Steady losers ;-)

[jillrn 0]

Steph-- I am 4'11" =( I hate being short! How tall are you?? I feel like such a slow loser on here with everyone up to 30-40lbs and us back here at 16-17lbs! My fill is Monday and I am doing all I can at this point! I sure hope this works for me!

[sweethot143 2]

ok,so i went to the mideval hospital for my first fill. I was pleasantly surprised!

I went in at 10am, they remembered i was coming for once! yeaah. the dr. came out within 2 minutes. looked at my tummy, and then took me to radiology. I layed on a table that tilted anyway they wanted, it was like an xray maching. I was freaking because they said they don't numb the area at all. So the dr. came with a big thin needle found the port no problem and did the fill. I drank yucky berrium a few times and then some Water. The whole process took about 5 minutes, i didn't have to sit up either, they just tilted the table and i was pretty much standing up.

I asked how much the filled it, they say that they don't know because thye just go by the screen to see if it is tight enough. I thought that was strange. but we'll see if it works. he said come back in four weeks if i get too hungry.

i'm hoping this one works, i am not really losing anymore. I'm pretty much the same as the first week after surgery. I wish i was losing 40 lbs like the rest of you!!

[beversman 0]

jill -- i dont think it sounds like your eating too much at all :-) Truth is, I lost a big chunk of mine PRE-op... since banding, ive only lost about 10-12 lbs in the past month... (12 on a good day :-)

Even though i get as frustrated as you do... I know we all have to realize we are just going to lose at different rates. That is so easy to say though and soooooo hard to think about when the weight seems to be sitting there. Trust me.... I know.

I've been exercising my ass off... literally. I am up to 40 min/day at level 3 on the elliptical... I am lifting 10lbs weights for 30-40min... I am doing 60 crunches/day -- plus exercise to target inner thighs and some other spots that everything else doesnt work hard enough.

I went to the OBGYN yesterday, and their scale said I hadnt lost anything since LAST Thursday... thats with a diet below 800 calories most days (<50g carbs and 90+g of protein) AND with all the exercise.

Then, my grandma -- (my personal cheerleader!! and i love her to death) -- she saw me and asked, "so, are you still losing?"

So, there is NO CHANGE!?!?! What the F#%$????

FRUSTRATING!

So, you're doing just fine girl! I am right there with you on the "slow" part.

It has to come off... doesnt it? I mean low calories... working ass off...

It should equal weight loss!! Right?!!?

(sigh) just dont give up! I thought about not exercising last night. But I know in 3 months I will thank myself.

sorry to ramble... love ya all

[VABandster 0]

:cry Hey gang....well, it looks like some of you are struggling, just like I am! yesterday I ate like a friggin PIG!! I had ice cream, a cookie, and cheese and crackers for dinner!! Not to mention some chips/salsa and 1/2 of my frajita chicken at a mexican restaurant for lunch!! I know...in the scheme of things, that was still not even close to me on a REGULAR Day prior to the band....but now....I feel like a whale!!!

And the scale this AM didn't help.....it was up 4 pounds from 2 days ago!! :faint:

I called my Dr.s office yesterday to see if I can get in on Feb. 19th for a fill under fluro and they're supposed to call me back today and see if the Dr. can fit it in b/c he actually has to schedule it through the surgical center across the street from his office....Keep your fingers crossed b/c I don't know how I'm going to keep this weight off if I don't get another fill soon!!!!

My best friend is in town this weekend and we're celebrating her B.day....so even more evil temptations there...UGH!!!

:help:

I hope you all have a great weekend!! And For those of you that have restriction.....:clap2: LUcky you!!!

Kirsten

[thininde 0]

Good Morning!! Have a question - can anyone else feel their port? I was laying in bed last night touching my stomach (I know that sounds wierd!), and I can feel a lump in my stomach. It feels like sort of a long tube, that has a lumo, down where my bellybutton is...anyone else feel anything lumpy in their belly?? I told my husband that maybe it was muscles that I haven't felt in a long time, he almost fell off the bed laughing (jacka&*%).

[VABandster 0]

Patty...yes, I can totally feel my port!!! And if I sleep on my stomach too much at night, it tends to be tender in the AM.....or if I am bending over too much, i can feel it and sometimes it causes pain....

I wonder sometimes if its too close to the surface, but most of the time I don't notice it....and at this point my belly is still too fat to really worry about it!

[Nathalie 4]

Hey Mommas -

Regarding weight loss. I am counting my loss from Thanksgiving when I was fat as an old lazy cat. Since surgery I've lost a wee bit over 20 pounds. Maybe I'll change my ticker? People who are fatter will lose more weight at a faster pace if all other things are equal. I learned that from watching The Fattest Loser. Or whatever that show is called.

Also, B'man, watch and see. One day you're going to look up and be like 6 pounds lighter. Even though you can't see anything visible, your body is making adjustments and is making changes.

VaB: don't beat yourself up over the food. HA! What a hypocrite I am, because I totally beat myself up over nibbles of food I consider "bad." But I'm learning to let it go and not be so hard on myself. You've come so far in maintaining your eating habits, and one splurge one day will more than likely help more than hurt.

I am going to zig zag calories and my exercise routine (duration, intensity). I think that I am going to get some of those exercise tubes/bands. (www.spriproducts.com) They give resistance and will provide some strength training without my having to join a gym. I won't be doing that until I hit 225. And Jesus Please Us, make it soon! (w/in 2 months) That's 35 pounds away. *sigh*

Patty - I can feel a hard lump in my belly where my port is. I can't feel the tubing though. They put in a low profile port, so I have to lay on my back and suck in and then press hard to feel the nubbin. Yesterday after I apologized to the PA for being such a bad patient, he showed me the port/stomach/pouch/band on a model. He said "That's what is in you." LOL What a goober. He also said he didn't count me as a miss. WTF? I got poked twice, buddy boy. (I'm such a drama queen!)

Kaydoll - I'm about to send you a PM. How was your math test?

sweethot - I'm so glad you had a good fill experience. I wondered about you.

I asked why they didn't use X-Ray for fills, and my surgeon said "For a few reasons. First, we don't have the x-ray machine..." I was cracking up!

Oh, I had to give a lil talk today about childcare from the perspective of a working parent. I am such a goober. I was talking about my recent "break up" with my old daycare provider and cried. It's going to be on tv. I called myself a shmuck, and everyone laughed. WTF? I am not even going to watch it, because you know what? EMBARRASSING! But it's totally hard being a single working mother.

L8R!

N.

[VABandster 0]

Hey NAT...I just realized you and I started at the same wight and had our surgerys 1 day apart....and we both got the VG Band!! You're doing wayyyy better than I am though!! I'm only down to 275 (was 272 a few days ago)....You ROCK Girl!!

How old are your kiddos?? I'm a single working Mom too, but my boys are with their Dad every other week (we share custody 50/50) and my boys are older so I can leave them at home alone and don't need sitters anymore!

[StephC 0]

Nat I didn't realize they had put so much in your band to start with. No wonder you had such will power! Makes sense why they didn't do the fluro. LOL My dr is in a medical center so we just had to go down and register for xray. But they made the appt 2 weeks in advance. I wish I could see you sniveling on tv - is it national? Child care is a big issue - have you watched Oprah lately? The whole issue of stay at home moms vs working moms - it was interesting. I've been on both sides of the coin so I know its not easy. I was fortunate enough to only had worked 1 year (to get us out of debt) when my 3rd was 3 years old and she was at gramma's house that year - which made it so much easier on ALL of us. How do you feel since your fill? Feeling restriction?

Jill - I'm 5'3". It is discouraging to see everyone down 30-40 lbs and here I am struggling to lose a freaking pound!

Sweethot it sounds like you had a better experience this time with the midevil drs. I'm alittle learey about them not knowing how much they put in. Doesn't sound Kosher to me. My dr had his reading glasses on so he could see the cc's on the syringe. But he was also watching the screen too.

B-man I'm working my butt of too and tracking on fitday - I'm like Kirsten and was really struggling to eat under 1400 calories but at the same time knew I was eating 1/2 of what I could've been eating. But when reading one of the threads about what you wished you'd done differently since banding alot of people said they wished they had exercised from the start, so that keeps me motivated. I feel so much better about myself too.

Patty I've felt my port since day one. When I do crunches I can really feel it. But not the tubing. It doesn't bother me but I'm aware of it when I roll onto my belly to sleep.

:clap2: for me. I didn't snack after supper. I ate around 6 and was full until I went to bed. This fill is really doing it for me. I hope it lasts! If it doesn't I'm going back for more. I'm not sure if I'm charged or not. I guess for the xray but I guess not for dr cause when we went to leave to go down to xray I said don't I need to pay my co-pay? and they said no. This is very typical of me, don't ask questions about money but ask if I'll have more restriction during my period.

[StephC 0]

Nat - I got those bands - I never used them. But it was like every other exercise attempt - start and stop - I'm on week 4 of using my treadmill, I've never kept up with exercise as well as I'm doing now. In fact Dr. Phil's on so I better go walk with Phil.

[Nathalie 4]

VaB - I have one son, 19 months old. My son's father lives in Florida. He is spotty with child support, but makes a big deal about Christmas and birthdays. Financially I'm fine, but I could use some emotional support. And a damn break every now and again. Thanks for the wl support. We're both doing great. Any downward movement is a success as far as I'm concerned.

StephC - I hadn't realized he put so much in the band until yesterday! The PA was going to put 4cc in the band, and that's when the surgeon goes, "Well, the band was VERY loose so we gave her a substantial adjustment when we placed it. 5cc." So they ended up putting 2 in. They both think it will be enough. I'm on liquids for 48 hours. So far so good, I'm drinking the Isopure drinks and my left over stuff from the liquid diet, so I'm getting about 110g Protein and 500 calories the next 2 days.

By the way, "sniveling" made me howl. you bitch. HAHAHAHAHHA I sure was, too. And on the way to work called my Mom, who laughed until she cried at me talkin about how I cried on the panel. What a dorm I am! She told me to TiVo it for her, cuz she wants to be supportive. lol

Will you start using your bands now that you're on the exercise bandwagon? I am also looking into getting a stablizing ball. If nothing else, my little one will enjoy playing with it!

[Nathalie 4]

P.S. As for my restriction, I don't think I can tell al lthat much yet. I had Soup last night (3/4 cup) and later had a Healthy Choice fudgecicle. I was hungry about an hour later. Today I've had 20oz of this Isopure, and so far so good, but I am ready for some more.

Tomorrow I go on soft foods for 48 hours, so it's more oatmeal and whips. I hope it takes, because I am totally not looking forward to another fill experience.

[bkwalling 0]

I am so happy everyone fills went all right

thanks to all who say u are not eating a ton

my hair dresser said wow khristina u look awesome today

she know i had lapband she is overweight herself and actually may have surgery this spring

I told her oh man I wish I had lost a lot because the majority of my weight loss was pre-op diet and insurance required diet I have only lost about 9 lbs since surgery

she was like u should measure yourself again

I measured the night before surgery and I have lost about 5 inches all over

so nsv go me

I hate the scales and I am in love with the measureing tape

off to work love ya

[carol453 0]

Well today is a better day. I got on the scales at our office and I lost 8 lbs. It took not eating for 2 days and the worst case of stomach flu Ive ever had but I did it. Its a new thing I like to call pooping your way to weight loss. LOL Thank the lord that is over. I have been stuck for 2 weeks so I am glad I lost a little even if it took the flu. Thank you all for the prqyers Chris is going to need them and he has a lot of people praying for him. I am going for my 2nd fill on the 30 so wish me luck. I am doing good at work and not too bad when I get home with my eating. Now I have to get my lazy butt to the gym. Well I have to go I hear a quilt calling my name. ( quilting is my favorite hobby.) Talk later

[StephC 0]

Carol - pooping your way to weight loss! too darn funny! LMAO wtg on the weight loss!

Nat - will I use the bands? No - want me to see if I can find them and send them to you? I think I even have a dvd to go with it, one of those walking videos. PM me your address and I'll see if I can round one up, I'm pretty sure I know what drawer I stuck it in. These are the long elastic bands that are for resistance, right?

Hey I got the skis! So my friend comes over (she's actually a member at the golf club where I work so not really a "friend") her and her hubby have this huge box they bring in full of the ski shoes, and they proceed to fit me, hubbster and daughter all up - skis, poles, shoes - the works! So I'm really anxious to get started.. I think I might even go now this morning since hubby is still sleeping and the treadmill is in the bedroom. Pray I don't break anything.

bk - I love the tape measurer too! And I also just got my hair done. My niece is great at her job, like the best around and when I'm ready for a change I tell her just do something different. This time she did the back lower layer dark brown, and then put highlights and lowlights all over, and cut it. I was a little :omg: cuz it was shorter then I was expecting but now I love it. My youngest daughter is also going to cosmotolgy - she goes to vo-tech during school and when she graduates high school she'll have her license - shes not ready do to my hair yet. But does all the guys. Rather then go to college she wants to open her own shop right away.

Nat I didn't feel the restriction the first night when I was on fluids but then the next day with mushies I did. Yesterday I ate about 1/2 cup 4 times. Mostly Proteins but had the shredded wheat (I don't like being irregular) and then at lunch I had tuna with a salad. I didn't have a problem with any of it. Supper I had chicken and raviolis - but again about 1/2 - 3/4 of a cup total - before bed I finished the tuna and other half of my chicken fillet. I was totally satisfied and wasn't digging around for a sweet.

I'm outa here, I'm gonna try my skis out before the world can see me. Have good day ladies!