Momto3redheads

WHen you say you are eating more - what types of foods are you able to eat more of? I would say you are not necessarily too full unless you can't eat at least a cup of food a sitting and stay satisfied between meals. You shouldn't feel hungry at all --- now there is a definate difference between eating b/c you are bored/upset/happy and eating because you are hungry....I literally am very rarely ever truely hungry....I eat my three meals and am satisfied...sometimes I eat some cheese or a few nuts throughout the day to try and boost my Protein...as when you are getting a lot of protein (at least 50-60g, more if you can get it in) you will see better weight loss and lots more energy, too. I found when I was kinda faltering....eating more junk food and falling into old habits again, that it helped me to get a MAgic Bullet and some Protein shake mixes and extra Protein powder to add more...and be creative. I like the taste of the Herbalife mix (and can get it cheaply on ebay) - so my favorite is 2 scoops of the chocolate, a tbs of Peanut Butter or PB2 (powdered peanut butter), tbs sugar free choc pudding, 6 oz skim milk, extra protein powder, and about 4-6 oz ice. I first mix everything but the ice together - then add the ice and blend it all up - makes a nice thick shake....not frothy or anything...and the flavor reminds me of a Reece's PB Cup. LOL It's a great treat and I found if I add more protein to it (unflavored) I can get 30 grams in the shake and it sticks with me for a LONG time....PLUS I feel like I got a fabulous shake from dairy queen AND it is healthy! Win win win situation all the way around! I take the tropical fruit flavored mix from herbalife and mix it with some OJ, extra protein powder, a scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt, and some frozen fruit in the mornings...it is heavenly! Be creative - it keeps things insteresting! And there are TONS of fabulous sugar free pudding flavors to use - cheesecake is one of my faves with the choc shakes, too...just takes about a tbs to add the taste wonderfully. Hang in there - we were banded about the same time...my date is March 23,2009....PM me if you have questions or wanna chat! Kim

I think we all experience this...and actually when I was having a lump removed from my neck a few years ago that they thought might be cancerous wouldn't you know someone mentioned someone they knew that had that and just died? Folks can be rather thoughtless sometimes. As far as the failure stories - sometimes I think it definately stems from jealousy, but others I think it is because it is the only close experience that they have had with WLS surgery...and since it was negative thats all they know? When I got mine I did know of some folks who had lost some, but not all they wanted to, but they hadn't gained any back yet either. I guess it is human nature to want knock them into next week when they are so unsupportive....but let me tell you, it has been fabulous to prove them wrong! I just nod and smile when I hear yet another failure story, tell them that yes it is not a cure all, and it is a LOT more work than folks think....and then my sucess tell the story. Maybe then they will at least have a positive example to tell with their negative ones! Kim

Isn't it a challenge to know when to unfill and when not to? I have watched my close friend struggle with this - as some days are fine and then the next she feels too tight...I know for me, though, when my sinuses are draining a lot or when it is "that time of the month" I am MUCH tighter than normal....or on days when the humidity was so stinking high this summer I could tell a difference too. WIERD! Hang in there! Hope you get everything resolved.

Is it calcium carbonate or calcium citrate?

Oh my goodness! I TOTALLY felt the same way the other day.....I was brousing in the misses clearance rack and I felt like everyone was wondering what in the world I was looking for in those skinny clothes! LOL The best part is that I bought a pair of XL capris on clearance and got home and they are almost baggy on me! YAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is some journey we are on! Keep up the great work!

I had a sinus infection two weeks ago....round of ZPak and I am as good as new. :-)

I make all sorts of Herbalife shakes (using skim milk) and then just use one scoop of vanilla and one of the other flavor I like - be it chocolate, Cookies and cream, tropical fruit....it tempers the vanilla taste a lot, as I have found I don't like it a lot either. I also use a tbs of sugar free pudding - either chocolate, white chocolate, caramel, cheesecake....there are tons you can play with and they all add a great flavor! One of my other faves is to use a scoop of vanilla herbalife, one of tropical fruit herbalife (I buy them of ebay) and then add in orange juice, a small scoop of frozen yogurt, and a few frozen berries...YUMMY! It has been fun to experiment to see what I can come up with!

I didn't know if a regular blender would work as good as the Magic Bullet does...so I got it from Target. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! I have made all sorts of fabulous creations with it.

Having no restriction is typically a bad thing - as you are forced to eat more food in order to feel full....so if you are needing a lot more than a cup of food at a meal to be satisfied until the next meal...I would say that is a bad thing, in my view. Maybe bad is not the word, but it is not optimal - you want to get your band to the place where you are not getting hungry at all between meals and you are only eating around a cup or so quantity wise per meal....this is when you have found your sweet spot and will start to see steady weight loss. Hang in there - you are doing great!

I dunno if it was my post you read or not...I know I wrote one recently with my favorite PB Choc shake recipe. I love using the SF jello pudding in mine - there are so many wonderful flavors to try! I love using the cheesecake flavored one in my choc shakes, too....keeps things interesting. I cannot stand the pre made shakes - BLECH!

I didn't see a steady loss until I hit my "sweet spot" - then it was a few lbs a week....I am kinda plateaued now, but need to get a steady exercise routine going and I think I can lose a few more....I kinda got complacent, I think! Hang in there --- you'll do great! Just be patient and don't compare yourself to others...everyone loses differently and gets to their sweet spot at a different rate.....

I would be happy to "mentor" you! I am here in Topeka, too, as you know. :-) My mom got the lapband a few months before I did - and it helped me a LOT that I was able to follow in her shoes....knowing better what to expect and what was "normal", you know? Some of my friends have recently been banded, too, and they come to me with the same types of questions...also we have found teh support groups at the hospital are full of fabulous information, too....even for folks like me over a year out. PM me if you want my e-mail addy to chat more! Kim

You are doing great! I was getting horrible headaches from not having anything to eat of substance so I started the soup at hand with the teeny star noodles...it helped me tremendously. My favorite food which I started about two weeks after surgery is chili from Wendys....I am an addict. :-) The large has 28 grams of Protein. It is the perfect quick lunch that I can grab when I am out and about or in a hurry and don't have time to cook. I have heard great things about Dr Hu - I am sure you will do great! Kim

I had surgery in 2009 and I had to have a listing of supervised diets, for mine under BCBS Fed. Course that was prior to the new sleep apnea testing requirement as I didn't have to have that done....but I just listed out my weight watchers timeframes and that sufficed for the monitored diet, they said. Hang in there - hopefully you can get your stuff done before the new year....I have heard the oop costs for us will be higher on fills etc, after the new year. Bummer!

I am an old woman of 34....LOL and have been banded since March 2009....but I am more than happy to be a buddy and help out anyone who needs it! I have some friends that recently had surgery and it helped them to be able to bounce things off of me....to make sure they were feeling "normal" things. Good luck to all of you!!! Kim

I make my choc PB herbalife shakes with PB2 (I buy it at Hyvee) and it is heavenly! No funky flavor -tastes the same as the real deal. It is good stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I didn't lose much pre op either..........

Hang in there - take small sips of Water throughout the day constantly if you have to, in order to stay hydrated. The first few weeks were the hardest - I had the shoulder pain from the gas and it was miserable....but the key is lots of rest, walking as tolerated, and staying hydrated...drink your Protein so your body has what it needs to heal from surgery. Hang in there - not everyone's body reacts to surgery exactly the same...so you may take a week or two in order to adjust to having the band....maybe you are more swollen...I would take your docs word for it that everything seems to be OK, though, and just take baby steps. My band was put in empty --- that is how our docs do it - I take it yours didn't? We didn't get anything in ours until 6 weeks post op - we were told to focus on healing the first 6 weeks...........

