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?

Great Phyl, hell I will go with 10 lbs too!!!

Okay, this is going to be fun....

Thanksgiving Goals.....

Distant 10 lbs

Phyl 10 lbs...

COME ON JULY BANDSTERS MAKE YOUR WAGER!!!

Great Phyl, hell I will go with 10 lbs too!!!

Okay, this is going to be fun....

Thanksgiving Goals.....

Distant 10 lbs

Phyl 10 lbs...

COME ON JULY BANDSTERS MAKE YOUR WAGER!!!

OK I'm in - I'll take that deal

Great Phyl, hell I will go with 10 lbs too!!!

Okay, this is going to be fun....

Thanksgiving Goals.....

Distant 10 lbs

Phyl 10 lbs...

COME ON JULY BANDSTERS MAKE YOUR WAGER!!!

Count me in with 10 lbs by Thanksgiving.

I have hit a plateau but will take the 10lbs. challenge by Thanksgiving. Go Luckies!

Hi--I spent the weekend in Indiana helping my dd with a little crisis. I am proud of how well she is handling everything that has happened to her.

I will take the 10 pounds by Thanksgiving challenge--Count me IN!

I am losing hair by the handfulls as well. Also noticing really dry skin and lots of new wrinkles--especially under my eyes. I've been doing the vitamin and Biotin thing as well as Fish Oil supplements. I'm not so good about the protein, but i try

Nichole: I don't know if it's the weight loss or the hair cut, or both, but what a change! You look great!!!!

I'll take the 10lbs Thanksgiving challenge as well. I'm 205 today, so 195 by Thanksgiving. :cry That's about the size of a smallish turkey. How hard could it be? :guess

Famous last words.

Thanks Linda!!

OK, I have to admit that I'm a little worried I won't be able to do it....but count me in....10lbs by Thanksgiving. To note though, I'll get an extra day because I'm flying home that day and won't be able to weigh myself until the next morning. But that also takes Thanksgiving dinner out of the picture! Good luck Lucky #7s!

:faint:

Mango

Ya gotta live life a litte so a drink or 2 ain't going to kill you - i would just try and make sure that they aren't too high in calories. You sound like you are alittle tight - but i have read alot of people are in the morning - I would do liquids for a day or 2 as your body adjust to the fill - plus if you went to the mountains maybe the altadutes (sp) messed with the tightness - after a day or 2 if it doesn't relax you can alway get a tad taken out.

Hair issue - This is an issue - I have read alot on this issue as i have thin fine hair to begin with - #1 they really don't know what causes it - it will happen to some and not other here are some of the reasons i have read about putting you under (anstesia sp) - the drastice cut in your calories - fat & protein. and usually starts 3 months out... and I have read that even people who get all their protien take botin still lose some of their hair - but the good news is that it does grow back.

I had a gf who did medifast for about 8 months - she has very thick hair and she lost tons - but it is coming back now that she is eating better .

I have been taking botin (not 100% answer) make sure i get all my protein (again not 100 answer) and luckliy i haven't lost any - cuz i really can't afford to..

Go search hair loss in thread tools - read and see what you come up with - but from what i gather - no one really knows why it happens to some and not other and even your doc will tell you that it can happen..

HEY ,I GOT MY 3RD FILL THE 16 OF THIS MONTH AND I AM DOING LIKE YOU IT FEELS LIKE SOMETHING IS STUCK IN MY THROAT AND I AM HAVING MANY PB'S ARE YOU? I AM HAVING THEM AND THEY ARE LASTING FOR A HOUR OR MORE I THINK I'M A LITTLE TIGHT TO DO YOU ALL THINK I SHOULD WAIT IT OUT AND JUST LOSE A FEW POUNDS AND DRINK LIQUIDS? IT'S PRETTY BAD. GOOD LUCK WITH YOURS MANGO. SHARON

:faint:

HEY ,I GOT MY 3RD FILL THE 16 OF THIS MONTH AND I AM DOING LIKE YOU IT FEELS LIKE SOMETHING IS STUCK IN MY THROAT AND I AM HAVING MANY PB'S ARE YOU? I AM HAVING THEM AND THEY ARE LASTING FOR A HOUR OR MORE I THINK I'M A LITTLE TIGHT TO DO YOU ALL THINK I SHOULD WAIT IT OUT AND JUST LOSE A FEW POUNDS AND DRINK LIQUIDS? IT'S PRETTY BAD. GOOD LUCK WITH YOURS MANGO. SHARON

Sharon

I go for my 2nd fill on Wed -

I don't have a medical license (but i know a few who think i should ) so I will tell you what I would do - My doc requires that after a fill i go on full liquid only for 1 week, then mushies, soft and finally week 4 i get regular food - I think that this is to allow your stomach to get use to the new tightness and to introduce food back slowly - some say they don't feel their fill until 2 weeks after. IMHO again not a doc - I would try liquids for a week - but make sure you get all your protein and then proceed to mushies for a week - then soft etc -

I should ask are you able to get liquids down without a problem, are you chewing your food real good and taking small bites and eating slowly - even now with just a tad restriction if i don't do these things (most small bites and chewing well) i will pb...

