timmmers

Hello again everyone! Wow, the last semester of university sure is testing my limits! With only two weeks left of classes followed by two weeks of final exams, I'm actually excited about the fact that I have a job interview tomorrow! (for a summer co-op position). But, putting the stresses from school aside, I have been doing pretty well. Most of you know that I had a problem a few months back which caused a large gas bubble to form in my stomach, creating pain, which was relieved by taking all of the fluid out of my band. Which of course felt great, except my body re-learned that it can eat whatever it wants (well, pretty much). So, after almost three months of having problems, eating "around the band" and eating with an empty band, I gained 5 pounds (well, gained and lost more than that, but am now 5 pounds higher than I was 3 months ago). I felt a bit defeated, run down, and hopeless. Luckily, however, I have had two fills now (yesterday I had another 1 CC put in), and finally have restriction. Not 100% where I want to be, but about 80% restriction, so I am finally able to eat good foods, feel full, and have that feeling last a while. Since I "reverted" back to my old ways for so long, late-night eating has been a problem. So, starting today I had steal-cut oats for breakfast (after not eating breakfast at all for the past few months), and am really going to push myself to eat well for the next few days to get my body back into the right rhythm. And what better way than to have a support group meeting?!?!?! It's FINALLY time to have our first official Vancouver Bandsters (Richmond) meeting. You can get all the info from our website: https://sites.google.com/site/vancouverbandsters/ We are meeting at 11:30am this saturday at the boston pizza in ironwood, in south richmond. I really hope to see you there!!! We welcome anyone (including those who are not yet banded, or had other forms of WLS), so please come and say Hi! Cheers! Tim

Hello everyone Glad to hear things are going well for you CanadGirl (and the rest of you too). I also had quite a few things happen in the past few weeks, so I apologize for not keeping everyone up to date with the new Richmond meetings. As I mentioned before in my last post, we now have a website that has a little bit of information about when/where we meet, a bit about myself, but most importantly it has a calendar of events for bandsters. Right now I have the North Van group, the LionsGate group, and the Richmond group on there. But, as things come up I hope to be able to keep the calendar up to date. Please come visit the site at https://sites.google.com/site/vancouverbandsters/ Though the dates have moved around a little bit over the past few months, the new official meeting time is 11:30am every second Saturday of the month. We might increasing it to twice a month, but for now it is on the second Saturday. Because of a scheduling mix-up and some miss communication, I will be at the Boston pizza tomorrow at 11:30am as well, just in case some bandsters did not get the new information (originally we were supposed to meet on the 27th of March). So, if any of you want to come out tomorrow, that is fine as well. I had all of the Fluid taken out of my band and "rested" for two weeks. During that time I gained 4 pounds. But, now with some fluid back I have lost 3 of those pounds. I also purchased the BodyBugg (as seen on Biggest Loser) and have been playing with that gadget the past few days. It's really quite neat, very fun, and a little addicting. The website lets you enter the food you are eating online (they have a pretty good database of foods). It really helped me get back on track. I hope to get another fill soon to get back to my previous fluid volume. I hope you are all doing well, and I hope to see some of you in person either tomorrow or on April 10th! Cheers, Tim

Thanks Doddie. I have received a few e-mails from some bandsters, so I guess those are the two you referred. I really hope my group works out, but I also really hope your group keeps on going. I definitely did not want to replace any of the groups, but ADD groups to the vancouver area (since we had so few groups, but so many bandsters). It would be nice to meet you one day. Unfortunately, I just received my summer course schedule, and the ONE and only course I am taking, is on the night of your group!!! But, maybe I can make it to a meeting between semesters (have one week off), or after my semester, as I am graduating in August. Cheers, Tim

Hi everyone! So, I took the next step and I have officially created the Saturday support group - Vancouver Bandsters. Starting in April 2010, we will be meeting on the SECOND SATURDAY of each month, at 11:30am. The current location is the Boston Pizza restaurant in Ironwood plaza, in South Richmond (But, this will most likely change). I have also created a website (still in progress) for the group. Please visit my site and let me know what you think. Vancouver Bandsters (Vancouver Bandsters) Thank you all so very much for your support, especially Doddie for all of your support and motivation to get me to start this group. There are now 7 people who are joining this group, so hopefully we will be able to support each other some more in real life. Good luck everyone! Cheers ~

I had my band completely unfilled today, because I had gas trapped in my lower stomach. The past two weeks I have had some discomfort, with occasional intense pain. So, I went to see my surgeon today, had a floro, and saw that my band was positioned well, had good restriction but not too much, and was bulging with trapped "air". So, other than being upset that I have all of my fluid out (because I had pretty good restriction and was happy with my weight loss), I'm now trying to figure out why I had that "air" trapped. I was looking at my food journal, and realized that I had started eating beans a few weeks ago, and have eaten them pretty regularly since then. At some points, I have become a bit "gassy" from... to be polite as possible... the other end. I'm thinking maybe I've been gassy inside my stomach too, and that's what has been causing my pain. I'm hoping some of you have either heard about bandsters with pain that was caused by beans, or have experienced it yourself, so that I can determine if I should stop eating beans... or if it's just coincidental. Otherwise, doing great. Really loving the gym & working out, which I never thought I would say. I'm thinking about starting to job and if I like it (and get good enough), joining a jogging group... Thanks for reading! Good luck to you all! Cheers ~

Thanks Melissa and Christine for your responses. I am doing LOTS better now. Have no pain, no gas, and feeling like things are going to be back to normal soon. I'm still not sure if it was the beans that was causing the pain or if it was simply coincidental. However, I have decided to stay away from beans for a bit, get back on track, and then try them again. And, if it gets worse, then I know it's the beans - and I guess that will be the end of beans for me... or maybe I'll try the Beano??? I don't know about others, but I find if I lay on my left side, I sometimes burp (even though I didn't feel the need to burp before). After seeing my band and stomach in the floroscope, I'm thinking that gas might just get stuck up there regularly anyways, and that leaning over might be a good idea to do on a regular basis. Has anyone else experienced this? Hope you are all doing well. Cheers ~

35 pounds is great! That's 1.75 pound per week, which is exactly where you want to be! I would be proud of what you have accomplished. Band Friendly Recipes has some pretty good recipes. Personally, I LOVE chilli, as long as it's home-made so you know what's in it, it has finely enough chopped veggies, and it's not too liquid. My recipe asks for 2 cups of broth.. I just skip that, and it's a perfect, thick, consistency. Good luck on your journey!

Thanks Doreen! I agree, I don't want to be excluding people. So, "GVRD Bandsters"? Since we are meeting in the South-Western part of the GVRD, I'm thinking the name sould be a bit more specific. But, again, don't want to be exluding anyone. This is harder than I would have expected. lol Cheers, Tim ~

Thank you to those who made it out to the Richmond support group meeting yesterday. It looks like this group is growing rather quickly, so I am thinking about starting something a bit more "official". I think the first thing we need to do is create a name for this group, and then we can select a re-occurring schedule for meetings. This way, I can add the meetings to the PNW calendar, etc. and have our meeting advertised more regularly. These are the names I could think of, but I'm not a creative person, so please pitch in your ideas. Richmond Bandsters / Richmond Bandits GVRD Bandsters / GVRD Bandits Southern GVRD Bandsters / Southern GVRD Bandits or, something completely unrelated to geographical location Super-bandsters, power-bandsters, etc. ... like I said, I'm not very creative... Also, I'm trying to decide when's the best time to meet. Unfortunately for me, weekday evenings are a no go (and the principal reason why I created a weekend group). So, it will either have to be Saturdays or Sundays. I'm thinking Sunday's are not a good day... hence why I originally choose Saturdays. But, the time on Saturday is completely flexible for me. I have liked meeting at 11:30, as it isn't too early, and still frees up the majority of the afternoon and evening. But, with a lot of activities happening Saturday morning, I am been considering meeting Saturday evening instead. So, please share your thoughts with me, and let's pick a time that works for the majority of people. Also, we should select which weekend to meet. I'm thinking the first Saturday of every month is good. Any suggestions? I'm really excited to meet some of you, and I look forward to our journey together. Cheers, Tim

Hi Yosemite Yeah, it is a bit hard to believe that we are the only GLBT bandsters in the Vancouver area. I'm sure more will appear over time. The meeting went pretty well. There were two new ladies who were going to go, but one who couldn't because she was moving, and another didn't come because I forgot to confirm the location with her with enough time for her to find someone to take care of her kids. So, had the same two women from last meeting (who are both pre-band). But, we had a good conversation, and both of them are proceeding with getting the band, so hopefully we will have more bandsters who will be attending the Richmond group. I'm thinking about making a name for us, and starting a new thread on the Canadian support site??? This has worked out better than I had expected. How are things going for you? I went on a cruise during the Olympics, gained one pound... have since re-lost that one pound plus one extra. However, that means I'm down only 1 pound in 4 weeks :-S I hope I can get myself right back on track and jump start my weight loss again. Good luck with everything. Cheers, Tim

Hi everyone! I just got back from a two week cruise in the Caribbean, and even though it was a bit sad to miss the Olympics, I had a great time - even with the band! I was a bit worried about how I would handle the constant availability of overwhelmingly large amounts of high caloric food. However, things went much better than I had anticipated. Surprisingly enough, it was not the buffet that was the hard part - but rather the served 5-course dinners. Obviously I did not eat all 5 courses, but a few times I did eat 3, and once I even ate 4 (which did not end well). So, though it was a challenge, I am really happy I was able to go for, what some people probably consider, a 2 week long binge-fest, without actually bingeing :-) I'm glad to be back though, as I was getting a bit tired of the constant eating! (never would have thought I would say such a thing pre-band). As promised, I will be organizing another meeting in Richmond, for this coming Saturday (March 6th). The meeting will be held again at the Boston pizza restaurant in Ironwood mall (on the corner of No 5 Rd and Steveston Hwy) at 11:30am. I will be there to share some of my stories, and very willing to listen to some of yours. I have heard from two women who said they will be attending, so there will definitely be at least some people there. So, if you are at all interested in meeting some fellow bandsters, and have this Saturday afternoon free, please come by and say Hello. Like I have said in my previous posts, I want to meet some other bandsters to walk together on this path and enjoy the journey not alone. Hope you all had a great time during the Olympics! Cheers PS. If you would like to e-mail me directly, my e-mail address is tim_4756@hotmail.com

yes, just to re-confirm what everyone else has said. It takes multiple fills to get to good restriction. There are the occasional people who don't need any fills or just one fill to get their, but on average you're looking at 2,3, maybe 4 fills before you get restriction. I was one of the lucky ones that felt restriction after my first fill, and then perfectly restricted after my second fill. Added another .25 not too long ago, but actually feel a bit too tight. Getting it unfilled tomorrow. So, if there is one thing I have learned (the hard way) is to take it slowly, one day at a time. The literature from my surgeon says that you can get a fill as often as every 2 weeks (with the first fill being a minimum 4 weeks), but just from my own personal experience, it takes about 2 weeks for your band to settle down after a fill... so, every 3-4 weeks until you feel restriction is probably better. Good luck!

Well, this is what I did. I thought it was tough but managable - plus definitely worth it afterwards. 3 x AES advantage shakes (at 130 calories each) 1 x lean cuisine meal (less than 300 calories) So, I did 690 calories a day for 5 days before surgery, and lost 8 pounds! :-) Though it was hard, I kept on telling myself "this is the LAST time I will ever be hungry again - so it's so worth it" and boy was I right! :-) I actually felt a great sense of accomplishment from doing it and after the surgery felt much more inclines to keep up the good work. Best of luck on your journey!

3 x AES advantage shakes (at 130 calories each) 1 x lean cuisine meal (less than 300 calories) So, I did 690 calories for 5 days, and lost 8 pounds! :-) Though it was hard, I kep on telling myself "this is the LAST time I will ever be hungry again - so it's so worth it" and boy was I right! :-) I actually felt a great sense of accomplishment from doing it and after the surgery felt much more inclines to keep up the good work. Best of luck on your jounrey!

Well, simply - ask whatever you want to know. But, I'm thinking you probably wanted to know what other people have asked/have wanted to ask. The surgery itself has quite a lot of literature published online, and the bands are pretty much the same, again with lots of info online. So, the real thing you should try to figure out during the seminar is about the center & surgeons. Some thing I think are important to know: 1) How many surgeries have the surgeons done 2) What type of short-term after care is provided (and are their additional costs) 3) What type of long-term after care is provided (and are their additional costs) 4) What is something goes wrong? (and that includes everything from before the surgery, day of surgery, and after surgery). Who will take care of it? and what are the costs? 5) *always important* What are their adjustment policies. Do they charge for fills/unfills? Who does them? Where can they be done? Do they offer a guarantee (for instance, most places will give you a fill for a cost, and will then include 2 weeks of fills/unfills if need be). Otherwise, I think it's good just to get a feeling about the organization. I really liked the surgeon who presented, and ended up choosing him to be my surgeon just because I really liked his attitude. As for what to expect. I think we had about an hour long presentation about the surgery and about the center. And then there was a guest who was a bandster of theirs. And then he opened the floor for questions. Hope this helped - good luck!

Hello fellow Vancouver bandsters I would like to have another Richmond support group meeting, and I have picked a date that I hope will work for everyone else. Our last meeting was very successful, and I would like to create a regular (reoccurring) support group. With the Olympics coming up, I'm thinking the rest of February will be a write-off for getting together (half the main streets of Richmond are closing tomorrow). So, the following Saturday will be the next available time. Therefore, our next meeting will be Saturday, March 6th I do not know exactly where the meeting will be, but most likely it will be in South Richmond (near the tunnel) as it is easily accessible from many locations. I think that lunch time is both convenient as well as band-friendly. So, our meeting will be around lunch time, most likely 11:30am again. Please pass on this invitation to all bandsters, pre-bandsters, and questioning bandsters. Everyone is welcome. If you want to come, feel free to e-mail me at tim_4756@hotmail.com. If you have any questions, or if you just want to chat, I'm more than happy to receive your e-mails. Hope everyone's having a good week! Cheers

I just take a Centrum (or it's no-brand-name substitute) multivitamin per day, plus I added vitamin B12. I make sure I drink my 2 glasses of milk per day, plus I randomly add fat-free cheese, yogurt, etc... so, I don't take extra calcium. However, I started loosing hair after about three weeks, and am still loosing hair now. I hear that it's supposed to stop and revert back to normal.. I just hope it does! Good luck figuring out what's best for you.. don't forget, almost everyone's journey is a bit different.

Sorry for taking so long to post - been so busy! Thank you Linda & Janice for making it out to my "first" support group meeting in Richmond this past Thursday (Jan 23). It was very nice meeting you both, and I look forward to seeing you again in the future. Best wishes on your weight loss journeys until then. We had a good meeting, getting to know each other, and learning more about the band (and who offers the surgery around town). As this was an informal meeting, we did not have a "topic", but instead spent the time chatting about living with the lap-band. We decided that having a support group on weekends, and in a more central location would be beneficial for us, and maybe others. Therefore, I will be organizing another get-together after the Olympics. If any of you are interested in meeting on the weekends, please let me know when/where is best for you, so we can find the best place to host the meetings. I will keep you posted about the next meeting once it is scheduled. In other news, I learnt what being too tight feels like, had a small unfill this morning (0.25CC) and feel MUCH better. I am one of those types of people that needs to learn everything for myself... now I know :-) Looking forward to the next few weeks, and then GOING ON A CRUISE!!! which I'm both extremely looking forward to, as well as very anxious about. Praying that everything will work out, so that I can go on more cruises - hehehehe Have a great day! Cheers ~

We're on the same boat!! I got banded a few weeks before you (Oct 1, 2009) and have (as of last Sunday) lost 51 pounds. I only weigh myself on Sundays, so I don't know what it is now. Congratulations to you! It's an amazing feeling, eh? Best part is that my gaol with the band is to lose 100 pounds, so I'm already half way there! I have a few secrets to share for those who are interested. We should see how many we have in common... 1) only weigh yourself ONCE a week - put the scale away (literally, pick it up off the floor, put it into a drawer or closet, and don't take it out again until the following week) 2) eat on small plates. I haven't used a big plate once except when going out to eat. I feel more satisfied eating a plate full of food than a bigger plate only half full - even if it's the same amount of food on each. 3) exercise! I made myself two promises. (a) that I would go to the gym and do a work-out at least 3 times a week. and ( that anytime somebody asked me to go do something active, I would have to say Yes. Some days I just go for a 30 minute walk, some days I go to the pool, some days I go to the gym, and once a week - I do nothing :-) 4) Drink only Water & milk (2 glasses). I know this is hard, especially for those pop drinkers, but there are SOOO many calories in drinks that don't make you feel full at all. 5) Eat slowly. Put the fork down between each (AND EVERY) bite. Then chew until it's much, then pause if you have the willpower to do so, and then pick up your fork for the next bite. This is one of my most powerful secrets. I will eat half of what I would eat if I didn't put my fork down and eat slowly. Minimum is 20 minutes for a meal, maximum is 30 minutes. Oh, and one more important thing that I changed. I was one of those people who would eat the "bad" part of the meal first, and then save the "best for last". Well, that's so idiotic when you have the band! Eat the best part first, savour it, enjoy it. and then eat the rest of the stuff - until you feel full. I found that I would eat the other stuff, and then feel full but I didn't want to not eat the best stuff, so I ate it anyways. Now, I eat the good stuff, and sometimes I get nice and full and don't even want the other stuff so I throw it out, give it to someone else or to my dog, or save it for a later meal. For those of you who like stats: First of all, I'm pretty young (24) and a guy, so I do burn a bit differently than the "average" bandster. However I lived a very sedentary life before the band, so I had to work at this pretty hard. daily calories: about 1,200 daily exercise: 30 minutes walking minimum (I now jog for about 3 minutes too) typical day: 2 cups coffee with skim milk (total 1 cup milk) breakfast: 1 packet instant oatmeal (reduced sugar) lunch: 1 cup milk, then, 6 low fat chicken meat balls snack: fruit (eg. small banana) dinner: 1 chicken breast & broccoli, or tuna salad on crackers snack: 1-2 BBQ flavoured rice cakes (Quaker) And that's it! I average 2 pounds per week weight loss, but this was my weekly weigh-in chart: -5 -2 -5 -1 -2 -1 -1 -2 -1 -2 -2 -3 -1 +1 -6 -3 +1 -4 -1 -2 -2 Good luck everyone!!! Cheers