simone

Sounds like everyone is doing great! :tt2: I'm down 48# now. September 30 was my new birthday. I made a vow that I wouldn't reach my 60th birthday as a "fat old lady" but instead a strong, healthy woman. I'm only 22# from the goal I set myself. The dr. set it at 32# and I think I can actually make his goal by my 1 year bandiversary. Last visit he told me I could probably actually do a 100# It's a number I can't even imagine. I realized just recently as I was working out that 5 months ago I had to use my asthma inhaler just to walk in to work out. Now I can walk in, exercise vigorously for an hour and practically skip out! Also, I had my blood pressure checked yesterday and it's normal. :thumbup: Have a check up with my primary in March and I'm hoping she will take me off both meds. Keep up the good work Samurai's!! :smile:

:thumbdown: I MADE IT!!!! I said I would make 10 lbs by Valentine's Day and today I'm at 14# :thumbup: Getting a fill last week helped a lot. I now can only eat small amounts at a time. I was eating about 1-1/2 cups at a time and now can only do about 1/2 of that. Yeah! It's hard to gauge such a small amount when I put food on my plate but it sure fills me up. For the 1st time on Sunday, my DH and I went for breakfast and I only ordered an extra plate so I could eat some of his. He calls me his "Cheap Date". :party: Happy Valentine's day to everyone. I hope you all make your goals also.

I'm 1# away from my Valentine's goal. Had a .2cc fill yesterday and I sure do feel the difference in how much I can eat. I usually eat 2 scrambled eggs and fruit for breakfast and this morning 2 eggs made me over full. It's going to take a while to wrap my mind around eating so little. I've always been able to eat 1-1/2 cups and now it's about 1/2 - 3/4 C. Hope this helps make my V-day goal.

My GNC carries several sizes of papaya enzymes. I purchased a purse size pack to carry for "just in case" times.

Yes, the gas can be bad. :redface: I even embarrass my son & DH sometimes. Thankfully it doesn't have much of an odor. I get it both ends. I have to admit I was pretty good at passing air before surgery but after it has been MUCH worse. Now that I'm 4 months out it does seem to be calming down, but I always belch long and loud after meals. I refer to it as pulling the plug. Sort of feels like when you pull the plug on a drain and it all swirls down the sink hole. Feels good. I think a lot of it must come from chewing our food so well that I think we unconsciously swallow air.

I can do bread as long as it is the good multi-grain chewy type with seeds, etc. Never did like soft white bread anyway. I was always a heavy bread user, but now hardly ever eat any. I've pretty much forgotten about it. I can also do rice, but can't do pasta in any form. I really miss it too!!!

Good to hear how everyone is doing. I said I would lose 10# and it's been a struggle lately. I've lost 4.5, but I need a fill. Am sooooo hungry between meals. :wink2: It's been really hard. Next appt is scheduled for 2 more weeks. Not sure how I'm going to last without overeating but I'm going try. :Dancing_wub:

Looking for words of wisdom from everyone. Last night my DH :banghead: thought he was treating me and bought me a favorite frozen custard treat. I had been at work all day after having been home with the flu for 2 days and when I got home he was so proud of himself for getting me something he knows I love. Now I know he wasn't trying to sabotage me because he is so proud of how well I'm doing and tells me so all the time; he just thought I deserved it. I have to admit that I ate most of it, just because he was so proud of himself for thinking of me. From anyone else I could have probably said no thanks. I just don't know how to handle this in the future. I did ask him not to do it again but I really don't want to hurt his feelings. He has such a generous heart for the people he loves. Help! To be honest the treat didn't hurt me because I either got sick from the richness of it or my flu recurred again and it didn't stay with me.

I've lost cinder block and a chihauhau.

I know where you're coming from also. It seems to be about every 3 or 4 days I could eat anything and everything. Other days it only takes a few bites. I posted about this about a week ago and got answers ranging from it could be hormones to not enough protein, to not enough fiber, etc. I think it's just that we are all so different that no one answer works for all of us. I have to wonder if maybe it's just our bodys' way of fighting to keep on the weight. We are eating so differently and maybe not getting enough nutrients that the body is saying "Whoa there, Feed me." Just a thought. Keep up the good work. Simone

My doctor always says that if I can't get anything down, especially liquids, to call right away and arrange an unfill. I'm able to get enough down that I feel I can wait until his usual Lap Band hours on Tuesday. Oddly enough, tonight I was able to get down a bit of canned chicken and a whole grain cracker without problems. Hope I'm not going to be a bandster that can't eat until late in the day. Breakfast has always been my favorite meal.

I've been taking pictures at 6 week intervals and it's amazing the difference. The fully clothed ones that I'm willing to share with friends and family are not as noticeable as the bathing suit ones. I, like most of us, was not really aware of how much flubber I had on me, but to compare bathing suit pictures from September to the end of December (35# loss) is amazing. I'm going to wait until the end of March now for 6 month pics. Hopefully I'll be just as encouraged then by the additional loss. Keep up the good work everyone.

Time to check in. I've now lost 35#, almost 1/2 way to my ultimate goal. :tongue2: (9/30/08 surgery) Problem is I'm going to have to get a small unfill. My last fill (2nd) was too much and it now hurts every time I try to eat or drink anything. It took about 2 days for the fill to kick in so I didn't notice it at 1st. I actually had my 1st PB experience today on milk of all things. :thumbup: How do I put the information lines under my ticker (surg date, fill date, signature, etc.)? :thumbup: Hope everyone has a great day!

I've only had 2 fills but I already think I'm over full. My 2nd fill was December 30, (7.4cc in a 10cc band) and I'm thinking I'm going to call my surgeon on Monday to see if I can be fit in on his Tuesday schedule for a teeny tiny unfill. The fill was done Tuesday but I didn't feel restriction until Thursday. Starting yesterday (Friday) I hurt every time I eat anything, even a yogurt smoothie. Because I can't get much down at a time, I'm getting hungry too soon. Also I had my 1st PB today. Can't possibly be getting proper nutrition this way.

I'm just curious if any one else experiences a day where they are hungry on a regular basis. It seems that about every 3 or 4 days I can't get enough to eat, even if I eat the same foods/amounts that usually fill me up. I just had another fill yesterday and I still was so hungry today. It takes a lot of will power to not eat every thing in sight on those days. I can understand an occasional day but I can almost track those times.:Yawn:

Thanks for all the suggestions. I already concentrate on eating protein. I'm really suprised that I don't miss the carbs. Before surgery I was a real carbaholic. Could not do a low carb diet for any time. Now I hardly eat any. I also do not think it is hormonal. I'm almost 60 and don't have too many hormone fluctuations any more. Also it is every couple of days that I'm sooo hungry. I try to fight my way through it but it's not easy. Simone

Mine was more gradual. When I could no longer walk up a flight of stairs without having to stop to breathe. When I had to go up another size in pants. When my joints hurt so bad that I could hardly stand up. It all added up. I've only lost 32 lbs so far and haven't been taken off any of my meds yet but I feel Wonderful where as I was always tired before. :frown: It's only been 3 months and I can honestly say I would do it again tomorrow!

It's only normal to be nervous. You are looking at a BIG change in your lifestyle. I remember being in the same place as you just 3 months ago. Even the morning of surgery I was thinking, "what am I doing?" but it's all worth it. Just remember what it is that started you on this journey and what it is that you hope to gain from it. Good luck. Keep us updated on your progress. Simone

Hang in there Debbie - you're doing great even without a lot of restriction. I've only had one fill so far, turned down the chance of a second at my last visit because I didn't want to not be able to eat at Christmas (some of my family don't know I had the band) and then I couldn't eat anyway because I was sick. I get my next fill on Tuesday. It takes a lot of "will power" some days to stay the course, but you've made it this far, and I'm willing to bet you can keep up the good work. Simone

:thumbup:CONGRATS DEBBIE!!!:hurray: WAY TO GO!!!!:laugh: I know how GREAT I felt a week ago when I got under 200 for the 1st time in years. Makes all we've gone thru worth it! Keep up the great work. Simone

I'd like to say 10#. I've just hit Onederland and have a fill scheduled for next week. I've been losing at approx. 1.5# a week so that should be just right.

Babbs3772 - candle warmers are available in most stores that sell candles for approx $9.00. I have two and use them all the time. Simone

I was given 2cc's for my 1st fill. I had 4 put in at surgery in a 10cc band. I get to go for another fill on Dec. 30 but think I'm near my sweat spot because I can eat about a cup of food at a time with no problems and am still losing well. Just get hungry about 2-3 hours after meals, but I'm allowed 3 meals and 3 Snacks a day. Babs3772 and Kerimezz77 you both talked about your food/soup getting cold before you can eat it. I had that trouble too until I figured out that I could set a bowl on a jar candle warmer and it keeps my food warm until I'm done. I do this to my eggs very morning because they have to be the worst cold. Simone

WOW!!! I DID IT!!!! ONEDERLAND TODAY!!! My scale has been sitting at 200 for several days now. I told myself I wasn't going to weigh today but I just had to and I was 198.5! I had set this as my goal to make by Christmas and I did. :tt1:"I Love My Band" :smile: I work in one of my doctors' office's and checked to see the last time I was this low but my records do not go back any farther than 1995 and I have never been below 200 in at least 13 years! Simone MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

Thank you Debbie - It's fun to actually see the weight loss on the ticker. Simone