hmarko

I also think you do not have enough restriction - i couldn't eat fast food at all (no way can I eat bread). Do you have a Realize band or a Lap band - the realize band based on what I read here requires a higher level of restriction as well. You should find another doctor I'm not even sure if you said you have 2 cc in you now only, and got unfilled that huge amt when tight. When they unfill you unless you had some major problem its usually .5 cc's though I have heard of complete unfills that is usually due to some problem. Not sure we have the complete picture - are you having some complications w/ the band? I also couldn't eat carrots right now they would get stuck. Bypass is a major deal to me.

hi I ride too - dressage. I was posting trot at about 4 weeks after surgery- maybe even 3 weeks I got on as soon as I felt I could get on w/o pain (and I use a mounting block). I started off very slow - like 10 mins of posting trot and built that up if I had no pain during or the next day by 5 mins. It did take about 1- 2 months before I wasn't having any discomfort also. I think it took 4-6 weeks of riding before I cantered but my memory is pretty bad. I did a little sitting trot (like once around the arena at about 6 weeks out from surgery as that uses abs) - I started w/ once around the arena and increased that too... once that was okay then I cantered. Now I am back to my old self.. sitting trot, no stirrups, cantering, dressage movements etc... I ride w/ a trainer too. in fact now that I am 52 lbs thinner I am rewarding myself by going to Germany to horse shop! my mare has been off since August... and I've been riding my trainers horse. Will see what is out there.

Amanda are you stressed at all? Or more stressed than usual? I have problems on and off. But really it is no fun to be too tight. Is it red meat you are having a problem with? Try the stopclock trick - and w/ red meat our support group says we just have to work harder - ie chew even MORE. Glad you got back down to 198!!! It could be muscle weight too. Are you doing measurements?

I go - my chiropractor seems to be more nervous about it than I am. I did get ok from the dr's office my chiro does gentle manipulations. The one that I REALLY had to watch for was accupuncture which I normally do on my back... but one day we were doing my front and she felt tightness near my belly and I said whoa thats my port... which reminded me to tell her to stay away from needling anywhere around there!! No idea how far the tubing is but didn't need any holes in it!

Hi all: Ok today I made my way to the gym - figured 30 minutes elliptical would be good. While I was on there I felt good so I did resistance (not alot no more than 5 for intervals) and inclines and guess what ? My abs hurt near the port after not as in sore but like it felt a few days after surgery. They say not to do any ab exercises and I wouldn't consider this one an ab exercise except of course you do use your core to balance. Dr has ok'ed exercise just not weight. Anyone have experiences? Up to now I have been walking.

Did they tell you how to make up for the difference of what it estimates for you vs the real thing? Example - if I don't wear it - it automatically just puts in 1 for the expenditure when in reality when i wear it I am at 1.3 or 1.4 which is an extra 100 calories :w00t: I suppose i can adjust it myself manually. I learned most of it on my own but there were still a few things she helped me with.

what is your weight loss been like? If you have been been closer to the 8 lbs a month average I would just take some fluid out. Do you not have restriction? It sounds like you do... and you will never get it so that it is perfect every day - because all of us here have mentioned that one day we are tight the next we are loose so I look for the average calorie intakes. There are many things that affect the band, sinuses, stress, PMS etc.

May go do some clothes shopping tomorrow! My skinniest suits are now falling off me :w00t: YAY

I will need to see if they continue to cover the fills too. To be honest.. I got to where I was supposed to be by month 3 and I was going in every 3-4 weeks the first 3 months. I like to go every month though to the doctor and they want us to - to make sure we are on track and suddenly we don't need a fill without recognizing it. My 4th month was Jan, and I went there but got no fill and I didn't think I needed one. Feb - I prob won't need one either at this rate. But i am still going ... I feel like I want that check in for the first year.

PS I'm at 50 lb loss today woo hoo!!!!

Its not really the same as getting stuck - this is from eating too fast. Getting stuck is different - it doesn't go anywhere. Or it can take hours. And you need to repeatedly PB until its out. What this is - is the golfball in the chest and some pain but it passes thru after about 5-15 mins. Its because food piles up in your pouch my doc explained you need to chew 30 seconds and then wait 30 seconds for the esophagus to push it thru. Anytime I eat too fast (not too often anymore).... this happens and then I can feel a 'pop' and it going thru. I actually don't think we sit there w/a bunch of food in our pouches for 4 hours I will need to ask about this...... because as she explained it that wasn't how it worked (ie eating next bite after the previous one has passed through). Which is interesting then how are we full? Must make a note to ask this!

Becky Lou - my doc's office told us what they needed and handled the insurance companies themselves. When I was doing it they wanted the 6 month medically supervised thing.... by month 5 i was into it they dropped that requirement. I did need the doctors referall/ letter too of my history. I was at 40 BMI so well into the qualified zone without the comorbidities though I am also diabetic they needed two comorbidities at 35 bmi.

I have Empire BCBC (NYC) - and they even covered the fill from the NP and many insurance companies require the Dr to do it. I believe that it is Anthem too?

Fire&spice I'm going to add in some resistance training during the week ... I'm losing muscle (I guess this week I lost alot as my calories were a bit on the low side). Has anyone had THIS happen? One month PMS I am able to eat the house down - the next month can't eat anything; the next month the house; the next month nothing again!!!

Dee - Fire&Spice has a Realize band which requires more restriction from what is being said on this board; what I've heard at my doc's office and also from a friend who has one all supports that. She is at 9 cc's on an 11 cc band. So don't worry and everyone is different - go look at the spreadsheet you can see from that everyone is varied. I'm loving that spreadsheet - haha.

yea being overfilled really sucked - seriously it was scary at times. (night choking like I was drowning - i probabably said it 100 times and sound like a broken record). ANy fills for me going forward are unlikely to be more than .2 - .3 cc's. But if this keeps up I won't need anything in feb either. I'm actually losing muscle I need to weight train. My horse trainer (well one of them told me to just start doing pushups and lunges at home even for 10 mins) good idea!

I've been at good restriction since mid december on 5.6 cc's so be hopeful! When i went back in Jan they didn't even give me a fill and I'm fine losing 2 lbs a week or more. Jes - I am looking at your stats and you pretty much are doing this on your own - I would be PISSED at my doc cuz why the heck did you have to go through surgery. You lost all the weight preop.. your down to the home stretch its going to be tougher - are there NP's you can see sometimes they are better.... I would get a bit firmer w/ him. I mean you or your insurance paid them a heck of a lot of money for this to not do on your own and struggle through it.

loveslady you need to put it on your favorites or bookmarks and you can always go there and update

Bostonlady - I'm doing ok - I'm more than halfway there! about 48 lbs or whatever my ticker says. We set up a spreadsheet for the septembers if you care to update and see what others are doing. You can get an idea of the fill levels others have at a glance it is found in this link you don't need to save it just update http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=tHXJJHacZJ2vB3wOENcz8kA

smallerj ok for me if you duplicate it for another thread - I copied this one and then just tailor made it for our needs (I started w/ the Feb challenge s/s). Long as you don't have others adding data to this one I'm ok (I only want this for Septembers 09's since we all started around the same time). Thanks!!! Helen

I tried to get everyone to go there once we 'graduated' in Oct and were no longer preop, but no one seems to read that and everyone gets notifications on this thread...I think that is why they are staying. I periodically check the sep 09 but never really see postings if I have any real questions i go to the post surgery area.

I bought this Bodybugg which measure the calories you burn all day... so when I am out and active during the weekends and a slug during the week due to desk job and look at my monitor it motivates me to move! Still haven't made it to the gym but I walk home from work 2 miles (in 18 degrees!!)

Fire&spice - thanks for posting your stats and loving the spreadsheet Spreadsheet is for all of the sept bandsters....We can form our own little study maybe we can get more realize bandsters from sept to post... I can't remember off the top of my head but I think there are a few others. I am finding the spreadsheet interesting already... I have heard on this board and from a friend I know who has the realise band also, that it takes more to feel restriction w/ that band. There is someone on this board who has what is called a 'pressure' fill she has a 10 cc band filled to 11 cc.

Cool I graduated from severely obese to just obese and in 8 more lbs I get to be just 'overweight'... Hi Potto - onederland is hitting the 100's vs 200 and above.