JuneAct2

Yes, it does get better. The next couple of months may be hard, but after 2 or 3 fills you'll notice you're not as hungry. For me it was gradual and the loss was kind of slow, but now I'm doing great. Right now I'm down 38 lbs. I've had 5 fills and this past month I lost 7 lbs. You are still healing so be patient with yourself, and do the best you can with your eating plan. Get some exercise, and be sure to drink plenty of water. The water helps ALOT with slowing the hunger. Wishing you all the best!

Don't get discouraged. You were banded just 3 days before me, and you're doing fine. 23 lbs down is better than 23 up! And, you've only had 3 fills. My 4th fill made all the difference in the world! This isn't a diet! It's a lifetime change that will take some time to reach your goal. This takes some perserverance at first, but it gets easier...I promise! I got stuck at 25 lbs for about 5 weeks, then starting losing again. Give your body time to adjust to the new you! A few things to keep in mind... Drink lots of water. Stop drinking 1/2 hr before mealtime. Eat lean protein. No junk! Don't waste your meal on crappy food. Make sure you are taking small bites and chewing very well before you swallow. Wait 1/2 hr after eating to start drinking more water. Track your calories for a couple of weeks to make sure you're not eating too much. Ask your doctor for guidance on what and how much he thinks you should eat. Now the bad news...you have to exercise. You are changing your life now, and adding exercise is the next step. Join a gym, or work out at home. Get out and walk everyday at a pretty good pace. Don't kill yourself, but do put some effort into it. That will help firm things up and you'll start to look better and feel better. At our age the weight is going to be harder to lose than some of the younger ones, simply because our metabolism isn't what it was 20 years ago. So, be patient with yourself. Stick to your program and the hard work will pay off! :Banane35:I wish you all the best!

I DID notice that! I wondered what was up with that! But, I am glad they made the change. Maybe the International Shar-pei Association complained?!

I am very glad to have my band! It's now my best friend! But, do a forum search and you will see several threads devoted to exactly that topic...would you do it again?! Read everything you can find, then ask alot of questions. I have had only one person say "you don't look that big...you didn't need surgery". Of course, this was AFTER I'd lost the first 25 lbs. I told her I don't look that big because it's WORKING!!! :tt1:

Olene, I'm not sure I'd get another fill right away. Do you know how many calories you are getting? You need to make sure you're getting enough. It doesn't sound like you're raiding the frig, so another fill right now might make you too tight. Also, make sure you're taking tiny bites. Cut your food into pieces the size of a nickel, and chew it until it's the size of a dime. Then wait between bites to make sure each bite has gone down before taking another. This has been the hardest part for me. But, when I slow down and do it right, I don't have the shoulder pains you're talking about. Hope this helps!

LOL!! I kind of did that to my husband when we first talked about me getting the band. He was going to put out corn for the deer and I stopped him. I had him put a sack (40#) under each arm and go walking around the yard with me for about 10 minutes. (he thought I was nuts) Then I explained that THAT is what it's like for me to carry the extra weight. He fully understood why I was tired and achy all the time. So far, I'm down 33 lbs. and he says it's the best $10K he's ever spent! We are already doing things we haven't been able to do in years!! And, since ya'll mentioned it...:redface:the sex is great now!! Good luck to you!

Getting out of the shower and realizing the towel wraps ALL THE WAY AROUND!!!! YEA!!!!!:tt2:

I wouldn't recommend it! Not because I'm "old", OR because I'm a mother, OR because you're underage...but because you will have a new lap-band that hasn't settled into place yet. You will still be healing, and most likely not be eating solid foods yet. When prom night rolls around, you will not have had much to eat for the past 6-8 weeks. You won't be eating much that day/night, then you'll add alcohol on top of that. It will take a lot less alcohol to do way more damage than ever before. If you drink to the point where you throw up, then you risk damaging your band and having major problems. You made the decision to have the surgery so that you can be healthy. Don't take a chance on losing all that for a night of drinking. It's just not worth it. And, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to drink later, when you are completely healed. Have a happy and safe prom night!

The thing is...you're not ON a diet anymore. You are learning a whole new way to eat. The first few months you have to have a good eating plan. You sound like you have restriction so you're going to have to find a way around the psychological part. We are all having to deal with that same hurdle! It's hard sometimes. Some things that worked for me were 1) Using smaller plates, bowls, and utensils. 2) Eating better food. If I can only eat a few bites then I want those bites to be absolutely delicious...no junk! 3) Make mealtime more festive. Dress up the table, dress up the plate. Make mealtime about more than just the food. 4) Follow the band rules. Protein first, and chew, chew, chew. I found that I do better if I cut my bites (the size of a nickel) instead of biting. That way I can see what I'm putting in my mouth. Then chew, chew, chew...Wait! Let that bite go down completely before attempting to eat another bite. If it feels tight or uncomfortable...stop! Don't eat another bite right away. You will eventually adjust to the new way of eating. Just be patient with yourself and your band. Good luck to you.

I'm glad you called your doctor. If you can't get fluids down and keep them down, you are too tight. And, from my own experience, being dehydrated makes it worse! You shouldn't lose all your restriction from a "slight" unfill, but you will feel almost immediate relief from your symptoms. Then in a few weeks you can go have that small amount put back in. Be patient! This is a lifetime change, not a quick fix! Good luck!

Okay, let's first give these guys credit for "seeing with their hearts" and not seeing the extra weight. Then knock them on the heads for being just a little selfish and worrying about their next meal and who's going to make it for them. And, then hug and reassure them that they're not going to go hungry after you're banded. You'll still be there to cook for them...so long as they agree to take care of themselves for about 6 weeks while you're on the liquid part of the diet. Men (and women, too) are mostly afraid of change. Especially when you're changing something that the two of you probably shared in the past. And, things will change. You will still eat food, just not as much. And you will eat slower so you'll still be able to sit down together and have a meal. It will take you as long to eat your small plate as it does for him to eat his larger plate of food. I was banded in November 2008, and to date I've lost 33 pounds. I cook more than I did before, and I cook better food. I decided before I had surgery that if I was going to be eating alot smaller portions that I wanted those portions to be the best I could get. I still eat normal food!! My husband thinks I'm a gourmet genius, and sexy, too. I am alot more active than before. I feel better! I look better! Being alive feels good again! I wouldn't change it for the world! Keep talking to them. Show them posts from this forum. Answer all their questions as best you can. But, if you know this is right for you, then do it! They'll be surprised in the end how good things can be. Wishing you the best!

They are called Boudoir Portraits. Google it and find photographers in your area. There are studios that do exactly what you're talking about...tastefull undressed or partially dressed, whichever you prefer. Some will even do nude photos!! Good luck!

Shar-pei's everywhere are totally offended now!

It's perfectly normal! And it may take another couple of weeks before you see any more weight come off. You've probably just started or will start solid foods and that slows down the loss at first. For the next couple of months it's up to you to follow the band rules. It gets easier after you start getting fills and get restriction. Just don't get discouraged. This is a lifetime process, not a diet. Hang in there!

Same here. The only two times I've been "semi-stuck" was because I hadn't chewed the food good. My band was doing exactly what it was supposed to do! Keep this thread in the back of your mind when you sit down to eat. Chew, chew, chew! I love my band!!!

Michele, The band IS a tool. One that comes with rules to be followed. Yes. When you follow the rules you will lose the weight you want to lose. At the beginning you may struggle simply because the band needs time to heal in place before they start filling it. During that time you will still be hungry. Some people even gain a few pounds when they go back on mushy foods and solids after surgery. So it's largely up to you to make yourself follow the rules until you get enough fills to stop being hungry between meals. It's different for everyone, in that some get a fill and immediately stop being hungry. For me, it was more of a gradual realization that I wasn't getting hungry. I've had 3 fills and I go for my 4th this afternoon. It is a bit of a struggle in the beginning, but after a couple of months it gets easier, and for me, at 4 months out, it's getting VERY easy. I wish you the very best of luck.

What usually works for me is to simply ask the waiter quietly to remove the tray from the table. Or ask them to bring a to go box and put the leftovers in it. Your friend/coworker can have them later. My friends are mostly drinkers and they hardly ever notice when I do this. They are too busy whooping and hollering to pay attention!

I don't race anymore due to injuries, but I clicked on the website out of curiousity. The very first race on the list was right here where I live! Cracked me up! Thanks for sharing! :biggrin:

Okay, for the next couple of weeks, take the focus OFF of your exercise (or inability to exercise) and focus on taking care of other things. You're having a body life in 22 days?! That will more than take care of the last pound!! :biggrin: You are THERE! Don't sweat that last pound! You've done an awesome job and you really should be proud of yourself!

I went through TLC Edge as well. I went in on 10/21/08 on the "fast track" as mentioned before. My surgery was on 11/06/08. I liked the fact that they took care of all the details and appointment scheduling since I don't live in Dallas and would be driving 2 1/2 hours to get there. They set me up with Dr. Gonzalez, and I just loved him. However, the wait in his office was extremely long. I had my surgery at Prestonwood Surgery Center (in the same building with TLC). All the people at the surgery center were extremely nice and helpful. And, they took great care of my daughter who freaks out anytime I have surgery. TLCEdge doesn't require you to buy the Opti-fast. I wanted something I could buy locally, but I later wished I'd gotten some of the soup. In the packet there is a list of alternatives. I tried a few of them and really like the Atkins Advantage RTD shakes. I had up to 6 shakes a day for my pre-op and felt pretty good after about day 3!! I go to TLCE for my fills as well. They use ultrasound to pinpoint the port and mark it before they start. They numb the area before they do a fill. And, they have me drink BEFORE they take the needle out to make sure I'm not overfilled. I have never had to wait more than 4-5 minutes for my appt. I'm in and out in around 15 minutes. I would recommend them to any of my friends and family. :biggrin:

For my pre-op diet I was given a list of brand choices. My dr. recommended Opti-fast, but I chose Atkins because they were more readily available. Compared to what we would normally eat, 6 shakes a day is only 960 calories. For 13 days I drank 6 Atkins shakes a day, plus water, SF popsicles, and SF jello. I also chewed LOTS of gum, in part to get over the "wanting to chew" feeling, and the other part because I'm not supposed to chew gum now. Lost 11 lbs in the first 8 days. Good luck to you.

OMG! It really stresses out a young over-achieving server when you don't order a drink. I have had them come back 4 or 5 times asking if I am SURE I don't want a drink! It's too funny!!

Check the batteries in your scale if it's digital! Mine get REALLY erratic when the batteries get low. Don't worry! It's a fluke!

It doesn't necessarily have to be "running" a 5k. You can start by signing up for charity events like Race for the Cure, or Jingle Bell Runs at Christmas. When I first started running YEARS ago, I saw an ad for Willie Nelson's 10k for Farm-Aid. Signed up immediately! It was a blast! And I was running alongside Willie Nelson AND Lance Armstrong! It just doesn't get any better than that!! Check out www.runnersworld.com and look at the race schedule. You don't HAVE to be a serious dedicated runner to join alot of the events they list. As for daily workouts, I use an elliptical machine for my aerobic exercise. One week I will watch minutes try to go longer, then the next I'll watch how many steps I've been and if it's like 1250, I'll try to hold out to 1500. I try to vary my goals so I don't get bored. Good luck!

If you can find a gym that will let you join for a month, try both and see which one works best for you. I will use a treadmill, but I love the elliptical trainer. I get a better workout overall because it uses your WHOLE body. Just don't try to jump on and take off lickety-split thinking you'll do 30 minutes the first day. Start with what you can do and work up in increments every few days/weeks until you are getting a good workout. The gym I go to has a Pro-form Elliptical (can't remember what the model is) and I really like it. I can buy one new from Pro-form starting at $499. Hope this helps.