Andy Liz

Don't know how you guys are doing it. I just need to get some mental toughness going and I can't seem to muster it right now. I'll try stopping at 1 cup of food and letting myself set there for awhile before I decide to eat any more. Now that I'm officially on solids I need to be living the bandster life - that means protein first, eating and not drinking my calories AND keeping to 8 or less ozs per meal. I guess until I do that consistently there's no way to know if I need a fill or not. I'm going to try to do better this week and see how things go. My doc's office recommends eating beef jerky for a snack - I can't imagine being able to chew this enough to get through the stoma....? I feel a very small and swiftly passing golfball with the first few bites of almost every meal. I had mushies for breakfast and was only full for 2 hours, but I just can't eat really solid stuff in the a.m. I've started having a cup of hot tea in the am and think I'll hold off on my actual meal until later in the morning. You all are doing wonderfully and you're really giving me strength right now to keep working to do things right. Take care and I'll check in Monday - I'm working the weekend so I should have a loss on Monday - can't snack at work!!!

Ditto for what these ladies have said. I was banded on 8-17 and have only wonderful things to say about him and his staff. Best of luck to you and I'm sure you will not regret your selection! Andy Liz

Pebbles you really out did me - I had a tumor on my ovary but it was only the size of a modest cantalope! I hope everything is going well for you now and concentrate on getting healed up well. Be sure you're eating the protein - that will help your tissues heal faster! I've been working a lot and out of town and I thought the scale had finally moved in the right direction, but alas - when I got back from visiting friends and family it was back where it was at the beginning of last week. I am also having to postpone my first fill until the 11th because the doctor will be out of town the week I originally scheduled it - craaaappppp! I'm eating about everything but bread and dry chicken breast as long as I chew well. I did have 2 golf ball episodes when I was dining with my family because I got all caught up in the conversation and filled my mouth and forgot to chew. I can't remember who said eating was work, but that's an understatement. It's a plain ole pain in the ass! If I don't get rid of my double chin from all the work my jaw is getting I'll be really upset. Is anyone finding that they can eat substantially more than a cup of food without a fill? I feel like I'm pigging out but compared to the way I used to eat I'm not pigging at all. In the evenings I can eat pretty much a "normal" serving of food before I get really full. Earlier in the day I'm much more limited. But I'm worried that I'm going to be stretching my pouch because I'm eating way more than a cup, probably closer to 2 cups of food. I just don't feel full until I've had more... Sounds like the scale is moving for some - way to go! I would not get a fill if I was losing and I think the longer we wait for that first fill the better, but I'm just not "feeling" it right now so I'm anxious for a fill! Take care everyone and I'll be back in a few days. Andy Liz

Leenerbups - this is totally off topic, but I love the cowbell thingy!!! I have a t-shirt that says, "I've got a fever and the only prescription is MORE COWBELL!" I laughed my buttocks off when I saw that and had to e-mail it to a friend of mine that finds it equally hilarious! Thanks for making me laugh today! As far as the whole sandwich goes. I'm almost 4 weeks out now and can eat a pretty good amount of food. I haven't been measuring but I have been stopping when I'm comfortably full - I'm sure I'm eating more than a cup and can so far eat everything but soft bread very easily - as long as I chew well. I've had 2 very small PBs on canned chicken breast that were immediately relieved with a very small sliming and urp. I'm not eating that crap anymore, but I have had pizza, shrimp and smoked sausage without the casings. My weight was pretty well stalled but has started to slowly drop since I've been eating regular food. I just chew until there's nothing left to chew so I figure it has to be going through the band pretty quickly. I worry about stretching my pouch because I'm a quantity eater and I like to feel full, but I'm really trying to listen to my stomach and not my head! It's so hard and I fully understand that the band is a tool and not a free ride to slim and healthy - sucks though!

Oh, you guys kill me! I can't believe we're so in sync with each other - really strange! I finally had the scale move too and that's AFTER I ate the 3 slices of pizza! WTH? I've heard that increasing the calories prevents the old bod from thinking we're trying to starve it so it plays nice and drops some weight - ok by me! I'm finally back down to my lowest post-op weight - I think my signature still has that weight on it so it's actually correct now! I'm very proud and impressed with those of you that are sticking with your liquids and mushies - I'm sure you'll be better off in the long run for it but I just don't have that much self control. Once I discovered that most things go down just fine there was no turning back! The only thing I'm noticing that I have trouble with is soft breads and if I don't chew my meat well enough - other than that it's a free for all! I do still try to eat oatmeal or scrambled eggs for breakfast but the rest of the day I haven't been very compliant! The quantity I'm eating is much smaller than I used to eat but I know I'm still eating way too much - I'm just not feeling the fullness. Chrissie - don't give up yet, give yourself at least 8 months because the first few fills may not even be right for you. Finding the right amount is going to be very individual and you can't compare yourself to anyone else. One of the doctors also told me that even if I find the perfect level of fill for me now, as I lose weight I will probably need adjustments. She described this like a watch I wear around my wrist loosens as I lose weight and so will the band - makes sense to me! You might try weighing once a week or better yet, once every two weeks so you don't see those same few lbs up and down every day before you have a drop. You'll do well, just give yourself some time! TTFN - take care and talk to you soon!

