comtemplating

222.6 this week!

Can you believe we have been banded two months already!!!! I hope everyone feels great about their decision and feels supported and successful. Happy fill appointments as we move towards restriction!!! Take care.

hi- looking for suggestions for an website where you can record your daily food intake. Also- why do you think it is better to record on-line versus the old fashioned pen and paper?

Hi- could everyone please check in and update me on when your surgery was, how many fills you have had, and how much you got at each fill? I had surgery april 16th, first fill was may 22nd and I got .5 cc and then had another fill yesterday and got a whopping 1 cc. Isn't this like barely anything? Does anyone know why there is such a wide difference in what dr's offer at fills- I have read that some people have gotten 2, 3, and 4 cc's at their fills. ***In the back of my mind I am thinking my office does small fills in order to make more money because you have to come in more often- any thoughts?

I too have been struggling with poor food choices. I struggle with two things- a) I use the fact that I do not have restriction as an excuse to eat whatever I want because the band isn't working yet anyways so I have some time still and :wink: I tell myself that I will be at restriction soon so I won't be able to eat some of these things soon so I better do it now!!! Aren't those crazy! Every time I know I have a fill coming up in a few days I feel like I have to eat a whole bunch of "bad" stuff- the exact same feeling I would have right before I started the million diets I have tried over the years. The good news- Exercise- well I feel pretty good about it- I get up before my kids and do a 3 mile fat burning walk. I have to tell ya- for posting that you haven't been exercising you sure did a lot today to make a difference. Is that a schedule you can maintain? Also- it sure reads like TON of exercise- how did you feel after all of that? So what am I doing today- well, I actually cooked some chicken earlier today and have it in the fridge so that I can eat it for dinner. This was big for me as I have done very little food prep since surgery and it is going to be detrimental to getting to goal weight versus eating a taco from taco bell or sub from subway. I have to tell you- I am absolutely loving the little bit of food I am "able" to eat. I am experimenting with eating solid proteins and trying to keep tract of how long I stay full- can't wait until that timeframe expands- it is only a couple hours at max. I think we need this type of running thread to keep us accountable and focused on making improvements even when we have set-backs- gotta keep moving forward so that we don't lose momentum. Thanks for staying positive!

Nope. Doesn't sound like a lot to me. I am two months post op today and have had two fills- have another one scheduled in one week. I will then go back again two weeks later. Remember- a lot of dr's do things very differently.

Forgot to weigh in on the 12th- 226.4.

Hi- I am in Chandler, Arizona. Had my surgery on April 16, 2009. Who did you choose as your surgeon?

Well- I completely understand you are so tired BUT..... after looking at your schedule here are my suggestions!!! You could get up at 6:00 and do 30 minutes to start. I do a walking video by Leslie Sansone (I am not sure if I spelled that correctly) and I really like it. Studies have shown that people are more likely to maintain an exercise routine if they do it in the am. I would never do a regular exercise routine by the time I have everyone bathed and into bed. You could really insist (isn't your company legally obligated to give you a lunch break) that you need a lunch break and get a walk in then also. Then of course there is also the time you have after the kids are in bed...........UGH. I know that I have found myself anxiously awaiting those moments that I have to myself to just sit, look on the computer, watch tv. etc. but that lack of activity is what got me to this weight (along with eating). I think I have stretched the concept of resting/sleeping while the kids are asleep- not sure that is meant for the rest of my life!!!! Good luck on establishing your plan.

I think what you are experiencing is quite normal. It is hard to be hopeful and naseaus at the same time. I was really naseaus for several days if not a week post surgery. I had medication to take- I had to force myself to take it but it worked everytime. Call your dr if you don't have any. Also- I think the pain meds can make you sick to your stomach especially an empty stomach. Ask you dr. about that also. This will pass and everything will turn out okay. Hang in there and don't be a matyr- call your dr and get some help. Everyone responds differently to the surgery so just hang on.

It is funny there are almost some very clear phases that everyone seems to go through. THe longer you stay on the forum and read the different posts the more you will notice. And especially as you transition from one phase to another as you pass your surgery date and move on and come across some of the new people's posts. It is strange to read some of the posts and think how odd they sound and then you find yourself in their very same shoes a few weeks/months/stages later. That is the best thing about this forum- you can always find someone that feels the same way you do and that makes things a bit easier. Right now I am in the phase you speak about- I thought this weight would come off faster ( I lost alot preop and within the first two weeks) and now I am in the filling stage and it is slow and I don't feel like I was banded at all. To be honest (which is what you asked for) the reason I am frustrated with the itty bitty fills that I am getting is because I am not eating like am supposed to and rather than take ownership I am blaming the little fills and that lack of restriction. So I am whining and feeling sorry for myself and working on getting my head back in the right place!!!! Good luck to you.

Ya know- I got home and posted about how 2cc's fills up the tubing and port and started to wonder the same thing- so here I sit with approx. 1.8 ccs and I am about 8 weeks out of surgery!!!! I really don't understand the philosophy or approach that my dr's office is taking- can't wait until my next appointment to try and get some answers. I am really starting to question the small fills- is this a money generator? I am self pay so I paid up front but they sure could make a killing billing the insurance patients making them come back each time for 1cc. I hope that this is not the case and I am very supportive of being conservative but this is getting ridiculous!!!

Wow- way to go. You ran a 10K?? Can I ask you at what point in your weightloss you started running? How did you train for the 10K. I am really interested in starting to run and would appreciate any advice or tips you might have- one major hurdle is getting the confidence to do it even though I still feel very heavy!

I got a whopping 1 cc at my appointment yesterday!!!! UGH- I am a bit discouraged- I have read that people get 3 and 4 cc's at their appointments. This is going to take a while......

So today at my fill appointment I asked the dr. how many cc's it would take to fill the port and tubing and she said about 2 cc's.

I have read numerous different responses to this question. I didn't have any instructions from my dr. prior to my first fill (why- I don't know why the discrepancy) but for my second fill they told me not to eat two hours prior to the fill.

Thanks for posting. It is rare to hear from someone who has had the band for a while and often people post wanting to hear from the long timers. Glad to hear about your great success. Congrats on quite an achievement!

227 today. Up .4 from last week. Going in for 2nd fill on Monday. 1st fill was three weeks ago and only .5 cc. Hoping to get a little bit more this time. Take care everyone.

Hi- just wanted to hear what aftercare opportunities your wls offices are offering? do you have support groups- how often and what is the content and who runs the groups. Also- do you have a contact person at the office that you can call if you are struggling? What other aftercare opportunities might you have?

Ohhhh- I hope someone has the answer to this as I have been wondering the same thing!!! I got .5 cc's at my first fill and was wondering what the point was!

I was naked. My dr. advised me not to swim for one week. Sex is okay as soon as you feel comfortable. I wish I had done more research on what/how I was to eat once I was 100% on solids.

226.6. Gained a pound this week. Pushed the limits this week "seeing" how much I could eat. Felt really hungry a lot- stomach growling and all. I think I wanted to test myself to see if I could eat a lot a still lose weight- well, I know the answer now.......... Fun mind games.

I'm right there with you. I am doing my best to try and not "eat everything". My dr. stressed the importance of this being a practice period of getting used to eating the way we will HAVE to eat once we are in the green zone with restriction. Eventually you won't be able to or want to eat chips and salsa and "everything" from what I have been told. We will all get there with time. Have you figured out what your "feel full" signal is yet?

Should I know the size of band I have and is it important to focus on how much "fill" I have in the band to determine whether or not I have restriction? Would it be better to not know ANY of the above information and just concentrate on how I feel in regards to satiety and fullness after eating a small amount of food? If I stay full after eating for 4 hrs does that mean I am appropriately restricted? I am trying to figure out the variables in order to figure out when/if to get another fill (I am very early in the game and trying to figure out how it is determined if you get another fill). Then you have to also factor whether or not there has been any weightloss..............It seems confusing and I like things very concrete!!!!

I knew the weightloss would be slow- 1 to 2 lbs a week is the goal. But in reality I keep wishing it was quicker because I still have 75 lbs to go. My focus today to keep me in perspective is to look forward to a year from now with the idea that I will be at goal or very close. Also- I am going to focus on the fact that I won't gain the 25 lbs back that I have lost. My question is for those that have lost 75 lbs or more----------Did you weightloss come off in 1-2 lb increments once you settled in or did you have huge loses and that is what helped you get to goal. Just need to hear that 1-2 lbs a week is going to get me to goal from those who have had huge loses. Thanks!