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You did fine. This band thing is a learning process, isn't it? We've lived for years with our old habits and thought processes. They don't just go away overnight. You probably learned more from this "binge" than you did from weeks of being "good"--like, "Hey, this isn't as great as I thought it would be!" Good for you for just getting right back on the horse.

I'm down a pound this week (which is amazing, considering the booze and the chocolate). I'm at 185 lbs, which means I have crossed the halfway mark. (And I met my first goal!) My next goal is 19.5 lbs away -- it's when my BMI crosses from "obese" into "merely overweight".

Yay Lellow that is great!! I expected to gain or at least stay the same this week due to xmas eating habits but to my suprise I lost a little! I am down another 400grams (0.88pounds). I am SOOOOOOO close to onederland!! 0.65pound away!! Christmas was great...I couldn't overindulge like I used to I was happier about getting my photo taken and I had an absolute blast!

According to the Law of Attraction your life is a physical manifestation of your predominant thoughts and feelings. If you have spent many years battling with your weight and not liking your body, the primary focus of your thoughts and feelings has been that of discontent in terms of your weight and body. Every thought you think carries with it an energetic vibration and will attract experiences that carry with them like vibrations. If you are focused on needing to lose weight, not liking the weight you are now, and feel like it is a struggle you will attract to you more life experiences that will be an energetic match to that feeling thus showing up as excess weight, discontent with your current body state, and struggle. Focusing on what you don’t want is like having someone say to you “Don’t think of an elephant” (I bet you just pictured an elephant in your mind!!). If you want a strong, slender, healthy body, you must keep your focus on the kind of body you want and the feeling of what it would be like to live in that body. It does take energy and effort to keep yourself focused on what you do want especially if your dominant focus has been on that of what you do not want. Answering the following questions will help you shift your thoughts in a positive direction. Why do you want to resolve your weight issues? How will your life be different if you were at a healthy weight? Use the following questions as a guideline: Do you think your health would improve? If so how? Would your energy level change? If so how? Are there physical activities that you would participate in that you do not do today because of your weight? Do you have any aches and pains you think would be resolved if you lost weight? Would you walk differently? Would you interact with people differently? Would you talk differently? Would your relationships change? Would you eat differently? If so how? Are there people you would be more or less involved with if you lost weight? Would losing weight affect your career? If so, how? Would losing weight affect your family? If so, how? Would you dress differently? If so how? Would you have any new hobbies? Would it affect your social life? If so how? Do you think it would affect your mood? How about your mental clarity? Next week I’ll tell you how to use the answers to these questions to generate a powerful vision statement… Blessings and Peace, Louisa p.s. I’ll be offering new telephone support groups starting in September. If you have any questions or would like more information about them email me at louisa@louisalatela.com or call me at 856.429.9799. www.louisalatela.com

Oh, that's too funny! What a great start to the week! Congrats on seeing you toes!

I've never heard of it, I had my surgery in Monterrey, Mx and have had both fills done there...I flew down and back all three times and have not had any problems nor have I notice more restriction on the plane. Let us know what your Doc. says.

Gilta, hopefully we will have three things in common-the third is we will be heathy and thinner:) Good luck and you are in my prayers!!! Talk to you soon. Moe

If my insurance didnt cover it I would probably love to come over to Austrailia. My goodness the men over there are gorgeous! I went to Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago and went to see The Thunder From Down Under. That was fun. The accent is so sexy. I will visit Austrailia one day. I was banded on the 30th of June, I want to lose some weight before I come down under! Angie

I've been watching stripsearch, the guy that put together thunder from down under is putting together a group from america. But thunder from down under was acutally on the show last week and...omg...I want to go to vegas now JUST to see them. I too am a sucker for the accents. Melissa

Anyone out there use the Fill Center USA in Austin TX. I have signed up with them and have my first visit on 6/4. Just wondering what everyones experiences have been. They do the fills on wednesdays only and the next 2 weeks are booked solid, so they seem to have a good practice going. Would love to hear others impressions of this center. Teanne

I'd ask for a complete unfill/refill to make sure you have that much in your band, to start with. I know that throughout the five months I've done fills, I actually did have less than I was reported to on my 3rd fill. Last week I went from 8cc to 9cc (in a 14cc band), but he pulled out the entire 8cc to verify before he put back in all 9cc to add a total of 1cc. There are many reasons we don't have as much fill as we're supposed to have, but it can be corrected. If that's not the case, you gotta be patient. My doctor was convinced that 8cc's would do me in...and I went 6 weeks not getting another fill (even had 2 appointments in that time and the doctor didn't give me fills). Finally, I PUSHED my doctor last week and explained that I was NOT at my sweet spot, I'm eating large portions, etc. He agreed to drain and refill up to 9cc...and it's been working like a charm! I've had a wonderful week of restriction and, even if it loosens up a little bit, that'd be okay! Foods have been REALLY tough to get down this week, but I know I'm not overfilled because of what I'm able to eat. My advice would be to schedule an appt. SOON and tell your doctor that you need a fill. Even at 8cc? I could eat a whole steak too...9cc made a WORLD of difference. But, we're all different, right?

Can anyone please help me with finding a doctor to adjust my band in the New Orleans area? I'm nervous of regaining my weight and since I've relocated I'm 4 weeks passed getting adjusted. I eat a lot if healthy food

Today was a BEARCAT! Just the aroma of some of my favorite foods drove me CRAZY. Specifically, 1)hot buttered popcorn and 2) greasy, cheesy pizza. Then I thought "I'm almost a week into my post-op liquids! I can do this!" I came home and warmed some tomato-pepper Soup from costco and put garlic salt in it. IT WAS HEAVENLY! I felt so decadent. The key is to not go out in public hungry. I am going to eat before I leave and always take something with me. WE CAN MAKE IT, KIDDO. d.

Hi! I had my surgery done on June 30th so tomorrow is my 2 weeks. I've been on the liquid diet for 2 weeks and tomorrow I get to start pureed foods! I'm down 12lbs and happy with that. I lost the first 6 days then my weight loss stopped for 6 days but this morning I was down 1.5lbs. So just keep at it and don't get discouraged like I almost did! I was back to work after a week and 3 days and it was a little rough but that is because I am on my feet for 7 hours and do a lot of bending over and lifting. I know if I were just going to class I would have been fine after 1 week. The gas pains were a little uncomfortable but I didn't try the gas-x. I have read it really helps so if I were to do it over again I would for sure have those ready. I've also heard Jello Water helps but I was so swollen my belly couldn't hold enough for it to help. It does pass though after a few days. My husband has been extremely supportive threw the whole process. I know it's hard but I tried my hardest to not take my frustration out on him because this was my choice to get the surgery not his. He cooked for our children and himself to help me out then I was ready to go back into cooking. What helped me was to drink my meal supplement before I started cooking or before they ate so that my belly was full and I wasn't temped or frustrated. I'm not sure on the restriction since I'm so soon out. I would for sure do it again, nothing I went threw after surgery is worse than staying this heavy any longer! Good luck!!!

Hi Michelle, I had the same diagnosis as you. I think they called it (and I'm going to butcher the spelling here) chondromalasia. I think that word just means generalized knee pain. But the orthopedic surgeon sent me to physical therapy first. The physical therapist showed me how my knee cap was not tracking in the right groove any more. It VERY common in women because of the angle at which the thigh bone meets the knee. Anyway, she expalined that basically, there is the quadricept (one of the biggest, toughest, strongest muscles in the body) pulling on the outside edge of your kneecap. While the only thing counter balancing it, to keep the knee cap in line, is this teeny tiny skinny little muscle called the VMO pulling on the inner edge. I went to physical therapy three times per week for six or eight weeks and they (and I) worked on strengthening my VMO. At the end of the sessions, it was like magic. Pain GONE. And I mean COMPLETELY!!! See if you can look into some physical therapy before you opt for surgery. I don't know why the weight loss would make it worse, but it can't hurt to ask. Good luck. LizzyD

HI, I also used Dr. Noel Williams. He is at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. Great doctor and his staff is sooooo understanding and always there for you, but previous poster is right, he is busy. I started researching the band procedure last January. By April I knew it was for me. My required additional medical clearance appointments were done within a six week period and I was done by September will the cardio, psych, pulmonary, sleep study, nutrition, chest x-ray, upper GI, etc, but I couldn't get a date until late November. So if you plan to go ahead with getting the band, be patient if you use Dr. Williams.

Today is my last day of work before surgery Monday. Last two weeks have been crazy and tons of unexpected things have come up but they will survive without me. I have them plenty of notice so feel no guilt about this. It's time for me! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I had my psych evaluation yesterday and she said she doesn't think I'm emotionally prepared for the surgery. She wants me to see her once a week, for how long? I'm not even sure. Says I show clear signs of depression and looks like I just need someone to talk to. I've told myself this for a while but kept brushing it off. I didn't have expectations going in but hearing that didn't cross my mind. I don't want to just stop the whole process because that's what it is, a process. I just feel like I took a step back.

Hey everyone! I'm Sierra. I'm fifteen years old and a sophomore in high school. I know there is a lot of controversey over teenagers doing weight loss surgeries but, hear me out? I am not completely oblivious to the struggles all people go through when they have a weight loss surgery. I have witnessed my mom have the gastric bypass surgery a few years ago. that made me aware about these types of surgeries and it showed me that, it was definitely not an easy thing to go through. my mom was 400 pounds, before the surgery, now, shes 234 pounds. and that's after she had a baby. i am very proud of my mom and all she has accomplished in her journey to get where she is today. two years ago, i was really looking into these weight loss surgeries, three to be exact. gastric bypass, gastric lap band and the gastric sleeve. i had come to the conclusion that, i think the gastric bypass is a bit extreme and i don't really want it. you have to be at least eighteen years old to have the lap band done and who wants to feel that thing inside of you. then i realized that since the gastric sleeve surgery was so new at the time, the doctors and professors were unaware of the death rate.. that scared me enough to the point where, i completely backed down, from all of them. but, here i am two years after the fact.. i have a ton of medical problems, some include; diabetes, bladder issues, fatty liver disease, PCOS (polycestic ovarian syndrom), depression, high cholesterol and high triglycerides. and a bunch more. i've had these medical problems for quite some time, but they have never been this out of control.. i take at least 14 pills a day to try to control these problems.. but it seems as if they're not working like they should.. my pedetrician asked me this very question the other day, "have we ever thought about gastric weight loss surgeries?" "i feel like, we should look into them again, since you have diseases that won't allow you to lose weight as hard as you try, maybe we can try to get rid of them altogether by having a weight loss surgery" she said. I'm not going to lie, i got pretty exciting, here i am, not only getting rid of my diagnosises, i'm also not going to be that, 198 pound 15 year old girl, nobody wants to hang out with. (: so, as of right now, i have an appointment with healthy weight and nutrition at childrens hospital in columbus on july 23rd. i'm excited, but i would like some advice from people who have actually had this gastric sleeve surgery before, message me on here or feel free to comment below. Thanks! -Sierra.

Chicken tacos (I passed on the shell), with spinach and cheese and Frijoles Refritos in my house. Enough left overs for my lunches for the week.

Hi, I have been banded for 1yr 8mos. I am very happy with the band. I had been having vague, wierd symptoms for quite some time, my PCP ordered some tests. I am apparently severely Protein deficient... oopppssss, I guess I am not the greatest bandster. I never really pay that much attention to how much protein I eat, I assumed I was getting enough eating three meals a day. So now I have to take some prescription protein supplement three times a day. Has anyone else dealt with this? Once it got better did you have to continue on the supplements. Any advice would be appreciated! In case you are wondering, the symptoms I have are extreme fatigue, lack of energy and interest, getting lightheaded and dizzy when I bend down or get up too quickly, low blood pressure, night sweats, headache, irriability, poor concentration, craving sweets constantly:eek::biggrin::eek:

I decided to come clean on the ticker and post my first gain. :blushing: I've been up since Dec 8, immediately after my lowest weight of 149.5 on Dec 7th. :cursing: So here it is, the real weight and hopefully I'll be changing it again next week.

Canellini beans are basically a white kidney bean, I think they are used a lot in italian dishes, I was watching foodnetwork a couple weeks ago (tv is usually background noise for homework) and Giada DeLaurentis made a salad out of edamame, cannelini beans and a couple other things that looked good so I found the recipe and tried it and it was pretty good. I know both the edamame and beans have decent protein so maybe thats something to try, feel free to message me if you want the recipe and I will email it to you.

I really don't know how long it will take to stretch out your pouch. I'm jsut recovering now from revision surgery where I have been eating as a good bandster. I still need to slow it down somewhat, but my pouch was HUGE...no idea why it was so big. My band has been empty fort he last 6 weeks so it's really a mystery to us. I don't htink the band itself can stretch though. I will say, if you have to have your band reset, recovery from that is easier than the orgiginal surgery. The progression of foods is a bit faster though I'm too afraid to try anything. It is really the best thing to go slow with fills as the damage that can be caused from being too tight is really quite painful. Hope all is well in this thread

It"s only 2 weeks or so post-op, so you can do anything for 2 weeks knowing the overall goal and outcome. Hang in there.