sue11

Has anyone else come to the realization as I have of how much bull I've feed myself over the years...the weight doesn't really matter, I'm still just as active, I still function normally...blah...blah...blah... The more weight I loose the more I reallize how much the weight has impacted my life. I wouldn't have admitted it, I was in such denial. Feels so much better to fell so much better!!!

Mer... I was wondering where you were last night, I was looking for you. We need to WALK!!! Wendy will be home Friday or Saturday and we'll have to get together, maybe we can split a lunch 3 ways (we're such a cheap date aren't we...LOL) Dawn... It's so nice to put a face to the name. I hope you found the meeting enjoyable. I personally need to get together in a support group, it helps me shake that "I'm all alone in this" feeling, and I NEED that. This talk line helps soooo much too! PS...I entered and "new decade" this AM, love to see that scale move from 0's to 9's, even if it was only 1/2 a #. Some day it will move from 200 to 199...ONDERLAND!!! Still aways down the road, but at least I'm traveling! Sue

Laura... Congrats on the "Sweet Spot" I have my second fill on Monday and I hope to find it too b/c I'm feeling nothing now. What thype of band & how much fill do you have? Ragdollx19... I have a 4cc, but I've only had 1 fill @ 1.8cc, no real restriction yet. Hang in there, a slowly moving scale is a moving scale! Slow weight loss is better for your body and definitely better for all that loose skin. I know some day I'll look back and see that this stage of transformation in my life was not so long in the light of a lifetime, even though it seems sooooo slow!

Tamjpjb...Another thing to consider is that you don't want to throw your body into starvation mode. I did that after my surgery, I ate so little that after about a month my body started to compensate. I was eating about 500 claories a day and NOT loosing. It took me a couple of weeks of eating MORE before I started loosing again. The human body is amazing, and if it thinks it is starving your metabolism will change. Eating nearly nothing will work for a while, but it will screw up your metabolism, make sure you body can get what it needs. Talk to your Doc, sounds like you could use a slight unfill.

Mer... Glad to hear things are going well for your daughter. Don't you wish you could flip a switch and change your emotional release to something constructive like exercize. When my DH is frustrated he can't wait to run himself into a good sweat and the last thing he wants is food. I guess opposites really do attract!!! Hang in there...I'm praying for you guys!!! Sue

Funny you should mention the clothes, the back of my minivan is full to the brim with all the clothes I cleaned out of my closet last week. I haven't cleaned out my closet in YEARS...too depressing to get rid of clothes I was too big to wear. It's certainly alot easier to get rid of clothes that are too BIG!!! I'm in my smallest sized clothes now, so when I've shrunk out of them I get to by some new clothes!!! I've already decided not to buy anything expensive, as I figure I'm "just passing through" right!?! You can't see me, but I'm doing a little "happy dance" in my chair at work...hope no one walks in...LOL And yes, I'm surprised at the shirts that don't fit. The T-shirts that I used to stretch before I put them on are too big!!! It's so cool to have someone to share these things with, you just can't understand unless you're living it too...Yippee for us all!!!

Mer... Sounds like you're on the right track. I love to sarcastically annoy my children with the little “make good choices” nag, sure is frustrating when that same phrase is nagging at me!!! It’s all about choices, and we’ve made the big one, now it’s following everyday with the constant little choices (listen to me preaching to myself…LOL) Hope to see you soon, are coming to the support group on Monday? Sue PS...glad your loosing b/c I'm stuck...how can the scale say the EXACT number everday!?!

Mer... I'm going to be out in the harbor for lunch today, I'll try to give you a call if I'm free early enough to walk Sue

Speshelk... I also feel no restriction, but I've only had 1 fill @ 1.8cc, definitely need more. History tells me my will power won't last much longer, I'm really tired of being hungry! I'm really surprise that your not feeling anything at 3cc. Maybe your sweet spot is just around th corner :Banane20:

Most first fills that I've heard of on the 4cc band have been 2cc give or take .2cc, though I have heard some start with only 1cc. I had 1.8 at my 1st (only) fill on June 25, and I'm definitely not there yet, I need more. I go in on the 13th. A friend had 2.2 at the same time and I think she's still feeling pretty good with that.

Mer... Sorry I missed you, I'm sitting here catching up on stuff as my feet throb. We "toured" Seattle today, my DH's cousin and family are here from England so we took them around Seattle today. We went to the EMP, Seattle Center, and the underground tour (lived here all my life and I've never seen the underground). My feet are tired! We're going to Wild Waves tomorrow. My sister-in-law told me today she wants me to come...so she won't be the only fat one there...grrrrrrrrrrr. Wait until next year!!! How's the new fill?

Yes, the August meetings at St Joe's are on the 6th & 20th (1st & 3rd Mondays at 6:45) I missed the last meeting, we were vacationing out of state, I should be able to make both August meetings, hope to see you there!

Does anyone out there still have port pain? I was fully prepared for it to be uncomfortable if I made harsh or sudden movements. lt pulls whenever I bend, twist or use my abs at all, trying to tie my left (portside) shoe is still quite uncomfortable. Everyone I've been around has to feel for thier port, some can't even find it, mine's right there, like a nice hard golf ball sized lump, you can see it & feel it right under the skin. I'm sure it's nothing, no signs of infection, it just doesn't seem to have gotten any better in the last month.

Mer... I don't want to steal your apointment, good luck on Monday! I've got 2 more weeks, I'm just hungry all the time! :hungry: I'm getting the munchies real bad at night, trying to at least keep my salty cravings to almonds and peanuts, not a great thing to eat, but better than the bag of chips I'd like to have! :faint: Give me a call if you have time to walk on Monday :clap2: Sue

Sandta... Yaaaaayyyyy!!! It's strange how we get stuck then will often take off again for no known reason, Your body was just ready Weightingtolose... Don't be discouraged. 9# in 2 months is great. The experts always say 2# a week is perfect. If you lose faster your losing muscle not just fat. The biggest reason to keep it slow & steady is it gives you body time to respond, a superfast weight lose gives less time for you skin to tighten, lots of droopy saggy skin. Most all of us are going to sag, but a slower lose will minimize it. It's hard to wait, but look at the positives...and remember, 9# is 9#!!!

Hey Mer... Good to hear from you. I can relate to the idea of fear. I think I see myself as a fat person and I'm not entirely sure who I am without that part of me. I've always said I'd like to be small enough so that when someone describes me they don't first say (or at least think) "she's that big girl". If I were to describe myself physically that's definitely where I would start. It's a real puzzle, I don't want to be thought of as the big girl, but who else am I? Maybe this idea of "knowing who you are" is just an abstract, does anyone really know who they are? We are constantly growing and changing and that's a good thing! What would life be if we stayed where we are? God created us to be growing beings, we'll never figure it all out...and that's OK...not just OK...it's a GOOD thing! The only thing I know for sure is that I am a child of Christ! Sue PS...How did you get a Monday apointment? I've been calling to try to move my fill (Aug 13th) and they say they are booked until September...lucky dog!!!

mcgreen... CONGRATSon breaking the 40's...its sure feels good to be on the downhill "slide" to onederland! Wendy & I refer to it as a "new decade". Good idea to stay off the scale for a few days, it's frustrating when you get those little up & down bumps. I'm terrible, I keep telling myself to stay off the scale, to weigh weekly, but there I am, every morning holding my breath until that number flashes (why do we hold our breath...LOL) Sandra... Are you feeling restriction? I'm sure your fill will help. I've figured out I stop loosing for about 10 days before TOM, then I drop 2-3 when TOM leaves. I'm learning to have a little patience, not one of my strengths!

Kathy... I've had 2 periods since banding. The 1st was a week late and HEAVY (unheard of for me). The second was back to my normal..on time & very light. I think checking with your gyn is not a bad idea at this point, I'm sure it's just your body adjusting, but it doesn't hurt to check.

I've heard that many banders have to start with warm liquids in the AM, you wake up tight & loosen later in the day. I've also heard many say ice water makes their stomach spasm and tighten down, I prefer room temp or slightly cool water too, not big on the ice.

RiahG... Insurance is a pain!!! I had a "yes" from mine, then after did all the pre-op testing they decided it was excluded...wanted to cry, scream, etc... I ended up self pay. For me the financial commitment has made me more resolute to make this work. You may have a financial commitment or a time and effort commitment (pre-op diets and hoops to jump through for insurance), just look at them as motivation to make it work. It's all hard work, there's no easy way out of what we've done to ourselves. It will be worth it all, I'm starting to notice that I can walk into a room and notice that I'm usually NOT the biggest one in the room. :car: Hang in there, you CAN do this!!! Dawneb... I understand your frustration. I tried to move up my fill (2nd one on Aug 13th) but my Doc is booked until September. I feel no real restriction and am hungry and hour after I eat. Will Power!!! I've almost made it a game to see how loud I can get my tummy to rumble before meals...LOL

new2tch... It's always a mind battle, but if you remove the tummy hunger from the battle it's so much easier to fight the head hunger. Jump in with both feet and make the decision it's going to work! The Mocha drink I use is Champion Nutrition (I get it on ebay) and it's really easy & quick in the AM. I like to add sugar free syrups (favorites are English Toffee & Ameretto) to my drinks for a little variety.

I had my 1st coffee drink yesterday, to treat myself. It had been since early May since I'd had caffine. Headache hit before I was 1/2 done and is just now starting to go away. I reallized after I dropped the caffine pre-op how many of my headaches were related to caffine, if I didn't have enough or too little. Next time I think I'll treat myself to a de-caf! I do have a Mocha protien drink almost every morning, not alot of coffee flavor, but it's nice iced or hot. I'm surprised, I don't really miss it that much :car:

Manatee... Is the VG a 10cc band? Thats great that you're feeling good restriction. Any sliming or PB? I tried to bump up my 2nd fill (scheduled for Aug 13th), but the doc is full until September. I've got 1.8cc in my 4cc, definitely not enough. I'm still loosing, slowly, but quite hungry. I guess my will power will have to hold my until the 13th.

Oh, and on the protien shakes...a Magic Bullet is a must!

RE: Protien shakes My Doc insists that we take protien shakes, he says for life. It's the low carb protien suppliments, not meal replacement shakes. These are the same shakes that body builders use to stay lean but keep muscle. I think there is some merit to my Doc's requirement. With the reduced volume that we are eating is is hard to get enough protien in your diet. The nutritioist a I work with (Phd) says I need about 90 grams a day, that's almost 4 chicken breast or 3 cup of cottage cheese a day...there's no way I can eat that much. I use a protien shake for breakfast each day (30 grams), I ususally make it into a mocha, so I have my coffe drink just like most of america. I usually have one for a snack in the afternoon or evening too. You really have to search around, I HATED the meal replacement drink diets I tried in the past...yuck. Keep trying until you find one you like. I love Champion Nutrition (chocolate and mocha) and Syntac (sp?) lemon (as a smoothy base...add frozen fruit). My kids even love to make smoothies out of my protien too.