Jess55

Some people lose slower than others, I've been banded a year today and am down 68lb. A lot of people banded last December are down over a hundred. Though some of those had more weight to lose. Be happy with your loss.

I wasn't really that hungry my first 5 months post op, I was hungry at meals, but not much around them. That went away after 5 months and I started getting hungry again. My doc gave me a small fill 0.75 ml, and it worked for about 2 weeks. Then I was hungry again, but I decided to just work with it. I quelled my hunger with drinking my crysta light. That fill took away my ability to eat breakfast without feeling like crap. Now I have a new lifestyle change. So you may get through a while without being hungry.

Today is my one year banderversary. I've lost about 68 lb. While not as much as I would've liked. I'm thrilled with my loss. I've gone fro a 3XL (all time high at 4X), to a Medium top. I've officially lost 130 lb from my all time high. So i've lost a person. I feel so much better about myself. I have basically no fill (just 0.75ml) so I'm doing this mostly on my own and I've discovered a new way to lose weight with changing my way of eating and discovering a love for working out. Unfortunately, I still have no will power when it comes to junk, as being proven by the junk coming in for the holidays at work. I can't wait for them to be over. While one of my big motivations was to look good at my sister's wedding last month, I feel like I did well at that. I was not skinny, but I didn't look horrible and I'm overall pleased with how I looked I want to put some pics up, does anyone know how?

First off, did you not try them prior to your surgery? I made sure to try my Protein drinks prior to my pre op diet to make sure I could drink them. I am fussy if it tastes bad I can't drink it. I tried a number of them, and the only powdered one I liked was unjury, so those got me through. Also I could not stand any of the clear Protein Drinks, they all made me want to vomit. So you should have tried them prior. Also you're asking what else you can have, that is something you have to ask your doctor. If your doctor clears you to move on to something else, ONLY then can you. You need to follow your docs instructions.

Gizmo, a fill is not going to make you lose weight, a fill will help control your hunger (eventually). Sometimes your hunger is controlled (or in my case was controlled for 5 months and I just learned to change my ways making me not want or need a fill) and you don't need a fill. The way you eat post banding determines your weight loss. You have to question before you start getting fills if you are hungry.

If your surgeon lets you choose the protein drink you need to get some samples and find out which one YOU like. Everyone's taste is different and you will be in them post op too so you need to be able to drink them.

I made the decision after multiple diet attempts that while I tried I think k didn't put my full force into it. But I was very depressed about life (not seeing anyone as antidepressants never helped me in the past). I said I'm going to do something or I'm going to kill myself. Since I've been losing my depression has pretty much gone away. I still don't have many friends but I'm more active and trying to get better with socializing. I'm happy I'm finally done something. But realized I did not need this surgery to do so, but I do think it just gave me the motivation

You say you have a problem eating three meals a day? Was this prior to the fill? If so, did you tell your doc this? Why would he fill you if you were having a hard time eating before??? If not, it could just be swelling and as long as you cn get liquids down give it a few days to resolve.

I second myfitnesspal. I used to use live strong, butr after seeing so many people here use mfp, I switched and like it so much better. I love their forum, I've learned so much. Also the App is great for my phone, I can see the breakdown of all my macro nutrients that I've hard for the day right there (which I could not on the live strong app). I highly recommend it.

You may want to try them first. I tried those and other of the "clear proteins" and they all made me want to vomit. But everyone has different tastes.

I say most definitely take the job. Good jobs are hard to come by, especially in this economy. If you don't want to tell them you're having surgery you can tell them you have a vacation already planned and is it ok. When I got the job I'm at now I had a vacation that I was planning I told them and they were fine with it. You can tell them though you're having a hiatal hernia repair or something, not sure if you need one, but they're not going to know. I just wouldn't say your gallbladder or appendix (unless you already had them out), use in case you need those some other time.

I'm glad to hear you're doing well post radiation. My dog was on prednisone recently and he of course gained weight and I had hopes his appetite would go back to normal when I got him off of it. Much to my dismay his appetite is still humungous and I keep thinking. Great now my dog need a lap band. I'm sad to hear his appetite may never go back to normal.

First I've heard of nine months. But I guess all insurances have different requirements. I had to do 6 months and I did mine at the surgeons office, but I could've done it at my PCP. It didn't matter.

