juliansmom2003

Yeah Cocoa! Woooohooooo!!! Betsy--glad Mark is home and resting during the wait. You are in my prayers!! Bob--holy wow! 100 lbs!!!! Congrats! What an inspiration!! Illuminationlady--Happy birthday to you!! Leigha-- thanks so much for all your help these past few days!! I feel a lot better and I'm noticing the restriction, now that I'm not expecting to be full after 4 bites! NSV for me today-- bought a dress months ago for gigs (I'm a singer part time) and it had a bit to go before I could zip it (two weeks ago). I have a gig tonight and thought I'd try it on and it fits!!!!! And I didn't need any Crisco on the zipper!!! I posted pics on my fb page for anyone who cares to look :-)!!

I sooo love the 5-day pouch test. It knocked me out of a 3-week plateau, definitely shrunk my pouch and made me curb my cravings. You will definitely feel a difference! I actually had sugar free vanilla pudding, a tbsp of cool whip and a scoop of chocolate Protein powder throughout days 1 and 2. It got me right!! Good luck!

OMG I've seen these infomercials and they scared the bejeeeezus out of me LOL! Please post a review next week--would love to know how intense it is! I am breaking down and buying the Ab Coaster. I am getting a ton of cardio in, but my belly is just ridiculous and the only thing right now keeping me from moving down to the next size..... I was thinking of trying hip hop abs too. It sounds like you recommend it LOL! Wow, 4 inches!!!! Good luck as you embark into Insanity !

Elfie-- congrats on the NSV! 35 pounds since your last visit--that's just awesome!!!!

YAAY, Cocoa!!!!! You go, girl!!! :frown:

YEAH, girl! That part I have figured out LOL, so glad to offer that advice, which makes up for all the eating advice you've been giving me!!! Woohoo!

Great job so far!!! Awesome that he gave you a "mother" of a fill LOL! I definitely would be very cautious going back to regular food when eating. Hope this one is "the one" for you :-)!

Wow, sorry you felt it inside! That's the worst! My doc also does fills under fluro and apparently, I am in the small percentage of people who get the dizziness, nausea and seeing stars too. They just lay me down right away in case I pass out. Apparently, they have had patients in the past with the same reaction that didn't say anything and boom! they just hit the floor.... After both my fills, I had to sit for about 20 minutes to make sure I was okay to drive because my body just has that reaction to the fills.... 6 ccs sounds like a lot for a first fill. My doc usually does 4 for the first. He started with 4 for my first, but it was too much so he took a little out, so my first was actually only 3.4 ccs. Everyone is different (and every doc is different as well in terms of being liberal or conservative with fills)--as long as you're able to keep fluids down with no problem and when you get back to solids, are able to eat (in smaller portions), I'd say you're well on your way to the sweet spot!

You are right Leigha. I have lost 39 lbs post op (17 was before surgery). We're all tracking basically the same, proving Leigha's point that we are all doing what works for us! Kudos, chicas;-)!!!

I think that's awesome!!!! Honestly, I have heard many people haven't really changed their eating too drastically, but the band helps them to eat less. I'm on the other end of the spectrum. I know I have been eating more than I should be for lunch and dinners, but it's all protein-rich type stuff (yogurt, Protein Powder in pudding, cheese sticks, LOTS of chicken....) Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about the weight loss, but I am worried I'm doing it the wrong way and my pouch is stretching. Or I could just be completely paranoid. Thanks to this whole board for listening to my himming and hawing this week. Going to go home and dance out my frustration on the Wii !

Thanks, Leigha. I'm just so frustrated right now because I'm getting in 90-100 grams of protein every day and still dealing with hunger. It's the worst. I just was so upset that I needed to eat a freaking cheese stick an hour after I had eaten a bowl of chili. Thank God I'm already 64 ounces of water in today :-(

Honestly, I did the 5-day pouch test and it seemed to work for me. I am seriously considering doing it again, as I felt a major difference and better yet, the two pounds I was gaining and losing for 3 weeks were lost forever!! Good luck, mominkansas! :blushing:

Hi there, banded on 10/21/09. Lost 17 pre-op, almost 40 post-op with 25 to go until goal. I have 4.2 ccs in a 14 cc band. Doc says I'm restricted--in the mornings I believe him. At lunch and dinner time, I beg to differ, as I am still starving after 6 to 8 ounces. I can't complain about the weight loss, but most days I am pulling my own weight (no pun intended) in my efforts. Last week I was very optimistic about my restriction level, this week not so much. It truly isn't head hunger either. Wondering what to do. I just ate lunch from 3 to 4 pm and here it is 5:15 and I just had to have a cheese stick. Congrats to both of you on your great weight loss, ladies!!!

The thing you need to remember when you're newly banded is that the first 6 weeks are about healing and not actual weight loss. Believe me, you are both doing great losing anything at all during this time! My surgeon calls any weight loss prior to the 6 week mark a lovely bonus. Believe me, there will be many ups and downs with the scale until you get more settled into your eating/exercise routine and restriction levels as your diets progress. One day you won't lose anything, the next a huge amount, or you'll plateau for 2 weeks and all of a sudden will be down 6 lbs! I wish I could tell you it gets less frustrating, but there are issues throughout the journey that we will need to deal with. You are both doing fabulous. Just hang in there-- it does get easier as you go on :-)!

Melissa, I am in the same boat. I had fill #2 two weeks ago--my doc does them in the radiology dept at the hospital so he can see the restriction level. He is very conservative as well. Before the fill, he told me I already had restriction (3.4 ccs in a 14 cc band) and I told him I was not feeling full on 6 ounces of food, so he agreed to put in a little more. .8 ccs later, I still don't ever feel full on 6 ounces. I do feel it if I eat too fast or my bite is too big, and I am really tight in the morning, but honestly, I don't think I'm "there" like he says I am. I don't even know how that could possibly be, but I am thinking of calling to get another fill soon (if they even give it to me). Hang in there, Melissa. Apparently, even the smallest amount of Fluid in your band can get you just where you need to be. We'll get there!!

I actually was still hungry, which is why I kept eating. I don't know if I'm ever going to get the hang of this. I seemed to eat a lot less last week, now this week I seem to be hungrier, yet in the morning, it was all I could do to get a 6 ounce yogurt down. I am about to just break down and do the 5-day pouch test again because that brought me restriction. I really just don't know what to do....

Okay, forgive all the questions. I guess I truly am paranoid.... I am having a much less hungry day than yesterday, but I still managed to get about 8 ounces down (took me 45 minutes, but I did it). I know they say 20-30 minutes per meal, but I was still hungry when I hit 30 minutes, so I kept going. I know some docs say not to do this because your body starts digesting after about 20 minutes or so, but I wanted to see how long everyone else is taking to eat their meals?

Hi there, I can relate. My ladies have also taken a sabbatical LOL The flabby underarms, something I used to tease my mom about, are as prominent as ever and my belly? Fuhgeddaboutit! I think resistance training and weights are recommended to help us with this, but honestly, if we have a certain amount of skin flab-wise, wondering if insurance just might cover getting it removed. Until then, and I hate to say it, but crunches are going to be a part of my exercise regimen for quite awhile :-( Hang in there, you're not alone.

I use www.thedailyplate.com . It tracks calories, Protein, fat and all other nutritional content and also allows you to enter your daily exercise (and nets out the calories taken in vs. burned) and Water intake. I love it! After my last journal was full, I figured I'd go environmentally friendly this time :-)!

I'll be two weeks out tomorrow. I think I've lost about 6 lbs since that fill now that I think about it. The thing is, I am worried I may end up too tight. I just had my yogurt for Breakfast and it almost started to come back up (started sliming). My doc told me two weeks ago that I had restriction even before I got him to agree to the other .8 ccs, but if he gave me any more than that, I would have issues swallowing my own saliva from being too tight in the mornings. I am thinking I need to restructure my eating to include Snacks, but it stinks because that will make getting all the Water in an even bigger challenge. Here is an example of a typical day for me (weekday): Morning (9-11 or 11:15) 1 medium coffee w/ 2 tsp non-dairy creamer 24-32 oz water Breakfast (11:30): 6 oz Dannon Light N Fit Yogurt, Frigo Light cheese stick (I add a small banana if I'm still hungry) (24 to 32 ounces of water in between) lunch (3:30): Left over dinner (chicken or beef) from the night before- 6 oz, a small side of green Beans or carrots and a frigo light cheese stick (24 to 32 ounces of water in between) Dinner (7 or 7:30): chicken or beef (6 ounces), 1/3 cup veggies Evening snack (optional--maybe 2 or 3 days/week): Skinny cow ice cream bar or sugar free pudding with one scoop of Protein powder Am I expecting too much from my band by expecting to go so long in between meals? I thought we should be satisfied for 3 to 4 hours..... Should I try to break up my meals? I can try to eat earlier, but it is VERY hard to get anything to go down except liquid. Again, my yogurt had a rough time of going down just now, so I'm going to bag the cheese stick and banana and just wait to eat again--if my band is cranky today, I don't want to piss it off by trying to eat any more for breakfast, and for some reason I'm not really hungry anymore. I am a MESS! I know! Thanks for listening and for your advice!!!

Hmmm, I actually have 3 meals and sometimes a snack in the evenings. I am wondering if I should just try to break everything up into mini meals, but the problem is waiting that freaking hour to drink and not being able to get my Water in! I am definitely eating all the right foods (haven't had a cookie or potato chip for as long as I can remember LOL), and averaging 90-100 g of Protein per day. Maybe it was an off day? I am eating breakfast now and I can feel the yogurt going down VERY slowly and it even tried to slip back up. The doc says that given I am so restricted in the morning and can't seem to get anything but liquids down, if he was to fill me more, I wouldn't be able to swallow my own saliva in the mornings LOL. I just wonder how long I should wait before asking for another one, as last time it seemed like a quick 5-day pouch test was all I needed to get some more restriction ! Thanks to both of you for your responses! It is such a day to day thing sometimes that I have to remember to stop freaking out and sweating the smaller stuff.....

I too hope yesterday was an isolated day in the life. I may trade out the yogurt for some Special K or some oatmeal. It's weird--I was always full before on a yogurt, and cheese stick and adding the banana didn't even keep me full. Hoping that today is a better day. Just eating Breakfast now. Don't want to agitate anything by trying to eat any earlier because I'm so tight. I may just add a muscle milk in between meals to keep the portions under control. Thanks for your insight!

Let's hope it's a better day for both of us, chickie:smile2:!

Oh yes, I get in anywhere from 90 to 100 g of protein on an average day, which is why I'm so confused about this hunger. It literally came out of nowhere!! :sad:

Thankfully I am still able to eat chicken, steak and hamburger with no problems. Chewing and eating slow is definitely the key!!!