MADE IT 2 MY GOAL..OH YEAH

Showers are fine even baths are fine. My husband gave me a shower about 8 hours after I got my band

I recieved my band on August 18 of this year. I have finally started losing weight like I should, just for the past 3 weeks, I dropped a total of 10 pounds. Wish I could have lost like this in the beginning then I'd be alot closer to my goal weight, but I'm losing now, so I am happy. Anyways, I am having severe gas pains about 3 days a week. I have tried things over the counter but nothing seems to be working. When I say severe, I mean, I can't walk upright cause it is so bad and I find myself in the fetal position while having them. I have never had this problem before, just since I got my band placed. Has anyone else had this problem? If so, what did you find to help relieve it?

The key to not over eating, put just a tablespoon of food on your plate. In time, you will begin to know the signs of when you are getting full. For me, I can tell when I am getting full because I start to have problems breathing, but, everyone has different signs. Also, remember, don't spend over 20 minutes while eating, don't eat infront of the TV, and try to talk a less as possible, this above things, can get you into trouble. Remember, you are only hungry for 30 minutes.

Your body is going through so many changes right now and getting use to not overeating anymore. Thoughts of did I make a mistake having this done or not will pop into your head quite a few times. But just remember, you did this for many different reasons. To be healthier, to feel better about youself, a whatever reasons you may have decided to have it done. It does get better, I promise. In the end, you will look back at your first few weeks after having surgery, and think to yourself, I can't believe that I 2nd guessed myself about having this done. Good luck!!

Each visit is 300.00 dollars, fill, unfill whatever. I am self pay. This is getting expensive. $300.00 a fills?:cool: Luckly, my insurance paid for my surgery and pays for the fills and unfills. But still, 300 is alot of money. I ask at my Dr. office just to see how much it was and they only charge $100.00 per fill/ or unfill. where do you live?

I'm not new to this site I've been here for a few weeks now. Everyone seems pretty nice on here and I'm thankful for that. There's just one problem here, I have seen people from everywhere here except, TENNESSEE. Am I the only one on here from TN or what?:tt2:

This also will be my first Thanksgiving since I got band I had mine done in August of this year. My husband, and our 4 kids are travling up North (West Virginia) for the Holidays. I am a little scared of this big Holiday, but I know not only I will get through it, but, all of us will make it. My primary goal is not to overstuff myself. I plan on having a small piece of turkey, a few tablespoons of stuffing, a little bit of cranberry sauce, and whatever I may think I want. I have pretty much learned when I begin to get full and when to stop. So, if I end up putting to much on my plate, I will just save some for later. I have had the thought of not eating anything until time for Thanksgiving dinner that day, but I'm not to sure how that will work out.

You may need to make an appointment with your surgeon, also ask if maybe the band wan't placed high enough on your stomach. Everyone loses at a differnt weight but if you were band in 07 you should have lost alot more than that. I was band in august of this year and have only lost 25 pounds, but due to my back problems, I'm not able to exercise like I should so I figure that is the reason I am not losing as fast as most people do. I know from experience that you can't compare your weight loss to others cause you will only depress yourself. Eight right, exercise as much as you can and get yourself to the Doctor ASAP.

I tought it would be nice to make a list of at least 10 things that we will not or do not miss about being overweight. Hopefully many more will go along with me on this. Below are things I surely WILL NOT miss about being overweight!! 1. Looking the other way when I pass by a full length mirror. 2. While buying clothes having to go to the plus size clothes and the clothes being ugly. *why don't they make trendy cloths for us overweight women anyways?* 3. Having to make sure my shirts are long enough to cover my oversized stomach. 4. Looking at pictures of myself from my thin days wondering how I could let my weight get so out of control 5. Not feeling comfortable around my (inshaped) husband 6. People I went to school with looking at me in shock because I have went from 125 to over 200 pounds. 7. Not being able to play with my kids without getting out of breath within the first couple minutes. 8. Double chin 9. having to have long hair because short hair makes my face look even fatter 10. having to wear a bathing suit that has a skirt with it cause i dont want my thighs to show

So, on the 18th of this month will be 3 months since I had my band put in. I have now lost 23 pounds ( not as good as most people). Only having lost 23 pounds, I am still glad I had this done. I have a couple before pictures and was just wondering, how often have all of you taken picutes of yourself just to compare with the before. I have been thinking of having my mom do a few aftershots just to see how far I have come and if I look any different. Problem is, I am really scared to have them taken. I'm worried that if I don't see a big change, I will get discouraged (however you spell it) and become depressed. Any advice on this subject?

