thebandinmarie

I've past the 40 lb lost mark and I'm now down 45 lbs! Very happy about this accomplishment. I feel great, more energy than ever before and I'm a lot more active than ever before as well. I did have a bit of a slow down last month due to the nasty cold I caught. I didn't work out for a good 3 weeks. I felt awful during that time. I felt useless, plus I ate a little more than usual. i haven't fallen off the wagon with eating better foods for me though. I ate more of what I would normally eat. For example, I would get seconds of oatmeal or a little more salmon than normal. Still, those are added fat and calories I shouldn't be adding to my diet. I was sick, and for some reason it made me more hungry. I'm pretty sure I'm due for another fill. Have had 2 so far, and I will be going back in this week for my 3rd. That should set my diet back on track. I'm proud to say that since my cold/flu have gone away, I've gone back to working out. I've even upped it from 4 days a week to 5 days plus I walk on the weekends. I am also taking a Zumba class. If you don't know what it is, it's a cross between salsa and hip hop dancing. It's a lot of fun and it really makes you sweat! I reccommend for all to take this! You can go at any age or fitness level because you can move at your own pace. That's the latest....

I've past the 40 lb lost mark and I'm now down 45 lbs! Very happy about this accomplishment. I feel great, more energy than ever before and I'm a lot more active than ever before as well. I did have a bit of a slow down last month due to the nasty cold I caught. I didn't work out for a good 3 weeks. I felt awful during that time. I felt useless, plus I ate a little more than usual. i haven't fallen off the wagon with eating better foods for me though. I ate more of what I would normally eat. For example, I would get seconds of oatmeal or a little more salmon than normal. Still, those are added fat and calories I shouldn't be adding to my diet. I was sick, and for some reason it made me more hungry. I'm pretty sure I'm due for another fill. Have had 2 so far, and I will be going back in this week for my 3rd. That should set my diet back on track. I'm proud to say that since my cold/flu have gone away, I've gone back to working out. I've even upped it from 4 days a week to 5 days plus I walk on the weekends. I am also taking a Zumba class. If you don't know what it is, it's a cross between salsa and hip hop dancing. It's a lot of fun and it really makes you sweat! I reccommend for all to take this! You can go at any age or fitness level because you can move at your own pace. That's the latest....

I'm sure it means that you are considered a good candidate by their standards. I don't think it has anything to do with your insurance. It's probably in the process though. Good luck!

it really depends on the size of the pill. Multivitamins and calcium supplements are often pretty big so I cut them in half and I'll swallow each half but I wait a few minutes in between. Allergy pills are smaller so they should be fine to swallow whole.

I don't have a problem with eating bread at all, except that I haven't wanted to eat too much of it. I am usually too full to eat both pieces of bread, if eating a sandwhich or if I eat a turkey burger, I usually don't eat the top bun because I know I would be too full.

you are awesome! I can't wait to lose 2 sacks of potatoes!

great job!

I had my 2nd follow-up with my doctor yesterday and he is very proud of my weightloss so far! Nice! The other day, I sat down and turned a certain way when all of the sudden I felt a sharp but very quick ripping sensation in my port area. It was sore for the rest of the evening and from that point on, when I bend over a certain way or lay on my right side, I can feel the pain all over again. It's a slight burning feeling, similar to how I felt right after my surgery but not as extreme. Anyway, I was so scared that I flipped it or tilted it, or damaged it someway so I called the nurse. She said that I should see my doctor if I'm in a lot of pain or if I'm really that worried about it. Otherwise, she said it doesn't sound like it's anything to be alarmed about. She said I must have torn a scar tissue which can happen since I'm still healing from all of the stitches they had done. I wasn't in enough pain to come in, plus my follow-up appointment was just a week away. So I told her that if the pain worsens or if that area swells up, I will come right in. None of that happened, it was just the occassional pain when I moved a certain way, as I mentioned earlier. So my doctor examined my port, he said it looks fine and it felt OK. He said that I probably tore one of the stitches which had pulled from my muscle, so that is why I'm sore. He said it could take a few months for me to be completely healed but the good news is, my port has not flipped. In fact, they said in order for me to flip my port or even tilt it, would mean all four of my very strong hold stitches would be detached then would have to manage to flip on it's own. I would be in even more pain and my doctor wouldn't have been able to find my port to give me another fill. Which he did, by the way. I got another fill yesterday which was a much needed one. I was starting to get hungry, he said it happens as I lose the weight I will need further adjustment. All good in my hood and very happy that there are answers to my questions. Which brings me to this, when in doubt, ask your doctor and don't guess or rely on this forum! This forum is SO helpful and very informative and fantastic for support BUT, each person's situation is different and each doctor's method is different. We should not self-diagnose and freak ourselves out by comparing ourselves to what others have gone through. Make sure to see your doctor right away or at the very least, talk to him over the phone if you have any questions. It might be something so simple and there would have been no need to freak out.

