krtork

WTG! How fun to shop in smaller sizes!

WTG! Keep up the good work!

My surgeon recommends benefiber, because you can mix it pretty easily with almost anything. It does not have any flavor.

I do a visual check on what a serving size should look like (deck of cards, palm of hand, etc). If I am feeling unsure about something I will weigh or measure. I have a small kitchen scale - I've had it for years, that I use to weigh my food. You can pick food scales up pretty reasonably at any of the "marts".

Way to go! That is so exciting when you drop a size. I am going to box and donate my clothes, can't wait to do a closet cleaning. I get paid on the first and I am going out to buy a couple pairs of new pants. I have found that I really like dresses for school, I don't have to be pulling my pants up all day!

That is so true. I found at school the kids are asking my daughter and the teachers are asking my husband. Weird, why won't they talk to me:crying: I am so excited to be losing and noticing it! I had one of my students from last year come by my room the other day and she said I looked great and I had to of lost a lot of weight over the summer. I was so jazzed, I wanted to jump over my desk and hug her!:thumbup:

I did slime when I got stuck the other day. Man did that hurt. I was eating in a hurry. I decided a small slice of meatloaf would be good - um, big check go in the no column! I didn't even feel it coming on. I slimed and had to walk for sometime before everything went down and loosened up. I will definitely remember that feeling and I don't want to go there anytime soon!

I really loved having warm broth - it settled my stomach and went down easy in the first few weeks. Make sure you are sipping constantly, it is easy to get dehydrated in the beginning. You will make mistakes along the way - that is how you learn to live with your band, everybody is different. Just don't be afraid to try new things and see what works best for you!

Too funny! At least you know where to find it! I did feel some restriction with my first fill - I had 3cc put in and it did make a difference. However, everybody is different. If you are losing weight you should continue to lose weight, I would think!

Have you had your first fill yet? That really made a difference for me. Really work on your portion size and try to just eat that. I know it can be hard, but I put all my food on a small plate or in a small bowl and make sure I just eat my serving. I have also found that eating "real" food helps me feel full. If I eat food that just slides through I have the same problem and want to eat much sooner. Make sure you are drinking your Water in between - that will help you feel full between meals too. I think head hunger is the hardest thing to fight, it feels so real. Good luck, keep working and the scale will move down!

I had the Realize band put in on Aug 5. I have lost 27lbs since surgery. I had my first fill on Sept 3 and could feel the restriction. Before my fill I felt like I was wide open and could eat anything. It does not feel as tight as when I first had my fill, but I am unable to eat any significant amounts of food. I really work to keep my Protein amounts up so that I am getting enough. I have found when I start getting low on protein, I slow down on the weight loss. I am still new so I don't know if this helps you at all.

Congrats on onederland! I can't wait to get there! I hope the family issues are settled. Sounds like you are doing great without the fill. Keep up the good work!

Hey all! I have been super busy with school starting, just wanted to check in and say hi! I have been feeling good and having to remind myself to eat, I have not been hungry at all. I do need to get my fanny moving, exercise has not been going as planned. I am so tired when I get home from school, I just can't get motivated to exercise. Okay, I need a good push! I know it. Writing it makes it seem like a cop out. This board is so good for support. Hope you all have been well. I am off to school in the morning and then a 4.5 hr drive to my daughter's volleyball match for the weekend!

I agree with Lankila! Get busy and use the band. You need to make sure you are eating Protein and something that has some substance to it so your pouch can stretch and give you the feeling of being full. Protein first and fill in with veggies. Watch your portions! You don't want to eat a lot of slider foods that just slip on through. You can do this, it is why you got the band - get busy and use it, you will be glad you did!

I am really surprised that I felt so much restriction. I have been able to eat about 3/4 to 1 cup a food for each meal. I have to remind myself to eat because I have been full. I thought it would take more fills to have restriction. Oh well, I am lovin' feelin' full. I wonder if this will be short lived or carry me through to my appt next month? Thanks for the support! :thumbup:

Stacy~ I had my first fill this past Wed. I had 3cc put in and could definitely feel it right away. I did help with that hungry feeling in my tummy. I was on liquids for 1.5 days and moved to mushies and soft textures pretty easily. I lost about 5 lbs while on liquids and it has since slowed down. I agree with MistyD65 about staying off the scales. I was checking almost daily and went to weekly when I started adding real textures back in. I have been slowly losing since that time. Just remember every pound is a pound you will not have to lose again! Keep up the good work, you will start moving down the scales soon!

I didn't have to go have my fill undone! I am feeling better. The next morning I felt fine and was able to drink my protein shake and water during the day. Whew! I have been feeling full and have to remind myself to eat. I started soft food again today and it seems to be going really well! I am glad I didn't have to go back in. I think my tummy was a just a bit tender from being snugged up some more and I had to let it calm down.

There is a support group at the hospital, it meets on Tuesdays. I think if you call SCMC they would have the schedule.

My fill did not go so well. I have been feeling not so great since I had it done at 4 yesterday. The fill part was easy and painless. But since last night I have not felt well at all. I had a hard time drinking all of my water, it is going down but I feel like I take 2 sips and have a lump in my chest. I had some tomato soup for lunch and got it down. But this evening I have not had an easy time. I think I will call the doctor's office in the morning, I think I may need some taken out. They started with 3cc, may have been too much!

I love the fact that you can laugh like that with your mom! My dd and I are just like that. We are always cracking up until we cry. I have not had a problem with feeling sick. Maybe you gulped a bunch of air??? Sorry that it hurts, hope you are feeling better!

Lanakila~I think I also jumped ahead by a day or two! It really didn't bother my tummy. Momcof3~Man that is a long time for each stage! I feel for you. Just keep in mind that this is just a short phase to the rest of your life. You can do it!

Woo Hoo! WTG! It is so great when you hit those milestones! Keep up the good work!

There isn't something similar that you can take. I had to change my ADHD meds for a short time because they were time release also. I have to take one in the am and one in the afternoon. I am doing okay on them, but I am much better on the other med. Can't wait to get back to it. I feel lucky that I was able to stay on my antidepressant. Is it possible they could give you something similar until you are able to handle the time release? It might at least keep you even/balanced, that is how I look at it. Sorry I am not much help, I feel for you!

Kristen is right, make sure you are doing Protein first! My doc won't let us have bread, rice or Pasta for the first 6 mos. I think it is more about not eating bad carbs in the beginning, so we are focused on healthier foods. Make sure you check the diet forum, there is a whole area devoted to sharing recipes - there are some great ideas! I love ricotta with marinara, warmed up in the micro, yum! I also ate refried Beans with a sprinkle of cheese and salsa. I am able to tolerate scrambled eggs, so that was something I made often. Mushies is a great stage, it was so nice to be off the liquids!

I would follow your doctors instructions, however, 4 weeks seems like a long time for liquids. I was on clear liquids for 2 days, full liquids for 1 week, mushies for 2 weeks and then soft textures for a week and moving into full food options. Liquids are the hardest phase. I know that you need them for your band to have time to heal, but 4 weeks seems like a long time! They don't want your stomach moving around to digest food, that way the band can heal more quickly. I noticed that you have already dropped a lot of weight, WTG! Hang in there and you will get through this stage and be to mushies and soft textures in no time. This is just a short phase we have to go through for healing to take place!