viking_girl

I know just what you mean. I just got married to a man who LOVES to go out to eat. I just an so thankful that he is not judgmental and does care a fig if I only eat two bites of a meal, no matter what it cost him.

In the meantime, I have learned that Chili at Wendy's is great, and on a good day, a junior burger. But usually, I cant handle too much bread. I also like the "chicken selects" at McDonalds. I have always been a McD's hater but this chicken is actually good... real chicken. And it is good cold too, so if I cant eat it all at once, its all good.

Or a crisp burrito at Taco Time.... even if I can only eat half.

But really, I have figured out that a little cafe where I can order a cup of soup is even better. If my husband really wants to go out to eat, Olive Garden has yummy soups! Or, we go to a little Mexican place near us that makes a fabulous pork tamale smothered in enchilada sauce. I usually cant eat the rice and beans, but really enjoy the tamales, and they are so tender they work well even on a bad day.

You are awesome to brown bag it... my kids are still small so sometimes it is just crazy and I have a hard time thinking that far ahead and it gets me in trouble!

And, I am with you.... time to get on the band wagon again!!! Ugh... the holidays.... still a challenge even with the band!

I wont say my craving for carbs is gone.... but much much much lower. The reality is.... if I can no longer eat an entire single slice of cheesecake, there is no fulfillment. And if that is the case, why bother? If I eat a meal, and I am full to the brim, so there is no room for dessert, then there is just no room, so why bother?

Of course, it took several months to get there, so be patient..... one day at a time.

on your first fill...... everyone is different but in my case, each time was slightly more restriction until we got it right. I would go into the office, they would do weight and blood pressure. Then, a little poke to numb the belly, then another poke to add fluid.

My nurses usually give me just a bit of water to make sure it goes down with no issues, then you go home and see how you do. Sometimes it takes several tries, so your job now is to pay attention to what you eat, how often you eat, how long after a meal does it take to get hungry.

Same thing as now.... eat til you feel satisfied (not full and uncomfortable, but satisfied.) Maybe it is more than 1/2 or 3/4 Cup, but the point is.... that is the long term objective and to try and accomplish that without the right restriction in your band will just make you crazy.

Good luck!!

Amy (lifeafterband) on Twitter

YES!!! It gets better. My doctor advised me that the weeks after surgery are for healing, not for weightloss.... to let the band tell you when you have had enough. Eat til you feel satisfied. I know for me, I was still eating less than pre-surgery, even if more than thought I "should."

By doing this, I gradually decreased what I was eating with each fill, so it didn't seem as painful as trying to stick to tiny meals from day 1.

I am just past the one year mark, and I have lost 95 pounds. Hang in there!!

Thank you.... I am trying. Inside my head, there is a lot of whining. I want the band to do the job for me. It is easier that way. But, the reality is, I can puke my guts up all the time or I can realize it just isnt going to happen the way I want it. Not a lot of choices in between. Unless you count sitting on the couch eating cheesecake. (Just kidding!)

The thing is.... if I have to work harder at it, then I will need more support. My husband is fabulous, but also very wrapped up in renovating a house for us right now. So I kind of feel like I am on my own in this right now. But I am so close to the 100 pound mark, that I CANT STOP NOW.

Thank you so much!!! It does me good to know that the weight loss will still happen afterward. A good night's sleep with no acid reflux was even better!! Ten pounds is not a difficult goal, so I am just going to work hard at it..... of course I will have to leave some time for shopping too because I almost literally have NO clothes that fit properly anymore.

I usually had cream of wheat for breakfast, with a bitty spponful of homemade fruit jam, or maple syrup. Cream soups for lunch..... another of my faves was refried beans, top with a little slice of pepper jack cheese, pour a bit of enchilada sauce over all, microwave until cheese is melty. I can handle a small amount of food, but it better taste GOOD!

My favorite is GNC's Chocolate whey protein......and I mix with sugar-free carnation instant breakfast. Be sure to experiement with different forms.... soy, whey, egg white.... to see which you like best.

Do your research on both, and then make a decision based upon what is right for you. For me..... a single mom with four kids...... the risks involved with banding were much less than bypass, which was important to me and could be different for you.

There really is nothing easy about it. And it is so much more than just learning new habits. Any weight loss program requires that we learn new habits in order to be successful.

You have to learn the new lifestyle, you have to learn to listen to your band. No one can tell you exactly how it will work for you because it is different for everyone. You have to learn to watch things like PMS & water retention because maybe your band will be tighter that week than usual. You have to learn that if you get hiccoups, that might mean STOP NOW. You have to learn to be "OK" when your band says your stomach has had enough but your tastebuds want just one more taste or your brain wasn't done enjoying the meal. You learn what to eat when you go out.... the things that will re-heat well because you wont be eating all of it there! I could go on and on and on. The point is..... it is NOT easy, you will not be sitting back eating bon-bons while the weight just melts away. I too spend hours in the gym every week.

You now what you have tried, what works and what doesn't. If you want to try this, it can be a great alternative, so go ahead and give it alot of thought. In the end, the only person you owe answers to is yourself.

Janet,

The thing that I love is that every nurse who works for my surgeon has had the band, so they DO understand, and many times, they know just what is going on with me while I am still scratching my head wondering if I should ask. Not only that, but I don't even see my surgeon anymore anyway, not after the post-op appt.

The good news -- I suddenly dropped 4-5 pounds, just since MOnday. "Usually" that is a water loss, so I am hoping to see improvement with what I can eat over the next couple days. I am actually now trying to figure out what to have for lunch. THe one thing I can say is that liquids can become much too simple and it seems like such a waste of time to bother with real food when you cant eat much anyway. But...... I know I have to eat, so I will try and find something to eat here soon.

I've had the same feeling. I was too tight but it took a couple of weeks after the fill (and my period) for it to get too tight. They took out .3 ccs (yes, 3/10ths of a cc) and it made all the difference. I have great restriction and am continuing to lose weight without the negative side effects.

Thanks for that Barbara, that makes me feel much better about trying the unfill. But, it is a 90 minute drive to get it done, so it might be a week before I get to it.

What you described is similar to what I experience when I get the water retention .... tighter than usual, then back to normal. But all this other stuff is just weird.

I know what you mean about the drive... I have to go to Salt Lake City, which is about 90 minutes away, depending on traffic for the day. I love to visit the city, but I have a kindergartener so I usually have to leave as soon as all the kids are on the bus, and then dash to SLC and back before the little one gets home -- some days that is a challenge!

This will probably make you laugh, but what in the world is Zumba? I have never heard of it!!

Does your doc allow you to go more than just once a month? I was going every two weeks until I found my sweet spot, and believe me, when you get there, you will know in a matter of days..... no need to wait an entire month.

ALso.... every person is different, and it is so hard with kids and all (I have 4!)..... but for serious weight loss, you will probably have to add more work-out days, or more time to the workouts you are already doing. I am going to the gym 5 days a week. I started out at 5 minutes on the eliptical, now I am up to 40 minutes on a good day, plus weight training. And even at that, it took two months for all of that work to show up on the scale. (If THAT isn't frustrating!)

And one last thing..... the snacks you have around for your kids.... I don't keep them in the house at all.... I Would eat them if I did. ANd in my case, I can see a couple of my kids already having weight issues, so I decided they dont need it any more than I do. It is a personal choice, but something to consider.

Hang in there..... it DOES work out.

I have never been told not to..... I take the caplets (long and skinny) and break them in half before I pop them just to be safe.

OMG I feel normal!!!!! I went cold turkey. I did it. Thank you all for your posts. I think I'm getting hooked on Iced tea now. I know the caffeine is bad, but why??? Just in general or because of the band? Having my surgery on April 22nd. Nervous.

It is the carbonation that is not good for the band.... it causes the stomach to expand. I am pretty sure the caffeine is still OK because many people still drink their coffee..... but I never was a caffeine addict.... I always loved the bubbly.

I was banded October 5, and so far, I have lost 58.5 pounds. Two months ago, I started going to the gym every day. I started seeing someone in December and he has been so incredibly supportive of the Lap-BAnd, never even flinched when I told him about it.

He and I went on our first weekend get-away this weekend. Friday and SUnday were mostly packing, unpacking driving etc. But Saturday..... he spent some time with his buddies in the morning while I went four-wheeling with my camera. Then, in the afternoon, we went hiking. We walked, we climbed rocks, we hiked, up hills and down hills... we just went exploring and I so enjoyed the time with him.

But even more, I loved being ABLE to do those things with him. My fitness has improved SO MUCH. I would have never been able to do all that last year.

And just think .... the summer is only just beginning!

OH yeah.... my ticker.... never did figure out how to use that thing! I had surgery October 5, 2009.

SO today was the day and I have been looking forward to it.

When I went in March, I had set a goal for around 8-10 pounds, because then I would have hit the 50 pound mark. I had been working out at the gym every day, had good restriction, and it just seems like there should have been no problem reaching that goal. ANd then, the hormones went nuts, I started retaining water, which makes me really tight. So last month, I lost 6 pounds and missed my goal. I was just mad about it. I mean, two lousy pounds after all that hard work?

So, I have been working HARDER. HAd the same water retention issues this time, but was lucky to see that go away a few days before the weigh-in.

I got in teh car early this morning, drove more than an hour to get to the clinic, got on the happy little scale, and what do you know...... 11 pounds. I am pleased with that.

So today, the grand total is 58.5 pounds lost..... from 311 to 252.5...... BMI is 42 and steadily dropping.

I am just thrilled to finally get a good number that is indicative of the effort I have been putting into this. Because let me tell you, even when your brain can rationalize it and say it is just the hormones, just the water, there is still the alter ego that wants that magic number on the scale to be a good one.

I was banded 6 months ago, and yes, it is easier, emphasis on the [-er]. But it isn't always easy. Someone once told me it is a passive diet, but that is so far from it. You have to think of every morsel that goes in the mouth, more than before even because now mutrition is more important than ever.

As with friends.... it isn't the number you have, but the quality of the friends you have. Even one or two really good supporters are better than a whole group of those who aren't really in it for you. So tell only those you feel comfortable sharing with, and otherwise..... don't sweat it!

What is FMLA?

Family Medical Leave Act

Wow, Joanne, I would have just died if I quit cold turkey. I did it gradually, starting about a month before my surgery. I got to the point of none for about 2-3 weeks, followed by one when I went out for my "last supper."

I have always disliked tea, and I am not a big water fan. When it is good and hot, I can handle water, but only bottled. I can taste the chemicals in tap water and just hate them! These days I drink a lot of the SOBE lifewaters, the ones with 0 calories. My favorite is apple pear, which has a very light flavor. The Black and Blue Berry or Mango Melon are also good. But, they are pricey, so I may have to start drinking water out of financial necessity. I mean, I can buy a gallon of water for every 20 ounce Sobe!

The time I miss my Diet Coke the most is when I have to sit my butt down to my desk and write..... I used to drink one can after another while writing, building a nice little pyramid as I went along.

Luckily, today is a new day and I am over the craving.... for now!

I would say... the fizz. I have found other flavors that are "acceptable." But the fizz..... well, just can't have it so it is irreplaceable.

It has been SEVEN months, and I am still mourning the loss of my dear friend, DIET COKE. We were instant and loyal friends from the first drink, when I was 12 years old.

What I want more than ANYTHING right in this minute: A large, condensation covered glass full of ice cubes and brown, bubbly DIET COKE fizzing on my lip and burning down my throat.Want one SO SO BAD.

I miss my friend. I know the relationship was a bad one, I know that I am better off without it. But damn it, a cool glass of chemical- flavored tap water just does not off the same carbonation-filled satisfaction that Diet Coke gave me over the years.

I have never been tempted to go back.... just saying.... I still REALLY miss my Diet Coke. :thumbup:

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