I of the same mindset - lose a couple of extra pound while you can.

But you should really ck with your doctor since it's almost 2 weeks since your fill.. (my disclaimer ) I sure don't want to give you mis information and you hurt yourself

Nichole, You look great and that is a fabulous sunset! Good words of encouragement too!

I've been taking the Vitaband chewable multivitamins and melt away calcium supplements from BariatricAdvantage.com recommended by my Dr. May just resut in expensive urine, but thought it would be good until I get to goal at least. Losing quite a bit of hair in shower and brush, but not sure if it is more than usual. I've got lots of hair, so not worried. I'll take the 10 pounds goal by T'giving, that would be 156! And I think that might be doable, although the 10-day cruise might slow me down a bit.....

Goodnight!

Ok, so one thing I want to encourage us all with (myself included) is that typically if you have more weight to lose, you will lose it faster than those who don't have as much to lose. I know I keep comparing myself to my surgeon who had his surgery about 5 weeks before I did, but he also weighed about 50 lbs more than I did. And, I know he too has hit a plateau.

So, as long as you are doing everything you can to eat less (and the foods we know we should eat), you will start catching up on weight loss too. I was plateaued for about 12 weeks, and after my fill a week and a half ago, I'm finally losing again and am down 3 pounds. But, my Dr did say that it can take more fills before we hit the "sweet" spot. Don't lose hope, just keep eating the right foods (as I'm eating boneless wings from Applebees) and working out.

Anyways, I am encouraged seeing your pictures and wanted to post a couple of mine. The first picture is from January of 2006 which is what I looked like before surgery too. I was getting ready to go skiing and can't wait to try it again this year since my calves are a little smaller. Hopefully the boots will fit better. The second one was taken last week with one of our beautiful sunsets here in Northern Arizona.

I hope you all have a GREAT WEEK and I'll talk to you again soon.

~Nichole

Nicole- WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! You are doing so great!! You are right about the bigger we are the faster we lose. Everyone's metabolism is diffrent!!

Hi Everybody,

I just got back to work from my 3rd fill. First she pulled all the previous fills out into the needle, I guess checking to see if it was there. Then she put in 1.5. So I have 5.5. I haven't lost anything in the 2 weeks since the last fill. I drank when we went camping this weekend, but we hiked a lot and biked so I thought I was working it off.

I'm trying to drink coffee, and I am continually belching. It feels like somethings stuck in my throat. Does the belching and this feeling go away? It ain't pleasant.

One other thing - I'm starting to get a little nervous about the amount of hair coming out everytime I brush. I used to rarely have to clean out my hair brush now I'm doing it daily.

mango- I was really scared about this and I asked my beautician about this (she is a great friend of mine and knows about my band) and she said to take vitamin B1 complex. She said that helps with hair growth, nail growth and complexion. She wasn't sure about my chemistry after the band but I was already on the complex anyway (as my doctor wanted before surgery) so I have just kept taking it. My hair is actually growing pretty fast now and I have had to cut my nails back 3 times since surgery because they get to long. They are really strong also so I am not sure but I honestly think the vitamin B helped and is helping.

:faint:

HEY ,I GOT MY 3RD FILL THE 16 OF THIS MONTH AND I AM DOING LIKE YOU IT FEELS LIKE SOMETHING IS STUCK IN MY THROAT AND I AM HAVING MANY PB'S ARE YOU? I AM HAVING THEM AND THEY ARE LASTING FOR A HOUR OR MORE I THINK I'M A LITTLE TIGHT TO DO YOU ALL THINK I SHOULD WAIT IT OUT AND JUST LOSE A FEW POUNDS AND DRINK LIQUIDS? IT'S PRETTY BAD. GOOD LUCK WITH YOURS MANGO. SHARON

shand- I had a fill a couple of weeks ago and I felt like there was a lump in my throat and just didn't feel right. I went back in 2 days after my fill and I was too tight. MY PA told me I done the right thing because you don't want to be to tight. That is just what MY docs said. I would call your doctor and let them know. If you are too tight you run the risk of reflux in the esophagus and over time that can cause dilation of the esophagus and could result in having to remove all of your fill or if bad enough removing the band. That is what I was told again by MY docs. Give them a call sweety.

I've been taking the Vitaband chewable multivitamins and melt away calcium supplements from BariatricAdvantage.com recommended by my Dr. May just resut in expensive urine, but thought it would be good until I get to goal at least. Losing quite a bit of hair in shower and brush, but not sure if it is more than usual. I've got lots of hair, so not worried. I'll take the 10 pounds goal by T'giving, that would be 156! And I think that might be doable, although the 10-day cruise might slow me down a bit.....

Goodnight!

Brandy a 10 day cruise - omg I am so jealous !!!! You know I never really over did food too much on my cruies except for dinner - cuz eating always makes me sleepy and there is soo much to do - but the drinking omg that alone would make me gain - all those "drinks of the days that are so yummy" Where are you going???