EmmaWang

I'd love to join the Christmas Challenge. From now till then, I would like to lose 11 lbs. Name......................Starting....Current....To Go EmmaW....................241..........181.........170 (by Christmas)

WOW, congrats! You have been doing great! Are you satified at all with just half cup of food each meal? When you say half cup, do you mean only 2 oz of meat or 1 egg or something? I have a realize C band. Unfortunately it took me 12 fills up to a total 10.6 cc for me to feel any restriction. Still I could consum one cup of food (4 Oz meat+ 1 serving vege) at dinner.

For the past 5 weeks, I’ve been losing lots of hairs everyday, I am very concerned with it. The hair loss started in my 3rd month post-op. I don’t know what caused it. I haven’t had good restriction with my band even though I've had 6 fills. I eat almost 2 cups of food each meal and I consume around 100-120 grams of protein everyday together with plenty of vegetable. I take biotin 3 times per day, also drink benefiber so I wouldn’t have the constipation issue. I mean, I have been consuming more than enough nutrients everyday and my weight loss is kept at a slow pace (around 1-1.5 lbs each week), why am I losing so much hair? This is so scary! Another thing is I’ve been staying on the birth control pills before and after the surgery. However, when I had the surgery in March, I stopped the pill on the surgery day and a couple of days after the surgery, therefore it broke my cycle. I don’t know should I attribute the hair loss to that or the surgery.

Hi, I had 7.8 cc for the last weeks and didn't have any restriction. My weight has been swingging back and forth within 2 lbs for the last 4-6 weeks. I just got another fill this morning and I am up to 8.4 cc now. I really really want this one to work. Has the 8 cc worked for you now? Do you have restriction now? Do you have a regular realize band or realize C? I have realize C.

WOW, 5 months of hair loss sounds scary. Maybe it was the combination of missing birth control pill after the surgery and the surgery iteself that made me having hair loss too. Let's hope both of our hair loss stop soon. Thanks for the response.

Thanks for the info. I've been having hair loss for almost 2 months now. Hopefully it would stop soon just like what your doctor said.

Barb, Thanks. Yes I've talked to my doctor about this. She had me done some blood test. The result came back fine. I have no thyroid or Iron level issue. She said that the hair loss is the reaction to the surger that the hair would grow back eventually. I've been taking around 1100 - 1200 calories per day and I eat a lot of Protein (6-7 Oz of protein) lunch and dinner. If I eat more, I think it is going to be even harder to lose weight though.

Yes I just got my thyroid and iron level checked out last week. It turned both results are fine. I don't have a thyroid problem.

I am not able to feel my port. I was told by the nurse that my port is located under my long incision. However, I touched the area around it, actually I touched and felt my entire abdominal area, but could not locate the port. Does this pose a potential problem for filling? My first filling is scheduled on next Thursday. I am very concerned with where my port it. I hope this does not mean I would have to do a band reposition. I mean, I ony had the surgery about 1 month ago.

Just wondering, has everyone else's hair loss starting to slow down? Mine hasn't and my hair grow thinner. Ahhhhh!

First of all, Barb, it looks like you have been doing great with weight loss. Congrats! I have been stuck with the same weight for past 6 weeks (very depressing). My hair loss still has not slowed down which got me very concerned as well. Since this is supposed to be temporary, I really hope it would stop soon and my hair would grow back.

For the past 5 weeks, I’ve been losing lots of hairs everyday, I am very concerned with it. The hair loss started in my 3rd month post-op. I don’t know what caused it. I haven’t had good restriction with my band even though I've had 6 fills. I eat almost 2 cups of food each meal and I consume around 100-120 grams of protein everyday together with plenty of vegetable. I take biotin 3 times per day, also drink benefiber so I wouldn’t have the constipation issue. I mean, I have been consuming more than enough nutrients everyday and my weight loss is kept at a slow pace (around 1-1.5 lbs each week), why am I losing so much hair? This is so scary! Another thing is I’ve been staying on the birth control pills before and after the surgery. However, when I had the surgery in March, I stopped the pill on the surgery day and a couple of days after the surgery, therefore it broke my cycle. I don’t know if I should attribute the hair loss to that or the surgery.

Thank you Maryrose. I do have fine thick hair to start with. But it just freaks me out when I see handful of hair falling off just when I run my fingers through. My Mom has also noticed that my hair had gotten a little thinner.

Thanks lots for the info. Really hope this passes soon.

Biotin is one of the Vitamins. You could get it from Wal-mart or any supermarkets. Not everyone who had the surgery would experience the hair loss problem. Don't panic cauze it might not happen to you.

Congrats on your weight loss and thicker hair. How long did your hair loss last? Mine has been going on for over one month. It's so hard to see countless hair falls off when I take a shower, running fingers through the hair or brushing it.

The only advice from my doctor is to take 3-5 times of Biotin everyday. By doing this, it still hasn't stopped my hair loss. If your hair doesn't look any thinner, that must mean the new hair has replaced the lost ones. I dont' think you should worried so much about the hair loss then.

Well I've also had 6 fills which puts me to total 7.4 cc. I still don't have good restriction as well. On the other side, even though I could still eat a lot each meal (2 cups of food), it is still half of size of what I used to eat before the surgery. I am not giving up. I do get frustrated from time to time for lacking of good restriction, feeling hungry and a slow paced weight loss progress. We just have hang in there until we finally reach the sweet spot.

I guess this is the surgery's doing then. Losing hair is so upsetting. Before the surgery I saw a woman at the doctor's office who successfully lost 130 lbs in 14 months. She lost so much hair that the top of her was half bald. I was also really worried when I saw her. But never thought it could happen to me. The good news lis that when I saw her again last week in the doctor's office. Her hair must have grown some back, still thin, but better than I saw three months ago.

My weight drop slowly.

I think you just need another fill. I had my surgery done in March this year and since then I've had 6 fills. I am up to 7.4 cc now, yet I don't have enough restriction. When we reach our sweet spot, we are only supposed to eat 4 oz of food each meal. I am still far from there yet. Everyone has a different sweet spot. Don't get discouraged. You just have to keep going in for fills until you reach the sweet spot. There were people who didn't reach their sweet spot until they are 8.5 cc in a 9cc band on the forum. However, once you reach the sweet spot, I heard that the weight will drop off quickly.

Hi, do you have a 9 cc regular realize band or you have the 11 cc realize C band? I have a realize C and I am up to 7.4 cc now. I don't think I am at sweet spot yet. I really hope I could get there soon.

But if she goes to Mexico, she still has to pay for the air fare and hotel and food expenese. Those also add up on top of the $6500. Plus, no one will be there to take care of her after the surgery. At hometown, at least Mom and Dad could take care of her for a couple of days after the surgery.

Hi Kari, Have you had your fill on June 10th yet? Does the new fill give you enough restriction now? I am also very frustrated. I think we have the same band - realize C which holds maximum 11 cc. I've had 5 fills so far and is up to 6.7 cc yet I still don't have restriction. I still could eat two cups of food each meal. My next fill appointment is 6/29/09, I really hope it could push me to the sweet spot.

You and restlessmonkey's posts give me hope. I just got my fifth fill today and I am up to 6.7 cc now. Up till yesterday, I had no restriction. I was eating a lot even though most healthy food. But I was not losing weight and I was getting so frustrated. Today the PA finally gave me 0.8 cc( she usually only gives 0.5 cc). I really hope this one is it or at least I am very close to my sweet spot. I so want to experience the feeling that you were describing as "full on about 1/2 cup of food and stay that way for literally HOURS."