MamaJava

I'm joining 'Curves' tomorrow! I can't wait! Just wanted to shout it out. I'm really excited. I've been stuck at -13 lbs. since 2 weeks post-op, and even with the little tiny bit of restriction I got after my first fill, I'm still not losing any weight. I know I need to step it up in the exercise department...so here's to hoping that the pounds will begin to come off! I get my 2nd fill March 19th and maybe that will help also. I gotta reset my siggy to reflect my new goals. I'm in a size 22 jeans right now and I need to get into a size 18 jeans before the last weekend in April when my husband and I will be going on another coaster trip with his friends. I do NOT wanna be on the sidelines again for fear of not fitting onto the roller coasters. If I get into those 18's, then I know I won't have any issues. "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can..." :rolleyes2:

The bottom line is that it appeared deceptive. After redstarr's "final" post of saying "My work here is done. Goodbye...", there was a post shortly after responding to another question, this time by someone named Isuzu, and at the time, it definitely appeared deceptive. I wasn't the only person to comment about the ironic name change and it's timing. If you don't see it that way, then please take your own advice and don't read the info I present. Also, you commented to me about there being nothing to support my comments about Isuzu being paid by another company to run around band-bashing the Realize product. Well, Isuzu said that Proctors get paid by companies and they are swayed and paid off to support one product over another. In another of his/her previous posts, Isuzu claimed to BE a proctor for another band company. By his/her own admission and definition of a Proctor, he/she outed his/her self as being paid to run around band-bashing the Realize band. *sigh* I don't know why I had to correct you, but I did. I really didn't wanna rehash, but when you singled me out and reprimanded me, I had to defend myself. It's my own personal nature. Also, just as Isuzu has his/her rights to be passionate about ripping a product apart that is in my body, well then I also have the right to defend that product and I may be a bit passionate about it. I'm not going to make any apologies for that. Now that the Isuzu character seems to have run off, this thread is much more pleasant and I wanna keep it that way. So...enough of all the "he said, she said" junk. Sorry to interject it one last time. I just couldn't help myself. Of course, ya'll can just ignore me if ya want, right? :rolleyes2:

I haven't given up soda. I still enjoy a Coke 1 or 2 times a week. It doesn't affect me negatively in any way whatsoever. My doc recommends giving up soda because it may help with the weight loss...but he doesn't demand that his patients give it up for band reasons at all. It doesn't even give me gas pains like some people complain about. I do notice that I retain more Water when I do drink soda, which is why I limit myself to having them only as a real treat once in awhile. I also did NOT have to do any type of liquid diet in the pre-op days. I only had 2 week full liquids post-op, 1 week purees and then 1 week soft foods. It wasn't that difficult, really.

VERY well put! I could not have said it better myself. When I read the original post, all these same thoughts were shooting through my head. Thanks for saving me all that time typing. :w00t:

Count me in as well! So...600 minutes for March Challenge? Oh, should we come up with an official name so we can easily find the thread? Here are some ideas with a play on words-type idea: 600 Minute March! (get it?) Marchin' the Minutes The MinuteBand March ...I'm just brainstorming.

Nope. I don't think he had help with surgery at all. Jared was a real dude who had a goal and he reached it. THEN he contacted Subway and told them what he had done. I think it's a pretty great story. Some people can actually lose weight without needing this contraption that we've received. I wish I was one of them, but I'm not. I needed the little extra tool...but that's okay, too. I applaud Jared for what he did, and for keeping the weight off. Sometimes, even the rich & famous can't keep the weight off no matter how many trainers, cooks, nutritionists and diet plans they pay for. Look at Oprah, for example. Even better...look at Carnie Wilson, who is now back up to over 200 pounds. She had gastric bypass and still gained the weight back. She has a trainer and still gained the weight back. She's not as big as she was pre-surgery, but she's slowly getting up there again.

The problem with hitting the ignore button is that I would no longer be humored by certain posters... ...and I can speak for myself when I say that none of this is angering me in the least...it's pure entertainment. It doesn't take much for me to have fun.

We are not arguing that the Realize band is not triangle shaped. But that's how the band is when it is filled with only air in the center...not when it is filled when wrapped around the stomach. When it is wrapped around the stomach, the fluid spreads out and becomes rounded around the stomach muscles. This has been verified by my surgeon as well. Also, it's just simple physics. I don't see the rest of us as attacking Isuzu/redstarr (switched names halfway through the thread so as to appear as a secondary voice to his/her arguments)...I see us as trying to correct some major misconceptions this individual has. Plus the whole "I'm right and you're wrong, period."-type of statements he's putting out are just reiterating our points that this troll is nothing but a pawn for some other company to come around here and band-bash another brand name. *shrug* It's quite obvious, really.

O....M.....G. NO, Isuzu, we do not need to see your pic of a Realize band inflated, because as most of us have told you, we've already seen that from our Surgeons. By the way, as a MED STUDENT you should know that when something is inflated when nothing is inside of it, it can be triangular shaped. Yes, it looks that way. However, stomach muscle is stronger than that saline balloon. What happens when you put it around a ROUND stomach, is that the balloon rounds out also and evenly distributes the saline (or whatever fluid is in your band) throughout the tube and around your stomach. Honestly, it does not take a genius to gain this type of knowledge. It's simple, really. So please just keep your pics of inflated Realize bands to yourself and enjoy gawking at them on your own time. We all understand and most of us with the band already know what it's all about. I would think you should be studying and not wasting your time running around here and stomping your feet like a big baby.

Oh...and I also saw that YouTube video...that is definitely NOT the same band that is in my stomach. It's all weird looking and it doesn't look like what is around my stomach at all. Not in the least.

Yeah, I saw a bunch of this Isuzu's/redstarr's "research" and notable quotables were pulled from Wikipedia and I literally laughed out loud. Told my husband, and he laughed out loud as well. Anybody who tries to use THAT as a reliable source or to support their own arguments has got to be a flunky...definitely NOT a med student. Puh-leez.

Potatoes. I can eat mashed potatoes, but it has to be very, very slowly. Baked potatoes and home fries, on the other hand, are evil little beasts. I've gotten them both stuck twice since my fill last week. I've not PB'd anything, but I get the huge lump golfball in the chest feeling and DANG that hurts! I need to avoid potatoes completely depending on how they are cooked.

I think you're fine. From what my surgeon explained to me, they aren't worried about the drinking too soon after meals until you have a fill and until you have a pouch. If you've not had a fill yet, then you don't have a pouch yet. Plus, the "pushing through" they are worried about it to cause you to be hungry too soon. What problems, exactly, are you worried about? Plus, if it was almost 30 minutes after you ate like you said it was, then don't fret...even if you do have a fill and a pouch already.

My hubby and I are big pumpkin fans, so I'm definitely going to give this one a try! Thank you! New recipes rock.

I'm right where you are! I had my first fill a couple days ago, and I can't believe how easy it was. I laid flat, he had me tighten my abs, one tiny little stick (barely felt it), then I heard a small "pop" noise (I may have been feeling it and not hearing it, you know what I mean?), and before I knew it the needle was out and he was helping me sit up and placing a bandage on it. I was like, "are you kidding me? That's it?" Great stuff. Good for you, too! :biggrin2:

I just can't believe I'm feeling restriction after my first fill! At first I thought it was a fluke, but it's not. Every food I eat, I can feel it. I just had oatmeal for lunch and I ate 3/4 of a cup before I stopped and I thought "Oh my god, I'm full". I know 3/4 of a cup sounds like a lot, but that's so much less than what I was eating pre-band. Also, I realize now that I definitely ate too much. I feel a bit too packed in there. I'll surely stop earlier at my next meal. It's all a learning process, right? I'm just dancing over here! I'm so excited for this to finally be happening for me.

Yay, for the Mister of the house! So thrilled for him. You will be the perfect cheerleader for him (heck, you can even don the uniform and steam things up, eh?)! Keep us posted...and let him know how happy we are for the both of you.

I'm happy to report that it was not just a fluke...I have real restriction! Every meal yesterday made me feel my band. Food kept me full for very long periods of time. Today, I tried to eat a Weight Watcher brand bagel with light cream cheese, and I made sure to extra-toast it (very crispy) and I was full after 5 bites. I had a large coffee a little while after that and I haven't even thought about food until just now and it's nearly lunch time. I'm having some oatmeal and I'm taking it slow. 3 bites in and I can already feel it sitting in there like a little lump. I'm so excited! Thanks for all your comments. I can't wait to lose weight, have my stomach shrink and to need another fill. Hopefully this will stick with me for awhile. I'm thrilled, to say the least.

I got my first fill yesterday. I got 3cc in a 9cc band. I think I actually have restriction for the first time ever! By that, I mean that I healed so fast after my surgery that I was wanting to eat the back off of an elk less than 12 days after surgery. I'm glad I healed so fast, but those 6 weeks dragged by so slowly. I'm glad I got a fill, I'm glad I feel something. I had 1 packet of Weight Control oatmeal for breakfast at 7:45am. It's 12:31 now and I finally feel like having lunch. Time will tell if it's real restriction or just a fluke. At any rate, I'm thrilled! *insert happy dance here cuz the smilies aren't workin' while the website is being updated*

There's my post where I stated that I have seen it inflated, and that I saw it inflated next to other types of bands. I don't know. It seemed like a great little device to me and IMHO, it appeared to be better technology. That is strictly my opinion, though.

Not me! I still love it all just the same. I have a couple cups a day, just as I did pre-band. I also still drink it with caffeine. Now that I've stopped drinking soda, I figure I'm doing pretty well. It tastes better than ever for me, in fact. I've always just had mine with cream...I hate sweet coffee. Maybe that's the difference? I dunno. Nothing has changed in the coffee department for me. :thumbup:

Oh yes. That's a very mature attitude. You know most Med. students don't have time to pick fights and throw tantrums on website boards. They also usually don't use childish comments like that. The more you kick and scream, the more foolish you appear. Keep it going...you're winning! You are a star! You are throwing out flawless arguments and research! We are all changing our minds and having our Realize bands ripped out because of YOU! Woo hoo!!! Gold star for you, darling. I'm sure you'll be teacher's pet one day soon.

I've seen it inflated as well...in fact, it's MORE rounded than all the other bands that I saw inflated next to my Realize band. The other bands are creased also! Are you freakin' blind? Also, the Realize goes ALL the way around the inside of the band. Some other bands do not. Did you miss that day in class?

Again, redstarr you have no CLUE what you are talking about. My port site incision is small. It's only about 1/2 inch longer than my other incisions, which are all only about 1/4 inch in length. You need to just pocket the money you're getting from another lap band company to run around bashing the Realize band and go on some vacation to a far off land where you can soak up some sun and CHILL OUT. You're really running around all these Realize band threads like some crazy nut case. Why do you care so much about the band differences? All the bands are fine. That's why most doctors still use at least 1 or 2 different kinds of bands. Holy crap you're a loony toon.

Obviously redstarr completely ignored the post by the doctor responding to and disputing all of this freak's claims. What has peed in your Cheerios that has made you such an angry person? I also have seen an inflated Realize band and it doesn't look anything like what you are describing. I've held one. I've inspected one. I've seen it inflated, I've seen it not inflated. We obviously live on different planets. Go on about your own business and stop this absurd and obnoxious vendetta you have against Johnson & Johnson. You are really acting like some crazy person.