adagray

We are in the same place w/all of this. Its hard because one day I have great restriction and the next day I am a bottomless pit. The few days that I have had great restriction, it has been so easy to eat well and be satisfied w/that. But, right now, it seems like I have less restriction than when I had no fill at all. Its hard, but I just keep reminding myself that eventually I will get to the point where I have that good restriction all the time (or at least most of the time). We will get there!

A lot of surgeons will band you (self-pay) w/a BMI as low as 30 (that is the standard definition of obesity). Insurance usually won't cover anything unless you have a BMI of 35 w/comorbid conditions or 40+ without comorbid conditions. You can calculate your BMI here: Calculate your BMI - Standard BMI Calculator If you search around, you might be able to find someone who will band you in the range of 25-30 BMI (that is considered overweight). You might have to find a surgeon outside of the US to do that, though. It is not recommended by the manufacturers of lapband or the realize band (the only fda approved bands in the US).

I was so excited that I might be close to my sweet spot after my second fill (about a week and a half ago). But, over the past few days, whatever restriction I was feeling is gone again. So, I went ahead and made an appointment for my 3rd fill. Couldn't find a time that worked next week so will have to wait until the following Monday, March 1st. Oh well, I'm just happy I'm allowed a fill every two weeks until I get to the right restriction. For those few days when I did have good restriction, it was GREAT! I'm so looking forward to getting to the point where I feel that way all the time... small meals, three meals per day, and no hunger in between. As for the scale lately, it is just not budging. But, it is my TOM so I'm hoping this is just because of water retention and that I will get to see the scale move again in a few days.

I take Bariatric Advantage chewies. You can get them in chocolate or Lemon flavors. I like the Chocolate the best. I have also taken TwinLab Calcium Citrate wafers before I discovered the Bariatric Advantage chewies. They are chalky and take some getting used to. The calcet ones looked really good to me, but they contain dairy and I am lactose intolerant so didn't want to have to take a lactaid pill too just to be able to take my calcium supplement.

I was so excited that I might be close to my sweet spot after my second fill (about a week and a half ago). But, over the past few days, whatever restriction I was feeling is gone again. So, I went ahead and made an appointment for my 3rd fill. Couldn't find a time that worked next week so will have to wait until the following Monday, March 1st. Oh well, I'm just happy I'm allowed a fill every two weeks until I get to the right restriction. For those few days when I did have good restriction, it was GREAT! I'm so looking forward to getting to the point where I feel that way all the time... small meals, three meals per day, and no hunger in between. As for the scale lately, it is just not budging. But, it is my TOM so I'm hoping this is just because of water retention and that I will get to see the scale move again in a few days.

Tell him this is the one time in your marriage you would prefer him to eat the wings AT Hooters while gawking at the scantilly clad waitresses rather than getting them to go. LOL

For the OP, what the band takes care of very well (once properly filled) is portion control and hunger. I think for anyone who has seriously tried dieting and found these to be their main problems, the band can be just the tool they need to help them succeed. But, it is a partnership. The band does those two things and you have to do the rest (follow the rules, basically). For Awkward Customer, I understand the desire to lose weight faster, but I don't know any means of getting there faster and keeping it off. If I did, I would've done it already. Even the band does not guarantee two pounds per week. Two pounds per week translates to 104 pounds in one year. Do you think you could do that w/regular diet and exercise (without the help of WLS)? If so, I say go for it! Its a rough road, though. Depending on what study you look at, only 2-5% of people who lose weight w/just diet and exercise (after being obese) are able to keep it off. WLS increases that to around 60%. Yes, the odds suck either way, but I'd sure rather have my odds be 60% than 2-5%. Plus, I already know I am not part of the 2-5% because I have already taken off large amounts of weight and put it back on. And, what it takes to 'justify' WLS I think also has a lot to do w/where you are w/how you feel about your weight and the status of your health in other ways as well. I had a lot of health issues (high bp, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, prediabetes, etc.) and was very genuinely SCARED of all of that. I had already seen what all these obesity related health issues did to my mother (insulin dependent type 2 diabetes) and I knew I was heading there. She got lapband 2 years ago and the resulting 100+ weightloss (which she has also been able to keep off) helped w/her health issues tremendously (no more insulin shots for one thing). Yeah, and she lost ONLY a MEASLY TWO POUNDS per week! Honestly, when I hear people complain on here about how slow the weightloss is w/the band it kinda bugs me a bit. I mean what do they think they could do that would be faster??? And, if they know a faster way, then why don't they do that. I did WW for 2.5 years and only lost 50 pounds. That's less than a half pound per week and I was hungry all the time!!! And, it all came back plus more in less than one year. So, when people complain about weightloss w/the band being too slow even though their ticker shows 1-2+ per week, it makes me feel like maybe they haven't even tried just plain dieting before or they aren't clearly remembering what its like to diet the old fashioned way and all the hunger that goes w/that. So, the band is not a magic wand, but in my opinion its the easiest damn diet I've ever been on! (if you even want to call it a diet)

