jingleboob

I feel your pain and disappointment too. I lost more weight in the 3 months before surgery than I have in the 4 months since. I too often find myself drinking with meals to wash it down so I can eat. I hate the "new" full feeling. I know I'm not always eating the right foods, although I am eating considerably less of it. We do have pizza a couple of times a month and I tend to eat the cheese and toppings off of a couple of slices. I don't dare do breads, Pasta, rice, or eggs anymore. I've got a crazy work schedule and am at work before 5am so I do eat in the car more often than I'd like. I live almost an hour from work so If I don't remember to bring lunch with me I always end up grabbing something at the drive thru. Wendy's Chili is not easy to eat while driving. I'm a picky eater and this band has made that worse. Chewing food until it's chewed enough makes me gag, that mushy slimy food doesn't want to go down. I need to suck it up and be super strict for 3 weeks. If I can stick to it for 3 weeks I can do it longer... 3 weeks seems to be how long it takes me to get the cravings out of my systm. I've got to stop making excuses and accept that this is not what I expected, and adjust. Most of the time I don't like the band. I wish I had had the sleeve done instead. And I get so mad at myself that I had surgery and I'm still screwing my weight up. I was a better bandster before I was banded! I think I need to meet some other banded people in my area. I would like to eat a few meals with others who are successufl in it so I can see exactly how they eat. You're not alone. Lack of motivation is here too.

I admit I have had a sip or two of diet coke since surgery in August. If my stomach is empty I can tolerate a sip or two. If I really really want the taste of the soda I stir the bubbles out of a glass until it's almost flat, doesn't take too long. But I'd say I don't even do that too often... maybe 3 or 4 times in these 4 months.

Sounds like you made the right choice in leaving. You are legally allowed to know exactly what medical procedures are done to you, and you asking and being refused an answer is a HUGE problem. I would even go as far as to report the incident to your state medical board.

OK, don't really try it... but it's working for me! LOL Had one the other day, gums and jaw are still hurting pretty badly, living on Protein shakes and soft foods, but it hurts to chew and I've lost 5 lbs! I don't doubt it will go back on once I can eat and chew, but I've got 2 weeks before they put the rod and cap in place, so I'll be sore through thanksgiving... so I don't have to have my first holiday meal banded quite yet...

purple drinks make it green! Grape kool aid always did that to me... and fruit loops did it too. We used to make a rainbow cake as a kid (basically white cake mix divided with lots of food coloring and then dropped in the pan for a tye dyed looking cake...) and it would make poo either red or green. No biggie... just know that a lot of food coloring can do that.

I actually can't eat any kind of eggs with my band. They always get stuck, no matter how mushy or runny I make them. Bummed. Lump in throat is a step before being stuck for me...

Normally I would be thrilled to have dropped 12 lbs in less than a week. But I've been sick as a dog since Friday morning. Nobody else at Thanksgiving got sick so we can't figure out whagt caused it. Friday was the worst with throwing up, leg and arm cramps, stomach cramps that made me scream in pain, diarrhea. By saturday it was just the lower intestinal issues... and still they continue. Day 4 today. Pepto did nothing, Immodium did nothing. I'm expelling quarts of liquid in the wrong way and I'm having a hard time keeping up with my fluids. feeling light headed today, not thrilled to be at work with these issues but can't call in at the moment. any suggestions? I'm keeping everything down now. Looking for foods that will help bind me up. At this point even loose stool would be better than pure liquid. Sorry for the description. I will call my pcp tomorrow if it's not any better, but don't know what they'll be able to do that I'm not already trying.

walking is great... and when I'm home alone I like to play some of my favorite music and dance like a teenager while I'm doing housework.

So soon after surgery it could be the gas... but that should have been over by now. I'm 3 months post op and STILL get that horrible shoulder pain. Did you notice that the pain is worse when you inhale or exhale? if so... it's something you'll have to work around. The band is placed really close to your diaphragm, and if you eat too much and irritate the band causing it to irritate your diaphragm you get that nasty referred pain in your left shoulder. I used to get it all the time, but it was a painful reminder that I can't eat or drink so much anymore, so I'm learning. The pain is awful, it made me wish I hadn't gotten the band for the longest time until I taught myself to STOP before I got too full... because it's not the same full anymore so it took me a while to recognize it. you'll figure it out... but the shoulder pain is your body saying "Too much!".

wow, my doctor is quite conservative. I only get 1cc/fill. I had 2.2 in at surgery and after 2 fills I'm at 4.2. Sometimes I feel restriction, sometimes nada. I don't think I'm "there" yet

Same here... wasn't allowed to lift anything, not even a gallon of milk the first week. Then nothing more than a gallon of milk for week 2, and until about 6 weeks no more than 20 lbs. No sex for 2 weeks. Walking was OK from day 1. I didn't really get back into real regular activity until I could lift my 20 lbs.

woohoo!!!!!!

are you taking it with food?

