julie.ann

I find it takes about 7-14 days for my fills to really kick in. I don't schedule them any closer than 4 weeks apart.

This is bandster hell. You can do this. Stay away from all bread, pasta, rice and potatoes to keep the cravings at bay. (Sweets too.) Get plenty of protein and eat the solid protein first and then add veggies until you have your 1 - 1 1/2cup of food. Now is the time to begin eating like the banded person you are. Also this is a perfect time to learn the difference between real hunger and head hunger. Sometimes even now I have a hard time with that. Anytime you find yourself wanting to eat stop, quiet yourself and ask if you are hungery. Really hungery or if you just want to eat. I think those that are most successful are those that learn the differnce between the hungers. Follow the bandster rules. Find them here in my blog. This is what I follow and I have done pretty well.

Good luck and keep us posted!.

That is awesome! Great job! You are an inspiration!!

When it got the worst ever in my shoulders it helped me to lay flat on the floor. I don't know why, but it helped. Will gas-X help. Some say yes, some say no. I took it. I don't know if it helped, but at least I had something to try. Good luck. It will get better.

I share an office with someone that has had bypass. She lost a lot of weight fast, but 3 1/2 years later she has already started to put the weight back on and has to diet like before the surgery. I bet if she had the option to get the lap band she would. In 3 1/2 years if I need an adjustment I can get one. I am happy with the choice I made.

I was told NO STRAWS. I bought a case of bottled water for the trip.

I can't believe you didn't put your scale on your list? What kind of President of the SWA are you? You should be ashamed of yourself! Just for that you are required to drink 3 glasses of water and weigh yourself dirrectly before bedtime! *hehe*

That is probablly what I packed....I went on a 7 hr road trip and spent a couple of nights in the hotel. I took hardly anything to the hospital, but I was only there about 5 hours.

Wow Sarah, You are doing great! I can't wait to get to Onderland!!!

I have one that I keep track of my weight and then what I would weigh if I lost 2 lbs a week and 3 lbs a week. Then that graphs. I also keep track of when I 10%, 20%, 30% etc.... and what that weight is or will be and the date I reach it. I also keep track of what I weigh each month on my bandiversary and how much I have lost each month.

Whew! I think that I might need to make it to the OCD portion of the meeting!

I love the agenda. BG you are SO FUNNY!!!!

I too graph. I have 3 different excel spreadsheets. I LOVE them!!! I just can't get enough! I think that SWA may need their own forum!

Oh, We need to have our meetings early in the morning after we have gone to the bathroom and before we shower. It goes without saying that we will wear the SAME clothes too because we don't don't want that to influence the scale!!! I weigh on the Wii so I am in the living room....to keep my kids out of intense therapy I don't weigh myself naked. (But I do wear the same cloths every day!)

BG-- I don't think that weighing DAILY makes you a you a scale whore because if you are then I am. I have heard of people weighing after going to the bathroom, after each meal, everytime they pass the bathroom. That just takes it to a another level. I do it daily for motivation. What did I do right? What should I do different?

You keep weighing every day.....you are in good company!

Good luck! Welcome to Bandlandia!

This is so true. Last night I ate thin crust pizza. It was a splurge for me. I used to call it a cheat, but I didn't cheat. Eating something off my plan like pizza once in a long while is okay.

I used to use this as a reason to stop eating healthy. I failed. It was that perfect or nothing. In years past I would have packed it in last night and ate a desert and maybe even more pizza. Luckily the band won't let you eat a whole pizza in one setting!

Since I have made this a lifestyle change I know that today is a new day and today is the day to eat healthy and make good choices. Yesterday is in the past and I'm not a bad person because I ate something less healthy than what I usually eat.

Naw...that can't be right. I have kept track every week. I did lose 8 lbs the first week after banding and 14 lbs the two weeks before. Otherwise it has averaged about 3 lbs a week I think. That is usually my goal for the week.

Well BG 14 lbs was post-op weight loss. But my highest weight I saw on the scale was 285.5 on October 10th (I think) and it is just over 4 months past that. Overall I just can't complain!!!

Thanks KLynch. I think that even when you plateau you have to be positive or else you will get caught up in that negative trap and then I would want to feed the beast! (The beast is OBESITY and HEAD HUNGER!)

I weigh 213.8 and just in case you didn't notice that puts a bigger number on the left side of my ticker than the right!

I AM OVER HALF WAY TO GOAL and I have lost 50% of my excess body weight! YEAH! I am almost 4 months post-op. I love my band! I hope to be in onderland by April 1 and hit the -100 pounds by my 35th birthday in June!!!!

Thank you guys for you great support.

I thought I needed a fill. Starting to look for food again between meals. Well my hubby broke his foot and will be off of work for a month (surgery yesterday to put a screw in his foot where he broke it) so I don't think I can afford a trip to Denver. What I noticed picking up a few days a clinic for my practicum is that I didn't get hungry between meals. I think I have been fighting that very conniving enemy called head hunger. I'm usually quick to pick up on it, but I think it was sneaking up on me and that's what the problem has been. I thought I was very wise to head hunger but sometimes it is so hard to tell the difference.

So I might not get a fill soon, but I think I will be ok with that. I'll have to see closer to the time if I have any money to go. I am supposed to go two weeks from tomorrow.

So we were sitting the doctor’s office yesterday morning waiting for orders to go the hospital for hubby’s surgery. I was sitting there and comfortably crossed my legs. That is has been such a big deal for me. I told hubby look! This is comfortable! I used to not be able to do this. He winked at me and said that getting me to cross my legs was the opposite goal he had for me. He’s so funny sometimes!

I told my doctor the following yesterday:

Here is an arithmatic lesson. It doesn't look right, but I've found that if you check it....it does equal out the way it is written.

4 months post-op (almost) - 71 lbs = 50% excess body weight = 1/2 way to goal of healthy BMI

I may not get down that low, but I hope to be close. Healthy is my goal. I thought I was needing a fill, but with hubby off work I don't think I can afford a trip to Denver besides I noticed the last two days working at the clinic that I wasn't really hungry between meals. I think I have been struggling with head hunger which can be MUCH WORSE than real hunger. But I have to be honest I have been really lucky in my results so far and getting restriction so early. I don't think my results are rare at all, but I bet I am in the top percentage of weight lost so..... um...I guess the word I'm looking for is...... easily? Not to say it hasn't been work. I started spinning class again on Wednesday. My butt is still sore!

I read an article that said that a successfull band patient is one that loses 50% of their excess body weight and keeps it off indeffinately. I just need to keep it off. I'm already successful. I think losing any more than another 50 lbs is just gravy.

My band’s name is Band Jovi…:thumbup:...I’m a huge fan!

That is great. That is how my doc does fills every time. Fill till too tight, then pull back enough to let water go through smoothly! I LOVE that. Imagine how long it would take you with little fills to get to 8 cc!!!

I like the chocolate AdvantEDGE I get from EAS at Walmart. That is my favorite!

I think the rule of thumb is 1- 1 1/2 c. of food (3-4 oz of solid protein) keeping you full for at least 4 hours. I'm opposite. I am tighter at night (TG) I don't know if working out in the evening has anything to do with that. I am usually tighter at night.

It sounds like either you need smaller bites and chewing more or yes you could be too full.

Good luck!

Sometimes it can take several fills to feel much. Make sure you are eating your solid protein first and keep doing what you are doing until you can get in for another fill. Keep bread, potatoes, rice and pasta out of your diet to cut down on cravings. Sweets too. At least until you have some restriction. Get to the gym and keep track of everything you eat. It has been 2 weeks....how long till the next one.

You are dong great so far!

Just no Toto jokes--K?

So funny BG! You are from OK? I'm from KS! We are neighbors! When do you get to join the band?

One time at band camp......

JK - it is a wonderful thing to do. Be ready for some discomfort. Don't think that you will come out dancing but it is worth every bit. You have to expect some pain post-op so it doesn't take you by surprise. You will do great!

"You are the kind of patient we nurses live for!"

True, but I have to admit love it when I avoid the vein "that never works" just to end up there getting the IV in right there. HE HE.