I am wanting to start exercising to "Sweating to the oldies" with Richard Simmons. I know I can go online and buy the DVDs but to tell you the truth we are really tight with cash right now. I am not able to work and my husband is out of sick leave and has been for a couple months now (his back). I was wondering, does anyone have a copy they may be able to burn onto the computer and send to me? I have tried d/l the video but I can't seem to find it on any downloading site. No, downloading videos is not against the law unless you burn and sell them. I just want to use them in my home.

In a way my story is alot like other here on this site, but in a way it may differ also. I was actually in very good shape most of my life. Up until I was 19 years old and become pregnant with my first child, I was only 125 pounds. I didn't do much to keep in shape. As a matter of fact, I worked at Hardees and would eat hamburgers and fries all evening, and of the morning when we would stop serving breakfast, what ever was left of the cinnamon biscuits, I would eat. On a normal day i could eat atleast a dozen of them and wash it down with a milkshake and NEVER gain an ounce. I like to call those days, "the good old days". When I didn't have to worry about my weight. I never once thought I would be sitting here on a site like this with something wrapped around my stomach to help me lose weight, crap, I never thought I'd have the need to lose weight. I got married shortly after my 19 birthday and within a month after getting married, I become pregnant with my first child. Still at 125 pounds, I never worried about gaining pregnancy weight cause I thought I would be able to lose it like most of the women in my family and the fact that my mom weighs less than 130 pounds also. While pregnant with Savanna, (my little girl) I gained up to 200 pounds. Not once did my OB/GYN tell me I was gaining to much weight. After having Savanna, I never lost the weight. My marriage wasn't the best in the world, I didn't get along with my inlaws what so ever, so I turned to food to comfort myself. I become pregnant again at the age of 21 with my son Jerry, and ended up around 250. I tried to lose the weight but nothing I did ever seemed to work for any length of time, so, I gave up and figured I was suppose to be fat for the rest of my life. My (now) ex husband had gained alot of weight over the years so I got to were I didn't care. My ex-husband and I split up in June of 2005 and within just a few months, I was down to right at 200 pounds. I was able to fit into button up jeans again and was starting to feel good about myself again. I met the man I am now married to in March of 06 and stayed at the right at 200 mark for a while. I got comfortable with him and gained my weight back. (It get a little personal here, but, this is my story). After gaining alot of the weight back, I become more ashamed of my body than ever. You see, my husband is really good looking, in shape, nice body all that stuff. We got married in March of this year, and I guess you can say my breaking point on my weight was when I really realized, I wouldn't let him see me naked at all. Sex was totally out of the question unless it was totally dark, and his hands weren't aloud any futher than my breast. Although he always told me that my weight didn't matter to him and he thought I was beautiful, I still couldn't get past it. I mean after all, if I couldn't stand to see myself naked in the mirror, how could anyone else, especially a man stand to see me that way. After a long drawn out battle with my weight, I started checking in on the lapband. I was to scared to go for the bypass, and I had heard that besides not losing the weight as fast, the band was just as good. I wen't into the hospital on August 18 weighing in at 267 pounds. Thoughts of myself on that very day were as follows. I am nasty, not worth a glance, I was ashamed that I could let myself get to the point that I had to have an operation to help me lose weight. I made my goals 2 days before my surgery. They were small goals, but goals that I swore I would make it to by next year, hopefully even sooner. Savanna is a cheerleader and has always wanted me to be a coach but I was to embarrassed to do it, so one of my goals was that next football season, I was going to ask to help coach her squad and not be wondering if anyone was sitting there laughing at me because my stomach hang down lower. I am going to be able to get outside and my with my kids and not have to sit down cause I got out of breath within the first couple of minutes of being out there with them. I am going to be able to take my clothes off in broad daylight and let my husband see me. Although I have already passed that goal due to the fact I demaned to take a shower the same day I had my surgery and he was the only one I would let in the bathroom with me and he had to wash me. I was so drugged up I didn't care at the moment, all I knew is I wanted a shower and I was going to get one...lol. I was 1 goal that I want to make before the end of this year, that goal is, you know those cute little nighties that come out during Christmas time, the red see through ones with the white trim and red string with the white bally thing at the end. I want to be able to get into one of those by Christmas and not be scared of how I look. Those are my goals. It is now 2 months and 12 days after my surgery. I haven't done as well as I hoped and not as well as other on this site has done. But I have lost 22 pounds, went down 1 pant size, and the sad part is, yeah I am losing weight, but my boobs are going with it to, and I hate that. So, to anyone out there who is reading my story and hasn't had this surgery done, my advise to you is this. This is a life changing that you are going to do. It not magical and not by any means is it easy. But, it is something that will change your life but only if you help it chance you life. "to get what you want, sometimes you have to do what you have never done before"

