LadyHR

Please let me know if a "DFW Meet Up" comes together. I live in north Arlington. I travel for work during the week so weekends would be best for me. Marlena

Hi, all: Sounds like everyone made it through the Holidays intact. I had a few "bad" moments with the holiday sweets and had to overhaul my mindset after Christmas. I just came out of my third episode of being too tight. At least this time, I recognized the signs before I started the hours upon hours of vomiting and I didn't have to go for a unfill. But three days of liquids put me back on track. My band is a puzzle to me -my last fill was 12/10 and I felt no restriction until last Jan. 3 when it tightened so much I could only get water down in small sips. My fill person says it could be due to stress - I replied that it certainly causes stresss! Anyone had an experience like this? The good news is that during this last episode, I made it to Onederland! I haven't been under 200 for about 20 years so I'm pretty excited. Hope everyone has a good week - I hit the road with work tomorrow and will be gone all week. Marlena

Thanks to all for the good advice about sugar - I'm going to recommit to no sugar for a few days, too! Michelle and Momlambert - I am in a Majongg group, too. We have been playing for about 17 years and are only able to meet about 4 times a year. We play by very "loose" rules (i.e. we play all hands open) but we have a great time. Every year or two we take a "road trip" for a weekend. Southerngal - I wish you the best for Friday. We'll be here to answer your questions. It's quite a journey! I am going in tomorrow for a slight fill. I had an emergency de-fill two weeks ago so I doubt she will give me much. But I have no restriction now so wish me luck!

Hi, everyone! I haven't posted in a while but am doing pretty well. I also changed my email address two weeks ago and couldn't get emails at either address until today. So I have just finished reading all the past posts. I did have another episode of nonstop vomiting (this time a day and a half). Of course, I was out of town on business and had to find a clinic in Houston who could do an emergency de-fill for me last Friday. I don't know what causes this as it is the second time it has happened and it was 12 days after my last fill. Anyway, water still wouldn't go through after they took out 1.0 cc so they took out another 1.0 cc for a total of 2.0cc. Of course, now I can eat a lot... Hope everyone's Thanksgiving went well. I opted not to cook this year and we went to the Gaylord Resort with a group of 13 of us. It was fabulous buffet and we stayed for 2 3/4 hours which worked well for me as I ate a little bit, waited a while, then ate a little bit more. Never even felt uncomfortable. DH was worried about me not getting our money's worth but I think I did just fine. Then it was on to the Cowboy/Jets game where it snowed! So it was not our usual traditional day, but a fun one, nonetheless. I have 7 more pounds to Onederland and would love to make it by year end. Are you all as anxious as I am about the Holiday food-fest this year? I don't want to nibble my weight back. Any plan of defense??

Help! I haven't had one bit of trouble with my band until now. I guess the fill I got last week got tighter - too tight! While on my way on an out of town business trip today, I started throwing up about every 15-20 minutes. Keep in mind that I haven't vomited in 40 years so this has been particularly unnerving! Anyway, half way to my destination, my doc called in a prescription for Phenergan. They are pills and I can't keep them down either. At this point even a "sip" of water causes pain and the cycle starts again!! Has anyone been in similar situations? How long did it last? Any ideas on how to keep the meds down? I have a full week of work activities planned and probably should just cancel, go back home and get an unfill. If I can just stop the throwing up, I would be a happy camper! My doc said to call tomorrow if no better and maybe he could arrange an "unfill" here in Houston. Wish me relief....

Trudy and Joy - I know you are getting excited about your band. I hope you find this decision as rewarding as I have. Trudy, I have to ask - what is an LSD diet? I smiled when I read that but I'm sure it's nothing to do with the 60's! New Life - Sounds like you are doing well. I had no appetite for about 10 days after surgery and it was great. Then I did well until about 2 weeks before my first fill was allowed and I was starving! I lost weight those two weeks only through sheer will power. I'm still not at the "sweet spot" yet but will have my third fill on Oct 2. I will be ready as I get hungry between meals now. I'm off for a 6 day vacation Wednesday and am worried about gaining - wish me well!! Hopefully, all the walking will help offset the "I'm on vacation and should indulge" mentality. Marlena

I use DietPower. I did not try any others first but I like the features of this one. They let you try it out for a couple of weeks then you have to decide to purchase.

We'll be thinking of you, MistyMoon! I went for my 2nd fill today and was pleasantly surprised that this one didn't hurt at all. I asked the NP why the first one was so painful and she said she must have hit a nerve! So now I won't dread the fills! I got 2 more cc's for a total of 7 so I hope my restriction will be good again. I'm doing liquids for 24 hours. What's the longest your fills have worked well?

NM Sunshine - I was only at the hospital 4 hours. My doctor told me that he only keeps patients overnight if their insurance requires it. I was self-pay so didn't want to incur extra expense. I was fine at home but I did need to sleep in a recliner for about 4 nights because it was uncomfortable trying to lift myself from a prone position. I was terrified of pulling my port site loose so I was very careful the first couple of weeks. You should plan to walk a lot from day one. I walked 5-10 minutes every hour to help with the gas pains that seemed to "travel" around my body! My post-op diet was 3 days clear liquids, 4 days full liquids, two weeks mushies, then progress to solids. He wouldn't fill for 4 weeks. You will find that every doc is different so it's best to follow what your doc says to do. One thing I stocked up on was liquid protein in plastic vials - I got the New Whey brand at The Vitamin Shoppe and I got the Protica line online. I still carry them in my purse in case I need a "pick me up". I am still very careful about getting enough protein so I don't lose my energy or my hair! Good luck to you and New Life - you are in for a fun ride!

Hi, everyone - I have enjoyed reading about all the surgical procedures. I saw an infomercial recently on that Lifestyle Lift and I was ready to sign up! But I'm always a sucker for those late night infomercials!! Green, good luck and I hope you'll keep us all posted throughout your adventure. You'll have to post some before/after pix for us. Welcome to the new posters and let us know how your banding procedures go. I'm scheduled for my 2nd fill next week - hoping to get just the right amount of restriction again. The first one was great until a few days ago and I started being able to eat more and I get hungry quicker now. I guess I've lost enough that the band has loosened up so that's a good thing. Everyone have a great week!

Exercise is always a struggle for me, too! Now that I am newly motivated I find myself out of town on work three out of four weeks and it is a challenge to exercise. This week, though, I have gone to the fitness center in my hotel two nights!! Baby steps.... I laughed so hard when I heard a comedian say last week "I don't like to exercise because I hate to punish my legs for something my mouth did!" Welcome to the newest members about to be banded!

Hi, everyone: I have been traveling a lot lately and haven't posted but have now read all the past ones. I always gain so much by the sharing everyone does. For those of you who haven't been banded yet - I am so pleased with my decision to get the Lap Band. I admit I was pretty miserable for a couple of weeks before my first fill as I was "really" hungry and could still eat a lot. But since my fill, this tool is working wonderfully! I still think about bad things I would like to eat (ice cream) but most of the time I'm simply too full between meals to snack! The Band makes this so easy -all I have to do is to make fairly good decisions about what I eat at meals. (I eat my share of pasta though). I have lost 3#s per week since my fill and I'm very happy with that level of loss so I'm not even considering getting a second fill at this point in time. I can usually eat about 3/4 cup of food at a meal except breakfast when I usually only eat 1/2 cup of yogurt or cottage cheese and it fills me up until lunch. I hope this lasts! I don't believe I will miss not being able to eat a lot at Thanksgiving because now I feel "Thanksgiving full" if I eat one bite too much at a meal and that's not a comfortable feeling! I love all the ideas given for dealing with the "head" hunger. I have to admit that peer pressure is working for me - I told everyone I know about the Band and they are all watching and asking me how it's going. It's great to have such a large cheering section but I definitely feel the pressure to do well. The money also weighs heavy for me as I was self-pay - I figure it's costing me $150 per pound lost if I reach goal! Good luck to all of you and continue to post - this site is a great support group.

IndioGirl - So nice to hear your good news! To those of you who share your PB experiences and let us know what causes it, I thank you! I have had no problems yet but your posts have made me extra careful about the size of my bites, my chewing, eating slowly, etc. It also makes me cautious about getting a second fill. I think I'll just wait until I'm not losing enough and not tempt fate!

Sweets have always been my downfall. I hope this doesn't tempt anyone but this is what I have been doing since I was able to go on solid food. I have two dark chocolate Hershey kisses at night when I start "wanting" something sweet. So far I have never gone beyond just two and I tell myself that based on a recent study that dark chocolate has some health benefits! I also take my chewable fiber and my calcium chew at night so they even feel like a treat! I hope I will be able to contain myself in the future but I really haven't been tempted by sweets. (I do miss my Diet Coke though!).

lessofme and IndioGirl - I'm thinking positive thoughts for you! ckbw - I had a hiatal hernia that I didn't even know I had and the doctor repaired it when my band was put on. My recovery seemed pretty consistent with everyone else's so I don't think it's a major problem. Maybe because of the extra swelling from its repair, I didn't get hungry after surgery for days. Good luck!

