minimeme

For me, yes they were. I started eating them once a day after reading everyone else on the board eating them. My weight loss was affected so I stopped and I started back down the scale again.

I am not big on that type of candy, at all. If I want candy I will eat a piece of quality chocolate, but even prebanding I wouldnt have touched things like gummy bears.

There have been an awful lot of people post about issues with follow-up care when they go out of the country. Make sure you understand all the cost of doing your follow-up here in the US. Some doctors want a bunch of tests (which cost an awful lot of money) prior to accepting you as a patient. One lady posted in our Sep 09 thread about her local doctors wanting literally thousands of dollars worth of tests prior to taking her on as an after care patient. So anyways, just make sure you plan for your after-care. The band has a whole bunch of follow up that comes with it unlike the gastric sleeve.

Yeah, it was an interesting study. I love the blogs on my Kindle. I subscribe to over 20 and get some really interesting things for daily reading.

The scabby super glue on the actual incision will either fade or eventually peel off. My smaller ones never peeled, they just sorta faded. My 2 largest/worst peeled up like a scab. The clear top coating will just wear off with regular washing.

I subscribe to the AP health blog and they had an article a couple of weeks ago about high altitudes helping people loose weight. There is probably a better link that the one I posted, if anyone is interested they can google high altitude weight loss and learn more. High Altitudes May Lead to Weight Loss

I think I would be splitting hairs to tell you I do not snack, but instead eat 5-6 meals a day. But I just dont think of my planned meals as snacking. I am very diligent on the size control though. Maximum is 1 cup, everything combined. My sugeons staff support really reinforced the 3 meals a day ideology. I tried to follow it, but I would find my self so hungry that by the time I sat down to eat I would be eating too fast or trying to eat too much. Eating more often helps me to control my hunger and bad eating habits.

Just wanted to update this... I received these and they are delicious. They have a very sophisticated taste, not at all like kiddie candy. Not overly sweet either. I believe I am going to switch to these after I run out of my current stock of Bariatric Advantage. They are a soft chew form, but not gummy type chewy like caramel would be. Also you need to keep the top on them because mine have dried out a bit.

I have read a few posts on here about a "5 day pouch test". You might try searching for that and see if you can find the threads.

IMHO, the biggest misconception with low carb eating is what is/isn't healthy. I would start by researching the food pyramid and how it came to be touted by our government. It was a marketing gimick used to help promote the grain industry and somehow it stuck. People need to be educated on how their bodies repond to different calories, ie glycemic index, glycemic load, glycemic blood levels, etc. For me, once I understood how my body stored extra weight it was much easier to eat so it did not continually store fat. How your body treats 100 calories of carbohydrates is not how it will treat 100 calories of protein. Too many people have been indoctrinated into counting calories and fat. Limiting carbohydrates is a whole different ballgame.

I had 2cc from the beginning (doc said it came that way, he didnt add it). Since then, I have had 1 fill for a total of 7cc in a 14cc band.

Wonderful news!

Kimberly what make of band do you have? Did you get an ID card to register with the band maker? (Allergan is mine) I could have sworn that I was told I could attend any support meetings with my ID card. I might be remember wrong though. But maybe you could find out where the closest band doctor is to you and attend their monthly support meetings. Or maybe even post online for a local group to meet monthly for support. But an authorized support group would be better. -------------------------- As for me, I ate a shrimp for lunch and really paid with pain. I went to a fish place and ordered their salmon special. It came with some sort of cajun sauce on top with shrimp. When I saw them I knew better, but still tried to chew them real good and eat them. Man, what a mistake. I was driving back to work and had to pull over and puke twice. Just want I want to be seen doing, vomiting on the side of the road. :thumbdown: I think I am going to do a 2 day liquid fast because my stomach feels swollen, even after 6 hours. Hope everyone is doing good. I am dealing with some personal issues right now and feeling a bit blue. :thumbdown:

Didn't happen that way with me. I am still hungry 5 months later. The only thing that helps me is to eat right. Don't go too long between meals, don't fill up on carbs, drink my water, etc. I have only had one fill. They put 7cc in my 14cc band.

Congratulations!

Good luck Jilly!

Google HIPAA release, print and fill it out then mail it to your doctors office certified, return receipt requested. If they are truly denying you access to your records then it is because they aren't expecting your to know the law. If they do not mail them to you within 30 days, then you can file a federal complaint against them.

btrieger, a patients bill of rights is not law. What governs compulsion of release of medical records is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) 45 C.F.R. Parts 160-164, which is Federal law.

3lbs could be a Water weight gain. I have gained 16lbs in 2 days, but I could tell by how my rings fit and shoes fit that I was carrying water. Everyone is different. Daily weighing is good for me, when my scale goes up, I evaluate you food the day before. If it goes up several days in a row, I know I need to start logging my food and try to figure out what went wrong. Maybe you are the type of personality where the daily weighing will not be good for you. I have read some here who only weigh weekly, and others who only weigh at the doctors office. Me personally, I don't want to wait. I want to be able to make corrections before I get to out of hand.

Go pick up copies of your doctors notes. You are entitled to them. The office people might charge you a copying fee and they might say they need a day or so to get them ready for you. But it could be something out of the doctors control such as your insurance won't cover his procedures anymore, or he has issues with the state board, or any other number of things that affect his ability to treat you but weren't caused specifically by interacting with you.

-pros and cons? Pro is I am loosing weight for the first time in my life. I have gained 5-10lbs a year since I was 22 or so. -what was your diet like in the begining and what is it like now? In the beginning I was on a liquid diet, then I progressed to mushies, and now I eat a low carb diet. I eat 5-6 meals of 1 cup or less. -how often do you exercise? I started exercising the day after surgery and havent missed a day since. -did you have any difficulties? Yes, the surgery was VERY painful for me. But I think that was a mixed blessing because I am very careful with my meals because of it. I wont overeat for fear of needing more surgery (slipped band/dialated pouch) -can you drink alcoholic beverages (not a big drinker, just curious)? Yes, I drink. No more than 2 drinks at a time and usually once a week. -did your insurance cover surgery, and if so what did you have to do for them to agree to cover the surgery? Yes, my insurance covered it. Out of pocket costs for me were around $750. But they charged my insurance over $200,000. This worries me because I am a long term employee and have known people who have exhausted their life time cap and been without insurance. -what has been the hardest part with having LAP-BAND®? It is unforgiving when you eat too fast, overeat or eat the wrong foods. And the "wrong foods" are not what we have learned from previous diets. A bag of cheetos will go down no hitch, but fiberous green beans gave me trouble. Also, there is a LOT of aftercare. Lots of visits and fills. Make sure you know who will be doing your fills and make sure you are VERY comfortable with them. I have had issues with my fill person I wont go into on the open forum. I love my surgeon, but his fill person, not so much. :frown:

I recently was treated for a kidney infection when I thought it was a strained muscle in my mid back. If it is not too much of a financial strain, I would suggest seeing your family doctor. My infection was made worse by my self misdiagnosis.

My only advice is watch those carbs. All calories are not created equal. Lower Your Grains & Lower Your Insulin Levels! A Novel Way To Treat Hypoglycemia.

I had 2cc in my 14cc band. Sorry it was causing you so much difficulty.

I had/have some unresolved issues with my exhusband. Things (my fault) came to a head 2 days ago and I have been eating such garbage. I love my boyfriend. He is such a good, handsome man. So why do I keep fighting with my ex? I had such fire, passion with him. What I have with my new man is wonderful, comforting, LOVE. Why can't I just let go of someone who has hurt me more than I have ever allowed anyone to hurt me?:confused: