stateofzen

Yes, I had them and it freaked me out. One of them the doc pulled out. The other one was so tiny that the incision sort of healed over it-- I still have a tiny bump where I can feel the tip of that string and I'm almost 8 months out. I'll tell you, my surgeon wasn't concerned at all.

Name, real or screen~ Stateofzen Age~ 35 Weight on May1st~ 183.8 Goal Weight for May 29th~ 175 Exercise Goal for May~ Dietary Goal for May~ back to basics, no fast food Personal Goal for May~ Date Banded~ 9-17-2010 Total Weight Loss Since Banding~ 80 since surgery day, 109 total

Awesome!

If you have a high protein diet, it may be that.

I've been mainlining Ny-Quil type liquid medicine for the past couple of days-- it has tylenol, which is the ok pain reliever but I'm mostly taking it for the cough suppression.

It's definitely hard to figure out what to do when you hear 10 different things from 10 different people This is something like what my diet looks like now that I'm totally healed (and it's normal for you not to be able to imagine eating this much considering you're so close to surgery-- you probably couldn't!): Breakfast: 2 cups of coffee, followed 1/2 hour later with a Zone Perfect Protein Bar Lunch: salad with chicken and cheese, or leftovers of some kind: today I'll be having about 3/4 cup of leftover fajita chicken (chicken with onions and peppers) topped with a dab of sour cream Snack: somedays-- not every day-- but if I am hungry late afternoon I will have a couple of ounces of hard cheese or maybe some low carb crackers with hummus Dinner: protein and veggies-- for example, 4 turkey meatballs with marinara sauce, or a piece of fish or 3 oz of steak with a side of steamed veggies. Sometimes I have a quesadilla made with one whole wheat tortilla, cheese, and shrimp folded in half (usually I can't eat the whole thing though) Right now, though, you're probably fine! You are still healing and figuring things out and your body will catch up to you eventually.

The 1/2 cup of food thing-- that's not how most people with the band eat, as far as I can tell. It's a number that gets thrown around a lot-- but it's because that is 4oz by volume and I'd say most people eat 4 oz by weight (which is not half a cup). So 4 oz of chicken isn't whatever you can mash up to fit into a half-cup measuring cup. It's 4 oz by weight of chicken. I probably eat up to a cup (in volume) of food most meals and I've been losing above the expected weight per month. Edited to add: Your doctor is going to give you a "one size fits all, most restrictive possible" program to follow. But the fact is, you're going to have to figure out what you can do that's safe but also that allows you to lose weight but live your life. This is completely opinion-- but I think that people who have the most struggle with the band are people who have been told they shouldn't be able to eat more than 1/2 cup of food, 3x a day, and that amount should make them full. Because those are the bandsters who search for such tight restriction to force that 1/2 cup issue that they are way way too tight and develop problems like acid reflux and an inability to eat healthy solid foods.

I have never seen a piece of science that says an unfilled band is dangerous. There are several people on here who have never had a fill and lost a bunch of weight (there was a thread not too long ago- you could try a search). For some people, the band itself provides hunger control. For others, it takes a very small fill amount. Still others need much more. It's hard to predict where any individual will fall. So far, I'm getting by with very little in my band, but I do have somewhere around 2cc's in a 10cc band.

Pamela, you're right where a lot of people are-- no need to worry! You are still on a liquid diet, so of course your calories are too low. That's why you aren't losing, and it's completely normal. I stalled out for 3 weeks after my surgery eating practically nothing. The body is healing, and it's freaking out that you aren't feeding it, and it's holding onto calories. It will not stay that way forever. Keep following your doctor's orders. Eventually you will be able to eat more than 1/2 cup at a time -- which will mean you'll get in some solid Protein and veggies and you'll start losing. But right now, you're doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing. My suggestion is that you stay off the scale. Concentrate on following the rules, learning a new lifestyle, etc. The pounds will come off but it takes a while and sometimes our bodies work in very mysterious and unpredictable ways. Don't unnecessarily discourage yourself when there is no need for it.

This is usually my cue that I have eaten too much. Like right now (ugh).

I'm sure it's harmless, actually, but that doesn't mean I don't think it's creepy that someone who didn't have the time of day for me when I was fat is suddenly falling all over himself to compliment my appearance every single time I see him. Once was really nice. But seriously, it's just weird now!

I eat pizza about once a month-- thin crust. At 180-210 calories a slice (for my preferred kinds), it fits quite well in a balanced low-calorie diet (though it doesn't fit in a low-carb diet very well unfortunately). I don't have very much fill, so it doesn't give me any problems. You may or may not be able to tolerate it.

I do a lot of TJMaxx, Ross, etc. We have an outlet place where I live, so I also do Gap and banana Republic outlets. Finally, the clearance racks at Belk's and Macy's can be amazing-- the last time I shopped at Belks I got a shirt, a Michael Kors sweater, and a Sophia Maxx dress for $21 total. The thrift store is a good option-- though I have to admit I stopped at ours yesterday, bought 3 pairs of shorts and two pairs of jeans, and when I got them home only one pair of shorts fit me (everything else is too small). It sucks if you can't try things on, but I guess I have some stuff to grow down into now.

You should be fine. When I drink wine, I do so with dinner (in other words, I don't follow the no liquids with meals rule, but ONLY with wine). This seems to work for me just fine- you'll have to try and see if it gives you any problems. And of course, count the calories

I highly doubt it's band related. The band is actually fairly high in your chest.

I don't have any problems. i don't keep my band tight though.

