sandiegokate

I waited one year, but I think I could have done it in about 6 months or so, I was "stable" in my diet, etc. by that time. In my opinion becoming pregnant that soon might be tough during your transition from pre-band to post band living. Although, you may not become pregnant right away either, so in that case it may not matter. I do hope you do though! I am older and used IVF to get pregnant, 8 weeks right now. My band is playing with me now though, suddenly I feel "tight", must be the hormones or ?? I'm hoping I don't need an unfill. I am not "really tight" anyway, but feel it now!! Good luck to you!! The band was the best thing I ever did!!

I think one of the toughest things to have throughout this experience is patience. It is a process not an immediate solution. I struggle with that myself. I thought I would have lost more weight by this time in my journey, but I need to remember where I've come from and keep site of where I am going. I was thinking of lbs in something I could visualize... 10lb bags of potatoes. lol... imagine, you have lost 5 10lb bags of potatoes!!!!! That is amazing... imagine how much that is!! Great blog by the way and cute kids!! I see you are from Toledo, I grew up just north on the Plymouth/Livonia border in Michigan. Great place to be from.. I live in CA now. I miss it at times! Take care,

Here it is.... restriction varies greatly http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f13/how-many-ccs-restriction-14cc-52373/ Good luck to you !!!!! Hang in there!!!

First of all, congratulation on your weight loss!! You have done well in 5 months. Some people need a lot of restriction in their bands, every body is different. I have a 10cc band, and I am not sure what the reason is for putting in a different size band, but that may make the difference. Maybe you need to be "topped off"? As for feeling restriction for a while and then feeling as if it has gone away, that could be that you were swollen from the fill and after your body recovered you are not restricted enough. I would get maybe 1/2 cc's at a time, maybe every 2 weeks, and see how that goes. You may not get the super restricted feeling but maybe you will be able to notice your sweet spot more when you get there. Just my 2 cents! A little bit can make a big difference when you get close. I "think" I am at mine? Not quite sure. I did have 5.6cc's in my 10cc band, but when I got that fill I couldn't even swallow my own spit! I needed to have .6 cc's taken out the next day. It was just 1/2 cc that put me to the sweet spot. Ever since I feel like I can eat a little bit of everything but not too much. It has been 2 1/2 months now since I had my last fill, and come to think of it just about 5 months out from surgery, like you are now. I don't think I want another one yet. I am not losing fast, that is for sure, but I think that is just because I am older. I have to fight for every pound at this point in my life. There is a thread about how much people have in each size band here to get to their sweet spot. Maybe that will give you an idea of others with the 14cc band? If I can find it, I will post it!! Hang in there... you are doing great!!

For me, it depends on the day and the time of day. Definitely in the morning I can't eat breads, and usually just a little of it at any other time of the day. I agree with the poster that said as long as it is with something else, like a lot of sauce with Pasta it is "ok", but I still can't eat much of it. But a taste of it usually is all I need. For me, it is a good things because I have historically been addicted to carbs. I would love to eat a lot of breads and pastas, etc. Now it just doesn't matter anymore, mostly because I don't get that same "feel good" feeling that I did, its a negative feeling now so it doesn't matter. I am so glad I no longer feel controlled by them. That in itself made the band worth it! My tell tale sign that something isn't going down well is I gurgle, and I gurgle LOUD. I don't get to the point of PB'ing anymore though, I have learned the signs to stop when I'm ahead. :smile:

I had my surgery on a Wednesday and took the rest of that week (which I needed), and the following week (which I could have worked, I did work from home). I didn't have any of the shoulder pain many people have, luckily. Each person is different, but I agree with letting your boss know you are having a medical procedure done and you hope to be back in full capacity but might need some accomodation. I told my boss I was having a minor medical procedure, and he just said "take whatever you need". He didn't want details. Make sure you plan properly when going back to work though, pack enough fluids, alternative Protein drinks, SF Jello, etc. so that you have enough. Best of luck to you!!!!

I think we anticipate losing it all right away, but it doesn't happen like that, and shouldn't for our health. I know for me it isn't coming off fast, but it is coming off. I am down 65lbs now, and definitely wouldn't have been able to do it if I didn't have the band. I also seem to lose it in spurts; I'll go up 5 then down 10. I definitely think monthly hormones are to blame. I know I am doing the right things though, not cheating, exercising, eating well, etc. so it will happen. I can tell that it definitely comes off slower as I am older though, I have to work for every pound! Patience is key... I remember breaking the 300 mark, and now I broke the 250 mark. I really want to work my butt of to somehow, someway try to get below 200 by the end of summer, or my 1 year bandiversary of August 26th, that would be 10lbs a month, might be tough to do. The weight loss is slow for me right now so I don't know if it is possible, but I am going to do what I can!!!! The longer days really help with the exercise motivation, that is for sure!!

I agree with Old School on the Premier Protein Pre-made shakes from costco. I have one every morning as it is tough for me to eat in the morning. I grab it as I walk out the door and drink it in the car on the way to work. It keeps me going until lunchtime and gives me 1/2 the protein I need (minimally) for the day. I also have unjury.. its "ok" to me, but everyone likes different things. I do think the chicken Soup flavor is a nice option to have rather than cold drinks all the time. I am curious now about this chocolate Peanut Butter from Bariatric Eating though... might have to try it!

My doctor doesn't use a topical anesthetic when he does fills either. Yeah, it stings a little.. but, its over in a minute. Sometimes it stings more than other times. Ask him for a topical if you want to.. he does work for you! :thumbup:

I can imagine you are dealing with challenges, as most all of the Protein Drinks contain some type of artifical sweetener. Have you tried making Kool-aid (the little packets that are unsweetened) with Stevia (a natural no calorie sweetener) and adding unflavored whey Protein to it? Just an idea.. I should try it myself prior to posting, as it may taste awful, but it is an idea anyway! Maybe freeze it for popsicles? Can you have cottage cheese? It is low calorie and has very little sugar.. strawberries have low sugar also, my doctor allowed me to put them in my Protein Shakes. Let us know what you do eat... I am sure there are others who may be allergic, or for health reasons would rather stay away from artificial sweeteners. Although difficult, I am sure it is much better for you if you can do it!! Best of luck to you... the pre-op diet is the hardest, after that it is smooth sailing!!

I remember before I had the band I went through all of the same emotions, and the same yo-yo dieting as you did. I lost over 100lbs with the Phen/Fen craze in the 90's, and gained it all back and then some. Numerous other attempts were futal. Earlier last year I said to myself "I am going to try once again and if I can't do it, I am going for the band". Of course, it didn't happen. I remember counting down the days until I got the band, feeling that "I'll never be able to eat this or that again", many last suppers. All the anticipation of the band and its limitations were so much greater than the actual band, in my experience anyway! Sure, there are things that I can't eat, lots of bread for example, but since I don't get the same positive feelings from it that I used to it doesn't appeal to me as much. I can have "a little" bread, and that is fine and I don't desire more. I find that I can have "a little" of everything! The greatest change for me is that I feel in control. I am no longer eating what the diet says I could eat and feel like "ok, I ate that, I'm still hungry, now what can I eat?". I don't gorge myself on salads trying to feel full. In fact, I rarely eat salads, lettuce doesn't go down that well. BUT I can eat other vegetables just fine. The good part of that is I liked a lot of salad dressing on my BIG salad, now I don't get those calories!! By far, it was the best thing I've ever done.. I am now able to exercise more and those endorphins make me feel good and give me energy. I used to get SO TIRED, now I am wide awake and can get so much more done. I can only imagine how good I will feel when I get close to goal. I still have more than half way to go! I wish they had this surgery when I was 25... if I knew then what I know now and it was available I would do it in a heartbeat. As Devana said, only 4-5% of the morbidly obese can ever keep the weight off, those odds are definitely against us. Good luck.. you will find a lot of support and information here for your entire journey!!

Thanks Ellen, I will check out Amazon!

I take the Gummy Vites from Costco, they do taste just like Gummy Bears. I need a calcium chew also.. I know Gummy Vites makes one, not sure what it is like or if I should get Viactiv? Anybody try the chocolate/caramel calcium chews? I take some pill vitamins but have a hard time getting them down throughout the day... figured I would try to take what I can in a chewable form.

I bought the magic bullet, which I love, at Costco, but I also bought one at Macy's that is exactly the same (forget the brand) that was on sale and pretty cheap, I want to say $20?, no difference in quality from what I can see. I wanted one for work and one for home. It is awesome, not only for protein drinks but for grinding coffee, spices, scrambled eggs for french toast, margaritas by the glass. , etc. So much easier to clean than a blender also. Probably the most used kitchen appliances I have ever bought, regardless of diet drink use!

I make that recipe using only part cool whip but I add nonfat dry milk to it also. It helps with the consistency and also is added Protein. You won't notice the difference! My mom has been making this type of recipe for decades as a side dish on holidays and always added nonfat dry milk. Her original recipe called for "dream whip" which is a dry form of cool whip type thing.. she just substituted and it has always been good! Good luck!

One thing that helped me was egg drop Soup. I would add extra chicken broth to it and it was very tasty. I had it every night during my pre-op diet along with Protein shakes during the day.. my doctor said my liver was perfect! I know each doctor has their own diet.. but the egg drop soup from my favorite Chinese restaurant was definitely what got me through! Good luck!!

