willowcat

So sweet! . Yea for you!

I try to stay away from sugar-free products, because though they have zero (or very few) calories, I find that they activate my sweet tooth and I just start craving sweets more and more!

Is your pinterest name fight4light?

My husband totally disagreed with me--he said that on a site where advice is given, that it's good to know what is good advice and what isn't. The travel advice/reviews site, Tripadvisor, asks, "Was this post helpful (unhelpful is not an option)?" You can see then how many people found that particular post helpful. I think the "thumbs down" part of Alex's news was what was most disdainful to me. And a "Dislike" button is just icky (sorry m1aman)..

Hmmm...I want a "thumbs down" for this idea (sorry, Alex). First of all, it's way too easy to push a button for good/bad--very little thinking is required. At least when someone posts a response (negative or positive) to another person's post, the responder has to think about what point(s) he/she agrees with/disagrees with before composing them into a response. Others are free to read and evaluate the posts on their own. If someone's response is way off base, others usually point it out and corrections are made by the group. "Most votes" doesn't mean "best". Popular opinion has lead to many horrible ideas throughout history. Next, there's the whole impact of getting a "thumbs down" on your post/response to a question. That sort of thing does not encourage collaboration or an atmosphere of mutual support (the reason I have found this site to be so helpful every step of the way). Sorry, but while on the surface it sounds like a good idea (the good float to the top and the bad sink to the bottom), I think it's potential outcome will weaken rather than spport the true strength of this site. Please reconsider.

Veterans such as former military? Or veterans such as long-time bandsters (people who were one of the first to be banded)?

Mine did get heavier, but my cramps lessened. Fat in your body mimics estrogen, so losing a lot of the fat could possibly lead to a change in yiour hormone levels.

I like popcorn and can eat it, but I usually end up barfing up the husks about 30 minutes later--maybe I just eat it too quickly? Probably--that's definitely my MO! Haha!

I've also found a heating pad placed on my stomach helps relax the whole area--I think I get tense from the pain of being stuck--and tensing up doesn't help anything.

I would try tiny sips of cold water then. Depending on what kind of pill was stuck, it may have irritated (swollen) the tissue at the stoma. Best of luck.

My nutritionist had me drinking 68 oz of water/fluid a day during my first year (115 lbs lost). The gallbladder has a lot of work to do processing all that fat you're losing. Drinking water/fluids helps prevent gallstones/gallbladder removal during the time of major weight loss. After that time period--at or near goal--you could probably relax your vigilance and use things like pee color or thirst as a guide. I know I didn't want to have another surgery, so I forced myself to drink and drink and drink. Now, I find that I really do feel a lot better when I'm well hydrated. I fill two Camelback Water bottles in the morning and put them in a little tote (if I'm leaving the house). I drink whenever I feel hungry between meals--that will usually hold off a snack for another 30 minutes or so. Also, there's something about the sucking on a Camelback water bottle that's different from the swallowing or the sipping from any other kind of water bottle. It sounds WEIRD, I know, but it's somehow soothing--if not also a bit regressive! Haha! Oh well, it's working for me!

Me too! Still giggling

Maybe she's not drinking enough water? Someone who would sit and talk to you for an hour after you broke up with your BF sounds like a friend. Now, be a friend back, and tell her the truth.

This is a post from Newsho from a long time ago. Maybe her approach will help you? I've just copied it and pasted it below. Good luck. LENGTH ALERT! (This has very detailed tips and tricks, so this is not a short post. Just a "heads up") People asked me a lot how I went from Slow Loser to getting to goal. I did better my second year of banding and when the weight came off - it really came off. This is something that worked for me, and I recommended to other Bandsters. Granted, these are tips that's not in any LapBand brochure or doctor's manual, and YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY - but if you already think of yourself as a Slow Loser like I was, then maybe you will be open to trying something to shake things up a bit. When I needed a weight-loss push, I didn't cut down on calories much (if I'd recently had a fill adjustment, that's different) but in general: I *added* Protein to every thing I ate. This helped me to lose steadily (although it sped up my weight loss, more importantly it kept it steady). And it worked! Some Bandsters in my same banding date were better at counting calories - I wasn't. Some were better at counting carbs, I wasn't, but I excelled at ADDING protein. And I did well and later, other fellow Bandsters were asking me for help and tips. How did I do it? I did not reduce calories or the amount I consumed (without a fill it wasn't much need to try that) and yet, I still lost. (I added a little bit of Beans, or a sprinkle of cheese (my favorite), or eggs - whatever I could. I didn't reduce what I ate, but I "upped my protein" - and it worked. With the band, if you eat more protein, you generally will find yourself eating less overall - it doesn't feel that way but you do. Every single time I added more protein to my regular Band-friendly meals, I lost more weight, even though I wasn't eating less calories sometimes. Sounds crazy - but in my particular case, if I didn't keep my protein levels up, my body held on to calories a lot more. Who needs their bodies "hoarding" calories? If adding a bit of food meant I would lose more, it was worth a try. It worked. And I paid attention to the TYPE of protein I ate. (Even before banding, I didn't eat beef or pork at all. And the band was developed in other countries where the pork and beef consumption is a lot lower than it is here in the 'States. I'm not a vegetarian, I just eat seafood and poultry only. My doc said this helped my weight loss a lot because the protein I ate was leaner, not fattier protein like pork/ham/bacon or beef/hamburger/fatty red meat. So I didn't have to regulate my portions as much as some Bandsters did. My can of tuna did more for me than a hamburger ever would have.) Also, I'm a single/childless Bandster who lives alone, so I eat out for almost every meal. If I could make it to goal - while eating out - ANYBODY can. How did I do it? Here were some tips. At Breakfast, with my morning egg(s), I added a bit of cheese on top. Or I would have cottage cheese added. For protein and hunger reasons, cottage cheese did better than yogurt for me - unless I just had a fill or was very very filled or adjusted. The most filled I am, the less I eat in the mornings. So especially if you are not at your sweet spot, try Proteins that "stick" with you more to keep hunger away. Yogurt alone was not good enough of a breakfast for me, with the band it just went through, and wasn't really filling. Now if I charged up my yogurt with lots of nuts, seeds, and wheat germ - then BAM! I'm not much of a cold Cereal eater (I prefer hot cereals) but if I had one I made sure it was a protein-packed one (I LOVE Grape Nuts cereal best. Go Lean is awesome, and several of the Oatmeals & Cream of Wheat cereals have good protein content. I also added a few nuts to those, too. If I had a yogurt smoothie drink as a snack, I had them had a half scoop of Protein powder (a full scoop can make it too thick sometimes) or some soy or nuts. Lunchtime was easy to get more protein in. I'd eat a scoop of tuna salad or chicken salad for lunch - and have them add some shredded cheese, some seeds and/or some nuts. I also love Soup. Usually a cup is a nice start to my lunch if I'm having a scoop of salad or tuna. If it's my whole lunch I get a bowl of soup and eat what I can from it. My band will tell me when to stop. Almost any kind of any soup is great with a sprinkle of cheese or nuts added. Beans, too! With my dinner I always like a cup of soup to begin. Gets me going, jump starts & 'primes' my band and it's a great protein opportunity. Then if I could, I concentrated on seafood. ANY type of fish worked great with my band - From catfish to salmon to snapper to Tilapia. Or even shrimp or my all time favorite, calamari. I enjoy oysters in season and clams all year. The weeks that I ate more seafood, I lost more weight - across the board. Usually grilled is a good choice to be honest I even ate it fried (sorry, weight loss experts) and I still did well. And with my seafood, if I could I added beans to almost everything. With my steamed veggies, I added nuts and a sprinkle of cheese sometimes. I know it's not very It really does work! See when I restrict my calories or even when I try to cut down on fat - I usually just end up cutting down on protein. And no matter how "well" or how much less I eat, if I cut my protein my body won't 'burn' up the fat. It holds on to it. I know that protein is the fuel that helps the LapBand machine work and not trying to diet or 'cut down' was a blessing to me. I've had other Bandsters try this, and yes they are skeptical at first but when they start seeing inches lost (muscle really does weigh more than fat, so your clothes tell you before the scale ever will) then they get on the bandwagon. So don't just 'cut down' - ADD some food on your plate. That's right. ADD MORE nuts, boiled/diced egg, beans, cheese, seeds and other yummy forms of protein. Your body and your LapBand will thank you for it. Also adding protein allowed me to eat fewer carbs and save them for what was really a nice treat - a nice martini or occasional glass of wine, with dinner. Yes, I'm a drinking Bandster. All the successful European Bandsters I knew drank a glass or two now and then and they were my role models. I can't drink a lot AT ALL - a little goes a long way, but it was nice to get to goal weight without ever missing a Friday Happy Hour. I got the band to enhance my life, not take away some of the things that make it enjoyable. I eat out at restaurants, I go have drinks with friends - and I feel and look great. BRAVO! Good Luck to you. (And since so many people asked me the same question in private posts - that's why I am posting it on the Slow Losers board too...) Keep up the good fight. I did it - and you can too.

