Loseweightin08

CONGRATS!!!! That is so exciting! I cannot wait....I have 3 more pounds and I will be there! I have not been in onderland in over 15 years! Keep up the good work, I see you are almost there!! Congrats again!

Congratulations! I am glad you are doing so well! I, like you never had any gas pains at all.....This has been the best thing I have ever done for myself! I think you will be very happy you did this! GOOD LUCK

Hello, I am also at 7.3 cc's, but I have not had any gas problems. But I was also lucky that I never had any gas pains after surgery either. I had read all about the pain and kept waiting for it to happen:) I do notice that especially in the morning things go down a lot slower. Also sometimes at night. Hope you feel better.

I have felt the same way at times. I have noticed that I have days where I am not very hungry at all and then times when I feel like I can eat as much as I want. I am at 7.3cc's and go for another fill in a month. I only get a little at a time as I do not want to be too tight. Sometimes it does seem to take awhile before the fill kicks in. Good Luck!

I was just talking to my bandster friend today about this. Last week I felt like I could eat anything and everything and I was constantly hungry and now the last couple of days I am back to where I was before being completly satisfied with small meals and not hungry until 4-6 hours later. I know this happens around my TOM, but it is not that time, so I am not sure what the changes are. I am hoping to stay where I am now, but I am sure in a couple of days it will change. I am going to ask the doc next time I go to see if he can explain this. Good Luck:)

Jenny, Welcome to our group. I too was self-pay and it has been the best money I have ever spent! Good Luck and if you have any questions I would be happy to answer them:)

Lauralee, Congratulations on making one of the best decisions of your life. Anyway, that is how I feel. I too was self pay and it has been worth every penny. The great thing about self pay is that it goes by pretty fast. You do your pre-op testing and then schedule surgery. Anyway, good luck and let me know if you have any questions, I would be happy to help.

I have had the same experience. I had a fill on 6.12.08 of .5cc which took me to 7cc in a 10cc band. I really did not feel much different until about 2 weeks ago. In the morning when I drink my protein shake I can feel it go down. That keeps me full until lunch time. I have noticed that I have to chew even more now, as I feel tighter. However, just today I felt like I did not have as much restriction, but it has been a month since the last fill, so I am hoping to make an appt. to get another .5cc. Hopefully that will be the "sweet spot". Good Luck!

I am sorry to hear of your loss. I have a chiweenie and can understand your grief. I am glad that you are remembering the good times and glad Lucy can be of comfort. I have had to put one of my dogs to sleep and although it was hard, it does get better over time. I see you are newly banded, I hope that is going well, it is the best thing I have ever done....Good Luck:)

I had hives last fall and took I had tried everything and nothing worked. I then tried Zyrtek and could not believe the difference. They went away within hours. Good luck, as I understand your misery!

Yes, mine has gone down. I was wearing a 10 1/2 Wide or an 11 and now I can wear 9 1/2 and 10 and do not need wide anymore....it has been great. My feet do not swell like they used to either!

I know the feeling. I think a lot of times mine is head hunger. I have 7 cc's in a 10cc band and am doing pretty well. The first time I got to 7 cc's, I ate chicken and it got stuck...3 days of misery and then went in for an unfill. He took me down to 6cc's and then started adding .5cc's every 4 weeks. I am losing fairly well right now, but I still do not always feel full, I just know when I should stop. However it does seem to last me a good 3-4 hours until I am hungry again. I did eat steak last night. I made sure it was small bites and chewed slowly and had no problems. Good luck, you will get there!

Hey there. It sounds like you are doing great. If you have lost 37lbs since surgery that averages to more than 5 lbs a week! That is great. I know that my Dr. wll not give me a fill if I am losing at a fast pace as he feels the band is doing its job. I do however remember being stalled around the 2 month mark...no matter what the scale would not move for about 2-3 weeks and then all of a sudden it started coming off again. Keep up the great work!

I really like the unjury chocolate....it tastes like chocolate milk to me. I am pretty picky and I have no problem drinking this. On their website they let you order a sample pack, so you may want to try that. I also don't mind EAS Low Carb Chocolate Fudge drink. I get it at Walmart in a 4 pack, not as good but drinkable. The nice thing is it only has 110 calories and fills you up pretty good. That is all I ever have for Breakfast.

Great Job. I too have loved going closet shopping or in my case garage shopping. I had a lot of my smaller close in totes in the garage. I now do not need to purchase another pair of capri's for a long time! I so agree with you about how wonderful it is to be satisfied. It is still so weird to me that now I am able to stop before I am full and still feel satisfied when before I would eat until I was stuffed. It really is wonderful. Keep up the great work!

