February 2007 bandsters!

[Guest Band4EJ]

Juice! I want juice!! I crave juice!!! I need juice!!!!

What I’m really hoping for is a delicious, non-aspartame, high-protein juice replacement. Any recommendations? (I’m cross-posting this in desperation!):help:

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Hey Zannie, I have been craving juice too so I mix up a "cocktail" of 50% Isopure Protein Water, 50% green tea or Sobee Lean and a splash of orange or cranberry juice. Just adding that small amount of juice satisfies the craving for me and it makes me more inclined to get the proten water down too. When I want a real treat...I drive through Starbucks and get an unsweetened Passion tea and add a little juice to it when I get home.

[robinlwade 0]

Hi everyone in feb I had mine done on feb 22. Was wondering if anyone is having problems with their port, I hate to drive anywhere because it gives me so much pain, if I am laying down or up walking its fine its sitting or when I just happen to move a certain way if feels like I just got jab in the rib. Told my dr his suggestion was try sitting up straight.

[louise162 0]

I've finally had my first fill. Now I'm too chicken to eat!!lol!! I haven't eaten for 6 hours and I'm starving. Apart from the local anaesthetic injection it was relatively painless. I've been told if I need more I can go back next week!

So my weight loss begins in earnest!

[travelgirl 3]

As far as the juice....try sugar free Tang. It has the best flavor of any of the sugar-free orange "juice" drinks out there, as far as I can tell... I know it's not juice, but it passes muster when I'm craving orange juice...

[Zannie 6]

I was banded on Feb 15th, and I'd been loosing at a nice clip – even if my rate wasn’t as fast as some of you. But now…and I knew it would happen eventually…I’m loosing even slower! Oh, I’m still loosing (thankfully) but I didn’t expect the slow-down to come on so soon… I didn’t have any pre-op diet to follow at all, so all my loss is Banded. At 6-weeks post-op, my progress looks like this:

2/15/07 – 320.0 - Weight at surgery

2/21/07 - ? ?? ? – Didn’t weigh-in @1-week

2/28/07 – 306.0 – down 14 lbs @2-week check-up

3/07/07 – 300.0 – down 6 lbs

3/15/07 – 295.5 – down 4.5 lbs

3/21/07 – 291.5 – down 4 lbs

3/28/07 – 289.5 – down 2 lbs ... 30 lbs total

My doc seems perfectly satisfied, but I can’t help being disappointed that I’ve slowed down to “2 pounds a week” after only loosing 30 pounds in 6 weeks! Is this a plateau coming? What happened to the “honeymoon period” I heard about!?! I haven’t even gone down a size yet! Is my honeymoon really over already? Or am/was I just expecting too much…? Panic, panic, panic!

I try to be mindful of the rules when I eat (focus on Protein, avoid carb-only foods, and SF everything else). It seems I’m one of the few Febs with any restriction this far out, but a hard boiled egg actually does fill me up for about 2-1/2 hours! I can eat more than that at a time, but I try only to serve up the right portion size – and I feel contented physically (if not always mentally). I say wahoo to that! I have not had my 1st fill, in fact it’s been postponed because I’m not having issues (yet) with hunger-after-meals at the amount of food being recommended. I’m by no means a food-saint, but I have kept real cheating to a minimum by just not having junk in the house now. (Easter Baskets will be rather sparse here… Normally, I’d have already polished off 2 bags of Brach's® Jelly Beans myself. But the Easter Bunny will be oddly stingy this year!) Aside from my juice craving (thanks for your tips), I'm doing pretty good with my Band!

Did anyone else experience a slow-down in their weight loss? Those of you who did & have had fills, did your weight loss pick back up afterward?

[babygrl1234 6]

The easter bunny does not have to be stingy, he can just bring non candy gifts instead. My kids are getting sports related gifts from the bunny along with a few treats (more specifically things I hate, like peeps). My daughter is going to get all of her gear for softball and my son some baseball stuff. I think they will enjoy it better than candy anyhow.

SO do we have any takers on an April challenge? I say protien or exercise or both.

