Hi November bandsters!

Let's keep this going to support our efforts though out the wonderful we are soon to begin. Let's start with the date we are being banded and where?

Our weight and goal weight...

My date will be November 7

Dr. Aceves

I weighed myself this morning and I have gained!!! :faint:

Starting weight 225 (highest ever!!! )

Goal 150

10/26 Jdru (Jessica) 215/215/125 Dr. Hansen (Honorary Nov Bandster)

11/1 melany72 Dr. Hargroder

11/2 DeniseC (Denise) 226/219/130 Dr. Carbonell

11/2 prbrooksie 252/252/150 Dr. Malley

11/2 Kym828 (Kim) 278/278/175 Dr. Ortiz

11/2 pebbles4388 249/249/150

11/3 Jess333 (Jessica ("Lil" Red)) Dr. Ortiz

11/7 AngelaT (Angela) 225/225/150 Dr. Aceves

11/7 Jackye 225/225/150-45 Dr. Rumbaut

11/8 L8BloomR (Karen) goal: -105 Dr. Francis

11/8 dpingl goal: -92 Dr. Hoehn

11/8 niecyrenee goal: -232, down 8 Dr. Pitt

11/9 Keekahari (Kee) 280/245/175 Dr. Moazzez

11/10 FullofGRACE Dr. Curry

11/10 alix_1 (Alix) 222/222/140 Dr. Garza

11/13 swilborn (Sherrie) Size 22/???/140 Dr. Rodriquez

11/14 ahaizlip (Amy) goal: -129 Dr. Liu

11/17 Asmallerchick (Kelly) goal: -200 Dr. Aceves

11/20 Diana_G 234/234/145 Dr. Huacuz

11/20 Veggestyle 275/?/150 Dr. M

11/20 Laurba

11/21 Jess02 (Jess) Dr. Rumbaut

11/24 aussie_bandit 153kg/153kg/75kg

11/30 Inner_me (Chris) 350/350/200 Dr. Cahill

So, I had my fill and I would say I am restricted. I threw up for the first time while eating. I was eating, ever so slowly, picking on some salmon and it just wouldn't go down...... I have to say it was really wierd to throw something up that wasn't digested. It went out just as it went in!

So, I am eating much slower and happily much less these days!

Tom- I do the same thing to my son and he gets so mad at me. Last Friday night I picked him up with some friends from a dance that they actually stopped because the kids where freak dancing and I heard one of the boys in the back seat saying that he heard that a girl got pregnant at another dance from dancing too close..........I started cracking up and told them that is why you are suppose to wear rubber clothing..........My son was humiliated but I thought it was halarious.........I love to embarrass them!!!! I hope that everyone had a great weekend filled with workouts and weightloss. It is hot here in Southern Calif and thanks to the time change it is lighter later. YAHHH!!!!

So, I had my fill and I would say I am restricted. I threw up for the first time while eating. I was eating, ever so slowly, picking on some salmon and it just wouldn't go down...... I have to say it was really wierd to throw something up that wasn't digested. It went out just as it went in!

So, I am eating much slower and happily much less these days!

So when you throw up, does it feel like you are sick and need to throw up, or does it just come out without all the "icky" feeling? Sorry for the gross question, just curious...since I have not felt any restriction yet.

I am sooooo bummed out!! I was supposed to get my 2nd fill today, was all ready both physically and psychologically, just going out the door for the long drive to the doctor's, when the office called and cancelled me due to an emergency!! :think I am sooooo upset!! I will NEVER lose weight!! 4 months since surgery and only 30 pounds lost, gained back 5, and no restriction. Will it ever happen for me like it is for you all??

Sorry I am whining... I guess I just needed to vent......

Karen

I am right there with you Karen. I am feeling the same way right now too. I have been really frustrated because I am learning the band is different every day. Yesterday I was snacking all day and everything was going down fine. When you have to throw up what you ate it is kind of a sick feeling but more just tightness in your esophegus. You want to get it out and not only does the food but all this gross slime come up with it like really slimy spit. The other night I had a meeting at my son's school so I tried to eat some tuna out of a can and ate it too fast so on the way to school I had to spit up and even went to a bathroom to try to get it up and it took 20 min of sitting in my car to finally get it all up and not have red eyes like I was crying. Sometimes you can eat something then the next day it will not go down. I want a fill right now but at times like that it is scary to get a fill because that will happen more often if not very careful. It is a tool to loose weight not the solution to all my problems of being overweight. It is amazing how little you can eat and still not go down on the scale.......................It seems rediculous but it is a matter of figuring out what is good for your body. I have changed from the protein shakes I was having and trying to get protein in other ways to see if that will get my body loosing again...............Your not the only one................we are all trying hard. Just try to go into the week saying this will be a good week!!!!!! Good luck and thank goodness for the support we all have.

