TexasRose

1.7cc/4.0cc with Omnipack. Just bumped up from 1.5cc and the PA is worried this might be too tight. We'll see! I have been as high as 2.5cc/4.0cc but it was too tight with reflux problems and swollen pouch.

Post surgery: Chocolate Boost on the edge of being frozen was the only thing that I could tolerate. Now: Smoothie King's yogurt d-lite + extra whey protein (38 grams of protein, ~450 calories = total meal replacement)

This has totally happened to me too! I had beautiful skin before hand and now I battle with dry/flakey/broken out skin all of the time. It's not like regular teenage acne....it's little bumps that look like a rash and they itch. I know that I was allergic to the antibotics that they gave me during surgery but a year out and I am still having issues. Let me know if you find anything that works!

As I was getting a fill this morning, we were discussing the virtues of strictly eating 3 times per day vs. 5 - 6 times per day. My doctors wants us to eat only 3 times per day....no Snacks - which can then be difficult to get your calories in to stay out of starvation mode and get your Protein count in for the day. Other doctors say to do the small meals spread out through the day. 1. What was your doctor's guideline? 2. What do you really follow? 3. Do you feel that the doctor's rules are too broadly sweeping and should be more of suggested guidelines *follow what works best for you & your loss*? My answer: I think it is a very personal thing and you adapt to what works for you. I mostly eat 5x/day to keep the hunger down and stay within 1200 - 1500 calories consumed per day. My basal metabolic rate is 1750 & my maintenance calories = 2361/day....to lose 2 lbs per week with my 3x/wk exercise, I need to eat 1361 average per day to lose at that rate. You can calculate your rate here: http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm Maintenance calories - 500 calories per day for each pound you want to lose in a week = daily calorie intake. 'Calories in/Calories out' has worked for me, thus far. I think the doctors should encourage with providing guidelines and not hard/fast rules. It seems to be very confusing for people who are just out of the gate with their band and they have a lot of misguided information that is confusing them. Especially when you see people that are plateaued because they are not taking in enough calories and their body is in 'starvation mode'.

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I like guys that are tall....6'0"+...and especially in the 6'3" - 6'5"+ range! I want to feel totally encompassed when they hug me - maybe it is a security feeling thing. I think 'thin' can be attractive but I like the "football/hockey player" build....very broad shoulders, a little meat/muscle, and great legs. Then add in dark hair or shaved head, fair-ish skin, light eyes, and a fantastic personality - HELLO!!!!! My biggest thing....must have great teeth and smile!!!!! But I agree that the inside makes a HUGE difference!! I'm a little scared to date someone that is morbidly obese due to eating issues....because I do not want to fall back in to my old habit. It's more a selfish fear. I would absolutely make them my friends!!! Is that biased? Maybe. I look at the profiles on Match and you would be AMAZED at how specific people get when they describe their perfect mate. I describe myself as "Curvy"....my curves just happen to be a little bigger than others!!! As for chubby chasers - I think the situation could be very difficult to control because they will not want for us to change our bodies in to something that we have worked so diligently to obtain. I have heard of guys that will strongly urge food on their S.O. to get them to gain weight...I just cannot handle that after the significant changes and sacrifices I have made in my life to get this far! There are clubs out there specifically for chubby chasers?!?! ~Tiffany~

So, being reasonably young and in the dating world....I have had my fair share of interesting experiences and discussions amongst friends around the dinner/cocktail table. A very thought provoking question/statement was thrown out by a friend that is a bit older and has the non-adjustable band that they did about 17 years ago. *She was in the pioneering experimental group that had one of the first bandings in the US* The comment was..... When transforming through your losing process, you will start to notice people 'noticing' you....and not in a 'just a pretty face' sort of way. They notice you sexually and as a potential conquest. They may start to flirt, exude charm, do things to capture your attention, they may even ask you out....How will you react when people that knew you before your weight loss *as friends* all of the sudden become romantically interested towards you since you have lost your weight? Will you be flattered? Will you be offended? Will you broach the subject of - are you asking me out only because I am of 'normal' size now? How would you handle this scenario? Have you encountered this situation, thus far? )

Thank you so much - I certainly appreciate your concerns! As I was told by my doctor, Phentermine is the non-damaging component of Fen-Phen. I have been using it off and on for years without any issues. I only use it now when I am spinning out of control on cravings or when I need to kick off my weight loss again through the liquid phases.

I've been dealing with the cravings lately too. Feel that urge to slip in to old habits of carbs. What gives me artificial control over the cravings is phentermine 37.5mg - 75mg. I know they say that we should not get hungry with the band....I just have not found that to be the case for me since being banded almost a year ago. My hunger gets so intense that it can spin me out of control - and I'm getting in the appropriate number of calories & protein. I exercise an average of 5 hours/week - and when I increase that, my hunger spikes as well. My point is, you are not alone in your struggle and phentermine might help. Best of luck - I know your pain!

Fish is not a bad place to start, actually. I am a huge sushi fan....would suggest starting with stay away from the rolls and rice dishes. Perhaps try small bites of sashimi: tuna, salmon, eel, shrimp, yellow tail, scallops, crab. I also did well with tempura. After you try rice to see if it will work with your band, then slowly start back with the rolls. If you use the regular soy sauce, expect Water weight the next day - but it goes away quickly. Low sodium soy is great but not as flavorful...I like to mix the two - which helps a little. What also worked for me: chicken fingers, thin fajita steak and chicken, chili, bean/queso nachos, low fat Peanut Butter on crackers, shrimp (grilled, boiled, etc), spinach salad + Protein, lettuce wraps, high protein smoothie King, grilled chicken, skirt steak (thinly pounded & sliced), mixed nuts, Gen Soy bars, Balance Gold bars, rotisserie chicken, grilled salmon Hope this might help! If you do not do well one day with a food - try it again later. In the beginning, I had a very difficult time with ground meat - not so much of an issue now. Best of luck!! Tiffany

Howdy September 2005 Bandsters! Just wanted to check-in with everyone and see if you have any special thoughts to share. Anything working really well for you? Any successes? Any problems? Crazy obsessions? Is the weightloss easier or more difficult as time goes on? Found any great transition clothes? Would love to hear from you!!!

Do you notice the favorable attention of passing strangers? Do they approach you or hang back? Funny story as case in point: I was shopping with a friend and walking ahead of her about 10 feet - looking a some random item. She comes running up to me and said "you will NOT believe what just happened!" She said that a youngish couple was walking along and the boyfriend started to check me out - looking me up and down...and started walking in my general direction. The girlfriend was talking the whole time, noticed that he was 'distracted', stopped, stomped her foot, and said 'HEY - Pay attention to me!'. He was jolted out of his haze, turned back to her and they went about their business. After my friend conveyed this story - I just laughed. I had NO idea....did not see it...I never do. Friends tell me that men check me out all of the time but they never approach. Puzzles me! Why would they not approach if they are staring? Could I be giving off signals that I'm not available? Not interested? Not approachable? It's not my intention...I'm just blissfully unaware. Does this happen to you? Any way to change your signals?

Paul, Thanks! *blushing* I still have a long way to go. Yes, you are too hot for your own good!!

Elisabeth - Thank you so much!! I'm trying - but it is a daily struggle, just like everyone else! You are doing amazing too!!!!

*LOL* Lisa - that's terrific! Don't you just hate it when significant others get in the way of partying!!! I do not know if I have the collective grace to march up to anyone and say that I am hot.....more power to you!!! Here's a pic from a wedding this past weekend....same one that I have for the small image.

I was not taken off of my birth control pills before, during, or after surgery. Never informed that it might be a concern.

So, I've been back in the dating world for about 6 months and doing my fair share of going out. Met this guy in mid-June and then had our first date the beginning of July. We have been out on 5 official dates total but have spent significant amount of time together, talking, texting, and emailing since we met....the frequency seemed to be all the time. Then last week, the communication started to drop off.....great phone conversation Tuesday night, a few text pages on Thursday, trickling to an email Friday night. Then NOTHING. NADA. ZIP. ZILCHO! I have emailed 3 times and 2 phone calls...none of which has been returned. I have since stopped communication from my side. Sounds like a commitment issue to me and to a few that I have discussed over the situation. But just losing the weight and still with more to go...I'm having negative feelings that it is me and my shape. He figured out that I had surgery after our first date but we did not discuss it until our third. When I asked if it bothered him...his response was "not in the least." Still having the old doubts.... Thoughts on what I should do next? Thanks!!! *confused*

The final chapter.....rantings of a hurt and now 'available' woman: Turns out that he was dating two of us at exactly the same time!!! I did not have knowledge of her until we had the 'relationship' talk on Sunday night. I honestly had NO IDEA! Does she know about me and our relationship? I do not know. He said that he was chicken sh*t for not telling me sooner and was using work/being sick as an excuse for not facing up to the music. He put off making a decision as long as he could....but his decision was ultimately to pursue dating her....and let me go. While he says that we *the other woman & I* share extremely similar traits - he had just a little more in common with this woman and wanted to explore a dating relationship with her. When I asked if she was "better looking, better in bed, thinner, prettier, more intelligent, ate more, had less scars", etc....he responded "absolutely not" to all and said that as a matter of coincidence, she has the exact same scars as I have from lapband. We've even had the same surgery?! Are you KIDDING ME?! Apparently, she had her surgery about 6 months ago and is not further in her 'metamorphosis' than I am. We are a year apart in age. For all I know - she could be a member here. With my luck, she's read this thread and made the connection. Significant noted difference: She's a teacher. I am a professional with my own consulting business and an MBA. So, what went wrong, you ask? - Lack of time - no, it was never an issue. - Chemistry - beyond rapturous contentment and enthusiasm. - Intellectual stimuation - exceptional. - Attraction - told me constantly that I was beautiful and 'sexy as hell'. - Equals - absolutely. - Professional interests - we do practically the same thing but I am on software dev side/he is on the hardware dev side...different industries. I'm the "confident, assertive, outgoing, successful, fun and intelligent woman"....that he said he wanted and found in me! I questioned if it was my independence - he said that was one of the things that he loved most about me. *shrug* I played the dating game flawlessly. I will give him that we never had the open discussion of being exclusive, monogamous, or an 'item'. But I never would have thought with the amount of time that we spent together that he would have had an extra ounce energy to date someone else. Totally blew me away. Now to put my heart back on course....where ever that may lead.... Thanks for all of your thoughts through this confusing period. Just wanted to close the chapter on the discussion that I initiated.

Dianne, Have you thought about a mild diet pill that will get your brain off of being hungry or unsatisfied? Phentermine 37.5mg is what I take when I start obsessing about food. I am also on Seasonale - the hormones that allow you to have a period ever 3 months (4x/yr)....this significantly helped with my mood swings and PMS. You can do the same thing with regular type of birth control pills - where you skip the placebo and go straight on to taking a new pack without a break. My doctor even said that I could keep going on the pills until my body decides it wants a period. My PMS was horrible before starting this method about 6 years ago - now it is extremely rare for me to have any symptoms. Just thought I would share..... Cheer up, it will get better! )

Do you ever find that when you scan the menus at restaurants, you start to become overwhelmed by all of the choices? That you might make the wrong decision? That you have the tendency to pick the same thing over and over again because it is 'safe'? I started noticing this about six months ago - and sometimes it becomes such an anxiety ridden ordeal that I order "the usual" when I would really like something different. But when I look at all of the different options and their descriptions - a gazillion questions go through my mind: will it get stuck, will it taste the same to me now, can I really eat that, how much Protein is in one oyster, how many calories are in a wine reduction sauce, etc. Sometimes it is just easier to stick to what you know....but I sure miss experimenting with a bunch of different cuisine options!!! Would love to hear your stories and coping mechanisms!!

I struggle with this on a weekly basis. I see the 'old me' in the mirror...all the original curves and bumps - even after losing over 100 pounds. I see little subtle changes but the overall looks the same. As you all have suggested, I have looked at photos and I see the difference there....but it is looking at the mirror or shadows - still big me.

Lucky - I feel as though I have lost the sensitivity that I had earlier in the banding process. I seemed to gurgle and feel stops much more before I was over-restricted in June and then had a resulting dilated pouch. I fight to continue the loss because of hunger but I am afraid to get adjusted any tighter because I do not want to be too tight again. I also have not PB'd in quite a while which makes me suspicious - especially when I feel that I have taken too much in at one sitting. I am very interested in what others have to say about this topic.

So, has this just not happened to any one?

Mourning food is very common. I did it starting the day that I scheduled my surgery. I gained 5 pounds in that month with the 'last meal' syndrome. I threw it all to the wind....and I really wish that I had not. That was just 5 more pounds that I had to get off and I would be that much closer to my goal now. You cannot eat everything right away...but you slowly build up to it. There are really only a few true no-no's and that is because of the density and fibrous nature of the food. The true discovery I have gained since surgery is calories in vs. calories out - and maintaining a baseline caloric intake to ensure not moving in to starvation mode. I wish someone had explained the logic to me all those many years ago. I could have avoided my pre-20s anorexic tendencies and had a more healthy approach towards weight loss, had I known. Being almost a year through this process, I've been pleasantly surprised as to the foods that I have been able to incorporate back in my diet. As was said above - it is entirely on a person-by-person basis and a big experiment as to what foods will work with your body. Since the goal is to not PB, once you have done that or had something stuck that caused severe pain, you are most likely to not eat it again! Spicy/flavorful food is extremely important to me - and I have not had any issues with that type of food since banding....with the exception that I cannot eat pickled jalapenos any more. ( Mexican: refried beans/queso will get me through my required caloric intake when I am tight from being filled and nothing else is going down. Sometimes it is just a battle to get the food down - so you will do just about anything to get in your baseline calories. I do not drink sodas any longer - but once in a while when I get a huge craving, I will get a frozen coke at the movies. smoothie King & Starbucks have become my best friends for breakfast. What I have found that eating my solid meal at lunch time and then having a liquid based dinner - unless it is a special dinner...helps with consistently losing. Some people do not believe in this method because we are supposed to be on solid Protein...but when I want to jumpstart my losing streak again, it is what works best for me. You said that you were concerned about being satisfied from so little volume of food....I feared that too. But it is amazing how quickly you adapt to what feels satisfying and that high protein really does make you feel better. In the beginning, hunger will not be a huge issue after you get your first fill. Some people say they 'forget' to eat....never had that problem but certainly wished for it!!! Identifying head hunger vs. stomach hunger becomes a challenge. I deal with hunger every day....but it is nothing that a nice dose of phentermine cannot cure. You learn to control it, feel empowered...and watching the numbers on the scale come down also has its own euphoric high that you will start to crave. I'll admit - the food cravings sometimes get the best of me. I have learned that if I will eat a little of whatever I am craving - then the compulsion goes away quickly and I'm at peace again. I have not consumed any fast foods since banding - and I do not miss it all that much. I rarely eat ice cream because I get that same satisfaction from the Smoothie King Protein shakes. chocolate is a big thing for me....I have switched over to eating dark chocolate and that satisfies me with less volume intake. I hope that maybe a little of my ramblings might help....there is no doubt that this is a very difficult process but you are very courageous to consider making such a huge change in your life. At some point, you will feel free of a bunch of the food demons - they will not go completely away....but the band helps to subside them. Here are some helpful websites: www.calorieking.com ; www.freedieting.com ; www.dietfacts.com Best of luck!!!

We are quickly approaching our one year anniversary....how is everyone doing?