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OY, poor Turler. Where were you banded? I feel so bad for you. What frustration! Gwenn

Hi Sue, You are amazing. So much in a year! WOW. I want to ask you something. I was just banded a month ago. I'm down 29 or 30 depending what day it is. Once I went to soft foods, my weight loss seems to stay in a two pound range, never moving past and down. I know it's only a week or so, but it's scary. Ice cold scary. I'm walking daily and for me, having worked my way to about a mile, I'm happy. I was getting very immoblile. I'm drinking tons of water- that's not an issue, and I'm eating between 700 and 800 calories-just going back to solids this week. I'm aggravated because back on South Beach I didn't hit a plateau of months and I didn't even exercise. Do you have any memories of early plateaus? Any advice? Many thanks, Gwenn

I"m going to try that. Thanks. I'm also going to go back on Previcid. I thought maybe I could stop after the surgery, but probably not this soon. The heaviness in my chest and burn are worse and so's the burping. Could be heartburn and acid. Why be miserable. I'll go back on for a few days and if I'm better, there's the answer. Gwenn

Heck, if you need the support, I'll come visit you at Cedars. I'm right near-by. Gwenn

I know you're right. Just haven't been feeling well enough to eat much more. But it's funny because I got hungry before bed last night and I ended up eating a slice of cheese and a couple of crackers, and a diet hot choc. Probably about 200 calories in total. And I lost a pound and a half. I am also exercising 5 days a week and yes, our metabolism needs something to work off. I'm going back on Previcid to see if all this indigestion and heartburn will go away. I thought maybe I could stop taking it, but looks like not yet. And I don't want not feeling well to hold me up from victory. Gwenn

I'm with you there. We were banded on the same day. I'm know all the little kinks still post-op will eventually work out and I'm looking forward to my first fill next week. Gwenn

Well, you're doing great. And you're correct of course, this is just a tool, not magic. Gwenn

Hi Christy- You're up late as well and I'm on the West Coast. I'm 56 and I do think that age affects recovery.How could it not. It also affects rate of weight loss, etc. Just happy I'm finally doing this, whatever my age. It can only make my life easier and fuller. Just plenty of frustration at all the things still not right. Pain, changes in bowels, food issues, etc. I've been told it can take a while for everything to come around and now I do belive it. I agree about the shoulder. I'm probalby on the computer too much and at home, it's not set up as it is in the office. But it sure helps....and yes, I popped a pain pill. No martyr here. Your weight drop is similar to mine. I haven't posted it but have lost another 1/2 pound so I'm speeding toward 30. It's all Water I'm sure, but it's a gift. The loss rate is slowing down now and I'll probably get closer to the 1-2 pounds a week that the doctors want. That's fine with me. Exercise is great and I've been told that walking is one of the best ways to heal faster and get a good start on the loss. HOWEVER, I'm sure pushing a wheelchair is not an activity on the list. But walking is and I take a good walk every day. I just had a 25 calorie hot chocolate and now I'm off to bed as well. Gwenn

You know, I'm a month past banding and I still get some shoulder pain. Not all the time, but now and then. Problem is I'm not certain if it's gas or shoulder problems because I did have shoulder troubles a while back. I can't raise my arm all the way. I don't know which it is. Either way it's pain pill and heat, but I guess if it goes on much longer I"ll have to go to the orthopedic doctor and try to get some physical therapy for it. Just what I need. If it's gas, it's weird to get it once a week or so, isn't it? I'm very envious of all of you who recup'd so quickly!!!!! LOL. Gwenn

Where's my brain tonight. Of course you're all done. Khalili doesn't put it in unless all is done. So, you're just a few weeks away now! Let me know when.............. Gwenn

FANTASTIC! you see, it will all work out. Any more tests to do or are you finished? I'm thrilled for you. Gwenn

I would have loved to not give up the food, but I also know it was slow suicide. I haven't solved this yet, and I'm sure there are places in me that wanted the food more than life (isn't the the core of addiction), but I do know how unhealthy that is. I started therapy over a year ago with a woman who specializes in food related issues, and I'm still there. It's very important, even if we can't overcome our STUFF, to learn how to live next door to it rather than having it in our kitchen all the time. Gwenn

Hi Salsa, You are wise. Second time you've come up with a good answer for me. After I wrote the email, I went to the therapist. I let it all hang out there- the scale, the food, the heartburn some old favs are giving me, the gas, the bowels,the incision that isn't healing the way it should.....you name it. Believe me, no one gets to 315 pounds over 15 years without doing some dieting along the way and yes, I know all the rules, ideas, stories, etc. But, those are also the diet breakers, and why dieting didn't work. It does come down to patience because I'm hoping to move on and eat a broad spectrum of foods like a normal person would.That's the goal. Impatience is always the stinker, isn't it. I picked up some nice fish for dinner but didn't look carefully at the store and it wasn't filleted. It's a very thin fish so that made it difficult to eat. Needless to say, I wasn't in the mood for a struggle so I probably got in 2 oz. or so. Had a few more whole wheat crackers and a half a small sweet potato and I'm done today. I dont' care if I reached my Protein today. I'm done. Not even hungry when I ate. Tomorrow is another day. Thanks for listening. Gwenn

There are lots of other shakes and protein additivies you can use. Optifast is good. They gave it to me in the hospital. Walgreen carries. The caramel is good. But you can use Atkins which are very good and the NEW slimfast which is low carb no sugar- but I still like atkins best. Gwenn

Hi all, As I've moved from liquids only to mushy/soft, I gained one pound. Now I've lost 1/2 of that in days. This after 3 weeks of magic weight loss. My head says it's normal, but my emotions are running wild. That "am I ever going to lose this weight" panic is moving in on me today. I'm exercising, I'm eating small amounts. I'm eating high Protein low carbs. Probably about 800-900 calories a day. Trying to get in the 75 grams of protein a day I was told to eat. Getting in 8-9 cups of liquids as well. Tell me what you think. Here's what I ate yesterday: Breakfast 5 oz greek yogurt w splenda Mid morning-Protein Drink with non-fat milk Lunch- 5-6 oz pulverized chicken with a little lowfat mayo, 4 wh wheat crackers Dinner- 4-6 oz salmon pate (low fat mayo), a scoop of mashed potatoes. Rest was all liquid- tea, Water, decaf Any ideas?

Lots of mixed emotions before mine. Did I really want to give up the food? Did I really want to have something implanted inside me? Did I REALLY want to give up the food? Did I REALLY WANT to give up the food. This had had it's stressful emotional moments but keep moving forward. Your emotions will catch up. And as my internist told me....you can get up and walk away right up til they put you under for the surgery. You'll find good people in your surgeons office who will help you along the way! You'll do great. Good luck, Gwenn

You're correct, of course.Everything is new and so much is annoying right now. I have one tiny incision under my breast that wasn't quite closed properly. Surgeon saw it, said not a prob, use a bandaid, change it every day. It's 2 weeks later and my skin wouldn't tolerate the bandaid well so I'm rashy. And it's closed except there a little bit of stuff at the edge, like a little hard plug, and it is just loose enough that whenever my bra hits it (like all the time), it's irritated. It won't meld into the skin. I don't want to play with it or pull it off or anything. I'm biding my time until the fill next week and let the surgeon deal with it. I wanted surgical tape when I first went in and am sorry I didn't push him past the bandaid. I know it will work out and there's no infection or anything, but so many little nudgy issues. Gwenn

Those drinks made me so nauseus! I couldn't get past the odor. I tried the stuff in those lab tubes at 42 gs of Protein, but they also taste ugly. Like bad Jello. I was told I needed 77 grams of protein a day, but I only can get in about 65 without have more calories. My issue is getting the protein without the calories. In one book I have, the menus don't seem to have the protein they say it all adds up to. I'm still on soft foods, but find I'm on a protein diet to get it all in. The only carbs I have are a few in milk I add to coffee, and then a 1/2 potato (so that my stomach settles) with one meal and a few whole wheat crackers at another meal. The rest is pulverized fish or chicken or tuna fish. I'm not even eating eggs because it doesn't seem like they have enough protein to bother. I'm trying to stay 700-800 a day. I certainly don't feel like I'm eating anywhere near a balanced diet. And I'm not losing weight as fast as I was before. And I'm exercising. Gwenn

Of course.....that makes sense. I guess I just assumed the incision was over the port itself. I didn't think that it could be inch or so away from it. I guess maybe the harder spot I can feel right above the incision is the port itself......DUH! Gwenn

Hi- I'm almost four weeks after surgery with first fill scheduled for a week from now. I still have some scabbing on the port incision. If it's not all gone can they still give me the first fill? I know it's up to my surgeon, but I'm curious if anyone has had this experience? Gwenn

Sounds great. Which chat rooms do you monitor? I haven't tried that yet. Yes, I'm in LA also. I live a few blocks from Cedars-Sinai if that gives you an idea. I just looked at your profile and noticed you're a legal sec. Another connection. I'm a fundraisering director for The Jewish Federation, and my area is attorneys. That's all I work with. Isn't that funny? Are you with a firm or solo practice? Gwenn

I've been buying my husband sushi......the first 3 weeks I was on liquid and not hungry so I didn't care. Now, I'm on mushies and hungrier so you're right- I wouldn't buy it for him so fast. I have to find a sushi place that makes it with brown rice on request. My fav place used to do so, but stopped recently. Hope I can eat rice. A lot of people seem to have issues with seaweed. Gwenn

Congratulations. Wow, you're doing great. I so wish that I'd been smart enough to do this before my weight went as high as it did. But I guess all in our own times, eh? Gwenn

Good on you!!!!!!!!! I can't wait until I can say the same. Soon. Soon.

Welcome new guy. Great to see you here. I'm moving toward 4 weeks and I can tell you that much of the discomfor is gone. I haven't been the fastest healer, but eventually, we're all fine. Terri's got it right....walk, walk, walk. And I'll add a "walk" to that. It made a big difference for me. And Terri's right again about the gas pills. They also help. Hey Terri- how are you feeling? Do you know, I still have one incision that's giving me a little backtalk? It's way under my breast and there's like a little piece sticking up- like a mini skin tag. It hasn't been absorbed into the scar and so when anything hits it, it bothers me. I'd love to pull it off or something, but I don't want trouble so I'll bear with it until I go for my fill on June 4 and then ask the surgeon to "trim" it or whatever. I tried covering it with a bandaid, but the sticky stuff causes a small reaction on the skin. Another tiny frustration. On the funny side.....tonight was the first time I threw out food because I was full and knew it and decided to not finish my food. Mashed potatoes. They have been helping my stomach come back - I finally decided to treat myself the same as if I'd had a bad stomach flu- and I had a tennis ball sized dollop along with my 4-6 oz. pulverized salmon pate. I looked down and saw 1/2 was still on my plate. I actually looked up at my husband in amazement and said....oh my G-d, I'm going to have to decide whether to overeat or not. So I conjured up my courage and tossed the mashed potatoes. Reminded myself what I never really believe......I can make it again....there will always be more potatoes down the road. VERY pleased with myself on that one. It's a first. Anyway, hope you're all having a great memorial day!