adagray

Finally, the scale is moving down some more! My body just seemed to love the range of 218-220... has been hovering there for 25 days (not that I'm counting or anything LOL). I saw 218 yesterday and have been soooooo good lately about following the rules and getting serious exercise in, I was really hoping I might finally see something lower than 218 today... like maybe 217 or 217.5. I would even take 217.9, but I have an old scale that only goes in half pound increments. But, what do I see this morning... :w00t::w00t::w00t: 216! Woohoo!!!:w00t::w00t::w00t: TWO pounds down from my lowest weight. And, I'm proud to say I DESERVE it! Boy, this band will drive you crazy w/self-doubt because the weight just does not come off very steady. Seems to come off in spurts for me. But, I don't have proper restriction yet either so that may be part of the reason for this (as well as not always consistently following all the rules ). Anyway, regardless of HOW the weight is coming off, I am still thrilled w/my band because it IS coming off. :wub:

I need a fill sooooooo bad. Just ate dinner two hours ago and I am hungry again. Ugh! But, I have discovered one food that seems to do the trick as a snack that actually makes me feel satisfied on very few calories... Cuties! You know those little clementine oranges. I think it must be all the skins/membrane because as much as I chew chew chew, it still feels kind of clumpy when I swallow. But, it doesn't get stuck... at least not for now. My next fill is on Monday and it cannot come soon enough! :wub:

I need a fill sooooooo bad. Just ate dinner two hours ago and I am hungry again. Ugh! But, I have discovered one food that seems to do the trick as a snack that actually makes me feel satisfied on very few calories... Cuties! You know those little clementine oranges. I think it must be all the skins/membrane because as much as I chew chew chew, it still feels kind of clumpy when I swallow. But, it doesn't get stuck... at least not for now. My next fill is on Monday and it cannot come soon enough! :blushing:

For the 'up to 2 cups' choice, I would go for the cottage cheese. That will help fill you up better than any of that other stuff, especially the sugary stuff like juice and full sugar popsicles. I'm surprised they would put that on the list because they are empty calories w/so much sugar that will put your blood sugar on a roller-coaster that will make you super hungry. In my case, my surgeon required no special pre-op diet except for the day before surgery to eat a light b-fast, soup for lunch, and only Clear liquids for the rest of the day. So, other than that one day before surgery, I could eat whatever I wanted. Yep, its crazy how different the rules are from surgeon to surgeon!

I just sent you a PM w/an excerpt from one of my appeal letters that you might find useful. Best of luck to you!

I think it may depend on if you are normally constipated or not (how long it takes to work). Sorry TMI coming... I've always been one to be on the loose side and go 3+ times a day. I am NEVER constipated. If anything, I have the reverse problem of having to go too much. I was scared to death to take the magnesium citrate knowing how my system already is. And, sure enough, it gave me horrible horrible diarrhea starting 15 minutes after taking it and for the rest of the day and night. I was seriously dehydrated by the time I checked into the hospital. My BP was super low and I sucked up an IV bag in record time as soon as they hooked me up. I continued to have diarrhea for the entire next week after surgery. Gosh, I hate that magnesium citrate stuff. Vile vile liquid! Anyway, your plan to call the doctor in the morning if it doesn't work by then is a good one. I can't imagine it not working, though, unless you got a bad batch. Oh, one thing you might try is drinking lots of Water. The way I understand it, magnesium citrate works by sucking water out of your system and forcing it into your bowels. So, if you are dehydrated, maybe you don't have enough water in your system to force into your bowels? Just an idea.

Today I had a chicken breast (leftover from dinner - cold), cut it up in little pieces and dipped in lite ranch dressing. And, two clementine cutie oranges after. Kinda boring, but lots of Protein. I don't measure anything. My surgeon is a little different in this regard... doesn't ask you to count calories or measure anything, just not to eat longer than 20 minutes and eat only 3 meals a day (no snacks). I guess she figures that once you have proper restriction, you won't be able to eat that much in 20 minutes anyway. I still feel like I can eat a lot in 20 minutes, but I'm satisfied on much less than I used to be pre-band.

