JulieNYC

I did well on my 3 day trip -- down 1.5 making it a total of 50! Woohoo! Anyway, 8 more lbs left until Twoterville. I'm dead tired today but darn it, I WILL go to the gym every day until I see that TWO. I have a fill appt on July 18th. I'd LOVE to make it by then, although I know my birthday (Aug 12th) is far more realistic.... Molly, glad you were spared the whiplash.

While he's at the store, get some of those IcyHot stick on patches. Put two on your shoulder, the heating pad on your tummy, take some liquid Tylenol (or whatever pain meds your doc recommends) and you'll feel better in no time. The IcyHots saved me in my recovery! Good luck.

I was incredibly tired for about 5 weeks post-op. Then one day I realized "I feel like my old self again." You may just still be recovering from the surgery and the anesthesia. Definitely pay attention to the protein and hydration issues raised, but just be kind to yourself as well for a few more weeks. You'll feel so much better very soon.

Congratulations Paula! You ROCK! Way to go! Now give those old clothes to a WLS clothing exchange because you're NEVER going to need them again! WOOHOO!

In my experience, once I found proper restriction (1) my head hunger is GREATLY dulled, (2) I don't want to overeat because it's uncomfortable, and (3) I physically crave healthier foods than before. This is just a function of having a band that is properly adjusted. That is the band doing ITS part. Do not worry that the band isn't doing its part for you yet. It won't until you've got proper restriction (for me, 3rd fill -- I didn't get ANY of the above until my 3rd fill). Given that the band is doing its part, I'm doing my part as well. (1) I have a "no junk in the house/office" rule. I have to go out if I want ice cream, chocolate, etc. That way I eat a single serving and it's done. These cravings are almost nonexistent compared to pre-band. Pre-band, I would crave Mexican food DAILY and would almost always give in (like 9 days out of 10). Now I don't even think about junk food 9 days out of 10 and on the 1 day I think about it, I probably only give in one out of five times. (2) I plan well to make sure that when I do get hungry, I have delicious healthy choices on hand. That means making fresh veggies available even if I have to shop twice a week instead of once. (3) I track my calories and exercise on sparkpeople.com. I know that is not for everyone, but for me, it helps me be accountable to myself and, even more importantly, when I do eat something off the plan, it helps me to not feel guilty about the "damage" because I cut things out from elsewhere to stay within my calorie goals, even if it takes a day or two to make it up. I love my band! Before, I couldn't do my part. The effort required was just insane. Now I feel like it's still an uphill battle, but I'm on a moving escalator, so it's worth the effort.

Salut Amourette and the April Crew, Congratulations on the two new sizes of work uniforms, Amourette. That's fabulous. Happy July to all of us. I'm trucking along and fill #3 is treating me well (I got 3 fills in 3 weeks because it took that for me to feel ANYTHING). It's not the "sweet spot" but it's pretty close and I'm comfortable with it for now. Meanwhile, I discovered Propel Fitness Water this week, and I'm in love. YUM. I think this is the kind of thing I'd have hated pre-band, but tastes delicious now. It's good to have another non-carbonated option for getting in the fluids. I'm off to the gym. Happy day to all, and happy 4th to all the Americans.

LOL! Craziness! We'll have to make sure to stay in touch, Molly. That's just crazy how close our stats are! I'm so sorry about your car wreck. I don't know if you've been in one before, but you should know that the pain may be much worse tomorrow. I'll keep my fingers crossed that you're spared, but I fear it may be the case. Get it checked out if you need to. I don't want my band twin to suffer!

Molly, you have a GREAT attitude! I'm going to try to adopt it for my own.:biggrin1: Wow, I just noticed that we're practically band twins. Banded 1 day apart and 4 lbs apart, same goal weight. If you tell me you're 33 years old too, I might freak out! Changing my attitude will be easier to do today since the scale moved this morning, breaking my 8 day plateau. 10 lbs to Twoterville! Come on, baby, come on!

Lay down flat on the floor or the bed then raise your head so that your stomach muscles tighten. Then probe with both hands, starting about 3 inches higher than your port scar. It might be somewhere else, but that's a good place to start. FYI, it feels smaller than I thought it would feel. To me it feels more nickel size than quarter size (though I've held one and it's actually bigger than it feels). And, if you can't find it, don't worry. When you get filled you'll know where it is.

