canadiangirl

I first used it at the gym with my trainer and I LOVE IT! You can do so many excersises with it. It works your core while you are doing your excersises. Make sure that you get the ceiling mount for it. My trainer comes to my house now and I use it every session, dont go by the instructional manual though it is not very accurate. Like the other poster said look at the excersises on you tube, better yet have your brother show you after al he is a trainer Good Luck! Leslie

Hey if you guys are planning to meet for coffee in Edmonton I am in as well! Please let me know, I am in Edmonton as well!

Congrats!!!! We were banded on the same day last year. :thumbup: I have lost 89lbs so far. We seem to be going at the same pace!. Take Care

Hey don't beat yourself up over it. It probably took me 10 months to "manage" my head hunger and I was miserable and "bitchy", for that 10 months For me I HAD to go a little tighter with my band. I eat very small amounts over 20 mins. and that is what I needed. I was too tight for a while and but I only got a defill of 0.5 at the time to get some food down. Some days I am too tight but I drink something warm..slowly, and then I can eat small amounts. This has worked for me, I couldn't have done it otherwise. Some might say I am too tight but whatever! I don't feel like eating usually, I force myself to for obv reasons. I am not telling you to do this, I am just telling you that I know your frustration and where your coming from. My "bitchiness" is gone and I have way more energy and yes I am taking supplements and Protein for all the negative posters that will probably be posting. I hope it gets better for you. Since pre op until now I have lost 89lbs.

Hi Ivy, I started at 338lbs almost a year ago. I couldn't lose the weight and when I did I would gain it back and then some. I had no energy and was unmotivated to excersise. I called my clinic at the beginning of Nov. for a consult and flew to have my surgery 3 weeks later. I am now at 261lbs (i still haven't excersised, I still feel self concious and uncomfortable about doing it) but I have a lot more energy, I go out more, run up and down the stairs to get things (I don't delegate those tasks to my kids anymore) I feel that I am thinking more and more about excersise (which in itself is a huge thing for me..lol). It has taken me about 7 months to FINALLY get used to this band. It has been hard, and in the beginning I had regrets..now I am happy that I did it. Everyone is different. Some of us went out and worked out, ate well and thats awesome, but for me I'm doing it my way and it works for me! What really helps is that you find someone on this site that you can relate to for support. I have a new great friend that I met on this site, we talk to on the phone and facebook eachother for support. We slimed, threw up, ate too much/too fast, never excersised and complained about our bands and how tight they were and what was "normal" ,and made fun of some of the "know-it alls" on this site and shared laughter with eachother...but we support one another and THAT has been part my success, oh and lots and lots of Protein..LOL! Good luck with you're decision. I paid out of my pocket and I would do it again! I hated being over 300 lbs. and now that I am not, I feel great!

Hey Jorja, I am so glad to hear that you are doing so well! I have been losing slow and steady, I've lost 63lbs so far. The band has its good and bad days...still. But I am used to it now. Congrats on the new dog! Take Care, L

Krystyn, I had gurgling noises from my first fill, and I had no tightness issues, but after my third fill I had those same sounds but along with it came whatever I drank or ate. It would take me an hour to drink 1/2 a cup of Water. I had to get a defill, but only 0.5cc's. I still made noises but I could eat and drink again without pb....I would PB if I ate too much though. I would think that if you have pain and PBing after you eat your recommended quantities, chewing well and eating slowly then it might be a tightness issue. It's sooo hard to know what to do and wonder if you need a defill especially when your losing weight, but if you're PBing and have pain you're too tight. I'm not worried about the noises, and neither was my clinic a when I had something to drink after my first fill. This band is so confusing!!!!

Hi Health, I had the same problem after a fill that I had of 2 cc's, I was gurgling after I drank Fluid and I had pain after I ate certain things. I had to get a small defill of 0.5cc's and it made a huge difference. I have read that some posters have had even less then that taken out and it made a difference no more gurgling and tightness and still keeping restriction. I TOTALLY understand the mental aspect of trying to deal with "being tight" to lose weight faster. It's been hard for me too. :thumbup:

I am a gum chewer and haven't had any issues. I accidentially swallowed it once and I was fine...not to say it could have its issues. I also drink from a straw and I have had no problems with it, my Dr. said nothing about drinking through a straw only that I was supposed to stay away from carbonated beverages. None of the literature before or after my surgery says that it is harmful, but everyones rules are different. When in doubt always ask your Dr.

There are different opinions on here and I definitely don't agree with all of them. But when you have the need to start a thread about someone and call them an idiot.....you need to relax. I am all for listening to someone's opinion and disagreeing with it but I can't understand why you did it this way?

I only had my surgery in November. I have a love/hate relationship with it right now. I haven't regretted getting my band, just disappointed that I am not disciplined enough with it. Those are the issues that I am facing right now. I have read about the sleeve and my thoughts on that is, it is permanent and with this band I could have it removed if I wanted to. That is why I chose the band and in a year or two I might have to consider other options if I don't have success with this, I do think that it is mind over matter and I know why my band isn't working...its because i'm not working as hard as I should. :laugh:

MissBS, you said it better then I did. We must of been writing at the same time. Go with MissBS answer she said it waaay better!

PB stands for Productive Burp, it is a polite way to say throwing up. It is generally caused by eating too fast, eating too much, not chewing enough, "your band" doesn't like what your're eating, or you are "too tight". I hope this helps :thumbup::laugh:

I have problems eating in the morning due to "tightness" as well. One of my employees is a health food nut and has me hooked on this blended drink which helps me get something down in the A.M.: 1 frozen banana ( I freeze my old bananas in a ziploc bag for this) a fresh banana makes a world of difference Approx. 5-6 unsweetented frozen strawberries 1/8 cup unsweetened cranberries 1/8 cup unsweetented frozen blueberries 2-3 tablespoons "balkan style" greek plain yogurt (this yogurt makes the drink fabulous) add unsweetened apple juice (or your favorite juice) to cover berries in blender and mix well. You might want to add more juice to make you're smoothie "runny" so that it goes down easier. If you want to add plain Protein powder to this you can (I have never tried it with it, I hate Protein drinks, however plain may be great in it?? If you try it with protein, please let me know how it tastes. I sip this from a "to-go" cup all morning and it fills me up. I hope you like it!

I am from Edmonton and called Slimband in TO. on Nov.3rd for a consult and flew to TO. on Nov. 20th for my surgery.