TexasRose

I went to a lovely boutique that does custom fitting of $70+ European bras *OUCH!* and the lady said that most all women have wrong size bras because of the 'cafeteria' style sizing at most places where we run in a just buy something off the shelf. When she fitted me, the band was so tight that I thought I could not breathe. But I quickly got accustomed to it and she said that this is how ALL bras should fit - not move at all once it is placed below the shoulder blades. The good thing is that she said when it became loose again *even at the tightest setting* - to bring it in and they would adjust it for free....guess that is where it pays to buy expensive. Try the Anita RosaFaia bra...super comfortable and does not slip off the shoulder! I think it is out of the "Twin" series.

Puddinpie - Thanks! I read your blog and I loved it! Your pictures from your cruise are awesome and you look fantastic too! WOOHOO - Hottie boy! I hope that I can find a guy like yours!!! Stitchy - isn't it amazing how many people just say "cut down on what you eat and exercise more - and your problem will go away!" ? Well, considering I barely ate before surgery - THANKS for the advice, skinny person!

Hi 3Loves! Welcome to Bandland!! I hope that you are feeling well and making it though the initial days. Thanks for your compliments....I'm working hard but have a long way to go to goal. I called her "friend" because, in my experience, everyone that works out at the Curves that I attend acts like you are their best friend. They have NO problem just coming up to you and talking about your weightloss...their weightloss....other female issues...etc. I have seen this woman before but never really spoken with her. I'm sure that it was not personal towards me.....just seemed strange that some people automatically think that we all HATE ourselves and force feed until we are so fat that we turn to surgery. Curves has just help me lose the inches....I've lost 48 inches and 65 lbs since joining there. I've lost an eight year old! *LOL*

I'm 7 months out from banding and my last fill to 2.2/4.0 was on March 2nd. My last fill was so inconsequential that I did not feel any additional restriction - as compared to my second fill in January where I struggled to eat for 2 weeks and then it finally loosened enough to eat. I do get hungry some times but it is not like it was before my second fill. Since my March fill, I have struggled to keep the weight loss going - fighting for each pound that I achieved to shed by exercising 5 - 10 hours per week and varying my diet. My diet is by no means perfect and I could always get more Protein in...but I try to keep to 4 - 8 ounces per meal, keep my fluids up, and try to keep the carbs down. I am tighter in the morning than the afternoon and beyond - but I no longer rely on coffee/tea to loosen up to eat. I do feel full/satisfied after eating and it usually sustains me for 4 hours - sometimes snacking urges will get so strong that I will have something small between main meals. Diet pills *Adipex* help with the snacking but I do not take them on a consistent basis. I know that my weightloss is on the faster side - but these last two months have really been a fight and I cannot continue like this without getting terribly disappointed. Here's my point, it has been a good 2+ months since the last time that I had a golfball, slime or PB. I know that there are times that I eat too quickly, take too big of bites, not chew well enough, or eat too much in one sitting (8 - 10+ oz.). I should feel some sort of consequence for my actions but I do not. *doesn't it seem weird to want to feel pain?* I only hear gurgling once in a while where I heard it all of the time before. I do get hiccups - but not as much as before. Should I be concerned? Could I have stretched? Should I get another fill? Has anyone else experienced this? Your thoughts would be terrific!

Thanks for your thoughts, Elisabeth! If I go below the 1200 threshold, then I really stall. It seems that when I "cheat" or eat more than I think that I should - that is when my scale heads a little bit downward. Even this long after surgery - it is still a game of hit or miss. I've come to rely on the tightness as an indicator that it is still there and working.

My period came 2 weeks early after surgery - I think it is fairly common after something so stressful/traumatic on your body. I do not remember how long it lasted but I was not too concerned. Your body has gone through a lot - if it goes much longer, perhaps call your OB/GYN - otherwise, I think it is perfectly natural.

I am a wine/martini/margarita drinker. The first couple of months after surgery, some did not taste so great - like the margaritas. But now 6 months after surgery, alcohol is not a problem at all. As a matter of fact, red wine has been my saving grace when I could not eat - it relaxes me enough to be able to try the food again. For me, it seems to have the same effect as warm drinks on the band. It also helped when I could not get my calorie count up high enough to reach the 1200 to be able to lose. I find that it takes much less quantity to be able to reach the same buzz - where as before surgery, I had a high tolerance.

