Betsyjane

I was back to taking my pills whole, all at once, until I got the right restriction... I'm back to crushing them. I take them with a sip of Water and then immediately throw my chewable Vitamin in my mouth to get rid of the taste. While I was getting my last fill, the counselor said I should have been crushing them all along because IF on got stuck, the chemicals could erode the tissue and cause band erosion. That was enough scare for me. I used to take NSAIDs, but they told me not to after banding, so I'm doing chewable Tylenol. not as much help, but it takes the edge off.

Hi WillyC I believe there is a husband and wife team who were both banded who may be joining us. And we'll try not to gang up on you! Join us Monday!

Congratulations, dear. Get ready for the roller coaster ride to continue as you learn about this new and wonderful life.... You'll figure what to do about shoulder pain, exercise, liquids, mushies solid foods, fills that don't work, more fills that do.... You've stood up to your fears. Now get ready to stand up to your new life and cheer. It's quite a journey! And we'll all get through it together.

I'd like to add more protein to my protein shake, without adding anymore sugar or sweetener. Was thinking of mixing it with milk instead of water. Anybody have any ideas for adding even more protein to it? Ice cream? Just kidding...mostly.

I am a Christian and have a personal relationship with God. Just because we disagree does not make me evil or wrong, nor does it make you Godly or right. It simply means we disagree. Please don't presume that I am not Christian because we disagree: As a minister, you are wiser than that, I know.

Here it is. http://www.snopes.com/rumors/clinton.htm

I thought that Clinton/Bin Laden thing was listed in one of those myths and legends sites as being fake info..... I'll go look for it.

I KNOW!!!!!! No one is noticing my weight loss yet. It may have something to do with my baggy clothes, though. Just hate to buy new ones yet. Interesting Angela. My Dr. says eat 3 meals and no snacks. I have protein shakes in between anyway....satisfies my sweet tooth, chocolate tooth, and anxiety about getting enough protein in.

If going to war in Afganistan and Iraq has kept us from being bombed, thenyou might also believe that if we had gone to war with them earlier, we could have avoided 9-11. Would you backtrack for me and show me how the war in Iraq and Afganistan would have stopped the 9-11 gang? I'm not being frivolous...I want to understand.

Hi Vicki You had an aggressive first fill! It may be though that some of it absorbed into the band and you need another fill. Mine didn't absorb, but my band got loose as I lost weight. Then...what Tom said. My Dr. said to eat my protein first, my veges second, and if I had any room left, have a little bit of something else. He also said I only need more than a tiny bit of carbs if I'm training for a marathon.... So I'm having a piece of some kind of meat or egg and then veges at each meal, and if I have a protein shake (Muscle milk light---yum...), a mush a few berries in it to try to get some fruit in. Other than my protein shakes, I'm not a fan of either sugar or artificial sweetener, so there's not much cooking that goes into my meals...I keep a bunch of frozen chicken breasts around and a bag of fresh veges that I have cut up and ready to be salad. Oddly, I've read here that several people stopped losing pounds either by not eating enough protein or by not eating enough calories.... I guess we're all in this for the long haul and we're all trying to find that correct balance through trial and error. Keep the faith dearie! This is just a temporary glitch.

I'm way older than any of you. I'm a senior citizen. I wish I'd had this done in my 20s. No need to spend decades kicking yourself for not being able to exercise and diet it off. I get so angry at all the infomercials on TV and the talk show hosts who adopt that holier than thou attitude about people just needing to change themselves. Someday when people are educated enough to understand that for some of us, radical surgery is the only viable option, they will look back at today and realize they were crucifying us instead of helping. Morbid obesity is not like a model needing to lose 5 pounds. It's a serious and progressive disease. It's just hard to get people educated given the crap that's on TV.

I saw a show yesterday about the fattest 8 year old. Somebody's parents need to be taken out back to the woodshed.....

I had no restriction after syrgery, after my first fill or after my second fill. I'm now luxuriating with perfect restirction after my third fill. Breakfast has to be a protein shake...lunch is light but solid, and for dinner I can eat more, but not excessively. Never before in my life have I had to think about how to get ENOUGH calories! Nice problem to have....

I was recently told by another bandster not to drink using a straw....Too much air into the stoma. Makes sense to me.....

Cfincham: Here's a great post that has been posted elsewhere, about how to know when you need a fill.... HowtoTellWhenYouArePerfectlyAdjusted: You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of Protein a day? 2. Are you eating 25 grams of Fiber? 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories? a. Soup can be sign of soft calorie syndrome b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories 7 calories per gram.(It's also a stomach irritant). c. fruit juice is just sugar Water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can't just eat what's easy c. cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals? 6. Are you eating too much junk? a. chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, Cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don't avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of Calcium daily? 8. Do you always eat the protein first? 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. meat or fish (3 ounces the size of a deck of cards) b. Vegetables (½ cup the size of your fist) c. Starch (If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don't need much - Avoid: rice, potatoes, pasta) 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine. d. The body has no way to break down artificial fats). a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body B. You may need a behavior adjustment 1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you're not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small Snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won't be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it's a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive compulsive thoughts (Obsess about something else) b. Perfectionism (All or none, black and white thinking) c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as good and bad e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables (6) Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (7) Peppermint (8) Baking soda toothpaste (9) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (Tylenol is OK) n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider

FYI: There's also a support group downtown in the middle of each month... http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/HoustonAreaBandsters/

I have great news! I was so impatient, discouraged, and guilty trying to be good without feeling restriction. I kept trying to work the program, but fell back on old habits so often without the help of the band. Well, it's the difference between night and day now. My last fill worked! I love it. I love it! What was impossible is now just good hard work. I am eating according to plan, feeling satisfied, and that's it! I am just tickled! Cfincham.....I also lost 20 pounds, hovered, and then started to regain. Second fill didn't help me either. Try to be kind to yourself, and just do what you can....when you get the right amount of fill, it's a new day.

I'll be there! I'll try to get one of the first tables when you walk in and I'll have a table sign that says BANDSTERS

Tongue firmly implanted in cheek.

How many Middle Eastern countries need to be under attack by us before we call it a world war? And if it's a world war, who's on our side? Uh oh...

Seems like if you were maintaining a 2 pound a week weight loss, you were OK before....

Good grief...a rich sugar mommy OR daddy OR couple. Sounds like the goats are safe, anyway. Unless they have a trust fund. I bought mine from Alexander Farms in Houston. Some pregnant does. They had babies and formed my little herd. At that point, I didn't have the time to figure out how to do the bloodlines, shows, and sales for another animal...already was doing mini horses, dressage horses, fallow deer, and Golden Retrievers. But I love these little goats and they are just the resident goat herd. They got off easy. They're just a happy retired group.

Hey, I used to be a buckeye, and I have mini dairy goats...Nigerian Dwarfs. Also ex-corporate ladder for the same reasons. Too bad I'm married....and not rich. With your new bod, maybe you can become a gigolo.

Everybody trying out theri new bodies... Maybe it's XXX Lapmatch.com...or BedBuddyBandsters.com

Tom-You've done it now! It's LapMatch.com!