Newsho posted this a long time ago, but it's worth reviving. These are Newsho's words not mine--I just copied and pasted below. LENGTH ALERT! (This has very detailed tips and tricks, so this is not a short post. Just a "heads up") People asked me a lot how I went from Slow Loser to getting to goal. I did better my second year of banding and when the weight came off - it really came off. This is something that worked for me, and I recommended to other Bandsters. Granted, these are tips that's not in any LapBand brochure or doctor's manual, and YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY - but if you already think of yourself as a Slow Loser like I was, then maybe you will be open to trying something to shake things up a bit. When I needed a weight-loss push, I didn't cut down on calories much (if I'd recently had a fill adjustment, that's different) but in general: I *added* Protein to every thing I ate. This helped me to lose steadily (although it sped up my weight loss, more importantly it kept it steady). And it worked! Some Bandsters in my same banding date were better at counting calories - I wasn't. Some were better at counting carbs, I wasn't, but I excelled at ADDING protein. And I did well and later, other fellow Bandsters were asking me for help and tips. How did I do it? I did not reduce calories or the amount I consumed (without a fill it wasn't much need to try that) and yet, I still lost. (I added a little bit of Beans, or a sprinkle of cheese (my favorite), or eggs - whatever I could. I didn't reduce what I ate, but I "upped my protein" - and it worked. With the band, if you eat more protein, you generally will find yourself eating less overall - it doesn't feel that way but you do. Every single time I added more protein to my regular Band-friendly meals, I lost more weight, even though I wasn't eating less calories sometimes. Sounds crazy - but in my particular case, if I didn't keep my protein levels up, my body held on to calories a lot more. Who needs their bodies "hoarding" calories? If adding a bit of food meant I would lose more, it was worth a try. It worked. And I paid attention to the TYPE of protein I ate. (Even before banding, I didn't eat beef or pork at all. And the band was developed in other countries where the pork and beef consumption is a lot lower than it is here in the 'States. I'm not a vegetarian, I just eat seafood and poultry only. My doc said this helped my weight loss a lot because the protein I ate was leaner, not fattier protein like pork/ham/bacon or beef/hamburger/fatty red meat. So I didn't have to regulate my portions as much as some Bandsters did. My can of tuna did more for me than a hamburger ever would have.) Also, I'm a single/childless Bandster who lives alone, so I eat out for almost every meal. If I could make it to goal - while eating out - ANYBODY can. How did I do it? Here were some tips. At breakfast, with my morning egg(s), I added a bit of cheese on top. Or I would have cottage cheese added. For protein and hunger reasons, cottage cheese did better than yogurt for me - unless I just had a fill or was very very filled or adjusted. The most filled I am, the less I eat in the mornings. So especially if you are not at your sweet spot, try Proteins that "stick" with you more to keep hunger away. Yogurt alone was not good enough of a breakfast for me, with the band it just went through, and wasn't really filling. Now if I charged up my yogurt with lots of nuts, seeds, and wheat germ - then BAM! I'm not much of a cold cereal eater (I prefer hot cereals) but if I had one I made sure it was a protein-packed one (I LOVE Grape Nuts cereal best. Go Lean is awesome, and several of the Oatmeals & Cream of Wheat cereals have good protein content. I also added a few nuts to those, too. If I had a yogurt smoothie