PandorasBox92264

Jake, let us know how it works out! I know YEARS ago I went on a diet that was all liquid through my local hospital they called it HMR or something like that. I think we were taking in like 800 calories a day and it was all via shakes. So many people were dropping weight like mad!! NOT me... I was living at home that time because I was in my early twenties. I did not cheat an no food passed my lips not even a cracker. I was getting disoriented, my hearing and vision was affected. My hair was falling out. I lost 12 lbs in the first couple of weeks.. then NOTHING... no more drop.. people were cheating and losing weigh check in after check in. I stayed the same!!! My physical symptoms got so bad my parents dragged me down to the hospital and demanded they take me off it. They told them that is was my choice and that they wouldn't and when I said I want off they tried to argue it. Needless to say I started to eat and the weight started to fall off me... regular food in small amounts lots of Protein. I ended up at 163 lbs and a size 11/12 but somehow I looked like about an 8. I did gain during a crappy marriage, but that is another story!! lol.. so here I am again.. So that is one of the reasons I decided to do the band, knowing that for me variety and the Proteins with a bit of other stuff mixed in was the best for me so that my body doesn't decide to hold onto what fat storage it has... just a thought... It is a tool to help me with quantity etc For me cereal/oatmeal etc.. are like Crack! I can have in very limited amounts or they decide to move in to the availabel space on my butt!

I would either do a search on here for the term, or google the term your asking about. I was banded in 08 and never knew what a PB was or Slimed before I joined this group, and had to search it out too! You will find you pick up alot of info if you just put it into your google search engine. Or when all else fails do what you did and someone will answer!

I think and the reason I say this is that if I ate 3 pouches of oatmeal a day nothing would happen. You are drinking the shakes which is fine, but you would be better off eating something other than the oatmeal in my opinion. I like oatmeal but we do not get along that well for weight loss, I would think especially not if your eating that much of it. Premake some Chili which is high in Protein and good fiber. I love to make it with bison it is less fat than other meats and tastes really good. It is really really easy to make! Black Beans are a good source of protein and easy to fix. I even toss them in a salad and it is really good! Yogurt, morningstar farms veggie protein meat substitutes are good, cottage cheese, Grill a couple of chicken breasts and eat part of one it is already cooked and maybe diced and toss in some cottage cheese. You lost weight on the chicken salad, try tuna salad too, or even mix some up with canned salmon. You can preplan your meals and know what you are having, but you need to eat things that you won't get sick of and can do longterm. I think not having variety is contributing to your emotional hunger that you are having now.. Eat that protein first!

PCO's are a type of insurance.. NOT the *** plans.. or Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome... I think for here it means the type of Insurance plan but I am not sure.

cheese stick, Cottage cheese even adding in a bit of fruit if you want something sweet. I like to keep morningstar farms stuff close at hand and one of their veggie Protein sausages will help. Part of a Protein shake is good too! We almost always keep some left over from the morning then just hit the blender and it is a quick I gotta grab something NOW to get me over the hump. Yogurt is a good one, they are handy and you can keep them at work. You could also grill a bit extra chicken and cut it into small pieces and have a few bites of it. Try to grab the protein for the snack first, it seems to stop me from wanting to grab junk. Snack lighter if your going to eat dinner earlier... make it a little more if your going for a late dinner. I think the key is not to get too famished or you will go crazy on your next meal.

I am not a professional by any means but how many times a day do you eat? is this for the whole day? Ever think if that is your whole calorie intake if maybe you should be eating a bit more? Around 1200 calories a day? Maybe your body is going into a lets hold onto things because it feels you are not giving it enough! What are your protein choices? Are you eating chicken? meat? Protein shakes? I find I do better if I eat a 3 meals and a couple little snacks a day.. keeping the protein up maybe you can see the nutritionist at your doctors office.

Yes! Lots of people do! Do not fret or freak out if the scale goes up a little here or there. It will or can increase with water retention, hormonal levels, weather, food choices, exercise will cause muscles to build which is more weight, but you can actually be going down in size. Don't obsess over the scale, I found I did initially and would hop on the scale multiple times a day which is NOT good! Try to do it once a week or maybe twice, but don't worry over the numbers.. If you are doing what you need to do you will drop and you will see a difference in your clothes. Good luck!

Don't worry about Bandster hell! I don't consider that I have gone through it and was banded in 08. The worst part was right after I had surgery, then again after I had a fill a few weeks ago where I thought.. what did I do? I got over that right away, and frankly do not want to be without the band. I have PB on Occassion since I got the recent fill, but never before. I have found that feeling sad or mourning food choices is the worst of it for me, but I think about how fast I started to feel better and any negative thoughts go away. I think alot has to do with the way your looking at it. There is little you cannot have in moderation when you think about it, take it one day at a time. You will find that when you go to bed you will wake up wondering what subtle changes your body has done... at least that is how I think about it.. think of the NSV... not all of it is on the scale!

OH.. i forgot... the BIG thing is::::: Forgive yourself!! Tomorrow is another day, or heck you can start with the next bite of food you put in your mouth! Another helpful hint if everyone is so intent on eating alot of chocolate etc.. if you want to really teach those candy eaters a lesson.. get some chocolate covered insects (for human consumption) and put them in a bowl. They are lovely to look at, colorfully wrapped! We had a girl in school who used to beg for food, take stuff from us without asking just be a real bitchy pill with her attitude. We got a few of those and laid them out, and right on target she snagged some without asking and promptly started to devour them in one swoop! She ended up in the sink rinsing her mouth out asking what the heck was the candy. We said they are chocolate covered ants... she was upset and asked why didn't you tell me we said well 'You didn't ask" Case solved we never saw her eat any other candy near us. I really am not a mean person!!! Evidently some people really like them!

Is it your partner or kids bringing in the food and offering it up to you? Sounds to me like there might be additional family members going to jump on the Bariatric bandwagon and be headed for surgery if they do not get their food choices in order. When I had the surgery I had to deal with a spouse that brought in the HUGE candy bars, the ones that broke down and are good for making smores for quite a few people. He would make stops at the store, when we had just gone to the store to pick up Ice Cream, and other tasty cakes and hostess cakes, chips and dip. He would b***h about my weight and how I needed to lose to become a size 2 that he always wanted, but he married me when I was a 16/18 go figure. After dealing with all this for awhile, losing my Mom to Cancer I bailed 8 months after LB surgery and filed for divorce. I thought enough of myself to move on and live life the way I wanted to. I left in April of 09.. then made my way back to California. I am in a fantastic relationship with a really awesome guy that loves me thick or thin! I just got a refill and doing my thing with excellent support from him on my band eating lifestyle. He loves to cook and looks for good band recipes, he splits meals with me, we limit the bad stuff in the house. I am not perfect and if I choose to have something I am not berated for it, I just jump back on the wagon. I have found that getting the band brings out alot of things good and bad in family/ so called friends and sometimes you even find a supporter in an unlikely place. Rise above it, go hang out in your bedroom and read. Make it your NO Food zone, and they need to keep out. Remember 20-30 minutes for a meal... no more of the 5 hours to finish a sandwich!

I was banded in 08 and didn't even know what a PB was until recently. I had fluid backed out due to moving cross country and losing insurance. I got a my first fill since July 09 on May 29th so it has been several weeks. I had to quickly learn how to eat again, chew, chew, chew etc.. I did liquid then mushy for a couple of days then when I started to eat again felt the restriction in a big way. I ran into the problem in the evening when I made the mistake of taking a pill before I ate, then the next day ate then took the pill! I have found that I need to take the pill about half hour or more prior to eating then I am ok. Prior to the fill I did drink with meals, which I know is not the way to do it. I avoid drinking with meals now and drink some before and then a bit after. The only way I will take a sip here and there is if I have something kinda dry, BUT i make sure I do not take it right with the food I wait a minute or two. You will learn what you can eat and not to eat with the textures and will find what works for you. I can eat popcorn, or a few tortilla chips with black beans or refried. If I eat something not so great I try to make sure I eat something heavy protein based with it. I cannot eat NY steak, or Tbone (not my fav cuts anyway, but I can eat Filet Mignon, Rib Eye cuts (A steak will last a couple of meals and I end up sharing leftovers with hubby. I can eat hamburger but prefer to eat Bison as it is better for you and the nutrition value is Excellent, it is great for a burger or chili. I find I am not as in love with the buns anymore, and usually start with it and remove most of it (I eat a half a burger). I hear some on here have trouble with eggs yet I am able to get down eggs without a problem. I also have a love affair with Romaine lettuce! I make a salad with black beans in it and keeping some of the juice helps to moisten the lettuce and stretches a little dressing much further. I will crunch up very small a few tortilla chips to give it crunch when I am craving something crunchy. I figure a few tortilla chips is better than half a bag and it is like a taco/tostada salad. Practice chewing your food to a consistancy of paste and really try to taste your food. For me a PB episode you can feel it coming on, and suggestion is to wait a minute or so between bites. This will allow you to feel if there is going to be an issue, and not to add more bites onto the mix which will make it worse. If you take it slow, you will most likely be fine and do not try to drink on top of a stuck episode because it has to work its way out. With each fill you get most likely you will see a slight difference and possibly change personal choices during this time. Make sure that you follow the after fill diet that your Doctor tells you. This will help cut down on the swelling after a fill, and I have also found that a hot drink can relax and open you up a bit if your band has not yet woken up. I usually use hot sage tea if I am having problems getting down vitamins etc in the week after my fill. Hope that helps

