qtney1

Congratulations!!

I have been going back and forth about getting a small unfill but I think I am going to have to do it.....at least until this sinus stuff passes!

Welcome to the banding world! As the stomach swelling goes down, the hungrier your will be. If your doctor didn't fill your band at all after surgery, it will not be working at all. As your doctor starts to add fluid, you will find more and more restriction with each fill. Alot of people say the magic number is fill #3 and that's about fair. It's "bandster hell" between surgery day and your sweet spot, because you will be doing all of the work to keep the weight off, instead of your tool helping you out. And, congratulations on not weighing yourself unless you are at the doctor's office. I am a scale slave and am really thinking about hiding it for awhile :-)

Don't worry.....After surgery, your stomach is swollen and really causes you to eat less in the first few weeks after. Unless your doctor has fluid that he put in the band prior to surgery, your band should be unfilled and not really really kicking in yet. My doctor said it's common for patients to come in up a few pounds since surgery. Once they start filling you, you can start really working your tool. Most people say fill #3 is the magic fill for them to really notice. You both are on the right track. Best of luck to you!

My doctor really didn't give me any sort of limitations. I just don't drink anything carbonated, so I stick with wine and cocktails. But, be careful. It only will take a little bit to feel the alcohol!

I went to my doctor's office a couple of days ago and didn't receive a fill this time around. I have been seeing the nurse practitioner the past couple of times and she is just as nice and informative as the surgeon. She recommended I not get a fill this time and just focus on exercise for this month (which I have been very much slacking off on). She also gave me a list of recommended Lean Cuisine type dishes that they recommend for lunches. They all include chuncks of protein (which she tells me to have), under 300 calories, and over 15 grams of protein. I really like having that list because it wasn't what I was eating! So, hopefully I will lose more this month. I am almost to 7.5 cc's in a 10 cc band, but I finally have restriction, so that is a positive!

Eat your protein first. I usually eat between a cup and a cup and half each sitting. You will never really feel "full" but you will feel satisfied and able to go around 4 hours without being hungry. I always eat my meal that I have portioned out, wait a bit, then see how I am after that. If I get hungry within a couple hours, I might need a fill. Also, if I don't chew enough or eat too fast, I feel uncomfortable and sometimes the food comes right back up. I actually had about 3 cc's in my band when they banded me and I didn't know it. I am now about up to 7.5 cc's in my 10 cc band and have been banded for 5 months. Everyone is different and it is a learning experience :-)

How horrible! I was overfilled once and couldn't get anything down. After a couple days of it ( and 5 pounds lost), I HAD to go in. I gained a few pounds back (water weight, I'm sure) but felt so much better. I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that. It is miserable!

You are looking wonderful! Great job!

42, to be exact. I am so proud to have that weight GONE. Although I have a lot more to lose, I am well on my way. I need to work out more and see the weight drop even farther, quicker :-)

One more pound and I will have hit the 40 pound weight loss in my (almost) 5 months of being banded. I am now down to 287. It is incredibly sllllooowwww, but so worth it. I can tell a little difference (mainly in how my clothes fit-----or, not really fit anymore, I should say), but other people say they can tell a big difference. I am to the point where I really need to go out and get some new clothes. After my last fill, my band keeps me in CHECK! If I eat too fast or take too big of bites, i get stuck, feel miserable, and eating time is o-v-e-r. I really have to remember to chew chew chew. And, sometimes (with dry chicken, steak, etc) that is not enough. And, some days are different than others. My husband make steak on our anniversary last Thursday. I took a few bites of the 4 oz steak, felt sick, and dinner was done (even though I took small bites and chewed). I brought the leftover steak for lunch the next day and got it down fine. However, when I tried to eat my small baked potato afterwards, I got two bites in and that was it. My husband and I just shared our 4 year anniversary this past week. I went out to dinner with him Saturday evening to McCormick and Schmicks. It was sooooo good! They brought huge chuncks of fresh bread out (my heart really sank), but I did clip off a tiny smidge (and I do mean TINY!) and dipped it in butter just to try it. And, I did order a tuna tartare appetizer, salad, and stuffed salmon for dinner. Yes, I still think sometimes like the fat girl I became over the years, but this time, I ordered knowing I'd have left overs for a couple meals and could take it home :-) It's a fantastic restaurant, why not have leftovers? I ate the appetizer and some of the side salad. I ended up bringing home my full entree. And, how nice was it to actually slow down and enjoy the flavors. REALLLLLL NICCCCCE!!!! The next day, we had lunch with friends. I ordered a tuna appetizer and a side salad. I ate the side salad, felt full, and brought the tuna home. I must say, I like leftovers! I really like the restriction and tightness that I have now. I would definitely rather be a little too tight than not enough. Sometimes I am not as wise as I should be and the band now seems to "smack my hand" if I have something I shouldn't. I love that! I have pretty much kissed goodbye all bread products, pizza, donuts, etc, but I am totally okay with that. Stringy fruits (oranges, grapefruits, pineapples) seem like ages ago since I haven't been able to eat those for awhile now. I can still get down all veggies (I love asparagus and thank the Banding Gods for allowing me to still eat that), but potatoes pose a problem unless they are mashed. Thankfully, too, chicken wings don't go down good anymore. I really needed my band to help me with those as they are my weakness. I do miss regular chicken and steak sometimes (as it seems to be 50/50 if I can even eat a little bit). But, really, I have found that fish goes down perfectly and is much better for me than red meat. If I could completely rid myself of my Starbucks addiction, I would be doing even better. Starbucks is sabotaging me...even when I ask for nonfat milk with my white chocolate mocha. I have made an agreement with myself to treat myself on Fridays, but NO other time. It is amazing on how many calories that actually adds to my day. Seriously, I would be nailing my caloric goal everyday if it wasn't for those days I got Starbucks. Thank you sparkpeople.com for showing me how ugly this coffee can be In the art of compromising, so I don't sabotage myself, I iron out 100 calories everyday for my cups of coffee and creamer. I love it to much to completely let it go, but 100 sure beats 500! I still haven't joined the gym but AM planning to. I just need to narrow down which one. I would like to do Curves, but I don't think it will be feasible for me to get to considering where I live, kids, and the fact my husband has a completely different work schedule than me. I think a 24 hour place will work good. I do like my Zumba video but would LOVE to do it at a gym. I find when I work out, I feel better and I drop a pound here and there like no one's business. I can definitely improve on the working out! Fortunately, a friend of mine has created a facebook group to help address this with everyone. It's sort of an online support page where we can become accountable to others. I really am looking forward to working this page for all it's worth :-) Whew, how therapeutic it was to write!

My brother in law's birthday was the night before last. I JUST today finished that meal. I was able to eat the side salad Tuesday night, half of the 6 oz steak yesterday (along with half of the baked potato), and the other half of the steak/potato today...and I didn't even finish all of the steak!

Don't worry, I didn't start to get good restriction until my 3rd fill. Perfect restriction came on my 4th. I was banded September 30th and just got that restriction a few weeks ago. Good luck and you will start to really lose soon. You are officially in "bandster hell"---the time between surgery and really losing. It WILL happen, though :-)

Thumbs up to Unjury...But, I also have the Costco protein shakes and like those, too!

It will definitely be different, for sure! I have a friend who has the band and I enjoy going out with her because she does the same thing I do :-) And, I LOVE sushi, too! I just have them make it with brown rice and eat it in small bites. Instead of having a couple rolls, I am now satisfied with a half a roll. But chew and chew!

Have you been stressed or anxious at all? I've heard that this can sometimes affect the band. I hope this passes for you soon. It is no fun!

It's great not finishing everything on the plate! I have a friend with lapband who also said sometimes her band tolerance varies, too. Apparently, stress, anxiety, all sorts of things can affect the band.....Although, i'm not sure I buy into that for me. I just kind of go with it. If I can get it down, it's good because I only get small portions. If I can't, I don't try anymore for the day and move on. I found if I eat to early (something other than oatmeal), it's a no go. And, if I eat too late at night, its' not good, either....and, I'm alright with that. Another fun fact is that I have to make sure I am actually eating in a chair. Sounds silly but if I sit in front of the tv to eat something (which I know is a 'no-no'), the way my recliner sits isn't condusive with the fooding going down either. So, I really am liking how it is helping me correct me bad habits...lol

Work it, girl! It feels GOOD to feel sexy!

When I go out, I will usually have a glass of wine or Martini (or sometimes a cocktail). If I just limit myself to one, I won't feel completely "off", although I do still feel a little buzzed off of just one. Then, I eat dinner. Usually, I am finished before everyone because now I can't eat a bunch. So, while they are finishing up, we are visiting. Before I know it, an hour has almost elapsed and I can order another round. It really works out good for me. I've had 2 sodas and 2 beers over the 5 months since my surgery. However, with my last fill, I tried a sip of beer and it made me super uncomfortable. It's a good rule of thumb to stay away from those drinks all together.

I was banded 5 months ago in 2 two days. I have lost 40 pounds, but I also started out quite a bit heavier than you. Fill #4 was the magic one for me! And, I just had that one a couple of weeks ago. You are doing good.....it is supposed to be slow :-)

Let me know how it works for you...I am also doing the same thing. Also, Shonette, the only way I can eat red meat is to eat small bites, chew, chew, and chew some more. AND, drink something a little warm beforehand. The steak I ate last night got stuck and it was not good (I had a cold drink of water before my meal). Today, I finished up my coffee then had leftover steak for lunch and 3ozs went down good before I started to fill up.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! You should give yourself a big pat on the back...that is quite an achievement!