hopeendures

In my case, there has not been enough physical contact to report back. LOL Old fashioned, afternoon dates... But, I can feel the port, so I suppose if he was feeling around, and pressed hard enough at the right spot, he would be able to feel it too!

So, there was a second date. Another restaurant, another public meal.... and I didn't order the Soup. I discovered something useful. We are not supposed to drink with our meals. Why? Because it tends to wash food down, and through the band. On a regular basis, that would be a bad thing. But for the sake of being able to relax, and appear normal on a date, that's a wonderful thing! I took tiny sips of Water throughout the meal, and simply managed to limit my intake the old fashioned way. Everything went smoothly, and I was still well within my caloric goal for the day.

One thing I forgot to mention.... My big worry about dating with the lap band was the gas! I mean, really....how embarrassing would it be to toot the starspangled banner during a date? Luckily, this did not happen during this date, but it's always a possibility. I have never had so much gas in my life! In fact, my first husband once asked, "How is it that you never fart?" Well...he should see me now! He would be SO proud!

As lonedaisy said, when something gets stuck, you can't swallow...but it's more than just spit. Your esophagus begins to produce fluid trying to flush the stuck thing down, and this fluid is very slimy, and you HAVE to spit it out, or drown. It's a disgusting event, truly it is.

Well, it was obvious that something wasn't right, and I didn't wait for him to ask, (his concerned look was enough when I came back from the restroom), so I simply told him the unvarnished truth without expounding. That a piece of the fish had gotten lodged in my esophagus. It wasn't all fireworks, and music, but he said he would like to see me again when he walked me to my car, and said I would like that. Then I promised not to hurl on the next date....(a promise I intend to keep, by ordering Soup next time!) And we laughed about the little incident. Ahi is Tuna, usually served very raw or very rare. This was seared, so it was cooked on the outside, and very pink in the middle. It's usually very easy to eat, and very high in Protein, low in calories, etc.

Congratulations!! What a great inspiration! So, would you mind sharing with us, some of the secrets of your success? What was it during the first few months that made it work for you?

Hi Jeeter, First of all, kudos to you for getting banded. More kudos for getting your child medication. It can make a huge difference in a life, once you find the right balance. And Big giant HUGE kudos for taking care of your mother. I will not give you advice about your sister. I will give you advice for yourself, however. Please buy a book called, "Safe People" and read it. You have every right to be sad, mad, and tremendously hurt by her attack. Just make an effort not to let it ruin a happy life for you. I took care of my mother for her remaining five years on this earth. At times I was very resentful that my siblings didn't do more. But now that she has been gone two years, I realize that it was they that they were cheating, and not me. I have a thousand wonderful memories, and all the struggle and sacrifice seems mightily insignificant! Keep the faith! Good luck!

Yep! Totally normal. The port pain is only just now almost completely gone for me, (in the last couple days) and I lost weight like crazy for the first month, but in the eleven days, have lost a total of about 4 lbs. After losing 30 lbs in a month, it's disappointing and seems freakishly slow, but I remind myself that pre-band, 2 lbs a week was pretty exciting, and still relatively fast. Here's another tidbit: At about 5 weeks post op, I started really feeling as though I were healed up, and guess what....even though I had experienced fairly good restriction all along, it started to dissipate. I am unable to get a fill for almost a month, and I can suddenly eat just about anything, and as long as I am careful to chew thoroughly, I don't get filled up on a teensy bit of food anymore. Now it's all about WILL power, or more importantly, WON'T power! Reality is, getting banded isn't the conclusion to the long journey...it's just one very important step. That first, (and possibly 2nd or 3rd) fill is the point at which your new tool (and mine) will really start making a huge difference!! Congratulations on losing 20 lbs during this phase. Some people gain!!!

I had no pre-op diet, but I lost crazy fast after banding. I am just over five weeks since my band date, and have not had a fill. Four weeks in, and after having seen rapid weight loss, I suddenly stopped. For 7 days, I did not lose an ounce. I was still eating the same amount of calories, and exercising more and more as the healing continued, but I was at a stand still. After 7 days of continuing to do the exact same thing, it started dropping again. It's frustrating, and worriesom, because deep down, don't we all worry that this is going to turn out to be yet another failed attempt? Don't panic. Just keep doing what you are doing, and it will start up again. The best tip I've been given was to use thedailyplate.com Calorie Counter, Diet Tracking, food Journal, Nutrition Facts at The Daily Plate and track your intake, and your exercise. It's a super tool, and will give you a clear confident picture that you are doign what's right, (or if you aren't) Cheers!!!

