ElfiePoo

ROFLMAO...you're my kind of woman. .

I only get on the scale on Mondays, but I know what you mean. There's this sense of anticipation/dread as I step onto the scale. Anticipation that I'll be down another (at least) 1 lb...and dread that I won't have lost anything. I've lost 18+ pounds over the last 3 weeks and the sense of dread is building because I just know I'm due to step on that scale and it'll show 'nada...zip...zero...zilch' lost because you just can't keep up that kind of loss for long. I wonder if we every really get over that. .

Well color me assertive...if that was me (and I recognize we all handle things differently) I'd call them back up and tell them that, on reflection, this just is not acceptable. Sorry, but this sounds like incompetence from either the surgeon who put it in, or the person trying to do the fill (same person?). If the port was installed correctly, meaning not upside down, there should not be an issue with accessing it. .

Too funny. I did the same thing for about 3 weeks while I yoyo'd between the same flipping 6 pounds. .

You're normal. Until you get some restriction, that band is just a piece of plastic. It doesn't impart any magical properties just from being installed. Don't stress about not losing. Just try to make good food choices and start building the good habits you'll need when you do have restriction (don't drink with meals, take small bites, chew well and eat slowly). We've all 'been there, done that' and when we reach restriction, 'aren't doing it anymore'. :eek: .

I have a 12cc band and didn't reach even temporary restriction from swelling until I had 7cc in it. At 8.5cc I finally had restriction. We're all different so where we reach restriction will vary. Like you, until I had restriction, I could eat anything I wanted. Not that I necessarily did and I'm guessing you didn't either...just that I *could*. My doc's rule of thumb for fills was if I was hungry and/or *could* eat to excess, then get a fill. Sounds like you need a fill. Hang in there, you'll get to that 'sweet spot'. .

I've often wondered what the differences were in restriction on a 9cc band versus a 12cc band. How much does a 9cc band shut down the opening versus the 12cc band (for example). Is it possible that a 9cc band doesn't shut down the opening as much as a larger band? I dunno...but you might want to find out. I have 8.5cc in a 12cc band and have restriction. Why do you think you don't have restriction? Tell us a bit more about your eating habits through the day (what do you eat at a meal, how much do you eat, how long does it take you to eat, etc.). You should eat about 1 cup of food in a 20-30 minute period and it should be about 2-3 oz of Protein, 1/4-1/2 cup of vegies and 1/4 cup of carbs. You should not drink with your meals as it slides the food through (or, if you take a gulp, will cause you to slime). I have restriction and by the time I finish that amount of food (sometimes sooner), I know I'm full. My belly doesn't tell me so. My head does. On the few times I didn't listen to my head, that next bite made me uncomfortable for 10 minutes or so until some of the food from my pouch moved down. I usually drink a low carb, low cal Protein shake between meals and mid-evening to boost my protein and keep me from craving.

My doc told me that the weeks after surgery were for healing, not losing weight, and if I was hungry (or even if I 'thought' I was hungry), not to worry about it and just eat...within the guidelines. .

Isn't it funny the head games we play with ourselves...and I mean that in a nice way. My aunt and I would go to our county fair (which is the largest in the country) and we would come home 4 hours later (cuz we couldn't stand the crowds) stuffed to the gills from overeating...after swearing we wouldn't...and feeling guilty for pigging out so badly. Then one year we both decided we were going to eat our way from one side of the fair to the other and we weren't going to feel guilty. We left the fair 4 hours later and I think we each got a fry and corn dog and that was it. We laughed our way across the parking lot. When I was dieting, I found that my cravings were best controlled by giving myself permission to eat them...if I still want them in the morning. Generally, I didn't. I'm kind of doing the same thing now and, as you said, the difference now is that the band is helping with portion control and calorie restriction (as a result) all the time. Life is good. .

Increase your calories. Studies show that women who eat between 1200-1400 calories lose faster and more steadily than those who eat 1000 and below. I'm 53, 5'4" and I eat anywhere from 1200-1400. In a 7 day period, I may actually have a day where I eat about 1600 (cuz I splurged on something). I read an article a long time ago that said if you want to shake up your metabolism, change the way you eat. Don't let your body get used to it. They recommended 3 days of absolutely no carbs and then 4 days where you could have carbs. Then repeat. I had a friend who steadily lost weight with never hitting a plateau and she ate around 1600 calories a day.

Mine are done lying down. Never had a problem.

I've never had kidney stones, but a good friend did and I remember how miserable she was until they passed. Question...why are you vomiting? Or are you just PB'ing and sliming? I ask because some people confuse the two. And were you vomiting/Pb'ing your shakes?

Yep, sounds like you need another fill.

I'm with Betsy. When I worked in offices, if someone was on a diet, this same type of behavior went on and it was mostly because people felt bad about eating stuff the other person couldn't have. I'd take the time to educate them since they already know you have the band. Can't hurt. .

Could be they're too tight and need a slight unfill. Could be they just won't stop when they know they should. Could be they're slow learners when it comes to remembering which foods give them problems. .

I disagree. That's not even 2 lbs a week. If the doctor is basing his fills on what she loses, then he's misusing the fills. We don't get a fill because we have (or have not) lost weight. We get a fill because we're hungry and/or able to eat to excess (assuming we're not eating slider foods). It's a diet industry myth that it's unsafe to lose more than 2 lbs a week. The more overweight you are, the faster you'll initially lose. If I could only lose 2 lb per week, I'd still have to overeat. Now that I have restriction and am able to stick to about 1200 calories, I've lost 18+ lbs in 3 weeks*. *Results are not typical.:smile2:

Thanks, HB I'll go today and check them out. I've been using topical rub in pain relievers and they work for a bit but wear out before the night is even half over. The last two mornings I've woken up with killer headaches and a stiff neck and shoulder which I think is a result of tensing from the pain in the arm. Here's hoping these Patches work and glad to hear there's a light at the end of the tunnel. I do not know how people deal with nagging pain day in and out. :smile2: .

My husband suggested that perhaps as I lose more weight, the tubing, or whatever is rubbing, may 'drop' and not be as taught. So I'm feeling a bit more positive this morning...and motivated to maybe work a little harder to lose a little faster just to see if I can't stop this pain. What I wouldn't give for a good night's sleep! I'm not a nice person when I'm sleep deprived. :smile2: .

Even before I was banded, I'd do 4 Protein shakes during the day (Breakfast, mid-morning, lunch, mid-afternoon). I was, and still am not, hungry. If that works for you, great. If not... Another alternative is just to get back to the basics. Make sure you drink your 64 oz of Water. Get all your protein in. You can do this easily, and boost the protein which helps keep you from being hungry and craving, by drinking a low car, low cal Protein shake mid-meals. Journal everything you put in your mouth...even a tic tac. Make good food choices. You might calculate how many calories you need to maintain your current weight vs how many you need to maintain your goal weight. You'll either find that you need to lower your calories or (if your calorie requirement is already down to 1200) increase your expenditure by moving more.

I'm so sorry you're having to go through this. If that was my husband and he didn't snap out of it, I'd snap him out. :wink: We all go through periods in our life when we wonder what life would've been like had we made other choices. We can either deal with it like the adults we are...or run to the other side of that fence where the grass looks greener (and rarely is). Here's hoping your husband will soon realize that it's not greener.:eek: .

Jen, It almost sounds as if you're too full. As long as you're taking sips and not gulps, it shouldn't cause you difficulty. If you can't get Water down, you need to contact your doctor. Otherwise, it may just be temporary swelling that will go down.

I just assumed it was the tubing. I'll have to look at an anatomy diagram to see if my port is on the diaphragm. .

I've found pain to be a great 'aversion therapy'. .

I had a doctor's appointment this morning and actually made the appointment to see him because, since surgery, I have a constant pain in my left upper arm depending on how I'm positioned. It's much worse when I'm lying down and it's gotten worse with each fill. After doing a lot of research on the internet, I've discovered that it's something called 'phrenic nerve pain' and most likely is related to some portion of the band system rubbing against my diaphragm. With each fill it probably pulled something more taught, causing increased rubbing on the diaphragm. I told my surgeon about this last time (through his assistant) so he would have time to check on it as they'd never heard of this problem. Apparently he has, but it's not something he's ever run across. My problem is that he has limited suggestions. I can get the fill removed :wink: so that the pain is minimal, but this isn't a reasonable solution since without the fill, it's like I'm not banded. If I want to get rid of the pain completely, I can have the band removed. Or I can take pain meds to deal with it. I don't like any of these solutions but this if these are my only choices, I'll put up with the pain for as long as I can and lose as much as I can, have the band taken out and *hope* I will, by that time, have learned new food habits and can keep it off on my own. I'm praying there are other options so if anyone out there has heard of this and can help, please please, I'd like to hear it. .

I agree. It makes no sense to go through all of this just to try and find ways to beat the band. .