hollyberries

Jack you are a breath of fresh air! I love reading your posts. I agree that I have got to get better at it or going to be on miserable Bandster. I am going to do liquids to calm things down a bit. I thought I was going to be Slime-free since it had been 3 months or so. No such luck...I think that I am going to get the fill but a tweak not an aggressive one. I know that if I don't I will need in a week or so. So I guess I am going back the toddler stage and relearning to eat. LOL Cindy

Well, it is official. I have just had my very first experience with a really stuck episode that lead to a huge sliming incident. I should have known because since this last fill, I have been having some episodes of having things go down hard. I have noticed that is usually when I am hungry and I am not being careful with chewing and eating slowly. This happened to me tonight and boy the pain that I felt was so very very uncomfortable and I just wanted die. I have got to learn to slow down and chew or the next fill as going to kill me. My problem is this. I am suppose to go in for a fill on Wed. this week and I know that I need some fill because I can eat more than I should be able to. However, I am concerned that it is going to tighten me more and that I will have more and more stuck episodes. So I need to some advise from you Bandsters. Should I hold off or should I tweak it and get better at chewing and eating slowly and not getting myself so hungry that I cannot concentrate on eating. By the way, it has been 6 weeks since my last fill and I have lost 10lbs. in that time and floating 2lbs for possible 12lbs. in this timeframe. HELP!!!!

Thanks everyone for the well wishes. I haven't been able to post as much lately because of the new store opening. Lots of headaches and just plain sheer exhaustion have been my daily plate for the last month or so. I am glad to see everyone doing so well. We cannot complain because we keep losing. We do have a great family here. TXArcher! Man you are doing a great job too! You are going to be so light on your feet during Spring Turkey Season that I am sure that you will be eating turkey for a year. Keep up the great work. Oh Yeah! I dropped that pound that I though I gained last week. I hate this yo-yo up and down everyday thing. It makes it really hard to post your true weight loss. Oy! Cindy

Thanks Shortgal! I appreciate the kudos. I can always rely on a response from you. You are the November Nymphs den mother. You are always lifting us up. We appreciate it. Hey, I have noticed the weight is moving for you. You should be very proud of yourself. You are going to look just fab for the wedding. You better take lots of pictures. Do you have any ideas for the "Dress"? Cindy

Hey Welcome! I have Dr. Lautz and I love him as well. I had to wait 3+ months to get in to see him for my surgical consult but I was very happy that I did. I had a very good surgery and recovered quickly about 1 week after surgery. Since my pre-op diet started on 10/22/07 I have lost 80lbs. I have had 2 fills and I go for my 3rd next week. I have seen a slow down on my weightloss this past month but am happy with my progress thus far. Good luck on your upcoming surgery. I am sure that you will do just great and are in good hands with Dr. Lautz. Cindy

Longhorn- I wanted you to know that I have been praying for you. I pray that God gives you the strength you need to battle this. From your posts, I have found that you are a very strong person and that you will fight this. Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. Cindy

Name...................Start..........Current..........Goal ......To Go Momto1plus1.........228.8............228.4............218 .8.......9.6 Trixie....................241..............224.5............221....... ...3.5 Osangriared...........262..............255...............250.......... 5 wnt2lose...............226..............219...............216......... .3 TxArcher...............345..............337...............325......... 12 Shortgal................188..............185...............182........ ..3 Sades...................201..............197...............190........ ..7 Shalee04...............205..............200...............197......... 3 Mariegabrieleee.......252..............249...............240.......... 9 Longhorn...............204..............196...............195......... .1 Hollyberries............278..............270...............274..........4 I have been floating about 2-3lbs this week. It is an up and down roller coaster ride. I really need to start doing something with exercise but I have been so busy with the store that I don't even have to time for me. I hoping the next few weeks will bring some slow down. However, I must say that I am very pleased with my weight loss thus far. I can't complain at 80lbs since 10/22/07. I am shooting for 100lbs. by May 31st. I really need new clothes but I don't want to buy anything until I hit that 100lb mark. However, my pants are not staying up anymore. I might have to suck it up and get something. One good thing is I can now buy clothes at WalMart. Keep up the good work everyone! November Nymphs are Awesome! Cindy

I got a lot out your post. I have not had full restriction yet but have lost weight well. I have a problem with head hunger. I find that I can eat more than I should be able to. However, it is still not as much as pre-band. I really need to deal with the head hunger issue because I find that I pick. I don't want to slow down the weightloss. Why is it so hard to feel saiety? Ugh! Cindy

OK... I have to chime in on this one. I have lost the world's largest ball of tape. Nothing as exciting as you all though. I am moving onto a new born calf. Yipee! Cindy

We own a country store, Hollyberries Country Gifts. I have one location in Middleboro, MA and I am opening a 2nd store in Kingston, MA tomorrow. If you are interested check out our website at: Hollyberries Country Gifts. Cindy

Name...................Start..........Current..........Goal ......To Shortgal................189.............188.2.............184......... 4.2 TxArcher...............345..............342...............325......... 17 Osangriared...........262..............258...............250.......... .8 Shalee04...............205..............203...............197......... ..6 Trixie....................241.............231................221...... ....10 Longhorn...............204.............197.4.............195.......... .2.4 Teresajo................195..............190...............185.... .... ..5 Hollyberries.............278.............273................270...........3 Down another 3lbs. partly due to the fact that I have been working like a dog to get my store open for my Grand Opening on Saturday. I have been putting in 12 hour days and not eating that much. It amazes me that I have not been that hungry. Looks like everyone is doing great, keep up the great work. Cindy

You know Steph, sometimes your body just needs a break and by eating more calories you may have just kick started your body into action. I find that if I am home doing nothing that the hungry horrors creep in and I find that eat more than I should. I can't figure this whole band thing out sometimes because the weight loss is sporadic. Take this week for example, I went down 3lbs. without really being on target. I have had a very stressed and busy week and had to eat out a lot but I tried to make good choices as best as I could. I also agree with you that getting back on track is key. You've done that and you are definately allowed to go off track. If we thought that getting into this we would never fall...we are fooling ourselves. You are doing just great and know that you are inspiration to all of us. Cindy

I was banded 11/6/07 and have 1.5cc in my 4cc band. I have lost 78lbs. and have some restriction. I go for my next fill on 3/12/08 and will need a little tweak. Can't wait until full restriction so that I won't eat as much.

Keep your chin up Longhorn! My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Wicked Cool and Totally Awesome! You are just Obese. Yeah! Party!

Name...................Start..........Current..........Goal ......To Go 1. TxArcher............345 ............342................325.........17 2. Skinny_Jill..........186.............184................178........... 6 3. Momto1plus1......228.8..........229.2.............218.8.......10.4 4, Longhorn...........204.............199.4.............195...........4.4 5. Mariegabrieleee...252.............251................240.........11 6. Teresajo............195.............193...............185.... ... .10 7. Shortgal............189.............189.................184......... 5 8. Trixie................241.............235.................221......... 14 9. want2lose........226.............223.5...............216..........7.5 10. bandchick64.....241.............238.................230...........8 11. Shalee04..........205............204.................197............7 12. Hollyberries.......278............276.................270............6

Awesome Job! Can't wait until I get there. Only 11lbs. to go!

Janet- I am having that stuck feeling a lot since my 2nd fill. I hate it. I am not sure if it is that I am not chewing well or if I am taking too big a bite. I kind of get the same feeling in my chest. Sort of like it gets stuck in the chest. I know that it isn't stuck there but it sure does feel like it. One good thing is that I haven't slimed or pb'd and I want to ensure that it doesn't happen. I am really learning to slow down and chew chew chew. I now understand why they emphasized the chew chew chew rule. I guess since I haven't had restriction yet that I was just getting by with it but now it really is hurting to eat. I need to nip this in bud asap or I am in for trouble. Good luck! Cindy

Longhorn- Onderland is just around the corner for you. You are doing great! :thumbup:Make sure we have a party when you hit it. Tell the world...shout if from the rooftop. Cindy

Name...................Start..........Current..........Goal ......To Go 1. Momto1plus1......228.2..........228.2.............218...........10 2. Mariegabrieleee...252............252................240...........12 3. TxArcher............345.............345...............325...........20 4. Trixie.................241............241................221.......... .20 5. Longhorn............204............204................199............5 6. Tralynn222.........320............320.................310..........10 7. shalee04............205............205.................197.......... 8 8.ellebrookes..........178............178.................169......... ..9 9. Skinny_Jill...........186...........186..................178.......... 8 10 Shortgal ............189...........189.................184............5 11. Sades...............201...........201..................190..........11 12.lisawach.............300...........300.................285......... ..15 13. BiggestLoser2be..198...........198.................188...........10 14. want2lose..........226...........226.................216...........10 15. Osangriared........263...........263................250............13 16. Cindyg...............215...........215................200............1 5 17. Teresajo............195.............195...............185............1 0 18. BarbBee.............270.............270...............259............1 1 19. BandChick64.......241.............241...............230.............11 20. Hollyberries........278..............278..............270............8

I have been dealing with bad eating choices in the last week or so. I believe that it is mostly a result of head hunger and not real hunger. For some reason since my last fill I haven't been able to make good nutritional choices. I seem to want what I shouldn't eat even things that I normally would not crave (i.e., chocolate). I have been also overeating but not like before surgery because I feel very full and am in pain if overeat to much. Why am I telling you all this. Well, I Googled head hunger and dealing with it and came across this interesting read and thought if anyone out there is having the same issues that this might help. I liked some of the suggestions and I really want to nip the head hunger thing in the bud before it gets out of hand. Also, my body does not seem to tell me when I am full until I am over full. What are some of the signals that you have that I might relate to. I need to listen to my body more and identify true hunger and a true feeling of full. Here is the blog that I found. Hunger. That is one powerful word when you are on any weight loss journey. Whether you have had WLS or following a more conventional weight loss regimen, you deal with hunger cues. You know how it is. Your day is just bopping along and BAM you are starving. Is it really hunger? In our society there are people who know true hunger. But for the most of us we really have no idea what true hunger is. We've been conditioned to food so readily. A good bit of this can be emotional hunger. In WLS circles we call this "head hunger". How do you deal with it? I have always been an emotional eater. During my weight loss, better health journey, I've usually been of the mind to simply feed the hunger, no matter the cause. My first choice has always been to sit down and eat. I believe in listening to cues from my body first. So I eat. Most who have WLS will not do this. But I believe they may be wrong. My opinion only of course. When you have a malabsorptive procedure like the RNY surgery I had, a large portion of the intestine is bypassed. Meaning you absorb far less nutrients than someone with a normal digestive system. Hence the reason for the rapid weight loss. But you can possibly be starving your body of vital nutrients. So what you may think is "head hunger" may actually be your bodies signal that something is missing. You need to be feeding it what it needs. Most don't want to give in because they are caught up in the whole calorie counting thing. That is a rant for another day. The real thing about this is---is it hunger or just merely cravings. I received a good article in my email on how to deal with cravings. It was written by Dr Jonny Bowden. He is a board-certified nutrition specialist and a nationally known expert on weight loss and nutrition. He has a Master’s Degree in psychology and counseling and a PhD in nutrition, and has earned six national certifications in personal training and exercise. He is board certified by the American College of Nutrition. How to Fight Cravings and Win Think back to high school biology and you'll probably have a memory buried somewhere of a Russian researcher named Ivan Pavlov. Pavlov, you may recall, repeatedly rang a dinner bell right before feeding his dogs a big, juicy steak. Eventually, the dogs would salivate at the sound of the bell. Pavlov had trained his dogs to have a physiological response to a neutral stimulus - a bell - simply because the bell was associated with food. Think about that the next time you're at the movies and pass the popcorn stand. Our brains are wired in much the same way as the brains of Pavlov's dogs. We associate all sorts of things with food - from a holiday celebration to a fight with our spouse. Food nourishes us - but it also comforts us, soothes us and even medicates us when we're feeling anxious, lonely or tired. And it helps us Celebrate when we're feeling happy. Put that together with the fact that obscene amounts of food are everywhere and you have a perfect recipe for eating disorders and mass obesity. But just as we were conditioned to associate food - and overeating - with all sorts of things, we can undo that conditioning. It's not easy - but it's also not as hard as you might think. And it generally takes no more than 21 days. Our overeating triggers are actually chains of events - like Christmas tree lights that go on in sequence. A stressful argument leads to feeling helpless which leads to a journey into the kitchen which leads to ten packs of ring-dings. Usually the chain of events is faster and shorter - think of feeling stress and immediately reaching for a cigarette. So here's the trick: short circuit the chain. On my CD audiobook "Change Your Body Change Your Life" I call this short-circuiting "putting a chink in the link". Break the circuit and the remaining lights don't fire up. You can accomplish the same thing with your overeating triggers. First, isolate exactly what your five biggest triggers are. (Write them down.) Now comes the part where you put a "chink in the link". You're going to substitute a new activity for the destructive activity (much like an addict learns to go to the gym and get "high" from running). Try any one of these simple activities next time you hit one of your triggers: * Brush your teeth * Eat a pickle (eating something completely different from what you're craving tricks the brain and kills the craving - try eating a hot pepper when you're craving chocolate and you'll instantly see what I mean) * Reward yourself with a relaxing activity you normally wouldn't do - i.e. a warm bath or uninterrupted reading of glossy magazines! * Go for a walk (the endorphins released will often balance the chemistry of a craving brain) * Write down what you're feeling. Try "being" with that feeling for five minutes. Most cravings (and overeating triggers) only last 15 minutes. If you can outwait - or outwit - them, you can beat them. Tell yourself "I can have this food" (thus eliminating thoughts of deprivation) but "I have to wait just 15 minutes". You'll be amazed (and happily surprised) at how differently you'll feel a quarter hour later.I have used these techniques myself. Even though I advocate eating when hunger strikes. It may not really be hunger after all. I'm still wanting something even after eating. I make sure what I eat is a nice fat laden Protein source like beef, shrimp, or eggs. But I'm still not satisfied. So this is where these techniques come in handy. However you deal with your hunger---these tips will come in handy. Just never give in to the cravings for junk. When I say eat to fill that hunger, I mean food. Don't go stuffing yourself with a bag of chips, a half gallon of ice cream or the like. Get some real food. Another tip on these lines. Drink some Water. Thirst, dehydration can actually show itself as hunger.

Mine is in the same position and my first 2 fills have been a piece of cake. Good Luck! Cindy

Leena- You are doing friggin awesome and kicking some weightloss butt. I have about the same amount to lose as you and hope that I am as successful as you are. I have a 4cc band and am at about 1.5cc's but think that I need some more. I can eat more than I should be able to but I also pay by being overstuffed. I am trying to just keep my portions at 1 to 1 1/2 cups of food because I do feel like I am satisfied. My goal is to hit 100lbs. by May 31st and by looking at your results, I know that I can do it. Keep up the great work; you are an inspiration. Cindy:thumbup:

Close- I have a 4cc Band and am at 1.5cc and am feeling some restriction but can eat more than I should. I am feeling it when the food goes down especially if I have not chewed or taken to big of bites. I really hurts to go down. At my last appt on 2/6/08 my Doc asked if I thought that I could go another 4 weeks without a fill. I told him heck no; I am still eating more than should I need something. He figures that since I lost 11.5lbs in 5 weeks that I am doing great but it has been through my own willpower. My next fill is 3/12 and it won't come soon enough. I haven't lost a lb in over a week and am stalled. I am not complaining though. I am quite happy with my progress. Cindy

Here is my take. I had surgery on 11/6/07 and since then I have done very well losing weight. I must admit that I have had the hardest time dealing with head hunger vs real hunger. I was a big eater. I could eat anyone under the table. I just never seemed to have the full feeling. The biggest reason for my weight being 358lbs. I was told when researching the Band that it was great for the overeater because it restricts how much you can eat. I definately agree because I cannot eat the portions that I used to at all without feeling very full. I am not at a restricted level yet because I do find that I can still eat more than I should but still not as much as I used to. Take tonight for example. I was hungry because I had eaten lunch at 11:30 and starving. I stopped at the store and got some cashews for a snack and ate every bit. Since I have been very busy today we decided to have Chinese for dinner. I had a plate of a little bit of everything but as I write this I am very full....I ate to much. I have not been able figure out the signal that tells me when to stop eating until it is to late and I am over full. So I guess that I have to still learn some self control or I will be uncomfortable a lot. The Band works because it restricts how much you can eat without feeling overfull if you learn the signal. I am pretty conscious of this so I do try to work it through portion control. Sometimes I overdo it but most times I am very satisfied with the recommend portions. Not sure if this helps. But best wishes in your journey. I am so glad that I did it.