Donna113

I fluctuate 1-2 lbs but otherwise, the same type of cycle. It's our bodies adjusting to the weight loss and as long as it settles on the low number, we're still ahead of the game! You've been carrying this weight around for years so if it takes a few months or even 2 years to get rid of all of it, it's OK.

My 5th fill is really working; I don't want to jinx myself, but I think I may have finally found the "sweet spot"! I'm still just eating mushies since I just got my fill on Tuesday and even liquids are going down very slowly.

Magic va jay jay here too. It's like that with my husband and was like that with exes as well.

:cursing::thumbup:

Why heading home? Noone showed up to be watched while they sleep?

When it rains, it makes my 45 minute commute stretch out to 1 hr and 15 minutes and that's if it's just sprinkling. If it decides to really rain, then it's a 3 hour nightmare. *sigh* OK, let's change the subject--I can feel my blood pressure rising.

What's even worse is when you can't see a reason at all! I'm feeling road rage right now just thinking about it! :cursing:

It must be something about these hot, steamy cities that cause it.

Wow Barb! You've had phenomenal weight loss. Yes, I've heard that as you lose weight, you may need lose restriction. Also, if this is sudden, you probably should ask your doctor to withdraw the fluid to see if it's all there still as you may have developed a leak.

It's so bad that it's almost as bad as "trafficking" LOL

What kind of case are you on?

Houston traffick can be daunting; either it's not moving fast enough or moving so fast out of towners turn green in the passenger seat. Not to mention all the lanes, on ramps, off ramps, etc. My 25 year old nephew from a small town in Arizona said he'd pass out before he could get behind the wheel in Houston. Like everything else, you get used to it.

Kick them all out! If only we could fire politicians...

Plain, you might as well cave in - if I did it, you can too!

BBK, I "friended" you. :cursing:

Boy, did I open up a can of worms or what with that whole traffick cop thing? I feel a bit of clarity is needed here: 1) when traveling anywhere in Houston metro area, you have to drive as fast as the traffick will allow else you'll cause an accident by causing road rage and people desperate to drive around you (not to mention the fact that because it's so spread out, you have to drive the speed of sound to actually arrive on the same day). 2) I don't whiz through stop signs -- I come to a rolling stop and move on when I see there are no other cars. 3) I am a safe driver and the only accidents I've been involved in for the past 10 years have all been in stop and go traffick where the car behind me bumped me. Now, all you other "obey all traffick laws at all times" may go and pat yourselves on the back for being such good little boys and girls. Just stay off the highways in Houston!

No problems with rice and pasta. I got my 5th fill yesterday and I can definitely feel the difference so once I move to solids again I may not be able to eat it afterwards.

OK, I joined facebook, how do I friend you?

I told anyone who asked. Since my weight loss has been so slow (23.5 lbs in 4 1/2 months) I know some are wondering why it's not working. Those that don't understand the band think it should work like gastric by-pass and that the weight will just melt off. When I tell them it's all diet and exercise and that the band only helps with portion control of solid food, they don't understand why pay so much if it's basically a lifestyle change? Sometimes I ask the same question myself but I know that without the band, it would have been difficult to change my lifestyle so I don't regret doing it but I sometimes regret telling others about it.

Sorry ColoradoChick if I offended you. I don't have a poor opinion of cops; just not too fond of traffick cops. I realize they provide a valuable service and I want the dangerous drivers off the road but I still prefer for them to be looking for criminals, not traffick violators. I know most traffick cops would prefer looking for real criminals too. Like I said, they've always been very good to me and let me off all the time with a warning. Forgive me? :cursing:

Joiful, if you can't eat solid food, then you are probably too tight. My understanding is that the band isn't going to make you feel full like you felt before being banded, it just stops the gnawing hunger. However, if you eat carbs or anything that turns into sugar once ingested, it will kick in cravings which mimic hunger. Why don't you try measuring food and eat only 4-6 oz at a sitting and then if you get hungry again, eat another 4-6 oz a couple of hours later. Drink plenty of water. Avoid soups, because those go right through the band and are usually high in calories.

I'm looking forward to solid food again but so soon after a fill I need to ease back into it. I'm making 15 bean soup with smoked ham hocks in a slow cooker so tonight will be bean soup night (mushies).