I know exactly what you mean about knowing all about nutrition, how the body works, tried every diet in the world. I think most of us here have all gone through the same thing over many years. We all know so much more about diets and nutrition than the general population, in my opinion! I don't obsess over diets anymore. I just think rationally about what I've had in the day to make sure I've eaten what I should be eating, if I have a dessert here and there I don't worry about it because I know I won't be able to overeat, it isn't an option. I know there are people who bypass the band, and it can be done, but I have always been a healthy eater, just ate too much! The band, therefore, is good for me. Because I am not always that hungry I don't have the cravings for things I used to. Hard to explain, but overall it just makes me more in control. It takes me a long time to eat something too, so the enjoyment lasts longer, whatever it is I am eating. Best of luck to you... you will do great!!!

It seems that just recently I've started to get a lot of comments about how much weight I have lost, and its not like I have lost that much in the recent past...? I agree that people are reluctant, and if they see you everyday it isn't as easy to notice until you start wearing different clothes. Take the compliments when you can get them!! I know it helps keep me going. I have to stay patient though, I am anxious to lose a lot more but I have to stay focused on where I came from.

I remember feeling the same way as you, thinking that I will be restricted from ever really eating again after surgery, not being able to eat at dinners (I have a lot of work related eating events in my world), getting sick, etc. I have had to throw up, that is for sure but it is always due to "user error". It rarely ever happens now, as I have learned what the cause is/was. I am now 8 months out from surgery and I can say that I probably feel more normal now than I did prior to the surgery. I am not obsessing over food, feeling like I want more all the time - that was not normal. I now act like "the skinny girls" (although I am still far from that) who leaves half their food on their plate, just has a taste of dessert, and feels satisfied. I split lunches with friends now instead of thinking "oh no, I am hungry and want the whole thing". I can eat just about anything in small quantities as long as I chew. I only wish this option was available for me 10+ years ago, and I wish that I had made the decision a few years ago when I first learned about it. The weight is not dropping off me really quickly, but it is dropping and I have so much more energy. Best of luck to you!!

I gurgle all the time after I eat. It can be embarrassing!! I had to explain myself once in a meeting with my boss because I was so embarrassed. I now make it a point to not eat atleast a 1/2 hour before I have to be close to people in a meeting at work or something like that. It is a weird feeling though, very unvoluntary and it can't be controlled. My nearby coworkers laugh at it now.... It doesn't really bother me now that I've learned how to manage it, definitely a side effect I can deal with for the control over my eating and weight loss!!

Of course everyone needs to make their own decision, but for me, I wish that the lapband was available when I was 26. I've spent my whole life going up and down. I finally feel like I have control over it. I look at food differently now. When I used to diet I would eat what I was suppose to at a meal and then say to myself "ok, now what can I eat?". Now it takes little to fill me up and I make better choices knowing that I only have so much room and it doesn't bother me if I can't eat more. I can eat just about everything, just in smaller quantites. Food no longer controls me! I am watching discovery health right now about a 900lb woman who is having gastric bypass.. interesting show. The specialist said only 5% of people who are morbidly obese will ever be able to take off the weight and keep it off without weight loss surgery. When I heard that it confirmed my decision. Also, as you get older it gets harder.. even with the band it comes off slower! Best of luck with whatever you decide!!

I think that many people fear the unknown. I know myself I kept trying to do it on my own and last year I said "I'll try one more time on my own, and then I will think about the band", well, "on my own" failed once again and I looked into the band and never looked back! I am SO HAPPY that I did it. I do think that the more people who have it the less fearful people will be. I was talking to a girl at work the other day, she noticed that I had lost weight and asked me how, I told her about the band. She is very overweight and she sad what she fears is losing weight, then having plastic surgery and getting keloid scarring. That wasn't my fear at all! I would worry about that if I needed plastic surgery but it wouldn't make me not lose weight because of it. That conversation showed me that everyone has different fears. A few people I know are now thinking of the band since I did it, I think they wanted to see how it affected me and my life before they decided to take the plunge. I have always wondered why Oprah hasn't done it. One thought to me was that having a weight problem and dealing with the challenges is part of her appeal to the general population. She may have more to lose than weight if she did it.

Try Interval Training, it can really boost your calorie burn during your workouts for the max benefit. Sometimes your body gets too used to a workout and you need to mix it up to get more out of it. Check out this article or do a search on "interval training" on the net for more information: Interval training: Can it boost your calorie-burning power? - MayoClinic.com

I had an unfill last Friday... I went in on Thursday for a checkup/fill. I got .5 cc's put in (previously 5.6cc's, thought I could use a little more). It made me swollen so that I couldn't even swallow my spit!! I woke up choking on my saliva in the middle of the night, couldn't even keep down Water. When I went in on Friday they took out 1.6cc's, and even as of today, Wednesday, I still feel restricted. I think stress or something is making me more reactive to my band. I feel ok.. just must have been something going on. I am so happy someone was there to take out some!! I think it is normal though.. up and down depending on what is going on inside... I'm sure i'll get a fill again next month. Rather be safe than sorry!!

Holy Cow!!! You are doing SO AMAZING!!!!!! Mine has been slow, but it is coming off... I'm so very happy I got the band.. it is my best friend! :woot: