hmarko

WOW that looks REALLY REALLY good!!! Well I gave in to my craving today - I'm sure PMS has to do w/ this but I have been craving high fat carbonara (Which i never ever eat) - i mean I probably haven't had that stuff for like 10 years. And why am I craving it because Christmas week I went to my friends house and they had it and I did not eat it!!!! Anyway I did have a cup of it. But I did this on the weekend when I'm soooo active that I burn like 3600-3700 calories a day (per my bodybugg). So I found out I can actually eat Pasta. hmmm... I better take my blood sugar med (metformin) cuz usually it helps this sort of craving.

Amanda I was googling Chinese type tatoos cuz I think the symbolism is cool so how about something along the lines of dragon for strength and will and then you get the yang piece of it (or yin piece of it- I forget which when u get to goal).... Google dragon and pheonix or fenghuang (i think that is like pheonix). FYI I'm not a tatoo type person so maybe I'm way off

way to go amanda!!!

Lucky five - what happens if you closer to bed time? I've put them in for whoever wants to update that info. You can add things yourself you all can edit whatever you want I am not sophisticated enough to protect any of it :biggrin: I am so happy to see so many in the 170's... if I got there I would feel like I reached goal to be honest. The lowest I have been was 168 in 1995! But I do hope to get to 140 or at least 150. Right now I am 196 and I haven't been this weight since my brother's wedding that was 9 years ago! YAY! Love the band! Why thank you Loveslady! Everyone loses at different paces. I am actually surprised I lost this quickly I wouldn't have expected it. The whole overfill fiasco in december definitely helped that though! I am at my sweetspot I think. YAY again!

Amanda I'm not clear on that rule to be honest I know it applies to those who have acid reflux which I don't.... and it def applied if overfilled. I do drink and also take a small pill before sleeping. I just didn't know what was considered 'normal'.

Good luck on the next fill! I bet it will be the trick! Fiber choice tablets huh? Interesting never thought of that! Must try! No worries on the s/s - I didn't think I would be able to figure it out but it actually wasn't hard to set up. They have a bunch of these type of s/s going for the 'challenges'. I think they are great!!!

Amanda / Dee - I fixed the formatting on the spreadsheet is there anything else you think we should add. See already I find this interesting. Because we all talk about various things but I never can keep track of the percentage of the band filled or where we are in that regard... and is interesting how everyone is diff... like dee and I have same band but at 5 cc's she has no restriction. Dee when is your next fill... You know as I think on it.. I was at 5.2 and not that much restriction that month I lost 2 lbs... THAT was why she upped me to 5.9 w/ a .7cc increase and that was way too much... so from 5.2 to 5.6 made a big difference (after I got some unfill)... and on my checkup I did not get any more fills. You would be surprised at how little will make a difference.

Amanda no foaming, slime or pbs then ur ok. I have another question because I wonder about this when I was too tight - I couldn't drink anything before sleeping it would come back up and badly (choking). Do you have to follow this rule? I don't know if that is because I was too tight or sufficiently restricted??? Many say not to eat or drink 3 hours before sleeping. They have us on liquids 2 days but if its past 3 they generally say we should come in for an unfill. That last time I tried to hang on for two weeks but nope - needed that unfill. I think I am good now. I'm tight enough where if I eat proteins I get full on about 4 oz... yesterday I forced some veggies in a couple hours later. I have been skippimg those.. I tried arugula that really fills you up in bites!

Ok gang - spreadsheet is working - feel free to edit as you like if you want more info. link - no need to save - I tested it by signing out - forgot to check the share feature DUH http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Aj22o1hxNKrIdEhYSkpIYWNaSjJ2QjN3T0VOY3o4a0E&hl=en

Amanda let me go check or I'll ask one of the other posters who have done this - I copied the feb challenge s/s and just changed things around. Dee - I am with you - i was overfilled and choking at night and this last time I went they left me alone no fills they thought I lost enough in dec 10 lbs two weeks from the overfill; and then another 2 lbs (which included some regain when unfilled). I was happy to not get a fill so if I lose 3 lbs this month we will fix it next month... being too tight was NO fun Amanda on the too tight topic - how many days are you on liquids now? you foaming at all? How much was your fill again?

Try keeping yourself honest about how fast you are eating by using a stop watch - it worked wonders for me - I have not had a PB since. You are likely not stuck but likely eating too fast - this is a learning process. Chew for 30 seconds swallow; wait 30 seconds then take your next bite. See if that helps. The more restriction you get the more you will need to watch this. It took me 3 months to figure this out.

The atkins advantage bars are pretty good for this too... they come in smores flavor and chocolate crunch (plus peanut butter and choc). Another thing is I have seen sugar free dark choc and if it comes w/ nuts even better.

Spreadsheet for Sexy Septembers! Ok so I took a nap earlier and I figured out how to do the s/s sharing! If you go on this link you can add yourself (so far you will only see me on it)... no need to save it saves itself. I always thought it would be good to see who had what fills, band, how the progress is etc. Let me know what you think http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Aj22o1hxNKrIdEhYSkpIYWNaSjJ2QjN3T0VOY3o4a0E&hl=en

Minimeme congrats on your halfway goal - I think many of us may be half way there. It would be great if we got a spreadsheet together w/ our fills; size band; and weightloss much like the challenge s/s but I have not time nor do I know how to figure that out :thumbup:

Amanda I've been stuck also but I did get to 199 now I'm not budging. I wonder why the injection hurt today? Did someone else do it? I never have problems. I actually did not get a fill on this month's appt (if you remember dec 1 overfilled; dec 14 .3 of .7 taken out bringing me to 5.6 cc on a 10 cc band); and I had a strong feeling that I wouldn't get a fill. Both the doc and NP were in agreement. We'll see how it goes but I think I'm at a good point. On the hair loss I have thin hair and shed typically. I think it has gotten worse the person who will know best is my hairdresser who hasn't seen me in a year! She will notice changes if there are any. Chapamar - what form is the biotin is it a pill (I just can't do any more pills) I am barely taking what I am supposed to. Congrats on Onderland and getting into the skinny clothes!

When you say vomiting it is different than the PB or regurg vomiting right? I have to think that vomiting is almost painful and a lot more difficult if stuff is trying to come up from your stomack through the opening. why did he think it was life and death? Do we automatically build up scar tissue in the area it is placed? I have to think the insurance pays if it is medically necessary and they paid it to begin with???? I will cross my fingers for you!!! I think overall the news could have been worse! Though I'm sure it is no fun to have to have surgery! Speedy recovery!

Hi Scotty - was wondering about you and in fact I went to doc day before and got no fill and I was thinking Scotty prob got a fill.. Did NOT expect to hear this news. But having said this remember that a week ago you thought you would have to loswe the band entirely if the unfill did not work. So the fact that you got to keep it and use the old one - I would be relieved. But me personally I would like to know what causes these things. and what if anything can be done to avoid it. Example these days I think they stitch the band in differently to make slips more difficult etc. It didn't sound like it was anything on your end like excessive vomiting. So how are you feeling now? And btw -Wasn't it excruciating? Very scary but glad they fixed you up! So two weeks of liquid two weeks of mushies? Is that the drill?

I agree with not getting a fill. I just went in for my appt and I was pretty sure I didn't need a fill but just went in to check in and see what they thought. I was overtight in Dec and it was no fun at all.. i had to get some taken out and once you are at sweet spot .2 cc's makes a big difference. So both NP and Doc agreed to leave it alone this month. How they reached that? Well I lost 10 lbs in the two weeks of being overtight... then I got unfilled so they figured I would have gained some back... but 2 weeks later and after the holidays I was down another 2 lbs. So they figured I was good. Made sense to me. I myself have paranoia about being too tight... some days I eat 800 cals, THEN today as the PMS starts to set in 1500 but 400 of it was slider skinny cows....so band can't do anything about that! I'm 4 months out and halfway to my goal (lost almost 45 lbs) so at this point I'm not in a race. Plus I think more complications arise from too tight.

allowed to do abs after 6 weeks. Initially I would have a little port soreness but now almost 4 months out nothing. I ride dressage which is big use of abs

Thanks crzytchr.... I wasn't sure but both the NP and Doc came in and agreed we should leave it. I lost 12 lbs this month alone because of being overtight... and when they unfilled some came back but then lost 2 (so total of 12) so with that they figured I was ok as is. I go every month regardless. I KNOW I love this thing and VERY happy to be halfway to goal!

After having the too tight experience and going for an unfill in mid Dec - when I went for my monthly we decided to leave me alone this month no fills. I am not sure if I skewed them in that favor because I was so afraid of reliving that choking from being too tight. Lets see what happens... but I am eating just right (I think).

Hummingbird - thanks for looking it up. I've seen a bunch of diff types of people. It never really goes away it just has flare ups (now its back to calm after steriods). I've seen in addition to my regular dentist - the specialist dentist who biopsied it; a dermatologist who specializes in weird things and aren't all dentists periodontists? what is the difference? Didn't mean to hijjack the thread but that causes bleeding too (I think I read that 25% of people have the oral type but I could be wrong). I don't take an asthma inhaler but I used to a long while ago - stopped it for years. Aldactone has made it worse too (for PCO).

I think w/ the larger size bands because they hold more cc's they can be more precisely adjusted on fills. For example when honing in on the sweetspot - adjustments can be .2 cc's and on a 10 cc band that is a very small increment. You would need to do less than .1 cc to have a similar effect on a 4 cc band.

Do you have a cold? Phlegm can clog you in the AM.... Try having something hot to drink. I have had choking on my saliva at night - like you see in the movies of drowning victims and they cough up Water... THAT! This was from being too tight but since you are post op I doubt you would be that tight to cause this.

Is it not the bread causing the problem? I assume a McRib come in a bun? I eat spicy no problems (but I do not eat breads).