adorkbl

Oh my goodness dear. You are only a few weeks out I felt so bad for around 6 weeks.I was always tired Id get wiped out just showering. Nausea and gas ,I can tell you that it was all worth it! No regrets here one bit. I'm now about 9 months out and 5lbs from my goal weight. You will make it. It gets easier every day : }

That plate is GREAT! It should come with the band!!

I am so jealous. I WISH I could run with my dog. I have tried. It doesn't work. I have been doing Ease into 5K sine 7/22/12. I repeated some weeks... and am starting week 6 next week. I am up to 2 miles in the morning. I went from not being able to run the 3 seconds to running 15 minute stretches. I am slow. But getting faster as time goes on.
LOVE love LOVE running.

I'm 5'8
Started @384 size 30
Now @307 size 24

I just had my hiatal hernia fixed and my band repositioned on July 9th. I would get another opinion. Unless there is something else going on??
Sorry about all your bumps. What a trooper you are!!

Best advice is don't have a Water sitting there. After you are banded... it will be easier to remember... because you don't want to flush your lunch quickly through the band. And sometimes... it can be uncomfortable to add liquid on top of the food.
Good for you for practicing!!!
I also do what the previous poster does... sometimes I take a very small sip to cleanse the pallet.

I just wanted to say I am sorry for the pain and reflux you are having. I have been having issues too... but not quite as severe. I had an EGD a few weeks ago and was diagnosed with severe esophagitis and a hiatal hernia. My Dr wanted to remove my fill or remove my band. I changed my diet drastically and that has helped. I am hoping to avoid losing my band.
Some diet tips:
~Avoid spicy foods such as those with pepper, chili powder, curry, and nutmeg.
~Avoid caffeinated drinks like coffee and tea.
~Avoid greasy and fried foods.
~Avoid hard foods such as nuts, crackers, and raw vegetables.
~Avoid acidic foods and beverages such as tomatoes, oranges, grapefruits, and their juices.
~Take small bites and chew food thoroughly.
~Drink liquids through a straw to make swallowing easier.
~Avoid alcohol and tobacco.
Sorry I don't have a lot of advise. Just wanted to give you some support. I hope you can find relief!!

Went to a Water park!!!!! My kids have been begging for years to go and I always found some reason we couldnt go. The truth was, I was just too fat. I couldv'e hardly kept myself safe in the tube rides, let alone my kids. This year, I said we ARE going! I walked around all day in my swimsuit and didnt give it a second thought. My kids had fun. One more reason I am so glad I got banded!!!

Strength training is important and will help get you to goal. One pound of muscle burns 50 calories a day while one pound of fat only burns 3. Replace some of the fat with muscle and you will burn more calories!

Body lift. Big reward for big goal.

Head hunger is a constant battle with me. Honestly.. I wasn't prepared to get banded when I did. I did the work and did really well initially... lost 100 pounds... then I had some complications and I just gave up. Went back to overeating (no restriction due to a leak in port) and I went back to my kryptonite.. ice cream. I am talking a 2 pints a night habit. BAD BAD. Gained over 50 pounds back.
I felt SO freaking awful. Not only was I still fat, I undid all the hard work I had done for over a year and a half... AND I was now fat & banded. So embarrassed. So I kept eating to cover my shame and embarrassment.
It wasn't until a few months ago when I was contemplating having my band removed that I really SAT DOWN and started to do some head work. Well crap... I should have done that from day1. I really AM an emotional eater, and I need to be aware of that at all times.
I avoid my trigger foods. Not allowed. These are foods I feel I have no control over, mainly ice creams, Cookies, sweets. That was the first step. As for the rest... I have an internal dialogue with myself. I ask myself, am I hungry? Am I bored? Do I want more because it tastes good? Am I trying to soothe an emotion I am uncomfortable with? When I figure out the WHY.... I address it. Without food.< /p>
I am not perfect, but I am miles ahead of where I have been for years. One day at a time, one pound at a time. It has been getting easier... but for instance, last night I REALLY really wanted soft serve ice cream. I obsessed about it for hours. I got anxious, and I thought about how it would taste and feel. I got close to my... "screw it" mentality... where I would cave. But I didn't. I talked myself down, and reminded myself of my goals. Instead I squirted a dollop of light whipped cream in a glass of unsweetened almond milk. I drank it super slow and savored the light sweetness with the creamy milk. And I felt awesome! I ENJOYED my HEALTHY sweet treat, and I felt like I had the power. Not food.
Sorry for the long rambly post. I guess what I am trying to convey is BE AWARE. Have a dialogue with yourself. Figure out what your triggers are. Take your power back. And most of all... do not let a moment of weakness turn into a month or year of weakness.

Head hunger is a constant battle with me. Honestly.. I wasn't prepared to get banded when I did. I did the work and did really well initially... lost 100 pounds... then I had some complications and I just gave up. Went back to overeating (no restriction due to a leak in port) and I went back to my kryptonite.. ice cream. I am talking a 2 pints a night habit. BAD BAD. Gained over 50 pounds back.
I felt SO freaking awful. Not only was I still fat, I undid all the hard work I had done for over a year and a half... AND I was now fat & banded. So embarrassed. So I kept eating to cover my shame and embarrassment.
It wasn't until a few months ago when I was contemplating having my band removed that I really SAT DOWN and started to do some head work. Well crap... I should have done that from day1. I really AM an emotional eater, and I need to be aware of that at all times.
I avoid my trigger foods. Not allowed. These are foods I feel I have no control over, mainly ice creams, Cookies, sweets. That was the first step. As for the rest... I have an internal dialogue with myself. I ask myself, am I hungry? Am I bored? Do I want more because it tastes good? Am I trying to soothe an emotion I am uncomfortable with? When I figure out the WHY.... I address it. Without food.< /p>
I am not perfect, but I am miles ahead of where I have been for years. One day at a time, one pound at a time. It has been getting easier... but for instance, last night I REALLY really wanted soft serve ice cream. I obsessed about it for hours. I got anxious, and I thought about how it would taste and feel. I got close to my... "screw it" mentality... where I would cave. But I didn't. I talked myself down, and reminded myself of my goals. Instead I squirted a dollop of light whipped cream in a glass of unsweetened almond milk. I drank it super slow and savored the light sweetness with the creamy milk. And I felt awesome! I ENJOYED my HEALTHY sweet treat, and I felt like I had the power. Not food.
Sorry for the long rambly post. I guess what I am trying to convey is BE AWARE. Have a dialogue with yourself. Figure out what your triggers are. Take your power back. And most of all... do not let a moment of weakness turn into a month or year of weakness.

I do a Protein shake for Breakfast because I am NOT a morning person... so I am always running late, and it is easy for my to grab one and drink it on the way to work. It is easy for me to get down, and I don't have to think about it.
It works for me. Sometimes I switch it up and do a Chobani Yogurt w/Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal sprinkled on top. That is also easy for me to get down. Keeps me fuller longer.

Ugh. I had a huge response typed and it got lost in cyberspace.
First of... Hi G!! You were a huge inspiration to me when I started my journey. I read your blog religiously (I miss it!!).
I am probably not one to give advice considering my journey. Recently I had to have my band repositioned when I had a hiatal hernia repaired. When continplating yet another surgery I kicked my butt into high gear to see if I should keep my band or not. Started exercising tons, changed my diet drastically to work with my band and PCOS... and I saw success again... despite a wonky band. Now my band is fixed but empty... so I am dealing with hunger (which sucks!). But I am still kicking it into high gear with food and exercise. It is very time consuming. I am putting ME first.
My point being... you know this. You did this. You spent hours upon hours counting calories, cycling, and exercising. You put YOU first. You had that ability and luxury.
Now you have a husband and a special needs child. They are first. You are at most third on your priority list. Massaging stuck food through your band is not an ideal situation. Either the food choice is poor, the food quantity is poor, or there is something wrong with the band. You ruled out band issues... so perhaps you need to look at food choices?
Great job on the post baby weight. Perhaps this is your new normal with everything going on in your life right now. Otherwise... maybe you can readjust your schedule to cycle another hour a day. Can you?
I have never been that close to goal. But I hear over and over how the last 10-20 pounds are the hardest. I know you said your journey was easy before... but if you sat and wrote down the difference in your exercise and food from right now to then... would there be a difference?
Your #1 focus right now is your beautiful son. As it should be. Those 25 hours of therapy a week were the hours you exercised before. Hours you could dedicate to your health. Now they are dedicated to your son's health.
You will figure it out. I am not discounting that your band feels different to you. It may very well not be quite the same. But there also may be other factors that need examination.
I wish you oodles of success in getting those last 20 off and finding balance with all your added priorities in life.

Long time no see Puddin, glad you are well!
My band has "changed" too. Like you, I'm at a good weight - I got very thin when I was sick a while back and have regained that weight, but I didnt want to quite regain it ALL, and I'd like to lose about 8lb but I just cant get that help from my band anymore. If i fill more I get too tight. My band is working very well to maintain weight but its not a lot of help for me to lose.
I think that's in the perception though - when you're heavier, you lose weight so easily. When you're already a healthy weight, you really do need to cut down to miniscule portions to lose 20lb and the band was never meant to help you literally starve yourself.
I think I eat quite large portions and I always get the munchies between meals, its a constant battle and a constant rebounding on and off the wagon for me to keep away from the carby snacky foods. But when I really LISTEN I am satisfied physically on a cup or so of food and not hungry till nearly the next meal time. That doesnt stop me wanting to eat! I think the problem is with the band, although my body has adjusted to be a stable 145lb or so and I no longer lose, in truth, the 1400 calories or so a day I eat is not enough to sustain a 145lb 5ft 10 woman who works on her feet all day and runs most days. So my body is always saying feeeeeeeed me, even though I dont feel the physical hunger I might without the band. Does that make sense?
I actually do better when I allow myself to eat more substantial, Protein filled meals. I have developed this obsessive horror of a meal over 300 calories and if I add the fat and Protein to bump my lunch up to say 500, I do get through till dinner very easily. And it doesnt add up to eating more than 3 300 calorie meals and a whole lot of nibbling, picking and "not quite" Snacks. But for some reason I really struggle to allow myself to do this.
Obesity is not a disease you really recover from, you can only manage it. You dont reach a finish line with the band, its a life long task and I find it helps me to recognise that and realise I will always be adjusting and readjusting my behaviour. And part of that is just accepting that the band "feels" different some years out. I only have to look at what everyone else eats to remind myself it is doing something.

Sometimes I put out a tough crossword on my kitchen counter and force myself to try and complete 5 of the words before I head into the food. Sometimes this slows me down enough that I think over my "hunger"...

Checking in at 297!!! Down 6 pounds this week. Wow. Finally in Twoterville!!!! Met my goal early... so I guess I will make a new one. 295 is my new goal.
Very very happy. I know things will slow down when I go back on real food... but enjoying the losses.
Weight on July 22nd: 297
Weight on July 15th: 303
Weight on July 8th: 306
Weight on July 1st: 307

Egg beater omelette with turkey crumble sausage, light cheddar cheese and some hot salsa. About 200 calories. Pear snack at 10:30 am.
tmf

It's confusing, I agree. The fact so many walk around with their bands too tight then post about it here as if it's normal doesn't help either.
You correct what restriction is supposed to be: Satisfied with no more than 1 cup of food for 4-5 hours. That doesn't mean you won't physically be able to eat more than a cup of food but that you'll no longer be hunger after a cup of food.
Some people intentionally make their bands tighter than that. As for myself, I'm way too afraid of slips and prefer to keep mine reasonable.

There is a thread in here somewhere. But YES you can. Doesnt mean everyone will but it does happen. I was diagnosed with it years ago and tried for 17 years to get pregnant. You can tell by my signature I am 35 healthy weeks into my first pregnancy. Without the band I dont think I would EVER have gotten pregnant! It is very very possible.

Hey, We don't use the F word in here! Have you been keeping a chart of your daily intakes for past 4 months? If so I would contact your Nutricianist and set up appointment to show them your chart, they can make any nessasary changes to diet. Another thing may be the fact that your body is taking longer to heal from Hernia Op. without the proper fills you're obviously not going to lose more than current rate, Again Not your FAult, Your still healing. It's easy to give up. don't be discouraged, and you can't judge your personal losses to others each person has differnt metabolisims. Stressing and being upset will only leed you to doing the wrong things . keep a positive attitude, and know tha tonce your back on scheduled fills you'll lose more each week. Please don't feel like the F word. Nobody ever said it was going to be easy.. You have some good people on here willing to help. Failure is not a option!

It happens. I don't know how "common" it is... but ports can flip, tilt, turn, etc. It may be possible for them to access it under fluoroscopy. If not, you may need an additional surgery to reposition it. Hopefully it won't come to that.

That plate is GREAT! It should come with the band!!