grizzlyrider

It's your first fill, I wouldn't experiment with eating anything. I used to go to Bunco a lot (I was a substitute) and half the time I didn't eat anything because I was on a diet. Go, have fun, sip on something all night, you'll have fun!

Also, pay attention to how long you stay "satisfied" between meals. To me, that has been more of a help than trying to feel "full."

I agree with you 100%!

Miss Melissa: Are you motivated to do this no matter what? Are you willing to change your life to change your life? Do you realize the right attitude will take you through the hard days of bandster hell? If so, you will do fine. Work with the band and it will do wonders for you.

This is very temporary, commonly known as bandster hell. Your stomach will growl loud like a bear but if you are committed to your band, you know that it is something you will have to endure for a short time. Your mental attitude will make or break you. Drink a lot of water in between your meals, I found that would stop my bear from growling for quite a long time. It is worth it, don't give up so soon. I am curious, did you have a 2 week liquid diet before banding?

It will automatically insert itself for the posts but not the blogs. Good luck with the liquid diet, believe it or not once it is over it will seem like it took no time at all!

Yes, the largest incision is where the port is.

I also worried that it would not work for me. After years of trying every diet and it seemed like I had to pry every lb off with a crow bar only to gain it back in a day, it was hard to believe something would actually work. It will work - believe me. I think I'm still amazed it works as well as it does but week after week the lbs keep coming off AND I don't feel like I am prying them off with a crow bar! Good luck!

I also recommend not adding water. You get enough liquid just from the meat.

That's GREAT! Those resin chairs are (were!) scary!

I guess I'm lucky, I don't have that problem -- or -- I don't have it yet. They did recommend MOM right after surgery, it's nasty though. Hope you all find a solution!

It was a piece of cake. If you've ever had a colonoscopy, it was kind of like that. You're not really asleep but you may as well be, you don't know anything that is going on and when you "wake up" it is all over. I wouldn't worry about it at all.

Today I had my husband take new pictures of me as I had not done that since the surgery. After my shopping disaster yesterday, I was starting to believe that I really hadn't lost any weight and my scale was playing a huge practical joke on me. I even wore the same shirt as my "before" pictures. When I put it on I was dismayed - I told him it fits just like it always did. But I did let him take the pictures and boy, was I happy. I really do see a big difference. I feel so much better. I put a couple of them in an album so you can see them for yourself. I need to do this more often!:thumbup:

Today I had my husband take new pictures of me as I had not done that since the surgery. After my shopping disaster yesterday, I was starting to believe that I really hadn't lost any weight and my scale was playing a huge practical joke on me. I even wore the same shirt as my "before" pictures. When I put it on I was dismayed - I told him it fits just like it always did. But I did let him take the pictures and boy, was I happy. I really do see a big difference. I feel so much better. I put a couple of them in an album so you can see them for yourself. I need to do this more often!

Wow, you guys made me feel so much better. Especially learning that 3X at penneys is a 22-24. Thank you all so much!

My doc pushed bypass too and they are always full of statistics on how lapbanders do not lose as much as bypass. Read the posts here, you can see how well it works. I go to a support group where 90% of the people are bypass and 4 of us are banded. The bypass people are always worried because they have strange aches and pains, have to get iron through an iv, and stretch out their stomaches. The banders are happy as clams, I'm the newest one and have lost 64 lbs, they have all lost over 100. Think about those statistics! Oh yeah, the gastric costs much more than the band and think of all those follow up visits for their complications - just a thought.

So, today I went out to buy some clothes since all the winter clothes are on sale this weekend. I was quite excited because after 64 lbs lost I figured I'd have a wonderful time trying on all the smaller sizes. No, this is not what happened. First I tried on a coat, 2X (I am now wearinng a baggy 3X) it was too tight. This scared me so I tried on several 2X and 3X shirts - most did not fit me. I cannot believe it. Those are the sizes I have been wearing for several years and all my clothes are way too big. The only thing I can figure out is that I have only been buying clothes from the Lane Bryant catalog for a long time and they must run much bigger than the women's sizes in stores like Penneys and Sears. I'm hoping this is the answer but boy was my balloon burst. So, I'm swearing off shopping until spring, I'll just muddle through the rest of winter with what I have. I'm not going to buy clothes at the same size or larger after all I have been through! This put a major damper on my whole mood today. Tomorrow I'm making my husband take some new pictures of me because I have not done that since I started (except for a couple random shots at Christmas). I'm sure that will perk me up, everyone keeps telling me that I look so much different. We'll see. You may or may not remember that I am the one that has to jump on the scale every morning because I'm afraid all the weight loss has been a dream and is not real. Today did not help. Sorry I'm down in the dumps today, hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow.:thumbup:

So, today I went out to buy some clothes since all the winter clothes are on sale this weekend. I was quite excited because after 64 lbs lost I figured I'd have a wonderful time trying on all the smaller sizes. No, this is not what happened. First I tried on a coat, 2X (I am now wearinng a baggy 3X) it was too tight. This scared me so I tried on several 2X and 3X shirts - most did not fit me. I cannot believe it. Those are the sizes I have been wearing for several years and all my clothes are way too big. The only thing I can figure out is that I have only been buying clothes from the Lane Bryant catalog for a long time and they must run much bigger than the women's sizes in stores like Penneys and Sears. I'm hoping this is the answer but boy was my balloon burst. So, I'm swearing off shopping until spring, I'll just muddle through the rest of winter with what I have. I'm not going to buy clothes at the same size or larger after all I have been through! This put a major damper on my whole mood today. Tomorrow I'm making my husband take some new pictures of me because I have not done that since I started (except for a couple random shots at Christmas). I'm sure that will perk me up, everyone keeps telling me that I look so much different. We'll see. You may or may not remember that I am the one that has to jump on the scale every morning because I'm afraid all the weight loss has been a dream and is not real. Today did not help. Sorry I'm down in the dumps today, hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow.

Try Carnation Instant Breakfast too (the powdered ones you mix with milk) they don't have that "vitamin" taste the premixed ones have. Good Luck

It's very normal - I was complaining all the time about how long it takes. But, as I have said before, now I am glad. It made me really ready to do this once I had the surgery. I don't think I would have been if it had gone faster even though I thought I would be fine. So, hang in there your time will come!

I'm so proud of everyone doing so well. It is really motivating to see so many people have lost 100 lbs. I'm hoping to be one of those on my bandiversary in August. Congratulations to all of you!!!!!:thumbup:

Heck no. I was soooo tired of eating and eating as much as I wanted and then hating myself. Now I eat anything I want - just a Lot less and I feel more satisfied with that then when I was shoveling it in. It's not that I am telling myself that I'm satisfied with it, I really am. I feel like I have been released from my compulsion. No, I have not mourned not eating for even a minute.

I don't care what anybody advises me to do, I weigh EVERY day also! I strip off the nightie and hop on - I actually wake up every morning looking forward to doing it! I think it reassures me every day that this is not all a dream and, yes, I really have lost all that weight. I may be a scale whore but I'm a happy one!:thumbup:

I'm not sure if I detect sarcasm in your post or you are having a bad day. If that kind of magic were possible I'd want it too, but....... Hang in there!