There is another possibility. If you are working out harder than ever, your muscles may be retaining a bit of Fluid. I have noticed that when I stretch myself to a new level of working out, I always have a few days of not showing a loss, or gaining. It's just your body taking care of it's self. It doesn't have anything to do with fat....you are still losing fat. Don't worry. If you are eating low calorie, and exercising, you will lose. Every now and then, when I have been dropping pounds very quickly, my body will take a break from losing, even though I am eating the same as I was for the past month. I just came off from a 7 day standstill. I know how frustrating it is, and you just want to say "screw it...I might as well eat a cake!" But just rest assured that if you stick to your guns, you will resume losing soon! Good job on the working out, btw! Proud of you!

Nance is right. Before the band, I would diet, and very successfully. Have been to my goal weight twice, and then...I would fall off the wagon, and that darn wagon just went speeding off. I would look around, and think, "oh well...I might as well live it up." And I would....sometimes for a year or two at a time. And gain all the weight back. You are doing great. You lost 4oz. Not the goal you had in mind, but if you are like me, pre-band, that would have been a 10 lbs gain! You are way ahead of the game with this powerful tool to help you regain control. If we didn't have an eating problem, we wouldn't have needed the band in the first place. While it would be ideal to resume ALL the activities and behaviors that were bringing you success, it might need to be broken down in small steps. Start by eliminating one or two of the behaviors that led you to this place. Then, as you gradually regain resolve, and control, keep adding in the behaviors that were beneficial. You can do this! You've already made the first step!

Like Picturemethin said, there is no sensation of the band itself. Just the sensations it causes, like you don't have much room in your stomach. Most of the time, I am entirely unaware of any sensation at all related to the band. It does take a long time for the port incision to heal, and that is still tender, but no big deal. The gas they put in during surgery is most definitely the most uncomfortable part of the process. When my surgeon came in two hours after surgery, and asked if I had pain in my belly, or nausea, I told him, "No...the incisions don't hurt, and there is no nausea, but I think I'm having a heart attack!" He assured me that I was not having a heart attack, and that the pain in my chest/shoulder was from the gas, and that it would dissipate over the next several days. It did, and I was glad to be done with that part! The healing process is not all fun and games, and does require more self discipline than I have typically exercised, but it's a powerful motivation to know that "cheating" could damage this tool I just spent several thousand dollars on! One thing I will mention though....I am almost 5 weeks post op, and I still have not eaten in public. During this reintroduction to solid foods, I have found a few things that cause a bout of sliming, and/or pb'ing. Not fun, and NOT PRETTY! I also forget to wait between bites, which also causes those less than delightful displays. I suggest you start practicing eating habits now, such as chewing stuff until it is literally liquified, and waiting 20 seconds after you have swallowed to take your next bite. These are not behaviors that come natural to food addicts, and you will save yourself some misery later if you get those habits down now! One thing about the band is that when you mess up, the consequences are immediate, and clear!

It WAS fun while it lasted. Like you, I have had restriction from day one. I still cannot eat more than a few ounces of food at a time, and I monitor everything very closely, and was losing very fast. But a week ago, it stopped. The scale and the tape measure say nothing has changed for a week. I know it's normal, but it's ANNOYING! I'll just keep plugging away...and I know it will start up again, but in the meantime, I'm having a hard time keeping my positive attitude!

I am a DJ in a bar, and have a constant stream of people coming up on the stage to talk to me. It wasn't until I hit the 30 lbs mark that people started really commenting, and then it was just about everyone. But a friend of mine, who comes in there, came up and talked to me a while, and made no comment. Not that I was thinking about it then, but later she came up, and said, "Ok, I don't know the protocol. Am I supposed to tell you that you are looking skinnier? I mean, you must hear it all night long until you are just sick of it!" I said, "Oh no! That is one thing I never get tired of hearing!" On the other hand, my weight has been at a dead stall for a week. My measurements are the same as a week ago. And I know it's normal for the body to take a pause, and cling to it's fat cells now and then, but, normal or not, I DON'T LIKE IT!! And I have heard the, "you're not eating enough to lose weight" thing a few times. (I eat 800 calories a day, with special attention to the nutrient side of it), and my answer to that is, "So, if we go into a famine, and there isn't enough food, in order to keep from starving, I should just stop eating right?" (and yes, I understand the metabolism thing, but I am a small person, so 800 is reasonable.) Anyhow, there you have MY pityparty! lol Have a skinny day!!!

