Angelyco

Hey Junies, just checking in. I haven't been posting in here because my weight was just at a stand still...I just got my third fill this past week, and unlike my last 2 fills, I can't tell a difference at all in my restriction :eek: I don't even feel banded right now. I'm afraid something might be wrong with my band but my doctor said it looks fine. It's so hard to get in to see him and I can forget about trying to talk to him on the phone. I've been putting it off and off but I think I finally need to switch doctors. I'm going to see about the NYU program (Drs. Ren and Fielding). I have to do something, I feel like I'm not getting anywhere and my current doctor's office makes it SO hard to get a fill. Their program focuses on nutrition and dieting more than actually using the band. Um, hello? Why did I get the band if I'm not supposed to take advantage of it? How am I supposed to only eat 5 oz. of food if I can't get a fill? I just feel so frustrated right now. I'm going to try to post more with you folks because I really feel I need social support with this. My husband tries but it's hard for him to help me stay on track when I get miserable sometimes about not eating something or not drinking soda, and he just wants to make me happy. Good news though, I started working out and I've done it everyday for the last week, going to keep at it :thumbup:

I'm really not surprised hearing about the marathon being half-fake...they said he did the 26 miles in a little over 3 hours...even though these contestants ARE getting stronger and better at working out, there's no way he'd be at the point yet (at 300 lbs) to be able to have a 7-8 MPH average.

Just found this thread tonight! Strange, nobody posted yet after tonight's show...but I, for one, am incredibly extremely amazingly TICKED off! I can't believe who they sent home tonight...we all know who should have went. I won't spoil anything specifically in case some of you haven't watched it yet! But you'll know what I mean when you see it... And yes, Tara is my hero :thumbup:

Hey all! I haven't posted in awhile because I really had NO news...I had my first fill in September (1 cc in a 12 or 14 cc band...my doctor doesn't even know which it is) and I had restriction for about a week, then right back to usual. I just got my second fill last week because until Feb 1, my insurance required a $250 copay to get fills (which is just out of my budget), but now I don't have to pay a copay at all. I'm now at 3 cc and it's been a little over a week. I have restriction but not as much as I know I need. For example, right now, a Healthy Choice meal is just enough to fill me up, and that's still more than I should eventually be able to eat. I've been bouncing around between 414 and 417 since my first fill (and up to 422 around Christmas/New Year's), I was at 417 when I got my fill, and now I'm down to 411 in just a bit over a week, which I'm happy about. I'm hoping the restriction stays at this level until I can schedule my next fill and not go back down again. Now that money isn't a problem, I'm going to jump on my fills and I'm hoping to get my weight loss numbers chugging up to the rest of you gals Down 33 so far.

Hey girls, I'm a little too embarrassed to ask this anywhere else and I don't even know if it's appropriate for the forums, but I need to know: When were you able to be "on top" during sex? My thighs have been too big ever since I've been with my fiance so I have no gauge of how much I'd need to lose before I can try again. I used to think I was the only one with some of these problems, but since I joined the forums, I realize many of my issues aren't just me! Any insight or other possible positions until the weight is gone would be appreciated.

I've read over and over that the main three things you should be concerned about when considering getting another fill are: 1) How much food you can eat per meal 2) How long after a meal until you get hungry again 3) How long it takes you to eat a meal But I just can't figure it out, why does it matter how long it takes you to eat? Is there something about being restricted that actually makes you have to eat slower, or is it more of a function of not being able to slow yourself down when you're really hungry? I haven't had restriction yet so I don't know all of the angles, but the way I see it now is that the time it takes you to eat depends on how long you purposely spend eating (like taking time between bites, etc) and has nothing to do with whether or not you need a fill. Can someone please clear this up for me? :thumbup:

You all are losing weight so much faster than I am...I haven't had any fills yet though :tongue: Anyway, I thought it would be awhile before I could post anything here, but I just had my first NSV! Yesterday morning I was waiting for my fiance to get ready for work so we could leave and I had some extra time. We are allowed to wear jeans to work on Fridays so I was thinking "Hmm...since he's not in the room, maybe I should just try quick?" I haven't been able to wear my jeans in over a year and a half, and the last time I tried them on the buttons wouldn't come within 6 inches of each other. Yesterday, I was able to button and zip without sucking, pulling, or lying down and squirming I wore jeans for the first time to my job.

This may sound weird, but lately I loooooove the deserts that come with Healthy Choice frozen dinners. They are always so good and have little bits of oats and such in it (like peach crisp, apple crisp, etc). Yummy! And still part of the 300 calories for the whole meal.

Westchester (Yonkers) here!

Dr. Artuso was actually my first choice. His office is very close to both my home and work, and he comes very highly recommended. The only reason I didn't go to him is because he doesn't take my insurance. The only reason I go to Dr. Weber is because the initial costs were cheaper than NYU, and I wanted to have my surgery done in Westchester so I wouldn't have to commute from the city right after having surgery. I honestly didn't know my program was that unusual until I realized nobody else mentions seeing their dietician after their surgery, unless they're having issues and need advice on eating and things like that. I'm just glad my surgery is done so now I can make a better choice of who I go to for aftercare and save some money in the process.

