Astrasmom

Hi everyone. Hope all is well. Well I am teetering on that line of not losing weight. My doctor said at this point it's all a matter of excercise taking the rest off. So I have increased my exercise. I have 15lbs to go before I am out of the obese category. My nutritionist told me today that I have already lost 64% of my body weight. They expect you to lose 50% in the first year. So I am way over schedule. Doc gave me a tiny fill today to try and get me moving again. I'm not discouraged though. I know that when you are so close to your goal, things slow way down and it seems like FOREVER before you get those pounds off. I will get there. I have ALREADY reached many of my short term goals that I set for myself in this year. I am proud of myself. And even though I would love to lose those last 15lbs before my bandiversary, I know that if I don't, I have already passed my expectations of what I thought I would lose in the first year anyway. Many people ask me what my secret is. I tell them determination. I measure everything and I follow my doctors plan. I also keep a daily food journal. Anyway good luck to everyone. I hope that you are all doing well.

I used the CPAP machine for 5 years. You have NO idea how good it was for the sleep study doctor to tell me that I no longer needed it. I am glad that I have helped you. I wish you much luck. And by the way my blog SHOULD work with Firefox now. For some reason it didn't like the counter that I had on it. So I removed that.

For some reason it was doing it to my mom also. She said she was using Firefox and switch to Internet Explorer and it worked. What browser are you using? And no you don't need to be a member.

I have gotten food stuck a few times. I'm not sure if it's because of the fill though, it might be because you are making better choices and are aware of what will happen if you don't chew properly. My doctor doesn't tell me how much he puts in. He doesn't want us focusing on the Fluid and then freaking out when we are at capacity and can't have anymore fluid. I can tell you that I have a 10cc band though. And I have quiet a bit of fluid in there.

Do you have to do a pre-op diet? Chances are you probably won't because your body will have already gone through the starvation mode before your surgery. If it DOES happen, it won't last for long. Things do get better. Please ask any question you like. The only stupid question is the one never asked. :thumbup: Good luck on your journey.

I have had 5 fills and a tiny bit removed. I am at the sweet spot and have been for a couple months now. I am able to eat anywhere for 1/2 cup to 1 cup of food at meals. I can go 4-5 hours between meals without feeling hungry. What it feels like to me is that I am full, I can not eat anymore. Good restriction shouldn't be uncomfortable and it shouldn't hurt. You shouldn't get stuck all of the time and if you are chances are it's because you aren't chewing good enough or your portion size is too large. When I am full I get the hicups. I know then that it's time to stop otherwise it WILL be sitting in my throat. Those are called soft signs of fullness. When I swallow without chewing my food, I really don't get stuck anymore. What does happen is that I will feel nausea and I have to fight the feeling back until my food goes down. SO the moral of my story is to chew my food better.

I would suggest journaling your food. You may be surprised at what you are eating. Are you measuring your food intake? You should only be able to get in 1 cup off food or less. Are you still doing your Protein shakes? Are you drinking your fluids? How many calories are you taking in? You might want to try foods with higher protein levels like fish and chicken. 20-25 lbs is great actually. Remember it's not going to happen over night. Try not to weigh yourself as much either. It tends to make us discouraged. If you must weigh yourself before your doctors visits just limit it to once a week. You may want to increase your exercise also. My weightloss has slowed down also so don't feel bad.