In a way my story is alot like other here on this site, but in a way it may differ also. I was actually in very good shape most of my life. Up until I was 19 years old and become pregnant with my first child, I was only 125 pounds. I didn't do much to keep in shape. As a matter of fact, I worked at Hardees and would eat hamburgers and fries all evening, and of the morning when we would stop serving Breakfast, what ever was left of the cinnamon biscuits, I would eat. On a normal day i could eat atleast a dozen of them and wash it down with a milkshake and NEVER gain an ounce. I like to call those days, "the good old days". When I didn't have to worry about my weight. I never once thought I would be sitting here on a site like this with something wrapped around my stomach to help me lose weight, crap, I never thought I'd have the need to lose weight. I got married shortly after my 19 birthday and within a month after getting married, I become pregnant with my first child. Still at 125 pounds, I never worried about gaining pregnancy weight cause I thought I would be able to lose it like most of the women in my family and the fact that my mom weighs less than 130 pounds also. While pregnant with Savanna, (my little girl) I gained up to 200 pounds. Not once did my OB/GYN tell me I was gaining to much weight. After having Savanna, I never lost the weight. My marriage wasn't the best in the world, I didn't get along with my inlaws what so ever, so I turned to food to comfort myself. I become pregnant again at the age of 21 with my son Jerry, and ended up around 250. I tried to lose the weight but nothing I did ever seemed to work for any length of time, so, I gave up and figured I was suppose to be fat for the rest of my life. My (now) ex husband had gained alot of weight over the years so I got to were I didn't care. My ex-husband and I split up in June of 2005 and within just a few months, I was down to right at 200 pounds. I was able to fit into button up jeans again and was starting to feel good about myself again. I met the man I am now married to in March of 06 and stayed at the right at 200 mark for a while. I got comfortable with him and gained my weight back. (It get a little personal here, but, this is my story). After gaining alot of the weight back, I become more ashamed of my body than ever. You see, my husband is really good looking, in shape, nice body all that stuff. We got married in March of this year, and I guess you can say my breaking point on my weight was when I really realized, I wouldn't let him see me naked at all. Sex was totally out of the question unless it was totally dark, and his hands weren't aloud any futher than my breast. Although he always told me that my weight didn't matter to him and he thought I was beautiful, I still couldn't get past it. I mean after all, if I couldn't stand to see myself naked in the mirror, how could anyone else, especially a man stand to see me that way. After a long drawn out battle with my weight, I started checking in on the lapband. I was to scared to go for the bypass, and I had heard that besides not losing the weight as fast, the band was just as good. I wen't into the hospital on August 18 weighing in at 267 pounds. Thoughts of myself on that very day were as follows. I am nasty, not worth a glance, I was ashamed that I could let myself get to the point that I had to have an operation to help me lose weight. I made my goals 2 days before my surgery. They were small goals, but goals that I swore I would make it to by next year, hopefully even sooner. Savanna is a cheerleader and has always wanted me to be a coach but I was to embarrassed to do it, so one of my goals was that next football season, I was going to ask to help coach her squad and not be wondering if anyone was sitting there laughing at me because my stomach hang down lower. I am going to be able to get outside and my with my kids and not have to sit down cause I got out of breath within the first couple of minutes of being out there with them. I am going to be able to take my clothes off in broad daylight and let my husband see me. Although I have already passed that goal due to the fact I demaned to take a shower the same day I had my surgery and he was the only one I would let in the bathroom with me and he had to wash me. I was so drugged up I didn't care at the moment, all I knew is I wanted a shower and I was going to get one...lol. I was 1 goal that I want to make before the end of this year, that goal is, you know those cute little nighties that come out during Christmas time, the red see through ones with the white trim and red string with the white bally thing at the end. I want to be able to get into one of those by Christmas and not be scared of how I look. Those are my goals. It is now 2 months and 12 days after my surgery. I haven't done as well as I hoped and not as well as other on this site has done. But I have lost 22 pounds, went down 1 pant size, and the sad part is, yeah I am losing weight, but my boobs are going with it to, and I hate that. So, to anyone out there who is reading my story and hasn't had this surgery done, my advise to you is this. This is a life changing that you are going to do. It not magical and not by any means is it easy. But, it is something that will change your life but only if you help it chance you life. <a href="http://www.3fatchicks.com/"><img src="http://www.3fatchicks.net/img/heartbar/fireworks01/lb/267/150/242/.png" border="0"></a> "to get what you want, sometimes you have to do what you have never done before"

I took a pair of oversized night pants and a really oversiezed night shirt to wear when I had mine done

After 2 1/2 months of not smoking, I have fallen off the wagon. I have been going through alot lately including no weight loss at all. I wasn't gaining but still I wasn't losing either. With personal and family problems, I went back to smoking. :-( Now, I am starting to have problems. I have only been smoking again for a week and for the past 2 days, anything I try to eat, gets stuck. No matter what it is froms eggs, to gravy, to turkey with gravy, it is getting stuck. EVERYTIME!! Could this be due to my starting smoking again?

