Iulizbug

Saul, I understand what you mean about the no breakfast thing in the morning. I FORCE myself to a low-sugar pack of oatmeal when I wake up because I know it is good to jump start my metabolism but I am always so darn tight in the morning and am NEVER hungry. I would probably prefer to wait until noon to eat but I know it isn't good for me. I have found on days that I skipped breakfast I either stall or gain weight. On days that I sleep in and have a late breakfast I will have high fiber/protein cereal or egg beaters with reduced fat cheese and veggies. The Protein fills me up for a long time... ~Liz~ banded 03/10/06 Dr.Ortiz 241/198/150 5'7''

Fun post!! I am 5'7'' and would LOVE to be 150 lbs!!! However I met my boyfriend at 160 lbs and felt very sexy/curvy at that weight too. So anywhere b/w 150-165 depending on how I feel. I DO NOT want to be bony looking!! ~Liz~ banded 03/10/06 Dr.Ortiz 241/198/150

Once you have a fill and start getting restricted you will begin to feel it in your pouch on top. I feel it in my chest and throat more than anything. When I have had too much I will begin hiccuping or burping and that is my last chance to stop before I PB or slime. I try to stop before these hard stops though it is hard. Especially when something is really yummy and my pouch has had enough but my head hasn't!! :hungry: I am getting better at recognizing when I have had enough though. I never could stop pre-band very well. ~Liz~ banded 03/10/06 Dr.Ortiz 241/198/150 5'7''

Well TOM is over and yesterday I was pysched to drop 2 lbs and be at 197. :cool: So I figured I would cut back on my calories yesterday and run an extra mile just to make sure it stays there. Nope!!! Didn't work--this morning I weighed in at 198.2!!! Oh well, at least I am still in Onderland and I am hoping it is just Water weight. Maybe I should try upping my calories a bit since I am working out. I am taking in around 600-800. I don't want to go into starvation mode but I gain weight or stay the same at 1000. WTH??? Any suggestions?? ~Liz~ banded 03/10/06 Dr.Ortiz 241/198/150 5'7''

Hi Leenerbups, I am so glad to hear that your surgery went well. :confused: I will pray that there was no cancer there for you. My first gyno appointment I had they found abnormal masses growing on my cervix and the doc said that it had to operated on IMMEDIATELY. He said that I was in the final stage before I had cancer and that it was everywhere. I was only 19 and of course this freaked me out b/c I wasn't even sexually active at the time and was not expecting anything abnormal. I had the Leep procedure and ever since have been OK but I still get very nervous each year when I go in for my yearly exam. My prayers are with you. ~Liz~ banded 03/10/06 Dr.Ortiz 241/197/150 5'7''

Hi Fightergirl, Welcome back!! What kind of complications did you have? Did you have to go w/out your band at all before you were rebanded? I am just VERY worried all the time about developing complications. Thanks for sharing. ~Liz~ banded 03/10/06 Dr.Ortiz 241/197/150 5'7''

Are you PBing every or throwing up?? As long as you aren't doing these things EVER and your weight loss is slowing down dramatically I feel like it time for you to get another fill. Just remember being too tight is no fun and can cause slippage and erosion. The key is to be as loose as you can be while still losing weight and eating every 3-4 hours. I was in the same situation as you--I have had 2 fills and am at 2.7 ccs and ws pondering if I should get another fill. I am tight on some meals and others I am not so I figured I didn't want to get so tight that I am PBing and sliming on every meal. But I am exercising every day and my weight loss is still around 1-2 lbs a week. You may want to go for a "tweak" if you continue to stall on your weight just remember to go slowly. I am still able to eat chips and salsa just in small amounts. I don't like giving up my treats!! Good luck to you and let us know what you decide to do! ~Liz~ banded 03/10/06 Dr.Ortiz 241/199/150 5'7''

Elliptical today 30 minutes!! It really kicks my butt!! I hope it gets a bit easier when I get into better shape. I have it on level 8 so I think that makes a difference on how incredibly hard it is. I used to only be able to do 15 minutes so i am making some progress it is just slow. ~Liz~ banded 03/10/06 Dr.Ortiz 241/199/150 5'7''

Hi Angela, You are doing excellent right now. Remember that any weight loss before you are properly restricted is bonus weight. Now is a time for your stomach to heal, not to focus on losing weight(though I know that is VERY hard!!) I went thru the exact same feelings as you are, feeling like I wasn't losing as much weight as other bandsters....Usually there will be a fast loss at the beginning and then the weight loss will slow to 1-2 lbs a week AFTER you are properly restricted. This is the hard part, I won't lie. I couldn't wait till I had restriction b/c I was basically wide open and was able to eat anything and everything. Just try to focus your best on eating lean Protein and veggies once you are able to and off of mushies. You may be one of the lucky ones and experience restriction right off of the bat or with only one fill. It took me 2 big ones to feel anything. Patience is key with this band. I am still working on it!! About the working out, I was able to 2 weeks after my surgery. I was SO sick of simply walking as well so I got the OK from my surgeon to proceed. A lot of people will wait 6 weeks on the weights, it is up to you though. I was fine on everything but situps because of the pain in my port area and stitches I waited. Congrats on your awesome weight loss so far!!! ~Liz~ banded 03/10/06 Dr.Ortiz 241/199/150 5'7''

I am an administrative assistant for T-Mobile at our call center. I love my job!! ~Liz~ banded 03/10/06 Dr.Ortiz 241/199/150 5'7''

Sorry I don't live in California but I did want to let you know that you are not alone on the expensive fill prices. I pay $750 for a fill with fluro and $400 w/out. Needless to say I do NOT want a fill for a long long time. I live in Tampa, FL. Good luck with finding cheaper fills!! ~Liz~ banded 03/10/06 Dr.Ortiz 241/199/150 5'7''

I am 25 and have been banded for 3 months. So far so good, I am down 42 lbs and have 49 more to go. I am shooting for the 1 yr mark for that goal--we are going on a cruise in March '07 and I would LOVE to be at 150 by then. So far I am ahead of schedule but I expect my WL to slow down when I get closer to goal. We will see.. I have been overweight since I was a small child. Started gaining weight heavily in kindergarten and didn't gain any control of my weight problem till high school. Starved myself thru high school and developed bulimia in college to keep my weight down. Once I got healthy after college I was back to my old fat self again. :faint: I am sooo happy to be going in the right direction on the scale again. Even if I don't get to 150 and find that I look and feel good at 160 that will be ok for me. I know that I will need plastic surgery, tummy tuck and breast lift but I will wait till I am done having children. No kids yet as I wanted to get my weight under control before I embark on that. But I know my boobs will need a lift after breast feeding (they are DD/E) and I will want them perkier. And who doesn't want a flat tummy for once in their life, right?? But that is a WAYS away, after I am at goal and have had kids. ~Liz~ banded 03/10/06 Dr.Ortiz 241/199/150 5'7''

Hi Tamiko, How much fill do you have currently??? That can make a big difference as well as what you mentioned, taking in too few calories. I am guilty of that one too. I notice that when I mix up my diet (800 cal one day...1300 the next) as well as my exercise regimen I USUALLY can bust out of a weight loss rut. Usually... Good luck to you!!! ~Liz~

One and a half bags of charcoal left and two more to go!! I LOVE it!!! ~Liz~ banded 03/10/06 Dr.Ortiz 241/200/150 5'7''

Good for you for finding your sweet spot!!! :clap2: I really hope I find mine soon. Sometimes I feel like I would like a small tweak to get there and other days my band is so tight I feel like that would make me uncomfortable. So for now I will hold out on my 2 fills (2.7 cc) and see if I can't lose more like this. I hear that there is a much higher risk of complications when your band is too tight so I am trying to avoid going there. Glad to hear that you got your WL jumpstarted again. I think I may need some advice from you on that too---my body gets stuck in plateaus and ruts. ~Liz~ banded 03/10/06 Dr.Ortiz 241/200/150 5'7''

My doc said that there is no problem with tanning with the band. I tan two to three times a week. But of course like what was mentioned earlier, when I did ask I got a skin cancer lecture. :faint:So just do it in moderation and you should be fine. ~Liz~ banded 03/10/06 Dr.Ortiz 241/199/150 5'7''

I love Wendy's chili! I don't think it is dentrimental to weight loss. Just make sure you stick to the small and not the large and you should be fine! I also like the salads at Wendy's too with lite dressing. :hungry: ~Liz~ banded 03/10/06 Dr.Ortiz 241/199/150 5'7''

Yes I had lipo but I regret doing it. I had full body lipo espc on my stomach, love handles and back fat. Then he touched on my inner thighs and my knees along with my chin. I saw a difference right away in my chin and stomach but hardly any difference in my back/bra fat. That was the area I REALLY hated along with my tummy so I felt like I got ripped off a bit. The doc then tried to convince me to get MORE lipo to get all of the rest of the fat but at that point I realized the problem was more of me being morbidly obese and just needed to lose weight. :faint: If I could go back I would have saved my 7k for my lb surgery. It would have been a better investment than the lipo. It hurt like heck and I saw the fat come back in the same places, aka stomach and back. My stomach is a bit flatter than it was before though but not much. Just my 2 cents ~Liz~ banded 03/10/06 Dr.Ortiz 241/201/150 5'7''

Francesca, Hi there! I was wondering how you were doing since the erosion. I know I would be sooo mad at Dr.Ortiz if mine eroded on me. :cool: Did he offer to reband you at a discount? He should do it for free I would think. I have him too and now i am getting worried about the "what if's" down the road. This really concerns me...I would be interested to learn what and if anything he has said/done to help you through this. Good luck to you. ~Liz~ banded 03/10/06 Dr.Ortiz 241/201/150 5'7''

Hi Everyone, I was looking into purchasing Miracle Burn to try to help expedite my weightloss. I have read that it contains Advantra Z and hoodia in it which helps you lose fat and suppress your appetite. It is supossed to not have that "jittery" caffeine effect but to help speed up your metabolism and help you burn fat faster. Supposed to be similar to the strength of ephedra but not bad for you, all natural. I am a bit skeptical of that though. Has anyone used any diet supplements that really helped control appetite and lose weight faster? I just don't want to waste my $. Any advice/insight is appreciated. Thanks guys. ~Liz~ banded 03/10/06 Dr.Ortiz 241/201/150 5'7''

Thanks everybody for your advice. Guess I should go back and get another fill then. At first my 2nd fill was working out great for me but in the past week I have been ravenously hungry again and dont' stay full as long. The weight loss has begun to slow a bit too so I was just looking for a supplement to help. Guess its not worth it though. Thanks again.. ~Liz~

Hi guys, I am doing well but am a bit confused on this restriction thing. I have had 2 fills and am at 2.7 ccs in my 4cc band. Up until yesterday I felt like I could be at my sweet spot and I felt like my restriction was perfect. Today however I feel completely wide open. WTH??? Has anybody experienced this......where their fill just suddenly "evaporates" all of the sudden? I am hoping it is due to my TOM starting this morning but from what i have heard most people get tighter during this time. Maybe it is just my hormones and afterwards I will gain restriction again. I sure hope so...If not I guess I will schedule my 3rd fill for sometime in July. Congrats to all March bandsters on their weight loss!!! ~Liz~ banded 03/10/06 Dr.Ortiz 241/200/150 5'7''

I definitely agree with getting the old people off of the road. My boyfriend was creamed by a senile, half-blind confused 90 yr old woman who pulled out right in front of him and hit him. She said she couldn't see very well--Anybody over 70 should be required to take a driving test and pass it with flying colors each year to keep their license. It is much too dangerous. Also, I think we should have separate roads for the semi-trucks. I, too hate their racing games that they play. It also seems that the most obnoxious truckers screwing with you on the roads are the ones that have major debris flying out hitting your window OVER AND OVER AGAIN while you are unsuccessfully trying to get away from them. Ughh... ~Liz~ banded 03/10/06 Dr.Ortiz 241/200/150 5'7''

Well I am happy to say that yesterday (06/07) I made it to 199!!:clap2: Then when I am really trying to step up my game and workout like crazy and cut back on what I am eating EVEN MORE I get the dreaded TOM last night. I knew it was coming b/c I was wanting to graze on everything in sight and started to feel bloated. So sure enough, this morning the scale read 200 again. :faint: But I know it is only temporary and is probably b/c I am full of Water. After the yucky TOM has passed I hope to be striving for 195 by the end of June. Since my 2nd fill two weeks ago my weight loss has been around 8 lbs so I cannot complain! ~Liz~ banded 03/10/06 Dr.Ortiz 241/200/150 5'7''

Vickie1177, I absolutely think that you should ask for more saline. I would be miserable with only .5 of a cc but that is just me. I know that eveybody reacts differently to different amts of saline but that seems a bit low to me. I know that I could eat a cow with my first fill of 2ccs!! I was beginning to think that I would never gain restriction. :help: However, on my 2nd fill I did request that I had a rather big fill so I can speed up my weight loss (I was too only losing 1/2 lb to 1b a week...) and I don't regret asking for it! I am at 2.7 ccs now and the weight is coming off much faster. Everybody is different and most docs like to start out conservatively but .5 cc is a bit too conservative to me. Ask to be filled more and explain your slow weight loss. I am now at my sweet spot I believe b/c my doc did go more aggressive with my fills upon my request. Good luck to you! ~Liz~ banded 03/10/06 Dr.Ortiz 241/200/150 5'7''