Faybie - regarding the "BM" - you should definitely have "moved" by now. If I didn't have a "release" at least every two days I'd take some Milk of Magnesia. It's gross but it works great! You will feel so much better. You'd be suprised how much poop the body makes even when there's not much going in and that all needs to come out! I'm a nurse so yeah, I know all about poop - and believe me any nurse worth the title doesn't even bat an eyelash at a poop question! For all of us - my friend that was banded in April said she gained about 5 lbs when she started back on "real" foods. So until we get our first fills, we need to be very careful... man, I can hardly wait for that fill!!! I've pretty much been on a regular diet when I should still be on mushies. I just chew everything to mush before I swallow it. I ate 3 pieces of thin crust pizza and believe me I was full but I didn't feel bad or anything and it all went down fine. I was at a craft festival today working in the first aid booth and I ate a hot dog. I pulled most of the bun away and it did feel kind of heavy on my stomach like it was having trouble going down, but it did. Several hours later I had some kettle corn - not a problem at all. I'm sure I ate a lot of calories but compared to what I used to be able to put away I did very well - I just hope I haven't done any damage to my stomach by not eating mushies for this last week. Talk to you all soon! Take care! Andy Liz

I don't know if this has been mentioned yet but I'd love to see a daily food journal that would keep track of our calories and %protein, carb & fat, etc. I've been using FitDay and it works great but that's just another place I have to visit... I'm lazy!

I for one have stalled on mushies. I thought I had lost another 1.5 lbs but somewhere along the way I gained it back - that sucks! I'll be pleased if I can maintain this until my first fill on 10-2 and I'm hoping that the doctor I'm going to uses fluoro and isn't too cautious! Also, in the grand scheme of things think about everything our bodies have been through! Compared to our old eating habits, we've been in a virtual starvation mode and that's bound to whack out anyone's metabolism not to mention the fact that we had surgery. I personally think that the longer we can maintain or lose weight without a fill the better for our bodies but I obviously can't do that so I'm going to be right in the office when my 6 weeks are up waiting for my fill! I was really hoping that the amount of restriction I had last week would be how I would feel all the time but alas that is nothing but a fond memory.... We'll get there girls - let's hang together and keep trying to make the best choices for ourselves! Andy Liz

Sherry, Pat, Dianne - Wow, you all look fabulous! I'm sorry if I left anyone out I didn't go all the way back. I did however see the darling dachshund named Clare having her birthday party. I'm would like to post a picture of my "weenie" Otto. He's going to be 10 in October and we try to have a party of sorts for him. We usually get the "boys" a McDonald's hamburger on their birthdays and take off the bun. Those hats though are hysterical! By the way, my mom's name was Clare with the same spelling and everything - what a hoot! I love to give my pets people names! Okay, I can't figure out how to post a picture - it's telling me my picture is too big to upload - can someone tell me how to adjust the size so it will load? Thanks, Andy Liz

Yeah, that's how I am too. Just a few days ago I felt like I had perfect restriction, today however - watch out cause I just might bite your arm if it passes in front of my face! I imagine I'll probably have a few more days that I feel like my restriction is good but as the swelling continues to go down the restriction becomes less and less. I've also noticed I have better restriction in the morning and am wide open in the evenings. I've read here that many people experience this so I'm just trying to battle the same demons that were in my head before the band. They stayed away for awhile and I'm hoping the fill vanquishes them for a good long time but I understand it may take several fills to keep those evil things at bay! There's a lady that was banded the same day I was and she still cannot even eat a cup of food and we're 3 weeks out now. My doctor told me that all his patients he banded the day I was got the same sized band and it wasn't the large one. I don't know if there's S, M or L...? Talk to you all soon! Andy Liz

Dear Mom, That cracks me up - and the men around here pee off the porch too - I'm just glad it's the back porch!!! The 14th is my MIL's birthday so when we're wishing her a happy birthday I'll be sending you good wishes too! It will all be over before you know it and the liquid phase will pass like a bad dream. I'm doing fine on mushies and don't feel a great need to tear into anything solid. I think I'll make it another week! I can't believe how quickly time passes! Good luck and enjoy the time in Monterrey! Hey, if you feel like it the driver at the hotel can take you to the mall. It's the same as any other mall but they had some nice souveniers. Oh, I guess there was one big difference I noticed.... they have many stores that sell beautiful evening gowns and fancy sequined dresses. Nothing like that around here except for prom time or specialty wedding shops - interesting..... You can also get some ice cream to give you a nice change of pace from the other liquids! That alone is worth the trip! Also worth the trip, getting 1 scoop of ice cream and not being able to eat the entire thing! FYI - the driver from the hotel was late picking us up so we took a cab back to the hotel. Be sure to take a card with the hotel address on it to give the cab driver and some extra cash. I think it was about $6 so not a big deal. Have fun and best of luck! Andy Liz

