Cherrybomb

Actually, I believe there is some truth to that. The body needs X number of calories just to survive (breathe, repair muscle, digest, etc.). What X is depends on how big you are, how sedentary and I'm sure other factors. For my weight and my "lifestyle", I need about 1800 calories to just live. So no matter what, I'm going to keep my cals below that number until I reach my goal weight.

I drink a lot of Crystal Light but the other day I drank over a quart of the Fruit Punch. I ended up with a severe headache later in the day, which is rare for me. I don't know if it was the punch, but since then, I have cut back.

Yesterday during my fill, I asked the nurse what size band I had received and she told me that I had a 14 cc band. Has anyone heard of this size? I thought the large band was 10 cc (Vanguard).

Thanks for the update, Pinenut. My first fill will be August 16 and I am looking forward to it. Right now, I can pretty much tolerate anything - or at least the stuff I have tried. I've had a couple of really unpleasant "overly full" feelings after eating too much but no pb, sliming, etc. I'm still trying to eat soft(er) foods and I haven't tried steak or anything like that. Unfortunately, my weight has been holding steady for the last three weeks. I have been increasing my exercise and I definitely feel better, so that is a plus. But I'm hoping to see some pounds drop when I finally get the fill. I'm really worried that I won't be able to get all the Water down once I am restricted though. I know the water goes right through but if the pouch is filled with food from a meal, doesn't that cause a problem? I'm having trouble getting all the water in now, let alone later. I'm sorry to hear about your scary time with being "stuck" but I'm glad to hear that you are getting some restriction now after the second fill. Please keep us posted on how it goes! I won't be at the St. Joe's meeting but I will be at the NWWLS meeting on August 16th.

Hi Pinenut, I'm wondering how things have been going for you since your first fill. Care to share? Thanks, Cherry

Wow, this weekend I went crazy with food. I'm still in the soft foods phase post-op but that hasn't stopped me from wolfing down ice cream and any other food that I can pulverize to eat. I'm not sure why I've gotten so off track. I don't get my fill until the middle of August. Does anyone have some suggestions for how to get a handle on eating when there is no restriction? Thank god I haven't gone totally crazy with pizza or bread and thankfully I've run out of ice cream in the house (won't be replacing it either) but I need some help getting my head hunger under control. Thanks! :help:

Six months from now I hope I am half as successful as you - you are my hero!

Exercise videos are my favorites. It isn't weather dependent and I can spice it up with new titles when I get bored with what I have. Just picked up some latin dancing workouts, so I am excited to give those a try.

Logging your weight at physicsdiet.com helps because it shows you the overall trend of your weight loss. For me, it takes my focus off the daily number and puts it on the overall loss. It is free and has some nice reports available.

My weight hasn't changed all week, which considering the amount of calories I am consuming seems unbelievable. So getting dressed this morning delivered a much needed NSV. My "skinny" jeans - hardly skinny but jeans that have never fit well - feel pretty darn good and a shirt that I tried on a week ago suddenly has room to spare. The shirt really threw me because I had tried it on just a bit ago and decided it made me look pregnant. Now, it is loose in the stomach and doesn't leave an imprint across my butt from being so tight. It's amazing what an NSV can do for your mood. Plateau, schmateau.... Though I still hope to see the numbers actually go down soon!

My weight hasn't changed all week, which considering the amount of calories I am consuming seems unbelievable. So getting dressed this morning delivered a much needed NSV. My "skinny" jeans - hardly skinny but jeans that have never fit well - feel pretty darn good and a shirt that I tried on a week ago suddenly has room to spare. The shirt really threw me because I had tried it on just a bit ago and decided it made me look pregnant. Now, it is loose in the stomach and doesn't leave an imprint across my butt from being so tight. It's amazing what an NSV can do for your mood. Plateau, schmateau.... Though I still hope to see the numbers actually go down soon!

This thing reminds me of those old movies where the large lady is standing on a platform and a big band is strapped around her bottom, jiggling her for all it is worth. And for $10K, I'm not willing to put my skepticism to the test. But, if a gym had one, I'd give it a whirl.

It's funny how when I start to focus on my weight and losing it, I also start looking at my appearance and making changes. The nail polish comes out, the tweezers go to work, even tubes of self-bronzer, liquid eyeliner, and exfoliant find there way back into my life. Instead of buying Real Simple magazine, I pick up Vogue or Elle. Instead of searching out comfy sweat pants, I'm looking for fitted jackets and fancy bras. I wonder why, for me, the girly girl side of my personality really doesn't come out unless I am paying attention to my weight. There are many overweight women who wouldn't leave the house without makeup but I've never been one of them. I head out with scarcely my hair being brushed, let along spending time getting my lip liner on straight. Don't get me wrong, just because I haven't worried about these things doesn't mean I don't know how to do them. I'm fairly adept at makeup, accessorizing, and all the other fashionable arts. I just never bothered to partake in them while I was doing my best to ignore my weight. Certainly any shrink, hairdress or celebrity stylist could diagnose the reason for my apathy. If someone is ignoring their growing waist line, they might not want to draw attention to themselves with nail polish and glossy lips. In short, if you feel like a sow's ear, you can't really imagine fashioning yourself into a silk purse. I admire those ladies of size that say "to hell with that" and go for the glamour. I think its great that their weight doesn't bear any relation to how they view themselves as a woman. But for me, I just don't feel sexy or worthy of pampering when my weight is out of control. But the control I now have with the band has also unleashed my inner fashionista. Even though I have a long way to go to my goal weight, my perception is changing. I am seeing myself in a new way; someone in the mirror who likes mascara framing her eyes. I doubt I'll ever become a woman who can't leave the house without her makeup, but I'll have that vixen red lipstick in my purse, just in case.:kiss2:

It's funny how when I start to focus on my weight and losing it, I also start looking at my appearance and making changes. The nail polish comes out, the tweezers go to work, even tubes of self-bronzer, liquid eyeliner, and exfoliant find there way back into my life. Instead of buying Real Simple magazine, I pick up Vogue or Elle. Instead of searching out comfy sweat pants, I'm looking for fitted jackets and fancy bras. I wonder why, for me, the girly girl side of my personality really doesn't come out unless I am paying attention to my weight. There are many overweight women who wouldn't leave the house without makeup but I've never been one of them. I head out with scarcely my hair being brushed, let along spending time getting my lip liner on straight. Don't get me wrong, just because I haven't worried about these things doesn't mean I don't know how to do them. I'm fairly adept at makeup, accessorizing, and all the other fashionable arts. I just never bothered to partake in them while I was doing my best to ignore my weight. Certainly any shrink, hairdress or celebrity stylist could diagnose the reason for my apathy. If someone is ignoring their growing waist line, they might not want to draw attention to themselves with nail polish and glossy lips. In short, if you feel like a sow's ear, you can't really imagine fashioning yourself into a silk purse. I admire those ladies of size that say "to hell with that" and go for the glamour. I think its great that their weight doesn't bear any relation to how they view themselves as a woman. But for me, I just don't feel sexy or worthy of pampering when my weight is out of control. But the control I now have with the band has also unleashed my inner fashionista. Even though I have a long way to go to my goal weight, my perception is changing. I am seeing myself in a new way; someone in the mirror who likes mascara framing her eyes. I doubt I'll ever become a woman who can't leave the house without her makeup, but I'll have that vixen red lipstick in my purse, just in case.:kiss2:

Thank you for the great resources. I will give them a try.

I'm very interested in learning yoga. I've done some basic poses (Triangle, warrior, etc.) but I'd like to start really digging deeper as my weight loss and flexibility improve. Any advice on starting out? Thanks.

It seems to me there is a difference between spitting something out because you know you can't swallow it and spitting something out to avoid eating it/absorbing the calories. Lord knows I have been tempted to do this during the liquid phase post surgery, but every time I give it thought, I think about the "Sex and the City" episode where Miranda's old friend has moved to LA and is suddenly thin. She goes out to eat with him and is stunned to watch him chew his steak and then spit it out. I just can't get passed my feeling that this form of satisfaction might not be the best way to deal with cravings. But, to each their own.

I'm a little over one week since my surgery and I feel fantastic. I'm actually anxious to start working out. Surgeon says to concentrate on walking but hate walking - always have. I want to use some of my workout tapes, just going at an easy pace. What do you guys think? Couldn't I do a little salsa workout if I steer clear of the abs?

I have the Homedics glass one as well and I wish I hadn't purchased it. I haven't been thrilled with its consistency.

I'm wondering how many bandsters have had issues with their gallbladders after banding? I had hoped my surgeon would just take mine while he was in there but no such luck, lol. I hear that gallbladder issues are common if people lose significant weight, has that been anyone's experience?

Make that "film of a prototype" - not the prototype itself. Couldn't edit in the box for some reason.

My geek husband just showed me a prototype for the Wii called WiiFit. Apparently, when/if this game is released, users will be able to use a pressure sensitive foot pad for exercise, virtual hula hoops, yoga. It was demo'd at the E3 (electronic entertainment expo). Sounds like it will be a lot of fun.

I have a long way to go to get down to my "goal" weight, but I have a list of things I'd like to do that will be so rewarding. Here they are: 1) Get down below 300. My first priority 2) Wear the cute SJP Bitten jeans hanging in my closet as motivation 3) Cross my legs easily and comfortably 4) Buy bras at Victoria's Secret 5) Take up new exercise activities - running, bellydancing, ballet aerobics; get active and like it. 6) Go skiing 7) Be smaller (alot smaller) than my husband 8) Fit easily in all chairs, rides, booths - in fact, not have to even think about whether I will fit. 9) Wear calf-length boots 10) Lose my bustle butt 11) Lose 100 pounds 12) Bring my blood sugars down to normal range

I have a long way to go to get down to my "goal" weight, but I have a list of things I'd like to do that will be so rewarding. Here they are: 1) Get down below 300. My first priority 2) Wear the cute SJP Bitten jeans hanging in my closet as motivation 3) Cross my legs easily and comfortably 4) Buy bras at Victoria's Secret 5) Take up new exercise activities - running, bellydancing, ballet aerobics; get active and like it. 6) Go skiing 7) Be smaller (alot smaller) than my husband 8) Fit easily in all chairs, rides, booths - in fact, not have to even think about whether I will fit. 9) Wear calf-length boots 10) Lose my bustle butt 11) Lose 100 pounds 12) Bring my blood sugars down to normal range

I'm wondering if people are using bodybugg for more than a few weeks. Has it been worth the price? I don't want to pay that much for a gadget that I won't use after a few weeks.