[HelenC 0]

Suzanne, you are WAY above the curve for loss! Most people expect a 1-2 lb loss per week, and you're at 5 lbs! You didn't gain the weight overnight, so you can't realistically expect to lose it overnight!

[teacher 1]

Count me in on the April challenge....just let me know what it'll be. Exercise would be my choice as I'm not doing great at that. I was going to start exercising in earnest on Tuesday...but I broke my toe!!! I was moving some heavy chairs and one stopped and my foot didn't...ouch!!!!!!!!! Now, I can hardly walk!!! How long does it take a broken toe to heal???

Anyway, let's do a challenge...I need motivation!!

[lizrbit 0]

susanne!

My stats and yours are really close!

i started at 330 and when i left texas i was at 298...im now at 289 and had been feeling bad because i thought id stopped losing, the scale isnt moving as fast, then i realized i had lost ten lbs in one week!

(this last week)

i joined a gym the MINUTE i got home, one i can pay monthly instead of contracted for a year or whatever. I go every day. Every other day i start out with strength training excercises on the machines (the people there show you how to use them properly) and then i follow that with fifteen minutes on a treadmill at a fast pace, then stand in front of a fan drinking a sip of Water while i practice shooting sweat at people. then i do fifteen minutes on the bikes, sometimes more if i can.

it REALLY does help you just FEEL BETTER and move better. Without the gym, my regular activity is huddling on the couch with many blankets waiting for the heaters to kick in and provide my four foot bubble of warmth to function in. i hate winter here.

anyway.

go to the gym. if you do nothing else, do the treadmill for fifteen minutes. Listen to an ipod or something while walking. dance a little. its kinda fun.

Plus...

i like using the showers there. Its cleaner than my bathroom and i dont have to share it with three men. (my grown boys)

these days, im all about the luxury of it.

[Kelsy 1]

I was banded on Feb 15th, and I'd been loosing at a nice clip – even if my rate wasn’t as fast as some of you. But now…and I knew it would happen eventually…I’m loosing even slower! Oh, I’m still loosing (thankfully) but I didn’t expect the slow-down to come on so soon… I didn’t have any pre-op diet to follow at all, so all my loss is Banded. At 6-weeks post-op, my progress looks like this:

2/15/07 – 320.0 - Weight at surgery

2/21/07 - ? ?? ? – Didn’t weigh-in @1-week

2/28/07 – 306.0 – down 14 lbs @2-week check-up

3/07/07 – 300.0 – down 6 lbs

3/15/07 – 295.5 – down 4.5 lbs

3/21/07 – 291.5 – down 4 lbs

3/28/07 – 289.5 – down 2 lbs ... 30 lbs total

My doc seems perfectly satisfied, but I can’t help being disappointed that I’ve slowed down to “2 pounds a week” after only loosing 30 pounds in 6 weeks! Is this a plateau coming? What happened to the “honeymoon period” I heard about!?! I haven’t even gone down a size yet! Is my honeymoon really over already? Or am/was I just expecting too much…? Panic, panic, panic!

I try to be mindful of the rules when I eat (focus on Protein, avoid carb-only foods, and SF everything else). It seems I’m one of the few Febs with any restriction this far out, but a hard boiled egg actually does fill me up for about 2-1/2 hours! I can eat more than that at a time, but I try only to serve up the right portion size – and I feel contented physically (if not always mentally). I say wahoo to that! I have not had my 1st fill, in fact it’s been postponed because I’m not having issues (yet) with hunger-after-meals at the amount of food being recommended. I’m by no means a food-saint, but I have kept real cheating to a minimum by just not having junk in the house now. (Easter Baskets will be rather sparse here… Normally, I’d have already polished off 2 bags of Brach's® Jelly Beans myself. But the Easter Bunny will be oddly stingy this year!) Aside from my juice craving (thanks for your tips), I'm doing pretty good with my Band!

Did anyone else experience a slow-down in their weight loss? Those of you who did & have had fills, did your weight loss pick back up afterward?

Hi Suzanne,

I was banded a few of days before you and the last time i was weighed says it in my sig! 3/9.. I have not nor do I plan to weigh myself until my next appointment on April 12th. That is one of the main reasons, I do not want to feel discouraged if the weight slows down or anything.

