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Cat225

LAP-BAND Patients
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  1. Like
    Cat225 got a reaction from Angelant76 in Anyone From Toronto?   
    Thanks Lynn! I think so, too. I start my first webinars on Monday. I'm so glad I didn't go anywhere else!
  2. Like
    Cat225 reacted to 2muchfun in I AM LOST AND I HAVE HIT A WALL   
    Having your band filled so that you feel satiety is the total key to making this work. New banders have a difficult time recognizing the satiety signals and fail to stop eating in time.
    If your band is not filled as it should be, you will be hungry and you will make mistakes just as you did when you dieted. Keep getting fills till you can eat a small meal and stay satiated for up to 4 hours.
    Do not throw in the towel. I went 4 months without losing a lb and it took 3 fills before I started to feel satiety and 3 more to reach the green zone.
  3. Like
    Cat225 reacted to 2muchfun in How long until you were in the green zone?   
    I was about 7 months out and 6 fills before I found the green zone. I read posts like yours often. Many doctors have the same protocol of .5 CCs/fill. Fortunately mine didn't so I had good restriction from fill 3 to 6.
    I know how you feel. I was in Bandster Hell for 4 months before that 3rd fill and all you can do is try to eat smart and healthy. That's how I kept from gaining weight but I was like you and didn't gain and didn't lose. Very frustrating.
    Can you speak to your doctor and bypass the skinny nurse? Sometimes these nurses and PAs behave like petty little despots and enjoy the power too much.
    Otherwise, you'll just have to keep going back for fills till you get enough to give you satiety. But beware, I've read several posts here where people kept going back for those itty bitty fills only to find that they're port, band or tubing was leaking. They wasted an entire year or more with faulty equipment.
  4. Like
    Cat225 reacted to 2muchfun in Am I eating too much?   
    Sounds like a minor version of Bandster Hell? Until you get a fill that takes away your hunger you'll continue to want to eat more food. I was where you are for 4 months after surgery. I focused on eating healthy solid food but I didn't eat the 1/2 -1 cup of food they recommended. No way. It's like being on a diet and I didn't get surgery to deprive myself.
    Porridge or cooked Cereal is a slider food. It slides through your stoma/pouch and offers very little in the way of satiety. meats, veggies and breads offer much more satiety. Yoghurt, pudding and many fruits are also slider foods. Not that we can't eat slider foods, but just know you may feel hungry soon after eating slider foods. Also, fruit is a high glycemic food and can also cause insulin increases that cause you to be hungry soon after eating them.
    Go in for your fills and watch for satiety from solid non processed foods. It may take a few months to get there. It took me 4 months to feel any restriction/satiety and 6 fills(7months) to find the green zone.
    tmf
  5. Like
    Cat225 reacted to ABLOND in Ready to throw in the towel   
    Please hang in there. Please. It took me 6 fills to get to my zone....I too was all depressed and ready to give up, just last week, and low and behold I go to my doctor yesterday and I had lost 9 pounds...YOU CAN DO THIS.....Slow and steady wins the race. Talk with your doctor please don't give up...
  6. Like
    Cat225 reacted to Anume 937 in AFTER 2+ years FINALLY RESTRICTION   
    Well I've been banded for over 2yrs now and I am finally in the "GREEN ZONE ". It's a great feeling. So far this month I've lost 17lbs
    I love my band
  7. Like
    Cat225 got a reaction from ☠carolinagirl☠ in Weight Loss Tally...... add yours on to the previous post.   
    3457 + 50 = 3507

  8. Like
    Cat225 reacted to HealthyNewMe in Weight Loss Tally...... add yours on to the previous post.   
    Wouldn't it be fun to see how much weight was lost by so many wonderful people. I'll start with my weight loss, and you add yours on to the previous post, and let's see where this leads!!!!!!
    Show the previous total in your post, and add yours on....
