HeatherO

I was never diagnosed with pcos but did have irregular periods. I always wanted another child but was never blessed . . . and my only child is 16 years old. I got the band, lost to about within 10 pounds of goal, got off the pill and was pregnant within 2 weeks. I am certain it never would have happened this way without the band and significant weight loss. I couldn't be happier now that I have a baby coming and a cute little baby bump on a normal sized healthy body :0)

You can also look up articles online and just start reading about it and putting things in to practice. Eye contact and body language are essential and it is something that needs to be practiced. Also, meeting people online might be a way to start building up some levels of confidence just in chatting. You have to be careful with this route in that you don't always know who you are talking with but it can be a start. There are soo many sites you can peruse such as match.com or eharmony, etc.

I went through stages where I felt this way too. The whole banding experience has ups and downs as you are making adjustments to life changes. I found the initial weight losses were great but when the scale stopped moving it put me into a deep funk. You just get sooo excited to finally be banded and begin the journey it is hard to come to terms with the fact that it is a slow journey. Give it a litle time and you will get there . . . all you have to do is to keep trying and following the rules. Everything will come in its own time and when you are ready for it. :0)

You can ease up but you just have to keep yourself in check. Your scale can tell you when you can ease up and when you have to tighten down. When you reach your maintenance weight, make choices that allow you to live a normal life but not exceed more than 5 or so pounds from where you want to be. You can self adjust natually if you are diligent and careful. However, you need to be careful that certain unhealthy foods do not become a normal part of your diet. You shouldn't restrict yourself from the occasional indulgence . . . but make sure that occasional is just that, occasional.

You have to choose what is best for your own personal situation. Really, it doesn't matter what you choose whether it be banding, R&Y, traditional dieting, medications, or anything else. There will always be people that are very vocal about being scandalized by your choice. Life is just that way. If you look at your health, your eating habits, your commitment level and circumstances in your life . . . the choice becomes more clear. Just remember to take other peoples opinions with a grain of salt.

I did foster care for years when my son was younger. I usually worked with teenagers, mostly boys after my first experience or two with teenage girls was finished, lol. I don't mean that negatively, it is just that teenage boys are a whole lot easier for me than teenage girls . . . perhaps lack of pms, or having lots of brothers growing up??? Anyway, I have had a couple of children that were on medication. One interesting thing I found was that changes in medication (or dosages) would sometimes have a very specific impact on hunger and later weight. I noticed it with Adderol, Ritalin and Depacote. The impact could sometimes be extreme such as never really eating more than a bite or two at dinner and having to be coaxed to eat that much . . . to having a huge after school snack, dinner with seconds or thirds, a dessert snack, and refrigerator raids in the middle of the night. Medication can make a huge difference in more than just behavior. The weather here in Ohio has been really rainy and not too cold . . . which is very surprising. Unfortunately we will probably make up for this mild start to winter in early Spring when winter just won't go away. Laura, I am happy to hear you can feel the baby moving, I just started feeling the "flutters" this weekend but only in mid-morning and they are almost imperceptable. I loved the ultrasound videos . . . I have my big one coming up in a few weeks and I can't wait to see :0). I hope everyone has a happy Monday!!!

My 14 year old sister just had this done. It was an easy recovery but she ate things like popsicles and mashed potatoes for a couple of days. I normally wouldn't think you would need an unfill . . . but if you are pb'ing 5 days a week you might need one anyway on general principle. It is not normal to pb this often. Either your band is too tight . . . or perhaps you need to eat slower and chew more. No matter what the cause, it needs to be addressed for the health of your band.

A change in routine always gets me going again. Do adifferent exercise . . or eat different varieties of food . . or you can raise or lower your calorie intake. Your body is stalled, it just needs a little kick start to get it moving.

Mine only says don't eat a couple of hours before so that the stomach is empty and we can judge how well the Water goes down. Afterwards I can eat when I am ready, they just say eat cautiously. They said the reason they dont say to go on liquids the rest of the day is because sometimes it takes a day or even a few days for a fill to "kick in" and they didn't see any significant benefit to going on liquids the first day or two. Just go by feel, if it feels ok . . . you are fine, but if you pb you need to back off and take it easy by going on liquids.

I am sorry to hear that. I heard that banding helped asthma in some people. Could there be something specific in your environment that is aggravating it?

I didnt have any cravings until I had a sip (really a swish around the mouth until it is flat and then a swallow) of the non-alcoholic carbonated grape juice that looks like it comes in a wine bottle about a week ago. I was in the kitchen at work today and I was looking at the diet pop thinking . . . man I want some grape soda. I didn't indulge because I am afraid it is the start of a bad thing.

You have to do what is right for you. Look how many people successfully take off weight and keep it off from average dieting, almost everyone fails. Then look at how many people successfully take off some weight and keep it off with banding, most people win. They are only sharing their concern, but you have to do what is right for you. The reason I kept banding a secret in the beginning is because I knew people would respond in this way and I wanted to avoid it. I knew the decision I needed to make and I didn't want anyone to detract from it.

I just thought of one more . . . but this might seem a little silly. I go to a step aerobics class a couple of times a week. At the end there is a stretch where you stand on one foot and bring the other foot up behind you and hold it with your hand. Well, in the beginning . . . I could never keep my balance for more than 1.5 seconds if I was lucky and it wasnt always easy to "catch" my foot. I started standing by the wall and feeling like a dope so I could keep from falling over gracelessly. Now I can and do keep my balance. I now have a normal center of gravity and it is not big deal. :0)

I also am amazed where I can fit now. Have you ever been in a crowded room where you have to squeeze behind someone's chair but you know it will never happen, so you have them get up for you to get through. I can now fit in some itty bitty spaces . . . and I am not quite used to it, it still amazes me.

The bathtowel victory was great for me too . . . lol. I will never buy another bathsheet again (but I still have some old ones in case my belly gets a little big with this pregnancy). Another great NSV for me has been sitting on the floor with my arms wrapped around my knees . . . this is amazingly very comfortable and easy now.

I regret not kicking my caffeine addiction pre-banding. I had some terrible headaches in the beginning but was off the caffeine. I am now back to drinking my coffee and tea like a naughty girl. What can I say . . . I am weak that way, lol

None of it is easy. However, banding was a lot easier for me than not be banded. Before banding I was HUNGRRRYYYYYY . . . now I am maybe or maybe not a little hungry, what???, is it an hour past lunch time and I forgot to eat??? food is no longer my obsession. Obsessions are never easy to break without a little assistance. Some of it was head hunger but a lot of it was just physical hunger. She can keep on doing it the hard way if she chooses . . . but I love my band!!!!

Excellent point, lol. :rolleyes2:

I think it depends partially on when you are being banded. If you are traveling within the first few weeks after being banded . . . it might be better to wait a little longer. After 4 weeks or so you should be able to eat solid foods and will not have much restriction so it should not be too difficult to find appropriate foods. Definitely do not get a fill less than a week before you go anywhere just in case it gets too tight. The other thing to consider is that if you are banded, you probably will not be gaining over your trips if you are careful and follow the rules. Do you really want to wait a few more months before being banded? The choice is very personal.

I think both Jachut and sara7venus have valid points. Optifast for liver shrinking is indeed important for a limited time, not long term. Loss of Water weight, although motivating and a lot of this journey is in our heads, is really not fat loss and is of minimal value. I do think Optifast does help to get us in the right mindset for weight loss by helping to get rid of sugar cravings and reintroducing food slowly helps us to get used to eating differently. As far as being high protein/low carb - there are some differences between the US and Australia, but I really don't think they are much different in substance if you pick apart the general themes. Eating enough Proteins and appropriate Vitamin intake is essential for either continent. Highly processed, superficial carbs are not suggested for anyone anywhere who is banded (it is also not great for those who are not banded, or for children). Healthy carbs in fruits, vegetables, whole grains are good for everyone as long as you are getting enough proteins and Vitamins overall without overdoing the calories. White Wonder bread from the local American supermarket doesn't really do much for you nutritionally. A hearty whole grain bread with plenty of Fiber does indeed have nutritional benefits. So we are essentially on the same page with discussions with some differences in opinion. Why are we getting so bent out of shape??? What is the purpose of a forum? It is a place for open discussion of topics. There are going to be different opinions and I think it is healthy and good to debate. However, we should respect that people have different opinions without becoming so upset. I think complaining about people's "argumentative blathering" and telling people to go argue their different opinions on a different forum is not helpful, it is defeating the purpose of a forum. Wikipedia is not the best source of medical information, but you can look up "internet forum" for a better understanding of the purpose of a forum. If it is important not to hear other peoples opinions . . . why not start a blog instead of posting on a forum? I enjoy active discussion and this is my favorite forum because we tend to stay nice and friendly for the most part. There are other forums that I don't go to anymore because of the barbed comments, or your opinions are stupid, and my surgery is better than your surgery, and on and on. Can't we just be nice to each other???

I have gone through both the heavy and thin ends of the spectrum. It is strue that you are treated differently, not by everyone but by some people. For me, I believe in karma. If you put out negative energy and make negative snap judgements about people based solely on appearance - then you will find that you are living in a less friendly world in general and will have less positive experiences. On the other hand, if you try to find the good in people based on more than appearance, you will have better quality relationships. I believe this applies to everyone, both those people that treat others differently, myself and the population as a whole. Holding a grudge against people in general because someone treated you differently at different stages of your life/appearance isnt going to help anyone . . . and is only going to harm yourself. Plus, you are wasting your energy on negative feelings when you could just be focusing on having a better experience in life. I accept that some people in this world are shallow but really I don't care that much about it. It doesn't change who I am as a person or cause me to care more or less about other people that are in my true circle of friends.

I knew exactly what the date of my last period was because I charted every day, every test, etc. When I went for my first ultrasound, they measured the size at 10 days younger and gave me a new expected due date. However, they kept all the charts from my LMP due date. I have personally gone with my revised ultrasound due date because I would rather think I have less time to go when he comes even though my charts say different. I would hate to hit my original due date and spend 10 extra days waiting, and waiting, and waiting for "the day."

Congratulationssss Lauraaa!!! I am so excited for you. Now the real decorating and buying can begin, lol. Now I will be anxiously awaiting Carson's pictures in a few short months, lol :0).

I had no morning sickness at all for my first pregnancy. I threw up once when we were driving cross country. I wasn't nauseous but was sleeping - woke up and realized I needed a bathroom rather quickly. I had the watery mouth, jaw aching kind of feeling - I only remember it so well because it was the only time it happened. With this pregnancy I am almost never naseous and really don't have morning sickness at all. However, if I eat too much I will PB easily. I think this is more band than anything else. I feel fine, I eat, I bypass my signal because I am hungrier with pregnancy and have less of a fill so it is not so obvious, then I feel the chest tightness - a pb comes and it is done. My pregnancy is very healthy so far. I think some of us are just unaffected by morning sickness - but I did suffer from emotional upheaval and extreme fatigue the first couple of months. I still have it now just not so bad.

I guess the degree of which you are posting something incorrectly makes a big difference. If something varies 20-30%, not big deal . . . but 200-300% is unacceptable. I have had a couple "diet" dishes that tasted way, way too good to be diet. I just chalk it up to an infrequent occurrence and eat extra careful the next day or two. I don't eat out often so it doesn't affect me so much.