razzcatt

I am fine right now, but this Slimband Calgarian is really happy to see that there is some support for us still!?

Wow! Great article. Thank you for posting this.

Hi Everyone, I am from Calgary too! I have been banded for 10 weeks now. Although I cannot boast big weight loss numbers yet, I am finally getting the hang of this new lifestyle and have had some really good NSV's of late. Good luck on your surgeries and keep up posted!

I am finally learning how to work this band properly! I have been banded for 10 weeks now and up to this point have been letting the little guy try and do all the work with no results other than the scale going up by 4lbs. I have read on here that the band is a tool that you have to work with; but I guess I never really got it and was hoping that I could still eat whatever I wanted, just less of it, and still lose weight. After the past few weeks of being frustrated and still hungry, etc, I called the nutritionist on my support line. We went through my food journal and she gave me a few great tips. She asked me to really follow the diet guidelines for one week before deciding to go for the second fill as she didn't want the band to be too tight. (I currently have 8cc's) Well, I commited to that and am happy to say that after only 2 days, I have already dropped 3 lb and have no crazy hunger/cravings either. Hmmm, maybe these people really DO know what they are talking about. Whatever it is, as long as the scale keeps going down, I am one happy bandster!

I am fairly new as well, 10 weeks post-op. I have not been making the best choices the past 2 weeks and I am determined to get back on track. What is the 5-day pouch test?

I am having a bit of a struggle in this area as well. I currently have 8cc's in my band and I am considering going for another fill, however, I will get slightly stuck now if I don't chew enough or pay attention to my food. The food program I have been put on is 1300 calories a day and I am still so hungry. I see on here that people are consuming 800 calories and are feeling satisfied by that as well as losing weight consistently. Is that what I should be striving for? I just don't want to have too much of a fill and end up with problems from being too tight. But the truth of the matter is that I am not losing the weight at this time. "sigh"

Checking in at 189 again this week. Missed my goal for this challenge but I am looking forward to the participating in the the October one.

My weight for this week is 189! yay!

Checkin in @ 191!! down 2lbs.

At around 5 1/2 weeks I too was waking up with the terrible shoulder pain. I would have to take advil and put muscle rub on it just to get some sleep. I wasn't eating late and am not sure why it was bothering me, but it has subsided the last few nights; I am about 7 weeks post-op now.

I haven't told anyone about the surgery. I have struggled with my weight since I was a teen, and my family has heard me say year after year how "this is the year I am going to lose this weight" only to fail. As I am the only one who is overweight they have never really understood the struggles and loss of self-esteem that I have gone through because of this excess weight. I am afraid that if they knew, they would think I took the easy way out. So for now, my family and friends will see me eating properly and exercising, and for once, see it working!

No change for me this week. 193 is my weight.

First fill tomorrow! I am a bit nervous about it, as I don't quite know what to expect pain wise; I still feel a bit tender around the port area. I am looking forward to feeling restriction, but I am so worried about getting stuck, or PBing. I already cannot eat soft breads without a slight stuck feeling, so I am going to try and be super careful and not get stuck by focusing on the small bites and chewing. From what I am reading on posts, it is most likely going to happen at least once though!

Name, real or screen~ Razzcatt Age~ 38 Weight on September 1st~ 193 Goal Weight for September 29th~ 185 Exercise Goal for September~ go to gym 3x a week. Dietary Goal for September~ focus on the perfect cup of food; protein first, veg, then grain. Personal Goal for September~ to really love who I am right now. Date Banded~July 22 2011 Total Weight Loss Since Banding~

I too am struggling with eating. I was allowed to go onto solids 3 weeks after the surgery and once I did, the scale started to go back up. I can eat anything and everything and I am just as hungry as I was before. I try to remember that this is a journey and just because I got this tool dosen't mean that I am not going to have to focus on what I am eating. But man, that would be so great if I could eat whatever I wanted! I am going for my first fill on Tuesday and I am looking forward to feeling some restriction and getting this weight loss ball rolling. Hopefully it will not take to long or too many fills to reach that Sweet Spot!. Keep fighting the good fight!

One month since my surgery and I am back to my pre-op weight. I am following the guidelines with my meals by eating protein first, etc. But I am hungry and am not satisfied on only 1 cup of food. I know that this time is for healing, but seeing the scale move in the wrong direction is disheartening. I have a fill scheduled in 2weeks and I am looking forward to feeling restriction!

Hi Everyone! Well, I am 3.5 weeks post-op now and now on solids. Unfortunately I am only 4lbs down from my pre-op weight. Once I got into the mushies my body seemed to hang on to everything and I gained back the 5 lbs that I had lost during the liquid part. "sigh" I am pretty hungry and can eat more than the recommended cup of food. Looking forward to my first fill which is still 2 weeks away. I joined a gym last week and paid for 6 sessions with a personal trainer whom I met with last night. She took me through the weight machines and 2 different abdominal crunches. My port side was a bit sore but all in all ok. How long until we are able to safely do a full body workout?

I was banded 2 weeks ago and I have to admit that while I want to be healthy and energetic for my children, it is mostly vanity that has driven me to this point. I have been on so many diets and failed everytime! I spent my teenage years being the heavy friend, and my weight just began to climb in my 20's. I am 37 now and don't want to spend the rest of my life looking at the scale and trying another diet, just to fail. It is hard on my self-esteem. I want to feel pretty and shop in normal stores and just feel proud of the way I look. Can't wait for all of that to become my reality!!!

172lbs has always been my stuck at weight in the past too. My first mini goal is to get to 165lbs. The lowest I have ever gotten was 166lbs, I didn't stay there long mind you, but I just want to beat that number! I am two weeks post-op and started mushies yesterday. I am finding myself so hungry lately! The clinic says that is a sign that I am healing which is good, but I just want to eat everything and ice cream has become my nemesis. I am going to try to increase the protein today and see if that helps stave off some of this hunger.

I had to take off my steri strips today. I was so nervous to do it, for fear of ripping off my skin too. I stood in the shower for a long time to let them soak and eventually got them off. Now I have to contend with the black/grey tape goo that is left over!

Day 6 post-op for me, which means full fluids! I never thought I could be this excited for fat-free yougurt. I have lost 4lbs since the surgery and hope it dosen't stall as I begin to add more calories. I feel suprisingly good; no more gas pains, and minimal tenderness in the incision sites. Yup. Today feels like a good day!

I am back home now. I needed to spend the night and then flew home in the early afternoon. Unfortunately, I was assigned the middle seat for the 4 hour flight, and it was a bit uncomfortable. Last night was rough, again with the shoulder pain. I also didn't expect to be as hungry as I am. I am certainly looking forward to the mushies stage at this point! But all in all, these are just small prices that I am willing to pay to lose this weight for good.

Hi everyone! Just wanted to drop a line and say that the surgery went really well. I was banded last Friday July 22 and had a hiatal hernia repaired at the same time. I feel better than I thought I would, but the shoulder pain feels worse than yesterday. Love the heating pad for that! I am on clear liquids only for 5 days and I am feeling hungry but the fear of causing my band to slip by skipping ahead will keep me from cheating. Happy to finally be on this side of the surgery!:bananajump:

For me it was still the protein drinks the day before surgery and now for 5 days post-op is is clear liquids only.

Back home now and newly banded! It was great experience, the staff and doctors were amazing and made me feel very relaxed. My pain level is managable and it is my shoulder that is causing the most discomfort at the moment. Earlier on the drive home I felt some nausea and light headed, but all in all I am happy to be on this side off the surgery.