So I'm definitely enjoying the comments from people about how good I look, don't get me wrong. BUT. I have worked at my current place of employment for 5 years. For 5 years, a male coworker (significantly older than me, and married) hasn't really interacted with me much at all. We don't work in the same building and usually we only run into one another about once a month for meetings. So a couple of weeks ago, he sees me and starts gushing about my weight loss and actually asked me HOW MUCH in lbs I had lost. I decided I was proud of it, and told him. The next week, he asked me what I was doing on Friday night. Luckily I had plans, because I have no idea what was going to come out of his mouth. Probably an invitation for socialization with his wife/department, but still-- I've worked with him for 5 years and he's NEVER been interested in my weekend plans before. Then I see him when I'm walking between buildings today and he stops and comes up, and whispers in my ear "hi skinny!" while I'm talking to someone else. I realize that this is most likely his way of being complimentary. But I have to admit, it's starting to creep me out.

Nope, not unless you want it to be The thing i love about the band is that it lets me enjoy holidays-- but at a reasonable amount. Take a bite or two of everything you love, enjoy it, and you'll stop before you get so stuffed you have to take a nap.

Good for you for sticking with it and staying optimistic. I'm glad that you've finally had some payoff for all of your hard work.

Breakfast: egg, half-sausage, cheese Lunch: 1/2 reuben sandwich on rye, teaspoon of hummus Dinner: 3 oz steak, steamed veggies Snack: Blueberry Pomegranate trail mix crunch (nuts and dried fruit)

Amen. Today I went out to lunch and I ordered a reuben sandwich on rye. I ate half. It was so good. I looked at that second half, wanting to keep going (I haven't had a sandwich since surgery 7 months ago!) But then I asked myself if I was hungry, and the answer was not.at.all. Was I stuffed? Absolutely not. But I didn't need to eat more, so I didn't and I'm definitely not hungry. It's a hard learning process and I'm still struggling with it.

Oh my gosh, yes. I spend way more time on my appearance than I ever did before. I put makeup on fairly regularly now and I have a closet full of really nice clothes. I worry much more now about having "fat days" than I did when I was 100 lbs more than I am now. It's bizarre

I've never been stuck. It isn't inevitable, though it could be I'm a rarity.

If you're losing, then you aren't eating too much IMO If you're stalled, then maybe the volume in lunch was more than you needed but if you're losing on that amount then it is just right! I eat more in volume than a lot of people on here do and I've been losing steadily so I'm not worried about being "wrong". And the nice thing is, when I stall, cutting back on my food amount will be easy to do

First, I think you should take your time deciding. This is something that you don't have to do today, or tomorrow, so make sure you're 90% confident in your decision before you do it (there is always some doubt, even in the highly motivated- that's normal). I don't know if, at 23, I would have been motivated to succeed in the same way that I am now. My life was just very different then-- going out with friends was a much bigger portion of my lifestyle than it is now. That said, I know reverie is a young and successful bandster so you may be more like her than me To address some of your points: Fills-- unless you are truly phobic of needles, I seriously wouldn't worry about it. My doc uses a numbing something or other and the needle feels like pressure- no pain for me at all. I just don't look at it and it doesn't bother me Some people have issues with finding the port, so I know that the experience CAN be worse for some people, however, the no-pain/no-problem fill experience seems to be more common. Band Slippage-- yep, that's scary. But it happens in 5% of cases and it does seem to be associated with band abuse; either being too tight and thus vomiting a lot, or perhaps with continued over-eating after band placement (I'm a little less sure about that one). It could happen. But it's against the odds. Carbonated beverages-- this is the thing I was most upset about pre-surgery. Post-surgery-- it is seriously no big deal. Look, I used to have a major Diet DP addiction and I LOVE beer. But, weighed against obesity, it was no contest. Giving it up ended up being a total piece of cake. I'm really surprised now about how much I cared before. However, that said, I'm 35 and my drinking is almost entirely about taste and enjoyment and is not as much about socializing and social lubricant as it was when I was in my twenties. Not that there is anything wrong with that! But it would have been mentally harder for me then, I do think. Now I drink wine and some liquor (mostly wine). Since wine is my favorite alcoholic beverage anyway, this worked out for me. Not Being Able to Eat Certain Foods-- This one seems to vary greatly. The tighter the band (in general), the more this is an issue. My band is not tight-- it is just enough to allow me to have less hunger and hunger satiation with smaller portions of food but it doesn't STOP me from eating. I can still overeat if I don't put my fork down. So I do have to exercise some self-control, but in trade, I can eat pretty much everything. I've never been stuck. I've never PB'ed, slimed, or vomited. And here's hoping I never do! Excess Skin-- You're young. I bet this would mostly take care of itself. In any case, to me, it's no less attractive than fat and you can hide skin with clothes. I don't love the excess skin. But, it's 1000 times better than where I was before. Failing-- This is where dedication comes in. This is where education about what you TRULY can expect and not expect from the band comes in. This is where educating yourself on what you will have to bring to the table comes in. There are some people who the band doesn't work for. There are more people who don't work the band, and there are the most people who significantly reduce their excess weight and become healthier. I will tell you, though, that 40-60% of excess weight lost is the average. My surgeon was very clear during the education process that if you were going into this expecting to be skinny at the end, you were setting yourself up for disappointment. The odds are, you will not lose all of the weight you want to. The odds are, you might even still be overweight when all is said and done. You should be aware of that, and be ready to accept it as a possibility should you go through with WLS of ANY kind. That said, just as there are some people who don't lose anything, there are some people who lose everything. It's probably a combination of luck and motivation. I've beaten the odds so far-- I've lost 73% of my excess weight and I'm still losing, but I don't know if I'll make it to my goal of "normal BMI". We'll see! But I do believe that I've been pretty lucky because 2 small fills have gotten me to my sweet spot, my body is cooperating me despite my copious wine consumption and relative lack of exercise to this point, and I haven't had complications to struggle with.