Leona06

Congrats Charlene and best of luck to you! A new life awaits!

I'm a LEO and no I was not named Leona because of that lol... Leona is a family name. (I'm actually Leona the 3rd) named after my Great Grandma btw my bday is Aug 16th!! I'll be 22 woohooo!

I took about 3 days and then since I was on liquids... well you get the point. It took about 2 weeks to get a nice regular bm. Now I bm once or twice a day (but they are small).... Oh and the 2nd week, I got constipated... almost went to the emergency room, but took some milk of magnesia... NOT FUN! so drink that water! I am 3 weeks and 2 days out :rofl:

Same here... I just went clothes shopping and was able to buy not one but 2 shirts in 18/20.... annnddddd the towel in my bathroom fit around me for the first time since I had it! :rofl:

my water weight is coming back from the liquid diet! boooo I'm up 3.5 pounds.

Thursday B: protein shake L: Mozzarella/tomato- olive oil, basil, some canned pears S: peanuts S: 2 cheese sticks D: ground beef with bbq sauce, cauliflower with sour cream/cheese DDesert skinny cow fudge bar Friday: B protein shake L mozzarella, tomato, basil, olive oil... some canned pears D: tba...

I'm not going to lecture either, but I noticed your band date of 6/9/06 and was wondering if your doc said anything about not drinking for at least 6months after banding. Its something my doc said, and if your doc didn't, it might be something to ask about. Other than that, I agree that liquids might be good and I hope you feel better soon!

I think exchanging exercise for emotional eating might be a wise choice for me. Now when think I want to eat, I'll go on a walk or stretch or something. I can't do real exercise yet because my date was also july 5th, but I try to move around or something or distract my self by trimming/buffing my fingernails to keep my hands busy or just drink some really good crystal light to fill me up. I can't wait til I go through an emotional crisis when I have my elipitical machine to back me up and put me in a sweat... or a boyfriend could do that too But I wouldn't put down counselling either. Find the right one for you and see them at least once a week. There are REASONS you are emotionally eating, and you can work through them. A lot of my problems are rewarding myself with food or punishing myself with it. I will see my counsellor when I go back to school in mid-August about it. It's important that I want to be a better human-being while changing the inside and outside. <<<<<<THIS IT! DO SO YOU, ON WORK TO TIME THE IS>>>>>>> THIS IS THE TIME FOR YOU! BE SELFISH AND DO WHAT YOU THINK WORKS FOR YOU! You (I) gained the weight on your (my) own, and we both need to realize that we are the ONLY ones that are gonna take it off... besides won't you feel better as the weight comes off. I imagine I'll be doing less and less emotional eating as I will be doing emotional SHOPPING as the weight comes off

OMG I HAD CRAZY DREAMS TOO! For about 2 weeks! I couldn't stop dreaming about really weird things that would freak me out when I woke up. I don't normally dream too too much, but this was overnight. I kinda forgot about them now because I dont get them anymore. anyway, what I am saying is, IT WILL GET BETTER (hopefully!) hugz to you!

I eat B: Protein shake L: tuna salad, or stuffed shells w/o shell, chicken salad or egg salad, or cottage chees...etc S: LF cheese stick (string cheese) D: Sloppy Joe (lean ground beef with lots of bbq) or salmon, tuna, chopped chicken, string Beans, or cream corn, cauliflower mashed, or brocoli heads (no more than 3/4 to a cup of food) etc Dessert: Skinny cow fudge bar or lf smoothie with fresh fruit and lf yogurt Keep in mind- I dont eat ALL of that, just examples of things to fill in each meal! Just an example. I always start my day with a Protein Shake to ensure that I get that protein in for the day, and if I get hungry I eat a small snack. I found I actually have energy when I eat at least 3/4 a cup of food for dinner. I am tighter in the morning, eat a light lunch, then a slightly bigger dinner. I can eat more at night, so I know I will be one to ease my band open once I get a fill. I have one more week of mushies, but frankly mushies aren't that bad and I don't mind being on them. if you have any more questions, let me know!

I am going to start pilates with my personal trainer when I move back to NYC in mid August- by then I'll be 6 weeks and so out from surgery. Anyone have trouble exercising with pilates so close to sugery>

Sunday 7/23 B: protein shake S: 1/3 cup of cream of crab soup L: half hambuger patty with lf cheese and mashed califlowers D: terriaki (sp) chicken thigh and string beans, brocoli tops Dessert: lf yogurt smoothie with fresh strawberries and half a banana- had half of this. Monday 7/24 B: Protein Shake S: slice of cheese L: chicken thigh with bbq sauce/ 1 tsp canned pears S: cheese stick D: stuffed shells without shells Tuesday 7/25 B: Protein Shake L: stuffed shell w/o shells S: cheese stick D: egg over easy with corn beef hash Dessert: skinny cow fudge bar Wednesday 7/26 B: protein shake L: tuna salad with 4 crackers S: slice of cheese (plan to have) D: stuffed shells w/o shells (plan to have) Dessert: SC fudge bar (plan to have) See what I'm eating? I actually gained 2.5 pound since July 17th! ahh! What is happening?

July5forme: First of all, I love that we were banded the same day and have had similar experiences! But I totally understand how you're feeling... It must be the 3rd week HUMP! I can now almost eat about a cup of food at a time... and its starting to scare me- like my band slipped or somethings not right. Are u still on mushies? I am for another week. But I have tried chicken (bbq and terreki sp) and everything I have eaten has gone down- no prob. (except 2nd week when I almost pbed on jello!) I am starting to feel looser and now KNOW that my Aug 14th fill can't come soon enough. Yesterday I went to the dermatologist and told me I needed a mole removed in 2 weeks. I am very attached to that mole (I've had it my whole life and its on one of my prized boobs HAHA) and losing it will be hard. On the way home, all I could think about was EATING! I had to have a cheese stick in the car even though I wasn't even hungry. Thank goodness I had my lunch box from work with me with healthy Snacks in it. That was the point when my addiction and relief with food came into perspective. So maybe I will go to counseling after all. All I can say is, stick with it- its HARD and until we find the sweet spot, it will be super hard. Did I tell you that I can FEEL my port. Ever since my doc showed me where it is, sometimes I feel it and realize that its there. Its kinda gross to feel it already! I hope it doesn't stick out when I lose weight. I want to wear a bikini next summer! ahh! :tea: CONGRATS July5forMe: WE are 3 WEEKS out and losing the emotional baggage that made us eat to begin with. We can almost replace eating with exercising. That's my goal for Aug 22nd... Starting my workout with my personal trainer in NYC. :bowl: Then the pounds should REALLY drop hopefully. GOOD LUCK and don't be discouraged!

I try not to eat or drink a half hour before and after (my docs rules)... Its really hard not to drink with the food- that is the hardest part for me right now. I am 3 weeks out and just now starting to feel wide open. I can almost eat a cup of food at once and it goes through in a few hours whether I drink or not. So I scheduled a fill on Aug 14th (2days before my 6weeks). I'm eating good food- protein PROTEIN protein, and I still have gained 3 pounds since my July 17th doc appt (moving to mushies). Its FRUSTRATING! I'm not eating bad foods and I'm gaining! grr! But I still do not eat/drink at the same time. It is getting easier- I just put my drink away from my sight and I dont think about it. Then a half hour after I eat, I bring the drink out and start sipping away. Keeps me hydrated and satisfied. From what my nutritionist said... If you drink enough water before and after meals, you won't feel deprived to eat with drinking.

Hey Arcael... My bday is Aug 16 and I'm gonna be 22 also.. Congrats on getting your band! Hope it all works out the way you want it too! I think I am getting my first fill on Aug 14 (I was banded July 5th) so I will be on my last day of liquids (3days I think) on my bday... can you say lowfat smoothie? with a candle somewhere thrown in? haha Well Happy early Bday and good luck! Leona :tea:

Awww thanks! I started to actually eat more than 500 calories in a day and now I feel SOOO much better- I haven't been dizzy or anything and I am starting to have more energy. In fact, I mowed the grass yesterday! But the scale hasn't moved since moving to mushies. I guess that's expected and I'm happy I'm not gaining, but I'm just stuck at an 18 pound loss. ahh!

