Vikki

Anyone in the Souther Calif. area we are getting together on Sat. Aug 25th at my house in Huntington Beach so if any of you are interested in joining us please send me an email vikki4mymail@yahoo.com I will send over my address information. The more the merrier and we need each other for local support!!! I look forward to the meet up.

I try to eat at least 5 times a day. If I wait too long I tend to get too hungry and want to eat way too fast. I am stuck at an annoying platue right now and am sooooo close to Onederland that it is so frustrating. I can't seem to drop the last 10 pounds to get the the 100's again. I guess it is time to get another fill and get tightened up. Some days I feel really tight and some I don't. I am just trying to really be good with keeping the exercise up. The inches are really sheding so I need to be thankful for that. My arms have lost weight but now I have saggy turkey gobble arms.........I need to bump up the weight training. It is a never ending battle but the band is definitely working!!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know that when I get a fill I get a left shoulder pain that feels like around my heart area. It is a weird signal from my esophegus and it is annoying but usually when I eat or drink it hurts right after my fills. It does go away but sometimes when I have a bad PB it comes back. That might be what you are feeling. I have been told by a lot of band people that they get the same annoying hurting on their left side. It has to do with the band tightening and irritating the area so a signal goes to the left shoulder area................I don't know the exact scientific of it but I get it too. I usually have to just relax and stop putting anything in for awhile and it settles down. The tool is working to say to your body STOP!!!!!!!!!!

We are going to meet at my house for Southern Cal group on Aug 25th at noon. If you interested in coming pls email me at vikki4mymail@yahoo.com and I will add you too the list. I am in Huntington Beach and look forward to a meet up to discuss a lot of different things. It will be a good round table discussion and stories to share. Take care

Yes, I do feel that way. Though some weeks I start feeling as If I can eat like I used to and quickly reminded that I can't and have a PB. I do feel like more at ease when I go out to eat and not stress on eating something I shouldn't. Process of elimiation from experience has ruled out a lot of food that is just a NO. It was almost like anger at first of giving up the food but now I am totally okay with it. Food is a big part of life but I am okay with just saying no now. I am learning more and more everyday that hunger is more mental than anything. I am okay with the decision to cut most foods out of my life. It has almost like a peace with in yourself of the weight loss struggle and the sacrifice we have to live now. The scale going down helps that peace but once we get to our goal we have to maintain. The band is there to help us do that. I have grown a lot the last year in discovering a new me inside and out. Happy Friday to all!!!!!!!!!!!:whoo:

You are doing excellent Sandra!!!!! That is super to loose that much in such a short time. It has taken me 8 mths to loose 40 pounds and it feel good but I get dicouraged at times. Others have lost 60 - 80 in the same amount of time and I don't get why my body is so slow with the weight loss. I agree with the protein and water. It took me a long time to change my ways of not just eating what my mind was craving but what my body needs to be healthy. I am still in a habit of watery foods. I just started to eat salad again and was just fine but today it got stuck after a couple of bites. I guess I let myself get too hungry and tend to want to eat really fast like I used too. It is hard to change and I am still learning. I did get in a pair of shorts this weekend that I haven't worn in a few years and that felt great!!!!!!!! So instead of me whinning about why can't I loose as much as others......I try to focus on the now and the future of getting to my goal and staying there for good. I want to have a size 12 cloths in my closet that fit and three years later are too big or just still fit. I didn't do this to be one of the skinny people just average size and stay there for my long term health. Your May Bandsters are doing SUPER!!! Keep it up and we have each other for the cheerleader raw raw raw!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bandster buddies!!!!:Banane44::Banane45:

I am so sorry to hear that about the leak litltwety. What can cause a leak? I am doing good. Haven't lost much weight but definetly feel the difference in my cloths. I put on a pair of shorts yesterday that I haven't worn in three years and they are a little snug but I got them on and they look good. I went to vacation last week to Big Bear Lake and because of the altitude I felt very tight so didn't eat much. It is a good thing I guess. It was a struggle with myself to not be able to munch on anything I wanted but got threw it. It is weird how the band works. Some days you feel you can get anything in and the next you PB after three bites. When that happens its like your body is reminding your brain that it is there. I hope everyone is having a good summer. Not much activitity on our page like before. I missed the lap band site while I was on vacation because it helps me with support that I am not the only one going threw these mind battles and body battles. I am going to ask my Dr. about the Omnipack for my next fill. I would like to try it to see if it stays in place better.

Sandra, I know how it feels believe me. I am finally down 40 pounds but it has been 8 mths for me and I have been like a yo yo with platau then loose a couple then gain a couple then loose a couple. I mean come on body why is it soooooo stuborn!!! I feel it has been the biggest stuggle I have ever had to get this weight off. I am a little over half way to my goal and it feels good. All that hard work and people are finally starting to comment on the weight loss. I don't tell them I have the band but I just tell them portion size and exercise is the key. Of course I leave out the biggest detail of having this tool but I don't want to tell people because it is none of their business. I figure once it is off and staying off I will be more open about it. I am still trying to figure out what is going to make my body a weight loss machine. Hang in there. It is a very hard process and we are all different with what works for our body. I am still very bitter about skinny people that can eat what ever they want. I just keep asking myself why am I so tortured with weight. I am still working on that with in myself to not be so angry with the genes that I have and why I have to work on it so much when others don't even think about it!!! Good luck you guys!!! We are all in this together!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your right Marni what works best for us by loosing is what we need to stick with. Though changing it up is good too for your body but I am so scared to make the wrong choice. Today I tried to have the same thing I had for lunch two days ago and had no problem then but today after three bites I ended up getting stuck. When you guys say your pouch gets dialated what do you mean? A lot of times if I feel pressure is building up I go to the bathroom and make myself throw up to get the plug up and out. Is that the wrong thing to do? I usually end up feeling the need to go throw up a few more times after that by assiting or just throwing up by the burp. When the food pressure starts what do you guys do? Get up and walk around? I do drink a lot of protien shakes and have protein bars to get my protein instead of chix. The only chix I can eat is from a Thai place that is curry chix and has a lot of salt in it. I am really trying to lube everything but tend to then pack on the calories with Ranch dressing......ext. So I try to not get in a habit of it.

I totally agree with you!!! Only a couple of my friends and family even know that I have been banded so I don't usually discuss much of the band issues with anyone but on this site. It is a life saver. I am 8mths now and the biggest thing that I am starting to notice is the need to eat is really starting to go away. I have always been obsessed with food and what I am going to eat next or what I am craving....sweets.....salt.....and it just controlled me completely. Packing on the pounds was frustrating and I felt I just couldn't loose the weight and if I did to keep it off. I know feel a sense of relief that you cannot describe unless you also know the journey that the band puts you on. You still have to use your will power as if you were on Weight Watchers counting points but now you not only just rely on will power but have to deal with possible PAIN if you eat too much or too fast. It is sooooo much hassle to eat the things I used to that I just don't even want to bother anymore because of PB's and pressure of the pain. Amazing how pain can teach your brain the difference of hunger because your bored or true you body needs fuel hunger. Reading my body has been a complete Sherlock Holms Novel. I am constantly trying to figure out what I need instead of what I want or what I crave. To make my body a weight loss machine instead of gaining from all the wrong foods. Thanks you guys for being such a great support and to the ones that are recently banded and still going threw food withdraws.......I swear it does get better. Your frustration turns into just knowledge of reading your body and what works for you. It takes time and we all want instant weight loss. It took time to pack it on and it will take time to loose it................& KEEP IT OFF!!!!!! I LOVE MY BAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:clap2:

I don't understand when you guys say you feel I am sticking to liquids too much. I have 5.occ in my band and some days feel really tight and other days not so much. It is a gamble for what I can eat and I guess that since I do eat out a lot of the time I stick to soft soup or soft food in general because I am scared to eat more solids. When I do eat more solids I usually get that hurting feeling of pressure and I am trying to do little bites and chew chew. The pain is not something I want so I then refrain from it. I suppose if I am getting the vitamins I need and my body is still loosing I should just stick to what is working. I have been having a lot of problems with gas pains lately and just started on gas x to help. I don't know how my system is going to react to foods anymore. It is either pain from the band or pain from the gas???? Food is just not my friend right now and I guess that is what exactly I was going for.........It just took time to train my brain to not want the food like it used to for comfert or bordem. I now consentrate on other things like working out and projects to keep me busy. Do you guys feel this way too? I am also noticing spicy is a no no. It zips me up like a zipper. I soooo love spicy too!! Another thing I am having to give up. The sacrifice is worth it because I went to the used Levi store this weekend and walked out with two pairs of Levis and they actually look good on me!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WEEE HOOOO

It sounds completely wrong from what we have learned by dieting and starving to loose weight. I have learned that my body looses more when I do the 5 small meals a day method. It is usually 10am 1pm 4pm 6pm 8pm and I say meal but I just mean food. 10am a fat free yogart with fruit or South Beach high Protein granola bar. Something to keep your body from going into starvation mode and shutting down the metabolism. You think if your not getting food how could your body not loose weight???? Makes no sense but our bodies go into a starvation mode and just stop thinking it might need to eat off of what you have in extra pounds. It is a natural thing that it does. When I was at my longest platea I wasn't very hungry so didn't eat much.....realized that when I keep my body with very small portions of high protein all day that week I drop at least 3 pounds. What you have to do is plan your day of what your going to eat. Portion size and put in baggies to bring with you. Set an alarm if you need too. It does work but it is hard to do when your not hungry. You can take 30 to eat that small something and just make sure that you are intaking a lot of Water every day. It is like being Sherlock Holms with your body to figure out what works for you but it takes a couple of weeks of trying this and that to determine what will work. :whoo:

I try to order different things when I go out to eat and 6-10 times it is okay if I stick to really soft. Soups, Baked potatoe with cottage cheese. I am snacking on South Beach granola bars because they are higher in Protein and never stick if I take small bites and usually eat it after I sip on some tea. Hot tea can make a huge difference as it relaxes the area so it doesn't tighten up. I notice if my first couple of bites is something really spicy it tightens right up and usually sticks and I throw up. Not too fun when throwing up spicy......burn. So I try to stick to hot soup or hot tea about 10 min before my meal. I do a lot of Chili but usually get Quizno's chili because it has the most homeade taste to it with lots of stewed tomatoes that are really soft. I noticed when I tried to do more protien shakes instead of so many salty soups I dropped a couple of pounds. You really have to read your body and if it is a solid food just small small bites and count your chews. Eating while watching TV or chatting with someone can make you take a big bite and not concentrate on chewing. That is how I usually get in trouble. Nothing is more embarrassing but having to get up a half a dozen times to go releive the slime stuck in your band. My co workers do not know I have the band as they are all men so it is hard to get to the bathroom and try not to look like I just was crying when I get back. I am eight months now and with 5.0cc in my 10cc band and I usually have to throw up 2 times a week. When I am trying to be creative and eat something new. I feel it is a kick in the ass from the band fairy to say..........stop and think of what is going in. Do you want to be in pain????? NOOO It is amazing how pain really changes your way of thinking. It is not worth the hassle anymore.

You guys sound exactly where I was about 3 months ago. I got my band the day after Turkey day last year. I went threw a mourning period of not being able to get my comfort food. I was sooo used to getting a big mac if I was having a bad day and it was a type of self sabitoging myself which I thought made me feel better but actually gave me major guilt that I didn't need to eat that. I couldn't eat my carbs that I used too and what the heck do I eat today that my body needs instead of craves. It is not overnight that you change yourself. It does take time and 8 months out I am down 40 pounds and back into a lot of cloths I couldn't wear 8 months ago. It feels really, really good to really start feeling that the dedications and sacrafice that I have gone threw in giving up eating all day long is actually worth it. It is hard to feel that way in the beginning because loosing weight is a long journey. It takes one weekend to pack on 3 pounds but a whole month to loose it. It doesn't make sense to me either but it takes a long time of listening to your body of what it is craving to be healthy instead of instant satisfaction like a In N Out Double Cheeseburger...Which I miss a lot. You guys are doing soooooo great and it seriously does take one day at a time. Try to just get your protein and play around with flavors and dishes that don't have too much salt and helps feed your body not your emotions. It is all worth it and this tool is going to make it happen!! I love my band and it is the best thing I have ever done.

Hey there Calif peeps. I would like to try and set up a meeting for the Southern Calif area and am looking at Aug 5th Sunday. Not sure where we are going to meet yet but it might be at my house in Huntington Beach. If you are interested in going please send me an email at vikki4mymail@yahoo.com and let me know so I can add you to my list. We met up last month but at a the rainforest cafe which was loud so I am trying to get a better location to meet at so we can talk more. We all have questions and need support. Let me know if you are interested. Thanks

Hi there Bandster buddies, I hope that everyone has a fun day planned for the 4th of July. We have a very fun parade in Huntington Beach every year that my kids and I love to go to. It is going to be HOT this year so make sure that you bring your sun screen. I wanted to set up another get together for local support. If any of you would like to offer up your house please let me know. I would offer my own house but it is quit small but if Huntington Beach is a good middle point for everyone's location we could have it at my house. I was wondering if Sunday Aug 5th would work for everyone. Our first meeting was nice but at a restaurant it was hard to really talk to each other. I would like to set up a location this time where we can have more of a round table discussion with each other. I know some of you have had your band for awhile and some are very new. It would be nice to ask questions and share stories with each other. Please let me know if that date works for you guys and where you would like to meet up and I will coordinate it all.

That is great Tom. Let us know what it is like to eat with no fill. If you feel a big difference. If you get that pressure feeling after a couple of bites or if it now takes a lot longer with it empty. I am just curious and can't wait to get to my goal wait. To maintain your goal weight what is usually recommended? To keep it filled or have it taken out? I have had a bad headache for a week now. I also have dropped 3 pounds. I am wondering if I am depriving my body of something and it is reacting as a headache. I am drinking tons of water so I know I am not dehydrated. I don't know if maybe it is my sinuses or something else.........why is our bodies such mysteries. Does anyone else out there feel like a detective trying to find clues for answers???????????? Keep us updated Tom so we know how things go. You are doing sooooo GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is great on how much you have lost Tom!!!!!! Can I say how jealous I am!!! I would love people to tell me I am too skinny. That has never happened to me ever. I have always been healthy....to say the least. I sure hope that your Dr. can figure out the lack of energy. :bored:faint:That must be frustrating!! Hope you feel better soon. Why is it that men loose so much faster than women.........Its not fare. I mean we have to deal with so much more physically than men and we get the short end of the stick when it comes to loosing weight toooooooooo!!!:Banane41:

You know what cut me off the starbucks was when I found out how many calories was in my favorite Frappucinos. I love the green tea and it is almost 500 calories so that is a meals worth. I only have one everyonce in a long while now instead of a couple times a week. I got a book from Barnes and Noble that has all kinds of foods and restuarant chains in it and it fits in my purse to count calories/fats/carbs to pick from them on how many instead of what I am craving. That is what got me in trouble in the first place of eating what I was craving instead of what my body needs to be a loosing machine. Not that I am loosing a lot right now but I am not gaining. It feels like it will be forever to get back into the 100's but I think I can I think I can!!!!!!!!!!!! :banana:cheer2::funscale:

Connie, It sounds like you still need more of a fill to get to your sweet spot. I have days where I can eat more than others but it is still hard to eat a full size meal because of restriction. I would call and talk to your Dr. if you feel you are eating as much as before being banded. The whole point of this tool is for us to feel full quicker so if you are not achiving this then you should check with your Dr. and schedule a fill. I think everyone is different when it comes to feeling a PB. Sometimes I get a pressing pain where my band is and that signals "Stop Eating" or you will be in lots of pain. Sometimes it is a feeling of the top of my esophegus and my food doesn't want to go down and you want to hit your chest as to unlodge it. I think that I might have a very sensative esophegus which has been the case since I recieved the band. I have learned to listen to my body when the pain starts or the pressure and to put down the fork and walk around for awhile. I then tend to get the fullness feeling more than as to keep eating. Hope this helps. I have read that it might take up to 6 fills to get the restriction that is needed. Some it might be the first. Everyone is different. I ordered a book on Amazon today that was written by Mahamad Ali's daughter called Banding...Fighting weight. I just found out on another thread that she had even been banded. Who knew. She had lost a big amount and I can't wait to read her story.

I had no idea that she had a lap band. I did notice she had lost weight but I thought it was from training. I just ordered the book on amazon so let me know what you think about it. I also ordered a book on life after gastric surgery with meal recommendations and advice. I can't wait to read them. I did go shopping last week and fit into XL shirts. I was very happy about that because I could pick from the regular clothing section instead of having to go over to the plus size section. That is a big move for me. I am still trying to be focused and look at what I have achived instead of what I haven't. Hope everyone is doing well!!!!!!!!!

I love the new thread. I will post our pictures. If you email me the pictures you took I can put them together. Just send them to my personal email. I had a great time meeting everyone too. It was my first band get together since I don't have any support groups threw my Dr. office. You look wonderful too Angela. I hope you had fun at Disneyland that day. It was great to meet you Son and new Daughter in law. Talk to you soon!!

Hi there everyone. It was nice to catch up on how everyone is doing. I am so sorry Jess that your going threw those issues. I can't even amagine how scared you must have been and the pain....ouch!!! I sure hope everything is okay and you recover quickly. I have summer fever right now!!!! It is sooooo beautiful outside and being stuck in an office everyday all day is not working for me!!!! I want out of my cage. I am trying different tanning lotions. Do any of you use tanning lotions? I am super pale so do not have much olive tone to my skin and need some help from the bottle. Which brand is the best to not make you look like a bright orange color.

It was nice meeting everyone. Let's plan on the end of July meeting up again. If anyone would like to offer their house or if anyone has a pool they would like to offer let me know. Here is a pic of our group yesterday.

I was so great to meet eveyone at the first So Cal bandster meet up yesterday at the Rainforest Cafe in Anaheim. Here is a picture of us and we would like to set up another one the end of July so if anyone is interested in joining send me an email to vikki4mymail@yahoo.com We even has two that joined us that are getting banded in July. Thanks everyone.:clap2: