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Hi Alex, Michelle, Leatha and Teresa... I'm Anne and I am a combo choco/ice-cream-aholic!!!! I even went so far as to join Lisa's 1 Fun food a Day Challenge... but I blew that the first day and haven't been honest enough to check back in and admit it! Quite honestly, I think I have to avoid these things at all costs. 1 small serving just won't do. I will eat a whole pint of B&J's if it is available. I hate that it goes down so easily and the only thing stopping me is the stomach ache I have when I am done. Alex, I am with you... my comfort foods use to be more around breads, pastas and chips. The breads and pastas don't have the same appeal, although I can still eat Mac&cheese and chips. These two I must avoid. I am a mess and the scale is showing it. I am trying today to go sweet free... it is now 7pm, so I only have about 3.5 more hours until bed time. My fingers and toes are crossed... I want this monkey off my BACK! Thanks for listening.

Hi Cissylea, My mom works for Kaiser in Northern Ca. and she told me that they do not cover lapband. Many of the people she works with have looked into it, but Kaiser will only pay for gastric bypass. Sorry...

Yes, Yes, Yes!!!! I need this challenge! :laugh I start out the day so on track and by night time I am eating a bunch of junk. I hardly ever use to turn to sweets, salty/fat things were my fav... but now that the chips and breads don't go down as easy I have somehow turned into a sweet freak! HELP, I need serious help! I am on for this challenge because normally I go 'cold turkey' and then this turns into deprivation (yea, right!) I don't think I have ever been deprived... maybe if I give myself permission for one small serving of these 'non-foods' I can finally get the scale moving downward. Hey Everyone - GOOD LUCK!! Lisa - thanks for this challenge.

What a great Ad! You must feel so proud and now your local area will be able to join in your success. I think you are doing a wonderful job with your band. Keep up the fantastic work... you are quite the inspiration!

Debbie, you mentioned you have the 9.75 Lapband... is this the new vanguard band? Does the 9.75 mean that it holds 9.75cc total. If so, then 1.5cc doesn't seem like much. I have the 4cc band and have only 1.3cc (waiting for my 2nd fill) and I already know that this is not enough fill to help me lose weight. I keep gaining and losing the same 2 pounds. I eat far less than pre-surgery, but not enough to lose weight... even with exercise. You also mentioned that you lost more with Weight Watchers eating more food. Could it be possible that your body is in starvation mode and holding onto the weight for dear life. How many calories are you consuming a day? If under 1,000 you might try adding a Protein drink to bring it up to at least 1200 and see what happens. This is all just my 2 cents... I agree with Lisa (DeLarla)... everyone is different.

Thanks for all the feedback! I am going to ask my doctor about it when I go in 2 weeks... for now, I get rid of it by eating... I just wish I could remember to eat before I get it because... OUCH! IT HURTS!!! Michelle, I get the gassy stomach too sometimes. This band in a fickle thing. Lisa, I agree... we do need a new topic for 'Wierd Phenomonons' Betty, I have heard the same thing and I actually think that when my stomach growls and 'rolls over' it may cause my band to push against my diaphragm (don't even know if that is possible) and causes the deferred pain in my shoulder. Maybe if I was more up on my human anatomy I could have a more logical guess. :knockedou Thanks everyone! :cheeky

Good luck Denise! I hope everything is successful and you are feeling pain-free in no time. Take care and let us know how you are doing when you feel up to it.

Hi Nora, I too created a summary of every diet, self-help book/program, etc that I could remember. I only recorded amount of weight loss if I thought it was a worthy amount and/or successful for some period of time. For example, the 6 years I spent going to Weight Watchers and how I lost 60lbs the first year on 'Fat & Fiber', then slowly (over the next 5 years) gained 40 of it back when they moved to the 'Points System'. I believe any type of information you share helps your doctor and insurance company realize that you have exhausted all options and made every attempt to lose weight and keep it off. Good luck.

Thanks Sarah, I think you might be right. Now the key is to not let myself get too hungry. I tend to do this a lot and then I eat way too fast when I finally do sit down for a meal. I appreciate your response.

Hi gagirl, Yep, I think you are experiencing what a lot of us have also experienced. You didn't mention what phase of diet you are on or what rules your doc gave you... but I noticed that when I limited my Clear liquids to sugar free items I was much hungrier than when I didn't stick to sugar free. I also found that drinking broth from a can vs. a bullion cube also made for a more substantial meal (drink). During clear fluids, my doc allowed for 1 Protein drink a day... the only think not clear I could have for this phase, so I would mix up the Protein Drink in the blender with a tablespoon of Peanut Butter or I would go to Roebecks or Jamba juice for one of their high protien smoothies like the 800lb Gorilla (50 grms protein) or Peanut Butter Moo'd (can't remember protein total on this one). Good luck and hang in there. If you are in a full liquid or mushy phase and need other suggestions, just let us know.

