Great2BThin

Welcome back Janet!! I have been losing like crazy since my gall bladder surger. I'm now at 56, so in less than a week I lost the 8 lbs I gained in the hospital plus 8 more and am at 56. I went to my primary care dr for a check up last week and also gave them a lab slip of blood work my surgeon wants for my 3 mos post op lap band check. They just called and something is wrong. Of course, I was out when they called so am awaiting a call back and am now very nervous something is wrong. They never call if everything is fine, they just send a post card. I was ecstatic to be losing so fast but now am worried. Are we ever happy? :wink2: (by we I mostly mean me). The great thing about my loss today though is it put me in the 240's. I can now officially say I am closer to the 100s than the 300s!! That's huge for me! Also have a question about fills: Sometimes I am able to eat about anything and way more than 4 to 8 oz portions. No problem at all. Then others I get stuck, last night I PB'd at a party on watermelon, and am able to eat very little. I've read about the band being fickle. But my question is, how do I know if I am at my sweet spot or in need of a fill? I want to get as many fills as possible before my 3 free months are up, but I also don't want to get over filled and have to deal with that.

Hi Apples, I've been wondering the same thing. There's times that I could eat anything and other times that food gets stuck and I have a PB. I go on Wed. and wanted to see about a fill because of those hungry times but am so afraid of being too filled. I read on here that the bands can be fickle, tighter some days than others so wonder exactly where I should be at.

I just want to say how much I appreciate everyone here. I feel so at home. I got myself in a bit of trouble on my surgery month thread in a reply to a thread titled 'Anyone NOT exercising' (thread has since been moved to rants and raves). I took offense because I felt someone compared themselves to a 50 yr old in a negative way. This person had asked for advice and got very angry at what she got. I meant no ill will just said I was offended by the negative connotation to age. Someone else posted that some 10 yr olds are more mature than 50's, etc. I think I will stick with my fabulous 50 group! The thread got ugly and to think I had a part in it bothers me, though I still don't see how I was attacking or anything to anyone. :confused2::cake::thumbup::Banane34: I am about to leave this evening for a retirement party for hubby's uncle. Social settings still make me nervous. I need to remember to either not eat, or be very mindful of what I am eating and how much I am chewing as I get distracted socializing. Also many of these folks haven't seen me since my weight loss. I am wearing my new size 20 jeans! :present: PJ, I eat grilled meat all the time, that has been how we've been cooking mostly in the summer. I stay away from chicken breasts and eat thighs which seem to go down better. I've had steak, pork, just about anything, very small portions. As far as sizes, I noticed for me it took a long while to go down my first size. One theory is maybe they were really too small to start with and pretty tight so it took longer. Also I think as we lose we need to lose less to have a bigger impact. Think of it in terms of percentage of body fat, if at 300 lbs I lose 10% it's 30 lbs but at 200 lbs it would be 20. Therefore a 200 lb person would have to lose less to have it be more noticeable. These are just my theories. Not proven. ha ha I am getting into 14/16 on top but 20's on bottom. Started at 22/24s on top and 26's on bottom. I just went to Lane Bryant's 40% off sale and decided not to give them any more money today. I'll wait til I need smaller things.

Jachut, you and any other longer term banders can offer me advice in any June thread post you want. I long to follow your success and am well on my way but still have questions at times.

NSV = Non Scale Victory I'll have to be careful about the left over meat. So far I haven't had a problem or if I have it wasn't left over and because I ate too fast or too big of bite. I'd love to do a Hawaii cruise. We did them in opposite orders.

Why can't you eat leftovers? I make extra all the time so I have some leftovers for lunch and also take those doggie bags home from restaurants that my doggies never get to see as they are another meal for me as well. I had a wonderful NSV today!! Before my Alaskan cruise in May my jeans were too tight and EGADS I had to go buy a new pair to take along in a size 26!!! That's the largest I ever bought. Well they were too big a while ago, then 24's, too big, then 22's too big today. I tried on some 20's I bought 2 years ago with tags still on in my closet because 'I was going to lose weight' AND THEY FIT!!!!!! Not even tight!!! I can't wait til Lane Bryant gets no more of my money!! A few more sizes!!

Congrats Triser!! I just hit that milestone too, and am singing your song! The scale teased me forever at 49, then 49.5 but just wouldn't hit the 50, it finally did on Thurs. and then dropped 5 more after that. I seem to hang on and on then suddenly have 2 to 3 days of huge losses before I sit at a weight for a long time and it always seems to be right before a milestone. I LOVE MY BAND!!! Keep up the good work!

What are these bariatric vitamins and where do you get them? I take chewable Centrum Silvers, just one a day, but thought I'd compare them.

Well I am not lying nor did I take pain pills. I was totally fine afterwards. A little pull by the port that someone mentioned and some discomfort getting in and out of bed in tummy muscles. My surgeon said he tries to suck all the gas back out before he closes you up and must've done a good job. That was 2 mos ago. Fast forward 2 mos. same surgeon and gall bladder surgery now that was more painful. I'm a week out today and still feeling some pain from that. He reused 3 of my incisions and have one new one. I have a deep ache in my right side. Everyone must respond differently.

I got one of those PM's. Someone accused me of not eating anything and only doing liquids because I couldn't have lost as much as I have. GRRRRR And then a few days ago in a thread about NOT exercising I took another hit. Jaime, way to go on the loss!!

Joann, I'd say you have a lot to offer. With your attitude you are going to be so successful when you do finally get banded. Any news on when yet?? Also, Charlene, your friend may be losing faster now, but you are both going to get to the finish line and when you do, with your band you will be able to keep however much restriction you need to maintain. Whereas you friend can stretch out her band and start to eat more and then gain. At least that's been the experience in someone I know who's had bypass.

