katyana

I'm checking in!! Not going as fast as I hoped it would, but every pound gone is a good thing. Happily, I feel like I am comfortable with my 4x/wk exercise routine, so it will only get better. Name, real or screen~ Carrie Age~ 34 Weight on October 1st ~ 288 Weight on October 8th ~ 286 Weight on October 15th ~ 284 Goal Weight for October 29th~ 270 Exercise Goal for October~ 4 x per week Dietary Goal for October~ fewer carbs Personal Goal for October~ stop caving to the late-night munchies Date Banded~ 9/1/11 Total Weight Loss Since Banding~ 13 since banding, 38 since start of liquid diet

I'd like to second what Corrigan said. Carol, it sounds like you want desperately to be healthy, but your head keeps getting in your own way. What you need is to work with someone that can help you learn to work with your brain - you and your head need to get on the same page, so you can take control of your body. Think of it is the second and most important step to getting a lapband. Step 1 - band the body, so that you have this amazing tool to help you become healthier. Step 2 - band the brain, so that you can work with this amazing tool properly. You were committed enough to do the surgery. Now follow through and get the help you need to "band your brain", so you can make the lapband work for you. I wish you all the best on your journey... !!

Checking in at 286.8, which is only a loss of 1.2 lbs. I have done well with my goals this week, but I guess I am stalling a little bit.

Ugh, I am so with you. I was banded on 9/1. My regular cycle had literally just ended 2 days before surgery (which was relieving). I started up again on 9/6, and it was **really** heavy for a week, and spotted for another week. Finally that stopped, and then yesterday, started again. Arrrrrrrgggggggghhhh!! I talked to my doctor, and he said that is all normal (hormones are stored in fat, and as fat breaks down, they are released back into your system and mess your cycle up), and that things will normalize in a couple months.

I'm in. My first challenge, hooray!! Name, real or screen~ Carrie Age~ 34 Weight on October 1st~ 288 Goal Weight for October 29th~ 270 Exercise Goal for October~ 4 x per week Dietary Goal for October~ fewer carbs Personal Goal for October~ stop caving to the late-night munchies Date Banded~ 9/1/11 Total Weight Loss Since Banding~ 13 since banding, 38 since start of liquid diet

Hello all! So today was my first post-OP appointment, and I got my first fill... hooray! Feeling the difference is funny - I can see why I am supposed to do liquids only for the rest of the day, because I definitely have to get used to it. I can feel restriction - if I take two sips of what I am drinking too close together, I can *feel* that my second sip is just barely getting down there. The first time it happened, I was like ... and then I was excited, because I finally knew what the restriction feeling was supposed to be like. I'm going to be all kinds of nervous when I go back to mushies tomorrow. *laugh*

I know, and you're right. It isn't hurting, so I am trying to not obsess over it. I see my doctor for my first fill next Thursday, and I can ask him about it then. My only real fear is he'll be like "Wow, that's not right, we'll have to go back into surgery." Noooooo, I am through the hell, and I am feeling really great!

I'm looking forward to starting mushies tomorrow... 4 weeks of liquids has gotten pretty boring. For those of you also at the 2-week-ish mark, I have a question: how prominent is your port? My bruising is gone, and my incisions look great - no redness or puffiness. But when I am laying in bed on my back, my port is pretty dang prominent - it makes a little hill on my belly, maybe raising the skin up an inch or so. And if I roll onto my right side, it is even more prominent, it makes a... not sure how to describe it. Coming from the top, it goes out and then dips WAY in on the other side of the port. I am just checking to see if that's relatively normal, or if I should talk to my doctor. My concern is, if it is that prominent this early, once I lose weight ... it seems like it will really be an issue.

I took 3 days off, and that plus the weekend was more than fine for me. I also do a lot of sitting at work, so it was important to get up and walk around every hour and a half or so - just for 10 minutes was enough to keep me from feeling bloated. It was easy to just do some minor things to "excuse" the walk (not that anyone in my office cared, but I would have felt self-concious doing nothing while up and around) - I'd go to the kitchen, refill my Water bottle, bring it back to my desk, then walk to the bathroom... that sort of thing. But I can't emphasize it enough: walking is the key. Every time I started to feel bloated or crappy, I got up, and was fine in 5 minutes. It was something I had to keep reminding myself, because it is contrary to my instincts - when I feel crappy, I want to curl up on the couch with a blanket. But dragging myself to my feet, even just standing and taking my first couple steps, I could feel the difference. Good luck to you!!

Yeah, haha. That is definitely not me.

Ah ha! My username is actually "rhapsaria", because this one was taken (I swear, it took me 15 tries to find something open). I just did that, though, and sent you a friend invite.

I'd love to join you guys. I use My Fitness Pal, as well - I just started with it last week. How do you add friends?

I was itching a couple days ago too. I seem to have passed that phase, and now have odd stabs of pain. To be honest, it is starting to freak me out a little bit. For the most part, I haven't had any pain at my incisions since my surgery on 9/1, but then today, I keep getting odd pinching pains at my port area. Sometimes it is when I am moving, but it was also happening when I was literally just sitting at my desk reading an email. Is that just a part of healing?

Mmmm, regardless, the GasX strips have definitely helped me. Mostly, I was taking them when I could either feel a burp that felt "stuck", or there was some intestinal gurgling going on but nothing coming out.

My doctor required a psyche eval as well. What they said was that they want to confirm that we are more or less stable and healthy, mentally, so that we are equipped to make such a major life change.