DetChatt

Another rocker chick here! Love my Shinedown, Seether, Chevelle, Bush, Foo Fighters, and Disturbed to get me moving. I save my more mellow tunes for warmup and cool down.

I have nothing to contribute. My mind went to a bad place when I read the title of this thread.

I absolutely agree with the above to pre-plan your meals. You have to relearn those impulses, because you're no longer living to eat but eating to live. BIG difference. I think your portion on that meal was fine. THings will change up a lot over the next few fills.

My first (note FIRST) major plateau was from about 6-8 months out. I didn't do anything wrong, but I finally figured out that I needed to change things up if I was going to break through it. Stepping up the exercise and changing up my eating (even more protein and less of everything else) was and is my secret.

The gurgling is normal and may always be there. (Mine still is, especially if I drink too much too quickly.) As far as the reflux, is it mostly at night? It could be you are just eating/drinking too late. I have a strict cut off of 6:00 p.m., or I'm toast as far as having a bad night. I seriously doubt you're having band problems just from what you've said. Symptoms will come and go, and you have to ride it out. You can always call your doctor to give yourself some peace of mind, too.

I'm thinking you need another fill and more restriction if you're eating 2 cups. Something definitely to discuss at your next checkup. Good luck ~!~!

Try mixing things up a bit, too. You'll eventually find something that works best for you as far as the right combination of diet and exercise. You'll also hit many many plateaus, so don't let it get you down. Just push through and realize your body needs mini breaks where you won't lose an ounce no matter how great you're doing following your plan. It'll all catch up in the long run!

I alternate hiking 1 hour every other day with staying home and doing the elliptical 1 hour the other day plus a P90X routine. Weekends I do longer half-day hikes usually.

Body Fortress Whey Protein super cheap at Walmart. I buy the big containers of powder and add a scoop to yogurt or make a shake with water or skim milk. It has more protein than most of the premade shakes and less sugar and carbs. When I'm on the go and just want to grab a yummy shake, my fav is the Special K banana (but too much sugar) or Muscle Mlik Light.

My scars after a year just looked like little tan spots. You'd never notice them.

I eat the cheapo store brand light yogurt and add protein powder, but I can never finish it in one attempt. It's my morning breakfast and snack. I'm such a poor morning eater.

You're MILES ahead of where i was at that stage. I could barely choke down much and lived on cream of chicken soup and cream of wheat. (boring and bland, but enough calories to keep me alive. LOL) You're doing great by taking the diet restrictions seriously and catering to your personal needs and tastes (but not breaking any rules). Wait until you get to solid foods. It'll taste AMAZING, even in the small amounts you'll have. I remember really "tasting" my food and not just inhaling it.

I was (and still am) the same way, too, with losing. It made me change my mindset from watching daily numbers on the scale to weekly (and ultimately monthly). It can get frustrating, but understanding how your body works with the weight (which you obviously do) is key.

Holy cow, brave soul you are for even trying that. I could barely drink that soon after surgery. I haven't had bread in any form in 1 year 11 months and don't miss it (surprisingly). I found it easier to go cold turkey on something I didn't need.

I don't have much to add that hasn't already been said by others, but I am 100% happy. To put it in the simplest terms and repeating what others have said, it was the best decision I ever made.

I have no idea how many cc's are in my band. I was shocked when I found this site that everyone seemed to know exactly what they had and what they got on each fill. I asked my doctor's office once how much was in my band, and they told me "not much." I figure it's one more number I don't need to stress over since that magic number to green is so different for everyone.

I think 2 liters is about the normal recommended after banding. You might find it difficult to drink (in sips) any more than that and still have room for food (and not drink 30-60 minutes before or after meals). I've always been a big drinker. (wait, that sounded bad... I mean WATER. LOL) I had to actually cut back after the band and teach myself to sip and not gulp.

I'm in Chattanooga. Not terribly close, but thought I'd give you a shout out.

I also weigh morning and night, not so much to keep me on track but to remind me that the scale isn't the best indicator of what's going on with my body. Being a woman, my weight can fluctuate a LOT daily, so I try not to freak out about it. I log a weight and my measurements monthly on a chart, and that's what I "go by."

yeah, there's no way I could eat all that meat. Cottage cheese keeps me alive, me thinks. LOL

It took me a good long while to tell people. Very few knew at first, but I would slowly tell more and more as I felt more comfortable with it. I found people were very understanding and curious about the science of it and not as judgemental (at least to my face). You do whatever you're comfortable with. You tell now, later, or never. That's 100% your decision. Congratulations on your surgery and best of luck!

I'd lay odds it's the swelling subsiding, too. Don't be afraid of the fills. Slow and steady. That's what they're there for. I know some people don't need fills, but I don't think that's the norm. I personally had 3 right on schedule right at the start and never had a fill or unfill after that in 2 years. Just listen to your body and your doctor, and you'll get there.

You might be okay, but that's pretty quick. I also recommend a full week. You might not be too sore, but you have to deal with keeping hydrated and sticking to a proper diet (and subsequently feeling weak and dizzy from adjusting to all of that). Good luck with your surgery! I bet you're excited.

I read her comment to mean you could get your protein from other sources. I tend to agree on the weighing of the food. I've never done it and never felt like I had to. However, I think in the whole learning curve, everyone has to figure out what works best for them. If using a scale is a good tool for you, then by all means go for it. Sometimes I think some of the experts forget this isn't an exact science, and the program takes individual tweaking.

Ditto on the soup. You can also quietly ask the server to give you more broth and less solid of the soup when they ladle it out for you.