Thanks, Vikki.... You are right and I appreciate your kind words. I wonder if I am putting too much importance into the band and not enough into eating correctly no matter how hungry I am. It sounds like you are doing all the right things, and I admire that! Sorry you had such an awful experince with tuna.... sounds awful. WOW, that would definitely make me rethink getting another fill! The good news is that you are learning what works and what doesn't... even though it is the HARD way!

I haven't been online in a while, and it's so exciting to see how much everyone has lost. I guess I'm a little behind the curve, but I'm tickled to death with my 20 pounds. I'm getting into clothes I've had buried in my closet for years!

I haven't been exercising, since we're on 60-hour weeks at work, so I figure if I can just make it through tax season without gaining any back, I'll be able to start concentrating on losing.

I don't know if anyone else has this problem, but I've had 2 fills and I can eat alot. The problem is I don't realize I've had too much until hours later, when I have a lump in my throat that stays with me for days. Sometimes I think I can feel the food in the back of my throat - is that even possible? I can't PB (I've tried) and my throat and chest hurt, but liquids go down fine. I wish I could feel full or at least PB, because I'm afraid I'm going to hurt myself since I don't know when I've had enough.

So I think I need to do more small meals instead of the 2 biggies I'm used to, but old habits sure die hard.

Hey Tom, it's great to see your ticker! You really are doing awesome! You know, I have gotten 4 fills, and I still don't think I have found that sweet spot, but like Angela, some days are tighter than others. But some days, I feel like I could eat anything and everything, Thank God I don't, but I probably could. My doc says I am at the high end as far as the amount of fill I have in my band, so I am afraid to bug him again for another one. I just had my last one last Tuesday, so I guess I will wait it out and see what happens.

Hey Tom, it's great to see your ticker! You really are doing awesome! You know, I have gotten 4 fills, and I still don't think I have found that sweet spot, but like Angela, some days are tighter than others. But some days, I feel like I could eat anything and everything, Thank God I don't, but I probably could. My doc says I am at the high end as far as the amount of fill I have in my band, so I am afraid to bug him again for another one. I just had my last one last Tuesday, so I guess I will wait it out and see what happens.

Thanks, Connie. I'm at 2.5 cc in a 4 cc band. I had 3 cc (by mistake) and that was NOT good. I'd take a drink of water and people across the room could hear it gurgling through. The last few days, I've seem very, very tight. Tonight, dinner was just not going to go through. I'd take a couple of bites and have to "reposition" my food. I managed to get down some fruit and cottage cheese for breakfast, lunch was a no go. I did get a yogurt smoothie and protein bar down during the day, but the protein bar was a struggle. The no-fat, no sugar added ice cream with some peanut butter seemed to be OK this evening but even that, I only could eat about 1/2 cup. I've had this fill for 6 or 7 weeks and just now seem to be having problems with it. I go Monday for a follow-up and he was talking about adding 1/4 cc to the band but I think I'll pass. I'm losing well and still struggling with food. Much of it is my own fault as I just don't eat slowly. I keep telling myself to do so. I've tried sitting at the table and doing nothing else but find I eat even faster then. If I take a bite and reply to an e-mail, I do tend to go slower.

Tom

I haven't been online in a while, and it's so exciting to see how much everyone has lost. I guess I'm a little behind the curve, but I'm tickled to death with my 20 pounds. I'm getting into clothes I've had buried in my closet for years!

I haven't been exercising, since we're on 60-hour weeks at work, so I figure if I can just make it through tax season without gaining any back, I'll be able to start concentrating on losing.

I don't know if anyone else has this problem, but I've had 2 fills and I can eat alot. The problem is I don't realize I've had too much until hours later, when I have a lump in my throat that stays with me for days. Sometimes I think I can feel the food in the back of my throat - is that even possible? I can't PB (I've tried) and my throat and chest hurt, but liquids go down fine. I wish I could feel full or at least PB, because I'm afraid I'm going to hurt myself since I don't know when I've had enough.

So I think I need to do more small meals instead of the 2 biggies I'm used to, but old habits sure die hard.

Yes small meals starting right now!!! You could be stretching your pouch and could have a slipped band if not careful. big meals are a no-no. several little meals are ok I eat 5 a day. about 200 cals each. please be caeful!

I haven't been online in a while, and it's so exciting to see how much everyone has lost. I guess I'm a little behind the curve, but I'm tickled to death with my 20 pounds. I'm getting into clothes I've had buried in my closet for years!

Isn't that a nice feeling! I've been pulling clothes out that I thought I would never wear again and they actually look nice! :clap2: The SV's are nice but those NSV's are just as wonderful! Keep up the good work!

I don't know if anyone else has this problem, but I've had 2 fills and I can eat alot. The problem is I don't realize I've had too much until hours later, when I have a lump in my throat that stays with me for days. Sometimes I think I can feel the food in the back of my throat - is that even possible? I can't PB (I've tried) and my throat and chest hurt, but liquids go down fine. I wish I could feel full or at least PB, because I'm afraid I'm going to hurt myself since I don't know when I've had enough.

So I think I need to do more small meals instead of the 2 biggies I'm used to, but old habits sure die hard.

It might be best if you go back to the basics. 3-5 small meals a day. Small bites, eat SLOW and quit eating after 30 mins. You'll be surprised at how content you are. Go for content, not full. Getting full isn't good for the band. If you choose high protein foods, you will stay full longer so you may find that you are just fine with 3 meals a day. Mix it up a little and find what works for you. Good luck!

Are there any Houston area November bansters that would like to get together for a cuppa or a meal sometime?

So when you throw up, does it feel like you are sick and need to throw up, or does it just come out without all the "icky" feeling? Sorry for the gross question, just curious...since I have not felt any restriction yet.

I am sooooo bummed out!! I was supposed to get my 2nd fill today, was all ready both physically and psychologically, just going out the door for the long drive to the doctor's, when the office called and cancelled me due to an emergency!! :think I am sooooo upset!! I will NEVER lose weight!! 4 months since surgery and only 30 pounds lost, gained back 5, and no restriction. Will it ever happen for me like it is for you all??

Sorry I am whining... I guess I just needed to vent......

Karen

No, no nasuea....just that feeling of the food wanting to go up and down..... it was quite a relief frankly. It doesn't come back all acidy and stuff. Just how it exactly went down.

On the other note. Hang in there. I think this is most frustrating at the begining because we are not sure what we are supposed to feel. My doc said his average patient needs 6-7 adjustments the first year. I thought this just wasn't working for me until this last fill where I can definitely feel a difference. I always question whether I needed to spend $17,000 to achieve these results and I try to remind myself that I would be 30 lbs heavier had I not.

Your not the only one................we are all trying hard. Just try to go into the week saying this will be a good week!!!!!! Good luck and thank goodness for the support we all have.

I am actually quite surprised at how hard this is. I really thought that it was going to be that I couldn't eat a lot. End of story. It has taken far more will power & determination and being in tuned with my body then I thought. Certainly not the "easy" solution. However, It has helped me change my eating habit, lose weight & get healthier. I would do it again.

Tom-I think I only have 1.6 or something like that in my band, and I think it is a 4cc band, but like I said, he says that is more than most of his other patients. And it's not like I am not losing, I just feel like I should be a little more restricted than I am. Something to stop me from overeating whether I am able to or not! But, I know that it could still kick in here pretty soon, so I am trying to be patient. I never have days where food will not go down-ever. Once in a while something gets stuck for a few seconds, but that is usually when I have not chewed well enough. SO, like I said, I am trying to be patient, but it is hard. Right now for example, I am starting to feel hungry, and it has only been 2 1/2 hours since I ate breakfast--some egg beaters w/cheese, and a half an english muffin. That should have been enough to keep me satisfied for a while, shouldn't it? Frustrating!!!

30 pounds in 16 weeks is 1.6 pounds average per week. We're only supposed to lose a pound a week, two at most. You are succeeding. It's just hard to get used to how erradic it is, especially uuntil the fills kick in. Say it.... I am succeeding.