Hi Eva, What grand news!!! Congratulations and please keep us posted on your surgery date. You are on your way now! Take Care,

When I was first banded, I got the shoulder pain that every talks about post surgery. You know the one where the cure is to walk, walk, walk and some suggest Gas-X. But it went away by week 6 or 7. I have also heard some mention that they get this pain when they have reached their 'soft stop' at meals. Well, with my second banding (first removed due to a leak) I never got the shoulder pain post surgery... Then all of a sudden around week 8 I began getting the shoulder pain. Nothing seems to help except to eat!!! It appears that it happens when I let myself get too hungry. Has anyone else experienced this? I heard that the shoulder pain is associated with the Co2 they use to pump us up for lap surgery and that if some gets trapped it can rise and press on our diaphragms causing deferred pain in the shoulder area. In my case, I start to get hungry and then the shoulder pain begins... the hungrier I get the worse the pain in my shoulder becomes. If my stomach churns and growls, the pain in my shoulder increases at the same time as the discomfort in my stomach. Do you think it is possible that my hunger pains are moving my stomach around and essentially causing the band to push on my diaphragm thus the deferred pain in my shoulder until I eat and my stomach stops growling? I am trying to figure out if this will get worse or better as I get more fills and hopefully reached my supposed sweet spot. Anyway, sorry for babbling... but I would love to know if anyone else has experienced this same phenomenon.

Rica, My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. I am so sorry that you and your family have to go through this, please stay strong and remember we are here if you need support. Take Care,

Hi Alex, I couldn't believe it when I read this thread. I have been suffering from the exact same problem for about 2 years now. I use to suffer from seasonal allergies which turned into year round allergies, but I do have congestion and have been on a variety of nasal meds over the last couple of years. I think that when I grind my coffee Beans in the morning, if I have excessive mucus (sorry for being gross), the smokey roasted coffee smell gets trapped in my sinuses. This continues for days until I am so fed up that I will flush my nose with a saline solution. This seems to clear up the problem for a short time. I kept telling my doctor about it and he finally sent me to an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist. This doc put me on a strong antibiotic for 3 weeks saying that often a sinus infection is present even if you have no real symptoms and sinus infections can be very very hard to cure. Since being off the antibiotics I have only had a couple of 'smokey' episodes and I still freshly grind my coffee each morning... so I am hoping I am cured, but I guess only time will tell. I see the doc again tomorrow. If it really bothers you, they sell a good saline nasal flush kit at Walgreens for about $15.00. It comes with packages of saline and a neat bottle that makes the whole flushing process very simple. Good luck,

Great Job Alex!!! It sounds like you are moving into the 'addictive' stage of exercise... you know when you start to miss it if you don't go. It is a known fact that muscle weighs more than fat, but takes up less space... you are proof positive of this fact. You may not have seen the scale going down much, but you have replaced a lot of fat with valuable calorie burning muscles. Did your training test your body fat when you first started working out? If not, you might ask if they can do it now and start using that and the measuring tape to track your REAL progress! Congratulations! :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana

Melissa, You won't know until you get further into your journey whether or not you will be able to eat a happy meal or join your husband in a small portion of eggs and bacon... but right now you are still in the healing phase. Please do your best to follow your doctors orders, so that you band has a chance to set properly and heal. I think that you will find that a number of us on this forum still deal with 'head hunger' and sometimes it is very very difficult. I can only share my experience and hopefully others will join in and add their support. :cheeky I have a slight fill and cannot eat the way I did pre-band, but I can still consume a good amount of food. I don't PB, but sometimes things like bread or hard veggies get stuck for a few moments. After a while this stuck experience becomes a physical que that helps me to not grave these types of food. I use to always turn to breads, chips and other carbs when I was binge eating... now I am finding that my cravings for these types of foods has decreased. I still want them every now and then, but if something goes down really slow it makes it so much easier to avoid it the next time. It is my hope that after a year of being banded and working on my 'head hunger' issues and the real reasons why I want to overeat, I will find it easier and easier to get to my goals. I wish you the same success and don't be so hard on yourself... you are healing and that is the most important thing to remember right now. You want your band to be in the best condition to help you along this journey. All the best,

Congratulations Sharon and Melissa... It sounds like both of you are doing very well. I was completely out of it for at least a week with my first surgery. I hope you both continue to bounce back quickly. Good luck!

Great job Penni... you are doing a wonderful job.

