Unforgettable

I had my first true NSV yesterday. I made a small road trip out of town to visit an old friend. I was trying to figure out what to wear, and decided to break open my under-the-bed storage bin with my "skinny" clothes on the small chance that something might fit. I was able to fit into one of my most favorite outfits ever, and it fit me perfectly. I haven't been able to wear this outfit since I graduated college in 2006. I was so happy!!

Glad to hear everyone's fill wasn't too bad and hopefully you guys get some restriction! My doc makes us do the rest of the fill day with liquids, the next day puree, the day after that softs then regular diet. So if I have a fill on Monday, I'm not supposed to eat regular diet until Thursday. I kinda smooshed puree and soft together.

hkitty, I'm the same way! It must be that we know we aren't supposed to have it:confused:

I've heard THREEdom, TWOterville and ONEderland.

Ok had my first fill on 8/10 and I'm feeling it! 7/10 - 230 (Start of preop diet) 7/13 - 224 (Surgery day) 7/21 - 217.8 (First follow-up) 8/10 - 212 (First fill) 8/17 - 208 % of weight loss since pre-op diet 9.5% % of weight loss since surgery 7.1% % of weight loss since last weigh-in 1.9% 8 pounds away from ONEderland!!!

Each doctor has their own guidelines, but mine recommends at least 60-80gms a day for women, I think 80-100 for men

Since my BMI was on the "lower" side, I only had to do a 3 day pre-op diet which consisted of medifast liquid products only. It was personally hell for me, can't imagine doing it for longer than that. If you want to do the full liquids before, more power to you. Just remember this is a marathon, not a race, and you WILL eventually get to goal. Good luck!

I love goals and rewards!! lol I have tons of them, really just excuses to buy and do things I want My first goal of reaching ONEderland, which I'm about 7-9 pounds away from, I'll be getting a breast cancer ribbon tattoo in honor of my mom on my wrist which I've been wanting for a while. her battle through breast cancer along with other family medical problems really opened my eyes to the path that I was on. When I'm halfway to goal, I want to get myself a tiffany's bracelet that I've been wanting but could never justify. When I reach goal, I'm taking a long vacation to somewhere tropical...can't decide between bahamas, aruba, or jamaica. I can't wait for this one!! Other things along the way or at goal, I want to buy myself a sweet expensive pair of designer jeans because, well, why not? Would love to do a pinup photo shoot. Skydive. The list just goes on and on

Barbara, It's natural to feel unsure when you're making such a life changing decision. Do not go through with any surgery unless you feel good about it. These concerns about the lifespan of the band, etc are legitimate - ask your doctor about them. I would speak with your doctor about the 2 surgeries and work out your pros/cons with each of them. Ask about how each would effect your hypothyroidism, if at all. As one poster had mentioned, the sleeve is also a WLS option. Have you researched the 2 surgeries very thoroughly? Each surgery should help you lose weight, but they really cater to different types of eaters. Are large portions your problem? Sugary foods? Think about what type of eater you are. I ate pretty healthy stuff, just had problems controlling my portions, and that's one of the reasons why I chose lap band. I also had concerns about the band lasting a lifetime but decided that I would cross that bridge when it came, and right now I needed to focus on getting healthy. Even though this is a lap band forum, you'll actually find lots of people who are in support of the RIGHT weight loss surgery, not just lap band. There are also people who started with the band and converted to RNY. Search this forum, soak up all the knowledge you can, speak with your doctor and think things over in your mind until you feel good about it.

Count me in! I also like the idea of a living with the band challenge versus pounds

Hopeful what type of foods are you eating? I've had only one fill - I'm not at my sweet spot but I feel like I'm only another fill away. I can eat 1/2 cup of greek yogurt with 1tbsp pb in the morning and it will last me for about 4 hours. I try to eat meals only, and snack on a high protein snack only when necessary. I can't imagine being so tight that I PB after each meal or can only eat a few bites of food.

Welcome Rissa! You've come to a great site...lots of helpful information and nearly unlimited resources!

Hello! I have never been pregnant, but I will say that my doctor strongly recommended that I wait at least 18 months after being banded before getting pregnant.

I would agree with ParrotHead. Some types of "funky breath" can mean your body is in a state of ketosis. Definitely call your doc even if your appointment is Wednesday just to play safe.

I feel like a broken record because I say this so much. My favorite protein source right now is plain 0% fat greek yogurt - it's not high in calories, has no fat, super low in carbs and 5 oz has 15g protein. By itself, it tastes like sour cream so I use it as a sour cream substitute and dip chicken, etc in it. My fav way to eat it is 5oz with 1 or 2 tbsp peanut butter mixed in...it tastes delicious! I have that for breakfast every morning, and if I need a snack I eat it then as well. You can also mix in splenda, fruit, etc and it takes on that flavor. Last night I mixed in the ranch dip powder to make ranch dip and had veggies with it.

I agree, you've done amazing so far! You sacrificed and was blessed with a healthy son. You may have gained but it was for a legitimate reason! You've been at goal once so you KNOW you can do it. Just get back into the right mind frame and try to remember how great it was to be at goal!

steve Welcome and congrats on your loss thus far! Didn't they weigh you the day of surgery?

Hey Rebecca! I'm not a larger bandster, but thought I'd share a link you may find helpful. There is a specific forum on this site for bandsters that have BMIs over 50 and that have 100+ pounds or 200+ pounds to lose. As far as feeling like the biggest person in your group, I can indirectly relate as I often felt like the smallest person pre-op. We tend to judge each other based on these things even in support groups, which sucks! That's awesome that you're going to support groups though, and you've found an amazing resource by being on this site. Good luck to you!!!

Breeezie, Thanks so much for sharing your story. That was great to read. I'm glad you're back on the right track now. Let us know what the scale says!

How many calories are you taking in during a day? If you aren't getting enough calories, your body may be in starvation mode and holding onto every calorie. Or you may not be taking enough calories if you are really doing vigorous exercise 5x a week. Are you doing your part? Really exercising? Eating right? Even if you can eat a large amount of food, are you making the right choices? And even though you don't have the best restriction right now, this is where your willpower comes in and you need to control your portions. You need to do your job so the band can do it's job...it's a partnership. Good luck to you!

Just so you know, an endoscopy isn't actually surgery where they cut you open. They usually put a tube down your throat which gives the doc a picture of your stomach. You're under conscious sedation, which is where they make you all loopy so you hopefully won't remember but they don't knock you out to where you need a breathing tube.

Susan had some great suggestions. When you go I'd have them completely unfill first to make sure there isn't a major leak. Are you eating the right things, even if you can eat a larger amount? Are you exercising? Journaling/tracking intake? You need to make sure you are doing your job or else the band won't be able to do it's job. Also you shouldn't be embarrassed to go to the doctor - suck it up and do what you need to do to get back on track. They can't help you if you don't help yourself. And perhaps you should go into therapy as well. I recommend it for almost all WLS patients, but especially if you are having problems, aren't eating, not exercising etc a therapist will hopefully be able to help you through your problems. Good luck!

By the third night of trying to sleep on my back with pillows on my side to fake myself into thinking I was on my side, I finally just gave in and sucked it up and slept on my side.

Scott - sounds like you've got the right attitude by not stepping on the scale! This is you're body's time to heal. Then when you do step on the scale, you'll be so surprised!

Bek, you can tell such a difference in your face!!! My headshot is a "during" picture, the rest are my before/during comparisons