MistyD65

I go to Curves 5 days a week. I love it!

No change for me either. I've been see-sawing lately between a couple of pounds, so I decided to start tracking my food on The Daily Plate. Looking back over it this week, it seems to indicate that I need to take in MORE calories, especially when my calorie count is adjusted for my exercise. When I set my "daily calorie goal" there, using my weight, height, activity level (aside from workouts), and goal to lose 2 pounds a week, it said I should take in about 1652 calories a day. WOW! Well, I ate under 1200 calories every day but one, and expend between 400-500 calories with my workout each day. My goal next week is to try to add about 200-300 calories a day in a sensible manner. I think I'll start doing a Protein shake after my workout. Then, come Friday, I'll see what my results are, and can adjust for the following week. Darn it, I'm ready to break out of this plateau!!

Glad you got that taken care of Michelle! What a scary experience. Here are my challenge results. I didn't make goal, but I did lose, and now that I have more fill I'm hoping things keep moving! Start: 243 Goal: 223 End: 233.4.... So I was practically halfway there!

@ ktork - Hooray for not gaining!:thumbup: Last week:235 This week:233.4 Loss: 1.6 for a total of....70.6!!!! I weigh less than I have in 16 years!

Start: 243 Goal: 223 4/5/09 - 235 Not gonna make goal, but I'll be happy to be halfway there!

My doctor says NPO after midnight before the fill, then liquids for a couple of days after.

I don't think there is any such thing as a "standard" fill. My doctor says that fills are more of an art than a science. There are so many variables. Your best plan is to go to your fill with as much information about your eating habits - how much you are eating, what you are eating, how long it takes you to eat, how long it takes before you are hungry, if you are refraining from drinking before, during and after your meals. WIth that kind of information, your doctor can make the best decision of fill amount for you. And even then, it is far from exact. For the record, I have a 4 cc band. My doctor put in 0.6 ccs the first time. I didn't need or want another fill til 5 months later, when he put in 1.5 ccs.

Congratulations Cutie, and welcome back!!

Great job Bryan! As for me... Last week: 235.4 This week: 235.0 Loss: 0.4 lbs I'll take it. It's TOM, plus, at first, I thought I had gained .6 because I thought last week's weight was 234.4. So I was happy when I checked my calendar to see it was 235.4. Also, I got my 2nd fill on 3/26. He took me from .6cc to 2.1cc, which kind of shocked me because he is generally pretty conservative. I had my first PB EVER Thursday night, and I'm sure it was from eating too fast and not chewing well enough. I had the stuck feeling for about 30 minutes, then it decided to come up. I was surprised at how little food it was that was actually stuck. Woohoo!! I just noticed - i'm only .4 of a BMI away from no longer being morbidly obese! I'll just be plain old obese!:confused:

If you click FAQ under the before/after pics at the top of the page, you'll see a link for Lap-band Abbreviations. That will take you to a page with Lapband-specific forum abbreviations. You'll find most of the important ones there, including PB.:smile2:

I have yogurt almost every day for breakfast. It goes down easily, and has lots of good things - protein, calcium, "active yogurt cultures" lol. If you haven't tried that yet, give it a go.

Happy Friday everyone! Two weeks ago: 237.0 This week:235.4 1.6 lbs lost. Actually, I lost a lot more than that because I gained some when I went out of town last week. I didn't record it though, so I'm just happy with the continued downward trend. I did finally decide to go in for a 2nd fill - had it done yesterday. I told my dr that I was ready for the band to work a little harder for me. So, to the 0.6 I already had, he added 1.5. I was kind of shocked, since he is pretty conservative with fills, but he goes by "feel" (he says that fills are more of an art than a science, and I tend to agree). Once he found the port (it's tilted and will eventually need revision) he said the liquid went in easily and he didn't feel it pushing back at him. I'm feeling fine, and have had no trouble getting liquids down. I cut up my bp pill this morning, just in case, but it gave me no trouble either. I'll be on liquids through tomorrow, then I'll experiment with adding soft Proteins. Hopefully, this is just the nudge I need to get the scale back to moving downward consistently. Have a great weekend!

Way to go Heartfire! Start: 243 Goal: 223 Today: 235.4 I know I'm not going to make my admittedly ambitious goal. I've been gaining and losing the same 3-4 pounds for the past couple of months. But I finally got a second fill yesterday and I've already lost almost 2 pounds. So, I'm interested to see how much I CAN lose by Easter.

I went to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at the beginning of the month and rode every carnival ride I wanted to, without worrying whether I'd fit! ShrinkyDink and Living My Dream, I've been going to Curves since October of last year and I LOVE it! I go 5, sometimes 6 days a week, and I'm convinced it has made a huge impact on my weight-loss and reshaping. I got my "100 workouts" shirt earlier this month! Do your Curves locations have the CurvesSmart program? That's a great motivator for me.

This won't help you now, but document every rash, dr appt and prescription. That could help with pursuing insurance coverage when and if you do decide on plastic surgery.

Congratulations on the 50 pounds lost! Way to go! And yes, it is definitely possible to eat too little, and it sounds like you are. If you are having trouble eating solid Proteins and keeping them down, you may need to see your doctor about a slight unfill. Your weight loss will probably improve once you are eating more. I generally lose better when I'm eating in the higher part of my calorie range.

