LapNYC

We're on similar schedules and I'd also love to lose the 100 within a year. I'm also feeling a little stalled and haven't really lost much over the past month. My third fill is in two weeks. Can you eat whatever you want right now? Do you get stuck? Just curious about how the second fill worked for others. Regardless, it sounds like you're right on track. Congratulations!

I've had tow c-sections as well and this is a walk in the park compared to that. The shoulder/gas pain was a little disturbing but I pretty much resumed normal activity (aside from exercise) after a day. The diet part is hard. The surgery part is no big deal.

Life will get far easier--celebrations and all--once you have some saline in your band. Not only does that prevent you from eating a certain way but it also curbs the hunger and cravings a good deal. If all goes well, you'll be able to attend the festivities and enjoy the small amount you can eat. Until you do get those first fills under your belt it indeed will be mostly about willpower. I'm only a couple small steps ahead of you but that was definitely my experience. My relatives are Jewish and Italian and we loooove to eat too!! Probably better to be from one of those non eating cultures... Best of luck! Happy birthday (you're young!) and I'm so sorry about your ex-fiance :thumbup:

I'm in the same boat. I think I have good restriction (I've had two fills), but at this point I think the scale won't move again until the liquid diet accompanying the next one. That seems to be my pattern, even though I'm exercising my ass off. It was suggested to me that I might not be eating enough calories. Maybe that's worth a try? In the end though, unless you're eating more than you think you are, I think it's an old fashioned, annoying plateau :thumbup:

Sandyjean - my ticker has been working for a while now and I set it up with no problem, but now I'm stuck! I tried it your way (which makes all the sense in the world) and when I paste the image just a line shows up. You right click on the ticker, select copy image, and effectively paste over the picture of your other ticker? It's not working. Help!

Huge difference in your face. Can't see too much of your body but I'm sure it's just as dramatic. Congratulations!

Yeah, I know that feeling and it's rough. No great words of wisdom here. Only plenty of empathy!

I'm sure that quite a few of us pay attention to that show for obvious reasons. I'm currently exercising a good deal and taking in about 800 calories a day. The scale is MAYBE nudging downward these days but barely (my 3rd fill is in 2.5 weeks), so how do those people regularly lose 10 pounds per week? I know they exercise all day long but I still feel that there's something about the band that causes you to lose weight more slowly that you would if you were eating and exercising this way without it. Or am I missing something? I'm totally thrilled with the band so this isn't a complaint. Just an observation.

Keep in mind that once you've had a couple fills and your band is up and running, most of the time you won't feel that burning, need-to-have-it feeling. I buy a bottle of Water and upon occasion I've brought my own popcorn (way better than theirs) or had some of someone else's. You know the deal--anything in moderation. The band really helps with that! I haven't done it but the poster above who said to take a Protein bar and to not go in hungry definitely has the right answer. Best of luck. p.s. I used to order a large diet coke, small popcorn, plain m&ms and twizzlers (and share about 2 twizzlers with my husband). We see a ton of movies and I used to LOVE this routine, but surprisingly, I'm totally happy just to see the movie now. I'd prefer the old way of course, but it's just not a huge deal anymore.

You can't take ibuprofen? Really? I haven't heard that anywhere. No Advil or Motrin?

I don't journal or weigh anything because I've been banded for exactly three months today and things have been going well so far. I generally eat: Breakfast: Protein shake or a handful of high protein granola and some fruit off my kids' plates Lunch: Soup, turkey chili, or a ham and cheese omelet Dinner: Fish, chicken, soup (tomato most often), or turkey chili Dessert: About 4 sugar free popsicles. I have to cut this out! Snacks: None, except for the things I pick when I'm cleaning up after the kids eat dinner. I have to cut this out too. Exercise: Spinning about three times a week and weight training twice or three times per week (just beginning a couple weeks ago). Also live in NYC so we don't drive really. No one should pay any attention to me though because I don't think I get enough protein, enough Fiber or vegetables or fruit or enough Water. I'll get to that once I get rid myself of this popsicle habit.

I've adjusted my weight on my ticker many times already with ease, but this time it's just not working. Any tips? It's driving me crazy! I want a record of the few more hard-earned pounds!

I'm definitely in line for a boob fix and tummy tuck down the road. Weighing 280 lbs and nursing three children for a year each and then losing weight does not make for a pretty picture, to say the very least. I would love to skip the implants but I hear that that mostly doesn't work. Anyone know how long it takes to be as good as new after the surgery? How long does it take once you reach goal for things to shift to their final destinations? This is a long road. Sigh.

Congratulations on your amazing loss. So curious about the "unpleasantness". Clearly I need a hobby! Anyway, great milestone. You should be very proud.

Congratulations! What a great accomplishment. Of course those of us who are hoping for that kind of success would love to hear everything!

The fill will help a ton. If it works as it's supposed to, it will take the edge off enough that you'll be able to walk on by. If nothing else, a couple days of liquids should set you on the right track.

I was banded on February 1st. I was in bandster hell from day one (I was literally hungry in the hospital). I followed the rules pretty well (far from perfectly though), but was really running on willpower until fill #2. Since then the scale has really been moving for me. Yesterday I could only get liquids down but on other days I can eat most things, albeit really slowly. I guess this is restriction! Today was my first day back in the gym. I feel like I've lost a lot of muscle so I'm hoping to get some of that back, even if the scale stays the same for a while. My addiction has been sugar free popsicles. It's ridiculous. I eat like 6 of them for dessert. I suppose I should change that, but for now it's working. Better than the brownies of old! Best of luck to all. Until that last fill I felt like I was on a regular, old, torturous diet. Now this is easy! Ok easy-ish...

What an accomplishment! What clothing size were you at the beginning and what are you now? Just out of curiosity. Congratulations!!!

I was starving after surgery (almost right away) and after my first fill. I could eat anything and although I lost some weight, was feeling like my hungry old self. Fill #2 wasn't THE ONE either (I can tell) but it did make a big difference. After the first fill I was thinking about lunch as I was finishing up breakfast (we were on vacation and there was great food) and now food isn't driving me. Hang tough, do what you can and don't beat yourself up. Just try not to do too much damage that you'll regret later. Have a little steak and some bagel for me though!

My husband and I are going to a dinner party two days after a fill, we really shouldn't cancel (new friends from our son's school, invited us a long time ago, lots of orchestration involved) and I can't change my fill appointment either (it's my third fill, I'm required to see my doctor I haven't seen since surgery for this one and appointments while my kids are in school are hard to come by). Long way of saying, I can't really change things. So do I... Say I had the flu a couple days ago and can't eat quite yet? Say I'm on a diet and ate at home before going out? Say that I suddenly don't feel so great? Any other suggestions? Thanks!

We have similar starting weights and now you're veritably skinny! Any tips? Big congratulations to you. I'm sure it was hard earned.

I'm curious about the responses you get. When my young boys bump into it or get too rough I can definitely feel it. It hurts!

Betsy - I agree that New York isn't special in most regards, but I would say that we eat our more often than is the norm and that it's less likely to be in chain restaurants or the same ones repetitively, where you might find a dish that works for you. This is my first day of real food after my second fill (where I do feel some restriction) so I suddenly felt panicked. I looove Ethiopian food but there's really no way to eat it without the bread. Maybe I'm just trying to figure out what one eats in general when in public. Fish and stews? I'm having to eat painfully slowly and/or order Soup as an enreee which doesn't exactly jibe with weighing a hearty 240 lbs, so there might indeed be an eyebrow raised. I'd agree that people are mostly focused on themselves, but by the time I'm done I picture them looking at their watches and deciding to skip coffee and dessert! Maybe French would be good? Cassoulet? Fish at Italian. What at Mexican and various Asian? Are there dishes you can think of that reliably don't get stuck, even with a tight-for-now band? Thanks!

Do you have any regular restaurants that are always good for you with the band? Upscale and casual both. We go out to dinner a lot and a couple times I've found next to nothing to eat. When I order soup as my entree people give me a funny look (people meaning friends that don't know about the band). Any suggestions? We live Upper East but are happy to travel. Brooklyn too.

That's their marketing material but what is the test exactly? Do you work for the company?