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Congrats Leila -- I know how you feel about the gas pains. It will get better. It takes a few days. I had my first burp today (I know TMI) but wow it felt GREAT!! I still can't eat much. I had about a teaspoon of mashed potatoes and about 2 tablespoons of SF/FF yogurt at lunch. I'm as full as can be. I'm not complaining. I'm just scared I'm going to do something to hurt my band. That is my greatest fear right now. I'm sure that there are people out there in bandland that have done far worse things and nothing has happened to the band. Trying to sip sip sip on my liquids. I'm not up to par but I'm trying. I get too full. As soon as you can, walk walk walk ...that will help the gas. It's almost out of my shoulder and still have quite a bit in my stomach area (but I swear it's gone down 4 inches). Melissa Lea

you are more than welcome to join! And there is no such thing as TMI in this group. LOL So welcome to the group sheryl!!! Go to the first page and grab yourself a scorecard. That way you can be accountable while you are here. Plus it allows us all to cheer you on. YAY SHERYL!!!

HI! May I join this group??? Some of you know me by now. I was banded in 2003, lost 80 lbs in 7-8 months, had a major upheaval in my life for 2.5 years and I turned to food for comfort, regained 55 lbs, then got my head on straight and lost about 60 pounds since March. So, I am down a total of 84 pounds as of today. I want to lose about 78 more, though I will probably go about 65 pounds more, then see a plastic surgeon for a body lift and boob reduction. That should take care of a few more pounds, at least! TMI?? My next mini-goal is to lose 16 pounds so I can say that I have lost 100 pounds! Hopefully, I can do that in the next 4-6 weeks!

Jennie, I can't comment about how long to wait, but I CAN tell you what happened to me. After I'd lost about 60 or 70 lbs, I noticed kind of loose skin (especially between my legs-sorry if TMI) It was really kind of scary and hideous looking. I knew I still had about 50 or so pounds to go, at least so I didn't even consider PS. What happened was that I kind of plateaued and you know what? The skin and my overall body shape kind of evened out during that plateau (that I'm still on, by the way). I lost 2 pant sizes during the plateau and the loose, hideous skin is so much better. Give it time, make sure it's what you want and REALLY need. I agree with the person who recommended waiting a year. That would give your body time to adjust to it's losses.

Well, I don't know if I'd call that woman mean, just totally crazy. Where do these nut jobs come from anyway? I thought they were supposed to be locked up in a mental hospital. I am so glad your hubby was there to straighten her out, I wouldn't know what to say either. Except maybe if he was so unhappy why am I getting lucky every night? LOL, sorry tmi.

I've opted out of the gym this week but have been working harder than a bulemic on Thanksgiving! Yardwork every day after work, landscaping, weeding my planting areas, pruning, re-basing our paver patio that serves as a stair landing, etc. It's way more workout than the gym ever is, and I'm doing it for 4 - 5 hours. Or more. Last Wednesday I was planting barberry bushes by the light of the streetlamp.Most likely that has an impact. I'm also ovulating (TMI, I know) and for me it's virtually impossible for the scale to drop then, or when I'm... you know. Damn hormonies. No eating changes at all. I tend to plateau, even past weightloss efforts prove that's true for me. Maybe not plateau, but it's not uncommon for me to go a month or more with 0 loss in pounds, and then drop 20 lbs in a week. I'd prefer it to be more steady, but off is off. My first weighing after surgery was 1 week later, at my first post-op appointment. I was still on a resolve to use only my surgeon's scale, so I had DH hide my home scale from me, because if it's there, then dammit - I'm going to get on it. Again. And again. And again.

Only drink bottled water, from a bottle you've opened which has it's seal intact. Make sure you brush your teeth with bottled water. Don't drink anything that has ice in it. Don't believe it if someone tells you the water and ice are safe. Only eat food which has been cooked to a high temperature - soup is usually a good bet. Kind of takes some of the fun out of the vacation though huh? I've been sick from the water on a vacation in the past and I will never feel safe eating in a foreign country again. I know, how sad. Oh well, I'd rather enjoy the rest of the vacation than go through a 48 hour purge from both ends (I know, TMI) ever ever again.

We have a smooth coat border collie named Cosmo, and a tuxedo cat named Elwood. Cosmo is a little over a year old, quite the handfull, and still a jumper. He doesn't get to spend much time with the kids because he plays too hard. We are hoping to send him to training after my banding is done. Then he can get some outside help that we can't provide. Elwood is about 8 now. Elwood is what i call my "little fire kitty" because he came and alerted me when our house was burning down and I was in the shower. If it wasn't for him, I would not have gotten out. I still have the scars on my chest from him digging his claws in and hanging on. We had two dogs and nother cat at the time, and he and I were the only ones that got out. DH was at work. Elwood has since had his claws removed. LOL Now he is my fat tub of furry love that I will never lose. He made the cross country trip with us and did so well. He is loving and a snuggler. He has this weird thing that he does that when he gets really relaxed and is snuggling he drools. A lot. it is really gross, but funnier than hell. He is huge too. He stands on his hind legs and can open doors if it is a lever handle. Even if it opens towards him, he knows tograb it and walk backwards. We have to keep a lot of the doors in the house locked so that he doesn't open them all. The funniest is when he does that to someone who is in the bathroom and doesn't realize. He will just open the door up and come on in to run on your legs. Another weird thing he does. And y'all are gonna think I am nuts. But if he comes in while you are going to the bathroom, he will come in and rub on your legs, then get into your pants as they rest around your ankles. and just sit there and purr. If they are not pulled down far enough he will paw at them till you lower them. OK TMI I know but it is hilarious!!!

Hey guys. Ok, the shrink's office called me this morning, they faxed the stuff to Dr B!!! HOOOORAAY! Oh and I am on the meds for the H Pylori. Oh MY GOD!!! can we say nasty!!!!??? I have this horrible aftertaste in my mouth and I have to take 4 pills in the am and 4 in the pm. Im gonna have a raging yeast infection from all the antibiotics. (TMI, yea.. but..) So anyone have any tips on preventing yeast infection from antibiotic overload?

It really is a very personal decision I think to have the surgery and I completely understand the choice to limit sharing it with others. I think my choice to "share" has come from years of hiding so much about who I am from my family and parents - you know, always trying to be the perfect daughter, sister, etc - and I've come full circle with that so probably disclose TMI (too much information!) now as an extreme opposite of how I was before *L* I'm in "take me as I am" mode these days. I love this thread, it's so neat to read about the different thought processes and feelings behind everyone's very different decisions...

Subhanallah (Glory be to God),I don't know where to start! I guess i'll start with the bad news, masha'Allah (it is what God has decreed). First, I did not get any excercise in for a week and just started back two days ago. Second, I think I have irratated my esophagus. I do not have a fill, have never pb'd or slimed but I have been feeling swollen, tight, and have a sore ichy throat. Last week we were out of town all day and I had a granola bar....SUSPECT #1! Then the next day I tried some Musli Mix High Fiber Cereal...SUSPECT #2! I supose a grain could have got stuck. I recall having the popcorn kernal feeling, and trying to cough it out slightly. Third, and this really isn't so bad but it leads up to my good news, I 'only' lost one pound in my 9th week out. The one pound wasn't so bad considering that I had not excercised all that week, ate three pieces of KFC, and that I played taste tester for my friend's new Bakery Home Business. I promised her before the band and she said she felt bad asking me but I told her that I would do it because I wasn't really dieting anyway. I really didn't eat much. She gave me itty bitty pieces of several things....NONE OF THEM SET OFF CRAVINGS!!!! I was shocked. If that were me on Atkins it would have set off either a one week binge or I would have quit all together. The Good News! I started back walking two days ago! I have been on liquids for two days in hope that it will relieve my irratated esophagus. My weigh in day is on wedsnesdays, so I had no intention of weighing in today (well not officially). Here goes TMI, but last night all the liquids that went in one end came out the other...it seemed non-stop. I thought that had to account for something! I was hoping it was the three pounds I wanted to lose last week to make it a nice 50lbs lost in two months. I was 230 the last time I checked. When I got on the scale this morning before my morning walk, before eating or drinking anything, and after relieving myself...I was pleasantly surprised to see that I was weighing in at 218!!!! I couldn't believe my eyes. I checked to make sure the scale was properly balanced, I woke my daughter up to put her on it to make sure it was working (lent it to my neighbors last night, who have a track record of BREAKING EVERYTHING they borrow!), I got on and off to make sure I was seeing it correctly..it kept saying the samething...218!!! 218!!! 218!!! Allahu Akbar (God is The Greatest)!!!That makes me down 59 lbs in a little over 2 months!!! I like totally skipped the 220's!!! Masha'Allah. It is so amazing because last night I planned to updated my profile today, after I had weighed my 4 year old and realised that not only had I lost the weight of my 30lb one year old son, but that I also lost the weight of my 40lbs 4 year old. I was going to set a mini goal to lose the weight of my 55lbs 6 year old and then this morning I realised that I had!!! Almost two years ago I started Atkins at 247lbs. In three months I was down to 217lbs. I am one pound away from that. I bought clothes then that were really nice but gave them all away to charity a few months ago because I could not foresee being that size again and it was taking up unneccesary space. Now all I have in my closet are my 'moo moo's'. I don't plan on doing any shopping any time son because I am still not a size that I want to actually wear nice clothes in yet. I will stick with my comfortable moo moo's for the time being. We go on vacation in August, insha'Allah (God Willing). Perhaps by then I will be a size that I will feel more comfortable buying new clothes in. I thank Allah for making this all possible. I thank the rulers of this country for having free to minimum cost medical care. I thank my surgeon and his wonderful surgical team for giving me excellant care. I thank my husband for supporting me and paying for this surgury and I thank all my fellow bandsters on these forums for being there for me and other people who had or are considering wls. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This happened to me. And duh, I didn't know that you weren't suppose to wear a tampon during surgury. Man, did it hurt taking it out (TMI, sorry!) They said that you normally just tell them and they get you the big-old industrial size pads and a pad under you, and it is fine... They are used to it. Whatever you do, do not use a tampon!! Ouch!

I'm curious. Did I actually have a PB as described above? I didn't have any slime that everyone seems to have. I just got sick and it was all water. TMI? Sorry....I was just wondering.

I love watermelon too! I had some yesterday but since I am still in the mushy stage I had to use the chew and spit method. TMI? Sure did taste good, though! Hope

no rest for the wicked MO!!! MWAHAHAHAHA joking. i think a week between might be good, as long as your points are high enough to take that break. >:eek: Man....this fake sweetener is making me sooooo gassy. DH actually left the room to go outside today. Its not like I smell. I am just a little loud at the moment. LOL Ok TMI. I'll leave now. hehehehe

Telly - congrats on the 199! That's a HUGE thing to celebrate! Good job! P'nut - you'll be happy to know I went for that "slight" unfill today. Much needed and I hope it will help. Been yacking all over the place for 3 days now. TMI, I know.

UPDATE - three days post op Haven't been able to drink much of anything cause the ET tube irritated my throat and I have been coughing up junk that has filled my little belly. Sorry if TMI. So I have only been able to drink skim milk with hersey's chocolate in it. Not something I normally would drink. But hey it's thin and has protein. So much for agonizing over what to buy to drink the first few days. Showered last night, got dressed today and ready to roll. M

Just stopped in to say Good Morning, Elieen now we know why you were getting felt up at the Concert _ You go girl What is a Epelitic trainer? Is it something I should stay away from?? Sounds hurtful. Darcy - I would continue to work out on the machine that gives you pain - your body will get use to it. Have to make this fast - have alot to do today.. I still continued to spit up after I went to bed. It is nothing solid but it is more like mucus.. Like Nose Mucos (TMI huh?) I have really bad allergies and use a nose spray all the time. I have not been doing that here as of late and do not know if it is a combination of things. One thing that I notice is I always have the taste of salt in my mouth. You know like the taste of your tears? That taste so I think it has alot to do with drainage. I really need Roto Rooter.. Well best be gettin to work my Bosses Boss is here.

DH and I will just stick to our tan in a bottle. We use Jergens tanning lotion for the body and the one for the face. It really works well!! We are fair skinned, so doing the dark tan formula would look a little silly. since they came out with a fair skin formula we are all about the tanning. Every night we take a shower together, I shave his head, he shaves my legs (TMI, I know ;P ) Then we put the tanner on each other. The thing I love about it is that it doesn't have a funky smell, it is a moisturizure as well so our skin is really soft, and you don't end up with orange palms, a weird color, or bad lines and splotchiness.

Ok, I just had to share this with ya'll. I had the most embarrasing sliming episode tonight at dinner. My fiance and I went to La Madelines for dinner, I ordered rotisserie chicken. Fiance got a salad, and out of habit I picked out a few croutons from his salad. A minute later I wanted to DIE. I was hurting soo bad. I drank a sip of Water trying to get the crouton to go down, but it just kept hurting. Then I started to slime and then the water came back up, all over me and the floor. I wanted to die. Probably TMI, but anyway. That was my embarrasing night. Hope ya'll all had a wonderful mother's day. I'm finally finished with finals and headed home to visit my mom for a week, so I'll be kinda scarce in posting, but I'll be sure to check in on everyone!! Hope ya'll have a great week! Kristin

Telly - TMI! 5/6/06 B: Water L: 5 oz Wild sockeye salmon, 1/4 sweet potato - 320 calories(?), 22g protein D: Buca di Beppo's Chicken parmigiana & creamy chicken & pasta dish, 1/4 of a piece of garlic bread Dessert!: 1 WHOLE caramel apple drizzled with chocolate & snickers bits and a caramel-, white chocolate-dipped pretzel (which I PB'd on). I guess it's my free day!

Here are my thoughts, along with a LOT of TMI that maybe someone out there will find useful. There are a lot of misconceptions about how the metabolism process works. You didn't have restriction until 4/20, so about two weeks ago. You're not going to be in starvation mode from not your goal caloric intake (I see "1000 - 1200 calories" stated as the threshold frequently, but I believe the true threshold is 50% of your BMR) in two weeks. It takes a while to get into starvation mode, and it takes a while to get out... it's a process, not an event. Also it isn't really a matter of your body "holding onto everything it gets", it's more a matter of your body using its calories more effeciently, and getting energy from the source that takes less energy to break down, which unfortunately happens to be our lean body mass long term, and glycogen short term, which causes a Water release & is why there's an inital fast weight drop (you aren't losing fat, you're losing water). You'll hear people say, "You can lose a lot of weight by fasting." They're so totally wrong in saying that. That's also why it's more dangerous for lower BMI patients to lose weight through a starvation-type diet... they have even less fat than MO so their lean body mass is gobbled up that much quicker. When you decrease your caloric intake, your metabolism also decreases. However, your metablosim doesn't decrease because your calories decreased. It decreases because your body begins to break down the lean mass (remember -- muscle tissues are easier to break down than fat)... in essence it starts to eat itself. At the same time your body also has the programming to know this shouldn't be happening, so it slows down your metabloic (and other) processes so that its lean masses are broken down slower... kind of a vicious cycle. Anyway, the body's goal in decreasing the metabolism is not to keep up with however many calories you're eating, the goal is to have to feed off itself as little as possible. Then you get into the irony of that fuel that was created by metabolizing your lean mass being converted to sugars by your liver, with the goal of keeping your fat stores in place. Losing weight by metabolizing lean mass is going to produce a really weak, flabby, unhealthy end product. They key is to avoid burning muscle and get the body to burn fat, so ideally you'd target between your BMR and AMR, and not a fixed number like "1,000". That's another misconception. Also when you hear a number like, "1,000" it should raise some alarms because everyone here is different and we're all going to need different numbers of calories. Someone who is starting off at 450 lbs might have a BMR over 3500. Someone at the same height starting off around 230 lbs might be closer to 2150. There's NO WAY both people are going to have the same goals for how many calories they eat per day... absolutely no way. (Which is also a reminder to adjust your goal intake regularly, depending on your current weight, and not think that what you ate 50 lbs ago is what you should still be eating today). Starvation mode also only decreases the BMR by about 20%, so while this can slow weight loss, it's not going to stop weight loss. That's also a misconception. If starvation mode stopped weightloss/etc., no one would ever die of starvation. :eek: (As a side note, I've also seen the claim made that starvation mode will "stop metabolism". If your metabloism is stopped, you're dead...) So what's the magical number? How much should we be eating? My personal suggestion (worth what you're paying for it) for healthy, maintainable weightloss is to target between your BMR and AMR. That's not to say it's the right answer, but it's what I believe. (I know -- if it's that easy, why are we all fat? It's not that easy, but if we make good food choices, it's EXACTLY what our bands are going to help us do). Good guidelines for doing this without all the number-crunching is to eat only enough to where you're no longer hungry (focus on "Am I hungry?" DO NOT focus on, "Am I full?" They're NOT the same thing), eat very small servings - understanding it's easier to come back for more than to deal with the consequences of eating too much, and up your intake if you notice that you're getting tired, having a hard time focusing, etc. Generally speaking, if you follow these guidelines AND make good food choices, you will hit a number between the two rates. And you'll need to keep in mind to adjust as your weight decreases. For me, it works well to decrease the number of calories I eat by about 10 for every pound I lose (again, that's a guideline I use based on calculations I've done in the past). Sorry for the novel, I just thought I'd take the opportunity to try and clear some waters.

Lmao, puddin...? What is that smilie face doing to the other one? It's kinda..... TMI...

Errrrrrm..... TMI!:speechles

Kathy - I have soft food syndrome too. I've been favoring the softer foods vs the heartier foods. I guess I need to step it up. I haven't cooked since before surgery, dh cooks for him and princess. I just eat bits of this and that. I still like to graze, which is bad behavior. I have tons of restriction with the RNY because if I over pill the pouch it wil make me feel like i'm having a heart attack and I hate throwing up. You have been very sucessful with your band. Do you really have to go to Mexico for fills? How is mexico, i've never been there. I see your birthday is May 9th, mine is on the 11th. Woo Hoo. I've always hated my birthday being on mothers day because my mom was so hateful. I turned 30 on mother's day 3 years ago, and they though my mom was going to die that night. I know this is TMI, but it's one of my horrible memories of my birthday and mothers day. Melissa & Kathy - I think I'll skip the tummy tuck, it just looks so painful and a hard recovery on all those shows. However, my muscles in the ab's might be weak so you never now. I am down 50lbs, people are commenting all the time now. I give my 'friends' comments a though, but I had one hater at work tell me I was shrinking. Come on now. SHe's been jealous since day 1. I saw my pcp today I have tendonitis in my right side upper and lower back, down to my foot. Cannot take anything because of the rny. I'm just glad it's not a herniated disc like I had last year at this time. I hope everyone stays well. I love this weather. Oh yeah, I feel good.