musicalmomma

Very good info!!!!!!!! Thanks again Wendell...what would he do without you?? You are a wealth of knowledge, information, and inspiration

I was banded in April 2007. I have had three fills and finally feel retriction after the third. I had 3cc's added first fill had 3 cc's added second fill and did not feel anything. I really think he might of missed on the second one because i felt nothing at all .( Is this possiable?of course they say no because then they would have to do the next one for free!!!LOL)Then I went for the third one and they only could find 3 cc's from the other two fills. ( I really really think he missed!!!!) So he said don't worry it could just be in the tubbing so he added 3 more cc's. So i should have 9cc's but they are only saying i have 6cc's. But finally I have retriction But it is so far from my sweet spot. At least now when i don't chew well i finally feel that something is there. And it hurts like Hell!!! Is this normal ? I don't seem to be looseing weight like I was at the start. Does anyone know anything about this and how your sweet spot should feel? Would someone please help!!!!! I am so frustrated!!!!:help:

Thanks,

Stacy

What some surgeons fail to mention is...the first fill...about half is absorbed by the band...so for example...my first fill was 1.0 cc (I have a 4cc band, you have a 10cc). He told me to expect only .5cc to still be in there when I came back for my next fill. Guess what? Only .5cc was in there...just like he said! Then he added another .7cc's for a total of 1.3cc's. So I'm guessing since you have the bigger band, more was absorbed in your first fill. Just a thought.

I'm also not at my sweet spot...but I'm getting there...hang in there, you'll get there soon!

I think about two weeks or so. I have lost about two pounds in that time, but that is a drastic change from before. I will definitely try changing up the eating, but I don't know what to do to change up the excercise. Maybe add lifting weights? I'm addicted to the bike...can't not do that! I'm not really doing anything specifically for upper body...any ideas? I'd love to see four to five pounds gone a week like before.

Your body is probably just adjusting to the loss you've had thus far. I know it's frustrating, but I'm sure it will pass soon and you'll see another nice dip on the scale. You LOOK fantastic!!! That's for sure Then again, you are a knock out before your surgery too!

I never get to the stick.. that's one of those things, like people who hear scratching on glass, or chalkboards.. feeling the wooden stick on my tongue, makes my whole body convulse and I can't talk right LOL!

Me too!!!!! I HATE the stick...just thinking about it makes me shiver.

Um....what Kacee said!!!

If you've been overweight most of your life, the statistics say you won't be a "lower bmi" bandster for long. Your at the prime of your life...grab the gusto!!!! I am not trying to make a decision for you...but if I could have gotten the band when I was lower BMI, things would be MUCH different for me now as I push 40!

Oh...and if you do get banded, you will soon find out first hand that this is NOT easy. It's a tool that let's you know when you've had enough to eat and you stop eating. You still have to eat the right foods and exercise. THe first few months can be VERY difficult as you adjust to your new lifestyle. Oh if I only had that tool 15 years ago!!! OK...dream over!

Keep us posted :mad: Good luck to ya!

I don't think you need to wait to drink your shakes...just drink them slowly

My weight loss has come to almost an absolute standstill. No clue what the deal is...frustrating! I'm so close to "ONE-derland", but I can't get there! ARGH! I'm excercising like crazy, too! I don't know what I'm doing wrong! My body fat is droppin like crazy, but the weight is static.

Venting aside, I need to figure this out if I am going to be successful at this challenge. I'd love it if I could do it before my vacation at the beginning of November, but right now all I'm doing is treading Water.

Has anyone discussed this with their doctors/nutritionists/nurses? Any suggestions?

Hey there Stef...how long have you been at a stand still? If it's more than two weeks, ya might think about changing up the exercise routine and eating patterns. Sometimes it's just a plateau and we have to suffer through it...then BAM! There goes another 5lbs! I'm sure you'll break through soon. hang in there

I would ask him to compromise...if he doesn't want to cash in stocks now...then tell him you want to take a short term loan now...then you'll pay it off after Jan 1st. Tell him this means A LOT to you and you're willing to pay interest or capital gain if necessary. He'll still be stuck with Capital Gain NEXT tax season, so what's the difference? This is not a sweater he's saying "wait" on...you have to make it VERY clear that this is VERY important to YOU and that you need his support NOW, whether he 'understands' or not.

