flowers

Maybe Im misreading this?? OP lost 10 lbs in 3 weeks and says she is stalled and another poster lost 15 and is complaining about how slow it is? By definition a stall means you lost zero pounds in 3 weeks. 10 lbs in less than a month is not a stall. It could be that when you changed from liquids to mushys you quit losing like you were because you probably had less calories and when you were only on liquids. Some gain when they switch over to mushys and their doctors say dont worry, this is a time for healing. Even if you didnt lose anything they would say its normal until you are filled to a much tighter place and healed. This is the time for healing. Its going to be a long slow process. I looked at tickers and dates and figure a year to lose about 100 lbs from what Iv seen.

Get something like SF popsicles that are only 10 calories and take a while to eat. If you eat one and still craving, then eat another, still 20 calories and keeps you busy for a while and not eating something bad.

I had my surgery July 9th, so about 2 months before you did. It sounds so simple when folks say eat Protein first, measure portions. Well, I live alone and I rarely cook. If I have to cook all the time this aint going to work and Ill fall off the wagon. I pull out a healthy choice or lean cuisine frozen dinner and cook it. Do any of you measure the quantity of a cooked frozen dinner, am I supposed to do that and get rid of the excess? It sounds so easy, but the reality has me scratching my head. I gain if I eat carbs or sugar, Im prediabetic, so eating wrong is what does me in, Im eating the same portions as before the band (so maybe the band wasnt the right answer for me Im thinking). I get rid of sugar and carbs and I lose, simple as that. I do sometimes cook baked salmon because that always makes me lose, but Im not eating small amounts. Maybe the smaller portions will get easier after my next fill. I sure hope so. I didnt have much swelling after my surgery, so had no restriction after my surgery to help get me started eating less. My surgeon looked at the two large bowls of Jello and applesauce and tea and said well you wouldnt be able to eat that, right after my surgery .... of course I ate it all. This cutting back of portions is what I have trouble with. Losing is just a matter of what I eat, not how much but Id lose faster if I could eat less. I wasnt overeating before surgery though, but no one believed me the way I was gaining, I was almost on diabetes medication.

I can eat as much as before to me. I get this feeling like I have to burp after a few bites of food, so I stand up sometimes and walk around and then a little burp or two or four or five and then I can eat anything after that first little bit, and eat the rest. Sounds like some people are quitting eating and I know Im not. Maybe thats why I am losing so slow. My doctor's husband has accused me of overeating and stretching my pouch when I went to make the last appointment, that its my fault I lose the restriction. I cancelled the last appointment, but going in this Saturday for another fill, but I never feel like like descriptions I hear. As I said once I burp a few times Im fine. Thats not stopping me from eating. Maybe its supposed to be stopping me, that gassy feeling, but I just wait and then I can eat it all ... and do. Im going to try harder after this next fill to cut back portions, like some I read here who seem to be satisfied with so much less than Im eating portion wise. I am down another pound this morning. 188 lbs, going to change my ticker.

I knew coming out of surgery, I could eat anything. I was in the airport 24 hours after surgery and knew I could have downed a mexican dinner at the only restaurant where I was waiting. Nothing has changed, I can eat almost anything. The only times I have had any trouble is when I was gulping cantelope too fast, I got a little stuck and taking Vitamins late at night, just before bed, if I lay down in bed right after vitamins they slime up. Wheat chex Cereal, I think thats the one with big pieces?? I had a little trouble for about a week with that after my last fill. I can eat bread, sub sandwiches, everything else. Bread and pizza has never bothered me a bit. I was told during a seminar there are about 10 foods people have trouble with and usually not the same foods as another person. Which foods you cant eat will probably be different than mine. Salads are one of the 10 foods, some eat fine and some cant do.

It looks like you are another July butterfly. I was banded the day before you. Iv walked pretty much every day. I also dont have age in my favor, Im 58, but you can sit there and add up all the reasons why something is hard and if you are determined enough you will lose. Im sure Im overeating and not at restriction, but I am not eating any sweats, and like someone else mentioned, if Im hungry I have a Protein snack. Have some turkey pepperoni in the microwave. Have some rolled up ham. Fry and egg in pam. Low fat hotdogs are about 50 calories fry one in the skillet in pam and so on. I know how to eat to lose, but I slip slided away last winter, but Im moving back where I need to be, no matter what it takes. I reread my post, I combined two things, one I was saying hello to another July butterfly, the other I was saying what works for me to lose weight if I stick to protein Snacks and cut the sugar and walk every day. Im hoping to get to where Jack and some others are and that I dont want to eat so much and that this gets easier, but to me its still working it.

A lot of it is how hard you are willing to work. Especially at first you aren't going to have much if any resistance, and I wasnt allowed to get a fill for 5 weeks to heal and then that didnt give me any resistance either. I was banded July 9th and working it. I get a fill this Saturday and hoping for more help to lose faster. Not happy with my slow progress. Im exercising, but eating more than anyone here says I should be eating, just eating a lot of fish and watching my sugar levels. As you can see by my ticker, Im planning on getting into the 120s and Im 5 7, so less than the weight charts say I can weigh. I wouldnt be happy with less. Just make up your mind you are going to do this. Get some SF popsicles or something to stick in your mouth when you want to eat. Or I roll up a few pieces of thinly sliced ham for a higher Protein snack.

wow never heard of this. My surgeon the next morning wanted to know why I hadnt yet taken a shower in the hospital room. I said because Im still attached to a IV. But after 24 hours never heard of you cant take a shower, you must have something different on your incisions.

Im glad Im not the only one dissapointed with my lapband's restriction. I go for another fill this Sat. so far they only put in 1.8 cc each fill in a 10 cc band, no prefill. Im up to only 3.6 cc, and thinking no wonder I have no restriction, this is being done too slow, but cant get my fill doctor to push harder. Im losing due to will power, dieting and walking every day, no thanks to my lapband.

IMO there would be a number in between 3 and 1.8 that if the fill doctor was taking more time with fills she could have found that wouldnt over fill me but would have given me enough restriction to help. I feel almost no restriction and can eat anything. Im losing because Im dieting, not eating sweets and walking 3.5 miles a day, I was up to 7 miles but had to cut back when my right knee couldnt take it. You can lose without your band helping at all, and that doesnt prove I dont need a fill, at least to me. I dont feel like my band is helping at all, but yes, Im losing. By your doctor's standards and some other doctors, as long as Im losing fine, I dont need another fill, even if I feel no restriction. I guess I disagree with that way of thinking, why have a band if its not helping. I got down to 150 on Nutrisystem, but didnt hold it. I can diet, thats all Im doing now. Im one who isnt terribly keen on the lapband at this point since I dont feel its helping. My fill doctor does test with fluor to make sure the barium goes down into your stomach, so a over fill isnt possible with her. I just want some appetite control, which I dont have with my too conservative fills. Im hungry all the time, its sheer willpower losing the weight. When I complain to the fill doctor's husband (he does the appointments) instead of talking about the fact she doesnt fill me enough, he will blame me, saying things like "well you must be over eating and stretched your pouch" instead of acknowledging maybe the fill isnt tight enough. Its never their fault I still cant feel any resistance. the band isnt all its cracked up to be so far. fills can make or break you.

Im driving 5 hours round trip and dont think that doctor takes enough time on her fills, in and out. She doesnt try to get them as tight as possible, 3 cc too much, she puts in 1.8 cc, as if there is nothing in between she could try. Iv expressed my unhappiness at the lack of resistance and cancelled my last fill, but decided to go in again, eventually I hope to get to a tighter resistance point. I have rescheduled to go in next Saturday. There is a closer doctor I could go to for $250 cash that probably would be better, but I got annoyed when his receptionist said that I was lucky he would see me at all when I complained that the cost was only $150 if you were banded in the U.S. You will have a great experience for surgery, and a much cheaper price, you just have to weigh it against the fact that getting fills will cost more and you will be treated like a second class citizen. Prepare yourself for that. Two sisters were at my fill doctor last time and they had only paid $6,000 each. So there are cheap prices to be had. My surgeon didnt speak much English and just started taking U.S. patients, but is very good. You wouldnt have trouble finding a good surgeon in Mexico, but you might have trouble finding a inexpensive fill center or pay extra. One fill doctor here who has a bad reputation, now is making Mexican patients wait 90 days, he has so many patients, he can do that now. He doesnt use fluoro and had poked holes in a few too many bands for me to use him. Where you get fills is something you definetely need to check out ahead of time. You might even have to fly somewhere. I was banded July 9th, 10 cc band, and only two measly fills of 1.8 cc each, so you know Im not hardly at any resistance. Im needing some extra will power is why Im making the drive this weekend. Im also losing much slower than most. .... but I am losing and will get there, maybe not as fast as those at tight resistance.

I paid $6,500 and went to El Paso and went across the border too. Just because you are flying in and going to Mexico doesnt mean you will not get just as good of care. I wouldnt pay the amount in Alaska when for the price of airfare you can have it done elsewhere. I went by myself, it wasnt that bad of surgery that you need to have someone with you, like say plastic surgery which will have you indisposed for a while. I actually flew home the next day, a day early.

I was on a board last night and outraged at the insensitivity and predudice towards overweight people. I wanted to say how bad predudice is toward people who are overweight. All predudice is WRONG. I knew I would be blown off as overweight myself or I wouldnt care, that's what folks would be thinking. The thread was about would it be ok for her husband to wear jeans on elegant night on a cruise. I said something mild, thought others would react, no one but me said a thing. Obviously, if I fussed I would fall into the category he said was people who just want to control others, but I think predudice against overweight people is rampant. At 190 lbs as some said I look better to others, but Im still overweight and I think a lot of folks still are thinking this. If they arent my close friends or family they are being judgemental. Iv been thin and I swear folks smile and are friendlier to you when you arent overweight. I dont expect compliments, I lost weight once before and so folks are extra reluctant to say anything. Iv heard my parents make comments about me being overweight. My sister says my mom says to her, "you dont want to be like your sister, you need to watch what you are eating". I told my mom (both my parents are too thin) that being predudiced against overweight people is wrong. She may try to talk better in front of me, but behind my back even my family feels the way those posts talk. I dont expect compliments because people are still thinking "she needs to lose weight" not "boy she is looking good"<!-- / message -->

I think they must be related to my grandma. Everytime my grandma would see my mom, one of the first things she would say is "putting on a little weight Jean?" .... and my mom has always been really thin, too thin. My grandma just was blinded by bias toward other family. She knew what to say to wound. My mom is about 5 3 and doesnt even weight 100 lbs, hardly ever has been over 100 lbs and to this woman she throws up her weight to her as if she is getting too fat?

I like the ones who tell you that you have lost enough weight, that you are looking too skinny. Are they jealous? Why would they say that when obviously Im not too skinny. Folks just been able to notice Iv lost weight, or they are just now commenting on it. Cant say as Iv gotten compliments exactly. One lady says to me, bet you feel a lot better. I guess. No one says you look good.

I read stuff like this and think whoa!!! Either there is something wrong with me or you are losing really fast. You lost 39 lbs since you were banded in august and say you are a slow loser??!! Give yourself credit. To many of us you are not losing slow. I was probably banded more than a month earlier than you and only 5 lbs ahead of you. If you are slow, Im a turtle and I walk daily, without fail at least 3.5 miles. Im 58 btw, so I dont think being 40 sounds old to me if that's what you meant. There are a lot of people losing slower than you. I guess slow is relative and we all wish we could lose it overnight? i sure wouldnt call you a slow loser based on your ticker. You are doing great.

Probably not a popular attitude, but I joined a online support group and seemed like they were a gang mentality and those further along everyone bowed down to them and sang their praises, as if newbies were not working just as hard. I quit and walked away. Sometimes you cant control a whole group of folks who all share an attitude and its best for your head to move on. Maybe you don't need them to validate your progress, just believe in yourself. I too am walking off my weight and can tell you its not easy.

I still cruised, but once I outgrew my bathing suit, I stopped getting into the Water. Now with saggy skin, Im not so hot to get into the water in the pools even now. My last two cruises, my biggest dressy dress was skin tight and I was dreadfully embarrassed. It was like a 22 or 24 I think and looked awful on me. I was still travelling, but it was taking a lot from my vacations and being active. I cant wait until Im at goal and can consider plastic surgery. At my age, just losing the weight isnt going to be enough.

The seminar I went to, the lady giving the seminar wrote a book about her journey, she seemed to be pushing. She lost 128 lbs with the lapband, but had reflux so bad, she had it removed and had one of the other surgeries, after she lost the weight, to keep it off. If that wasnt bad enough, someone in the seminar had lapband and was there to have it removed because she gained weight and got diabetes she blamed on the lapband. She travelled for her job and said the fills were all during the week, so she couldnt get in for a fill and generally didnt do anything to help herself lose weight, so she gained another 20 - 30 lbs after she got the lapband. I was the lone holdout for the lapband info in the room. The lady giving the seminar turned to me and asked me, are you going to be satisfied with only losing 50% of your excess weight, because those are the statistics with the lapband, as if I couldnt lose it as she had. By the end of the seminar I was in tears and cancelled my lapband surgery. No one else in the room who had been considering the lapband was still considering it by the end of the session. I had to get away to think and come here to ask questions and even here didnt find the response that encouraging to get the lapband when I asked people here what they thought I should do. I didnt want bypass because it was just too invasive.

I went on a cruise. I had a few bites of dessert, and then had pizza at midnight. Iv cut way back on bad food, but not given it up entirely. You need to allow yourself a few treats, once in a while. Usually I stick to SF jello or SF popsicles.

They can fudge your BMI a bit to make you qualify. They subtracted an inch for the heels of my tennis shoes!! If you are shorter then your BMI will be higher and put a roll of coins in your pocket. I wouldnt drink more than a small sip of soda. I have read it could make your band slip from the fizz, so I refuse to take the chance. Its not like cheating, its something that could make my band slip. More serious. I havent cut back a lot on food, just on snacking at night and doing more walking. I am not one who is doing that 3 - 5 bites either, even if it takes me longer to lose, dont want to change my metabolism like that.

I think its very common in seminars to push the more extensive procedures. I had the same experience. I came home and cancelled my lapband surgery but later decided I did not want the more invasive surgerys, it was lap band or nothing. So I was self pay and did the lap band. Sometimes what is right for others isnt the right thing for you and its a decision you have to make for yourself. Im a grazer, so Im still not sure lapband is the right tool for me, but its what I have, so Im going to make it work.

There are doctors in Mexico who will band you with a BMI in the 30 to 35 range. I was self pay and think you get just as much medical care and except some dont speak English where I was, it was a good experience and only cost me $6,500. Two other ladies at my fill center said they paid $6K for their bands.

Someone posted something similar elsewhere, except that said 50% of the weight you want to lose. Id say the surgeon is wrong if that is what he said, look at the tickers of most of us. 40 or 50 lbs is a beginning weight loss. I had surgery in July and past the 40 lbs mark, past the 50 lb mark if you count what I lost presurgery. Im for sure going to lose over 100 lbs. I think what he meant was some people dont do the work so on average many only lose that much. Its an average number, not because they couldnt lose more, some dont keep up with fills, dont exercise, dont try and expect the band to do it all. Those people wouldnt be as successfull with the band.

The lap band to me is more sure long term. By Pass you will lose faster, but if you stretch your pouch, then you can more easily regain the weight. When they say you lose about 50% of your weight, they are talking averages. Iv already made up my mind Im losing all the weight down to the 120s again, no matter what. Im not average, Im more determined. You will have to make the band work and get fills regular. One girl who said the band didnt work for her, also said she travelled for her job and so didnt get any fills because she couldnt get them during the week, so she just did nothing and surprise surprise she gained and got diabetes. It's up to you more so with the band.