June 2006 Band Crew

[housecatgirl 0]

Hi socalgal3! How long did the major restriction last for you? I have even been burping Water. It stays down but gurgles as I burp. gross!! Interestingly the only thing I am able to eat is mash potato and gravy...yogurt=PB, Protein shake=PB, etc. My TOM started today. I am willing to give it a few more days...

[Poodles 0]

Wow Laura, you have a large amount of fill. I have been tight with my 1.2 cc's for well over a month now.

TOM will effect things. Give it a few days. You might get try a hot tea/coffee before you try to eat anything... even mushies. I have also found the pleasures of tofu on tight days. The silky kind goes down really easy, and tastes great after you marinade it overnight in sauce.

My hubby thinks I am going vegetarian now, but really I am just trying to survive without hard Proteins because it makes me hurt.

Good luck!

[Claudia13 0]

Oh my God I stop loosing weight why?????

[housecatgirl 0]

Hi Poodles, I have always loved Tofu. I don't think I could get it down right now though. I keep trying to burp and most of the time nothing comes out. Once in a while I burp up the Water and end up coughing/choking on whatever comes up? Sorry if I am grossing anyone out but just wondering if that's happened to anyone else? Is everyone tighter during the TOM?

[Claudia13 0]

I am going crazy... I am not loosing anymore weight... I wnna eat all day and when bread goes down I feel like I'm having a heart attack. My surgery wasn June 2 and I have no fillings yet. Am gonna get mess up?

[gen_ant_us 0]

:think I am in need of a little encouragement and advice. I am very very frustrated with the scale. I had 0.5cc of a fill and that wasn't tight enough. So I went back after 2 weeks and they gave me a whole cc. I am up to 2.5cc in a 4cc band. I am starting to wonder if this thing is gonna work for me. My scale hasn't moved in a month and I am going crazy!!!!!!!! I can really feel restriction now and I am eating much less than before, but still I am stuck, and very sad. I have been doing everything like I am supposed to. I am not losing like everyone else. Somebody HELP!!!!! :help:

[gen_ant_us 0]

claudia, My doc told me to stay away from bread all together and if I did have it to toast it first. It really helps. Do you feel restriction with anything other than bread? If you are diong everything else right, and you don't feel much restriction, it may be time for your first fill. I can't give you any advice other than that because I am having my own troubles. Good luck, I wish you all the best!

[CindyCam 1]

I am in the same boat as Genn. I cant seem to get the ball rolling again. I am getting angry and in a funk. I need some support and it is sooo much easier getting it from you guys then my family. I hardly get on here anymore because i dont really have anything good to say about myself i just feel like a failure. I really and truely want to get back on the losing side there is no way it can be over at just 40 lbs......HELP PLEASE!!!!!!

:help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help:

[housecatgirl 0]

My best advice is if you have any restriction at all don't get another fill!! I think I made a mistake getting my last fill because now I am miserably tight and will probably need an unfill.:cry I hope I haven't damaged my band.

That being said, if you have no restriction and can eat anything and as much as you ate pre-band go for a slight fill but be careful. I was at 2.9 and had very, very mild restriction....got .5 and I feel horrible!:faint:

One thing that helped alot is I started exercising right before my last fill and I think I would have started losing.

[Pinkylee 7]

Hell ooooo--

Any Junebie out there doing stellar?

We all seem to be stuck on a number or a fill or both!

Let's decide on a new challenge that will help all of us

Some more experienced and successful bandsters post great results by eating 5 - 6 small meals a day, 80 ounces of Water and one hour of exercise.

Personally--I am eating way too fast and often too much. The fast part is keeping me from getting another fill. I get stuck all the time now and PB at least once a day. I WANT TO DO BETTER--but I get busy and "forget" about the band. Traveling seems to be my downfall--I get so relaxed, I can eat quickly without getting stuck, and thus the old habit comes back.

WE NEED TO COME UP WITH A REASONABLE CHALLENGE FOR JUNEBIES.

INPUT NEEDED. :think

[Pinkylee 7]

CHALLENGE INPUT

I'm borrowing from another bandster who has been very successful:

5 - 6 small meals (3 being Protein heavy--with a total of 60 grams protein eaten per day)

80 ounces of Water

One hour of exercise daily

-------------------------------Something to strive for, but not realistic for many of us.

6 small meals a day would be good for all of us. Maybe 40 grams protein?(Mushies and tofu included)

-Counting calories and stopping at 1200.

I'm eating a slimfast or southbeach high protein snack bar between meals when out (traded in my raisins), and when at home, lo fat cheese and s/f applesauce cup.

Water--I set 5 full water bottles on the counter and it is a better motivator than counting empties.

Exercise--150 minutes a weekI count housecleaning day (mopping and vacuuming) as exercise day and always take Sundays off unless I walk with a friend.

PLEASE SUBMIT INPUT ON A NEW "OVERALL" CHALLENGE FOR THE JUNEBIES. WE ALL SEEM TO NEED SOME HELP GETTING MOVING AGAIN.

[barbara465 2]

OK, let's step back and evaluate.

1. If you PB everyday something is wrong. You are either overfilled, eating too fast, or eating the wrong foods.

a. go for an unfill. You need to get your body adjusted back from the swelling. Go on liquids and then mushies

b. Take 45 minutes to eat. Portion the food, cut it into small pieces, and eat slowly. Taste each bite and wait 1 minute between bites.

c. Stay away from foods that are known to cause trouble. They include bread, dry meats, seeds and kernels - like corn.

2. Log food intake into a journal, www.fitday.com or www.sparkspeople.com are two good programs.

a. Pay attention to caloric intake. Keep to 1200 calories

b. Watch the carbs. We are on a modified Atkins so look to that program for assistance.

c. Drink 64 oz of Water or other liquds a day

d. Take multi vitamin

3. Exercise daily. Walking for as little as 15 minutes a day will help. If you can walk twice a day for 15 minutes that's even better. It doesn't have to be strenous, it doesn't have to a be at a fancy gym, and you don't have to use expensive equipment.

4. Face some hard truths.

a. We didn't get this way overnight. We won't get rid of it overnight. We didn't choose the gastric bypass for very good reasons. So don't expect their immediate results with the band.

b. Eating high caloric foods, even in small amounts, is not going to help us lose weight. That bowl or cup of ice cream every day, those Cookies, those few chips, those ????, add up and defeat our purpose.

c. We must learn to be patient. Our bodies will lose the weight if we do the right things. It might not be on our timetable, but it will come.

d. The right restriction will take many attempts. Enduring PBs, sliming, and burbing excessively, does more damage and is not good. The long term effects will be band damage. Slow fills, finding the proper restriction, will require us to be patient and will require us to be experiment.

e. Staying on liquids and/or mushies, is not working with the band. The band is meant to be used eating normal foods, in smaller quanties. Liquids and mushies go through quickly, allowing hunger to return faster.

f. Try eating hard Protein first. Get 3-4 oz in at each meal. If you are tight during a certain period of the day, use a Protein Drink to supplement your intake.

g. If 4-6 smaller meals works better for you, then do it. That might be a better approach than 3 meals a day. If you do this, then log everything you eat. It will be too easy to overeat if you don't.

h. Fast food restaurants, like McDs, Wendys, Burger King, are not necessary stops in a fast paced life. You can find other ways to eat without going there. Just stop. If you must take the family there, its not good for them either, than let them eat. You don't. There is no good choice at those establishments and over time will defeat your program.

i. If you are willing to pay full price to eat at a buffet where you will eat a cup of food, then go. If not, stay away. You can take the same money and buy a balanced meal somewhere else. Buffets are traditionally filled with high carb, starchy choices. We don't need them.

I write this for myself as well. I am falling into bad habits. I am willing to do a challenge. Pinky lets figure it out. I like the 6 meals, exercise 30 minutes, drink 64oz of water, 1200 calorie approach. Can we get something together and get it on? We could start October 1st and check in once a week.

[rroswelltx 1]

I would love the exercise part of the challenge, but there is just no way I can get 6 meals a day in, I just don't get that hungary. But I am not losing either, I seem to be stalled. But whatever you guys decide that would be fine, if the 6 meals a day challenge is something that would help you guys then I am here for as much support as I can give. We will get there guys, but like Barbara said it is not in our time table unfortunetly. Keep your chin up and look at the big picture, thin will come is we stay dedicated and don't try and cheat the band, I have faith in you all!

[tribon 0]

<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" width="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off">This is weird. Us Junebies must be connected. All of the problems you all are reporting having are just what I have been feeling for the past couple of weeks! I was doing great, losing weight, dilligently recording my meals on sparkpeople.com, doing those extra steps to get in the exercise, drinking my Water, and being very positive with myself.

Now not so much. My internet was down for a couple of days, I didn't record my eating, couldn't come on LBT, and let myself go! Ever since then I have been eating all the wrong foods, drinking less, and have been very down about this whole thing. I've discovered that I can eat way too much. I need a kick in the butt! I think what is really bad for my cause is that I havn't PB'd for a while because I havn't been eating my hard Protein that fills me up. I'm enjoying not PB'ing.

I really appreciate all of the advice that you all are posting. I called for a second fill this morning and going to the grocery store to get my fish and other Proteins. I need to get back on track!

</TD></TR><TR UNSELECTABLE="on" hb_tag="1"><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height=1 UNSELECTABLE="on">

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[socalgal3 4]

Laura-

I was going to reply last night, but then I PB'd, so I didn't want to be a hypocrite! I think I just ate too fast since I was so excited about actually being able to eat! My nightmare lasted about 1 1/2 weeks....PMS/TOM combined. I was filled Sept. 4 then had 3 days of liquids. I ate like one day before PMS and then I couldn't eat anything. I don't want you to hurt yourself, so get an unfill if you need it. I just know its hard to go to TJ and all if it is just a temporary swelling thing. Hang in there and keep us posted. Everyone says it takes some time for our bodies to adjust to the weight loss and since we are basically all experiencing a stall right now, maybe it is just the time out bodies are adjusting and we'll get back to losing soon. I've been logging everything on SparkPeople, seeing my personal trainer and not eating bad foods, but at least I am not gaining.