15 lbs in 2 months is PERFECT. 1-2 lbs a week is the goal... and you're right on!!! Weight stays off longer and is better on your body if you lose at that rate rather than dropping 10 lbs a week like we all wish we were doing... I know how easy it is to go back to the old habbits... how many years of pizza and burgers got me here? but I need to kick myself in the butt every now and then and get back into the program because it's so easy to not feel like cooking and cleaning up the kitchen after a terrible day... so we order out... and I eat too much... and one night of that makes it easy to do it again and again. I hope you find a work- out friend. My dh and I just finally joined the gym last week and need to really get into the rhythm of going regularly. You're doing great! You're losing, not gaining. And it does get easier after a fill or two, but fatty candy and sliders will still go down easily so that part's going to be willpower. Don't quit!!!

it was harder than I expected. I was super hungry all the time. I just had to have something to eat every hour or two, something small- a cheesestick or a banana or yogurt. Meals were misleading because I could eat a LOT more than 1 cup of food before feeling satisfied... but after 2 fills I'm starting to understand restriction. I think one more fill might be fantastic!

yep it's the calcium citrate. I used it for the first 2 months but now I can swallow the pills. It's cherry flavored wafers, they're actually pretty good. you can see the label info if you click on the link in the post above. only about $13 for a bottle so not horribly expensive either...

As I love your taco soup recipe so much... would you share the black bean and pumpkin soup recipe! Sounds wonderful!!!!

My port is also hard to find and I feel your pain. I had my 2nd fill last week and it was even harder to find than the 1st time. the pushing and poking to find it is painful, the position I was laying in was uncomfortable. The doctor was ready to quit and schedule my fill under xray and I said "I'm ok to keep trying" so he kept at it and finally got it. He said the same thing, a lot of scar tissue. I have a huge bruise from the pushing around and about 10 needle pokes from the appointment. He said I'm the most difficult port he's had in years. I'm already dreading my next appointment in a month. Hopefully they'll find yours next time. He said once I've lost more weight it should get easier to find so I'm hoping to lose a bunch this month!! muahahahahaha

if it's thick and not "soupy" it's OK. Doc told me hearty soups are OK, just drain off most of the broth... I really do strain my soup and just eat the veggies and meat now. But chili is my favorite. I eat it all the time. I also have been making that turkey taco soup every week and it's amazing!!! SO EASY. brown 1 pound of ground turkey with 1/2 cup of chopped onions and 1/2 cup chopped green peppers add to crock pot with 2 cans drained pinto Beans 1 can drained black beans 2 cans Rotel tomatoes (diced with green chilis) 1 packet taco seasoning 1 packet Ranch dressing mix (NOT DIP mix...) 1 cup frozen corn (you can leave out if you're worried about the carbs... but in a 1 cup serving of the soup you only get a couple tablespoons of corn and it's so pretty and helps the flavor) and that's it... I fill the taco seasoning packet with Water and add it, but no more. It's really thick and hearty. I eat it every day for lunch with a little fat free sour cream on top. YUMMMMMMMMM

I have the regular port. It's hard to find on me. Each of my fills has been a hunt for my port... and it HURTS. If it was any smaller I don't think they'd be able to get it. He has to push and push around the port area, which is not pleasant, put a pillow under my back and have me lay in a crunch position while pushing. Last fill he spent 15 minutes pushing and poking before finding it. He was about ready to schedule me for a fill under xray but I said I was ok for a few more tries. So I've got a big bruised port area and 9 needle pricks but I got my fill. I will be thrilled when I have lost enough for my port to be "visible"! And if it bothers me then I can change to the low profile, but no way I would want to make this sucker any harder to find!!!

My surgeon's office also did PT appointments, but only if they thought you needed it. If you have trouble getting around due to weight etc. I was thankfully let out of that appointment. It's not unheard of. I know it's a pain and a lot of hoops to jump through, but once it's all done you'll be glad...

also... I made sugarfree pudding with skim milk and a couple scoops of protein powder! So with 1/4 cup of pudding I was getting at least 10g protein. Any way you can get it in do... Chocolate pudding with chocolate protein and I used unflavored protein for the other flavors.

You're good. Don't go crazy. I still have cans of soup from post op and boxes of sugarfree Jello and pudding I never used. The first few days it was a struggle to get 2 Protein shakes and a bottle of Water in during the day. My doc allowed full liquids for 2 weeks after which included yogurts and pudding and jello, and the day after surgery I ate a total of 1/2 of a pudding cup and couldn't bear any more. If you have to crush pills then mix them in the smallest amount of applesauce you can because you have to eat it all. I got pretty good at mixing my pills into about 1 tablespoon of applesauce... it's so nasty but the less the better. During the liquids phase 1 can of cream of potato soup literally would last me 2 days. And if you've run out of anything you can go to the store... an outing will do you good. But you'll be eating a lot less than you think during that first week. It was about 5 or 6 days before I could really drink, now I can drink all I want with no issue. You're plenty prepared. Best of luck with your surgery!!!

YES YES YES. The chapstick is a must. Honestly, I was over packed for surgery... I was home that evening and all I really did at the hospital after surgery was sleep and walk around a little. I didn't have a chance to be bored. Mom was there and we chatted for a few minutes between "naps". I was just so eager to have a drink... then to go home. I really slept a lot the first 2 days. I had packed a book, portable dvd player, the kids' game boy even. I didn't use any of it. Just texted a few people after surgery to let them know I was ok and slept a lot. But my lips were miserable so chap stick!!!

GNC has some... GNC Chewable Calcium Plus