tonya66

***bump*** good info to review

I joined a gym for 2 reasons - 1. No room in my house to add workout equipment 2. I want to pick the time to work out, so I joined a 24/7 gym. I work out after my kids are in bed, or at 5 am. Lately its been in the evening, but I feel better if I get out of bed and work out at 5 am before I start my day. I am on my 13th week now of not missing a day of exercise!

Let see, I'm 6 mos post op - down a total of 74 lbs, and for the first time in my life, I am no longer GAINING weight. Heck yes, i would do it again in a heart beat! This has been the best decision I have ever made. It is a tool to help me and I have used it as such. I don't rely on the band solely, but I do depend on the band to help know when to quit eating. I have to make the right food choices, but the band reminds me when I've had enough. So we are a great team together!

Today is my 6 month band anniversary! I'm down to 174lbs - a total loss now of 74 lbs and I have only 29 lbs to go before reaching my goal weight of 145 lbs! My dr. goal weight for me is 155, but I'm shooting for 145! What have I learned in the past 6 months - or what has happened to me in the past 6 months: 1. I've learned that food is not everything to me, I don't have to be in the clean plate club, I've learned to eat to live, not live to eat. 2. I've learned when I'm stressed, I don't have to eat, I don't have to rely on food to make me feel better. (shopping does just the same - lol) 3. I can now pull ANYTHING out of my closet and it it will NOT be too small, it might be too big, but not too small. 4. I now am starting to like me, I like the way I look, and I don't think I'm that ugly of a person any longer! I'm still critical of myself, but getting better at excepting things that I cannot change. 5. I now LOVE to shop - I hated to shop in the past, nothing fit! Now it is so great to pull something off the size 12 rack and it fit! 6. I love healthy food, I'm not that big of a chocoholic after all - I still love chocolate, but I don't have to have it everyday! 7. I have learned to love exercise 8. I can cross my legs, walk up a hill and squeeze into tiny spaces now! 9. I actually am not the fatest person in a room now. 10. My blood sugar is normal 11. no more snoring - although I still have to sleep with cpap machine - hoping this comes off soon. 12. I've been called skinny! 13. I've had young men checking me out at the gym - even flirting with me! before - they would have ran the other direction. Although I would not act on such a pass (happily married for almost 20 years now), I do find it flattering. 14. I'm still learning about the band, but feel like I am in control of my eating, my life and my weight for the first time! I am no longer GAINING weight! 15. My dr. wants to use me as his lap band success patient, he wants to put me on his 2008 calendar he produces every year. 16. I go to the pool and no longer feel like everyone is staring at my fat thighs 17. my cellulite is shrinking 18. I have muscle and definition 19 - i'm stronger, I can lift more, and I can go further than I ever have. 20 I no longer dread activities with my children 21. My family is proud of me 22. I look forward to getting out of the bed in the mornings and getting ready for my day! 23. I'm happy - I love life. 24. My marriage has grown stronger 25, My relationship with my children is better because we can do more things together 26. I am not welcomed in the Lane Bryant store anylong - good bye forever! 27. I wear sexy bras and panties now - no more granny panties and the 6 inch bras straps! I'm just an average C now. 36 C - no more 40 or 42 C's which are so difficult to find. 28. I am more positive with people now, not so negative (probably because I'm so much happier)/ These are just a few things I've learned or accomplished these past 6 months.

I agree - the band is not easy! Its a daily struggle and it seems it changes EVERYDAY! grrrrrr. But I do love my band, no matter how difficult it may seem at times, I love the feeling of control I have!

Chris - I think this is what is happening with me. For example, I remember my very first fill, he filled me up to 1.8cc's and it showed it was tight, then he had me drink some more, then it started going thru the band, he filled me up to 2.0 cc's and again, showed it was tight, then had me drink more - and it showed the stuff going thru quicker. But he left me at 2.0 cc's for the first fill (I think) I've had so many fills lately, I don't where or what I'm doing. lol. I go Friday for fill #4 - I'm going to suggest he fill me and I come back to see if the swelling has went down. I'm also going to suggest the thicker stuff rather than saline, so we'll see what he says. Shawn - you go girl - you are the new exercise queen!

I know this thread is for guys only, however, I did a search about me losing restrion and found this sight. I'm having the same problem. I am going for fill #4 on Friday, I'm at 3.5cc's in a 4 cc band with no restriction. I had a fill on 7/6/07 (Friday) and by Monday, I could fill I had no restriction so I called the dr. and he immediately ordered an upper GI. I had that on Wednesday 7/11/07, which showed what I was feeling - all and everything going thru the band with no restriction. It also showed that I had no leaks, and the band was in perfect condition. So my dr. called me back and ordered another fill which I will have on the 20th. It seems my restriction is getting shorter and shorter. My 1st fill I had restriction for a month, 2nd fill I had restriction for 3 weeks, the 3rd fill I had restriction for 2 weeks, then lost it, then got it back again for a week, then lost it again. I had my fill #3 and it lasted 2 days. So weird. I've managed to lose 74 lbs now with little restriction, but I want to feel the restriction as my backup. Right now, I'm just eating right and exercising, and fighting the urge to eat. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one having this problem.

I'm at 6 months post op and I get the shoulder pain if I eat too much, or I have carbonation. I was recently at a wine tasting tour and had a few sips of wine on the wine tasting, and some of the wine I tasted had carbonation in it. Mind you, these were very tiny sips, and that night I woke up around 3 am with horrible shoulder pain. I ended up getting out of bed and walking around the hotel to ease the pain. I learned my lesson, no carbonation at all for me!

"ONLY LOST 31LBS?" 31 lbs is GREAT! With only 1 fill, even greater! I do remember you saying your port had flipped, I'm happy you are getting it fixed next Monday. Are they replacing the port, or just fixing it?

Next you will be Victoria Secrets new model! Congratulations! That is great.

Welcome! Tell us more about yourself.....

Me too - what the heck???? Actually - they wanted me to come in on the 13th (the dr. only does fills on Friday) but I was leaving town the 12th so I couldn't, so I made my appointment for the 20th. I did weigh this morning, I was at 176 lbs. I was at 174lbs a week ago, so I'm up 2 lbs. I'm not too upset over it, I can deal with 2 lbs.

I'm going to ask the fill dr. on Friday about Omnipaque. The last time I was there, they withdrew all my saline and I had 3.0cc's in the band, so I had what the dr. put in there, but not enough restriction. Then he filled me completely close and slowly withdrew saline as I drank that nasty crap, and when it finally slowly went thru the band, thats where he stopped - it ended up bing 3.5cc's. He had me drink more and could see it barely went thru the band, I think he was worried I was too tight, so he told me be careful and before he let me leave, he had me drink an entire glass of water - I drank it with no problems and then left. By Monday I didn't even feel like I had a band. So I called to tell them that and they immediately ordered an upper GI, that showed the same thing that I was feeling (everything going thru the band). So now I will go back on Friday, I'm sure he will withdraw the saline to make sure how much was in there, and try it again, but I'm going to ask him to use the thicker (Omnipaque) rather than saline, I hope they are familiar with it, i'm sure they are - you would think he would be anyhow. Thanks guys for your concern and help. I'm scared to weigh myself, I know I'm up! I can feel it in my clothes. I'm trying my best to eat the right food choices and continue to eat slowly and chew.

I don't know??? But I can tell you, I can eat anything and everything right now....bread, steak, you name it - I'm really confused. I have less restriction now than I did before I got my last fill. They keep telling me nothing is wrong with my band,they can see no leaks, it is in the right position, but yet I have no restriciton. and supposedly, I am at 3.5cc's. I'm so worried about it. I'm just fighting back the need the eat, trying to control my hunger at this point.

Oh man, your NSV brought tears to my eyes too! That is GREAT!

Happy 6 month band anniversary! Mine is coming up in 2 days. Well, just got back from a mini vacation with my daughter, her best friend, my niece and my sister in law. We drove down to Branson, MO and just shopped until we dropped (and ate way too much). My dr. called me on Wednesday evening and read the results of my upper GI. I was right, NO RESTRICTION. He wanted me to come in last Friday to do another fill, however I couldn't because we were headed out of town. So I'm going back this Friday (the 20th) for fill #4. He said right now I am doing it all on my own, I have pretty much zero restriction, everything is going right thru the band at a rapid pace. grrrrr. I knew I wasn't feeling right, I just knew it! Anyhow, hopefully the next fill will get me right....I'm ready to feel some major restriction!

I weighed this morning at 179.6 YAY! I now weight LESS than my husband (he weighs 181). I still can't believe I saw 179 on the scales - but I did! This weekend is a busy weeked, I'm attending a convention with my church, it was all day yesterday, and all day today and tomorrow, but I love seeing all my friends there. I've been eating good healthy foods, and exercising so its paying off. I just don't want it to end! I want to get to my goal within a year of 145, but if I don't I will still be happy because I've already almost lost 70 lbs! In about 6 months!

Shawn - good goal! I'm on my 12th week now - and still going strong in the exercise dept. I am leaving tomorrow for a short mini vacation with my 14 yr old daughter, her friend, and my sister in law and her daughter - its a girls trip. But I plan on exercising at the hotel (it has a gym!)

Debbie, GOOD TO KNOW. I'm so happy you told me how many cc's you have. I honestly think I just need more cc's. I think when the dr. fills me, my stomach autimatically reacts and swells a bit, then once the swelling goes down, (in a few days), i'm not that restricted? Thats my feelings. This morning when they did my GI my band looked good, however, I AM WIDE OPEN. The dr. could see the fluid just go right thru - absolutely no restriction. I feel like I don't even have the band right now. So now I just wait, the dr. is sending my report over to my lab band dr. and I am waiting on him to call me to tell me how he wants to handle. I'm sure he'll have me come in for another fill. I'm going to ask him about omnipaque instead of saline. Maybe that would give me some restriction. Anyhow, I don't think anything is wrong with the band, its me! lol.

Updating my journal - Got my 3rd fill on Friday (7/6/07), was raised to 3.5cc's and I now feel like I have less restriction than I did before. So weird. I called my dr. and they are scheduling me for an upper GI tomorrow. I hope everything is okay. I have lost another 2 lbs - weight now finally to 176! I've been on a 3 week stall maybe even 4 weeks. Still exercising, but have slacked this last week. Planning on doing my LBWO tonight. I'm also very nausiated right now. I went to the gym on Saturday morning, and was working out and thought I was going to barf on the elliptical machine. I'm not sure what is going on, very weird.

Hello all - I've been so busy, just have not had time to get online...so I'm dropping a quick note to update ........ Susie - I remember you saying that your daughter was your biggest cheerleader, and I know she would want you to be healthy and strong - so do it in her rememberance! Her kids need you so be strong and healthy for them. I truly feel for you and I know how bad I imagine the loss to be is knowhere near as bad as it is, I am sure it is 100 x worse than we all could imagine. Your constantly in my prayers. Debbie - I would recommend buying the book, body for life by Bill Phillips, you could also log into the website, bodyforlife.com. The program is intense but you will see great improvements with your body. Well, I got another fill on Friday - raised me up to 3.5 cc's and I feel absolutely no restriction, I actually feel less than I did at 3.0 cc's. I called the dr. back yesterday and I think they are concerned. They are scheduling me for an upper GI which I have in the morning. I really hope my band is okay! I am also very nausiated. The good news, I'm down another 2 lbs - probably because I feel so nausiated to eat. On the flouro, they could see nothing wrong with my band,it looked to be in perfect condition, so I'm hoping that I'm just a weird case and just need a larger fill than normal. So, I should know tomorrow more about my situation. Babygotback - so good to hear from you again, you were really missed! Jen - 50 lbs is great - CONGRATS! Shawn - good job on exercise! TracyinKS - check in anytime! Your doing pretty good yourself. You know, I really didn't feel that weird being completely closed up, I think I'm just a weird case and I don't feel the things that most people feel. I don't PB - I can eat ANYTHING, I can eat big bites of food, I can guzzle water down, - even though I can do these things, I don't. I try and make healthy choices, and measure my food out, and eat only what a bandster should eat. I might just be a lucky one and have no problems with eating big bites. So I don't know if I should be concerned or feel happy? I'm just so confused right now - after tomorrow and my upper GI, hopefully that will put me more at ease.

Hey there! Of course we can still do the thread! I'm on my 11th week of the Body For Life Challenge and next week will be my 12th week. I'm so happy I finally finished the challenge! I've started it so many times, but NEVER made it to the 12th week, but this time I'm going to make it!

Hello January Bandsters! So good to see everyone checking in!!!!!! I went for fill #3 FINALLY today. YAY! He looked at my band thru flouro and everything is perfect condition. He filled me COMPLETELY shut then had me drink and barely let anything out to see where I should be at. We ended up at 3.5 cc's. I ate two chicken nuggets and was full - not the best choice to eat, but was on the run and hungry. He told me to take it easy to see what I could tolerate. I had no problems with the chicken so I guess I'm doing okay. Time will tell if this is the right fill or not.

Below is a PM I received from Pinky - Hi Tonya, i just figured i'd check in with you. I didn't get my lap-band in january because i got sick, so i had to wait till June, but i finally got it 2 weeks ago, i'm starting mushies today. I'm really psyched about it, liquids was pretty tough, but i'm proud to say that i did it without cheating. I'm down 26 pounds since starting my pre-op diet. Since i gained about 16 pounds since January, i still have 100 to go, but i'm looking forward to the journey. You are down 70 pounds, that's amazing, i hope i can get that far in six months. Well, i just wanted to say hi, hope you have a great day. <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->__________________

I will have my 3rd fill on Friday and having the same problem. I have great restriction for a few weeks and then it disappears. The 2nd fill actually came and then left and then restriction came back - and then left again. I can eat a horse right now, however, I stick to the moto, "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should". So am forcing myself to eat healthy and exercise, I eat more than a bandster should, but not as much as my "pre-banding" life. I'm maintaining my weight right now, not gaining, not losing, but I suspect after my next fill (3 days - 4 hours and 2 minutes away - but whose counting, lol) I will start losing again.