CAishaGA

I was banded 7/11/13 and I have about 6cc's in my band. I think my problem is portion size. I can eat more than 1 cup of food at a time so today I started eating 1/2 of my food, letting the rest cool down if it was hot, and putting it in the freezer for another day. I noticed that I was not hungry after eating just 1/2 which tells me I have been listening to my head and not my stomach. I started exercising 3 months ago and I either ride a bike or do my elliptical machine at least 5 times a week. So...why do I get on the scale twice a day only to see that I lose 1 pound a week or maybe 2?!?! I'm obsessed with weighting myself and it's only adding to me feeling like more of a failure in this. Do you think I need another fill? I haven't gotten a fill in 4 months because I wanted to try working this band the right way. I am making an effort to get in 64 ounces of Water daily too. So...can someone help me? Give me some daily menu ideas...something...I'm drowning here!!! I thought I would be 100 pounds down by now! Lol! I just need a little help from some experts! Thanks so much God bless you!!!

One or two pounds a week is quite respectable. I've gone for months where I have lost only a 1/2 pound. I think you're doing darn good! After losing 50 pounds it can become harder to shed more as quickly as in the beginning.

50 pounds down is amazing -- way to go! I think about what would have happened to me over the long cold winter we had if I had not had my band. Fifty is great. Pat yourself in the back and figure out where you want to go from here. It's not a race, it's a lifestyle. You are doing great!

Why oh why do you feel like a failure? You've lost 50 lbs. And you have to remember that without WLS, you likely would have gained quite a bit of weight so add that to your total. Also...get off the scale. It's just a number and you can lose even if the scale doesn't show it. Look for the NSVs instead of the weight loss. Are you wearing smaller sized clothing? Do you have more energy? Can you fit somewhere you couldn't before? These changes are as if not more important that the numbers. Don't concern yourself with what you thought you would lose...only concern yourself with what you have lost. 50 lbs. is nothing to sneeze at. Try to pick up something that weighs 50 lbs. I bet you can't. Remember...this is a lifelong journey so don't get bogged down in the time it takes to 'get there'. Good luck my friend!

First fill today. No Fluid in band and got 2cc's. I must wait another 6 weeks before my next fill as this one has been 6 weeks since surgery. Since July 18th I gained 0.2 ounces and my doctor said that was fine since weight loss was not important the first 6 weeks as healing is. I don't feel any difference in liquids going down. Next fill will probably only be 1cc.

So sorry to hear this!!!! I hope you get taken care of soon! And to think I was upset today with my very first fill of 2cc's and how slow this process is going to be. Take care!!

I called my dr about this today. I have no Fluid at all in my band. They all but called me crazy for thinking I should be losing weight right now!!! I get my first fill on 8/22 and then I will start trying to get to the green zone. Until then...they told me to STOP weighting myself!!!

I have reached it! And I couldn't be happier! Don't despair my fellow bandsters...it is real and it might take you a while to reach it. I was banded March 20th and I was losing hope with minimal weight loss. I got my 4th fill on Friday and it took me up to 8.5 ccs in a 10 cc band to get there. But now I feel full all of the time with very little desire to eat. I am so happy and want to share my joy! If you are feeling hopeless, hang in there, it will happen for you too! Let the true weight loss begin!!!!

So yesterday I had my one week follow up and I learned some interesting things that someone may need to hear. Ok my left shoulder pain is not gas but the muscles that are around the hernia that was repaired are in the same area. Never knew hernia muscles went up to the shoulder. Ok the thick flem I had and sore throat is due to having thrush. I got a strong antibiotic and medicine that you gargle and swallow. Let me know if names are needed. No BM or BM not on the horizon take 2 tablespoons of Milk of Magnesia followed by warm Water. If no BM repeat in 3 hours. Good way to relieve gas: get on your knees and drop to your elbows. Gas travels to the highest location to be expelled which would be your....rear end!!! I did try this and wait for it.....yes, it worked.
I was in heaven today because I am finally able to advance to full liquids versus Clear Liquids which I have been on since 7/11. I actually ate watered down grits and almost cried!!! I'm a southern gal and the grits were fabulous!!!!