I think most of us go through that last minute questioning. A few days before surgery I started to wonder if I should actually do it. I too was self pay and knew it would be a big investment, but I looked at it as an investment of adding years onto my life. I had the surgery in January and could not be happier. Yes I still have to diet and exercise (which I hate less and less everyday) and yes I had to give up my "Love" of Diet Pepsi, but in return I have got my life back. I have tried every diet known and could lose about 20 lbs and that was it. This is the first time that I actually feel in control. I don't feel I am at my sweet spot and sometimes I do eat too much but for the most part I just don't crave junk like I used to. For some reason it is just so much easier saying no to bad food. I hope this helps and good luck on your journey:)

From what I am reading this is pretty common. I seem to have my ups and downs also. I will exercise and do everything right and stay at the same weight for 3 weeks and then bam...I will lose a couple of pounds. I just really try to stay positive, because in the past I would just quit and go back to my old eating habits. Now I tell myself that if I continue to follow plan it will eventually come off,and it does. Stay positive and keep up the great work!

Hey there, I have been where you are. You are normal. I was banded in January in Austin. I had port pain for awhile. I usually took the pain meds before bed for awhile so that way I could get a good night sleep. I have lost 55 lbs to date, and yes I have been hungry. My first fill did not do anything for me. 2nd fill I started to tell a difference. 3rd fill was too much, I slimed and PB'D and had to go back in and get an unfill, so now I am back to the 2nd fill amount. Which I am still quite hungry, it is just a lot of motivation and hard work. I know when I go in for my next fill, it will only be .5cc's instead of 1cc it will help. You will get there. 8lbs is great, don't get discouraged as at first I hit a couple of platau's, but it passes. Good Luck, and let me know if you have any questions.

Wow, my experience has actually been way different. First of all...I am a big needle phob, so this was scary to me. However, he was done within 5 minutes. My starting weight was about the same as yours, and I have been lucky enough that he finds my port no problem. He does give me the Lydacain shot first to numb the area, then he presses to feel the port and boom the needle is in and out in 1 minute. I have had 3 fills and 1 unfill and no problems....I just hope this continues:) I would ask for the Lydacain, this way if he does have to poke around you won't feel it. Good Luck!

MNilene, Sorry to hear about your troubles. I totally needed to hear your email. Especially the last part about not being a setback. I got my 3rd fill of 1cc (for a total of 7cc in 10cc band) on Friday and started having trouble on Sunday. PBing and not able to keep anything down. I went in today for an unfill and he took out 1cc. After having it done, I felt such relief but then started to worry that I was going to be back to being hungry all of the time. But you are right it is not a setback. We have to listen to our bodies and this is a life long journey. So good luck and thanks for reminding me to look at the positive.

I had my 3rd fill on Friday. I did fine Friday and Saturday. Then Sunday I PB'D for the first time, and that happened off and on all day Sunday. Today is a bit better, I am doing liquids. I am PBing some still. I am going to give it until tomorrow, it seems like it is getting better. I hope so. I really don't want to have an unfill. Did he unfill you completely or just a bit?

Mindy, I was banded 1/14/08 and I am having the same struggle. My last appt was 2/21/08 at which point I have lost 29lbs....However, in this last month, my scale has barely moved. I too try to cut back on carbs (although I love them) and I have been exercising 4-5 times a week for 30 minutes. I have done Weight Watchers several times, and just like you, as long as I stuck to the plan I always lost...so I am not sure what is going on...I am trying to stay positive and hoping that when I get my 2nd fill I will start to have some restriction.....Good Luck:)

Jeni, I was banded on 1/14/08, just 3 days before you. I had my first fill on 2/21/08 of 4 cc's....and I like you did not feel any restriction. I have my 2nd fill this Friday, and can't wait. I try to stay at 1200 calories, but with no restriction it is not easy. According to the Dr's scale from 2/21 I have lost 29lbs....but this last month I have pretty much just stayed the same. I am exercising, so I am hoping I am losing inches. From what I understand, it takes 2-4 fills for a lot of people to get restriction. Just hang in there as I am trying to, and we will get there soon:smile:

From what I have heard and seen, alot of us are going through the same thing. I too get frustrated at times, I was doing about 600 calories a day and going to the gym 4-5 times a week and not losing anything. After reading a lot of posts, I determined that I needed to up my calories. I track everything on thedailyplate and finally 1.5lbs came off. Just stick with it. I was banded in January and lost pretty steady and then not a pound for over 2 weeks. I try not to get frustrated as I know this is my lifestyle for the rest of my life and it will eventually come off. Good Luck!

I totally hear you. I am not an exercise person at all. However, I joined a gym with a co-worker/friend and that has helped a lot. We make each other go and we yack the whole time and the time flies!