    135
  9. Like
    Cat225 got a reaction from BeagleLover in My 600lb life   
    I felt so badly for Penny's little boy. It made me think of my son, and motivate me to make changes so I can be there for him. I don't understand how she was able to eat so much, especially the dumplings. I just got my band last week, and even without a fill, my stomach gets full, and hurts if I drink too much Soup. Her husband was a terrible enabler, deep frying her food, and asking her if he could get her something to eat after she had just had just been weighed!
  10. Like
    Cat225 got a reaction from 2muchfun in Hungry all the time, and not losing anymore. So discouraged.   
    I weighed myself today, and I'm finally losing again! I was so relieved. I've been really careful, and lowered my carb consumption to just 1 or 2 pieces of whole grain toast a day, and focused on eating the bulk of my calories in Protein. I feel very good to be on an upswing again! Plus, I'm finally under 300. I NEVER EVER want to see that number again!!!
  11. Like
    Cat225 got a reaction from 2muchfun in Hungry all the time, and not losing anymore. So discouraged.   
    I weighed myself today, and I'm finally losing again! I was so relieved. I've been really careful, and lowered my carb consumption to just 1 or 2 pieces of whole grain toast a day, and focused on eating the bulk of my calories in Protein. I feel very good to be on an upswing again! Plus, I'm finally under 300. I NEVER EVER want to see that number again!!!
  12. Like
    Cat225 got a reaction from 2muchfun in Hungry all the time, and not losing anymore. So discouraged.   
    Thanks everyone! I feel like my appetite is a beast right now! I'm trying so hard to keep full with Protein and limit my carbs, but it's not easy. I've dropped over a dress size, so that is something to be happy about. I still have so much weight to lose. I just want to be under and stay under 300 pounds for good. It sucks to lose 40 pounds and no one notices. My doctor will only fill .5 every 4 weeks, no more than that and not any sooner. I read about bandster hell before I got my band, but now I really understand it!
    @@enjoythetime, I think you are right about me preparing/expecting to fail. I've been trying to lose weight for so long, and I'm so used to always failing. Can I ask you a question? I saw in your profile that you lost 142 pounds in 1 year. That is amazing! How did you do it? What were/are your meals like? How did you get through this initial hell stage and keep losing weight?
  13. Like
    Cat225 got a reaction from enjoythetime in Hungry all the time, and not losing anymore. So discouraged.   
    Thanks @@enjoythetime! I just sent you a message!
  14. Like
    Cat225 reacted to enjoythetime in Hungry all the time, and not losing anymore. So discouraged.   
    @Cat225. The link TMF provided above his really how I live my new life. I will gladly send you over some additional recipes if you're interested?
    There is one additional thing I should point out and I know everyone has different views regarding giving credit where credit is due and by that I mean giving credit to yourself. Some believe the band is responsible for 100% for their success and well I disagree. The band can only do it's job if WE'RE doing ours! The band doesn't make the proper food choices for us, WE do! It's been said many times the band doesn't go around your head so it's our responsibility to feed our minds with positivity which for me means recognizing my accomplishments everyday when I make the right food choices. Your mind can be your strongest assest or your worst enemy! If you aren't feeding yourself with positive reinforcement, surrounding yourself with positive people, you will grow tired and negative and give up, so you need to give yourself credit everyday for doing the very best you can to make the proper food choices. When you do that you begin feeling proud of yourself and when you feel proud of yourself you gain power and motivation to continue making the right choices. The band is just a tool not a fix all and yes without it I would fail (obviosuly that's why I got it:-)), but it's only responsible for a part of our success. If you think you can you will, if you recognize and give yourself credit for the food choices you make everyday it helps build that positive mindset which will drive you to success!
    I'm a very strong minded-(stubborn) person. I remember telling myself I would never have this surgery but when I found this was my last option I told myself this was my LAST option, failure wasn't in my vocabulary. So when I was in bandster hell I would literally do anything and everything to keep myself busy. I didn't allow myself to sit around and think about food and how hungry I was and how miserable I was feeling and how sorry I was for myself that everyone around me was eating cheeseburgers and fries. Did this take away the hunger, NO, but when I would go in to see my doctor after a month and I had lost 20lbs, I no longer cared about all the things I couldn't have , I knew all the things I could have was much more rewarding and greater than that snickers.
    I hope this makes sense and helps a little! If you have any questions or if I can help in anyway let me know, you can send me a message any time!!:-)
  15. Like
    Cat225 got a reaction from 2muchfun in Hungry all the time, and not losing anymore. So discouraged.   
    Thanks everyone! I feel like my appetite is a beast right now! I'm trying so hard to keep full with Protein and limit my carbs, but it's not easy. I've dropped over a dress size, so that is something to be happy about. I still have so much weight to lose. I just want to be under and stay under 300 pounds for good. It sucks to lose 40 pounds and no one notices. My doctor will only fill .5 every 4 weeks, no more than that and not any sooner. I read about bandster hell before I got my band, but now I really understand it!
    @@enjoythetime, I think you are right about me preparing/expecting to fail. I've been trying to lose weight for so long, and I'm so used to always failing. Can I ask you a question? I saw in your profile that you lost 142 pounds in 1 year. That is amazing! How did you do it? What were/are your meals like? How did you get through this initial hell stage and keep losing weight?
  16. Like
    Cat225 reacted to 2muchfun in Hungry all the time, and not losing anymore. So discouraged.   
    Enjoy can answer for her own success but I like braggin on her just cuz she's so awesome. There are others here who have found success too. CarolinaGIrl, Gowalking, catfish to name a few. Here's the link to her post about achieving her goal with pictures, recipes and how she did it. Enjoy(pun intended)
    http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/305070-i-cant-believe-it-is-this-reallty-happening-for-me/?p=3445432
  17. Like
    Cat225 got a reaction from 2muchfun in Hungry all the time, and not losing anymore. So discouraged.   
    Thanks everyone! I feel like my appetite is a beast right now! I'm trying so hard to keep full with Protein and limit my carbs, but it's not easy. I've dropped over a dress size, so that is something to be happy about. I still have so much weight to lose. I just want to be under and stay under 300 pounds for good. It sucks to lose 40 pounds and no one notices. My doctor will only fill .5 every 4 weeks, no more than that and not any sooner. I read about bandster hell before I got my band, but now I really understand it!
    @@enjoythetime, I think you are right about me preparing/expecting to fail. I've been trying to lose weight for so long, and I'm so used to always failing. Can I ask you a question? I saw in your profile that you lost 142 pounds in 1 year. That is amazing! How did you do it? What were/are your meals like? How did you get through this initial hell stage and keep losing weight?
  18. Like
    Cat225 reacted to 2muchfun in Hungry all the time, and not losing anymore. So discouraged.   
    I sure don't mean or want to be rude, but I was 4 months into my journey before I finally got the fill that gave me some kind of satiety and I only lost 12 lbs that first 4 months. You're only 3.5 months into this and FYI, stalls and plateaus will come and go.
    I too suffered from hunger till I got the one fill that gave me some satiety for several hours. And then it took 3 more to find the green zone. I too got stuck but I suffered through the episode instead of spitting up. It took me 9 months before I figured out how to eat right but I still have stuck episodes. Had one at lunch today for about 15 minutes.
    No reason to feel discouraged or disappointed. Losing 41 lbs in 3.5 months is enviable. If you expected this to be a cake walk, now you know better. Your journey will be marked with stalls, plateaus, gains and hopefully more losses. But, it won't be a cake walk. More like a MMA title fight.
  19. Like
    Cat225 reacted to Bandista in Hungry all the time, and not losing anymore. So discouraged.   
    Hi there, sending best wishes and I know this can be a difficult time. The hoopla from prepping for the surgery itself is gone, the initial weight loss slows a bit and our bodies need to get used to a whole new mode. Re: fills, my surgeon was looking for two things -- satiety after a tennis-ball sized meal and 4-5 hours before being hungry again. I had the first one but not the second so we kept going. I'm so happy I proceeded with small fill after small fill until reaching the green zone. Of course every one is different but it took me six to get there and when the sixth appeared to wear off I went back for a seventh. And I am some one who is very paranoid about a too-tight band. I need to be able to glug my Water and feel like I am eating less not because of any kind of physical restriction, etc., but because my appetite is dimmed. That's the way the band is supposed to work. No sliders! Having that appetite turned down is a wonderful relief. Yes, I could still stress eat -- go back for more before the interval has elapsed, etc. -- but I am able to resist now and that is something of a miracle. You will get there! It's early days and I think this is the hardest time from all the posts I've read from the people who have gone before us.
  20. Like
    Cat225 reacted to lisacaron in Hungry all the time, and not losing anymore. So discouraged.   
    @@Cat225 don't feel discouraged, give your doctor a call and make an appointment to go in and check on your fill level. It sounds like you need an adjustment to me. Your hungry again too soon after you have eaten a full meal.
    You want to eat solid foods and Breakfast is always the hardest because we think that we have to eat things like Cereal or eggs, but you know you can have steak or chicken or just about anything any time of day.
    In the mornings just because of the time crunch I usually have a Protein Bar, I get one that has some Fiber and nuts in it that I have to chew and swallow so it has some substance to it and stimulates my band enough to make feel satisfied until lunch time. Snacking is not a bad thing at all. I try to keep my meals to under 250 so if I need a snack I have calories for it.
    You can do this, it's not a race it's a life time journey to be the best and healthiest you that you can be.
  21. Like
    Cat225 reacted to enjoythetime in Hungry all the time, and not losing anymore. So discouraged.   
    Take a deeep breath:-) You're doing fantastic!! 40lbs. in 5 months is amazing! My doctor always told me that an average 6-8lbs monthly loss was amazing! It's been 5 months since your surgery which means you're averaging an 8lb loss every month which is the highest end of the average.
    This is all just my opinion but when I read your post, I almost feel like you're trying to prepare yourself for failure so that you wouldn't experience disappointment. Trust me, been there done that, but like you said this is a lifestyle change, not a diet where you do anything and everything to dump as much as you can as fast as you can. Everyone loses at a different rate, and your weight loss rate is great. I'm not sure but are you worrying so much about weight and food that you're dealing with head hunger vs. real hunger and are unable to tell the difference? If you're stressing out alot about it, that will also give you a hungry feeling, so try and relax and listen to your band, not your head:-)
    Just because the scale isn't moving doesn't mean you're not losing weight, if your clothes are fitting better than you're losing inches vs. lbs. Your body goes through these cycles of lbs lost vs inches lost to keep up with itself so what seems to be a stall on the scale is acutally your body catching up and sheading inches, which to me is a hell of alot more important than the # on the scale!
    Don't get down on yourself, you're not a failure. If you stay the course and communicate properly with your doctor, follow his or her instructions to the T, eat as healthy and as clean as you can, exercise and get your Protein and Water in, YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT. There really isn't another option. Yes, there will be times when the scale stalls but during those times look for as many non-scale victories (NSV) as you can to keep yourself positive and motivated!!
    You're going to be just fine!!
  22. Like
    Cat225 got a reaction from Tracy Learmonth Shaw in Anyone else self pay?   
    I am paying for it myself. I live in Ontario (Canada), and our provincial health insurance won't cover lap band. I've considered this route for a long time now. I already have no regrets, and my surgery hasn't even happened yet!
  23. Like
    Cat225 got a reaction from Healthymama2 in Just banded today!   
    Congratulations!
  24. Like
    Cat225 got a reaction from Mikee57 in 100+ POUNDS DOWN   
    Congratulations!
  25. Like
    Cat225 got a reaction from BandedBrunette481 in I'm DONE, not full!   
    BlissfullyBanded, I, too, have been learning what is 'done' and what is 'too much'. I definitely can eat a much smaller portion of food than I did before, and seconds are usually not an option. But, what you said, done, it's a great way of looking at things!

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