Dani-X

Here, here for Dr. Fielding!!!

To each their own... I enjoy my glass of wine and I'm sure you have something that you enjoy. As we've learned, moderation is the key. You could say the same thing for a bunch of the foods that we've eaten that made us fat. Alcohol is a choice and I choose to drink it in moderation.

While I don't have the problem with the reflux, I try to stay away from it while eating because I know I consume more food when I'm more intoxicated. I don't mind a glass or two during the week but when I have the glasses with dinner, it hits me so quickly that I don't stop eating when I normaly would and then I feel guilty about it. Although sometimes, I'd rather just a glass of wine than dinner doh!

I had a glass of wine the week after my surgery and it was no problem... It took me about 3 months to try beer and that hasn't been a problem either. Just give yourself some time to adjust to your fills before you start with carbonation. I lke sugar-free Red Bull and usually have one or two a week. They are really lightly carbonated and are a nice change from the flat Water. BUT, one day I drank one a little too quickly after a pretty tight fill and I just PBd the foam. It was a bizarre feeling and I was expecting something other than a thick foam to have come up but that's all it was. Go slowly with your carbonation and your alcohol for that matter. Trust me, you'll be a cheap date

For the most part, I have no problem with sushi or sashimi. If I get a roll, which I rarely do, I order a salmon avocado roll inside out. Most of the time I get the salmon sashimi flower. It's the perfect portion, sliced thin and easy to handle. There is one restaurant that I go to and the food is really good. Unfortuntaly, I PBd the salmon sashimi the last 2 times i had it. So, I'd say it's a trial and error thing. You'll find out what workds best for you.

Same here... And the tighter we're filled, the less forgiving our bands are! Up until this las fill, I think I was ok with MOST bites. Now, I have to eat like the doctor says or it's pain for me!!! You'll get there...

Hi Tracey, I think I just hit my sweetspot too! I know what you mean about the new foods but you just have to try them. For breakfast I usually have egg beaters with some shredded turkey or ham and a slice of light cheese. It packs in a ton of Protein with very little fat and low caloric content. If I don't have time to make my breakfast, I have a box of shredded wheat in my desk and I pour about 1/2 cup for myself. Also, I sometimes bring oatmeal and make myself a packet. Trader Joe's has a great blueberry and flax seed variety. lunch varies for me... sometimes it's half a Lean Cusine, or just some slices of low fat/sodium turkey and ham. Salads are another staple as they go down very easy for me. I also LOVE salmon sashimi. Where I used to gravitate towards the pizza and burgers for lunch, they just don't do it for me anymore. For starters, if it's not super thin crispy crust pizza, I'll PB. And for me, the pizza PB is the worst of all! And considering pizza was my FAVORITE food - I'm amazed at how little it matters to me. dinner is usully whatever I make. I try to stay away from takeout when I can for the health factor and also the money factor. I made a small tray of killer eggplant parm on Sunday (baked the eggplant, not fried!). I couldn't eat much. Last night I had 2 of the 2" square ravioli as dinner and I was set! I can do chicken when cut small, chewed well, and it's moist. I think I'm definitely going to miss my summer grilled chicken sandwiches that I used to order at the grill on Sunday nights... oh the small sacrifice! There's also a great book that I got on Amazon called Eating Well after Weight Loss Surgery. They give some great recipes and many things are specifically in there for lap band limitations. Check it out and good luck!

Julie, I just read your post and can't believe it's just over 2 weeks away! You've done so well and have been my inspiration throughout the process... I have no doubt that those last 10 pounds will be gone *poof* Keep us posted

My pre-op diet was 2 weeks of slim fast shakes with 2 cups of either raw or cooked veggies - no fats, no oils, etc. It was pretty easy and I stuck to it and was glad I did. I dropped 23 lbs on my pre-op and it just set the stage for the weeks to come. Also, my post-op was two weeks of liquids and 2 weeks of mushies... the pre-op got me used to being on liquids and sort of conditioned me. Personally, I'm glad I had them and they just contributed to my success so far!

I would define my sweet spot as my hunger being turned off, where a very small amount of food would satiate me, and where I'm not PBing. I have PB'd in the past and they were all for reasons that were in my control... bites way too big, too fast, not chewed, etc. We went to Ruth's Chris for dinner last week and I still had no problem with the filet... granted, I could only eat about 1/4 of it but it was just what I wanted. If this is your first fill, you probably won't get your sweet spot on the first time. It may take a couple of fills (and maybe an unfill!) to get where you need and want to be. Some people prefer the fills every month but if you think you need one and you're doctor will do it... run with it! Good luck and let us know!

As you can see from my signature, I've been pretty aggressive with my fills and my surgeon is all for it! Not to mention, I got some great advice from some very successful banders. I think I FINALLY may have hit my sweet spot... I'm still on mushies for today and tomorrow and I feel kind of like I did right after surgery - only being able to get down a few spoonfuls before being full. I hope I'm not too tight but I'll give it a week... I always seem to losen up a week or two afterwards. Good luck!

Wow. I can't believe what I did tonight... I wasn't even hungry and all I did was eat. This is the self-destructive behavior that put me on the road to weight gain and I just experienced it for the first time since being banded 4 months ago. Has this happened to anybody else? Is it normal? I feel absolutely terrible about myself tonight. I'm thrilled that I already have another appointment for a fill on Tuesday but I'm just so ashamed that I ate what I did tonight. Any advice? Similar situations? I'd really love to hear from you guys tonight... I'm not doing so hot. Thanks.

Thanks guys... I got back on track the next day and am feeling great again. I've got another fill scheduled for tomorrow morning so that's a good thing too. (OK, boys turn away here) I got my period shortly after I wrote this and that makes my SUPER tight. It came at the right time because I didn't even want to eat and helped me get back on track. (OK, now it's safe) Seriously, I beat myself up about it like I used to do pre-band... only then I would have eaten more to make up for beating me up! I love my band!

I take the following: Vitamin Shoppe Ultimate Woman w/ Iron Multivitamin Vitamin Shoppe Biotin 5mg Ultra Omegas DHA/EPA (Fish Oil) Cranberry I originally tried the Centrum liquid.. the taste was OK but it had that nasty vitamin smell which I couldn't get past as I was trying to take it. My current multi-vitamin is a horse pill but I've had no problem getting it down. I've got another fill scheduled for tomorrow so we'll see how it goes on Wednesday. By the way, if you find that your pills are tough to get down, I found that room temperature Water is much better to use than cold water. A trick I learned from another bandster is to drink a glass of COLD COLD water 5 minutes before I eat if I happen to be ravenous or around food that's not so good for you. It makes my band feel tighter and I definitely walk away feeling good. I tried

Kat, You said it! I've thanked my boyfriend so many times for just listening to me. Between being banded 4 months ago and all the pre-op talk, it has to be tough for him but he's a trooper. Sometimes he doesn't have enough to say about it to hold a conversation but he let's me chat about it which is what I need. I couldn't have done this without him! As far as jealous friends go, I'm facing a similar situation but mine is with family. After dropping 50 pounds you would think they'd have said something to me. Nope - in fact, that ignore me now. I've reached out to try and get them to see that it's still me but they won't budge. They don't know I had the surgery and I won't tell unless I'm specifically asked. Aside from one of my cousins, they are all overweight. The cousin who ISN'T overweight, used to be - you'd think she'd understand it better than anybody else but no... As much as it hurts and as much as it makes me angry, I just smile and think about the person who I really care about and who I really did this for... ME! I don't need everybdy's support - just the ones that matter most to me. Thank God I have that.

I was never fat or even overweight as a child. I didn't put on weight until I went to college and discovered the joys of beer and crappy food - all while doing no exercise because Buffalo is jut too cold in the wintr. When I was younger I played soccer, did gymnastics, and danced! I remember when I was a junior in high school, my dance company coach told me I needed to lose weight. I WAS 117 POUNDS!!! And we wonder where the pressure to be thin comes from. God, fast forward 15 years and here I am... 100 pounds more than what I was in high school. But 50+ pounds less than what I was 4 months ago. Life is good.

I actually had my first hamburger (well, 1/3 of a burger) just last week... minus the bun, minus the fries but boy was that crunchy pickle AWESOME! I went out to Vegas with my friends a few weeks ago and I split turkey burgers with the girls as they are much easier on me than a grilled chicken sandwich (especially if I'm stressed or tired). Again, ixnay on the readbay.

Awesome! I can't wait to see where we all are a year from our band dates. I also can't wait to run! It's a truly empowering activity and I can't wait to do it :Banane43: You're truly inspiring

I saw a lapband on ebay but it was strictly marked as sample. It wasn't so long ago and it's not listed in the completed items so I'm betting it got pulled too. Very Interesting!

Dr. Fielding is *amazing* He banded on 10/23 and it's been a great ride. I'll be seeing him again on 2/27 for another fill and I'm really excited about it. You'll be in great hands... and not just him, the whole office is awesome. If you have any questions about the surgery or what to expect, please feel free to PM me. My friend is also having surgery her surgery on 3/5. You just know it's going to be a great day! Good luck, Mags.

Mmmm... Muscle Milk is good stuff! You know, I thought about shopping the sales but I'm holding off. I've bought clothes for so many years "thinking I'd get into them." I'm done with that! I love going shopping and having things I want, fit me now... and many of them in misses sizes! I'll be heading to Kohl's for bras tomorrow but I have 9 trash bags FILLED with fabulous clothes sized 18-24 that I'm dropping off at Goodwill tomorrow. I have empy closets and look forward to filling them with new pieces in the upcoming months. For the first time in over 10 years, I'm enjoying shopping again! From the shear amount of clothes I'm donating, you'd never would have guessed I didn't like it but it was a way of comforting me feeling not so hot with something other than food. Bloomie's and Macy's should thank me! Congrats on your killer loss, Sonia!

Congrats on the 18/20!!! You go girl! I know all docs are different but mine said I'd be ok to stop drinking 5 minutes before I eat, and cam resume 20 minutes after. Of course, if I need a sip or two mid-meal I take it... but usually - I'm OK!

Andre, The amount your doctor chooses to give at each fill is unique. As you can see my doctor is very aggressive with his fills and wants us to come in for another when we no longer feel our restriction is enough for us. I was banded on 10/26 and have hit a plateau these last 2 weeks. I'm heading to Vegas with the girls this weekend and have an appointment for another fill next week. It should give me a week to adjust to the fill before I head to Puerto Rico on 2/1. I'm at 8.5 cc's and I'd like a little more. I feel fuller for MUCH longer but it doesn't help me stop eating much earlier. I can still eat pretty much anything and have yet to PB. Seriously, talk to your doctor about doing a more aggressive fill. The worst he can say is no! Good Luck

I'm in the same boat... my weight loss has stalled for the past two weeks and this is when I've finally kicked up my exercise and have started the gym! I had my 3rd fill to 8 cc's last week and was on liquids and mushies and I *still* didn't lose much. I made an appointment for another fill after I get back from Vegas this weekend. I definitely felt my fill and was even scared I would be too tight when I first got it. But, it loosened up as it had the other 2 times as well. All the saline has been in the band but I guess I just adjust to it? Maybe 9 cc's will be my sweet spot? I think I'm going to start a journal this week and keep track of every bite to see where it's coming from. I'm truly baffled! Any other suggestions?

I, too, was worried about this same thing. My boyfriend of 4 years has NEVER made me feel bad about being overweight. He wants me healthy and supports me in my decisions but supporting the band was a tough one for him. For starters, he was worried that I was doing it for him, or my family, or a million other things except the only one that matters - doing it for me. He was worried that I might take his support for the band as him saying I need to lose weight when that was never the case. One thing he never worried about was the strength of our relationship... the thought of me having anesthesia and being cut into was enough!!! Now that I'm nearly 3 months post-op, he is thrilled with the results. And I don't mean the changes is my body... he loves my new found confidence, my strength, my cheer. He loves the fact that he gets to come along for this amazing journey. I'm not so sure he loved it when I went I started bawling in the middle of Ann Taylor Loft when I tried on a coat in XL and it fit!!! (trust me, it'll happen to you) But seriously, I know it's hard to do but take your body out of the equation... it's you they love. And you got it right, this thing is an emotional roller coaster. While it's definitely more highs than lows, it's tough to prepare for what's happens to you emotionally. I never anticipated to have the feelings I do... but, it's all a journey and it makes us who we are. Congrats on your decision and good luck! You'll have to keep us posted!