ElfiePoo

About 2-1/2" to 3" below my rib cage on the right side of my body. .

Bell, When you have proper restriction with the band, it is impossible to 'stuff your face' without immediate, painful feedback. When I've taken one bite too many, I'm 'uncomfortable' but not in pain for probably 10 minutes until a bit moves from my pouch to my stomach. I've learned to stop before that point but then aversion therapy works well for me. There is no pain with restriction as long as you remember to take small bites, chew well, don't drink with meals, put your fork down between bites and eat slowly...and pay attention to those foods that do give you a problem. The band is about portion control but it's still up to us to make good food choices and follow the guidelines. Even those who've only lost 25 pounds in a year will admit that it's because they didn't follow the rules...or didn't go get their fills. It isn't magic. We still have control over what we put in our mouths. The band, with restriction, just controls the portions. .

If all you're having is 3 shakes a day, then you'll find your weight loss will be slower than if you had 5 shakes per day...because you've dropped your calories below 1000 per day. Research has proven that women who eat 1200 calories per day lose faster than those eating 1000 or less. Has to do with the starvation factor and our bodies lowering our metabolism to become more energy efficient. They say our bands aren't designed for shakes (and they're right), but I usually have nothing but shakes for breakfast, mid-morning, lunch and mid-afternoon meals. Then I eat a regular dinner and another protein shake in mid-evening. All told I'm eating about 1200 calories per day. .

I'm sure there are some who have *never* messed up...but most of us aren't quite that perfect. :thumbdown: Forgive yourself and move on. /

Until recently I thought I was addicted to food because I would be thinking of lunch when I was still eating Breakfast, obsessing about my choices. One of anything was never enough. I have to say, though, that since reaching real restriction with this band (about 3 weeks now), I am not constantly thinking of food. I don't obsess about my next meal. If I go to my mother-in-law's and she offers something I absolutely love (like her chocolate chip cookies), I am able to take one and leave it at that without continually thinking about the other Cookies on the plate. Even better, I'm usually passing them up completely. So I think I am not one of those addicted to food. It's just that until restriction, I was just never full or 'content'. Now I am. .

It's been awhile but I think I had restriction for about 2 weeks after surgery. .

Sounds like you need a fill. .

LOL...I was thinking the same thing. Personally, I have a problem with ground meats, eggs and bread...or really any kind of 'doughy' food. So potpies are out, as is regular crust pizza (but I can do thin crust), burritos, etc. I can eat just about anything else and I have restriction. .

My first snow day since being banded...and I am soooo struggling. For as long as I can remember, when my kids had a snow day, we'd bake Cookies together and then go outside and play in the snow. When we came back in, we'd have cookies and *real* homemade hot chocolate. Even though I have really good restriction right now, I *know* those cookies would be no problem sliding through so I am so far resisting the temptation to bake. Fortunately, the only 'child' left home is 17 years old and has no problem with not baking and settling for sugar free hot chocolate...but I'm the one having problems. It's tradition dammit! .

Tiredness could be caused by any number of things. If you're getting your 64 oz of Water a day, all your Protein requirements and your calories are above 1200, then I'd start looking at other causes. However, sounds like you've been very active with the remodeling and if you aren't getting enough water, protein or calories for the energy you're expending, that may be the simple reason. I read somewhere that most women don't have enough Iron and this won't show up on the usual range of blood work. It's only when you go to an endocrinologist who generally orders more in-depth bloodwork that this is found. My iron levels always came back normal until my endo did extensive blood work and found that no they weren't normal. I've been taking a Vitamin supplement with iron since that time and it, along with drinking enough water, has made a significant difference in my energy levels. .

I can tell you that in the last 3 weeks since I've had restriction, I've been eating far less carbs (Pasta, rice, potatoes, etc.) because I'm pretty full after eating my Protein and vegies. I think I've lost something on the order of 10 or 12 pounds in that time...the last 6 in the last week when I had the best restriction. I'm eating about 1200-1400 calories per day so carbs are the key to fast weight loss. Six years ago I lost 70 pounds in 5 months doing Atkins. The only carbs I ate were the minimal amounts found in green vegies. It's not a way I'd care to eat the rest of my life, but it works for fast weight loss. .

I had/have this problem as well occasionally. I finally figured out that it's because I am sitting/holding myself differently as I lose weight. I'm trying to make a conscious effort, when sitting or standing, to hold in my abdominal muscles. This causes me to sit or stand more erect...and less muscle pain across my middle back. I'm finding that as the days go by, I have less of this pain and I think it's because my abdominal muscles are learning to do their job. .

ROFL...congratulations on finding a lost body part! I was sitting in bed reading the other day and excitedly told my husband, "Look, honey! Knees!" .

Mgirl, Loss or gain has to do with calories in vs calories out. If you aren't losing anything, it means you are eating as many calories as your body needs. If you go here, you can enter your stats and calculate how many calories you need per day to maintain your goal weight based on your exercise level. Then Journal everything you put in your mouth, even a tic tac. Journal your movement through the day. You may find you're eating more than you thought in terms of calories or not moving as much as you thought. .

Are you at goal? Are you gaining weight? If I was at goal and not gaining weight, then I wouldn't worry about 2 slices of pizza or a cup of rice or Pasta. If I wasn't at goal and/or was putting on a few pounds, then I'd probably try and eat less at a meal first because this isn't about what you *can* eat, but whether or not you're hungry. For example, now that the swelling from my last fill has gone down, I *can* eat more than 1 cup of food. However, I stop at 1 cup and find I'm more than satisifed and able to go for 4 hours or so until my next meal. If you are able to eat to excess (meaning you are gaining weight because you're eating too much) and hungry, go for the fill.

Call and see if you can get a fill. No reason you can't have one since you're a month out. I got a fill at 4 weeks postop and then every 2 weeks until I had restriction. .

No. Not even when I discover that a favorite food of mine is now off limits because I get stuck. Not even when I do get stuck because usually it's because *I've* done something stupid like not chewing well enough. I just wish I could've been banded 35 years ago. .

Robin, You don't say how much you've lost or how close you are to goal. Remember, as you lose weight, your body's caloric needs will drop which means you're either going to have to reduce the calories you're eating even more or increase your caloric expenditure (exercise or more movement in your day). Right now I can lose 2 pounds a week by eating the calories needed to maintain my goal weight of 140 pounds. At 180 pounds, I will only lose 1 pound per week so I will either need to increase my activity or decrease my calories...or be content with a pound a week. .

Yes, I miss the foods I can no longer have because they get stuck (crusty breads), but I just remind myself that if I feel this good at a 35 pound loss, I'll feel even more spectacular at a 120 pound loss...and that's worth any amount of food. I still enjoy food. In fact, I enjoy it more because I appreciate it more. In the past I always enjoyed food more when dieting because I paid more attention to my food while I was eating it instead of just shoveling it in mindlessly. I was afraid the band would not help with the psychological aspect of overeating, but since reaching restricting, I found it does. As I lose the weight, I'm becoming more active and doing more, which means my habits are changing. I sit around less (an open invitation to wanting to eat in the past) so I'm less tempted to eat 'out of habit'. .

I probably replied before you deleted. Since they let us edit our posts forever, I just went back and removed your quote from my post. Nothing need be forever...not even the written word. :smile:

I have a Realize band and had port soreness for about 2 months. I never took pain meds after surgery though but my doc did mention on my 2 week visit that it was inflamed, most likely because I was doing more lifting, stretching, bending, etc. on the job than I probably should've been. However, they were quick to remind me that it takes about 8 weeks for the port site to completely heal...and they were right. The amount of pain you have may be due to your own pain threshold levels and it may be that what is soreness to me would be pain to you. As long as your doctor has checked it and it's not infected, just give it time. Perhaps a warm compression might help (that's what they told me to do for the inflammation). .

Yes, there are therapists who specialize in people with eating disorders. .

A doctor who allows the patient to determine whether or not they need a fill is not a bad doctor. My doctor has a band and he also lets the patient determine whether or not they need a fill because, as he said, only the patient knows whether they're hungry and still eating to excess. The difference in approach may be that my doctor has been banded now for a couple years and has first hand experience with the band. Also, while the clinic I go to offers the option of nutritional support if you want, their approach is that we are adults and can choose...or not choose...to take advantage of them. For those who need and want it, it's there. For those of us who don't, we aren't forced to waste our time. I love my doc, the clinic and the staff and wouldn't change them for the world. .