ElfiePoo

Too funny...never noticed the plus or minus before...and will be sure to ignore it in the future. Too much like high school popularity contests. .

Yes. The band puts pressure on the vagus nerves which in turn shut off the ghrelin (hormone that makes us hungry). Some people (a rare few) get enough pressure just from the band. The rest of us need fills...some a little...some a lot. .

Shad, don't complain. I wish I'd lost more in my face and neck....but noooo...where'd I lose it first...yep, the 'girls'. Melody .

So, Denise, your early Christmas present is that your mil will not cook? I'm sorry but your post made me laugh. I'm sure dealing with the reality of it isn't quite as funny but if you could see it from 'this' side. Melody

The only reason for getting a fill is if you're hungry. If you aren't hungry, then your doctor is right...no need for a fill. congratulations on the weight loss! .

What Bob said. I don't see how it's possible for liquid in an enclosed system to evaporate. .

I like the EAS powder I get at Sams Club. Everything else I've tried has a nasty after taste. .

Good morning! Well, despite trying to cut my thumb off while slicing the fruitcake I'm sending to my son, I finally finished packing up everything to go to the post office today so I made the deadline for getting his stuff to Afghanistan on time for Christmas! My mother-in-law was sweet enough to help my husband make his camo stocking, thank God, because my expertise at sewing stops at quilt making. I think today we may rearrange the living room to make room for the Christmas tree, although I'm still not sure I'm setting it up this year. Nobody here (except me) cares if we have a tree and no family coming home this Christmas and I have a major worry that our Beelz, the demon kitty, will pull it over in his kitty exhuberance. So off to breakfast, then the Wii Fit for an hour and then 'dusting' (aka rearranging furniture as it's known in our house). Have a good one y'all! Melody

Leigha and Shad both...love your haircuts and you both look gorgeous! Red is definitely sexy...(says the redhead ). Melody

Hi there, Laura! I agree...using your ex's 401k to get a band is an excellent use of the money! You dropped some of your dead weight in the divorce , now (thanks to him) you can drop the rest. Absolutely agree about some things being private. For me, not telling them is perfectly acceptable, but I (note the emphasis on 'me') would have a problem with lying about it. If I got stuck at the table, I'd just say 'something went down wrong'...cuz it did. .

My doctor never talked about eating in terms of volume. It was more like 3-4 oz Protein, 1/2-1 cup cooked vegies or a salad and if still hungry 1/4 starch. If you've eaten more than a cup, then it is what it is, but I wouldn't drink something just to clear out your pouch. If you're worried about 'stretching' your pouch, I would stop worrying.

My first followup appointment was 2 weeks postop. I saw the surgeon at my seminar...again right before they knocked me out for surgery (for about 2 minutes) and at the 2 week appointment. I did get a call from his surgical nurse about 4 days after I went home, asking how I was doing and whether I was having any problems. After that, for the last year, I only saw his surgical nurse for fills until I went in with the complaint about shoulder pain so bad I was considering having the band taken out. They have a better idea than you as to what makes that band slip *BUT* even if it's 'old hat' to them, it's not to you and they really need to work a little more on their bedside manner. .

You know it's going to be a questionable day when you're awake before the coffeepot timer gets the coffee going *and* the auto thermostat turns the heat up. Well the scale is still 'maintaining' this morning but I'm good with that. I figured the caloric difference between what I need to maintain my current weight and what I need to maintain my goal weight is exactly 1000 calories a day so if I stick to 1100 calories, I *might* lose 2 lbs a week. That means no bad days of 1800 calories. That's almost too depressing to think about...so I won't (a la Scarlett O'Hara). Today is my final 'get it all together' day for my son's Christmas package. Supposedly, if I don't get it in the mail by Dec. 1st, they don't guarantee it will get to Afghanistan before Christmas...and as usual, I left it until the last minute. So today, I have to vacuum pack the beef jerky we made, wrap his gifts, bake the fruitcake and finish sewing my son's stocking. I had this bright idea to take some old ACU's (camo jackets) that he threw out (and I rescued) to make him a Christmas stocking. My husband made a replica of his 2nd Lieutenant's bar to put on it and an orange ribbon (like the one on his hat) that identifies him as Signal Corp. Then I'm going to make a second one for his wife...and make her a 1 star general. We bought extra stars so everytime he gets a promotion, she gets does too. So, a very busy day and I should get on with it. Melody

Jacki: Don't know what to tell you about 'not telling' your stepdaughter. I would do something stuid and it would just slip out so I don't even go there. Plus, I wouldn't know how to explain to my kids why lying is not ok, but I was doing it. Understand that I'm not making a judgment on you or your child raising methods here...just that it would've been a problem for me. Heck, we didn't even do the whole Santa Claus or Easter bunny thing here for the same reason. Stacy: Good vibes (see me wiggling my fingers in voodoo queen fashion? Here's hoping that it's something totally unrelated and you don't lose your band! Just curious...if they do have to take it out, are you considering revision to a sleeve? Melody .

oops...just noticed this is an old thread and I already responded.

My doctor told me not to worry about losing weight for the first month after postop. It was more important to get my Proteins in and heal. There may be a slight transition period on weight loss/gain, but it will stabilize out. Personally, I think 1000-1200 is more doable long term than 800-900 but that may be just me. .

The shoulder pain may also be your body's way of saying something is wrong. I'm over a year postop and I've had the pain since my surgery. It's gotten worse with each fill and really only hurts when I'm lying down or put in a position where I can't sit completely upright. It's to the point now where I either have to find the source of the pain or get the band removed because it's interfering with my daily life and with my sleep. The plan is to go back in for a laparoscopic look at what is rubbing where and hopefully fixing it. .

Yeah...like my *feet*! .

I'm thinking 'NUT' is a good name for these folks. Yes 100gm of carbs would not qualify as 'low carb'. Some people go as high as 60, but I've never heard of anyone 'low carbing' above that and even then, those doing 60 were more 'maintenance' low carb. I think Betsy keeps hers under 30. Right now I'm keeping my carbs below 25 but am starting to slowly creep them upwards so I can have more vegies (green beans, broccoli, etc.). You could easily start out with 40-45 carbs and that's enough to easily have vegies with your meals but you'd want to track your food in fitday.com because there are hidden carbs in so many things and it's easy to add another 20+ carbs in without even knowing it. For example, a sugar free mint is 2 carbs. Have 10 of those little puppies through the day and there go your carbs! Some foods, like eggs, have carbs in them...minimal but when you add them to all the others...yep no more low carb. My days don't vary much: Breakfast is always 2 eggs, 2 sl bacon because it gets me through the morning. Lunch is always 3-4 oz of protein and a small salad or a cup of low carb vegies Dinner is the same If I need it, I'll eat either eat 2 ounces of cheese mid meal or a low carb protein drink made with unsweetened almond milk. My calories come in around 1200 and carbs are about 25. .

I *detest* exercising but about 2 months ago I finally started walking. I'll be honest and say I still *detest* exercising and walking, but have to admit that 10 minutes into a walk I am feeling a lot better and have more energy at the end of that hour walk. Remember Susan Powter? She started by walking to the end of the drive. Then to the end of the block and back. She kept increasing her distance. Forget about making it a cardio activity. Don't worry about whether it's 'brisk'...just move. . .

Good morning, bandsters! Monday is my official weigh in day so I am officially claiming the 223 pounds...and that despite a 4 day holiday weekend! So off to do my morning Wii Fit hour and see if I can't get that scale to drop a few more pounds by next Monday! Woohoo! Melody

Graph stuff? .

Shads, You have time and you can do it. Having a plan certainly helps! .

I think the NSV moments are worth far more than the scale moving.

I have a 14cc Realize band. My first fill was 3cc, my second was 2 and after that they went up by 1. .