fujika

Hillarious! Yeah, I have a Wii too! "That's OBESE!" I want to throw it out the window when it says that! Keep it up though, it does start to get encouraging as the weight comes off. I'm almost out of the obese category, will it just say "That's Normal!"?

It's just a little bigger than the size of a pea, but not by much:) Just ask your fill nurse for the cap when you get your fill.

My fill nurse gave me the screw cap after my fill and reminded me, "nothing in your mouth bigger than this". I try to keep it in my pocket and it is a constant reminder of how small my bites should be. So far so good, I've never been stuck! (Knock on wood!)

I was banded last May and have had no problems. A little gas after surgery, that wasn't pleasant. But other than that I've done fine. It is a learning process and I'm getting good at chewing and taking smaller bites. I think my fill is finally at the sweet spot. I eat about a 1/2 cup of food and I'm totally satisfied for hours, until the next meal. Drinking plenty of water and I've lost another 4 pounds since the last fill.

Oh, yes mine is still there! I feel it all the time, occasionally it's a little uncomfortable or sore. If I bump it, ooh it hurts! I've had mine for almost a year and it's still a little bump.

:tt1:$0, My Dr. charges a flat rate for the surgery and it includes all fills with flouroscopy including emergency unfills (like in the middle of the night, you have the flu and start puking), all pre surgery testing and the pre surgery diet (:sad:optifast, yuck!). He also includes any surgical needs (related to the band, of course!) during the first year or two years, I'd have to look at my paperwork.

I put 1 scoop of protein powder in my coffee almost every morning. (My Mom who is also banded puts a scoop in her sugar free hot chocolate.) I don't hardly notice the protien powder, of course it depends on what kind your using, some are better than others. I like the plain powder with no flavors and no sweetener. I use xylitol if I want to sweeten things and I can't use splenda (sucralose), because it gives me a gigantic :confused_smile:migraine. Since the powder is unflavored I can add it to anything and not change the flavor. I buy it from www.bulkfoods.com, my mom and I go in on the 25lb one and split it so we don't have to pay for shipping! I also use the body fortress protein shots from walmart, when they have them. My mom and I both keep our eyes pealed for them when we go and we buy them out every time we see them! They never keep more than a couple boxes at a time:cursing:. I've also found some single serve cottage cheese, they are just the right size and keep me satisfied until the next meal. Just a note on adding protein powder, I've read not to add it to things that are too hot, not sure :confused:why, but I like my coffee drinkable, so it works for me!

I am on my third day of this medifast diet, it's so bland!!! The tomato soup looks like barf! and tastes almost as bad! The oatmeal looks like gruel. Ugh, I have to be on this for 14 days prior to surgery. (fatty liver) I can hang for 2 weeks, but I googled medifast and found their website. People actully use this for long term weightloss!! I can't believe it, I've been on many diets but never one so yucky!! Knowing that I have only a week and a half left and there is a light at that end of the tunnel makes it doable! :leaving:

My first fill didn't hurt at all, just maybe a little "stick". So the second one, I was expecting the same. YIKES!! It hurt so bad, I almost jumped out of the chair! The third one was like the 1st. The nurse explained that there are nerve endings in your skin and if the needle happens to hit one, it hurts, if it misses, it doesn't. There's no way to tell where the nerve endings are, until you hit one. Our center always uses flouro, everytime. I've never been stuck multiple times, nor has she had to dig around. All my fills to date have been perfect! No over fills at all! I'm going for another tomorrow, hoping not to hit those nerve endings!:smile:

I agree with Aubrie, artificial sweeteners are poison! I too get ragin' headaches:cursing: especially with Splenda or sucralose. I just usually use the regular stuff, but less of it. I do use xylitol(a natural sweetener) in my iced tea. If I use to much it sends me to the bathroom:crying:, but other than that it's tolerable and doesn't have an aftertaste.

:cry_smile:Soda, I love bubbles! and I miss them very much! Even when I was pregnant with my daughter and had gestational diabetes, I would drink carbonated water, talking rain, etc. I love, love, love the bubbles! But, my new body is worth it! I just really miss the bubbles!

:thumbup:It's working for me and my mom! We've changed our eating habits, following the bandster rules (for the most part). I don't eat sugar free things, (splenda gives me a ragin' headache!!). So I eat regular stuff, just not a lot of it! I make sure I'm getting enough Protein in, sometimes I have to add unflavored Protein Powder to things, just to get enough. I take my multi Vitamin and try and drink enough Water. And of course, CHEW, CHEW, CHEW AND CHEW SOME MORE!! I've also started exercising, not a lot, just enough. Everything falls into place if I keep moving forward, it doesn't happen by itself. Just a side note, my daughter is also a twin, her twin died at about 12 weeks gestation. She's 8 now, healthy and beautiful! It will work, if you do:)

My doctors office uses a chair, first they lay you down, then they sit you up. They use flouro everytime and the barium, it seems to work pretty well. I haven't had a fill that wasn't enough or too much. I'm losing and not uncomfortable!

My husband also has a giant sized sweet tooth! I knew going in to this, that wouldn't change. I don't expect my whole family to "diet" just because I am. Although I see little changes here and there. My 8year old daughter is eating tuna salad in a bowl instead of on bread, which is good,:wink2: our family has a long history of carb addicts! Also, I am, well I was until football/cheer season started, cooking more healthy food. I decided going into this that I was not going to "diet". I am not going to deprive myself of everything that I've ever loved! Of course, there are things I don't eat, for fear of getting stuck, most breads, popcorn, dense red meat, to name a few. But everything else in moderation. I want to eat like a "normal" person, not a "dieter". This is a life long healthy change, I am eating different, but I still occasionaly have a treat.

I'm not certain, but I think that it is a must because you are under general anethesia (sp?). When I had my surgery, I didn't even remember it. My throat was a little sore, kind of dry feeling, but that cleared up within a few hours. Other than that, if they had'nt told me I would be intubated, I wouldn't have known.

I drink this for at least one of my "meals" after fills. My doctor recommends 48hrs liquid diet after fills. I also like to keep one in the fridge and use it as a snack throughout the day as I get closer to my fills and start having hunger pangs. I just drink a little bit here and there, it takes me about a day and a half to finish one. Anyhow, I do like them and they keep me on track.

I went to the store last night and walking out I saw a reflection of a woman in the glass doors. She wasn't as large as me, quite a bit smaller, she looked pretty good. She was still very much overweight and needed to lose about 60 pounds but she looked good! I had to take a second look, it was me!! :w00t:Really, that smaller women in the reflection was me!! :tt1:I couldn't believe it! WOW! I really love my band, I am so glad I did this for myself!

:thumbup:I love how you put that about the woodcutter discovering a power saw!

I eat the "regular" stuff. Just not as much and not as often.:smile2: I can't eat most of the non fat, because they put sucralose in it. I get a really, really bad 3 day headache from sucralose.