sizzlingseven

I'm having the same feeling with spicy foods. I haven't been tightened for a while, so I know it isn't that. One of my favorite meals is the McDonalds Grilled Chicken Snack Wraps - I throw away the wrap, and just eat the chicken breast with the lettuce, and ask for both the hot sauce and the ranch sauce. Chopped into little pieces, this has been a great staple for me. But, a couple bites of the hot sauce now, and my esophagus is on fire. Will it stop me from eating it? Maybe. But maybe not. It sure makes me eat slower! But I guess others are having the same challenge.

I'd say go buy yourself a gorgeous bathing suit, invite your friends, head to the beach AND! pop open that bottle of bubbly! You should ABSOLUTELY Celebrate losing 60+ pounds! Thinking about what you've accomplished over the last 12 months will totally get you pumped for what you're going to accomplish over the next 12 months. Set new goals, reinvent yourself, visualize your new body and new life. Share it with the friends that have helped you so far and will continue to be there during this journey. CONGRATULATIONS! you deserve it!

UPDATE: So yes, on Friday, June 27, I went for a re-fill, but only .25 ccs. Its only been four days, but i'm liking how this feels. If i dont chew or eat too big of a bite, I can feel the food get stuck, but it does go down. After a 1/2 can of tuna or three pork ribs, I am satisfied. I've been able to nibble on an omelette all day. Have had prawns, eggs, chicken, peanut butter, fish, etc. this week and no PBing. I'll ride this fill amount out, but I like how this feels.

i start every meal with my protein option, and because I eat slowly, before you know it I'm done. I try to eat low carb, and I definitely find that the weight comes off faster when I control my carbs along with my calories. Give it a shot!! you've got nothing to lose... except fat! :smile2:

so last tuesday I went for my fourth fill. It put me at 6.5ccs in a 10cc band. over the last week, I have hardly been able to keep any food down. This week has been the first time I actually couldn't sleep because I was up with indegestion and had to get up in the middle of the night to PB. Today, I mushed up scrambled eggs, and even a few bites was too much, and I got stuck. PB'd it up, then the orange juice came back up, and decided "ok, that's it, a week of this really isn't fun and i'm actually hungry." Waited til lunch, had chicken broth and a couple noodles, and "blech" - PB again. So I went for a defill at 230pm. I said "i hear that even .2 ccs can make a huge difference." she said "well, if you're not keeping liquids down, then .2 ccs won't be enough." so she took out .5 ccs. well, i got home and was able to eat 3 chicken wings, a 1/2 slice of pizza, small salad and a cup of edamame. Seems like way too much food, seeing as though I couldn't even keep liquids down just a few hours ago. Does it sound like I probably could have a tiny bit put back? I lost 6 pounds last week, which was awesome, but not very fun. I PB;d up some pretty good food! :sad: seemed like such a waste... :frown: But now it seemed to go down way too easily. I've decided to stop eating for the night, but I probably could go eat more. Likely because I've been starving myself all week..... Your thoughts fellow bandsters?

i'm having a glass of wine right now! there's no medical reason why you can't drink alcohol. All it does is slows down the weight loss process. I know myself - I am extremely social and like to drink. I've accepted that and I accept that my weight loss will be slower than other who don't drink. But the food was keeping me the same or making me bigger. the band has stopped the food going in. I've been working out 3 times a week, and drinking almost every day, and i'm losing. I had my first vodka the day after my surgery. No, I'm not an alcoholic!!! but if you're gonna have to live on Soup for a while, why not be happy about it!!! oh, and you get tipsy way faster! some worry about alcohol because some people use food as a crutch or an outlet to numb other emotional issues.... and with the food gone, there is a risk that one may turn to food and rely on that to deal with their emotions. That's a psychological risk, and only you can answer whether you believe you have an addictive personality and need SOMETHING to cope with what you don't want to deal with face to face..... if that's even an issue... maybe it isn't. anyways, enjoy your new band and your new lifestyle!

Don't throw in the towel.... pre-op is tough, but the de-carbing is, in my opinion, the most important so that your body will burn the fat around the liver so that the doctor can access your stomach. Here's my experience: I was banded March 20th. Post-op for two weeks, I was barely hungry because my stomach is still aggitated. By week three, i was eating pretty much normally again (despite the fact i should have still been on mushies.) with no restriction in the band, my consumption pretty much resumed to its normal rate. I wasn't worried and didn't feel guilty because i knew it would work eventually. First fill, yes, had some restriction but not enough. Second fill, which is where i am now - much much better. the band will FORCE you to slow down, take smaller bites, make different choices, stay satisfied longer. Otherwise you will feel ill. I may not be losing as fast as some (down 13 pounds) but my challenge is alcohol - i am very social, and that is part of my life. So even without having to take that away, i'm still losing weight.

For Mothers Day, I ordered a big meat-filled egg omelette and ate about 1/4th of it.... took the rest home and nibbled on it for two days after.... Why spend $5 on some tiny meal when I can get a monster meal for $10 and have food to eat for a few days? No waste in our house, that's for sure! :thumbup:

Have you tried the little one-biter ice creams? I can't remember what they're called now, but they are the size of a grape and they are little balls of ice cream coated in chocolate. Why not buy a small jar of those? that way, if you're craving ice cream, you can grab a couple of those and satisfy your craving! I buy these for my daughter because they are easy for portion control..... Some of the puddings and mousses are really great also, and that way you have the package itself controlling your portion. Or the mini-fudgsicles are great too! You can do this Cindi! Enjoy your life and enjoy your band and just love everything in moderation. Laura is right: we spent SO MUCH MONEY on our band and we cut ourselves open to put a foreign object in there to help us with this food addiction. You owe it to yourself to just make a couple tiny changes that will bring you back on track. You can do it and this community is amazing and will help you along! Be tough with yourself, pull up yer socks and get back in the groove, baby!

You Got It!!!! AND! Kissing burns 12 calories per five-second episode and three passionate kisses a day will help you lose one pound in a year!!!!

For lunch today, I chose from the appetizer menu and picked a chicken pate with a berry chutney. Tiny little bites lasted 40 minutes and I was done. Had the soft center part of a little piece of bread, and ordered a Smirnoff Ice but could only drink half of it.

I have a 10cc band and my first fill was 2 wks ago, and I was given 3ccs. I gained 2 pounds over the two weeks and really could eat anything I wanted without a problem. I told my fill nurse this, and she gave me the maximum that they are allowed to give for a second fill, which was 2ccs, so now I am at 5ccs. Yesterday, after the fill, even though I'm supposed to be on liquids, I was starving, and had a small sandwich, and for dinner had some bbq meatballs. The lunch went down fine. The dinner was getting pretty tough - i had to chew and chew. by late evening, I had a piece of bread with a little Nutella on it, and I had to "PB" it up - it was definitely stuck. Today, I had a fat-free mousse and a cup of Soup for Breakfast, and had chicken pate for lunch. Took me about 40 minutes to finish that tiny portion, because I had to go slowly. So, I hope this feeling of restriction lasts. I wish it didn't feel uncomfortable to eat, but I realize now how slowing down to chew and swallow is so important. My lunch date said: "man, at this rate, you're going to waste away!" and I said "I know! I can't believe I didn't scarf that down in five minutes! but if I would have, it would have been from scarf to barf!" and he said "well, then, I appreciate your efforts!" :cursing: Everybody is different, but right now, at 5ccs, I'm feeling good.... Its only been a day after my second fill - who knows, maybe in a day or two the band will loosen up and I'll need another "top up". Time will tell.

I just had my first fill this morning. It was at noon, and I called in the morn to ask about food intake prior and she said to have something light, but try to have nothing about 2 hrs before I arrive. We did a one-hour consult, then the fill part itself took about five minutes, which included weighing in. The nurse inserted the needle into the wrong side, so i had to get poked twice, but it really doesn't hurt at all. Personally, I didn't feel a thing as she was filling it (3 cc's). After, I went back into the waiting room to drink three small glasses of Water to make sure it was going down fine. A little gurgly but no problems. And that's it! I got to go home! I've been told to be on "no lumps, bumps or chunks" for 24 hours. and don't be in a rush to get more food in me. Good luck on thursday!