AngieB2009

Hello all! I am a *new* member of the 100 lbs to loose club. I am currently 265 and before surgery I was 279.8. Lost 15 on the pre-op and a few more on the post -op liquid phase. When I say few I truly mean a few. Lowest I reached was 262.

I have lost inches, and that is the NSV I am holding on to. Glad I have that to hold on to because truth be told, even thought I focused on having no expectations, I have found I have them all the same.

I keep reminding myself this is a "life" change and it will not happen over night. My heart knows this but my head will not get on board. Speaking of head.....darn that head hunger.

So, here I set, had my first fill on Monday. My band took a fill of .7 cc's. Dr. McBride began the fill with 1.5 cc's and backed it out until the liquid did not get caught up. I hope the fill settles in nicely and I will have some assistance. I am really wanting to have some help with my non existent *FULL* button.

I am not trying to be a downer, *BUT* I really was bummed that I did not loose more on the 21 day liquid phase. (Self talk - inches lost...inches lost!!!)

So, recap started 280 lost 15 solid lbs. Feeling like I am hanging on the the 15 and having head hunger issues. I am newly banded as of 4/24/09.

I am keeping the faith that this will work for me. Anyone else relate to where I am?

I went in for my first fill on Monday. My aftercare doc took pictures of my band, inflated it to make sure it was okay. (I had my band placed in Mexico.) After everything checked out, she put in 1.5 cc's then backed it out to .7 cc's. This is the level that Fluid moved threw without being caught up. I have been on liquids and had some soft food.

Dr. McBride instructed me that I could come back in as soon as a month or two. She said normally she does the second fill at 2 months. I am eager to see if I will have restriction. So far, I don't feel to much difference.

I am hoping for restriction, but am not holding my breath. *fingers crossed* :confused: Glad to have the first fill under my belt.

*Silent prayer: Please let me reach a level of restriciton soon, so I can have help with portion control.*

I had my first meeting with Dr. McBride on Monday. She took me on as a patient and did my first fill! YAY!

McBride and her staff were very nice. I've heard good things about her and wanted to post in her forum.

I actually went for my 4 week checkup yesterday. I was expecting a fill because 2 days after surgery I had to have 1 1/2 cc's removed (my Dr puts in 4cc's at surgery). I couldn't keep liquids so to prevent dehydration he removed it.

When I went in I met with the NUT and she noted what a normal 2 day diet was for me and said I was eating the correct amount and wanted me to advance to regular food and quit the soft and liquid foods (sliders). Asked if I was hungry and I said not really.

Next I met with the PSY and he said I was right on schedule with weight loss. They like anywhere from 4-8 lbs a month. I had lost 6 lbs since surgery. Told me I had done super and also asked if I was hungry.

Then the nurse came in and said she didn't think the Dr would give me a fill because I was still a little swollen and the information I had given them indicated the band was working just the way it was supposed to. She said I was to come back in a month and would probably need a fill then or earlier if I became hungry between meals, just call and they would work me in to get a fill.

I feel so much better because I was worried about getting a fill when I seem to have some restriction with just this small amount.

Guess that is why they make the BIG money. They really know what they are doing......

Sounds like you had a great check up! Way to go on your weight loss! :grouphug:

I have had some strange food taste changes and I thought it would be interesting to see if anyone else has too.

Here are mine:

- hamburger tastes like cardboard (no flavor) after you chew it a thousand times;

- as soon as I put tuna in my mouth, I gag from the overwhelming fishy flavor (I used to love it); :smile:

- weak ice tea is my favorite friend now (instead of diet coke);

- sweets give me a headache (I'm a chocaholic);

- coffee tastes so bitter after a few swills (even with three splendas in it)

- had 1/2 a small piece of store bought chocolate cake and it SUCKED! Way too sweet, made my teeth ache!

- bread does NOT go down! (yippee that's my worst enemy!)

Thats all I've tried that new so far. Still loving the refried Beans, chicken breasts, salad is divine (like always), although I need less dressing than before to be happy. :puke:

Just wondering about you guys...:grouphug:

I thought food would taste so much better than it does. Friday's at work is treat day. I decided on a M&M cookie. I took 1/3 of one. It didn't taste all that good. I was glad I limited my portion. I think my taste buds have changed! :hurray:

I weighted myself when I got home tonight. My update is 262! I am so glad to see a drop. :grouphug:

:hurray: Woo hoo!

Ling, Tere & Thin- Congrats!! Thanks so much for sharing your NSVs. I'm so happy for all of us!

My NSV is that I can see the weight loss in my face. My clothes are looser but unfortunately they were really tight to begin with. I don't expect to change sizes for another 20lbs or more. But that is ok because I don't have money to spend on clothes. Though I am looking forward to shopping in my own closet in my "skinny clothes" section.

Love it! I have a huge "skinny cloths" section. I am currently in a size 22 now and my section goes down to 14 with a few 12's.

I have not had a major scale victory so I can appreciate the NSV more!

I am noticing a big difference in the way my cloths fit! My second chin is becoming a smaller chin indeed! You can see weight loss in my face -n- cheeks! So far I think I am loosing inches all over! Yay for inches lost - get out'a here!

I was not expecting a miracle, but if you told me I was going to loose a couple lbs on the liquid diet, I would have been in disbelief. I really thought something different in my head.

Jay tee and scoobydoo you are welcome. It is always good to share info.

This is from another website forum I am a member of. It speaks to Obestity Control Center patients, so some of the tips you will find not to partain to you as you won't be flying in for a fill in most cases. I was banded in Tijuana, Mexico by Dr. Ariel Ortiz and Dr. Martinez. I pulled this information from lapbandforum.com. Please note, your Dr. may advise you to do something different than what is listed on this sheet. I am posting it here because it has some great tips on it about getting a good fill. Take what you want and leave the rest behind!

I am scheduled for my 1st fill on June 1st! I am looking forward to that date you can bet your bottom dollar!

Increase Your Chances for a Good Fill

The following suggestions are good rules of thumb and will greatly increase your chances of getting a good fill.

1. Make sure you are very well hydrated when you come in for your fill appointment. That means at least 6 to 8 full glasses of liquid every day for at least several days before the fill.

(Remember, Water is your friend).

Drink especially well the morning of the fill. If you're flying in, it can be much harder to stay hydrated, so take an empty drink bottle and fill it after you pass airport security. TSA rules state you can bring an empty water bottle past the TSA security check point. Ask the flight attendants for a refill of your Water bottle if needed. They say that every hour you’re in the air, you lose 8oz of Fluid. So, If your flight is 3 hours long, your down 24oz of Fluid. So drink up!

2. Do not to have any solid foods for at least 6 hours before the fill. Don't eat a huge or late dinner the night before. If you're having any trouble (reflux, possible slip, etc) please have nothing but fluids after dinner the night before.

In some cases, food can still be in the pouch for 12 or more hours.

Any food in the pouch will make it impossible to give a good fill, or get a good fluoro.

3. Don't drink cold fluids for an hour before the fill. That will shrink your stomach and give a false fluoro reading, and a poor fill. Room temp fluids are fine.

4. Avoid getting a fill during a menstrual period or a few days before an expected one. During this time, girls are usually retaining water, and the fluoro will not be as accurate, and the fill will not be either.

5. If at all possible, hang around for at least a few hours after a fill. Don't run right back home or to the plane. It takes the normal swelling after a fill 1-2 hours to develop, and by that time you might be too tight and need to come right back.

6. If you fly in, If at all possible, stay overnight and catch a plane out the following late afternoon or evening. If you are too tight, this will allow time to get a small unfill before you leave. This is not very convenient, but sure beats having to possibly return to TJ in a few days, on short notice, in pain, and at high last-minute plane fares! This is "prevention!" Overfills are not common, but they do happen, even under the best of conditions. Be prepared, and think about this overnight stay. Test your fill the next day before you leave.

7. After a fill, please have liquids only for at least 24 hrs. This allows the stomach to rest and heal. Then, a day of soft foods, then back to regular foods. Full liquids are fine, no need for clears. Remember, if you staying over night test your fill before you fly out.

8. Review the eating and food guidelines again before every fill. You’ll need to refine your eating more and more with higher fill levels, and there will be less and less room for goofs. As you reach a higher fill level, you'll no longer be able to "get away" with things you might have before!

9. Please don't get a fill if you are having any trouble with the current level of fill. This means any regular pain, PB or barfing more than maybe once a week at the very most, not able to get enough calories in, not able to drink enough, able to eat only soft foods or fluids.

More fill will NOT help, and will make things worse. Discuss all this carefully with your doctor. You may even need an UNFILL, to keep your band and stomach safe.

10. First fills are routinely given at 6-10 weeks after surgery, but only as you need them. Many people do, some do not. Your doctor will help you decide if you need a fill, just ask. There is no rush for fills. Too much can very easily get you in trouble, and you end up further "behind" than if you had gone slower with fills.

11. Give a fill at least 2-3 weeks to test it. Some fills don't "settle in" for a week or two, and sometimes more. Your weight loss is what determines how a fill is - not any feeling of restriction, necessarily.

12. One of the most important things in determining if a fill is good is choosing proper band foods. Soft foods, liquids, junk foods, sweets, etc, will never be well-restricted, and will never tell a thing about having a good fill or not. Only solid foods give useful info.

A good test meal is 2-4 oz of solid meat or chicken - be sure it's soft and moist - and about 1/2 cup veggies. You should be able to eat about a cup of food (no less) and this should keep you satisfied for about 3-4 hrs.

13. Plan regular meals. A good fill will keep you satisfied for 3-4 hrs, but no longer. If you are hungry 5 hrs after lunch, it is not because you have an inadequate fill! Regular meals at planned times are important for a number of reasons; including avoiding snacking, maximizing your calorie burn and normalizing metabolism, which is essential for weight maintenance later on.

14. Learn to recognize your "soft stop" sign. Common ones are chest tightness or "fullness", a sudden runny nose, a single hiccup or burp, an eye twitch, back pain, left should pain. All mean the pouch is full enough and we should stop eating, even spitting out the bite that may be already in our mouths. If you do not, you could progress to the "hard stop" - slimming, pb, barfing.

Please remember that good fills are very elusive, even with highly- experienced docs and fill people. There are just too many individual factors involved that the doctors cannot control. Even the fluoro is only a clue, and not entirely accurate - for some of the reasons above.

It usually takes 3- 5 fills to slowly and safely creep up on a good level, and they can be safely given a month apart.

Trying to go faster with a bigger fill is not the solution, and the stomach rebels at big sudden fills. The goal of the first few fills is not to achieve a good restriction, but to gradually get your stomach used to some pressure so you can tolerate a good fill later.

SLOW and GRADUAL is the key!

Going slowly with fills can be frustrating, but is well worth the wait to avoid problems.

Hi I am 265. I have been staying pretty steady. I am on my last week of liquids! Woo hoo!

I really thought I would loose more on the liquids protion of the post op. I have not had a scale victory, but I have had none scale victories. Anyone else!?

Even thought the lbs or kg's are not dropping off, I as well as my hubby, and co-workers have noticed a change in how my cloths fit. All my clothes are feeling loose and that makes me feel like a success when the scale isn't moving!

Plus, I have not gained the pre-op weight back so that makes me feel good to. I have a couple weeks between the liquid diet and my first fill. I am hoping to stay steady then too. My Dr. says 6-8 weeks between the surgery and 1st fill. Waiting is the hard part. BUT I know loosing is on the horizon!

I'm not a happy camper. I've been to the bathroom about 10 times since getting to work. This is not fun! I think the refried Beans I've been eating for days have made my digestive track go bonkers. I don't think this is a band issue, more of a food tolerance issue. All I know is it's miserable!

I am sorry to hear that. Can you take some anti-diahrea (sp) medicine to help you?

I get 24 gr. of Protein per day from the 3, 8oz. glasses of skim milk and that's pretty much it...a couple from chicken broth. I think it's weird too...and skim milk has a lot of sugar...12g per cup...that's 36g per day! I'm thinking the one Protein shake I'm cheating with and substituting for one of the milks is probably better for me anyway.

Whoa! I think you are a rock star now and I am swine! LOL

I would have cheated to. Now my cheats look like mortal sins compaired to you! Ugh! You are doing great!

Personally I think I would call your Dr or nurse to verify the diet is correct and they have not made an error. Holy Moly how are you keeping your energy up!? Are you dropping weight steady?

I am bowing down to you, you just can't see me through the computers!

Are any of you still on a phase I diet? I've got a whole 3 weeks of SF clear liquids/skim milk ONLY, so I've got one more week of this (banded 4/22). Am I the only one from that week still on liquids only?

YOU ARE NOT ALONE! I am on all liquids too. I can have Clear Liquids and full liquids. I have had a few cheats along the way. :cool2:

I do stick to mostly liquids during the day. For example one of my cheats was 3/4 cup of tuna helper. Super mushy. I did not finish the portion I took, but it was so good to chew and eat something.

How are you doing?

You are probably better off without the scale - I drive myself crazy! I'm still liquid, which is fine but boring - I hate food commericals! They should all be banned!!! lol

What types of foods are you doing for the mushy stage?

OMgoodness! I agree with you on the food commercials. I have a 16 month old, so most of the TV I watch comes from DVR after he is in bed. So I fast forward through those babies! :laugh:

Ya know what else I notice.....food billboards. I don't know if I paid that much attention to them before. We don't or hadn't been eating out much anyway, but now I see them and think grrrr. :cool2: Ha!

Not to mention that everything looks and smells better now too! How funny huh! When I hit the drinkable yogurt phase I was like YUM!

Actually, I am suppose to be in mushy phase but since I still have a hard time with the tightness of the band (which is a lot better now), I still need to wait awhile. I don't know what to eat for full liquid. How much do you eat per meal? How can I get all the Water in per day? I am trying but so far I've never drink 64 oz. Any tips is appreciated.

Thanks,

Breakfast

Drinkable yogurt

Protein drink

Water

lunch

Jello

Protien drink

Water

Supper

Soup

Water

This is my diet. Pretty boring! I am on 3 weeks of liquids per my Dr.s orders. Today is day 13 and I wish I had a "mushy" phase to go to. I think a bit of variety would help, or knowing I could actually chew something!

Thanks goodness I am not the only one! It is the weirdest feeling ever. I am so glad someone could relate. Now I don't feel so weird!

I was one that answered your question previously posted in the General forum. I think that the way you previously asked the question was "Will the band stop all hunger?" And that is what people were responding to.

Your doctor is not correct, you are still capable of feeling hunger with the band, even at restriction, I can assure you that I have had true hunger at restriction when I get busy and don't eat on time. The band does not remove the mechanisms that tell you that you need food. It simply creates a smaller stomach so that it takes less food to feel full and depending on restriction, creates a narrower passage so the food does not empy out as fast. When you allow the pouch to empty, you will feel hunger.

At restriction you should not feel hungry sooner than 3-4 hours after your last meal. The guidelines put out by the makers of Lap Band lists between-meal hunger as one of the three determining factors to needing a fill. http://www.lapbandforum.com/uploads/1231574659/gallery_3398_50_12372.gif . If you do feel hungry sooner, getting a fill will narrow the passage and the food will stay in your pouch longer keeping you full longer.

Can you please describe your hunger feeling?

Seems like a stupid request but there are different types of hunger plus there is a lot of gas in the digestive tract so soon after surgery and it seems that many newly banded people have a hard time understanding what they are truly feeling.

Great response! I wanted to say WTG! on meeting your goal! Awesome!

Okay I have this strange hiccup think going on. That is the best way I can discribe it. It feels like my stomach is kinda contracting. Sometimes it can feel mildly uncomfortable. Mosty it's just weird.

I am wondering what it is and does anyone have this happening to them?

It happens when I have something in my stomach and when I don't.

Could it be air? I am guessing here....

Oh and on the subject of air. I have burped a few times, and man my burps have changed. It's sorta loud and it feels good. LOL

Went for my first fill today - and the doc said that based on data of people my age and weight etc - my expected goal should be 87kg. I was like ERRRRR, my goal is 72kg!

Whatttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt???!!!

Hi LingLing - I have a goal set too. Mine was set for 170 lbs. or 71 kg. My personal goal would be to loose a few more. I guess I am not to worried about it right now. My first major goal is to hit 250. Then I will set another one. I am doing small goals vs large ones. That way I have mini rewards along the way! Woo hoo!

I know a few bandsters who are under weight. They look and feel great. They are super skinny but that is what they want! I say go for it! Not being unhealthy, but whatever works for you! Anything is possible!

I have been walking 30 mins a day during the week over my lunch hour. I walk at a comfortable pace, as I have a walking partner who does not walk fast.

After my husband recovers from his knee surgery, we have plans to turn out family room into a work out / play room. So that will be nice to have all our equipment in one room!

I have not felt a lack of energy, but I have been taking chewable Vitamins or liquid Vitamins. Also I have been drinking vita rain from costco. It has vitamins in it but 0 calories.

Okay, so I got downright tired of being tired and nauseated all the time. Just eating creamed Soups and such was horrible. I was supposed to go to pureed food, but it looked and smelled bad. Last night, I got together with some friends and we have bar-b-que. Someone had brought chopped beef. I took tiny portions of that, creamed corn, potato salad and macaroni salad. I ate very very very slowly and chewed the heck out of everything. It went down just great and I felt so much better, I was ready to stay up until midnight talking! Today, we went out to lunch and only ate a small portion of my chicken (again tiny bites) and some refried Beans and I stopped before I felt full. I have been starving this last week. I know I'm only a week out and I feel bad for not following the diet. Am I going to mess up my "pouch?" Of course, I really don't have a pouch since there is no saline in the band yet (just an expensive funnel right now). Everything goes down okay and I chew the heck out of it. I just hated the feeling of being so lethargic and with out energy. I got the band hoping I would be able to eat what I wanted, just in smaller portions. Surely, having the band doesn't mean that I will have to go back and forth between liquids and creamed soups the rest of my life?!?!

I recommend taking some liquid Vitamins. That will help with feeling worn out. I to have had my mini cheats. For the most part I am staying on track. Think of this as 3 weeks of treating your stoma right. It's difficult, but we can do it! Soup for me was a disappointment. I liked the drinkable yogurt phase the best. I am going to drink 2 shakes a day, vit-Water and do my best to stick with Soup at night.

Don't worry about getting off the band wagon, just make sure you jump back on. If you are anything like me, one to many and a thousand is never enough. What I am saying is it is super easy to keep on cheating once I've cheated. I know in my heart that the only person I am hurting is myself. Well, my loved ones too. 3 weeks of a horrible diet is not the end of the world. It's the beginning to a new life!

We can do this! We can do this!

Hugs!

Angie

Hello everyone! I weighted myself this morning and was 264. So down 1 lbs from last week. I thought I would be dropping more lbs. but think I am not getting enough calories on the clear stage? Who knows really, but a 1 lbs is 1 less I have to carry so I will take it and smile! Woo hoo!

I get to start cream Soups this week! Yay me!

Welcome to the group!

I love it! Great name and you will always be a part of our Bunny group! LMAO!

Hello everyone! I am curious....I only took pain pills the day of my surgery and the following day. I am pain free, no gas pain or anything.

I do have mild discomfort if I twist just right. I am able to sleep in any postion I want, even on my tummy. I was concerned about picking up my son, who is 16 months old, and have had not one issue at all.

I am suprised by my pain free recovery!!!!:drool:

Anyone else as blessed as me?

I feel very good and would like to know if I am in the minority?