After surgery you will feel kind of groggy for awhile. You will probably be a little sore once the pain medication wears off. I'm not sure how everyone's hospital work but I had a morphine pump and when I needed pain medication I would just push the button and a small amount of morphine was administered to me. I hardly used it though. For me the pain was about a 3-4 on a scale from 1-10. Your throat may be a little sore from the breathing tube. You also might feel a little gassy, maybe in your shoulder area which is from the air that they pump into you during surgery so the doctor can see inside. I wasn't allowed anything to eat or drink until the following day, after I had the barium swallow and X-ray. Your mouth might be kind of dry so they may or may not give you some swabs so that you can wet your lips with. Take some chapstick with you, it helps. After a few hours you can get up and walk around. It's best that you walk as much as you can because it helps with moving the gas around and also prevents blood clots from forming in your legs. You can not feel the band on your stomach but you will more then likely be amazed that you aren't hungry considering you haven't eaten in 2 days already. I could feel my port but you really don't want to be pushing on the site because you will be sore. It really doesn't become prominent until you start losing the weight. I can really feel mine now. I'll never wear a bikini so I don't care if it shows or not. Take a look at my blog. It will give you an idea of what will happen. Look around at the different pages that I have on there. It's normal to feel nervous. It's major surgery after all. Soon it will be all over with and you will be on your way to your new lifestyle. Having the band was the best thing I have ever done in my life. I have no regrets accept that I didn't get it done sooner. The lapband saved my life. I was 304lbs when I started, borderline everything with sleep apnea and used a CPAP for 5 years. I also had open heart surgery in 2001 for an Aortic Aneurysm and valve repair. Because I had a pigs valve put in (didn't want to take blood thinner) I will need to have surgery again within the next few years. Pigs valves do not last your lifetime (No bacon jokes please..hehe). Anyway a little over 9 months from my surgery, I am 106lbs lighter. 13lbs away from goal. I haven't been this weight since 1987. I kind of feel like a teenager at times again. I have my self-esteem back. I feel sexy for the first time in a long time (don't care if anyone else doesn't think I'm sexy). I am no longer borderline anything. My bloodwork is normal. I no longer have Sleep Apnea and tossed my machine away. I went from a size 26 to a 14. So my point is. Every surgery is scary. Every surgery has risks. But if we don't take chances in life, we miss out on alot of good things. And I missed out on this surgery for years because I second guessed myself and listened to what everyone else said. I finally decided that I needed to take care of me and I had to stop listening to everyone else because ultimately this was my decision. So I wish you luck on your surgery. I do hope that I have helped you a little. Please keep us posted. You can do it. :thumbup:

Your body goes through something like a detox. When you first start your pre-op diet (if you have one), or if you don't do the pre-op diet, when you do your surgery, your body goes through starvtion mode. You may feel tired and cranky for a few days but it passes. Biggest thing is to keep yourself busy and drink lots of fluids. Eventually you will learn the difference between head hunger and real hunger.

When your swelling goes down you will start feeling hungry. Before you put yourself on the next stage I would call your doctors office and ask them if it's ok. Eggs are one thing but crackers and cheese are solids. Becareful. Are you drinking plenty of fluids inbetween your meals? Try some sugar free ice pops. They work wonders also. Good luck and I hope things get better for you.

Thank you everyone. Although things have slowed way down now. I think the last 13lbs will be the hardest to get off but I know they will come off. I've made it this far. I'm not getting discouraged now. I'm so happy that I got the lapband. At the start I didn't know how I would do with it, but I honestly have to say I am soooooooo glad that I did. It wasn't easy getting to where I am now but it is 10 times easier then the yo-yo diets that I was on before. I truely have to say for anyone that is thinking about getting this done, it's probably one of the most important things you could do for yourself. It's a very scarey process and it's definately not the 'easy way out'. It's a Lifestyle change and anyone that comes into this process thinking that because the band is placed your job is done, is WRONG!! If that's your mind set, then the lapband is definately not for you. The band does work for you and it does make things easier for you, but you have to work also. For anyone that is discouraged because the weight isn't coming off like you want it to...we didn't get fat overnight. It's not going to fall off over night. Please don't get discouraged, it will come off. We have all worked very hard to get where we are today. You got your lapband for a reason. I know my reason was to stay alive. Everyone should feel proud of themselves. Even those that have just started the process. For those that are on the pre-op diets. This is the part that truely sucks. But you can make it. You too will be looking back someday and the pre-op diet will be a thing of the past. Hang in there. Biggest thing I have to say to everyone is that you can't do this alone. You need the support of others. If you have a support group in your area. PLEASE GO. This website is great but there is nothing like having people directly infront of you that you can relate to. Also if you are having problems or not loseing the weight. Journal, your food. You may be suprised at what your taking in. I'm proud of you. You should be too.

Ok I have a question for you. I am told many people when they lose alot of weight like I did, your cycles get normal. BUT has anyones cycle become totally erratic? My not so nice friend who visited me on a regular basis before I lost the weight, which was like clock work once a month, every 28 days. NOW that I have lost a ton of weight I am getting my friggin period every week to 2 weeks. I know that the estrogen levels are off when you lose the weight but does it take forever to get back to normal? Not only am I hating it, my husband is about to kill me because it doesn't make for a good personal life. Please tell me that this will get better or should I take so estrogen vitamins from the drug store?

It really depends on what your doctor says. Even though my doctor doesn't want me to chew gum I tend to. I'm not supposed to drink from a straw nor chew gum because it puts air in your pouch. I also drink Crystal Light which usually helps to curve my appetite.

