Hi, I really would like to be able to keep in touch with all of you waiting for

December surgery and as we progress on our way to success. Maybe start with Date of surgery, Where banded, Present weight and goal weight. Of course, add anything else that is helpful to others or if you need some words of encouragement hopefully someone here will step up and help us.

I will be banded 12/12/06

Banded in Wisconsin

Starting Weight 266

Goal 140

My hair has finally gotten better about coming out and I honestly think it is due to the extreme conditioning I have been doing, since it is not coming out at the root but rather breaking off, I started really conditioning and hot oil treatments and it is really alot better. Just whats working for me, hope y'alls get better too, mine was so bad I was worried about bald spots but got it cut yesterday and my beautician said it is fine and the cut made it look so much healthier. I had a great NSV got into a size 12! I started at 22-24, I don't remember ever wearing a 12!

Congratulations Jacqui! You were banded 3 days before me, and I haven't lost anywhere close to what you have lost. It's discouraging, but I am getting another fill next week. Hopefully, that will start the weight loss going.

My hair falls out at the roots. When I take a shower, there is about 3 times more hair in my hands when I wash my hair. I have really thick hair, so it's okay. I just hope it doesn't grow back in gray. I am 54 with no gray hair, and I really don't want to start turning gray now.

Well thanks so much for the congrats! I am 44 and have tons of gray, but my hair is light blonde so it is not real noticeable other than to me. My weight loss has slowed down alot but the inches keep coming off so I won't fuss too much.I won't get any more fills doctor says I am good where I am and I think he is right. Just getting over being sick and my sinuses kept me so full feeling all the time I should have lost a bunch but didnt happen. Good luck with your fill, and your weight will start coming off when you get to your sweet spot, it did for me. Have a great day!

jaqui, do you know how much of a fill you have? Do you have the 4cc band?

I am anxious to find that sweet spot, but have read all the stories of being overfilled. It seems to be such a fine line.

I have the 4cc and I have 3.2 , I had 3.4 but it was too much had to take some out. It made a great difference , don't ever get too tight it was horrible. There is definately a fine line, and being tight is no fun, this is a life long endeavor don't get too tight and risk band slippage, and just taking the little bit out did the trick for me. I can eat meat again and even some breads. Have a great day!

Thanks Jaqui! I am getting a fill next week. I really hope this one is the one that makes me start to lose. I had dinner with a band friend last night. She's been banded for 4 years and I could tell she is too tight. I think people that want to be really tight are just asking for trouble.

How could you tell she is too tight? I worry about this sometimes.

She couldn't eat her dinner. She said that she tried to eat her lunch and only ate a couple of bites. She says she has heartburn all the time too. That's supposed to be one of the signs. Carlene, from other threads, had to have her band emptied for a month and let her stomach rest. She was having heartburn all the time.

When I was too tight I couldn't eat, didn't want to eat and had to make myself. I threw up everything that was good for me and all I could eat was junk. I had .2cc taken out an I can now eat meat again. It made all the difference in the world. I would never go through being too tight again it was awful.

Ok, this is sounding like me. However, I know I'm not taking the proper bite sizes and eating slow enough. When you were too tight, were you taking pinky nail sized bites and eating very slowly? I'm trying to figure out if it's just my behavior that needs changing or if I need an unfill.

Well that would make alot of difference, I try to take small bites and chew really well but I would still get sick,but if you are not doing that try that, but if you do get sick I would try to do liquids for the rest of the day to let the irritation go down or it will keep you sick. But an unfill hasn't been a bad thing I have still been losing because I am eating better food. It isn't real fast anymore but that is because I am laid off and enjoying it,lol. I don't get near the exercise I did before. But if you have trouble keeping stuff down you are probably too tight, you can get a little bit taken out and it will make a big difference, it did me anyway. Good luck!

Ok, this is sounding like me. However, I know I'm not taking the proper bite sizes and eating slow enough. When you were too tight, were you taking pinky nail sized bites and eating very slowly? I'm trying to figure out if it's just my behavior that needs changing or if I need an unfill.

If you already know you aren't taking proper sized bites or eating slowly enough then you know what you have to do first. For a while try pea size bites, chew thirty times and see if that works. If it does, you have your answer.

Hi all. I had my surgery in December also and just wanted to touch base. I didn't have the exact same band - mine is permanent and doesn't get filled - but I have pretty much the same experiences other than that. My weight loss has really slowed down recently... I seem to lose and lose then nothing for a while, then the cycle starts over. Anyone else have that? Oh - my hair was falling out too but I think it has about stopped now.

Hi Cyndie, yes I do the same thing. Mine comes to a stop then starts back over for no apparent reason. I will take it however it happens but would like to be more steady. My hair was coming out bad but seemed to have slowed down alot.

I never knew there was a band that doesn't get filled.

I still would like to know why my hair is falling out and when it's going to stop!

I am totally sick of handfulls of hair all over the place. Luckily, I have very thick hair, and it's not noticeable.