grlwunderkas

Yeah, I know what you mean...after something gets stuck...it just isn't as enjoyable as it used to be - at least for me. If I want to eat eggs, I have to have them overeasy - I can't do scrambled anymore. I can do Pasta, but not rice - unless it's Japanese rice. One time, I'll eat something and be fine, and the next time I try to eat it, I get sick. I can't eat pork anymore either (like pulled pork)...the last few times I've tried eating it, I've gotten sick. I wish there was a sign the band could poke out that tells you how it's feeling that day! LOL

I weigh myself every morning, nekkid, after going to the bathroom, and before my shower. I've heard both sides to weighing yourself every day - some say you shouldn't, others say you should because it helps you track things better...like, if my weight goes up 2.5 pounds in a day, I can say oh, I didn't get enough Water yesterday, I need to drink more today. I don't know if it'll help you or not (it does me), but you can visit a website - www.physicsdiet.com - and create a free profile, and put your weight in every day...then once a week or once a month, you can hit the reports link and it'll show you what your average weight loss is per week - not day. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me!

Spirit - I'm covered by insurance. I think fills are around $200...but don't quote me on that.

I do the same thing sometimes...up until I hit 6 cc's full. I've tried a bite or two of bread very few times...mostly, I just completely avoid bread now. I don't know if this happens to you, but french fries will get stuck for me! I know, I know...that's probably a good thing...but sometimes you just want a few! Since I had my last fill, I've noticed that I usually eat WAY less than I did even with 5 cc's in - it made a huge difference for me. In the mornings, I can hear my Water gurggling through...so I don't even try to eat anything solid until at least 8:30 or 9 (sometimes that's difficult though because I get up at 5 AM). It's definitely a lifelong learning process...

He's probably not close enough to you...but my doctor was Dr. DiMarco in Harrisburg PA...he's awesome! Great bedside manner...and good looking too (Bonus! LOL). :biggrin: My approval didn't take long, and my surgery took about 45 minutes...he's very popular around here. Their website is www.wgtlossclinic.com.

Hi there...I'm not in York, but close enough...I'm in Hummelstown (close to Hershey Park). My mom lives in York, so I get down there a few times a month. If you want, you can add me as a friend...we could exchange email addresses and at least keep in touch that way...let me know if you're still looking for a buddy. :biggrin:

Hey there...I realize this post was from awhile ago, and I'm not sure if you've found a fill doctor in PA yet or not, but I go to the Weight Loss Clinic in Harrisburg PA. Their website is www.wgtlossclinic.com. Dr. DiMarco did my surgery, and I get my fills by Dr. Weiger. Hope this info helps! :biggrin:

I burp...or get hiccups...and I gurgle too - ah, the sound of your food passing through your band! LOL I make people laugh when they hear it...mine sounds like something is in pain! ha ha

My food gets cold before I'm finished eating too...sometimes I take this as my clue to stop eating when the food gets cold. I don't always do that...but I think I'm going to start...otherwise, I'll be eating the same amount of food as before my surgery, only taking a longer time to eat it. I've heard that we should only take 15 minutes to eat. If you stop eating after 15 minutes, you won't overeat.

I LOVE making stuff in my crock pot. :thumbdown:

I made 3 envelope chicken recently...

boneless, skinless chicken (I used white and dark meat), about 1 - 1.5 pounds

1 packet of dry ranch dressing (powder)

1 packet dry chicken gravy (powder)

1 packet either dry italian dressing or alfredo sauce (powder)

1 cup Water

Put everything in the crock pot, cook on high 4-5 hours or low 6-8 hours. I also added potatoes to mine (the little round ones) and closer to the end, I added frozen broccoli.

Yummy! I can only handle broccoli when it's mushier now...so I put it in the microwave first, then added it about 45 minutes before you're ready to eat.

People usually serve this with Pasta instead of the potatoes, but I made this only a couple days after a fill...and didn't want to chance something getting stuck.

I have hypothyroidism. Since I got the band last May, my meds have gone up...I was on 125 mcg, now I'm on 137 mcg and may have to go up again...because I'm not in normal range. I'm also not losing.

I use Sparkpeople.com the most...I have joined up on myfitnesspal.com, but I like SP better. I'm angelgrlkas29 if you decide to join. They have recipes, blogs, webpages, forums to post in, nutrition trackers, exercise trackers, points, track any other kind of goal you want to, and it's all FREE!!!!!! So is myfitnesspal.com, but I've been on SP longer.

Hope this helps. :wink:

Hey Bonnie - my work email is kstentzel@multiserv.com - I'm there every day from 6:30 AM to 3 PM M-F. On weekends and evenings, I can be reached through k.stentzel@verizon.net. Give me a shout!

I feel as though I am in the same boat as you...I was banded May 12, 2008. I was 288.3 pounds on the day of surgery. This morning I was 277.5. Now...part of it I know is Water weight - and Aunt Flow is supposed to be here. I've also been eating around my band by eating things that are "easy" and won't get stuck. I'm still learning. I have to learn to not be so impatient with myself. I also signed up at the gym and went three times last week...and I will be there for the third day today after work. I told myself that I HAVE to make time for ME to do what I need to do...and that is to get into the habit of exercising, so pretty soon it will be automatic. I'm proud of this one accomplishment for me and have to remember to take this journey one day at a time. I don't know if I can be a mentor to you, but maybe we can check in with each other and see how the other one is doing?? I'm willing if you are.

Bump!

Am I the only person in Hummelstown, PA to have been banded??

Hi all, I was banded on May 12, 2008. To date, I've only lost about 21 pounds. I'm pretty disgusted with myself. I have no energy to do anything. I don't go to bed early, I don't eat right, I'm not getting enough Water or exercise. I have all the excuses in the world, and I'm tired of living the way I am. I have 4.1 cc's in my band and I can tell the restriction is there, because I still get sick sometimes. Yet, other times, I feel like I could eat a cow! It's frustrating. I work full time, I go to school full time, I have two children, a husband, a business, a cat, and a home to keep up (yeah, you guessed it, my home is a wreck too!). Oy! I have very little time. I work from 6:30 AM to 3 PM and I guess I just would like someone who could maybe walk with me even a few days a week...email me to help keep me motivated, stuff like that. I think I'm pretty good at motivating other people, I just suck at motivating myself! :thumbup:

I started bowling 3 weeks post-op. I bowl with a 14 pound ball...and I was good. :regular_smile: I love to bowl!

Bump.

Anyone?

I will be going on my second cruise leaving December 28th (my first was December 2006). I didn't even think about having problems with the band. I'm at 3.6 cc's and if I don't change from there, then I'll keep it at that, however, if he does give me fills between now and then, I might go in for a slight de-fill just so there aren't any problems. I guess we'll have to see. :thumbdown:

Okay, so before I was banded (May 12th), I was taking CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). I have hypothyroidism and had done some research because regular "diet" pills counteract with my Synthroid and make me REALLY sleepy. CLA is supposed to help suppress the appetite and help you to lose the weight. And the weight that you lose is more fat than muscle. It is supposed to really help with those that have hypothyroidism. I was taking four 1,000 mg pills per day. And it actually worked for me...I wasn't as hungry, I was losing weight safely (this isn't a get slim quick kind of supplement). I also had told my doc that I was taking it...so they knew and could tell me to stop if it would interfere with any of the meds I'm on.

Okay, so why tell you all of this? Because I have a question. Does anyone take any kind of "weight loss" supplements/diet pills AFTER having the band? Have there been any problems if you have?

I had breast reduction surgery in 2003 and my throat was sore for about 2-3 weeks afterwards...and with the lap band surgery, I think my throat might have been sore for maybe a day...if that. And I could talk right after - well, okay, several hours after because that's how long it took for the anesthesia to wear off! :biggrin: But, I could talk, so nothing happened to my vocal chords...

Okay, I'm sorry, but am I the only one that thinks it's odd that she got surgery when she was only 228 pounds to begin with? I thought your bmi had to be a certain number to even qualify for the surgery? Or maybe they do surgery on you at any weight if you're self-pay? I have no idea...just find it kind of odd, that's all.

If you are eating foods that slide right through the band, because foods like chicken, tuna, fish, steak, etc are getting stuck, then your doc is right - the band is too tight. If you try to eat chicken and it gets stuck, make sure that you're taking tiny bites, it's in some kind of sauce (gravy, mayo, BBQ Sauce, etc) and chew, chew, chew. And take your time eating. Maybe that will help things not get stuck and maybe you'll see the scales start to move again. :biggrin:

This is my first time on this site. I'm truely frustrated. I was banded in June of "06" and as of today I have only lost 65lbs. I lost 50 of that in my first 6 months. The last time I went in for a fill he took some out instead. I went in because I felt like I could eat too much, when he asked what I was eating he said my band was too tight and I was eating the things I was eating because I could. I did go back and get a fill but now I feel like I have to lie about what I'm eating because I'm afraid he might loosen my band again. I know what my problem is, I eat candy (usually only a couple time a month) or other things I can eat that I shouldn't be eating because most things make me throw up. I don't hardly ever feel hungry, I just eat because I like to. If anyone has any suggestions for me I would appreciate anyone's input.

To the original poster - I get frustrated sometimes too...I was banded May 12th and to date have lost about 21 pounds. My weight fluctuates too. One thing that I know are helping me to lose the weight but that I don't do every day: drink lots and lots of Water - I drink at least 100 ounces a day - if I drink any less, the numbers on the scale do not move - at least not in the direction I want them to! If you're "hungry" all the time, perhaps you're not getting enough Water - if I am feeling hungry, I drink some water first, and if after 10 minutes I'm still hungry, I either eat something (depending on the time of day) or I drink more water.

I am also not losing weight because I'm not exercising like I should. I'm going to change that. I have an hour between the time I get home from work and the time my kids get home from school. From today forward, I'm going to start using that hour to take a walk. I'm posting this all over the place so people might want to help hold me accountable for walking.

My doctor had told me before too that it can take a few weeks for the fill to "settle in"...and he schedules my office visits about 6 weeks apart and then decides when I get there if I need a fill or not. If it were me, I'd sit down and talk to my doctor and tell him what is on your mind. If he is a good doctor, he will take what you're saying into consideration...and make a decision with you that you both think is best.

It can take 3 + fills until you find that "sweet spot"...don't get discouraged...you're on a journey - a life altering journey - this is no quick fix.

My surgery was May 12th, so I'm almost 4 months out. I've recently started noticing more hair than usual coming out in the shower. I also have really thick, long hair...my aunt is a nurse, and I mentioned it to her. She told me to make sure that I'm taking my Vitamins and supplements every day and didn't mention Protein at all. So, I don't know if I'm losing more hair now because of not enough protein or not enough vitamins and minerals...I'm going to up my dose of Biotin also (already take 1000 mcg). I don't know about the rest of you, but I keep thinking "why is my hair falling out now? I never used to eat 60 grams of protein a day or take my Vitamin every day before the surgery."

I get the feeling of food going up and down my throat...I usually stop eating when I get that because it probably means that you're full. I've heard that you can stretch out your pouch, but I don't know how you can tell...