Diann, Big As Life, and Margi - Way to go on your big weight losses! IndioGirl - Doesn't it feel great to be able to throw away something we know we shouldn't eat? I travel with my job and I would destroy the "treats" they put in my room prior to check-in. Believe it or not, the last trip I left the treat in the room for three days and didn't even want it (post fill)! DynamoMini and Margi - You have inspired me with your talk about exercise. Count me in the group that doesn't really enjoy it. But my DH finished setting up our new exercise room today, so I guess I better get in there tonight and work hard! I've also heard that we should be eating at least 1000 calories a day but I can't follow all the "rules" and get that much in! I am trying not to snack between the three meals and most of the time I am just not hungry. I'm averaging around 700-800 calories a day. I think I'll stick with this until my weight loss slows down, then kickstart it with more calories if I think my metabolism has shut down. I have been recording everything I eat using DietPower, an online website someone recommended on one of the threads. I really like all the info I can get from it. One of the hardest things for me has been to wait 45-60 minutes after a meal to drink. Anyone else having trouble with that?

Hi, everyone. Thanks for all the feedback on my questions about fills. I'm really enjoying the restriction I have now. Friday night we went out to a restaurant and I got a dish with grilled chicken, spinach, and couscous. I ate three meals out of it and finally gave at least half of the remaining veggies to my DH! Unbelievable and then I'm stuffed for hours after. I sure hope this lasts a while. IndioGirl - You are in my thoughts which are VERY positive on your behalf. I had a very stressful day at work (I'm an HR Director) and kept reaching for the drawer where I used to keep my candy stash - not there anymore! Old habits are so hard to break. I travel all the time and I think this is the first full day I was at the office since banding. But I just kept drinking water until time to go home. Now I'm going to get on the exercise bike and see if I can take that stress away!! How long do they say it takes for new habits to form?? Everyone have a good evening and welcome to the new Over 50 posters!

Denise, How many fills have you had since December? About how far apart have they been? I'm just got my first fill about 10 days ago and have good restriction with nothing getting stuck so far. I'm just curious how long people are typically able to go between fills? Good luck with your visit home - I bet your Dad is proud of your weight loss!

It doesn't get better when you start eating again if you eat high protein and low fat. I use chewable Benefiber - fruit flavor and they aren't too bad. I have also used Gerber strained prunes on occasion.

Hi, everyone: Glad to report some restriction since my fill - I seem to be able to eat only about 3/4 cup and not as much hunger in-between meals. I know from reading other posts that this may not last but I am pleased for now. IndioGirl - What a rough time you have had. I hope it gets better and I'm sure now that you are home it will. I found walking (about 5 minutes every hour or two) helped those gas pains which traveled all over my upper body. Hope everyone has a great week - I'm on the road with work from Monday-Friday this week and it is a great challenge to eat the right things. If anyone has any tips or advice for traveling, let me know!

Green, A couple of years ago, my DH and I converted our king bed to an electronic one. We opted for individual controls so each side can be raised or lowered. It's been great for my back as I can raise my legs as well. When I was banded, they found a hiatal hernia that I didn't even know I had. I had no symptoms of reflux - maybe because I sleep with the head raised (I don't know)? Anyway, we love our electonic controls - the only downside is that because it is two twin mattresses pushed together, it's harder to "spoon" especially if one of us has our side raised higher than the other. But after 36 years of wedded bliss, we've found ways to accommodate and get a better night's rest. Just a suggestion that worked for me - good luck to you!

Ms Jen, I'm back on solid food now but your recipe for chicken broth sounds yummy - I think I will make some. I like the idea of flavoring veggies with it. Thanks for sharing! Good luck to you IndioGirl. This process has never been "easy" for me but well worth everything we go through to get to the end result.

Karey - Thanks for the Diet Power recommendation. I set it up this afternoon and think I will really enjoy using this site. Green - I am not looking forward to aging quickly!! Did you lose a lot of weight quickly or is this something that will happen to all of us? Share more info, please!

LadyHR on the 22nd. I counted 113 entries - wow! Thanks for updating for us.

Green, I have chosen HRT because I have night sweats, insomnia and serious mood swings if I don't and with my current, very stressful job, those things are not a good mix! I told myself I would only take them for five years and I'm in year four now. I don't have any family history of breast cancer or heart disease so for now I think this is the right choice for me. However I always have the risk factors in the back of my mind. Congrats on your weight loss success! I, too, am curious if HRT seems to have inhibited anyone's weight loss. I haven't read anything about it - anyone?