do think this was the smartest decision I have ever made. I am progressing to real food this next week. A little scared but happy and my first fill is in 3 weeks. I have finally hit around 200 and hope to be 199 by next week, haven't seen that number in 3 years. My clothing is bagging and I had to buy a belt to hold up my jeans. I have a pair of size 18 I can get in but can't quite breath in them, my stomach is still a tad swollen from the surgery, I am losing in my legs and arms and face right now. I am so surprised at so many young people doing this. I used to be very thin when I was young around 110 - 120 pounds till my 30's. Then a fluky thyroid and eating badly made me gain 100 lbs in abut 5 years. Finally got on thyroid pills and was able to lose some weight, but I gained it back. This operation was suggested by my PCP who I adore. Next time I see him he will get a hug.....and he will be surprised at how I look. Pati

Congratulations Phil, I am 4 weeks post op and so very very happy, Every day is an adventure. I am feeling 100% better than I did before the surgery, just the small weight loss has made me feel so much better, so I am looking forward to the future and being a normal sized person again. It's been 20 years since that. You won't regret it

Opps I forgot to do it on Friday. So did it today down just a bit. Going slowly but losing.....have my first fill on Sept. 19th. Can't wait for that. I start on semi-regular food on Thursday, and promise myself not to go crazy. My neighbors came over with fresh green Beans, cucumbers and tomatoes yesterday. Oh it was hard to make that salad and steam those beans for everyone else's dinner last night. I am going to take the tomatoes and make homemade Pasta sauce later today. I am so looking forward to eating meat again, I'll start with ground meat since that seems to be the one thing that goes down better. take care and hope I can break the 200 lb. barrier soon. Pati

GasX strips and getting up and walking around for a few minutes helped. I wonder why your on strong painkillers 11 days after surgery. You should be off them by now. I only had the liquid stuff for 3 days supply. Wean yourself off it and take extra strength Tylenol. Good luck.

Hey me too, me too, just saw my doctor last week (he had been on vacation for the two weeks after surgery, but I had seen the NP) He told me he repaired my Hiatal Hernia also. Never knew I had one. Didn't see any photos thought darn it. Seems like a lot of bandsters have them.

I was told that you would feel fuller on less food it you drink right before eating. Or drink while eating you flush the food out faster and get full faster. You have to eat the required 3 oz of Protein at every meal. So they want you to have an empty pouch. This is especially true I heard after your fill(s). Same with an hour after to let the food slowly go down into the real stomach, you feel fuller longer. Hope that helps