I'm lookin like a fool with my pants on the ground! Hey, I was so excited about new found restriction after my second fill that I forgot to post about my first big NSV. Well, I knew my jeans were getting loose, but on Sunday I realized they were getting WAY too loose as I kept having to hike them up in public (which I'm sure looks ridiculous). I gave 'em a test to see if I could pull them on and off without unbuttoning them and sure enough I could so I figured it was time to start wearing the next size smaller jeans in my closet. And, let me tell you I feel so 'skinny' in these jeans. I have been wearing them every day since Sunday and plan on wearing them again today. :thumbup: The funny thing is that at some point, I had considered these now smaller jeans my 'fat jeans'. I remember I had gained weight and vowed not to gain anymore (yeah right!) so I only allowed myself to buy Target jeans. I mean why would I want to spend money on jeans I would only be wearing briefly? Ugh! So, now I get to wear them again. And, I have three pairs of these Target jeans (two medium wash, one dark dark wash) so how can I justify needing a different pair in this size??? I guess I better just speed through this size because I know I have at least one cute pair in the next size down. LOL Not that these are ugly, but they just aren't cute (going out) jeans. Sometimes I think I am the weirdest fat woman because it never bothered me to buy new fat clothes. So many people say they HAVE to throw out their fat clothes so they CAN'T gain weight again. But, for me, I love buying clothes so every time I have lost OR gained, I've bought more and more and more clothes. I am really trying hard not to purchase too many new things this time as I lose through the sizes again, though. I've got so many clothes (only 1-2 years old) in every size. I did splurge and buy two new tops from Lane Bryant online, though. They had some really pretty (dressy) tops from the Icon collection (normally $98) on clearance for $12. I ordered them on the small side so hopefully one of them will fit for my friend's wedding on 4/2. Normally I would not wear pants to a wedding, but I feel like such a cow in a dress right now. And, this is a second wedding and my friend is young and very casual. So, I'm thinking black dress pants (which I just happen to have in a smaller size right now) and one of these dressy tops might make for a pretty outfit without dropping a lot of $$$. OK, I am getting off on a tanget now, but gotta mention one other great NSV I had on Monday. My inlaws were on their way over so I was doing my normal run-around-and-try-to-straighten-the-house-as-quickly-as-possible routine. I've got a 4 and a 6 year old so this usually involves a lot of huffing and puffing and straining to pick all their stuff up off the floor. But, you know what I noticed???? Picking stuff up off the floor is getting a lot easier. I don't feel like my head is gonna pop off anymore when I'm doing this. And, I swept all my floors in just 15 minutes and usually that takes me a lot longer. Woohoo!!! This is the everyday stuff that really matters when it comes to feeling good.

LOL I know how you feel. This has happened to me a few times since I just started feeling some restriction. I start gobbling something down because I'm hungry and then quickly realize I need to slooooooooowwwwww down and chew. I hate that painful feeling in my chest, but its good to know the band is working.