Just my .02

Good luck to ya!

I found that canned chicken or tuna goes down MUCH easier than a filet. And you still get your Protein. There's also smoothies made with fruit, FF plain yogurt, sweetner (I prefer stevia), and Protein Powder.

I'm sure other's will chime in with ideas

ooooops...August 5th...I stand corrected...

Stef...WOW!!! You look AMAZING!!! Can't wait to look that good

When oh When will I learn basic math??? And when oh when will I break 240???? Maybe tomorrow...:whoo:

Name....Challenge start wgt....current wgt.....chall. goal.....To go.

Huntersmom... 174...................174................159...... .....15

SWEETY.........202...................202.......... .....180............22

MJsafari..........268...................268....... ........238............30

captdanbo.......211....................211........ . ....185............26

PaulaD............216....................216...... ........199............17

Stefanie42467..206...................206.......... .....175............31

Suzzzie. .........346....................346......... .....315............31

glindab............277....................277..... ..........250............27

MM.................242....................240..... ..........218............22

finallythin.........254....................254.... ...........225............29

BeckieT...........259....................259... .............239.............20

Holliwagz.........325....................325...... ...........295.............30

faithmd...........305....................300.3.... ...........283...........16.7

wombat712......190...................190..................165............25

count me in - (I can't remember if this is my same goal on the other board or not ) guess it doesn't matter LOL

Good luck to everyone!!

Hey im out exactely 1 month from my Surgery today and im down 55LBS!!

Congratz baby!!! :clap2: You're doing great!!! I'm so proud of you and you keep me motivated!!!!!

Hi Kori :wave: welcome the forum

I'm sure several others will chime in with similar situations. I soooo wish I could have gotten the band at 21! It would have been difficult emotionally to deal with the band, for me, that young...but the benefits would have SO outweighed the difficulties!

I'll try to answer you questions....

Anybody have Independent Health insurance? I don't but you may find information on this in the Insurance section of the forum. I'm sure we have others that have IHI

Any other advice on financing? If your health insurance doesn't cover it, there is a variety of financing optinions. There are loans, going to Mexico where it's usually much less expensive, borrow from family or friends, take a second job... It's kind of a "Where there's a will, there's a way" situation.

Currently, I am infertile, will losing weight bring that back? Quite possibly!!! As you lose weight, the fat releases estrogen, this increasing fertility!

And am I allowed to get pregnant (not for a few years though ) with the Lap-Band? Sure...lots of ladies on this very forum have had babies after the band. The doc will completely unfill your band while pregnant...then you can get fills again after the baby is born.

My fiance is the most worried about erosion of the band. How often does that happen? It's a rare complication. According to my surgeon, this happens mostly when the band is over filled for too long OR filled too aggressivly.

I hope that helps a little...keep reading the boards and do your research. I'm sure you'll make the best decision for you

Miss Bumble,

A few tricks might help...not tricks really, but Bandster suggestions. I know I need to revisit them frequently when I get to the point when I feel things aren't progressing as they should.

You say you're eating chips and Bagels (albeit not all the time). Carbs make you HUNGRIER. They don't fill you up (I remember eating jumbo popcorn at the theaters, a bag of Oreo's, chips and hot sauce...did it EVER fill me up? NO!). And, chips and crunchy stuff just literally bypasses the band. Won't stick, won't fill you up. Not to mention, they're empty calories, and will slow weight loss.

If you want to try to test your band for restriction, eat Protein, dense protein like chicken, beef, lean pork, etc. Not lunch meat, hot dogs, soft fish. It will stay in your pouch longer, make you feel satisfied - ie not so hungry. Try to stay away from fried or coated Proteins. Eat super slow, and wait for signals of satisfaction, not stuffed-ness (yep, it's a word)! If room, then proceed to veggies. Lastly, if room, take a bite of that roll. And very important, no drinking with meals.

When I have felt no restriction, it is usually at my favorite Mexican diner. It's all about keeping your yourself in check, and following the suggestions, because they DO work. At one point I was stagnant in my weight loss, and started eating less and less, with no results. The techs at my fill center told me to simply 'bump up the protein'. I did, weight loss was immediate. You gotta get that protein in!