Believe it or not, at different times of day, restriction is different. I can't eat scrambled eggs in the morning, but in the afternoon, they are fine. The one thing I have found that simply will not work is any kind beef steak. It will not go, and after the first bite I am done eating for hours. I haven't tried filet mignon or prime rib yet, but honestly two attempts and two painful sliming episodes was enough to calm any cravings I've had for it. And I'm with FairySaddle on the leftovers. Things that worked fine the day before, are a disaster the next day.

Using thedailyplate.com will help you not only track what you eat, (and those soups are HIGH in sodium!) but also it will give you a good estimate, according the information you put in, on how many calories you should be consuming. Don't short change yourself!

I am sure, that physically, I could have driven the day of surgery, but I am so glad I didn't need to. It was hours before the effects of the anesthesia wore off, and even then, I was on morphine, so try to find someone else if you can. Never have had any success with diet pills. But I did remind myself, every time I was feeling hungry, that it was just a signal that my body was being forced to burn fat for fuel. I still haven't had a fill, but I am monitoring every nutrient, and calorie, and losing steadily. I agree with Allison. Take a couple days if you possibly can. The shoulder/chest pain was enough to make me glad I had scheduled myself a full 7 days off. That was more than necessary, but I took it, and I took full advantage of the lying around, letting recuperation take place. I had stocked my house with all the liquid diet things I would need, and the most strenuous thing I did during that week was take two ten minute walks each day. I live alone, so it's not as if I had someone else to do things for me, but I babied those incisions, and my new power-tool for the first week in every way possible. Congratulations on your upcoming life changing event! Good Luck with everything!!!

I have finally been able to drop a size. I was confused for a while at the fact that after a 20 lb loss, i was still wearing the same clothes. But I finally put my finger on the reason. I had been wearing clothes I had really grown out of...they were too small, but I just had resisted going up another size. lol Now I am down a size from those clothes, and that makes my day! People didn't start mentioning it until I hit the 30 lb mark. Now...suddenly, it's like I lost all the weight overnight.

Just a quick comment here. I was having a lot of gas, and then I read that Soy, (all forms) is the gassiest bean there is. I changed to a non soy protein source, and while it's not entirely gone, at least I can do my very public job without incident. Reduced to a more normal pattern of early morning bathroom tunes.

My experience is like yours. I lose fast, and I gain it back. (check my profile to see my successes, and failures in the past). I have been losing very fast, but it's been so easy. I was hungry the first couple weeks, but now, it's a breeze. In fact, I have to monitor my nutrition very closely to make sure I am getting what I need so I don't lose muscle, and my hair! I have not taken in more than 800 calories in a day yet, but I always make sure I get my Protein, and Vitamins, etc. Of course, even during the hungry phase, I was so highly motivated not to damage this very expensive new tool, that I had no real temptation to "cheat". It's just a different mentality entirely. I keep posting this, but it's such a powerful tool, I just have to mention it again. click here Calorie Counter, Diet Tracking, food Journal, Nutrition Facts at The Daily Plate and start using it now. It will really help when you need to track nutrition. Good luck!!!

Thanks for the article. I read all of the comments, then signed up, and posted one of my own. I encourage everyone to do the same.

When I saw your quote I almost cried. My dad, (who passed a year ago) must have said this to me a thousand times over the years. And I have said it to my kids, and others many times myself. I'm glad to hear you are beating those addictions. My story is much the same. I've been on a decade long Quest to make myself healthy, and happy. Great job on all of your victories!!!

I just wanted to say two things. First of all, congratulations on making this life changing decision! And good for you, doing fun stuff NOW! I think too many of us spend our life missing golden moments, because we are waiting for the weight to come off. I know I wasted a lot of time before I figured out that, "This is life....today....start living it now. Tomorrow is not guaranteed!" Good Job!!!

I guess that is one of the things I am struggling with. I never "feel" any fullness. I just know that if I eat more it will be painful. And if that's the way it has to be to get skinny, fine, but I was curious if that was the norm. Granted, once I eat until it's backing up in the pipes, I don't feel hungry again for a LONG time. Not a fun experience. Pain Trains! Now when I say, "I've had it up to here" I am not kidding! lol