I really could have written this exact same post about me. EXACTLY. Pizza most days, sometimes mexican food instead. I was so addicted to nachos. I'm so glad to be free of that!

I'm STUCK, STUCK, STUCK. Stuck at 312 for a solid week now. My calories, Water intake and exercise are perfect, so I guess it's just a plateau. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some downward movement within a couple of days! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

4-3: JenRN - 263/257/248/150 - 15 total 4-3: jenn28 - 282/265/237/165 - 45 total 4-3: Picardy3 - 298/300/271/150 - 29 total 4-3: tipper - 300/290/278/165 - 22 total 4-4: Sugar1 - 311/289/248/150 - 63 total 4-4: Dak – 255/251/225/150 – 50 total 4-5: Boo - 208/203/188/130 - 20 total 4-6: Disneynut - 290/287/260/125 - 27 total 4-10: JulieNYC - 358/312/150 - 46 total 4-11: Vickie1177 - 320/297/267/137 - 53 total 4-11: tellymelly - 240/235/184/135 -55 total 4-11: Fel0816 - 307/284/265/to get under 200 - 42 total 4-11: dsrjrr - 231/230/210/130 - 21 total 4-13: Nursekathy2u - 358/356/335/175 - 23 total 4-13: NJgirl - 248/230/212/140 - 36 total 4-13: Miper70 - 217/201/145 - 16 total 4-17: Amourette - 22.5 total 4-17: Jeepergurrl - 242/222/140 - 20 total 4-18: Danaclark2 - 270/260.5/245/150 - 25 total 4-18: LapBandit - 392/369/347/336/324 -68 total 4-20: Omamoon - 220/211.5/202/130 - 18 total 4-21: Yoda - 273/257/240/150 - 33 total 4-21: kristielynn - 310/302/270/150 - 40 total 4-22: alisonb - 286/270/176 - 16 total 4-24: Eficka - 125/117/108.7/69kg - total 13.3kgs/36 pounds 4-24: Ceparano -255/270.5/241.5/170 - 29 total 4-24: Kat - 289/281/263/165 -26 lbs total 4-24: hlj25950 - 262/257/241/160 - 21 total 4-25: momof2boys - 270/266/255/145 - 11 total 4-26: Bostongurl - 264/244/214/145 - 50 total 4-27: tinaj - 226/221/210/150 - 15 total 4-27: lookingout - 185/178/165/101 - 20 total 4-27: flowergoddesstn - 214/204/190/130 - 24 total 4-27: Dimples0323 - 284/284/241/145 - 43 Total 4-28: Susan4794 - 283/267/264.2/145 - 18.8 total 4-28: bluehill - 333/290/145 - 43 total

I'm so excited for you!! That is just FABULOUS. Would you share some words of wisdom for us just starting the journey on how you reached your goal so quickly? I'd love a blow by blow! Congrats again.

Ooooh, Emily -- I'd love to have the tofu scramble recipe. How do you make it?

I love this thread! I'm so glad there's a place for us to check in. I really need support in getting to Twoterville, plus I hear there's a mini-depression that can accompany it (i.e. it's a great accomplishment but knowing there's much more to go can be hard) and we can be there for each other if that happens. For me, it's TOM and the scales haven't moved in 5 days. Super frustrating since I'm doing everything I can with good food choices, exercise and Water. Anyway, I know it's going to come off, but I'm so looking forward to it. I'd LOVE to be at 299 for my next visit to the doc on July 18th, but that's probably not realistic. My real goal is by my birthday on August 12th. See you all in Twoterville!

Stina, you're my kind of girl! I bought the flat panel for getting the nerve to have the procedure. When I hit my first goal (12 lbs to go), I'm getting a red Louis Vuitton wallet I've been coveting for about 2 years. I've been to Fiji 3 times (I'm a scuba diver), so when yall get close, let me know if I can help you plan! Stina, I don't know if you want a training buddy, but I'll totally run the 2008 NYC marathon with you (which means running 9 qualifying races in 2007 to be assured spot).

Me too. I got a front closure underwire from Lane Bryant and I loved it because the front closure was a little higher in front that the full band, which gave me a little rise to avoid the tiniest incision. By day 3 post-op, I wore whatever bra I wanted.

I have the VG and it had 4 cc's in it from surgery. On my first fill they took me to 6.2. I felt nothing. Fill #2 a week later took me to 7.6. Still NOTHING. Fill #3 a week after that took me to 10.0, which is PERFECT. Still on the open side compared to what I read others experience, but I'm doing well with it -- almost no PBs, no problems with food textures yet I don't really think about food much. YEA! For the smaller band, I think 1.5 is the most common first fill. I've heard many that do 1.0 and some that do 2, but lots that do 1.5. You don't want to be too tight, particularly if your doctor has a liberal fill policy and lets you come back until it's right.

I'm vegetarian, but lacto ovo and I have no problem at all getting in my Proteins. I start my day with a high Protein yogurt (Total Yogurt has 13 grams) and 1/2 serving of Kashi (7 more grams). Sometimes if I'm not in the mood for yogurt, I have cottage cheese, or even an egg, with the Kashi instead. For lunch, I often have a morninstar soy patty (150 cals, 9 protein) with whatever veggie I cooked that week (this week is roasted red peppers stuffed with spinach, couscous and just a touch of feta -- 120 cals and 5 g protein). I eat a fruit or veggie for a snack around 4:30, or sometimes a piece of string cheese. dinner is often a tofu stirfry that runs about 15 g protein and 300 cals. I usually hit 900-1100 cals (usually on the low end of that) and 60ish g protein. I'd love to exchange vegetarian recipes with you, particularly high protein, low cal main meals! Good luck with your journey.

I had my bloodwork done for my general medical clearance 3 months before surgery. Then, as part of the admit process, the hospital did more bloodwork 3 days before surgery. I would call the band doctor and see if that's the way they work. If so, and if they're looking for a general medical release to pursue the surgery, ask for documentation so you can get your PCP to go ahead now with the understanding that someone will be looking at more bloodwork closer to the actual surgery date.

Just close your eyes and get through it. I had the exact same reaction, despite having done the research and knowing it was the right thing. It just starts to seem real when you get close to the date. It's the right thing. You're going to be so glad you did it. Just get through it and you'll be on the road to being a new person!

Julie, I wish I had something different to report, but I was miserable from the time I moved to solid food to the time I got my first fill (3 weeks). I gained a few lbs during that period from making really poor food choices and having no restriction at all and being unsuccessful at eating like a bandster without that restriction. In comes the first fill. Ahh, relief! Then immediately thereafter (a week apart, each) the second and third fills. Glory! What was that sound? Weight falling off left! Weight falling off right! Now THAT'S what I'm taking about! With restriction, I was excited to make really good food choices and get plenty of Water and exercise. I'm riding the wave. You will too!

Debi, It took me a long time to get over the possibility that I might require a second surgery if I got banded. I researched and read for more than 3 years rather than taking action almost exclusively because of that concern. Then I realized that I wasn't living life, at least not to its fullest, by being so heavy. I had tainted my twenties and didn't want to say the same about my thirties. The conclusion I came to was that laparoscopic surgery is very safe for most people by surgical standards and often done outpatient. If the band could help me to lose at least a portion of the excess weight, even if I had a slip or the like and required a follow up surgery, what was there to lose? 3-5 days more off work in exchange for keeping the weight off? So what! Being morbidly obese affects us and our health every single day. Surgery is 45 minutes of one day. A second UNLIKELY surgery would be even less than that. Having complications beyond a slip or a port infection are so rare that I choose not to worry about them. Could they happen? Of course. But it's not statistically significant. Being morbidly obese and addressing that health problem far, far outweighs that risk. Move on to surgery day, when I realized that the recovery from the most invasive band surgery (original band placement) really isn't that hard. Something like fixing a slip would be even easier (assuming the band didn't have to be replaced, and if it did, I'm probably just back to the stats for original band placement). Speaking now, at -46 lbs, I'd have the surgery every year if I had to. And the odds of that happening are miniscule! My advice, for what it's worth, is don't make the mistake I did in waiting 3 years. Complications are rare and, unlike bypass complications, are rarely significant. The weightloss and benefits are far more significant than the potential complications. Good luck, no matter where your weightloss journey takes you.

Definitely get the fill. Like others have said, you can always unfill if it's unmanageable. Yea for the ADJUSTIBLE band! When you first go to solids, if the first bite hurts, don't forget that to drink a sip or two of something hot can help to loosen the band a little so you can get your solid Protein and veggies in. You're going to do great!

I was what I'd call "sore" for about 2 weeks if I twisted funny or used my abs heavily. By 4 weeks I felt 100% -- so much so that I didn't even believe I had a port until they did my first fill!