My turn... now don't fall over laughing or booing me if that is a more honest reaction... My doc demands 6 weeks between fills and I am going to be extremely honest with my answers... Here goes... 1. when you drink first thing in the am is it more like: a. i can kill a 20 oz of anything in minutes 2. for breakfast i eat: PLEASE also list the time of breakfast! b. mushies- oatmeal, cream of wheat, scram eggs, yogurt keeps pouch full for hours c. solids keeps pouch full for hours A combo of b. and a. - I have 1/2 banana in Cereal (10+10 from Trader Joe's) w/ skim milk and 1 pre-cooked turkey sausage. I eat anytime between 9 and 10 am. 3. do you ever have acid reflux, indigestion? c. never 4. how much can you eat of the following (round-a-bout): protien shake: At least 12 oz, maybe less if it is really thick. *chicken (prepared any way BUT not real saucy- just meat!): 1 breast or 5-6 wingettes *salad: 2-3 cups easily and this is with lots of extra's not just lettuce. *sandwich (made of reg. size sandwich bread): Oh yes, I can eat a regular size sandwich or hamburger w/ the bread or bun. Maybe towards the end I will eat just the filling for my last couple of bites. *chicken, soft veggie, carb or another veggie (i know this varies with the order you eat in BUT please go buy how you typically eat?): I try to serve my meals on a salad plate vs. a regular dinner plate to limit my portions, but I can eat everything I serve myself. This is normally 4-5 oz of meat, 1 cup of veggies and 1/2 cup of starch and maybe even a roll or breadstick. 5. are you happy with your restriction? c. no i have some but not much restriction Right now I am at about 1.3cc in a 4cc band and I would like to have another fill, but have two more weeks to go. I have probably even gained a couple of pounds since this fill. Boo Hoo! 6. when you pb why is it: choose all that apply e. pb??? whats that i am perfect I PB'd once with my first band when I was eating a salad and a beet got stuck, but I have not PB'd at all with my second band. Things go down slowly every once in a while, but they always go down and I don't get the slime or extra saliva... just the deer in the headlamp look. 7. how often do you pb? a. never!!! well less than 3 times 8. how much liquids do you get in in a day? b. i struggle to get in 64 oz. (because i'm lazy) 9. do you eat in the correct order (protien first, veggies, then carb): d. most of the time i eat in the correct order (70%) but its a struggle 10. do you drink with meals: b. nope

Hi Magen, Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us. I think you are doing a wonderful job re-inventing your life and your words motivate me to take a closer look at my own. I can see myself so clearly in your story and over the last few months it has become very clear that I have so much emotional baggage to deal with along with the physical changes that my band is helping me make. Your before and after pictures show a beautiful person finding a more peaceful happy self. Congratulations on your progress and here is to another year of more good fortune. Keep up the great work!

Hi Kelly Ann, Good luck and congratulations on your band surgery. Take care and feel better soon.

Vera, Your family photo album is too cool! I love it! Thanks for sharing. You have such a beautiful smile, you seem to light up the room. Your children are so cute, it looked like they were having so much fun. You and your husband make a very cute couple. I might have to purchase this program. Take care and have fun in Vegas!

Happy Birthday Lisa! I hope you had a fabulous day. All of you that will be in Las Vegas next week... Have a fantastic time. I wish I could join you, but I already had other vacation plans. Cancun, here I come!

Hi Sue, Once you start getting more feedback, I think you will find that everyone's experience is somewhat different. I am on my second LapBand (first one had a leak) and my two operations were completely different. First one - 2/3/04: 1. Major pain - walking and lying down flat was uncomfortable. I slept sitting up in bed for at least 2 weeks. 2. Coughing and sneezing caused extreme pain. I thought my insides were exploding. Had to lie over 3 pillows on the bed to cough (which is a requirement after surgery so you don't develop pnemonia) If I could catch the sneeze and get to the pillows before it happened, things were so much better. 3. I used a beach towel folded across my stomach while sleeping and riding in the car for 3-4 weeks. In the car I felt like my insides were jiggling around and it was very uncomfortable. 4. When I started exercising again, my strength was gone. I was only able to handle 10-15 lbs weights, when normally I am much stronger. 5. Bending over was impossible for at least 2 weeks. Second one - 8/13/04: 1. Minor pain. Up and walking no problem. Bending was uncomfortable but not impossible. 2. Coughing and sneezing painful, but pillows made it possible. 3. Use folded towel for about 1 week. 4. Strength never really diminished. I was asked not to lift weights for the first 6 weeks, but once I went back to the gym I was only lifting weights about 5-10 lbs lighter than before the second surgery. I have talked to my doctor about the differences and the only thing we can come up with is that immediately after surgery and during my hospital stay (overnight) during the first surgery I barely used the morphine pump. During the second surgery I hit the pump all the time. I know I wasn't getting meds each time, but I know I got more pain relief then with the first surgery. I have been told that the better your pain is managed, the better you recover. My advise, use the pain relief you are provided and don't try to brave it out. If you have pain -- get it managed. Good luck and I hope this helps ease your mind a bit. I am sure you will do fine. Take Care,

Hi Tellie, I am glad to hear that surgery went well, but sorry to hear that you are feeling worse than you did after the first surgery. I had the exact opposite experience... just goes to show you, I guess. I hope you are feeling better soon. Do you have any friends who might help you with your baby? Maybe you could do a child care trade and take turns, so when you are feeling better you could watch their children. Just a thought... I feel so bad for you. Take Care,