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Twinsmommy-how long did it take u to acquire your habits and how long has it been using those habits to get u where u are now? Yeah me too!! Preop wasn't alot of fun but I kept to it and lost 10lbs. Got banded in august 2013. On liquid (clear) for 1 week ( swelling to go down ) then 2 weeks full liquid then 6 weeks soft foods which I'm still on. I'm having a few difficulties due to the fact I take 18 pills a day. But was on 33. But a few are weight gainers. I can eat some days other days it's hard. But that's me. I'm not starving. This morning had a wonderful omelet w/sausage Lt. An hour later took my 8 am pills with iced tea. I don't get hungry. food is Not the uppermost thought on my mind. I just finished 15 min of biking( stationary ). I haven't figured everything out and I'm sure it's a continual learning experience. So to answer your question your band is a tool only. You need the time and mindset to come to terms with the band. Remember its a journey not an overnight fix. Good luck. And by the way even tho I'm having troubles doesn't mean I made a mistake. I have to continually change my habits each day and someday I hope they become habit too. I would do it again. I've lost a little over 20lbs and haven't had my first fill yet. It'll come in time I have many years to work it out. Have a great journey.

Eating like you have the band before you have the band is freaking hard as heck. However, you may be learning a valuable lesson early on. Once you get banded you have an awesome tool to help you and there is a natural high from the weight loss initially. Eventually though you're going to have to start addressing many of the food issues that you are having now. You'll still be able to eat crap, just less of it. Realizing that you have a problem with food now may help teach you that while the band can address the physical aspects of hunger, it cannot address the mental aspects of it. After I hit goal I really began to realize how much I used food as a coping mechanism and it took therapy to really help me come to terms with that problem. You may also benefit from some form of therapy as you continue on your journey down the road. Good luck!

Get a slight unfill, losing weight is not worth getting sick over. As you know when you are slightly unfilled, if you follow the rules you should be able to lose weight and still enjoy your food. I am not very restricted at the moment but am working hard on keeping the weight I have lost off until my next fill so I know it's not easy. I came into this with the attitude that I would do it slowly while still enjoying a normal lifestyle... so far so good.

I also did not lose any weight for about 5 days post op. I was so bloated and gassy it was just not happening. Even now, almost 4 weeks post op (banded 2/15) I have only lost about 9 pounds. But I'm not gaining and I'm starting to feel like food has less of a control over my life, which is really nice! Good luck Jenni

Good Morning Everyone, A Good Time, Soon to End The sun is streaming down on us after a rare overcast morning here, and the last of the mist is veiling the mountains on the horizon. Sunday is a workday here, and I can see cars and farm vehicles pulling in and out of our parking lot, and people walking around purposefully and necking with their cell phones. I guess I'll be one of them in a few days. I'm due to return to work on Wednesday. I'll be ready, but boy, am I glad I took two weeks to recuperate after the surgery. It has been a time for resting, healing, getting to know my body, thinking, writing, and spending more time at home with my family. I've always been a get back to work quick type of guy, bored and fearful of spending time alone at home, but I'm glad I was ready for a change. Smaller Portions of Life All in all, I have to say that I find myself much more restrained - less involved with who or how many people have or haven't come to visit me, whether or not people can see that I'm losing weight, or on affairs in my community and beyond. It's almost as if the band is teaching me how to digest life in smaller portions - to swallow it slowly, to savor it's taste, to be satisfied from it, to make do with less and to obsess about it a whole lot less. The 500 Ton Gorilla Has Left the Building I weighed in at the clinic today - 11 kilo, or 24 pounds, down since surgery. While people here haven't noticed the loss yet, I've gotten a few comments about how I seem much more calm and content. No big surprise there - life without a 500 ton gorilla on my back shrieking FOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!! non-stop into my ear is another thing all together, apparently. For now, I'm eating very small portions of food, which I find delicious and which fill me up for hours, enjoying my drinks in between meals, and not obsessing about food at all! I've been feeding my kids without nibbling on their leftovers, eating in our dining hall without hearing the siren song of foods I can't have and reacting differently to situations which would've freaked me out before. Squash and Plastic, Anyone? One example here - on the evening of my second day of mushies, I was preparing a meal of pureed zucchini and asked DW, who was standing next to me washing the kids dinner dishes, to wash off the blending component of the hand held mixer which we had recently bought and which I was using for the first time. She did so, but overlooked the plastic cover which was on the blade. Innocently, I blended away, only to find little bits of plastic in my mouth when I tasted the first spoonful. Of course, that was the last zucchini in the house. In the past I would have responded to this situation by getting annoyed at DW and then becoming withdrawn (and, of course, by overeating later to compensate myself). Instead, I literaly laughed out loud as I thought, "hey, I don't really need it anyway- I just lived through a week on liquids!" I just joked about it, threw it out, and made myself something else to eat. I think that this is the real battlefield - long after the weight will have hopefully been gone, I'll still be contending with situations like this (and a whole lot worse!) without misusing food. All the best,

ParaGirl If it was me, I probably would not get an unfill. I don't usually get stuck anyway and I would be sooo worried about gaining weight back. You can still enjoy the food, just in moderation. Cruise ships are all about food and have many varieties, just eat tiny portions of whatever you want. Are you prone to getting food stuck?

Do yourself a favor and ONLY weigh once a week in the AM after you pee. A plateau is considered 2-3 WEEKS of staying the same weight so you're doing fine.

How often do you guys hit a "plateau"? I seem to have hit my first one. Two days in a row with no weight loss despite minimal calories and strong exercise. I did have sushi last night....not a lot of it....but maybe the soy is holding Water? I have had measurable weight loss nearly every day since I started 3 weeks ago...so this has me perplexed.

I haven't noticed this when taking a Bcomplex however I did feel that way while on a generic of an antidepressant called Remeron. It felt like I could eat the same amount in volume as I used to, but in reality I was unable to put away the same amount so I found myself grazing. Weight loss was nearly at a stall but came down a few lbs.

Hi Wifey21 I can only share with U my experience. Doing surgery was for me it was about No longer injecting myself with Insulin. Being constantly exhausted as a result of having too much weight on my body My partner was really insecure about me having the surgery in fact I had only been home a week & he dumped ME I then had to find somewhere else to move for myself & my 16year old son when I could barely lift anything. Do the surgery for U!!! It's great that U have a husband who wants to work on stuff with U How about looking having a clear frame work then it might feel safer so u don't feel judged Look at doing The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin also go to Kikki.K online they have a great blog on there website about this project I hope that helps all the best Cx

Thanks ladies I am doing this surgery for me, I'm too young to be this heavy and not be able to do the things I should be able to do, like walk around a park without feeling like my lungs are going to burst, or having high blood pressure. Anyways idk what was wrong with my hubby that day because we have been doing so good, we have little stupid arguments that most any couple would have, but that day he just really wasn't himself. Anyways I love my hubby and as he says he loves me, he said she's going to be a better husband and treat me the way I deserve and I hope that's true. I just think the closer it gets to april he is getting more freaked out, partly cause I've told him its a very risky surgery, but I'm going to be fine but also cause I tell him I can't wait to lose my weight and be skinny and finally feel great about myself. (Along with getting healthy) anyways yes thanks and I'm doing this for myself noone else. And I have great support system just think hubby had a bad day or something

Guess it's time to introduce myself. You might notice from my registration date that I'm not exactly new around here. I've put a lot of thought and research into this, spent months waiting to see if we got an insurance change that would cover it, and finally just decided to self pay and go for it! I go for my consultation on the 17th. Woo hoo! I'm 37 and married with 5 kids. My oldest will be 15 next month and my little one is 3. I think dh wouldn't mind another, but I told him I'd think about it when I reached goal. I'd hate to try to carry an 11lb baby at this weight (I breed em big!). We live in NE Ohio. I'm traveling down to Cincy to Dr. Curry for my surgery. I'm also a photographer, so prepare yourselves for hourly photographic updates. Ok, maybe not hourly. What else do you need to know? I'd like to lose about 80 pounds, but I'd settle for 90. :clap2:

My dr told me only to eat protein first then fill up on veggies and fruit and avoid all the white stuff. What he didn't tell me was how many calories are ok. When I was doing JC I had around 1500. My question is: is 1500 still ok? or should I go lower? What is the calories that YOU do? I'm sure that since nothing has been re-routed that we still go by the old rule "calorie in calorie out"? I've been doing pretty good so far, but now I really need to get serious. The weight is coming off harder now, so this is why I'm asking.

For the first few weeks your body is in a major heal mode and it takes a little time for things to kick off. During the hospital it is common to gain some weight because they fill your body with fluids and it takes a little time to loose this new weight. It is also common to hit stalls. The three most important elements after RNY surgery it to meet the daily requirements for fluids, Vitamins and Protein. Also walk for 30 minutes per day. So be a little patient, follow the requirements and let the magic happen.

I am three weeks out from RNY and I have only lost 11 pounds. I thought the weight would be coming off quickly so early on. I am following the rules and getting in enough Protein and Water. I'm walking 30 minutes a day. I am so discouraged. The 11 lbs came off in the first two weeks. This last week I have lost nothing.

i am/ was averaging 1.3lbs per week. my fill nurse said to me: you need to step up the weight loss!! hmm. ok ok, im not excercising and if i did i would step it up. but i thought i was doing well. ho hum. -r

ok i noticed this group didn't have a section for this so i thought i would make one. i know alot of us are loosing weight and have our old ones just sit in around so i thought it would be a good ideal to post if you have clothes to give a way or exchange. or if you need clothes. just list your size.:thumbup: i thougth this would help all of us out as we are loosing weight to have to keep buying clothes is just crazy. so i will go first im a 2x-3x shirt, and pants. or a 24-28 pants if anyone has any laying around let me know.

I had a chance to talk with the person I was originally asking about. Turns out she had surgery in 2008. She lost all her weight and even got below her personal goal, but then had some other health problems that required steroids, and started regaining. She's regained 40 lbs on her original 160 lb loss, which isn't terrible, and she does want to work on those pounds. however, it sounds like she never really changed her eating habits - doesn't like fruit and vegetables, eats a lot of fast food, though not large quantities at a time- just picks at it all day. BUT, worst things - she drinks a LOT of soda, way more than ever did in the first place. She admits to having about 4 cans of Coke (full sugar) each day, and that fills her up, leaving little room for nutritious food. she knows she has to stop the soda but so far is unmotivated enough to do it. I am relieved for myself to know that her situation is not something I'd be prone to, and that hopefully I can learn a lesson from it and avoid this.

I think everyone here knows that your body will not necessarily behave like others' bodies. Also, remember that when you reach goal you can't HELP but be much more active than you were at your highest weight and couldn't or didn't move very much at all. Therefore, your caloric / metabolic needs will surely rise. Here's my advice, based on my experience thus far: Don't make assumptions about how much food your body is burning. When you get to maintenance, keep recording how much (calories / Proteins / carbs) you're eating daily and what your moving macronutrient averages are. You might be surprised at how little effort this record-keeping actually takes with tools like www.myfitnesspal.com . And if you're an Excel hound, you can have a ball! I know from a lifetime of yo-yo diets and weight losses and regains that my eating / exercise / meal-planning instincts and impulses are not reliable enough to rely on without planning and monitoring. At some point in the future my instincts could become sharper and I might be able to move away from my record-keeping and metrics. But for now, I'm sticking with what is working. Short version: Don't guess. Know. Be prepared for things to change. Adjust as needed.

I can tell you my experience: My highest weight was 235. I lost almost 20 pounds pre-op (on my own diet and my surgeon's pre-op diet). Surgery day I weighed 216. Month 1 I got up (finally) to almost 800 calories (was hitting closer to 500 most of that month). Months 2-4 I ate 800 cals/day on average. Months 5-6 (thanks to my bariatric PA's advice - who knows TONS of stuff about bariatric nutrition, more than my NUT, frankly) I gradually bumped up my cals to 1,000 cals/day. Months 7-8 I gradually raised my daily cals to 1,200. I hit my weight goal (150 pounds) 8.3 months post-op. In the last 2.7 months I've been trying to hit 1,750 calories/day -- the calorie budget that my PA, my NUT, my exercise consultant and I all independently determined would be a good maintenance diet for me. That's pretty hard to do, and as a result I've lost another 6 pounds. However, I think that finally at 144 pounds the 1,750 cals/day thing is working for me. I am sooo glad I didn't eat 800 calories for 8 months. There's no way to know for sure, but my feeling is that if I had eaten less during that time that my maintenance calorie budget would be lower than it is. I don't want to lose anymore. I am older (69 years old now) and look just fine. I also want to be able to bounce if I fall down. And I don't want to eat like a bird to maintain some fantasy 125 pound weight that's too light for me at my age. This has worked out really well for me. Everyone's mileage may differ considerably from mine, but that's my story.

You can stretch the opening from your new stomach to the small intestines. This is especially true if you consume a beverage less then 30 mins before eating, less then 1 hour after eating and if you drink while you eat. Doing this things will cause your body/stomach to push your food more quickly into your small intestines. Drinking beverages from a straw can do it for some as can carbonated beverages. Your stomach about 1-2 years out can typically hold 1-1.5 cups of chewed food. If you continuously ignore the new feeling of full which is in a different spot you will over eat, will likely regain weight. Just avoid over eating and always track your food intake even if your calories one day are much higher then you should consume. It's always good to stay checked into your eating, since many of us in the past where anything but mindful of how, what & how much we really are before.

I wouldn't say I have nightmares, but I did have very vivid dreams for about three mounths after I had the band placed. I still have vivid dreams sometimes but they normally occur after fills and are about food. An example would be that I totally binged and gained like 30 pounds in one sitting. I would wake up feeling like i was drowning in saliva from my mouth watering.

Hey Guys my name is lomew. I am a new user on this forum.My age is 25 and my weight is 180 pound and my height is 6'1.I visited in this forum through the chain of Google.I am living in Paris.I am also like the exercise and maintain my body slim&fit.And i hope that you will not worry about me and i do my best to participate positively on this forum!!good luck!! orange county gym

hi all! i love these message boards it is where i have gotten a lot of info!!! i am 26 and preband i weigh 325. i have been trying to do adtkins and had lost about 25 but of course have gained some back. I CANT WAIT FOR SURGERY!!!!!

Weight loss would help the heart rate. Losing weight helps your heart because it doesn't have to work as hard to pump the blood. So a heart rate of 100 is having to work harder than someone's who is beating at 60 bpm.