BioTeacher

I did talk to my Doctor Yesterday about how much I have in my Realize Band. 7ml in a 9ml. Because I read my brochure they gave me on the band at surgery and it clearly says it holds 9 and they can put in NINE! Also I asked my doc, how much liquid is in the TUBE that leads from the port to the band?? Now I am a science teacher-- ONE ml is not very much and with the length of that tube it surely is at least ONE! Well My doc did not know the answer to that question! And it is NOT in the literature on the band or the port. My doc says it is a very small diameter tubing. OK but I bet it MUST hold 1/2 to 1ml! That ain't much at all! So if they say you have 7ml you may not have all that IN the band itself anyway! Some is in the darn tubing. So I know I am focusing on silly stuff--just that they CAN put more in there and I think they will. My Doc promised me to take the time to draw out ALL the saline next time so I could see that it is IN there and not leaking out a hole or the tube got disconnected. I read the book and these kinds of things happened up to 10% of the time. I have been urged by many on the LBT to get that checked and he agreed to do it in 4 weeks. Also said he would immediately put it all back in there. Interesting..... Meanwhile no fill this time. And he did say he could put more in it. But is it up to me? (I think there needs to be a bit more!) NO. And when and how much?? who knows?? I have advised to UP my calories from 11-1200 to 1600 a day. They think I am in "starvation" mode and am using my calories too efficiently! How about that!? I am also exercising BIG time with weights, walking, etc. So I am to try this and lose very slowly at about 1/2 a week but just keep at it... if it doesn't work I am too switch off then. What a journey this is! Thanks though! I need a BIT more in mine still and am GLAD to know I should be able to get it in there.....

Well i went in for my checkup. I have officially lost 35 lbs. this year. Do I want that back?? NO! But I lost all that by last November. I requested my doctor today and not the nurse pract. Sorry, but the guy is kind of goofy. Spent about 15 minutes going on about artificial sweetners. Now I seriously do not use much of that anymore so it is not an issue. I showed him a solid FIVE weeks of great exercise. I have lifted weights 3 times a week mostly upper body. I have hit the treadmill anywhere from 20 minutes to 45 to over an hour on many days! There were only TWO days where I did no formal exercise! I put it on a calendar for him to see! Then I used the Fit.com and put in my foods. So I had a week of foods for my dietician and then the old notebook I used before that. That Fit.com one is awesome! So easy to use, most foods are there, does a pie graph of carbs, fats, proteins. She really liked it! I guess I need more fruits and more veggies. When you are trying to not eat too much and then you eat your protein first, then the room in one cup of food for those is not there. But I will try. Guess what the doctor wants me to do, EAT MORE? What a hoot! I was trying to consume from 1100-1200 calories a day and all the exercising. They are wondering if I am putting myself in "starvation" mode so that my body is using the calories so efficiently I am not losing. So he did an analysis of how many calories I need a day at my ideal weight, and says to try to just cut out about 2-300 each day. I have read this idea is Mindless eating. Not so much you feel deprived but just enough to get some off. Anyway at that rate I should lose 1/2 lb a week and 30 lbs a year, then the next year 30 lbs. So in two years I should be at or near my goal. Well, it is true, I will still be here then. However, it is extremely hard to watch others lose at such a great rate and then here I am. But honestly if I could just lose steadily I can keep motivated! I looked at my Realize Band literature really close. It says 1-2 lbs a week. So I should have lost about 50 lbs. by now conservatively. Any way the doc wants me to consume about 1600 calories a day! To INCREASE my intake and see what happens. If in 3-4 weeks I am gaining, we will stop it, if it seems to be working then I need to eat more. OK, I will try that! Interesting. Also, as many have urged me, I asked him HOW he knows that the fluid in my band is still in there. He promised to draw it ALL out next time so we could check it and then he says he can put it back all at once. Interesting. Also I looked in the literature and then can put up to 9ml in a 9ml band. Sure enough he said he sure could. I now have 7ml and he said they would not necessarily stop. But no fill today. OK then. I asked how much (ml) the tube from the port to the band held. Even with a short length dang it, it hold a ml or two. He did not know that answer. Said the diameter of the tube was real small. Still there is some saline in it too! I looked and that as many as 10% of the people tested with the bands had leaks, holes, or the tube came off. So it should be checked. Just for my benefit as well! Doc also said he checked my barium swallow from March and it looked fine but it sure showed plenty of stuff is going through there pretty easily! I saw it! The book with the band clearly says that the patient should NOT BE ABLE to eat very large quantities of food and should therefore lose weight. It is right there in black and white! And they tell me I am the one who must do all the stopping and the band doesn't do much. Interesting. So I will start looking at 1600 calories. I will try to come up with a workout plan that I CAN continue when school starts. A "mini" routine maybe. Let's see how this goes now.....:confused3:

