I just found out my surgery will be in July (granted my pre-op testing goes okay) SOOOOOOOOO

Here's a thread for everyone getting banded in July 07!

Does anyone have any good ideas for a neat name we could call ourselves?

Hey guys! I'm a little ove 5 weeks out and need some advice.

I'm scared to get a fill!

My dr told me everyone's different in regards to fills. Some need one at 6 weeks, some not till 6 months. I can't imaging going 6 months!

So last appt he told me to call if I feel like I need one before my next appt (which isn't until the end of October). I think I'm too hungry and am eating a little too much. I get really hungry in between meals, especially between lunch and dinner.

I feel like my willpower will fail soon, but I'm still losing weight. So should I get a fill or not?

The other issue is this: I am self-pay and only 1 fill is included in the surgery price. So if this one doesn't do it, I'll be forking over the cash for all subsequent fills. But my dr does do it under fluoro, which I believe helps get it "right" in less fills, since you can actually see how tight it is.

Shannon

I feel you -- I go tomorrow for my 1st fill - and right now i am able to eat too much (imho) i am doing 90% of the work. My problem is after dinner and during the night.

I would suggest getting that fill - why wait until you do start eating too much - nip it in the bud... Keep the weight loss going - 24 lbs since 7/30 is great - I'm 7/17 and 26.5 and have been exercising my butt off (well to me i am walking on the treadmill at the gym 2 or 3 miles daily (well really 4 or 5 days a week) and i was a total slug bug before surgery.

After this weekend - where i ate pizza - bday cake etc - who knows how much i gained... IMHO get the fill...

Janet,

I am SOOO ready for my fill, also!! Mine is this week, Thursday & I can't wait!! I have very little restriction (other than my DH!! HA! He's relaxed quite a bit on that! ) I'm getting pretty hungry between "feedings"!! Some days are worse than others. And I am fighting "head hunger" a lot!! I did pretty good so far today. We had to get up very early to pick up our daughter & SIL from the airport (returned from Hawaii on a "red eye"), so we went out to breakfast on the way home. I ordered a Sr. Citizen (2 egg) omelet with hash browns & english muffin. I could only eat half. I ate the other half about three hours later. Then I lasted 4 hrs and had a shrimp cocktail. I do okay with lettuce, and no problem with shrimp. I LOVE my seafood!!

I found a local support group last week. It was nice to have a face to face with other lap band folks. They told me about this "flat iron steak" that the Fred Meyer stores here sell. We bought one the other day and it was nice and tender.

My brain is bouncing all over the place... things popping in and out... So here's another issue... There is a Mongolian Grill that opened up across the street from us. Their policy as stated online says "no sharing, no doggie bags". So I emailed them asking them to explain their no doggie bag policy and asking if I could order a child's portion. I've had two emails today from the manager and she refuses to give an inch. They have NO senior citizen's price and won't let me order a child's portion. She's adamant about the no doggie bag rule because they are an all-you-can-eat buffet. So now I understand that, but I explained the lap band surgery to her and she refuses to make any concession. Says she can't grant special privileges to certain customers. So I guess we just won't go eat there! We have eaten out quite a bit since my surgery and I have had no problem ordereing off the children's menu anywhere else!

Janet, my DH is happy about the PS area gas price you quoted!! It's very close to what we are paying here in the Seattle area. Two more months and we'll be heading south! I can't wait!!

Phly

The gas prices was at Circle K this weekend.. I am glad your DH is relaxing a bit - I hate my friends who call and say "How are you doing" When all they want to know is how much weight i loss this week.. and right now - i bet i gained a pound or 2 after all my eating this weekend. but its still less than pre-banding...- I just don't know how to get ahold of my night time hunger.. got up and ate 2 fudge cicles last night plus a yogurt. heck thats 220 calories - I need to take a sleeping pill about 9 and get up at 5 - that would be great... I will let you all know how my fill goes tomorrow - I know that i will have to be on liquods for a day or 2 after the fill - but i can deal with 2 days - it's sure better than 10 days:eek:.. Tell you what to do when / if you go eat at that monglian place - take a big purse with you that day - and a couple of baggies - make your own damn doggie bag - That way you can try the place out and have your doggie bag too... :mad: That's what i would do... but again i am a bit of a rebel - tell me no - and i will find away around that no :eek:

ok the last 3 post are from me - so everyone must be busy - I am hunger it's 8 p.m. and havent had dinner yet - spinach & turkey meat loaf patty..

Sweet dreams everyone - talk to you all tomorrow....

Well, I really appreciate all the advice. I admit I've just really started (within the last week or so) a consistent exercise program. The 24 pounds so far hasn't really included much exercise. So I think it's ok to eat a little more, I just don't want to get back into the old habit of choosing the wrong foods. The dietician won't let me eat any bread or starch for another 2 months! I'm dying for a cheeseburger (on a wheat bun of course)!

I think I'll try waiting it out at least another week or two before the fill. I'll see if I continue to lose weight or not. If I stop losing or (GOD FORBID) start gaining, I'll get the fill ASAP.

FYI-The Biggest Loser show returns next Tuesday night. It's extreme, but I found it very motivating, even before the band. I'm even more excited now that I'm finally losing weight and exercising too!!

Hey Shannon,

I think the best thing you can do for yourself is to get the fill when YOU are most comfy with it. My surgeon told me at my first post-op that many patients fear the first fill more than the surgery itself. So what you're feeling isn't strange. :eek:

I was also told that after my first fill, I should lose 2lb per week. If the weight loss was less than that, or if it stopped altogether, or even worse it increased, then it was time for another fill.

But you should also remember that a lot of our doctors seem to give different advice to their patients.

Hello Everyone,

We went camping this weekend.

Shannon - My 1st fill is the 10th. I have been HUNGRY all the time for at least a week now. I have zero restriction. I am pretty sure I could eat anything including a small horse. I go to bed every night hungry. I'm hungry now.

Hey everyone! I get my 1st fill tomorrow!! Excited and hoping that the feeling will be more like a week after surgery.

Auntie Phyl: We had a place that sounds like your Mongolian place. All of them closed. They were so "greedy" in their pricing. All these crabby rules. Even if you choose all vegies and the guy behind you choose all seafood and meat, you couldn't have anything "extra." Believe me - nobody liked the bossy rules and they all closed pretty quickly. Served them right. I understand wanting to make a profit, but they were nuts.

Has anyone been "sorry" about their fill? Remember how some of us, ok - me - were "sorry" right after banding. Does anyone feel this way after a fill, and how long does it take to go away if so? (the banding "sorry" went away when my infection went away, so maybe I'm the odd one) Just wondering. CC

Ha Ha!! That's what my DH said, too!! Bring our own container!! I might try that. What can they do?? Arrest me?? Tell me I can't come back?? Boo Hoo!!

Hello everyone!!!

What's been happening? I've been quite busy lately. I haven't been exercising this past week and I can tell. I miss it. Wow. Who would've ever thought I'd be saying that one???

IndioGirl, How are you? We've missed you around here!

NewCC, how did the fill go? I'm so jealous! I don't get a fill until the 27th. :eek: But I know my doc just wants to make sure my port is completely healed.

Mango, I'm sorry you're hungry. It's a horrible feeling. Are you on solids? What's are your meals like? Can you give us an example of what you're eating on a typical day?

Shannon, congrats on the consistent exercise. It will make a huge difference. I always read on this board that there are 2 groups of Bandsters - those who exercise and those who don't. I want to be in the first group. I know it helps tremendously w/the wt loss.

Hey Laurend, Dini, Sunny (where are you?), Lynette, Auntie Phyll and everyone...Frustrated, Forgve, Marcy, SSanka...just thinking of all of you!!!

Shout outs to Lindaa, Cazulay, Cate, Peaches, Brandy, and Appleblossom!

How are you guys doing???

QUESTION: Have you discovered what your overeating trigger(s) is (are)?

Could it be emotions/feelings, holidays/special occasions, media - like commercials, ads..., boredom, the clock (it's 12:00 noon, time to eat - even though you're not hungry)...etc.

Chim: Great question! I think my biggest trigger is procrastination. When I don't want to do something - I reach for food - as though that would get it done!! I used to keep a little sticky note by my computer (my snack spot) on which I copied a quote, maybe from Flylady?,

"If hunger is not the issue, food is not the solution."

I didn't lose any weight looking at my quote, but it probably kept me from gaining some! CC

QUESTION: Have you discovered what your overeating trigger(s) is (are)?

Morning Chimboree. :wave: Good question!

I think the biggest culprit for me is stress. When I got the recent bill for several hundred as I've mentioned on here previously, it set me off. I buried myself in half a dozen cookies. That was actually a mild attack as typically I would've eaten the whole pack and rummaged around for more. :rolleyes

Boredom is also a trigger. I'm a stay-at-home-mom and once the chores are done, there's not a lot to keep me occupied. If I watch too much TV I risk being tempted by all the junk food ads. Strangely though, I don't get any cravings when I watch the Food Network shows. It just seems to be the ads that set me off. I bought myself a 1000 piece jigsaw to keep me occupied the other day and it works. For now. :straight

Sometimes it's just that the food I'm eating tastes so good that I want to eat more of it. I enjoy food. I enjoy all the socialising that goes along with it. I enjoy trying all different kinds of foods from different cultures. Well, for the most part. I wouldn't eat the weird stuff like bugs or animal organs.

QUESTION: Have you discovered what your overeating trigger(s) is (are)?

Could it be emotions/feelings, holidays/special occasions, media - like commercials, ads..., boredom, the clock (it's 12:00 noon, time to eat - even though you're not hungry)...etc.

I know for me, the clock and boredom are triggers. I'll see that it's 12:00 and say, 'It's lunchtime', even though I may not be hungry. And I would eat. That has since changed, but I still struggle w/it sometimes. I've always known that boredom triggers overeating in me. I would mindlessly graze on snacks when I didn't have anything to do. That has definitely changed since banding.

QUESTION: Have you discovered what your overeating trigger(s) is (are)?

Could it be emotions/feelings, holidays/special occasions, media - like commercials, ads..., boredom, the clock (it's 12:00 noon, time to eat - even though you're not hungry)...etc.

Chim - Thanks for missing me I was busy buying car for grandson - taking care of 2 grandaughters - taxing around 16 yr grandson -

DIL B-day - but now back to work - so back to normal.

My triggers - being tired, love the taste of food, time filler = boredom, and it helps me sleep at night (self medication) I need a full tummy to sleep - I say my Mother never weaned us off the bottle as all my family members are night time eaters (we are talking 2 a.m.)