tammyj

Good for you Lori!!! It is amazing what an extra 40 to 50 lbs can do to our bodies! I was having alot of joint pain and it is practically gone now after only a 30lb loss! You are doing GREAT! Keep it going! :clap2:

Felt a little out of place since I wasn't banded before, but now that I am I would love to get together with other banded folks. I'll keep checking back for updates!

Guess what Kyethra...you ain't morbidly obese nomore hun! (I know slang...lol!) Morbidly obese is 40 and above. You are well on your way to just being "overweight" once you get below 30! We all are and I can't wait to get there!

That is so funny, my husband is out of town this weekend as well and I feel the urge to just eat and eat and eat. Boredom and lonliness will do that to you. :bored

:wow2: :wow2: :wow2: What an incredible difference!!! You look GREAT!!!:clap2:

I do know someone on this board that was banded in January and has not had a fill yet. She does feel restriction from the band itself. She has lost 50lbs with 40 more to go. It will be interesting to see is she is able to reach her goal without ever having a fill! Speaking of our May thread. Name suggestions: Marchies in May, March into May, or May Marching Band! Anyone interested in an exercise challenge or Water challenge? I got the idea from the February thread. What do you guys think about clothes swapping? Any ideas are welcome.

Yes, leftovers! I almost feel guilty not eating all of my food. I am so conditioned not to waste food. It's not really a problem at home, but when I eat at a restaurant I have no idea what to order. I went out to Breakfast yesterday and ordered an omlette, but I ended up cutting it into 3 pieces before I even started eating, I ate one piece and took the other 2 pieces home. Eating is alot different now! :hungry: By the way, you may or may not have been apart of our original thread, but I think we were just as supportive as the April bandsters when all of us were being banded. We were all so excited about our surgeries and our thread was so busy that it was hard to keep track. If you compare us now to the April bandsters the mood on this thread is going to be a bit different because most of us are in Bandster Hell!!! :flame:and it can get a little frustrating. Even though I've had my first fill I am still in Bandster Hell because I am able to eat more than I should. I think things will get better once we get past this stage and the excitement returns as we really start losing weight! Stay Positive!

Thanks Julie! I'm working on it! The temperature is close to 80 degrees today. I've been waiting for this weather!

I have posted many messages that were totally ignored on this thread and many others so I know that feeling. Keep posting if only for the reason you mentioned...to help someone who maybe having the same problem! I hope everything heals up soon and you're feeling stronger!

I guess I should have kept reading...lol! Well, I'm glad it was something simple and easily solved! :clap2:

I'm not having second thoughts, not at all! Although, I think it's common to have second thoughts especially around this time when we've had the surgery, but no fill. It can get very frustrating trying to at least maintain the weight you've lost and not gain. I gained a pound last week while waiting for my first fill. I know it's not alot, but when your goal is to lose weight any gain can get frustrating. The only thing that keeps me going is knowing that it is only temporary!!! :clap2:

:wow2: Almost 40lbs!!! That is FANTASTIC!!! I hope your surgery on Wednesday will help you feel better so you can really enjoy your victory!!!

OH MY! I have never heard of that. Seems like you are still eating and drinking OK so it doesn't sound like it's band related. I hope you are feeling better now!

Hello Everyone! I hope everyone is having a great weekend. The weather in Chicago is GORGEOUS!!! Well, I had no problems tolerating solid foods after my first fill. I don't know what I was so afraid of! I have OK restriction but could use a little bit more. I am eating about a cup of food at each meal so I guess that's not too bad. I go back for my second fill on 4/30. I'm glad I don't have to wait too long! My mother and I are going to Las Vegas Mother's Day weekend so I am hoping I can lose at least another 10lbs by then. I can do this!!!

Welcome Mimi! We will all probably have this experience at some time. Some meats are just not band friendly and no matter how much chewing you do it's not enough. If you're still on soft foods you may want to stick to foods that don't require much chewing. I have never PB'd yet, but some say it is best to go back to regular liquids for a day or two. You need your protein so clear liquids won't do much. Feel better soon!

Thanks Juli! :biggrin1:

Karen, that sounds delish!!!! Congratulations on all the weight loss victories. You guys are doing AWESOME!!! Well, I am about to try my first solid food since my first fill on Monday. I am a little nervous! I am able to drink water fine, but when I eat applesauce it goes down much slower and I can even hear/feel it gurgling as it goes down. I think I'm going to try a scrambled egg and see how that goes. Good thing is...I am not hungry! I could pass on breakfast this morning, but I know I better eat something. Wish me luck!

I was able to get to my journal by using Sunshine's link in her signature (Thanks! ) Scroll up a couple of messages to see her post. Of course, I would like to get there a little easier so hopefully they will fix that soon.

Ditto

I HAVE THE SMALLER BAND!!! I felt immediate fear when I found that out yesterday at my first fill! I assumed I had the larger band because when I left the hospital after surgery they gave me an information packet from Inamed with a VG sticker on it. It seems most of the problems I hear about on this board and in my support group are from those that have the smaller band. I also have this phobia about being too tight. My doctor told me that the VG band is usually used for men or women with higher BMI's. He also said that if he had given me the larger band it may take filling the band to capacity for me to even feel good restriction because my stomach is smaller. I guess that makes sense...in a way.... Oh well, there's nothing I can do about it now. It's in there!!! Anyhow, I was given 1.5cc in my 4cc band. He filled it to 2cc and then asked me drink about a half cup of water, but I could feel the water up in my throat so he took out .5cc, had me drink some more and the water went down fine. He used a mini ultrasound machine to find my port, gave me the numbing shot which was a little uncomfortable, and then he inserted the needle into my port to fill my band which I didn't feel at all. The funny thing is I never laid down. He did everything as I stood up in front of him. I am scheduled to go back in 2 weeks on the 30th for another fill if needed. Thanks for the compliments everyone! I needed to hear them! I was in a state of shock when I first cut it all off. I feel better about it now! Have a Great Day Ya'll!!!

Thanks ladies! Now if I can only get my make-up to look like yours Sheila! :-)

Along with losing weight I will be going through a hair transformation at the same time. I have been wanting to go ALL NATURAL for years, but never had the guts to do it. I wanted to totally transform myself so I stopped relaxing my hair about the same time I decided to get banded. I couldn't think of a better time to start! After growing a couple inches of new growth I finally chopped off all my relaxer. I went and got my eyebrows arched, put on some make-up and some cute earrings to ROCK MY TWA (teeny weeny afro)! I can't keep my fingers out of my hair...I love the way it feels! This is the hair that God gave me and it is beautiful! I can't wait til it grows long enough to put a flower in it or to wear some twists. I have to be sure to get in at least 60g of protein a day so I won't lose what little hair I do have. Watch out as my HAIR GETS BIGGER and my BODY GETS SMALLER! :biggrin1:

If I had not read story after story (both good and bad) on this forum I would have thought getting banded and losing weight would be a piece of cake. I even attended 12 weeks of pre-op group sessions before I was banded and they were not totally blunt and honest about what to expect after banding. I found out the "real deal" from this website and from ready stories like yours. Thank you for sharing! :gluck:

Thanks Sugarbear and Pianoplayer for describing your fill experiences. From what I've been told, my surgeon performs fills alot like Pianoplayer described. Well, I finally get my first fill tomorrow as long as there are no surprises! You may have noticed that I look a little different in my avatar pic. Along with losing weight I will be going through a hair transformation at the same time. I have been wanting to go ALL NATURAL for years, but never had the guts to do it. I wanted to totally transform myself so I stopped relaxing my hair about the same time I decided to get banded. I couldn't think of a better time to start! After growing a couple inches of new growth I finally chopped off all my relaxer. I went and got my eyebrows arched, put on some make-up and some cute earrings to ROCK MY TWA (teeny weeny afro)! I can't keep my fingers out of my hair...I love the way it feels! This is the hair that God gave me and it is beautiful! I can't wait til it grows long enough to put a flower in it or to wear some twists. I have to be sure to get in at least 60g of protein a day so I won't lose what little hair I do have. Watch out as my HAIR GETS BIGGER and my BODY GETS SMALLER! :biggrin1:

Well, right now my answer is : Yes, regular exercise has made a difference between losing at a steady pace and not losing. That is just my answer right now and it may change, but it won't stop me from exercising. I joined a gym a couple years ago, way before banding. I went religiously at least 3 days a week and never lost a pound, but I could see amazing changes in my body shape and others could see it as well. I felt stronger and I could do alot of things physically that I could not do before. I experience some pain in my knees from excess weight, but it is not severe. There are alot of exercises you can do if you have joint pain like Sit And Be Fit or Water aerobics (which feels like heaven for anyone with joint problems). I hear alot of people say that I am losing weight just fine and I'm not even exercising, but what kind of weight loss is it...muscle or fat? I believe exercise is the "key" to being healthy not just losing weight.