tutornmom

Thanks for your comments! Let me add a little to mine for clarity. Even though my doctor has a hard time, this is still not a difficult process. I would rather do this than have my teeth cleaned much less have any dental work done and I don't have any phobias about the dentist. I have had a hard time every time I have had a fill but this one was by far the worst. The first fill he stuck the needle in and then it felt like he moved it up and down several times looking for the right place. The second fill was about the same. With the first fill, it had been at least 4 hours since I had eaten, unless I had a snack in the car that I don't remember. With the second fill, I know I ate not too long before it. With the third fill, I had read that I should go at least an hour without food before the fill so I had not eaten in about 2.5 hours. The process with this fill was the initial stick which is nothing worse than any other needle stick but then as he was working the needle up and down to find the port, the needle bent and I gasped; it was painful. He got a new needle and repeated the up and down process with no success. He got the third need and repeated the up and down process until he finally found it. During all of this up and down process, I am holding my stomach in slightly crunched position because he says that helps. I am thinking that I might work extra on my stomach muscles before I go back to see it that helps. Thanks for your input!

Good for you! I had my 3rd fill on Wednesday! I don't mean to complain but my doctor has a really hard time getting in the right place to do my fill and yesterday when he bent a needle I yelped and for me to do that there had to be pain. When he finally got it on the 3rd needle, he said "You are a trooper". I am so sore today. I don't know if it is from holding the crunch for so long and being poked on so much. Even with my troubles getting fills, this band is the best thing I have ever done for myself!

I am dependent on my scales but I have learned that if I am going to keep it off I need them. I also weigh daily sometime multiple times but I only record Friday's weight. The other days have helped me figure out what I need to avoid and what I need to do more of. Digital scales are a must for me. I don't record the 10ths but the accuracy is very important. I was recently out of town for a few days and couldn't weigh and I was nervous until I could get home and have a good nights sleep and then weigh. My husband got a kick out of it. For me good digital scales are a must and I plan to never be without them unless I am traveling.

Hi, I need some advice. I live too far from the nearest lapband support group (at least that I have found). I am looking at some options but I wondered what you had found that works. I have considered the mentoring/buddies here. Also, there are some sites on-line where you pay a monthly fee for coaching and support. I have even considered like weight watchers or something that does have local support. I would love to hear what works for you. I feel like I need someone to "hold me accountable" but that can't be just anyone because I will rebel if I feel like I am being judged. Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts!

Thanks! I wish I could go to the group at my doctor's office but it is 2 hours away and I really can't afford to do that every month. I want accountability but more so I want people who know what I am talking about when I say something sticks.

Thanks! I guess I did kind of interupt your thread with my question. My family loves biggest loser! It has helped to motivate all of us - not just mom/me with the lapband.

Thanks for this thread! More than the topic seeing people post who are facing the same struggles that I am is encouraging. I just finished reading a book about lapband and it was encouraging. It said that some doctors (like mine) are really encouraging a very slow approach because they are seeing better long term results if it takes longer to take it off because you are learning a whole new lifestyle in smaller bytes. To use an old saying - trying to change our bad habits is like eating an elephant and we have to do that one bite at a time. That said I am glad that I am getting my 3rd fill next week. I think he will probably do 1 cc which will put me at 5.5. My doctor considers a 1 cc fill being aggressive. I honestly don't know what size band I have. My doctor called it the regular band so I am calling it a 10cc. I love him but he is almost too laid back about this. I am a type A personality and I want it done yesterday. I had an appointment for a fill in February but it had only been 8 weeks since my last fill and I had lost 11 pounds so I was afraid I would drive all that way and he wouldn't do it so I post-poned it until next week. I am still at about 11 pounds and it is has been about that many weeks so I think he will go ahead with it this time.

I know this thread is old but I am just having to a chance to read them. I too have trouble with meats in general but chicken and pork seem worse and I don't even try if it looks dry which is new for me because I have always liked my meat dry. It is interesting that you mentioned the chips and cheese because I have found the same things and I wish that I hadn't. I have never been a chip eater so I have always been able to keep them in the house for the kids but now I can't buy them because I will eat them every day and not lose an ounce. One more thought - I don't do regular breads at all and I have to be really careful with Pasta and rice. I will have another fill next week and we will see how much my eating has to change because I have had to make adjustments to my "safe" foods after every adjustments and even then I can eat something one day and it get stuck the next.

