Great2BThin

Nope I go both places. Janet really helps a lot of us out here. Join in! I know Janet is in Minnesota meeting up with her "lucky 7's band mates' from here on LBT. Not sure where Phyl is, maybe she's a Lucky 7 too???

Your brother probably feels threatened by you and has to justify the way he lost weight as being the best so needs to attack the band. I have found this to be true in WW meetings too, they feel that surgery is the easy way out and that anyone can lose by counting points. And I am sure they can, but can they keep it off? That's what drove me to the band. I have proven numerous times in the past i can lose the weight, what I fail every time at is keeping it off. Also, it seems in our sibling relationships we sortta develop roles in the family and when one of the siblings changes dramatically it kindda upsets the roles and others feel threatened. I was always the fat sister, and I think my 2 sisters are getting a little nervous now. I LOVE IT!!

My guess is your dr is doing that so you don't compare yourself to others as everyone is different. He's probably had people come tell him they need X number of CC;s when they didn't etc. But still I'd want to know too. As long as it is working, you'll be fine. I only got less than a week of restriction on my 1st fill. I am hoping for another this week.

Could be very likely you need a fill (and patience ). Sometimes too I need to get out the measuring spoons etc. and make sure my 'eyeballed' portions haven't grown too big. What used to look like 4oz easily grows into 8 oz though I still log it on dailyplate as 4oz and stuff like that. I like Nancy's thought too about wrinkles. Will have to remember that as the scale isn't moving. I'm hoping for fill number 2 on Wed. and hope that helps!

Sounds like a lot of us have hit stalls in the weight loss road. It was so fun and for me easier when the scale was going down every day. Last week was the first week I didn't have a loss at all and before that I was averaging 3 lbs a week. I know I can eat more but have had pretty good control in my portions, however, I've noticed some of my choices aren't the best for those portions so will work on that this week and hope I get that fill on Wed.

Only one fill so far. I am hoping to get my 2nd fill on Wed. but depends on what the dr. says due to my upcoming gall bladder surgery.

do any of you that have posted here with surgery by Dr. Snyder go to his support groups? If so which ones? I've gone twice to the one at the Northglenn library, though it's not real close but probably about the closest to me. I also tried out the Monday night bariatric exercise class by Craig Shires in Thornton. I kindda liked it, but not the hard sell afterwards to hire him for personal training. I just self paid my surgery, don't have the $1400+ for personal training right now, but maybe sometime down the road I will want that.

Hey Janet, hope you had or are still having a great time in Minnesota! I had my first PB today!!! In a way I was excited. It was a reminder, yep I have a band and yep it's working, even if I don't think it is. It was all my fault for being careless. In more ways than one. DH is installing hardwood floors in our dining/family room areas. He had to return a rental tool, I needed to go with as he wanted me to choose the stain color, we had to go to Walmart for some stuff to bring to a family dinner tonight, etc. etc. etc. Well we were starving after all this. There was an Arby's so we stop there. I am thinking okay I'll count this as my '10% off plan' that my dr. allows and got the popcorn chicken. Chicken okay but probably not the breading and stuff. anyway I ate way too fast, they were spicey, and I forgot my water bottle. Yes I know no drinking with meals so not that big a problem. Till I got that stuck feeling. I took a sip of hubby's diet coke, okay maybe a gulp. it tasted so good as I have not had even a sip in 2 mos. Not sure if it was the bite size I took, the fastness that I ate, or the gulp of carbonated diet coke. But up it came right there in Arby's. Luckily I had a napkin. My daughter and husband thought I was crazy for actually being glad it happened. ha ha I tell ya it won't happen again in the near future. It was a good lesson though as I am having less and less restriction since my fill but there's still some there and that doens't mean I can eat like my head sometimes says it wants to.

Hey our 'Daily News' has been awfully quiet lately, I hope we didn't lose all our June Bugs! How is everyone doing? It's been about a month since we've all been banded and some closer to 2 mos. How is life in lapband land? I'm doing great, the losses are slowing though. I am hoping for fill number 2 on Wed. but am unsure. I also have to see my surgeon that day as I have developed gall bladder issues and am probably going to have another surgery. My lap band surgeon will do it, which I am relieved about since I like him so much and he's familar now with my band and recent history.

And's it's precisely that attitude that got you from 'size 22/24 to a 4'. Amen! This is coming from someone who used to use every excuse in the book, until I realized that the only person I was hurting was myself. Congrats on your amazing success!

Not to be confused with a Thing-a-ma-jig

Wow you are prepared. All I went with were the clothes on my back. LOL Oh and they told me I needed my photo ID (I'm sure there's lots of imposters wanting to have surgery LOL). so I brought that and they never asked for it. I didn't stay overnight though.

Wow lots of Dr Snyder patients. He did my band on June 5th, 2008 I am just 7 weeks out. Lucky me may have another surgery soon as well by him. Seems my gall bladder decided to go on the fritz. I have an appt with him on Wed. Since he banded me, he will do the gall bladder too. I have loved everyone there. Amanda is awesome and truly understands. She picked up on my gall bladder during a fill when I mentioned an ache in my upper right side. She's had her's out too so knew just what I was talking about and scheduled the ultrasound. I've had one fill and am doing great, however, I need another and am hopeful to get it on Wed. but that depends on Dr. S and gall bladder I guess. Also, he has so many support groups at all times and all over the city. I had gone to 2 other seminars and called one other surgeons office that didn't do seminars and am truly pleased with my choice.

They also said that not to take NSAIDs after my surgery because they could sit in my pouch and cause ulcers or something and it was much more dangerous due to the pouch??? I plan to ask more about that now that my knees are acting up so bad.

It's a lot more than I am able to eat in one sitting, but don't know if it's too much. How did you do with the salad? I was told that was off limits as lettuce gets stuck too easily, though if I never can eat another salad that would be fine by me! LOL But yet when I go to lunch with friends or something sometimes it's the easiest thing to get so was curious.

WE never discussed this either, but my husband has been great. During my post op phase he did make a lot of his meals. However, as I started feeling better I took over. I don't work and guess am old fashioned but looked upon it as my 'job'. he cooks for himself though when I ask him too. One thing that helped is he is a hunter. He has all these critters in the freezer and I don't like to eat that stuff. So he gets a pheasant or something out and cleans it and I drop it in the crockpot the next morning and voila he has dinner and it's not the least bit tempting to me. It sure has saved on our grocery bill too. He wants to hunt again this fall so has to empty the freezer of last year's prizes. I buy myself some of those Gortons frozen grilled fish filets and heat one of those up with some veggies generally for dinner and it works out great.

I think it's 'non steroid anti inflammatory drugs'. Motrin, Aleve, and I believe but not sure aspirin fall into this category. Tylenol does not.

Nina, I'm not going to lie and say you never get hungry. But I get hungry a lot less than I used to and I eat a lot less to satisfy that hunger. I believe there are 2 types of hunger and the band deals with the physical hunger. I find that I also have what you see referred on this site a lot as 'head hunger'. I see it, I want it, or I think I want something, but I'm not really physically hungry. Or I eat my 4oz portion, really am satisfied but gosh it was so good that my head tells me I want more. That's when I get stuck is if I listen to the head and not the physical, or I eat too much or too big of bites. I've not had real issues with getting stuck, more of very uncomfortable. Also, the first 6 weeks after your surgery are referred to around here as 'bandster hell'. You are on a liquid diet for several days, then soft/mushy foods. You don't get solids, depending on your dr's orders til on average 3 weeks or more. By this time you are healing, the swelling has gone down and you experience hunger because you have either no or very little restriction in your band. Once you start getting fills that is much better, but it might take a fill or two to get there. I am only 7 weeks post op and so far I can say this is the best thing I've ever done for myself. Good luck in your decision.

Happy Saturday!! It's a nice hot sunny day here. It's like our 15th or 16th day in a row in the 90's. If we make 18 it's a record they said and the 5 day shows nothing but 90's. I guess I've accepted the fact that I am going to have gall bladder surgery now. At first I was in denial sortta, I just don't want to face another surgery, but sure would rather take care of it now while it's fairly minor than have big stones, an attack, infection or worse later. So will schedule that when I see the surgeon on Wed. Sure is a lot less hoops to go through this time around. Heck he has every test on file still from my banding only 7 weeks ago and if anything I should be healthier now, except for the gall bladder. I also got off BP meds since my surgery, actually at one week out I was off of them. I take nothing now except for my vitamins and supplements. I need something for my knees once in while. I've been taking childrens liquid Ibuprofen. I know it says no NSAIDs but am thinking that's okay since it won't sit in the pouch, but I wll ask and find out on Wed. Knees have been extra bad the past few days.

Amen! to what Nancy said about doing research. I had to be self pay so could go anywhere. It was very tempting to go to the best price and there is a very inexpensive dr in town that many folks fly here for. But I had to go with what was comfortable for me. I chose a Center of Excellence because I liked what that meant, could research the dr's record even. He wasn't the cheapest dr. but, though I am prejudice, I did choose the best, and by the best, he was the best for me, my needs and desires in a surgeon. He may not be the best for the next person which is why research is so important. I have nothing against the cheaper dr. in town, but just knew when I met my surgeon and staff he was the one for me. And now that I have my gall bladder issue he will also take care of it. He will do general surgeries on his bariatric patients. At the time I was researching that didn't mean so much to me as I figured that wouldn't be me, but here I am 6 weeks later and am so glad I don't have to go to a new surgeon for this procedure. And they have been so great in handling my questions about it etc. Good luck to the upcoming bandsters! And Joann I hope you get that date soon!

That's awesome!! We have this big oval tub in our master bath and when we moved in 2 yrs ago I wanted to take a soaker. Could not get down in it between the weight and my bad knee. Or if I got down, there was no getting up. So I look forward to the day. However, I did have one the other day. I was sitting in a chair talking and looked down and I had my legs crossed!! Not completely like a skinny person but it didn't hurt and fall off my knee either. It's a start!

Ahh, you'll be fine. I freaked out a little about 2 days before my surgery too. By the day before I had a real calm about me. I just reminded myself that it was normal to be scared and nervous, however, I made this decision with much thought, research etc. when I was in a much more rational state of mind and that helped me a lot.

Great pics!! You so look like a biker. You should see what I wear. LOL

Me too!! don't like chocolate, would've saved me the awful kindergarten memories being forced to drink my chocolate milk and gagging and throwing up! LOL Janet is in Minnesota with some of her Lucky 7 mates for LBT this weekend.

But then again, a year ago, you probably never thought you could ever go 50+ miles either, and look at you now! It's amazing the progress you folks have made in a year. I'm impressed!