June 2007 Bandsters

[Pippz 0]

Hi everyone! I had my 2nd fill today, and of course it wasn't without incident! Nothing can be easy, hehe. Thank god my doctor is adorable and I don't mind spending extra time with him!

I found out today I have a 5 cc band. My first fill was 3 weeks ago, it was 1cc, but the doctor accidentally wrote down 2ccs. for starters, he's had trouble finding my port for the 2nd time in a row. He said it just "feels weird" - i don't know what that means, but he still found it thank god. Then he pulled out the Fluid to see what was in it, and said there was .8 of a CC. He was worried I was leaking (because he had written down 2 ccs) so he pushed in 2 and told me to come back in 2 weeks. I, being mesmerized by his adorableness, wasn't really listening to what he was SAYING. I got up and tried to drink some Water and I sort of felt it sitting there. It did go down, but he looked worried. And THEN I realized what he had been saying. I told him I was really sure that I only had 1cc in there, and he said I must be right since it was only my first fill, he never would have put in 2ccs. So then I had to go back in the room and he removed .8 of them, so I now I have 1.2ccs of fluid in a 5cc band. what a day!

I did ask him about the number of people on this board that have lost fluid after their first fill. he said that's typical because there is usually air in the band before you fill it the first time, and so when you put the fluid in with the air sometimes stuff gets out. It made a lot of sense to me, but he said as you continue the fills that happens less and less.

Okay, that's my news for today. I've got the "I'm still glowing from seeing my cute doctor" look going on so maybe I'll go out for a walk. haha

[Pippz 0]

O2b - THATS A GREAT WEIGHT LOSS! I hope you get happy with this and it helps with your spirit and weight loss! :-)

[bcrazy7 0]

Once the sweet spot is reached, how do you know your full? What does it feel like?

[TexasFire 84]

Quote:

Originally Posted by o2bthin

Gadzooks! I'm on a 4-day diet and am down 8 pounds in 2 days! I'm off carbs, salt (I'm sure a lot of the loss is water), chemicals, additives, sugar, etc. I'm hoping this will get me back on track.

Congrats Suzzzzzie and Pippz!

Eight pounds in two days?!?!? Congratulations! That's amazing! Count me in! Do tell...what is the plan?

[o2bthin 0]

Okay, this is THE DIET. I don't know where it came from, but it's working for me. Anyone want to join me? Today is my day #3 and then I'm going to repeat it. LOL on the prune juice...you'll see what I mean.

GENERAL RULES WHEN DIETING

• 2 glasses Water in the am as you get up; 1 glass of water before each meal; and 2 glasses of water when you go to bed. Drink more off and on during day.
  
• Eat most calories at Breakfast and lunch. Supper should be light. Front end loading means digestion occurs during day when you are active.
  
• Visualize your proportion size before serving it up onto your plate. Get up and leave the table as soon as you have finished. If after 20 minutes you are still hungry come back and top off.

THIS 4-DAY DIET

• Drink minimum of 7 – 12 cups of water a day
  
• You can repeat 2 times in a row and then break for 1-2 weeks and repeat or go ahead with your regular diet.
  
• All food is boiled, steamed, baked, broiled, or grilled.
  
• No oil, salt, bread, potatoes, rice, starches, alcohol
  
• Only white vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, chili pepper, black pepper, and dried herbs to season food.
  
• No snaking
  
• No substitutes except 3 oz tuna in water, 4-6 oz. Salmon, or chicken in place of beef.

ALL BREAKFASTS

Minimum 1 cup coffee or tea – no sugar, sugar substitutes, cream, or milk

½ grapefruit

Day One

Lunch

· 2 hard boiled eggs

· ½ cup green string Beans, steamed or boiled

· ½ cup squash (zucchini or butternut) steamed or boiled

· 1 cup low sodium Tomato juice

Dinner

• 1 4-6 oz hamburger – baked or broiled (on additives)
  
• ½ cup green string beans
  
• 1 small apple

Day Two

Lunch

• ½ cup celery
  
• ½ cup green string beans steamed or boiled
  
• ½ cup fresh tomatoes (not juice)
  
• ½ cup cantaloupe

Dinner

• Baked or broiled chicken breast 6-8 oz – no skin
  
• ½ cup butternut squash or zucchini steamed or boiled
  
• ½ cup fresh tomatoes

Day Three

Lunch

· 2 hard boiled eggs

· ½ cup green string beans, steamed or boiled

· ½ cup squash (zucchini or butternut) steamed or boiled

· 1 cup low sodium tomato juice

Dinner

• 1 6-8 oz steak broiled or baked (or substitute tuna, salmon, or chicken)
  
• 1 cup stew tomatoes (stew or poach your own – don’t use canned because of all the preservatives/additives
  
• 1 small apple

Day Four

Lunch

• 1 cup celery (uncooked)

· ½ cup squash (zucchini or butternut) steamed or boiled

• 1 small apple
  
• 1-cup prune juice (unsweetened – no preservatives if possible)

Dinner

• 1 4-6 oz hamburger – baked or broiled (on additives)
  
• ½ cup fresh raw tomatoes
  
• 2 cup prune juice (unsweetened – no preservatives if possible)

[o2bthin 0]

Btw, I've been steaming the celery until it's soft. I haven't done any hamburger, just chicken and tuna. I do have the powdered Creamer in my coffee too. Nobody is going to make me drink black coffee!

[hottytoddy 0]

Gadzooks!

LMAO!! I didn't know anybody ever actually had used that word! That's awesome!

[TexasFire 84]

o2bthin - I'M IN. All except for the squash...ewww. Tomorrow is Day 1 for me!

P.S. It says "minimum" one cup coffee. How many are you drinking? I actually gave up coffee, for the most part, two and a half months ago. I still love it, though!

[Suzzzie. 3]

o2bthin - question about the diet... it says to have most calories in breakfast and lunch, and yet you're only eating a grapefruit for breakfast? Thats not many calories??

[Suzzzie. 3]

OK. So I know this is too much info and all, but I wondered if anyone else has noticed that when they are on liquid diets (either pre-op, post-op, or post fill) that you're urine smells funny? I swear! I noticed it post op (my pre-op diet was only 2 days) and after my 2 fills. My urine smells stronger, more... bitter? Lol. I'm a nurse so I see and smell (not intentionally!) a LOT of urine.

Just curious.

[o2bthin 0]

o2bthin - question about the diet... it says to have most calories in breakfast and lunch, and yet you're only eating a grapefruit for breakfast? Thats not many calories??

I know, that makes no sense to me either.

I just drink one large cup of coffee in the morning, and maybe an iced sugar free coffee in the afternoon, that's it. I guess you could have iced tea in place of it or regular tea. It must be the caffeine boosting your metabolism. Good luck Steph!

All I can tell you guys is it works. You have to eat everything though! The first day was awful, it's gotten a little better every day. The dang dog ate my chicken breast last night! I was so excited about that chicken too...it's a HUGE portion. I microwaved it and cut it into chunks and had about 2 bites until I got the first bite syndrome, so I went upstairs to the puter, and dd came home and let the dogs in....I went back for my dinner and it was gone...dog licking his chops! Grrrr!

I'm drinking low sodium V-8 for the Tomato juice.< /span>

Hotty, I have *no idea why I used that word! LOL

[o2bthin 0]

My friend typed up this diet, I think she just put the general rules of dieting in there....then she put the rules for the 4-day diet. I'm not sure of that, but that's what me thinks!

[TexasFire 84]

Shoot...I think I'll have to pass on the 4-day diet. There is no way I could eat all that. (Eight ounces of chicken? !?!? GADZOOKS! LOL No way.) I could probably choke down the prune juice and Tomato juice, but I can't stomach stewed tomoatoes or squash.

Keep us posted on how you do, o2bthin! I'm so glad it is working for you! Isn't it nice to be off that plateau! Good luck!

[insubordination 0]

Once the sweet spot is reached, how do you know your full? What does it feel like?

I would not get another fill just yet. I cancelled my appointment. I am happy with my level of my 3rd fill and am dropping 1kg/2.2 pounds/week since I had it (actually more).

I think the sweet spot is not feeling hungry and losing a good amount of weight but still being able to eat normal food. A band which is too tight is not good as you will eat mushies and Soups which will go straight through the band. I know that as I lose weight, I will lose the 'fat pad' from around my stomach. I will need another fill in the future but for now, any more would be detrimental.

Here are some differences I noted since my third fill about two weeks ago:

*I never get 'stomach' hunger (provided I don't drink with meals). Maybe if I skip a meal, I will.

*I stop eating because I have to. No discipline is involved. No more food will fit in. I know it will hurt me and feel unbearably tight or come back up if I put more in. I get a gurgling/burping too.

*I have PB'd twice from not chewing enough.

*I have had to reconsider my bite size.

*I can't gulp Water. It backs up like a funnel.

*I won't eat in restaurants at the moment. It's just a waste of money.

*I could not eat the diet above. As healthy as it is, it wouldn't fit. 1 cup of food would be the maximum I can eat and it takes a lot longer to eat than it used to. I could only tackle 1/2 peeled apple.

I hate me for saying, "That diet is too much food," too. It's going to take some getting used to. My family is disgusted when I say that I can't fit anymore in (but secretly happy for me).

I have not lost my interest in food. I'm still having 'head hunger' and binge urges but it's hard to know what to do about it. If I keep busy at work or with weekend activities, it helps. I walk around food/takeaways/supermarkets feeling resentful but then I remember that this is what I wanted. I have what I want, so what am I complaining about?

Pippz, I'm glad you explained about the missing fill and the air. Hopefully, that will put some minds at rest. HT, I'm glad you found some answers.

[bcrazy7 0]

Thanks Insub- Does the fullness feel the same as when you didn't have the band or is it more in the throat/chest? I have only had one fill and I don't have any restriction yet. I get my 2nd on Monday.