NanaRenan

"Gosh, Jack, that sounds like a really bad PB!" (doing my best John Pinette imitation. I'm like several others -- it varies from day to day, according to the time of day and common extenuating circumstances like how big of a hurry I am in, etc. I have to put everything down on a plate and eat it with a fork. If it's anything HAND HELD, I canNOT seem to slow myself down enough to prevent getting stuck or even PBing. I've had great difficulties with grits -- but I'm super restricted in the morning and they are a Breakfast food. Any sort of flaky white fish -- cod, catfish, etc., or shellfish -- crab, shrimp. -- Have to go SUPER slow and take teeny little bites.

I think Bandsters have the right to slice-to-ribbons with a killing dirty look anyone -- albeit spouse/child/neighbor/doctor/trainer-at-the-gym -- anyone who tells you you're not losing weight because you aren't eating enough. True or not, I'm sick of hearing it!

Juli -- looking at your stats, I don't see where there was time for a "trickle" -- looks to me like the fat POURED off of you!

I had fantasized extensively about being able to do it with the band alone, but it wasn't to be. I was eating more and more and hungry all the time....the only thing that kept me from gaining back some of what I'd lost pre-op/post-op was the fact that I was being super-careful about what I DID eat. But the fill was virtually painless and I had restriction immediately -- even though he said to give it a couple of days!! And the only time I have pain is if I take bites too close together and get 'stuck'. You'll be fine. Just don't over-think it.

That is AWESOME!!! I'm looking forward to escaping that prison, too! Thanks for inspiring me!

I'm here, just not checking in as often or as thoroughly. I need to get some work out of the way so I have more time to play!! I finally got the scales to budge after being stuck for WEEKS! Yay Me!

Nana joined a gym! Nana joined a gym!!! Can you believe it?? I had a 7 AM appt. with a personal trainer this morning and I was so excited I was up at a quarter til 5! It is a little humbling to find out just how UNFIT and UNFLEXIBLE you are, but it can only get BETTER right??

Ack!!!! I'm convinced my scale does not read below 278!!! 278.4 278.2 278.8 278.0 278.6 repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat I think I'm fixin' to start cheating on my scales -- by weighing in at THE FREAKIN' GYM I JOINED TODAY! So there, bee-yatch!

Hurray for you! You will most likely see me on CNN the day I break the 200 barrier!! Don't know yet what I'll do, but it'll be crazy enough to garner national attention, I'll wager!! LOL I'm SO aggravated about how my scales keep hanging -- drop a pound or two then SIT THERE for a month, drop another.... Well -- I got REALLY pissed and went and joined LA Fitness today!! I have a 7 AM appt. to meet with a trainer tomorrow. I went ahead and prepaid for three years -- OUCH! I know, but about what I'd pay for a decent machine at home and I don't have to figure out where to put it! And it's convenient to home, plus I drive past it multiple times a week, so it'll "NAG" me if I"m not going. But I've decided that when they say, "You can't DO IT on diet alone", they must've been talking about me. Even my walking a mile a day wasn't pulling it off either. I'm mad as a guinea wasp now -- -- so hopefully we'll get some results!

Argh! I so happy for all of you who are really pulling it off, but pea-green with envy! Yesterday was three months for me and I have lost 23 lbs. (The rest was lost pre-op). My body is just fighting me, fighting me, fighting me!!! It's SO aggravating!

I've PBed a few times -- almost every single time it was while eating something 'hand-held' -- I now use a knife and fork for EVERYTHING! Also, I should do better at setting my portion size from the get-go....because there's no warning of when you shouldn't take the next bite. Just an "OH CRAP! I shouldn't have taken that LAST bite!" Hence, I need to SLOW down more between bites. I don't know what my "LOOK" looks like, but I see something near TERROR reflected in the faces around the table -- I get lots of "Mom/Honey, are you alright?" Hmmmm....my face is flashing white.red.white.red. There are tears in my eyes. My lips are clenched. My hand is over my mouth and I frequently raise one arm up over my head and stretch uncomfortably. DO I FLIPPING LOOK "alright"??

I feel your pain.....I was banded a day before you and have stalled out SO many times already! Yes, there is a modicum of change in my clothes fitting and yes, I feel much better. But YES, I would LIKE to see some results in the numbers game. But I guess we both need to just chill and keep doing what we know is right and wait for the results. I have to have faith that this thing we have done WILL work eventually!! Sunshine, thanks for posting that piece. I've printed it out to put on the fridge!

LOL I just signed up and it told me 2460 calories per day!! So I set it for 1600 calories.....if it's all GOOD food, that's a LOT. I'm pretty sure I can't eat that much banded. But it's more reasonable than 2460!!

