kefirchick

You Go GIrl! :thumbup:Thank you for the post. It really helps to hear about the successes of other fellow slow losers. Even my husband and in-laws, who see how much less I am eating, are wondering why I am not loosing faster. My only consolation is that, now that I (finally) have good restriction, I have a tool in place to keep me from gaining it back.

Dear Robin: I know you don't want to hear this, :tongue: but wait til you get to your goal. Inthe mean time, try the Enell bra for exercise (trust me- I am a 42 G-I know all about the bounce factor!!!). :cheers2: I work with surgeons on a daily basis, and I know how they think.:huggie: One thing they do not like to do is have to cut across scar lines because the vasculature has been altered, and the healing will be less optimal. You do NOT want to have a revised scar under your bra line that never heals, not to mention around your areolas!!!! Keep me posted on your progress, because I am headed for a lift and BR the minute I reach my goal-which is probably still a year away. PS: Now that I am banded, I can joke about the irony of going to the PS for a BR and being told (very diplomatically, of course) that I was too fat for fat surgery.:w00t:

HooBoy! I hear you. I USED to be 5'3 when I was a skinny teenager back in the 60's. 45 years and two babies later, I have turned into a 5'2" apple. I am top heavy, and short waisted. My solution? I taught myself how to sew. Completely self taught. It is great therapy! I used to dance (until my weight started interfering with my joints), and even when I was just moderately overweight, the only way I could find costumes was to make them myself. (If I could figure out how to attach pictures, I could post jpegs of some of the outfits I have made.) I have found that Wallmart and Target have pants that fit. And the price is right too! I mix them with Lane Bryant tops. (The LB pants never fit me.) What we really need is a new size for petites who are extra large-sounds like an oxymoron, but some smart advertising company should be able to come up with a snappy slogan for ample petite apples and ample petite pears.

:Banane20:Sister, I hear you!!!! 5000 + years of civilization, and we still haven't invented a comfortable bra! Even before banding, my bras would rub raw spots on my chest. :eek: And the placement of the incisions made wearing a bra shear torture. My solution? LAYERS! And lots of them. And don't even try to wear a %$&! bra!!!!! Try a camisole under a T-shirt under a vest. And then wear a hoodie as a jacket. I have been going to work braless (42 G) for the last 2.5 months. I realize this won't work during the summer, but I hope I will have lost enough weight to get into a 40 DDD. (And next year, I am going to see a surgeon about a lift and reduction) :tt2:

Please tell me I am not the only one to do this.......:smile2: Every other day, often on TWO DIFFERENT scales, five minutes apart, first thing in the morning, stark naked, after using the toilet, and wearing only my plastic (light weight) glasses, with the door closed and locked. :blushing: So, as a dieter for the last 45 years, I seem to have accumulated a number of scales. I have thrown out more than I wish to admit. Presently, I have two. The one in my closet gives me the lightest number.:wub: The one in the BR at the other end of the house is a professional scale that was my mother's. She had myeloma and kidney failure, and needed an accurate scale to help her manage her fluids. IF the one in my closet shows a drop in poundage, I will reweigh on the accurate one (which is still two or three pounds lighter than the one in the Dr's office) and will record my weight only if it goes down. In the past, if it stayed the same for two weeks in a row, I gave up, and stopped weighing all together. Also gave up on the diet of the month. Which probably explains why I needed the band ha ha ha.

Like, Ditto! Chicken. chicken. veggies. H20. Tasteless protein powder in my skim milk kefir. I am still hungry too. And a slow looser. So glad I found this forum because at least I know I am not alone. :glare:

ok- the hunger thing.:tt2: It is driving me freakin' crazy too. Not a craving for cr*p-food head hunger---a real gnawing, stomach churning feed-me-now hunger! (I exercise, eat plenty of Protein,low low carbs, plenty of Water etc etc) I am INSANELY jealous of bandsters who say they don't get hungry. What? Are you kidding me????? The only time I am satiated for more than 3 hours is after my evening meal. After dinner, I don't have any desire to eat again til the next morning.(Praise the Lord!) And yes, I am hungry in the morning. And yes, I do have some restriction. So Tangerine dreams, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!!!! I just had my 3rd fill, (I was banded mid December 2007) and was on 2 month weight plateau until this last fill. They told me I had lost 3 pounds. Woo Hoo.:glare: Well, it is about freakin time because have been dieting since the surgery!!!!!!. To me, the BEST part of the band is that that with the fills, if I mind my p's and q's, I will not regain what I typically have always done in the past. The WORST part of the band is that I am STILL HUNGRY! Short of drugs, I don't know if that part will ever end. Or at least, that is what it feels like to me. Even though "they" told me that one good thing about the band was that it band stops hunger. :icon_bs:HA! HA! HA! HA!........ NOT!!! The weird thing is that I am not eating any less now than I have for the last two months. Nothing has changed. Will the weight loss continue? I sure hope so. One pound a week ain't great, but it is better than stalling. And, I have halved my Blood pressure meds and anti-inflammatories! So that is good too-especially for an almost 59 year old post-menopausal woman with creaky joints.

Hi AudricIan: I hear you!! I too am loosing slowly.:grouphug: I also started with one of the lower BMI's, (but still way too high for good health) and am finding that the weight loss is much slower than I expected. At 5' 2.5", and 60 pounds overweight, I was (still am) just one walking butterball (I carry it all above the waist). In fact, after the first two weeks post surgery, I have not been loosing any faster than when I used to diet pre-band (I am 9 weeks s/p surgery). I would give my eyeteeth for 2 pounds a week--heck, even one pound a week would make me happy. Not happening. Been on a plateau for about 2 months. I have had three fills, and do have some restriction, but get hungry, and end up snacking. I eat good stuff-protein, veggies, lo carb, no sugar at all, but I am obviously eating sufficient calories to keep me from loosing. And I exercise 3-4 times a week. Doc said to aim for 800-1000 cal/day, but I am probably eating more like 1200. Any less, and I am so hungry I could eat the paint off a car. And bitchy? Woo Hoo. Still waiting for the " I'm not hungry" phase to kick in. Right now, the ONLY positive feeling I have about the band is that, after this long of a plateau, in my past dieting history, I would have given up, and returned to my supersized portions, and high carb Snacks. At least with the band, I can't fall into that trap. So, for me, it is going to be a REALLY long haul. So when am I really going to start loosing weight? Beats the heck out of me!

Hi Atlanta: Sorry to rain on the lapband parade, but I am going to be honest with you. Hunger IS an issue for me. My daytime hunger has not yet been helped by the band. Granted, I am only 2 months out, and have only had two fills with minor restriction, but am not at that sweet spot everyone talks about. So I still have a way to go-another month? another 2 months?? who knows.?? But for the last two months, I have been !!!!HUNGRY!!!! all day. I am ok for about two hours after I wake up-I drink a mug of tea, read the paper, get ready for work etc. But unlike many people who aren't hungry the morning, my stomach likes to have breakfast. I have always been a breakfast eater, so I start the day with a meal. I am completely satisfied after eating whatever it is I eat. But it doesn't last. It is not a craving for sweets or junk food. It is NOT head hunger. I just NEED TO EAT SOMETHING! I have tried Protein supplements as Snacks, and although they dull the hunger a tad, I can't seem to get by for more than two to three hours without eating something. My day goes like that til dinner. After dinner-chicken, veggies, salad, I am fine. A last, the hunger is gone. I make it through the evening without any problem. No desire for sweets. No urge for snacks. No more hunger til the next morning. So, what I am trying to say is that, if hunger is an issue for you, for the first few months after band placement, hunger may continue to be an issue. I did not realize that when I chose to get banded. In fact, I chose the band specifically so I could stop being hungry. In the past, I was able to control my hunger while dieting with phentermine, but I have developed hypertension, and those drugs are contraindicated. Now, that doesn't mean you shouldn't choose the band. But don't think that hunger is going to become a non-issue. And if your weight is driven by hunger (like mine is), be prepared to face the hunger demon for a while longer. Definitely discuss your concerns with your surgeon. From this forum, I have been told that this is the period of time called bander's hell, and for me, it sure as hell has been!:thumbup: You are trying to keep the volume of food down to a small amount so you don't stretch out your pouch, but you are not restricted yet, and so you are still hungry. I am still hopeful that with a few more fills, the food I eat will hold me for 4-5 hours. But for now, Arrrrrgh! On a lighter note-the joke in my family was that I was always trying to loose weight, and my husband always wanted to gain weight.(He is an alien who eats one meal a day, and never gets hungry) One day, I told him that in order to gain weight, all he had to do was eat whenever I was hungry.:biggrin: Best of luck! kefirchick

