JuneAct2

Same here. The only two times I've been "semi-stuck" was because I hadn't chewed the food good. My band was doing exactly what it was supposed to do! Keep this thread in the back of your mind when you sit down to eat. Chew, chew, chew! I love my band!!!

Michele, The band IS a tool. One that comes with rules to be followed. Yes. When you follow the rules you will lose the weight you want to lose. At the beginning you may struggle simply because the band needs time to heal in place before they start filling it. During that time you will still be hungry. Some people even gain a few pounds when they go back on mushy foods and solids after surgery. So it's largely up to you to make yourself follow the rules until you get enough fills to stop being hungry between meals. It's different for everyone, in that some get a fill and immediately stop being hungry. For me, it was more of a gradual realization that I wasn't getting hungry. I've had 3 fills and I go for my 4th this afternoon. It is a bit of a struggle in the beginning, but after a couple of months it gets easier, and for me, at 4 months out, it's getting VERY easy. I wish you the very best of luck.

What usually works for me is to simply ask the waiter quietly to remove the tray from the table. Or ask them to bring a to go box and put the leftovers in it. Your friend/coworker can have them later. My friends are mostly drinkers and they hardly ever notice when I do this. They are too busy whooping and hollering to pay attention!

I don't race anymore due to injuries, but I clicked on the website out of curiousity. The very first race on the list was right here where I live! Cracked me up! Thanks for sharing! :biggrin:

Okay, for the next couple of weeks, take the focus OFF of your exercise (or inability to exercise) and focus on taking care of other things. You're having a body life in 22 days?! That will more than take care of the last pound!! :biggrin: You are THERE! Don't sweat that last pound! You've done an awesome job and you really should be proud of yourself!

I went through TLC Edge as well. I went in on 10/21/08 on the "fast track" as mentioned before. My surgery was on 11/06/08. I liked the fact that they took care of all the details and appointment scheduling since I don't live in Dallas and would be driving 2 1/2 hours to get there. They set me up with Dr. Gonzalez, and I just loved him. However, the wait in his office was extremely long. I had my surgery at Prestonwood Surgery Center (in the same building with TLC). All the people at the surgery center were extremely nice and helpful. And, they took great care of my daughter who freaks out anytime I have surgery. TLCEdge doesn't require you to buy the Opti-fast. I wanted something I could buy locally, but I later wished I'd gotten some of the soup. In the packet there is a list of alternatives. I tried a few of them and really like the Atkins Advantage RTD shakes. I had up to 6 shakes a day for my pre-op and felt pretty good after about day 3!! I go to TLCE for my fills as well. They use ultrasound to pinpoint the port and mark it before they start. They numb the area before they do a fill. And, they have me drink BEFORE they take the needle out to make sure I'm not overfilled. I have never had to wait more than 4-5 minutes for my appt. I'm in and out in around 15 minutes. I would recommend them to any of my friends and family. :biggrin:

For my pre-op diet I was given a list of brand choices. My dr. recommended Opti-fast, but I chose Atkins because they were more readily available. Compared to what we would normally eat, 6 shakes a day is only 960 calories. For 13 days I drank 6 Atkins shakes a day, plus water, SF popsicles, and SF jello. I also chewed LOTS of gum, in part to get over the "wanting to chew" feeling, and the other part because I'm not supposed to chew gum now. Lost 11 lbs in the first 8 days. Good luck to you.

OMG! It really stresses out a young over-achieving server when you don't order a drink. I have had them come back 4 or 5 times asking if I am SURE I don't want a drink! It's too funny!!

Check the batteries in your scale if it's digital! Mine get REALLY erratic when the batteries get low. Don't worry! It's a fluke!

It doesn't necessarily have to be "running" a 5k. You can start by signing up for charity events like Race for the Cure, or Jingle Bell Runs at Christmas. When I first started running YEARS ago, I saw an ad for Willie Nelson's 10k for Farm-Aid. Signed up immediately! It was a blast! And I was running alongside Willie Nelson AND Lance Armstrong! It just doesn't get any better than that!! Check out www.runnersworld.com and look at the race schedule. You don't HAVE to be a serious dedicated runner to join alot of the events they list. As for daily workouts, I use an elliptical machine for my aerobic exercise. One week I will watch minutes try to go longer, then the next I'll watch how many steps I've been and if it's like 1250, I'll try to hold out to 1500. I try to vary my goals so I don't get bored. Good luck!

