BigBootyGirl

Hi everyone. I'm glad to have found this forum. I was banded at the beginning of July by an excellent doctor. Can't wait to make some friends and share experiences.

I just read the post on 5 things that get you through the day, so I'm wondering what 5 things get you through a craving. :photo: If you can think of more than 5, please let me know! :help: Thanks guys. :hug: Can't wait to hear what you guys have to say.

Congratulations Doriana! :clap2: I'm glad to hear that all went well. Dr. Coburn is a great surgeon. I saw what people were saying about the gas, and the Gas-X (I used the Gas-X strips..awesome!) works wonders. :thumb: I also walked, but not as frequently as some guys on here. I think just take it as you can. It sounds like you're healing really well already! Woohoo!:gluck:

I'm sorry that you have had so many negative things happen because of the band and I'm so sorry that it's affecting your lives the way it is. :hug: I have not had complications up to this point, and hope that I don't because I know that I would feel exactly the way that you guys do. I really don't think I could have handled it emotionally if it hadn't worked, so I think you guys are very strong. :hail: I'm not going to sit here and say that the band is the answer for everyone, because I know it's not. I coould have had another WLS and have it not work for me. What I do want to say is that I admire you both very much for being such strong women and for dealing with this the way you have. :humble: You are what young women should be looking at when they're building their lives and their personalities. I have to say that the last 2 posts that you guys wrote really made me well up. :Banane44: No matter what anyone says, being overweight always carries emotions if you were teased, or if someone in your life made you feel less of a person due to your weight. It's not right, and no one should be subjected to feeling worthless. :hug: None of us are. Muggle, right now, take care of yourself mentally. Deal with the emotions you're having. Get better. Then decide what to do about surgery. Love yourself because others love you. :hug: I know you're thinking :censored: but it's true. As frustrating as it's been, look at what you've accomplished. How many people would have the patience or emotional energy to deal with an issue like this for as long as you had? Not many and I can tell you I sure as heck wouldn't. And I consider myself a strong person. 5 years is a long time. Give yourself some credit.:clap2: bkgrandma, I have so much to learn from people like you. :bolt: I hope that someday I truly can get my brain to think like yours, and to not be ashamed of myself. I think that is truly the greatest gift to give yourself :present:because it shows that you love you. You guys are great, and let me know how things go. I know I talk a lot and use a lot of smilies, but they're therapy to me.:Banane44: What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.:eek:

Hi guys. :wave: I've been having such a rough week, and now this...:Cry: I've never had my band change while having PMS or on my period before. I usually have 7 days of PMS and then a 5 day period. My period is due either today or tomorrow, and I have had a fill inbetween. Prior to PMS, everything was going great! It wasn't tight at all. This time PMS hit and not only was I not hungry, but I could barely get solids down. I could still get some down, but very little. I filled up SO fast, almost like it was a few days after surgery. I took such care so that I wouldn't PB, but my body just wouldn't take it. I PB'd a lot this week.:phanvan So, I wake up today, and my body is ready to go. :hungry: I have eaten much more than I have in a LONG time (like prior to surgery). Some people have said that they seem to have no restriction during this time, but it seems as if I've had both. :noidea: The only time I've had reflux is when I PB. I was PB'ing badly yesterday. Could it be that the band has now slipped? :help: Unfortunately, I can't afford to do this again. I'm already trying to pay it off over 3 years, and the payments are higher than a new car payment. So if there is a slippage, I'm done.:rip: I can't even afford the plane ticket to go back to the surgeon. I'm sorry this post is so long. :blah: I'm just upset, frustrated, and worried. I've had days where my band was more tight or loose than others, but not like this. Thanks for listening :violin: and any advice would be really good. BBG

Who, me? Caution: I'm a little slow on the uptake sometimes.

Thanks guys, and look at your great weight losses! :high5:

Yep! I tend to crave sugar at around 8 p.m. Every night no fail, so what I've been doing is having a herbal decaf tea with splenda. My blood sugar is usually really good, but I think that's what's going on with me.

You guys are hilarious!:pound: Thanks for all the great answers. :hail: I printed the whole thread out to look at next time I have one. I do have a couple things that I do, but if it's something new to me I tend to be able to be more focused on it than something I've done a million times. :bored I would love to say that I could have 2 or 3 bites and leave it, but I have a couple of things that I just couldn't do that with. :flypig: But for the most part, when I do allow myself a couple of bites of something I can stop eating, with each bite it tastes less and less appealing. BBG

Thanks so much you guys! :hug: I was sitting here reading all these posts on slippage, and all of a sudden my mind started going (I have one active imagination), and I worried at how tight my restriction was, etc. etc. :bolt: The very next day I was so loose I ate almost like before surgery (not quite, but close) only to have it tighten up again that night. :doh: Thanks so much for easing my mind. :hug: This was the first time anything like this had happened to me, and I have had fills and then not have anything happen. As you can see, in a rage of hormones, I panicked.:opps2: I swear I don't usually get like that. I think it's all the snow we got here. Thanks guys! BBG

Well guys...I gained the week after surgery. :ermm I did do a pre-op diet though and lost 45 pounds in 14 days. At the time of my first fill 8 weeks later, I had gained back 10. :phanvan I have lost that 10 and a little more. It's coming off slowly, but this time of year I usually gain weight quickly, so I can't complain.:biggrin1:

Hi Time2Live!:wave: I gotta say, you're brave to be putting it in your garage! lol Is it heated? We've got a good 2-3 feet of snow up here already, so our gym is in the basement. We have a bowflex type machine, and I love it. I prefer the elliptical machine, but don't own one. I used to love using them at the gym though. So for now, I've got a stationary bike and a treadmill. I love the bike. I pretty much have only ever used the treadmill in the winter because of the cold. It's just so much nicer to get out in the summer. Plus, I do find the bike is better on my knees. My sister says 'in her opinion' the elliptical is the best out there. She's got one. She got it at Canadian Tire for about $1500, and she says it's a lot, but it's worth it to have a better quality one. I'm sure you could find the same one cheaper elsewhere. She finds it easier on her knees as well as working her arms. I trust her, she's a nurse (as well as a size 2 to boot...). BBG

I have trouble with emotional eating as well. What's worked well for me is sugarless gum. It seems to really help me I think because I'm still chewing something. I always try to have something on me to keep my mouth busy, like gum or a toothpick or something. This seems to help a lot.