Hey Everyone! Sounds like there's lots of great losses! I just wanted to check in and let you know you can take may name off the roster the next time you update. I may be back in the near future but right now I concentrating on a few threads and I'm crunched for time so I needed to cut out a few of my stops. Hope this makes a little less work for you too! Best of luck to you all and I hope to see you around here somewhere!

Isn't it funny how we didn't think we ate that much! I've heard several long-term bansters say how much more they enjoy their food because they savor it really get to taste it. I've noticed that a little already and am so excited at how wonderful that will be.....! I still eat probably faster than I should but when I had lunch with my friend yesterday, I finished after she did - that was a first for me! Right now, on mushies, I really don't feel deprived either and I think that's the wonderful thing about the band. I always thought, "If I could just eat a normal amount of food I wouldn't be this fat." Well, I think this is going to work! It may take a little longer this way but I'll probably eat a healthy breakfast and lunch and then just eat a small portion of whatever I fix for dinner. Sounds like heaven doesn't it? I'm very glad I did this and am so looking forward to the future! I had what I thought to be quite a lot of remorse after I was banded and didn't feel well - feelings of being a failure and why did I have to have someone cut on my body just so I could be a "normal" size. I'm so glad I did this now and I just hope and pray that we all get through this with success and no problems! Take care and enjoy your day!

Sammee, You're truly amazing and look absolutely fabulous! You look so much more vibrant and alive - you're an inspiration and make me want to work hard to be successful too! Congratulations on a job well done! Andy Liz

How's everyone doing here? Some of the boards have been kind of quiet lately and I'm wondering what everyone has been up to? We've had absolutely beautiful weather here in Missouri, sunny and low 70's - it's starting to feel like fall and I LOVE it! It gives me a little extra energy! Check it gang! Andy Liz

Okay, I've already changed my mind about the fill because today I could eat like crazy. It changes every few days so who knows what I'll feel like in another month...! Fickle, fickle, fickle! There were a few times that I know I forgot to chew as well as I should have and no problems whatsoever! I'm still eating soft food and about a cup at a time but I'm needing more cups during the day to feel satisfied - at least that's how it went today! Andy Liz PS - welcome Justy! I'm a Rumbaut patient too - I was there on the 17th and just thought the world of him and all his staff. Glad to have you join the group!

I'm going to be so anxious to hear about everyone's first fills - looks like we're starting to look forward to those!!! I'm just shy of 3 weeks out from surgery and feel like I have adequate restriction - a lot can change between now and October 2 (when I have my first fill scheduled) but if I continue with this level of restriction I think I'll just sit here awhile and cancel the appointment. Andy Liz

Hi! Yeah, Libra - imagine this.... I was asked to be a bridesmaid because they ordered the dress for the "original" bridesmaid in the largest size they made and it still didn't fit her. I was the only other person she could think of that would wear that size - what the .....? How's that for a compliment? I told her I would do it if the dress fit and I was hoping and praying that it wouldn't, but the damned thing did - crap! It didn't even need an alteration - yeah that made me feel just pretty freakin fabulous.:faint: You're going to knock them out though - lots of time to lose weight and exercise before then!!! Andy

Hello! Man, a lot goes on here in just a few short days. Sounds like a few have broken through the plateau and that is fabulous!!! I got the scale to move 1.5 lbs this week so I'm hoping the plateau is over...!!! With this in mind though I think I need to revamp my goal for September. I'm going with 8 lbs total - that will put me at 245 and I NEED to be happy with that. It took me awhile to catch up on all the reading I needed to do but I found PeloRojo's comments on burping to be of special interest to me... 2) Do you guys feel sort of a burpy sensation but nothing comes to the surface. I get it whether I've been eating or not. Like a gas rising in my chest -- and I have to take a breath to make it pass - but no burp payoff? sound right? Yeah - I did this a lot at first. It felt like a huge burp needed to come up and nothing would. Someone told me this was from irritation and that we shouldn't try to burp when this happened. It does pass and now I burp like never before. Something I have noticed is that when eating mushies as they slide down I burp frequently. Almost like the air in the lower stomach burbles up as the food goes down, kind of weird and I can't imagine my husband, friends and family are going to find this amusing at meal time.....! Too bad! I have been able to eat about a cup of food at a sitting and I really feel completely full for several hours. And something that's really strange to me - when my stomach growls, I hear it but I don't really feel it too much and it's not like I HAVE to eat something right then. It's more like, "hey, I'm empty here, how about a little snack?" as opposed to, "I'M HUNGRY - FEED ME HUGE AMOUNTS OF FOOD NOW!" Well, I'm wishing us continued weight loss - I'm off work until Friday so I'll be checking in much more frequently - take care!

Hello! I think this like so many other topics related to the band are different with each doctor and each patient. I had my surgery in Mexico with Dr. Rumbaut and he said that if I were to return to Mexico for a fill I would get a good fill under fluoroscope the first time to ensure that I had a good restriction level. He also said that in the United States most doctors prefer to go a little at a time to find the sweet spot. I was also told that just like your watch gets looser as you lose weight, so will the band. This means we may need adjustments from time to time as we lose weight and really makes perfect sense. Good luck and take care! Andy Liz

Hello again! I can't believe we're all battling the post surgical plateau! I thought I'd be one of the few but it's wonderful (not that we're plateuing) that we're at the same place at the same time. The coordinator for my doctor in Mexico e-mailed me today and in my reply to her told her that my weight loss had stalled. She said it is extremely common and that after the first fill I would notice a difference. With that known, I'm wondering if I should lower my goal? I'll have to give that some thought over the weekend. I'll be working all weekend so I won't have time to indulge in typical Labor Day weekend eats - good for me! Thanks for some of the new ideas for mushies - I'll have to try them. Tonight I made a casserole of sorts using Stove Top stuffing, blended chicken and some extra chicken broth to make it super moist. I don't think there's a huge amount of Protein but something about this time of year makes me crave comfort foods. The weather here has gotten cooler and rainy and I want hearty chow!!! Michele - way to go on nursing school!!! I just finished in May of '05 and what a relief, I'm just now getting the urge to read a book for pleasure. I've never read so much stuff in my life but that's what helped me on the tests more than anything. I followed along in the books during lecture and highlighted "important" stuff, then I'd read all the chapters a day or two before the test, and then get together with a few people the night before to quiz each other on stuff we thought might be on the tests. It worked pretty well! Good luck and I will certainly understand if you can't post too often! Okay - Surby - where are you????:cry I truely hope everything is okay.... Talk to you all next week! Andy Liz

Hey you guys, I'm worried about Surby! She hasn't been around since telling us about her uncontrollable nausea - if you're out there please let us know how you're doing!!!! I had my first PB yesterday. I was working a very busy shift and had about 20 minutes for lunch. I nuked my mushies and dug in. It was overcooked mac and cheese and some canned chicken breast (which I didn't think was a mushy but is on our list of mushy foods from the doc). I apparently didn't chew well enough because with my first bite I got an immediate sense of golf ball, I ran to the bathroom and urp - up comes a bunch of slimy clear saliva and a tiny piece of chicken! No mac and cheese or sign of anything else that was in my first bite. I felt immediate relief and then I noticed that my stomach felt a little achy. I ate just the mac and cheese and chewed it really well but I couldn't finish it - I was too full. Just the day before I ate the same thing with no problem at all and ate the entire serving. I ate some Soup when I got home about 8:30 last night and I think I'll stick to liquids today just to be on the safe side. I'm hoping I didn't do any damage and I guess that invincable feeling of being able to eat "anything" was just a farce! The band is a fickle thing! Anyhoo - I would like to lose to 240 by October 1st. That's 14 lbs and it might be a bit lofty but man, I've been stuck at 254 for so many days I figure I'll have to see a drop soon! I love the idea of a monthly goal and what a great way for all of us to keep in touch. Take care and I look forward to all of us being super successful! I

Hey Funny or Telly, What's the 6 meal diet? I think that might work for me because I can't eat a large volume of food but I get hungry between meals. Regarding the colon blow - you can take a bottle or two of mag citrate, about 1.50 from the pharmacy, and blow everything from your mind to your, um ass. I would recommend not leaving home until you're empty though. We use this a lot in the hospital for a colon prep and I've used it before surgery once myself. All I can say is "holy crap Batman!". Andy Liz

Oh my - I just went back and read about the colon blow - I am literally sobbing with laughter and tears are streaming down my face....... Is this a real product? I grew up in a family that was poop obsessed so you can imagine why I find this so damned funny! All I have to do is take some milk of mag and within 2 hours I'm "releasing" as you so delicately put it. I think pictures of the "end" product is a little too graphic, even for me. Funny - stay out of the pool - remember Caddy Shack? Andy Liz

Congratulations to all those at or near goal - you're an inspiration to me!!!!! Funny - what are you eating 6 times a day to not go over 600 calories? I need a little more structure in my routine and I think eating 6 meals would be good for me but almost everything I can think of that will fill me is at least 150 to 200 calories! Andy Liz