Cocoabean

It is, indeed! Thank you!

That's awesome that you won the battle at the store!! I'd be very distressed, too, in your situation. Hang on by your toes until you get refilled. A slip is nothing to mess with, so let it get fully healed. Best wishes in your recovery!

You can call them or look online to find out what their requirements are. Each BCBS seems to be a bit different. Plus they change each year, so you never can tell for sure.

This is a journey of a thousand miles. Don't let a hiccup throw you off course. Stay with your bandster eating rules. Get back to the gym when you can. Over the course of the long run, the losses will come. A 4 pound gain, I mean a TRUE gain would mean that consumed an excess of 14,000 calories. Do you really think that happened in the time since you were last on a scale? I sort of doubt it. Menopause sucks, doesn't it? Get back on the horse. You'll be OK. Did I put enough cliches in there?

Being successful (and by your ticker, you are!) means that by your habits you are making better choices MOST of the time. That is what it is all about! Life isn't worth living if we can't sit back and enjoy it once in a while. I say well done! Just don't let old habits sneak back in ALL the time!

This problem is indeed fixed..thanks...but once again, the "My Content" is not working from my control panel.

I haven't been getting notifications of responses to threads, and my content disappeared...did you get a fill? Many of us are tight in the mornings. I sip my coffee on the way to work in the morning and eat a little bit a couple hours later. I start work at 6:30 am. I eat lunch around 11, that is generally my largest meal. I get home around 4, have a snack, then dinner around 6. Sometimes I get hungry between meals. If I am truly hungry, I'll eat. Sometimes, I have to fight it off, realizing it is not physical hunger. For me, one of my tests is that I ask myself if I would eat green Beans right now. If the answer is yes, then I am most likely physically hungry. If the answer is no, then it is probably head hunger.

How are you doing with food? Eating and drinking should not be painful. I can consume large mouthfuls of water without pain. That might not be the case for everyone, but you should at least be able to sip pain free.

Nuts and popcorn not problem. I've never been much of a gum chewer.

I was banded in February and did not start losing until the end of June after my second or third fill. It takes time to get proper restriction and have the band working for you.

I cannot drink sodas at all. It means immediate hiccups. But I can drink beer and Mike's Hard Lemonade with no trouble. Just remember the calories.

Does he know you have lost weight? Your ticker shows you are doing very well. All you need say is this is my way of eating. If it even come up. Be confident in your choices. You know what you need to do to be successful.

People lose at different rates, DO NOT COMPARE. My surgeon did not put me on a strict diet after I was on solids. He told me to eat to my appetite. So therefore I did not lose much until my fills kicked in. I was banded in Feb. my fills took true effect in June. THAT is when my losses really started. Like B52, once I reached restriction, it's been simple. Portion control is easy when your apptetite is under control, and the band will not allow you to overeat if you are choosing the proper foods. If I were to eat milkshakes all day, of course I could overeat, but I don't. The appetite control I have helps me to make good choices. I have one once in a while as a treat, but that's ok. Life is about living.

There are many here at LBT who have been banded in Mexico. Many of the surgeons there have prearranged after care facilities in the US and Canada. I'd be certain to have aftercare set up, though. There are doctors who will not treat patients who were banded elsewhere. I'd want all my ducks in a row before proceeding. Being banded and not having aftercare would be a waste. Like a sports car without gas.

My surgeon said NO Protein shakes, he wants me eating my calories, not drinking them. I bought tons of the stuff only to throw it out. I now keep one around for after a bad stuck episode called Isagenix (available online). I like the vanilla and the chocolate. But it really comes down to personal taste.

My surgeon said he'd prefer I sneak up on my green zone with more smaller fills than having a big one then unfilling, then another big one, then unfilling. That said, I was overfilled once. Not fun. I got an unfill of half the fill I had put in. Instant relief. A month later I was able to go in and get that replaced plus more. Go figure! Bands are our fickle friends sometimes. You just need to be open to NOT getting a fill, or just a teensy to off.

Some people have a delayed reaction of up to two weeks after a fill before they feel the effects. If you can cancel the appointment on short notice, then make it, but be willing to cancel if you start feeling the fill.

I had surgery on a Friday. By Monday I started coming down with a cold. At some point around my time in the hospital I contacted some germs. There was no way I could have been at my desk. I was off one whole week and back half-time the next. Every one is different, it is true--but also, things happen.

My surgeon said NO protein shakes. After my pre-op diet, I did clears, then full liquid, then solids. He does not want me having liquid calories, period. So check with your surgeon, you might be stressing over shakes for nothing. I bought tons of the stuff getting ready for surgery based on what I had read here only to be told I'd not be using them. I ended up throwing them out. Now I have a shake once in a while if I am bored with my diet. I use one called Isagenix, you can order online. But it really comes down to individual taste.

Ha Ha Ha Ha....I just read your posts today! Thanks so much for the laugh!

I am nearly 4 years banded. Sitting waiting for a piece of ham to go down or maybe come up. Some of us never learn (self!).

I had a growth on my thyroid for years. It finally started overproducing hormone and I had to have it treated. It was all before I was banded. As long as you are being followed by a doctor and your levels are normal, I don't think there'd be a problem.

Thanks for keeping us posted! Rotten weather today. Supposed to get much better tomorrow! Glad you are doing well.

Welcome to banded life. I cut shrimp into tiny pieces. It can be a difficult thing to eat.

You have cut way back on your carbs, you no longer have that quick access to the energy of them. As your body switches to burning fat stores you might feel better. When I do very low carb, frankly, I feel like cr*p. I felt worst the first 3 days of the pre-op, then it got a bit better, but I did not work out while doing it.