Oh doncha love how everyone feels the need to put their ten cents in, when it is YOUR life and YOUR body? I guess I had gotten to the point I didn't care what anyone thought and I sure wasn't going to try and hide it from anyone, either...I have no poker face and don't hide things well, it is easier for me to just be up front. So most people know I had the surgery, but they also have been here and seen me that it wasn't just all flowers and rainbows and I did have to work at it. Folks tend to think it is the "easy way" out....boy if only that were true!:crying: Course I had others who had to tell me about everyone they ever knew that had surgery and failed....if anything it made me more determined NOT to fail. My feeling was that if I was going to put my body through getting the surgery done then I had darn well be committed to making it work! It is not easy and at times I was hungry and miserable - it takes a long time before your comfort connection to food can be completely broken and at times I still struggle with that....but overall would I go back and do it again? In a heartbeat!:tongue2: I have lost 100 lbs - and I am still about 40 from what the "charts" say I should be at, but I know as tall as I am that I would be a skeleton if I were to get that small so I have set a more realistic goal. Folks have NO CLUE how much weight I was carrying around thanks to my height (I am 5'9") and when I tell them I was 300 lbs they cannot believe it. (isn't it great to know you can carry weight well? ) Keep up the good work and don't worry about what anyone else says or thinks...when I finally realized that it didn't matter and I truly didn't care - it was a very freeing feeling! Kim

I drank TONS of diet pop....caffeine free, mostly...as it is the flavor and carbonation that I like, not the caffeine. I have found now, though, that I will drink a pop maybe once a day, but I don't crave it like I did before....and I drink a lot more Water. The wired gurgling sounds carbonation can make are funny....and you definately cannot drink it with food or else you are asking for trouble. If you can give it up entirely that is great - as it will save you money! I am definately a recovering addict - as I don't have it running thru my veins like I used to! LOL

Sorry I took so long to respond to your question.....I didn't see it until now. (been sick with bronchitis and then my kids had it...YUK!) Yes I only had the two fills...I haven't been back to my doctor since last summer (2009) as he told me I didn't need to come back until I felt like I needed a fill....so I have been waiting to feel like I needed one....and since I kept losing I haven't gone back. I ALMOST went in feb as I stopped losing weight, but then I was introduced to the body magic and started wearing it, which has helped me reshape my figure as I lose weight....helps with the skin on my thighs and belly... (if you have questions about them PM me) and since I started wearing it I dropped the additional 25 lbs....so I am happy with that. Since I can only usually eat around a cup of food at a time I still don't think I need a fill....and I am pretty close to my goal. I don't wanna be a supermodel, I just wanna be healthy and be able to keep up with my three girls! I feel really good about myself --- and I truly think the body magic has had a LOT to do with that...as it smooths everything out under clothes and corrects my posture, supporting my back. It has been a blessing. Keep up the good work - you guys are doing great!!!

I love love love chili! When I am too busy to cook or am out and about I get the large chili from Wendys - it has 28g Protein Also I have started making my own smoothies at home with Herbalife shake mixes - we have a store here in town that sells them and gave out recipe sheets when you bought from them.....I make a choc PB shake that is yummier than a Dairy Queen shake, I think, and only has about 250 calories and 25 grams of protein! (using choc shake mix, extra Protein powder, powdered Peanut Butter called PB2, skim milk, and ice) It has been fun to experiment with different shake mixes and see what I can come up with....adding a tbs of sugar free pudding to them is yummy too --- like the sugar free cheesecake pudding! I cannot eat anything solid in the morning so I have to start my day off with a shake/smoothie.

I was going to say if MY doctor got ugly with me I would get a new doctor! LOL I am thankful that my doctor is fabulous and doesn't lecture or make you feel stupid if you slip up....they should allow you to make mistakes and learn along this journey....I think a LOT of the reason some folks are not sucessful with their lapband is that they start to slip up and if they gain any weight or aren't losing they are hesitant to go back to the doctor, for fear of getting in trouble....I guess for me I would put a positive spin on it, go back to the doctor to get yourself back on track and be honest with them, tell them you know you haven't done as well as you would like and that is why you are there! You can do it!! Good luck!

I notice that I usually feel a lot more bloated and crampy around that time - and I do seem to be able to eat a lot less....I have had the ablasion surgery so I don't have much of a period, but I still get the bloated feeling and hormonal swings. Joys of being a woman! Kim