If you can find a gym that will let you join for a month, try both and see which one works best for you. I will use a treadmill, but I love the elliptical trainer. I get a better workout overall because it uses your WHOLE body. Just don't try to jump on and take off lickety-split thinking you'll do 30 minutes the first day. Start with what you can do and work up in increments every few days/weeks until you are getting a good workout. The gym I go to has a Pro-form Elliptical (can't remember what the model is) and I really like it. I can buy one new from Pro-form starting at $499. Hope this helps.

Your doctor could probably tell by your demeanor that he didn't need to beat you up! You were doing a pretty good job of it yourself! You really got yourself worked up! Just hang in there and keep doing the right things and it will all work out just fine!!

Check out this website www.dailyplate.com You can track your calorie intake as well as calories burned. It can be a real eye opener when you track your food! I am not a nutritionist, but IMO you are not getting enough calories. Good luck to you.

No one on here is going to suggest you NOT call your doctor; me included. It can't hurt to call them. With that said, you are probably okay. You might want to back up to liquids for a day in case you have any swelling. Your doctor can better advise you. I haven't been stuck that bad yet, and only twice have I gotten food stuck. Both times were chicken, and both were because I hadn't chewed the food enough. First time I was laughing and accidentally swallowed. I knew before it got there it wasn't going to be good. The second time I wasn't thinking and swallowed my food to answer the phone. I ended up hanging upside down on the side of the road trying to get it unstuck. It was horrible! Now, I only eat while sitting at the table and I don't eat "finger foods". And, I remembered the rule about cutting my food the size of a nickel and chewing it to the size of a dime! Works great! Hope all goes well for you!

Relax and give yourself time to heal. The first few weeks are for healing; NOT weight loss. Even without complications it took a couple of weeks for me to feel back to normal again. Make sure you are getting enough water, and follow your doctors orders TO THE LETTER. There is little or no fluid in the band right now so it's not working yet. Your band needs time to settle in and the sutures to heal that hold it in place. Rest as much as you can, and if your doctor allows, walk some each day. I will say the first couple of months are the hardest, and the weight may not come off as fast as you want, but once you start getting fills and getting some restriction, you'll feel better and lose weight faster. Be patient. You've just had major LIFE CHANGING surgery. By the summer you'll be feeling a whole lot better about things! Best of luck to you.

I used Atkins Advantage Protein Shakes. They're really good. I'm 4 mos. post-band and I still have one for Breakfast. I lost 11# in 8 days drinking 6 shakes a day! Best of luck to you!

I think that's just not true. Your friends most likely didn't mention it because they see YOU, not your size. They like you for who you are! Be happy to have friends like that! Hang in there! We're all going to succeed!!!!

When I started going through menopause (at age 42) that was one of the FIRST symptoms. I have very thick hair and I was losing almost as much hair in a day as some people HAVE. It's worth checking out. Adding my estrogen patch did wonders for me! Here is a list of symptoms: Simple symptoms may easily be ignored but it's important to note that these symptoms have been reported by women experiencing menopause. If you have any of these symptoms, discuss them with your doctor during your next checkup. Hot flashes, flushes, night sweats and/or cold flashes, clammy feeling Irregular heart beat Irritability Mood swings, sudden tears Trouble sleeping through the night (with or without night sweats) Loss of libido Dry vagina Pain during sex Crashing fatigue Anxiety, feeling ill at ease Feelings of dread, apprehension, doom Difficulty concentrating, disorientation, mental confusion Disturbing memory lapses Incontinence, especially upon sneezing, laughing; urge incontinence Itchy, crawly skin Aching, sore joints, muscles and tendons Increased tension in muscles Breast tenderness Headache change: increase or decrease Gastrointestinal distress, indigestion, flatulence, gas pain, nausea Sudden bouts of bloat Depression Worsening of existing conditions Increase in allergies Weight gain Hair loss or thinning, head, pubic, or whole body; increase in facial hair Dizziness, light-headedness, episodes of loss of balance Changes in body odor Electric shock sensation under the skin and in the head Tingling in the extremities Gum problems, increased bleeding Burning tongue, burning roof of mouth, bad taste in mouth, change in breath odor Osteoporosis Changes in fingernails: softer, crack or break easier Tinnitus: ringing in ears, bells, 'whooshing,' buzzing etc.

