tarajim

Ice cream, Yogurt, Cream Soups, Sugary liquids, all go around the band (Actually, thru it quickly).

You Said: I am not losing anything. I have absolutely no restriction other than my head telling me to stop. I get my first fill on Jan. 21st. I guess it's a good thing I've not gained the weight I lost before surgery but still this waiting game is really getting to me. Anyone else in the same place I am? My post was in the correct place. My point is simple. You will lose weight if you work at it. You have to change. You have to work. You sound like you are waiting for something to take place that will cause you to lose weight. Your head is the most important weight loss tool. You can use it now. I am in exactly the same place as you. I have no restriction either. I am losing weight because I am working at it. The band, when filled to a "sweet spot" will help remind my head to stop. For now, My head is doing all the work and I am losing weight. I did not mean to imply you were going to go around the band. What I meant to imply is that if you only rely on the physical properties of the band at restriction, and allow your head to not be in the game, the band can be defeated. I do not mean you will do that, just that it can be done. Good luck with your WII fit. I hope you lose ALL you want to in the time you plan too... TJ

BT, You get me, You honestly get me. My post was meant to be absurd, sarcastic and facetious. My band is a tool, and I use it. But I am gonna lose another 100 lbs by working hard, eating right, and changing my behaviour. I will do it. The band will help. But, if it could be magic, wouldn't that be great!!! Thanks for chiming in BT. I knew you would. TJ P.S. Hummingbird, Elfiepoo and others, thanks for the concern. You guys are great.... TJ

insanity tonight....

Get FROZEN fruit. It makes the shakes creamier. Add Yogurt. Add pudding (SF). Use Coconut milk and chocolate soy milk. Use unjury or BSN powder (great taste and BSN has Cinnamon Roll flavor) BSN Lean Dessert Protein shake Fresh Cinnamon Roll - 1.39 Lbs. - LuckyVitamin.com You don't have to suffer with bad protein. It can be real good if you choose right. TJ

I had my first fill and only had to be liquid till the NEXT morning. I think your doctor is too cautious. I would eat some mushies that are low cal and low sugar. Good luck... TJ

I am a banded, self pay, motivated member of this forum. I love the positive attitude of many of the great people here. There are some really remarkable successes and some really motivating works in progress. I look for the names that post with true experience and a logical, sane attitude as to what they are doing. But I have now changed my attitude. What I want is a magic piece of plastic. I want it to peel 100 pounds off of me without work. I don't want to have to keep going to the gym daily for an hour or two and sweating my ass off, bored to death, listening to the same old motivating music on a hamster machine. I don't want to have to go to the store and buy veggies and meat. I want to drive up, tell someone what I want, and get it in a nice bag that I can eat on my way to get ice cream. I want to go to the doctor each month and get a magic shot that will peel another 20 pounds off me before I get home. I want to make MILK shakes, with toppings and whipped cream. I don't want to have to add Protein and fruit. Isn't this what the magic plastic will do for me? I paid for magic plastic. When will it start working? Fill me. Fill me. That will fix it. I just want to be thin. And I what to be thin now!!! TJ

Bob, I do the same thing. Every day. I have found I do not have a weight, I have a weight range. The range is about 6 pounds wide. (That is about 3/4ths of a gallon of Water, or 6 bottles of Dasani water) My range is from bloated to dehydrated. If i weigh after the gym, I am 2 to 3 pounds lighter. If I weigh at night, I am 2 pound heavier. The range moves though, and the weight I log is the lowest I see. Last sunday, I saw 317 after 1.5 hours sweating at the gym and being dehydrated. Wednesday, I saw 324 in the evening. This morning I saw 319 after the gym but not dehydrated. Funny how it works. I weigh several times a day. But I don't let it affect me, I let it motivate me. If I am up a little, I work harder at the gym. I lay off a little in the calories, but mostly, I do the same thing every day. My body shape has changed though and I can feel differences even when the scale holds. Some people have to stay off the scales, but I like seeing the numbers. I guess to each his or her own.... Good luck to all TJ

I hate to burst your bubble, but a fill will not start the weight loss. It may restrict your ability to overeat at one setting, but since the consensus is that it usually takes several fills to hit the sweet spot, the first fill will give you a small restriction. You will be able to beat the band if you are determined to do so. I hope you are not. What you need, IMHO, is a box of tools, not just one. Some of the other tools you need is an exercise routine you like and can follow, a diet plan that you can not only tolerate but enjoy, that is high in Protein and Vitamins and low in carbs and sugar, and a system of accountability. This system can be private or public, but should count your calories, measure your portions, record your exercise, and document your weight. This system will teach you what normal is suppose to look like. I have had my band about 7 weeks, had one fill, feel no restriction yet, and eat about any kind of food. I exercise 5 to 6 days a week for 45 min to 1.5 hours. I journal all my food. I record my weight. My co morbidities are all almost gone. No more diabetes meds, only half my BP meds, way reduced sleep apnea. And I have lost 49 pounds since the seminar. The band did not lose that weight, I did. The band is a reminder tool. I am so glad I have it, but I lost the weight, not my plastic friend. Could I have lost this weight without the band? The answer is maybe so, but I would not have been as determined and would probably give up eventually and regain it and more. So, If you are waiting for the band to remove weight from you, I have to tell you you will be waiting forever. If you have the band, use it to remind you to change your life, quit the bad behavior, get up and move, and transform your life. You will enjoy the results. You will feel better, look healthier, get to see results in clothes and in your skin, and your self esteem will rise because YOU succeeded. No thanks to the plastic, it will be all about you!!! Good Luck... TJ

Wow, this feels good. Here is a set of pics. One hundred more to go!!! LAP-BAND

I take a whole banana every day and put it in a blender with 8 to 12 oz of 1% milk and a scoop of unjury chocolate Protein powder (great taste) and blend it to death. It is creamy and the banana goes down well this way. I have had one fill and my band 6 weeks. I do this banana thing almost every day. Also, try using frozen rasberries, cherries, blueberries, and mangos in vanilla Protein Powder. Great taste!!

I use "Loseit" it has a data base of foods, allows you to create new foods and receipes, and track exercise

What do you eat? How do you exercise? You say you eat less and don't go back for seconds. Are your FIRSTs a big plate of high calories? Is you exercise a social event or a work out? You are doing something wrong. Do you journal your food? Count your calories? Weigh your food? Are you being honest with yourself or expecting a piece of plastic on your stomach to be a magic wand? Start by writing down everything you eat. Use a program that counts the calories and Protein. Eat Protein first. Eat vegetables and fruit second. Eat NO carbs until you get in the protein and veggies first and limit the carbs to one serving a day. Get 90 grams of carbs a day. Exercise 45 min to an hour VIGOROUSLY. That means raising your heartbeat to 130 and SWEATING. Eat your food on smaller plates. Weigh and measure everything. Yes this is work. Hard work. You will lose weight if you work at it. You will not lose weight if you eat more than you work off. The band is not magic. TJ

Sounds like you need medical help. You should go to the emergency room. What you describe is not normal. By day 4 you should have no problem drinking liquids. I would go to the hospital now if I were you. TJ

Try this one.... I love the taste. Get a blender, and put frozen fruit (rasberries, cherries, mangos or blueberries) or sugar free peaches in the vanilla. I also mix the vanilla with milk and orange juice (tropicana 50 low sugar) to make an orange julius.. Put a banana in the chocolate. Use 1% milk. This stuff tastes great!!!

Wow, what a varying set of replies... Most seem to respond about the judgements of others and who they told. A lot of really good venting and opinions. I have really enjoyed seeing the varying points of view, from people who practically market their decision to people that would rather not tell anyone. My third point is about accountability. If you tell no one, who are you accountable too and is that a mechanism for preventing embarrasment if you fail? If you tell everyone, are you prepared to live with that failure or lack of achievment should it happen? Or are you so sure of yourself that you are willing to take that risk? I, for one, want that risk. It heightens my desire to succeed and motivates me to push my exercise and stick to my food program. I am not attempting to place a judgement on anyone for their decision. We all have our own emotional luggage and needs to protect or boost our egos. I applaude all of you that responded for sharing your views though, as it has made me understand the fragile nature of the decision we have all made. Good luck to all of you. I look forward to the next year as I lose my next 100 lbs with you!!! TJ

Really good points Shaun, and I hope you don't get flamed... I have noticed the man/woman thing too. Look forward to the feedback from them as well. Good luck to you....... (Shrug)... haha TJ

Hi to all, I have been here just over 2 months, and have been banded 6 weeks and had one fill. One thing in have observed is the number of people that seem to be embarassed during this journey. There are many posts about people that don't want to tell others, including not telling friends, co-workers, family and even significant others. I also have observed a number of posts about not wanting to work out in public at a gym, trying to eat the required diet in front of people that do not know what you are going through. I started out thinking I did not want to tell anyone either. At the very beginning, I did not want anyone in my family to know. I just didn't want to be negatively judged. But then as I got closer to the time for the surgery I had a change of mind. I thought, the more people that know, the more support I will get, and the more people I will be accountable to succeed. I feel now that people are interested in my progress (as long as I don't obsess and bore them), ask questions, and cheer me on after they know what I am going through. I also hear a lot of other stories of people who my friends know that have been through my story with success and this helps me. It also helps to get out of bed, go to the gym, sweat, and know that no one there really cares about what I look like or what I am doing. I have seen EVERY body type at the gym. And I think it is terrific when I see the same faces each day, working through the pain and sweat, to get better. When you are there everyday, you will lose the embarrasment and maybe even find new friends that are doing what you do. Mostly, I have found that the more people that know, the more I remain committed to eat right, hit the gym, and not retreat into old habits and comfort zones. You can't make progress unless you do the right things everyday!!! I feel like getting banded is cause to Celebrate starting a new life, and you have to share to celebrate. It is also a time where you are vulnerable to old ways and need lots of people giving you cheers and sometime kicks, to keep doing the things to make this a true life changing event. Does anyone else feel this way? Why do you hide? Why do you keep it secret? I understand the embarassment emotion, are there other things like fear of failure that worry you? I got the band cause I finally decided, after 30 years, that I truly wanted to live. And I mean really live. Living to me involves lots of friends and supportive, positive people too, so I choose to start now!!! All of you that post are an inspiration to me... Thanks for being part of my support system. TJ

While you should follow your doctors advice, there are many different approached by different doctors. Mine had me on mushies after a week then solids a week later. If you were seeing my doctor tomorrow, there would not be an issues, you would be on plan. So I wouldn't worry about damage.... Good luck to you... TJ

Happened to me too. Came off liquids and gained backed 5 lbs. Then a week or 2 later, it was off again... Just your body adjusting. Exercise is a key.... Good luck to you... TJ

if you eat right, and exercise, in a few weeks you will feel great. I have had my band 35 days and feel great.... Went for a 4.5 mile walk today... It was terrific. You will feel the difference. Good luck... TJ

Don't let the door hit you on the way out...

My thoughts exactly. The help I was referring to was about your loathing of yourself, your family and all the others that are like you. You need to explore compassion.... TJ

The delete button is in your head. Do you say everything that comes to you mind? If not, follow that same rule here. Sounds like you need need professional help to deal with this. TJ

Day 4 was the day I got out of bed and started walking. That act alone made me feel so much better. It helps with the gas, the pain and the bloating. food, liquid or not, will be better in just a few days. But for now, walk, walk and walk... and drink lots of Water. Good Luck... TJ