Ya know- I used to do sugar too. It worked about 75% of the time for me. But the green olive thing has never failed. At least olives are lo carb ha ha! kefirchick

Hiccups can drive you insane if they last a long time, not to mention the pain! I will try the concentration trick if I get them somewhere away from green olives. What do you do if you are alone when you start hiccuping? Does it work if you try to do it yourself? kefirchick

GREEN OLIVES!!!!. Absolutely THE BEST cure for hiccups. Works for me every time. Hard boots the vagus nerve. Something about the vinegary briney taste of the green (not black) olives stimulates the vagus nerve that is spazzing out the diaphram. (like turning off the computer and turning it back on when it freezes) I keep a jar at home and a jar at work. Cured several office mates. Try it next time you start hiccuping. :tt2: kefirchick

Dear experienced banders: Help!!!!I know I am supposed to be patient, I know I am supposed to show control, I know I am supposed to work with the band, but cummON!!! I get so hungry I want to cry!!! ( And some times I do) :thumbup: I thought the hunger would be a thing of the past, that I could slowly eat my 4 ounce high Protein, lo carb healthy meal, and not be hungry again for 4-5 hours, all the while loosing 1-2 pounds a week. NOT HAPPENING!!! I am VERY HUNGRY two hours after breakfast(2 eggs and two veggie sausage patties) no Fluid for an hour after eating, and again after lunch (lean cuisine something) Stomach growling hungry. Get out of my way I need to eat something NOW hungry. And after the initial weight I lost after the first two weeks after surgery (5 pounds), I have not lost one ounce more. I am 2 months post surgery. :eek: I have had two fills, and am able to easily eat way more than 4 ounces without having any golf ball pains, or PB's. In fact, the only time I had the mid chest pain was when I waited way too long to eat after being hungry (4 hours) and I scarfed down a big bite of a sushi roll. So I know I have some restriction. But obviously not enough to hold the food I am eating in the pouch long enough to keep me satisfied. Will it ever get better, or am I going to be one of the failures? My lower stomach-the one that growls, doesnt seem to know the rules. Does anyone have any tricks to help? Any foods to make the hunger go away for another hour? (My doc says three meals a day, and no snacking) I have tried drinking hot tea, cold Water, eating pickles, etc., but my stomach is not fooled. It wants to be fed every 2-3 hours during the day. (Nights don't seem to be as much of a problem) Thanks in advance for any help you can offer. Kefirchick

Hi sfeiner: Oh No!!!!:biggrin: You are two months ahead of me in band dates, and you are still hungry? That sucks!!!!!! :eek:Tell me it ain't so. Q: Why did I think that the hunger would disappear? A: That's what they told me. Silly me. I actually believed them. (Thing is, I am hungrier with the band than when I was dieting preband! At least then, I could stuff my pie hole with lettuce and celery-something I can't do now.) How many fills have you had? I am at two fills for a total of 6 cc in a 10 cc band. Doc says they start filling slower now-maybe 1/2 cc addition at a time. Next fill for me is in 2 weeks. kefirchick

:biggrin: Hi shortgal- I am too-short that is. (5'2") I was banded 12/21/08, about a month after you, and I have had two fills, scheduled for third in two weeks. I have not lost weight as quickly as you have-6 pounds pre-op, and only 6 since the surgery, all in the first two weeks. This really is much more of a struggle than I thought it would be.:wink2: I am glad I found this forum. I get more information and support here than from the doc. Not that he isn't attentive-but he isn't living this 24/7. Just knowing that I am not the only one with my particular problem is very helpful. I don't feel like such a wus complaining to him. So thanks for reminding me that I am not alone. Makes me want to go out and sing a chorus of Kum-by-ya, Si se puede! and all that stuff ha ha! kefirchick

Dear WCFG: Thank you so much for the Isopure tip. I tried the Orange flavor today at work, very chilled and over ice as you recommended. Odd aftertaste, but not bad. Not bad at all! And it did seem to take the edge off my hunger. At least I made it a whole 4 hours before the hunger beast attacked!:biggrin:

Hi WCFG! Thanks for the warning! I SO can't wait to try my Isopure drink tomorrow......:wink2:. I bought one called orange blast, and one called punch something. Didn't see the grape, or I probably would have bought it too. I passed up the apple melon one-maybe that was a good thing ha ha. And dividing my calories into 4 meals helped diminish my hunger somewhat. I don't know why my doc has been so adamant about the 3 meals only and no snacking rule. Maybe he can do that, but not me. BTW: Congratulations on the 38 pounds-very impressive. :scared2:

Thanks everyone for your input. Saw the doc today, and he said that I could eat small snacks as long as I keep my calories at no more than 1000 per day. But NO popcorn or pretzels :-(. Just the healthy stuff. (I am actually afraid of popcorn, even though it has always been a favorite food of mine) So yogurt it is. Good thing I like it plain-but only Fage for me. Expensive, but worth it. And I did manage to find the Isopure-WOW. Talk about pricey! I have bought martinis for less than that stuff. But I bough 4 bottles, and will take them to work. Lots of protein for very few calories. I just hope it tastes and smells ok. Thanks for the recommendations! And here is a pearl for everyone that I have known about for ages, but no one around me seems to have ever heard of. If you get the hiccups, eat a few green olives. Works like a charm! Thanks again! kefirchick

Thanks WCFG! Initially, I drank something called muscle milk(34 g protein), but it had 17 grams of carbs, and I really didn't think I needed them. My preferred drink is to make a healthy smoothy with kefir (I ferment this myself from low fat milk) to which I add whey Protein, and all the liquid and powder supplements needed (Benefiber and FOS) to keep my innards running smoothly. I will check out Isopure manaña. Maybe I can use it as a snack. However my doc discourages Snacks and too many liquid calories! He is very strict-worse than my mother ha ha! But worth a try. Thank you! I will let you know if it works for me. kefirchick

Hi Jack- I do recognize satiety, and I experience it after eating a small meal. If I eat my 4 ounce high Protein meal, I can lay down my fork, and say "fine" I am satiated. I am no longer hungry. And believe me, I am happy as a pig in s**t after I eat. But two to three hours later, my hunger reappears with a vengence. Just like a full bladder. It tells me to take care of it NOW, or there is going to be an accident. I can temporarily wipe out my hunger with phentermine, but I don't like the side effects that go with that drug. Plus, even phentermine slowly looses its effectiveness after a few months. It is the sensation of hunger that drives me crazy. And the longer I am hungry, the more intolerable it becomes. Doesn't matter if I am under stress, or just hanging out having a pleasant day. Once I get hungry, I am miserable until I get something to eat. (High protein diets keep me more satisfied than Hi carb diets, but I even got hungry when I was mildly ketotic on Adkins!! Go figure.) That is why I took the plunge with the band. From what I read, people are successful because they are no longer hungry. Seemed like the answer to my prayers. I know. I know. Man plans. God laughs. Arrrrrgh! kefirchick

Thanks Susan: I am getting plenty of protein-doc even suggested that I may need to eat less(!!) to loose weight. Not what I wanted to hear. Seeing him again tomorrow, and am scheduled for the third fill in 3 weeks. This interim time is just so damn hard. Hunger has always driven my weight problem, and been the reason I quit dieting before I reach my goal. I get to a point where I just can't do it any more. And I feel like I am getting pretty close to that now. Just hoping someone out there in Band land had some ideas to control the hunger until the correct restriction occurs.