You were opened up and will have redness, bruising, swelling. Keep in mind sometimes the bruising doesn't show the same day it has to work they way to the surface. You will itch as it starts to heal, you will have restriction even if you do not have fluid in your band. You probably still have some residual gas pains, swollen tummy etc. You are in the healing process and will be for awhile! Heal, get your nutrition figure out food choices that you will be wanting for when you start to eat reg foods. You have only just begun... hang in there

Naturalizer carrys a wider calf version of alot of their styles. You can get them at some of the Macy's, DSW, Famous Footwear. If you cannot find the style you like in the store then check out online and then take back to a physical store location. Also, something to think of is that most people I know wear a larger boot size than a shoe size. The calf will also widen slightly! You generally wear them with trouser socks or something of that nature. Also, Torrid, Avenue those stores sometimes have a shoe department in them and carry boots. Make sure to check out what they are made of though, as for me I have some of the man made ones but prefer leather boots since they breath better and fit better as they warm up to you. You could also have boots made, I know it is costly but they can be made to your proper size and will last!

I agree with Mis73 on this issue! You have to think of it like a detox, and you will go through withdrawals like nicotine, drugs etc. I don't know how true it is but I have heard that for some dropping the sugar is worse than other substances. I know when I detox I get cranky, headaches, my systems cleans itself out, I have broken out, just feel flat out depressed. It will make it easier to avoid or to have in very limited amounts once you are off them for a bit. My suggestion is to try to keep off them as long as possible and maybe try to substitute other things for it. There are some good products on the market that use splenda and things like that. I also have found sometimes when I am craving something like ice cream or chocolate I make up a Protein shake and toss a banana in it with some extra ice. It gives me the chocolate/the coldness/sweetness/and a bunch of protein in it. Yogurt can be good to help you over the hump! Alot of people on here do a piece or two of dark chocolate or other kind of sweet if you cannot shake it. But try not to set yourself up for feeling negative on the band. For most of us that have been on multiple diets before, only to gain back the weight plus some extra. You figure each time you do that, and keep gaining over the course of years you are just going to see the number going up, up and away. Try to get a control on that sugar addiction, and try not to let it control you! Good luck in your counseling for it and keep us posted!

I haven't had any issues with flying and the band. You won't set off the security screeners either, and I have done the wand, the full body scan and the regular metal detecter and a pat down. Some people say they feel a little more restriction, but not everyone. I think it has to do with stress or retaining Water. I have also skydived from 13,500 feet not in a pressurized plane and did not have any issues. I also did not have issues from wearing the jump harness either and hurting my band. I buy a large water and try to drink in the airport and on the flight to keep hydrated. Just want to make sure that you do not get a fill within 2 weeks prior of your travel so that if you are over filled you can have it stable prior to the trip.

If your already insurance approved things should move along pretty fast. The psych evaluation if they do it the same will be in test format. They will ask questions and then later in test they will ask the same question and maybe reword it slightly. All sorts of things but nothing that is overly strange. The nutritionist should be fine as well. I had to do a sleep apnea study overnight, a pulmonary test, think they did a chest xray, but I did the sleep test then the next morning went straight into the other testing right at the same location. They might not require all those since your insurance already approved. My guess is that you will be scheduled pretty fast and heal up before school.

I don't have popcorn issues with my band but I have it rarely. Try Romaine for your salads, and in the protein shake we have we put in Celery/Kale/Ginger . The added ingredients might sound gross for a protein shake that is chocolate flavor but they are really good! We just make sure to blend it up enough and add ice cubes to the shake too when it is blended. You do not need much ginger at all, start small roughly little fingernail size and about the thickness of 2 nickles then you can up it if you like it. Drinking hot sage tea is also helpful! I get backed up and don't go every once in awhile but it is for one day then the next I am fine. It usually seems to kick in if I get stressed for some reason and have not had the above items or skipped acidophlus tablets.

Thanks for the input, I am sure it will help others too! Far cry from avoiding the scale to actually buying one! lol... so that is a good thing

Are your spasms in the area near/below your port? I get something periodically in that vicinity and it sill spasm and feel like a charlie horse, the same type you get in a calf muscle. If this is what you have then it is similar to what I get. I figured out when i get this and have checked my skin that I have not taken in enough Water. (dehydrated) I usually eat a banana, drink a bunch of water and it usually occurs if I have been somewhere and not drinking sufficient water or been out in the heat. It can also occur when there has been alot of physical movement exercise/sex/ or other things like that and not staying properly hydrated. I haven't fainted but it makes you feel pretty crappy. A heating pad helps too!

Have you tried Beano? I also do some cooking with stuff like celery. If you chop up some celery in small pieces and say cook it in with chili it will cut down on the gassiness for bean dishes.

Keep the appointment, but they might look at your weight loss and say.. nope no fill needed. This way it is showing you are following up with their instructions and they can monitor what is going on as far as the weight loss. If you just call in and try to cancel they might think that you are not following and possibly gained. I have gone in for a fill appt and they did not fill me... Congrats!!

The Pre Op diet is not something you are given to lose X amount of weight! It is given by the Surgeon in order to get your liver to shrink and for it to lose size. It is much easier to flip around a smaller liver that has been shrunk with a pre op diet and the Dr has a easier time to manuever it. Mine told me if he went in and I had not followed the diet he would know and close me back up. I did 2 weeks on liquids alone and did not cheat once. For me personally the pain of having him not perform the surgery to my non compliance was enough to keep me on track. The band is a tool/your partner/but will not do the work for you. Your body has to detox itself, your probably trying to break addictions that you have had for years. Your body will cleanse itself in various ways and also try to trip you up. If I understand correctly you say that your family events center around food. Do many of your family members have weight issues? If your finding that you have a rough time, maybe go a bit before or after or just opt out for a couple of weeks during this phase. Not saying that your family members will do this, but watch out for others who will try to drag you off your track. Unfortunatly there are people we know or family that will try to get you to eat. Sometimes misery loves company! You might encounter people that do not have your best interest at heart, or hope deep down that you fail. It is sad but true! Figure out if your ready to take this on, do it for you and not for anyone else. Gastric Bypass might be the way for you to go if you do not think you can work the band. However, like the guys said it all takes work. Good luck

I lived in Bucks County right across from Burlington when I filed for divorce. I stayed with a few different friends while trying to figure it out. I was in Bucks, down in Newark DE, up in Montclair NJ, and then Upstate NY near Saratoga. All those locations while being banded and never had any problems. Not to be nosy but where are you meeting them? Would you say that you might be choosing a certain type of guy? I would say look at the choices your making and see what the common trait is of these guys. Sometimes we might be quick to think it is due to a certain reason, but it was just not so great a choice for us to begin with. I am out in California now, and not having to deal with it because I am now with a super awesome guy who is fully supportive in my process. A off the wall question that I have and have asked this of MANY friends of mine who were having dating issues. "Do you choose your dates or do you let them choose you?' Alot of times when we are meatier we have a tendency to not go for what we want. Regardless of your weight, being confident is a turn on for the opposite sex! Take what you have and work it now and work it with the band. Don't be afraid to flirt and check out those that are younger. Play the cougar if you feel like it and empower yourself. Seize the day and seize that man! Hope that helps!

I travel and have flown alot with it and have not had any trouble. I even went through the new scanners and nobody looked twice or asked me what was inside me. You will be fine.

I am not in that boat but was worried due to lack of fills for several years WHAT if I had a leak. Before they even checked, I asked what would happen or what it would consist of. I was told it is not all that rough or even to the degree of what we went through when we had the initial surgery. That it is pretty easy, I guess they just pull out the old port put in a new one and attach it. That the leak is not generally even with the band itself. If I had to do something I would opt for just getting the port fixed and not do the sleeve, but that is me.. Keep us posted!!