Nope, just no eating solids after 8pm the night before and nothing after 12 midnight. But we were both careful not to eat too much greasy or gassy food a few days before to help with afterwards.

Hi! I'm also an opera singer! I just graduated from Juilliard, and am going to Manhattan School of Music in the fall to continue my education. I'm recently banded and having trouble singing right now but I'm only 2 and a half weeks out. I think I'll give myself a few more weeks, but I really am frustrated right now, not being able to practice. I am SOOO glad I go this during the summer, or else I would have had to take a semester off from school. I hope I don't have any problems getting back into the swing of things! Any tips ?

Yes I still have one of those, I guess I should use it. The hospital gave it to me for the first week but it would do no harm to use it now. Thanks for the idea! I just need to give myself some more time to heal... but I'm impatient lol.

hey biggirlpantiez My mom and I had a LOT of pain the first few days of surgery. By day 3, she was doing a million times better, but I was STILL in severe pain for several days after that. and i had the WORST nausea. She didnt have any. I still have nausea even now sometimes. It will get better though. DON'T worry! Just make sure you drink your liquids, because constipation HURTS and the diarrehea that you get after taking a laxative is also annoying. Hope this helps! And the doc can change the pain medicine, I got hives and they changed my pain meds to a different medication. I still get hives so now I know it was an adverse affect of the anesthia (sp). But I am still seeing a dermatologist tomorrow to check it out. Good luck and get better soon!

I actually have the 10 cm band with the 4cc max, so I'm glad I posted this thread for people with the 10cc band, but I've got a 4cc max. I read in a book that 1.5- 2 ccs in my band creates good restriction. I get my first fill on Aug 14th(maybe) so we will see. By the way, my doc does not put a numbing needle in first before the fill, he says that it hurts the same with 1 poke or 2. Anyone else's doc do that? Or is that strange?

I am about 2 and half weeks out and am just now starting to be able to half sleep on my side. for a while there, it was hard to sleep on my back, but i just put TONS of pillows around me and I didn't move. hope that helps!

Hi Eficka! I was told 6 weeks til I could start working my abs... I hope I wont mess anything up! Hows it going? I was banded july 5th and am just starting to try to eat again. I am scared of my band and haven't been eating too much so it's time to eat, but time to chew. How great does it feel to get this surgery when we are young so we have the rest of our lives to look good. It makes me so happy to start my weightloss and my friends and family are VERY supportive- my mom was even banded. Now that everyone knows I am doing this to be healthy, they are happy for me. WHat about you?

Ok so short term is under 6 months right? I want to be under 200 pounds by Christmas (Merry Christmas shopping ) I want to find an affordable apartment in NYC with a decent roommate I want to set up my life in NYC and learn to eat well by myself I want to do well in school, and perform to the best of my abilities and I want to sing beautifully and make my voice blossom (I am an opera singer... )

I took a week and 5 days off from work and the first day back I had to leave early because of that pain in my shoulder/neck and port pain. The next day I was better because I took pain medicine at work (I didn't drive yesterday) and it's been tough for me to get good sleep because i like to sleep on my stomach, but other than that, I'm doing pretty good. The steri-strips finally came off of all but 1 of my incisions and I finally got to see my port scar last night. Not too bad. My problem is that I've been afraid to eat and because of that, I've been practically starving myself which I guess is why I've lost 18 pounds. Last night I made a larger plate of food for myself and I ate it all! Larger meaning 3/4 of a cup! I felt so much better because I've been so dizzy lately and so sick because I've been eating 500 calories. For the two days I've been on mushies, there has been no scale movement. I know I should weigh myself once a week but I really like knowing what my body is doing and really only count my weight but once a week. I feel better now that I am actually eating a bit more (more at night of course) but a bit sad that the scale isn't moving anymore. But I CERTAINLY didn't like starving myself.