TerriDoodle

If solid food is supposed to sit in your pouch for 3-4 hours, then why is it OK to drink an hour after eating, but not during? The drink will push food thru the band right? I'm confused.

All is well!

It is my understanding that any complications are your financial responsibility. I mean, if you're following all the rules, there shouln't be any complications. I doubt you'd find a doctor that will guarantee that nothing will happen....but I could be wrong!

HERE I AM!!! Sorry, girlz....I was out running errands all day...and then it took 20 minutes to catch up on posts!! Nobody got much work done today, did they? Ok...you've heard it before and I'll tell you again...the fill was such a non-event!! It's no big deal at all. I walked in and filled out some more forms ( of course!) and they weighed me (202.4) asked if I was exercising (YES!) having any trouble at all, took my BP, etc. Then showed me into the procedure room and had me lay on the table. My port is right under my sternum, at the top of my big ol' fat belly and you can feel it right under the skin. I didn't even have to get undressed or anything. She swabbed it quickly with some alcohol and said "This is going to feel like a big shot"....which it did!! Not like a flu shot, but a BIG shot. And she used quite a bit of pressure, too....so it was different that way as well. But that was the extent of the pain. Only lasted 3-4 seconds. The fill itself was imperceptible in any way. She stuck a bandaid on my tummy and asked me to move over to the fluroscope. I drank 1 oz of barium mixture (which tasted minty) and was able to watch it go down on the screen. That was cool. Then they gave me a bottle of water and asked that I sit and drink half before I leave. Which I did, and didn't have any issues whatsoever. I sat and talked to one of the assistants about what to eat, not eat, how to exercise, etc. They injected 1.5cc and I can have another fill as early as 3 weeks if I feel that I need it. After I left there I was starving!!! (I'm only allowed soft foods for 2 days then I can move to solids! YEA!!!) I stopped and had a personal-size spinach quiche (but no crust) and a 1/2 cup of tomato basil soup. Ate slowly and everything went down fine. That was at 11:30a....it's now 8 hours later and I've yet to eat anything else! Ok....any questions?? It's good to feel restriction again. Hope it lasts a while.

Stacie - WELCOME to LBT!! You will LOVE this board and you've come to the right place for support - that's for sure! Major congratulations to you on your loss so far. I'll be seeing you 'round!

SO happy for you Alexandra!!! Wonderful news for you!

(((LUNASA))) - I just love your posts so much!! You are truly a wonderful inspiration for us all. Thank you for your time and energy spent on this board. You speak truth and wisdom!! I like truth and wisdom!! Re: fennel If I use fennel tea, does it have to be hot?...or does it matter? I don't drink hot tea. It's 90-something degress (F) most of the time here, now until October! Drinking hot things is NOT what we do in Texas! Do you think I could mix it with my iced drinks just as well? And you suggest just keeping a vial of essential oil to sniff a few times a day or what? Will that have the same effect as ingesting it or is that just for calming the mind? I am fairly ignorant about the use of oils. I've only used Bach's Rescue Remedy for my dog in the past...LOL

Laura, just say, "No, I'm not losing right now, but I expected that. It's normal to stall out for a few weeks." That'll take the 'pressure' off for awhile.

Well, what happened???

Ok Girlz -- we are all freaking out and I think we're jumping the gun just a tad, don't you? Yesterday i went over to the Feb. 07 bandsters to see what they are up to...and how they're losing, etc. Whereas our averages are, what?...10-25# losses so far? Well, theirs are 30-40# averages. They surely went thru all the things we're going thru....that's why it even has a name: Bandster Hell!!....and they came out the other side and are losing. Well, now they're dealing with what to eat, what not to eat, PBing, sliming, eating by the rules, fills (too much and too little). This is just our phase now. Depression, grazing and weight stalls. If several of us are basically going thru the same thing, then surely this is "normal". WE'RE OK!! Just keep on keepin' on!!! OK?

Poor Jane!!!! Try this: 1) Click on "User CP" at the top of this page 2) Click on "Edit Signature" on the left 3) Scroll down to the "Edit Signature" window (not the "preview" window) 4) Move your cursor over the ticker until you see a cross-hair then click on it 5) Hit your "delete" button 6) scroll down again and then click on "Save Signature" Eh??

I have found in the past that a complaint to the Better Business Bureau in your county and the Attorney General's office in your state, with a CC to the local store's manager and corporate offices....will usually get someone's attention. Plus you get to vent your heart out and feel like you're actually DOING something about it. Once I actually helped put an online vendor out of business because they were ripping people off left and right. My complaint to the BBB was the most effective in making that happen.

Laura - www.thedailyplate.com has a section where you can record some measurements...and it charts them for you. This may not help you, but if you get desperate, it's there! Go to the tab that says "My Weight", then at the top of that page there are 3 little links...one one of them says "body measurements".

