Calling all A11s!!

[Jess527 0]

Thanks for the welcome back GG. I did good today, I tracked all of my food on myfitnesspal.com app I have on my phone, and I exercised for an hour. Now, if I can keep up the exercise I think I can get to onederland (crossing my fingers) by next week. I was 200.4 this morning, I am SO close...I am trying not to weigh everyday, but I just want to see the 100s so bad! My second fill is Tuesday, I am getting excited, it will be under fluro again Congrats on your NSV! I had one yesterday, I fit into an old shirt I haven't been able to fit into for more than a year...my husband actually thought I had bought a new shirt

Well I had my first PB today. We are in the mountains of NC for 4 days and had an appointment and we were late getting back to the condo for lunch. We were and only had 15 minutes to eat lunch. I ate some leftover chicken breast and a small bit of rice and some cooked carrots. chicken has been hard sometimes so I chewed and chewed and chewed. It just would not go down! I've been a little uncomfortable a few times before but nothing like this. So, we had to leave for our appointment and ended up stopped on the side of the road and up it all came. I was better right away but I really don't want to do that again. I wil not ever rush eating for anything ever again. It was a little scary. The moral of my story is slow down when you eat!

On a lighter note I had a NSV, (non scale victory) yesterday. My friend and I stopped at the Tanger Outlet on the way up the mountain. We went into Chico's. I had been in there before and could not wear anything they had. They have 3 sizes. 1,2,&3. I pulled out some 3's and they actually fit. I evidently had a tendency to buy loose clothing so my friend made me try them on for her. She pointed out they were too large, so I got 2's! I think I will go back there when they are having another sale and get all my clothes there just to see a size 2 anything in my closet. It was great.

Thanks for your kind words healthywoman & ms.lady about my posts. Got me a little teary to think I might be helping any of you. I talk about the forum all the time and my hubby knows about all of you.

Welcome back Jess & budapatti. I wondered about Caryn too. Maybe she will come back. It's so good to have some new voices out there. We need to support each other.

I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend. Stay on program and it will pay off. Go for a walk and drink your Water. ( I sound like a Mother don't I) We can so this!

Blessings,

GG

[ncgg-5 2]

Thanks for the welcome back GG. I did good today, I tracked all of my food on myfitnesspal.com app I have on my phone, and I exercised for an hour. Now, if I can keep up the exercise I think I can get to onederland (crossing my fingers) by next week. I was 200.4 this morning, I am SO close...I am trying not to weigh everyday, but I just want to see the 100s so bad! My second fill is Tuesday, I am getting excited, it will be under fluro again Congrats on your NSV! I had one yesterday, I fit into an old shirt I haven't been able to fit into for more than a year...my husband actually thought I had bought a new shirt

Yeaaaaaah for your NSV! I bet by Monday you will enter Onederland! We had surgery the same day and now you are close on my heels. I was 199.4 when we left town Thurs. morning. I've been walking and eating well and drinking so I hope the numbers have moved come Tues morning when we return. My friend and I went shopping again today and I bought a LARGE, do you hear me not XL, jacket for church. It was exciting.

Keep us posted on how the fill goes.

Blessings,

GG

[cakegirl 12]

I'm also plateauing. I haven't lost any weight since my first fill. I'm going back for my second fill on Thursday.

[ncgg-5 2]

I'm also plateauing. I haven't lost any weight since my first fill. I'm going back for my second fill on Thursday.

We all seem to be in the same boat. Let us know how it goes. Hang in there. We can do this!

Blessings,

GG

[Stroganoff 2]

I have to agree GG you are very supportive and definitely a God send for some of us. I just thought I would give an update since last time I was in tears. I called the doctors office with my concerns of suddenly being hungry all of the time and being able to eat almost anything without a problem including pizza! They told me it is normal for this to happen! Basically some of the fat pad around my stomach is now gone so it affects the band and how well it works. I get to go in Monday to get another fill and I also get to keep my appt on November 9th. I am so glad they were understanding and didn't make me wait for my fill. I am currently at 3.5 in 10 band. I will let you know how I feel after tomorrow.

[ms.lady 3]

I have to agree GG you are very supportive and definitely a God send for some of us. I just thought I would give an update since last time I was in tears. I called the doctors office with my concerns of suddenly being hungry all of the time and being able to eat almost anything without a problem including pizza! They told me it is normal for this to happen! Basically some of the fat pad around my stomach is now gone so it affects the band and how well it works. I get to go in Monday to get another fill and I also get to keep my appt on November 9th. I am so glad they were understanding and didn't make me wait for my fill. I am currently at 3.5 in 10 band. I will let you know how I feel after tomorrow.

It is the best when you have a understanding and supporting physician and staff. So happy you are going in for a fill. While my surgeon is as sweet as pie he is very strict in his ways for filling, he won't fill me any earlier than 4 weeks, so there is a lot of suffering and willpower (somewhat) in between fills.

[CarynW 3]

GG, i'm thrilled the thread has kept going and periodically checked to make sure it stayed on the first page!

I am so bad on the weekends! I wish I had more restriction! I'm sure I need more because here's what I feel: I can eat as much as I want (but I don't push it) if I don't shovel it in. I don't really need to chew anything extra, it all just goes down mostly fine. If I take a big bite of bready food, it will get stuck and I get this shooting pain across my chest and I can barely swallow. It passes after about 10-30 seconds. Then i'm fine again. Yesterday I had wheat bread with some Peanut Butter and honey on it and OMG, I pb'd! It stuck really bad and I had taken a drink of Water to help and all of a sudden it just started coming back out. Luckily I was by a bathroom. Then I was hungry again. I'm up to 9ccs in my 14cc band and I feel like it should be making a difference by now. I go back in another week and i'm hoping to not gain because this weekend has been filled with sweets. I have great power during the week, but any social activity or sweets in the house and I just lose control, i'm so bummed. I vowed to be good this weekend. It doesn't help that I study for about 8-9 hours each weekend day, literally so i'm just sitting sitting sitting. I hate being this inactive. In Dec i'll be finished with this part of school and move on to clinicals, and there's not AS much studying for clinicals, only a little bit. So, anyways, i'm a little bummed and mad at myself. Today is a new day though, had a bowl of Cereal and am going to have some coffee and hopefully stay on track. At least next weekend i'll be on liquids, which makes it a bit easier to control myself! LOL

[ncgg-5 2]

We all need to be careful with Halloween candy out to get us. Buy at the last minute and get something you don't really like. Then there is not a temptation not to snack on it and blow all the hard work we have done so far.

Caryn, hang in there. It sounds like your stress level with school is very high so don't beat yourself up when you have a little blip in the program. We all have used food as friend and stress relievers and now when we don't have it we have to find something else to help us cope. Try sugar free gum and take a walk. Even if you have to walk in your house it will work.

I was reading on another thread about a fellow bander that got so into the calorie counting she ended up being bulimic. She replaced one addiction for another. We don't want to end up like that. We still have to keep in mind we are only a few months from being banded and have to be patient until that band kicks in and does it's work. Everyone remember you are not alone in this battle. All the friends on this thread are just a click away and we can understand your feelings and help you get out of the bad place you are in.

It's a beautiful day here in the NC mountains, high of 59 and sunny. Have a wonderful Sunday.

Blessings,

GG

[ncgg-5 2]

I have to agree GG you are very supportive and definitely a God send for some of us. I just thought I would give an update since last time I was in tears. I called the doctors office with my concerns of suddenly being hungry all of the time and being able to eat almost anything without a problem including pizza! They told me it is normal for this to happen! Basically some of the fat pad around my stomach is now gone so it affects the band and how well it works. I get to go in Monday to get another fill and I also get to keep my appt on November 9th. I am so glad they were understanding and didn't make me wait for my fill. I am currently at 3.5 in 10 band. I will let you know how I feel after tomorrow.

Aw, thanks. Let us know how it goes Monday. Hopefully it will do the trick.

Blessings,

GG

[CarynW 3]

Yes, my stress level is through the roof. I'm not really a stressed out eater, or emotional eater, right now it's a BOREDOM eater. Sitting and studying for 8 hours makes it hard not to snack! I'm working on it though!

[kristenaz 0]

I finally just experienced what "stuck" food really feels like. I was so hungry and ate too fast and then I got that horrible golf ball feeling in my chest. I went into a panic, it was so scary! I was grabbing my chest and the slime that I've heard about started coming up. It lasted for about 30 minutes. Boy, was I happy that was over.

[ncgg-5 2]

I finally just experienced what "stuck" food really feels like. I was so hungry and ate too fast and then I got that horrible golf ball feeling in my chest. I went into a panic, it was so scary! I was grabbing my chest and the slime that I've heard about started coming up. It lasted for about 30 minutes. Boy, was I happy that was over.

Glad you are OK. It's scary isn't it? I finally coughed and it all came up and stopped. I will not eat fast again!

Blessings,

GG

[kauai bound 1]

It really is a relief to read others experiences. I had a girls weekend out this weekend. Ive been eating fine, without getting pain or anything stuck. I drove 5 hrs to the beach to scrapbook all weekend. We went to eat fajitas. I took a bite and swallowed. it hurt badly. felt like i was stretching my esophagus as it was going down. I went to the restroom and tried to get it to come up. It did not. I had some spasms too. This morning I tried to eat a sandwhich and had the same pain. Does anyone else wonder if you are damaging your esophagus or damaging the band when that happens?? so afraid to damage anything. I go for a fill next week. I am glad because my will power isnt working right now. so how long should our first plateaus last? My thirty pounds loss included the pre diet. I am married. Twenty four years next month, One child, one 7 mo grandbaby.

[ncgg-5 2]

I found these tips on other threads for helping get food down if you get "stuck". I will get these things to try if I have another episode. It was not fun. I don't think an occasional episode would damage anything but we certainly don't want that to happen many times. If you have a really bad episode like kauai bound did it might be a good idea to go back to liquids or at least mushies for the next day or even 2. I do know one bander said she ended up in the emergency room and they said her esophagus was dilated. That means solid food would or could make it hurt so it makes sense to not hurt and not eat. I would call my Dr and see what he says if it happens. Just my opinion.

-Papaya Enzyme tablets!!!! I could not live without them. They sell at health food stores, Walmart, and sometimes K-mart. I keep them at home, in my purse and at work. Chew a few of them, they help get the stuck food to move down.

-Add meat tenderizer to a small amount (shot glass size) of warm Water and drink.

Blessings,

GG

[ncgg-5 2]

It really is a relief to read others experiences. I had a girls weekend out this weekend. Ive been eating fine, without getting pain or anything stuck. I drove 5 hrs to the beach to scrapbook all weekend. We went to eat fajitas. I took a bite and swallowed. it hurt badly. felt like i was stretching my esophagus as it was going down. I went to the restroom and tried to get it to come up. It did not. I had some spasms too. This morning I tried to eat a sandwhich and had the same pain. Does anyone else wonder if you are damaging your esophagus or damaging the band when that happens?? so afraid to damage anything. I go for a fill next week. I am glad because my will power isnt working right now. so how long should our first plateaus last? My thirty pounds loss included the pre diet. I am married. Twenty four years next month, One child, one 7 mo grandbaby.

Bless your heart, I know that was scary. Go back to liquids and call your Dr to see what he recommends. If it hurts, don't do it. Keep us posted on how you feel and how the fill goes. None of us have any idea of how long these plateaus will last and I'm sure it will be different for each person. The one thing I do know is we are not alone, a whole lot of other banders have had the same problem for the first few months. You're doing great! 30 lbs is wonderful and there is more to come soon. Hang in there. We can do it!

Blessings,

GG