Ok so, about this time every year, I come down with strep throat followed by a hacking cough. I usually just call my doctor and they call me in some antibotics and I run out to Walmart and get some cough medicine. Just wondering if anyone knows what kind of cough medicine I can take now since I am not suppose to have any NSAIDS and are the antibotics ok to still take cause I still have some left and instead of calling the doctor, I can just take those if they are ok. It is amoxcil (however you spell it)

NO, you don't sound prissy at all. I know, I am suppose to take all my medicine when I recieve it, but this one time I didn't take it all. I'll call my doctor in the morning and get me an appointment to see for sure what is going on.

i read where people have been on this and lost 25-40 within their first couple of months. I know exactly what you are going through. I had my surgery on Aug. 18 and have only lost 17 pounds. I am always reading on this site where people have lost alot more weight and here I am stuck on 17 pounds. I am on my 3rd fill with 7cc in my 9cc band. I am also really bummed and wonder if this band is even going to work for me. Unlike you, I AM able to exercise. I walk 4 miles every other day (but since the kids are finished with cheerleading and football), now I will be down to 2 miles a day due to gas prices and not wanting to run out my gas so fast. It seems that no matter what I do, I can't get this weight off and it is really driving me NUTS!!!!

I was banded on Aug. 18 of this yr. The last smoke I had was right before I entered the doors of the hospital the day of my surgery. If I had it all to do over again, I would have stopped smoking right after I had my first consult with my surgeon, (well, I never would have started smoking actually). No caffine, no smoking, no carbonated drinks, and such a huge cut back on my food, all at 1 time, it really makes everything even harder to do.

Hey everyone!!! Just wanted to say that today I got my 3rd adjustment. I am now up to 7cc in my 9cc band. After getting my adjustment this morning, I could (right on the spot) feel a big difference. I could actually feel the water stall for a couple seconds and then could feel it going through. It was such a wonderful feeling.:tt1: I have lost a whole pound just since going to the Doctor this morning. I really hope that this time we have found my "sweet spot" and the weight will start falling off.

I'd say more of on the lines of not losing at all. I had no restriction at all until yesterday actually very little yesterday. Today, well it's 9:20 a.m. and I have been up for 3 1/2 and I'm not even hungry yet. Hopefully that means that the RESTRICITON has really sat in and I will start losing the weight now.

:tt1::thumbup:I only have a 9cc band and I am at 7cc and 18 pounds lighter right now!!:thumbup:

I know what you mean. Its been almost a month since I got banded and I feel like I too am failing. I try not to do wrong, but I end up talking myself into it. I know I have very little restriction as of right now, but I'm not feeling any of the benefits, just the side effects of the band. I'm still wanting to eat not to long after I have ate, and I'm not feeling up like I should when I eat. I feel I could eat more. Although I dont have the restriction feeling, I have clumped a few times. Imagine that, I have the clumping if I eat to fast or if I don't chew good enough, but I dont have that "I'm full" feeling and my food isn't staying in my pouch as long as it should. I'm having my 3rd adjustment 2morrow and I really hope that it helps. I'm even going to ask if I can start taking my prescribed diet pills again to help with that mental hunger thing.

Hey Kay, Yes, I have had 2 fills already and I go tomorrow (Tuesday) for my 3rd fill. I have a 9cc band and I already have 5cc in it. I have probably stretched my pouch, but from what I read below, I am assuming that if I start eating normally (3 to 4 ounces) that it will shrink back down. Don't get me wrong I don't gorge myself when I eat, but I slightly go over the 4 ounces my diet call for because I don't feel it is enough for me. I just hope I haven't messed things up with the band.

How can one tell if they have stretched their pouch and if they have, what happens, how do they unstretch it? Ok the way I ask that sounds stupid but I have had a long day and I'm really tired here so just bare with me. lol I guess what I meant was, if you stretch your pouch, do you have to have another surgery to get it back to where it is suppose to be?