Cindy C

You just had your surgery 3 days ago? Right now is about healing. There's no way you're going to get that much in yet. Listen to your body. If it doesn't want it, don't force it! Just make sure you get enough water to avoid dehydration. Keep a bottle of water within your reach and sip on it all day.

Smaller clothes are the ultimate NSV! Congrats! Don't go to crazy buying 14's like I did. The smallest I ever was in my life was a 14. When I got back to it, I figured I would never get any smaller so I went ape buying them. I had quite the wardrobe. Now I'm a 10-12 and have all these clothes that I spent a fortune on and can't wear! Luckily I have a sister-in-law and a couple friends that are that size.

I also had 2 C-Sections. The first one was pretty miserable. The second one was better. In comparison, lap band was a cake walk!

My original plan was to avoid Thanksgiving until my brother told me that his daughter and 4 year old grandson were coming. My niece and I have always been very close and I adore her son. They moved about 4 hours away last year so it's a rare treat to get to see them so I guess I'm going to Thanksgiving! G_d, please let me get through this day without sliming!

Just like every morning for the last 3 1/2 years, I weighed myself when I got up. My little friend, Mr. Scale, smiled up at me and said, "You weigh 169 pounds!" Really? 169?! I had to step off and try again. It had to have malfunctioned! Nope...169! That gives me a BMI within the normal range for the first time since...I don't know...potty training? It may sound stupid but I actually broke into tears! I've been fat my entire life. When I started this journey in 2008 I was a whopping 324 pounds with a BMI around 48. Look at me now! I've gone from a size 4X to a 10-12. Sometimes I look in the mirror and I don't even recognize the woman looking back at me. Is that really the same girl who could single-handedly bankrupt the all-you-can-eat joints? Anyway, I just wanted to share this with all of you, my LBT friends and let you know that if I can do this ANYONE can. If you're afraid of failure or frustrated over a plateau just persevere. Keep following the plan no matter how long it takes. Eventually the weight loss will come. I plateaued for almost 2 years only losing an average of 1 pound a month. Success is within your grasp...just reach out and grab it!

Go to the doctor and have him remove all of your fluid. What ever is stuck will go right down and then have him put it all right back in!

Thank you all for your kind words. Every single one of deserves to he healthy and happy. It truly warms my heart to think that I've been able to help others on their journeys.

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Holy cow, Girl!!! Look at you. You are gorgeous and certainly don't look like you need to lose another 50 pounds! I bet you feel like a million bucks! Good Job, Congrats!

First of all....you will never "feel" the band. The area where it is placed doesn't have nerve endings that have the ability to feel something simply touching it. Second....the band is made of silicone so it's nearly impossible for the body to reject it! Relax, you'll be fine. Thousands of people have had this procedure and a very small percent have had complications. Unfortunately, those are usually the ones who post here.

After not losing last week, I'm weighing in today at 170.4! That's down 3 pounds!!! I haven't lost 3 pounds in a week in almost a year. This brings my BMI to 25.1. One more pound and I'll be normal for the first time since I was about 2 years old!!!

Having a fill can cause a little swelling that's why most doctors tell you to go on liquids for a while after. My doctor says 12-24 hours. You need time to let the swelling go down.

I have the same problem if I eat too much but the pain is on the left which is where my port is. One of the nurses at the Lap Band Center also has a band and said she has the pain too.

The nurse at my Lap Band Center said if it's gonna happen, it's usually 6-12 months after surgery.

Hopefully you don't experience it. Mine started about 8 months after surgery and 90 pounds lost. I know I wasn't getting enough protein then. I make sure and get it now, though!

That's great. Congrats! I went shopping today and tried on a pair of size 12 jeans. Amazingly, they were slightly baggy so just for the heck of it I tried a 10. THEY FIT!!!!! I didn't really need them but you can bet your sweet *** I bought them!

There are many people here that started with high BMIs and have lost the weight. My initial goal was to lose 162 pounds. I've lost 153 of it and still going strong. You can do it too!

That's awesome. I love skinny jeans and get the same reaction from my daughter!

I was in the drug store yesterday looking for the right vitamin. The pharmacist came out to help me. I picked up a bottle to see if it had the ingredients that I wanted and she said, "You don't want those. They're formulated for people over 50." I said, "I am over 50." Her jaw dropped and she said, "You're kidding?!"

Your hair doesn't actually fall out, it breaks. It's caused from protein deficiency and rapid weight loss. Biotin may help a little. Make sure you get enough protein. If you do have hair loss rest assured that you are the only one who will notice and it will grow back in time.

In the beginning I told EVERYBODY!!! Now that I've lost my weight I still don't keep it a secret. If someone asks I tell them. Sometimes I tell people that don't ask! I'm proud of my band and my success and I don't really care who knows or what they think about it. I had a young, skinny girl (21) criticize recently "Why couldn't you just do it without cheating?" (or something to that effect). My response was, "spoken like a true Barbie Doll!" The only time I don't mention it is when I date someone new. I've scared off a couple men. Not sure if it was because I can't pig out with them or if they're afraid I'll get fat again. Their loss, not mine!

After a few days of your post op diet you are probably going to experience what I call "liquid diet mouth". It's the most horrible taste and all the tooth brushing and Listerine in the world won't help. What does help is anything lemon flavored. Minute maid makes a light lemonade with only about 10 calories per serving. It comes in 12 pack cans in the Coke aisle (it's non carbonated) or in half gallon cartons in the dairy aisle. It was a life saver! You can also suck on s/f lemon hard candy. Also get some liquid Emetrol for nausea. It works almost instantly.

Awesome!!!! You keep writing and I'll keep reading! You are going to have a great future. You're intelligent, funny, confident and, quite frankly adorable as he**! Keep up the good work. As a side note, I've always said that when the world ends the only things that will survive are cockroaches and Twinkies!