I look at all of your weight loss and get discouraged but I know that I am learning a new lifestyle and that I won't go back so I am not going to beat myself. That said I need more support so I am going to try to get out here more often. I am late getting into this challenge but I am getting a fill next week so I am going to set my goal at 9 pounds. I want to weight 220 by Easter which is also my 22nd wedding anniversary (get it 220 22nd).:thumbup:

Has anyone heard anything or read the Biggest Loser 30-day Jump Start book? I seem to be losing momentum with my weight loss and was thinking about buying it.

Hang in there! I am not one of those big losers but I am proud of the 35 lbs. I lost 20 of that very quickly and I have been working on the 15 lbs since October. I even gained almost 10 lbs at Christmas when my son was in the hospital having surgery. I am reading "Weight Loss Surgery with the Adjustable Gastric Band" by Robert Sewell and Linda Rohrbough. It has helped in a lot of ways but one is adjusting my thinking to the slower weight loss. I was thinking that I was failing because it was going so slowly. ON THE CONTRARY, the book reinforces the idea that as we loose more slowly (than other gastric surgeries) we learn a new lifestyle that will hopefully mean life long weightloss not just a temporary fix. I am hanging my hat on that and continuing to try to modify my lifestyle and eating habits to make a healthier me and in turn a lighter me as well. Hang in there! We can do this! One pound at a time is OK.

Thanks to all for this post and the replies. I am having almost the exact same problems but I haven't lost nearly the weight you have. I am going to try keeping a closer watch on my Protein, drinking more Water less coffee (with sugar free creamer). I also have not been good at exercising but I am doing better and have found some buddies to exercise with some days which helps. I also just bought a book that was recommended in another thread and I hope that it helps. Failure is not an option!

Hi, I have to be honest because that is all I know how to do. Most days I am only hungry when it is time to eat but I still have those PMS days when I could graze all day except thank the LORD the band won't let me eat like I once would have. I have read that some people grieve the food they can't eat after getting the band. I have not really grieved. I will look at a big spread of food and realize that I formally would have eaten a little of all of it but now I am happy just choosing the things I want the most and enjoying those. My MIL took us out to eat Mexican last night. I was very satisfied to eat a few chips and salsa and then eat my husband's gaucamole salad. I did not feel at all deprived that I couldn't eat a whole plate like everyone else. I honestly felt BLESSED to finally have some control. I hope that helps! I know that God led me to this because I am already a better witness for Him. Blessings!

I just felt led to post this morning how thankful I am to God for my band. I have not lost what I wanted to so far but I am losing and if I had had a fill in December I would have had more success. I have only had 2 fills (11/4 - 1/2 cc and 1/6 - 1 cc) and I started at around 3 ccs so I am at 4.5 ccs. It is great. I donated platelets yesterday and I always drink an apple juice and eat Nutter Butter's and I was only able to eat 2 and drink half the juice and then I had to wait an hour of so to be able to finish it. Thank you LORD! I know that I should choose to not eat Cookies at all and I don't everyday but I am thankful that I can now control how many cookies I eat. Before August, I would have eaten the 4 pack they gave me and then stopped at the store for more. That is a beast that I am glad to be rid of!!! Blessing to all of you! Please watch with me as my weight continues to melt off!

Hi, I think there is a group from the Huntsville area and a group in the Tuscaloosa area which have gotten together. I haven't identified too many from my area (around Montgomery/Auburn) so I haven't tried to set up that sort of thing. It sounds like a good idea!

Hi all, I haven't posted much. To be honest, my weight was moving without much effort but it has stopped moving so much. I love my doctor but he is very conservative and even though I know I need more restriction, he has only done a .5cc fill and won't do another one until January. He says this is mainly because due to a pre-surgery fill I already have 3.5 cc's and I have already lost 28 pounds so he thinks my weight is moving quickly enough.:tongue2: I am ready to make it move on... I would like to ask anyone who needs the support and wants to set a New Year's goal to join me. I didn't want to duplicate what anyone else was doing and I did searches to try to find one here but the only one I found was the November 07 bandsters. Who is up for a challenge? I want to lose 12 pounds by 2009! You set your own goal and lets see it we can make it. So here is my vital info - Rachelle--------Current 237--------New Year's Goal 225

Hi Guys and Gals, I issued this challenge and then dropped the ball. I have been fighting lots of "demons" lately and I did end up gaining. From my fill on 11/4/08 until my fill today I gained but that is going to change. By New Year's 2010, I WILL BE below 175. Thanks to all of you for your support and hard work and congratulations to everyone who gave it their best shot.:thumbup: I am going to stay closer to this group and use it for the support I need.