I know that they are expensive I buy the premeir protein from Costco, $25 for a box of 18, but I drink one every morning so I have to buy two cases since I'm not going every 2 weeks to Costco. I can get my protein from food but when I had my one and only tiny fill after that every time I ate breakfast my stomach would feel awful. So I decided to just have a protein drink for breakfast. I think now I'd probably be able to eat breakfast but I just don't want to most of the time. Most days I wake up around 8:30 and go to kickboxing for a 10 am class so it's not worth it for me to eat and then have my stomach feel like crap during my workout. I do have some Unjury in the house but it sounds stupid but I hate buying milk because it always ends up going bad

What would one have to do?

The band does not change how you digest things and milk is a liquid therefore it will pass right through the band. So the only reason you were probably told this is due to the fat and calories. You want to limit liquid calories. It is not going to kill you to drink it, but you should really try to switch, even if you do it gradually, like go to 2%, then 1%, then skim. Or something like that.

I don't think that is bad. Maybe the potato is not so good, but I don't really think it is to much. I used to not really eat carbs, but now I do, mostly they're Low GI carbs though. I also personally believe that you should not eat less than 1200 calories per day. I now eat much more than that and I'm losing better than ever (due to my workouts and my lifestyle).

I honestly never used to understand my mother. She is a total gym rat. She goes at ike 5 am to the gym mostly every morning. I always thought she was crazy. Now I understand. While I don't go to they regular gym every day. I am addicted to kickboxing. I go 5 days a week. Occasionally doing more than one class or going twice a day. I just love it. If I have to miss it I feel awful. I am looking forward to going to Florida fro a Vet conference, but wondering how I'm going to get my workouts in while I'm away. I know I'll feel like crap if I don't and I just know I'll gain if I don't. I also go to the regular gym one day a week and go on the elliptical for an hour. I sometimes find myself really wanting to go on Tuesdays (my day off from working out) but I know you really need to have a off day from working out. In the past if I've felt kind of sick I'd take a day off, but found that I felt worse for doing so. Now I push through and go and I usually feel better after it. So I guess I'm a gym rat too now!

You can walk right away. I got the clear from my doc at my 9 day post op visit to do cardio, but I waited till about 14 days or so. And he had told me 3 more weeks to start lifting.

If you're losing and not in a place where you feel like you're starving all the time. There is no need to get one. A fill is not going to make you lose weight. I have been banded almost a year and have one tiny fill ( which I would get removed if I had the guts to ask my doc...lol) I'm losing and while I'm not near the so called green zone I'm happy with where I am and how I'm losing. Also why would you want to feel some of the side effects? I've never been stuck, nor do I want to, I hear it's really painful. I have had a couple instances where my food was way to big and I swallowed and I felt it kind of painfully go down my esophagus slowly and that was painful,, though I don't believe it was stuck. If that happens I take a few sips of Water to push it down and it clears up, so I don't believe I was stuck. I've never truly PB'd. I don't want to ever experience the uncomfortableness of being to tight.

My doc told me that the no ibuprofen rule is for bypass patients and has no problem with me taking it. I take advil if I need it.

I had vision problems post op too. I was going crazy, I was like why did the anesthesia do? y eyes were fine for a minute, but after trying to read things for more than a few minutes they could not focus. I found out it was due to the scopolamine patch. Once I took it off after a day my eyes were fine. Give the meds some time to get out of your system and if you are still having trouble then go see a doc.

I was actually told by a trainer Not to eat carbs within 2-3 hours of working out. As for me, I usually work out at 10 am. I drink a protein drink a little before 9 am and have a either have a small something like 1/2 cup fiber one cereal (dry) or a string cheese. Most times I just wait til I have lunch, which I know isn't good.

You can eat them. But be careful, my sisters husband is diabetic, so he eats sugar free stuff and he says some of them can be pretty bad in your digestive tract.

First of all, I think you're doing well. Some people lose slower than others. I've never been able to average 2 lb per week. A lot of people who were banded the same time as me have lost a lot more than me already but you can't compare to others. In fact as much as it sucks, slower is better. More time for your skin to catch up and I feel less likely to gain it back. You say you don't see how you're not losing quicker with 6 cc in your band, the band is not going to make you lose weight. As had been said countless times on this board before, it is just a tool. You have to make the right choices, you have to watch yourself. The band does nothing to limit how much is digested such as bypass, so it is up to you. I'm actually not using my tool but I've learned to change myself so I'm still losing. But like I said you're doing well. Remember slow and steady wins the race