superluli

hey nouzi! i am fasting too and it's my first ramadan with the band. how are you doing this year? any tips? i haven't lost any weight i thought i would lose so much. i eat ok portions for iftar ( Soup and 1/2 cup of food) and more before i sleep (1.5 to 2 cups), but even though i don't have a sweet tooth in ramadan all i do is think of and crave sweets. sugary drinks like appricot juice which is a very typical ramadan drink here. do you have those cravings? any luck with curbing them? how r u doing with Water? can you squeeze in enough and still eat in those little hours we have?

One hour before I was leaving for the doc I found myself able to drink, so I had a cup of Water, some bouillon and two spoons of honey. I feel SO much better. I decided not to go today and wait it out now that I can drink. I really don't want an unfill, i am not doing very well with my weight loss so i really need this fill to whip me into shape. Thanks everyone for all your inputs and help. Water tastes so yum

Thanks everyone for your input. I hope today goes better because I am seriously really thirsty! And I have a massive migraine now.. My doc is available today in a few hours, so If I still can't drink properly I will go. I can't live without water, I live in a really hot country!

So you were feeling the same as I was then it got better? I sure hope that happens with me... Fills are expensive and a long drive out.. I am trying some hot bouillon now, comes up n down, hope it stays down eventually

Hey guys, I just had my 4th fill yesterday brining my total up to 7ccs in an 11 cc band. I felt a bit restriction before my fill, but after a hot drink I found I am able to eat a lot and I got hungry quickly when I ate less. So I went for a fill. I feel like ****, that constant stuck feeling and sipping water and clear drinks super sloooow. I think I only drank one cup of liquids today. I am stressed, my car broke down and is costing me a lot to fix I am missioning around and my dad is sick. Could it just be stress? Should I wait it out and maybe this feeling will go away? Has that ever happened to anyone? Or should I suck it up and go get an unfill?

My doctor said there is something called gastric balloon that is done for people who need to lose weight for the surgery. It's a balloon that is inserted through the mouth to the stomach then filled with saline solution keeps you feeling full but has to be removed within 6 months. It should help people lose 25-40 pounds or more even. I am not suggesting, but I just thought i'd share my knowledge Good luck to us all on this journey.

I had stitches, I had my surgery in Egypt so maybe it's a 3rd world country thing It was the easiest thing, I could have plucked them out myself, however I don't suggest you do that...

Why is there a pre-op diet? What's the rationale behind it? I didn't have to do it, only heard about it on this site.

I too expected too much from my band. 5 months post op and 20 pounds less and I don't feel proud, I feel like I am yet again under achieving. People compliment me and I think, I should have done better. I have been at the same weight for 2 months now, I have fills, restriction, I eat less, I am much more active but it isn't working. Today I went to my nutritionist who I have been visiting for over 4 years pre band so he can help me shake things up a bit. The health analysis sheet i got had the best scores I have had since 2008. But it's really hard to be happy when other people are doing so much better and when you should have lost twice as much by now...

As a self proclaimed sushi addict I can tell you you will be fine. I can't tolerate bread or normal rice or Pasta but sushi is not a problem. I am on my 3rd fill and today I had 12 pieces of sushi. I eat between 10-12 pieces once or twice a week, which is fine by me (used to eat 25 and more) Break the roll into a few bites, 2-3 is doable, it's messy but it works. The soup will help you because it relaxes your stomach. Until my last fill I would have eaten all of that with no problems. If ur worried stay away from the rice and you should be fine. Enjoy a night off and hit the gym extra for the next three days if you feel too guilty. You deserve a treat it's a marathon not a sprint.

Hey! I was handed in November like you and have about the same CCs in my band as you. I get this pain, you feel the food going through your asophegus and it hurts, then once it passes the pain is gone. it lasted for one bite when I was at my second fill, now it's the first 3-4 bites and longer if I don't chew well. Here's how I avoid it: have something hot beforehand, soup or tea, it relaxes your stomach. While you cook nibble on a few things, chew them really well while standing up, by the time you sit down you'll have gone past that first bite syndrome. Chew chew chew and rest your fork between bites. It's a long boring process to eat so keep busy with conversation or tv or a book or something... The pain is mostly in your chest right? I think it is something normal with the band...

I have a similar problem and I don't know what to do. I have 6.25 CCs in my 10cc band and it hurts with every bite beginning to end. I learned about this 'have a hot drink first' and it helps me in the morning with Breakfast, but in the evening when if i have Soup before my meal I end up eating more than I should and my appetite is quite big for the rest of the evening and night and I find myself getting tempted by everything! But if I have no soup then I can only eat like yogurt. I need a middle ground

There is mind-full and body-full. The band totally takes care of body full! Really! But I am finding it more difficult to stop myself just coz my plate isn't done or because I really want those last few bites. So mind-full is all about you. Last night I went out for dinner with work, ordered sushi, was full after 6 pieces! I knew it, my body gave me very clear signals, yet I still went for a few more! Today I looked at the food I packed for lunch and thought it's so little! 4 meat balls and 3 tbs of mashed zucchini, I haven't even finished it yet and the day is almost over. Don't worry just keep getting tighter till you are in the zone, you'll know when you are there

And to respond to your original post, when people tell me it's the easy way out I jokingly respond 'well I can't be good at EVERYTHING I do! Something's gotta give' I totally own up to the 'easy way out' thing and say well if I can find something that makes my life easier why not cut myself some slack? Would you refuse to buy a microwave coz it's the easy way out of using the stove to heat your food? If you can have a friggin microwave why settle for a stove

What annoys me is how people make you feel like you are getting rid of the plague by losing weight! It gets so condescending! They try to compliment you by telling you how awful you looked previously? That's supposed to make me feel better? Yes yes being fat is bad for you but it's not the worst thing in the world! You will still be the same person when you lose weight. You won't be a better person! Sorry, just venting!