annieM

Wow, you've done great! :blushing: Maybe instead of buying junk, put what it would have cost in a jar to save up for a fill. Junk food is very expensive and that could mount up pretty quickly. Just a thought. Good luck on your journey!

LOL, I thought it was just me. I too use baby spoons and saucers to eat off of.

No, the lead apron would block out what they are trying to see.

Does the tightness vary over the course of the day? (too tight in the morning ,then too loose in the evening?) Or does it vary by your time of the month? What's the story? The band can be very fickle and can tighten up for a few days and then loosen up again. Airplane flight tightens it too. I've learned to work with my bands weirdness over the years and know that "too tight" means take it easy and "too loose" means don't go crazy and eat too much. Let me know more details...

Don't worry, it's pretty normal not to have restriction with the first or second fill. Go back as soon as they will let you and go until you hit that sweet spot. It takes patience, but it will be worth the wait. In the mean time, try hard not to gain. Try to get yourself to "diet" ( south beach is one I always recommend, it's band friendly and heart healthy). Get some exercise in. Set yourself up for your success later. Good luck on your journey!

Wow, excellent work! You are an inspiration to all of us :blushing: Keep it up!!

Welcome! Protein shakes can be yucky depending on the brand. I drink the Myoplex french vanilla with 42 gm of protein. It's pretty tasty and the grocery store carries it. It's natural to be afraid of failure at this point, you haven't had the chance to succeed yet. Cut yourself a break and take one day at a time. It's hard to get through the weeks, even months after surgery and before you have restriction. You want it right now, but for your bodies sake, the process shouldn't be rushed. Wrap yourself around the idea that you will have to "diet" in order to lose before restriction helps you control your hunger and your portion sizes. South Beach is a good one. Don't be afraid! It's only temporary! You can get through it:thumbup:

Try doing a low carb, high protein diet like the "south beach diet." It's very band friendly and will help with the hunger pangs in between fills. Keep your fill appointments as close together as they will let you. For most this is about a month apart. At my center they allowed you to come back in two weeks. The sooner you get restriction, the sooner you will be controlling your hunger. Do a bit of exercise. This can suppress your hunger too. Drink herbal tea or broth or eat diet jello. I hope this helps! Good luck on your journey,

Me too, I put my real weight on my DL and my photo looks like a completely different person from four years ago.

Yes, chill out at home, rest, watch movies. Everyone has their own level of pain tolerance and you are the best judge of when you are ready to get back to normal operations. Good luck on your journey and welcome to bandland!

Ouch! I think you won't gain it back. It's just a dieting kickstart. You've been doing great, just keep up the good work and don't "make up for it" once you can eat again. Hmm, maybe I should pretend I had a rootcanal...

I was on the stretcher and the nurse told me, but you're not that big... Now that I'm down 85lbs, I think OMG I was Huge! How could they not see it? I still have a little ways to go, that pesky last 10 lbs, but I wouldn't trade my band for anything.

Welcome! Bummer that your husband isn't on board with the support. He may just be needing to see your fabulous new figure to notice you've made a life style change. Guys are weird. So are insurance companies. I don't understand the 6 month diet thing either. It's a stalling mechanism so they don't have to shell out the cash for the surgery. Don't they know that by the time we have become desperate enough for surgery we have tried everything else?? duh. Hang in there and enjoy that beautiful San Diego weather. Good luck on your journey,

Welcome! How great to be normal:smile:. I hope you get your Christmas present! Good luck on your journey,

Welcome! How long have you had your band? Good luck and keep us posted,

Welcome! Rest up and heal well. Good luck on your journey

Count me in too. I'm a 6 and when I "feel fat" I have to firmly remind myself of that and then I calm down. I don't think I look thin, I just think I look OK, which is fine I guess.

Welcome! You've done such a great job so far!:thumbup: I didn't really use special recipes, but I did follow the South Beach Diet book for quite a while. I still do to some extent. It's very band-friendly. Just be careful to avoid anything too dry, like dry white meat chicken. Good luck on your journey,

Hi! I'm four years out and 6 lbs from goal. So close yet so far... I have been holding steady at this weight for a few months and have come up with a plan to shake things up. Three days a week I will go to the gym ( I previously hadn't been exercising at a gym) and I will do strength training, followed by a yoga class, and then a half hour of cardio in that order. I will also continue at 1200 cal/day but will do a 42 gm protein shake for breakfast instead of the 27 gm one. (myoplex, french vanilla) I can't really eat solids in the morning anyway. Good luck on your journey,

Same here. It just pleases me to no end to be thin after a lifetime of yo-yo dieting. I'm off BP meds, off my inhaler, my blood fats are normal, my BP is 110/ 60. I'm healthier now at 52 then I was at 42. It's just so cool. Not to mention the fun of shopping for clothes. Size 6 looks so much cuter than a 20. It's cheaper too, and there are so many choices. I'm turning into one of those wives who have to hide bags...I can even find exercise clothes to fit. (It always made me mad that I could not find decent exercise clothes in big sizes) I don't have to feel self -conscience at the gym either. Yup, I'd do it again. It's not easy, but it's worth it. Good luck on your journey,

Welcome, I'm sorry you are experiencing so much pain. Have you tried PT for your sciatica? I agree that a new doc would help. The guy sounds like a jerk. (diet pills? ugh!) Shop around. I was self pay also, my BMI wasn't high enough and I wanted it Right Now. Check into the financing options, they aren't as bad a you might think. When I had a complication, my insurance wouldn't cover it though. (I had a dilation and had my old band taken out and a new one put in). It has been worth the bucks to be thin. I've gone from a size 20 to a 6 and my back and arthritis pain are much less. My blood fats and blood pressure are normal also. It's so cool to buy clothes in the normal department. I swear people are nicer to me too... Good luck in your journey!

Welcome! Atlanta must be really nice this time of year. :thumbup: By next summer at your new smaller weight, you'll tolerate the heat much better. Good luck on your journey!

I guess the average size band these days is a 10 cc band. No one uses the 4cc anymore and a doc who tries to sell one to you may be out of touch with the latest advancements. I did have trouble with my 4cc band (dilation of my pouch and I needed to have it removed and replaced) and now I have a 14cc band and I'm getting along fine with it.

How cool! I think it's true too, being overweight is like being stuck in gloom and doom. Being thin is a whole new ball game . Not just the clothes (which are cuter and cheaper) but thin is feeling freer and healthier and more acceptable. I swear people are far nicer to me now at a size 6 then they ever were to me when I was a 20...Sad, but true. I even get doors opened for me. So, welcome, and good luck on your journey through the light!

Tough questions. I've been on a plateau myself for several months and I'm afraid I don't have a good answer. I do have more questions though. Are you recording your food intake to really be accurate about your calories? (I wasn't and now I am and I think it's making a difference) I just joined a gym and had to listen to a talk about how to organize your workout for optimal results. They said to do your weight lifting first (after a 10 min walk). Then do your cardio workout. Also, they said to not do circuit training, that it doesn't give the muscles enough time to grow and heal. Do one set of muscles per workout and change for each workout in your week. For example, do legs on Tues; arms and shoulders on Thurs; and back and abs on Sat. I plan on trying this to see if it makes a difference. As for getting to the sweet spot, I'm a fan. Not only does it prevent accidental overeating, it keeps you from getting hungry sooner. Go ahead and get the fill. Are you drinking enough? They say proper hydration is very important for keeping weight loss steady. Are you getting enough protein? A good 50 gms a day? I have a myoplex 42gm protein drink every day for breakfast (I'm tight in the morning so I can't eat solids anyway). Perhaps giving the South Beach diet a try would mix things up. It's a very band -friendly diet. Good luck, you're doing a great job of not gaining:thumbup: