JulieNYC

Leona, Definitely don't worry about not having lidocane first. My doc doesn't use it and getting a fill is seriously less painful than plucking a single eyebrow. It's normal to worry about it, but I promise it's not a big deal. A non-event even, but for the weight loss results! Good luck!

I have a rule that junk is not allowed in my actual house. That doesn't mean I have a rule never, ever to eat junk, just that it can't be in my house. So, if I can't fight the ice cream urge, I go to a parlor and get a scoop and eat it there. It's not nearly as fun as eating a whole pint, comfy on the couch. But I seem to be able to stick to that as a rule and it's working. Good luck!

Monica, Why not try a compromise? Add a fourth 45 minute session to your week. If and when you're not meeting your weightloss goals in the time you wished to meet them, then you can decide if it's worth it to add more. Until then, 45 min X 4 is reasonable and you can still live life. Good luck!

I used to use Fitday.com, but I switched over to Sparkpeople.com and I vastly prefer it. If you're looking for a system, check out both and see which you like. I like the Sparkpeople interface much better and it has about 90% of the foods I eat already entered (where Fitday only seemed to have about 10%), but many people have just as strong a preference for Fitday, so see what works for you!

Woohoo! You've hit Twoterville! Congratulations. I can see the city limits in my horizon as well.

Completely, completely normal. Having to wait a month makes no sense. I didn't feel anything until my third fill. I was REALLY discouraged between fills 2 and 3 (which were only a week apart). Then fill 3 took effect and BAM. Glory! If you can't move your fill schedule up, really question your doctor about what the reasons are. From my research, the best band surgeons in the US have an open door fill policy (NYU and NWWLS do, at least), which greatly contributes to their success rates. If you do have to wait, don't worry. It's just another challenge and as soon as you get proper restriction this WILL work for you.

I love a good spinach salad with feta, chick peas, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and a boca soy chicken patty. Chop up fine with a double blade, sprinkle on some balsamic vinegar and YUM!

I have exactly the same problem. At about minute 12 on the elliptical, my right foot falls asleep. I go to 15, then I stop and do my weight training for 15 minutes, then I go back to the elliptical for 15, then I finish with 15 more of weight training. I'm going to try shifting my weight to my heels and I'll report back!

Ryan, That's the most powerful post I've ever read on any forum. I would confess my love for you if you didn't have a beautiful woman by your side in your photo (and the pic's too small for me to size up the competition, wink). Congratulations on your successes and on being so in touch with yourself. I hope to get there one day! As for what my last straw was, I've been thinking about that for a couple of days since I first saw this post. I don't have a trigger moment like many of you do. The only thing that stands out for me is that over Christmas vacation, my Mom kindly asked me if I'd given any more thought to WLS. She asked me that once or twice a year for about 5 years and I always brushed it off. I'd lost weight by traditional means many times and thought I'd just do it again. What I wish she'd said to me was what she really meant, which is -- scientifically speaking, do you know the percentage chance that you'll ever lose the weight and keep it off without surgery? Less than 5%. I'm a numbers girl. If I'd have really known that before I started researching WLS, I would have done it earlier. I almost wrote that if I'd have known, I wouldn't have wasted my 20s, but I don't really mean that. I've had a great life so far, obese and not. It has made me who I am and I'm ok with that. And now I'm ok with changing.

My advice is to call the nutritionist at your doctor's office and explain the difficulty you're having. When I did this, the nutritionist told me she'd rather me eat 4 oz of solid Protein (chicken for most, soy for vegetarian me) than to full fledged cheat. I still lost 12 lbs and even at a high BMI, my surgery was a snap. See if you can break the rules with your doc's permission. If you can't, you WILL make it through this. The band is SO SO worth this sacrifice. I'm thinking about you!

I think you're doing great! If I were you, I'd leave the calories exactly where they are but try to get in a little more Protein and a little less in carbs. Just a tweak. If you like track your progress (diet and weight) on fitday.com (or my personal favorite, sparkpeople.com) and you'll see that the overall curve is consistantly down. Remember that you chose the band (over other WLS options like the bypass) for a reason. Remember that reason and recognize that the weightloss is healthy, which means that you just have no choice but to lose slower than anyone on a crash diet or with other types of WLS going for them. You're a success story for the band and your numbers are far better than the norm! Good luck on your continued journey. Fighting the head games like what you're experiencing is half the battle.

For me, it was my third fill that got me to where I want to be. I have the VG band, which was loaded with 4cc's in surgery. 7 weeks post-op, I got my first fill, which brought me to 6.2 cc's. I noticed literally no difference, so I went back in week 8 and they took me to 7.6. In a panic, as my appetite still wasn't supressed, I went back on week 9. They filled me while drinking water until it wouldn't go down, then backed out a little. I'm not at 10.0 cc's and it's PERFECT. I've lost 12 lbs in 10 days and looking to ride the wave as long as possible (fully aware that my body won't keep up that rate of weightloss).

If you take grape chewable tylenol and you're older than 6 you might be a bandster. If your first thought about the word "slip" has nothing to do with a banana peel, you might be a bandster. If you know what papaya enzyme even is, much less have purchased it, you might be a bandster. If you secretly think of your kids' college fund as your plastic surgery fund, you might be a bandster. If having an apron has nothing to do with kitchen attire, you might be a bandster. And lastly... If you can instantly pick out the term that doesn't belong -- BatMobile, BatMan, BatPhone and BatWings -- you might be a successful bandster!

Msheavensent, You've lost A LOT! I can expecially see it in the hips, as well as the face. It's hard to believe that's the same t-shirt! Way to go.

Though the nutritionist at my doc's office doesn't believe that you should force yourself to eat breakfast if you don't want it, I do eat it even though I'm not hungry per se in the morning. I eat it because if I don't, I always come in under 1000 cals for the day, and I need to stay above that because I have so much weight to lose. Also, i'm vegetarian and if I don't have 3 meals, I can't get in the 50+ g Protein my doc recommends for my height. So, I usually eat either (1) 80 cals of FF Total Yogurt with 1 c Kashi (total of 220 cals and 26 grams of protein, which always sets me up to meet my caloric/protein goals), (2) 1 morningstar veggie sausage patty (80 cals) or (3) 2 wedges of laughing cow cheese sandwiched between 2 pieces of Kavali crackers (140 cals). lunch is usually my biggest meal.

Mine are quick. If I feel stuck, I give it about 5 minutes and most of the time it goes down. If I know it's going to come up (or if I want it to), within seconds it's over and I feel fine. I've never slimed, so I'm not sure about that.

I'd tell your friend to get a second opinion. A surprisingly large percentage of lap bandsters had a hiatal hernia repair at the same time. I can think of dozens I know personally, including myself. Of course, your friend's may be different from the norm and the surgeon certainly has his reasons, but I'd get a second opinion before writing off the lap band.

I knew I wanted the band when I chose my PCP, so I actually called her and talked to her before coming in for my physical. On the phone, she confirmed she wasn't anti-WLS globally but that she would have to see me before telling me whether she supported my candidacy. Fair enough. So I went to see her and she was GREAT. Very understanding that obesity is a disease and that I'd already tried and failed at traditional diets. She wrote a great letter and my surgery was approved in 4 days. I'm her first lap band patient and despite our new Dr. patient relationship, she even called to check on me the day after my surgery. For me, pre-band in my research phase, I was far more scared of the physical than the surgery itself. She really eased my fears and I just think she's the best!

1. how long have you been banded? 2 months 2. rate your level of restriction: E. Sweet Spot!!! (perfect restriction) 3. how long after you wake do you drink your first liquids, are they hot or cold: Cold. 1 hour after waking, sometimes earlier. 4. how long after you wake do you eat your first food, is it solid or mushy? I'm not a breakfast eater. It's usually lunch by the time I eat, but I've had 4-6 glasses of Water by then, which keeps me satisfied. So, 5 hours. if it is mushy, when is your first dense protien solid? Lunch. 5. does your restriction change throughout the day? No. (BTW, I think this is because I have the VG band. Many VG bandsters don't notice the morning/evening thing). 6. how often do you PB? I've pb'd once. 7. is it mostly Slime/Saliva or is it the offending food or liquid that comes up? Offending food. 8. why are you PB'ing? f. i am eating beyond the pouch capacity (not in overall quantity but in speed)

Tell her you understand that she can't (thankfully for her) fully grasp what you go through fighting with your weight and tell her you just need her to support this decision that you've already made for yourself. Tell her it's not failure -- neither yours or hers -- to get the band. Less than 5% of people that lost 50+ pounds keep it off without surgery. You know this -- you've tried many times, as we all have. If we take our emotions out of it, the only logical choice is to get banded. She doesn't want you to fight for the rest of your life. She clearly loves you so much. Hopefully, she can see the logic in your choice and if she can't, hopefully she can accept your decision with the understanding that you know better than she does on this one, and simply support your decision that is already made.

Jenn, how was your fill? I can't wait to hear about it. Mine is GREAT. Just right. I'm freakin' GoldiLocks right now it's so right! Your weightloss is AMAZING for no fill! Any tips you can share? Take care,

My doc left 4 cc's in my band at surgery. I got my first fill at 7 weeks, which brought me to 6.2. I felt NOTHING, but as my doc has an open-door fill policy, I went back a week later. They took me to 7.6. Still nothing. So I went back a week later (depressed and thinking I might have a complication) and they filled me WHILE I was drinking Water. Now I'm at 10.0 and it's PERFECT. Probably still a tiny bit loose, but my hunger is under control, my quantities only slightly larger than the recommended portion, I have to eat slowly, liquids go down very easily, and I don't PB at all. The fill nurse said I had a petite stomach, which made me smile. At least something is petite! I've known people who were at their sweet spot with 5 cc's all the way to 14 cc's. It's too mig of a swing to say where yours will be without a little trial and error. My advice is don't worry so much about specifically getting an "aggressive" fill, but be very diligent about going back until your fill level is right. There is only one good fill level -- the right one. Good luck!

You're getting banded to live a long, healthy life. Dieting after getting the band will be SO much easier. You will still have to work at it, but it'll be attainable, rewarding work. Your fears are normal but just do what you can to press on through it and come out on the other side. You're going to do great!

I'm with you in your point that we can make ourselves more miserable by hoping bad things for others, Tired Old Man, but I have to share my opinion that "turning the other cheek" does not always serve me (or the person who has wronged me) best. For me, and probably for many people, if I don't stand up for myself, I feel worse about myself. So, if someone attacks me, I will not absorb the attack without letting that person know the consequences of their actions. I do not wish them misery, but I respect myself more if I let them know their actions have effects. I guess there are two ways to skin a cat and everyone has to decide for themselves what they can best live with.

- My grocery bill is 1/3 of what it used to be. - I no longer start sweating after walking 1 block. - I was confident enough to get a great new haircut instead of waiting 8 months between cuts because I didn't want to look at myself in the mirror for an hour. - I don't HATE the gym anymore. - I sleep through the night and wake up with no pain in my legs and feet. - I look forward to tomorrow knowing I'm on the right path.