isaviolinist

Hey everyone - Thanks so much for the welcomes and the support! I'm definitely going to stick around here. It always helped me before, and I know it can help me now. Snd - Hm, well the practitioner is doing all of the body compositions - so they take my skin fold measurements, weigh me, do all of the crazy calculations that figure out when I could be at my goal, take girth measurements. And he works with me on my food logs every week. And then the training is the circuit training (and sometimes my practitioner does those classes, but often its someone else). I definitely agree that seeing a trainer (or doing a circuit training/food log/body comp type of program) is great for keeping on track. If you dont show up, people wonder where you are and get in touch with you! I go to circuit training 3 times a week, and then I came up with a plan with my practitioner for the 4 days I'm not at the gym (one day off, and then 3 days of a cardio program that he made up for me). Going to the gym certainly breaks the monotony of just going on the elliptical everyday. I submit with my food log, and exercise log as well, which helps me beat the feeling that I don't want to work out on my own. But its hard - I also hate working out.

I posted this is another thread, but this seems like the right place to post: Hello everyone - I haven't posted here in ages because I fell off the wagon for awhile. I had surgery in June of 2009. At my lowest weight, I was hovering around 206-208 (my pre-surgery weight before liquid diet was 286). In July of this year I was back up to 258 :-( and totally depressed. I've gotten back on the wagon and I'm back down to 229. I'm working with a practitioner/trainer for my workouts. He reviews my food logs every week and also does body compositions every six weeks where he checks skin folds to find out my lean mass vs fat mass. This is much more helpful to me than BMI and I'm having success (I've lost about 25-26 pounds in the last 6 weeks). I'm getting married in a little under 2 years and I REALLY want to be in the best shape of my life. I'm starting to feel better already. Looking forward to getting back on this site for support and TO support others!

Hello everyone - I haven't posted here in ages because I fell off the wagon for awhile. I had surgery in June of 2009. At my lowest weight, I was hovering around 206-208 (my pre-surgery weight before liquid diet was 286). In July of this year I was back up to 258 :-( and totally depressed. I've gotten back on the wagon and I'm back down to 229. I'm working with a practitioner/trainer for my workouts. He reviews my food logs every week and also does body compositions every six weeks where he checks skin folds to find out my lean mass vs fat mass. This is much more helpful to me than BMI and I'm having success (I've lost about 25-26 pounds in the last 6 weeks). I'm getting married in a little under 2 years and I REALLY want to be in the best shape of my life. I'm starting to feel better already. Looking forward to getting back on this site for support and TO support others!

Hi all. This is my first time back on this site in a REALLY long time. I've been in a rut for the past 2.5 months. Have not lost anything and gained some back. I've been getting progressively sad about it :w00t: I've actually put myself on a liquid diet. I'm going to basically do a preop diet and then do my post op progression again. I really need to get myself back on track. I got so close to onederland, and every time I think about it it just makes me really sad. Anyways, I've lost 3 pounds in the past 2 days on the liquid diet. I really would like to hit 100 pounds lost by my 1 year bandiversary (which is June 18th, 2010). Thats less than 30 pounds and I've got 5 months. I put a lot of pressure on myself to lose all my excess weight in the first year. But I don't think thats going to happen. I definitely get sad about it from time to time, especially since I lost so much in the beginning. Please keep your fingers crossed for me.

Hi all. I just wanted to share two great things I found out about today. The first: I bought a jar of PB2, powdered Peanut Butter. You can read about it, order it etc. from their website: Bell Plantation, Inc. - PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter - Home. There is only 50 cals per serving (2 tablespoons), 2g of fat, 3 carbs. Compared to regular peanut butter (188 cals, 16g of fat, 6 carbs), its like too good to be true. I put it in my Protein shake and it was AWESOME. The shake was less creamy than usual, but it tasted like my regular chocolate peanutbutter shake, but with hardly any fat and calories. I'm so happy I found this product and wanted to share. The second: I learned today that it is possible to substitute bread crumbs (in a recipe such as salmon burgers, meat loaf, crab cakes, etc.) with ground sesame seeds. I have been looking for something like this FOREVER! I've been wanting to make crab cakes and salmon burgers, and also veggie and black bean burgers, but I have not done it because I don't want to use the bread crumbs. I haven't tried it but I think it will be an effective and tasty substitute. Just wanted to share those good finds and good news!

I've been banded a little under 5 months. In that time, I've lost about 76 pounds which is 50 percent of my excess weight. I'm not even sure if I have proper restriction yet. I'm just getting started. I have no intention of stopping until I reach my goal. I'm no one special - if I can do it, anyone can.

I also eat dinner a little later. That way, I'm still not really interested in food when it comes time to go to bed. Since banding, my sleep schedule has been way more regular as well, so I know when I'll be going to bed, and can try to plan accordingly. Its kind of like tricking yourself but it seems to work!

I agree. Call your surgeon right away. I have heard people say that blood can sometimes be a sign of a slipped band. Please let us know what happened.

Hi Erin. We were banded around the same time (I was 9 days after you - June 18th). I have the Realize C band. I think the capacity is 12cc or maybe 13. I've had 4 fills. In total I should have 9cc, but when my surgeon withdraws the Fluid its always 1 cc less. I think 1 cc gets trapped in the tubing and cannot come out (thats what he said). So technically I have about 8cc's in my actual band with 1 residual cc in the tube. I do feel restriction and there are some foods that it seems like I can't eat at all (like pizza). I've been getting stuck a lot lately (I threw up 3 times in the past 5 days) so for the next 3 days I put myself on liquids to give my tummy a rest. I think I may not be chewing well enough. But its strange because some foods I can eat with no problem (like macaroni and cheese for example...I can eat an entire plate of it). So Im really confused whether or not I have good restriction. I'm giving it a few more weeks to try and feel things out. I think when I was at 6 ccs I had no restriction (but everyone is different). Good luck!

Hey I just wanted to say congrats on your weight loss! I love hearing from people who have had their bands for a long time and have had success. Congratulations on your new healthy lifestyle! :tongue_smilie:

I also had that early 7:15 am surgery! Although I only live a few minutes away from the hospital lol. Anyways, I think it is good to not have too much time to think about things the day of. Youll just make yourself so nervous. Good luck and let us know how things go!

Im really the same as you. I'm down 75 pounds since June, and I don't feel much different about myself. I can see a change in pictures a little, but as far as looking at myself in the mirror, or just the general way I feel when I'm walking around, nothing really feels different. I'm still a size 18 (although I think I started at a 24 or 26). Maybe when I get down to a 14 or 12 I will feel better.

Did you have to drink a lot of contrast for the upper GI? On my last fill, I ended up drinking 2 full cups of contrast, and I felt a little constipated for awhile. It may be that - the stuff is so thick it gets stuck in there. You can try a laxative tea or a really mild laxative pill - sometimes that helps me.

Hey congrats on your surgery! Pretty much what everyone else said - the next couple of weeks are for healing. Also, it is really pretty normal to gain or not lose once you start the pureed stage. Because you are, all of a sudden, taking in solid foods as well as way more calories then you were before. So don't worry. I think I lost 18-20 pounds during my first 3 weeks post-op, but I also began with WAY more weight to lose than you. Good luck with your bandster journey!

I have also been wondering about the full signal too. Especially when I eat out. When I go out to eat, I know I over eat. But I also get that uncomfortableness, but if I wait a few moments, it subsides and then it seems like I can eat anything. :-(

If you eat ice creams, mashed potatoes, creamy cream soups, and chips everyday (for example), then you will gain weight (and you will be able to eat an unlimited amount of them, since they will pass right through the band).

Congrats to the June bandsters! And congrats, Padanelle on your weight loss! Nov 18th will be my 5 month bandiversary (seems like it happened a long time ago -- but it actually it was just 5 short months ago). I have lost about 72 pounds since my preop diet. The past few weeks have been a struggle for me however. I got down to 208.2 which is almost 75 pounds lost since my preop diet beginning of June. But I have gained 3 pounds back to put me back up to 211 or so, and am struggling to get those 3 off again. So frustrating as I was so excited to be within the last 10 pounds of making it to onederland (which was my Thanksgiving goal...not sure if its gonna happen now). I would really like to be back down to a flat 208 by November 18 (10 days from now which is my 5 month bandiversary) as that will be 75 pounds lost. Keep your fingers crossed for me...

Just average - I got down to 208.4 (or 208.2...cant remember) but now am back up to 211.something. I'm so discouraged :w00t: Sometimes I can eat whatever I want (literally, unlimited amount) and sometimes I can only eat a little and it gets stuck. Getting so frustrated...

My fiancee doesn't read my blog. Its not actually because I don't want him to, but because my weight ticker is on there. And strangely, I haven't told him weight. He knows, literally, everything else about me, but I won't tell him my weight until I'm a more reasonable weight. Kind of silly because he loves and adores me no matter what. I'd rather just wait until I can say "130" or even "140" rather than "208 pounds".

My surgeon gave me the option, after I woke up and was doing fine, of going home that day or staying overnight. I preferred to stay overnight. I couldn't drink that much, and I felt more comfortable in the hospital with IV fluids. Plus, if something happened to go wrong, or I was just in a lot of pain and wanted IV medications, it was more convenient to be in the hospital. By the next morning, I felt much more confident to go home.

I get all of my rolls wrapped in cucumber now instead of rice. Its lighter, more refreshing, more healthy and mostly, there are no worries about the rice getting stuck. This is the type of roll I eat: http://www.moonthai.com/dinnerimgs/Kanisu.jpg You should see if the restaurant will do it for you, next time you go for sushi.