Mangofish

This is so true. I had a 3rd fill yesterday and on liquids only for 24 hours. I dutifully drank soup but I could eat the white creamy part of the Oreo with no problem. If I really wanted to I could let the M&Ms melt in my mouth but then I have to realize I didn't pay so much $$ for this surgery to cheat like that.

Hey, I am 29 and in grad school. Great thread. Good luck to everyone! I am so close to "Onederland" - I have bought a visit to get my nails done when it happens - instead using food as a reward.

I will join. I want to lose 15 pounds by Easter. Goodluck to everyone!!

I hate the nearly 3 inch purple scar but not the band. Then again I haven't Pb'd yet.

So making this!!! Thank you so much!!!

I think I need to log what I eat. I also think I "eat too much" for dinner and not feel hungry until 5 o'clock the next afternoon. I think my body may have gone in semi-starvation mode.

Thank you so much for the posts on here. I lost a couple of pounds from a fill about 2 weeks ago. I gained 1 pound but I am pretty sure that's from adding all that salt to my food. To the OP Don't give up. The weight will go down but it sounds like you just got banded. You're body is in shock and healing. You're not even suppose to lose weight until you get a fill. To me you are doing great!

Yeah, I am on my 2nd fill and swallowing pills just fine tho I split them in half. I chew up some cheez-its and the shove the pills in. I can't swallow pills by drinking Water - a phobia I've had since I was a kid. I do agree - mashing pills up then putting in applesauce in so gross!

I said the original exercise comment -- tho it was aimed at a person who griped their band wasn't working but never mentioned exercise. Don't exercise then, it's not my body and you are an adult and do whatever the hell you want to do. My weight isn't going down so I am in the "unlucky" group that needs to exercise. Also, I got fat by sitting on my ass all day not moving. I wish I could lay around all day like a previous poster said and lose weight. I wish!!!! Regardless...Good luck to all in your weight loss struggle!!

If you look at the person who posted this and their other comment (2 comments total) it sounds like they like to snack and didn't mention anything about exercising. To lose weight your ass needs to exercise!! Oh and quit snacking if you are. People on this board would love to support you on you weight loss journey but you have to so your part. Oh and she also said she wasn't serious about the lawsuit. I think deep down she knows what she has to do: take responsibility.

I was griping about the slow weight loss then reading about everyone else griping about the slow weight loss ---- we all had 1 thing in common. We didn't exercise! People think this is a magic wand where you will instantly lose weight easily without weight loss. I haven't met anyone like that...you have to get your ass moving and exercising otherwise you'll have an expensive plastic thing around your stomach.

Can you put into a strawberry smoothie? I just put strawberries, ice, a half cup of water, splenda into a blender and wah-la! Maybe not 0 calories but satisfies the sweet tooth.

My doctor said no pasta or rice b/c it can expand your pouch. I ate pasta anyways (yes - bad me!) but my 2nd fill stopped the Mac n Cheese quick so probably can't eat it.

Def. get a scale. I wasn't going to get one but a friend gave me a digital scale & it def. helps. I am in the minority and check myself once a week. I am excited b/c this morning I was finally able to fit into a t-shirt that I like w/o the spare tire! Does everyone weigh themselves in the morning? I weigh myself at night. If I can "lose" a pound or 2 from Water I will begin weighing myself in the morning.

This is the reason I am almost afraid to get a 3rd fill. People who don't have the band yet or haven't had it tightened ask what it feels like to get stuck? I don't know but what I do know is the food I haven't chewed properly on a semi tightened band feels like someone with a long fingernail is slowly scraping their finger slowly down my esophogus - a good 20 seconds of hitting your chest before it dumps into the stomach. If PB'ing is even worse than this -- urgh, I can't even imagine.

Like 4 months later. No money and I was scared of the PB'ing too but since most doctors start gradually this probably won't be a problem. Even on my 2nd fill last week it's not so bad. Yes, it is very uncomfortable if I don't chew enough but not yet to the level of PB's which I imagine is super painful.

Took me 3 weeks to feel normal again. I felt like I was exhausted and dizzy. Just make sure if you can to drink lots of water and take your vitamins.

Yeah, I got my yesterday. At the doctor's office I could barely hold down water but the tightness is already disappearing (I think) b/c I could hold down watery oatmeal this morning. Someone told me it leaves after a week - geez, I really want the tightness to stay!! Good luck!!

Just got my 2nd fill today and boy am I tight. 4cc in 10 cc band. Hopefully it doesn't disappear. When I went in to get a fill today I was by the the "smallest person" there and people think I've had gastric a while back instead of just starting this process. Good advice on being prepared and the bite size. And the resting b/t bites. I just would like to get under 200 soon. Exercise here I come!

Good to know. I finally got some crazy restriction w/my 2nd fill and will try the whey vanilla protein shake tomorrow.

Do you want to have more children? I was under the impression that with Gastric Bypass you shouldn't have kids b/c you can't eat enough for you and your baby. Also, when people have leaks in their band (usually they don't have restriction after multiple fills) the doctor gives them a thicker solution instead of the regular saline. I've heard this works as a plug. Please get a 2nd opinion. Gastric is such major surgery. Good luck!! Btw, your husband have any single military friends?? :wink: lol. One more thing: Lower BMI - much harder and slower to lose weight though 18 pounds in a year would get me a bit down too.

I paid 11k for my surgery here in the US. I would've gone to Mexico had it not been for my passport problems though now I would feel unsafe due too all the drug problems in the border but I have yet to come across anyone who has had problems.

Hilarious post! I was at the waiting room to get a fill last week & I was the smallest person but when I go to school I feel like some giant ogre w/all the girls look like sorority chicks. At 5 feet 9 220 starting out I was def. self pay. There was huge guy in the waiting room when I went to get a fill last week who was self employed and no insurance. He was paying 20K+ for gastric bypass and was floored when I told him about the rates in Mexico for half price of the US. Poor guy.

Cathy, I noticed you're from Conyers, GA. I am from Atlanta. Where have you been getting your fills at - how much do you pay?

All my friends thought I was crazy too but I wanted to be in control of my weight for the rest of my life. This is a great tool to do that but it's not a magic cure all. I mean there are fat people on you tube complaining how it didn't help them one bit. On the bright side at least for me: My surgery was a piece of cake. I flew out of town. I walked myself into the hotel a few hrs after surgery. I think having my wisdom teeth pulled was more traumatizing. Good luck!