Ok, I'm really scared. Due to other health problems, I've already lost some hair, and it's thin. I hope I don't lose more. What has helped me though is a daily iron supplement. :noidea: I hope this helps.

ROFL! That was great and I needed the laugh. :pound:Thanks!

I had picked a Christmas goal before I saw this thread (picked it a couple days ago), but am gonna join in. I'm really hoping Santa can take 20 pounds from me.:grouphug: And by then I'm gonna make it a goal to get in 3 hours of exercise a week.

I knew when my health problems became more frequent and my doctor said I would have a heart attack before I was 30. I have other health issues, and weight was never really an issue until these issues occured. I knew I was heavy, and when the scale turned some numbers I never dreamed I would see, I knew I needed help. Bad.:faint:

Hey guys! :wave: I'm in the exact same boat. My last vice is smoking, and I'm working on it. I'm having a tough go of quitting. Here's the good news (kinda). :gossip: I read recently that food produces the exact same feel good chemicals in our brain that any other addictive substance produces. So for any of you who feel that this is an addiction, I believe it is. We can beat it though. I wish I knew how to crochet or knit! :doh: There are tons of great charitable organizations that need donations done by crocheting or knitting. Instead, I've taken up a couple of other hobbies. When I am done with my projects, I donate them to organizations that I feel don't get enough support so that they can use them for silent auctions or put them in their stores. Since I can't always afford all of the costs, what I do is make several projects for donations, and recover the costs by auctioning the rest of what I've made on ebay, or I sit at a flea market with my creations. It always works out in the end, and it really does make a person feel better about themselves. Another thing that I did that really helped, was made a list of things I want to achieve in my life. It's my to-do list for my life, and it's helped put things more into focus. A great site to check out is called umm..43 Things (I think). :grouphug: P.S. My new hobby:using smilies in posts and pm's.

And here's another Canadian screwing up the stats. I answered the poll, and I too picked Democrat. If Hillary ran in 2008, she'd be my choice. No matter how we vote, we vote for the party or politician that we feel best represents our beliefs, and no one should be ridiculed for that. I live in a very 'Republican' area of Canada, so I'm in a very small minority of 'Democrats'. Republicans should have no shame in what they believe, and neither should Democrats. What we should have shame in is making other people feel horrible about their beliefs. I'll step off my soap box now.

time2live, we have around the same amount of weight to lose and were banded within days of each other!!:biggrin1: Thanks for posting this because I thought I was the only one who felt this way, and I've been hiding it because I thought I was crazy.

Dr. Coburn didn't do my surgery (that was done by the other doctor in the office, Dr. Mumford), but Dr. Mumford was AMAZING! :biggrin1: Dr. Coburn arranged for a fill for me when he was in the area training a doctor to do fills and Dr. Coburn was a really great guy. :biggrin1: They are both incredible guys, who really care about the welfare of their patients, and treated me with such kindness.:biggrin1: I have absolutely NOTHING negative to say about either of them.

The doctor told me that everyone is different. I couldn't even feel a change after the swelling of surgery went down. 5 months later I'm up to 2.5 cc's and while it's a comfy fight, it's not tight. I'm a little limited, but I know I have to chew. :success1: randi, I'm in your shoes right now as well. I had surgery in July and have hovered around the 50 lb mark for awhile. I even gained weight after my surgery. You're doing everything as you should, so keep it up! :clap2: You may need a fill, I'm not sure. One thing that I was told by my doctor was when I exercise, if I've hit a plateau, switch up the way that I exercise. What's worked for me is adding light weights. I'm starting to lose again, even if it's just a little very slowly. Using weights builds a little bit of muscle which burns fat longer than just aerobic exercise. Maybe walk twice a day and try light weight the third time? Don't give up! :clap2: I know it's frustrating, but there are others in your shoes (like me). Let me know how you're doing!

I was the ultimate carb addict! :success1: Bread, Pasta, rice, pastries, crackers, but especially sweets. Sugar is deadly to me. Since being banded in July, I've lost my love for bread, pastries, and most pastas. I find that if I do want pasta, that I'm satisfied with only a little bit of whole grain pasta. I find any carb that's made with starch just makes me sick. I still eat crackers, but only wholegrain, and I just don't feel the urge to eat them like I used to. I would not recommend the gastric bypass. It's just way too dangerous and has too many complications as well as being irreversable. :phanvan At least with the band, if you choose, you can tighten or loosen it, or eventually take it off. The one thing that I like about the band is that you are told to eat smaller amounts on a more frequent basis, so it's good for snackers. :biggrin1: I used to eat one big meal a day and then snack off and on. I can't do that anymore, but it's really teaching me how to eat more healthy. I started off at 5'6, 315 :faint: and am now at 265 as of today. Although revamping your lifestyle seems scary, I believe it's gonna change my life. Good luck with your decision.