I've been reading a few of your posts.....what is "m/e" ??? Ya'll are all doing so great!! I'm in bandster hell right now and you give me HOPE!

you're only banded 15 days and eating meat? Are you sure that's on your post-op diet?

Adorable - it might be a little too early for eggs...too rubbery perhaps. They really filled me up big time when I had more restriction:tired And yes, the hiccups and burps are pretty normal at this point for you. I don't think you're eating too much, but maybe too fast? Or maybe not...but rest assured that you're perfectly normal. Things get a lot more normal in just a couple of weeks.

Pamela - I am so right there with you. I am grazing like I did on my "farewell to food tour" (thanks, Tracy ) and I feel fat, too. I also have been in a bad mood for about a week. My patient advocate told me that depression at about 3 weeks was very normal....I guess this is what she was talking about. Which brings me to something I was thinking about earlier... I think there is some kind of connection between weight loss, hormones, plateaus and grazing. Is anyone with me? When I lost a bunch of weight low-carbing mine (and everyone else's on the forum) periods got all messed up. A year later I hit menopause....at the ripe age of 45!!! Anyway... here I am at a predicted 3 week depression (hormone related?), I'm grazing as if I was PMS'ing, & my weight loss has stalled. Does anyone know any scientific reason that explains this? I know we've got a lot of expert dieters here!

You naughty, naughty girls are crackin' me up with your sexy talk!! Especially SARA!! .... 'rampant rabbit and now all he has to do is buy batteries'....ROFL!!! :pound: I've got the opposite problem...my hubby is 12 yrs older (61), still wants it often and I never want it. You can imagine the chaos in my bedroom! Menopause severely reduced my libido...and then the extra weight after that killed whatever smidgen was left. Ugh. Well, we'll figure it all out by this time next year, won't we!? By the way I believe that I am the first to be filled....on May 4th...that's Friday! :target:

If you are taking Rx pain meds that is the likely culprit. Call your doctor.

That is a very inspiring post, Lunasa. Thanks so much. It correlates directly with the book I've been reading so i've already thought about (and journaled) these questions. The positive goals I have for myself (the things I am running toward) are: 1) To be fit and strong, making regular vigorous exercise as habitual as brushing my teeth. 2) To be fit and attractive. Ultimate goal is to be a size 10. This is as much for my husband as for myself. I want him to be proud to be with me and I want an improvement in our bedroom. I can't wait to go shopping! These are my goals. Real simple but I want it B-A-D. Because I want it bad and can maintain unrelenting enthusiasm for it, I know I will achieve it.

Tracy - How's work going?? You handling alright? Taking it easy when you get home in the evening?

www.dailyplate.com is also a great place to track calories. I used to be a fitday fan, too, but I like this site a little better...it has a better database of restaurant and name brand food. And yes, you can certainly remain anonymous. Keeping track is highly recommended.

I probably can't be much help, but I'll try. It sounds to me that it is a psychological problem...your brain is so hard wired for survival (which means EATING) that it is having a real hard time allowing you to 'let go'. It is in the most basic of instincts and is not easily re-wired. That's why it's so hard for people to create new, healthier habits....because the brain won't let us let go of the old ones. The old ones have worked pretty good fur us as a species!...now a little too well! So the trick for you is to engage the higher, creative and emotional side of your brain and to keep it engaged long enough so that new neural pathways can be created. The way you do this is to focus on the new and exciting YOU that you want to create. Get happy and excited about all the new things you will be doing when you lose the weight and get healthy and fit! Write a list of all the reasons you want this and remind yourself of how badly you do want it. You've got to want it bad!! Stay positive and forward-looking. Surround yourself with positive images of who you really want to be and all that you really want to accomplish. Set small goals and Celebrate when you reach them. If you have the resources you may want to engage a life coach or therapist with this process. At the very least you probably should read a good book or two about creating a new life and breaking old habits....something along those lines. I hope that helps. I wish you all the best in your journey FORWARD!

Hi February Bandsters - I just came over for a little encouragement. I'm in bandster hell right now ... my eating is 'ramping up'....I feel no restriction whatsoever, i've been exercising diligently and the scale is not moving at all. In my head I know it will get better. I just need someone who's been there to pat me on the head and tell me it will be alright. :ermm: I'll go back a few pages and read up on your experiences....that'll help! Thanks in advance! XOXO

Gal - Maybe we should go visit the Feb or March bandsters!! You sound just like me and we were banded at the same time. Now I understand all those folks when they would be SO grateful for restriction and wanting fills, etc. We get a taste of it for a couple of weeks and think, "Hey, this is easy! I'm never hungry!!" Oops. :ermm: I felt like I ate like a pig today...went over and counted my calories and it totalled "only" 1500. Still good, but way way over what I was eating. All I can do is try again tomorrow. I've been burning 250-300 cals 5x a week and haven't lost any weight in quite a while either. It will get better. We know that. In our heads we know that.