May 2007 Banders

[Wenjea 1]

Mini - I put a little warm tap Water in the bottom of my mug and then add my Protein Powder and make a paste, get the lumps out, and then add slowly hot water that I ran through the coffee pot (w/o coffee). If I am at home I can use my insta-hot but most offices have a coffee pot. The temperature of the water after going through the coffee pot is perfect for making it hot without curdling it. I run the water against the side of the cup as it goes in which cools it a bit. I have had it curdle when using boiling water so don't try that. Coffee temperature is perfect.

[Wenjea 1]

Mini - I use the coffee pot method when staying at a hotel too cuz every room has a small coffee pot, plus I don't have to lug my bullet around with me, just my powder. If you buy the baby formula holders you can get three shakes out of one holder. Great way to take it on a weekend get-a-way.

[mini 0]

Sue and Wenjea - thanks so much for helping me to understand and the tips too! We have one of those hot Water spouts on our coffee maker here at work...I will try it y'all's way! I wish i had read this email before I went to the cafteria...I though they would have malt o meal today cause it's thursday...but they forgot to make it...hhhmmfpppttt! So I saw the apples gleaming beautifully from the basket and thought..what the heck, I'll try it. (I never eat fruit anymore unless it's applesauce) Well, I took a bite w/o the skin..and my band started talking to me..so I had to give the apple away. So I just had a big cup of coffee with cream and am no longer hungry. Tomorrow for sure I will try the hot Protein Drink for sure.

You guys are such a good support and I appreciate you...

Sandra - you havn't been joining us much lately..are you o.k.?

Manatee - How are you doing without the band..I know it must be tough..don't get discouraged.

[jsrico 1]

Mini....thanks for noticing that I havent been around. I've been lurking and reading but no posting. Just in a funk these days!!! Dont know why though. My husband and kids have me going crazy with them wanting me to have another baby and I am TERRIFIED!! I fianally am feeling atractive and normal person and I going to make myself obese again. Maybe this time...I will have more control of my eating and wont gain 60 lbs???? I see that everyone is doing good and moving as planned.

Sandra

255h/242s/171c/165g

[mini 0]

Sandra,

Wow, what a quandry...well, only have a baby if you want one...not because your feeling pressured. You don't think subconciously your husband wants you to gain the wght back do you? But, if you guys have been wanting another child..(I can't think of anything better)...then don't worry, You will still have the band. It will prob be unfilled..but remember when we first got our bands and they hadn't put anything in it yet? Well, I still had some restriction. I lost wght too. I am going to look back to my first posts and see how much I lost until my first fill. You will also be consentrating on eating healthy for the baby. This will be the time that you can put your new skills to work...eating right and exercising you will stay right on track. I just know you can do it. We will be encouraging you!

Weazer

[Mischievous1 6]

Thank you! Actually I'm going again today for a trim... and my Valentines Day gift... a 90 minute hot stone massage!!

:tongue2:

Enjoy-how nice! I've never had a hot stone massage, you'll have to let us know how it goes, I go once a week or every other week (schedule allowing) to get an hour massage but it is a regular grease em up and rub em type...no rocks involved.

[Mischievous1 6]

I was secretly facinated with those hot pink hair color examples they had hanging up to pick you color off of. Oh, if only I was in my 20's again and braver!

Weazer

I am secretly fascinated with those hot pink hair colors/wigs too....how funny!:tongue2:

[Mischievous1 6]

Wenjea

Well, I guess the liguid gets stuck on top of my band and just starts making these ridiculously loud squeals while it is trying to get down.

Now are you saying I should try heating my shakes up? I never thought of that. I wonder if that would work. kinda like hot chocolate. And I always seem to get my coffee down in the morning. Hmm. is there a mocha flavored Protein drink that heats up without clumping?

Weazer

I think my fill is too tight, I called today to see if I can get in tomorrow for a slight unfill....last night I was laying in bed and my band was squeaking too! WEIRD...I couldn't sleep it was freaking me out...

The good thing is I have dropped 7 lbs in the past 2 weeks which for me is UNHEARD of as I am a very slow loser, I have had my band since May '07 and was stuck at 215 forever (give or take 3-4 lbs over Xmas) but for the past 3 days I have been drinking the SAME Protein Shake and it still isn't DONE! Yesterday I filled a drinking glass with Water and sipped it and I got Maybe 4 ounces of water in so this is NOT the healthy way to lose and I have got to get more nutrition in.

The strange thing was for the first week I was able to drink about 4 Protein Shakes a day and also have some Soup at night and in the AM a skinny latte, but now almost NOTHING is going through and it just sits there....I don't know why. It must be one of those retroactive fills I guess.

[mini 0]

Mischy - You are younger so you could pull off the hot pink locks...i say go for it!!!!!!!

I know just the sound your talking about...it was keeping me up at night while I was sick and my band was so tight after PBing everything....It sounded just like that when I had to walk out of the church auditorium too!!!!! What is your fill level at right now? Have you been PBing at all?

Weazer

[Mischievous1 6]

Mischy - You are younger so you could pull off the hot pink locks...i say go for it!!!!!!!

I know just the sound your talking about...it was keeping me up at night while I was sick and my band was so tight after PBing everything....It sounded just like that when I had to walk out of the church auditorium too!!!!! What is your fill level at right now? Have you been PBing at all?

Weazer

I've been doing the best i can to avoid PB'ing...that's why I have only had one Protein Shake for the past 3 days, I can feel that i'm full and dare not take another sip, but I have slimed a few times and because i'm so full I dare not swallow the saliva so i'm spitting it out...sorry TMI.

My fill level i'm pretty sure is a little over 3.3 cc in a 4cc band. I realized it AFTER I got home from the fill (see my notes below) my Dr. and I both forgot to note one of my fills in my chart because I made my appt. under my nickname instead of my legal name so she didn't have my chart and must have lost her note before it made it into my chart ? Anyway, i'm sure i'm overfilled and at first thought well i'm getting alot down so no chance of dehydration so I was just going to ride it out for a week or so, but now this is not good.

[mini 0]

Oh that does sound like allot of fill...I am at 3.25 and don't want to go any tighter....Don't worry about the TMI...it's nothing new on this board..plus, I work at a hospital so you cannot imagine..what I see and hear..sliming and spitting...that's easy!

What do you think you want to get unfilled to?

Weazy

[Mischievous1 6]

Oh that does sound like allot of fill...I am at 3.25 and don't want to go any tighter....Don't worry about the TMI...it's nothing new on this board..plus, I work at a hospital so you cannot imagine..what I see and hear..sliming and spitting...that's easy!

What do you think you want to get unfilled to?

Weazy

I was thinking 2.8 to 2.9 would be ideal for me? When I was at 2.8 before, it was too tight, (so had .18 removed) but i've lost weight and it got way toooo loose, so taking me back there or to 2.9 would probably be a safe bet...what do you think?

[twinmommy 0]

I went to the docotr yesterday to get a fill. All he would give me was .1. Seems like a waste of $85 if you ask me. I have only had one meal since then so I am not sure about the restriction yet.

[Wenjea 1]

I keep toying with the idea of getting more fill but i am not sure I want my eating to be any more difficult. I only can get liquid down in the morning and Soup at noon. Then it seems to magically open up and if I chew well I can eat most foods by dinner. The stalled weight thing is upsetting so I'm meeting with the nutritionist next week to discuss normal eating for normal people. Isn't that where we all want to be in the end . . . eating like normal weighted people. She told me to journal my food, Water, and exercise for three days before I come. The first day i only ate 1100 calories, yesterday was more like 800, so I'm working at getting in 1200 today. On the 'biggest loser' they always are talking about eating more to lose more. So I'm trying to get my mind out of this 'only drink Protein and water to lose' mentality.

[mini 0]

Interesting posts!

Mischy - Try the 2.9 and see if that works..you can always have alittle more taken out. I think sometimes..that having the band too tight and not being able to eat the right kinds of food..works against us. It does bother me that I'm not getting my usual amounts of fruits and veges

Wenjea - I have a friend here at the hosp who had the band done in July and she is right on track with me for the wght loss (We weighed the same when we started too) and she has only had three rather small fills.. She has difficulty eating some foods so her doctor is making her take a bit of fill out even though she doesn't want too. She is unhappy about that..but he wants her to be able to eat more kinds of food..he says that is how she will loose more wght. Her doctor is much stickter than mine. I am curious to keep watching her and see if his way works..or if my way works (being to tight to eat too much) but, I am being careful...I learned from Manatee that it can be dangerous if to tight. I am being very careful. Yippee..I have managed to get through the last two days and nights without cheating...It really helps me when I pick up overtime at night because I am not at home bored and grazing. I worked from 7a - 11p for the last two days in a row..now that will knock some wght off and my 14 pants seem loose today...5 pds more and I will have to get rid of them!!!!!

Weazer