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*editor's note* this is from my main blog...some of this doesn't apply to this forum* This will be another quickie – as this week getting back in the swing of things has been rather hectic. I promise to get back on my blogging game next week. Well, looks like my “start date” (the hoop-jumping 3months I have to go thru for insurance, dr. Monitored weightloss, etc) will be pushed back 1 month. Instead of April, ill start in May – after Mother’s Day/the big GGX event in NYC. Mainly a money issue – I have a few things looming and lots of prep for the 3 vendor events I have in the next 6 wks, and I need to be able to focus all of my time & attention on that…for now. BUT, if I can figure out a way to do it in April…I will. I’m just very ready to get the show on the road!! I under-estimated how much time and energy go into an actual event. And after the 2day expo this past weekend, I figure I really need to grind the next few weeks. Still praying for a way to get it all done according to schedule…but we’ll see. Now – I have a rant. This is directed at the folks that have never struggled with weight in their life. I pose this question: Why do some people thinks its so easy to lose weight on your own? Be eat over eating/food addictions/emotional eating/etc or lack of exercise/motivation/lethargy/complacency… Do you think I’d be subjecting myself to a surgical process, hospital bills, etc…if it were “THAT easy”? Even in my most successful weightloss of 20+ lbs (attributed to pills that are no longer on the market), that was it. The 100+ I need to lose is not a matter of it being “THAT easy” if I just put my mind to it – as if I haven’t (put my mind/energy to it) done that already. Weight is a hard, hardddd thing to lose. ESPECIALLY once you have had a child. Why do you think so many people use Trim Spa, Quick Trim, cleanses, etc…hoping for some quick assistance (even the small ppl like Kim ‘Dash)? Not to take ANYthing away from those who ARE, in fact doing it the “natural way” like my girl Benee -because she is one of the most dedicated folks I've seen. Here attitude, her drive, and the results are phenomenal. But as she's chimed in before - not everyone can do it that way. If we could, there wouldn't be such staggering rates of obesity. Not everyone is able - and for real? Eating healthy is EXPENSIVE. *sheesh* Just curious as to why MY decision to do what *I* need to do…rub so many people (in general) the wrong way? Even other overweight/obese people who are hell-bent on doing it their way…but have been unsuccessful for years. At what point do you decide that something isn't quite working for you? Some folks have been battling the buldge for 10, 15, 20 years like myself. At what point do you consider another alternative - especially when your health & life are at risk? Let's just keep it real as we look at the chart...(after calculating our BMI's. Mine is 52. Which means I'm HALF fat. *smdh*) http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bminojs.htm BMI Weight StatusBelow 18.5Underweight18.5 – 24.9Normal25.0 – 29.9Overweight30.0 and AboveObese and for example: Height Weight Range BMI Weight Status5' 9"124 lbs or lessBelow 18.5Underweight125 lbs to 168 lbs18.5 to 24.9Normal169 lbs to 202 lbs25.0 to 29.9Overweight203 lbs or more30 or higherObese How many truly obese people can 50+ pounds on their own, with no assistance? *shrug* Maybe it's just me... If I trust God to protect me, that includes surgery. I can’t lose any sleep over the “potential complications” with out acknowledging the “potential gain” (which in this case, is weight “loss”). Its all worth it for me…a year from now, I will be A LOT healthier than I am today. Guarenteed. Not sure how many other folks can say that, but I'm glad *I* can... *thats my rant and I’m sticking to it*