Well i went in for my checkup. I have officially lost 35 lbs. this year. Do I want that back?? NO! But I lost all that by last November. I requested my doctor today and not the nurse pract. Sorry, but the guy is kind of goofy. Spent about 15 minutes going on about artificial sweetners. Now I seriously do not use much of that anymore so it is not an issue. I showed him a solid FIVE weeks of great exercise. I have lifted weights 3 times a week mostly upper body. I have hit the treadmill anywhere from 20 minutes to 45 to over an hour on many days! There were only TWO days where I did no formal exercise! I put it on a calendar for him to see! Then I used the Fit.com and put in my foods. So I had a week of foods for my dietician and then the old notebook I used before that. That Fit.com one is awesome! So easy to use, most foods are there, does a pie graph of carbs, fats, proteins. She really liked it! I guess I need more fruits and more veggies. When you are trying to not eat too much and then you eat your protein first, then the room in one cup of food for those is not there. But I will try. Guess what the doctor wants me to do, EAT MORE? What a hoot! I was trying to consume from 1100-1200 calories a day and all the exercising. They are wondering if I am putting myself in "starvation" mode so that my body is using the calories so efficiently I am not losing. So he did an analysis of how many calories I need a day at my ideal weight, and says to try to just cut out about 2-300 each day. I have read this idea is Mindless eating. Not so much you feel deprived but just enough to get some off. Anyway at that rate I should lose 1/2 lb a week and 30 lbs a year, then the next year 30 lbs. So in two years I should be at or near my goal. Well, it is true, I will still be here then. However, it is extremely hard to watch others lose at such a great rate and then here I am. But honestly if I could just lose steadily I can keep motivated! I looked at my Realize Band literature really close. It says 1-2 lbs a week. So I should have lost about 50 lbs. by now conservatively. Any way the doc wants me to consume about 1600 calories a day! To INCREASE my intake and see what happens. If in 3-4 weeks I am gaining, we will stop it, if it seems to be working then I need to eat more. OK, I will try that! Interesting. Also, as many have urged me, I asked him HOW he knows that the fluid in my band is still in there. He promised to draw it ALL out next time so we could check it and then he says he can put it back all at once. Interesting. Also I looked in the literature and then can put up to 9ml in a 9ml band. Sure enough he said he sure could. I now have 7ml and he said they would not necessarily stop. But no fill today. OK then. I asked how much (ml) the tube from the port to the band held. Even with a short length dang it, it hold a ml or two. He did not know that answer. Said the diameter of the tube was real small. Still there is some saline in it too! I looked and that as many as 10% of the people tested with the bands had leaks, holes, or the tube came off. So it should be checked. Just for my benefit as well! Doc also said he checked my barium swallow from March and it looked fine but it sure showed plenty of stuff is going through there pretty easily! I saw it! The book with the band clearly says that the patient should NOT BE ABLE to eat very large quantities of food and should therefore lose weight. It is right there in black and white! And they tell me I am the one who must do all the stopping and the band doesn't do much. Interesting. So I will start looking at 1600 calories. I will try to come up with a workout plan that I CAN continue when school starts. A "mini" routine maybe. Let's see how this goes now.....

Debbie: I hope the very best for you with your Realize Band journey. I would love to hear you say yours is working really well as you go to be getting it filled. In fact, if I could hear from you again about how yours feels and stuff, maybe it would even help ME to talk to my doc about mine, you know? They keep telling me that I have mucho head problems and that the band is working fine. So don't go by my progress please! You will probably just do a lot better! Keep in touch please. :tongue2:

Well I made it pretty well. did not get hungry until about 12:30PM. At that time I had some leftover meatloaf that I had made from 93/7 sirloin. I truly had about 1/2 cup to 3/4 c. That lasted about an hour and a half. Then I had a protein shake. I am using an instant breakfast (sugar free), 2 c. 1% milk and a BUNCH of ice cubes--I bet there are 25 of them. Then I blend it up. It makes a huge cup of stuff and about 1/2 of or more is crushed up ice. Takes me a while to eat/drink it! Then I did have about 10 almonds later. Then at dinner I had about 1 cup of some taco meat stuff with a little cheese on it. Then now about 10:30 with some hunger I had another shake. Now I am going to bed. That should be a pretty good day there. Also worked out with weights about 45 min, then 15 on treadmill. then tonite about 25 min more with dog walking. Got in some just plain water around some of that too. That is a pretty good day. Trying to just be really restrictive on what I eat and do at least a modified version of the post-op diet I used for awhile there. I really lost a lot then too. I was really only hungry this morning finally and a little bit tonite so all is well there. I hope this helps. I am looking at my ONE YEAR check up next week and am sure facing a gain of a couple lbs. more. Gee. Hope this will at least stop that! My daughter got jilted by a bf of over three years just on the phone just like that. It is amazing how hard it has been on her and on me. I am trying to listen and she has quit sobbing all the time. It makes me sad too that this kid was so mean to her. She has tried to figure out what happened, if there were signs she did not see. It just hurts me so much to see her in such pain. She is such a sweet person too and could not have cared about anyone more..... Say a few prayers that she heals up. Has said it was like someone just died all of a sudden but the bad difference is --He chose the "death" of just saying "I don't want to see you anymore!" Well wish me well on my continuation of the crazy diet as many and as much as I can..... :redface:

Well I made it pretty well. did not get hungry until about 12:30PM. At that time I had some leftover meatloaf that I had made from 93/7 sirloin. I truly had about 1/2 cup to 3/4 c. That lasted about an hour and a half. Then I had a protein shake. I am using an instant breakfast (sugar free), 2 c. 1% milk and a BUNCH of ice cubes--I bet there are 25 of them. Then I blend it up. It makes a huge cup of stuff and about 1/2 of or more is crushed up ice. Takes me a while to eat/drink it! Then I did have about 10 almonds later. Then at dinner I had about 1 cup of some taco meat stuff with a little cheese on it. Then now about 10:30 with some hunger I had another shake. Now I am going to bed. That should be a pretty good day there. Also worked out with weights about 45 min, then 15 on treadmill. then tonite about 25 min more with dog walking. Got in some just plain water around some of that too. That is a pretty good day. Trying to just be really restrictive on what I eat and do at least a modified version of the post-op diet I used for awhile there. I really lost a lot then too. I was really only hungry this morning finally and a little bit tonite so all is well there. I hope this helps. I am looking at my ONE YEAR check up next week and am sure facing a gain of a couple lbs. more. Gee. Hope this will at least stop that! My daughter got jilted by a bf of over three years just on the phone just like that. It is amazing how hard it has been on her and on me. I am trying to listen and she has quit sobbing all the time. It makes me sad too that this kid was so mean to her. She has tried to figure out what happened, if there were signs she did not see. It just hurts me so much to see her in such pain. She is such a sweet person too and could not have cared about anyone more..... Say a few prayers that she heals up. Has said it was like someone just died all of a sudden but the bad difference is --He chose the "death" of just saying "I don't want to see you anymore!" Well wish me well on my continuation of the crazy diet as many and as much as I can..... :thumbup:

I too have the Realize Band. I got mine almost a year ago now. I lost about 40 lbs. initially and that was about 8 mos. ago. Since then I have struggled not to GAIN weight and have in fact gained some back. I cannot hardly ever feel what I thought was going to be the restriction that helped me feel full and not eat any more. I now have 7ml in the 9ml band. I think I am just about at the end. It has taken me this long to get all that in there. Every doc appt. I hope that this 1/2ml fill will be the one to really make the difference but alas it has never happened. Now they are telling me I should not feel anything just that I am satisfied and to STOP eating. Well, if I could do that I would have before surgery, huh?? I have been really mad and angry about this band and now I am just in lah-lah land where I just don't care. I guess this isn't helping you much but know that there are others out here having the SAME problems as you. I hope as you get fills that you will feel it and it will begin to work for you. I have watched many people who is has worked for. Just not me. There are lots of us Realize people out here.....know that we feel your pain and problems. Maybe your doc will be more helpful than mine is. Basically they tell me it is all in MY head now and I am crazy. Believe me I do not sit and eat ice cream! I am pretty good but just not working. I am now trying to see if I can go back on the very restrictive postop diet. I was so hungry then my stomach hurt but hey--it might work. And I am not sure I can do it now--then I HAD to, now, I don't and my life doesn't work too well around it. Best of luck and keep in touch.....hope things turn around for you I really, really, do!! :thumbdown:

Well here I am not doing any better than I was in April. I have gained some weight and just cannot get it to STOP. I do not hardly ever feel restriction. I am eating well, exercising a lot and steadily gaining. I gave up my beloved TAB a year ago and I too WANT it back. It did not do any good to get rid of it. I have lots of WATER, now too. I am just kind of "Whatever" about my LB now. I am gaining, it seems like the same diet I have went on the past ten years. I usually lose 40 then gain it all back. And I need to lose like 60 more!! I too wish I could have had a roux en y but my BMI did not qualify for it. This is all I could get and now it does not work for me. I am trying hard, hard to be full and just STOP. I am trying to go back to postop hungry, hungry diet. I cannot go back to Weight Watchers. I am a lifetime member and went back numerous times. Same thing happens there as at my doc's office. They only recognize and really help the people who are successful. The strugglers and rejoiners are ignored or made to feel like failures. Well, I failed AGAIN, yet AGAIN. I don't know what to do now. I just don't. My band is just about full---7in a 9 and I am at the end of my rope. I am tired of looking and feeling like this. I am tired of trying so darn hard and then GAINING! Crap!! Well better to write here than eat, right? Am I angry, you bet I am. But now I am getting over that and am just totally disappointed. Please don't tell me it is a TOOL, I know that. the tool is doing almost nothing for ME! Hey all of you out there, you are NOT alone! Wondering why I did not do research into how successful this really is. As I hear all these people on the site so darn excited about getting their surgery and changing their lives I just want to SHOUT and say --IT MAY NOT WORK THAT GOOD!! But being there like them I hope the best for them and don't want to squash their happiness. This lapband thing is just NOT what it was cooked up to be. Or else as I heard many people say here--it is ALL ME and I am just a nutso crazy eater and my head is just on backwards. It is ALL my fault I never feel the restriction. There isn't supposed to be ANY! That's what the nurse says! Oh well. Sorry I got on a roll here and got some of this OUT of my system! YES! :cool:

Well here I am not doing any better than I was in April. I have gained some weight and just cannot get it to STOP. I do not hardly ever feel restriction. I am eating well, exercising a lot and steadily gaining. I gave up my beloved TAB a year ago and I too WANT it back. It did not do any good to get rid of it. I have lots of WATER, now too. I am just kind of "Whatever" about my LB now. I am gaining, it seems like the same diet I have went on the past ten years. I usually lose 40 then gain it all back. And I need to lose like 60 more!! I too wish I could have had a roux en y but my BMI did not qualify for it. This is all I could get and now it does not work for me. I am trying hard, hard to be full and just STOP. I am trying to go back to postop hungry, hungry diet. I cannot go back to Weight Watchers. I am a lifetime member and went back numerous times. Same thing happens there as at my doc's office. They only recognize and really help the people who are successful. The strugglers and rejoiners are ignored or made to feel like failures. Well, I failed AGAIN, yet AGAIN. I don't know what to do now. I just don't. My band is just about full---7in a 9 and I am at the end of my rope. I am tired of looking and feeling like this. I am tired of trying so darn hard and then GAINING! Crap!! Well better to write here than eat, right? Am I angry, you bet I am. But now I am getting over that and am just totally disappointed. Please don't tell me it is a TOOL, I know that. the tool is doing almost nothing for ME! Hey all of you out there, you are NOT alone! Wondering why I did not do research into how successful this really is. As I hear all these people on the site so darn excited about getting their surgery and changing their lives I just want to SHOUT and say --IT MAY NOT WORK THAT GOOD!! But being there like them I hope the best for them and don't want to squash their happiness. This lapband thing is just NOT what it was cooked up to be. Or else as I heard many people say here--it is ALL ME and I am just a nutso crazy eater and my head is just on backwards. It is ALL my fault I never feel the restriction. There isn't supposed to be ANY! That's what the nurse says! Oh well. Sorry I got on a roll here and got some of this OUT of my system! YES! :thumbup:

I have been exercising a lot, watching the eating pretty well, etc. etc. I feel pretty good but the old fat right here on my front part is just not getting any smaller. In fact I get up to the highest weight since surgery last year. What the freakin' heck?? I feel like I am on a roller coaster that I cannot get off of. Right now I just want the gaining to stop! I am obviously eating/doing something very very wrong. The only think I can think is that I need to go back on my post surgery diet. Protein shakes and only eating 2-3 oz of anything. Problem is I am not at all sure I CAN do that again. I wrote down I was soooooo hungry and my stomach just hurt. I just do not know if I can force myself to do it. It really is almost impossible to have a somewhat normal life too. Eating out is awful. I remember we did not eat out at all. Now, is that bad? No but even though we don't eat out much there are times when we do and I do pretty well at those places. At least I thought so??? right now I am looking at a gain of 10 TEN pounds of my 40 I lost back. And it just keeps creeping UP! I must have some serious problems in my head I need to get straightened out. I will try to do some shakes and eat as little as possible. See if I can at least get this stopped!! YIKES!!!!!! :cool:

I have been exercising a lot, watching the eating pretty well, etc. etc. I feel pretty good but the old fat right here on my front part is just not getting any smaller. In fact I get up to the highest weight since surgery last year. What the freakin' heck?? I feel like I am on a roller coaster that I cannot get off of. Right now I just want the gaining to stop! I am obviously eating/doing something very very wrong. The only think I can think is that I need to go back on my post surgery diet. Protein shakes and only eating 2-3 oz of anything. Problem is I am not at all sure I CAN do that again. I wrote down I was soooooo hungry and my stomach just hurt. I just do not know if I can force myself to do it. It really is almost impossible to have a somewhat normal life too. Eating out is awful. I remember we did not eat out at all. Now, is that bad? No but even though we don't eat out much there are times when we do and I do pretty well at those places. At least I thought so??? right now I am looking at a gain of 10 TEN pounds of my 40 I lost back. And it just keeps creeping UP! I must have some serious problems in my head I need to get straightened out. I will try to do some shakes and eat as little as possible. See if I can at least get this stopped!! YIKES!!!!!! :thumbup:

I read your blog entry today. very interesting thoughts about restriction. I too have had a real problem with this. Waiting for some big sign that it is there and then being told that is not what I should look for. Well, you have read my blog so you know this. I sure hope you get a handle on it way before you are a year out of this like I am. It is a tricky, tricky thing I guess. I wonder why many of these people just "have it" with the restriction and I can't figure it out! Just a thick skull I guess! Anyway, best of luck on your trip -- or maybe it is over, hope it went well. Your thoughts are helpful and fun to read. Thanks! What you are writing and thinking is what many of us out here are thinking too. Help us sort it out too! :thumbup:

I am reading the book Mindless Eating. Very interesting stuff about why and how we eat. Am hoping to get a handle on why I cannot lose more weight and why I have been stopped so long. Seems like maybe it is pretty DEEP in there. I have been trying to listen to when I am hungry and stopping when I have had enough to fill full and meet my amounts. Have kept up my exercising for three week solid here. Weights three days each week for 30 min. and 45-60 minutes on treadmill. Then about 20 min outside walking the other days. That is a FINE accomplishment and I hope to be able to keep that up. I am trying trying to eat small amounts. That is all I can do! I seem to have lost all my peeps to talk to. I am afraid I am just too negative. I am really and truly not a negative person. I just got really worked up about all this and how I am just not losing. Well I have two more weeks before I have to go in so maybe I will be OK for awhile now! Rather than focus so much on this I think I need to just keep trying and NOT focus so much on it. I am doing my best, it just ain't working well. So on we go. So sorry that I have had such a bad attitude that I scare off any Lap Band friends. They give up on me--and I sure do understand why. I really have to be quiet and just do my lap band thing and let them do theirs. And I will hope for all of you that you will have GREAT success! :thumbup: And then I will get what I can from listening and try to use to it help my crazy situation. Then maybe nice people who I have been talking to will talk to me about it again. As I said, my fault for being this way. Just hard to take when I need some one to talk to. I really need someone much farther out from surgery like me. Maybe they might understand the frustrations. "newbies" are just not there--and I sure hope they never experience the stoppage of loss like I have. Again I truly do. But it does hurt when they just stop communicating--but as I said, I did it to myself. So that is off my chest. Well I will keep trying my best--tracking food, exercising, water, watching my amounts, and on we go......

I am reading the book Mindless Eating. Very interesting stuff about why and how we eat. Am hoping to get a handle on why I cannot lose more weight and why I have been stopped so long. Seems like maybe it is pretty DEEP in there. I have been trying to listen to when I am hungry and stopping when I have had enough to fill full and meet my amounts. Have kept up my exercising for three week solid here. Weights three days each week for 30 min. and 45-60 minutes on treadmill. Then about 20 min outside walking the other days. That is a FINE accomplishment and I hope to be able to keep that up. I am trying trying to eat small amounts. That is all I can do! I seem to have lost all my peeps to talk to. I am afraid I am just too negative. I am really and truly not a negative person. I just got really worked up about all this and how I am just not losing. Well I have two more weeks before I have to go in so maybe I will be OK for awhile now! Rather than focus so much on this I think I need to just keep trying and NOT focus so much on it. I am doing my best, it just ain't working well. So on we go. So sorry that I have had such a bad attitude that I scare off any Lap Band friends. They give up on me--and I sure do understand why. I really have to be quiet and just do my lap band thing and let them do theirs. And I will hope for all of you that you will have GREAT success! And then I will get what I can from listening and try to use to it help my crazy situation. Then maybe nice people who I have been talking to will talk to me about it again. As I said, my fault for being this way. Just hard to take when I need some one to talk to. I really need someone much farther out from surgery like me. Maybe they might understand the frustrations. "newbies" are just not there--and I sure hope they never experience the stoppage of loss like I have. Again I truly do. But it does hurt when they just stop communicating--but as I said, I did it to myself. So that is off my chest. Well I will keep trying my best--tracking food, exercising, water, watching my amounts, and on we go......

I just finished my talk with the office manager. I told her most of my concerns including my peripheral ones. But that my main problem is this LACK of what I feel is real restriction. She said: "don't set yourself up for emotional failure." Well maybe I am getting to that. Suggestion that I see the counselor more often and perhaps go to the emotional eating group. I think I would not be so emotional over this if it was WORKING! If I did all this and saw some results I would not be emotional like this! I told her I did not feel what they told me at the pre-op was what has happened since then as far as the restriction. I was surprised at the amounts I can eat of even GOOD things like lots of salad and how it does not feel too full hardly ever! I told her I think I need a more aggressive approach to this. Well, whatever... lots of successful people there and I am one of the few dumb not so successful ones. How did I get so lucky? How could I get this thing in there almost a year ago and be one of the ones who did not lose much?? Well, I tried. I guess now I will try to make many more changes and see if I can get my emotional self better here. Don't see how if I can't/aren't losing any weight. It all depends on getting the band to help me and I am doing all I can I think. She said to set small goals and reward myself for them. Well there are lots of them but they do not add up to that ONE thing. Getting the darn FAT off! Later, later....gotta do something ELSE besides think about how this is not working after a freakin' year! Maybe it is that year thing that is getting me so messed up or the fact that I have lost nothing only gained since November. I am off here.... :thumbup:

I just finished my talk with the office manager. I told her most of my concerns including my peripheral ones. But that my main problem is this LACK of what I feel is real restriction. She said: "don't set yourself up for emotional failure." Well maybe I am getting to that. Suggestion that I see the counselor more often and perhaps go to the emotional eating group. I think I would not be so emotional over this if it was WORKING! If I did all this and saw some results I would not be emotional like this! I told her I did not feel what they told me at the pre-op was what has happened since then as far as the restriction. I was surprised at the amounts I can eat of even GOOD things like lots of salad and how it does not feel too full hardly ever! I told her I think I need a more aggressive approach to this. Well, whatever... lots of successful people there and I am one of the few dumb not so successful ones. How did I get so lucky? How could I get this thing in there almost a year ago and be one of the ones who did not lose much?? Well, I tried. I guess now I will try to make many more changes and see if I can get my emotional self better here. Don't see how if I can't/aren't losing any weight. It all depends on getting the band to help me and I am doing all I can I think. She said to set small goals and reward myself for them. Well there are lots of them but they do not add up to that ONE thing. Getting the darn FAT off! Later, later....gotta do something ELSE besides think about how this is not working after a freakin' year! Maybe it is that year thing that is getting me so messed up or the fact that I have lost nothing only gained since November. I am off here....

The last two days I have gotten a call from the Office Mgr. at my doc's office. I went to a support group and ended up really voicing my frustration at the lack of results I am having. I had just come from yet another lecture on how I should just eat one cup of food and then stop and how I should not even feel the band or restriction. I am reading back through my threads and blogs trying to get a handle on just WHAT to say to this lady. So this blog is about my trying to clear up what to say. I do NOT want to be a whiner, complainer, blame everyone else for what is happening to me person! I guess the bottom line is this. When I went to the preop stuff I THOUGHT I heard them indicate that I would feel this elusive restriction thing. This would be a "full" feeling where I just could not, would not be able to eat anymore. According to the TWO lectures I have gotten at the office that is baloney. IF I feel anything like that then I am too full in my band. Now I have read and looked at many threads and blogs here and that is NOT what they all say. Many say once you feel it then you LEARN to not eat too much so you are not feeling that full sign anymore. I think I could go with that. What I cannot go with is that I have seldom ever felt anything and I am just supposed to stop eating. Wish I could have done that before, if so, I would never have gotten the band. So what do I tell this person? I guess it is that I do not feel that what was "advertised" is what I got. I am a college educated ANATOMY teacher for gosh sakes and I think I was not too DUMB to understand what was told to me was supposed to happen. Was I just soooo excited (as so many of these bandsters are) that I heard what I wanted to hear?? And did not hear the real thing?? Maybe?? This weight thing is a LOOOONNNNGG time struggle. It is near and dear to my heart so maybe I am crazy or nuts or just did not get it when I went. I am and have been trying to do everything they asked. I am not perfect but I am doing darn good in all categories. Ask my family, ask my friends....When I really got angry in March the nurse thought I had stretched my esophagus by eating too much! I knew in my heart I had not ! And sure enough all was OK on a barium swallow. Sure looked like all went down pretty easily and well too....hmmm. But I got no fill on that appt. because she was thinking I had stretched by eating too much! I don't eat that much!! Now the next question is, do I mention all the other problems I have there? Such as: 1) I seldom see the actual doctor--it has been since maybe January. 2) They never have my blood test results. When I called to check with the lab because it has happened over and over they said they had been faxed. One time I went in October for tests, At November they could not find them (and I went early enough!), and then in December someone finally did and told me I was low on iron, and handed me an order for my next scheduled routine blood tests! Now How could I make any changes in diet and iron for that test? Recently I went in and at checkout they tried to hand me another order when I had JUST WENT about three weeks before that for tests and they did not have any results! I still NEVER heard anything about those tests? 3) The one time I got angry and got the first lecture about not feeling anything I was then sent to the dietician ten minutes later who said--you just haven't hit your sweet spot(restriction!) yet! Well darn, the nurse had just told me there was no such thing?? What the heck?? Someone is not on the same page here! 4) My bills are messed up. They kept billing the fills as surgery, my insurance rejected that and they kept doing it since November. Finally they tried a different billing code which also got rejected! The lady is very nice --- I have paid them nothing but my copays--but I get the bills saying I owe hundreds of dollars now and it is upsetting. Very nice lady working on it but it is still there. When I asked to talk to this lady last time I was told she was in the Doctor's office and not the Hospital where I go for my appts so I could not do anything about that there. 5) My appts were cancelled and rescheduled a LOT at the beginning of all this. I went it once and I had a card and all saying I had an appt. and they did not have me down. I had to take a full day off work to go to the doc's office instead or wait another 6 weeks to get in. Since I am not feeling restriction(?) I thought I better get in there. However, since January this has been better so I feel I should not take this up at all. I need to finish this up. It is too long. I need to talk to this lady today. I do not want to complain about everything, I want to focus in. Anyone out there have some thoughts? I think I will just focus in on the restriction thing. What I thought versus what is happening. I think I need an aggressive approach, I need my band tight at least to get me going and something about it is not that. There seem to be docs out there who are making SURE the band is causing a change in feeling. Just not mine. So maybe I am such an extreme case that I need what the doc won't give me. Maybe I am a complete nutcase too?? Could be. The nurse says the doc is careful and has had very few complications. I should be GLAD about that! But it is not helping me get to where I want to go.I cannot sit at a support meeting where someone says: you just cannot GAIN with the band! Well yoo-hoo--you sure can! Even when you are trying HARD! I think I have been patient--almost a year now. 7ml in a 9ml Realize Band. 35lbs. but none since November 08. Have done all the things I was told. Not perfect but pretty good I think. Was told ---this is about it for the fills. Hey this is a long blog but anyone out there got some advice as to what to tell the office and not be a complainer?? I could use the advice!

The last two days I have gotten a call from the Office Mgr. at my doc's office. I went to a support group and ended up really voicing my frustration at the lack of results I am having. I had just come from yet another lecture on how I should just eat one cup of food and then stop and how I should not even feel the band or restriction. I am reading back through my threads and blogs trying to get a handle on just WHAT to say to this lady. So this blog is about my trying to clear up what to say. I do NOT want to be a whiner, complainer, blame everyone else for what is happening to me person! I guess the bottom line is this. When I went to the preop stuff I THOUGHT I heard them indicate that I would feel this elusive restriction thing. This would be a "full" feeling where I just could not, would not be able to eat anymore. According to the TWO lectures I have gotten at the office that is baloney. IF I feel anything like that then I am too full in my band. Now I have read and looked at many threads and blogs here and that is NOT what they all say. Many say once you feel it then you LEARN to not eat too much so you are not feeling that full sign anymore. I think I could go with that. What I cannot go with is that I have seldom ever felt anything and I am just supposed to stop eating. Wish I could have done that before, if so, I would never have gotten the band. So what do I tell this person? I guess it is that I do not feel that what was "advertised" is what I got. I am a college educated ANATOMY teacher for gosh sakes and I think I was not too DUMB to understand what was told to me was supposed to happen. Was I just soooo excited (as so many of these bandsters are) that I heard what I wanted to hear?? And did not hear the real thing?? Maybe?? This weight thing is a LOOOONNNNGG time struggle. It is near and dear to my heart so maybe I am crazy or nuts or just did not get it when I went. I am and have been trying to do everything they asked. I am not perfect but I am doing darn good in all categories. Ask my family, ask my friends....When I really got angry in March the nurse thought I had stretched my esophagus by eating too much! I knew in my heart I had not ! And sure enough all was OK on a barium swallow. Sure looked like all went down pretty easily and well too....hmmm. But I got no fill on that appt. because she was thinking I had stretched by eating too much! I don't eat that much!! Now the next question is, do I mention all the other problems I have there? Such as: 1) I seldom see the actual doctor--it has been since maybe January. 2) They never have my blood test results. When I called to check with the lab because it has happened over and over they said they had been faxed. One time I went in October for tests, At November they could not find them (and I went early enough!), and then in December someone finally did and told me I was low on iron, and handed me an order for my next scheduled routine blood tests! Now How could I make any changes in diet and iron for that test? Recently I went in and at checkout they tried to hand me another order when I had JUST WENT about three weeks before that for tests and they did not have any results! I still NEVER heard anything about those tests? 3) The one time I got angry and got the first lecture about not feeling anything I was then sent to the dietician ten minutes later who said--you just haven't hit your sweet spot(restriction!) yet! Well darn, the nurse had just told me there was no such thing?? What the heck?? Someone is not on the same page here! 4) My bills are messed up. They kept billing the fills as surgery, my insurance rejected that and they kept doing it since November. Finally they tried a different billing code which also got rejected! The lady is very nice --- I have paid them nothing but my copays--but I get the bills saying I owe hundreds of dollars now and it is upsetting. Very nice lady working on it but it is still there. When I asked to talk to this lady last time I was told she was in the Doctor's office and not the Hospital where I go for my appts so I could not do anything about that there. 5) My appts were cancelled and rescheduled a LOT at the beginning of all this. I went it once and I had a card and all saying I had an appt. and they did not have me down. I had to take a full day off work to go to the doc's office instead or wait another 6 weeks to get in. Since I am not feeling restriction(?) I thought I better get in there. However, since January this has been better so I feel I should not take this up at all. I need to finish this up. It is too long. I need to talk to this lady today. I do not want to complain about everything, I want to focus in. Anyone out there have some thoughts? I think I will just focus in on the restriction thing. What I thought versus what is happening. I think I need an aggressive approach, I need my band tight at least to get me going and something about it is not that. There seem to be docs out there who are making SURE the band is causing a change in feeling. Just not mine. So maybe I am such an extreme case that I need what the doc won't give me. Maybe I am a complete nutcase too?? Could be. The nurse says the doc is careful and has had very few complications. I should be GLAD about that! But it is not helping me get to where I want to go.I cannot sit at a support meeting where someone says: you just cannot GAIN with the band! Well yoo-hoo--you sure can! Even when you are trying HARD! I think I have been patient--almost a year now. 7ml in a 9ml Realize Band. 35lbs. but none since November 08. Have done all the things I was told. Not perfect but pretty good I think. Was told ---this is about it for the fills. Hey this is a long blog but anyone out there got some advice as to what to tell the office and not be a complainer?? I could use the advice!

Well I just returned from working out. I spent an hour on the treadmill at about 3mph and about 45 minutes on the weights. I was trying to do them slowly so I can build some upper body strength. I sort of could tell by my lovely stomach that I had not lost. I have been doing really well on my eating too --lots protein, watching the amounts, etc. Well, well....I was just looking over my food diaries from last summer when I was banded. I was starving hungry ALL the time. I think I might try to do two high protein shakes a day and then three very small meals that are measured. Then I can see if I lose then. I sure did last year but I remember just having my stomach GROWL and hurt it was so hungry. But I need to try something. Don't have any big eating out challenges until Friday so I think can do it. Just hard to fix food for the family and then not eat it. Well I will just measure it closely with my little cup and see then. I also looked at the Realize brochure. After 12 months the average person had lost about 33% of their weight. And after two years about 41%/. Even though I have not lost for awhile, I am within that average. Not that many in their study had the larger weight losses after a year or even two. That is not encouraging! I gotta get farther than this. And even though I am average, I am OK to get it going again! Also I read that they recommend to put 9ml in the band. Well it is a 9ml band and I have 7ml in mine now. I thought they would not put anymore in but they still can all the way up to the 9ml--that is what it said so by golly they can keep putting it in there until I get where I need to be!!! I thought they HAD To quit soon--they don't! I read the brochure and I will tell them I did and even take it with me if I have to. So what if I am on the FAR end of the fills, there are always people at each end of a curve--I just get to be ONE of them! Interesting stuff. Well, I know you do gain when you start to exercise a lot which I have been these last 2 and half weeks. Now when is it that all that EXTRA muscle starts to burn more calories, raise my metabolism, and help me LOSE weight?? I sure hope it kicks in soon! You know though, I am not real upset. I KNOW I am doing just about ALL I can--writing down, water, protein, exercising. I KNOW I am !! Also it feels GREAT to know I was able and had time to work out that much! an HOUR on the treadmill! Wowser! I even sort of jogged a bit! Wowser. It is empowering. But once school starts back up kiss that goodbye. Maybe this will be the year I will figure that one out?? I always think I will be never do. I am lucky to have enough time and energy to do our daily dog walks when school starts. Then there are always the nightly and weekend paper grading. UGH. No time for me. Well--not to worry about that right NOW. Right now I can do it! Have gained but am doing ALL I can I know it......:thumbup:

Well I just returned from working out. I spent an hour on the treadmill at about 3mph and about 45 minutes on the weights. I was trying to do them slowly so I can build some upper body strength. I sort of could tell by my lovely stomach that I had not lost. I have been doing really well on my eating too --lots protein, watching the amounts, etc. Well, well....I was just looking over my food diaries from last summer when I was banded. I was starving hungry ALL the time. I think I might try to do two high protein shakes a day and then three very small meals that are measured. Then I can see if I lose then. I sure did last year but I remember just having my stomach GROWL and hurt it was so hungry. But I need to try something. Don't have any big eating out challenges until Friday so I think can do it. Just hard to fix food for the family and then not eat it. Well I will just measure it closely with my little cup and see then. I also looked at the Realize brochure. After 12 months the average person had lost about 33% of their weight. And after two years about 41%/. Even though I have not lost for awhile, I am within that average. Not that many in their study had the larger weight losses after a year or even two. That is not encouraging! I gotta get farther than this. And even though I am average, I am OK to get it going again! Also I read that they recommend to put 9ml in the band. Well it is a 9ml band and I have 7ml in mine now. I thought they would not put anymore in but they still can all the way up to the 9ml--that is what it said so by golly they can keep putting it in there until I get where I need to be!!! I thought they HAD To quit soon--they don't! I read the brochure and I will tell them I did and even take it with me if I have to. So what if I am on the FAR end of the fills, there are always people at each end of a curve--I just get to be ONE of them! Interesting stuff. Well, I know you do gain when you start to exercise a lot which I have been these last 2 and half weeks. Now when is it that all that EXTRA muscle starts to burn more calories, raise my metabolism, and help me LOSE weight?? I sure hope it kicks in soon! You know though, I am not real upset. I KNOW I am doing just about ALL I can--writing down, water, protein, exercising. I KNOW I am !! Also it feels GREAT to know I was able and had time to work out that much! an HOUR on the treadmill! Wowser! I even sort of jogged a bit! Wowser. It is empowering. But once school starts back up kiss that goodbye. Maybe this will be the year I will figure that one out?? I always think I will be never do. I am lucky to have enough time and energy to do our daily dog walks when school starts. Then there are always the nightly and weekend paper grading. UGH. No time for me. Well--not to worry about that right NOW. Right now I can do it! Have gained but am doing ALL I can I know it......

Soon2: Thanks for your encouraging words. I too have the years and years of yo-yo and failure. The problem is that THIS is beginning to feel just like all those other times....I get sent to the dietician every time now and I did talk to her last night at the support group. I probably DO need the therapist again and again and again. Not sure why they don't send me over there! You keep trying too now! Thanks for caring about others. !!

:smile2:The support group post op meeting was good tonite. But I felt out of place because without a doubt everyone at the table of about 15 people were doing 100% better than me. I am so glad for them I really really am! So happy it is helping them!! being FAT I sure know how it feels to be better! wow. I just wanted to get the heck out of there and go have a good cry. Which is what I did went I finally left. And that is NOTHING about the people there, they were great! I again just felt like a complete failure at the darn weight thing. I got lots of great advice about talking to the office mgr. and doctor about what is wrong. They said I need to take someone in with me and be more proactive. Well maybe. I did do that one time and was so angry I couldn't see straight. The only thought I got was that it is all ME now. You know I HATE people who blame others for the things that happen to them. I would be an absolute HYPOCRITE I blame the office, doctor, etc for my lack of weight loss. I am not doing everything perfectly but I think I am doing pretty good. I have tried very, very hard these last two weeks to eat the right amount, upped the exercise, and thought boy--I will lose some for sure. And NOTHING. I weigh the same as I did ten days ago. Right now I don't want to eat anything. Feel like if I do I will not lose. Man oh man. They were right about one thing, I am just about to throw in the towel. I cannot keep this up if I don't see some results soon. Now I don't want to go back into the office because I am afraid of a huge confrontation. Guess I just don't want to blame them if it is me. I hate this. Why can't I just lose a little at a time. By a year out I should be down a lot more than I am. You guys want a plateau, try a 7 month one!:thumbup: Now that is a plateau!! I have upped the protein, exercise, water, writing down pretty good, no drinking, watching portions....come on!! I guess this is just so DEAR to my heart that it is hard to go into that office and not be successful. Oh well. :mad2:

:smile2:The support group post op meeting was good tonite. But I felt out of place because without a doubt everyone at the table of about 15 people were doing 100% better than me. I am so glad for them I really really am! So happy it is helping them!! being FAT I sure know how it feels to be better! wow. I just wanted to get the heck out of there and go have a good cry. Which is what I did went I finally left. And that is NOTHING about the people there, they were great! I again just felt like a complete failure at the darn weight thing. I got lots of great advice about talking to the office mgr. and doctor about what is wrong. They said I need to take someone in with me and be more proactive. Well maybe. I did do that one time and was so angry I couldn't see straight. The only thought I got was that it is all ME now. You know I HATE people who blame others for the things that happen to them. I would be an absolute HYPOCRITE I blame the office, doctor, etc for my lack of weight loss. I am not doing everything perfectly but I think I am doing pretty good. I have tried very, very hard these last two weeks to eat the right amount, upped the exercise, and thought boy--I will lose some for sure. And NOTHING. I weigh the same as I did ten days ago. Right now I don't want to eat anything. Feel like if I do I will not lose. Man oh man. They were right about one thing, I am just about to throw in the towel. I cannot keep this up if I don't see some results soon. Now I don't want to go back into the office because I am afraid of a huge confrontation. Guess I just don't want to blame them if it is me. I hate this. Why can't I just lose a little at a time. By a year out I should be down a lot more than I am. You guys want a plateau, try a 7 month one! Now that is a plateau!! I have upped the protein, exercise, water, writing down pretty good, no drinking, watching portions....come on!! I guess this is just so DEAR to my heart that it is hard to go into that office and not be successful. Oh well.

So I went today and did 30 minutes of weights and 45 minutes on the treadmill at about 3mph. I just finished another 20 minutes of fast walk with my dog. I have really eaten LESS this week since I went to the doc. All my family has seen it too. But alas, I am not really thinner than I was last week on the scale this morning. I have been eating salad with grilled chicken, tonite I made some good beef veggie soup and only had one cup. I am trying to eat very very slowly and chew a lot. I still caught myself launching into my salad today and felt that little hurt so I slowed way down to eat it. I feel like I am really eating good things, drinking lots of water and upped the exercise. So maybe it will pay off soon! :tongue2: Come ON now! Saw my sister in law who had a roux en y at Christmas and she has lost 82 lbs! Man if I had lost even close to that I would feel I was really getting somewhere. I am just sooooo stuck. Am trying to do all the things I have been advised to do. I am doing a diary, eating lots of protein first, no no bread. No caffeine, etc. So I guess I am just going to wait and hopefully this big THUD will take place the weight will start to come OFF!! :sad: I sure hope it starts soon..... I will try some more cardio tomorrow but hold on the weights til Wed. I did see a friend at lunch today who had not seen me in over a year, first thing she said was---You have lost weight!!! wow. Someone who does not see me every day did notice! I have lost like 35 lbs. but that is in almost a year of this.....gotta, gotta, gotta get going again. Am going to the support group Thursday night. First time since around surgery. Supposed to be some fellow "strugglers" there so we will see. Hey, I need to be able to say I have tried everything!! I do not think they will put any more in my band. I thought I would get it at 7ml in a 9ml band and I sort of do, I think I just need a TAD more! Another 1/2 ml. But I do not think I will get any.....Oh well. All I can do is prove that I am doing as much as I can. Later. Anyone with any more advice about what to do get this fat body jump started again. Let me know. I am upping the protein as high as I can!!! Come on now=--------------WORK please! :crying:

:drool: So I went today and did 30 minutes of weights and 45 minutes on the treadmill at about 3mph. I just finished another 20 minutes of fast walk with my dog. I have really eaten LESS this week since I went to the doc. All my family has seen it too. But alas, I am not really thinner than I was last week on the scale this morning. I have been eating salad with grilled chicken, tonite I made some good beef veggie soup and only had one cup. I am trying to eat very very slowly and chew a lot. I still caught myself launching into my salad today and felt that little hurt so I slowed way down to eat it. I feel like I am really eating good things, drinking lots of water and upped the exercise. So maybe it will pay off soon! :bored: Come ON now! Saw my sister in law who had a roux en y at Christmas and she has lost 82 lbs! Man if I had lost even close to that I would feel I was really getting somewhere. I am just sooooo stuck. Am trying to do all the things I have been advised to do. I am doing a diary, eating lots of protein first, no no bread. No caffeine, etc. So I guess I am just going to wait and hopefully this big THUD will take place the weight will start to come OFF!! :wub: I sure hope it starts soon..... I will try some more cardio tomorrow but hold on the weights til Wed. I did see a friend at lunch today who had not seen me in over a year, first thing she said was---You have lost weight!!! wow. Someone who does not see me every day did notice! I have lost like 35 lbs. but that is in almost a year of this.....gotta, gotta, gotta get going again. Am going to the support group Thursday night. First time since around surgery. Supposed to be some fellow "strugglers" there so we will see. Hey, I need to be able to say I have tried everything!! I do not think they will put any more in my band. I thought I would get it at 7ml in a 9ml band and I sort of do, I think I just need a TAD more! Another 1/2 ml. But I do not think I will get any.....Oh well. All I can do is prove that I am doing as much as I can. Later. Anyone with any more advice about what to do get this fat body jump started again. Let me know. I am upping the protein as high as I can!!! Come on now=--------------WORK please! :biggrin: