Charlif761

OK so I was banded in March and have been losing weight much more slowly than I wanted. But, what I HAVE been losing is my darned ENERGY and SLEEP!!! I also have found myself hazy and distracted..more than the usual stuff I can attribute to being a blonde! :-) Anyway, a friend started giving me some supplements. I have been taking Winrgy, and food for Thought for mental clarity and endurance during the day (something I need with a 50-60 hour work week!) and Sleep-Tite to help me stay asleep. Many am I going like crazy during the day and sleeping like the dickens at night!! I highly recommend that you try these products if you are having these problems. Next I am going to try to use the sport products..They are approved for use by Olympic athletes and all the supplements are in the PDR (Physicians Desk Reference), so they have to be safe and effective. The link to the site where I order is under my signature. Shipping is free and they have a 30 day money back guarantee. I figure anything that makes me feel better while I am on this LONG journey to SDkinnyville is worth it, so I thought I would share. If you use this link, click on SHOP in the upper right hand corner to read about allthe products and order. I also love, love, love the skincare!!

This is the second time today you have posted right behind me...are you following me? :eyebrows: haha THanks for the words of advise. I am NOT sticking to a certain calorie diet or living off any particular foods. I try to mix it up as I always have....But, have stopped eacting certain foods completely and others in moderation. My surgeon said he would like to have seen me lose more weight up to this point, which makes me think I am not going along as I should... I do feel better and I see results in my clothes. I just feel like maybe I haven't yet reached restriction. Somehow I think eating should be a little more "difficult"than it is now. I really need to use fitday. I wantt o start doing that. But, to be totally honest, I have such a busy job that I often forget to even go to the bathroom until my bladder is about to rupture! I said I was going to put me first after surgery, and I guess I have lied to myself. I need to reorganize my prioritites!! Thanks for giving me some things to think about. I still would like to know what it feels like to hit the sweet spot.... Maybe I need to settle for knowing what it feels like to find real love. lol! Char

OK. I admit it..this question has been asked in other ways, and I have read through all the posts, but I am still confused.... I have had 2 fills in my 14cc band, and am not sure if I need another..But I think I do. I have experienced PBing 2-3 times...MY FAULT entirely. Too big a bite of food!!! But, for the most part, I can eat whwtever I want, whenever I want, and I don;t feel full most of the time. Ocassionally, I DO feel full, and can't eat much, but it seems- according to what I have read here- that there are times when you might feel more restriction than usual. Should I go and have anothre fill so I can experience restriction all the time? I am losing really slow- 16-18 pounds in three months. This whole idea of a sweet spot and understanding how it feels is a lot like that question... "How do you know when you are really in love'?" My answer to that NOW is simple...you JUST KNOW! But, easy to answer when you have found it! Is the whole sweet spot thing the same thing..Do you "just know"when you have found it? I am going crazy trying to figure out what I should do next.... HELP!!!! :help:

Thank God I am not alone! I have been feeling likea big fat (no pun intended) failure! I was banded on March 16, and I am fluctuating between 16-18 pound lost and don't seem to be budging! This cannot be normal! I would love to have the support of some of you guys!!! Anyone else here banded about the same time? Char:help:

Hi. I got my lap band in March...in Europe (Belgium.) I had the AP14 "installed". The port size is the same no matter which band you choose, as far as I know. I looked at about 4-5 different band sizes and never saw any difference in the size of the port. But, don't worry about it. It REALLY isn't an issue. You will feel compelled to feel around for it for a few weeks, and may have som twinges as it settle. Ten, for the most part, you will forget all about it! GOOD LUCK!!!

Hi guys..I weighed this morning and am down FOUR KILOS...that is about 9 pounds in a week. How CAN that be? I am drinking like crazy, so it isn't Water weight..... I also had the waterproof bandages removed and am only left with the "ductape" holding my incisions closed... I can see the edge of the port scar, and if it is ANY indicator, this surgeon has magic hands... It looks smooth and FLAT! And, I keloid!!!

AYYY CARUMBA!!!! To heck with the bravery of posting your pics! After that kind of surgery, I imagine ANYTHING is a walk in the park. Hats off for being able to look at these pics and step outside yourself. I am panicked at the thought of having my steri strips removed and seeing the little incisions from my Lap Band!! I guess I am a wussy!!! lol Congrats on your new and improved bod!! A speedy recovery to you!! Charlotte

OK, I am five days post op, in Band It Land, and I am freaking out over those photos! I am now going to spend months wondering if every pang is the start of slippage..... It's like a really bad car accident you pass on the highway...somehow you feel DRAWN to look..then after you see the head lying ten feet from the rest of it's former owner, you wish you had just kept driving... Can you calm these fears, Dr. C? DO most of us have the possibility of having gruesome "post slippage" photos appearing on a website in the future? I spent 8 months researching this option, and never once second guessed my decision...Maybe t's the pain... :-) HELP!

My dietician told me that bread was a no-no, but I could probably eat it if toasted well. The reason is simple...."raw" bread turns into balls that won't pass through your stoma. The toasted bread can be chewed into fin crumbs and swalloed easily. Anyone know if this is true? My hubby just bought me a toaster as a post surgery gift.... :-) Char

Hey all. I amsupposed to be on the liquid stage for the next three weeks. Believe me, it does NOT have to be boring. Tonight, I made potato soup: 1 Tbs butter melted ina saucepan. 1 1/2 tbs flour blended in to make a roux 2 cups of skim milk salt and pepper to taste Onion powder 2 small potatos diceld finely. I added all of the above to the "roux" and let it cook until the potatos were tender. stir frequently adn cook on lowest heat or the bottom will burn. After it's done, put in a blender of bullet and blend till smooth. Delicious and filling. You can even add protein powder if you wish. Just be careful not to blend when the liquid is too hot. Tomorrow, I am going to cook some spinich, paprika (red bell peppers) and tomatoes in broth, with some seasonings and whir that in a blender. i might even add some coconut milk and lemongrass for something a little Thai. You are only limited by your imagination!! I hope you guys will share some of your unique recipes. I am not hungry at all. I am just finding that I am bored and wanting to eat because that is what I have always done. But, I won't. At about 9, an hour before bed, I will mix a bit of skim milk, strawberries and protein pwder for a SMALL bedtime snack, and then have nothing but water till tomorrow. Night all!

Hey BIKER...glad I could give you a yummy recipe. i am drinking tons of soup today, mainly because it makes me feel better to have something warm inside. I had my hubby by sour cream and cottage cheese, and i am blending this into every kind of soup I eat. It just gives me a bit of a reprieve from plain 'ol soup. Hubby went shopping today and brought me a toaster home!!! Awwww. I tol dhim I couldn't wait to have toast with a little jam or a tiny bit of butter. So, he has the toaster all ready and waiting. I had my lortab at 8:30 am and nothing since...is now 5pm. I am still not sore, just a little uncomfortable, so I think I will take another painkiller. I am still VERY bloated. We are sup[osed to go on a beach walk with our Boxer club tomorrow. But, I think I am opting out...even the thought of seeing 30-40 Boxers tromping up and down the sea coast and playing in the water isn't enough to make me go out yet. I did vacuum one floor of my house and mop, but I think I overdid it because I was feeling good. Three days post-op is probably too soon to be acting "normal'!! TAMMY- Welcome to Bandland. I hope you recover as quickly as I seem to be!! Char

Hi all: three days post surgery, and i am feeling much better already. I even think I might blowdry my hair after washing AND put on makeup!!! I am sur emy DH will be very happy to see me looking like his wife again!! So far, the worst is trying sleep. I tried to lie on my side, but don't feel like that is a good position, asi am afraid I am pulling at my stitches. So, I have to sleep on my back, and after about 6-7 hours, my back is aching like heck. I have tried the recliner, and that doesn't help. But, being up and moving is better for me anyway. I am taking my Lortab, mostly for discomfort, and not for pain. This morning, I had my first non water based drink... Yummy Fatfree milk, 4 big strawberries, vanilla protein powder, and a drop of vanilla flavoring...blended in my bullet. Delicious!! I would just as soon eat this as ice cream!! I am not having ny major problems, and still no pain in my shoulders...the gas still seems to be around my midsectio. I am curious if I can wear ANY clothes, because I am so bloated. RowdyReptile..Yes, peeing take awhile.... :-) Char

Hi Silly Willy.. I too had a not so positive first experience when I began posting here....but, as you can see, it isn't because there are bad people here..just lots of posts and sometimes we get missed. Congrats on finding out that your heart issue wasn't so serious (I have mitral valve prolapse, which was discovered many years ago.) I just had surgery 3 days ago and everything was great. You can and WILL do this. Good luck to you!!

Hi Tracy... You do indeed have this point. You arem't looking for a vein...the tendons are in the midline (center) of the underside of your arm. Bend your palm toward your face and the tenson will slacken so you can feel it better. It feels like two threads or strings running under the skin. You don;t have to push hard...just 10-15 secs on either side a few times...you will feel your nausea go away....promise. :-) FUR ELLIE: I have ben mixing my Lortab in a litle water adn crystallight then stirring till it dissolves. The Crystal light helps mask the taste if you put enough in!! MS JEN: DO not get discouraged. Your time will come!!!!! Hi Brandi!: My banding sister. I also was banded on the 14th. My absomen is so bloated I feel pregnant! I think all the gas stayed here instead of traveling upward. I also remember nothing except some of the recovery room!! Hope you are soon feeling better. I am on a clear liquid diet, but "cheated". I added an egg to my chicken broth and swished around for eggdrop soup. I just HAD to have some protein. My hair is already falling out!! How is everyone else out there??

Hey guys: Two things that might help you; If you are experiencing gas...I am..LOTS!! Try the GasX strips. the cinnamon ones seem almost decadent..and work really well!! I ordered them from the States adn wish I had gotten more of them!!! Second, I am a licensed acupuncturist, and have found nausea not to be a proble, when utilizing pressure points... here's a help for you guys: Take your middle three fingers (pointer, middle and ring), Lay the ring finger on the crease of your wrist (palm side up). where the pointer finger ends on the inside of your wrist, note... then feel for the tendon there...you will feel two separate "threads"...place your finger in between the tendon at the level you previously noted and press. Do the same thing on the other wrist. This point is known as P6 or Pericardium 6. It is "magic" for ending that queasy feeling. Hope this helps.... By the way, I am now a full two days and a few hours past surgery. Mostly I am not hungry, but I am recognizing that pain, boredom and frustration are definitely food triggers for me!!! But, I am holding strong and sticking to the rules. I hope everyone else that was recently banded is doing ok. char