Veronica68

Toot Toot girl! You are doing great!

Awesome! I remember well the doctor visit in which he told me I didn't need the blood pressure or the diebeties medicine anymore. It's a milestone for sure!

I have gotten stuck on broccoli that was steamed just a bit. No other veggies have bothered me, but I tend to eat them cooked. I have found roasted veggies are delicious.

I eat Greek yougurt for breakfast with 1/2 cup of fiber one almost everyday. I love the idea of the PB2, never heard of it but want to try it. Where do you get it?

Cravings are really hard. If you think you really are physically hungry, have something on your plan to eat, and maybe that will satisfy the craving for something that's not. I agree with Rebbeca, if you think it's head hunger, get busy! Get out of the house, clean something, make a phone call. You may find once you distract yourself, the craving goes away. Hope this helps!

I would go in and talk with your surgeon for sure. Explain exactly what's going on and decide together what to do. Hope you feel better soon!

I think it's a great idea to discuss the amount of fill before hand. My doc. always meets with me in his office, then we go to the exam room and he does the fill. Discuss with her how your eating, how long you stay full for et... That's great you are not getting stuck, pbing or vomiting. That is NOT par of the course. It indicates either the band is too tight or the user is not eating properly (wrong food, too big bites, not chewing enough). I think it sounds like you are doing really well!

I am a firm believer in only getting on the scale first thing in the morning, after using the bathroom. I think what you may drink and eat as well as other factors like hormones et... affect weight through out the day.

I am in the same boat. Once I eat something not on the plan, I figure ok might as well eat all the things I've been craving and start tomorrow. It has been difficult for me to get out of that mindset. At least now, I make myself wait until dinner, that way less damage is done. But still not a good mindset. Past few days have been great, so lets hope I'm on a good track!

I totally agree! I live alone so don't have that issue, but I do find people use the fact that other family members want it, so it's in the house. I think it takes a serious talk with the family about your goals and how they can support them. One idea is to find things they like, but you don't. Along the same lines, find things they DO like that are on your plan. Another suggestion is to ask them to eat their "junk food" out of the house. As already said, nobody needs to be eating that stuff very often anyway- even if they don't have a weight problem. Good Luck and you can do it!

Agreed!

I had to pay out of pocket for fills too. I was frustrated too. I would be really hungry, get a fill and then get sick even on protein shakes. That required another hour drive to the doc. and another payment to have some of the fluid removed. I did have months here and there where I had "restriction", but it overall wasn't the tool I hoped it would be. I did manage to loose all my excess weight by sticking to a lowcarb/lowfat diet and working out almost every day. Unfortunately I have gained quite a bit back. Struggling to get back on track. My band is not filled much, had a bunch taken out after I lost the weight. I wanted to be able to eat a real breakfast, not just a shake et.. I know I should go in for a fill, but my experience with them is not great as I've said. I also have to admit to being embarrassed about the weight gain. My plan now is lowfat, good carbs and lots of protein and work out regularly. I think I was too strict with myself and lost the weight too fast (107 pounds in 10 months). I never really made a "lifestyle" change. So far it's been a really good week. I am sorry the band isn't working as well for you as you would like. My doctor was really good about listening to me and giving fills when I felt I needed one. We talked together about it. You may want to have a talk with your dr. about more aggressive fills. .3 really isn't all that much. Go in with a record of what your eating when and how satisfied you are for how long. As mentioned, it may be that the previous issue you had is making him conservative with the fills. It's worth a heart to heart I think. Explain that also you have lost weight (which is awsome) but that you are dealing with a lot of hunger. Best of luck! Veronica

I agree- not much can be done. Save your money and find a good plastic surgeon lol. Seriously, I do believe surgery is the only way to remedy saggy skin. If you go that route, I caution you to maintain the weight loss for a while, at least a year. I rushed into it and am sorry, since I have regained some weight. We'll see as I loose again what my skin does. I did try a lotion, think it was Jergens. I ended up getting a bad rash, I have sensitive skin and there was lots of fragrance in it.

I don't know if it's a slip, only your doctor can tell you that. I know you have an appt. on Wed., but I would call Mon. first thing and see if you can get in Mon. Like already said, the sooner it is dealt with the better. You will probably need to talk to one of the nurses to get them to squeeze you in. That's what I've done when I have been too tight from a fill. Hope you feel better soon!

Well.... I have to disagree with the above posts. I don't think it's a lack of protein, or that biotin helps. When I started loosing hair, I went to the dermatoligist. Much to my relief, he said I was not going bald. He said the body goes into kind of a shock after rapid weight loss. I honestly don't remember his detailed explanation, something about the cycle of hair growth. Mine started to fall out about 4 months post op and stopped, and grew back about 3 months later. I know how unsettling it is, but try not to worry. It will stop.

I have had a weight problem all my life. I wish I had done something sooner. That being said, I hope at 14 you are ready to follow the band "rules". It's not a ticket to easy street, you will still need to work at it. I have no problem someone this young having surgery, as I assume it's been an issue most of your life. Why wait until you have diebeties, high cholesteral, high blood pressure et... I am in your corner, and hope you are succesfull! Please keep us posted.

I can eat fried eggs in the morning- just use a bit of olive oil spray. I cannot eat scrambelled eggs for some reason. Also, I am tighter in the morning. That seems to be the case for lots of people. You might want to try eggs later in the day. When I was loosing, and fairly tight, I had a protein shake for breakfast.

I lost hair about 4 months post-op. Went to the dermatologist, and much to my relief, he said I would not go bald. He explained that the body goes into a kind of shock from rapid weight loss. I forget the details, it was a while ago. Sure enough 2-3 months later the hair loss stopped. Lots of posts have said to be sure to get enough protein and that biotin helps. I always got lots of protein and I never took biotin and my hair is back to normal.

That's great things have turned around for you! Hope it stays that way. Best wishes!

I have always snacked when on a weight loss program. I just get too hungry inbetween meals. I snack on berries, low fat cheese, some nuts, beef/turkey jerky, turkey pepperoni. I include them in my calorie count for the day. Right now my program is about 1200 calories a day. I am sure to get at least 60 gms protien, if not more. I drink lots of water. Times in my life when I was not focused on loosing weight (probably gaining) I didn't really snack. Of course I was eating much more at mealtimes than I do now. I think each person needs to find what works for them, no hard and fast rule.

I agree- go for a fill for sure. Good luck!

I think it's crazy when doctors refuse to give a fill simply based on the fact the patient is loosing weight. As you said, you are experiencing a lot of hunger and gradually able to eat more. My doc. was great- really listened and gave a fill based on what I was able to eat and my hunger levels. Sorry you didn't get your fill, but you can keep making good choices. Best wishes!

I really don't eat fast food, used to though. I have found I really don't like Mcdonalds anymore. In the past I have had Wendy's chili. I don't know the nutrional info. but it seemed like a good option and band friendly. Beans, and the ingredients in the sauce (sugar) probably make it faily high in carbs, but certainly better than burger or whatever with a bun and fries.

If you aren't already running to the gym after all the encouragement, here's one more little thing. Working out will decrease your appetite- at least it does mine. I notice on days I don't do cardio I am significantly more hungry. Let us know how you are doing.

Yes, as said, you can loose without exercise. It's a matter of burning more calories than you take in. However, as also said, you will loose faster if you exercise. If you are able to, please do it. You can start out slow, and gradually increase your duration/intensity. Believe it or not, you will come to like it and miss it if you can't do it. There are also so many benefits to exercise besides weight loss. You will lower blood pressure, increase metabolism (so you burn more calories all day long), help your body deal with blood sugar and cholesteral more effectively. Just do it girl!