Melissannde

Ross is my new favorite place to shop.

Your not really looking for "restriction" so to speak, but dimming of appetite. If you can eat your 3oz of Protein and 1/2 cup of low carb veggies and be satisfied for 3 to 5 hours, you're at a good place. You may not feel "full" on that amount of food, you may have to move away from the table and wait a bit to see if that amount satisfies you. I'm advised that if I'm still hungry 20 minutes or so after I finish my protein & veggies.. that I can have more veggies, provided they're not drowning in butter or sauce. And yes, sometimes it can take a week or two for a fill to make itself known. Give it time. I've never had a 4.5cc fill.. that would make me nervous too. My first was 1cc and all the rest have been smaller (.5 to .2 cc's). Hang in there, it will work for you if you follow the band guidelines most of the time.

Don't worry about that. Everyone is different in how they react to the band. I was able to eat bread before my first fill too. Had a bacon sandwich.. I did have to chew it really well though. I didn't start having issues with bread until almost a year out, but I get very conservative fills as I have by and large relied on my food choices to facilitate my weight loss.. and not relied on my band to make the choices.. if that makes any sense? In other words, I quit eating bread (MOST of the time) before my band made me stop eating bread (by getting stuck, causing pain, etc.). I have yet to try pizza at a restaurant, (the advice to just eat the toppings came from another site where I read that's what another bandster did) but have made flat-bread pizza. It's good.. go to www.flatoutbread.com for recipes. The person who accused us of enabling you is a new bandster and is still on the high of their new journey. I can see where they might misunderstand what was said, but agree they were a bit judgmental. Your journey is not their journey is not my journey. We're all headed for the same destination, but have different paths and some have jets and others are on foot and others are on roller-skates. Hopefully we'll all get there, just some sooner than others. I'm enjoying the trip however long it takes. :biggrin: Have a good evening...

I think it's 40 or 35 with co-morbidities (sleep apnea, diabetes, hypertension, etc.) for insurance to cover as a general rule. If she was self-pay, or had a very liberal & generous insurance policy, the BMI could be lower. I could be WAY wrong, but this is what I think I remember from reading other places.

Chula Vista isn't that far (in Texas terms anyhow..lol) from San Diego. I found at least three in S.D. Support Groups - Scripps Health - San Diego Could you go to one of those? Or could you start your own? Or you could join an online support group or two or three. Check yahoo groups for lapband support. That's how I found the 3 I like. DFWbandsters, Smartbandsters, Smarterbandsters. And there's the forums at ObesityHelp.com too. Hope this helps.

All of the above are good suggestions. I'd add one more. When you start noticing a plateau, take your measurements (neck, bust, waist, hips, arms, forearms, thighs, calves) and write them down somewhere. And pay attention to what you're wearing at the time of measurement. In a month, put on the same clothes (if they still fit!) and take your measurements again. I'll bet you'll see changes.. smaller numbers.. even if the scale isn't moving much. I've done that since May.. it really helps.

I got sent home on Darvocet.. much weaker drug than vicodin or hydromorphine, so I understand where ya'll are coming from. One thing I would suggest, ~~ and maybe you're already doing this, I can't tell from your postings ~~ is to take your pain medication as often as it is allowed. Do not wait for the pain to start to take the meds. It's much easier to stay on top of the pain instead of treating it once it arrives. As time passes and you start feeling better (and you will!!), you can start gradually increasing the time between doses. It will get better, it just seems forever. I remember commenting to my husband that I had new empathy for those who live with chronic pain, because I was having a small dose of what those people live with every day. I agree with the others, please contact your doctor about the pain medication not being adequate. I was stupid (and mad.. I told them before surgery that Darvocet wouldn't be adequate and no one would believe me) and I took prescription strength doses of Ibuprofen, later to find out that it's a bad idea to take that with a band. So please call your doc. Hope you feel better soon.

You need to report that to the support group leader or your doctor.. depending on where you heard them talking about you. Either way, it may be a violation of the HIPPA act. It would make me mad too.. but mad enough that I'd show up in my nicest looking outfit and kill them all with kindness.

Tuna salad, chicken salad (put the chicken through the food processor to make it really shredded), egg salad, spaghetti sauce. My doctor says anything that you can mash with a fork qualifies. Even meatloaf if you mash it first. :biggrin: I'm trying to find Nicola Potatoes.. will probably have to grow my own. They are very low on the GI/GL list. Next on the list are New potatoes or red potatoes. My hubby used to make cauliflower potatoes when he was low carbing.. by the time he got through putting sour cream, cream cheese, butter in them I thought they were a heart attack ready to happen! If I make them now, I'd do all low fat...

Here's a couch to 5K plan: Cool Running | The Couch-to-5K ® Running Plan It's a bit ambitious for ME.. I'd have to have a slower start, I think. But really I haven't tried it. I might be in better shape than I think as I have recently gotten to where I can do almost 40 minutes straight of step aerobics 2x week.. using the higher step. :biggrin: (started off with no step at all...6 or 7 months ago)

You're not a lost cause or stupid. You made some poor choices is all. Next time, try taking the bun off the fish sandwich. I know the filet is fried (or at least it used to be.. have they changed it?), but getting rid of the bread will help. Even if you just remove the top and eat the bottom half.. that's a step in the right direction. As to the pizza, try blotting the grease off the top with napkins, then only eating the toppings. Eat very little or no crust. Don't beat yourself up for a bad decision or two. If beating ourselves up worked, there would be a lot of bruised skinny folks walking around. Climb back on the bandwagon.. we all fall off from time to time.

Call your doctor's office and ask them. If you can't get through to them a pharmacist will be a good second choice to ask. You do want to make sure that whatever you take doesn't have a NSAID in it (Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drug) such as Aspirin, Aleve, Ibuprofen, etc. Many banding doctors advise avoiding NSAIDs or if really necessary to take them to take a PPI (proton pump inhibitor) such as Prilosec with them. I also don't know if you have other health issues, so hesitate to make recommendations. In general, if you have taken a medication safely in the past, as long as it doesn't have a NSAID in it, and it's not a HUGE honking pill, it's PROBABLY ok to take it again. Liquid might be a better choice, depending on the tightness of your band. But please call your banding doctor, PCP or pharmacist to be sure. Hope you feel better soon.

When I get fills, we (the NP and I) always discuss the amount, and while I get input, the Nurse always has the final decision on the amount. I think I could probably ask for less than what she thinks I need. :thumbup: Knowing the exact amount isn't really important, what is important is whether or not your appetite is dimmed for 3 to 5 hours after a meal. You can estimate that you have at least 3cc's (the smidge he took out was likely replaced on this fill) and perhaps a little more. I had 3cc's at time of surgery too and had reasonable appetite suppression. As what to eat after a fill, did your doctor or his staff give you guidelines? If they didn't, please call the office and ASK!! In the meantime, what I'm told is to do liquids the day of the fill and soft/mushie foods that evening (love fill days, that's the one day I allow myself mashed potatoes!! :thumbup:). If I tolerate the mushies ok, then back to regular food the next day. If anything causes trouble, to back down and take the progression a little slower. But please call your doctor for his preferred way to eat after a fill. They're all different and you need to adhere to what your doctor wants as much as possible. Congrats on the fill and the impending weight loss.

I go to the support group offered by my doctor from time to time, but not often as it is an hour drive and at night. Don't like driving home in the dark. I've never heard that I would be so restricted as to eat only 8 Tbspns.. and I'm 18 months out from surgery. That's equivalent to 1/2 cup. My NP says 1 cup is standard for lapbanders. I still go by the 3oz Protein and 1/2 cup of veggies. Little or no white carbs. I actually get more and better support from the online groups at yahoo. SmartBandsters, DFWBandsters, SmarterBandsters & GraduateBandsters (for those banded 6 months or more). I think I like them better as I don't have to drive and don't have to wait a month to hear others opinions/advise. ::grin:: Glad you had a good time!!

That's called the "fuzzy chick" look, and yes, it generally means that your hair is coming back. Yeah for you!!

