ElfiePoo

I buy the EAS chocolate powder at Sam's Club. $25 for 5 or 10 pounds...can't remember. I mix it with almond milk for a protein drink that has 160 calories, 3 carbs and 25 protein. I drink 4 of these a day...one for breakfast, one between lunch and one between dinner and one in the evening. It tastes good with no aftertaste and is very satisfying.

Ding ding ding. This is the point I was trying to make in another thread where people thought 14 was too young to have a band. If a 14 year old is expected to diet and exercise and keep the weight off successfully, then logic follow that an adult should as well. These parents are sending a mixed message. "You have to go through torture to lose this weight and keep it off, but since we're adults we're going go the easy route." Keep in mind I'm not suggestion that the band is 'easy'...but that's the message and impression that teen will most likely take away from this. I'd like to see the followup on these kids 2-3 years later. I'll reserve my opinion until then. .

There are many high calorie foods that slide through a band even when you have restriction. That's why it's a tool and not a magic wand. I know from experience that even when I had too much fill, Pasta, Cookies and other like stuff just slid through the band while chicken, beef and vegies were getting stuck on a regular basis no matter how small a bite or how well I chewed. I like how you put that though because it's not the lap band that fails us...it us we who fail the lap band if we don't follow the rules. My surgeon does the band on teens and it doesn't make him a bad surgeon just because he disagrees with the surgeons you know who wouldn't do it. Opinions vary...and thank God nobody gets to determine how we raise our children except us. :smile2:

Good morning, folks... Well I'm 10 days away from leaving for Disney and wouldn't you know it but my husband has been contagiously sick for the last two days. I'm throwing hot honey tea and food through the door and told him he's not allowed out of the bedroom until he's better...and I'm sleeping on the couch. I *will not* get this ick and get sick in time to spend my week in a Florida hotel room! So far, so good. I've been doing beautifully since my last fill almost 2 weeks ago. Dropped another 5 pounds so I'm closing in on Onederland...again. It was so frustrating to be in Onderland and then gain almost 15 pounds back due to being overfilled and eating slider (high carb/high calorie) foods to deal with the hunger from not being able to eat. Fortunately I didn't gain any more in the 7 weeks after my unfill. I'm not worried about whether or not I'll make it before Disney because I'm just thrilled to be losing again. Yes, Denise, I have tried to urp in a moving toilet. Only it wasn't a gentle 'let the slime come back up with the offending stuck food', it was a real gusher pre-band. I should've opened the little trap door but didn't, so can we say "rebound"? I won't go into detail except to say that we had to pull into a rest area so I could wash my hair...and the rest of me...in the sink. My sweet husband wiped down the mess in the bathroom. Next time he can pull over and I'll hurl by the side of the road. Shad, I can relate. I bypassed my fill this past Tuesday, but now two days later am once again not restricted...but have no intention of getting a fill 4 days before I leave for Disney. The idea of getting something stuck and then heaving into a nicely landscaped bush with thousands of witnesses just does not appeal. Looks to be another nice day today so, weather permitting, I'm going to finish up my yard work. Oh...an NSV moment the other day. Last summer, I paid my son and his buddy to do all this stuff because after 15 minutes my back ached so badly that I had to just sit down and supervise. This year I'm doing it all myself with just a bit of help from my son in moving heavy stuff (arthritis in my thumbs makes it unsafe for me to lift them...which is how I lost my Sophie :smile2:). Ok..off to get some stuff done... .

Once I started getting fills, even without restriction, salad and things like broccoli were a no-no. I'd get stuck every time. At some point, we realized I had too much fill and I had them back it down to 6cc...no restriction. I left it like that for 7 weeks because 2 weeks after the unfill, I could eat salads again and I didn't want to give that up. I finally went in for a fill and they put in 1cc...and I can still eat salads! In fact, it used to be that I couldn't eat salads at 6cc. Don't know what changed but I'm not complaining. If you look at the mixed salads in a bag, they give a number rating based on texture and tenderness. I eat the mixed baby greens because they are the most tender. Romaine is still a thing of the past for me. .

