funky_monkey800

I have to disagree with all these lovely folk talking about explaining WLS to him, challenging his knowledge, educating him on your journey, etc.
WHO CARES? HE'S NOT WORTH IT. F 'EM IF THEY ARE SO CLOSE MINDED THAT THEY MAKE JUDGMENTAL STATEMENTS ABOUT ***YOUR*** HEALTH DECISIONS.
I'm still going with a friendly smile, a thank you for your (dumbass) opinion, a possible swift kick in the junk (joking!!) and walking away with the knowledge that you will be healthy and fit this time next year.
And you STILL won't be the dumbass he is.

No, no, no. If you pray for strength then you also have to pray for bail money. Pray for patience instead.
My gut reaction to the condescension in the original post was something along the lines of, "it must be difficult wearing that cloak of condescension every day. Glad I'm not you."

You could tell whomever to shut the hell up or better yet, challenge them. Write out what you eat in a day, give them a list of your Vitamins and your exerciser schedule. Have them completely emulate your life for one week and report back to you how "easy" it is. Even a healthy person would be challenged by how exhausting it is to have to watch everything, count everything, manage everything we need to be mindful of every day. They will soon learn that none of this is easy. If they don't get it after that my best guess would be that they didn't fully commit and that's not something you can help them with.
Regardless of the outcome, don't let them sidetrack you and your progress with their short shortsightedness.

I have a question. What if it WAS the easy way out? It isn't but what if it was? WHO CARES. What does he want you to carry a wooden cross across the public square and pay penance for you sin of being overweight? Give me an effing break. This whole notion that fat people are some sort of moral failures is so messed up. If there WAS an overnight pancea that required no surgery and no work on my part, I'd probably use that too. Why is MY BODY someone elses example for moral failing. Your health issues and decisions are none of anyone's freaking business. I think that's why people love that Biggest Loser show. they just love watching us cry, and puke, and basically get whipped and humiliated in public for just existing in these bodies. It makes me very mad.

It sounds like you probably need a little fill. Just hang in there till you see the doctor and remember...just because you can eat more, doesn't mean you should. I'm at green but believe me....I have times where I want to eat more than I should. That's when I ask myself if I'm truly hungry or not. If I am, I eat something healthy...and if it's really head hunger, I do something to keep me busy and away from the food until the craving passes.

Congrats! I have a 10 cc and just had my 4th fill. I'm at a 6 cc but find that I have no restrictions. I am losing weight slowly but surely, but I feel like such a pig because I find that I am still hungry ALL OF THE TIME! I'm trying to drink more Water to curb the cravings; wondering if this is more mental than anything? Anyway, I have another fill coming up on 3/18. Gonna see how I can handle this, but if my cravings keep up and I find that I'm still hungry, I will go in sooner. Best of luck!

Congratulations!!! I know I am almost there. I have 4ml in 10ml band (I've found out that ml's and cc's are the same). I had my 3rd fill a week and a half ago and there has been a definite shift, but it could be a little better - I'm thinking another .5ml might even get me there.
So happy for you that you've made it...

I'm at 2.5 cc and thinking the green zone is some distant land I've heard about but can never get to. Congratulations on finally finding it. I'm still hopeful it can happen for me someday soon.

I just had my 4th fill and I feel great. I have not felt very hungry at all these past few days. Leading up to this fill, I could go about 4 hours between meals but I could still eat larger amounts than what I knew I should be doing. My doc's office was happy since I had lost 8 pounds since the last fill, but I knew I wanted another fill. I have high hopes that this could put me at my sweet spot. I am 6 cc's in my 10 cc band.

Hi there and congraduations on getting your surgery! You, too, Lolo....
My surgeon described a goal of being satisfied with a tennis-ball sized portion (his lingo) for 4-5 hours. I am some one who needed several fills to get there.....in retrospect the time it took was good as I had to adjust my eating habits. I was such a shoveler, etc. Sounds to me Ike you are doing beautifully!

@@Angelant76 congrats on your surgery and current weight loss! I don't know that I was confused about whether or not I needed a fill, but I definitely wanted them!
I just had my 4th fill and and I *think* I might be at green. Knock on wood! My fill process has been interesting, for lack of a better word. My first fill was scheduled 4 weeks post-op, and each subsequent fill every 4 weeks. I lost about 8 pounds in a couple of weeks but then nothing. I lost very slowly after that, up until this past month, another 8 pounds. The tech doing my fill was happy with that progress and asked why I thought I wasn't at green yet. My response was basically what you stated. I can pretty much go a few to several hours between meals, but I could still eat larger quantities than what I knew I was supposed to. I also don't eat as slow or chew as much as I know I should. I explained that my band hadn't stopped me. her response was that they didn't want me to have stuck episodes, which I totally get because I don't either, but at the same time, i do want to know my band is working. I am now at a total of 6 cc's in a 10 cc band. These past few days I have had to make myself eat, much like those first few days post-op. I am not hungry and that is an awesome feeling! I am not yet back on regular food so I will see how or if that changes anything, but like I said, my appetite is currently suppressed.
I guess my thoughts are to be patient with the process and follow your doc's orders as much as possible. Every one is on their own journey. I felt like I was losing too slowly, like I would be the person the band wouldn't work for, etc. but now I have lost almost 30 pounds and the weight is starting to come off faster.
Good luck! :-)

@@funky_monkey800, yes! I agree with you totally. I am so not ready for something like p90x. My brother in law swears by crossfit as well, but I feel like I need to lose some weight before I can handle something with higher intensity.
We got flurries today and I am so not having it. I don't need 4 seasons - I would be happy with 65-75 year round!!

