NicoleW8ing

I am so irritated right now I can barely contain myself... hence the post. I'm eating between 1000-1300 carlories per day. I'm not at max fill yet, so for now, this has provided me with ample weight loss. Anyway, for lunch, I've been having Michelina's Lean Gourmet pizza Snacks... the box flaunts their 200 calories and they fill me till dinner time. Love them... I've been eating them for a week and tracking them in my Nutrition log. They come in the frozen lunch typical package, just one person meal. I look a lil bit more closely at the box today as I'm eating and I see Serving Size: 2 per container!!!! First off, it's clearly by its packaging and design made for one person to eat... secondly, right on the FRONT of the box it says 200 calories... in really tiny letters, it says "per serving." Do these companies think this is a joke? Haha! Fat person trying to get thin, Haha! Stay fat, fatty! I mean, why is it even legal for them to market their product like like that? Needless to say, I threw away the rest of my portion and will no longer be purchasing them. 200 extra calories is something I definitely do not need.

I get about 200mg Vitamin E per day with 2 Children's Chewable Multivitamins from CostCo. They taste like Flinstone's, go down super easy, and give me almost everything I need. Add two calcium chews and some sublingual B12 and I'm vitamin'ed up! Check out the Children's Chewable Multivitamins... IF you take 2, you can get mostly everything and don't have to worry about it getting stuck.

I haven’t posted in a while. I’ve been having some personal problems unrelated to the band, but it seems everything has cleared up. I seem to be kind of an odd case. Don’t assume my situation is/will be identical to yours, by any means. Here’s the story… Week 1 and 2 post band were the best. SOOOO tight, so not-hungry, and losing weight like crazy. From Week 3 until yesterday (the beginning of Week 8), I was miserable. I believe this is what so many bandsters call bandster hell. It wasn’t painful, wasn’t awkward, it was just… well… not there. I wasn’t tight, wasn’t full, and put back on 3 pounds in that period. I was hungry all the time. On June the 5<SUP>th</SUP> at 1:40PM (3 days shy of 1 month post-op), my first fill was attempted. For 20 minutes, I was poked and prodded at. My port was inaccessible due to swelling from my surgery. I was devastated. And hungry. On June the 19<SUP>th</SUP> at 3:20PM (6 weeks post-op), I had a 2cc fill in a primed, but not filled, 14cc band. This had no effect whatsoever on my appetite. I bled like a stuck pug for about 2 hours after the fill and it was a 6 or 7 on a pain scale of 1-10. I was not happy. Yesterday, July the 7<SUP>th</SUP> at 2:40PM (1 day shy of 8 weeks post-op), I had a 3cc fill to bring me to a total of 5cc in a 14cc band. Today, I feel less hungry. I am not where I want to be (back in that Week 1 and 2 kind of tight feeling), but, it takes less to fill me up now and I stay full much longer. I am scheduled for another fill on July the 21<SUP>st</SUP>, where we will move to 8cc. As of this point, I have not thrown up, I have not PBed, I have had no pain whatsoever, and I have not had any gas since Week 3. I am eating what I like to eat. Healthy food that tastes yummy in moderation. From Week 3 until today, I was extremely depressed and discouraged about the band. ALMOST, not quite, but ALMOST wishing I had bypass. Now, I love the band again. The difference of a lil Fluid, huh? My food staples: Turkey burgers, broccoli and cauliflower with parmesan cheese, sliced roast turkey (deli style), cheese sticks, salad, oatmeal, Wyler’s 0 calorie Water flavor packs, and 100 calorie snack packs. Food I’ve eaten with no problem that I shouldn’t have eaten: pizza, Hamburgers, chicken Fingers, Graham Crackers, biscotti, Flat Bread, and pretzels. In one way, I’m glad I can still eat these foods socially and when the cravings are bad. The new moderation of this fill will help me even when I do eat those foods to limit my in take. My point of this post is to document my experiences. If you are feeling the depressed, discouraged, hating-the-band feeling post-surgery for no other reason than it’s "not working," as I did, it gets better. It’s still going to take me self-control and moderation, but today, it’s much easier than it has been since Week 1 or 2. It will only get better once I get to my goal fluid of 8cc. Good luck bandsters/future bandsters!

I am so sorry for your loss.

Welcome Pamela! I am actually from Raleigh. I just got banded on May 8th by Dr. Enochs. I LOVE HIM! He has the greatest bedside manner and he is SOOOOO sweet and down to earth. Highly recommended. His site is Bariatric Surgery, Weight Loss Surgery, Lap band in Raleigh - Bariatric Specialists of North Carolina I have two friends on this forum who are also going with him, though they have not had their surgery yet. I'd encourage you to do some soul searching. I did not go through any of the depression that a lot of people seem to experience post-band, mourning food. It seems like that would be traumatic. I can honestly tell you I have not felt this healthy in my entire life... and I am only 19 days post-op. Please, feel free to PM me with any questions at all. It's a great choice, but it's a very personal choice.

Unfortunately, without a good doctor who will listen to you, very little as possible. Communication needs to happen so you can find your sweet spot. What a jerk that he treated you like that! I am so sorry your experience was tainted by his rudeness. Please find a new doctor so you can fall in love with the band again... make sure there's a great bedside manner and mutual respect. Best of luck to you and please keep us posted.

Hello-- Sorry to hear about your issues. My mom is a respiratory therapist and I was speaking with her on the phone while I was reading your post. She recommended a vascular specialist, a pulmonologist (sp?), and a cardiologist. Breathing problems are NOT to be taken lightly. Get every inch of you inspected. Once you see all those specialists and nothing is wrong, then you should start exploring psychological issues. UNTIL THEN, take care of yourself and see some specialists.

Thank you for the advice and support. THis made me feel a bit better. I was afraid that when you guys saw 1000 calories you'd go, "GASP! YOU PIGGY!" I'm glad to hear you're around 1200-1400 and still losing. That makes me not stressed out by it. There were some days where I would only eat half of my cheese stick because those extra 40 calories were going to put me into the 1100 range. I guess I should chill with the obsession too. Thanks so much for your advice!

Hey all... I have become slightly obsessed with calories at this point. yesterday marked exactly two weeks since surgery and I've been on mushies for a week and I am to start filtering in soft foods. I've lost roughly 31 pounds since surgery, so I am happy with my progression so far, but I am worried about my intake down the road. For more than a week now, I'm consuming 800-1000 calories. Never ever more than 1090. I think you all are significantly less than this. I find the 1000 calories to keep me VERY satisfied without feeling "too full" or "bloated" and I am not hungry in the least. When I was consuming less (around the 600-700 mark), I felt tired and lethargic. Now, I'm full of energy. The dietician and my doctor said to listen to my body. Sounds fine, right? You should know, I do not start exercising until next Monday and I have a desk job. Pretty sedentary lifestyle. I am DEEPLY concerned that the majority of you seem to consume far less than me. I am wondering if I am in need of fill or some more self-control. I feel like the band is working, because there is no way on earth I could ever consume this little pre-op. I'm also concerned how something like this will affect my weight loss down the road... will it be easier to cut down on calories more if I weigh less? How do you all view 1000 calories versus weight loss? Is it possible that I have a faster metabolism or do you all think that most of my weight loss thus far has been Water weight? Like I said, I cleared this with my doctor... he says listen to your body. But, I'm seeking personal experience and wisdom from you guys. Thanks a bunch!