For some reason a turkey sandwich on toast just didn't sound as good. I had been warned about white bread but like a dunce had to find out for myself. :cool2: Now I know why they say that. Luckily I didn't get stuck too bad and it passed in a few minutes, but it was enough for me to know not to proceed ahead with it. Definitely inches is a victory. I haven't taken mine in awhile so need to do it again and am going to wait til I have a period where I am not seeing a loss at the scale. I just signed up for a Biggest Loser competition. My clubhouse/gym is starting it the first week of Sept. The gal that works there knows I had surgery so I was upfront and asked if I could still do the competition and she didn't see why not. So I'm in. It goes for 3 mos I think, cost $20 and each week there will be a prize and a grand prize at the end. Also, I'm thinking my losses aren't going to keep up at this fast rate so surgery maybe won't matter so much anyway. Wish I could've used my post surgery (gall bladder weight) when I gained those 8 in the hospital as my start! :biggrin: Our starting weight will be taken on Sept 2nd. Speaking of Biggest Loser I've been seeing previews during the Olympics, I love to watch that show, I get so inspired. And this time when it's on, I will actually be a loser too!

So I thought I'd try a half a sandwich for lunch today. My first piece of bread, thought since I didn't seem to have restriction it would be okay. NOT!!!! 2 bites and my dogs got the rest of my bread. Lesson learned. Now I know why they say no bread, but dummy me has to try it out for herself.

You will get no flaming from me!! I agree totally! And I am only 10 weeks post op. Those same folks will blame the band for not working for them.

Aren't gams, Legs??? School of whales is a pod. Bragging is definitely allowed!! hope you find the dress shopping!!

No, can't say that I have, most of my anxiety was before the surgery. Hope the cpap helps. You've had a lot to deal with lately with your daughter and new grandbaby. However, when I lived in CA and drove those freeways it was enough to cause anyone anxiety!

Gwenn, could it be varicose veins? I notice I have lots of purply looking spots on my legs but they don't bulge out. Sooverit, I think I am in the menopause phase. I had a hysterectomy years ago but they left the ovaries so don't have the periods to go by. But I was having night sweats, hot flashes, and some in my family might say mood swings it ws really bad about a year ago and I was also gaining weight. Most of those symptoms have gotten much better on their own, I went to the dr. a year ago and she tested my hormones and said I was in the change and offered hormone therapy but I opted to not go that route. Fast forward a year later, I got the band and am losing well now. I had an excellent report at the dr. yesterday, just have to have an ultrasound of my ovaries in a few months to be sure they are still healthy just as a screening. He wants me to wait a couple months to be sure my incisions are all healed from the gall bladder surgery and also if I lose more weight they'd get better pictures during the ultrasound. I get to remain off my b/p meds and he was very impressed with my weight. And, I'm down 2more today!!! I seem to get stuck for a couple weeks then suddenly drop big for a few days and then get stuck again. Now that I am figuring this out, I hope not to freak out so much next time the scale doesn't move. It's like my body holds on as long as it can and then just drops a few pounds. Weird.

Went to my primary care dr yesterday for my annual check up. The nurse calls me back, first thing has me step on the scale, writes the weight down and off to the room we go. She looks at the previous page from my last visit, flips back and forth as if to double check something and then says you've lost a lot of weight. Few minutes later, the dr. comes in and does the same thing. Though he said WOW! That felt so good. And I get to stay off my b/p meds. My b/p was borderline and he said it would only get better as I keep losing and to keep up the good work. It felt so good not to get the weight lecture this time!

Congrats on the 44th anniversary!! I loved your eat the insides of a sandwich comment. Last night hubby and I went for Mexican and I ate the inside of a burrito, make that a half of a burrito. He loves it as then I get a doggy bag and he gets the other half for breakfast. He loves left overs for breakfast regardless of what they are.

I gotta remember that 'spat the dummy' and use it on one of my kids some time!! So what does chuck a wobbly or crack the sads mean?

I hit 50 lbs lost today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAHOO half way to 100!!!

I have that card, Soulsister. One side is a restaurant card the flip side is a medic alert card saying I have the band. I've not tried it in a restaurant yet however. For the most part it seems the kids menu is mostly chicken strips, mac and cheese or some other inappropriate food so haven't been tempted. I hadn't thought of the senior menu though. I have had 2 fills, first was a big one and the 2nd a small one. I think I am in need of another as well and hope to get one on Wed.

Thank you. I went to my primary care doc today who hasn't seen me since before banding and he kept looking at one page with my weight in the chart and then the previous back and forth as if he couldn't believe it and then finally said WOW! And he's keeping me off b/p meds, that's the best prize so far!!

Good luck with your appt. Hope you get some answers right away before you have a painful attack or something. I am feeling better every day from having mine out. It will be one week tomorrow. Meanwhile I had an appt with my primary care doc which was scheduled months ago. He was super impressed with my weight loss so that felt good and I get to stay off my b/p meds!! As of today I hit the magical 50 lbs lost mark!!! I plan on really smoking by that number once I can exercise more!

Just got home from the dr. office. He and the nurse both had to double check my file to see what I weighed last time as if they couldn't believe it. They were impressed. My b/p was borderline high but he said to continue on without my b/p meds as it will only get better. Their scale was right on what mine said so that was good. Then they proceeded to take about 4 tubes of bloodwork, OUCH!! part was for their usual lab work and some extra ones my surgeon wanted ordered for my 3 mos post op check, might as well get all done at once! Thanks for the reminder to update my ticker, can't believe I forgot that. For me the cravings aren't for sweets or chocolate but for salty, crunchy like chips. I try to busy myself with something else, like reading the boards here, walking, doing a chore or something. Plus not to have it in the house.