Band_Groupie

LOL...Happy Monday! Fascinating work...my Geologist DH would appreciate it! It's good to be doing something that's not boring!! -BG

WELCOME to LBT and CONGRATULATIONS!! Don't worry things will improve each day! -BG

WELCOME to LBT!! The left shoulder is gas pain (the gas isn't there, but it's referred pain that goes to the nerve there). The walking you're doing will help your body to move the gas out (and no it's not in your colon, but your abdomen so your body has a hard time absorbing it and moving it out). You'll feel better each day! Best wishes! -BG

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GF!!! ...and cough up that recipe...I'm not a cook, but we all know I love to bake! -BG

Welcome to LBT and the start of your journey! Best Wishes! -BG

Awesome blog! Here's to normal!! -Bg

Yeah GF! I hope lots of Banders read this and see that sometimes it only takes a tiny unfill to change everything...and if you felt it was important enough to drive 14 hours then how could anyone else complain. Remind me of this when I have my first overfill please! You're rockin' that band girl! -BG

CONGRATULATIONS!!! You'll do great!! -BG

CONGRATULATIONS!!! -BG

Yeah for Onederland!!! Awesome job!!! -BG

Give it a week- 10 days and you'll feel like a new person. Keep on walking and a heating pad helped me. Best wishes! -BG

LOL Capn'! Some get hungry the day they get home and for some it takes a week or so. The hunger does come back, it's normal. Your band has some restriction now only from the stomach tissue swelling, but that will go down. It's all about healing for the first six weeks. The most important thing is getting your fluids in. The band will be helping you soon enough...be patient (GINGER that goes for you too...I didn't have good restriction until my 3rd fill...yes, it's a small pouch, but right now the funnel hole is huge). You'll get there! Best wishes! -BG

Yep, another one who took until the 3rd fill to really feel something (and my fills usually loosen in a few days too). Remember it's not about being 'full' it's about being 'satisfied' until your next meal...and always protein first! Good luck! -BG

WOW 43 lbs. in 2 months is great!!! Keep it up! -BG

*Post Deleted for Lap Band Book

"kind of a richard"...it took me 5 min. to puzzle that one out LOL. So there's my 'blondness' to cheer you up. Here's you're big mistake...you didn't go back for the fill, but I think you already know that. I 'think' I felt a tiny difference with my second fill, but it wasn't until my 3rd fill that really had some restriction (and a 4th small fill to make things perfect). So pat yourself on the back...you've lost 40 pounds all by yourself without any help from the band. Hopefully that next fill will make a difference to you., but if not...keep getting those fills until you do. I'll also suggest that you use the next several weeks before the fill to take a look at calories and portion sizes of what you're eating now so that it will help you when you get that restriction. I've found it helpful to use a calorie tracking site (I use Fitday) for a week or so, from time to time to check on how I'm really doing (my doc suggests 1000-1200/cals per day and I'm sure your nut/doc gave you some guidelines). As you know it's all about calories in and calories out for any WL... Best wishes! -BG

All fine and good, but JT...what we REALLY want to know is....HOW WAS THE VACATION?!! Where'd ya go; what'd ya do LOL? At least please just tell me it was somewhere warm...I'm freezing here (we've had snow flurries already).

Just another bander who eats all the above, regularly I have a piece of pizza almost every Friday night. There's not a single food out there that I can't eat and I'm at my Sweet Spot...losing 1.5-2 lbs. a week. If you can't eat solid Proteins like hamburger (yes, moist is best) then you're too tight.

Agree with the above, but just an FYI, my doc says 1 Cup as many do. I'd have a hard time getting in all my nutritional needs and protein with just a 1/2 C at meals...there'd be no room for fruits, veggies, etc. as 1/2C is what I eat in just protein...about 3 oz. of meat.

You can always check it by clicking the 'About Me' under your personal profile (click on your name to get there). It's there and looks great!!! Congrats on the 24 lbs.!!!

Yep, sometimes I get busy and before I know it it's 2pm and I haven't eaten lunch yet. It's a magic band! -BG

We eat it several times a month (teens in the house) and I only have one slice too (with the crust...and it doesn't take me anywhere near an hour to eat, but it probably should LOL...I have the worst trouble with slowing down!). Good job with the 'head catching up' and great story! -BG

I've always said I could live on bread and chocolate. I keep the Russel Stover's SF chocolates (big variety of fillings and dark or milk) as well as other sweets like SF preserves to put on Greek yogurt, SF maple syrup to go on my morning oatmeal, and SF fudgesicles, popsicles and creamsicles. I have one of those chocolates most nights after dinner and that gives me something to look forward to. I'm about 6 mo. out and a very good yo-yo dieter. I've never gone this long without losing it on sweets big time a lot. I have my moment when head hunger wins, but now I can have a bit and I'm OK...it's the weirdest thing. I've taken the attitude that nothing is ever off limits and I don't feel deprived like I have on other diets. If you're really worried about this, I'd at least discuss RNY with my doc as that would give you the added feedback of dumping that some (not all) get.

Vicki- Whoever told you that, I hope it wasn't your doc, is wrong. I'll get to this, but first... IMO You're a little too tight. Sometimes all it takes is a very tiny unfill to let you eat solid Proteins again. I hear you and I see many frustrated people here in the same boat...many because they don't follow the rules, but many do and they just aren't at the right level of restriction like you and then there are others who admit they don't have enough self-control over their head hunger or they want to lose more quickly and they've made a choice to be so tight they can't eat (I've talked this over with others like you've mentioned and some of them have told me flat out...I know I'm not starving hungry between meals but I chose to have my band really tight so that I could only drink Protein Shakes and eat just a tiny bit. And that's what helps control my eating and it works for me). It makes me truly sad that you and others aren't experiencing the same thing I am. I fault the docs with not doing enough education about how we need to get our band to work for us and what we need to do. I think a lot of those docs would be shocked by how much PBing and drinking of calories there is here on LBT. Many go into this thinking the band is going to stop them from overeating...that there's going to be a big signal from our stomach to stop now/we're full...it won't keep you from eating too much. I was told the band would help me to decrease my portion sizes by making me feel satisfied and that I wouldn't be hungry between meals. It does just that for me. The key word is satisfied NOT full. If you're FULL, then you're stretching your pouch, eating too much and then for many the pouch sometimes reacts by making you vomit/PB. The key to this whole thing for me was realizing that. We fat people (me included) are so used to eating until we're FULL...sometimes 'Thanksgiving FULL' where our stomachs can't take another bite...you do that with the band and you're going to get the same thing you would get on Thanksgiving Day if you ate that 10th piece of Aunt Clara's pie after you're already over-stuffed...vomit. One of the biggest things we have to do when we get the band is to pay attention. I CAN eat way more than a cup at each meal (I'd probably feel FULL then), but I don't NEED to. The only way I know that is by trying it. I was eating a full serving of oatmeal with added protein, Benefiber and a topping like SF Maple Syrup every morning. As I got restriction I decided to test things...I tried 1/2 Sv. of the oatmeal with all the above (makes about exactly 1 C)...you know what? I wasn't hungry until lunchtime! I would never have know I needed less had I not tried it. I'm not stuffed or full when I eat, but I am satisfied until the next meal. I eat about 1C at every meal...normal solid foods with protein first. I never drink protein shakes (except after a fill). I sometimes have a snack even. I follow the other Bandster rules, like no drinking after, etc. I can't tell you how wonderful it is not to feel hungry. This week I lost 3 pounds and I'm never hungry (and my BMI is in the Overweight category now- I've only got about 25 lbs. left to lose). Lest that all sounds like a 'bed of roses' I can tell you it's been one of the hardest thing I've ever done. It hasn't all been easy (skim my daily blog and you'll see that), and just when you think things are good, it changes and you learn something new...I'm working it out as I go to stay successful. Sorry I got on my little soap box, but I didn't want to lecture, I truly wanted to educate others here so they can get the best results. I want us to all be successful and sometimes I think it's just because others haven't been taught how to work this band and what they need to do. If you choose to be too tight because that's how you want to do this, that's one thing, but if that isn't a choice you're making than you shouldn't ever be so tight that you can't eat solid protein because that's the whole premise of the band...no doc should be telling you that you should be so tight that you can't eat anymore. Good luck to you! Here's a Portion of my 10/13 blog about reaching "The Sweet Spot" and deciding to not get another fill next week: You see, I’ll tell you once again that getting to your Sweet Spot is a matter of personal preference. ‘What’s that?' you say. Oh yes, my LBT friends…the heaven’s do not open up nor do the angels sing to let you know you’ve finally made it to that magical (you were beginning to think mythical) SWEET SPOT! Bells do not ring nor does your WL stay absolutely consistent each day, let alone each week to shout to you YOU’RE THERE! Nope, it’s about paying attention (once again) and it’s all a matter of CHOICE. Could I get another small fill next week and be even tighter…but not so tight that I can’t eat, but tighter so I’d have more troubles with PB’s and start developing a long list of ‘Foods I can no longer eat’, yep, I could (we’ve all seen plenty here who are there). I’m sure I’d probably lose weight faster too. Could I get a small fill after that even and get to the point where I’d have to drink a protein shake every morning and maybe even at lunch too most days because I was so tight, yep I could (we’ve all seen plenty here who are there). I’m sure I’d lose weight really fast doing that. Now that next tiny fill might put me into ‘Soft food Syndrome’ where even protein shakes are hard to get down in the morning and I’m finding myself eating sliders, not eating many solids and drinking most meals because I get stuck/PB on most solids (we’ve all seen plenty here who are there). I’m might be losing a lot faster, but maybe not because ice cream would be one of the few foods I could choke down. [/url] You see, it’s all a matter of choice…how tight do you want to be? I’ve said this before; I made the decision since before my first seminar that I did not want to go on another diet…diets end…you can’t live on protein shakes for the rest of your life (and why get the band if you’re going to do that, just go on a protein shake diet…Oprah did). I’ve dieted before and done very well, but it doesn’t work forever. I needed a lifestyle change…small changes I could make and live with the rest of my life. I didn’t get the LB for quick WL (I can do that faster than the band). I got the LB to help me KEEP it off. Who do you think will have an easier time once they get to goal staying there…the LBer who’s been drinking two shakes a day and now has to learn how to eat to maintain (but probably got to goal way faster than me) or me who’s made those small changes in portions along the way. I’m hoping and praying that it will be me…I need it to be me. There is still nothing I can’t eat, no food is off limits, I don’t feel deprived, I’m not on a diet, I’m not hungry, I’m believing in my band and I’m losing about 1.5 lbs. per week…I’ve decided…I’m at my SWEET SPOT!

So we've been talking about teens lately here on LBT and I've had some new updates in my middle one's (DS1) life at college this month. He's pretty sure he already wants to change his major…not a big surprise as many college students do. I give PSU a lot of credit for immersing them in a course in their major their first semester. He’s decided that an Engineering Major (in CS)- is not for him as it doesn’t involve enough people interaction and he doesn’t want a job where you sit at a computer all day. Well, that’s good to know sooner rather than later. He’s bright and has time to figure out what he wants to do…my DH was ‘Undeclared’ until they came and made him pick a major his junior year. We reviewed his plan and listened. I'm trying so hard to NOT to be a 'Helicopter Mom' (the ones that hover and solve all their problems for them; I know college is as much about becoming an adult as it is about school). DS's already been to get advice from three of the Profs in the Engineering Dept. so they’ve got a plan (and I'm not worried...yet). He joined a fraternity (put a wrench in all our plans to see him as he has 'pledge duties' and events, but I'm NOT hovering)…when we called him last night he was scraping out the deep fryer at the fraternity house with another Pledge. They’d run out of dish soap and were contemplating whether floor soap would work LOL (OK, I had to make a few suggestions on this one...I'm the Clean Queen). He’s the Treasurer of his Pledge Class, so it's good he's getting involved. I was glad to hear the fraternity has mandatory study hours for him…sounds like a balance…we’ll see...DH and I met as Greeks…we know. So yesterday afternoon I get an urgent call from him wanting to borrow all our camping gear …and I need it in two hours…Oh, and I need the big 4 room tent because we have 10 guys. Me- OK, where are you camping? I’m thinking this might be a pledge class thing. PATERNOVILLE! he says excitedly. So after several stressful hours of packing up his long list (tent, tarps, lantern, sleeping gear, board games, etc.) and adding a few of my own (bags and bags of chips and food, an extra blanket, and a small gift for my God-daughter/his cousin there…I have to keep my informants happy), two of his friends (that go to a satellite of PSU near here) came to pick it all up on their way to Main Campus. So you’re asking…WHAT THE HECK IS PATERNOVILLE? Well, I can tell you. Penn State has long given out non-seat specific tickets to students (they all sit in one section), and in order to get front row seats on the rail, students started camping out a few days prior to games. PSU became part of the Big 10 and in 2005 with the biggest and longest (6 day) campout in anticipation of the Ohio State game, the name ‘Paternoville’ (for Coach Joe Paterno) was finally given to the tent city when one student hung a banner with the name. Paternoville now has its own student government with officers and continues to grow. There are all kinds of rules like: you have to pre-register, max 10 in a group, one per group has to be lined up at the stadium at all times (they take turns…after all they’re expected to still go to school) what day/time they’re allowed to set up (Thursdays for most games, it’s a week before for the OSU game), etc. …and they’ve got it down to a science. The Paternovillers get special wristbands and on game day the stadium workers wake the camp about 6:30am with the loud speakers playing the sound of a rooster crowing, by 7am the tents have to be down. Well, it snowed yesterday at PSU and Paternoville was cancelled for this week’s game due to the weather. We bought tickets for our whole family to go to the OSU game there on Nov. 7th and stay the whole weekend to visit (as did my God-daughter's family...can't wait to see him...I'm NOT hovering)…I’m sure it will be another Penn State White Out. We’ll be easy to spot in our Ohio State Alumni scarlet and gray and no, we won’t be staying in Paternoville …but I know who will (pic attached)! Ahhh...the life of a college Freshman....