Banded since July 2010

Hello

I was banded July 7, 2010 and have lost a little more than half the weight I plan to lose. I have had one short episode of sliming in the beginning.

I have had 3 fills. The last fill I had the doctor thinks the port may have flipped. He had a hard time getting the needle in and had to poke around and grasp the port and turn it back.

I find I do best with a protein drink for breakfast, but by mid-morning I can eat whatever I want.

I eat a lot of chicken. I have not had a problem with any food, but I have been very selective of the food I eat. I also eat organic food now that I don't eat much (I can afford it!).

A mistake I made was tasting cake batter while baking a birthday cake. This one small act got me right back into craving and eating sugar. It took a while, but I'm back to a mostly sugar-free diet.

For a treat I like to have hot cocoa made with lactose free milk, unsweetened cocoa, and agave nectar for sweetness.

For exercise, I walk and ride a stationary bike.

I lost some hair about 3 months out, but not a whole lot. It was over a 2 week period of time for the most part.

My favorite protein drink is the already mixed Muscle Milk.

One difficulty I have is having any kind of pressure on my stomach area. I can only wear jeans for a couple of hours -- I wear dresses or sweats. My port does not hurt, though it is sensitive if bumped. I can feel the band as a tightness under and across both ribs.

My favorite thing is that my thighs no longer rub together when I walk!!!!!!

I respond to other bandsters in some of the other forum sections sometimes and have gotten a lot of good information on this site.

I hope everyone coming here will find the support they are looking for and will be supportive to fellow bandsters as well. We all have something to give

And remember there is no substitute for human interaction -- please reach out to those you feel closest to in your life and get the support you need to go all the way!

~hiddn