melzie_99

Yay!!! Very excited! (Hopefully I'll reach my goal this time...lol)

I agree with vickyd; the slow down is normal. Oh, and you can try Miralax if you're irregular; mixes completely into any drink (not chunky or chalky) and normally works for me within 12-24 hours. Hope that helps!

Same thing happens to me; I just got a fill on Wednesday and I'm already down 5-6lbs. Granted, in my case, because I had a significant gain over the past week due to various circumstances, I am actually only down 2lbs from my previous "normal" weight. I definately lost a lot quickly when I first got banded, and decent amount following the first fill, but it took a few weeks for my 2nd one to kick in. The whole process is so weird; there seems to be no norm. I look forward to getting back into the gym; my dr confirmed for me last week that I injured my tailbone so I took a week off but know I don't lose much weight without working out. Nice to see that some of the things I experience are not as odd as I think...

I had been doing really well; only had 7 pounds to go and then I went to the dr last Friday...ugh. I injured my tailbone a few weeks ago and was started on a motrin regimen. I managed to go up 7 lbs in 3 days from swelling and eating more than I knew I should have! I finally went in on Thursday for a fill and it seems to be helping. If things continue the way they're going, I probably won't make goal but will be within a few lbs. Trying not to be disappointed, but it's tough. Is there a 4th of July challenge floating out there yet? Would love to sign up!

For me, when I slime it's almost the consistency of mucous (or maybe it IS mucous); much thicker than regular saliva. It's fascinating how quickly it happens. When something gets stuck (which isn't often for me) or I have one bite too many, I first get the hiccups which leads to the sliming, all of which happens within a few minutes. When it happens I can't swallow, have a hard time breathing...I've got to purge it up. Very rarely does any food come out, just the slime. Been having problems with it today; made the mistake of trying to eat toast and slimed for a good 10 minutes. It was AWFUL. My band got so irritated even drinking tea was making me slime! I finally had to lie down with a heating pad and hope for the best (also took some of my leftover nausea medicine from surgery); took a nap and felt MUCH better. You just have to be really careful about listening to your body. I never have problems until I tell myself "just one more bite"...

I am sorry for your loss, but smiling for you knowing that you'll be able to take her back somewhere with such wonderful memories. I know we'll both meet our goals; your weight loss so far is awesome! I still have a long ways to go...

Would LOVE to do a 4th of July challenge; let us know if you set up something!

I've been having the same problem; was having a period about every 7-10 days...it was AWFUL. OB/GYN told me it would keep happening until my weight loss stabalized (unless I wanted to stop losing weight; not an option). However, due to my blood pressure, she switched me to a progestin(sp?) only pill and I've gotten back to about a 25-28 days cycle but my periods are long and heavy. I haven't had cramps like this since I was a teenager; it sucks but at least I'm more regular. Don't know if that's something you're willing to consider...

Hey, sorry about that; my computer died and haven't been on in awhile! It's been a dream of mine to ride a horse on the beach; I can finally do that in Jamaica if I hit 225 by July! Almost there...

Thank you; wish I could say it was the band but I worked my behind off this week at the gym. I am unfortunately one of those people who can only lose so much weight unless they exercise. Never make it past the 15-20lb mark unless I do. I find that setting a goal helps a lot (I was aiming for 4 this week so I only have to work towards a loss of 3 for the next 3 weeks); keeps me motivated. I'm not booking my shore excursion for my trip until I hit my 225 (top weight allowed for the activity) so if I get it by Memorial Day like I wanted to then awesome but I have until July to get it together...would like to be down to 215 or lower by that point, however, so I'm shooting for the stars! Good luck to ya!

Scale FINALLY moved this week; down almost 4! 9 more pounds to go...hopefully I can do it!

Nope, you're absolutely right about the hormones; estrogen is stored in fat cells which is why a lot of people have wonky periods after surgery. You lose weight quickly and all those hormones get released...I know I was off kilter for the first few months and I'm STILL trying to get my period regulated. OB/GYN told me the only way to fix it was to stop losing weight...no thank you (lol)!

Hi there and welcome! I had my surgery 1/10 so not long after you...sorry to hear you're having band trouble. From what I hear the less weight you have to lose the longer it takes...we need to find you some other low BMI banders! I have a little under 100 more lbs I'd like to lose, and while I'm right on target for weight loss according to my dr, I certainly hoped I would've lost more by now. Hang in there; this site is a great resource for info and support

Aww...congrats on the baby AND your weight loss success!

I've been stagnant too; it's been so frustrating! I thought 20lbs would be a piece of cake...now seeing as I've only lost 7 (and that was HARD) and we only have 4 weeks left...I don't know. I'll gonna be working out even more but trying to hold off on another fill (dr thought my last one should be good until July and she actually offered to take out some Fluid before my trip; HA!). Hang in there; we're all in this together!

No, you're not a failure, you're just early in the journey! Chances are your band is either empty or has little Fluid, therefore you have no restriction. The first 6 weeks or so are supposed to be your body's time to heal...I'm almost 4 months out and I STILL don't always feel the restriction. I have to make a conscious effort to stop eating. That's the thing I didn't realize; the band won't keep you from eating, you'll just feel satisfied sooner. We have to give our brains a chance to catch up with our bodies. Keep doing what your doing...I promise it gets better!

My weight loss has been slow but relatively consistent since I've had my band. Since I know I don't work out as much as I should I have no one to blame but myself. That being said, I see some people who have managed to lose anywhere in upwards of 80lbs in 3 months and I'm wondering how that is even possible. I know I keep hearing that 1-2lbs/week is normal, but seriously, what are people doing to lose that much weight? Is it safe on your body to lose so much so quickly? And I know heavier people tend to lose weight faster, but I just saw someone say they lost over 40lbs on their couple of weeks pre-surgery diet alone! And others weight as much if not less than I did when I started...I guess I'm just looking for clarification or maybe even some pointers to get things moving again...

Thanks for all the responses you guys; I know you're right. Jacqui, you make a good point; I think if I lost weight too quickly I would just coast and never learn how to use my band properly. I need to get "in the groove" if you will so I can be successful once the maintainence phase arrives. Again, thanks for all you guys' advice and feedback!

I am also 29 and wanting a baby, but my dr said I needed to wait at least 18 MONTHS before I even start trying. I don't really want to wait that long, but I definitely don't want to be pregnant at my current size for health reasons. My dr did tell me about patients who get pregnant a few months after surgery accidentally and they were ok but they really suggest against it. I don't think it would be a big deal to do it before the one year mark, but personally I would want to be able to focus on myself a little longer to make sure I can be the person I need/want to be when the child comes along, you know? Either way, good luck to you.

Sorry to hear that, but glad they took care of the problem. Glad to hear your dr gave you options; just focus on feeling better for now! Hang in there

There are still certain foods I can't stomach; I think my body get used to not having them for so long that it no longer likes them. Luckily most of the food I can't stand to eat is yunk food (quite convenient), but there were other foods that I didn't like initially after surgery that I'm beginning to enjoy again. I think it varies from person to person but losing a taste for food is quite normal, especially if it's been cut out of your diet for awhile.

First of all, WOW! Congrats on all the weight you've lost!! I totally understand your concern, but as successful as you've been, I think a lot of your achievement has come from you and not your band...yeah, it would suck to lose it, but I think you'd be able to keep on going. It must be awful not being able to keep anything down. Stay positive, and I wish you well!

I totally feel you. I have not lost as much as you at this point and have been losing and gaining the same 4-5lbs for abour 3 weeks now. I want to be down 15lbs by 5/30 but at the rate I'm going it's not gonna happen. I would like to be at around 100lbs down as well by December and am also thinking about having a baby but refuse to do it at this weight. I have had 2 fills at this point; nurse thought my last one she hold me until July and I'm not feeling it at all. While they have never been discouraging, I'm feeling really down on myself for not using the band to its full advantage. I wish I had been required to do more before surgery as I don't feel I was mentally prepared for all the changes I need to make. I have actually started seeing a therapist to deal with some of the psychological changes due to the surgery (emotional eating is no longer a safe option). I don't know if this is helpful at all; just know you're not alone and that we're here to support you.

It's been a rough couple of weeks for me. My weight has been all over the place so I take a lot of pleasure in the fact that as of today I'm only up officially .2. Still gotta lose that weight; I have a trip planned for this summer and my goal weight at the end of this challenge is the max weight I can be to do the shore excursion I want...extra motivation!! I know I can do it...

It's not just mornings for me; anytime I fall asleep my band tightens up. I've taken a 2 hour nap and woken up feeling rather tight. Not quite sure what it is about sleeping, but the tightness is quite normal. Normally I'm not hungry for several hours and lunch is my first meal but the dr says it'll mess up my metabolism so I try to stick with yogurt or a protein shake for breakfast.