Kryssa

Beautiful new avatar, Dee! Good luck on your fill today! Funny coincidence...I go to the cardiac rehab center at the hospital here in Savannah for personal training. But they let us use the gym and take water aerobics as well. I work for the city so I get it for $15 a month. Love it!

Sorry, bandster gal, in the course of answering funnygirl's questions, I forgot to answer yours! I have had my band for 15 weeks; I have lost 7 lbs, most of that from liquid diet as well. Until my fourth fill yesterday (2.2 cc in a 4 cc band), I thought this restriction thing must have been some kind of cruel joke. I had none! However, I couldn't finish my dinner last night so I am starting to get excited. My doc also said he would start getting more aggressive with my fills, every 2 weeks if necessary, so I expect that my weight loss will start soon. Hang in there! It's awful to get a slow start after paying so much (in both $ and emotional stress), but hopefully the weight loss will come. :gluck:

:update: Had my fill yesterday. For the first time it hurt a little when he stuck me, kind of like those intra-muscle shots :faint2: . But at dinner last night...I had restriction! Maybe not enough, but wow! I felt something!:high5: I ate about 3 oz of meat (pureed) and a couple of bites of veggies and that was it...I couldn't eat anymore.:whoo: Yea! :confused: Now if I could just get my head on board with the program. It's been well over 3 months since my surgery, and since I haven't really had restriction until now, my mind is not cooperating any longer. :frusty: I wanted to finish my dinner last night. I didn't want to want to finish it, but I did want to. Head hunger sucks.:cry The victory here is that I DIDN'T finish it.:nervous The little victories, right? :phanvan

Exactly. I do feel empathy. I KNOW exactly what people say about me on the street and it is not nice. I would never never say anything ugly to a fat person, because I am that person. There are plenty of skinny slobs out there and I don't want to be a thin slob either. I honestly think I'd rather be big than a mess. The first definition in Webster's for a slob is "good for nothing"; I WILL NOT have people thinking of me that way anymore. I am in recovery if you will: I went through my slob phase during a bad time in my previous marriage. I think most of have had slob days. All I was saying is it makes ME feel better to look pretty. It gives me some small manner of self-esteem that I might not have if I was both fat and sloppy. I think more of myself than sloppy...but I have been in that yucky place where I didn't think I was worth it. Empathy. I have it, I've been there and felt the pain.

Cindy, I lost part of my fill the first 2 times due to EVAPORATION. If there is air in your band, the saline can evaporate. It took my doc twice to get all the air out; my last 2 fills have maintained all fluid.

Well...at least the disclaimer at the bottom is accurate. It said to eat LESS than your basal metabolic rate for weight loss, in my case 1800 calories. The bad news is my nutritionist said 1400 was too high when she evaluated my diet yesterday; she wants me down to 1000-1200. As long as I stay in the gym I won't be breaking down muscle for weight loss, so I guess I'll try it.

Can I get some responses on "average" weight loss the first month? From what I've seen on the boards...about 20 lbs, unless you are a turtle! What is the average calorie intake the first few months following the proceedure? 1200-1400 calories How long do I have to wait before I can get back on the eliptical 7 do other cardio? It took me 2 weeks for the elliptical and 4 weeks for weight training How long did everyone wait to go back to work? Most of what I do is at a desk... some occational lifting. Not much though and nothing over say 20 pounds. Surgery was on Tuesday, I was back at work Monday. I had alot of pain at the port incision, but it cleared up in about a week. My job is sitting in front of a computer too. What's the worst part of the first few days post-op? I've had two operations on my knees, (ACL) -- OMG! It can't be worse than that can it? Can you get up and walk around? Pain where the port was? That was the worst for me. I held my tummy at the port for 2 weeks so it wouldn't hurt when I got up from bed or chair. I hear the pain is minor for most people.

Thanks all! Will let you know how it goes!

I absolutely do not lie. If asked about weight loss I will reply that I'm eating alot less and exercising alot more. It's the truth and they don't need the details; and I don't need them judging me...

Me too. I'm 3 months out and still waiting on that little thing called restriction. I'm starting to get discouraged...

Wait! You got surgery motivation? I've been jipped! They must have forgot to put mine in...LOL. I've been starving almost every day since the middle of October! Nykee, I have seriously been considering DS these last couple of weeks. I don't drink caloric liquids but oh! the chips and chocolate!

Wish me luck! :pray: Please oh please oh please let me get some restriction today. It's been 3 months now... I would love to start losing... I'll take slow as long as it's steady! Oh please! :amen:

I understand how your hubby feels. Lecturing me about food would be the quickest possible way for my hubby to commit suicide! :cake:

Debbi, And Kellie too. She is the new receptionist (less than 6 months) but she is awesome! Wish me luck guys, 4th fill today, hoping and praying for restriction at 15 weeks out... it is REALLY time to start losing!

:rant:That is exactly why I will never tell my ex-husband! As for suggestions...tell him you are taking a vacation? :spy: You have to have gallbladder removed (similar scars...)? But keep in mind: If he is not supportive NOW, while you are dating and he is on his best behavior, how is he going to react once you are married? :yell: He WILL find out eventually... if you can't talk to him about this...I mean, what if he acts like this about other big life decisions like children, jobs, houses, cars, etc. :fear: You deserve support not grief, and IHMO you should tell him so. :devious

:cake: The only way I'm posting my (much worse than yours) ugly belly is if you guys offer to start taking up a collection for a TT as the prize for ugliest! :rofl:I think I could win!

:pray: I will keep you and your daughter in my prayers:pray:.

:clap2: Congatulations Carrie!:clap2: Awesome job!

:rockon: That was exactly what I was trying to say, Heather! I agree with you 100%!

Especially if you aren't planning on telling the world. I initially didn't want to tell anyone other than DH. What if this was a failure too? What would everyone say?! Well...my Mom did run her mouth to all her friends and most of my extended family :cake: . My cousin just had RNY so my Mom and Aunt get together and compare our weight loss :hurt . My Dad knows I did something, but he doesn't want to know or talk about it :phanvan . My sister is extremely supportive :cake: , she lost 50 lbs. 2 years ago (now 125 lb) and she can't stop talking about the difference it made in her life. I may never tell my brother :cake: because he is best friends with my ex-husband who I never ever ever want to find out about the surgery :censored: . My ex thinks surgery is only an option if your life is in danger...and he has lost 100 lbs on Atkins (and kept most of it off) so he would be of the "easy way out" mentality :yell:. Ditto on not telling for my young children because I don't think they should have to keep a secret from their daddy. I was forced to tell my in-laws a month AFTER surgery when I couldn't eat much at my wedding reception (they were confused, I was apalled) :ermm . My two best friends don't really understand. One actually asked me how it was that I could risk death just so I didn't have to be fat :cake: :Cry: . That about covers everyone who knows. The reactions have been so positive and supportive (Extreme Sarcasm!) that I don't plan on telling anyone else. :drama: I've only lost 7 lbs in 14 weeks, and now I wish I'd never told anyone!

First of all: thank you Crystal for bumping this thread. I'd never seen it before and I really really needed to. Ahhh. That is definately my problem. :cake: I am not disgusted by fat people who make an effort to look nice...but I have made some really nasty comments about slobs. I DO believe that if you are fat you need to try harder. It's not really about OVER-compensating as such, but making an effort to minimize how badly people treat you. People don't look at fat people the same way they do everyone else. Believe me, I know, I've been fat my entire life. The only time in my life when I didn't do my hair and makeup before leaving the house was while I was with my ex-husband who weighed 350 lbs. I felt as though nothing I did was going to change the fact that people were looking at "the fat couple" and snickering. But I literally bought 2 eyeliners the very same day he walked out on me. Sick, huh? My new hubby is only 185 lbs. and sometimes I think people wonder why he is with me. My prayer to God, the one I pray every day, is just to be normal. For people not to make rude comments as I walk down the street. For my children not to be embarrassed of me. To be able to go to Disney and not to have to sit down every few minutes.:think This is why I had the band...and it is what I wish for all fat people. To be able to feel acceptable as you are.

Kimmy, Try the Great Value generic Crystal Light ones from Wal-Mart: no calories and no carbs = an easy way to get your water in.

Be careful, you shouldn't get pregnant when you are still in the losing phase of the band. The Dr will unfill you so the baby gets adequate nutrition and so it is kind of counter productive. That said, I hoarded food most of my life. Mom told me snacks were only for my bro and sis who weren't fat. I rebelled and ate peanut M&Ms and soda at lunchtime for years, and then when I got home (and before she got there) I'd gorge so I wasn't starving after she served me fat-girl portions for dinner. Psychologists say you spend the rest of your life recovering from your childhood and I believe it!

What Pianoman said. Plus, if there is any air in your band the saline can most certainly evaporate. I had that problem with my first fill: there was alot of air in my band, the Dr didn't get it all out and half my saline disappeared before my next fill.

I use a combo of 2 parts oatmeal (not instant) to 1 part wheat germ as a meatloaf filler. It adds fiber and cholesterol lowering stuff even if it does have (the good kind) carbs.