comtemplating

I think it is easy to get into a cycle. It happened to me after a fill because I was still very swollen and started to eat solids. I didn't chew well enough and/or ate to fast and then I was throwing up- well, really just sliming really bad. But that is pretty traumatic itself to your new system and likely furthers the SWELLING. Then it becomes a lose, lose situation if you eat before the swelling is down. You have to give yourself time after each time you throw up or slime just like you give yourself time after a fill to DE-SWELL. It is a nasty cycle and can get pretty bad. But time to heal works and it is pretty amazing what a difference it makes- PLUS YOU'LL LIKELY LOSE WEIGHT DURING THE PROCESS!!! You should always be able to get liquids down and if you are not swollen with proper eating techniques (eating really, really slow and chew, chew, chew) you should be ok with solids- just a really small amount!!! Such a learning process that takes a while to get a handle on- even with relapses!!!!

That is so cool!!!!!! I can't wait to do that but I don't know where I am going to find 8 hrs- you must have had a TON of clothes. I am planning on cleaning out my closet when I cross over from the 200's to 100's- 8.8 more lbs!!! What are you going to do with all your clothes?

Well.....isn't going to come down to the basics? If you burn more than you eat then you are going to continue to lose weight. Band or no band isn't that how weightloss happens- or am I missing something. Is someone telling you that because now you are at goal that you have to get Fluid taken out? I was under the impression that we would just leave things alone once I hit goal and that I may even need further tweeking in the future even after goal. Man- I wish I had your problems :smile2:

I think you are very funny- and luckily your sense of humor is going to help you get through this difficult transition. Here is the good news- I can't even remember what I rules I had to follow post op- so in the long run you will make it through without any long lasting effects- OTHER THAN WEIGHTLOSS!!!!! Hang in there- do call your dr's office and run it by them so that they can tell you to either press on or modify it accordingly. You can do this!!!! Keep yourself busy and distracted.

208.8 this morning- I didn't eat that cow!!!! oh- I can't wait for 8.8 more lbs to be gone!!!!

I think you should be very proud. I like to focus on whether or not my current thoughts/behaviors are moving me closer to or father from my goals. Feeling proud- would leave me closer- feeling shame- would move me further away. Shame isn't much of a motivator and not much good comes from it. I know I never want to shame anyone- it does not support positive behavior change. But you are right- it is a SHAME that we missed out on lots of parts of life when we were our heaviest. This is the part I struggle with- the moments/experiences that I didn't experience to the fullest because of my weight. I feel like I wasted a lot of time. But we gotta just keep moving forward.

211.6 this morning- I feel like I could eat a cow!!!!!

211.2 today. I was really hoping the scale would say 209 but it didn't. Not a great week for me but I think it is hard on the body to have big losses each week- kinda has to balance itself all out.

Ok. I know I should know this- I have studied the books I have but I can't seem to grasp this. I don't have my next appt. until Monday the 10th of August but I am definitely going to ask for further explaination as they will have the little model there of the stomach and band so that will help but in the meantime...........sometimes I get stuck- I am still learning what I can and can not tolerate but when I get stuck exactly where is the food stuck? Is it not able to get through the band part that inflates when I get a fill (is this the stoma) or is it stuck up near the esophogus. When it happens it happens after very little amount of food and if I am getting stuck in this part after only a few bites then do I not have sufficient restriction because shouldn't it be sitting in the pouch longer. If it were in the esophogus then wouldn't this occur if I were eating too much and it was backing itself back up into my throat? (again, my stuck episodes appear to be more related to eating too fast and not chewing enough). Just trying to figure out some basics that I can't seem to grasp for the life of me!!!!!

Weighed in today at 211.6. YEAH!!!! 11.6 more lbs to my next goal- I can't wait. Isn't it crazy how powerful getting into the 100's is- or how much power we give it. Crazy mind games- I remember the day I tipped the scale at 200 lbs- gave up all hope after that. Now I am moving in the other direction!

So the book that I was given from my dr's office at my initial visit (prior to actually confirming the surgery) said that one of the effects of the band is that I would not wake up hungry in the morning. For those of you that feel like you have reached restriction- is this something that you experience- waking up without hunger? If I still wake up hungry is that a significant variable that should be included when going in for another fill on monday? ****I have gotten stuck two or three times when I do not chew well enough or have dry meat but my hunger is still there so I am trying to decide on another fill or not- I'm scared to go into the red zone after the stuck episodes.

214.6 for me today!!! Yeah- I met my first goal (216). Actually surpassed it by 1.4 lbs but whose counting RIGHT? Now on to my next goal- onederland- is that how you spell it? Can't wait!!!!

Well- I would really love a support group but even more I would love a support group in Hawaii. Unfortunately, I live in Chandler, Arizona. Good luck to you- what a great idea!!!!

I was banded a little over 3 months ago- have had five fills with a total of approx. 5.25 in a 10cc band. This past fill- 1 cc really changed things up for me in terms of food consumption. I have to chew, chew, chew or I am in pain, pain, pain. This has been challenging but I am getting the hang of it- the fear of pain is amazing that way. I have no trouble with liquids and am really being careful with portion size. My troubles or the funkiness that I reference in the title is that I really have not felt any change in my hunger level. The head hunger is always there but I am specifically referencing a hungry feeling in my stomach- true hunger (I believe). I thought that because I was starting to experience some restriction that the hunger would be better addressed. Is this part of a stage that everyone goes through while trying to obtain the green zone? I am not sure how I could manage with any more fills at this point because I would think it would put me in the red zone. I am feeling discouraged as I really had hoped to have the hunger better in control-am I on the right track and this is the process?

Thanks orcidgrl- I can tell you have been where I am at. I didn't realize it might take a while to figure how to eat- so it is comforting to hear that it took you three to four weeks to figure it out- this is kinda hard!!!! You are right on the money on sticking to protein- I just needed to hear it one more time and it appears to have stuck. I should have been doing this all along but now I have no choice- I am tired of the hunger so I need to be careful to not drink prior to and after eating and stick to proteins. That is the only way I will be able to accurately tell my dr. at my next visit how my hunger level is!!!!!

I weigh 217.4 today.

Dr. Nirmul was my surgeon also!!!!!!!

I agree that you should have a back up plan just in case. I didn't think I was going to need any help with my kids but I felt pretty poor for almost a week after my surgery. Get something lined up just in case and get everything done and planned ahead of time- the little things that you can get done before will really help. Prep your children that you might be a little slow and would appreciate their best behavior . The good news is that if you are struggling in the am prior to school you know you will have time to rest while they are away. And don't feel one little bit guilty for resting and sleeping while they are in school- the housework can wait another week until your husband returns. The kids can survive off of frozen dinners or fast food for a couple days as well. You can do it- again, think ahead and get stuff wrapped up and ready and have someone on stand-by if you can. The naseuasness (spelling?) was most difficult for me and it is hard to accomplish much when you feel like that. Only the best to you and your family- everything will work out just fine.

So I am fairly new to this process- banded 2 months but have a band that doesn't have much in it- 2.8 cc (10 cc band). So my dr is very gradually filling me. I had a fill on Monday and am now having a new experience- if I swallow too big of a bite (because I am hungry, because it tastes really good, or because I am not paying attention) I get a 10 second pain in my upper chest and it passes. Is this considered being "stuck" or does a stuck episode last longer- I have always heard it as being described as 15 min. of pain. Is this a good sign that I am moving closer to restriction or just a sign that I am not chewing and eating slow enough. Part of me is hoping for an agressive fill in two weeks but I am wondering if I should be extra conservative because of this new experience.

That is pretty funny. My mom has the same cooking talents- my sister actually feeds her children before they arrive at my parent's house for Sunday dinner.