So yesterday I had my one week follow up and I learned some interesting things that someone may need to hear. Ok my left shoulder pain is not gas but the muscles that are around the hernia that was repaired are in the same area. Never knew hernia muscles went up to the shoulder. Ok the thick flem I had and sore throat is due to having thrush. I got a strong antibiotic and medicine that you gargle and swallow. Let me know if names are needed. No BM or BM not on the horizon take 2 tablespoons of Milk of Magnesia followed by warm Water. If no BM repeat in 3 hours. Good way to relieve gas: get on your knees and drop to your elbows. Gas travels to the highest location to be expelled which would be your....rear end!!! I did try this and wait for it.....yes, it worked.
I was in heaven today because I am finally able to advance to full liquids versus Clear Liquids which I have been on since 7/11. I actually ate watered down grits and almost cried!!! I'm a southern gal and the grits were fabulous!!!!

I'm going to be blunt, but my words are meant to help you. Eating chicken one week after banding and plication is dangerous. Your body has to work SO hard just to get the food down through the esophagus and into the stomach. Your stomach has been banded and folded and is just beginning to heal. Your band is not swollen. Your body is. It's been through massive trauma. A band is an unnatural object, a foreign body, and it affects the body's natural digestive processes, especially when you're still in the healing stage. The huffing and trying to breathe is due to the diaphragm, most likely. Your stomach and the surrounding tissues are very swollen right now and are not giving your diaphragm much room.
If you can stomach it, (no pun intended) watch a video of banding and plication. And watch a video of the digestive process. Just because the surgery may have been done laparoscopically doesn't mean it wasn't major surgery. You want to give your body plenty of time to heal otherwise it will be all downhill from this point. Good luck.

Good luck! I got mine yesterday.

I got my band yesterday. I told them I was nervous and they put some feel good in my IV and I wasn't nervous anymore!!! When it was time to go out they told me "you are going to sleep now!" There was not time to refuse!!! Lol! I woke up in recovery. Felt like a minute had passed by but really it was an hour and a half. Easy peasy!!!!

sleeping like a log here.

Good luck Caisha!!

8:30 check in for me in the morning. I am extremely nervous!!! If you are a praying person please say a prayer for me and I will return the favor to you. I took my "naked" pictures and measurements tonight and wanted to vomit!!! I cannot wait until I can look in the mirror and actually like the person standing in it. I have prayed up my surgeon, technicians, nurses, aesthetician, and everyone else that will have contact with me tomorrow! I will try to get with my 7/11 band buddies to check back in in the evening. I got my Chapstick and GasX on deck just in case I need it. I think I am ready! God bless and good night!

8:30 check in for me in the morning. I am extremely nervous!!! If you are a praying person please say a prayer for me and I will return the favor to you. I took my "naked" pictures and measurements tonight and wanted to vomit!!! I cannot wait until I can look in the mirror and actually like the person standing in it. I have prayed up my surgeon, technicians, nurses, aesthetician, and everyone else that will have contact with me tomorrow! I will try to get with my 7/11 band buddies to check back in in the evening. I got my Chapstick and GasX on deck just in case I need it. I think I am ready! God bless and good night!

Excited for you as I go Thursday! I was on sugar busters diet since 6/17 and I never cheated bad just ate some ribs....I will pray I am ok with my liver...I lost 10 pounds but I admire everyone that has been on straight liquids. That itself proves you are ready in my eyes!!! Good luck!

I had one on my birthday!!! It made me so confident about the surgery since I had to be put to sleep and I was nervous about that part. It was a piece of cake. The sleep felt so refreshing. Mine took about 20 minutes from start to finish.

I mourned everything I could get my hands on....I gained about 6 pounds in a month and a half doing it and IT FELT GOOD!!! I am doing my Pre op diet way early. My date is set at 7/11 and I started my diet 6/17. It has not been traumatic at all however I am doing a diet called Sugar Busters and basically I eat eggs, salad, chicken, whole wheat grains and fruit. I like the diet way more than I think I would have like doing a liquid diet before the surgery. Tomorrow at work they are having Olive Garden lasagna....I am a HUGE ( no pun intended) carb o haulic so tomorrow it really going to test my strength and will power!!!! I just needed to tell somebody that...thanks for listening!!!