als74

Remember not all calories are created equal. When I eat cheese too many days in a week as part of my cal count, I stop loosing. Some Proteins have more fat then others...

The best way to describe it is this. You feel like you have a burp, or nautious, and slimey food comes up.

These are my thoughts. Should the mother be held accountable? Hell yes. Should she be put in jail? No way. She should be educated, her son should be put on a monitor, he clearly has a problem, and he should get help. My 13 year old step son moved in with us over a year ago wearing size 40 waist pants. With a balanced but by no means restricted diet (he still got McD's on occation) we got him down to a 34 waist. He looked great. He gained 8 lbs at his moms over spring break. 1 week, 8 lbs. A kid who loves to eat will overeat if not disciplined. Of all people, I know this. Once he is an adult, I can not control what he does, and I have no doubt he will gain again. But while his is living here, I am trying to teach him all the bad things that can happen, using me as an example. His craving for junk overrides anything I say to him, but I am trying. This mother needs some serious help! Her son should definately be taken away if she can not take care of him properly.

Well, that all depends on your current underware. If your undees are usually tight and binding, you might need some grannies. However, I already had some bigger underware (duh, cause I am bigger) so I didn't need anything bigger that what I had.

I am 7 mo out and used to burp a lot more and bigger for a few months after. Now my burps are smaller and often come with food (lol). You will learn to eat and swallow differently to trap less air.

I agree with what they said, and want to add something that I also heard, but it was second hand, so take it with a grain of salt.

The longer we have our bands, the more used to our esophogus (I know I spelled that wrong) gets used to our small well chewed bites. I was told you have to be careful when you swallow bigger bites because it can stretch out the esophogus and cause pain (and also do bad things to your esophogus). Remember pre band when you accidentally took too big a swallow and felt pain on the way down? Well food goes down more slowly now, and is smaller, so if your bites are too big and not well chewed, this can also cause pain. Does this make sense? Has anyone else heard this?

I was 217 last Tuesday, and haven't lost a lick since. I felt a plateau coming on, but didn't get a fill at doc last time. I am getting more hungry every day, and now I wish I had gotton that fill... It is hard to control portions when 1 1/2 cups of food per setting doesn't last more than 2 hours! I am broke and running out of Protein. Everything left in my cupboard is starch. No Protein Shakes, not even milk to make my own. I hate this part:(

Questions like this are tricky do to everyone being different. Foods like chips and Cookies are slider foods because when you chew them, they easily dissolve in your mouth, and slide right through. Like if you sucked on a chip, in a few, it would dissolve, as do sugery things. Foods already "liquidy" like pudding and Soup are of course slider foods. That being said, meat and veggies are NOT slider foods, and should be eaten first, with sliders on the way back burner. Please stay away. Even the 100 cal snack packs are evil- watch out for them.

I also read through her previous posts, and they are posted in sections I don't typically read. The web site has changed, and now there are so many sub-categories, I really only go to three or four. I rarely go to pre or post surgery anymore, since I have been out 7 months now. And her titles were a bit obscure, so I doubt I would check them. Sorry her attitude and experience are negative, and I hope that does not deter other newbies:blush:

One of my favorites is venison- if you live in an area where you can get it. It is about as lean as you can get- when I cook up burger there is like three drops of grease that I can get out with paper towel, not even have to drain it is that lean. Steaks are great, and it goes down really well with the band.

I have seen ads for cream to rub on your skin that is supposed to tighten it, has anyone ever tried them?

I always get back pain when I overeat.

I wish I had your problem. I have been there before, though, and it was just a phase for me. Now I am back to being hungry all the time. I was just at the doc and because I lost 15 lbs from my last visit a month ago, she wouldn't give me a fill. I was ok with it then, but now that I am having trouble controlling my portions, I want a fill. I know the more you eat, the hungrier you get, and I am sure it is because I have been eating more lately.

That being said, be careful. When I wasn't hungry (and you might not admit this to yourself) I was on a power trip. I loved not being hungry and didn't eat unless I was. After a while, I started to feel it not so good, and after bloodwork found I was deficient in vitD. I was loosing energy and just not right. Eventually I found a good place where I ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner, just didn't snack, and if I didn't want to or have time for a meal, I would eat a Meal Replacement bar or have a Protein shake. So if you aren't hungry, that is fine, but find a way to give your body what it needs. OK?

Because the band lets us lose weight slowly, some skin bounces back. But I have always had big arms, and as I lose weight, I notice my upper(outside) arms are getting smaller, but fat and skin is just hanging down, especially by my elbow area. It it gross and throws of my weight loss look. Is there a cream or something I can use to tighten up those areas? I don't want big buff arms from working out either. Just tones arms. I know they will NEVER be small due to genetics, and I am ok with that. I just don't want arms looking fatter then they are due to all this dangling...

I remember bandster hell. I did lose some weight during that time as well, but it was because I was doing mostly liquids and soft solids, and was starving all the time. Just be patient for another fill or two, and don't be in a hurry. That leads to too tight a fill, and that is NOT fun.

I walk and I just started yoga. Taking yoga to improve agility. Weight loss is causing some tendon and nerve pain (due to fat leaving and them rubbing on each other) so stretching helps. That is it so far...

No matter the Protein, unless I take adipex, I have little to no energy, and stuggle to work out or walk. I just want to make sure I lose fat and not muscle.

I am a little over 6 mo out and still struggle with brain hunger. Stomach hunger is the same old thing- pain, weakness, headache, etc. I am interested to know anyone who no longer struggles with head hunger...

I started at my heavest at 295 in December 2008 wearing 22, and still squeezing into some 20's. Now I am down to 218, some 20's are big, some just right, some 18 just right, some still too tight by a good couple inches. I know sizes differ, but I thought I would be in solid 18's going on 16's by now.

So my question is, my boobs are shrinking, my legs, my feet, my face, but not my stomach. The 18's that don't fit are baggy on my legs, but can't button. And these are pants I used to wear!

My question to those fitness people, do I need more stomach exercises? I care more about the clothes getting bigger than the scale getting smaller. Advice please!

I started at my heavest at 295 in December 2008 wearing 22, and still squeezing into some 20's. Now I am down to 218, some 20's are big, some just right, some 18 just right, some still too tight by a good couple inches. I know sizes differ, but I thought I would be in solid 18's going on 16's by now.

So my question is, my boobs are shrinking, my legs, my feet, my face, but not my stomach. The 18's that don't fit are baggy on my legs, but can't button. And these are pants I used to wear!

My question to those fitness people, do I need more stomach exercises? I care more about the clothes getting bigger than the scale getting smaller. Advice please!

I weighed in at 218.4 this am. It was a good week for me. That was about 3 lbs I think- I will have to check my chart again.

I have already lost my 5 for the month, so I changed my monthly goal to 10 lbs. Here's hoping...

I was pretty tight after my last fill, but it is much better now. I suffered for about 2 weeks, then it gradually got better. I am feeling looser now though, but afraid to get another fill. I hate being too tight. I would rather fight to control what I eat that PB all morning and hope the afternoon and night stuff goes down better.

Great job everyone- keep it up!

I was told it is all about the Protein, but my hair is everywhere. I have lost hair before due to hypothyroidism, but it does grow back. Not like before, but most of it. Cancer patients loose all their hair, and it grows back eventually. When you lose weight, your body gets rid of things taking up nutrients (like when schools get rid of the art programs when the money runs out). But when your weight loss slows down and you level out, it will grow back. Just take your vits and protein.

I am having surgery on July 20.I have only told 3 people.I don't want to hear advise from my friends,none of which struggle with weight.I have to go to a family function on Aug7.I am nervous about what to say why I am not eating or drinking.Any ideas???

When people don't know I have had the surgery, and ask me things like that, I look them straight in the eye and tell them I am fat and don't need it. It makes them so uncomfortable they leave me alone. It is mean, I know, but it works.

Sorry, I forget not everyone has a big mouth like I do. For those who aren't rude, tell them your aren't hungry or thirsty. Take a bottle of Water with you and sip on it very slowly. They will never know. I once put Protein Water in a pop bottle. No one knew the difference:)

Personally, I told everyone. I don't care if they think it is cheating or not. Hip replacement, nose jobs, smokers patch, heart bi-pass, stints, high healed shoes- all tools- all "cheating." Anyone who criticizes you for cheating IS a TOOL. Why would they care HOW we got healthy, as long as we get there. What kind of people are they? I would NEVER wish someone to be unhealthy. You know these are the same people who talk about how much we eat and how fat we are behind our backs- so let them talk about how we "cheated" to lose weight on their cigg break. Do none of them take birth control as a tool to not get pregnant? What is a matter, can't they "control" themselved enough to not get pregnant? Meds for depression? Think of all the tools people use to replace things they can't or won't fix themselves. So what if it is "cheating" by their terms. Don't look at that term so negatively. When you are healthy and looking good, you won't care what other people think.

Sorry, I just feel very strongly on this issue. Losing weight is hard work, no matter WHAT you do. Please don't let others opinion of how you did it affect you. Next thing you know they will say exercise is cheating for those who eat more cals then they would burn in a day naturally (lol)!

Don't feel bad, the same thing happened to me. I was too tight, went in for an unfill, they took too much out and 2 weeks later I went back in for a small fill. I am very happy where I am at now, but they told me about a side affect I didn't and still don't know a lot about.

They told me about a woman who went 3 months too tight, and by the time she came in for an unfill, there was a problem with permanent dilation. Does anyone know what that means? I was afraid to ask, but it sounded bad.

Thanks for all the great advice, sounds like I just need to eat.

The oatmeal was unusual for me and Breakfast, I can't really eat anything solid or it hurts too much. I usually have a Protein shake. I am not sure if I will continue the oatmeal or not.

I am dealing with the hunger pain by eating something healthy now. The good news is I discovered that I don't have to hardly eat anything to get rid of the hunger pain. I bought some Protein Meal Replacement bars from Atkins, and one or two bites fixes the problem. I am buying more fruit too, and using that- but it doesn't last as long. I also keep beef jerkey around, but I get addicted to it and keep eating it even after the hunger pain is gone.

Once again, thanks for supporting me. I am glad I am not the only one who actually gets hungry. I read posts where people talk about not being hungry any more, and I makes me jealous...lol.