greytz

Well, I can't believe it but I am now in onederland! Pure heaven. I am barely there but there none the less. The only thing I am having trouble about is my clothes but particularly my shoes. I have gone down a full shoe size sometimes a size and a half depending on the shoe. What a bummer it is to give up my shoes! But a wonderful feeling still. I have gone from a size 24 to a size 14/16. I have also had to get a sizer for my wedding rings until I can get them sized properly. I want to thank all of you for you unending support and your wonderful posts throughout these months. Getting on this forum has helped take my mind off the food. It has also helped me immensely knowing I am not in this alone.

I received info in my packet about where to buy them and I do wear one. In part because of my heart condition and I also added the Lapband and the serial number on it. I probably didn't need to add the number but I thought it might help alert the emergency people a little better. I also have my other medical conditions on it. I just thought it was a good idea. Most of us have conditions related to weight gain so it is a good idea to wear one if you have those conditions in my opinion. You just never know what kind of emergency may arise and what emergency personal may have to do in a pinch before you reach the hosptial. I believe the more they know the better. I had one emergency trip related to my heart condition and the first thing they did was put me in the ambulance and rip my shirt open to hook me up to all kinds of tubing, monitors and oxygen and administer drugs. I didn't have the lapband then and my heart problems had just begun but it was scary. I wasn't thinking about my other conditions that they might have needed to know about like high blood pressure etc. I was pratically unconsious. The more info they have the better during a situation like that.

Hi Erin, I have been following your threads for a long time and I know you have been sick for a large percentage of you band journey. I applaud you for trying and hopefully you will be successful with your weight loss journey no matter how you chose to do it. We all have the right to chose what we do in life and your are still very young and should be enjoying your time with your friends and not worried about being sick all the time. I wish you all the best and happiness without your band. I hope you find the weight loss goal you are looking for and are able to keep it off for life. A friend like your brother's girlfriend to help you out. It means a lot to have some support. Good Luck to you and let us know how you are doing. Just take care of yourself. That is the most important thing.

Hi Chellz, Good for you! I am glad you decided to go ahead with the surgery. Good Luck to you and keep us posted.

Remember too, that you had general anesthesia and that will make you hazy for awhile. You should begin to feel better once you are out of the liquids stage. It is very difficult to feel normal at all until then.

It can take up to two weeks to feel restriction but since it is your first fill, you may not get that restricted feeling. How much are you filled now? Some surgeons are more conservative than others. I had no fill at my surgery and my surgeon filled my band halfway the first time out. I felt some restriction but not enough. I went back and had a little more. Still not at my sweet spot though which is the point you really feel the restriction kick in. I go today to have my third fill and hopefully that will do it for me. Be patient and talk to your surgeon. Get an appt asap and tell them you don't feel the restriciton. Also, you may need to take in a few more calories in order to lose the weight. Be sure you are eating just the protein and they are solids. Sounds like you are doing everything right. The weight loss is different for everyone. You will do fine but I would definitely talk to your doctor.

Forgot to say since you take so many you may not want to do that all at once depending on how well you swallow. So take half your pills and grind them and mix the paste and then take the other half and do the same thing if you can't swallow that much of the paste all at once.

I learned a trick when I volunteered at the hospital in the emergency room many years ago. Go to bed, bath and beyond and buy a mortal and pestal (forget how it is spelled). Grind your pills up fine. Get a small juice glass and place the ground up pills in it. Fill it with very warm water as warm as you can stand and make it a paste consistency. Then drink it. Chase it with something like tea or more plain water. It isn't the tasty thing to do but it works.

You've done great so far! I also struggle with a few pounds sometimes over and over. I think it is just part of the weight loss process. However, and I know this is going to sound weird but maybe you are trying too hard. Take a couple of days off from the measuring, counting and weighing and just give yourself a break. Then on the third day, start again with a renewed resolve. It is very hard to just keep going day after day doing the same thing over and over. Sometimes after I do that, I really feel good and I end up getting off the plateau and heading down the scale again. Hang in there. You are doing great!

Your situation seems to be a common one. I have also had some of the same responses to my weight loss and my decision. It is very difficult to lose a friend and I speak from experience. I lost some so called friends when they saw I was losing so much weight. They do not speak to or have anything to do with me now. I can only surmise that "misery loves company" and they were not true friends to begin with. The people I surround myself with now are so happy for me and supportive and want me around for a long time. The hardest person for me to tell was my Mother because she is so conservative about things and I just knew she was going to have a fit. I told her before the surgery and figured I would get it over with. I was braced for a fight. Instead she hugged me and asked what she could do to help. I was shocked! She said she wants me to make it to old age or at least not have weight be the reason I don't make it there. She and my husband are my rock. The people who really love and care about you want you to be healthy and happy. Screw the rest.

I don't think any of us who got banded intended to never again have our favorite foods. It is a matter of moderation. You have had fantastic weight loss! Unless you are the type of person that cannot quit once you start down a bad eating path, then I don't see why you cannot have a burger now and then. You may not be able to eat all of it due to your stomach size but you can maybe get the taste with a few bites. I wouldn't deprive myself forever just because you have the band.

The way my surgeon explained to me and it really stuck is foods with what is considered a "melt factor" are sliders. Anything that melts easily in your mouth or anything liquid obviously is a slider. When I was first supposed to come off of mushies and into solids I was so afraid that I initially stayed on mushy foods. When I told my surgeon, she admonished me and explained why it is so important to eat solids as that is the way the band should be working. There are several videos regarding how the band works and why you must eat solids for it to work properly. You may want to look for them online or talk to your surgeon about them. They helped me a lot. Allergan puts out the series called "Emmi". They are extremely helpful in the beginning stages. I began my solids and never looked back. To me, the "sweet spot" is being able to eat most things and not have problems. If you can't, then you are most likely too tight which could lead to issues down the road. I am one pound away from onederland which should happen for me in the next few days. I have lost four clothing sizes and feel fantastic! Cross your fingers, I have had no issues so far with getting stuck, pbing or sliming. I go for my third fill tomorrow.

Good Luck to all of you and keep us posted. Hope you all do very well and have much success on your weight loss journey.

Ok. Thats all great. However, I can tell you that if you are heavy duty weight training and lifting a lot of weight that is one of the reasons you are not losing. You may want to reconsider your weight training. I do weight train but only for toning purposes. It will definitely stop the weight loss if you are hitting it hard. The cardio is great and virtually any other type of exercise but the weight training is probably off limits with the exception of light weights.

You are in what we bandsters like to call "Bandster Hell". It is the point before you get your first fill and tightened up. Restless is right, your food is passing right through your band at this point. This is the time when your body is healing and you shouldn't worry about the weight loss. I wouldn't eat the farm of course but it is pretty normal not to lose during this time period. I was very careful and paid a lot of attention to what I ate. I still do because I am not quite at my sweet spot and still have the capacity to over indulge if I really wanted to.

If you have a hurt leg then you may need to do some other type of exercise. Ask your PCP what type of exercise you can do. They should be able to help you. Once you get back on your feet again, it is time to get walking and active again. It really helps jump start your metabolism and helps you to continue to lose weight.

I have had thyroid problems all my life. Your PCP should tell you what to do. I was worried that thyroid would effect my weight loss but so far I have had no problems. I faithfully take my medicine and keep my blood TSH checked every quarter and adjust it as necessary.

The shake shouldn't cause it. As long as you are using it as a meal replacement which it looks like you are then it should not be the problem. If you are eating the same thing everyday that may be the problem. It sounds like you should shake things up a bit. Are you exercising at all yet? Even if you walk around the block it should help also. Good Luck and keep us posted.

I am glad everyone had good experiences with popcorn but my experience with it was quite the opposite. I am out of town visiting my mother and we were playing cards and she popped a bag of Natural popcorn and put it in a bowl for everyone. I ate just a few bites and boy did I regret it. I didn't have any problems with it going down but it made me feel lousy almost immediately. I got the sweats and an instant headache.

Both Lapbands have websites that will tell her what to eat. It appears as though the Nutrionist is exaggerating quite a bit. She will be able to have those things in moderation of course. However, I have read posts on here where there were people who could not tolerate bread and certain other kinds of foods with their bands. I haven't had any problem with nuts but I have chosen not to eat bread because I want to get to my goal more quickly. Just a personal choice. I am not sure where she got the burping information but I actually burp now more than I ever did. Carbonated beverages are considered a no no and I just don't drink them ever now because they will swell your pouch and could cause slippage. I just don't want to take the chance and honestly I don't miss them. They do cause weight gain even the diet ones. I just personally choose not to drink them. There are a lot of good alternatives out there. My choice is Crystal Light. So many flavors. I don't miss it. With the Allergan, I received a full packet of information about what to eat and I received four videos to watch called "Emmi" about my band. They were very helpful. She really needs to talk to her doc.

No veggies in your liquid stage. Due to your stomach healing and accepting your new band. Then, in mushie stage, eat things like refried beans and if you want an approved veggie, blend it or smash it up good. Cauliflower mashed with a little chesse is really good. Kind of taste like mashed potatoes. You will feel hunger until your first fill more than likely. It is a very difficult time just before that as you are pretty much healed and your body has accepted the band and you begin to feel the hunger pains set in.

I was banded 06-17 and have lost 37 lbs. Going good. You will have good and bad days and will go through "Bandster Hell" but it has sure been worth it to me. I am now in the changing out my clothes stage. It feels great but is a pain also because nothing fits me right anymore and I am too far away from goal to buy a bunch of clothes so I am trying to buy some cheaper clothing and wait it out until I reach my goal.

Good for you taking the step to do something about it before you do have a heart attack or worse. LOL. Keep us updated on your progress.

Congratulations and Good Luck! Let us know how you are feeling when you are up to it.

It also sounds like you could be setting yourself up for transfer addiction of the worst kind. Restless and Kartman are both right in every aspect of what they say. It is just hard on you period and if you are not honest with your surgeon, it could lead to serious complications that you are not anticipating. It isn't about getting caught. It is about staying alive.