Bensmum1109

My weight loss is slowing drastically- I have lost 1.5 lbs in the last three weeks. I feel like I am hungry a lot more often and definitely feel like I can eat more. I am still PBing more often than I like but have recently noticed that if I eat the way I am supposed to (ie. chewing a lot and pausing between bites, and taking small bites) that I can get A LOT of food down. I think the reason I have held off on a second fill is because I feel like I PB too much. But I really think that by following the rules more closely I can avoid that even if I am a little tighter. What do you all think? Is it time??

I can easily eat a cup of food or more at a meal if I chew correctly. And I am pretty tight in the morning so I usually have a scoop of chocolate protein powder in a big cup of coffee. After that I will have two meals and usually a snack at some point.I am eating healthy foods, and if I really crave something that is not good for me I have a strict "two bite" rule that has been working very well for me! I am really hungry all the time, though. I think I am going to go for it.

Good for you, Jacqui!! I know the feeling. Last month I had six inches cut off my hair, and I really take care in the morning to dress my best!!! I used to pull my hair back and hide it under one those fake wige ponytails because I couldn't be bothered. I also find that I am taking better of my skin because I really care about the way I look. And men are starting to flirt with me :-)-men other than my husband!

Good ol' PBs. I remember my first one and I was terrified. I PB about once a week or so as well, usually when I am not paying attention (for example, trying to eat dinner while my husband is letting my 16 month old son climb up the dvd rack), or when I am traveling. I have learned that if I get the golf ball it is going to come up at some point so I generally forgo the pain and pressure and head straight for the bathroom. I don't even have to stick my finger down my throat!!

My husband has gained weight since I was banded because I was still putting too much food on my plate and when I couldn't finish it I would give it to him!! I have learned not to do that anymore. I will put less than I think I can eat on my plate, and usually I will still end up with a bite or two, but not a lot. Now my dog is getting fat :-)

I have three or four beers a week. I rarely finish one, though. Keep in mind that I typically drink dark beers (amber and brown ales) which are less carbonated than pilsners. One thing I do know- do not drink beer while you are eating. Although I miss this because I used to pair beer with food just like wine, it is painful to have carbonation while eating. I tried twice and both times it hurt like hell.

Thanks, Asphalt Angel!! Now you all can see for yourselves. BTW, the article states that the pic of her in the bikini was taken in 12/2004. So she is definitely skinnier now.

I am out of town right now, but I will try to scan the picture for you all when I get home!!

Shanna, you said your sister went through drug issues with your nephew when he was in high school. Did you have reason to believe that those issues were completely resolved?? And did you set ground rules for him when he moved into your house?? I definitely think it's uncool for him to have pot in your house when you have been nice enough to let him stay with you. But you should definitely give him a few weeks to move out, and you should really try to talk to him about the consequences of continuing to use drugs. I am from California, and I think a lot of Californians have a more relaxed attitude about pot, BUT- and this is a strong BUT- not only does he have an infant to think about, but he is living with your pre-teens who are at a very impressionable age. I hope at least if he was using he was not doing it in your house or around ANY of the kids.

Lisa, I agree with you in theory that there certainly could be repurcussions from Star admitting that she had WLS and anyone with a complication wanting to pin it on being influenced by her. What I do have a HUGE problem with is the fact that even though she has made this very vague "medical intervention" reference, she really is strongly inferring that she lost the weight naturally. My Mom is (or perhaps I should say WAS) a fan of hers and has watched many of her interviews and read her book. Although I don't think anyone will DIE or SUE her for not losing weight naturally by following her advice, I think it's just not cool that she is selling a weight loss "system" (which is what my mother says the book basically is) to millions and eliminating the first CRITICAL step that she took to get there. Having this band has not been a bed of roses for me, but I have lost 30+ pounds and kept it off, and plan to lose lots more. If I decided to write a book about my journey to successful weight loss, how could I NOT include the fact that I had WLS?? Sure, I have learned a lot about healthy eating, food pairing, the importance of Protein and Water, boosting my metabolism, and eating more slowly. Could I have learned these things without getting my band?? Sure. Would I have applied them as vehemently as I do with my band? What do you think?? How did we all get here in the first place? By the way, Anna Nicole Smith did not have WLS as far as I know. My very dear friend is an assistant to her attorney (who is named Howard Stern, always thought that was funny). She is taking TrimSpa, and from what I understand another contributor to her weight loss is the fact that she has resumed her cocaine habit. That happened to be one drug that she gave up for a few years. Shocking, I know :-)

