MarilynJ6354

Yes I was banded January 19, 2010. I was taking these since October 2011 until this past weekend when I stopped. They are smaller and you don't burp as much. You also don't need a prescription. Nature Made Ultra Omega-3 Mini Fish Oil 500 mg liquid Softgels http://www.naturemad...00-mg-Burp-Less

Has anyone had a weight gain after starting Fish Oil? I started it back in October after my bad cholesterol started going up a bit, even though it was way below being an issue. Figured it might help. Stopped losing and even gained 4 lbs. I stopped taking it last weekend. Haven't changed anything else. I have lost 3 lbs since Sunday! This is the only time in 2 years that I have gained weight. I usually just "pause" for a few weeks but this went on for almost 4 months! I am glad I am losing again but wondering if it's just a fluke or if it's a known issue.

Chike is my favorite! You can only get it on-line or at a doctor's office. There is a sample pack you can try. Go here: http://chikenutrition.com/

I had a fill 10 days ago and my doctor said it isn't uncommon for band patients to experience swelling during extremely hot weather, even after years have gone by. Best to stick to liquids if you are spending a lot of time outside.

I've been having the same problem in the last two weeks since it go so hot here in North Carolina. My friend had gastric bypass last year and she is experiencing the same thing!

My favorite Protein shake is Chike. You can only buy it online at chikenutrition.com or at a doctor's office. The chocolate tastes like a fudgsicle and the orange tastes like a creamsickle. You can mix it with Water or milk. After almost a year, I still have it every morning!

I am also stuck in a rut! I was banded January 19, 2010 and by August had lost 37 of the 80 lbs I need to lose. I had a fill on September 17 and last Friday I went for another. I had lost only 3 lbs since the last fill. I work out 3-4 times a week, so maybe I need to up that. I have lost lots of inches but no weight. It's starting to depress me a LOT. The physician's assistant told me if I don't lose 2 lbs in the next 2 weeks I need to send her an HONEST list of everything I am eating, so I am back to track it on LiveStrong again. The only starch I have is mashed potatoes, so I am going to cut those out for a few weeks and see if that helps. I am taking in 110-130 grams of protein but as far as water goes, I think I can do better. It's frustrating but I'm still a lot farther along than I would have been had I not had the surgery. Have to think positive and keep plugging along I guess!

I was banded in January also and haven't lost a lb in over two months. It's very frustrating, especially when my friend had gastric bypass the same day and has lost 94 lbs. However, I am much healthier and haven't lost much muscle so I have to remind myself that over time I am better off. Still, a half pound would be nice! I had my third fill 10 days ago and still haven't lost anything even though I am eating less. Crazy! I'm hoping now that the weather is cooler things will pick up again.

You look awesome....great job! I am getting my third fill tomorrow so hopefully my weight loss will increase a little each month. Right now I'm at about 4 lbs a month, with 50 more to go, and even though I am working out a lot, the weight isn't coming off as fast as I thought it would. However, those inches keep coming. I wore a size 18 pants and now my size 14s are getting too big! Keep up the good work!

I was banded January 19, 2010. I had 3 cc in my band after surgery. I had 1 cc added in March and another 1/4 cc in May. So I am at 4.25 cc in a 10 cc band. When they did the fill in May, she tried to get 1/2 cc in but when I took a sip of water I knew something wasn't quite right, so she took 1/4 out. I go to the doctor again tomorrow. Not sure I will have a fill though. My weight loss has slowed down to 5 lbs a month but still, I am losing a lot of inches.

We are all doing awesome!! I go to the doctor this Friday for the post op psych evaluation and possible fill, although I'm not sure I will do it. I have only lost 6 lbs in the last month but I like losing it slowly. I seems to prevent any sagging, at least for me.

:thumbup:As of this morning I have lost 35 lbs in exactly 5 months and I am pleased. My BIG thrill is that this morning I weighed 199...under 200 FINALLY after going back and forth a pound or two for the past week. I am so excited, especially to see my BMI drop so much these past 5 months. Changing up my workout seems to be a crucial part of this process, for me anyway, so I add variety each week. My son got me a mini iPod Shuffle for my birthday and I loaded it up with some great workout music which is a motivator. That eliptical gets a real workout when I work to the beat. The heat is rough down here in Charlotte, in the 90s, so right now the gym is my only workout, which is fine. I added 10 minutes more to make up for not working outside. Hope the rest of you are doing great!

Yep, that's what my nutritionist also said. Even if I wait to finish a meal two hours later, it's better than pushing it and paying dearly for it!

