Betsyjane

I'm drooling. For the food and the customer service....

Dog Camp: www.GoldenRetrieverCamp.com Er, yep. I've THOUGHT about jazzercise... Here's my excuse. The cold is gone but I still have a bit of a leftover cough. I start coughing after about 10 minutes on the treadmill, so I think I'll wait. I am interested, though. It does sound like alot of fun. Maybe I'll even get coordinated! Are you still going and still enjoying it?

ah, I miss my shakes. I'm on solid food now and I don't want to get my calories from liquids that don't give me that full sensation. Too bad. I loved Muscle Milk. The only time I get to have it is when I'm too restricted in the morning, and I haven't been for at least a week...... For Vitamins, I take Solotron from GNC. Chewable lemon-lime flavor.

I was on mushies after 48 hours, per my Dr. Everybody's different.

Some people have used liquids to open the band so they can eat.... Maybe you are one of the peop[le for whom liquids cause less restriction.

Sewingloss: An average of 1-2 pounds a week is good. If you're losing less, it might be time for a fill...... Talk to your Dr......

Luckily, a fill is usually not a big deal...just a 1 minute procedure. And hey! Look at you! You are doing so well!

The first fill might get absorbed into the band. Then there are fills until you get to the right amount for you. Then you lose fat around the stomach so the band losens. There's also a big learning curve with the band and I suppose as you eat differently, you might need more or less restriction. Then if you get sick you might need it unfilled for awhile. It can be a bit of a moving target at times.

I'm not young, so I don't belong here, and I promise to get out. Just a thought. There are bandsters who switch "additions" from food to alcohol, and end up in major trouble. Also bandsters who lose their hair because of getting empty calories and not enough protein. Just a thought.

You're on your way, Tony! What I'm finding is that if I'm trying hard and not losing...or gaining...it's time to quit kicking myself and just get a fill! Otherwise, enjoy the learning curve.

I know the feeling. By the time I got banded, I knew I had lost the battle and couldn't do it without the band. It's a funny journey though. I've lost some of the restriction I had weeks ago, and I plateaued and had to readjust my food...but nowI have, and I'm losing again. It's amazing to actually have some control over choices...to be able to make a decision about food and stick with it (mostly).

Atta Bikergirl! And I see you've already named your band. I want to do that......

So...it's only 21,000 troops if we subcontract the rest to Halliburton.

Let me see if I get the concept. If you don't succeed at the 6 month diet will you get denied for being noncompliant? If you do succeed, will you be proving that you don't need the band to lose weight?

I wonder if you had the hernia already and it's causing inflammation that restricts your band..... I know nothing about hernias, but I do know that when I got just a plain old cold, I was WAY restricted and when it went away, I wasn't. Call your lap band Dr. and ask. Seems a shame to trash the band unless you're sure......

Ok. Cold is gone and so is some of the restriction. Bah! I'm doing fine, but it was easier knowing I couldn't get much down and living on more protein shakes! These thorny decisions about real food are soooo tedious, dahlings. I've had days of no weight loss, readjusting my food intake to accommodate a slightly looser bands.... But....a milestone for me. No more diabetic meds! I was on just one pill and it was mild, but I don't need it anymore. Blood sugar is stable at a good rate. Yeah! One less stoopid pill to crush and make a grinchy face it. I'm going to keep monitoring, but so far so good. So here's the news from dog camp. A woman (truly an inside the looper) from Rice U was bringing her dog up to camp this morning and didn't show up.... she called later to ask if she was close yet since she was seeing signs for KATY! when I apologized and said I much not have told her 59 NORTH, she said "No. It's my fault. You said north but I just didn't think there was anything north except the airport." Oy. So 2 hours later, she arrived in a gorgeous brand new Jag convertible and knee high stilletto boots that were $700 on sale, I'm sure. Her dog ran to the lake, jumped in, ran back to her and jumped on her, soaking wet. dogs are the great equalizers. Her response was to stop and play with her dog. So I like them both. We enjoy them little things out here in BFE.

Woo hoo! No more diabetes meds needed! Whadda milestone!

If I stayed on 600 calories, my metabolism would re-set and I'd have to eat even less than that to lose weight. I don't want my body to react to too much fast weight loss or too few calories. I'm trying to sneak this weight loss in gradually, and hoping my skin will catch up as I go!

I hear there is a band being tested that fills mechanically by remote control. that would be nice.... Have you ever driven down a street seeling if your garage door opener opens anyone else's garage? Can you just see it? Get mad at your spouse and fill him up so he can't eat? check your remotes at the door suring support group? ah, the visuals are endless. I suspect however that the remote will only be in the doctor's hands......

Update: Oddly, the band is much looser now. I can eat eggs for breakfast and I'm struggling not to overeat from 2 on.... Hmmm. I liked it better the other way.

Congrats Lizrbit. When you're feeling well, you're certainly welcome at any of the support groups around Houston, for some company!

Think of yourself as a rich thin society socialite who never wants to put calories to her lips, but goes to high falutin' social events all the time. She can pull it off with class and so can you.

I had a great 2 weeks after my 3rd fill...feeling super restriction. It's less now. And I'm not gaining or losing at the moment.

The PRes just finished his latest speech. I thought lately he had been giving better speeches. This one was old vintage Bush. Condescending.... The American people who don't agree with me are just stoooopid. He just can't sell it.

I'm pretty new at this, but here goes. After I was banded, I felt good restriction for about a week while my stomach was inflammed post surgery. so I had one week to know what it was going to be like. then no restriction...and none after my first fill, and none after my second fill. But after my last (3rd) fill, it's working, and I can do what was impossible for me to do before! I have lost weight on Atkins and with diet pills, but it came back. With the band, I feel totally different. I'm so happy to have it. In the morning, I have a lot more restriction. I heat up my Protein drink (sometimes mixing in some fruit). Heat helps open the band some. I have to drink it slowly to get the drink through, but I don't feel deprived. Sometime before noon, I start drinking Water and get down at least 20 ounces. Around 1 PM, I have a bit less restriction and can get down a hot homemade Soup filled with meat and veges. As a snack in the afternoon, I often have a Balance 100 calorie Protein Bar. Sometimes a scrambled egg. Mid afternoon, I start slugging down water again...at least another 20 ounces. I have a nice dinner of meat first and then veges. I can usually eat 4-6 ounces total, but sometimes the band is a lot looser and I have as much as 1.5 cups of food. For the evening, sometimes I have a sugar free popsicle. And more water. On bad days, there might also be a few other cheats, like 2 spoons of cottage cheese. I don't crave sweets (I think because of my protein shake-Muscle Milk is so yummy). I don't crave Pasta. I occaSIONALLY DO WANT ICE CREAM, AND IT ALWAYS GOES DOWN WELL, SO i HAVE TO GRAB A BOTTLE OF WATER INSTEAD, AND OCCASIONALLY i HAVE HAD A SCOOP OF ICE CREAM. (Oops...didn't know I hit the caps. Sorry.) Here's the comparison for me. Before the band, I could eat alot of fast food, as often as 6 times a day. I could eat massive amounts of ice cream. I was never satisfied. I was always grazing. Always. Always. I feel like I've been let out of a cage. Now I just have to think about what I'm doing. I don't have to fight insurmountable cravings. It's more like being a normal person deciding to exercise disipline! It's do-able and not impossible. I just get full. And I like good foods better than bad ones. I can be wise now and I couldn't before.