adagray

Yesterday I packed up a whole bunch of too big clothes to donate. I didn't start out planning to do this, but was getting annoyed that everytime I go in my closet lately, I have to rummage through my closet to try to find something that doesn't look sloppy on me. I've always worn stuff (especially shirts) on the loose side so even though I haven't lost a ton of weight yet, I had a lot of stuff that was looking ridiculously large.:thumbup: Then, I went into my two 'Stage 1' boxes to see what I could get out of there that fits now. Let me explain... last year when I was waiting and waiting and waiting for insurance approval, a friend of mine came over and we went through ALL my old clothes. I had tons of different sizes. And, we got rid of everything that I wouldn't want to wear again. And, sorted the rest into 'Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3' boxes. Stage 1 is sizes 14-18 and 1X, Stage 2 is 12-14 and XL, and Stage 3 is 10-12 and L. OK, so I went through the Stage 1 stuff and got out a few things that work now. Woohoo! Its like free clothes!!! :biggrin: But, I found that I have very few t-shirts that are my current size. So, when I was out today I bought three new t-shirts. Nothing fancy, but it feels good to have some new items that fit. I wore a new t-shirt to Jazzercise yesterday and got lots of compliments on my weightloss. I think its hard for people to see it if you don't wear clothes that fit. So for any of you that are feeling like people aren't noticing or you don't feel any different, I highly recommend some t-shirt therapy. Only $10 each and made me feel great! :smile:

check out this recipe: Winning Deviled Ham Recipe : : food Network Sounds sooooooo yummy! My ham went down fine last night, but today I got stuck on it at lunch. I'm a little tight right now, got a fill one week ago that I am still getting used to. I think I will make this deviled ham so that I can still enjoy some leftovers before they are all gone. This would be a good one for those on mushies too.

I have found that, at least for me, weightloss w/the band seems to come off in spurts. So, I go through a week or two of not losing anything and then 3-4 pounds will drop off all of a sudden. Its like my body is really trying hard to hold onto the weight, but as long as I keep doing what I'm supposed to be doing, it does come off. I just don't see a consistent loss every week.

Just made this recipe and it is really good. I would just not add the hot sauce until the very end, though, and add to taste. I'm a wimp so always use less hot sauce than any recipe that calls for it.

Last night was the first time I felt this way. I just got good restriction w/my last fill and I have to eat A LOT slower now or I get stuck. I felt a little self-conscious last night because it took me so much longer to finish my meal. I felt like people were waiting for me to finish so we could have dessert. But, then I reminded myself that its not like we get up and grab dessert immediately after dinner anyway. We normally sit and talk for awhile after a holiday dinner like that. It was just weird for me that I was the only one eating still, and for more than just a few minutes. I ended up leaving a lot on my plate. My head is still catching up with my band on how much I can really eat.

Update... I was blessed w/a buffet for the evening. I was so so happy :tt1: after I saw the buffet setup and read the menu... hummus, mashed potato bar, two salads (salad has always been a slider for me). Yeah!!! Of course, there was a lot more than that that I stayed away from... lots of breads, pastas, beef wellington. But, I stuck (haha) w/just the stuff that I know as a slider for myself. So tempted to try the beef wellington. My husband told me it was so tender, but I kept all of your advice in mind and stayed clear of it just in case. I took less than half a plate of food and nobody even noticed or commented. It was so delicious and so satisfying after being mostly on liquids this week.:smile: I can tell I have really healed since the previous night. Nothing even felt the least bit bad going down, but I was super cautious and took it slow and stopped as soon as I felt the least bit full. I did notice how most everyone else got at least two huge platefuls, even all my skinny friends!:thumbup: I just don't have that kind of metabolism. But, I'm so thankful for this surgery so I can enjoy a meal like this (even just the mushy food), feel satisfied w/it, and still lose weight at the same time. Woke up this morning another pound down! Woohoo!!! :tt1:

My last fill was a doozy. I went from 5.25 to 6.5cc in a 10cc lapband on Monday. Was on liquids until Wednesday afternoon. I tried a yogurt and it went down slow. Then, I had a solid dinner (chicken apple sausage, asparagus - overcooked, and pasta). I had very little of everything, cut it up real small, and chewed very well. No problem. Yesterday (Thursday), I tried to have some leftovers for lunch and got stuck pretty bad. No PB, though. Later that evening, I was feeding the kids some of the leftover Pasta and dished up a little for myself. Big Mistake!!! I got totally stuck, in a lot of pain, PB'd for the first time, and my throat/esophagus/stoma felt sore afterwards. So, I have been on Clear Liquids since then and plan to be on clear liquids at least until this evening. Now... onto my question! I have a wedding to go to tonight. Do you think it would be a mistake to try to eat again tonight? Or, do you think it would be safe to eat as long as I cut everything really small and take it really slow and chew, chew, chew. Ironically, I personally do not care about eating at all right now. With this last fill, I am not hungry ever. But, I worry about making a skeptical of myself either way. If I don't eat, that will be weird for people at my table. But, at least all my friends know I have the band and I've explained how it works so its not like I have to start from square one and explain the whole thing. If I do eat, I run the risk of getting stuck which would also be weird for people at my table (if I am suddenly getting up and running to the bathroom). So, what do you think is the best thing for me to do tonight? :thumbup:

To answer your question, I think its perfectly normal to not feel any restriction at this point (even w/the 2cc). My surgeon is a rare one that does not even include a mushy or pureed stage. I was on Clear Liquids for 4 days after surgery and then went straight to regular food. All doctors are different of course and you should always try to follow your doctor's instructions first, yada yada, everyone will tell you that. Have I broken any of her rules ever? Yes, but very carefully. LOL Anyway, back to your original question again... even being on regular food within 5 days of surgery, I did not have much restriction. And, my first fill of 3cc did not help me much. It will get a little better w/each fill, but for me (and a lot of others), it takes a few fills before you really feel like you have a band. My fourth fill (on Monday) took me to 6.5cc in a 10cc lapband and, for the first time, now I really feel like I have a band and I really do have to follow the rules all the time about small bites, chewing, stopping as soon as I start to feel a little full.

I've had four fills so far and am at 6.5cc in a 10cc lapband. I think that fourth fill may be it for me. It feels a little tighter than I'd like right now, but its less than a week out since I got it. So I hope that means it will feel just right in another week or two. All the details for dates and sizes of my fills are in my siggy below.

Generally speaking, Alii is safe. The side effects may be unpleasant, but its safe. I've taken it before (when it required a prescription) and my only issue w/it is that I don't think it was worth the cost. I think its easier to just eat lower fat than to pay for this drug, eat higher fat, and deal w/the side effects. Phentermine, on the other hand, is a stimulant so it is not safe for some people (depending on pre-existing conditions - generallly, stimulants should not be taken by anyone w/high bp and a lot of overweight people have high bp so that is a problem w/this drug). I don't know about the effectiveness because I've never taken it (I have high bp). On the topic of using phentermine WITH the band, I wouldn't mix the two because w/the band you are trying to find your 'sweet spot'. And, if the phentermine is reducing your hunger, then you aren't giving your band and fills a chance to do that. Once you get to proper restriction, you shouldn't need anything else to reduce your hunger. So, the risk is that she'd be taking a drug (and all the risks that go w/that) when it really isn't needed.

Congrats on getting your surgery date set. I was so excited too. Its a big step in the right direction to getting your health back. And, I like what she told you about being entitled to look and feel good too. Most people on here will say their only regret is that they didn't or couldn't do it sooner. I'm 3 months out and feel the same way. I think we all know when our metabolism is defective. And, you don't have to get to the point of having health problems to know that. By the time I had surgery I did have a load of health problems (high bp, high cholesterol, prediabetes, sleep apnea), but I've known long before I developed all of this that I eventually would. My weight situation just kept getting worse w/every year and every diet and regain. If I could turn back the clock and have this surgery ten years ago, I would in a heartbeat.