I'm three months post-op and had my first fill a month ago today. I've never had a problem with red meat OR salad. Now grits and seafood -- get stuck every time I eat them. But I love them too much to stop. Breads and Pasta....can't have more than ONE bite or I'm askin' for misery.

I've not had any problem with salads, either. But, don't eat them as often as I'd like because the protein gets first call and after that, there's usually some lovely broccoli or something else I like better.

I love ALL seafood (okay, calamari and fried oysters are pretty low on my list, but I never met a shrimp I didn't like!) and I live near the gulf, so we eat a LOT of seafood. Pretty much ALL of it tends to get 'stuck' if I don't REALLY eat it slow. Chew, chew, chew, but then wait a long time between bites. Not sure why -- but it just seems more likely to 'clog up' at the bandsite than beef, pork or chicken does. But eventually it all goes down. Just take your time.

Ahhh -- that's music to my ears!! I've had WAY too many people try to tell me that "starvation mode" is fictional, a figment of my imagination!! I say JUST TRY LIVING WITH IT FOR A WHILE!!!! Sheesh!! Anyway, HOORAY for you, Rumar!!! I'm thinking of going back to Weight Watchers so I can get a handle on getting in enough food so that I keep losing. I was banded about a week ahead of you and I've been stuck, too. I suspect it was because i was so focused on getting in my protein that I really wasn't paying attention to my calories and probably haven't been consuming ENOUGH to keep the loss going. Best of luck to BOTH of us!

60 is my "minimum" -- I aim for 80 to 100 though! I spend the extra and buy Borden 2% High Protein Milk -- 10 grams of protein for an 8 ounce cup. Then try to get in my "24 in 24" like the Dairy Industry ads say -- 3 cups (8 oz.) per day. I keep meaty snacks around me all the time.....lump crab meat, lean/low sodium deli meats, low-fat string cheese, etc. All of which are about 5 grams of protein per ounce. Always make my meat choice 1/2 to 3/4 of my meal, with veggies making up the difference and carbs as a last resort....or a special treat. Hope that helps a bit.

No. Only if you're having difficulty getting in all your protein.

Oh, but "I" do! Honestly, if I have a choice between just going to the movies and having popcorn OR going out for a nice dinner before, but no popcorn at the theatre -- I will pass up most anything.....steak, lobster, Mexican, Italian. The popcorn is at least HALF the reason for buying a ticket and going to a theater. Otherwise, just rent a DVD and stay home! Pam<---only goes maybe 5 or 6 times a year.

Okay -- I love popcorn, but have gone months and months at a time without eating it and never saw a change in my IBS. I don't know my LB surgeon's opinion -- it's never come up -- nor has it with my GP. But I have been to the movies once and had some -- the small bag lasted 3/4 of the way through the movie and I even shared some -- where as a LARGE used to be gone by the time the previews and opening credits were done! LOL And we went through several boxes of Act II Popcorn Balls for Halloween. They're pre-packaged into 100 calorie balls and just sweet enough to feel like you've had a treat.

LOL I'm sorry, Sweetie! I'm not laughing AT you, but with you! But you're frustration is so very evident -- and I just enjoy your....er....free-form way of expressing it! Maybe we should start a competion -- Plateau Queens!!! Sort of like cyber chicken or something. First one to budge the scales defaults their crown to the other! LOL Hmmmmmm.....this could work! UNFORTUNATELY!!!

I had my best success with WW, too. I've always said, "If I drank all the water they tell me to, eat all the veggies they tell me to and did all the exercise they tell me to, I'd lose weight. PERIOD." Problem is -- I lose it so incredibly SLOW that I give up and end up just pigging out for a few days or couple of weeks and gain back what I lost. If it doesn't do anything else, at least the band prohibits that sort of falling off the wagon!

Hi, my name is Pam, but around my house I am known as the PLATEAU QUEEN. ARGH!!!:angry My body just like to arbitrarily STICK at a number and not budge for weeks. I've walked myself into "shin-splints" several times -- it seems the only thing that will jump start me to losing again is to have a 'blow-out' weekend, where I eat whatever I want. This is reminding me -- painfully so! -- of when I would do Weight Watchers. If I ate at the low end or BELOW my points rage, I would either sit still or have a minimal loss -- like .04# or something. But if I ate on the high end or ABOVE, I'd lose 1.5 to 2.0 a week! I'm beginning to suspect I'm not eating enough! I'm SO focused on getting in the protein, that I'm really not even looking at calories. I just know VOLUME-wise, I'm probably consuming 1/6th of what I used to. I told my hubby tonight that I'm thinking about going back to WW.....he looked at me like I'd grown a horn or something! What do ya'll think...?

Thanks, WASA! mwah!