Erin Marie

Good luck moving through all your tests with speed and no hiccups! Keep in mind that it's all worth it in the end! Keep us updated.

Well, are you hungry? If you're sticking to the new portion sizes and not suffering and still losing weight... why fill? I get a fill when I'm struggling to eat just 4 ounces, not 14. I've been at restriction since the end of October though, so no need for one this coming visit .

I just don't think it's wise to cut whole food groups from your diet. The reason why they don't want us to eat them in the beginning is because some fruits and most grains are fibrous or difficult to eat. Does your surgeon really say no fruit, no grain, ever? Also, the reason why your surgeon wants you to have a protein shake is so that you get your metabolism revving and get that jolt of muscle healthy protein. You could also eat eggs and lean meat instead if you find that more appetizing.

Is bread the only food you can't tolerate? What about your proteins? Water? Not being able to eat bread doesn't really tell me anything since some people at restriction can eat it no problems, while others can't eat any even when thier band is empty of saline. Can you go three to four hours between feeling hungry?

B- Genisoy Protein Bar, most of it. L- Half a manicotti, forkful or two of rice. S- Multigrain Chips (Food Should Taste Good) D- Chicken noodle soup (4oz) Triscuit (half serving) S- Chewy Sprees (1 serving) 1% milk (12oz)

Porcupinemamma, everyone is different. It also stands to reason that everyone is also different in what foods they can and cannot tolerate. I can't do bread easily, but I also can't do other healthy things, like celery or broccoli and sometimes ROMAINE lettuce for goodness' sake. I find I can do crushed bread though, like in paninis and I could eat chocolate all day without a hiccup. Don't beat yourself up for being different. If you are at restriction and can still tolerate bread, that's not something to bemoan. Are you eating whole wheat (the first word in the ingredients being whole)? That's really the only aspect you should worry about, because not eating whole wheat means you're missing out on a lot of healthy doses of fiber! Oh, and on topic with the thread, I would do it a thousand more times if I had to. I wouldn't trade this freedom for anything.

So your wife wants you to get the lap-band and you don't? Is that right? I have to be sure I understand where you're coming from, but based on that, I would say Banding is not for you. It's a lot of work, I won't lie, so you have to really want it, get invested in being successful. You have to stick to the diet so you don't sabotage yourself. Greasy foods like burgers, pizza and fries really upset my stomach now and I simply can't tolerate them. I'm not saying it will be that way for you, but it's something you should know could happen. When I go out with family and friends I have to put two thirds of my meal in a to-go box right away so I don't overeat and make myself sick. From there I can enjoy myself, since eating those couple of ounces takes 20-30 minutes, just like my tablemates. As for drinks, a lot of surgeons say carbonation is a no. So beer and soda would have to be nixed from your diet. Nothing over five calories an ounce, I think, was the rule given to me. I do occasionally have OJ, though, the Calcium fortified 50% less sugar kind. Milk should be 1% or skim. The mindset is that it's empty calories, calories that provide no nutritional benefit in return (aside from OJ and milk) so they want them limited or removed so that you experience rapid success with the band. Please keep in mind that this is what MY doctor's office is having me follow. There are some doctors who are fine with carbonation and 2% milk and whatnot. Good luck on finding what works for you!

I'm 21, also been fat my whole life. I started at 290 in January and at 205 I am noticing it the most in my arms. There is no toning it, the skin simply isn't attached to muscle anymore. I have a bit of belly that's threatening to hang, but I'm confident that there is still hope for it if I lose weight slowly. But my arms... I'll have to get PS if I want them to be thin like I've always dreamed. I'm not deterred by the fact that I can't afford it. That's what saving is for. Instead of books and DVDs there will be "Give Erin sleek arms" fund. Honestly, I would rather my whole body be covered in loose skin than be 290 again. I'm so happy, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

This is how it worked for me. Started (January 09)- 290 Surgery day (mid May 09) - 265, about 1cc already inside. First post op visit (late May)- 250, no fill. Second visit (July 20)- 245, 1.5 cc Third visit (August 18 )- 235, .5 cc. Fourth visit (October 20)- 225, .5cc Today- 205 (roughly). Some of these numbers are approximate. Three weeks after surgery the swelling subsided enough that I could eat anything and let me tell you it was tough to make the right choices. I didn't starve myself like some bandsters will during this stage, though. I kept eating the things my dietitian wanted me to, but my portions were huge to me (although in hindsight they were just what a normal person would eat, so still less pre-banding). So after that first visit it was a real struggle. Even after getting a fill, restriction didn't last longer than two weeks. On my fourth visit in October I finally got long lasting restriction, which I still have today. I'm losing steadily, I'd like to believe, because I'm following the rules to a tee. No carbonation, 64oz of Water, Protein first followed by produce, etc. I was allowed to incorporate more solids slowly at six weeks, by the way.

Firstly, calm down! This is completely normal. As the swelling in your body goes down, so does restriction. When you get your first fill, hunger should subside for a while and then return. Yes, depressing, I know, but it takes more than one fill to get long lasting restriction. For some people it can take months and three to five fills (or more) to reach adequate restriction. The slow pace is so that they don't shock your body into rejecting food, a very bad place to be. For me, I was Banded in mid May, but it took until late October to be satisfied long term with my smaller meals. Be warned, some doctors think that just because you're losing weight, that means you must not need a fill. MAKE SURE he or she knows you feel you really need it! Good luck!

Oh my god, your title scared me! I thought you'd lost lost him. I'm so glad it's lost in pounds! That being said, I can't believe your doctor isn't doing everything in his power to make this easier for you. My surgeon noticed I was losing weight, then promptly asked me if I was hungry. When I described my struggle, he had the nurse bring in the fill kit. I would tell him, flat out, "I'm. starving. constantly. I did not get the band to feel hungry all the time. I got the band to feel satisfied. Bring the fill kit in please." I'm serious. Don't leave until they help you tackle your weight loss in a proactive way.

Once you reach restriction, you will not be hungry all the time. I can't stress that enough though, once you reach restriction. There will be a long period of hunger until this time and depending on how aggressive your doctor is with fills it could be months. For me personally, I was banded in mid May, but I did not have the same feeling of restriction from surgery through fills until late October. I had to hoof it on my own though this time. Oddly, I didn't lose faith in my band. I knew it was a matter of getting fills so I simply looked forward to the next one, knowing that it might be around the corner at any time. But yes, it's totally normal to feel hungry about now. The swelling from surgery is going down and it was the swelling that was actually providing you restriction up until this point. Also, know that many doctors do not give patients a fill on the first pre-op visit, to be on the safe side. They usually want to make absolutely sure your body is ready for it. This really frustrated me, but in hind sight I'm really glad he didn't.

"If they are so concerned about it -- why don't they address this problem during K-12? You know, while "we the taxpayers" are footing the bill for the education." Well, they do. Gym is mandatory K-12 and health classes are required in the core rec. Most colleges don't simply target those who are obese. At my college, it was mandatory for everyone. And I have never heard a professor say, even in casual conversation, that drinking to excess and posting pictures about it is a rite of passage. We have whole programs here to help the students stay away from alcohol and how to manage it and stress properly. They'd get reported in a heartbeat. Taking an extra gym class in college did not kill me. It was easy credit and got me moving, which is always good because I think exercise is a pain in the ass. Having it be mandatory helped me lose weight. I don't know, but out of all the problems going on, this isn't one of my concerns. Maybe when they start asking for BMIs during the application process to screen out the fat kids... then I'll be on board, haha!

See, this is why I love my surgeon. When I say that I'm hungry and struggling, he has the nurse bring in the fill kit. "We don't want you to struggle. It's great that you're still able to lose weight but we want to make this as easy for you as we can." Talk to your surgeon and say that you want a fill, especially if you're able to eat way more than your usual alloted ounces. How much or little weight you've lost has nothing to do with fills, really.

Man, I know exactly how you feel. All my favorite shirts are no longer my favorites because they look horrible on me now. Like sacks rather than shirts. I never thought I would start prefering tighter shirts!

Last Week- 206.5 Today- 203.8 Almost a three pound loss! Wow, I hope it's not just water.

You know what, me too. I'm in. I'd like to be under 200 for the first time in my adult life by Christmas. If I hit it earlier (Hey, gotta be optimistic, right?) then 195 by New Years.

NSV- Everything is so much easier to do now. Couple flight of stairs, no problem. Tying my shoes without needing to sit down. Crossing my legs! College students are oblivious, usually, so they stand in the middle of hallways and stairwells... I don't feel like a fat cow squeezing between THIER inconsiderate hides now! Oh, and boys talk to me more, hehe.

Not a very good day yesterday... B- Almost all of a nutrigrain raspberry bar. L- Strawberry Uncrustable (it's essentially a PBandJ). Stomach rejected it. Later when I felt better I had a string cheese. S- Medium pear. D- some protein packed frozen dinner. Stomach rejected it, ate too fast, whatever the reason it came back up. Here's hoping today will be better.

The title is rather deceptive to the goal of the actual program. Many colleges require in the core-recrequisite that students, usually ALL students, complete a health and fitness course to graduate. The only way this program differs is that it takes BMI into account, not a bad idea at all. Some students really don't need the course, and for some it can change thier relationship with food and thier bodies. The heading is meant to be offensive so you read the article, but the message ("The intention is to spread the message that people in school, including high school and middle school, need more physical activity") isn't a negative one.

Wajann, I checked out your BMI out of curiosity and though I don't know your muscle mass, you are barely outside the healthy BMI range. You're almost normal and I hate to say this but it doesn't sound like surgery will be possible for you. Most surgeons won't perform surgery on anyone who doesn't have at least a BMI above 30 with two life threatening complications.

I discovered a wonderful chip the other day. If you're going to eat anything other than triscuit I would recommend these for the health ingredients. FoodShouldTasteGood,Inc. They have a multitude of unique flavors. Multigrain, Sweet Potato, Lime, Cinnamon, Buffalo, Yellow Corn, Potato and Chive, The Works, Olive, chocolate and Jalapeno. For example, the Sweet Potato has Stone Ground Corn, High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Sweet Potato, Corn Bran, Evaporated Cane juice and Sea Salt. They are so tasty, so simple and yet healthy. Go for it Bandsters, seriously. FoodShouldTasteGood chips | All-natural healthy Snacks

It really depends on what's important to you. I chose Lap-Band because I didn't want to suffer from Vitamin deficiencies. I didn't want to lose my hair or nails. Vain, but my health is very important to me. It was also vital that ultimately, the Band is reversible. It can be undone if I realized I had made a mistake, unlike Gastric. You can't undo Gastric. I also liked that it was adjustable. It seemed like the obvious choice to me... But that's me. You might have different preferences, needs, etc. IMHO, since you're 5'2" and 240 pounds it sounds like Gastric would be a little extreme. Good luck on finding the perfect procedure for you!

Two weeks ago- 210.8 Today- 206.5 I don't trust it yet though. This is on a different scale because I'm home for the holidays. I've also been fluctuating wildly which is why I didn't update last week. It would have only depressed me, haha! I'm so fickle, I only post or update my ticker when the number suits me!

Still! You're halfway there! That's nothing to sneeze at. Good job and keep at it.