JoiaRox

Who told you that rule? Are you newly banded? Are you drinking water? I was told to get in as much as possible...I've never had a problem drinking, gulping, sipping...whatever my brain's in the mood for. I'm 5 months post-op...even in the early days, drinking wasn't a problem.

Oops...double post!

Been awhile since I've checked in here...hi everyone! I'm doing great - down almost 60 pounds now! I've had five fills for a total of 9cc in a 14cc band, and it wasn't until the last fill of 1cc last weekend that I've really started to feel the difference in my eating habits. I thought I was good with 8cc, but a month and a half went by (with 2 doctor visits and no additional fills), and I was still able to eat larger portions than I wanted to...and the scale showed it. My clothes are looser, I'm eating less (and, more importantly, more healthily!) and loving my band life! I still have those moments, though, where "GOSH I WANT NACHOS!" I even buy something...this week was a hamburger and fries from a fast food joint because I hadn't planned ahead and brought food with me. Three french fries in and I gave the entire $8.00 meal to a colleague who hadn't eaten all day...I was already stuck (despite chewing slowly), and had no problem handing over the 2,000+ calorie meal :thumbup:

I did the same thing at my work - we did a biggest loser thing from the middle of February to the end of March and I was banded at the beginning of January. The difference is that everyone knew I was banded, and I'm very vocal about issues that come up - no restriction, weight gains, etc. (I now have great restriction, but that's beside the point.) SO, everyone knew I had it and no one questioned my integrity - they knew I was still workin' my butt off and choosing to eat the right foods. The band wasn't "doing it for me," as much as ignorant people would like to think :thumbup:

My advice? Stop eating so much. Is your mucous accompanied by any other symptoms (chest pain, tightness, etc.)? I only "slime," as we call it, when I've eaten too much or something I can't handle, and I have chest pain/tightness first. There are a few times I've headed to the restroom to spit up some extra saliva. Here's why it happens: When you have something partially lodged in your "new stomach" because it's either too big or too much, your body naturally produces juices to help break down the food - your body knows it's uncomfortable, too! Unfortunately, because you've filled your pouch with too much food, and it has to go through a tiny hole to get to your actual stomach for digestion, there's nowhere for this saliva to go. SO, there you are with extra saliva forming in your mouth/esophagus and the only direction it can come is back up...you either repeatedly swallow it or spit it out. Welcome to sliming :thumbup:

My new fave snack is fruit...I buy a variety (grapes, strawberries, etc.), then I take them all home and get the kitchen counter ready for some prep! I fill up snack size Ziploc bags with the various fruits I've bought, and I have a huge bowl of these Ziploc baggies in my FREEZER. It's hot where I live, but it's refreshing to have cold fruit with me throughout the day! And? If you keep up with the variety thing, you'll never get bored!

Ditto what another poster said - every morning before my shower, but after I've gone potty...always naked! It helps to keep me on pace and remind myself of the journey I'm taking. I usually shower, get dressed and then come update my ticker online :tt2:. I love seeing the number move! BUT - although I'm a daily scale addict, I do NOT let it mess with my head. There are days I go up, so what? I had a vanilla malt tonight (yummy!) and I'm sure I'll be up tomorrow...so what? Overall, the trend is down, and that's the statistic that keeps me smiling :thumbup:

Funny, I was just talking to my boyfriend about this last night. I've found it funny that now, 5 months post-op, the cravings really do go away. I had a fill last Saturday and it's finally put me at a decent restriction (9cc in a 14cc band...yikes!). I've passed up fast food, doughnuts and more this week because the pain in trying to take a bite or two is NOT worth it. It's at the point where I just...don't want those unhealthy foods. I've been amazed at the fruits, chicken breast, hummus, pita bread (small pieces!) I've been eating this week - SO different from the Joia I knew even a month ago with less restriction in her band. I've already noticed more energy, better sleep, better weight loss, etc. Of course, I *do* still enjoy my Starbucks Frapuccino on occasion...when you consume as few calories as I do now, they don't hurt every once in a while :thumbup:.