I really WISH I wouldn't have my period for 4 months. I'm getting it every week to every 2 weeks right now. It sucks. And yes you are correct about estrogen. I found this. Estrogen and Weight Loss Because of the correlation between fat cells and estrogen, studies show that people who are overweight tend to have higher than normal estrogen levels. Also, people who are extremely thin, such as anorexia patients, have estrogen levels that are far too low. Conversely, when an obese woman loses weight, her estrogen levels will usually drop.

I count calories. I'm on an 800 to 1100 calorie diet a day. Sometimes I do a little more because its good to shock your body once and awhile or it gets used to the same calorie intake and your weight will stall.

I like you went through all the diets. I lost weight and then gained it all back again and then some. I reached my highest weight of 304lbs and I couldn't take it anymore. I was also one of those people that though that the lapband or any weightloss surgery for that matter was the 'easy way out.' I even went to the lengths of trying to talk myself out of it because I thought it meant that I was a failure. Anyway now that I have had the lapband I understand life differently. It wasn't that I was a failure it was that food was just such a major part in my life I could no longer do it on my own. I am a food addict. Food is a drug and anyone that is overweight that thinks they can kick the habit on their own is in for a rude awakening. Now I'm not saying that everyone with a food addiction or that is overweight should rush out and get the lapband done. What I am saying is that you need support from others. The lapband is definately not the 'Easy Way Out.' There is nothing easy about this process at all. I have worked extremely hard to get where I am today. But the lapband will help me to keep that weight off that I wasn't able to keep off with the diets. Lapband is a lifestyle change it's not a diet. You don't really have to give anything up. You just need to eat in moderation. Of course as you go along your taste buds change for certain things and you won't want them anymore. Your old habits follow too. But in time you also learn how to deal with them. In conclusion I understand now that if I didn't do something I was going to die. And at the age of 43 it wasn't my time. So basically the lapband saved my life. I have no regrets except that I should have gotten it done sooner. I haven't been this happy about my weight or weighed this much since 1987, I have lost a total person on the outside but gained a new person on the inside. Anyway I wish you much luck on your journey. This is probably one of the best decisions you could ever make for yourself. Please keep us posted on your progress.

Congratulations Ryan. I wish you the best. Please keep us posted. Being nervous is normal. Hang in there it's almost over.

Wait 20 minutes, try to find something to do to keep your mind off of it. After the 20 minutes it's usually gone. But you honestly should give into your cravings once and awhile. Don't deprive yourself of the better things in life. Unless of course your band doesn't allow them to go down properly. sugar free Ice pops usually take my cravings away.

My doctor makes me drink a tiny glass of water before I leave the office after my fill. I am also to drink liquids for 24 hours after the fill and then I can go back on solids the following day. You are correct. ALL doctors are different. That's why it's so important to listen to the specific orders of your doctor.

It's true. I guess I should have mentioned that I used the Gas-X strips also. They worked wonders for me.

Glad to hear that I gave you inspiration. Anyone can do it. Some may take longer then others but you will get there eventually. I wish you much success.:bolt:

Unfortunately you don't want to drink 2-3 at a time. My nutritionist said that I could have 8 oz of Protein shake instead of 4 oz. You can have 4 a day. In between I drank lots and lots of crystal light.

Wow I am so sorry you are having such a bad time right now. I wish there was something that I could say or do that would make you feel better but I know that nothing I say will make you less anxious about finding out if you will be having the surgery or not. I know it sucks but if your surgery is posted poned its for the best. If your blood work is not just right and they take the chance of operating on you, the risks are very high. So trust your doctor and I promise you, how ever long you have to wait, it will be worth it. I do hope that everything works out for the best. Please keep me posted. As for your Protein shakes. You might want to try a different brand. I know they are expsensive but if you are bored of them, they aren't going to do you any good. They do make fruity ones. They also make unflavored ones and ones that taste like chicken broth. Anyway good luck to you. I wish you the best. Let me know what happens.

Sounds like you are in the same boat as me. The doctor said that after you have lapband surgery. Many people start to have regular cycles. NOT me. My cycle is so irregular it's not funny. I will go without having it for a month. To having it every 2 weeks. My last one didn't stop for 10 days. It went from light to heavy instead of the other way around. I also went for blood work and a pap and everything is 'normal'. So I guess it's just about the weightloss. Weird thing is when I was heavy, my cycle was normal. Go figure. Of course I am 43 so I could be going through the change now. My mom was early in life.

You can try an ice pack on the site. Might help with some of the swelling. Hang in there. I found the recovery of gallbladder surgery was alot faster than lapband surgery. Or liquid tylenol might help too. Tylenol isn't a blood thinner like Advil.