drink as a snack, I had them had a half scoop of protein powder (a full scoop can make it too thick sometimes) or some soy or nuts. Lunchtime was easy to get more protein in. I'd eat a scoop of tuna salad or chicken salad for lunch - and have them add some shredded cheese, some seeds and/or some nuts. I also love soup. Usually a cup is a nice start to my lunch if I'm having a scoop of salad or tuna. If it's my whole lunch I get a bowl of soup and eat what I can from it. My band will tell me when to stop. Almost any kind of any soup is great with a sprinkle of cheese or nuts added. Beans, too! With my dinner I always like a cup of soup to begin. Gets me going, jump starts & 'primes' my band and it's a great protein opportunity. Then if I could, I concentrated on seafood. ANY type of fish worked great with my band - From catfish to salmon to snapper to Tilapia. Or even shrimp or my all time favorite, calamari. I enjoy oysters in season and clams all year. The weeks that I ate more seafood, I lost more weight - across the board. Usually grilled is a good choice to be honest I even ate it fried (sorry, weight loss experts) and I still did well. And with my seafood, if I could I added beans to almost everything. With my steamed veggies, I added nuts and a sprinkle of cheese sometimes. I know it's not very It really does work! See when I restrict my calories or even when I try to cut down on fat - I usually just end up cutting down on protein. And no matter how "well" or how much less I eat, if I cut my protein my body won't 'burn' up the fat. It holds on to it. I know that protein is the fuel that helps the LapBand machine work and not trying to diet or 'cut down' was a blessing to me. I've had other Bandsters try this, and yes they are skeptical at first but when they start seeing inches lost (muscle really does weigh more than fat, so your clothes tell you before the scale ever will) then they get on the bandwagon. So don't just 'cut down' - ADD some food on your plate. That's right. ADD MORE nuts, boiled/diced egg, beans, cheese, seeds and other yummy forms of protein. Your body and your LapBand will thank you for it. Also adding protein allowed me to eat fewer carbs and save them for what was really a nice treat - a nice martini or occasional glass of wine, with dinner. Yes, I'm a drinking Bandster. All the successful European Bandsters I knew drank a glass or two now and then and they were my role models. I can't drink a lot AT ALL - a little goes a long way, but it was nice to get to goal weight without ever missing a Friday Happy Hour. I got the band to enhance my life, not take away some of the things that make it enjoyable. I eat out at restaurants, I go have drinks with friends - and I feel and look great. BRAVO! Good Luck to you. (And since so many people asked me the same question in private posts - that's why I am posting it on the Slow Losers board too...) Keep up the good fight. I did it - and you can too.

Someone on an old,old post shared how she jumped off her plateaus and went from being a slow loser to a steady loser by adding protein here and there to her meals. I'll see if I can find the original post and link it back here. Good luck finding what will work for you.

Nice.

If you were a newbie, I'd tell you that's where your stomach actually is...Is it a sharp, stabbing pain? Does it last a long time? Is it recurring? The only time I get pain where you described is when I get stuck. Good luck.

Nice! Can I ask how old you are, Karen? I ask because I just turned 50 and figured I would just be accepting "wrinkly" a little earlier than most. Also, are you someone with a high threshold of pain? Seeing your great results is inspiring, but I'm such a whimp and not a fast healer. You've just got me thinking is all. Congratulations on your metamorphosis!