Cindy C

My favorite thing at that stage was pintos and cheese from Taco Bell.

Try rubbing alcohol.

Count your blessings. My surgeon's post op diet was 2 weeks of clear liquids followed by 2 weeks of full liquids. After that 4 weeks I was required to attend a nutrition class and then could slowly reintroduce solid food. Plus he won't do the first fill until 8 weeks!

I've never been a huge fan of yogurt but I do like Dannon light and fit Cherry Vanilla and Raspberry White Chocolate.

NOPE!!!! The band is a tool designed to help you lose weight. It is not intended to do the work for you and by no means is it "throwing in the towel".

It's much easier to remember after you've been stuck a few times! After 3 years, I still have to remind myself occasionally!

Instead of paying for shipping, it might be more economical for you to try Salvation Army or garage sales.

I use my lapband journey on Allergan's lapband.com website.

The general rule about cutting or crushing pills is if they are scored its OK. As for the taste, some of them are just nasty. When my siblings and I were little our mother didn't want to risk us choking on pills so she would put them on a teaspoon, dissolve them with a little hot water and add some sugar.

Whether you eat or not I think you should sit with your family while they do. Family meal time isn't about the food. Its about time spent with each other. I see you live in Texas. Does that mean you will be vacationing with people you don't see on a regular basis? If so, all the more reason to spend as much time together as possible.

My doctor doesn't numb the area at all. The first time I heard that some doctors do it kinda shocked me. It's really less uncomfortable than a mosquito bite. Seriously, whats the point of sticking a needle in to numb it for the next needle? Your gonna feel one of them!!

If you can only get down 2 or 3 bites without getting hiccups and feeling uncomfortable I would say you are in the red zone not green. I think you should get a slight unfill before your trip and leave it out.

Good for you, Joleen. You're at the beginning of your journey and in the honeymoon phase of your weigh loss. Some of us are far past that and realize that an occasional treat isn't going to hurt. A guilty pleasure doesn't mean you eat a half gallon of ice cream every night in front of the TV. (It's behavior like that that got us into this in the first place.) But a scoop here and there is OK. One mistake I think many people make is thinking that a lap band means they are on a diet for the rest of their lives. It's NOT a diet...its a lifestyle change. If you feel like you are always being deprived of the things you love you are more likely to fail. Everything is fine as long as it's in moderation. I listed dark chocolate as my guilty pleasure but my one true passion is Baklava. It's a gooey Greek pasty of phillo dough swimming in butter, honey and walnuts with about a million calories. There's a little bakery downtown Detroit that makes the best. When I find myself in that neighborhood a few times a year I don't hesitate to get one, although it takes me several days to eat it since I only take a bite or two at a time. In the 3 years since my surgery I have never once not gotten one if I wanted it and I've lost 146 pounds!

Isn't that a great feeling? Enjoy your old favorite but don't get too attached. Before you know it, it'll be too big for you. Last week I came across an old pair of favorite jeans that I had forgotten about. I put them on and the darn things were hanging off of me!! Seriously? I'm smaller now than I was 33 years ago when I was 18!?!

There's nothing like a good workout first thing in the morning. Keeps me energized all day long! Keep up the good work!

Only after my first C-Section!

Sounds normal to me. I didn't get my first fill til 8 weeks post op. I had lost 44 pounds in that time. That fill was only 3cc (10cc band) and didn't change my restriction one bit. A month later I got another 2cc and had lost another 11 pounds. I never actually felt restriction until 5 months and 6cc. I consistently averaged 10 pounds a month for the first year.

Well said, pinknsassy.

The vomiting probably caused some swelling. Give it time to heal and go back next month for your fill. You'll get your restriction back.

Drink LOTS of water. It helps the skin keep its elasticity. You have youth on your side so it should be easier for you.

I agree. You're clearly in the green zone. Don't mess that up! But, definitely keep your appointment and discuss the issues with your doctor.

I honestly think that the insurance companies just want you to make the attempt. I really don't think it matters if you lose or not. My insurance required 6 months. I didn't do it, just had the doctor say I did. Granted, I've had the same PCP for 20 years and he's seen my struggles and past attempts and was willing to do whatever was needed for me.

Can't speak for your hubby. Maybe there's something else going on with him that has nothing to do with you. I can tell you that the more weight I lose the more sex I want!

Welcome and good luck on your journey. Don't worry about the lifestyle change. It will be for the better. The more weight that comes off the easier it is to live with until you reach the point where you wonder how you ever lived with the old lifestyle.

You'll get over that. One day you'll take a sip of someone's Coke and say to yourself "YUCK!!!! What was I thinking when I used to drink so much of this?" It happened to me last week with Diet Pepsi...and I used to drink 3-4 12 packs a week!