I don't look at needles so I have no idea how big it is. My doctor's assistant sprays numbing medication where she is injecting the needle into the port so I don't feel a thing. The first time I had it done in the hospital and they put in 2 cc and I drank barium and nothing went down so they took out 1 cc and everything was fine. I was losing 2 lbs a week for a month, but then it slowed down to less than 1 lb every other week so two months later I had another fill. They tried putting 1/2 in but after I drank water it felt like it was getting stuck so I ended up with just 1/4 cc and I was fine. I am on liquids for two days after the fills and have never had a problem. I have a 10 cc band and I am currently at 4.25 cc. Surgery was 1-19-10.

I tried samples of lots of things but now I just use Chike, chocolate bliss (tastes like a fudgicle) and orange creme (tastes like a creamsicle). You can mix it with milk or Water, which is great. I mix it with milk as often as possible to get the extra Protein. If you go to their website, chikenutrition.com, you can order free samples. It just costs a few dollars in shipping. And they have monthly specials. This month it is free shipping if you spend over $20. It is so popular that my doctor's office is now carrying it. Don't mess with the amount of protein you are taking in. I started at 60 and now I am at 100 grams due to hair loss.

Please do not overeat. I am 4 months out and I still make that mistake occasionally, or don't chew enough, and yikes does it hurt, plus it's messy. GO SLOW!

Did anyone get any requirements from their doctor? These are mine: Calories 1200 Carbs 130 Cholesterol 299 Dietary Fiber 20 Fat 45 Protein 100 Sodium 1999 Sugars 45

I had an overfill during surgery and afterwards I was not able to eat much so my doctor prescribed liquid prednisone and I was fine in a few days. A friend of mine was vomiting every day and was told she needs to take her prevacid before meals, not with or after. Now she is fine! I guess we are all different. I still cannot eat eggs of all things...hard boiled, poached, fried, scrambled. Nothin works. But I can eat a pork chop!:tongue2:

My doctor says no caffeine but de-caf is fine. I don't drink much coffee since I quit smoking last year but once in a while I have a starbucks decaf. Caffeine stimulates the appetite, plus coffee is acidic and can leech Calcium out of the bones in large amounts and is a diuretic.

I posted my pics under Photos...Marilyn's progress. Everyone says you can see it in my face. I need to get some full body shots taken soon though. The frustrating part is I continue to lose more on my bottom half vs. the top, which is where I need to lose it the most. But I recently changed up my workout and I am starting to see and feel progress!

I've learned not be pay attention to the scale as much as I was. I might not be losing as much as I was right after the surgery, but I am losing inches and it shows. Finding an exercise program that fits YOU is the most important thing. I hate walking the dogs in this heat so I joined a gym that is between work and home. I stop on the way home from work 1-2 times a week and on Saturday and Sunday I am at the gym at 7AM...get it over with ASAP! I started out with the basic Planet Fitness membership for just $10 a month but upgraded to $20 a month and now I can go to any one in any city, plus I can tan if I want. Some say I have become a gym groupie. Truthfully? I HATE working out but I made a commitment to myself to do everything the doctor told me to do and I am doing that, whether I like it or not. The reason I got into this weight mess is because I lied to everyone and myself about what I was and wasn't doing to lose weight. Be honest with yourself and take control. It isn't easy but the benefits are worth it.

Do you track your food intake to see how much fat and sugar you are actually taking in? I use Livestrong.com. Even though I am on 1200 calories a day or less, there are days I am eating more fat than I should so I really pay attention to that. The biggest success for me is exercising at the gym 3-5 days a week. I even work out when I travel for work. I joined planet fitness and it is only $10 a month. I pay $20 a month so I can go to any gym in any city. I went on vacation a few weeks ago and still managed to get to the gym a few times and track my food and exercise. You need to take control and not think of this as a quick fix, because it isn't. I get frustrated many times that my weight loss has slowed down, but my inches are showing to everyone and my clothes go down a size every other month. Hang in there and take control!

Barb, that's what happened to me and yes it was a sign I needed a fill and WOW what a difference. I was also told to eat more often but less each time, so now I eat tiny meals but 6 times a day now and the weight is already coming off, plus I am not overdoing it. The doctor said it's better to eat more often than to eat too much with fewer meals.

I had a second fill on Friday and was only able to take .2 cc! So now I have 4.2 cc in a 10 cc band. I, too, have been going through clothes like crazy. I spend a lot of time at Goodwill dropping stuff off. I need to shop there since my size changes monthly! I have gone from a size 18 to a 14 since January! During a chat last week, we talked about our band stretching due to weight loss. I asked the doctor about that and he said he stitches the band to the stomach so it can't happen. He looked at my Livestrong reports and said it was the fat content and sodium that probably caused a plateau so early. I know the .2 cc is working because I can only eat half what I was able to a week ago...and that wasn't much!