Rachel412

Just think- losing inches makes you look a lot better in a white dress I'd take visible, lost inches over pounds that showed on my scale but not on my body any day!

The weight loss- it is very very normal right after surgery. It'll stop. I personally use this: http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318195419&sr=8-1 24g Protein, only 3g carbs. Mix it with milk to get more protein. Remember if you take in more than 30 grams of protein per "meal" your body can't process it so don't bother looking for something with 40, 50g of protein per serving.

I took my chewable vitamins even right after surgery. I take 2 Centrum chewables, 2 calcium chewables, 1 b-12 chewable (generic from CVS). I get them all from various durgstores or from Target.

We have quite a few people on this board who have lots tons of weight without ever getting a fill Enjoy it for now, and don't beat yourself up if it doesn't last... but remember that it might!

Sounds like a good idea to me. ETA: Clearly I totally misunderstood what you were saying I don't care how long the drive is or how busy or not busy the road is, taking the chance of having him unbuckled for that time is NOT worth what might possibly happen.

I am so sorry that your wife is going through this.

Where the heck do you live? I'm in MA and it's too cold for me here (read: too snowy)- I can't imagine 6" in early October.

would he be crossing that intersection alone?!? Or would there be a grown-up walking with him? Is there a crosswalk or crossing light there?

It's very very normal. Stay strong and don't go back to your old ways!

i ordered mine from Amazon! http://www.amazon.com/Just-Cheese-Classic-Cheddar-0-5-Ounce/dp/B000EML7DS/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1318011881&sr=1-1 If you do subscribe & save they're .77 per bag with free shipping.

What is intergestion?

You won't believe me when I say this, but it's true- it went faster than I expected it to. And I'm really glad I had that time to truly learn to stop drinking while eating, to chew better, how to measure out my food and make the right kind of meals... and use that time to research research research! Get a Lap Band book or two and learn EVERYTHING you can- you will never regret it.

I agree, call your doctor's office and talk to the billing department. I keep getting a $2,000 bill from my surgeon and every time i call they say it's an error and to ignore it and that it'll be wiped out... then a month later I get another one

Your port might have flipped- or he might just be an idiot I hope it all works out!!!

I try to keep my diet fairy low carb (between 50 and 100g per day) and I've found some packaged foods I really like that help me with this. Here they are... I figured we've all got something in our back pocket that we rely on, and we should share it with eachother! Emerald Cocoa Roasted Almonds and Cinnamon Roasted Almonds- these are sweet but not too sweet, low in carbs and nuts are always a Protein packed good choice for people doing low carb diets. Just The cheese White Cheddar Snacks- It's true, it's just cheese. It's baked into crispy, salty little rounds and it's great for when you're craving chips or other salty snacks. Very crunchy, very yummy, the packs I have are 1g carbs, 5g protein. Joseph's Flax & Oat lavash breads- these are thin but still feel bread-y (not gluey or like crackers). They're a good size (you use 1/2 of a lavash as a serving- the whole lavash is bigger than the size of a piece of paper) and only 7g of carbs (3g Fiber, so 4g net carbs) each, with 5g of protein. Joseph's also makes a wrap bread with similar nutritional stats but I like the lavash better. sugar-free syrups- I have tried both Torani and DaVinco flavors and like Torani better, but both are good for sweetening up or mixing up your Protein drinks and greek yogurts without adding any sugar. PB2 powdered Peanut Butter- I know this one sounds weird, but I used to put real peanut butter in my smoothies until I got some of this. Fewer calories and carbs than regular peanut butter because there's no sugar added. Still adds that yummy peanut butter taste, and also adds protein. They say you can mix it with any liquid to make it into regular penut butter but I haven't tried that yet

my nutritionist was big on counting Protein and portion size, but she really hesitated to give me a calorie range. Personally I count protein (try to get at least 80g a day) and carbs (try to get under 100g a day). Since I track my food, I do count calories... but I try not to stress over them if my day is high on protein and low on carbs, but the calories are on the higher side. I was never given a # of carbs to shoot for, I was just told to always eat my protein, then veggies, then a little carbs if I have room... and if I have to have a snack, make it one with protein.

Wow... I wish.

Wow, that's awesome!!

When i work hard at it, I see very steady loss. Every couple of days I lose .5 or so. if I'm being lax about what I'm eating, it'll swing up & down a lot.

The truth is OH is very anti-band. The anti-bandsters pretty much ran off all of the pro-bandsters. So while there are certainly valid reasons to be concerned about outcomes, and slips, and erosions, I would take OH with a grain of salt. You're hearing from the vhement ant-banders and the people who have had bad outcomes and not really from those who are happy with their bands.

Thank you all for your kind and thoughtful replies. The practice is part of a hospital program, and they started losing people slowly due to layoffs. The last time I saw my nutritionist we talked about how people were being let go and I said how much I'd hate it if she was let go and she said no, she still had her job. Then she ended up quitting Probably a smart move on her part. Jumping from a sinking ship, etc... the practice has a total of about 4 surgeons, my surgeon is split between practices in 2 cities so he's only in the office one day and in surgery one day at my hospital. The good news is a good a very confusing letter from the practice today. I'm not stupid but I read it 4 times and then asked my husband if he could understand it He really couldn't either. I THINK what it said was they are going to be training programs in other local offices & hospitals to follow their protocols... I guess so maybe I'd be able to switch to a different practice under their general umbrella? I've never read a more confusing letter! I am faithfully tracking all my food and I just need to keep my fingers crossed that on the 18th they'll listen to me, and at the very least check the level in my band. I hadn't realized that taking all the Fluid out to check it may cause the band to shift- very interesting and good to know. Thank you all for being so lovely to me, it really cheered me up!!

Thank you all for reading, really. Thank you! And please don't ever take those muscles out of your profile pic, you have no idea how happy they make me Me too It's possible, there are a lot of options this close to Boston. Yes, I do feel a little lost. My surgeon DID do fills when I started but the PA I had was his surgical PA, who I really liked so I always chose to have her do them. Now that she's gone, he no longer does fills either. I asked when I called the last time if there was ANYONE else besides the current PA who does fills and I was told she's the only one who does them. The first 3 fills felt like they made a difference. Not so much the last two. I wish I could follow her but she moved to Georgia

I try to be pretty upbeat about the band... I do my best to lend support to others if I can, and to cheerlead for people whenever possible. But lately my band journey has gotten harder and I need to vent- maybe it'll help me feel better. I've been banded almost 6 months, and have had 5 fills. My 3rd fill, which got me up to 6.75cc, was good and I felt like the band was doing what I wanted it to (keeping me satisfied 4-5 hours, helping me to eat smaller portions). I felt like I was "almost there"-- you know, close to the fabled green zone. I went back 2 weeks later to get another fill, and found out the the surgical P.A. who had done all of my fills left the practice, so the full-time office PA would be doing them. Fine. I watched her when she did it. She put in the new .5cc's but she didn't pull out what was in my band first to measure it, which the other PA always did. I found it odd. So anyway. Things go well a couple weeks, I notice I'm really not feeling like I'm in a good place like I was before so I call for another fill. I find out I have to book like 3 weeks from when I call (one less PA=a lot fewer open appointments). When I go in in August, I'm busy (my kids are with me and I had to wait 45 minutes before they called me back) but I don't recall her checking the total Fluid this time either. I'd noticed she didn't do it the first time and so it was on my mind this time. So I'm now up to 7.75cc's and the PA tells me that if I want to have any more fills i have to see the nutritionist first because I have "so much" in my band. I find out that my nutritionist (who I LOVED) also left the practice, and I'll need to see the other woman, who I've seen at support groups and in the office but I've never met. But I walk out thinking, ok, that's fine, this fill will hopefully put me back at a good place and I'll just go in October for my 6 month check up and see where I'm at. Well... 7.75 didn't feel a damn bit different. In fact I'd say it felt looser. I am now going 2, 2.5 meals after a measured out meal and experiencing hunger. I'm worrying that I have a leak, or that she's missing my port when she fills me or something ,since she hasn't been checking what's in the band. I just feel like something's not adding up here. I called the office last week to see if I could get in for a fill and this nutritionist meeting i have to have. The woman at the front desk tells me the soonest i could get in is AFTER my 6 month check up (10/18). I get frustrated and tell her that I think I have a leak, the PA hasn't checked how much is in my band, etc. So the receptionist puts me into the PA's voicemail. I explain it all to her. The PA calls me back and she's on the defensive. She says she ALWAYS checks how much is in the band before she fills. Well... she can say that if she wants but I know she's lying because I watched her the first time and she didn't check it. She then starts going over what my expectations of the band are. Fine, I make sure she knows I'm not expecting a magic cure, I'm just expecting a little help. She says to me "why is it that in July you said you were going 3 hours after a meal before feeling hunger but in August, now that you have MORE fluid in your band, you're saying it's only 2, 2.5 hours?" Well if I knew the answer to that I probably wouldn't have called, would I? She says that we can schedule an endoscopy if I really "want it". When I decline she asks me why not and I say my insurance is bad and I don't want to pay for tests if I don't know I really need them. She then says that she wants me to meet with the nutritionist, her, and a surgeon on my 6 month check up and if the doctor and nutritionist say I need it she'll "gladly" do my fill, but until that day I need to track every bite so they can see what I'm eating. I'm just frustrated. I feel like the band DID start to help me, then it stopped. yes, I have more fluid in it now (maybe?) yet I barely know it's there. I can feel it if I swallow a big mouthful of Water or something I didn't chew well but I've never been stuck, never slimed, none of those things. And I think of those as good things but the truth is I also feel like there's either something wrong with it (leak? maybe the latch opened? I don't know!) or if not, then I need more fills than your average bear to get to the green zone. beyond all that... I hit 60 pounds lost and asked my husband to take new progress pics for me. And I think they're horrible. I look like a fat person with extra saggy skin. I have been feeling down already and I was so looking forward to a nice set of pics to make me feel accomplished... they just made me feel worse. I may be in a size 18 instead of a 24, but I look just as bad. OK. Bless you if you read all this. Any BTDT or kind words would be much appreciated.

In just a couple hours you'll know what's going on, it does sound like a slip though. Good luck!!!

That's really funny!! No food dreams here, but I can totally see why you'e having them.