ShrinkyDinkyDoo

I felt the same way, It was so easy that I had a fear that I wasnt even banded......silly right? I never took the meds they sent home with me, only gas-x and childrens tylanol and motrin. My weight loss has been slow but very steady! I have never vomited, and I have never been stuck. I have had a little pain after eating too fast, and it not wanting to go down, but I got up an walked around, and learned from it, and have never had that happen again. I have also never PB'd (maybe im jinxing myself now ) I would just say that you are lucky, and have a great pain tolerance, and are gonna work this band thing like a rock star!! Good luck!!

Ok, so I had my second fill about amonth ago (I now have 4CC's in my 11CC band) and finally, the scale is moving in the right direction! Albeit slowly, but thats ok. My quesions, is: I can get full on 1/2 to 3/4 of food, and Im eating the right things, chewy meats, and fiberous fruits and veggies, but im only full for 3 hrs or so. Then my tummy starts to growl. My surgeons guidlines say that I should only have 3 meals a day with NO snacking. So if I am hungry every three hours, then im not at my right fill level right? I am losing weight. But im using a lot of will power. How long should I stay full between meals?

For you to step on the scale 3 different times and get three different numbers is normal. In fact, in the Army, when they do an official height and weight, they weigh you 3 times, then take the average of the 3, and that is the "official" weight you are given. As long as the 3 separate numbers aren't 20lbs apart, only a few ounces to a lb, then your scale is just fine!

Way to go girl!! Way to inspire the rest of us too!!

So much fun, and man did I sweat. I can just picture myself on Dancing with the Stars next If you are looking for a fun way to work out indoors (if you live in Texas you can feel my 107 degree pain) or something that is fun enough that you will want to keep doing it, then I suggest this game. I had a blast! My warning though, its like any other work out video that you do at home, you choose how much effort to put it. I was happy I was alone because I am a CLASSIC white girl with NO rhythm, shaking my salsa bootie! It has tons of different things to choose from, like a work out dance mode that is 20 min long in 5 min incriments (with 5 sec of Water break in between each dance) or you can choose to just dance one type of dance, about 5 min a piece and there are alot to choose from like salsa, hip hop, swing and so on...and then there are beginner, intermediate and pro modes. Like I said, totally recommended!!

I was banded in April, and my weight loss has beel slow and steady, and Im ok with that, as long as the scale goes down, not up, every ounce is a celebration here, but a few weeks ago i decided to up the pace a little and started working out, and I have loved it, and its made a huge difference. Until this past couple of days. I didnt want to work out yesterday but I made myself, and usually I feel great afterwords, but yesterday I didnt. I was sore, but in a bad way, like sore joints, and the sweaty clothes made me feel itchy and gross, and the shower was too hot afterwords. It just felt awful. I turned on my video that I love, and before I even hit the 5 min mark, I turned it back off. I want to sit on my rear and be pitiful. I am gonna attempt to MAKE myself go for a long walk tonight without my kiddos, and hopefully that will put an end to my slump. Any one else have any great ideas?

I have the SAME problem. I never had this problem when I was a normal weight. Its only after I gained all of my weight that it all started, and im hoping that losing all the weight will help. I have two kids, but I cant blame it on child birth because both were born via C-Section. I swear, it started with being overweight. Its caused a lot of saddness for me, because I dont feel what my DH and I do, and I know that he doesnt either, and he doenst climax with me. We have to do that part of it for ourselves. Love making has become just that, being intimate for the sake of being intimate, not for pleasure. Im a lucky girl, in that my hubby thinks im beautiful no matter what I weigh, and he still wants to be with me, but it totally breaks my heart. He is a really beautiful man, and gets hit on alot, sometimes in front of me, so to know inside my head, that im not pleasing him sexually is the worst feeling ever! All I can do is keep focusing on the weight loss, and hope it gets better. Im not sex crazed, but seriously, the biggest reason I want to lose weight, is so that I can enjoy this beautiful man and have him enjoy me too, and when im having a hard time with diet, I just think of him, and what it could be like, and it keeps me focused! I hope the best for you too!

First of all, CONGRATS on the 30lbs!! You go girl!! I dont really follow numerology, but my baby has an interesting number pattern....He was born on may 8th 2008 at 8:18am he weighed 8lbs 8oz. My little number 8 boy

I have to say that Im a bit envious. 48lbs, holy crow. I was banded in April, and I have yet to lose 20. I went in for my first fill already, and barely noticed a difference, and when I went in for my second fill, he said I didnt need it. I felt a little let down. I go in again this coming wed (the 22nd) and have only lost 3lbs in the last 3 weeks. I am one of those who celebrates 3 lbs, but im discouraged too. I want to have lost 70lbs by now (haha) I have been will powering it alot, and I too, ate a bunch of pizza at Chuck E Cheeses the other day....oops. I say, go get that fill, and feel good about yourself, you are doing amazing!!