Do you exercise a lot? I notice that I am building more muscle as I exercise which is probably why MY weight may not be a huge difference. I am also trying not to focus on the "weight" number.. I just want to be a certain size and look at my body and say "Ok, I look good"! and then i'll be happy. I am big boned anyways so if i say 160lbs..with my 5'9 height.. It may or may not look right.

That's my take on it anyway! As i am typing my ring keeps twirling around.. I think i lost some finger weight, haha.

My doctor said the only way he will give someone a fill is if they STOP losing weight or are over eating.. That is it. My friend who had the band in August wanted a fill but since she is still losing pounds, He told her not yet.

I am kinda eager to get to my appt, I get to go to the solid stage! I'm still on mushies but I do drink a lot of Protein Drinks still.. They keep me pretty full. And I feel kind of nervous about eating food in general.

[Platinum 0]

Hey there! I was banded on Feb. 9th by Dr. Ortiz and I am down about 20 pounds. I am very pleased so far but also notice that I can eat more than I should. I guess most of us are experiencing the same thing so I don't feel so bad. My first fill is scheduled for April 14th in Dallas Texas. I am pretty excited about it. I have been trying to get to the gym at least 4 days per week. I am going to really amp my exercise program up starting on Monday!

I just got back from a 10 day vacation to Florida and was able to maintain my weight loss. It was hard because I was eating more food than usual. I guess all the walking at Universal Studios and Seaworld really helped.

Good luck to you all!!!

[ARMKAM 0]

hi suzanne , i'm at a stand still also. i've lost 30 lbs too, which if you think of the short amount of time since surgery really is quite a lot and something we should be proud of, but i am getting frustrated. i get my 1st fill next tuesday over our spring break so i figure if i can just hold on to that loss and not gain, i'll be ok. i've also been able to eat more lately in the afternoon and evening. in the morning i'm pretty tight and can eat only half of one scrambled egg , but then i get hungry and hour or two after eating. by supper i can sometimes eat almost a normal amount of food. i really hope the fill helps and gets the weight moving again. i've been doing some walking, but after spring break, i'll be dancing w/ my students for a few hours a day to get ready for our spring show in may. i would like to start working out on our bowflex too tho', just haven't yet.

for easter i try to get my girls( 12, 14 & 16 ) just a little chocolate and a dvd, cd or ipod gift card so that i'm not tempted. they really don't need a lot of candy anyway. well , my lunch break is over now and it's time to go sit with the in-school suspension kids for an hour - fun ! have a great day all !

[travelgirl 3]

Count me in on the April challenge....just let me know what it'll be. Exercise would be my choice as I'm not doing great at that. I was going to start exercising in earnest on Tuesday...but I broke my toe!!! I was moving some heavy chairs and one stopped and my foot didn't...ouch!!!!!!!!! Now, I can hardly walk!!! How long does it take a broken toe to heal???

Anyway, let's do a challenge...I need motivation!!

Go start the thread, I'm in! I'm ready to motivate, as well. :clap2:

[lizrbit 0]

well..yeah...

i had a day off.

I have massive mean joe green thighs and can leg press hundreds of lbs, but my sissy little pansy arsed arms cant even do three reps of 25 at 10 lbs on the strength training machine.

so i didnt even go today. i was supposed to go in and do cardio but i just didnt feel like it.

im having a hard time staying on task these days.

ill go in tomorrow and try again.

[RJBaby 0]

Hi everyone in feb I had mine done on feb 22. Was wondering if anyone is having problems with their port, I hate to drive anywhere because it gives me so much pain, if I am laying down or up walking its fine its sitting or when I just happen to move a certain way if feels like I just got jab in the rib. Told my dr his suggestion was try sitting up straight.

I am about 1 month post op and i have the same experience. My port area also hurts when i sit for too long, like at work, but on a good note... it has forced me to correct my posture! If I sit up straight, I don't feel it so much. But I am hoping it will just get better eventually cause I would really like to be able to do some hard-core workouts! At this time, I am still just doing my walks everyday.