I don't think weighing yourself daily is the problem. It's what you do with that knowledge. If a pound (or 2 or 3) gained is cause for depression and setting your feet moving towards the fridge, then it's a problem. Otherwise, it's just information. I get up every morning, go to the bathroom and then step on the scale in my nightie. If I've gained a pound or two, I'll mentally go over what I've eaten the previous few days. If the pounds gained make no sense, I figure it's just Water fluctuation and let it go. Generally within a day or two, I'll see a rapid drop of 4-5 pounds if this is true. If, by looking back, I realize it's because I've been sloppy in my eating, then I consciously make the decision to tighten up my eating habits. Again, within a few days the scales stabilize. I don't stress about it. It's just a way of monitoring. My official weight loss day is Monday. That's the one I record. .

That would be cool! I'll have to take a look at the DVD's then. .

That was my point Shurmeka. :smile2: The media has done a great job of telling us how irresponsible, defiant, rebelleious, etc. young teens are but that has not been my experience. No doubt some are...but there are just as many who are well behaved, respectful, obedient and compliant to those in authority. I've also been temporarily successful at losing weight since I was in my teens...but it always came back because all I was doing was tamping down that hunger through sheer willpower. The band...even at 14...would have helped with that...just as it does now. I know the misery I've gone through for the past 40 years and I wouldn't wish that on anything. Being fat has affected *every* area of my life and I'm still dealing with the psychological affects of being ridiculed, not being able to live a normal life, etc. I couldn't deny a 14 year old the opportunity to not go through what I did. .

I didn't have to survive bandster hell because my doctor doesn't believe in it. Two weeks post op and I was back on regular foods with the caveat to eat slowly, pay attention to the foods that were giving me problems and then avoid them. He was clear that until I had some restriction in my band I would most likely be able to eat as much as I used to. His advice..."if you're hungry, then eat" but he stressed making good choices and eating healthy meals. I didn't have the weight gain after surgery that many have and actually continued losing right up until I had restriction. You may be worrying needlessly, but just in case, look through your band literature or go online if you weren't given any. My band literature (Realize band) states the conditions where a fill is needed and it has nothing to do with weight loss. My says a fill is needed if the patient is hungry and still able to eat to excess. The band, when at the right restriction, will not let you eat to excess without serious consequences (sliming, PBing, regurgitating, pain)...assuming you are eating healthy meals. For some reason, the junk goes down without problem so avoid it. Then highlight this information and take it into your appointment. If you're hungry and eating to excess...and your doctor still refuses a fill...find a new doc. Just my .02. .

I would also like to add that as a fat 14 year old, I would have begged for the band. I was perpetually hungry and ate enough at a meal for 3 people. At that point in my life I did not snack between meals (lack of opportunity mostly). We ate healthy meals. I just ate way too much at a sitting. The band would have prevented that...and 40 years of fat related misery and health problems related to being fat. Over the next 40 years I ballooned up to 330 lbs despite WW, calorie counting, etc. All tools remember...just like the band...but not the right tool for me. The band is/was. I would never withhold a tool from someone just because they're only 14. I also don't consider band surgery as something you do as a 'last resort'. A bypass may be a 'last resort'...but the band isn't. Is WW, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystems, calorie counting, etc. last resorts? No they're tools...and so is the band.

I would guess, as a teacher, that I probably knew more 14 year olds...and from a wider variety of home/cultural settings...than most people. I disagree with your view of noncompliance assigned to an age group. Yes, they may be testing their wings, but as long as they are not being pushed into getting a band by a parent, and it is their choice, then noncompliance does not become an issue because this is something *they* want. Look around at this forum...not too many teens here but an incredible number of noncompliant people. I stand by my opinion that a 14 year old is not too young for a band. For a bypass...absolutely...but not for a band. It is just a tool like any other. Just a thought...if an overweight 14 year old is expected to successfuly lose the weight just by dieting and exercise...how come all of you 'adults' don't just do the same thing if that's so successful. More to the point...how come those of you who were fat since your teen years didn't just 'bite the bullet' and lose your weight as a teen and without the band? .