Hi, Im Tri-Care prime, and live in TX, and I know for us, you have to be 100lbs overweight (BMI doesnt count) with co-morbitidies, or be 200lbs overweight without them. With the place I went, the doctor wouldnt even see you unless you qualified. I rarely saw the actual surgeon. Only once before the surgery, the surgery day itself, and now when I have fills. His staff did everything else. If you dont like them, dont go there, because they are your support group. They are the ones who are supposed to help you through everything, from the first day you walk in the door, to the surgery, to all the post op care for years to come, so please dont go to someone you are not comfortable with. Its wierd that Tri-Care has different standards for different regions, but you should go to their web page, then type in your zip code, and see what their standards are. The website is www.tricare.mil and it walks you through it. Like I said, I have tricare prime, and I had to be 100lbs overweight according to my height on the Met Life scale, and my surgeon said that Tricare requires them to use the "medium" body frame for everyone. If you google the "met life weight chart" you will find it. After all that is said and done, find a surgeons office that you like, and go to them with the knowledge that you DO qualify. Tricare requires a visit with a psychologist, and most surgeons offices require a visit with a nutritionist and once all that is done, it takes about 4 days to get an approval from tricare. They are the fastest insurance. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. This process is so much easier when you know someone who has had to deal with the crap first, and can guide you through it!! Good luck

I am in for 14. That would put me at a nice rounded number before my hubby comes home from Afghanistan!!

Hi there, my sons 9th bday party is today, and I just left the grocery store from picking up the cupcakes! Im sorry that family can be such a pain sometimes. I havent told any of my extended family, just my mom, sisters and of course my hubby. I dont think that either of these parties are gonna be as bad as you think. The kids party today is all about the kid. It seems like you are gonna be spotlighted because of your eating habits, because to you, thats all that really matters right now because you are working so hard, but Im 99% sure that no one will notice if you just pick at your food, and if anyone does, just say that you had a big dinner last night or a huge Breakfast and just aren't hungry yet. And if you do have a small slice of cake or a cup cake, dont beat yourself up over it. Enjoy it, and move on. As for the famly picnic, if it really is a food-fest, then everyone is gonna be so consumed with their own grub, that no one will notice that you arent pigging out too! Same goes with the good food for tomorrow, eat until you are satisfied, maybe enjoy a small bite or your favorite things and then throw it away. Keep drinking Water and tea, and other diet drinks, and that will keep you from eating too much! I promise you, this is a bigger deal to you, because you are keeping the secret, than it is to anyone else, Remember, those who matter dont mind, and those who mind dont matter. As for the judgemental gossip, you dont have to tell anyone anything you dont want to!! If they ask how you did so wonderful and dropped so much weight, simply tell them diet and exercise...its true right? Your just leaving out the help. People judge over everything, especially family. Its always gonna be something. Just enjoy these next few days, and hang in there, you are gonna be so skinny soon, that they will have to gossip, because they will all be envious!

You're not the only one with these problems. I cheated on my Post op diet too.....not quite a binge, but I ate an apple with peanut butter on it. Im not quite sure what I was thinking, In my brain I felt like I was making such a healthy choice, and then after I ate it and the pain started, reality clicked back in place and I remembered that I was still in mushy phase, and my innocent apple could have just ruined everything. I had awful hearburn and a tummy ache for days. Luckily a few days after this was my nutrition appt. And she told me that the band, and your body are both very strong, and the surgeons take a lot of steps to provent the band from slipping. What most likely happened is that you just made an already sore spot on your body, very angry, and now its swollen, and irritated, and painful. I was supposed to take it easy for a few days, and then jump right back in to introducing new foods. That was weeks ago, and after following her advice, Im happy to say, everything turned out great. This band isn't what I expected......YET. I still have excellent hopes that great things are going to come of this. I just started to work out again, and I have found that, that makes me feel fuller longer. I dont know if its because Im all hot and sweaty and food doesnt sound as good, or because im otherwise entertained so im not sitting there bored, and tempted to eat, or because after working out for 30 min,, indulging in a cup cake just doesnt seem worth it. I have a lot of weight to lose, and no support system other than this forum, so Im fighting an up hill battle, but I want it so bad. Your journey has just started. I know your hungry, and resentful, because dang it, you're still HUNGRY, (after my first fill, i am still hungry too) but this band works, we have seen it on countless success pages, so I have faith that if I screw up one day, I wake up the next, and start fresh, and soon I will be a skinny hot momma too! And YOU will TOO!!! Hang in there, it gets better!!

I agree about taking a pillow for the hospital stay, and the ride home, to help get over bumps. Gas pain was the worst part for me, and they make gas-x strips, that are just like the breath freshener ones, and those worked great. I had really bad shoulder and neck pain, and the pain meds weren't helping at all, but as soon as I took the gas-x, totally better! I also bought some childrens tylanol and motrin (liquid) for when I was done taking the hard stuff, but still wasnt totally comfortable. I only took the prescribed pain meds for 24hrs, then I moved on to the kiddie stuff. If you enjoy taking long baths or showers, take a good one the night before, because you can take showers afterwords, just not long ones, and baths are out of the question for a while until your incisions heal. Most importantly....... GOOD LUCK!! Its such a wonderful new start to life!!!

I had my band done on Apr 12th and it seems like my port was sore forever. When I went to my nutrition appt, she said when you can lay flat on your stomach without any pain, then you are ready for full excercise. Everyone else in the room was ready, except me. It took over a month for it to be fully comfortable. Even still, sometimes if im carrying my little boy, or something presses against it too hard, it smarts. But, the fill didnt hurt at all. Even the needle stick. He went really quick, and I literally didnt feel a thing. The bad part was that he put a huge band aide over the little needle stick area, and the band aide irritated my skin, and left a huge red patch, that itched like crazy. But that had nothing to do with the fill itself! As for Bra's, I had the same issue. For a while I was putting a band aide over that incision because it would sting when I would sweat, and it rubbed raw when I wear a bra. I bought some really nice supporting ones from Stein Mart, that are pretty, and the center area is arched, and it doesnt touch that incision. That gave it time to finally heal, and now it doesnt bother me any more.