I'm frustrated and just need to vent.... I know that losing 75ish pounds over the last 6+ months is at a decent rate - but I have worked my ass off to do it. I work out 5 - 10 hours a week, mostly watch everything that goes in to my mouth, use diet pills to try to stop the cravings, and try to stick as close to 1200 calories per day as I can. But my scale is not budging any more. I am struggling to get below the next major hurdle number on the scale. Dr. Spiegel said to not come back until the beginning of summer for another fill (2.2 our of 4.0) and said that he was pleased with my rate of loss. I'm trying to change up my exercise routine to keep my body from adjusting to it. I'm not always the best at getting in all of my protein and water - I think I was better at it in the beginning. It just seems now that I get the desire to graze more than the true hunger to eat a meal 3x a day. Any suggestions? Anyone else having this issue? Happy 6th months to everyone!!

Food cravings... great chart of if you are craving something - suggestions of what to eat to satisfy that craving: http://www.naturopathyworks.com/pages/cravings.php

I've seen the list that Photonut posted and some of the items on there are really good to adhere to....BUT....I do not believe everything on there is for everyone when it comes to the food. For example - I know that cheese has a higher fat content than something like veggies but it is something that I have been able to eat when nothing else will go down. It's better to get the lower fat and higher Protein types. Laughing Cow and Horizon Organic products are great. I also really like hummus with crunchy breadsticks. When I was tightened to 2.0cc (2nd fill) - there were about 2 weeks that I could get not much more than 3 bites of hard protein down. What I found that I could eat - refried Beans and queso. Not exactly the most balanced food - but when that is all that you can get in and it tastes decent....you stick with what you can do. Even after you have your fills, you are going to get hungry in the form of snack attacks....mine come about 4 PM every day. You know you cannot eat much but your brain is longing for something! This is where the diet pill helps a lot because you feel less apt to eat. When I do not have the diet pill - I graze all day and never really eat a proper meal. Now, I am not being an advocate that you use diet pills - because it is frowned upon by most....but I'm just sharing what has helped me not want to chew on the furniture! Water helps me but it definitely does not cure my whole desire to eat. It is important to stay hydrated and will help keep the water weight off of you. I've noticed when I get dehydrated, that my skin looks a little wrinkled and my face will start to peel. Well, with everything else like hairloss and trying not to be so scale obsessive - it's better to not need to worry about your hydration! I go through a lot of water but have thought about getting on of the water filtration systems so that I can stop with the bottled water costs. Need to put that money towards my clothing fund!!! Exercise, exercise, exercise!!! I signed up for Curves about 5 weeks after my surgery - when I started to feel up to moving a lot. I have worked up to 5 - 10 hours per week of exercise and that has helped to keep my weightloss at 10 - 12 lbs per month. It's not easy some times but I start to crave working out and being active. After a hard workout - I do not feel like eating for quite a while....which is nice! Just make sure you eat before you go because since we are consuming so little calories any way - you are going to burn through those really quickly and then you will not have enough energy to make it though the exercise. Just my two cents worth.....

It will go away, I promise! It's really hard in the beginning - especially without a fill! For me, the fill helped bring down the constant feeling of being hungry and refocused me on losing the weight. There are times that you might need a supplimental diet pill (like Adipex) to curve the cravings and the desire to snack. That is a very hard mental habit to break! What I also found for me - Eating the hard Proteins will stick with you for a longer period of time and you will find that you do not want to eat for about 4 hours. If your stomach is rumbling and you know that it is not mental hunger - try a piece or two of cheese....perhaps some deli meat. Stay away from carbs as much as you can - but I know that they are easy to grab for in that instant hunger fit! If you are craving something specific - like chocolate - have a piece so that you will not go crazy thinking about it! That has been my rule of thumb and it seems to be working for me. Best of luck and hang in there!!!

Let's see, to be realistic about what I can eat after being banded and at 2.2cc of a 4.0cc band....just talking about the foods you have listed: chicken strips/pieces/boneless wings: 1 - 2 medium pieces, diced up Hamburger: about 1/3rd with nothing more than bun, single patty, 1 slice cheese, and maybe some lettuce...can be almost impossible to eat with the bun Subway: about 1/3rd and maybe a few chips/pretzels....only attempted once Pizza: 1 - 1.5 medium slice thin crust - pepperoni & mushroom - tried only twice since being banded Baked chicken: 2 - 3 oz Ramen noodles - forget it, too much sodium and Pasta can be tough to eat Breakfast: equivalent to 1 egg, no pancakes, perhaps a piece or two of bacon - mostly Protein shakes (6 - 8 oz) I have more or less just given up on eating any fast food and it is really better that way for me. What works well for me: chicken, fajita beef, shrimp, fish, salad, cheese, nachos, some corn based chips & pretzels, and nuts. Just be prepared that it is going to take more thought and mental processing to select your food and ordering half orders really helps take away some of the overwhelming food quantity at restaurants. Best of luck!

One thing that I have noticed, during PMS and not taking any supplimental diet pills - I am eating like crazy. I am on Seasonale so I only have 4 periods a year and this is my 3rd since surgery....but this is the first time that I have really dealt with the PMS - which I normally do not have....and it has NOT been fun! I cannot seem to control the snacking without the Adipex during this time. I'm still probably around 1200 calories per day - but I feel like I'm reaching for foods that I normally do not bother with during normal times. Perhaps next week will be better for your loss. Are you working out too?

I'm now at 2.2 cc in a 4.0 band. When I had my second fill to 2.0 - it took me about 2 weeks to be able to eat more than 3 bites at a sitting. FRUSTRATING! Then once it loosened a bit, I was losing weight and not terribly hungry a lot of the time. What I noticed when I was filled to the right level was that I heard slight gurgling after drinking anything. If I drink something cold - I can feel it stop slightly in the top pouch and then empty in to the bottom stomach. I do need something warm or red wine once in a while to loosen it for hard proteins but that is not every day. My doctor was pleased with my overall results and we just did a slight fill to help with the hunger this last time. So to me, when the hunger starts becoming overwhelming - that is when I need a fill.

I have used Adipex to help curve the snacking cravings.

Isn't it interesting that most everyone has an "issue" with chocolate. Either they love it or hate it. I'm always amazed when I run in to people that say..."chocolate - I just really do not care for it". Are you kidding? But most people I know desire it - no matter their size....the better the chocolate - the more it is wanted. I realize that there are preferences for sweet or salty....put them together and what a GREAT combination! I had a date about 4 years ago that introduced me to mixing our popcorn with the chocolate. I had NEVER done that - mix the two...why would you?!!? The first taste - I thought I had died and gone to heaven....why had I never thought of that?! So, here's my real point.....I have developed a "need" since being banded to have chocolate in the house. I did not have this need pre-banding. If it is not in the house - I obsess about it....where is it, when can I get it, do I really want it, what kind....the questions go on and on. I know a lot of people on here are advocates for getting it all out of the house. That temptation is the worst thing for most people. If I have it in the house, I feel at peace....the "craving" goes away. I may have a couple of pieces a week or not - but I stop going crazy thinking about it. Has anyone else had this experience?

Now, if we all had man whores, then the chocolate thing might resolve itself....until then...bring on the truffles! I have a hard time achieving my 1200 calories a day - chocolate can help push me up a little in calorie consumption. I can eat the chocolate and still lose weight - gotta love that!

I had the really bad rash on my face from about 5 days after surgery - for about 2 months. I figured that it was from all of the antibiotics that they gave me during surgery. The nurse said that my doctor gave about 4 different types of antibiotics and the band is soaked in it before hand. I have had trouble in the past with being allergic to tri-cyclen and other antibiotics....so I just attributed it to that. Now, after being banded 5 months, I have difficulty with my face either being flush red through the T-zone, breaking out in small bumps that are not productive, or peeling. I drink appropriate levels of Water, get professional facials, use expensive moisturizers daily, and take Vitamins...nothing seems to help. It has been suggested that I might have the early stages of rosacea and that I should go to a dermatologist to confirm. Glad to hear that I may not be the only one....

I started attending Curves about 6 weeks after my surgery. I've built up to 1.5 - 2.0 hours working out while trying to build my core back. The "trainers" there said that you really only need to do 30 minutes/day of their circuit training - but I do not feel like that is enough of a workout for me personally. Great thing there is that it is all women and there are always more out of shape and older people there than me. The environment is very easy in which to be comfortable and feel like you can work up a sweat.

May I recommend buying LMX cream (4% lidocaine topical cream) from the drug store. You do not need a script but they keep it behind the pharmacy and the cost is around $60 per large tube. You may need to order it if they do not keep it in stock - which takes 2 - 4 days depending on the pharmacy. You apply to the area approximately 2 hours before your fill time....cover it with plastic wrap so that it will not get on your clothing. About 10 minutes before getting your fill, wipe off the excess and you should be completely numb. I cannot feel the needle at all - which is GREAT!

Has anyone had issues with painful hiccups when food is trying to pass through the band? After my surgery and first fill, I would have mild hiccups that lasted about a minute - whereas I had not really ever had them before. Since my second fill to 2.0cc on Monday, the hiccups have increased in intensity, duration, and frequency if I attempt anything more than liquids. Thanks!

Hi Kathy! The hiccups usually do not start until after I have completed my meal...let's say 10 minutes afterwards. I have never had them when I only consume liquids....just with soft to solid foods. I'm following the guidelines of slow, small, and well chewed. I just have not seen anyone post too much about dealing with hiccups. I am getting a little more food consumption down today without the painful knot feeling....but I might still have a little swelling since Monday's fill. I'm just waiting to see if the hiccups come back post lunch. Thanks for responding!