All the classes around here have 50+ people in them and the instructors (Ha!) do not take the time to show new people how to do it. They just expect you to watch and eventually pick it up. Well for $10 for an hour of Zumba, that's pathetically inadequate. I'm not one of those who can just pick it up. I need it broken down into small bites and then bring it all together. I'm not a professional dancer. As far as I can tell from observing the 6 zumba instructors in my area, they 'teach' zumba as a way of doing what they already enjoy and making beaucoup bucks doing it because they spend the entire hour doing Zumba without even once showing someone who's having difficult how to do it. I was sooo frustrated at the Zumba classes. I plan on getting the Zumba game to go with the new Xbox Kinect we have preordered (releases in November) so I can do it at home and learn at my own pace. If I understand correctly, the Kinect will also tell me when I'm not doing a move right...unlike the DVDs. .

Bottom line is that we are unique individuals and we do not all have the same nutritional requirements. Put 10 people on the same diet and some will lose, others will not. Some will feel great, others will not. We all need to find what works best for each of us and quit judging what others do. To the OP, your calories seem really low. I haven't seen any studies on men, but research has proven that women who eat a 1200 calorie diet lose weight faster and more consistently than those eating less. It has to do with the metabolism. The lower we drop our calories, the more efficient our bodies are at storing them. It's good that you're not hungry, but it may be you'll actually lose weight more quickly by increasing your calories to 1200. U.S. doctors push 60-80gm Protein. AUS doctors don't. So what. The reality is that both groups are pushing whatever the latest 'thought' is within their respective nutritional communities...and both are guessing. Remember the food pyramid? In recent years, they've turned it on its head. I have no doubt in another 30 years, they'll change it again. Listen to your body. It will tell you what it needs. If you aren't hungry and you're losing weight...if you have the energy (mental and physical) to live a normal active lifestyle...if you aren't sabotaging yourself with occasional binges because you feel deprived...if your health is good (hair not falling out, teeth loosening, other medical conditions aggravated by a bad diet)...then I say it's all good. I could never eat your typical diet. First, I'd be starving! Second, the two baked potatoes (even one) would literally kill me because they'd drive my blood sugars crazy. As a diabetic I have to seriously control not only how many carbs I eat, but the type of carbs. Here's my typical day and I average about 1200 calories a day. B - Low carb/low cal Protein shake Mid-morning - protein shake or fruit L - 2-3 oz of protein, 1 cup steamed low carb vegies, 1/4 cup carbs Mid-morning - protein shake or fruit S - Same as lunch Mid-evening - protein shake, fruit or a sugarless pudding, or 1 little Dove dark chocolate. I keep the chocolate to only 1-2x per week and then only if I'm really craving it. I wouldn't recommend this to someone with little control over sweets. Currently, I am not exercising and I'm averaging 2 lb per week...but you do whatever works for you. .

My doc had no restrictions (and wouldn't have mattered if he did) on Protein drinks. His view is that we all have to find a healthy way of eating we can live with. I drink Protein shakes as a mini-meal between my main meals and I drink one in the evening. I also drink one for Breakfast because I'm not a breakfast person but know I need something in my system. .

No, I don't think 14 is too young. Why should age have anything to do with whether or not you need the band? If anything, that 14 year old logically stands a better chance at being successful with the band because they aren't trying to undo 30 years of bad eating habits. .

Yes...I have and I don't exercise. I think at some point though the scales catch up to the inches. .