Hi, I used Dr. Sherer at Shelby Baptist in Alabaster/Pelham. I had my surgery on 8/22/08 and haven't really had any problems. Dr. Sherer goes very slowly with his fills but at the same time I started with 3cc in my band and I just went to 4.5 cc today. I liked him because he didn't require lots of up front testing and counseling and he offers a support group but it is not required or anything. If you would like more information, please ask.

I love this band but I have had some strange times lately and I would love some of your thoughts on it. I have had 3 sticks since 11/30 where something had to come back because nothing was going down. I have been trying to determine the common factor but I am at a loss. The first one was an antibiotic pill and hot cocoa (diet). I decided it was the combination of the ht beverage and the pill. I am wondering now if the burrito had anything to do with it. I had eaten a small burrito about 30-40 minutes prior to this. The second was a sugar cookie and a few bites of a chicken finger (I don't remember drinking anything). The third was one very small bite of a muffin/biscuit, a half a cup of coffee, and three bites of supper (BBQ meat and creamed spinach from my favorite restaurant). I think this one could have been the coffee. I don't have a problem not drinking with meals at home; I don't know why I think I have to at a restaurant. I am getting concerned because I am having some discomfort or tenderness around my port site. I saw another post about port site tenderness. I have been searching for answers. I do not want to do anything that might cause problems for me or this band but I am not sure what to do differently. Please let me know what you have figured out that works. Thanks!

I actually seemed better earlier today but I did a couple of specials (songs) at church this morning and I noticed afterward that I was really sore. I am wondering if it is just those muscles being sore when I am active because I am not getting the exercise I should. It is a thought but I will certainly talk to the surgeon about it this week. Thanks for your concern!

I was thinking the bread and I have really watched eating any sort of bread. I am with you on the crackers. I have even had a few chips and seem to do better with them than any type of bread. I guess I really do need to be more careful about eating what I should.

I have been experiencing the same sort of thing but along with it, I have had several things get stuck over the past couple of weeks and 3 times with BPs. I keep thinking I need to just do liquids and mushies for a few days but I haven't been able to make myself stick to that. I go see my surgeon on Tuesday. I was sick with upper respiratory stuff a few weeks ago and had an antibiotic/steroid?? shot and z-pack. I went back 2 weeks later with port site soreness as well as other abdominal pain. I had decided that it was my kidneys and bladder because sometimes I will just hurt with them due to my polycystic kidney disease. My general physician said she didn't think it was them but maybe diverticulis or something with the lapband so she put me on an antibiotic. I am hoping that my surgeon can offer an explanation.

How is everyone's progress? Mine is not what I wanted but it is moving so I am OK with that. I figured last week if I could lose 3 pounds per week I could get there but then I onlly lost 2 last week. I am not totally giving up. If I don't make the goal, I want to be as close to it as possible. Keep it up! I was excited to go to a Christmas party last night and eat very little! YEAH! It was a victory for me to do that and not feel deprived! Thank You Lord and lapband!

Hi all, You are really doing a super job. I am not on target but I am not giving up yet. I have been sick and I am finally feeling better so I am going to get moving again. I will not be able to get it into my schedule today but tomorrow morning I will hit the road. My goal is to stick primarily with Proteins for the next few days. If that doesn't get things moving, I am going to do liquids again for a couple of days next week. I need to see a big drop next Friday because the next Friday is my 41st birthday and my 13 year old son is having surgery so we will be in the hospital for 3 -5 days. I have been telling myself that it would be really easy to do liquids during those days since I won't/can't leave him (I can just put a bunch of shakes in the frig and eat his fruit to fill in the gaps since he won't touch it.). Thanks for your inspiration! I am going to make it!

You guys are awesome. I had a lot further to go than you but I am still losing much slower. I could blame it on my doctor being so conservative with my fills. I am at 3.5cc in a 10cc band and I have another month to go before he will do another fill. I lost 1 pound over the past 2 weeks. I challenged myself to be at 225 by New Year's but at this rate I won't make it. I am not eating too badly but I am not exercising. My life has been so crazy and I have been sick. Please keep inspiring me. My husband and doctor are insistent that I just need to be patient because it is coming off and slower is healthier but I am ready for it to go faster. Thanks for letting me vent! Rachelle