honk

It's funny knock on wood my only stuck incidents happend before my fills and I have'n had one since. Twice I did'nt chew a baby carrot well enought. Boy was that painfull.

I don't think you meant to be mean spirited in your post. I do wish however that people who have lost a lot of weight would'nt talk about the "huge sized they wore before or how awful I looked at X weight". I know you are trying to motivate yourself and perhaps others but it can be demoralizing to people at the start of their journey. While I know I've lost a lot of weight (well over 110, I never had a scale before so it's hard to tell) it is frustrating to think that I still have a hundred to go. I know I will probably get flamed for the above statement but if I feel this way I'd bet there are a lot of others who do as well. I'm not saying people should'nt Celebrate their victories since it's good to hear success stories. I just think we all should be sensitive to how our statement could be taken by others. Okay off my soap box.

Had you been on a protracted diet presurgery (not just a 1-2 week liquid diet)? I'd been on a stricked diet for 8 months presurgery. After the initial shock of surgery my loss really slowed down. Not sure if you are female but TOM really affects water weight gain.

My doctor never mentioned eating 1/2 food. The only thing he ever said was to make sure to get 3 oz of protein every meal with 60-80 g protien a day. And to exercise. From my research I do think he is one of the best surgeons in the area (and being in the Boston region that's saying something); because people to go him to fix problems created by other doctors. Also I have never been told to eat eraser sized bites or to "chew chew chew". But I would also say I am my own health care advocate and do a lot of research. When I had my first meeting with the surgeon I had lots of questions. I said I'm asking a lot of questions do most people do that? He said no but that it was my body and I that I had the right to know exactly what was going on. I'm a corporate recruiter and I spend my life researching and asking questions so I guess it's just the way I am.

I was allowed to have regular protein shakes from my first day home even though it was'nt clear.

Take liquid Tylenol it helps and there is not reason to live with pain you can stop!

I would try spacing our your calories. I had my broth and then an hour later the protein shake. Regarding vitamins my doctor said not to take them for 2 weeks.

I have tried Muscle Milk Light and Premier Chocolate Ready to drink shakes and they are pretty good. Also when making your own shakes if you use fat free milk that helps alot with the flavor. Also I made mine with milk "ice cubes" and used a blender which helps the texture makes if more like a frappe. Also fat free suger free pudding powder and suger free coffee flavoring syrups help the taste.

Is she seriously having sex with other people and then coming home to play house and "co parent"? Are these children a product of your marriage or yours alone? First, whether she is having "safe sex" or not I would'nt go near her she is opening herself up to all kinds of STD's. I don't consider my self a prude but if you're married you don't sleep with other people and you certainly don't exposure any parter to possible disease. If you are seriously doing lots of the house work and making her life easy who would'nt want that? It's like having a maid or a parent who does all the work and you get to have fun. Get therapy and decide whether this marriage is savable. And by savable I mean can your wife return to the marriage and get her fullfillment there. If not you need to do what's right for you and your children and get out.

I will not be drinking to be fair I do not drink ever so it's really not a sacrifice. Since I did have a piece of candy on Christmas (though preband I would have had a whole lot more than one); I don't want to be a hypocrite. I would say have one drink, considering the calories you could have a nice dessert for the calories a couple drinks will cost you. Also the more you drink your guard will be down and you will eat more than you planned on.

Try spacing out your eating. For the first 7 days I was allowed both broth and protein shakes. So I had broth and then an hour or so later a protein shake. If you are not getting enough calories in it does'nt shock me that you would be dizzy. Remember the brain is very particular. It can't run off protein or burnt fat; carbs only!

Could your doctor have put liquid in the band suring surgery. Many times when people on this site have had trouble eating post surgery it turned out to be because they had fill. When it was taken out they were able to eat.

You should follow your doctors orders. I can tell you what I did in those stages.7 days clear liquids- which included Broth and protein shakes7 days full liquids-Soups such as tomato, low fat cream of chicken. and protein shakes7 days mushies - Egg whites, yoghurt, fat free cottage cheese and ff ricotta, tomato sauceIf you are supposed to be on liquids for a week and surgery was on Monday; you probably be on liquids only until Monday of next week. I don't want to sound mean spirited but stop eating all solids. This is about letting your stomach heal. Solids require you stomach to churn which right now is BAD. Liquids suck a lot but it in your case it is only for a week.

Yes open enrollment is usually the begining of the year have your parents call/go to HR NOW (like this minute). However since you did have insurnce but no longer do that could be considered a "life change" and changes can be made at off times (like if you have a baby the baby can be added without having to wait until open enrollment.). I hate to be unromantic but if your fiance has a stable jobs with good health insurance; get married. One of my mothers biggest regrets in life is that my dad proposed many times and she put him off for like a year because she was young working and enjoying life. You can have a big party later; I've never understood saving up for a big wedding. It's just money down the toilet.

Are you on a statin for cholesterol? They darken urine. Previously if I was really hydrated it would be almost clear. Now always tinted.

You could try having a cup of clear stock (not broth) when you're hungry between meals (yah I know does'nt sound that great when after a wek of clear liquids). It would have some flavor and be warm (it's cold her in NE!) as is only 15 cal.

"She got to her goal weight and her dh divorced her b/c he said she looked disgusting and he couldn't get past the hanging skin."I call BS.I think he was unhappyy and wanted to leave and that was as good an excuse as any. What if he'd always had a hot thin wife who was in an accident and was misfigured? In that instance leaving his wife would have made him look bad. But blaming their divorce on her weight (which he did) makes it her fault. Even though she lost weight; she was fat BEFORE which led to saggy skin. If she had just been thin then none of this would have happened. I think you need to reach goal before you decide you need plastic surgery (not that you can't start saving the money now). I have never had perky breasts EVER. So there are'nt perky now. I think with breast augmentation being so prevelent; woman feel bad that natural breasts don't look like the fake ones.

I also had a lot of weight right at the begining and then things really slowed down. I think many of us hope to get the result that others on here have of weight "falling off". Personnally I think the amount you loose preband affects how much you loose with the band. In the 8 months prior to sugery I lost about 52 pounds. So I had already lost all the water weight; and the fat was holding on for dear life. I just had my fifth fill and think I've started to get restriction. In the week since my fill fully clothed I've lost 4 pounds (which includes Christmas where I showed some restraint and had portion help from the band but did not count any calories). I say fully clothed because when I weigh myself before going to the gym in my swimming suit I weigh almost 2 pounds less. Makes me wish I could weigh in at the doctors in my suit!

My doctor wanted me to practice drinking protein shakes and then waiting 30 + minutes before drinking water. You should definately stay hydrated that is really important. FYI during full liquid phase I really liked Pacific brand Tomato and Sweet Red Pepper Soup (sometimes in the Organic section). If you drink your soup out of a coffe cup vs a mug you will have 8 oz vs a lot more in a mug. I added Mrs Dash (no salt) chicken flavor to the soup before heating. The heating process reconstitutes the onion and garlic.

My last fill was my fifth and I think I am just now starting to have restriction. My practice has 2 nurses. Nurse A did my first fill at 4 CC'ss, second 2CCs, Nurse B for third 1 CC, Fourth 1 CC, then Nurse A again at 1.4. I wonder if I'd had Nurse A I would have gotten more agressive fills and hit restriction sooner.

I am just now starting to feel restriction and have 9.4 CC's. Frustrating I know. I have been a slow loser even though I really watch what I eat and do an hour of cardio a day. I had a fill one week ago and have lost 6 pounds. Hopefully this will kickstart things for me.

Could they look at it with ultrasound?

My doctor did'nt really have a preop diet but I made up my own. For several months pre surgery I did Protein shakes (whey Isolate Protein powerder, made with fat free milk. Look on this site for recipes there are lots) two meals a day and a small chicken based lunch. My journey to surgery was slower than many but I lost over 50 pounds between 12/2009 and 8/2010 the time from my consult to surgery. Sure doing liquids prior to the official liquid diet (if your doctor has one) may sound like a drag. There were people in my presurgery eating class that did a 500 calorie a day liquid diet for 3 months. I tried it for 1 week and after loosing no weight and exercising daily decided to go back to my own diet.

Not to be downer but treadmills are heavy. My sister in law (all 5' 90 pounds of her) is a marathoner. She had a treadmill in the basement that took 4 MEN to move when they left that house. Sooo if he don't have a lot of help, returning a treadmill that's on the second floor could be a major hassle.

I would be careful about taking laxatives or stool softeners forever. I take fiber gummies and add unflavored benefiber to my breakfast yoghurt. Used it a lot post surgery in the liquid and mushie phase.