March Bandsters!

[lewilli 0]

Feeling very frustrated on my weight loss so far! I was banded on 3/20 and have lost about 8 pounds since surgery (no pre-surgery diet required). I have had 2 fills so far totaling 3.2 cc. I don't really have restriction at this point. The fills have helped to curb by appetite. I don't get a "starving" feeling anymore, but I can still eat as much as I did before surgery.

[judych 225]

Alerker, congratulations on weight loss. Another 5 lbs is a nice additional loss....in what amount of time? I assume that is since your last apt. I am down 27 and my surgery was 3/21/12. At best now I lose 1lb a week but I'm happy with "slow and steady" keep up good work. MelVan

this is about the same weight loss as me. im more than happy with that amount of weight loss as well. i dont want to look sick.

[judych 225]

I was the same way, the important thing is to get your Protein and as much calories as you can 1200 is what is recommended. I wasn't able to get past 3-500 calories until the past 2 weeks and now I am up to 1000 most days, meeting my protein intake but the scale is not moving. You maybe too tight and may have to have some Fluid removed.

yep. thanks for this. ive made a booking to see the dr thursday the 31st. i hope that a small amount of fill is removed then. meantime im having very thick Soup with lots of lentils and chickpeas in it. im also taking Protein Powder. hopefully this will be enough for me. i will let you know how i get on.

[judych 225]

I don't seem to have any problems with meat except with steak and I have only eaten it just a couple of times. I have 5.5 cc in a 10 cc band and it scares me that after my last .5cc that I don't feel alot of restriction . I have hit a plateau on the scale and really don't like it. I go back and see the doctor on 5/30 and hopefully will be down a few more pounds by then, I love working out at the gym. My family and I are spending between 1-2 hours at the gym 2-3 nights a week and hopefully will increase the days at the gym too.

working at the gym as a family is great. im nowhere near one where i live.

so you have slowed with your weight loss? how much was given you when you had each fill?? i had 3ccs.

[Sunshyne068 97]

Judy don't worry about the gym. If you can walk around the house or around your area, just walk. Its a great basic non-strenous exercise that can help so much. I hope you're doing better with your band. Is it still very much tight?

I suggest that if this week you still are having problems with any soft meat Proteins, try to get a tiny unfill, maybe 0.2 to 0.5 cc ...

Stress does impact the band. I did an obstacle race yesterday and I was sooooooo stressed and tired, I felt like my band almost closed all the way up. I couldnt even breath and the tightness in my chest was scarey. This morning I feel so much better. Almost back to normal but I know Im tighter than before I did the race.

[Sunshyne068 97]

hey march buddies .... this is off topic but I need your support on this -

Hi all. I got my Realize band on 3/9/12 and I have been big all of my life. I tried to make the best of it and pursue plus sized modeling.

I've been nominated as Plus Model of the YEAR!!! (I hope this is the last yr I'll be a plus model) I need your votes to win this thing. Please go to

http://fashionawards...ng-ballot-730pm

and vote for me (questions 13 and 14) - select "Sydney Wyatt"!!! Email address is optional. LOVE YOU GUYS!

[Alerker 10]

Alerker, congratulations on weight loss. Another 5 lbs is a nice additional loss....in what amount of time? I assume that is since your last apt. I am down 27 and my surgery was 3/21/12. At best now I lose 1lb a week but I'm happy with "slow and steady" keep up good work. MelVan

The 5 pounds was in 3 weeks but really I think most of it came off in the last week because I was struggling in the first two weeks.

[Alerker 10]

hey march buddies .... this is off topic but I need your support on this -

Hi all. I got my Realize band on 3/9/12 and I have been big all of my life. I tried to make the best of it and pursue plus sized modeling.

I've been nominated as Plus Model of the YEAR!!! (I hope this is the last yr I'll be a plus model) I need your votes to win this thing. Please go to

http://fashionawards...ng-ballot-730pm

and vote for me (questions 13 and 14) - select "Sydney Wyatt"!!! Email address is optional. LOVE YOU GUYS!

Done.......Good Luck

[judych 225]

Judy don't worry about the gym. If you can walk around the house or around your area, just walk. Its a great basic non-strenous exercise that can help so much. I hope you're doing better with your band. Is it still very much tight?

I suggest that if this week you still are having problems with any soft meat Proteins, try to get a tiny unfill, maybe 0.2 to 0.5 cc ...