Howdy ya'll! Newbie here! And this forum thing is new to me, too, so I hope I'm doing this right. Anyhoo, super excited, apprehensive and looking forward to my DORB (Date Of ReBirth)! I'm kinda lookin at it that way since I'll be re-learning how to eat, plan and think about food. One step in front of the other, right? Tired of failing. This, to me, is a last resort tool I will use to get healthy for me and my family. Hoping exercise will be easier when I'm down a few pounds, too. The message boards are a tad overwhelming to me....so much to soak in. But I wanted to say "Hey!". Have a great day, fellow banders! ????

I got my third fill on Tuesday and as soon as I took the sip of Water, I could FEEL it! Restriction - glorious restriction! I had not felt that before unless I ate something starchy/bread. After fill, was not hungry the rest of the day. Yesterday, ate a small amount for Breakfast, not hungry until dinner and then very satisfied with a small amount. This morning, the scale finally MOVED down - 5 lbs from where I was the previous weigh (and i admit that's been several weeks as feeling down that I was so hungry after all of the surgery costs and discomfort, etc).
Now I feel I am IN THE GAME and I am so excited to know THIS is what it is supposed to feel like! I don't feel hungry! I feel full after a few small bites of Protein dense food. I am not ravenous and dreaming about junk food anymore. I AM HAPPY!!!!!
I wanted to share this with the rest of the community. I haven't been posting - I felt like I might be one of the folks for which this tool just doesn't change the underlying, overwhelming appetite issues I have had all of my life. But it IS changing that and I feel so hopeful - it's been so long since I've felt this way.
:-)))))))))))
Mary

Love this thread!
Ok so I have two...last week at my appt my doc said that if I was to walk into his office today I would "no longer be a candidate for WLS, and I should be proud of my self"'
And this a.m.....my favorite "old" pair of silver jeans fit!! 34x32...still need to work on the muffin top tho.....but I didn't have to lay down or jump up and down for them to fit!
I am a jean hoarder...you know the type who always says "someday I will wear these again"...lol

Love this thread!
Ok so I have two...last week at my appt my doc said that if I was to walk into his office today I would "no longer be a candidate for WLS, and I should be proud of my self"'
And this a.m.....my favorite "old" pair of silver jeans fit!! 34x32...still need to work on the muffin top tho.....but I didn't have to lay down or jump up and down for them to fit!
I am a jean hoarder...you know the type who always says "someday I will wear these again"...lol

If i crave it, i allow myself a little bit. Thats what got me all messed up in thw first place...i would say no sweets, no candy ect...then i would totally binge. Now i take a small piece and let it just melt in my mouth...really taste it and enjoy it. Once i try the one bite i notice the little bit i had was enough to satisfy my craving.

Everyone thinks it's easy.....WLS is not a switch. We don't go from fat to skinny over night....it requires a tremendous amount of work and dedication...
And all of you are amazing for taking that step! We all know it isn't easy!

@@Pinkygirl, what an ordeal you are going through!!
Keep your head up and keep us posted! Good luck!

I am sure there are people who truly need these types of meds...now take this as you will, but this is my view on them for depression...not bipolar disorder/mania....which for a true "bipolar" label is a hugely different diagnosis than mild to moderate depression.
Because you have a bad day or a tough pitch at work then come home to also manage everything at home does not make you depressed.
Feelings are normal. You are happy, sad, excited, nervous, giggly, upset, you want to scream, laugh out loud.....those are normal everyday feelings that we as humans have. They are NORMAL reactions to living in a chaotic world. Are you unhappy at work or at home? If so...make a change. We are not trees, we can move....
To me, walking around in a fog was not the right approach. Changing my views and ways of thinking was....I'm just saying if people want to truly be happy...look for it in life, and the TRUE blessings around you. not a pill.
pills aren't a cure all. The simply cover the underlying issue.
For those of you that these have worked for, I hope they have indeed helped you....and I commend you for being able to come forth and say they have helped. There is no judgement from me. I was on them for years. Maybe I am the minority here, but they made my life worse.....I didn't care about anyone or anything, even myself. I could have cared less if I lived or died....so did it make me any happier? Was I no longer depressed because I didn't give a sh*t anymore?
I thought this was an interesting short read that just came out
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140225122429.htm
http://chriskresser.com/the-dark-side-of-antidepressants

@@Bandista @@mae7365 @@Dolores33778 @@Rogofulm
@@funky_monkey800 @@JamieLogical @@mae7365
@@KathyLynn160 you too!!

you guys are all too smart
you said exactly what i was gonna say!!!!

hmmmmm then i guess i'm smart too

for me....i'm so happy about my new weight loss/life

I chose not to have plastics

happy to be thin with some loose skin
then be heavy
after all
i am cute as a button

no complaints here

just plenty of smiles
people wonder what i'm up to

good luck with surgery

kathy

At the very least, I would have an "unexpected" trip out of town for a couple of weeks to give myself time to think it through, and follow my original band instructions to the letter! If you are not in a danger zone, take the time you need to work through all your options. Just me, but I'm not one to make snap decisions. I "listen" to that voice, it's proved to be right way too many times. Good luck!

I would ask him to share the results of the scans with you and get copies of them, call another office and see if you can get a second opinion from another Dr. we are still talking about major surgery so a second opinion is not uncalled for. If there needs to be a revision then you will know without a doubt.
Let us know how your doing and what happens!!

Love it. Nice quote and oh so true!

I saw this quote tonight and love it!!!! It should remind all of us that no matter how slow, fast, hard or easy our success is if you never give up you can't be beat. Just keep on keepin on and theres no way anything can beat you; not a person, not your situation, not the number on the scale!