sparkplug

Wuggum, that is so funny, even when I was my heaviest at 235 pds, it did not take much to give me a chill. I have always ran cold and I wished for the day of hot flashes too! When it did happen, quite early in life I must say at age 39, it did not solve the problem, the hot flashes make you sweat and you are even colder afterwards than normal. I am learning to dress in layers, even though we do not get snow here, it does get cold enough to bundle up, nice to know I am not alone on this journey either, thanks girls.

I too like all of the cold people here are always cold. We get temperatures up in the 120 here in Arizona and people think I am crazy because I am comfortable! As far as testing my thyroid, my Dr. checked that out and said everything is normal, he too agrees it is the weight loss. I don't know if I will ever be warm again and winter is just around the corner. On the other hand, I would not change a single thing about having the band and losing 90 pds. Any suggestions on this other than the obvious of the thyroid test, would be a great help to all of us coldies.

Does anyone know if anybody without fills has ever had a slipped band? Just curious.

I too, am guilty of indulging in eating potato chips, you cannot have just one, as they say!

I am 150% satisfied with my band and my life now, never thought possible to be at goal weight for over a year! I feel like a million dollars.

I do the same as latin does, with strawberries and bananas and my whey protein. I make a delicious smoothie which is my desert and with splenda it is absolutely delicious and satifies my sweet tooth. I have a hard time getting protein in at times and this helps with my daily protein.

I agree with both people here, but I myself find with no fills ever and being at goal of losing 90 pds, I still need some will power, the band does not work for me alone. I would never want to be without the band, but I fight every now and again with head hunger and that is my demon. We are all in this together and we all have issues otherwise we would never gone through the surgery of getting the band. There is so much helpful advice on here, you just need to see what fits your body.

I agree with Elcee, the band is EVERYTHING to me! It has been a life saver for me and saved me from the doom of tons of medications for obesity like my mom had to take for years. I cannot live without it but hope you made right decision and do well. Even with no fills, I could not do this alone, the band has been my everything to lose 90 pds and keep it off. Good luck on your journey without the band and hope you live a long and healthy life.

I am so sorry that you had to go through such a traumatic ordeal with your slipped band. Hopefully you will be on your way to recovery and good as new. I know exactly what you are saying about people telling you that is no big deal for a slipped band. The chat forum on here has some really misinformed people that think they are doctors and are not as supportive as we would expect from them. I hope and pray that since my 2 year bandiversary is coming up that I never had to go through that. I never had a fill and hope that maybe that could be what saves me from such a horrible experience like you just had. Have a speedy recovery and good luck.

Just wondering a couple of things, how many bandsters with no fills and either close to goal or to goal like I am. Second question, just reading on forum daily for last 22 months and it just seems to me that the only bands that have slipped are the ones that have been filled and unfilled over a period of time. Just curious if the "non-filled" bands will or won't slip over time. I worry all the time on my band slipping because it has been a life saver for me health wise getting me off of so many meds and able to move around with little to no pain. I don't know how I would pay to have a slip fixed if insurance won't cover it, any info would be appreciated on this.

I agree with everybody on here that said that once you remove the hunger it is no longer a diet. I have never had any fills but once i was able to eat solid protein I did not have hunger pains like I did before the band. I made up my mind this is a life change not a diet and it has stuck with the bandster rules of no bread/no pasta/no sugar. I do occasionally have some pasta or rice but very little. I am down 90 pounds and holding for the last 10 months so this is proof that you can change your mental view on food, never thought this would happen to me. I do fluctuate 3 pds from day to day during the week depending on what I have for dinner.

Me too! When I have a stressful day at work, I tend to get stuck with anything I eat! Don't know why, but I sometimes try to eat very light or drink a protein smoothie instead, even that tends to have to go down slower than usual when my band is tight. I have no fills, doesn't figure does it? I also am to goal with losing 90 pds.

I feel your pain, but I also take prevacid every day with my chewable vitamins. I take all of my pills in the morning so that I have the whole to day to eat and drink on them to push them down and not know that anything is stuck. I agree that it probably is the feeling of being swollen from being stuck to begin with and that it will pass if it has not already. Try to take your pills in the morning instead of night time. Good luck and hope you feel better soon.

I too, came from syracuse, New York 6 years ago. We moved here to arizona for my husband's health. I am to goal with losing 90 pds and no fills. Never had too much hunger until recently. I am very tight in morning and just have a SF pudding for breakfast, everything else would get stuck this early. I get very hungry by 9:00 - 10:00 so I have been having some peanuts to hold me until lunchtime. They are a good source of protein and seem to hold me to noon. I am good the rest of the day and evening. Maybe some sort of protein between meals in a small amount will keep you from getting so starved. Good luck and keep up the good work.

I too was a slow but steady loser. My Dr. and I decided as long as I was losing to not have a fill, he left the decision up to me. I kept saying when and if I am eating too much or need help controlling my appetite, I will get a fill but never needed it. I am at goal with losing 90 pd and no fills. Everybody is so different and you each need to make your own decision to get to goal. I do love that picture of the Schnauzer, we have two boys of our own. Good luck and do what you feel is right for you.

I agree with everybody on here, there is nothing worse than getting "stuck". I have had 3 episodes this last 1 1/2 weeks because of eating too fast and/or too big of a bite and not chewing enough. I cannot live without papaya enzyme tablets. I keep some with me at all times, at work and at home. Just the other day got stuck on a piece of dry chicken and wanted to "die", ate 3 tablets and within 5 minutes it finally moved down. The panic I go through on getting stuck, does anybody else seem to panic like me? I guess it is part of our lives now, will I ever learn?

No, Elfie Poo there was no fill put in at surgery. My Dr. has done thousands of these surgeries and he feels that no fill at the time of surgery helps to heal faster. I tend to believe the Dr. with the medical degree, not some misinformed information that you came up with. Foolish was a poor choice of words, misinformed is more like what I meant. It is just this attitude that helps newly banded people think they are a failure when they are not, just because they may need no fills or a lot of fills, everybody is different.

I don't mean to argue with all of you fine people, but this band is not just a piece of plastic when there are no fills. I HAVE NEVER HAD A FILL, I was banded 12/20/08 and have lost and maintained 90 pds. I do have restriction, maybe I just have learned more from years of dieting, maybe i have more willpower, I can't explain why this band has saved my life with no fills. I could not lose a single pound before the band and i have been maintaining this weight for 10 months now. I am so grateful for the band and I get very upset when people make foolish comments that with no fills the band is useless. I might add, i still get stuck when eating too fast or too big of a bite, still have not mastered that yet. Thanks for letting me vent, I have never been so healthy in my whole life since being banded.

I was banded 12/20/08 and am to goal with losing 90 pd with NO FILLS. I had surgery in Las Vegas by Dr. ATkinson and never had any problems and have steadily lost with a couple of plateaus, I think because of my age. I walk every day for exercise and swim all summer long. I love my band and have been maintaining for the last 9 months. I do fight head hunger every now and again, but that is something we will all have to live with. Congrats to everybody who never needed a fill and I don't feel like such an odd person anymore hearing from others with no fills. The band does work with and without fills, listen to your Dr. not all the expert opinions of some bandsters.

jingleboob, what a surprise to see someone on here from our hometown, Syracuse, New York. We miss the New York State Fair and we used to live for the Dinosaur Barbeque sandwich every year. I misss the food there so much, it makes it easier to handle here with such a limited amount of good food in Arizona. Good luck on your band journey with all that good food at your fingertips.

Rocketray, I agree with your brother, I was banded 12/20/08 and have lost 90 pds and have been to goal for 9 months. I still do sometimes get head hunger and that is something I will have to work on and handle forever. Even though I am maintaining, I tend to go up and down 2 pds when eating out on weekends so back to basics on Mondays. I have never had a fill and am comfortable with my band and am forever greatful for this tool. It has been a lifetime of gaining and losing the same 90 pds that I need to keep in the past and look forward to the future with my tool. Patience is what we need when doing the band rules, I had a few months with no loss and then it started up again. Yes I will never figure out why some days I can eat something and then another day I can't. You will all succeed, it takes patience and time.

I am to goal with losing 90 pds and the girls at work are just like you are all saying, "so jealous they can't stand themselves". I agree with so many of these responses I have read here. Men and women treat you so differently. The woman are jealous and the men are very attentive. I have been thin many times before and now that I am older, it is truly a wake up call on how superficial people really are and how mean and nasty they can be. That is all I can say, thank God for my band the people on here that are truly interested in you for you, not what you look like!! Thank you everybody for being here for me in my happy and sad days of fat and thin and I know you will always be here regardless what weight I am!!! Thank you

I was turned down TWICE by my insurance even though it is a covered expense. I refused to accept their decision. Even though I only needed to lose 90 pounds, I have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, borderline diabetic and knee and foot problems, they still gave me a hard time. I refused to give up and got approved on 12/08 and had surgery on 12/20/08. I am to goal with losing 90 pounds, and I am saying DO NOT GIVE UP YOUR FIGHT TO GET THIS, you will never regret it. Good luck and keep fighting them until they get sick of hearing from you and give in to your demands, lol. It worked for me, hopefully they will see you really mean business and will give in.My primary care physician helped me a lot with his letter to get this surgery.

banded 12/20/08 high protein, low carb, no sugar or bread plenty of yard work, swimming and walking down 90 lbs and to goal no fills whatsoever and would do this again in a heartbeat, has been life saving for me at my age of 57 yrs old, feel like 27

Oops, I forgot to mention that I am one of the lucky ones from Dr. Atkinson in Las Vegas that lost all 90 pounds with NO FILLS and still have restriction. I know I am a rare person to not have fills, but it is possible.