Count me as another of the fortunate ones. I had 3 weeks of modified Clear Liquids (clear liquids plus Protein drinks) but it really wasn't that bad. I didn't gain weight when I moved to soft foods, then regular foods - in fact, I've only had 3 weigh-ins since my surgery in August where I've gained, and they've been small. I've only had one small fill, and felt a type of restriction even before that. I can eat anything as long as I chew it well. I've never PBed or vomited, and have only gotten slightly stuck a few times, but it always passes quickly with no problems. My loss has slowed in the past couple of months, but I still average 1-2 pounds a week. I feel very blessed that it has been so relatively easy for me. I know that that could change in the future, though. You aren't doing anything wrong. The band is working as it should for you, and your body is responding well to it. So, embrace the ease of your journey so far and be thankful for it.:scared2:

For me, the support group isn't so much for being accountable as it is for having someone to share experiences with who REALLY knows what I'm talking about. My doctor's office holds a monthly support group where, led by a coach/counselor, we chat about our achievements, disappointments, things that work, things that don't, what we are struggling with, etc. We have people with Lap Band, By-Pass and Sleeve. There is no weigh-in at these meetings. Between these meetings and here on LBT, I feel I have a good network of support. Weight Watchers could be good for you, especially if you are looking for the accountability of a weekly weigh-in, but I'd want to know their approach to WLS patients. I'm not speaking of the WW program itself, but of the leaders and members of the one you choose to attend. And certainly, check out the mentors/buddies here. Good luck with finding what works for YOU! :thumbup:

Last week: 239.6 This week: 237 Loss: 2.6 lbs!! Well, I'm happy with this. However, I'm going to visit my folks this week, so we'll see if I can at least maintain that loss. And, I've noticed in the last couple of months that I am seeing more of a TOM gain than I have in the past. Thank goodness the next week is usually a loss of that gain, and maybe a bit more, but it's frustrating to basically have 2 weeks out of the month negate each other. I'm not going to worry too much about it though. The weight is still coming off, I'm not having any troubles with eating, and each time I struggle with head hunger and defeat it, I feel stronger! We August All-Stars are a super bunch!!

When you say you are eating the same as before, do you mean before the band? With the exception being that you are not drinking with meals? Or did you mean that you are still following the band rules, but have started drinking with your meals? Just wanted to make sure I understand you. Drinking with your meals is one of the big reasons people start to gain, according to what I've been told. With the band, your food is supposed to fill up the small pouch above the band, filling you up more quickly, and keeping you full longer as the food works its way through. When you drink, it makes your food more liquid and causes it to pass through your band quickly, so you lose the benefits of the band. So, if you are following your post-band diet, but are drinking with meals, that could be the root of your problem. If, on the other hand, you are back to eating amounts that you did before the band, you should go back to your doctor and talk about another fill.

Are you tracking your calories? I think a healthy snack or two, if you are genuinely physically hungry, are certainly called for. I usually have a banana and a tbsp of peanut butter during the day. Another wonderful substitution for nuts I have found is Dry Roasted Edamame. A 1/4 cup serving has 130 calories, 4 g of fat and ....get this...14 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber. You can't beat that with a stick! They really satisfy my salty, crunchy cravings. I find them in the organic/natural foods section at my local Kroger. You can read more about it at Seapoint Farms

Just in the last week or so, I've noticed that I seem to be feeling my band around my stomach, something I've never noticed before. The only time I was ever aware of my band was if I ate too much. I'd get a sharp feeling, like a stitch in my side, and a sensation of pressure until the food passed through. I've never PBed, never vomited, have no trouble eating anything at all. I'll occasionally feel slightly stuck, usually with bread or too big a bite of something, but after a minute or two it passes and I can continue eating. This new feeling is pretty much constant. It's like I can actually feel the band squeezing my stomach. It's not painful, not even really uncomfortable, just.....different. I'm going to monitor it, because I'm thinking it may be connected to TOM. It hasn't affected my ability to eat - I don't feel more restricted than before, don't have any trouble with morning eating or anything like that. I'd like to get your thoughts on this. Thanks!

You had surgery 2 days ago. Please give yourself a chance to recover. sleeping is probably a good thing right now. Take the Lortab as directed, it will help. Make sure you are drinking water...small sips all through the day. Try to drink your Protein Drinks a little at a time. My dr has his patients drink 2 oz of a Protein Drink every hour, with 2 oz of other approved liquids up to every 15 minutes. The goal is to get in about 64 oz of fluids during the day. Keep a bottle of Water with you and sip on it. You WILL feel better. Just take it easy now, don't push things.

Just in the last week or so, I've noticed that I seem to be feeling my band around my stomach, something I've never noticed before. The only time I was ever aware of my band was if I ate too much. I'd get a sharp feeling, like a stitch in my side, and a sensation of pressure until the food passed through. I've never PBed, never vomited, have no trouble eating anything at all. I'll occasionally feel slightly stuck, usually with bread or too big a bite of something, but after a minute or two it passes and I can continue eating. This new feeling is pretty much constant. It's like I can actually feel the band squeezing my stomach. It's not painful, not even really uncomfortable, just.....different. I'm going to monitor it, because I'm thinking it may be connected to TOM. It hasn't affected my ability to eat - I don't feel more restricted than before, don't have any trouble with morning eating or anything like that. I'd like to get your thoughts on this. Thanks!

Perhaps the OP used an alternate ID because she feared reprisals from the doctor or hospital. Staff from there could most certainly view these forums, and probably do.