I've been home for almost 24 hours now, and here is a quick summary of my banding experience so far: I got to the hospital at 7:30, for my 10am surgery. I was brought back to the pre-op area, and given a gown and booties to change into, and told to wait. About 9am a nurse came in to give me my surgical stockings, and start my IV. She also gave me my first shot of a blood thinner. Finally at 10:15 my surgeon came in and said they were setting up the surgery room for me, and it would just be a few minutes. 10 minutes later a man came to wheel me to surgery. I get to the operating room, and everyone there was soooo nice. The nurses were telling me that it would all be over soon, and that I would never have to worry about my weight again. The anethelogist assistants said they couldn't believe I was 40, they thought I looked 25 (all us gals know that is the best compliment ever!). Then they have me scoot to the surgery table, and they begin to strap me down. Then they unfasten my gown in the back, and put something under my head to prop it up. Finally they begin to add something to me IV to "relax me" and they put a mask on my face. The next thing I know, it is 2pm, and I am in recovery! The first thing I asked was if the surgery went well. I was told it did. Then I asked if I could go to the bathroom. They said I had to use the bedpan. Ugh! I hate trying to use a bedpan. I don't remember much else until getting wheeled to my room, where my DH was waiting for me. I was so sleepy, I think he only stayed about 30 minutes. I remember the nurse hooking up these leg massagers things that felt good for a while. Then the rest of the hospital stay, was a blur of a morphine drip, and pain medicines, and vital signs. Not very restful, but I was pretty comfortable. DH brought me home Friday, day after my surgery, at 1pm. We stopped at CVS to get my pain medicine (Loritab). Then, as the afternoon wore on at home, my pain began to worsen. I didn't know if it was gas, or the surgery, but the next 18 hours were pretty painful. The Loritab did little to relieve the pain. In addition, I still had no appetite, so was only sipping Water. This morning, I called the surgeon. He told me to double up on the Loritab, and also take Alleve or Motrin. He said i was getting IV pain relievers in the hospital, but not at home. Well, that did the trick. I am currently much more comfortable, and even sipping my first post-op Protein shake.

I was banded within about 10 days of you and in the 34 lbs down range as well. So, if you are behind then I am too!!! My fills havent kicked in yet, two tiny fills which havent done a thing for my appetite. So, maybe if I get another fill Ill "get it" but so far it just seems like a regular diet to me and its tough. Im being so good and walking every day and getting to where I feel like you do, when the scales dont drop day after day, I get down. I hope you can start getting fills soon and they help. Ill be pulling for ya. Just stick to it. Its gotta keep moving the scales down eventually.

I love my strong legs that walk me painlessly 4 to 10 miles every day!

Sounds like you may need to call your surgeon especially with the low grade fever just in case you're getting an infection. I think the one normal common thing is feeling tired and ran down at your stage. I did a lot of sleeping the first 6 weeks. Between healing from surgery to the restriction of calories,it doesn't give you a lot of energy. I'm 10 weeks and started to feel a lot more energy about 8 weeks out. If I do a lot one day the next day I'm usually wiped out. My doctor said that's normal till around 6 months out. I hope you feel better and they can get to the bottom of why you don't feel good

Anyone in the Dallas Ft. Worth area about to have surgery or on liquids want some free cans of soup? I have 10 cans of chicken broth to give away. I bought way to much b4 surgery. Msg me if interested.

hey guys, everyone seems to be doing great! i had my surgery on 11/10/09 and im not even one week post op yet and im already down 14.5 pounds! im ecstatic but im actually wondering if im losing too fast? i mean its a great boost, but im mostly on liquids and soups too. but im soo full from them! lol. Marissa

Hey Taryn, I had surgery on 10-9 and I'm in the same place. From what I've read on here, its normal to stop losing and even gain a little btween weeks 2 and 4, until you get your first fill, then things will hopefully pick up. They call this time "bandster hell" because you are getting hungry and aren't as satisfied with small portions. Your band really isn't helping you much, its all willpower from now until you get a fill!

I go to the gym at 4:50 am everyday so that I am there for the 5:00 am door opening. I have been very focused and have been upping my workout intensity and duration the last 10 days. Today I was ready to really push, and ugh, I discovered I left my ipod home. :sad: I don't have the time to go back home, as if I did, I'd risk the chance of running into my 6 year old twins, and then I'd be pouring Cereal, etc. (DH is with them at that time, but if I showed up, it would change everything) I also have a 7:48 am. train to catch, so even 10 minutes throws me off. It is so weird how I just felt defeated and not able to have a 'great' workout. I choose not to run, but instead did the eliptical and weights, but aw...I am still feeling bummed now! Tomorrow is a new day, and my 3rd fill. Can't wait!

I have been peeing a good bit since surgery on Tues the 26th. I think it is due to all the iv fluids too. Yesterday got in 38 oz fluid and 4 oz jello. Today I have done 11 oz water, 8 oz broth, 10 oz sugarfree powerade so far. The broth seems the kindest. Warm feels nicer than ice cold.

I was sleeved on the 22nd. I got up and walked around my apartment about 5-10 minutes every few hours. They suggested every hour but I was sleeping a lot those first few days. I slowly started working my way up and I walk about 15 minutes every two hours. Pain meds still make me a little sleepy so I rest periodically but I'm up and moving (dishes, cleaning, etc) whenever I can. I also go to the store with my boyfriend to walk around. I didn't really want to hang out with people either. It's trying to really focus on yourself. It's a little too much for me to make sure I'm drinking and walking while around others.

