shrinkAdink_05/10

I am not a believer that carbonated drinks stretch your pouch. I am now a year and a half out, I am below my weight goal at 126lbs. Coke has been the one thing I just couldn 't give up. The nice thing though is that I can open a 12oz coke and it takes me all day to drink it where used to it was up to 3+ Cokes a day! I take small sips because I have to, otherwise it does feel like the bubbles are coming up my throat and I get really burpy. I figure the sipping gives it plenty of time to trickle through. I enjoy my daily coke...don't plan on giving it up. Since I don't drink coffee, I figure it's kinda the same, only with bubbles...and I don't and won't do diet. That one Coke keeps me happy and satisfied and I NEVER feel deprived. PS- My mother-in-law also has a band, she does diet soda's but shakes up the soda and opens the lid several times to get the fizz out. (basically drinks it flat) Just an idea for those who are worried about their pouch blowing up.

The gas pains are really horrible. I hurt the most in my shoulders as weird as it sounds. I finally found relief when out of pure desperation I took a few Gas X strips (the desolve on your tongue kind) Surprisingly I got a lot of relief. I recommend picking some up

That's pretty normal to be able to eat more one day than the next. Sometimes I think it's a mind thing. If I "think" about eating, then I want to. Other days I forget that I haven't eaten and have to make an effort to stop what I am doing to get something in my belly. I have noticed also that in the morning my band is tighter and I only have skim milk for breakfast, I don't even have a desire to eat until noon or after. Then late in the evening I have to be careful because I can eat more than I really should. For several months I counted calories...they were so minimal that I stopped. I just simply wasn't worried about it when I saw that I couldn't eat more than 1000 calories if I tried, but then I have never been a Starbucks fan, or a sugar freak, etc. My big bad was fried foods and mexican. Now I can't eat enough of that to make a difference in my weight loss. I can eat half of a kids meal anywhere and feel so satisfied. A kids meal at a steakhouse is 3 meals :w00t: My hubby loves that I am such a cheap date now, lol.

If you are already feeling some hunger, I would go ahead and do the fill at the next visit. Can't hurt anything. Only thing that hurts is if you are too full. (I just had a tiny un-fill today after having a stomach virus and vomiting for a few days my stomach swelled a little, so I was too tight and that feels horrible!) I am 5ft 4 1/2in. At my highest not pregnant weight I was 220. I am now down to 148lbs in less than 6 months.:wink2:

44 pounds is AWESOME in such a little time! Think if you were doing it all on your own...how much more difficult it would be! Keep up the good work. As long as you are content, that is what matters most :wink2:

I absolutely think that fills are a huge part. I have family members who have been banded and still love to eat, so they aren't as eager to get regular fills and their weight loss shows it! They are happy to be losing slowly and still be able to eat pretty much what they want. Me, well I wanted to work this tool to the max. I never wait until I feel hungry to get my fills because that can slow down progress if I am tempted to over indulge. I go by how my body feels when I eat. If I start feeling like I am eating more than I previously could, then it's time for my fill, I don't wait for hunger pains...I never want to feel those again! :biggrin: Since I started with a lower BMI I thought my loss would go slower too, but I have been happily shocked at how quickly it has come off. I am now down to a size 4-6 pants! I never thought I would see that day again, lol. My doc was willing to do a fill after 1 month so I jumped on it. Many docs won't do them so soon. Did Dr. Kirshembaum do your surgery? I would definitely go ahead with the fill, they will make sure you aren't too tight. Right now you are still filling full because you most likely have some of the normal swelling that goes along with the surgery. BUT, as soon as that swelling goes down, you will feel it. So, I didn't wait. As I said before, I don't want to feel hunger pains ever again! Dr. Kirshenbaum has been very pleased with my progress and last time said, " Angela, you are a poster child for lapband. I should stand you at my front door to greet all my patients." So, I guess that means I am doing something right?:wink2: Let me know if you have any other questions.

My BMI was around 35 when I had surgery on May 5, 2010. My pre-surgery weight was 212. Now today Oct. 19, 2010 I weigh 148. So, 64lbs in less than 6 months is TOTALLY worth it!! I have been very stict with myself about getting fills regularly and to the max everytime. I have eat "treats" and I haven't been to the gym as much as I would like, but despite that, I have still been successful having this awesome tool!!

Now that I am down to 148 my port shows through, not a big deal though because thin or not...I won't be showing that part of my body to anyone! LOL I don't think it would ever be worth going under the knife to move it.

Banded May 5th. I am down 54lbs. Started at 212, down to 158. Only 28lbs away from my goal.:smile: From a size 18 to now a size 8/10. Best thing I have EVER done for myself! Just had another fill on Sept. 3rd. I losing count how many fills i have had now, but I am up to 7.9cc's in a 10cc band. Dr. Kirshenbaum is very pleased with my progress. Said i am a poster child for lapband, lol. I can eat anything and have never had any problems what-so-ever. I guess I am one of the lucky few. Best money I have ever spent. SOooooooo HAPPY!!

I was very nervous, but turned out to be pretty simple. The only thing is that I don't think I got enough of a fill! The doc filled some and had me drink water to see if it went thru, it always did. A few times i felt a little bit of what felt like a bubble in my throat but no feeling of water being stuck. I thought the bubble feeling indicated a need to stop, so I took 4.4cc as good enough. So, I had a junior frosty on the way home, skim milk later in the day and mashed potatoes for dinner and guess what?! I AM HUNGRY! Grrrrr..thank goodness for me it's only an hour drive for a fill, but I have a feeling I will be heading back up there next week. I am so mad at myself! :thumbup: What the heck was I supposed to feel to know I was tight enough???

Banded May 5th...started at 212. Weighed in today at 165! Wooo~hoo!! 47 pounds down in 3 months. This is seriously the best thing I have ever done for myself. I wish so much that more people could have this opportunity.

Yes, I was talking to you :thumbup: So, I was more curious to know if they don't have you drink water as they are doing the fill, how do they know how much of a fill to give you? OR do they just say this visit you get __ cc's and that's that.

I am in agreement with the two others that posted to take GAS X. I used the strips that dissolve on your tongue and took the max dosage. WHAT A RELIEF it was! I was MISERABLE for several days until I took those out of despiration, not really believing it was gas. The shoulder pain was so horrible, I felt like I wanted to pass out several times. It worked wonders for me :wub: Good luck!!

So, I take it that this is your first fill? Let me know how it goes and how your doctor does it. It's very interesting to hear different people's experiences. Seems like every doctor does things slightly different and gives slightly different advice, before and after being banded. My mother-in-law says her doc gives her a predetermined amount of a fill and then has her gulp water AND eat crackers. Not sure what her docs thoughts are on the whole cracker thing, she isn't even sure, as she never thought to ask...but always interesting to know the varying details and explanations. Good luck! (Oh, and the being able to glup water really is a GOOD thing. The sipping thing has caused me to stay a little dehydrated because I can't sip, sip, sip all day and hurts like heck when you are thristy while working out at the gym and try too gulp. If I drink to fast now the water gets stuck like there is a bubble holding it up and then when I cough it comes squirting out like a gyser.:wub:)

Thank you! Thank you! I feel super awesome. Everyone around me commments daily about the changes they have seen so quickly. The people who ridiculed me for having the surgery are now either 1, so jealous they have finally just shut up, or 2 they are asking for the Docs name and number. Everyone who needs this surgery deserves it. I hope as time goes on more and more insurances will make it easier to be approved and/or that the self pay will become more and more affordable for those who also need and deserve it.:thumbup: Since May (3 months) I am now down 44 pounds with only 36 more to go. The more I lose, the more motivated I am.

Today i went in to have my 4th fill i am now at 7.65cc's. :smile: i have had some personal problems at home and work so my emotional eating habits are coming back to haunt me no matter how hard i fight them. :sad: I am hoping this new fill will keep me from being able to eat the crap my emotions tempt me to eat. I was doing ok in the mornings but by lunch time seems like my band is looser because as early as 2 hours after a good solid food meal i was feeling hungry again already. Evenings have been the very worst. :blushing:So, i'll see how this fill works come tomorrow morning. I think I may even be a tad too tight. Well I ate some creamy mashed potatoes tonight i was getting the pain in my shoulder that says stop eating, even though I only had a few bites. Hmmm...looking forward to what tomorrow brings. Hopefully I can eat, but hopefully just not as much and most of all hope i stay full longer!

YOU CAN DO IT!! How is it going so far? I haven't logged in for a few weeks. So much going on, I just haven't had time. I went for another fill today so i am now at 7.65cc. i think I may be a little too tight. I have had shoulder pain for a few seconds at a time when i was eating KFC mashed potatoes tonight. I weighed in today at 177 still Oh well, it could be worse I could be all the way back at the beginning huh?