apeabody88

I think many of you are right. I was so unrestricted in the past, I really didn't have to pay too much attention to the size pieces I was eating or how quickly I was chewing and swallowing. Since my post, I've really tried to pay conscious attention to how I'm eating and things are going much better. Mindless eating is how I ended up on this path in the first place, and being mindFUL is a hard habit for me. I'm working on it. Thanks for all the support and good advice. I'm going to stay where I'm at for now, but be much more careful of my bite size and thoroughly chewing each bite.

Thought some of you may be in my shoes. My last fill in January (7.6 oz total) has finally given me real restriction for the first time. Yes, I PB - especially if I eat too quickly or don't chew enough, and I am finally getting comfortable knowing when I need to just stop eating. However, I'm probably PB'ing too much and think that I should get some fill removed. Only... I don't want to. I've broken my plateau and really don't feel hungry. I've lost about 8 lbs in the 4-5 weeks since the fill (I'm a shortie and now more than halfway to my goal). It's easier to completely walk away from my fav carbs (bread or pasta) and focus on my Protein and veg. Has this happened to you? Have you stayed with the increased restriction or gone to the MD to have Fluid taken out?

It's also probably leftover side effects from the anesthesia. My mouth felt like dry cotton balls for days.

So I'm at 7 weeks out and the weight loss has been very slow. I've only had one fill so far and have little to no restriction. I know that what I've done so far has been through sheer hard work and determination. But while the scale doesn't want to move, I've had three people at work approach me in the past week and ask if I've lost weight. So at least it's starting to show a bit - gives me motivation to keep it up!

Makes sense that as some women "bloat" and gain water weight before their periods, you might also get swelling around your band. Just a theory...

Your skin actually comes together within about 72 hours or so. So if it's been a few weeks and they are still on, you can peel them off in the shower. Especially with small, laparoscopic incisions, the skin is together. I had the dermabond glue... now that was annoying.

An interesting study was published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) this week, that looked at three different diets after weight loss and their effect on weight gain. It's a little complicated to read, but basically the high Protein, low carb diet that we are supposed to follow with our band should contribute to keeping the weight off, not just losing it. Here's the link: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1199154

I'm also on the slow train. I'm at 9 lbs and I'm five weeks out. I have about 50-60 lbs. to lose in total, so I know my loss will be slower than those with more to lose. If I calculate like that, I've lost about 15% of my excess weight already. I've only had one fill and have little to no restriction. So while I'm in bandster hell, I know it's going to be harder to drop the pounds in the beginning. Honestly though, I find myself frustrated that it's not going faster... some days I'm more positive than others. That's one of the reasons I'm on this site. Seeing that others are going through the same ups and downs helps me conquer these challenges! Let's do this!

I have a closet full of clothes from size 16 down to a few 8's. Obviously, I've always thought I'd get back into the small clothes eventually and now I'm on my way. I'm only 5 weeks postop, so I'm purging the closet slowly, but have already started a little "give-away" pile. I can't wait to wear some of my favorite "old" stuff - there's a reason I've kept them around for years. I also have to stop myself from hitting the July 4th sales - I am determined to be a lot smaller next summer!

I think because it's medically supervised by her MD, it's ok. It counts as an approved method for weight loss if it's supervised; it's a tool... just like our band!

My doctor is ok with it - in small amounts, not as a regular thing. I had 1 Tb of peanut butter with half of a sliced banana on a piece of low carb bread as my breakfast this morning. Satisfied my cravings and kept me full till lunch.

I'm only 5 weeks post-op and have the Realize band. It's a 12cc band and I had my first fill two 2 weeks ago of 3 cc. I have very little restriction at this point (to be expect even though it's frustrating), but am making better and smaller food choices. Now if the scale would only reflect this! Most surgeons have a reason they prefer one over the other... and it's usually based on the experience of their patients rather than any evidence-based medicine. Best of luck on your journey!

Totally normal to have your cycles thrown off because of stress, trauma (like surgery), etc. Nothing to be worried about.

The only hormone I'd make sure gets checked out is your thyroid. FSH, LH etc. isn't going to tell you anything. A sono to look at the endometrial lining would be reasonable too. Weight loss can muck up your periods, as can the physical stress of surgery. Are you on other meds? Can they be interfering with your OCPs? It does sound like you need to change pills... however remember that you need at least three months on a particular pill to have your body adjust. You might need a higher dose of a monophasic pill rather than Loestrin which is very low dose. Consider other options besides the pill and make sure you are using condoms for back up! Regardless... you are not bothering your gyn and have a right to have a contraception option you are happy with!