juliansmom2003

Ummm, are you hungry? I'd say that's awesome weight loss, but if you're suffering with hunger, then yes, you're in bandster hell. My understanding of bandster hell is really the time between the surgery when your body is healing and your first fill when you have extreme hunger. I know I've been in it (and still am), since I am 3 months post op and just having my first fill tomorrow :-(! Sometimes the weight levels off a bit and you need to play with your calories. Some days I do 800, some days I do 1000 so my body doesn't get used to a certain number and starts holding onto it if I stay on the low end. Are you exercising? Believe me, I hate it, but when the scale stops moving, I try to exercise a little more and that gets it moving again. Hope this helps! Great job on losing half the weight you need to! That's an awesome accomplishment!!!

LOL, no I'm not, but ashamed all the same. Freaking Dallas :-( grrrr..... can you tell the team I follow ?

Looking good, Tim! You should be so proud!!!! I'm right around the 50 lb mark too--what a great feeling! Hope the next 97 go smoothly for you :-)!

Woooohoooo! I never thought the day would come! I have my first fill tomorrow morning at 7:45!!!! It will be nice to eat these smaller portions and not be as starving! I'm getting used to being hungry :-(! I must have read a zillion posts on fills and being on liquids right after and I can ask the doc this tomorrow, but are we talking clear liquids or can I have egg beater consistency type stuff? I'm fine to drink all my protein for the next few days if I have to, but whenever I can try to chew the protein, I want to! Thanks for any insight you can offer!!!

South Jersey here (Cherry Hill/Philly, PA area). Dr. Adam Goldstein out of Voorhees did my band. VERY happy at the results thusfar! (Have to ask---you're a Giant's fan, aren'tcha?)

Eeek. I have Keystone Health Plan East of PA (a BCBS plan) and I'm still waiting to hear if they will cover it. My fill is on Thursday, so it would be nice to know!

Hi there. Wasn't sure where I should post, but weigh in for today is 185 (down 3 lbs from initial sign in for the challenge at 188). I get a fill on Thursday, so I'm hoping to report a bigger loss next week LOL!

Wow! I was banded 2 days before you and have lost 30 since the surgery (thought I was doing well LOL). Did you lose any of that pre-op? How many fills have you had? Congratulations on this milestone--you're doing great! 10 lbs a month sounds realistic to me....go for it! Good luck!

OMG that's great! I am scheduled for my first fill next Thursday and sooo looking forward to getting some restriction (even if only a little)....

The thread about the flipped port made me really stop and think. I have been having on and off pain in the port area for awhile now. It's not excruciating most of the time (I can remember one occasion when it was) and some days I don't have it at all, but now I'm wondering if it could possibly be a flipped port. My fill is scheduled for next week (under fluoroscope), so hopefully I'll know then. I just wanted to check how easy or hard is it to flip your port? No pain today (of course) LOL.

CONGRATULATIONS and happy bandiversary!! What a wonderful accomplishment! You are definitely inspiration for a lot of us newbies! Here's to that last 30! Congrats again!

OMG! How in the heck did you lose so much so fast? Way to go! You should be VERY proud--this is a HUGE milestone!!! Just the motivation you need to see the rest through. Congrats on such an amazing accomplishment and lots of luck continuing the journey!

I was thinking the same thing marmar. It hasn't been the same around here without her. Hope we hear from her soon!

Looking good, Sweet! You have gotten some quick results! Way to go!!!

Looking good, Sweet! That is a quick 30--great job!

I am around 800-1000 per day. I did notice a slow in weight loss, so I would have 1100 one day and 900 the next to kind of mix it up a bit and it seemed to help. The weird thing is that before the surgery, the nutritionist had me on a 1500 calorie per day diet and I steady lost weight (20 lbs in 3 months). Anyway, I'm in the range of 800-1000.

OMG Jill you look AMAZING!! (And I would've guessed you weighed at least 180 in that pic). I am staring at this with my jaw on the floor! Gorgeous! Keep up the great work! What wonderful motivation for all of us!!

I was just playing around with the old BMI calculator and the goal I have set for myself (145-150 lbs) is still considered to be "overweight" for my height. I am 5 ft 1.5 inches and I look malnourished at 130 lbs. I'm perfectly content being considered overweight on the charts, but I have to admit it does kind of miff me a little bit that my goal is still out of the 'norm' range. Who am I kidding? I've been morbidly obese for so long, overweight looks like a nice alternative anyway LOL Does anyone else have a final goal weight that is still considered to be overweight?

Welcome to Bandster Hell (a place where I feel like I've been FOREVER! LOL) I actually remember writing your post almost verbatim about 3 or 4 weeks ago. Thank God I have my first fill next week! It has been such hard work without that help!!! Hang in there! And as others have said, try to 'chew' your Protein (chicken breast salad, cheeses, things like that). They give you more satiety than the Protein drinks, which will slide right through the band and you won't feel full.

I use a plain old dietminder journal that my nutritionist gave me when I started the program. I bought a new one when I got banded to start fresh. Even though it started out to be a pain in the tush, I write in it faithfully every day. It keeps me straight (and God knows I need it LOL)

My insurance approved it as inpatient, but my doc really said I could've gone home that day. I'm SO GLAD I stayed!! I had someone giving me pain meds and I was able to actually rest (again I have 2 small kids too LOL). I love the heck out of them, but I would've had lots more explaining to do had I come home the same day. I was discharged and on the way home by 9 am the next morning anyway.

Sorry I can't be of much help on this one. I was also operated on under general. Honestly, I was sitting down yesterday trying to remember going into surgery and I could only remember laughing at the surgeon because we were both singing together just before I completely went out. As glynn mentioned, they give you a sedative before taking you down into the OR and that stuff is so good, I just loved everyone. When I woke up, all I wanted was to get settled into my room so I could see the Phils' game (it was the night they won the playoffs to go to the World Series) LOL It really isn't that bad. I was paranoid about it for a long while, but it really ended up being the least of my worries :-)

Absolutely! All of the above!! Luckily I did all my research and homework before having the surgery. A lot of that also is getting a surgeon you're not only comfortable with, but who has extensive experience with Lap Band and is listed on the LapBand site. Many docs won't even see you for a consult until you go to a seminar. There you will be able to ask all the questions you want (and the ones other people ask are helpful too). I also have two little ones, so I didn't take this lightly either. Believe me, the pros sooo outweigh the cons. It'll be great for them to have a healthy happy mommy. Good luck with your decision! Ask any questions you need to--this is a wonderful resource for support!!

Count me in! I get my first fill on 1/14 and I'm starting to see the scale move a little bit, so I'm in! I'd like to lose 15 lbs before 2/14. I'm currently 188, so that would put me at 173! Holy crap! NEVER thought that weight would be in reach!! Good luck everybody!

Woohooo! Great job! You are doing phenomenal!! Keep up the great work!!!