Stress does impact the band. I did an obstacle race yesterday and I was sooooooo stressed and tired, I felt like my band almost closed all the way up. I couldnt even breath and the tightness in my chest was scarey. This morning I feel so much better. Almost back to normal but I know Im tighter than before I did the race.

hi Sunshyne068.. i agree with you. theres no point in stressing out about not walking or doing gym. at the moment its more than i can cope with anyway. Just working around the house, doing the extras , family responsibilites, all that, is enough for me. i would like to start swimming though, hopefully in a month or two. we have a great thermal pool about 12 miles south . im waiting for other family members to get involved and perhaps we can do it together. My dr wasnt worried about me getting any more exercise in. i talked with him about what i was doing. My band is still very tight. i had a few mouthfuls of food this morning and ive been wanting to throw up now for nearly two hours. its not nice. i shoudnt have touched the food at all. just Clear Liquids. i have over week before i get a small unfill. it will be interesting to see how much they take out. Im currently looking at site for chinese cooking, and how they soften red meat and chicken. maybe i can give that a go later on when all this is sorted out with my fill.

[newdanielle 5]

so today i went for my first fill today. i was banded to march 21. when i went today i was down 3 lbs so soo far after the surgery i am down 23 lbs. i am down a total of 38lbs since I started this journey.i have felt No restrictions, so today i meant with my surgeon and was going to get my first fill, but my surgeon tried to find the middle of my port and he could not and he must have tried and poked me 6 times with that needle and it hurt while he is in there poking around. needless to say he could not get me my fill because the port is tooo deep and could find the middle of the port to fill so now next week i have to and have a fluoroscopy band fill. I am not Happy, i have no idea how this is going to work next week and after todays happenings i nervous.my surgeon says that after the get a xray and lose more weight fills will get better. my port hurts bad from the dr today and its getting black and blue and i feel like i just had surgery. has anyone ever had this Fluoroscopy band fill? if anyone can help please do because i Freaking out about this. I hoping nothing is wrong.

[Sunshyne068 97]

Judy have you tried slow cooking your meat in broth, gravy, or sauce? I sometimes put meat in the oven at 280 degrees for 2-3 hours and let it cook super slow. That makes it tender and the sauce or gravy you cook with it will help it go down. Try dark meat chicken, its more tender and less dry than white meat.

[judych 225]

Judy have you tried slow cooking your meat in broth, gravy, or sauce? I sometimes put meat in the oven at 280 degrees for 2-3 hours and let it cook super slow. That makes it tender and the sauce or gravy you cook with it will help it go down. Try dark meat chicken, its more tender and less dry than white meat.

hi sunshyne... yes, ive tried it once. i had some lamb chops that i thought i would do in the slow cooker. that didnt turn out as i expected, but the meat wasnt good to start with. such a shame as lamb is very expensive. it was given to us.

i havent tried anything else yet, but im going to tomorrow. i have a small parcel of minced steak i will put in the slow cooker. i love casseroles, if i could manage to eat the meat from them i would have no problems at all. Especially now its winter here. im starting to see now that the dark thigh meat is more tender than the lighter breast meat on chicken. i will remember to use dark meat in the cooker as well. thanks for the advice. do you have any recipes that you like cooking this way??

[judych 225]

so today i went for my first fill today. i was banded to march 21. when i went today i was down 3 lbs so soo far after the surgery i am down 23 lbs. i am down a total of 38lbs since I started this journey.i have felt No restrictions, so today i meant with my surgeon and was going to get my first fill, but my surgeon tried to find the middle of my port and he could not and he must have tried and poked me 6 times with that needle and it hurt while he is in there poking around. needless to say he could not get me my fill because the port is tooo deep and could find the middle of the port to fill so now next week i have to and have a fluoroscopy band fill. I am not Happy, i have no idea how this is going to work next week and after todays happenings i nervous.my surgeon says that after the get a xray and lose more weight fills will get better. my port hurts bad from the dr today and its getting black and blue and i feel like i just had surgery. has anyone ever had this Fluoroscopy band fill? if anyone can help please do because i Freaking out about this. I hoping nothing is wrong.

Dont freak out over it. Put your trust in your dr.... he knows what he is doing . it may be just a temporary thing that will never need to happen again. Relax for this next week... remember, this dr is experienced in all things to do with lapbands. It could well be that this incident will never happen again for you. i hope it doesnt. meantime dont work yourself up over it. Try and think positive about it all. This is your first fill.... my first fill didnt work as i thought it would either, i had some issues. Sometimes it takes a bit of ''hands on'' with our ports and our bands until things work exactly as they should.

Try and stay positive that things will be o.k.. promise??

[newdanielle 5]

Dont freak out over it. Put your trust in your dr.... he knows what he is doing . it may be just a temporary thing that will never need to happen again. Relax for this next week... remember, this dr is experienced in all things to do with lapbands. It could well be that this incident will never happen again for you. i hope it doesnt. meantime dont work yourself up over it. Try and think positive about it all. This is your first fill.... my first fill didnt work as i thought it would either, i had some issues. Sometimes it takes a bit of ''hands on'' with our ports and our bands until things work exactly as they should.

Try and stay positive that things will be o.k.. promise??

Thanks I'm staying positive, and i do trust my Dr.

[ready4changein2011 70]

Hello all, how are you March bandsters doing with the weight loss? Are you feeling restriction with your fills?