March Bandsters: MASTER THREAD

[chica 2]

I so want restriction now also. I have found that no food is safe and have gained 2 lbs since last week. I am trying to make smart choices when my head hunger kicks in but that does not always happen. I have been drinking carnation/protein powder for Breakfast, a Protein shake for lunch, and then usually 1/2 to 1/4 of my dinner. Then about 8:00 p.m. crave something sweet. I have been sticking to low fat cool whip but tonight we stopped by DQ and got a dipped cone. I'm scared by the time I get a fill I will have gained back everything I have lost!!!

I'm no pro at this, and I can only tell you what I've been advised by my doc and by reading posts here, but something in your post called out to me. By now, even without a fill, we should be off Protein drinks and mushies for most of our meals and should instead be trying to eat real food with real 'hard' Protein (meat, chicken, fish, etc.) and some Fiber. liquids and mushies go through our bands faster, hard protein and real food take longer and will keep us satisfied longer. It's very difficult to keep up liquid supplements long term. The healing period has surely passed. Don't be so afraid of real food. It just might help you more than you think... :thumbup:

[sharona 2]

I'm no pro at this, and I can only tell you what I've been advised by my doc and by reading posts here, but something in your post called out to me. By now, even without a fill, we should be off Protein drinks and mushies for most of our meals and should instead be trying to eat real food with real 'hard' Protein (meat, chicken, fish, etc.) and some Fiber. liquids and mushies go through our bands faster, hard protein and real food take longer and will keep us satisfied longer. It's very difficult to keep up liquid supplements long term. The healing period has surely passed. Don't be so afraid of real food. It just might help you more than you think... :thumbup:

Chica do you feel restricton? Glad to see someone else with a 10cc band and more fills. I have had two fills with a total now of 3.5 but don't feel much...I have another scheduled this coming Friday which will be two weeks since the last!!! I can eat far too much

sharon:)

[chica 2]

I wanted to post this reply from Jack (I heart Jack!) to the question: What does restriction feel like?

"Restriction" by itself doesn't feel like anything. Until you make an error of eating in some way.

Too much/too fast/too dry/ too something....which can be an evolving number of variables.

Almost always I have had some kind of warning...a 'soft stop' if you will. If I ignore that, then the 'hard stop' warning is harsher.

If I get too hungry and eat too fast, especially without chewing well enough....I can produce that 'flaming golf ball from hell' you perhaps have heard about.

The feeling I get BEFORE this happens, is that I am NOT hungry and I SHOULDN'T take that big swallow.

Those two sentences sound like a contradiction. They are not, in the time frame of first "Being TOO hungry" and second "Swallowing TOO fast"....are separated by a brief eternity of sudden awareness that I've done some thing dumb...again...

The last major event I had, was something that tasted "too good" and I was in a hurry, and I didn't chew well enough...and I had the thought as I swallowed...."This isn't going to work very well"....

12 hours later I houked the last little chuck back up and all was well in my world again.

It's time to modify your eating habits to go along with your new Fill.

I keep thinking I don't have restriction. Obviously, I have some degree of it or I wouldn't be having the occasional PB problems when I eat too fast, forget to chew thoroughly, or just keep eating when I first realize something isn't going straight down because I'm still hungry.

I think we really want to know is when will we have restriction to the point where hunger stops being such an issue! I can (and sadly, do) eat way too much, and hunger comes back too soon. The problem is when I try to hold out and get so hungry that by the time food is available, I forget all the band rules (small bites, chew, chew, and chew some more).

I have a fill scheduled for next Thursday, and I'm hoping for better results. In the meantime, we've just got to keep practicing the rules, exercising, supporting each other, and remembering that it will work... eventually. :thumbup:

[Magikelly 0]

I've been wanting a fill since the third week after surgery and Thursday I finally got it. It was so quick and virtually painless. It felt really funny as I swore I could feel things going on inside of me. I was actually giggling although that may have been from the joy of finally getting the fill. My surgeon was wondering why I was so happy about all of this and I explained to him that I had been able to eat whatever I wanted in quantities I wanted since week three and although I had kept myself in check and stuck with all the right foods (I lost 33 pounds!) I was now very ready for the additional support of restriction. He did tell me that it might take a few fills to get me into the "green zone" (also known as the sweet spot) but pyschologically it has made me refocus on what I put into my mouth and what I want out of this surgery. I am willing wait to get the perfect fill but in the meantime I refuse not to lose weight :thumbup: So be patient and keep going everyone! You (and me) will get there!

[JDUB0414 0]

Hello fellow bandsters:

I'm so glad you all are talking about this. I too feel as though I'm hungary all the time. It starts everyday at around 10 am. I usually only drink a low carb slim fast in the morning and that last for 3 or 4 hours. After that, I snack on 100 calorie Snacks in between meals. Every 2 hours I feel like I'm starving. I restrict myself to 1400 calories per day according to my body bugg program. I think if it wasnt for me having to log into that program everyday, I would be still gaining weight instead of loosing. Because I have to hold myself accountable by logging, I try to make the right decisions. I have my next fill on June 5th....8 weeks after my first one. My doctor too is conservative, and that makes me angry. My insurance only paid for the first few fills, so I want to be able to reach my "sweet spot" before I have to start paying for it myself. I only have 2cc's in now and am hopeful to get another 2 next time I go.

[Busy 0]

I'm no pro at this, and I can only tell you what I've been advised by my doc and by reading posts here, but something in your post called out to me. By now, even without a fill, we should be off Protein drinks and mushies for most of our meals and should instead be trying to eat real food with real 'hard' Protein (meat, chicken, fish, etc.) and some Fiber. liquids and mushies go through our bands faster, hard protein and real food take longer and will keep us satisfied longer. It's very difficult to keep up liquid supplements long term. The healing period has surely passed. Don't be so afraid of real food. It just might help you more than you think... :tt1:

Chica, you are probably right that I need to back off liquids but this is how I have eaten for over a year. A serving of yogart and a scoop of Peanut Butter in the morning, fruit or veg for morning snack, slim fast for lunch, fruit or veg for afternoon snack, then dinner. The only difference is I have backed off Snacks, put down soft drinks, and exercise. My job put me on the road alot; therefore, there is not always a place to eat at lunch so I pack my lunch. Slim fast/protein drink is easy for me to throw in my lunch bag. Guess I need to change my choices!!!

[texgirl 0]

It's Saturday night. Been to the casino. Comfortably wore a pair of size 16 jeans! Just so you know, Malibu rum goes down just fine, but chili cheese fries, not so much.

[nycm00 0]

Well, I am down the four pounds that I put back on while waiting for restriction. I still deal with the head hunger, but I know it for what it is and mostly tell it to go away.

Magikelly....great job with your loss. I hope you get the help you need from your fill....even if it's just the jump in motivation.

Busy, I agree with Chica, those liquids flow through way too quick. Try changing things up a bit and see how it goes.

JDUB, what if you just happen to call your fill doctor's office and explaing that you are having a hard time and would like to come in for another fill sooner? It can't hurt to ask....and then ask again....and again....Maybe they'll give in and give you a nice big fill just to stop the calls.

Happy Mother's day to all the other Shrinking Shamrocks who are mommies!

Christine

[Fenton 3]

Happy Mothers' Day to all you Shamrocks who have reproduced!

I had to eat out quite a few times this week, so my loss was slower than normal - I think - I haven't yet done my end-of-week weigh-in. But I'm canceling my scheduled fill visit for tomorrow; still OK without a fill.

And I'm about to get up and do yoga - the time has come!

Hang in there, everyone!

[Desdemona 48]

JDUB0414 ----In addition to calling them about how you're feeling -- have you told them straight out about the way your insurance pays only for the first few and you are trying to get as close to the sweet spot as possible before you have to pay yourself? I know all of that info is in your records but don't count on the nurse or MD to actually be aware of that info. They aren't thinking that way unless you bring it front and center. And most of them really do care about the money/insurance aspects for the patients. Changes are they'll do everything they can to help if they are aware of the problem.

For all the rest of you --- thanks for all your discussion regarding the fills. After reading your posts I have decided that I'm calling my MD first thing Monday AM and asking them for a fill. I haven't even had 1 and they have no current plans to give me 1 in the near future so now I'm going to speak up---big time!

I have been eating solid food for several weeks. I eat low carb and about 60g of solid Protein. I find that I have to REALLY limit quantity. I could easily eat the same amount of food I ate before the band but I don't do it. I'm hunger an hour after I eat and stay that way until I have my next meal. I'm walking 2 to 2.5 miles a day and ---yes---I'm losing. I'm pleased with that but my BIG FEAR is that if I lose control of my current "white knuckling" method of losing and slip into bigger portions or more carbs/fats then I'll start gaining or stop losing. I DON'T want to "white knuckle" diet all summer long until my MD gets around to 3 or 4 fills next Fall!

[HarleyGirl 1]

Happy Mother's Day......good day here....after twelve freaking days, the scale finally moved a pound! I was so relieved.....never been so happy over ONE POUND!

My daughter and I spent the day shopping and gabbing in Park City....lots of fun. Went out to lunch and did pretty well.....had a nice salad with grilled chicken.....it wasn't what I wanted, but it was good. We did have fun shopping though, found some good deals.....picked up a few things....and bought A BELT.....I can't remember the last time I wore a belt!

Hope it was a good day for all of you!

[lynnt1215 1]

Happy Belated Mother's day to all the moms.

I took my grandson for a haircut, new pictures, then went to dinner with him and my daughter. A busy day for the little guy, but he was an angel!!!!

Dinner was a shrimp, avocado salad from Applebee's. I ate most of the toppings and a little lettuce. After a fill on Friday it was my first real food. Felt pretty good, but did have a few bites too many.. I'll be more careful today with what I eat, since I am only supposed to be on mushies.

Rain, cold, windy.... is this mid May or mid- March??? I want warmer, sunnier weather..:confused2:

[Fenton 3]

Oh no! Make it the coolest summer on record, so I can keep up walking without feeling miserable in the heat!

[enjoylife 1]

I'm not sure what's going on. I got 3cc in a 14 cc band. I'm scheduked for another fill on May 21st. I don't really feel like I have restriction - all the time. Yesterday I ate a six inch Subway cold cut (bread and all). Today I could barely finish a cup of school cafeteria chicken and veggie Soup. Go figure.

JDUB - I'm not sure what your doctor is doing. I know that my doctor will not charge me for any visits for 90 days post surgery. I suspect I will be there every two weeks until I hit that sweet spot point. I agree with everyone else - you should be politely more agressive with your doctor. You had the surgery so you could have help losing weight - if your band is not helping you, then its his/her job to help it help you.

I think I felt that golf ball today. I can't figure out why though. What did I eat? oh - some french fries - half of a small order.

Edited May 13, 2008 by enjoylife

[Busy 0]

Happy late mother's day to all moms. Went over to the in-laws to wish the mother in law a happy day and listened to the 7 brothers and sisters fight. After about an hour I told my hubby to call me when he wanted me to pick him up. Daughter and son got me a pink dogwood tree and was going to plant it but the wind was horrible!! I want warmer weather but not hot and humid like it has been the past summer.