My sister and her husband took ballroom dancing classes for their exercise. I used to LOVE Square Dancing and would do it again, even obese, if I had an interested partner. If I had access to a pool, Water exercises or even just swimming would be my choice. I don't have one and neither does my community.. so that's out. At the beginning I just walked. A little bit further every day. I was eventually walking a mile a day. Then I started using a gym because the rains made it difficult to walk outside. I now take several different classes. I've made friends there at the gym and it's fun to go talk to them all and moan and groan together as we workout. Yoga is another method of exercise that might appeal to you. Just keep trying different things, and try to keep a more positive outlook. If you keep telling yourself you "hate" something, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. I tell myself.. I don't like the process (exercise) very much but I LOVE the results. :thumbup: And you may find that as you become more proficient, more graceful, stronger that you don't hate exercise as much as you did. :thumbup:

Your urine can also be dark if you take B complex Vitamins. I drink 64oz of Water daily, plus other things like Powerade zero, tea, fuse, etc. So I am plenty well hydrated, yet in the mornings after I take my vit.s my urine is golden yellow. It's the B-100 Vitamin that I take being metabolized. I have yet to be so tight that I can't drink pretty big swallows. Other times I can feel the liquid trickle through. Everyone is different. I keep a bottle of water by the computer and when I'm playing games.. I take a drink everytime I score a point. :thumbup: And yeah, I try to get my fluids in early so I'm not up all night. Still have 16oz of water to go today.. better get on it.

ya know, I keep a food log on The Daily Plate on LIVESTRONG.COM - Calorie Counter, Weight Loss, Food Calorie Counter, Nutrition Facts | LIVESTRONG.COM and before every appt, I export it to excel and print out the previous 7 to 10 days food journal. I do have to edit it a bit as it provides extremely detailed info, and I don't want to use a whole ream of paper..LOL.. but I find that this information helps my nurses see that I am compliant with band guidelines 95% of the time. I too get the "has your ____insert obesity related problem here____ improved" ROFL.. I ask them if they have read my chart. Which amazes me that they don't read charts. I was taught to read patients charts. Times change I guess.. I dunno, I'm no longer in the nursing field.

Muscle Milk LIGHT in the RTD boxes.. either vanilla or strawberry creme. The chocolate tastes fake. EasAdvantageCarbcontrol are ok, but I have to add some s/f torani or daVinci to make them taste better. unjury (UNJURY is Medical Quality Whey Protein Isolate. Best Tasting Whey Protein Powder. Most Trusted Whey Protein Powder Supplement. Taste the difference) is decent too. Syntrax nectar 23g protein, 90 calories, great flavors

Spinning is stationary bikes. I do a class called RPM which is very similar to spin. You can find RPM classes at Les Mills

That depends on your doctor's protocols. By MY doctor's guidelines, by 10 days you would be on full liquids, which is anything that you can draw through a straw (but he says NOT to use a straw to avoid getting air and causing gas issues). You can't strictly go by what others have experienced, just as a guideline or general rule. Every doctor is different in their recommendations or orders, just as every patient is different. Congrats on your date. You'll do fine. (personally, I'd do the breakfast casserole type thing where you can make it up the night before and in the morning all someone would have to do is put it in the oven and turn it on. You might even consider making it up ahead of time and putting it in the freezer in case you are one of the few who take longer to feel better after surgery. I was one of those.. took me 2 weeks to feel normal again. )

ewww with sugar?? no, no, no. you eat them with butter & a pinch of salt. Or maybe some cheese or red-eye gravy. To the Aussie: do you have Polenta down-under? It's the same thing. As another poster said, do take it easy with grits, they're not weight loss friendly, they're ground corn and corn is a high glycemic food (ie, it tends to spike your blood sugar and then when the bld sugar levels drop.. you get hungry again faster). In general, grits are not high protein. However, if you add some cheese (preferably 2% or even lower fat), then you will get some protein. Pre-banding I LOVED my grits. Nothing better with eggs & sausage in the morning..or with fried catfish at night. Now I rarely eat them. They are a treat rather than an everyday food. Here's some info on a brand I sometimes buy. If I'm gonna indulge, I want the good stuff. :thumbup: With cool weather coming on, it might be time to have a little. I think it's been 6 months or more since I had any. Corn Grits Polenta - Organic - Bob's Red Mill

I've had them with no problems at all. I buy the ones at Shirataki MiracleNoodle Shop!

carrots or any other small crunchy veggie. can't or don't want to eat bread? at a good fill, I can still eat pita chips.

I only get that from one person, and if I didn't know better, I'd say it was a catty remark. But I know this lady and she doesn't have a mean bone in her body. I just think she's always known me as an obese woman and just can't picture me normal sized. And I'm way away from my first goal, on the order of about 55 lbs.. and even then it won't put me at a normal BMI. I've been obese so long that I'll have too much extra skin and I'm not sure I'm going for plastics..