:clap2: HAPPY 3 MONTH ANNIVERSARY TO ME! :clap2: I'M DOWN A TOTAL OF 38.5 LBS SINCE I BEGAN MY JOURNEY FROM 271LBS TO 232.5 IN 90 DAYS NOW IF I COULD DO THAT FOR THE NEXT 90 DAYS.....OK OK, I'LL SETTLE FOR 10 LBS A MONTH! I'M V CRANKY TO-DAY

I feel like I'm able to eat more than I should be eating. I am a year out, and I can eat more than 8-10 bites of food. If I did stretch the stomach out, how do I get it smaller without another surgery? Any ideas??

I had my surgery on 2/17/2015. I just checked my entries and I started back at the gym on 3/30/2015. I wanted until I spoke with my surgeon about being safe to go to the gym not only because of the physical exertion, but also because it is a hotbed of bacteria. I had a hematoma that had to be kept open and packed, so it took a while. When I was finally healed up enough to not worry about infections, I was told to do exercise as tolerated. I started doing only cardio, stationary bike, treadmill, and elliptical. Then I added light weights and simply moving my body around the core. As long as I didn't feel any pain, I would continue what I was doing or add something new. I have known the people that work in the rec center for about 7 years so I had no problem telling them that I had sleeve surgery. They recommended I start off on the ab machine so that I was using a lighter weight than my body weight. Now I am using the ball with a medicine ball in my hands held infront of my face to ensure proper posture while doing crunches. I don't remember what I started out doing, probably 30 crunches with 3 sets of 10. Now I am up to about 200 crunches a day. I also do oblique crunches to make sure I am strengthening all of my core and not just my abs. I have a little pattern that I follow. I start with the medicine ball and do ten "around the worlds" in each direction.Ball in left hand bring the ball behind you and pass it to your right hand. Bring your right hand around to your front and pass it to your left hand. Repeat 10 times. This is to keep my shoulders loose and to increase range of motion. I have to do this since I also had shoulder surgery and it is a hold over from my rehab days. Then I do 10 crunches on the ball with the same medicine ball held in front of my face. Next is what ever weight training I am doing that day. Shoulders and back, bi's & triceps, or chest. One set of whatever weight and then I go get a sip of Water from the fountain. This gives me the rest before I repeat the process and helps me hit my water goal for the day. On a shoulder day, I will do about 7 different exercises with 3 sets. In between those are sets of 10 crunches on the ball. Then I switch to the cable machine for 2 different oblique exercises. After I finish with the weight room, I go over to the cardio for 30 min to get a good sweat on. It took me a good two months to build up to that. I want to stress that I am not trying to build muscle though. Back when I was far more into weight lifting, it was all about muscle growth. I am only trying to stave off atrophy and muscle loss right now. I am not doing anything over 30lbs EVER! I am only 4 months out, you cannot gain muscle mass safely at this stage. Worry about gaining muscle and definition after you hit your goal. <edit> Woah, that turned out to be a book. Sorry about that, didn't mean to go all Steinbeck on you!

Hi my surgery is on Friday November 10. Just wondering if anyone was told to be on a liquid diet? My Dr said only 2 days... have you all heard anything different!?! Sent from my SM-J700T using BariatricPal mobile app

I am now approved and have a date to be added to the losers bench. 01-04-17

Well, after browsing this site all yesterday and reading others blogs, I decided that I should put my own thoughts to page and hopefully get some really awesome feedback from people who actually get it. First off, let me share a little of my story. I have always struggled with weight, even in high school. I was really active, participating in soft ball and played golf for my school. I was "plus size" even then. Got married at 20 to a man in the Navy, and then divorced by 24. I guess you could say I am an emotional eater, but this journey really has taught me a lot about what I actually need for nutrition as opposed to that satiating yummy feeling, that usually ends up making me sick 30 minutes afterward. I have tried every diet known to man, to only be knocked down a peg and it not be successful. After numerous tests (when my weight spiked to 299, and bp was 180/103) my doctors determined that not only do I have high bp, sleep apnea, PCOS, and depression; they found that my thyroid was barely working. I was referred to a seminar with Mission health at the end of November and from there it really has been a fast, whirlwind process. Had my first doctors appointment in December, and now here we are April, and I'm going into surgery in two weeks. I have been so blessed with my insurance plan. BCBS of NC has literally come back with an approval hours after submission. So far the process has been stress free and everyone has been really supportive. I can only think that this is devine intervention or something. Well, anyways. Today marks my first day of "full liquids" and I was so excited. It is like that final step before surgery. I sit and day-dream about all the things I'm going to get to do. All the clothes (that you don't have to pay extra for) that I can wear. It started almost like any morning, I was sitting at my desk at work. I had made the terrible mistake of telling my co-worker that I had taken "before" pictures. Which I probably will never share with anyone. Seeing yourself from a third person prospective totally warped my sense of "self-image." Like, I have no illusions that I'm obese. But at least when I look in the mirror I go "hmm, not that bad," but when I saw the pictures I was like OH MY GOODNESS, how could I let myself get like that? Anyways, my co-worker is and this is her quote "126 pounds and OH MY GOD a size 6" she's gorgeous. I hear daily from random patients "you are the most beautiful woman I've seen." While here I am a troll, hiding in my cave at work. She had the comforting idea to go "I took before pictures too!" (as she is doing crossfit three times a week and resistance four times a week) I can barely walk to the bathroom without getting out of breath. Of course her before pictures were disgusting and hideous and should be burned. I snapped. (Not proud, but whatever). I looked at her and said, "do you realize I've NEVER been a size 6." She retorted, "when I started working here I was a size 2, but everyone eats all the time I just join in." Like it's my fault she's gained six pounds and went up two pant sizes. We currently are acting icy towards each other and I just laughed at her response and told her I had work to do. So after saying all of that, I beg to ask... do people really not get it? When they think they are being helpful and supportive, do they really not hear what comes out of their mouths? I hate that I've let her ruin my day so early, but I'm so frustrated that someone so beautiful could think so little of herself to compare her to me, and think that its supportive that she's gained weight working here also. Just sayin' I would probably risk 10-20 years in prison to get a body like hers. SIGH, am I being petty?

A lot of us who had surgery in Mexico (myself by Dr. Rodriguez) have the J&J port. It use to be known as the "Swedish Port". The tubing is 11 centimeters long, between the band and the actual port. It holds 10 cc's of fluid, but Dr. Rodriguez says it should not be filled more than 7.5 cc's, since complications can arise. He also suggests that the first fill be 3.5 cc's, and to follow a liguid diet for three days after the fill. Even though this port can hold alot of fluid I urge extreme caution against overfilling. I had 3.5 cc's on my first fill. I felt close to being restricted, but was still eating to much. My second fill I asked for and got 1.5 cc's added. Big-Big mistake. The local doctor doing the fill didn't know much about my type of band, he uses one that has a lot smaller balloon, so he went along with my reuest. I spent the night sitting up spitting my saliva into a cup, because if I didn't it would pool in my stomache and I'd throw up again, and again, and again. I had to return the next day for an un-fill. It has been almost 2 weeks since my unfill, down to a total of 4 cc's. I have trouble getting meds down, and can barely eat. Please be cautious with fills. Even with a large band I don't think I'll have a fill over 2.5 cc's again, and definitely not unless it's under fluro(XRAY). My dr. routed around for 10 min with a spinal needle, before he gave up and we did it under fluro. I'll never have a fill again, unless it's done under fluro.

Hi Michelle - I also had my first fill yesterday, 10 weeks post-op, but was fortunate in that it was just a tiny pin prick and I basically felt nothing. Mine was a much smaller fill, only 0.8 ccs. I'm surprised that you received so much; I also have the 10 cm Inamed band but thought the maximum it holds is 4 ccs. But I get confused about all this "cm" and "cc's" stuff. Anyhow I hope you're feeling better soon! - KatieA

Butler, I see we were banded within a week of each other. I too have only lost 24 lbs. Most in the first 3 weeks and last 6 weeks. I plateaued between Mid December and late March. 5 fills for me and I go in Friday for fill 6. Hoping to get a small one to tweak the band so I'm in the green zone, I hope. My Doc was quite laid back on what we eat after surgery so I never had to endure 600 calorie days. Since it was Xmas he allowed me to eat normally but within reason and try to steer clear of sugars. I went into this with the fantasy I'd be losing 8-10 lbs a month. I thought I'd be down 50-60 lbs by summer but that's a wasted dream now. I believe I'd still have this surgery had I known then what I know now. I just wish I would have known about bandster hell and how many damn fills I'd need to get to the green zone? Those many days of frustration January-March were agonizing. tmf

I am on a weight watchers high..ya know that euphoric feeling that comes over you when you are still in your first few weeks of ww? I joined last week so that I can at least loose a little bit of weight while I wile away my days waiting for my insurance company to take their thumbs outta their asses and approve me. Anyhow of course I lsot my obligatory 4.5 pounds in my first week, and of course it wasn't even hard...not at all as a matter of fact. There were actually a couple of days that I couldn't even eat the last couple of points. Why is this??? Why can I do so well on ww for the first 4 or 6 weeks, then I just peeter out. Maybe, no probably because I loose those first 20 lbs so easily, then it gets harder. I know your only supposed to set small goals, but I can't fool myself completely, that 140 pounds over all that I have to loose to get to my goal is a HUGE, Ginormous, Gargantuan Monstrous number and it scares the shit outta me. I loose 5 pounds and I think ok, only 135 to go....you're 5/140ths there girlfriend....go, go, go, you CAN DO THIS. Then I start the mental figuring...this is what I always, always, always do when I start a new weight loss effort...I'll be walking on the track, or on the elliptical or on my way home from ww or anywhere and I start doing the calculations in my head..."ok I am 280 now...If I keep loosing at this rate I will be 260 in 4 weeks, then I'll be 240 in 8 weeks, then 220 in 12 weeks, then 200 in 16 weeks, then 180 in 20 weeks, then 160 in 24 weeks, then 140 in 28 weeks, then I shoould make my goal of 137 in 28 and a half weeks...whooo hooooo!! Then reality sets in and I go, Ok theres no way in hell that I will keep up a 5 pound per week weight loss....Ok lets figure it this way. I am sooo fat that I can probably keep up the 5 pound per week loss for like 8 weeks...that'll bring me to 240, then I can probably looses 3 lbs per week til I get to 200...umm lets see, that'll be like 13 weeks, so in 21 weeks I can be at 200. Ok then I'll probably slow to about 2.5 pounds per week til I hit 175, so lets see...that'll be like 10 more weeks so in 31 weeks I can be 175, so then it'll probly slow down to 2 pounds per week till I hit 150, so that outta take another 12 weeks so in 43 weeks I will be 150. So It'll probly slow down to 1.5 lbs per week til I hit 137 so in a total of 51 weeks I will be at goal!!! So I can comfortably say that in 1 year I will be at my goal weight!" This talk has taken up hours and hours of my thought processes over the past 20 years...I can't even estimate how muc time I have wasted on these pathetic calculations...over and over again like an obsession I do this. I should have lost 700,000 pounds by now if all of these strategizing sessions produced the desired results. I estimate that I have given ww somewhere in the neighborhood of 1200.00 over the years...now thats nothing compared to some women friends I have. Some of them just keep paying and paying and paying for years even when they don't go or follow the plan for months and months at a time. I bet I know women who have spent 5000.00 at weight watchers, just for attending not for products and they all loose some weight and put it back plus a few then loose some more...blah blah blah. I do know this. Weight Watchers is the BEST, Healthiest, most effective eating plan known to womankind. I say this as a dietician and as a woman who looses lots of weight on the flex or point plan AS LONG AS I DO IT! AND AS LONG AS I JOURNALIZE. You loose the battle when you stop writing I do know this. Anyhow, my current dilemma is that i wonder what I will do when I loose 35 pounds, I worry that if I loose more that I will not be eligible for the surgery even if med mutual ever coughs up the cash. So I ask myself....what will I do then? Should I loose as much as I am allowed and then try to maintain at 245? I keep thinking in my head about statistics...the statistic that only 7% of women who loose a significant amount of weight kepp it off for more than 2 years. I then wonder what percentage of ww women have lost 140 pounds. Then I try to apply that 7% number to the number of ww women and I come out to like 2....No just joking...I really don't know what the actual statistic is for ww over time. I drive myself crazy with thse number things. I can use numebrs to justify anything and I do it all the time. My quest for weight loss started this craziness and it has never stopped, not since after the birth of my daughter when I had gained 20 lbs...from 131 to 151 after birth when she was about 3 months old and I hit my first plateau...at 151....God what a gift and I thought it was such a curse! I remember my frustration at not being able to get that weight off...If I had a crystal ball then I would have only needed one bullet. Anyway, I was proud of my 4.4 lb weight loss at my weekly ww meeting yesterday, but I was even more proud of the man who was sitting behind me. He probably weighs about 350 or 375 and is about 5'10" and I would guess he's about 35 years old. He's a black man and I can tell he is a successful classy business man...he doesn't have spinners on the wheels of his late model beige colored Chrysler 300 nor does it have curb finders or any of the other paraphanelia that many black guys feel that they need to show how proud they are of their blackness. These men always come off as so pathetic to me...aspiring to be a pimp...anyway, this man is comfortable with his success and does not feel the need to prove any thing to any one. He is real. I know it sounds like I am attracted to him but I am not. I am proud of him because last week ( he joined the same day I did) he was talking about how he was looking into weight loss surgery and that he heard about someones great success at ww and he thought he should give it one last ditch effort. He came in yesterday and beat my 4.4 pound loss into the dirt with his 9.6 pound loss in one week. He was so happy and amazed that I was happy with him and for him. It was as though he got a new lease on HOPE. That's when I realized it...I had lost all HOPE of ever loosing this weight and this lapband procedure has given it back to me. I know that I will not be 280 pounds a year from now. I know that I will have lost a great majority, if not all of this burden of carrying around a whole extra person. This gives me such happiness, it's like a drug...a really good drug. I am not touting wls to this black man in my ww class. I am a dietician, I am supposed to believe that if you eat right and eat less nd move more you will loose weight. I will continue to g to ww even after I have had the surgery, and I will try to keep tabs on this man and I will tell him someday if he is struggling about this wls. But not yet. He might be one of the ones who makes it on his own...I wish I was because I feel like somewhat of a fraud doing this, but I don't care enough to continue to live fat. Well that's enough of that! Love, Me:kiss2:

It's quite a headtrip isnt it? I rememeber pre banding, all of the last year I went on shopping sprees where I bought size 16 clothes to stockpile. I bought a few 18's too which I am wearing now. In my mind, 16's (US 14) were tiny tiny tiny and they represented my goal weight. I have to say I think sizing has changed an awful lot since I was last a 16, since I'll be wearing those clothes in another 10kg! But I cant get my head around it - I try them on and they slip on easily - just cant get the zippers done up yet, lol. Before I couldnt even get them past my thighs. But I cant reconcile I'll be a 16 but I will still be overweight because I know they'll fit by 90kg which is still 20kg over my goal weight. So what, I'm going to be a 14 or even a 12? Last time I was a size 12 I was honestly 10 years old!!!!! But you just look the same to yourself however many pounds down dont you? You cant see that you've shrunk apart from when you catch sight of yourself suddenly or unexpectedly.

So I was sleeved jan 29 an Was 322 I am 235 as of today I finished c25k but for the last month I have seriously slacked. I deprived myself of anything I liked for about 18 weeks so since a vacation I took lat month I have just been a slacker. So my game plan cut the crap out get my veggies protien and water in also my plan to spice up my workout 3 days a week doung c2 10 k bike 3 miles then 2 days a week do a quick mile run and do some strength stuff. Anyone game to join me in restarting? Move on ya live and learn I always say!

I have been a runner for many years thru being thin to being overweight/obese and still ran. It took me about 6 mmonths to run a mile without stopping. I would walk 5 miles/day once my body got use to the walking I had to challenge it more so I started jogging. I could only jog a 10-20 steps at a time, then I increased a bit more each time and really pushed myself. I constantly set goals and reached them. I LOVE running and my next goal is to run a 10 minute mile once I reach that my next goal is to run a 9 minute mile. My advise is start out slow and steady, you don't want to push too hard then you will end up with a injury, take baby steps and good luck

I was banded 10 days ago and am allowed soft mushie food. I am definately not over eating as am having really small amounts but after a few bites and chewing really slowly, making a 'soupy mush' in my mouth, I get a stabbing achy pain in my back, right between my shoulder blades. This has happened three times now. Either I've pulled a muscle (but as a massage therapist, it just doesn't feel like I have....) or it's my bodies way of saying "ok, enough food now. Stop." I hope it's the latter as this comes within 5-10 mins of eating. I'm only eating around half- two thirds of an egg type amount. Does anyone else get this? Perhaps I've just hurt my back and it's still stiff after being in hospital (but I don't feel stiff!) Lost 10lbs in a week, but no more for the last 4 days. Hope this is normal too! Happy Banding :blushing: Gill :scared2: