December 2010 Bandsters out there?

[HeatherinCA 10]

Maybe I'm lucky but I'm rarely hungry. Unless I wait too long for a meal. I'm not really having trouble with portions. I have a ramekin I put my dinner in and i eat with a tiny fork. I'm working on getting my brain to be comfortable with that amount of food.< /p>

[size10again 11]

I went to the doctor today for my first fill and ended up not getting one...but I'm not upset about it at all. They said that I was eating the perfect amount of food per meal, my calorie count was perfect, I'm not hungry between meals and my weight loss was on target. I am down 30 lbs since my pre-op diet and 20 lbs since surgery so, all in all, I am very happy with the way things are going.

I went to the Dr's today for a fill also...didnt get one. he wants to do it under flurioscope( sorry for the spelling) for the first fill. but he did say i am doing great. I am down 25lbs from surgery 12/13/10

I am measuring my food but I am doing mushies still... i am scared of real food. i got pork roll stuck for 2 hrs and NEVER want that again....

keep up the great job !

amy

I am happy you both are doing so well! I feel like I need another fill; my second one is scheduled for Feb. 4th. I have only a slightly reduced appetite and my stomach can easily hold more food than I want it to! My weight loss has slowed down and I am actually up a bit this week with TOM added in to the mix!

Hi all. I was banded on 12/23 and have been meaning to join this thread.

I am actually scheduled for my first fill next monday and I can't wait. I am "dieting" right now same as before surgery by using medifast products, but the whole point of this surgery was to achieve "portion control" without having to use these types of products. In the mean time, if I don't use the medifast, I'm always hungry and if I do use the medifast, I'm always nauseaous. My body hates soy...I can't win. LOL

If I don't stick to Medifast, I'm eating wayyyyy too much. I'm afraid I will gain back too much weight since I've worked so hard getting this much off and I love how I look right now. But alternately, I'm afraid the doctor won't give me a fill because I'm losing without one. I'm totally not sure how to handle this.

I know I may not feel restriction after the first fill, especially since I have almost none now, but I sure can't wait to get the fill and find out! Monday seems so far away right now.

Anyway, it's nice to meet all my fellow December 2010 bandsters! I look forward to tracking all of your progress and success!

Becki

I would explain all that you posted about Medifast and eating too much without it to your doctor at your fill appointmnet.

TTYL, Joan

[MikeSchor 0]

I was banded on 12/21.

Originally the surgeon put in 3 cc's but I had major chest pain all night long and went back the next morning for a small unfill. I'm now at 2ccs and very comfortable and feeling full after my meals (4 oz of Protein and 8 oz of produce). My next visit is in mid-feb and we'll see if I need a fill at that point.

Michael

[Purpleshell 4]

Wow!! Its great that many of you aren't needing a fill. You're obviously doing a great job without it.

I don't think my Dr would even consider not giving a fill. I get the impression he believes the "magic" starts after the fill and I guess it has for me, but now I'm concerned that I'm losing too fast. Already I feel like my arms are getting very flabby.

My scales and the Dr's scales are always off a bit, and mine can read lighter if I stand a certain way , but from his scales to mine it says I've lost 4kg this week (8.8 pounds) after my first fill. I have a total of 4.5 cc's in my band. 2 at surgery plus 2.5 last week.

Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that I'm losing but worried I'm going to end up in a pile of loose skin.

My surgery was 6th Dec, so 6 weeks ago and I've already lost 15 kilos (33 pounds) plus the 3 kilos before surgery.

I will see if it slows in the next couple of weeks as I'm due for another fill early Feb. I will just call my Dr and say I don't one if I keep losing at this rate.

I'm eating very well, just small amounts and get really hungry about every 3 hours. I went out last night with friends and ordered grilled chicken with salad. I was starving by the time it arrived and ate my first piece of chicken too fast and it got stuck. It was so painful! I quickly made an excuse to go to the bathroom and walked around for a while. I then pretended that I had something go down the wrong way. No one knows I've been banded so it was hard making up excuses. It then took me nearly an hour to eat part of my meal whilst everyone else had finished well before me. I will be more careful next time that's for sure.

Keep up the great work everyone! I love reading all our experiences especially our successes in finally losing weight!

[HeatherinCA 10]

My willpower is pretty good right now, even though I'm not filled, but I don't know if that will last, I think I could use a little boost, which the fill should provide.

I have no idea if I have any in my band now, I guess I'll find out next week when I go.

[strategicblue 0]

Hello Everyone,

I was banded 29 Dec 2010 in UAE (Dubai) but I am from the United States currently working in Iraq. My experience was great except for the 3 x days of gas. I am still tender around my port site and it swells from time to time. Is this normal??? I have also experienced a head to toe skin rash but can't figure out if it is a food allergy or a result of the band.....

[Purpleshell 4]

Hello Everyone,

I was banded 29 Dec 2010 in UAE (Dubai) but I am from the United States currently working in Iraq. My experience was great except for the 3 x days of gas. I am still tender around my port site and it swells from time to time. Is this normal??? I have also experienced a head to toe skin rash but can't figure out if it is a food allergy or a result of the band.....

[Purpleshell 4]

OK I tried to reply to Strategicblue but I obviously did something wrong!

Hi Strategicblue, you were banded on my birthday and also in the same city as me! I had my surgery in Dubai too! I work and live nearby but from Australia.

Who was your Dr? Mine was Dr. Basha. I haven't met anyone online that has been banded in Duabi or the UAE.

My experience was good too, just the 3-4 days of gas pain. I ended up with a rash around my incisions, but I think it was from the Vitamin e oil or plasters. Your rash could be from the anesthetic too?!

I didn't even know where my port was until my first fill. I now notice it more and still have a red mark (small rash)over the top of the port since the fill. Its not causing pain, so I'm not worrying about it as this time.

When do you go back to Iraq?

Great to see another bandster on here from this part of the world!

[strategicblue 0]

OK I tried to reply to Strategicblue but I obviously did something wrong!

Hi Strategicblue, you were banded on my birthday and also in the same city as me! I had my surgery in Dubai too! I work and live nearby but from Australia.

Who was your Dr? Mine was Dr. Basha. I haven't met anyone online that has been banded in Duabi or the UAE.

My experience was good too, just the 3-4 days of gas pain. I ended up with a rash around my incisions, but I think it was from the Vitamin e oil or plasters. Your rash could be from the anesthetic too?!

I didn't even know where my port was until my first fill. I now notice it more and still have a red mark (small rash)over the top of the port since the fill. Its not causing pain, so I'm not worrying about it as this time.

When do you go back to Iraq?

Great to see another bandster on here from this part of the world!

[strategicblue 0]

Hi Purpleshell,

Happy be-lated birthday!!! Dr. Basha conducted my surgery also!!! I am excited to meet someone who was banded in Dubai. My friends thought I was crazy to go and the surgery done by myself but it worked out well. I am already back in Iraq and doing well so far.... Dr. Basha showed me where my port was, gave me my fills and took extra precautions of informing me of all of the quirks due to the difference of medical care in a war zone. The only place I have swelling is my port entry but I am going to try an take easy and not walk as much.

Thanks for the tips on the rash, I guess I have been using alot of Vitamin E so I will try and take that out of the equation to see if the rash disappears.

OK I tried to reply to Strategicblue but I obviously did something wrong!

Hi Strategicblue, you were banded on my birthday and also in the same city as me! I had my surgery in Dubai too! I work and live nearby but from Australia.

Who was your Dr? Mine was Dr. Basha. I haven't met anyone online that has been banded in Duabi or the UAE.

My experience was good too, just the 3-4 days of gas pain. I ended up with a rash around my incisions, but I think it was from the vitamin e oil or plasters. Your rash could be from the anesthetic too?!

I didn't even know where my port was until my first fill. I now notice it more and still have a red mark (small rash)over the top of the port since the fill. Its not causing pain, so I'm not worrying about it as this time.

When do you go back to Iraq?

Great to see another bandster on here from this part of the world!

[vickyd 24]

Wow!! Its great that many of you aren't needing a fill. You're obviously doing a great job without it.

I don't think my Dr would even consider not giving a fill. I get the impression he believes the "magic" starts after the fill and I guess it has for me, but now I'm concerned that I'm losing too fast. Already I feel like my arms are getting very flabby.

My scales and the Dr's scales are always off a bit, and mine can read lighter if I stand a certain way , but from his scales to mine it says I've lost 4kg this week (8.8 pounds) after my first fill. I have a total of 4.5 cc's in my band. 2 at surgery plus 2.5 last week.

Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that I'm losing but worried I'm going to end up in a pile of loose skin.

My surgery was 6th Dec, so 6 weeks ago and I've already lost 15 kilos (33 pounds) plus the 3 kilos before surgery.

I will see if it slows in the next couple of weeks as I'm due for another fill early Feb. I will just call my Dr and say I don't one if I keep losing at this rate.

I'm eating very well, just small amounts and get really hungry about every 3 hours. I went out last night with friends and ordered grilled chicken with salad. I was starving by the time it arrived and ate my first piece of chicken too fast and it got stuck. It was so painful! I quickly made an excuse to go to the bathroom and walked around for a while. I then pretended that I had something go down the wrong way. No one knows I've been banded so it was hard making up excuses. It then took me nearly an hour to eat part of my meal whilst everyone else had finished well before me. I will be more careful next time that's for sure.

Keep up the great work everyone! I love reading all our experiences especially our successes in finally losing weight!

It's interesting that you said your doctor wouldn't even consider not doing a fill...when I went in for my appointment, I met with the PA (who does the fills) and was asked a series of questions to determine if I needed a fill. She said they don't just look at weight loss, they also look at how much you are eating and if you are hungry between meals. Based on all of that, I didn't get a fill because I am loosing well, not hungry between meals and am eating proper portions. She said that we will go through these same questions each time I come in...my next appointment is in 3 weeks so we'll see if I need one then...

[GardenGal 2]

HI, I lost a total of 23 pound, 15 of them were pre op. I was banded on the 23rd. I am begining to eat real food and I am afraid I will gain weight or not lose anymore. Is this normal to stop losing once you begin eating "real" food? And how much can you guys eat at one time? I am having a hard time feeling any restriction and that worries me. I am not getting a fill until the end of Jan. Is that when I will feel the restriciton?

Also, just wondering, when did you guys stop feeling any pain? I still feel like I have a cramp or a pulled muscle where the port is. I have a hard time bending and walking I feel the pull of the muscle. Anyone else experience this? It almost feels like aconstant gas bubble

Congrats to you guys who have lost so much! Thats a real accomplishment!

~LORI

Hi Lori,

I have had the same fears....what if I STOP losing weight!!!!!???? So, far I have lost or remained steady. To me is is harder when you go to solids and so far I stillhave no restriction and eat how and what I want. It will be a slow process and I am anxious to get to my "green zone" to see how it feels and works. Hang in there!

garden gal

[HeatherinCA 10]

The weight loss is normal when you are on real food. It's not the 15 pounds a week we lost during pre-op. For me it's been the typical 1-2 pounds a week so far (I don't have a fill yet). Honestly it's not that hard, I don't feel deprived or anything.

You can't take the "eat how I want mentality" the band will never stop you from eating. You have to control that, but it pretty much makes you not hungry. This battle is mostly mental. Look at all the posts on here, I have 7 fills and I don't feel anything!! You still have to do most of the work yourself.

[lucky13girl4652 1]

Hi all!

I was banded on 12/15 and my first fill isn't unitl 1/24 - does anyone feel that it too long until my first fill. So far, I'm doing great (I think!) - I'm down 28 total and can't believe it! A lot of it is will power, smaller portions, and high Protein. I'm a little anxious about my first fill but it can't be nearly as bad as day 1 post op - right? Need some reassurance here!!

Bravo to all the December banders out there - we are all doing marvelous!!

~Stephanie

[HeatherinCA 10]

I got my period yesterday and today I noticed my band felt tighter, and I didn't want to eat much, bonus!? haha.