LeighaMason

Floridacocoon--After I got my second fill I was no longer hungry between meals. The only reason I got the band was because I was always hungry. I was hungry 30 min. after I ate. Even before I had surgery I cooked almost everything from scratch and we only eat out about once a month. But I was HUNGRY. I had no portion control. Now I am only hungry like that when I go too long without eating, then I will be hungry the rest of the day. I get physically full when I eat and if I eat one more bite I will start to have chest pain. Sometimes when I get to this point, if I am really enjoying what I am eating, I feel sad that I cant continue eating. This is what "head hunger" means to me.

Don't be nervous, everything will be fine. Make sure you are ready to make a committed change to your eating habits. I use to love breads as well but now I physically can not eat them. (Restriction) Make sure you are willing to give up bread before you have the surgery. I love and I mean LOVE micro brew beer, but I made a commitment to myself before the surgery that I would never, ever have another beer. (I think the carbonation stretches the stomach out) You may have to make this bargain with bread. You will need to do 3 things to be successful with your band. 1. Eat good quality food. 2. Eat small portions. 3. Excersise The band only helps with #2. you have to commit to #1 & #3. Good luck.

I have yo-yo dieted for years, I had the lap band done 10/20/09. I have lost 35 lbs. I can lose weight but I always gain it back. That is why I had the surgery. I think the people who are the most successful with this are the ones who are willing to cook healthy foods. If you eat out alot and are not willing to change I don't think the band does any good. Eating less of the wrong foods still wont work. Eat good foods, eat less and exercise is the only solution to weight loss. The band helps with the eat less part. You have to be willing to do the others. Weight loss surgery is a business like any other, if they were doing it because they "cared" it would be free. Good luck in whatever you decide.

Oh yeah, you can drive. My fills are done with a local shot for pain but it hurts about as much as a regular shot. So if you can get a flu shot and then drive home you can have a fill and drive home. Don't be scared, there is a lady that I play cards with that told me how bad the fills were so when I went for my first one I was so scared. Of course it was no big deal with the local anesthetic. In and out in 10 minutes.

Dollar for dollar the least expensive car to buy new is the Toyota Corolla. Once you factor in the cost of the vehicle, insurance, repairs, depreciation and gas.

Here is the newest republican email going around.................... "Does this photo of President Obama in the Oval Office convey anything about his attitude and arrogance? Would you speak with the Chief of Staff, your Chief Economics Adviser, your Senior Adviser, or anyone, with your feet up on the Resolute Desk - a gift from Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880? This arrogant, immature, self-centered man has no sense of honor, or simple decency. While this posture is disrespectful in any culture, it is certainlly not appropriate in any executive setting. Further, in over half of the cultures of the world, it is recognized not only as disrespectful, but as an extreme insult. Electing him was an enormous mistake and will cost us in many ways, for generations" I am just wondering does anyone recognize this guy and this desk?

I drink red wine but I have given up beer forever, not a single sip ever again (I am scared of stretching my pouch). Before I can have wine I have to look at my daily calories and protein and see if it "fits" in. If I am under on calories and have all my protein then I can have a 5 oz glass of wine.

illuminationlady--That's amazing! You're doing great!!!! Congrats on the weight loss. Are you hungry?????? No I am usually not hungry. But if I get busy at work and wait too long to eat then I am hungry for the rest of the day. When this happens I usually eat a baked potato with cheese and sour cream. Even though it has alot of calories it is very filling, I think the fat content really helps my body settle down. Also if you feel you don't have time to cook, you can do what we do and that is we cook 3 or 4 meats on Sunday and have them throughout the week. Maybe a brisket, a ham, and a roast. But we also have 2 -15 year old boys that eat like you wouldn't believe.

I have been losing about 2-3 lbs a week. I don't have time to exercise. I eat 800-1000 calories a day. I had stopped logging my food because I thought I was doing well, however, I made a commitment to start back and guess what, I only averaged 38g of Protein per day last week. It is so easy for me to tell myself that I am doing good but when I have hard statistics I am faced with some truths that I don't like. I use a free app on my iphone called loseit. It calculates calories and protein for me (plus alot of other stuff that I don't care about). Here is an average day for me. B-coffee, 2 fried eggs L-1 cup salad, 2 tbs blue cheese dressing, 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese (I ate half at 12 and the other half at 2) D-Beef tips (4 pieces of meat,1 inch square)and rice 1/2 cup The coffee is everyday and eggs almost everyday unless I get up late then I have to go with a Protein shake. Usually have leftovers for lunch, mostly meat or fish. dinner I usually have a meat cooked on the grill, baked, slow cooker or pressure cooker. I eat lots of potatoes and Beans. You are going to have to find what works for you. The only way that I know is trial and error by logging everything and then at the end of the day going, you know what, I shouldn't have eaten _________. Then remove that from your list of foods. Good luck.

Are you using your food journal? I use Loseit on my iphone. I hadn't been using it but I thought I was doing good. Then I started back last week and figured out that I have only been averaging 38g of protein a day. (I already have thin hair.) So I have added a protein shake each day and have been hitting the numbers. It is so easy for me to deceive myself if I don't have concrete numbers.

Way to go, ElfiePoo and carbgrl!

I think if you eat 2 bites and have pain you are too tight. So you are living on liquids and sliders not healthy everyday foods. I am no expert but I think you should write down everything you eat for a few days and take it to your Doctors office and see if it is what they have in mind. It also sounds like you would have a hard time getting your 50g of protein. I use to have a boss who would always say..."If you keep doing what your doing, your going to keep getting what your getting." I may be completely wrong on all of this, its just my opinion. Good luck with what you decide to do. Maybe someone else will also have some ideas for you and post them.

Coffee- no sugar--5 cal., 3 oz ground beef-185 cal., protein shake--180 cal, salsa-30? cal. total so far today 400. I think your body is in starvation mode. You need 1000 to 1200 cal per day. Especially if you are exercising. The lady who does my fills is also banded and she told me being too tight is worse for weightloss than being to loose. You should be able to eat regular food, just not alot of it. This is what gives you the ability to keep the weight off long term, otherwise it will be like every diet you will gain weight back when you go back to eating regularly, so you have to eat regular food now. I would let my DR know how few calories you are eating and see what he thinks.

Please give us list of everything you ate yesterday. Do you write it down?

Yes! Way to go!

Michelle, you asked for help so here is my opinions. 1. Sodas are the devil. Carbonation stretches your pouch. Stop ASAP. 2. Dining out is the leading cause of obesity. 1 time a week is all I can do and still lose weight. Time to start cooking. Restaurant food is loaded with calories and salt. Most things on the menu have more calories than you should have in a day. Even the salads at most restaurants have huge nutritional numbers. 3. 50 lbs by July is too big of a goal. If you have done 35 in 2 years, how can you do 50 in 5 months. How about 3 lbs by the end of next week? This can add up to 50 in 5 months but giving yourself 5 months lets you procrastinate. 3 by the end of next week means you have to start working today. Start keeping track of everything you eat. I mean everything. Add up how many calories you are consuming in a day. This is very much like a bank account. If you don't write down your checks and just try to run a mental count you will start to bounce checks. No guessing on calories either, look it up on the internet. I think you are fooling yourself on your real diet, you list your food choices as mostly salads and soup or meat and veggies but the restaurants that you list don't serve these kinds of foods. Example: chick-fil-a chargrilled chicken sandwich, medium fries and medium soda 850 calories. Get the regular sandwich, large fries and large soda 1110 calories almost a full day. So my recommendations include no sodas, cooking instead of eating out, logging your food, counting your calories. (I would keep calories around 1200 per day.) If you will do this for 10 days you will lose weight, I promise. Then you just do it for 10 more days. Then 10 more and before long the 50 lbs and 5 months will be gone. Good luck.

jaycockerel-"They think surgery should be something that's done only when absolutely necessary." I consider my lap band to be absolutely necessary. I have yo-yo'd for 15 years. If I could lose weight and keep it off without the lap band I would have by now. I am getting older and I want to have a wonderful quality of life not be old and not able to get around. Be true to yourself and do what you need to do. abandnewday- Your friend who lost 100+ pounds has more of a connection with food than you realize. More than likely he is feeling the pinch of starting to gain his weight back so he attacks your lap band because you have a better statistical chance of keeping the weight off long term than he does. Remember people attack what they don't understand.

When I went to get my LAP-BAND® I didn't plan on telling anyone but my close family (parents, spouse, siblings), but my mom told my sister before I did and she felt the need to tell almost everyone we know at a public function. So now everyone I know questions me on how its going. Its almost like being pregnant and everyone trying to touch your stomach. So I was wondering, what do yall think? Tell or not?

LapNYC and slwyse, I would try and find a certain meal that you know you can eat at anytime and is common on most menus. I can always eat potatoes so I would get something with that as a side order. Then when I was on my way to the restaurant I would comment on how my stomach felt "queasy". This way if you do start feeling bad you can pass it off as a stomach bug.

AlienBandit- I hope you heal fast and get the band replaced soon. juliansmom2003 & Teacher2010 welcome to the challenge.

I agree that relationships will change. My husband has totally flipped out. It started with the "Are you going to get skinny and leave me? question. And now it is like a full blown mid life crisis. He doesn't want to work (we just started a new company), he picks fights just so he can feel better about what he wants to do (he picked a fight last night so he could go stay at his moms house because she lives a few minutes from his favorite fishing lake), he hates that I read and post things here, he checks my phone, he is pissed because I started a facebook page for our business and put my maiden name on it as well. He is killing me (obviously not literally). He is trying to sabotage my eating, he told me to buy chips and dip at the grocery store because they would be "easy" for me to eat. I am beginning to think he doesn't want to be married to me if I lose weight. He must only like chubby girls. I guess he will have to find him a new one... :thumbup:

I agree that you will see the people who are unhappy speak out more, plus just because you are having a bad incident or struggling doesn't mean you wouldn't do it again.

I have been a used car salesman for 10 years and I recently opened my own (small) dealership.

OH please, I've seen your pics your a doll! Plus if people need to bring someone with them just to fill a "position", (ie. the big guy to make others look better). They must have brought her along because they needed a total idiot to make the other girls look smarter. Don't let them get you down..

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