Shrinking Violets -- April 07 Bandsters

[janiebug 0]

Tracyk,

food can play such mind games with us!!!! It used to be my best friend, now that friend makes me sick alot, but I still miss it.

Jane

[Daisalana 33]

I don't miss food, cause I'm not missing anything? Not cause I'm all strong lady from the amazons who does NOT NEED FOOD.. but cause with my minimal restriction, I could eat all that. FEH! I wish I could miss them LOL.

I don't like spaghetti, but I do have ice cream about once a week, and rice goes down fine.. I try to lay off gravy, but frankly I can eat things like that, and I do on occasion.

I didn't have my 'last meal syndrome' because people on the boards mentioned that's a big mistake because it's not true, etc.. and I find they're right.. would have just been another day of overeating if I had done it.. now i can have everything (EXCEPT CHEESEBURGERS) once in a while. And I don't miss cheeseburgers, cause anytime I'm in that situation, they have hot dogs.. and hot dogs are better in taste IMO anyway

[scone 0]

I was banded 4/20/07 and have only lost 10 lbs. I just can't seem to get my restriction right. I have had 5 fills already and am at 2.3cc. They put me up to 2.5 and I threw up the whole weekend. Couldn't even get my spit down. They took .2 back out but now two weeks later I can tell I have lost my restriction again. I am getting very discouraged. If I go back up to 2.5 I slime and PB but at 2.3 I feel little restriction. Very strange. Anyone have a suggestion or the similar problem?

[adorable 1]

I was banded 4/20/07 and have only lost 10 lbs. I just can't seem to get my restriction right. I have had 5 fills already and am at 2.3cc. They put me up to 2.5 and I threw up the whole weekend. Couldn't even get my spit down. They took .2 back out but now two weeks later I can tell I have lost my restriction again. I am getting very discouraged. If I go back up to 2.5 I slime and PB but at 2.3 I feel little restriction. Very strange. Anyone have a suggestion or the similar problem?

Maybe they should try 2.4cc!! Just be patient and don't get discouraged! Congrats on your band.

[mdrai 3]

Tracyk, you are not alone! I haven't actually cried about it, but I have gotten angry & frustrated at not being able to eat the volume of whatever it is that I want... esp. in stressful situations, when in the past I'd have gorged on _______ & it would've calmed me down/put me in a stupor. Does that make sense?

But that's *exactly* why I got the band! So that I do not have to rely solely on my best intentions & willpower! -- In situations where I would've caved, I can't! Maybe I eat a little bit, but not nearly what I would've pre-band. (& I must've caved *a lot* to get up to 317+!)

I know I'm not at my sweet spot yet, cuz' I can pretty much eat anything (usually)... just smaller amounts & little bites & slowly. The few things I've gotten stuck on (even that killer chicken last week) was really due to speed + size of the bite, not really the type of food.< /p>

I'd suggest if something is really driviing you crazy, have a little bit of it! Maybe once a month? Plan for it. I eat cheeseburgers w/out the bun w/let & tom no problem.

All this talk is making me hungry! I've been doing the 2 shakes/1 salad thing! Glad I'm getting another fill on Friday!

[scone 0]

I can't go back for another fill for 4 weeks. Does anyone have the problem of losing some of there fill everytime?

[mdrai 3]

Hi Scone, welcome!

Sorry to read that you're having such problems finding your sweet spot! Hang in there.

Not knowing anything about you or your activity level or what you eat on a regular basis (so basically, nothing!), I'd throw out the idea of not waiting around for the perfect sweet spot, but using some will power & exercise to jumpstart the weight loss w/the restriction that you DO have. (I hope that doesn't sound mean, I don't mean it that way!!) I know if it were that easy, we'd all have done that rather than go through surgery, right?? But somehow for me, those two things are the slightest bit easier knowing the band is in there & helping at least SOME until I find that sweet spot!

Good luck!

[Jennifur 0]

All this talk about food tonight... I'm going to gain back the 6lbs I lost last week. LOL

I had 3 pizza bites, didn't do it for me, still want something.... tomorrow is 2 shakes and salad thing again until Sat. Going to get my dd some pb ice cream and will find something for me to much on. I don't have a problem having 1 bad night a month. It keeps me sane.

Stacie - I am so sorry that you are having such a hard time. It is all such a head game. I am one of the lucky ones, only 1 small fill and I have been good for over a month with it. I have a hard time eating lots of things so it is a bit easier for me, but mentally, I beat myself up. Stay strong, you will find your grove. This is a great and very supportive group. Give us your problems, we will do our best to help.

[Jennifur 0]

Ok all this food talk... bad bad bad

I had roughly 1300 cals today and hey were not good

yogurt

4oz chicken w/fiesta sour cream to keep moist

2.5oz steak

zuccini.... so that is not the really bad part

tonight

mini 150 cal choc/carmel cake

120 cal Peanut Butter cup ice cream Eddy's 1/2 fat

100 cal salsa sun chips

80 cal 2% cheese

That is a complete waste of almost 400 cals. What the heck was I thinking.

although the sunchips and cheese actually hit the spot so I think i'm done...

oh shoot, lets add in the 200 cals for the pizza bites....

good thing tomorrow is liquid shake day... YIKES

next time I think I'll start with the sun chips. Off to bed. catch up on sleep on my night off

[TracyinKS 7]

First: WELCOME SCONE! I just had my 4th fill and I'm technically up to 4cc's in a 4cc band, however he has never pulled any out so I don't know what is really in there.... I on liquids tonight and tomorrow, my real test will be tomorrow night when I have spaghetti meat sauce for dinner.< /p>

TracyK: HONEY we all greive food! I KNOW I DO... how many times have I been locked in my room cruising the board because the rest of my heathens were in the other room GORGING on the junk that I LOVE... food was my best friend and worst enemy... happy, sad, mad, stressed, celebratory........ all were reasons for me to eat... how I used to crave a pizza....... (AN ENTIRE PIZZA) 2 fills ago I could still eat pizza... now I can't swallow an Aleave liquid gel!............. but like Michelle.. this is EXACTLY why I got the band! To help me over the hurdle of slaying the food dragon when my will power couldn't............. Sure I could stay on plan for as long as a year at a time......... but then I would cave and rebound and be right back up to 256.......... only the last time it was a max weight of 272,,,,,, a bad pattern that I EMPOWERED MYSELF TO STOP! JUST LIKE YOU HAVE DONE!

WE are ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL very strong people to have taken this milestone step in our lives............ even Pam (who is too mellow for my liking right now) Lunasa, Sara, Panda, Angie.......... all who started strong and full of hope but have went MIA....... NONE of us (TERRY& Jennifur ESPECIALLY) have given ourselves the credit we deserve for perservering on this unknown journey. Ladies and any gents out there lurking....... KNOW THIS.............. YOU ARE FREAKING AWESOME! Even if it is half a pound or half an inch........ YOU ARE AWESOME and DOING IT... quit beating yourselves up over the small crap. WE WILL GET THERE.... look around because we've taken on this journey many of us are becoming stronger in other aspects of our lives....... smoking, drinking, enabling, cutting deadweight.......... and the like.. look at the positives because that is what WE have in store for us.......

OK........ all the liquid is going to my head.. I guess its time for me to step down off my Protein Shake and wish you all SWEET DREAMS and SMALLER JEANS!

[adorable 1]

Ok I'm in a dilemma here...well 2 of them. Let's start with #1.

1) I'm supposed to have a fill tomorrow, and I've been able to eat just about anything that I want, and in more of a quantity than I should be able to. So I've been SO excited about this fill coming up, and what happens tonight at dinner? I PB for the first REAL time. I've gotten stuck before, but this time I actually hurled in the toilet and stuff came up (along with some brothy slime - sorry TMI!)

So now I'm not sure if I need a fill or not....I'm thinking because I'm so stressed out today (and yesterday) that I'm just much tighter than I normally am....has anyone else had this dilemma the night before a fill? I don't want to get tooooo tight either.

2) Second dilemma. My daughter called wanting to come back home tomorrow. I asked her why not come back home tonight (because I wanted to know the answer), and she said because she's going to see "some guy" tonight. I'm not sure what to do. My head tells me "Denise stick with it. Tell her that unless she is willing to go back through rehab, that she's on her own". My heart says "let her come home Denise, you don't want her to think that you don't care about her. You don't want her to walk out of your life with the possibility that you may never see her again".

I should have went to an Al-anon meeting tonight. I printed out the schedule but then got off work and the meeting started 40 minutes ago...Any advice???

Thank everyone for your words of encouragement too...I've had such a rough 2 days, and I have a feeling I'm in for more! :think

[adorable 1]

TracyK - I haven't cried about food yet, but I've sure do CRAVE it most of the time!!!!

[Ms Jen 1]

hi everyone-

Let me share somethng cause I want to see if this is just me or if you all are feeling the same way....this does not happen often, but last night I cried....i missed food. I mean the food we used to eat. My DH asked me what was wrong and I told him that I was eating the same old crap all the time. He asked what I wanted and I said "everything I am not supposed to have. A sandwich, a big plate of spaghetti, boudain, a bowl of rice & gravy, a big bowl of blue bell ice cream, Mac & cheese....not to mention a cheeseburger". I had a really difficult time. They are like "old friends" and I missed them. I was SO depressed. ...quote]

If I want it , I eat it! No all at one time. And not as much as I would before. I make my sandwich with 35 cal whole wheat bread, measure out a cup of spaghetti but never a beef hamburger. I look up the calories on things I really want and decide if I want to adjust my eating for the rest of the day. I'm allowed 1200 cal and rarely go over 1100. If I feel it's worth it then I have it.

[Teachlady 3]

Hey Violets..

I'm back again. We left at 8:30 this morning to go to the doc for our 3rd fill. He recommended no fill this time since we are going on our cruise Thursday and that was ok with us. I lost 6.5# last month and DH lost 6#.. AND.. I weighed 178 on their scale which means I already lost the 3# I had gained last week in Florida.. wooo hoooooo!!! I showed everyone my Bracelet there and they all said it was beautiful and such a great idea. Can't thank you enough Terry... it really helps me to look at it and remember those bandster rules!!

I see I have a ton more posts to catch up on. Will try to do that tomorrow now that the choir party and doctor visit are done.

Sleep well everyone!!! See ya tomorrow!

[Kat817 19]

Dammit---I just lost my post! Aaarrggghhhh!!!!

Denise, I would suggest holding off on the fill. To do it on top of a serious PB is asking for trouble I am afraid. When you add the stress you are under to that....it seems a bit iffy to me. I know we all want our weight ALL gone like NOW---but sometimes if we try to rush it too much, and get too tight, it causes serious problems, and only slows you down in the long run. I did not lose my weight this far in record time, but I am losing it, and I am not so tight, that I cannot eat. I was reading TracyK's post, and pretty much I could eat any of the things you mentioned---I cannot eat a lot of it...but enough so that I don't feel deprived by being unable to have any of it!

I am terrible with being deprived though, that is when I will binge. To tell me I could have none of that, would have me to the bottom of an ice cream carton in nothing flat!!! I am much better if I can have a few bites of the ice cream, and a bowl of sausage gravy, or whatever....regardless if I only eat a few bites of it...knowing I can have it, makes the difference to me!

I applaud you girls for dealing so well with that level of restriction, I have steadfastly refused to be that tight. Remind me of this when you all reach goal, and I am still losing half a pound at a time!!!

Denise, as for your DD---you poor thing! Does she really deep down think that you kicking her out, is just a temporary fight between the 2 of you? My DD and I can push each others buttons like no other! Lucky for me, we never had the issues you are dealing with---but it only brings to mind the thing my Great Grandma used to say---there but for the Grace of God goes I. A single change in anything and it could have so easily been. Her father is an alcoholic, as is my brother....she could be too. She refuses to drink a drop...she is scared of it.

Where does your DH stand on this? I lost my post when I went to your profile to remind myself of your marital status etc. Sorry my brain is old!!! So...you are remarried, is he involved in the battle with DD? What about her father---where is he? And her sister? What is her take? To me those are the closest ones to the situation, they are being hurt by her actions too I am sure, but do they support the decision you made? Will they back up the tough love?

My brain says you have to show her how serious you are, but my Moms heart is exactly where yours is....I know the fears you are dealing with. I wish I had answers. Any hope of catching a meeting before having to answer her question about coming home?

Sorry I have more questions than answers Denise!!!

((((hugs))))

Kat