I had my 2nd follow-up with my doctor yesterday and he is very proud of my weightloss so far! Nice! The other day, I sat down and turned a certain way when all of the sudden I felt a sharp but very quick ripping sensation in my port area. It was sore for the rest of the evening and from that point on, when I bend over a certain way or lay on my right side, I can feel the pain all over again. It's a slight burning feeling, similar to how I felt right after my surgery but not as extreme. Anyway, I was so scared that I flipped it or tilted it, or damaged it someway so I called the nurse. She said that I should see my doctor if I'm in a lot of pain or if I'm really that worried about it. Otherwise, she said it doesn't sound like it's anything to be alarmed about. She said I must have torn a scar tissue which can happen since I'm still healing from all of the stitches they had done. I wasn't in enough pain to come in, plus my follow-up appointment was just a week away. So I told her that if the pain worsens or if that area swells up, I will come right in. None of that happened, it was just the occassional pain when I moved a certain way, as I mentioned earlier. So my doctor examined my port, he said it looks fine and it felt OK. He said that I probably tore one of the stitches which had pulled from my muscle, so that is why I'm sore. He said it could take a few months for me to be completely healed but the good news is, my port has not flipped. In fact, they said in order for me to flip my port or even tilt it, would mean all four of my very strong hold stitches would be detached then would have to manage to flip on it's own. I would be in even more pain and my doctor wouldn't have been able to find my port to give me another fill. Which he did, by the way. I got another fill yesterday which was a much needed one. I was starting to get hungry, he said it happens as I lose the weight I will need further adjustment. All good in my hood and very happy that there are answers to my questions. Which brings me to this, when in doubt, ask your doctor and don't guess or rely on this forum! This forum is SO helpful and very informative and fantastic for support BUT, each person's situation is different and each doctor's method is different. We should not self-diagnose and freak ourselves out by comparing ourselves to what others have gone through. Make sure to see your doctor right away or at the very least, talk to him over the phone if you have any questions. It might be something so simple and there would have been no need to freak out.

Hi hon! I found that tracking my meals have helped me so much. You should keep at it until you start to memorize how many calories in a meal would be, so that you won't have to track anymore. Also, my breakfast and lunch is pretty consistent, so that helps me gauge how much I should have for dinner. Don't feel discouraged, at least you didn't gain right? It's great that you are working out for an hour, you must be loosing inches!

what are the syptoms of a flipped port?

SanDiegoUbermom - what happened when you had that pinching sensation 3 years ago? I have that pinching sensation as well and it's near where my port is. It doesn't happen all the time, usually happens when I'm sitting. Thanks!

Long time no blog. Things have been going great. I am going to the gym 4x a week for about an hour a day and I walk 2 miles per day, 3x per week. I am still consuming about 1200 calories per day, haven't cheated with bad foods but I have eaten more than I should on a couple of occassions. I thought after my first fill I would start eating less but by dinner time, I'm ready to eat a regular sized meal. Of course it's a lot less than what I have eaten in the past, but after reading the thousand and thousands of post on this forum, I thought I'd be eating much less for dinner than what I've been. Still, my diet is not too bad considering I'm still sticking with 1200 calories per day. I am hungry in the morning and at lunch, but I can stop eating pretty easily. For breakfast, I normally have cream of wheat and some banana. I've eaten oatmeal with bananas too. Or I will have one half of english muffin with 2 egg white scrambled. For lunch, I would have about 3 oz of grilled salmon and maybe 3 bites of brown rice and however much bok choy I can eat. I've also eaten 1/2 of a turkey sandwich for lunch which has turkey, tomato and lettuce only and sometimes pickles. Come dinner time, I'm famished! I'll eat some chicken and rice but my portions are still big. Again, it's smaller than what I've eaten before being banded, but I think it's too big for someone with a band. Anyway, my next fill is not until next month, hopefully my appetite will change a bit after. My progress is excellent so not too much of a complaint, I'm just worried that one of these days I will get something stuck since I have yet to experience that . I went to a support group the other day and I think it's wonderful that there are such groups. It's nice to meet other people with the band and to see how successful it's been for them. It's inspiring and I hope one day I can speak at these support groups and tell my success story! Some day.... I posted some pictures with the latest being at 27 lbs lost. I'm proud to announce that I have passed the 30 lbs mark and have lost a total of 32 lbs so far. I love it! It's great feeling to have lost weight, it's a great feeling to breathe easier and to get a period for 2 months in a row! The up and the down side is that I need new clothes. I'm practically swimming in some of my pants, so I definitely need to get some new ones and a belt!

Long time no blog. Things have been going great. I am going to the gym 4x a week for about an hour a day and I walk 2 miles per day, 3x per week. I am still consuming about 1200 calories per day, haven't cheated with bad foods but I have eaten more than I should on a couple of occassions. I thought after my first fill I would start eating less but by dinner time, I'm ready to eat a regular sized meal. Of course it's a lot less than what I have eaten in the past, but after reading the thousand and thousands of post on this forum, I thought I'd be eating much less for dinner than what I've been. Still, my diet is not too bad considering I'm still sticking with 1200 calories per day. I am hungry in the morning and at lunch, but I can stop eating pretty easily. For breakfast, I normally have cream of wheat and some banana. I've eaten oatmeal with bananas too. Or I will have one half of english muffin with 2 egg white scrambled. For lunch, I would have about 3 oz of grilled salmon and maybe 3 bites of brown rice and however much bok choy I can eat. I've also eaten 1/2 of a turkey sandwich for lunch which has turkey, tomato and lettuce only and sometimes pickles. Come dinner time, I'm famished! I'll eat some chicken and rice but my portions are still big. Again, it's smaller than what I've eaten before being banded, but I think it's too big for someone with a band. Anyway, my next fill is not until next month, hopefully my appetite will change a bit after. My progress is excellent so not too much of a complaint, I'm just worried that one of these days I will get something stuck since I have yet to experience that . I went to a support group the other day and I think it's wonderful that there are such groups. It's nice to meet other people with the band and to see how successful it's been for them. It's inspiring and I hope one day I can speak at these support groups and tell my success story! Some day.... I posted some pictures with the latest being at 27 lbs lost. I'm proud to announce that I have passed the 30 lbs mark and have lost a total of 32 lbs so far. I love it! It's great feeling to have lost weight, it's a great feeling to breathe easier and to get a period for 2 months in a row! The up and the down side is that I need new clothes. I'm practically swimming in some of my pants, so I definitely need to get some new ones and a belt!

Awesome!! I'm so jealous. I can't wait to be there too. Soon

I'm 5 weeks postop and have been just a tad bit hungry. Nothing unmanageable but I did feel the difference in between meals, and even more right before a meal my stomach would growl like crazy! It's quite embarassing sometimes. LOL Like I said though, it's nothing I can't manage but it was a little uncomfortable. I've also continued to walk every night for 45 minutes or more. On weekends, Imake it a point to get out of the house and just keep moving. My girlfriends were visiting last weekend and we went EVERYWHERE! We sunbathed, walked, shopped, sight seeing, etc. I think I burned at least 500 - 800 calories with just walking last weekend. Fun and tiring but am very proud to keep moving like that! BTW, I took my friends to Katsuya in LA and ran into McDream himself - Patrick Dempsey. So dreamy for sure! I've kept my meals at under 1200 calories per day and even though I get hungry sometimes, I've been able to control myself and not snack. I'm very proud to be able to eat 3-good portioned, healthy meals per day. VERY proud of that. The greatest part of this month is how some people react to my transformation so far. It's a slight change, at least I think so, but for some people that don't see me everyday they think it's a major change. They commented on how small my face and neck are getting. I just wish my lower half would get even smaller though. I feel like my lower half needs to catch up! My boobs are shrinking but not my thighs.. In time... I saw my doctor yesterday for my post-op visit and he said I'm right on track. Nothing seem to bothering me right now, so it was a short visit. But, he did give me my first fill. What a weird sensation! When he injected the saline, it felt like butterflies were in my tummy. So strange! Anyway, I was to be on liquids for 12 hours and I can start eating normally again, but even smaller bites for a day or two, making sure I chew even longer than normal. I feel great today. My stomach didn't growl as loud as usual, so that's a good change. I'll be scheduling another appointment for next month, and I bet I will need a fill then too.

I'm 5 weeks postop and have been just a tad bit hungry. Nothing unmanageable but I did feel the difference in between meals, and even more right before a meal my stomach would growl like crazy! It's quite embarassing sometimes. LOL Like I said though, it's nothing I can't manage but it was a little uncomfortable. I've also continued to walk every night for 45 minutes or more. On weekends, Imake it a point to get out of the house and just keep moving. My girlfriends were visiting last weekend and we went EVERYWHERE! We sunbathed, walked, shopped, sight seeing, etc. I think I burned at least 500 - 800 calories with just walking last weekend. Fun and tiring but am very proud to keep moving like that! BTW, I took my friends to Katsuya in LA and ran into McDream himself - Patrick Dempsey. So dreamy for sure! I've kept my meals at under 1200 calories per day and even though I get hungry sometimes, I've been able to control myself and not snack. I'm very proud to be able to eat 3-good portioned, healthy meals per day. VERY proud of that. The greatest part of this month is how some people react to my transformation so far. It's a slight change, at least I think so, but for some people that don't see me everyday they think it's a major change. They commented on how small my face and neck are getting. I just wish my lower half would get even smaller though. I feel like my lower half needs to catch up! My boobs are shrinking but not my thighs.. In time... I saw my doctor yesterday for my post-op visit and he said I'm right on track. Nothing seem to bothering me right now, so it was a short visit. But, he did give me my first fill. What a weird sensation! When he injected the saline, it felt like butterflies were in my tummy. So strange! Anyway, I was to be on liquids for 12 hours and I can start eating normally again, but even smaller bites for a day or two, making sure I chew even longer than normal. I feel great today. My stomach didn't growl as loud as usual, so that's a good change. I'll be scheduling another appointment for next month, and I bet I will need a fill then too.

Hi there! I was banded on 6/17 as well and I have to admit, I'm a little hungry. Though, it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be. After reading about Bandster Hell, I was scared that I will never be satisfied until my 3rd of 4th fill. My nutritionist told me to eat up to 1200 calories, this was to start immediately during liquids and through the final stage of the healing process. So, I'm one month out, have lost 19-20 lbs (I'm in between), walking at least an hour a day and eating 3 meals totalling to 1200 calories per day *but eating the type of foods the I'm allowed off of the list the nutritionist gave me. I'm usually just very hungry right before I eat a meal, it's the waiting after drinking liquid that plays with my head I think but my stomach is growling! After eating my measured meal, I usually feel satisfied enough to wait until the next meal. I'm not sure if it's because of the band because I know that I don't have restriction YET or maybe I'm just scared to over eat. But I'm usually satisfied for a few hours. I usually have tea around 8am, eat breakfast at 9:00am, lunch around 1pm then dinner at 7:00pm. I like to keep it consistent, I'm hoping that will help with the hunger (and so far it has). Anyway, I know I have to endure the hunger pains for now and I keep going cos I know it will get better. My first appointment is tomorrow, not sure if I will get a fill but I'm hoping! Good luck!

Hi there - I was banded by Dr Billy just last month on 6/17 and I had a great experience. All of their exams and appointments were very thorough, they are very informative, he is really into follow-up appointments and keeping in touch with the center for support. I would reccommend him to a family member for sure. Feel free to message me if you want to talk about it some more. Good luck!

I'm 2 weeks post-op today! SO happy! I'm practically not a "newbie" anymore. Haha! I'm also starting mushies today, so that's even more exciting. I've already had tea this morning and some apple juice, so now I'm going to make some malt-o-meal and maybe a scrambled egg as well. Yay! I've been going on 20 minute walks this past week, I'm going to up it to 30-45 minutes daily! Hopefully, in 2 weeks I can add more to my workout regime!

I'm 2 weeks post-op today! SO happy! I'm practically not a "newbie" anymore. Haha! I'm also starting mushies today, so that's even more exciting. I've already had tea this morning and some apple juice, so now I'm going to make some malt-o-meal and maybe a scrambled egg as well. Yay! I've been going on 20 minute walks this past week, I'm going to up it to 30-45 minutes daily! Hopefully, in 2 weeks I can add more to my workout regime!

Hi there - I did a 2-day liquid diet before my surgery, but that was it. I didn't hop on the scale then to see if I lost any weight during those 2 days though.

You're doing great! And it's our bandiversary tomorrow too, yay for that!!