My mom had to have an unfill at one point and told me she was gonna have a hamburger (something that normally wouldn't go down well for her) and I thought that was totally reasonable. I would do the same thing if I had to have an unfill. Its not one hamburger or even a few weeks of 'vacation' that did any of us under in the first place.

Update... I was blessed w/a buffet for the evening. I was so so happy :eek: after I saw the buffet setup and read the menu... hummus, mashed potato bar, two salads (salad has always been a slider for me). Yeah!!! Of course, there was a lot more than that that I stayed away from... lots of breads, pastas, beef wellington. But, I stuck (haha) w/just the stuff that I know as a slider for myself. So tempted to try the beef wellington. My husband told me it was so tender, but I kept all of your advice in mind and stayed clear of it just in case. I took less than half a plate of food and nobody even noticed or commented. It was so delicious and so satisfying after being mostly on liquids this week.:w00t: I can tell I have really healed since the previous night. Nothing even felt the least bit bad going down, but I was super cautious and took it slow and stopped as soon as I felt the least bit full. I did notice how most everyone else got at least two huge platefuls, even all my skinny friends!:tongue: I just don't have that kind of metabolism. But, I'm so thankful for this surgery so I can enjoy a meal like this (even just the mushy food), feel satisfied w/it, and still lose weight at the same time. Woke up this morning another pound down! Woohoo!!! :eek:

Update... I was blessed w/a buffet for the evening. I was so so happy after I saw the buffet setup and read the menu... hummus, mashed potato bar, two salads (salad has always been a slider for me). Yeah!!! Of course, there was a lot more than that that I stayed away from... lots of breads, pastas, beef wellington. But, I stuck (haha) w/just the stuff that I know as a slider for myself. So tempted to try the beef wellington. My husband told me it was so tender, but I kept all of your advice in mind and stayed clear of it just in case. I took less than half a plate of food and nobody even noticed or commented. It was so delicious and so satisfying after being mostly on liquids this week. I can tell I have really healed since the previous night. Nothing even felt the least bit bad going down, but I was super cautious and took it slow and stopped as soon as I felt the least bit full. I did notice how most everyone else got at least two huge platefuls, even all my skinny friends! I just don't have that kind of metabolism. But, I'm so thankful for this surgery so I can enjoy a meal like this (even just the mushy food), feel satisfied w/it, and still lose weight at the same time. Woke up this morning another pound down! Woohoo!!!

Yep, I'm finally here. That fourth fill on Monday did the trick. By yesterday afternoon, I decided to try some real food. First, I had a yogurt which went down real slow. Then, I tested myself w/a solid dinner of chicken apple sausage, asparagus (slightly overcooked on purpose), and pasta. I took very small portions and cut everything super small. The skin on the sausage was a little irritating, but went down OK. But, having the leftovers today at lunch, I got stuck bad. Still no PB. I had to just tough it out until it passed through. Lesson learned... remove the skin on sausage!!! :eek: Its kinda like now is when I really GOT my band. All of the stuff they taught me that I would need to do (small small bites and chew chew chew) was not necessary before and now, all of a sudden, it is. I'm gonna take it easy w/dinner tonight and maybe just have lentil stew or a black bean soup that has been waiting in my pantry for just such an occasion. The really good thing is that I'm still not hungry so I really don't care what I eat. I am a little worried about tomorrow, though. I'm going to a friend's wedding tomorrow night and have no idea what is on the menu or if it will be buffet or served to us. I usually am not a fan of buffets, but I am really really hoping for a buffet this time so I can pick out just a little of the things that I think will work for me. I just really don't want to end up having a stuck episode in public and at a special event like that. My plan is to locate the nearest bathroom ahead of time and cut my food really really really small. Working in my favor are two things. First, all of my friends know I am banded and I am sure she will have sat us all together. So, at least all of my tablemates will know why I am eating such miniscule portions and skipping on meat or dry chicken if that's what is served. They are all very supportive too and won't make me feel weird about it. The other thing is that the bride's own mother is actually banded. So, maybe, just maybe, the menu is actually band friendly. Could I actually be that lucky? :w00t: And then as soon as I survive this wedding, what do I have next? Easter dinner! At least I am hosting so I get to choose the menu. I'm gonna make ham and really creamy delicious scalloped potatoes. Haven't figured out the rest of the meal, but my MIL is bringing baked apples (totally soft and band friendly) and coconut cream pie. Yum! Still gotta figure out some other sides. Really, I think the ham is the only thing that I'm not sure of. I have never baked a ham myself and just hope I can do a good job so it is not dry. And, the good thing is that the only outside guests are my inlaws and they also know I'm banded and are supportive. You know, the thing is that even though everyone knows about my band and is totally supportive. They just haven't seen me ever get stuck before. :eek: And, I would hate to have that happen in front of them and then have them think badly about the band. All of us who are banded know its a learning curve. Every time we get a fill, we have to relearn what works for us and what doesn't. But, from an outsider's perspective, they see you get stuck or in pain once and they think... oh, the band is bad, makes you sick all the time. Oh well, I guess I can't start worrying now about what people think.

Why why why??? Why did I just decide to try some of the leftover pasta as I was serving it to my kids? I just got the most stuck I have ever got and I am no longer a PB virgin. I think that episode has cured me of any desire for pasta. I think it would've been OK if my stoma wasn't already irritated from getting stuck earlier today cause I had a little pasta last night and it was fine. Ugh! Why did I not stick w/my plan to just have mushy stuff tonight? It was just so impulsive and easy... dishing up some pasta for the kids, why not have a little myself. Dumb, dumb, dumb! I'm gonna go back to liquids until the wedding tomorrow night. I hope that will be enough time to bring down any swelling I must have in my stoma now. Yikes!

Yep, I'm finally here. That fourth fill on Monday did the trick. By yesterday afternoon, I decided to try some real food. First, I had a yogurt which went down real slow. Then, I tested myself w/a solid dinner of chicken apple sausage, asparagus (slightly overcooked on purpose), and pasta. I took very small portions and cut everything super small. The skin on the sausage was a little irritating, but went down OK. But, having the leftovers today at lunch, I got stuck bad. Still no PB. I had to just tough it out until it passed through. Lesson learned... remove the skin on sausage!!! :eek: Its kinda like now is when I really GOT my band. All of the stuff they taught me that I would need to do (small small bites and chew chew chew) was not necessary before and now, all of a sudden, it is. I'm gonna take it easy w/dinner tonight and maybe just have lentil stew or a black bean soup that has been waiting in my pantry for just such an occasion. The really good thing is that I'm still not hungry so I really don't care what I eat. :eek: I am a little worried about tomorrow, though. I'm going to a friend's wedding tomorrow night and have no idea what is on the menu or if it will be buffet or served to us. I usually am not a fan of buffets, but I am really really hoping for a buffet this time so I can pick out just a little of the things that I think will work for me. I just really don't want to end up having a stuck episode in public and at a special event like that. My plan is to locate the nearest bathroom ahead of time and cut my food really really really small. Working in my favor are two things. First, all of my friends know I am banded and I am sure she will have sat us all together. So, at least all of my tablemates will know why I am eating such miniscule portions and skipping on meat or dry chicken if that's what is served. They are all very supportive too and won't make me feel weird about it. The other thing is that the bride's own mother is actually banded. So, maybe, just maybe, the menu is actually band friendly. Could I actually be that lucky? :w00t: And then as soon as I survive this wedding, what do I have next? Easter dinner! At least I am hosting so I get to choose the menu. I'm gonna make ham and really creamy delicious scalloped potatoes. Haven't figured out the rest of the meal, but my MIL is bringing baked apples (totally soft and band friendly) and coconut cream pie. Yum! Still gotta figure out some other sides. Really, I think the ham is the only thing that I'm not sure of. I have never baked a ham myself and just hope I can do a good job so it is not dry. And, the good thing is that the only outside guests are my inlaws and they also know I'm banded and are supportive. You know, the thing is that even though everyone knows about my band and is totally supportive. They just haven't seen me ever get stuck before. :eek: And, I would hate to have that happen in front of them and then have them think badly about the band. All of us who are banded know its a learning curve. Every time we get a fill, we have to relearn what works for us and what doesn't. But, from an outsider's perspective, they see you get stuck or in pain once and they think... oh, the band is bad, makes you sick all the time. Oh well, I guess I can't start worrying now about what people think. :tongue:

how many calories do you eat per day? I'm curious because w/my last fill, I am just not hungry... ever! I'm only on my third day out from it and my doctor's rule is to be on liquids for 72 hours. Truthfully, I've never been able to abide by this rule before. I've always been too hungry. But, this time it is no problem. I am not hungry at all, ever, since this fill. I've been having a cup of broth or Soup and a Protein shot (about 150 calories total) for lunch and dinner. And, tea and a protein shot (about 120 calories) for Breakfast. So, I'm only having about 420 calories per day even though I'm getting 75 grams of protein in. Even though I'm not hungry, though, this doesn't seem like an adequate amount of calories... or is it because my body has ample access to lots of fat stores. LOL I should add that I feel more energetic than ever. And, I'm doing Jazzercise every day too right now (one hour aerobics). I feel so great and absolutely zero physical hunger. I can't get over it. Anyway, though, my question is for those of you who have reached this level of restriction where you never feel hunger, how many calories do you eat per day then? And, have you found that if you go to low, that your weightloss slows... metabolism shuts down? I am clueless because I've never been able to tolerate less than 1500 calories a day without feeling like I'm starving and actual physical pain in my stomach.

The Protein Shots I use are by Body Choice and are 25g of protein and 100 calories. They are only 3 oz so fast and easy way to supplement your protein. I've gotten them at costco before and at this website: Body Choice Nutrition The website had a buy 1 get 1 free offer awhile back. Doesn't look like they have that deal now, but hopefully they will again.

No mushy or pureed stage for me. I was instructed to have clear (non-calorie) liquids only until 4 days post-op, then I could eat whatever I want except red meat and raw fruits/vegies. I did not have any problems w/this. I still haven't PB'd or thrown up at all since surgery. I should point out, though, that my surgeon does not install the band w/any fill. I've since learned that many surgeons do add some fill at the time of surgery and that would definitely make you more tight straight out the gate. So, be careful if you decide to progress faster than what your surgeon instructed.

I was feeling tired for a few days, then dizzy when I was trying to get some housework done. It ended up being my high blood pressure medicine. I took my blood pressure and it was ridiculously low. I quit my bp medicine and my bp has been in the normal range ever since and I feel great.

My surgeon did not require a pre-op diet either. And, she's considered the top bariatric surgeon in my area and a center of excellence.

The scales at my surgeon's office and PCP tell you all that and print it out too. I love it! Every time my weightloss has slowed, it has showed that my lean body mass has increased (building muscle). Its very reaffirming to be able to actually see that. I don't think I'm gonna buy a scale like this just yet, though. It makes it more of a treat when I go to my appointments to see this info. :frown:

I was banded on 12/17. All my info is in my siggy. Seven of those pounds were lost before surgery. I think I am just feeling real restriction right now for the first time after my 4th fill (up to 6.5cc in a 10cc lapband).

Maybe you just need to change your frame of mind about the scale. I decided early on in this journey that once I hit a lower number than I'd seen before on the scale, then I would 'claim it'. By that, I mean I update my ticker, my blog, and that is the number I tell people when they ask me how much I lost. If I see a higher number come up later, I don't 'claim it'... don't update my ticker, my blog, etc. I just tell myself it is a fluctuation (because it is). I have no reason to believe that w/this band any weight gain is going to become a trend. Now, maybe if it kept going up, I'd have to change my way of thinking. But, so far, every little up has only stayed a little up for a short time. Hang in there! You are doing awesome!!! :->