Thank you, that's exactly what I wanted to know!

Thanks guys, that makes more sense :thumbup:

I've read about this countless times on the board. It has to do with losing weight; hormones that were stored in your fat get released and it feels like going through puberty all over again. I went through this a few weeks after the surgery...and yeah, I got so b*tchy to my boss I thought I was going to be fired. I seem to be leveled out now, but I haven't lost more than a pound or two since then anyway :thumbup:

I had my surgery on a Thursday and I was back to work the following Monday. However, I wasn't feeling the greatest, I was still in a little bit of pain and I had no energy. If I could do it over, I would have taken a full week off. It seemed by the end of 7 days, all my pain was gone and I was moving around normally again.

I've been on Depo-Provera for over 6 years now. For the first 6-8 months after I started it, I would spot a lot more, but then one day, I just stopped and it never came back again :Banane34: I haven't had any spotting or periods since, and I LOVE IT. It's the one benefit I get for being overweight, they're letting me stay on Depo until I'm down to about 200 lbs, when the bone density issue may become a problem AND other methods will actually be effective for my size. However, before I started Depo, I was a true pads only gal. My mother was completely and utterly against tampons because "they're so bad for you" with TSS and I think she just had a problem with her daughters having anything in their vaginas at all. But, when I did have to use a tampon once in awhile (like period came on suddenly or I didn't have any pads with me), I hated them. They were so uncomfortable. But I think it was probably because I wasn't using them completely right. I probably didn't put them in all the way because I was a little scared of them and scared the string would break and I wouldn't be able to get it back out! I would use Always Ultra-thin with Wings. My periods were always regular and I could set a watch by my periods :thumbup: Gynos everywhere were shocked that I had such normal periods for being so overweight.

Laura, sometimes I swear you're my kindred spirit :thumbup: Honestly, I'm looking forward to being able to wear regular width shoes almost more than I'm looking forward to smaller clothes. I have a serious shoe fetish and it kills me that I can't buy anything! My shoes are all so ugly because I can't fit into the tiny cute ones. I pray pray pray that at least my width shrinks...I wear a 10/11 right now depending on the width of the shoe, I know lengthwise if I'd lose the wide width, I'd wear a 9 or 9.5 (I checked on those little foot measurers they have at shoe stores).

I hope you guys are still checking this, because I have a question about the exercise ball... Today I actually went to buy one, but I ran into a wall. First, what size did you get? Like 55 cm, 65 cm, etc. Then there is the question of physics...where/how does the guy lay/bend over it? When I was thinking about it today, I don't want it to be like my guy is straining his back or neck to be in such a strange position. Can someone help with some details? :thumbup:

Funny, I wish my dietician would go away :thumbup:

I was so mad after I had my surgery and I was in so much pain. I actually made a post at that time thinking I was the only one experiencing any pain, because every blog and story I've read, everyone is "oh, just a little sore, but I'm doing okay" yadda yadda. I was shocked at how much pain I was actually in, and Liquid Tylenol didn't do a darn thing! Same as some other people in this thread, I was in pretty bad pain for about a week. And my doctor refused to give me any pain meds after I left the hospital :thumbup:

I have a question for those of you who use NYU (Dr. Ren/Fieldings/etc): I got my band done by Dr. Philip Weber in White Plains but I don't like their program now that I've already had the surgery. I'm spending so much money to see their dietician every month out of pocket and I'll have to see her everytime I want a fill (which she and the entire office is reluctant to give fills). So my question is this: Do you have to see their dietician after you've had the surgery? Do you have to see him/her before fills, or do you just see your surgeon and they determine your fills, etc. I just want to know what the program is like before considering switching. Thank you for any help you can give :thumbup:

I'm so glad they made a special forum for our girly issues! So here's my problem: I have been on Depo-Provera for 6 years now, and the only time I would ever spot was maybe once a year for a day or two right before I was due to get my shot. However, since I was banded 1 month ago, I've been spotting on and off for the last 4 weeks. I did get my Depo shot about 2 weeks ago, but I've never spotted this long since I started using Depo. Anyone know why or been through this? I know it has to do with my surgery, but I can't figure out why it's happening and my doctor isn't very accessible to ask questions :confused_smile:

I'm a little late to the game, but I need to get my booty moving. My goal for the rest of the month is to complete 15 miles from "Walk Away The Pounds."

My problem right now is what you mentioned, Jim--4 oz. doesn't LOOK like it will be enough. I've been banded 1 month today and I constantly eat more than 4 oz. and then regret it because I get TOO full. My brain hasn't adjusted yet to imagine that I only need 1/2 a cup of food. Weird, isn't it?

That's normal, and the pain under your ribs could either be just from walking too much or could be gas pains leftover from the surgery.