Drama, it is definitely NOT a doctored photo. Go see for yourself. My issue with this whole thing is that Star is on the talk show circuit, wrote a book for which she has certainly made a ton of money, etc., without admitting that she had WLS. She is all over the place preaching healthy eating, portion control, etc. DUH. We all knew before we got our bands that we SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING ALL OF THOSE THINGS. But how many of us were? What I love about my band is that is has forced me into those habits by virtue of its function, and it is beginning to be second nature for me. Star is an icon for a lot of people, and a lot of obese people. If she would just admit what she had done, I think she would inspire many of her fans to follow suit to a healthier lifestyle, and she would help to remove some of the stigma of WLS because of her celebrity. What she is doing now is just being evasive and deceitful. I myself am a closet bandster, so please don't misunderstand my rant here. I think it's perfectly fine to keep your WLS to yourself. UNLESS you plan to write a book about how you lost all your weight and sell it to millions of people!!!

She is SO BUSTED, Y'all!!!!! I am started a new thread.....

I need some advice.:cry I have been banded 4 1/2 months and have had one fill of 1CC on 10/31. I have pb'd 6 or 7 times since then (last time was yesterday on some grilled chicken) and get the painful golfball several times a week. I eat slowly, chew a lot and take small bites like I am supposed to. In order to perpetuate my weight loss I really concentrate on lean hard protein even though it can hurt like hell most of the time, no matter how tiny my bites are. I am exercising and keeping my caloric intake to 1000-1200 per day. But I am definitely feeling hungrier these days, and I am really having to fight it.:hungry: My weight loss has stalled. The scale varies from weigh in to weigh in, and I have lost 30-32 pounds depending on the day. I am in Onederland which make me really happy, but have had no substantial weight loss in almost 3 weeks!! The weird thing is that lately my restriction is a total crapshoot. I can eat two bites of tuna at 6 o'clock at night and pb, or an entire grilled chicken Caesar salad at 12 and be just fine. The type of food, time of day, etc. does not correlate to any pattern whatsoever (my time of the month, however, is a different story and a totally different thread:o ) I really want another fill to see if it will make me feel fuller and eat less, but with the pbs and golfballs I am scared. What should I do?? HELP!!

It's all part of emotional eating that got you (and me) into this mess in the first place. There will be some grieving and unfortunately, there will be some foods that you may have to give up forever. For the record, I have no problem at all with Rice-a Roni, but I sure eat a lot less of it these days!!! You really do get used to it, though, and when you start to see the pounds fall off you will realize how worth it this is.

:crazy: Oh, my God this is getting ugly!! I know we are all entitled to our opinions, but come on!!!! First of all, let me say that although I don't even know Penni, Lisa, Michelle, Francesa, and the rest of the girls who have eroded PERSONALLY, I was moved to tears by each and every one of their experiences. I hope it never happens to me, but I am certain that eroding and having to have your band removed is a HORRIFIC EXPERIENCE AND SHOULD NOT BE TRIVIALIZED. For any of you who have insulted any of these women, let me point out that despite the fact that they are no longer banded, they all continue to remain on this board to advise and support the rest of us. To me that is invaluable, and for that they have earned my undying respect. The fact that many of these erosions originated from a few select surgeons in Mexico is at best a very strange coincidence. But regardless of their experience, and the surgical and hospital conditions in Mexico, I don't think it can be disputed that the malpractice and protection laws are more favorable to the patient in the USA. I am also a self-pay who could have afforded to go anywhere, but being protected in the event of a complication that was obviously the fault of my surgeon was one of the reasons I chose to be banded here (knock wood). That being said, I had to sign a 12 page document listing every single potential complication that could occur. I had to initial and write out an acknowledgement for each and every complication individually. It forced me to think long and hard about what I was getting into. But my surgeon has it in writing from me that I was willing to take the chance. Am I the only bandster (besides Pugmum and Givemethemoon) that had to do this?? I would not expect my surgeon to remove and replace my band for free if I had an erosion. I knew what I was risking when I signed up for this. But I DO expect him to respond quickly if I have a problem (knock wood AGAIN). Insensitive doctors really steam me, and believe me, I have dealt with plenty of them (including my 150 pound male band surgeon). But there is no excuse for a doctor who avoids a patient who is suffering from complications, and that is another reason why I advocate getting banded in the states. If I had problems and my surgeon was avoiding me, I could simply drive the 45 minutes to his office, walk in and throw a screaming tantrum:D . It's a little more difficult to do this when you have to get on a plane a fly to a different country. Thank you for the information and statistics, Dr. Ortiz. I am happy to hear that you are one of the surgeons with good continuing care and I praise you for the way you took care of Michelle when she had her complication and erosion. As for everyone else, "can't we all just get along??" I come here for love and support. If I want insults and fighting I can just invite my family over for dinner.:target:

I can't even attempt solid food until lunchtime. Lately I have been putting a scoop of chocolate protein powder in my morning coffee. It's yummy and filling!

I only waited until I was off the Vicodin. So that was about a week. No issues and my doc was OK with it.

Thanks, Kryssa, I'll try that. Anybody else?? Come on, guys, I really need some help here!!!

I am the official dog walker in the house now. Two brisk 1 mile walks twice a day, which totals about 40 minutes. Our route includes some serious steep hills, too!! I can definitely tell a difference since I started doing it, and since I have lost weight. I still sweat and pant a little, but my knees don't hurt anymore!

You go, Karen!!! Great job!! Bay to Breakers here we come!

Congratulations, Kelli! I had my surgery at California Pacific Medical San Francisco. I was very pleased with their service. One of the reasons Dr. Feng likes the VG is because it's a lot less work for him. You don't go back for fills, so it saves him a lot of time. Also, LapSF participates in a lot of studies and statistics and they really like their patients to show drastic rapid weight loss. That doesn't happen with the band.

Kelli- Dr. Feng tries to talk everyone into the VG. It's his favorite procedure. I would advise against it. Part of your stomach is removed permanently, and I feel pretty certain that once more of these procedures are performed we will see a higher incidence of complications and deaths. The best thing about the band is that the procedure is completely reversible and the slower weight loss is better for your body than a really rapid weight loss. I cjose the band over the VG because I know that if I ever had complications, I could get this thing removed. I also felt more comfortable knowing that when I get pregnant again I can have my fill removed and be able to sustain enough nutrition to have a healthy baby. If there is the smallest chance that you want to become pregnant in the future, don't do the VG!!

Yes, my fill is fickle!! First of all, it took two weeks to kick in, and there are times when I get stuck at two bites, and times when I can eat a regular meal. The type of food or time of day seems irrelevant. I have been thinking about going for a second fill, but I am restricted more often than not, so I am having difficulty deciding what to do! I am still losing but it has slowed considerably, only 4 pounds in the last month.

Very pleased so far. I have lost 30 pounds as of today, so while the weight loss is noticable it has been slow enough that I don't have to come out of the band "closet". I have had some pretty awful PBs, but it's all the process of figuring out what I can and can't eat. I can no longer eat soft bread (WAHHHHHHH!!!!) or broccoli (whatever). It's definitely a learning process, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I had 1CC for my first fill, and I am really restricted. Give it a liitle time and see how it does for you.