cookgal

I agree, I have to start out with liquids in the morning or I have trouble all day. Hot/warm liquids work best. But I still PB everyone once in a while.

I paid for my surgery without the help of insurance. I live in San Diego, CA so I went to Tijuana Mexico to get my surgery. Dr. Ortiz was great & his cost is $9500 on a regular basis but he has specials quite often for $8500, what I paid. I took a small loan out at my bank & paid if off over the next months. I was not able to get the surgery in the US, my BMI was not great enough but I didn't want to wait. All is well & I am on my way to being thin...I hope!

I sometimes chew & spit if I want the taste of the food without the calories or the chance of it getting stuck. My husband is grossed out by it but it works for me.

I was banded in May of 06 & lost weight really quickly & easily for the first 4 months. But I am stuck at about 20-25 pounds weight loss & have actually gained a few pounds back. With the new year coming I know I have to get back on track. I have had a few fills & feel restrictions but I still can eat to much, I also get food stuck sometimes. I have two questions, what can I do to motivate myself & should I get another fill? Thanks everyone! :help:

Day before yesterday I went & got my unfil. The Dr. took out .2 cc & boy do I ever feel better! I still am tight but its a good tight! Hopefully the weight will start melting off! Good luck to everyone!!!

I was just about to post saying that I think I was overfilled & what should I do about it...then I saw your post! I got filled 6 days ago & can only get down liquids. I sometimes can get down yogurt but yesterday I tried to eat a little cottage cheese, chewing very good, but it got stuck. I am not loosing any weight either...not really sure why. I know I have been under 500 calories for 6 days. Any advice on if we should get unfilled or not would be great! How long does it take for everything to get back to normal so I can see my true restriction. Thanks all!!!

I had a fill about two weeks ago, before the fill I didn't have any restriction. My fill was 2.6cc & I though that I would have quite a bit of restriction after that, but nothing...well not nothing, I feel like I have a slight amout but I am not loosing weight like I should. How much did is normal for your first fill & about how many fills do most people have to get? Thanks everyone!!!

What do you clense you colon for? Do I need to do this?

My band is a 10cm I am pretty sure. Any my fill is a 2.6 cc at this point...any advice or help? Can the fill just dissapear?

Thanks for sharing your wedding with us! You look beautiful! Congrats!!!

Great to hear all we wonderful with your pregnancy. I was banded two months ago. I am definately not ready to be pregnant but think we might be in a year or so. My Dr. said to wait at least a year & a half for everything to be secure in there, so my port does not move. Did your Dr. give you any advice on getting pregnant, did you have to wait? Thanks for the advice! Hope all continues to go well for you & your family! Let us know what you have & what you name him or her! All the best...Cookgal

Get a lawyer! Protect yourself! Good luck! Let us know how things go!

I went on a low carb diet about three years ago & it took me a long time to get in ketotis also. I had to keep my carbs down below 15 to stay there. It really works if you can stay away from the carbs. Keep drinking water & keep the carbs down, way down! I bet you will get here...it takes a couple weeks or so. Good Luck!

I was banded on 5/25/06. Now that I am on 100% solid foods, I am having a hard time deciding if I am overeating & making my band slip or having a mild PB. After I eat a really full meal, since I have no restriction, sometimes I get a lump or pain in my upper gut, sometimes it stays for hours & sometimes it goes away quickly. Since I can eat anything & don't have a real hard time with it, its really hard to limit myself. Again, that is how I got in this overweight mess. So what do you guys think..am I over eating & if so, does that make you band slip or am I having a PB (no burping or slime). I'd love to hear what everyone has to say about this. I want to keep my band & be healthy! Thanks!!!

I can feel by port under my largest scar. Its very odd feeling because I can feel it both from the outside & the inside. I am sort of concerned that when I lose more weight it will stick out to much & I will have to have it repositioned. But I will cross that bridge when I get to it!!!

I am two weeks post op & have done really well most of the time. I have to admit that I eat smoothies & super soft food 90% of the time but I have been starting to eat raw fish (sushi grade) & a few other very soft foods. I have to chew! I miss it more than I ever thought I would! I tried the gum but no satification. I feel really good & have been being really careful! Hope I am not harming anything...but anyway...food is good!!! (now I just have less of it):hungry:

I am two weeks post op & had that same feeling. But its all gone now, except when I get full. That is my signal that I have eaten to much! This band is a God-Send! I am so thankful for this site & this band...it is saving my life! All will be fine I'm sure, the swelling & tightness will go down. Good luck!!!

I have the same chest pain when I eat. If my pouch gets full it feels like someone has punched me in the chest about where my ribs end & I have a big lump there. Its almost like I can feel my stomach digesting the food. It goes away after about 30 minutes. I am afraid I am eating or drinking to much when that happens...

Its not very good for your body...you really need to get an unfill. Hope it all works out for the best!!!

I am 11 days post op & feel great! I was on clear liquids for 7 days & now have moved onto yogurt & protien shakes. I am not hungry for food yet but am really struggling with not eating the things that sound SOOOO good to me. I admit I have cheated twice...mainly so my friends would not know I had surgery or could not eat. I ate soup both times & didn't really feel good about it after. Has anyone else cheated when they were restricted? If so, how did it effect your weight loss or did it hurt your band? Thanks everyone!!!

:hungry: I was banded on May 25 & have lost 11 pounds. I wish I had lost more but know that 11 pounds in 11 days is pretty good. I am off the clear liquids & the weight is not coming off as fast! I have to keep my head up & realize that I am going to have to eat real food again someday & I then will lose weight slower. Right now I am having to fight the urge to eat solid food instead of drinking those protien shakes...its getting pretty hard. I admit I have cheated a few times when with friends...mainly so they would not know I had surgery. Has anyone else cheated on their restricted diet? If so, did it hurt your weight loss or the band?:hungry:

We too are so sad that the Sopranos are ending! When they are on (or at least when we play them back, we TIVO also) we get so into their lives! Once while on vacation we thought we saw Christopher, the first thing I said to my husband was that I wanted to tell him I was so sorry Audrianna died! But then we realized one, it was not him & two, he is a TV character! We were way to into it! I love the show & am sad they are going off the air!!!

I am four days post op & think maybe I over did it today! I have been living off of Gatorade & jello since the surgery because everything else sounds really gross to me. Today I walked quite a bit & now I feel like I am sick! I have nashua & feel like I might throw up! I know that is very bad if I throw up! I just made myself a cup of cream of mushroom soup thinking maybe I just need something else in my stomach after the tylenol I took earlier today. Any advise? Thanks everyone for your support! :omg:

I am a food product developer for a major fast food chain! I am around yummy food all day long!

I was banded last week by Dr. Ortiz in Mexico & he specifically talked to me about this during my consult. He said if you have been on a diet for a long while, then gorge yourself on a "last dinner" before surgery, with the nerves of surgery & the large meal...you could let loose on the operating table. He said it would not be a pretty site & would strongly suggest against it!