hairagain

I am so glad to hear I am not the only one that struggled with wanting to eat all the time. You are right in saying the band keeps you in control. I had that fill yesterday and I can eat but really put the brakes on me. that is VERY GOOD!! Have to do things much slower and the is VERY GOOD too. It stops me from unconcious eating. Am so looking forward to seeing some progress in the loss of weight. I had a major delay because of a infection in my port site. Was banded on Jan 19 and finnally just got first fill last month Apr 5th. Second one yesterday. I can see now how this is spose to work. I was able to eat almost anything I wanted to and did I guess. Many times I was restricted but not like now. This is better. Does anyone know what the deal is with the hair loss? I am in a panic about that. Have a wig lined up but hate to have to use it. I am a hair-dresser so I do have some talent with styling and that is saving the day so far.

I have noticed my nails are kind of weak and breaking easily. My hair is also falling out by the ton. I am taking Nioxin hair and skin supplements as well as a one a day. I am using the nioxin products to for shampoo and conditioning and styling. I would like to know what causes the hair to fall out . I know it is fairly common in weight loss. I asked the doc and he wanted to know if I am getting enough protien. I think so because I have not really lost much wieght. About 20 lbs. Just had a fill today and am hoping things will start to move along faster now. I feel like I have pretty good restriction today. Had soup for dinner and I felt full. still do in fact. that is a good thing. I was hoping to go for a walk tonight and it is very cold and windy here. I may have to consider the tread mill. Ick! Any ideas about the hair anyone?

Hi, Thanks for your post Marimaru. I just came from the docs office and had a fill. He put a total of 4 cc in my band and I hope that works for me. He had put in 5 cc but I couldn't swallow the water. He took some back out. Hoping the next few days will be the tell all for restriction. I am certain that I need to meet with the dietitian because I never have andneed more ideas about food restrictons. Another problem I have is my hair is coming out. I have had this problem before when I have lost weight. I know it will come back but scary none the less. I am going back to a protein shake each day. I am sticking to my new motto "if it is to be it is up to me" I repeat repeat repeat all the time. I will change these bad habits if it kills me!! Darlene

I am going for fill number two tomarrow. I have been struggling with the grazing eating style. (If that is even a style). I seem to want to eat small amounts all the time and seem to be almost as out of control now as I was before. I cannot however eat the volume I used to. Hoping the fill will give me more restriction and I will be able to find more control over myself. I am going to go meet with the dietition too because I need to get better informed on what is good and not good for me. I thought I knew but I think it is something I need to relearn. I keep telling myself when temptation strikes "If it is to be it is up to me" It is my motto and I am trying to live by it. No-one can do this for me and the band is a tool and I am trying to change some pretty bad old habits. somedays I win and some days I don't. All in all I try not to beat myself up too much because afterall I (we) are not bad people , just people with bad habits that we need to change. Good luck to all.

I eat crackers and they seem to go okay. Even bread will work if I eat it slow enough and chew enough. Going for second fill on Wednesday and will see how that woks. I am so hoping I will have enough restricton it will help me to my goal. Been alittle disappointed because I am still struggling with food issues as I always have. I think more restriction will help. The last fill helped some but I can still eat plenty. Good luck to all Darlene

My biggest problem is that I want to eat (the grazing habit) all the time between meals. I love snacks like chips etc. I do my best not to keep it around but other people are so KIND and bring all that to my work. I hate it. I have to go to the area where all that stuff is. It is an area where my supply closet is located and we are all in and out of that room 20 times a day. They are all skinny little people and can enjoy a little. I can't seem to leave it alone. Any body have any help for me? I am not really losing like I should because of this problem, I do excercise.

My biggest problem is that I want to eat (the grazing habit) all the time between meals. I love snacks like chips etc. I do my best not to keep it around but other people are so KIND and bring all that to my work. I hate it. I have to go to the area where all that stuff is. It is an area where my supply closet is located and we are all in and out of that room 20 times a day. They are all skinny little people and can enjoy a little. I can't seem to leave it alone. Any body have any help for me? I am not really losing like I should because of this problem, I do excercise.

I have had one fill and I can eat bread and anything else I want,(sometimes I eat too many calories in one day because I am a grazer) but I have to eat very slow with the bread and dry things. Anything that is sticky is a problem. I know we are not spose to drink and eat at the same time but sometimes I will sip little sips when I eat and it helps stuff go down. I try to make my food out last my husband's and he eats very slow. He is also a trim body and is almost 59 years old. I think one very important keys to this whole thing with food is to slow down. I always ate so fast and looked for more. That is helping me. Changing life long habits is not easy but I am trying my best to not give up on me. I always have given up before but now with the band as a tool I feel I have new hope. Good luck too all of you!! DArlene

I went swimming two weeks post op. I was told as long as my incision was not draining i could swim. Wrong!! I got an infection in my port incision and was not able to get my fill when I needed to. They didn't want to take a chance at infecting my port. I took some major anti-biotics and had to go to the doc two extra times. Extra expense too. Then I got some of those water proof band-aids they are great. I teach deep water areobics at the YMCA in my town and love the water. It is so wonderful for anyone who has too much weight to do any kind of arebic excercise. Now I am healed and doing fine. Good luck. Darlene