My advice? BE PATIENT. I'm up to 9cc in a 14cc band now, and it took 5 months and 5 fills to get there. Even though I was miserable with the earlier fills, frustrated that I could still eat anything and actually GAINED weight during months 2 and 3...I'm glad now that it was a progressive journey. I NOW have restriction and have been on a roller coaster of adjustments in the last week. But, going from "not" and "barely" to being "slightly" and "almost" restricted as the process went on helped my brain and my body adjust to eating lower calories. The bottom line is that your brain has to change too - making it a slower process that progressively eases you into the lifestyle change is worth it and, to me, the REASON I've been successful.

I've been really open about my surgery, so most people I dine out with know about my dietary needs. I order something I know I can eat...or take it home. Last week I was at a business lunch, enjoyed a few bites of the appetizer, and was too full to eat my steak cobb salad (yum!!) when it showed up to the table with our entrees. I let it sit there, boxed the whole thing up and took it home. If you're open about your surgery, no one asks...they just know you're full (and get amazed by how little you ate!).

Ditto what everyone else has said...give it time! I'm down almost 60 pounds and just NOW feel the need to add some smaller pieces to my wardrobe. Granted, my clothes have been baggy on me for the last 15-20 pounds, but now it's at the point where I just feel ridiculous in most of my clothes. I did buy ONE pair of dress pants a couple of weeks ago that were 2 sizes smaller than what I started with (needed something nice for my sister's college graduation and didn't feel that being a baggy mess would be appropriate)...and I tried on a maid of honor dress that same weekend in the size I had just bought in the pants...too big! I'm excited to go do some shopping here in the next week and see what size I'm actually down to!

I started at 338 and am now down to 281 in 5 months. I started to get the "wow - I can see you're losing weight" comments after I had finally come out of the 300's (about 40 pounds of weight loss). Now, I'm noticing more and more changes on my body - and my mother even commented a couple weeks ago on how little my arms were getting (hadn't seen her since pre-surgery)...something I hadn't noticed until she pointed it out! Now that I'm getting close to 60 pounds lost (I'm a tall girl), I'm starting to see the changes more often...every 10 pounds or so. But, yeah - I hear ya! It took awhile for that to kick in!

I don't measure anything, but I'm at the point now (9cc in a 14cc band) that I'm lucky to get food down at all! I drink a lot of fluids throughout the day, snack on some fruit (I freeze it in baggies...grapes, strawberries, etc. and it lasts me all day!), slivers of chicken, etc. Breads are tough on me at all, so carbs really aren't an issue. I do have some pita bread with hummus (tear off pieces of pita and dip it in hummus) as a snack most nights...but considering how little food I take in, and the continuing weight loss? Restriction is glorious and working just fine :tt2:. I always resigned myself to the fact that this was NOT a diet. I refuse to count anything (mainly because I have no patience for it) and will eat anything I want to. I had a vanilla malt tonight, it was delicious! Is it going to set me back? Maybe. But, my problem in gaining weight didn't have so much to do with the food choices I made, but the AMOUNT of food I would shove into my body every day. I'm of the mindset that you should eat healthy foods the majority of the time, take your Vitamins, drink your Water...but enjoy your life :thumbup:. I do - and it's brought me a 57 pound weight loss since my surgery 5 months ago. I'll take that!!

I had told my fill doctor that I had done it 3 times in the 3 weeks since I had seen him last. I commented that it "wasn't that often" and he said it was...so once a week is too much? I had (and am still having) the same issues with overestimating bites, portions, etc...it's my stupid head playing games with me! You'll get over it :thumbup:

I haven't done anything...except love my body more! I've always loved me, regardless of the size I was. Cute clothes, hair, bras, panties, etc. are all part of who I've always been! Confidence speaks volumes of people, and it's a trait I've been blessed to have. Sooo...I guess the only answer for me is that I work out! Not that I *wouldn't* have done it before the weight loss...I just didn't!

