JennBand08

Why would beer be a safer alternative than pop/soda? It's still carbonated.. which from my understanding meant it was off limits? No?

I just wanted to say I too am a shoulder pain sufferer. Mine is mainly if I let my stomach get too empty. So I keep nuts in my purse, and have cheese sticks and cottage cheese in the fridge at work. Sometimes I think about getting another fill (been plateauing for a couple months,but know I need to exercise), but I'm so afraid of the shoulder pain getting worse it keeps me from getting one. If when my kids go back to school and I have more time to exercise, I still am not able to jumpstart my weight loss again, then I will have to bite the bullet and get another fill. I'll have to try the higher doses of B-12. I usually just do that once/week.

Glensand.. 11/14 days? That is AWESOME!! That is close to an 80% average.. woohooo.. you must be feeling so proud!! And well you should!! I was out in Michigan for 10 days. I walked/swam/rode a bike about 5-6x. Not enough, but more than I've ever worked out on vacation before. Some days were just too oppressively hot to work out. I'm back home now with my treadmill but ofcourse struggling to find the time. I can't wait until the kids go back to school!! I was out there visiting relatives, who hadn't seen me since last summer so I got a lot of compliments. And that always helps to motivate, ya know? I'm really proud of you.. and yes I'm sure you are building muscles, and it weighs more than fat does.. and does more too! Yayy. Talk to you soon!

I'm sorry I wasn't replying... I was out in Michigan, and couldn't figure out how to find posts. I was just reading another post and saw where it showed you could find threads you had subscribed to in your user CP. yayy.. I found you guys again! I'm a dork.. I know.. sorry. I did exercise a few times out in MI and on my mom's scale I thought I lost 2 pounds.. but I got back home on Monday and it shows I am 2 pounds more than I was when I left... so.. a total of FOUR POUNDS more than I thought I weighed. What a bummer. But I'm already down a pound, so maybe it was just Water weight from being sedentary on the 14 hour drive or something. I don't know.. I'm not going to let it get me down. I'm eating Protein first and drinking water like crazy. Hopefully I'll have some lower numbers to report soon! Glad to hear you guys are doing well!!

"I just don't understand is it the band that helps you stick to your diet plan? What makes you not cheat and eat thing you shuouldn't what do you eat with the band is it a strict diet or what? " The band is not magic, it will not magically make you not want junk food anymore. It simply makes you full on less food. The fact that you can still eat the foods you once loved(well most of them anyways) is a double edged sword. Yay.. I can eat sweets without 'dumping syndrome' .. but then again.. Boo.. I can eat sweets without dumping syndrome! . I love my band, don't get me wrong. I feel more in control than I ever have. I do look at food differently now. I look at it in terms of what it can offer me.. Protein? I'll take it. No nutritional value? I am usually strong enough to pass. It's still alot of work making healthy choices every day, but I couldn't have gotten to this place without my band. Good luck with whichiver surgery you choose.

Hi.. I'll join you! I really need to up my exercise! I've been such a slacker this summer with the kids being home from school. That is no excuse, I know I should just get them moving WITH me! I'm coming up on my ONE YEAR bandiversary and I so want to have at least broken the 50 pound mark( 3-4 pounds away). I am about 20-25 pounds from goal. I've been on a plateau for a few months now. And I know its because I am so inconsistent with exercise. So Yes.. I'll be here.. how do we support each other?

Hi Karen.. Don't beat yourself up. This whole banding thing is a big learning experience. There are days I do really well and other days I don't, but I just try to stay focused on Protein first.. that is my most helpful suggestion. Hey.. I just noticed we were banded by the same practice. I've never gone to the support group through Norwalk though, I go to the one at Greenwich hospital. Just hang in there and keep up the good work.

I am 5'2 -161 lbs. I am wearing Medium tops, but my hips and belly are still pretty big so I'm in 14's and a few 12's in pants. I really am starting to feel uneven, so I hope the weight starts coming off my belly a bit more soon. Ugh!

Just wanted to add.. if you put a spoon in your glass with your ice when you pour hot tea over it, it will keep the glass from breaking. I haven't tried Stevia sweetener yet, is that the new one in the green? Or is that Truvia? There are so many now... Splenda is my favorite so far though.

You'll definitely know when it happens. It hurts.. anywhere from mild discomfort to flat out pain. My stomach also makes noises when its happening(like a meow sound, lol). And 'sliming' usually accompanies it. Which is really just extra saliva accumulating in your mouth, you can swallow it, which may cause you to throw up, or spit it out, which is what I do. I also bend over and touch the floor and then reach back up to the sky as that helps with the pain.

Good luck Agnes, people sure got fired up over your post. I have seen this happen in real life too though. And sadly, it is why I don't go to the support group meetings in my area anymore. Some people seem to think there is a certain point at which it is acceptable to have weight loss surgery, and if you aren't 'fat enough' you aren't deserving of it. I have had people look at me and say, YOU had WLS? with a sneer.. as if just because I wasnt MORBIDLY obese it was unacceptable. I was OBESE (I'm not now, thanks to lapband, woohoo) . Why wait until your health further deteriorates before doing something proactive?? Good luck in Mexico!

I always wondered if that could happen with all the different types of lettuce leaves out there. I eat spring mix lettuce and I cut my salad leaves up before I eat it because I have always feared this happening. I hope it never happens again and I hope the month goes by quickly so you can get your fill back. Yikes. that must be tough!

Yes.. to some degree it has definitely changed. I seem to like stronger flavors now. I've just recently started drinking coffee too. Never drank it before in my life. I also find if I don't like something, I mean really like it, I don't eat it. I used to eat desserts (and other things) even if they weren't that great, but now I'm really picky. It has to really wow me for me to want to use up the space in my pouch and spend my calories on it. I wish I could say the cravings for junk food went completely away, they haven't. I do still enjoy salty crunchy snacks. But I just can't do as much damage as I could before banding. And it's not every day or anything. Just occasionally. Like the others mentioned I feel so much more in control now. Well.. most of the time. I still have my moments..

I didn't think they tasted very good either. I had heard about Celebrate vitamins online, so I used Celebrate Bariatric vitamins for the first few months, now I am able to swallow regular vitamins without any problems.

while a little fear before going under for any procedure is normal, if you are having true doubts, maybe you should think about it further. A year ago at this time I went through all my preop testing and had a surgery date scheduled for June 20th. And then I panicked and thought OMG what am I doing? I hate throwing up, why would I have a surgery where people typically throw up? And a friend of mine had a bad experience with her band. I was just scared. So I cancelled my surgery. I called my insurance and found out that my approval was good for 6 months... I took the summer to try one last time to lose weight on my own. Joined a gym.. and guess what? Like every other time.. it just didn't happen. So.. I called my surgeon, went and talked to him again and discussed my fears.. and scheduled my surgery for September 4th,2008. And that time, I went through with it and am SOOO happy I did. I LOVE my band. It was the best thing I've ever done for myself. And..the best part.. my biggest fear... the throwing up.. hasn't been a problem at all. Yayy. I chose lapband because it was less invasive, and because I didn't want the weight to come off quickly and leave me with hanging skin. I had also read alot about the malabsorbtion and hair loss bypass patients can suffer from.. and I just wasn't ready for that. Good luck to you...

Oh that is the worst! I know how frustrating that is. Kudos to you for getting your exercise in early in the mornin though.. I sure struggle with that. I need to get into a routine of just knocking it out in the morning that way I'lll not have time for excuses! I just got an iPod touch, I still have to figure out how to make a playlist so that I can group good workout songs together. I hate fumbling with it while I'm on the treadmill, I swear one of these days I am going to go flying off! LOL