HeatherO

I thought you were going to say it was your port as well :0) I am happy it was nothing serious. What a stranngggee nsv!!!

... because I want to lose the 1.5 pounds I gained over the previous week. What on earth happened???? I am well on my way to a wonderful day.

This has been a very good thread for me to read. I am feeling the same as you lately. I seem to be struggling with the same 2 pounds up and down for several weeks now. I am working so hard but my resolve is slipping as HUNGER is starting to take hold again. I neeeed another fill, thank goodness I only have to wait until next Tuesday. It is really great to know I am not alone in this struggle. :0)

I have had my first fill on 3/17 for a total of 6.8 cc's in a 9 cc Realize band. I go for my next fill on Tuesday. I am losing very very very slowly right now, maybe one pound each week. Restriction is diminished right now and I am looking for some extra help in losing a little faster. My goal is 150 before I go back to Turkey on October 16 and I need to lose 1.9 pounds a week to make it. I am exercising vigorously 5-6 days a week and am feeling pretty good. My clothes are looking different on me, from a tight size 18 to a very loose 18 and occasionally 16. I am not even close to my sweet spot yet, I hope it comes sooner rather than later :0)

I have been hitting the exercise hard the last couple of weeks. I am aiming for at least 30 minutes of strenuous exercise daily and found the most amazing thing . . . it is getting so much easier. I am finding that my heart rate is not getting as high and I have even been kicking it up a notch at the health club. I finalllllyyyyy am turning it into a habit and not so much an "oh gosh do I really have to do it when there are so many other things I would rather be doing?" I have also noticed that I am feeling really good lately and I think diet and exercise have a lot to do with it. I never realized that I did not feel that great before lapband until I see what it feels like now. My weight loss is plateauing right now but I couldnt feel much better. :0)

My husband telling me how wonderful it feels to put his arms around me :0)

Older post, but great info. I was wondering this at the gym today. I am always in the cardio zone but was wondering what the heck the fat burning zone was for??? It did not make sense to reduce the workout intensity to burn more fat to me. Now I see that high intensity is fine for my fitness level :0)

Typically you pay for both. An unfill still requires you to be seen in an office and for a health care professional to work with you. However, it never hurts to ask if your fill is too tight if you can have a reduced or free visit to adjust it to normal. You never know, perhaps you'll get lucky.

I would agree. The Vitamin should be long gone. Some people find that it takes a day or two for a fill to "kick in" It might be fine for a day or two but then you find that you are just too tight. You may need a slight unfill. I read a lot about others who have had fills that were too tight and waited it out so that it might open up a little. It seems like it doesnt always open up more and if you stay too tight for too long you might risk the health of your band. Definitely call your doctor. Best of luck to you. Congratulations on the 22 as well :thumbup:

I had a bra problem too. The top incision was right were the bottom of my bra rested in the middle. It was one of the smaller incisions but the most painful because of the bra until I gave up and bought a new sports bra. Then it was fine. I paid maybe $5 for the bra and it was well worth it. A cheap one with a little less support feels better after surgery than the ones I use to actually work out in. Fast pain relief with a little extra jiggle was fine by me. I needed something and I never feel comfortable without any bra. I would definitely suggest wearing a sports bra and maybe a shirt that hides some of the lack of definition you find with a sports bra.

I jumped through hoops for most of a year with testing, evaluations, six months supervised physician diet, etc . . . . and my insurance plan changed the month that the everything was done and the final packet was being submitted. Now I had a lovely exclusion. I was so disheartened it was unbelievable. So I decided to try it again on my own (traditional methods to lose weight with diet and exercise). I lost 50 pounds over about 8 months. I never had a problem losing weight, it was just keeping it off that killed me. I am just hungry if you know what I mean. I slowly gained it back and two years later I was at the same point. Then I figured, what the heck. I want this too bad to let anything stop me. Why let a technicality force me to waste any more time??? My husband and I made the decision to move forward. Did research, made a selection and two weeks later it was done. It was so easy and painless, I regret the wasted time so much more. If only I could go back five years and say . . . just do it!!!! I am sure things would be different today.

My TOM started the day before. It was fine. You are supposed to be getting up anyway, so it is no big deal.

I still do it once a week. I am trying to get past it myself by being more careful. It is usually me being too fast on some form of Protein. I have even had it happen with brocolli before. I dont think it is ever because I eat too much, only if I eat too fast or don't chew enough. I am still learning. I think it will get better as my eating habits become more ingrained. Watching tv, looking at the computer or having an interesting conversation with my husband increase the odds of a problem.

TOM is rough for me too. I cravvvveeee things so much and I can eat anything during that time. Not to mention I always go up 2-3 pounds at that time regardless of what I eat (but it dissappear after a few days, maybe it is just Water weight). I am also moodier and more impulsive. It is not a great combination. I just suck it up and try to bear it without sabotaging my efforts. I am afraid of losing 1-2 weeks worth of progress over a few bad days a month.

Check with your surgeons office and the insurance company. I was originally going through insurance and my surgeons office verified that as long as I qualified with the right BMI during the start of the process, it did not matter if I lost weight and had a lower BMI at the end. I remember being scared about it because I just barely qualified. I think this is how if works, but definitely verify it first.

Middle school sucks in that kids are really judgemental and are not afraid to say anything. Sticking up for yourself is the way to go. By the way, it only gets easier from here. Middle school is the worst. High School is a little better because there is a little more maturity and people learn to be more polite. College and life after is sooo much better. You are your own person and can be anonymous if you want. Most people are starting to mature at this time. This doesnt mean you may not have struggles later, it will just never be as bad as middle school. Congratulations on making the decision to do this young. Just imagine how high school will be with a more slender and happy you. You still get to look forward to a lot of things . . . like a beautiful dress for prom. Keep your chin up!!!

I had a lot of diarrhea in the first couple of weeks. Not really bad, but noticeable. After a few weeks and more solid foods, it just went away. When I did have this problem, it was always directly following meals. It might just be your body adjusting to dietary changes.

I was banded on a Friday and back in the office the following Tuesday. Pain was not an issue but it was a little difficult. I found that I was tired and grumpy. I could have taken naps at the desk I was so tired. I am a business analyst so my job is complicated intellectually but not demanding physically. By the next week I felt normal again. By the way, I was really low on Protein with the Clear liquids the first couple of days and I had no energy. I picked up some Isopure ready mixed Protein drinks and I was feeling a lot better afterwards. However, I can not be sure that the Isopure helped or if it was just the additional day or two of healing that made the difference.

Thanks for sharing this. I have been very curious about the true differences.

I was looking for a local fill doctor. I found Synchrony Health who sees patients in areas near Columbus. They are exceptionally reasonable in price. Does anyone have any experience with this group? I just wanted to get an idea of what other patients think about them.

Check out Belite weight on the internet. They do fills at Hospital Angeles in Tijuana with flouroscopy. I like the flouroscopy because they can fill you up agressively while still ensuring that you can get things through. The hospital is very modern and professional. My first fill was effective and I read online that many fills dont give much restriction during the first cycle. I pay $100 a fill with flouroscopy but it may be slightly more if you transfer to them. It is also very close to San Diego and they have security guards managing the parking in front of the hospital. It is a quick drive in but tedious to cross back over the border.

I am finding that I PB on this more often than not. I try it again every once in a while but I still have the same problem. I only buy lean turkey or chicken lunch meat from the deli. I don't get it . . . it seems like it should be easier than regular meat. I eat chicken, turkey, fish and beef (even hamburger) without issue (well, occasionally chicken strikes me the wrong way but not always). I am sticking to a low-carb, high lean Protein diet and am losing well. I cook everything at home but sometimes I just need something prepped a little faster. Deli seemed the right way to go. It is so much softer and moister than the others and it is easy to chew to nothingness. So why am I always sickkkk? Does anyone else have the same problem with this kind of meat?

Refried beans mixed with a little broth to soften it with a little mozarella cheese on top was heavenly when i went to mushies. It is strange that I don't eat this now . . . but it really hit the spot after the liquid diet was finished.

I never pb'd until I had better restriction. It never happened before my first fill.

I am not sure about your monthly cycle . . . but for me I automatically gain 2-3 pound within 1 day during a certain time of the month. When it is over after a few days I am back to normal or even a little less. It is hard to lose during the period when you are on solid foods but before you get your first fill. You will be hungry but you just have to be diligent about calories and quantities. For me, I only managed not to gain during this period and I wasnt losing until I got a fill.