JoJo1

This whole experience is about changing our life. That means changing everything. I allow myself one bite when I think I deserve a treat, but it is usually something silly like a whole grain cracker. I was totally ready to make this change and I plan to keep doing it. I am so happy that the band is helping me do it. I went through a little plateau when I needed a fill, but I realized later that I let myself get off track. I didn't need to do it at all, and now I hope I can keep doing the one cup or one and a half cup portion even after the restriction lets up. You can do it I know you can, you just need to change the mind set that we all well know is what caused us to be here in the first place. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.:bored:

I walked a mile the day after surgery and flew home the day after that. Ask you Dr. but if you feel like doing it is probably fine.....

Many people with weight issues have fluctuations in Blood Sugar. It is usually referred to as Insulin Resistance, but it actually is a pre diabetic condition. Especially after a change in diet, if your normal sugars drop even a little, this can cause something that can be described as Jitters. I am diabetic, and I would not describe it that way, but you know everyone is different. I have a feeling that if you don't feel better after eating something or drinking something substancial, it is likely to be something else.

The weight loss in the beginning is great and a lot of it is water, so it is natural for it to slow down. It would not be good to continue losing that fast. It would be nice but not good for us. Normal is 1 to 2 lbs per week and it is very much healthier!!!! Congrats!!!!

I had a day around then that I had no energy and could not get warm. I figured out that I probably had a low grade fever which is normal after surgery. My daughter said you can have withdrawal from the pain meds too. You may just be having an alergic reaction the the pain meds or maybe a withdrawal... Just a thought..

My doc said have sex when you feel like it....

It will grow back!!! I am a hair dresser and have been for many years. (I am noticing the lines and wrinkles too) As for the hair loss, I believe you can stop it in 30 days with Nioxin Shampoo and Nioxin Scalp Therapy. Simple shampoo and conditioner. It works by really cleaning the skin and removing the deposits of old products. Of course these old products are not the reason you are losing it in the first place, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this helps grow healthy hair. You are likely losing some more than before, but you have to realize that 100 hairs a day naturally fall out of everybody's head. If your hair was thick, it is likely more and if your hair is long, this looks like a bunch of hair. Get some Nioxin and don't worry. I wish I knew what to do about the lines and wrinkles too. Let me know if you figure it out!!!!

My daughter has trouble with any fill at all. She has a small 4cc band, and ends up taking all of her fill out over and over again. She is down almost all of the weight she wants to lose anyway, but she just can't handle the fluid. I have the same size band as she does and so far, I am tolerating a 2cc fill very well. Just go slow and increase by small amounts at a time. If you chew chew chew and take tiny bites it will work. Also, if you do liquids for awhile maybe two or three days so it can heal, it might work better for you.

It looks like it is in the process of healing to me. One of mine turned a few brilliant colors in the process too. Also this is the first time I have heard of a one incision band. I watched a video on You Tube of the surgery and all of the stuff they have to do so I am thinking there has to be a lot more instruments going in and out of the one incision. If that is the case, there has to be more brusing etc. Congratulations on your journey!!!

I chose the band because I wanted to have a non invasive procedure. I could not be off work long enough to do an extensive one. Also I have read a lot about the Gastric Sleeve which can also be an option for some. It is more invasive than the band but less than the Bypass. As far as the sucess rate, from my perspective, and I have researched this a lot, the Gastric Bypass is not very effective at all with 10 times the side effects. If we go into this with the idea that the surgery will keep us from eating, it is the wrong reason. A hammer won't do the work for us, we have to do it and the hammer makes it easier. The people who post here and on other forums don't all realize this. If you need to talk to a professional before you start, I highly recommend this, because having the right expectations is crucial. Keep up the good work!!!

My husband said this one day too. I told him I just hoped he would like me better, and I really think he does. At least he acts like it...

I also thought it was quick and easy. I think the biggest thing is getting the right restriction, the "sweet spot" is different for everyone. I have 2cc in a 4cc band and so far I think it is perfect. Time will tell though, I only got it a little over a week ago.

I had to make an effort to change my mind set about food. I am diabetic, so I gave up carbs about 10 years ago. (Believe me you can get fat on meat and cheese). I did this mind set thing back then because I knew I was going to deal with this disease the rest of my life. I found it actually easier to eat out than the low fat diet. I just changed my thinking when food was in the room. I grew in a relatively short amount of time, to not resent the food or the people who could eat it. I even cook, and bake for my husband without resenting it now. When I got banded, I was hungry during liquids like everyone else. My biggest challenge was figuring out how to keep the carbs out of the liquids. My husband was supportive and cooked for himself during my liquid stage and I got through it. I did not eat out at all during that stage. Now I am back to making foods for me and adding to them for him, Yes I even bake brownies and never touch them because I have this mind set. That is what it is really about. If we sit around and feel sorry for ourselves, we are setting ourselves up for failure. I have times when I think about food and then stop myself because I know where that will take me. I find other things to do and to occupy my mind. We can all do this and it really does work. Some people say they imagine the food crawling with bugs or other tricks, but I just stop thinking about food. It is not as hard as it sounds you can do it......If I can anyone can..... Hang in there.

I eat chicken most of the time, but my daughter who was banded 2 years ago, cannot eat it. I like it but like the previous poster, I need to make sure it is moist. I put it in the crock pot with a can of some kind of creamy soup and it usually works. I do have to eat it slow and in very small bites. I suggest you back off for a few days and maybe even go back to mushys for a day to see if you just need a rest. Hope this helps....

I think most of them are coming home with him, but thank you thank you thank you again!!!

I really appreciate this because I am old enough to remember what happened to the guys who fought in Vietnam. I am against this war, but I am so pro troops. I still don't know why it happened the way it did in the 70s but I am grateful that people treat my son with respect and often tell him thank you....

It is great that your husband is coming home. My son is too in 2 weeks. I am going to N.C. to be there when he gets off the bus. Nothing to do with weight loss but cool anyway!!!

I also didn't lose for about three week before my first fill, but during that time, my pants kept feeling looser and looser. I think we do lose inches at different times than our scale loss.

I can eat a lot more than I should too, however I stop when the food doesn't taste as good or when I get to my 1 1/2 cup limit. I find that it is really enough, I just don't have that stuffed feeling that I always thought I needed. I think if we beleive we need to be stuffed, we will never be successful losing our weight, and will have a lot more problems with the fills. I have also been trying to figure out just exactly what make us feel full. Since I am a diabetic, I can check what is going on with my blood sugar, and I am always hungry when it is either too high or two low. When I get it back to normal, I am not hungry anymore. I only added this because I believe most overweight people have some insulin resistance. In varying degrees all of us have fluctuations in blood sugar. If we expect to feel full, our insulin hormones kick in, and produce too much, and this causes hunger again in a couple of hours. This is reason enough to eat small amounts and see what happens. I believe many will be surprisingly satisfied if they eat small amounts and eat mostly protein and green veggies.... Hope it helps...

I am not sure either, but try going back on all liquids for a 12 hour period. You may at some point in the two weeks become over hungry, and ate too much or too fast and caused swelling. A 12 liquid rest is a good test.

My instructions said to do liquids for two days then mushies and gradually add solid food. Then it says if there is any trouble, go back to liquids for 12 more hours. You really really need to chew well when you reach restriction. I would do liquids for 12 hours and see if it helps, then call the ER.

You may need to get a couple more fills before you actually reach restriction. You will need to get at least half of that 14 ccs in you to get much restriction. Also I have had some help with hunger, but you still need to limit your meals to 1 1/2 cups. If you do that and try to eat good bandster foods, you are more likely to stay satisfied longer. It helps me to voluntarily limit my amount to the 1 1/2 cups. We also need to change the definition of full!! If I stop enjoying the taste of what I am eating, I stop and realize a little later that it was actually enough. We got to be this overweight because we believed we needed to be stuffed to be full. Then we keep grazing because we find out that the stuffed feeling starts to subside. We will never lose the weight if we keep this belief. The band is a tool, so we can't expect it to do it for us. Yes I know this concept is a disappointment. Hang in there, it will begin to happen when you get enough restriction.

Well it has been 5 days with only 3 days on solids. I feel the restriction and now I need to just wait for the scales to start moving again. I have figured out that the band doesn't stop me from overeating if I want to. It just helps with the hunger in between. I eat 1 or 1 1/2 cups really slow and it makes me feel satisfied. I do sometimes feel hungry though, and I am drinking water instead of eating. So far I am in control so it is okay. I will wait also for a decision on more fill.

I am also a salon owner. Most of my clients tip 15 to 20 percent, some to the penny. They carry those little tip cards and calculate it to the penny. For the gal who got the extensions, those usually do run around 1200.00. If she did them cheaper for someone, they must have some other type of relationship. Either friends or relatives. Half of that amount is the cost of the hair. Yes quality hair is very expensive. So she does not make as much money as you think. If you did not like the quality of the assistants work, you should definitely tell your stylist. Whether you decide to go to her again or not, you should tell her. I love the tips and I count on them. Between Salon Rent, Advertizing, Utilities, and phone, expenses add up and tips are always nice. However if someone does not tip, it does not bother me because I know it is either how they believe or they just cannot afford it. Have a good Thanksgiving everyone......

I didn't hang on to that initial restriction for more than about 3 weeks. Then I felt like a lot of it went away. I still had it when I ate dry food, so it was there, but it was much less. I was told to never eat more than a cup and a half of food, so I did that with emphasis on protein. I don't do sweet drinks at all as I don't like them, but the Unjury protein powder in the chicken soup flavor is good and helps get the required amount of protein in to your calories. They make it unflavored too and in sweet flavors with no carbs. My daughters nutritionist told her not to eat more than the size of her fist. That is a pretty good comparison because you always have your fist with you. Hope this helps at least a little......