Good morning, folks! It's going to be a glorious day here in Michigan. It's supposed to be 83 today and no humidity which should feel good after a week of rain and temps in the 60's. I plan on spending it in the yard doing my end of year garden/yard/shed cleanup. I canceled my fill for this morning because I woke up, took a gulp of Water and spent the next 30 seconds wondering if I was going to suffocate or drown as the water decided it wasn't going down but was having difficulty coming back up. Since I had restriction all day yesterday as well, I've decided to exercise (Ooooo...see I do exercise!) some patience and hold off on any more fills until after I come back from Disney on Oct 9th. Christie, glad you're feeling better! .

I agree with HB...go back and get another fill. I didn't get any type of full feeling until I was at 7cc...not even a temporary one. We're all unique. Some people get temporary restriction after each fill...some of us never do. Some people get to their sweet spot at 3cc...some of us are over 7 cc. If you are still hungry and can still eat to excess...get a fill...and keep doing that until you get to your sweet spot where you feel restricted. Good luck.

I know what you mean, Christie. I had a fill about 10 days ago and...until today...felt no difference. Today I actually felt some restriction. I'm still going to go in tomorrow morning and I'll see what they say about it. If they decide to fill, I think I'll only let them give me .25cc. I don't want to go up too fast this time because somewhere I missed my sweet spot before. .

I agree with Manda. Studies prove that women who eat 1200 calorie diets lose weight more steadily and more weight long term than those eating less. I eat about 1200 calories per day and I'm losing about 2 pounds per week. Then again I'm not exercising so I probably could eat more...or lose more...if I'd exercise. ;-p I eat every 2.5 hours so have no clue if I could go 5 hours without getting hungry. .

Yes, get on the phone and tell your doctor that if you could do this without the band, you would not be fat and you wouldn't have needed the surgery and you want to continue with the fills until the band is doing its job. I hate doctors who do the surgery but have no real clue about its purpose. If you're hungry...if you can eat to excess...then your band isn't even at restriction yet. Tell your doctor to read the Lapband literature. It's right in there. Trust me...when you have restriction, you may *want* to eat but that little band won't let you. Oh and stop with the junk food because even with restriction, there's something about the junk that lets it go right through. I know.

Wow...3cc at once is a lot. It may be that you're just swollen. Assuming you can still get liquids down, I would try doing nothing but liquids and/or slurries (like watered down cream of wheat) for a few days because every time you eat something that hurts, you're probably aggravating the situation. After 2-3 days, try eating a bite of solid food. Take a very small bite, chew thoroughly. If that still gets stuck you might want to contact your doctor for a slight unfill. If you are having trouble with liquids, contact your doctor immediately. .

Prat, I eat 6 meals a day so I'm never going more than 2.5 hours without eating. That, along with getting my Water requirements in, keeps me from wanting to eat at other times. Breakfast is just a Protein shake since I'm usually too tight to eat (and I'm not a breakfast person anyway). Then 2.5 hours later I have another Protein Shake. lunch is 2.5 hours after that and I'll have 2-3 oz of protein, 1/2-1 cup of low carb vegies (broccoli, etc.) and 1/4 cup carbs (rice, potatoes, noodles, etc.). Then 2.5 hours later another Protein Drink. Then 2.5 hours after that I'll have dinner which is similar to lunch. My final meal is 2.5 hours after that and it's usually a protein drink but if I'm feeling hungry, I'll make a small salad with 2 oz of protein in it (hard boiled egg, cheese, tuna fish, etc.). Oh and if I'm hungry between my my main meals and really wanting to chew on something, or having a craving for sweets, I'll switch out the protein drink for an apple or pear. My daily calories average out at about 1200. I find that my cravings become compulsive when I'm overdoing it on carbs.

Today is Sunday, yes? I ask because I received a phone call today from the bariatric clinic's nurse. Apparently she made a note in my file that I was going to Disney on 10/2 and that I had no restriction. She was wondering if I had any restriction from the last fill since, if I didn't, they'd like to give me another one on tuesday so I'd have a week and a half to find out if I was going to have difficulties with it. They still aren't charging me for fills so I'm really impressed with their care! So...another fill on Tuesday. .

ROFLMAO! You're too much, Christie! .