Lanakila

You're on Greg! I'm going for 16, so we're laying down the gauntlet for this challenge. Go get 'em!!! Lanakila

You might try the Spanxx high waist panties. I actually wore them just for support the first couple of days after surgery. The support is nice but not crazy...and the high waist kept the muffin top tucked in.

Brad, I totally get you about the exhilaration that comes with finishing a workout! It is SOOOO hard for me to get in the door of the gym, but I always feel like I could take on the world when I am leaving. I got really sick with a cold a few weeks ago and fell out of the habit. I had just started the C25K two weeks before, albeit at a much reduced rate. You've motivated me to get my butt movin' again. Lanakila (yes, that really is my name)

Third fill today...after having started moonwalking. It was cool when Michael Jackson did it...but SO not cool when it's my weight going the wrong direction!

Rachelle, I'm In! I like a good challenge and having one from my band buddies means SO much more to me! I'm currently at 276 and want to get down to 260 by the New Year. It sounds a little idealistic, but I got a 3rd fill today and I am really hoping that I get that scale a-movin'. I've been hitting the fast food, and sucking at getting to the gym, so I've got to admit it to everyone to get me back on the wagon. Lanakila

Be sure to do the Happy Dance buddy...you deserve a celebration!

Sister that is NOT shallow at all! You deserve to desire to feel and look fabulous! No matter how many times we say that we wanted this surgery to help us to be healthier, we all admit that looking good is a goal too. Go get it girl!

Think "sleek"...it sounds sassy!

:lol:Hah! You are losing your blubber!

We have several folks on the list for this exchange. I'll close off the list soon and ask folks to ship Internationals by December 1st, and domestic by December 7th. For those of you in Australia, Canada, England, etc. If you chose to ship only locally, you will be matched with someone in your country and should consider your shipment "domestic". Please understand that you only need to send an ornament. The rest of the things that I sent were just fluff! If you are still interested, please send me your info via PM!

Being a recovering diet soda addict, I have avoided sodas as a whole. I'm afraid that I'll start craving them again...and moderation is not my strong suit! I have had a glass of beer a few times, and had no trouble with it. I don't have any restriction, so I'm not worried about slippage at all. I figure that you'll get really uncomfortable from the carbonation and will lay off of it before you actually cause a slip. Carbonation is no more dangerous than overeating...but both can be culprits in causing a slip. It's not as easy as you think...but still something to be avoided as a whole.

I have some very nice clothes that I would like to hand-up to a band sister. PM if you are interested! Lanakila

I am generally feel tighter in the morning and then feel that I loosen up during the day. If you think you are tighter than you need to be, see if this might be contributing to your troubles too.

I'm a member of another online community (bookcrossing.com) and we have an annual ornament exchange each year. I've participated for 2 years now and have had a great time doing it. We send our contact info to a coordinator and they randomly assign you to another user. You can choose to take on an international user or not, depending on your preference. There aren't any other rules about what type of ornament or anything else you want to send. Since my group is a book-related group, I have generally sent a book that was on the user's wishlist, an ornament and an edible that represents either who I am or where I am from. Because I chose to trade internationally, last year I sent to a user in Ireland and got one from a user in Finland. The year before I sent to a user in Australia and got one from a user in Ohio. Neat! If anyone is interested in doing a BandLand version, just PM me your: a)Snail Mail Address, and b)Whether you only want to send to people in your own country. Remember that ornaments need not be related to a specific holiday, as the exchange is intended to be all-inclusive and irrespective of faith. Lanakila

I do the Friday weigh in only, and that is just so I can post on the weigh-in thread. I've never been a daily, since weight fluctuates SO much from day to day. I wish I had the ability to wait until office visits, but I think that I need the weeklies right now in order to keep me from gaining more than I already do sometimes.

I have no noticeable restriction, but if I eat too quickly at the start of a meal I get the MOST AWFUL hiccups. I intentionally try to chew my food super-duper slowly just to avoid that! It's so bad that if I get the hiccups in my office, the other folks in the suite come to see if I'm ok. I figure that all of that chewing and trying to avoid the hiccups makes my meals last that 30 minutes that we aim for. I'll be glad when I have some serious restriction. I'm ready for that "full" to start!

Heading downward again...thankfully. I had my 2nd fill this week so I hope that it keeps moving in that direction!

I had no pre-op diet, so what you see is what I've lost. I gained a bit between my 1st and 2nd fill, but I'm slowly on my way down again. I'll get another fill in 3 or 4 weeks.

I asked my surgeon yesterday, while I was getting filled, why some people are having trouble finding ports. He said that he didn't know, but that maybe it was a difference in where the port was placed. Mine is in the "crease" between my fat rolls. He said that this is the place where the fat layer isn't as thick up against the abdominal muscle that the port is stitched to, and that it is easier to feel that way. Sounds reasonable, whether it is true or not. At least his explanation made me feel better. :sad_smile:

I'm not sure that I understand why they aren't able to hit your port. I'm almost 300# and can find my port easily. I'm getting a fill today, so I'm going to ask the surgeon. Maybe it is a difference in where he puts the port, or how he attaches it?

I think that I've actually gained since my first fill. I go for my 2nd one tomorrow. I plan to manipulate the entire process by not taking my diuretic meds so that I'll have a little edema, drinking like a fiend which will stick since I won't have taken the meds, and having a "heavy" Breakfast so that my gain looks even bigger. I want that man to fill 'er all the way up, you know? I've told myself that it is gonna take 5 fills until things get closer. Might not be true but at least I won't get my hopes up to high for the 2nd one. I'm just full of being "full of it", huh? :tongue2: Lanakila

Amy, I am right there with you. The only difference is that I never had any restriction after my first fill. As you can see, we have lost a comparable amount. I'm having horrible trouble with being able to eat as I please. I admire those folks who are able to self-limit, but I have never had the willpower to do that. If I had, I wouldn't have needed the band in the first place, you know? :tongue2: When I AM successful in controlling my portions, here are the things that contribute to it working: 1. I pack the food up and put it away before I sit down with my plate. Sometimes the idea of having to pull it all out and reheat it will keep me from eating more. Sometimes. 2. I eat my plateful and then do something where I need clean hands. Putting laundry in the dryer while I eat works pretty well. Hard to fold towels while eating. Sometimes. 3. I'll admit that sometimes I get so frustrated with myself that when I go to get more I give it all to the dog, or toss is into the garbage and take the bag out. Sometimes. The important thing is that we even think about things differently. Before I got the band, I had just plain sworn off of dieting. I didn't worry about how much I ate, period. So the fact that I am even thinking about it is a small victory. I get my 2nd fill tomorrow. I'll update in a few days! I know that it may take me a couple or few more...but at this point I just want to know what restriction even feels like. Lanakila

Up quite a bit this week, but I have a fill scheduled for Tuesday. Hold on...I'm still comin' along! I'll meet you there :tongue_smilie:

Nooooooooooooo restriction, so pretty much whatever I want. I do try to have a completely protein breakfast and lunch, since that is supposed to keep me feeling fuller. My portions aren't anywhere near what they were pre-banding, but they are LOTS more than what I should be able to keep it down to once I get some restriction. 2nd fill in 8 days!

Don't fret honey! It's less than a pound and, like you said, soooooo many other wonderful things have happened for you in just over 2 months. I would bet money that you are actually matching pound-for-pound the fat you are losing with the lean muscles that you are building. A trainer once told me that it takes 6 weeks to actually "build" muscle. People can see toning before then, but they don't actually start creating new tissues for at least that long.