Embrace

Hi, I was feeling a bit scared too because I can eat anything as long as it's moist. Dry food comes right back up. :drool: There are a couple of things to consider. It's great that you can eat most food. No particular food should hurt your band but you'll want to nourish your body by choosing and eating healthier options. That's important since you're not eating as much as you did before and your body needs the nutrients. Several other patients have posted about the hunger feelings. Usually this means that you need another fill to find your "sweet" spot that balances hunger and food volume. Good luck.

I thought that fitting into smaller clothes would be the most exciting part about losing weight right up until Lena posted her experience with the guy who flirted with her. :drool: Way to go, Lena.

Wow. It's great that you're having such a great experience. I continue to gain/lose the same two pounds, which has become extremely frustrating. I got the band on Jan. 27 and go for my second fill in two weeks. I hope that will kick my weight loss into overdrive. Even without continuing weight loss, I'm so much happier now. I don't feel completely betrayed by food or appetite. I can tie a coat belt and see waist definition again, and I have enough energy to get through a whole day.

How exciting! Sometimes you have to look through someone else's eyes to appreciate how much progress you've made.

It was wonderful. Sacramento was 77 degrees! Thanks.

Jodi, That's a great idea about not ordering a drink. I admit that I sip something when I order my food so I don't get too thirsty while I'm eating or after. Then I just hope it takes 10 minutes before the food gets to the table. Not very scientific or compliant. Your strategy is much better at following the rules. Your ticker shows that you're being very successful so I'm following your advice. Thanks and congratulations on your weight loss.

Hi again, I just got home from a trip. I ate less -- much less -- while I was away. Not typical for me. In the past, I've used trips as an excuse to eat anything I wanted. Usually, it wasn't good for me. Of course, the band helps with portion control but the way that I traveled will help me in the future at home and away. I planned ahead and packed sugar snap peas and mini carrots in snack-sized baggies. I bought a small container of hummus and I packed single serving packages of Meal Replacement and a small Blender Bottle. I kept everything cool in an insulated cooler in my hotel room and I ate just fine. I stayed out of the hotel coffee shop and nearby restaurants. I felt terrific the whole time. I'm going to adopt a couple of these practices now at home by upping the servings of veggies every day, getting some Protein with hummus instead of all the meat, and drinking more Water. It was just the boost I needed. Hope you're all doing well. Have a great week.

Congratulations on your loss. The band does seem to help - the effect (for me) has been subtle but I know it's working and I feel so much better. Good luck on your journey.

Linda, You're doing fantastic. I'm stuck at 20. Still I'm very happy with the changes that I'm making. Smaller portions. Much more control since I've stopped fantasizing about the next meal. I feel so much better in my own skin too. I don't dread going to social functions. I'm amazed at the difference that 20 pounds made to my head and self esteem. Plenty more to go but I know it's doable now.

I'm way more sensitive to the salt in prepared foods. I just tried a little bit of rotisserie chicken on a saltine and it was so salty I felt like gagging. Canned soups (unless they're low sodium) are way too salty too. I'm actually preparing my own food now so I can control what seasoning I use.

Sorry if this is TMI but I've stopped getting friction issues between my thighs like deep boil-type infections, ingrown hairs and uncomfortable sweating. I had major relief and I've lost only 20 pounds. Thank goodness I'll have lost even more weight by summer.

I've been really lucky that I can eat anything from before including untoasted bread and fried rice (haven't tried steamed rice yet). Moisture content is very important. If it's too dry it comes back up and it hurts:thumbdown: These are what triggered by few PB's so far: 1. Bread or toast if it's too dry. Now, I use cholesterol-control marg. that's only 45 calories per tbsp. Tastes fine and keeps toast from getting stuck. Use lots of mustard on sandwiches so never had a problem with untoasted bread before. 2. Breaded chicken/red meat is a no-no. Stays down fine if I prepare chicken or red meat any other way. 3. Pastry. It was a custard tart and it was too dry. Serves me right. I shouldn't have been eating it.

Great idea, Chick. I've gotten so focused on the plateau that I'd almost forgotten about setting goals. Here are mine: Lose 10 pounds by graduation May 9 Lose another 10 by friend's wedding in July Be at goal by Christmas as a present to myself!

Hi, Had my first fill on Wed and have 3ccs. The doctor put in 2cc's during surgery and the nurse added 1cc. I feel restriction but not very much. Today's the last day of liquid diet, then two days of smooth food. I felt a lot of head hunger yesterday because it was so long since I was on liquids only. Today will be better, I think. I lost a pound yesterday but it's the liquids. The real test will be how I do on solid food. Before the fill, I'd lost 20 pounds total and the last month, I've been gaining and losing the same 2 pounds. I sure hope this fill kickstarts the weight loss again. If not, I'm scheduled for my next assessment/fill in mid-April.

Hey Linda, It wasn't bad. Like a few other people, the worst was the numbing shot and the pain lasted only a few seconds. After that it was smooth sailing. The doctor filled the band with 2cc at surgery (I didn't know that at the time) so the nurse added only 1cc. Weird. I felt a difference but it was so subtle that's it's hard to describe. I've lost a pound since yesterday but that's probably the required liquid diet. Congratulations on losing 48 pounds! You must be feeling so much better physically and mentally. What are you down...two sizes now? The almost 20 that I've lost has made a huge difference in my arthritis. Clothes fit now too. Haven't had that feeling in a long time. Sorry about taking so long to post. I got slammed the last two days and fell behind.

Hi Linda, Sorry - I was out of town last week and didn't get back to you sooner. Work-wise, I'm a project manager. I like detail work so it's fun and it keeps me pretty busy. Until the band, I wasn't too busy to eat though :thumbup: so my band has been good for me. I'm learning fast what a normal portion looks like. I'm thinking "Seriously, only that much?" . Then, I can only eat half of it. :w00t: You're right about Reno/Sparks growing so much. It was outta control and housing prices matched. It's been really bad since the bubble popped. We've got two houses on our block that went into forclosure so our housing prices skidded too. It's so much worse in Vegas that it's no comparison. We're hanging on but hoping that this slide stops soon while we've got jobs. I have my first fill on the 18th. I'm not so concerned about pain but I am worried about the effects. I'm not especially hungry but I don't feel full unless I overeat (which I've done a few times). I can swallow the jumbo fish oil capsules and I can swallow beverages without having to use a sippy cup. I've had a few PB's but otherwise I can eat almost anything. I've been gaining and losing the same two pounds for 4 weeks so it's probably time for the fill. Otherwise, things are going pretty well for me. Keep in touch. I wanna hear how you're doing.

I burp and hiccup too usually after I overeat. I guess that's the band's way of saying 'whoa, girlfriend.' Also, I get gassy, which I rarely -and I mean rarely- did before. Your exercising inspires me. I'll get to the gym to walk on the treadmill TODAY!

Carolina Mom, I'm so sorry that you're struggling. I guess only your doctor will know if your body doesn't like the band but I suspect that some of the problem is not following the rules. Don't get me wrong. I haven't been following them either. Keep losing (and gaining) the same 2 pounds. I'm not walking. I've been thinking about all the reasons I needed the surgery and what I want for my future. So, I'm committed to getting back on track. I'm starting today on the pre-surgery liquid diet for one week to jumpstart my weight loss. You pick one thing to do too and we'll support each other. Let's touch base again tomorrow and see how we're doing, okay?

Hi Linda, I'm in Sparks - LV is too hot for me (:biggrin:at least between March and November!) I like living in Nevada too but work has dried up here and it's getting tougher to hold onto a job. I guess that's true every place these days. I got stuck on a plateau. I keep losing and gaining the same 2 pounds. My eating habits are to blame. It just dawned on me that I'm not keeping a food journal or eating protein first at every meal. Work has been nuts so I haven't been walking either. The first thing my doc said after surgery was that I'd do fine if 'I followed the rules.' Sure enough. I'm getting myself back on track by following the liquid diet for about a week and then following the rules to the letter. This band is my best friend. I need to remember to treat it that way!

Good for U! Nothing like seeing that scale go down, down, down to lift your spirits. Keep us posted on your progress.

Carolina Mom, I'm so sorry about your experience. It sounds awful. I'm walking about a mile a day so far. Actually, I get a little tired at the end of it so I'm trying to take it easy. You've scared me into obeying the rules, though. No gym exercise for six weeks! Hope you recover fully soon.

I'm sorry that so many of us have hit the dreaded plateau but I'm comforted too. I've dropped 19 pounds (I had a head start because I had to do the liquid diet for 4 weeks before surgery). I'm being very careful about food choices. Still nada. I was beginning to freak out and wondered if I should have a bypass. Don't get me wrong, I'm really pleased with the band but the no losing scared me bad. I get my first fill on March 18. I'll look forward to it if ya'll are having success. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Guess we're in it together.

Hi Teresa, I hit a plateau already too. II didn't expect that to come so early. I'm consistently eating less than 1,000 calories and haven't lost weight in over a week. I'm sure that my metabolism is slowing way down because I'm not eating enough but it's hard for me to work in enough food because I get full quickly. I'm so happy with my choice to get the band. I just wish I was having faster results. I feel silly saying that though. It took 10 years to put this weight on. I guess I can wait more than 3 weeks to take it off.

Hi, The longer out I am from surgery, the more I think that gas and burping may be something we'll have to live with for awhile. I'm keeping Gas-X at work which controls some of it. The burping is a new thing and I seem to do that more no matter what I eat or drink. My daily meal routine is a meal replacement shake for breakfast, a mug of bouillon for lunch, and I just graduated to tuna or diced chicken for dinner. I'm consistently eating less than 600 calories but no weight loss in the last week. Is anyone else stuck?

My surgery was Jan. 27. I was supposed to go for a fill on March 11 but I'll be out of town. I bumped the appointment to March 18. I'm nervous for some reason. My port is tender still and the thought of them poking around around it with a needle doesn't thrill me. On the other hand, I can eat more than I expected. Don't get me wrong. It's not like I'm eating the way I did before. It's just about 1 cup per meal. I'm getting around 350 calories a day, I think. I'll probably be a good candidate for the fill.