JoJo1

If you are interested in this but don't see how it could work, I recommend getting a few different kind of toys. The vibrating ones are really cool. It is true that a man who is bigger is much more uncomfortable. I was very surprised when my first husband tried this and I ended up liking it a lot. He was long and more narrow The trick is to get the woman turned on and then go very slowly. Start with fingers, then maybe two fingers, a couple gradually larger toys and lots of lubricant. If you open your mind and have the right partner, you could be in for the suprise of your life. My current BF is too big so we just use toys. Hope this helps some of you!!!

Amen!!!!!!!!

For me, weighing food is too much like a diet!! Diets don't work. I look at my fist and I figure I won't eat more than the size of it. However most of the time, I am unable to even eat that much.... It just gives me a reference point. The key is choosing the right foods, the rest will take care of itself... (My opinion) Hugs!!!

THANK YOU!!! :thumbup:

It sounds like you were a little stuck!! It is more important now than ever to chew chew chew until the food in your mouth is the consistancy of water. Then wait for at least 30 seconds before taking the next bite. It is not unusual to not know you are stuck until you drink something. I have actually gone to bed and then when I got up in the morning, realized I was stuck when I drank my first cup of coffee. It will take a while to learn all of the stuff that you need to know. I am very close to my first bandiversary and I am still working on figuring things out... Hugs!!!

You can copy and paste this post into your word program then save it to your documents for future use. I post this same thread every once in a while, so that is how I keep it.... Hugs....

It is necessary to post a thread like this at least once a week or so.... Those of you who are newly banded need to read this and take note. 1. You are likely to lose a quite a bit the first week or so after surgery but if you are one who doesn't, don't worry, it will happen. 2. You won't lose much in the first weeks or even months because you don't have restricrtion yet!! You need to heal first then worry about weight loss after at least a few weeks!!! 3. Restriction takes from a few weeks to a few months depending on your surgeon and his/her belief systom. 4. You have in some cases a lifetime of issues with weight to solve. Be sure you do the work on this either before or after surgery. Some people cannot lose weight because of deep seated emotional issues.. Our subconsious mind has been programed by our life experiences. No surgery in the world will fix this. Please consider getting professional help with it 5. Be willing to follow your intuition. If you don't think something will work, don't eat it. Your body is talking to you, just listen. 6. If you get stuck, you will be swollen.. Go back to liquids, then mushies, then solids. Listen to your body, if it doesn't make sense to eat after a stuck episode, don't eat. 7. Everytime you miss food, make a mental inventory of why you did this to begin with... We did it to reduce the amount of food we eat so we can unload the weight we have carried around for sometimes a lifetime. 8. Remember, we didn't get this fat overnight. It won't go away overnight either... let me know what I have missed.... I will repost it in a week ot two for those things!! Hugs!!! ( I added a few other peoples comments here.) For many of us, weightloss is not steady w/the band. The weight seems to come off in spurts. Don't freak out if you haven't lost weight for a week or two weeks or even a month. Just focus on what you can do to improve your weightloss, especially exercise and cutting out empty calories. Well put! I think also that many people expect Gastric Bypass-like results from a band (very rapid weight loss--very soon after surgery). I mean patients, family, co-workers, friends, and aquaintances. That is not the way the band works. 1-2 pounds per week is what we can expect in general. And that is after restriction kicks in. If we lose weight before we hit our sweet spot, GREAT! That shows we are committed to our new lifestyle. But as my surgeon told me, my eating habits were 43 years in the making when I was banded, they weren't going to change over night. It is a process, enjoy the journey, and don't beat yourself up for mistakes--learn from them. __________________

You should be able to eat solid food once you are past the healing and are allowed to. The reason you need to eat solid food is because it stays with you longer. Protein first then vegs. An occasional treat is good. You should not deprive yourself of an occasional treat. We have spent our life doing this, and it only got us fat... The key is occasional. Sugar white flour, and processed rice is poisen. Stay with fruit if possible. I dont do fruit ever because I am diabetic. I only eat protein and green vegs. I have researched the hell out of this so I could be sure it is correct. Once you become convinced, it is much easier. If you are still unsure and you are a reader, here is a suggestion. This book details the history of dieting in the whole world. I guarantee you will be surprised at what it has to say.... Hugs. Amazon.com: Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health (Vintage) (9781400033461): Gary Taubes: Books

I didn't even need a fill for several months after the surgery so I know that it is different for everyone!! I lost my weight with only two fills. Weird I know. I had a very small unfill after I reached goal and I think I can maintain now. At least I hope so. I sometimes eat too fast and have to bring it up so I am almost at one year and am still figuring things out. Hugs....

It has taken me a year to figure out when I am actually full without over-doing and I sometimes still screw up. I can hear each bite going through, (I am told I am the only one who can hear it, and I hope it is an honest assessment) and I don't take another bite until it goes through. I can also feel it go through. If it doesn't go through or if I start to burp, I stop. If I don't I will be seriously stuck. It varies so I have no way of knowing when it will happen. Hope you are all learning what works for you.... It seriously takes awhile.... Hugs!!!

After months and months, you are still entertaining me!! Thanks!!! Hugs!!!!

I have actually done low carb for the last 11 years to control blood sugar. I believe in it for blood sugar control as well as health. I am not doing anything here accept trying to help those who believe it too. If you are craving crunchy here is what I do. I fry cheese and I microwave cheese. Here are the directions. Have you ever picked at the cheese on the edges of lasagna and wished the whole thing was crispy cheese? Take some grated cheese, (cheddar, sharp to mild, it just depends on taste) and spread it into a non-stick frying pan. It works in any frying pan with Pam. Use medium heat and just let it cook until the edges start to turn brown. This seems like a very long time. Probably 4 or 5 minutes. Then turn it over. (like a pancake) Let it cook until the underside turns a little brown. It takes a little practice because stoves are different, so just try it. Place the finished product on some paper towels and cool it. Break into chips,then prepare your favorite dip and enjoy!! In the microwave, you need some freezer paper. Place a slice of American cheese on the freezer paper shiny side and microwave for about one minute. This varies according to your microwave and your taste so be prepared to experiment a little. This only works with american cheese. And it only works with freezer paper. If you do this right you can make sandwiches with two of them and not deal with the carbs in bread. Good luck and don't be afraid to ask questions!!!

I have made the cheese ones for years but I had not tried the mozzerella until tonight after I read Tracy's post. She liked them but I didn't care for it. I don't know if it is because a lot of the fat is gone or not. Each person has to experiment with it and just figure it out. I haven't tried it with the pepperoni yet but I will soon. My favorite is with extra sharp cheddar. Any sharp cheddar is good, but if you don't like sharp then I wouldn't try it. I also tried the fresh parmasan today and I liked it too. I have a feeling the pepperoni ones would work betrter in the oven, but can't say for sure until I try it out. I am intrigued by the idea of putting pepperoni into the cheese. Sounds good to me!! Good luck and cheers!!!!

I understand why the chips are expensive because good quality cheese is expensive. I think it is a little healthier to eat cheese this way also because it cooks out some of the fat. I have done this with parmesan but not with the fresh, I will have to give it a try. I often season it with natures seasons, onion powder, or even garlic powder. I don't think the pepperoni thing works for me, but next time I get some, I will sneak a few and try it just to see if I could like it. It is usually a little too spicy for me. Hugs!!!

As I stated earllier, docs disagree a lot on the use of carbonation. My doc also said no carbonation and no caffiene. I do still enjoy one cup of coffee in the morning and now that I am a year out, I enjoy an occaional beer. In the beginning, when I tried a sip or two, it would hurt and I found out why they said no carbonation. Now I only need to pour it into a glass which releases some of the fiz, and I am fine with it. Hugs!!

I don't think it is any higher than the general public but I am not sure about it. My daughter did have one. but it was mostly because her last baby was also c section. They planned to try to let her go ahead and have this baby naturally, but she was breach so they just did the section. She recovered quickly and she was fine. In my own experience, I thought a c-section was an absolute breeze in comparison to a natural birth. I was back to work doing hair in three weeks after mine. If you ever need one, do not be afraid because they are often the safest and believe it or not, easiest to recover from. Hugs....

My daughter got pregnant about 6 months after she got her band. It was not planned but my beautiful little grandaughter is the love of my life. She had no problems with the band but near the end of the pregnancy, she had to get an unfil because she suddenly couldn't eat anything at all. She didn't gain at all during the pregnancy and lost a whopping 30 lbs after the baby entered the world. All is well with the band and the baby!!! Hugs!!!

Russel stover makes a sugar free pecan delight that is really yummy!! It is sweetened with Maltitol though so it messes with my stomach and that is a good thing because then I am only going to eat one. It helps with those cravings though.... Hugs!!!

yep I'm pretty sure it is fine, but ask your doc if you are concerned!!!! Hugs!!!

I was too tight for 5 months but I managed to find a way to get my calories in. I lost pretty consistently so I figured I was ok. Band rules? Eat three meals and no snacks was a joke for me. The only way I could eat at all was to snack. A bite here and a bite there. I used a lot of soup and eating out was a joke. I found there was nothing I could order at a resturant that would work including soup. I got a slight unfill yesterday .1cc and OMG what a difference. I can eat three small meals and don't feel the need to do the snacking any more. I am excited to get my last three pounds off before my bandiversary in September. Hugs!!

You need to wait at least 6 hours after you lose a meal to eat anything else. Even liquids will be hard during this time. I was too tight for 5 months, but I was losing weight so I lived with it. Eventually I stopped losing and had to go get a tiny unfill. He took out .1cc and it made all the difference. I am kicking myself now for not dealing with it sooner. Oh well that is what life is all about huh? Hugs

I pretty much eat protein all the time. I do eat salads but only green vegetables. I do this for blood sugar control because it works. I researched the hell out of it before I tried it though. It didn't sound healthy to me at all. I now know that it is in fact healthy. If you are eating a normal meal at home, you should do protein first simply because it will keep you satisfied longer. In a fast food place, eat the whole wrap. It is fairly healthy and you won't be eating there all the time. Have a little fun!! It will be fine!!!

My first bandiversary is going to be 09/19. I have three pounds to go to get to goal, and I plan on making it. If I do, it will be 66lbs. the weight loss is much slower when you get down to just a few pounds so I plan to walk a lot farther, and do some evening walks too. It helps keep me away from the food and it is good for me.... Hugs.....

I had a slight unfill yesterday for the same reason. I feel so much better and I am determined not to gain any weight. For the first time in 5 months though, I am able to follow band rules and actually eat three meals. So nice... My daughter also has trouble getting the right amount of fluid in her band. I think she is in her sweet spot at the moment though so all is well. Unfortunately all of this is a learning experience for all of us. I believe I am just now in my sweet spot and I am almost to goal... Go figure.... Hugs!!

How many times in your life have you started a diet and lost the first week and then slowed down to a crawl? I have done this at least a thousand times. Then I give up after awhile and tell myself I am just a fat person and what is wrong with that anyway? This is why I got the band. Now when I am discouraged, I can't give up because I have restriction and I can't go backward any more. I could if I wanted to but I decided I won't do it ever again so now I have to stick to it..... Your mind set is everything!!! You may lose a lot in the first week even though some don't and from there all you can count on is one pound a week. If you don't weigh so often, it helps. I am only getting on the scale once every two weeks or so now, and I spend the rest of the time focusing on the change in lifestyle I am working on. Remember, we didn't get this way overnight. Try to stay busy with other things it makes it go faster!! Hugs