Name_________StartWeight___CurrentWeight______Goal________ToGo *****<?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = V /><v:shapetype id=_x0000_t75 coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" filled="f" stroked="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe">:smile2:</v:shapetype>***********:thumbup:*************:tt2:**********:scared2:****** :cursing: * agreatknead........204............187..........180.............7 areellady..........189............189...........159...........30 BIGB...............342............342...........300...........42 BellaPerdente......253............209...........195...........14 Boos02.............258............226...........200...........26 Brandy.............221............204...........191...........13 BrownBear..........240............235...........200...........35 Bunkey1965.........194............170...........170............0 Cadets71...........223.4..........220.4.........189...........31.4 Charlietuna........210............167...........150...........17 Claudine...........250............231...........225............6 CubsGirl17.........172............154...........150............4 Cutiew/booty.......251............228...........220............8 cQQlgirl...........195............187...........175...........12 crzytchr...........276............258...........246...........12 Donna113...........199............189.5.........160...........29.5 Ekat...............527............172...........152...........19 feefee57...........262............212...........180...........32 FeliciaLevy75......240............216...........190...........26 GillieBean.........304............296...........264...........32 HeatherO...........150............143...........130...........13 Hollie ............l54............154...........125...........29 janesays ..........244............244...........225...........19 jazzyywan..........239............239...........190...........49 Jeni85.............182............182...........160...........22 Jillbeme...........235............203.5.........185...........18.5 Josie74............260............255...........215...........40 judy1023...........231............231...........199...........32 klmsilva...........216............212...........190...........26 legster............183............183...........160...........23 linksmom...........251............231...........200...........31 Liquidbluegal......225............214.6.........199...........15.6 Liz_hager..........161............158...........130...........28 Long2BThin.........253............219...........215............4 lotzasunshine......292............275...........250...........25 Luu2008............230............199.5.........153...........46.5 Lunabeane..........244............197...........187...........10.0 Mamanmidwife.......295............268...........260............8 Melissa Aguirre ...266............233...........160...........73 Melody2006.........223............223...........173...........50 MiniPearl#2........???............???...........???...........?? Minxz..............299............287...........270...........17 neefam.............238............189...........158...........31 newby23............242............242...........212...........30 odizzzydori........242............242...........199...........43 paige65............252............238...........220...........18 rainer.............236............222...........210...........12 Redtulips3.........180............175...........160...........15 reif78.............294............195...........140...........40 RichardCranium.....338............276...........200...........76 soontobehottie.....201............181...........165...........16 srknepler..........285............249.2.........255..........(5.7) squale.............353............353...........325...........28 SueAZ..............198............193...........150...........43 Sunshine2..........177............167...........160...........07 Suzzzie............305............305...........285...........20 stevegoad..........370............341...........267...........74 Terilynn112........240............224...........199...........41 Truediva...........299............285...........235...........50 thininside28.......255............255...........215...........40 Turler.............219............209...........194...........15 youcandoit!........196............182...........165...........17 Since it took me 4 1/2 months to lose 23.5 lbs, I seriously doubt I'm going to make my goal and lose 29.5 lbs more by the end of the month but I'm OK with it since I'm going down and not up!

I got my 5th fill yesterday to take me up to a total of 5 ccs in an 8 cc band. I'm very sensitive to fills so except for the first fill which was 3 ccs, each one thereafter was only .5 ccs. All I can say is that from everything I've read on LBT, being too tight is only a recipe for misery. My doc says the same thing -- you want only enough restriction to help with portion control, not to stop eating. He stresses that the band is intended to allow us to live normal lives and to help us get back to a normal relationship with food. He says to quit stressing about the amount of weight loss, just so long as you're losing, even if it's onl 2 pounds a month, at least it's going in the right direction. He says slow weight loss is best because it is less stressful on the body AND the person. I could mabe argue that losing only 2 pounds a month after paying $13k for surger is pretty stressful, but the truth of the matter is that I've lost 23.5 pounds in 4 1/2 months and without the band, it probabely would have been a 23.5 gain in 4 1/2 months. Even if I was dieting, there is no way I could have stuck to any diet for 4 1/2 months, especially with such slow results so I'm looking at this as a lifetime adjustment. I'm reestablishing my relationship with food and everything that entails and my body is responding to that adjusted relationship (albeit slowly and reluctantly). I did this surgery so that I could be free from fat and enjoy my life. If I allow this surgery to make me so physically miserable that I can't enjoy life, that means I've only traded one jailer for another.

I finally broke 190! I'm 189.5. It took 2 1/2 weeks (the ticker said I last changed it on 11/14) to break but I broke it! WooHoo! Now I need to work on breaking 180. This last fill is definitely giving me more restriction. Last night I had tomato soup made with goat's milk. I loved it but it didn't fill me up so I ended up popping a bag of popcorn. For the first time, the popcorn didn't slide right through the band; I could feel it sitting in my pouch. Not too tight and uncomfortable but I could feel it.