I'm in! I need a good challenge! Name...........Start lbs..........Current..........Goal.......To Go Barb12590..........176.................176...............170.........6 Bklyn1984...........263.0..............263.0............253.........10.0 Bobbie155...........255.8..............255.8............245.........10.8 Burgygirl.............230.2..............230.2............220........10.2 coloradobanding...236.................236...............220........16 crzytchr..............239.................239...............229........10 gingerbug...........179.8...............179.8............167.8......12 irishgal...............197.................197...............185........12 Janesays.............214.8..............213.6............202.........11.6 JuneAct2.............198.6.............169.5.............155........14.5 KikiVal315...........212.5..............212.5............206..........6.5 Kristilaw.............264.................264..............250.........14.0 lcwils01..............223.................223..............215...........8 lindar172............229.4..............229.4............219..........10 Long2BThin.........202.4..............202.4............192.4........10 mair...................225................225...............215.........10 Merda................270.................270...............260.........10 mljalways...........215.................215...............200.........15 MsNickelback......179.................179...............167..........12 pvtash61............???..................???...............200..........?? ValJean..............266................266................254.........12

I'm so sorry you're having to deal with food issues AND daughter deploying. Sending a loved one off is one of the hardest things we do. You miss her. You worry about her. But, just remember, she is very well trained to do her job. And, chances are she loves what she does. You have to leave it in God's hands now. I sent my ex off to Saudi during Desert Shield/Desert Storm. That was probably the hardest 7 months of my life. The other wives and I learned to lean on each other while they were gone and just do the best we could. I can't imagine sending one of my children off. I, too, would be devastated. Now, since you can't go with her you'll have to find something to do besides eat! Find a hobby. Maybe something that supports the troops. I'm not sure how close you live to a military installation, but check to see if there are support groups for military families where you live. It doesn't even have to be the same branch of service as your daughter. Go online and check out some of the groups that send care packages to the troops. They always need volunteers. Also, there are websites looking for pen pals for deployed troops. Whatever you choose to do, focus on staying busy and out of the kitchen. Use the time she's going to be away as a "goal post"! Set yourself some health and fitness goals to reach by the time she comes home. Surprise her with a new healthier mom! This IS a hard time for you so don't get too down on yourself. You'll both be in my prayers. Take care.

Renee, Go over to the Food and Nutrition Board. You'll likely find some good info there. Did your doctor not give you information on what he wants you to eat? Or did you see a nutritionist before your surgery? These will be your best source of information. Good luck to you.

I agree with those who say check with your doctor. I am allowed Snacks, and during the mushy stage I could have SF puddings, SF popsicles, SF Jello, etc. Once you are on solid foods again try string cheese, LF turkey or chicken, a boiled egg, or LF cottage cheese. These are pretty good Protein choices that will keep you full longer. They will be your friend until you have enough fills to reach restriction. I am tight in the mornings so I have a Protein shake for Breakfast at 7am. Then at 9 I'll have (Breakstone's) lowfat cottage cheese. It is 90 calories and 11 or 12gms protein. I stay full until lunch with this plan. Good luck to you.

My husband freely admitted he would be jealous when I lost the weight. But, he is very excited about the new me that is emerging. I go to parties now that I avoided before.We go riding on his motorcycle now. And, I just have more energy! Most men ARE babies. We already knew that. So, just keep reminding him of the fun you can have together...and remember to DO the fun things together. Also, telling him how great he looks will distract him and he'll forget he was jealous!! Best of luck to you!

Yes, you are in bandster hell! A couple of things that will help...drinking plenty of water and staying busy! If your doctor gave you instructions on calorie intake, track you calories and make sure you are getting ENOUGH. When you make the transition from liquids to mushies it's not uncommon for weight loss to slow or stop. Be patient! Once you have enough fills to be restricted, and you stick with the rules, the weight will start to come off again. Hang in there! Ya'll can do this!!!!

You DO realize that you'll be on a liquid diet after surgery as well, don't you?! You do realize you'll have to exercise a little restraint after surgery?! You can't just decide "well I wanted it!" And, you know what?! You WILL want things you're not supposed to have! Deal with it! You need to give a lot of thought to whether you are ready for the band. Even with the band, you are setting yourself up for failure if you don't follow your doctors orders. It's not a magic bullet! Doctor puts it in and presto you lose weight. It still takes work on your part. I hate that you cheated yourself, but I can't see giving you sympathy on this one! I hope you will stick with the program and that everything works out for you.