NurseShay

Mixed textures... cereal with milk. =/

Amen on your non scale victories!! And prayers for your future success in your weight loss journey and overall new healthier and happier life! Continue to walk by faith and you can do anything!!

@minimoo I feel your pain! I has one yesterday as I was standing right over a patient... she had a horrified look like I had jus burped right in her face. SMH I wish mine would just come from the "belly" area so I could pretend they were regular stomach growling noises but nope... they come right out of my mouth! And if Im fortunate enough to predict ones arrival and shut my mouth it sounds off in my throat like fireworks. :ph34r: I've learned to live with it tho... beats that 100lbs which was much more embarrassing. I tend to talk about my band like it's its own entity with a personality and voice of its own... helps kill the awkwardness since she refuses to stay my own little secret!

haha YES! I too have a talkative band. It gurgles and knocks and whistles like old pipes in the winter. It does it sometimes when Im not even eating and haven't eaten for hours. It does it in my SLEEP and I have found myself woken up by it irritated more than a dozen times. IDK what it is because I have always had a noisy band even when I didn't have much restriction. I wouldn't say Im too tight now becuz I can get down the things Im suppose to but it does like to talk. I know I am a mouth breather and thus air swallower and I have found that when I have air caught it will sound like a bear growling in my throat (usually when Im sleeping) I do avoid drinking or eating before going to the movie theater becuz it can't really be muffled much. Burping helps. My SO gets a kick out of it when I start yelling and my band decides to join in... the joke in my house is that I've even trained the band to "B1+ch & moan". People who know you have the band will understand and those who don't well I try to keep talking, clear my throat, burp it out or just wait to eat until I can be comfortable to have the inevitable conversation with my band. On a side note.. My surgeon listens for the "circling the drain", as he calls it, to determine how long it takes for my sip of water to pass through the stoma, that usually determines wether or not he adds more to my fill. So I guess for ppl who have a tendency to eat/drink too fast you could use it to your advantage and listen for when its clear to take your next bite!

Amazing job! Very motivating!! I started this journey with 200+lbs to lose and am only half way done but seeing your story is very encouraging that there is no 100lb limit to what this band can do! So few posts from ppl that have been successful coming from such a high weight thanks so much for sharing!! Congrats!!!!!!!!!!

I'm guessing she meant she was new to this side of the forum (LGBT). Relax people... ...I think everybody is just hungry. j/k

I'm going to say something a lot of dieters don't agree with but IMO: If you're not hungry, dont eat. Before being banded I didn't even really know what "hungry" felt like because I was fixated on eating out of habit, finish the plate regardless when I was full, dont skip Breakfast or Ill "gain weight?? The band is a tool that gives a feeling of satiaty which is suppose to help us feel the need to eat less so we can actually lose weight. Why on earth would anyone want to change habits from overeating to eating on a schedule that doesn't coincide with their bodies needs? Sounds to me by your "not in the mood" statement like you're in the green zone and its doing its job. As an ex over eater it may feel wrong to not be eating 2 or 3... or 5 times a day, but that's what you got banded for. Now if its a case of avoidance because you are too tight or not eating correctly-- too fast, to large of bites or portions, eating the "bad" foods then its just a matter of loosening your band or learning to follow the band rules. The band is temperamental so even on your most well behaved days you may still get stuck but if so, just go to liquids until you feel comfortable back on solids. If it persists you may be too tight so go back to your doc for an adjustment. Just make sure you are listening to your body and eating for the purpose of nutrition and only nutrition until you're at maintainence. No one can really tell you what your body is need of other than your body. We have reserves of fat that we are trying to get our body to use or else we wouldn't be banded so if your band has allowed restriction and you're not feeling hungry dont force it. When you do eat, make sure you start with and get your Protein down first. Eat Fiber if you can but if you're not hungry just take fiber supplement (ie: metamucil), since you're not eating much stay away from empty calorie foods. Stay hydrated-- but again drink what you feel you need to. Don't go by generic numbers go by your own body. Take a Multivitamin every day-- this replaces all the nutrients you are missing from meals-- and probably still would be missing even if you did eat, as chances are you can't eat much. You don't need to see a doctor or nutritionist to get a multivitamin they are over the counter. Just make sure it's got 100% of everything including folic acid and Vitamin B12 as some do not. If you have any other conditions like anemia or arthritis then other supplements like Iron and Calcium pills should also be taken but if you have other conditions your doctor should be letting you know what supplements to take. But despite what many people will say theres no reason to force yourself to eat XX calories a day. You're under doctors supervision by being banded-- if they thought you were starving by the band they wouldn't fill you and by ethics they would be removing all the saline. We as overweight people are in no risk of starving to death so long as we have reserves! They would not have banded someone who would be at risk with lower calorie intake in the first place. Listen to your body-- when its hungry or dificient in a nutrient it's going to speak up. Going against your bodys signals and trying to force eat out of habit or because it's just "time for breakfast, lunch or dinner" or any other reason other than actual NEED is what got us into the band in the first place. Eat your protein when you can-- if not- drink it, take a multivitamin, stay hydrated and listen to your body. Good luck!

More viewers than posters! I'm here from So-Cali.. soon to be in Portland, OR... banded in April 2010. Still on my way down... over 100lbs so far...

Old post, but judging by the many views tho lack of response, I'd say theres prolly some bandsters here from Cali, myself included.

Self payers usually get their dates faster as YOU are the boss instead of the insurance companies. The surgeon will only order the tests he deems necessary and this can vary from doctor to doctor but usually its just enough to protect himself from liability and safely perform the surgery. Since its YOUR DIME they don't tend to have strict requirements on psych evals or nutrion classes or lengthy pre-op diet other than the liquid diet as minimally as 1 day before surgery and 12hr fast pre-op as would be the case in ANY surgery to avoid emesis and aspiration. Most of the long waiting games pre-op are due to insurance companies, not the surgeron. MONEY TALKS. I was banded about 10 days after my consultation and only because my surgeon only came to my location once a week so I waited the extra week.