Janet, that's very interesting. I wonder if wine will not agree w/me once I have proper restriction. My mom has the band and says wine doesn't agree w/her much anymore. Its hard for me to imagine wine not agreeing w/me, though. Ha! I've been pondering this whole issue w/wine some more... trying to analyze why I feel entitled to have wine even though I cut so many other things out of my diet or way way back (like the cake). I think it comes from growing up and seeing my parents have wine every evening before and during dinner. If my mom is reading this... No, I do not blame you! I know as parents we all just do the best we can and we can never know how every little thing we do effects our kids. But, I'm sure that is where I get this feeling of entitlement to it... like I put it in a different category that it really doesn't deserve. Its a feeling of... well, I'm an adult and I took care of all the stuff I needed to do today and its the end of the day and I deserve it. But, that logic totally fails when taking calories into consideration. Its true that on an emotional level, I may completely deserve it. But, on a physical level, it is a roadblock to reaching my goals. And, as someone who is committed to improving my health and making a better lifestyle for myself, I need to remove all roadblocks to achieving those physical goals. I need to learn how to satisfy the emotional needs in a different way that doesn't sabotage my efforts to improve my physical health. Wow, I feel like my own psychologist sometimes. Writing is very powerful. And, I'm happy to say that the 'wine is cake' mantra is working very well for me. Last night as my daughter was being very demanding and I was trying to get dinner in the oven so we could eat at a decent hour (so my DH wouldn't be annoyed), I really felt like some cake (wine!). I drank a huge bottle of water anyway. Did I enjoy the water as much as wine? NO! But, anytime you try to break a habit, it feels unnatural at first. Just gotta keep my eye on the prize!

Hey, I have been in the same boat for the past few weeks... letting old habits creep back in. Try not to beat yourself up. Its all part of the journey I figure. Think of all the positive changes you have made... this is what I tell myself to do to pick myself back up. And, don't be embarassed about weighing in when you go for your fill. Its good for them to see you are struggling a bit. I'm assuming if this is your second fill, you do not have optimal restriction yet (if much at all) and the fact that you have not lost weight will actually work in your favor (you may get a bigger fill). I've only had my band for a little over 3 months myself, but one thing I have noticed is that at least when I slip up w/the band, I don't gain (or don't gain much and it goes away quickly). It sure is a lot more forgiving than when I used to slip up on normal diets before. Best of luck to you on getting back on track!

If you can find a Jazzercise class near you, I highly recommend trying it out. Go to www.jazzercise.com and you can search by your zip code. It is the only exercise that I truly love. And, it combines aerobics (which you can do low or high impact - every move is modifiable), core work, resistance, and stretching. There are a limited number of moves which are combined into different dance/workout routines and put to music. I know 'Jazzercise' sounds old fashioned, but the music is current and it is really fun. Its an hour long workout, but it just flies by for me. I've belonged to a very nice gym here paying $120/month and never went as much as I go to Jazzercise for only $40/month.

I've loved my band since the day I got it. First of all, it gave me hope because I was really feeling pretty hopeless about my weight and health issues before looking into the band. And, just having that hope has been huge for me. Restriction has been somewhat of a roller-coaster for me. I am certainly not at my sweet spot yet and still have to exercise a lot of self-control lately. And, the weightloss is not consistent, partly because I'm not at my sweet spot yet and partly because I am still trying to create this new lifestyle w/the band. But, I still love the band through it all because even w/the stalls and imperfect restriction, I'm losing weight at a much faster rate and much easier than I ever did before.

Just want to let all of you big losers know what an inspiration you are to a newbie like me. I'm just 3 months out and the thought that I could be 70+ down in a year is amazing to me, let alone 100. Just know you are all great successes even if you don't get to exactly 100 in a year.

I have to admit that one of my biggest hurdles w/the band is trying to figure out how/when/if I can still enjoy wine. I've been all over the place w/it from completely cutting it out to having a couple glasses a night like I used to. I am totally committed to create a lifestyle w/the band that is healthy, enjoyable, and sustainable. The problem is I truly love wine and the band just can't help me w/that... empty liquid calories sliding right through. So, I've tried different ways of keeping it in my lifestyle, but putting some rules around it so that it is not a daily thing. I just haven't come up w/a rule that I could really embrace. If I set a number of drinks per week, then that feels like a diet. And, its really more about putting it in its proper place in my new lifestyle rather than limiting to a certain number. This all got me thinking... what is something else in my life that I love, but have learned to moderate well? And, the answer is... Cake! I LOVE Cake!!! If I could eat cake every day, I would. And, there was a point in my life when I actually did. I would buy those single serving slices at the grocery store and have a little bit after lunch and a little bit after dinner. Yeah, I really knew how to live it up when I was 'off' a diet. But, I learned long ago (way before the band) that this just wasn't gonna work (diet or no diet). So, I managed to tame my cake habit. Now, I never buy cake just to eat for no reason. But, I thoroughly enjoy eating a piece of cake at EVERY birthday party I go to, every wedding, every baby shower, and I may even order a slice to share after a nice dinner out. Its just not a daily thing or even a weekly thing anymore. Somehow I have learned to put it back in its proper place as a special occasion treat. And, this is exactly what I need to do w/wine. Epiphany! My new mantra, repeat after me... wine is cake wine is cake wine is cake Would I eat cake right now? No? Then, no wine. Wine is for special occasions! :waytogo:

The nutritionists at my surgeon's office pretty much have the same advice as yours. They said that the ONE thing the band does really well is portion control (once properly adjusted) so there is no need to count calories or measure food. They prefer us to focus on a handful of rules instead. They are the rules that most people know of on here... Protein first, 30/20/30 (stop drinking 30 min before a meal, do not eat for longer than 20 min, don't drink for 30 min after), eat only 3 meals a day (no snacks), no liquid calories, 64+ oz of Water per day, exercise. Personally, I have a bad association of tracking/measuring food and calories (or points) from being on WW so much and all the hunger, deprivation, and failure of regain the many times I've been on that program. Its a real struggle for me to break free from the diet mentality (being 'on' or 'off' a diet my whole life). The challenge for me this time is to really make it a lifestyle change. And, so for me (based on my history), writing everything down and counting/measuring everything would just put my in the wrong frame of mind for the real work I need to do now... getting real about what it means to create a new lifestyle for myself. For bandsters who have not had a long history or bad association w/tracking or counting calories and measuring food, though, I think it could be really useful. It is eye opening to learn what a serving size is and to see where you stand as far as calories in vs. out, etc. The psych who runs our support group says he finds that either way (counting or not counting) will work w/the band. And, he finds a lot of people like me who just cannot 'go there' w/the counting anymore because of negative feelings about regaining after those sorts of diets. He says that no matter which way you go, the important thing is to not feel like you are on a 'diet'. Nothing wrong w/counting and measuring just for the information of it as long as you are not using it as a means for deprivation.

No numbing here, but no pain either. It just feels like a little pinch, like giving blood. I have no idea how big the needle is, though. I NEVER look! I think that is why needles don't bother me. I just look away and it really doesn't hurt.

Cash pay is $150 at my surgeon's office. I pay $40 w/insurance. This is in Scottsdale, Arizona. For those who have their surgery paid for by insurance, the first 3 months of fills are included (no additional co-pays). For those who pay cash for the surgery, the first year of fills are included.

I would eat a light lunch about one hour before your fill. If you want to play it really safe, stick w/soft foods or foods you know go down easily just to make sure your stoma is not irritated at all before the fill. I usually get my fills in the morning around 10am-ish and I always eat Breakfast before (like around 8:30). I have eggs or cottage cheese or yogurt... stuff I know goes down easy for me.

I will tell you what my mom told me (she was banded two years before me). And, before my surgery she said not to worry about the surgery/recovery because this will be the easiest part of the journey. And, she's absolutely right. Other things about this journey have been really hard... dealing w/insurance and getting real with myself about the lifestyle changes I have to make being the BIG two. But, the surgery/recovery is really just a small blip in the journey. Best of luck to you for an uneventful surgery and easy recovery. :->

You might actually have an intolerance to wheat. I was feeling very tired very sporadically and having a lot of gastrointestinal issues for awhile so I did what they call an 'exclusion diet' where you eliminate the most common food allergy/intolerance items for two weeks and then introduce them back one at a time (no closer than every three days). It turns out wheat makes me extremely tired. As you said, feeling like shit, that's the best way to describe it. LOL And, I found out my gastrointestinal issues were due to a lactose intolerance. The lactose intolerance is easy to treat because I just have to remember to take a lactaid pill before eating dairy. The wheat intolerance is a little bit harder to deal with, but so worth it to not feel the unexplained tiredness and lethargy anymore. To clarify, I can still eat products w/some gluten, so its not like I have celiac's and have to look at ingredient lists on everything. But, I just have to stay away from breads, baked goods, regular pasta, crackers, etc. (which is good for losing weight anyway). And, there are a lot of wheat-free options you will find. Like I eat pasta made from quinoa flour now and my whole family does too and we all think its just as good. And, I don't need a two hour nap after which is GREAT! Anyway, sorry to go on and on on your blog, but wheat is a very very common food intolerance. A lot of people never make the connection, though, that the tiredness/lethargy they are feeling is food related, though.

Awesome! A lady at my Jazzercise class came up to me after class and said 'you have REALLY lost a lot of weight' and it made my day. My scale has not budged for awhile so I have to get by on compliments and NSVs until my next fill. ;->

Thanks so much for posting this. I really NEEDED to hear this! I am at 5.25cc in a 10cc band and its just not enough yet. I'm hungry, I can eat a lot, and my weightloss has stalled. I'm happy w/how much I have lost so far, but I want to get the scale moving again. I've got another fill scheduled in a week and hope that this might be 'the one' to get me to my sweet spot.

Hey All! I was banded by Dr. Blackstone of Scottsdale Bariatric Center, but recently was told that she will no longer be taking my insurance (Aetna) so I need to start looking for a new doctor to take over my aftercare and do my fills. Dr. Simpson is one of the doctors I can go to w/Aetna and so I'm glad to hear he gets such rave reviews from all of you. I am very curious as to exactly how his follow-up/fill appointments go, though. Like, I want all the details... * are you standing up or laying down for the fill? * does he take out all the Fluid before he adds more? * are all fills done under fluoro or just by manually finding the port? * does he leave the needle in and have you sit up, drink some Water, then add or subtract additional fluid? * how often can you get fills? * will he still do a fill if you are hungry (even if you are still losing weight)? I'm just wondering how different it will be from Dr. Blackstone's process. Its kind of a bummer to have to switch doctors at this stage of the game. I was able to get Aetna to approve 3 more months of transitional care from Dr. Blackstone, but I need to be ready to go to someone else after that. So, hopefully it will work out w/Dr. Simpson. Thanks in advance for your help w/this!

I really sympathize w/all of you who have to wait a month between fills now. My doctor allows fills every 2 weeks if you feel like you need one. But, I made the mistake of waiting before making my next appointment and this time they had no appointments available when I felt like I needed one. So, the soonest I could get in is four weeks after my last fill. And, I just feel like I have almost no restriction at all right now. AND, I still have to wait ONE MORE WEEK! ACK!!! :waytogo: Even worse, I am not losing any weight. I am being very good about my exercise so really hoping that this means I've at least gained some muscle and lost some body fat (even if the scale isn't moving down). Of course, I won't know that until I get on the doctor's scale (that breaks it all out) so for now I am just bummed that the scale is not going down. :eek: I don't want this post to be totally negative, though, so let me share at least one positive thing that has happened for me this past week and that is that I now fit into some even smaller jeans. The smaller jeans I was excited to fit into a month ago are now loose and some that I could not even pull up on me before, I can wear comfortably. Woohoo!!! :mad:

I really sympathize w/all of you who have to wait a month between fills now. My doctor allows fills every 2 weeks if you feel like you need one. But, I made the mistake of waiting before making my next appointment and this time they had no appointments available when I felt like I needed one. So, the soonest I could get in is four weeks after my last fill. And, I just feel like I have almost no restriction at all right now. AND, I still have to wait ONE MORE WEEK! ACK!!! :waytogo: Even worse, I am not losing any weight. I am being very good about my exercise so really hoping that this means I've at least gained some muscle and lost some body fat (even if the scale isn't moving down). Of course, I won't know that until I get on the doctor's scale (that breaks it all out) so for now I am just bummed that the scale is not going down. I don't want this post to be totally negative, though, so let me share at least one positive thing that has happened for me this past week and that is that I now fit into some even smaller jeans. The smaller jeans I was excited to fit into a month ago are now loose and some that I could not even pull up on me before, I can wear comfortably. Woohoo!!!

The problem w/this symptom of being tired all the time is that it can be caused by so many different things. I have experienced this myself and finally discovered I have a wheat intolerance. Basically, if I eat anything containing wheat, I get so tired that I need a 2+ hour nap. So, I have to really be careful to avoid wheat during the day. At night, its not so big of a deal because I can just go to bed earlier. Anyway, that may be a long shot to your problem, but wheat is one of the most common food allergies/intolerances so you might try cutting it out to see if it makes a difference. Then, just a few weeks ago, I noticed I was feeling tired/dizzy/unfocused and was thinking... oh no, what now? It took me a few days to figure it out, but I finally took my blood pressure and found it was really low. I've taken BP meds for over 10 years, but now it is normal on its own (and too low when I take the meds).