Hope this helps, we've all been right where you are, and we can do this! :clap2:

:clap2: Great advice!!! Yep, I've found chips slide RIGHT through...I haven't had a bagel since surgery, so I can't speak to that...but white carbs have a high glycemic (sp?) impact and causes you to feel hungrier faster. if you're going to have a bagle...make sure it's AFTER your protein, and try maybe half a small whole grain bagle.

I too was VERY dissappointed to find how easy my favorite foods (comfort foods) went down...once I accepted that I HAVE to make changes...then MADE those changes...the weight is comming off quite nicely

Good for you Terri!!! mmmm taco's sound good right now! and it's only 8:40am! haha!

We'll miss ya Dan!

Good start everyone!

Name…………Goal in Minutes…Completed…..To Go

MM………………..750 …………..265…………..485

Captain Danbo……1800………..…445………….1345

Sweetie…………...1000…………...177…………..823

huntersmom……….540.…………....40.………......500

Stephanie42767…..2000………...…220…………..1780

Suzzzie……………800……………..0…………….800

toniteach…………..450……………..0…………….450

brandotti01..………400…………….25…………...375

Whooooops...I miscounted the number of weeks between now and Thanksgiving...I am shooting for 2lbs a week...24lbs total.

Name....Challenge start wgt....current wgt.....chall. goal.....To go.

Huntersmom... 174...................174................159...... .....15

SWEETY.........202...................202.......... .....180............22

MJsafari..........268...................268....... ........238............30

captdanbo.......211....................211........ . ....185............26

PaulaD............216....................216...... ........199............17

Stefanie42467..206...................206.......... .....175............31

Suzzzie. .........346....................346......... .....315............31

glindab............277....................277..... ..........250............27

MM.................242....................241..... ..........218............24

finallythin.........254....................254.... ...........225............29

BeckieT...........259....................259... .............239.............20

Holliwagz.........325....................325.................295.............30

Sounds like you've made up your mind and just came on here to rant...hope getting it off your chest made you feel better As for me...I love my band :whoo:

If they do weigh you (they weighed me) it's probably more for the anesthesia (sp?) than a way to get out of doing the surgery...if you're up a couple of pounds they probably won't even notice. My doc didn't notice that I had lost like 13 pounds on my liquid diet...if he had, he never noticed it.

It's a GREAT feeling!!! Congratz!!!

(((((HUGS))))) First, you don't need our forgiveness. You should however, forgive yourself.

I'm sure you've heard it all..."just dust yourself off and start over"..."don't beat yourself up, this is just one month out of many"..."just make up your mind and do it"...yadda yadda yadda...

Heck, you've probably been telling yourself this for weeks.

Maybe just posting it all and getting it all out there...your feelings of failure...your depression...your stress...perhaps this will help you get refocused. You have done SO well and 5-10 pounds back is NOT the end of the world. You are recognizing it early. You are addressing it by following up for a fill. You are taking control. Give yourself some credit for that.

On another note...perhaps some anxiety or depression meds are needed (or need to be adjusted). I see you are in therapy, but didn't mention if you're also on a med regimin. Sometimes we need meds and sometimes those meds need adjusting. If you're depressed to the point is affecting your sleep and anxious to the point it's affecting your job...then it's worth considering.

Hang in there sister! You've made remarkable progress and lost a lot of weight. Don't let that 5-10 pound indescretion define you. You can and will work it out

Way to go!!! I did the happy dance when I reached a bmi of 39.9! It's a great feeling! Keep up the good work!

Awwww, thanks Faith :mad: You're quite "hubba hubba" too! It's so funny how we make pictures of people in our heads, then see their acutal pic and it's so different! I can REALLY see your weight loss too! Keep up the good work pretty lady :eek:

Beckiet, Suzzzzie, MJ...thanks for posting your pics...you are all beautiful ladies! I sure hope we all get to meet one day!

Lets see if this works...It's me at our church picnic Aug 6

Well dang it...I can't seem to resize my pics...but you can see me on the avatar