shellyphaunts

Weight loss has been slow and steady at the ol' ranch. Officially down 62 pounds as of my five month post-op mark. Pretty darn happy with that. My body feels so different! I even started bowling again, after 20 years!!! I can get down on my knee without it collapsing under my weight! I am having a blast!! The last time I saw my surgeon, he took out about .2 cc's from my band. I was way too tight, unable to eat much of anything. Since then, as long as I eat reaaaaally slow, and take itty bitty bites, I've been doing pretty good. On the down side, I had to visit my primary care physician for the regular check up. He was busy that day, so I had to see his partner, whom I can't stand! First she feels my neck, and tells me I have a goiter. WHAT? So she sends me off for labs and an ultrasound on my thyroid. Whatever. When I get my labs done, she calls me and tells me my liver enzymes are abnormal, go have an ultrasound on IT. Okie dokie. I go have my neck and belly ultrasound-ed. Few days later, she calls asking if I am having stomach pain. Ummm, no, why, I ask. She says my liver ultrasound was abnormal. I ask what the problem is and she says we will discuss it at my next appt. FIVE weeks from now. Real nice. :thumbup: So the next day, I happen to have my appt with my bariatric surgeon. I tell him about the sitch and he can't believe she called and worried me, without giving me any information. So, he hops up, goes to his office and accesses my results. He is sooo my hero. Anyway, he comes back and tells me I have friggin gallstones! WHAT? Since I have had no symptoms he tells me he isn't worried, lots of people live with gallstones, with no problems. COOL! I decide I will be one of THOSE people! So, Murphy's Law being what it is, a few days later, I have the most God-awful pain I have experienced since being in labor with my children. The next day I google, and viola..... gallbladder attack. I have had four attacks so far. Sigh. I know I need to tell my doc, but I really do not want another surgery. I went forty years without a single surgery and now, I'll have two within five months. Major bummer!!

Okay, I read that like 65% of people still have symptoms after their gallbladder is removed and can develop stones in the bile ducts? Correct? RestlessMonkey, any problems since surgery? How long was your recuperation compared to the lapband surgery? Was it a laparoscopic surgery? Comparable painwise to the LapBand surgery?? Gads, I really don't want to do this!!! :smile2:

Good job girl!! Do you think the shoulder pain is related to your surgery? Let me know what they find out! I'm hoping it is something easy to fix! :Banane01: I have had an odd pain on my left side lately, but it feels like it is in between my ribs. Ya know when you get a stitch in your side, and you stretch and it goes away? Kind of like that, but I know it's deeper inside my body, cuz stretching doesn't make a difference. It is just kind of always there. Really odd. :purplebananna: Hugs,

Okay, for the last three weeks, things have just been strange. After my last appointment, I immediately gained some weight. Which, of course, bummed me OUT. I had no restriction, and was going on willpower, which always wavers when I am depressed. So, I've been gaining and losing the same five pounds for 3 weeks. But, strangely, my afternoon meal, always comes up after just a few bites. Evening meal, I feel no restriction, and can eat more than I think I should be able to. And certainly more than I can eat at noon! Makes no sense to me. My daughter graduates from high school this Wednesday. I have been fighting the urge to go to bed and throw the covers over my head for awhile. I can't believe she is so grown up! So, my emotions have been on a rollercoaster with that. Plus I am planning a big party for her this weekend. BUSY! Anyway, I had this goal in my head when I had the surgery. I was told it was pretty unrealistic, but peole say I am kind of stubborn. :tt2: I wanted to lose fifty pounds by graduation. As the months have gone by, I worried I wouldn't be able to do it. This a.m. I stepped on the scale, only hoping to NOT have gained, and VIOLA! I am ONE pound away from meeting my goal. I have until Wednesday to lose this stinking pound!! I am reaaaally excited to do it!! I am working my backside off to do it! :smile2:

Okay, for the last three weeks, things have just been strange. After my last appointment, I immediately gained some weight. Which, of course, bummed me OUT. I had no restriction, and was going on willpower, which always wavers when I am depressed. So, I've been gaining and losing the same five pounds for 3 weeks. But, strangely, my afternoon meal, always comes up after just a few bites. Evening meal, I feel no restriction, and can eat more than I think I should be able to. And certainly more than I can eat at noon! Makes no sense to me. My daughter graduates from high school this Wednesday. I have been fighting the urge to go to bed and throw the covers over my head for awhile. I can't believe she is so grown up! So, my emotions have been on a rollercoaster with that. Plus I am planning a big party for her this weekend. BUSY! Anyway, I had this goal in my head when I had the surgery. I was told it was pretty unrealistic, but peole say I am kind of stubborn. :cool2: I wanted to lose fifty pounds by graduation. As the months have gone by, I worried I wouldn't be able to do it. This a.m. I stepped on the scale, only hoping to NOT have gained, and VIOLA! I am ONE pound away from meeting my goal. I have until Wednesday to lose this stinking pound!! I am reaaaally excited to do it!! I am working my backside off to do it! :cursing:

Hey gang!! Congrats to you all on your great results!! Babe, I am right there with you! I have been gaining and losing the same five pounds for the last three weeks!! Don't ya hate that!? After having some of my fill removed, I immediately gained five pounds. It felt like I gained 'em in like five HOURS!! LOL! It has been a battle. But this a.m. I hopped on the scale hoping I was holding steady, and to my surprise, I lost!! I am ONE pound away from my mini-goal. I wanted to lose fifty pounds by my daughters graduation day. ONE FREAKING POUND TO GO BY WEDNESDAY!!! :smile: Please, please, please God! Off to exercise now!!! :laugh: Hugs,

Okay, three weeks ago I got my second fill. I had 2 cc's added to my band. The last three weeks have been rough. Almost everything I've eaten has come right back up. At first I thought that maybe it would get better after a few days. Then I started eating only about 3-4 bites each meal, and I would usually be okay. I just got used to not being able to eat. And it didn't hurt that the scale was quickly moving downward! Yes, I knew I had too much restriction. Yes, I knew I wasn't getting proper nutrition. And yes, the reason I didn't call my doctor was because I was obsessed with losing as much as I could before my next appointment, because I KNEW the doctor would take out some fill. So, today was the day. I got up on the scale at the doctor's office and I had lost SIXTEEN pounds in three weeks. The nurse TRIPLE checked my weight she was so shocked. :thumbup: As I sat in the little patient room, alone, I started running through excuses, and trying to come up with a reason for him not to remove some fluid. Yea, I had nothing. I didn't sit very long before he rushed in and asked me if I was alright. He had this panicked look on his face, so right there I knew I was going to lose some fill. I explained that I hadn't been able to eat very much, without lots of discomfort and the extremely pleasant vomiting. He of course, wanted to know why I hadn't called him, and I gave him the lame, "I didn't want to bother you," excuse. He told me I had basically lost all the weight because of malnutrition and possibly dehydration. He explained that all the vomiting could have led to band slippage or pouch distention and other horrible things. He told me I should never lose more than 2-3 pounds a week, and that this process can take years. And they want us to be healthy as we lose, and blah blah blah. I hate to say this, but I had a huge smile on my face the entire time he was chastising me. I lost sixteen pounds! WOOT! Yea, I did it wrong, I know, but I want this weight off so bad, that I'm pretty doggone happy. He ended up taking 1 cc out, and telling me he hoped I GAINED about 5 pounds in the next three weeks, through proper nutrition. Okay, I am going to work on proper nutrition, for sure, but I will be damned if I will gain five friggin pounds! Uh-uh, no sir-ee. This process messes with your mind. How screwed up am I that I don't really care that I could have hurt myself, as long as I lost weight? And why the hell wasn't I able to starve myself PRE-band? Why is it so easy now to just not eat? Sheesh. This is one craaaazy ride!! :biggrin:

YAY! I surpassed my Cinco De Mayo goal of fifteen pounds! I lost 16 pounds in three weeks. Of course I did this because I had waaaay too much restriction, and could barely eat. Yes, I am a very bad girl! Hugs,

Okay, three weeks ago I got my second fill. I had 2 cc's added to my band. The last three weeks have been rough. Almost everything I've eaten has come right back up. At first I thought that maybe it would get better after a few days. Then I started eating only about 3-4 bites each meal, and I would usually be okay. I just got used to not being able to eat. And it didn't hurt that the scale was quickly moving downward! Yes, I knew I had too much restriction. Yes, I knew I wasn't getting proper nutrition. And yes, the reason I didn't call my doctor was because I was obsessed with losing as much as I could before my next appointment, because I KNEW the doctor would take out some fill. So, today was the day. I got up on the scale at the doctor's office and I had lost SIXTEEN pounds in three weeks. The nurse TRIPLE checked my weight she was so shocked. :wub: As I sat in the little patient room, alone, I started running through excuses, and trying to come up with a reason for him not to remove some fluid. Yea, I had nothing. I didn't sit very long before he rushed in and asked me if I was alright. He had this panicked look on his face, so right there I knew I was going to lose some fill. I explained that I hadn't been able to eat very much, without lots of discomfort and the extremely pleasant vomiting. He of course, wanted to know why I hadn't called him, and I gave him the lame, "I didn't want to bother you," excuse. He told me I had basically lost all the weight because of malnutrition and possibly dehydration. He explained that all the vomiting could have led to band slippage or pouch distention and other horrible things. He told me I should never lose more than 2-3 pounds a week, and that this process can take years. And they want us to be healthy as we lose, and blah blah blah. I hate to say this, but I had a huge smile on my face the entire time he was chastising me. I lost sixteen pounds! WOOT! Yea, I did it wrong, I know, but I want this weight off so bad, that I'm pretty doggone happy. He ended up taking 1 cc out, and telling me he hoped I GAINED about 5 pounds in the next three weeks, through proper nutrition. Okay, I am going to work on proper nutrition, for sure, but I will be damned if I will gain five friggin pounds! Uh-uh, no sir-ee. This process messes with your mind. How screwed up am I that I don't really care that I could have hurt myself, as long as I lost weight? And why the hell wasn't I able to starve myself PRE-band? Why is it so easy now to just not eat? Sheesh. This is one craaaazy ride!! :wink:

Hey gang! Been awhile since I checked in, so here I go! I had my second fill 3 weeks ago, and boy, have I had a rough time! Almost everything I've tried to eat in the past three weeks has come up. About a week in, I figured out if I only ate about 3-4 bites, each meal, I would be okay. So, for 3 weeks I was living on very little food. But LOVING the weight loss! Well, I had an appointment to see my surgeon today. He is a very reserved, quiet man. So I was shocked when he burst into the little room and blurted out, "Are you ok?!" I said I was fine, but had to admit I had quite a rough time eating the last three weeks. He got quite angry that I hadn't called him, as it was obvious to him that I had way too much restriction. He told me I was malnutritioned and probably dehydrated. Oh, yea, I guess I should explain that I lost SIXTEEN pounds in THREE weeks. So, he took out 1cc and told me he hoped I GAINED about 5 pounds in the next 3 weeks. I have to admit, that even though what I did was dangerous, I am thrilled with the weight loss, and dammit, I don't want to GAIN! The entire time he was telling me what a naughty girl I was, I couldn't stop smiling! **shakes head** And ya know, the last three weeks, I just got used to not being able to eat much, and didn't think about possibly harming myself. That is how freaking desperate I am to lose the weight. So, anyway, I can now eat more than 3 bites, which is refreshing, but I am worried I will gain. So, I have already started watching my fat grams and calories and writing everything down. Which I didn't have to do the last three weeks, since I wasn't eating much at all. Anyhoodles, that's my story....... Hugs,

Okay, I am new to restriction. I had my second fill Wednesday. All day I had trouble drinking water and keeping it down. I was uncomfortable all evening. When I tried to eat, I couldn't. Thursday, more of the same. Yogurt was the only thing I could eat, and then only about 2 oz at a time. Friday, I made a stir-fry, and was only able to eat 2 small bites of broccoli and two small bites of beef. AND THEN it all came right back up. Not like throwing up, it just sort of crawled back up my esophagus. And the pain!! OY! Before it came back up I had chest pain that I can't even explain! Now, five days later, I am still only able to eat extremely small amounts. For dinner I had about an ounce of a turkey burger, and 2 tater tots. I stopped before the pain started this time. <----not completely stupid! :smile: But honestly, my dr. wants me to eat five small meals a day. Since my fill, I am lucky if I eat TWO small meals a day, and they are extremely small. I know I am not getting enough nutrition. I can barely fit the protein drinks in. Do I need to have an unfill? Or is this just what it is supposed to be like?? I like the scales going downward each morning, but am worried that this isn't healthy. Thanks! Hugs,

My doc requires liquids the day of the fill, then mushies the next day. After that he wants us back on "normal" foods. All doctors have different requirements, so I did follow his instructions. As I said, even yogurt wouldn't stay down. ParrotheadCathy, I will follow your advice and call my doc to see what he wants me to do. I didn't think two oz of food, twice a day was a normal thing!! :smile: Thanks! Hugs,

Okay, so I love my Wii Fit. But I would like to get another fit game. I was looking at "My Fitness Coach." Anyone have this game? What do you think? Any other fit games you all like? I heard that there is another wii fit game coming out in May. Anyone know what it is? :thumbup: Thanks gang! Hugs,

A light yogurt a peice of fruit carrot sticks w/ fat-free ranch pita chips sugar free pudding w/ fat free cool whip sugar free jello a special K bar fruit smoothie w/ protein powder one of those 100 calorie snack packs (they have chips, crackers & cookies, but watch your sugar!) a peice of deli meat wrapped around a slice of low-fat cheese Hope this helps!! Hugs,

Hair loss is a sign of not getting enough protein. Try as hard as you can to get 80 grams of protein a day. My hair started falling out, but when I upped my protein for a few weeks, it stopped. AND my weight loss became more steady. :tt2: Don't know what to tell ya about the acne. I've always had it. I do notice, the more water I drink, the less breakouts I have. :thumbup: Hugs,

ADORE the WII fit!!! I got it about a month ago. The first time I stepped on it, my Wii age was 58! :thumbup: Now, my WII age is 41! I can do all the yoga, strength training, and at first, I couldn't do half of it. My favorite is the boxing! I have managed to get to the advanced stage and I do it everyday. You really feel yourself getting stronger and more flexible each day. BEST investment I have made in myself. (with the exception of the lapband, of course!!) :tt2: Hugs,

I was banded Feb 16th. I lost 16 lbs between surgery and my first fill. Sheer will power. After my first fill I did really well. I didn't have restriction, so I was still on sheer will power. I paid attention to portions, protein, fat grams, etc. I've lost a total of 35 lbs as of Wednesday, when I had my second fill. I have so much restriction now, that for the last two days, even drinking water has been tough. I SLIMED water for crying out loud!!! :tt2: This a.m. I made a fruit smoothie w/ protein powder, and am having less of an issue getting it down. Of course I am only 1/16th of the way through it!! :thumbup: Head hunger is a major issue w/ me. It doesn't help that every other commercial is a big gooey pizza, cheeseburger or ice cream sundae!! Dang! And when I sit down to eat my 1/4 cup portion of whatever, my head tells me NO WAY is that going to satisfy me. Of course, with the new fill, I can't even eat half of it, but my head still plays its little game, and says I am still hungry. I think that is going to be the hardest part of this whole process. :tt2: Hugs,

Hey gang. Sounds like alot of us are on the exact same page. I have watched my weight loss stall, or at least slow down since my first fill. The fear of failure is ever present. After my first fill, I had a little restriction for a few days, and then it was back to normal. Yesterday, I had my second fill. My doc had planned on giving me 1cc, but after hearing I had no restriction, he decided to add 2cc's. Last night I ate about 1 tbsp of mashed potatoes and had my first SLIME episode. (may I just say that it is not at all PLEASANT!) All day I was having problems even getting liquid down. Today, not much better. After a bite of yogurt this a.m, it came right back up. ICK! I am constantly feeling like I have food stuck in the bottom of my esophagus. It is quite uncomfortable. Even water is hard to keep down! This is all so new to me. But I am frustrated. I get hungry, yet can't eat. At least not more than a few tablespoons. So this is restriction...... I'm not loving it! :sad: Hugs,

My doc wants us to get between 60-80 grams of protein a day. I haven't had any problem with gas. And once I began to reach that amount each day, my hair stopped falling out and my weight loss became steadier. :thumbup: I have tried all the shakes, and powders..... BLECH!! I use peach Proslam 27 and mix it with iced tea. It is really refreshing and I actually look forward to it. Isopure is also a favorite of mine. 40 grams of protein in one bottle! Can't beat that! They are both low in sugar and carbs. Hope this helps! :sad: Hugs,

Wait a minute! HOLD the phone!! I have been eating fruit like crazy. Pineapple, oranges, watermelon~ yummy. Fills you up and no fat grams!! What have I done? :w00t: I have an appt with my surgeon Wednesday. Hoping for my second fill. But he wanted me to lose 4 lbs by the appt. At the time he told me that, I was like "Shyea, no problemo! I got that in the bag!!" Now I am freaking out that I may not have lost the four. I've been four up, four down, 3 up, 1 down, I can't remember where I need to be. Crap. I need a tylenol! The scale has me totally spazzing out!! Quick someone slap me!! :eek: Hugs,

Howdy gang. Okay, so I am having "issues." Last week when I weighed in, I had gained like four pounds. I don't know what the heck happened, but it threw me for a loop. I got completely depressed. I felt like a COMPLETE failure! So, of course, I forgot everything I have learned in the past months and stopped doing everything that has been working for me. I started skipping meals to lose the weight quickly, stopped exercising, and just fell into a funk. I stepped on the scale today, and I have lost the four pounds, but I still feel like I have failed. I know there are factors that have contributed to my weight "gain." For instance, I've been out of my thyroid meds for a week, and can't get in touch w/ my doc. (Her office is closed until Monday) My CPAP mask broke, and I haven't been able to use it for two weeks, so I am exhausted and an emotional wreck. (I can't get a new mask until Friday) I know in my head, these things probably helped stall my weight loss, but I'm still depressed and out of sorts. Since surgery I have felt so good and so positive. But all of a sudden, I feel like the fattest girl in the room again, and I don't want to leave the house. Sorry to vent. I didn't want to get into this with my family, so I thought this would be a good place to find others who understood where I am coming from. Hugs,

In all honesty, I have had dental procedures that were more painful than this surgery! Getting up the first time to walk was pretty uncomfortable, but the more you do it, the better you feel. Take your pain meds as prescribed. Don't try to tough it out, your body needs to heal, and the meds are part of that. You will do great!! Honestly the anxiety before the surgery is worse than the pain after surgery!! Hugs,

Keep the faith Khayles!! Wishing you nothing but good luck! And a speedy recovery! I am hear if you need a shoulder! Hugs, Shelly

I went in for my first fill Wednesday. I had this goal of losing 30 lbs by my first fill. I stepped on the scale, and I had lost 24. I made a COMPLETE fool of myself. I was so disappointed, that by the time they sat me in the little room, I was in tears. My dh was trying to calm me down when my doctor walked in. He was baffled at my reaction. It was cute, he got this really stern look on his face, and asked me if I was supposed to worry about losing weight the first 4 weeks after surgery?? I admitted, I wasn't. Then he told me the fact that I had lost 24lbs with no restriction, all on my own was phenominal. He actually used the word "phenominal." I was blown away.... and felt like a shmuck. The fill itself was uncomfortable, but not even half as bad as I thought it would be. I've been on liquids and mushies for the past few days. I haven't been able to eat much at all. I decided to get on the scale this morning, and was I shocked! I am only 2 lbs away from my 30lb goal. BUT my BMI is below 40!! This was another mini-goal. To get my BMI below 40, finally. It feels so awesome to meet a goal!! This goal, any goal! It's been way too long since I took a risk and worked my butt off to get something. Time to work out! :sneaky:

Hey gang! Hang in there! The week before my first fill, I only lost 2 lbs. It has been 8 days since my first fill, and this a.m. I jumped on the scale, out of curiousity. I lost 7 lbs in eight days!!! HOLY CRUMBCAKE!! I was literally jumping up and down screaming! Yesterday, I didn't have any clean clothes, so I had to dig through my closet. I pulled out a pair of pants I bought a year ago, and at the time, were a tad too small in the waist. Why I bought them is a good question. Guess I thought I could lose a few inches, no problem, and they would fit. :smile2: Anyway, I decided to try them on, not expecting them to fit. Not only could I get them buttoned, but they were waaaay loose!! I cried I was so happy. It has been so long since I have been able to lose wieght like this, I am shocked at every pound. It feels incredible. So just hang on! At some point, it all just kind of clicks and the weight does start coming off. :w00t: Hugs,