Boy, did some of those last posts give me a wondow into some of my eating demons. We all know what we do but to see some of them written down.... I have done many things too. I am a closet eater. I sneak around when my husband has been out of the house or room. Eat and graze. I have bought fast food and bought an extra burger to eat on the way home and then pretend to eat like everyone else. Many meals I have cooked for everyone else but eaten so much food while cooking it was a meal at least in and of itself. Then sit down and eat more with everyone else. I have been through most all groups (self help) as well as therepy etc. I don't have the answers and I don't feel like I hate self loath myself but obviously it is under there somewhere. I try to think it through, you know, self evaluate? I know I am a people pleaser and can't stand it for a min. when someone is upset with me or something I have done. I could blame it on lots of things. Bad marriage, many loved ones who have suffered and passed on and the bad parenting skills I was raised in, however, what good would that do? I am still fat and crying about the past does no good unless we use it to move forward and fix some of the damage. Sometimes I succeed and try to give myself positive re-enforcement when I do. When I fail I try to forgive myself and move on. The band is a tool that is doing good things for me but we all know it only one tool in the never ending fight for well-ness in our bodies as well as our minds. I love this thread because it speakd to my soul and I don't feel so alone. WE are in this together for better or worse. Love you all!! Brothers and sisters in the fight to survive, on good choice at a time! Darlene

My infection is not in the port. It was in the incision where the port was inserted. The skin on the top. I think what happed was a stitch that was not desoving right or some such thing. It was not the band or port that was a problem. Thank you very much for your concern. This entire process can be scary at times can't it? My doc is right on top of my trouble with infection. I had my fill one week ago tomarrow. I have tummy cramps tonight. I think I need to find some fiber drink or some such thing. Seems like if it isn't one thing it is two others lately. (Not really with the band just things in life) I am thank-ful for my friends here in band land and the info and encougement I get here. Thanks!!!!

I have been struggling with an infection in my port incision too. I have been on Anti-biotics for a long time. I think it is almost closed now. ONe thing I started doing that seemed to help for what the info is worth. I started covering it when I took a shower or got wet with a water proof band aid. After I started that the incision started to heal.. Not sure, maybe your infection was in the port not the incision? Anyway, good luck with the new beginning!!

I have been in a struggle too with eating. I don't eat much at one time but am constantly thinking about foods. I have been trying to take whatever portion I would have had before and cut it in half. Lay the fork down after each bite and make sure you chew chew chew. It takes a long time to eat and somehow it seems to work for me. I eat much less then. My problem is I want to graze bite by bite from one item to the next. Just a little but calories none the less. I guess accoutablility to our-selves is what I have been thinking of each and every time I want to make a poor food choice. I think I have a large band too, and I have only had one fill but I could not eat that much meat. It seems to stick for me. Maybe I still am eating too fast? I am going in for more fill on may 3rd. My advise is just slow down and maybe you won't want to eat as much. I know it is hard! I have been a lightening fast eater my entire life so I am still in the learning curve. Good luck!

I just had my first fill on 4/5 and I have lost 20lbs. Could be more but like all the rest I still fight the food addictions. I have found things a little easier since the fill. I was able to eat anything I wanted in a fairly large quantity but now it is much more restricted. Went to a wedding last night and ate about half the food given me and I was to full for any more. Would never have happened before. I love my band and seems to going as planned. One day at a time. Daarlene

So your saying food is a coping mechanism. I have used it like that for years. I lived with a man who for years was pretty un-affectionate. I guess I did a food substitute for that lost affection. I felt unloved and need to put some salve on the pain. Food was that salve. Now it is a bad HABIT to want to eat all the time. I fight it band or no band. I have success sometimes and not others. The thing we all need to remember is we are not bad people, we are good people with a bad habit. The hopeful part is habits can be change with continued hard work and a desire to change it. The doc I go to says we need to use every tool available to change those habits. Exercise, eating right etc. The band is a tool and not a magic bullet. I have just had 4 days with my first fill and I still want to graze all the time. Like someone earlier posted "it sucks" plain and simple. HOwever nobody said life was gonna be easy. We (I) can do this ............One food choice at a time. Darlene

I just had my first fill yesterday and feel good. I went to a meeting tonight that served delicious hor douvers. I had to eat slow and was very happy with one plate of food and ran out of time to eat what I had taken. The lady beside me had by-pass about 5 years ago. She was thin for awhile and I have watched her gaining by the month. She ate two plates to my one in no time flat. She said she pretty much can eat anything. I guess she is the reason I chose the band. It is a "system" of controlling myself that I can control and work with. I know the loss will be slow but I don't care as long as it happens. It won't be that slow however if I get off my duff and excercise and toss the excuse list out the window. The weather is nice I feel good and I am going for a walk. Best way to get off the food thoughts is to go out and see the world in spring!! Darlene

Well, I made it whrough the day. I went to work and a meeting with Hor doures. I ate very slowly and was totally happy with a small plate of food. Amazing how little it took to make me feel full. I still want to graze and feed myself since I am home again but for now I am holding firm. Today I am so happy with my fill and band. I also just heard about the support group here in my home town. I had my surgery in another town and didn't realize there was a group here. I will go to the meeting next month. It was last night. All is good!! Darlene

I had my first fill yesterday. Upon talking to the doc about head hunger, he says all avenues need to be worked on. He said it depends on the size of band used as to how much fill can be put in. He says he usually ends up using a large band. I have a large one. He said there is lots of room for fill. He also says it is best to take a slow approach to fills because of inflamation the comes with the fills. It can be bad because the band can almost close if the inflamation gets too much. I have another appointment next month. I have head issues big time. I even stuggled big time last night to eat things I shouldn't. I was on liquids yesterday because of the fill and wanted to eat stuff. I did find I was restricted when I tried to swallow my soup if I drank too much too fast. that was encouaging. Will post how today goes. I can have anything I would normally eat just not anything with alot of roughage. Thanks to all who are interested in supporting those of us who are still struggling to change life long bad habits. I think the first thing we all need to remember. We are not bad people. We are good people with a bad eating habit. Habits CAN (and will) be changed with hard work and time and most of all a forgiving attitude for ourselves when we fail. Rome was not built in a day you know. My doc says the band is a tool not a magic bullet. I, for today will use my tool to the best of my ability. Good luck to you all. Darlene

Gosh, I am hoping a fill will help. I wanted to go to a support group meeting in Bismarck tonight but I have a bit of a cold and decided for now the rest was more important. It is about 112 miles from where I live and would have been late when I got home. I need to find positive, I can do this sekf talk from someplace. Instead I keep hearing from the food. I hear if you avoid useless carbs, white sugar and flour it get better. My problem? I can't seem to get far enough along in that to see any diff. I am sorry I am not much help. Sounds like you have done well. I think the meeting I was gonna go to was to be on accountablility. I thought it was just what I should have been hearing for now. Good luck to you!! I am so ready for tomarrow. D

Hi to all! I was banded on 1/19/06. I have had to wait for a fill because of a port infection I have had. They say tomarrow is going to be the day. I am nervously excited. I really need this fill because I feel like I want to eat everything I see. I am not hungry but my appitite is absolutely ferocious. I can pretty much eat anything I want to until a point then I am full. However, that is still too much. I have been trying to control myself and keep the brakes on myself but I need to be honest and say it hasn't always been a successful thing. I also know if I could have controled myself I would never have to go have a band put in. Anyone else understand where I am coming from. The floks who say they have totally lost their desire food on this web site just blow my mind. Envy, Envy,Envy. Anyway, my question for those of you who have already been filled, Do I need to fast tomarrow morning and not eat anything? I understand the no eating solids after. He told me that. I just forgot to ask about the before time and he never said anything. I am so excited to finally get on to the next step I don't want anything to hold up progress any longer. Thanks to anyone who has any info. Darlene

My insurance did cover most of my banding. I have bc cs of MInnesota. I just called the # on the back of my ins card and asked the questions I had. I was lucky I guess. Mine was covered. I was left with about $1500. Not bad considering when you self pay it is a HUGE bill and I also have coverage for any complications that can occur. My fills are covererd too for the most part. My first isn't until next Weds. I think it is worth fighting for. Good LUck!!

I do hear your pain and feel it too. I am a hairdresser too and have struggled with all of those issues. I guess the one thing I did to help myself was bought a really ggod mat to stand on. It cost me some $ but was worth it. I limit my work to about 8 hours per day. I was banded on Jan 19 and am down about 20 lbs but have more to lose than you do. I am about the same hieght. Iam at 255 today. I am 54 yrs old and have fought the fight of fat my entire life. I am so hoping I can succeed with the help of the band. I have had an infection in my port sight and am waiting for my first fill. I hear that is when it works. Up until now I can eat pretty much what I want to, but in samller quantities. I have cravings and struggle with that. If you want, you can contact me. My name is Darlene. Chin up, your not alone!!!

I don't seem to care about the eggs but just about everything else seems to haunt me. I get my first fill on Weds and I sure hope I can get my attitude adjusted too.

Hi to everyone out there in ND. I am just recently returned from a three week trip to Arizona. I have had a infection in my incision area and have not been able to get my first fill. I was banded on Jan 19. I was hoping to have some more of this fat off by now but seems to be sticking on pretty tight. Food is still my major issue. Seems like I want to eat all the time. I hate this. I fight with the urge to eat every waking hour. I have had some moderate success with wieght loss but seem to be not able to resist the grazing eating pattern I have dealt with for many years. Help!!!! I need some major intervention by you folks. Hope some of you are standing by. I have an appointment with Dr. Schmidt for April 5 for a fill if my infection is clear. I am so hoping that will help me. How do you alll deal with the urge to eat all the time?? :help:

What was the catilist for the feeling of not liking food anymore. Was it the band and subsequent fills or was it a re-eduacation . I am having a hard time with the cravings of food. I hope to have my first fill on Apr 5. do you think that will help? I need HELP!!!!!