Just to reiterate what people are saying - larger sizes DO take more weight loss to get through, while smaller (regular) sizes take less weight to get through. I started at 338 pounds (I'm 5'10") and was tightly fitting into the 26/28 clothing. Now down to 292 (46 pounds), I'm tightly fitting into the 22/24 clothing. I prefer my clothes to be form fitting, so I'm okay with that. I do read about people in the smaller sizes that go down a size after 10 pounds. I just keep reminding myself that I'm healthier than I've been in a long time - the Water drinking, healthier eating, etc. have all made a profound difference already on my energy levels and more! And? I'm still gorgeous at any size :thumbup:

What stuck feels like: Tales from the Band...: The scale moves - Stuck vs. Full - Losing my Pants

I had my surgery on a Thursday, had a friend drive me home the 2 hours back home...I slept...drove to the store the next morning. As long as the pain meds are out of your system, you're fine to drive :eek:

Welcome - sounds like you're ready to rock! I'm in Bakersfield, CA...we still consider ourselves Southern :eek:. Best of luck to you on your journey - it's the best decision I ever made for myself! And to the last girl who talked about discussing her true weight? Wow - same here! I'm not ashamed anymore of telling people I work with, on Facebook, etc. of how much I actually weigh or what I started out at (338). I'm also not ashamed of posting "before" pictures...to me, they're all badges of honor that I can look back on throughout the journey and say, "Yeah, I'm down almost 50 pounds...I'm awesome!" I've found the encouragement from my friends and colleagues amazing as well - yay for being public and no longer hiding behind our weight!

No gall bladder issues here, but I wanted to say HELLO, WELCOME and I really appreciate the title of your post, recognizing this as a "never ending journey." I'm glad you haven't gotten discouraged because the band wasn't put in at the first surgery. It's awesome that you have a live-in LapBand buddy! Best of luck to both of you!

There's no hard and fast rule as to how long it should take you to eat - it's merely a suggestion so that you remember to eat slowly, put your fork down between bites, and chew chew chew. I rarely take very long to eat, but I DO remember to follow the rules...otherwise my LapBand (her name's Ms. LB) gets very mad at me and tries to PB or make my chest hurt. It's a daily lesson in patience, but I never actually look at the clock to time my eating.

Addressing the last question you asked - you'd be surprised! I WILL tell you that it takes TIME and FILLS to get to restriction. I got quite frustrated a few weeks after surgery when the swelling was gone (which is what keeps you feeling full immediately post-op for a couple of weeks) and I had no restriction yet. I started with 2cc in a 14cc band at surgery time, and I'm now up to 8cc in a 14cc band - FINALLY have some restriction. But, let me tell ya - February was absolute hell on the scale, on my hunger, on my head...ugh. Stick it out, and you'll giggle when the 3 eggs with a 1/4c. of cheddar jack you just made for Breakfast fills you up to the point that you have to throw some of it away...this from a girl who used to handle a couple of Sausage Muffins w/Egg, hash browns, and could STILL eat more! It's AWESOME! :eek:

#1 - yes, that's normal. All your insides are swollen at the moment, which is why doctor's recommend the liquid diet initially following surgery. Once you're healed up, the pain will subside! #2 - What would your doctor say? LOL! I know it's tough, but the liquid diet really is meant to heal you. Same thing for after a fill - my doc makes me do 24 hours of liquid to let any inflammation dissipate. Stop adding stuff in, and just be patient. It'll all be worth it! Best advice? Those who are most successful on this journey follow instructions... #3 - I'm about three and a half months out of surgery, and I hiccup/burp if I've had too much to eat. It's a normal thing! Following surgery, the hiccup/burp allows your body to release the gas trapped inside of you from surgery. Either way, get used to the hiccup/burp...it's going to be a normal part of your life! #4 - Best way I can describe restriction? I posted this on my blog: Tales from the Band...: The scale moves - Stuck vs. Full - Losing my Pants. Feel free to read it, it's humorous! Best of luck to you on your journey!! :eek:

First question - can you feel your port AT the port incision site? Meaning, can you push on that and feel a hard, round thing inside? If not, it may be the position you are standing/laying...and that the "knot" you're feeling is actually your port! Either way, I'd highly recommend you call your doctor. Even if that is your port, it's always better to be safe than sorry. Your doctor gets a million silly questions a day - don't be afraid to ask one!