I'm lookin like a fool with my pants on the ground! Hey, I was so excited about new found restriction after my second fill that I forgot to post about my first big NSV. Well, I knew my jeans were getting loose, but on Sunday I realized they were getting WAY too loose as I kept having to hike them up in public (which I'm sure looks ridiculous). I gave 'em a test to see if I could pull them on and off without unbuttoning them and sure enough I could so I figured it was time to start wearing the next size smaller jeans in my closet. And, let me tell you I feel so 'skinny' in these jeans. I have been wearing them every day since Sunday and plan on wearing them again today. :crying: The funny thing is that at some point, I had considered these now smaller jeans my 'fat jeans'. I remember I had gained weight and vowed not to gain anymore (yeah right!) so I only allowed myself to buy Target jeans. I mean why would I want to spend money on jeans I would only be wearing briefly? Ugh! So, now I get to wear them again. And, I have three pairs of these Target jeans (two medium wash, one dark dark wash) so how can I justify needing a different pair in this size??? I guess I better just speed through this size because I know I have at least one cute pair in the next size down. LOL Not that these are ugly, but they just aren't cute (going out) jeans. Sometimes I think I am the weirdest fat woman because it never bothered me to buy new fat clothes. So many people say they HAVE to throw out their fat clothes so they CAN'T gain weight again. But, for me, I love buying clothes so every time I have lost OR gained, I've bought more and more and more clothes. I am really trying hard not to purchase too many new things this time as I lose through the sizes again, though. I've got so many clothes (only 1-2 years old) in every size. I did splurge and buy two new tops from Lane Bryant online, though. They had some really pretty (dressy) tops from the Icon collection (normally $98) on clearance for $12. I ordered them on the small side so hopefully one of them will fit for my friend's wedding on 4/2. Normally I would not wear pants to a wedding, but I feel like such a cow in a dress right now. And, this is a second wedding and my friend is young and very casual. So, I'm thinking black dress pants (which I just happen to have in a smaller size right now) and one of these dressy tops might make for a pretty outfit without dropping a lot of $$$. OK, I am getting off on a tanget now, but gotta mention one other great NSV I had on Monday. My inlaws were on their way over so I was doing my normal run-around-and-try-to-straighten-the-house-as-quickly-as-possible routine. I've got a 4 and a 6 year old so this usually involves a lot of huffing and puffing and straining to pick all their stuff up off the floor. But, you know what I noticed???? Picking stuff up off the floor is getting a lot easier. I don't feel like my head is gonna pop off anymore when I'm doing this. And, I swept all my floors in just 15 minutes and usually that takes me a lot longer. Woohoo!!! This is the everyday stuff that really matters when it comes to feeling good.

either at my sweet spot or very close to it. And, I never expected it would happen this fast. I've had two fills and am at 4.5cc in a 10cc lapband APS. I just can't get over how great the band has been working for me since my second fill (last Wednesday). There isn't anything I CAN'T eat, but I'm getting full w/small meals and not hungry between meals (which is my doctor's definition of a proper fill level). So, if this restriction stays and I keep losing 1-2 pounds per week, then that may be it. Really, I have a goal to lose 2.5 per week, but I'm willing to exercise my booty off (literally :thumbup:) to get there. Or, if I do need another fill, I think it will be small at this point (maybe .5). I really hope this level of restriction will work for me, though, because I don't really want to develop a long list of foods I can't eat (like some who have their band tighter). Right now, I have a healthy fear of bread (just doesn't go down great, but I CAN eat it if I eat it slow). I'm noticing some healthy proteins are getting harder to get down, though (like salmon, chicken breast, meat in chili). Really, I just have to remember to chew them thoroughly, though. And, I haven't PB'd anything at this point. I just have discomfort if I don't take my time and chew well. I THINK this means I am at my sweet spot or very close to it. I am going to a support group meeting tomorrow night so I am curious to hear what others have to say about it there. Once again, though, I was able to eat dinner last night and then NOT eat anything AFTERWARDS without being hungry when I went to bed. Woohoo!!!

My doctor actually doesn't tell us to stop at a certain amount, but the rule we are supposed to follow is to not eat for longer than 20 minutes. I have not gotten to the point where I am not feeling hungry, though. I definitely am hungry before the next meal and sometimes it is still too soon. But w/this 2nd fill, I'm able to either get by w/water until the next meal and/or distract myself by doing something else (like coming on lapbandtalk.com LOL). The support group I go to is at Scottsdale Healthcare Shea hospital. You are supposed to be a patient of SBC to go, though, but I could maybe sneak you in as my 'support person' if you really want to go.

I prefer the orange, but I do like the fruit punch too.

either at my sweet spot or very close to it. And, I never expected it would happen this fast. I've had two fills and am at 4.5cc in a 10cc lapband APS. I just can't get over how great the band has been working for me since my second fill (last Wednesday). There isn't anything I CAN'T eat, but I'm getting full w/small meals and not hungry between meals (which is my doctor's definition of a proper fill level). So, if this restriction stays and I keep losing 1-2 pounds per week, then that may be it. Really, I have a goal to lose 2.5 per week, but I'm willing to exercise my booty off (literally ) to get there. Or, if I do need another fill, I think it will be small at this point (maybe .5). I really hope this level of restriction will work for me, though, because I don't really want to develop a long list of foods I can't eat (like some who have their band tighter). Right now, I have a healthy fear of bread (just doesn't go down great, but I CAN eat it if I eat it slow). I'm noticing some healthy proteins are getting harder to get down, though (like salmon, chicken breast, meat in chili). Really, I just have to remember to chew them thoroughly, though. And, I haven't PB'd anything at this point. I just have discomfort if I don't take my time and chew well. I THINK this means I am at my sweet spot or very close to it. I am going to a support group meeting tomorrow night so I am curious to hear what others have to say about it there. Once again, though, I was able to eat dinner last night and then NOT eat anything AFTERWARDS without being hungry when I went to bed. Woohoo!!! :frown:

You probably need another fill just because most people do not get much restriction w/just one. So, I'd definitely make an appt for another fill. The goal I have from my doctor is to only eat three meals a day. These meals can be as big as I need to be satisfied, but should not take longer than 20 minutes to eat. No snacks at all between meals and the meals should consist mostly of solid protein. The solid protein is what helps the meal to last a lot longer. Mushy foods or carbs will not last you as long so you are more likely to get hungry before your next meal. Also, no drinking during your meal or for at least 30 minutes after (I usually try for an hour). In between meals, after the 30-60 minutes, if you get hungry, drink plain water and lots of it. This really works for me. A lot of times I am not really hungry I guess cause the water gets me through just fine. Also, eliminate all liquid calories and try getting rid of artificial sweeteners. I've found that since I gave up artificial sweeteners, I no longer crave sweets so much. All that said, I've just had my second fill and it has made a huge difference in helping me stick to all these rules.

I was banded on 12/17 and have lost 21 pounds since surgery (28 pounds from my highest). Its funny to me that others who have lost the same are disappointed, but I am ecstatic!!! Normally, I am a super slow loser and have to work so hard and be so hungry to lose anything at all. So, I am so happy w/my results so far. This is so much easier than any diet I've been on. I've had two fills so far (4.5cc in a 10cc band). I did not have any real restriction before, but after my second fill (last Wednesday), I feel like I am finally getting a lot of help from my band. I can still eat anything, but I get full a lot faster and it is sticking w/me longer. Woohoo!!!

Getting a fill is super easy and no big deal at all. I never look at needles for anything and it always feels the same, just like a little pinch. With my first fill, she got it right away. With my second fill, I had someone different and she had to poke around a bit to find it, but you really don't feel anything after the initial poke so it didn't bother me. At my surgeon's office, they have these adjustable chairs that lean you all the way back and then lean you back up to sip water, adjust, sip water, adjust, until they feel you have the right amount. The sipping of water is just to make sure you can drink comfortably. If water has trouble going down, they take a little out. For me, I never had any pain w/drinking the water, but I did feel some weird bubbles at the point they decided to stop each fill. I got 3cc on my first fill (the max they would've done is 4cc) and got 1.5cc on my second (the max they would've done is 2cc). I have a lapband APS (10cc capacity).

I know I already posted about this yesterday, but it just keeps getting better and better. Last night, I had a small bowl of chili at around 6:30pm for dinner and was not hungry at all for the rest of the night. And, I am a big big late night eater, so this is big for me. I absolutely hate going to sleep on an empty stomach, but for once, my dinner actually kept me satisfied all the way until bedtime. This morning I ran out of time to have b-fast so I grabbed a zone bar to have in the car on the way to church and I could barely finish it! Unbelievable!!! Usually I would just eat one of those to keep my stomach from growling. I don't actually get any 'filling' sensation from them even after my first fill. But, w/this second fill, oh yeah! Woohoo!!! I also lost another pound this morning so a total of 21 pounds since surgery on 12/17. Its so so hard for me to believe this is even real that I could lose 20+ pounds in 2 months. And, not even being perfect about it. Usually, when I had done WW, I had to be absolutely perfect to lose anything and many times it would be a half pound or less. Now I have been contemplating my behavior w/the band and how I really have not been working it as well as I could. Specifically, I had started slacking off on exercise and letting more liquid calories (as in cocktails and wine!) slip back into my life. And, I've asked myself is this what I really want... to do the band half-assed? And, the answer is NO! Clearly, its doing its job for me and its time for me to get more serious about doing my part. So, now I think I am ready to make some goals. A friend of mine is getting married on April 2nd and I am making it a goal to lose 15 more pounds by her wedding so I can feel cute dressed up (instead of frumpy). I am 221 right now so that would put me at 206. To achieve this, I am going to: 1) Attend Jazzercise at least 2x per week 2) Walk for 30 minutes at least 4x per week (on the days I don't do Jazzercise) 3) Limit alcohol to only 1x per week Wish me good luck and persistence! :confused:

I just added a mini-goal ticker to my siggy to lose 15 pounds in time for my friend's wedding on 4/2 so I may as well consider that my Easter goal as well since they are only two days apart. Count me in!

Clear Liquids (Water, broth, clear Protein shots, herbal tea) would be the best for just a day to let the irritation/swelling go down. And, try to drink as much as you can. I find that when I'm dehydrated, my band feels tighter and stuff doesn't go down as easily.

You are an inspiration! Thanks for sharing. :frown:

I know I already posted about this yesterday, but it just keeps getting better and better. Last night, I had a small bowl of chili at around 6:30pm for dinner and was not hungry at all for the rest of the night. And, I am a big big late night eater, so this is big for me. I absolutely hate going to sleep on an empty stomach, but for once, my dinner actually kept me satisfied all the way until bedtime. This morning I ran out of time to have b-fast so I grabbed a zone bar to have in the car on the way to church and I could barely finish it! Unbelievable!!! Usually I would just eat one of those to keep my stomach from growling. I don't actually get any 'filling' sensation from them even after my first fill. But, w/this second fill, oh yeah! Woohoo!!! I also lost another pound this morning so a total of 21 pounds since surgery on 12/17. Its so so hard for me to believe this is even real that I could lose 20+ pounds in 2 months. And, not even being perfect about it. Usually, when I had done WW, I had to be absolutely perfect to lose anything and many times it would be a half pound or less. Now I have been contemplating my behavior w/the band and how I really have not been working it as well as I could. Specifically, I had started slacking off on exercise and letting more liquid calories (as in cocktails and wine!) slip back into my life. And, I've asked myself is this what I really want... to do the band half-assed? And, the answer is NO! Clearly, its doing its job for me and its time for me to get more serious about doing my part. So, now I think I am ready to make some goals. A friend of mine is getting married on April 2nd and I am making it a goal to lose 15 more pounds by her wedding so I can feel cute dressed up (instead of frumpy). I am 221 right now so that would put me at 206. To achieve this, I am going to: 1) Attend Jazzercise at least 2x per week 2) Walk for 30 minutes at least 4x per week (on the days I don't do Jazzercise) 3) Limit alcohol to only 1x per week Wish me good luck and persistence! :frown:

Well, this is another area where doctor's differ on their advice. The nutritionist I worked w/at my surgeon's office for 6 months before banded recommended that I pretty much eliminate bread, Pasta, and rice from my diet (regardless if they are whole grain or not) because there is nothing in these that I really need... at least nothing that can't be gotten through a supplement. She would rather see me eat protein first, then vegies/fruit, but think of bread, pasta, rice as a once in awhile treat (a small serving up to 4 times per week is what they prefer as a limit). I have been on so many diets before. Despite my weight, I've been 'on' a diet more than I've been 'off' a diet for most of my adult life. And almost all of them recommend cutting way back on starch (even good carbs) so I've pretty much gotten used to that already. I really don't mind as long as the hunger component is taken care of (like the band does). OK... warning TMI coming.... skip to the next post if you don't want to hear about poop. As for the constipation factor, I have always been on the loose side so WLS has actually just helped me to become 'normal' in that department. I'm actually lactose intolerant too so I have to remember to take a lactaid before eating any dairy or I am in the bathroom immediately after. So, I never worry about constipation. If I was to ever get constipated, I could drink a glass of milk or, better yet, a Protein shake, without my lactaid and that would clear me. LOL But, once again, my nutritionist's advice is that fiber can be supplemented to. For the record, I'm not saying my nutritionist is God and knows better from everyone else. I'm just saying that there are different opinions on this. Its not necessarily right to say that bread is empty calories, but its not necessarily right to say that it isn't. If you lined up 100 different nutritionists/dieticians, I bet half would say one thing and half would say another.

There is nothing that will cure your bread addiction faster than the lapband! LOL Its really a wonderful thing, though, because bread is pretty much empty calories. I used to be able to gobble up two pieces of garlic bread just while clearing the table and putting the food away. Last night, I broke off one tiny corner of a piece of garlic bread (only 1x1 inch square) and nibbled on it ever so slowly just to get a taste. I'm so happy for this. I can get a little taste, but there is no temptation to shove a whole piece in my mouth anymore... not since my run-in with a roll I ate two quickly about a month ago.

My doctor had me on only broth, herbal tea, Jello, and Water for the 3 days after surgery. I thought I was gonna die of hunger. I did call the dieticians to check if anything else was allowed (like the clear Protein shots you can buy now) and they said NO! But, I was allowed to eat normal food starting on day 4 with very few restrictions. I didn't have to do a mushy stage. Now, that I am getting fills, they want me to do the same for 72 hours after each fill, but they will allow the clear protein shots too. That helps a lot, but I haven't actually gone 72 hours on only those liquids after a fill yet. This time, by the second day, I tried Soup, yogurt and cottage cheese. And, by the third day, I had veggie burgers, fish, and veggies. I'm sure they would not be happy with me, but the 3 days without eating just doesn't work for me. I take it slow, chew chew chew, and if I was to have any problems, I'd go back to Clear Liquids. But, I haven't had any problems yet.