I'm here to help...

[Great2BThin 5]

Thanks, Janet. I get down on myself sometimes. I see all the tickers of other banders and I feel defeated. I know I have alot of "head work" to do. You know my father was an alcoholic.....now I understand how hard overcoming an eating addiction can be. I believe I have that addiction gene. I guess admitting it is the beginning of this new journey.

Arlene, don't you dare be getting down on yourself. You are doing awesome!! When someone is an alcoholic they can give up alcohol, a food addict has to eat to live. We can't just give up food. I now see so much of my 'hunger' was never physical hunger, but more of a head hunger. I was usually feeding something other than my stomach, my desire for food, boredom, stress, etc. You are going to do great!

[Charlene K 1]

Thanks Long. Yep, the stress got to me the last four months. Ike, my daughter's surgery....her recovery which she just finished ...my mother's health......and I really hit the sliders when my husband got the temporary layoff news. I definitely turn to food in time of crisis.

[phyllser 3]

Oh the snow on the mountains surrounding me (I live in a valley) is so beautiful!!! It's very very low.. Just a wondrous site..

Yes, it is a beautiful sight!! Even the mountains across the street from us have snow on top!

Hi everyone! Janet, wish I could have seen the snow on the mtns during my visit. It would have been fun sitting by the pool looking at snow!!

Went to the doc today and no fill. I was a little disappointed, but he wants me to work on better eating habits before he does the next fill. He's not sure I'm eating correctly - and he may be right. It's easy to get the wrong foods down so that's what I tend to gravitate to. I'm seeing him in three weeks and we'll decide then. Oh well, off to lunch... Kathy

Hmmm.... I'm sorry, but I think the two things go hand in hand. So maybe you aren't eating correctly, but proper restriction is a BIG incentive towards establishing better eating habits! I know that when I know I can only eat "this much" food, I am not going to "waste" that space on bread and foods that are not giving me the quality nutrition that I need.

I think the good thing about being banded in December is you are not expected to be attending parties where all the treats are being served. And if you do go - you really are in a healing phase and you cannot go too crazy. Hard to find mushie treats, unless they are spread on a cracker and the cracker is a no-no.

And by this time next year you will have solidly established healthier eating habits and the temptation will not be as much of an issue as it has in the past.

As for learning better eating habits before a fill, isn't that what a fill and band are for? Personally unless I feel that restriction, I am going to eat too fast and too big of bites, that is what put me at 300+ lbs. Having the restriction is the only way I can imagine getting through the holidays and goodies. I don't want to 'white knuckle' it with will power alone through all the temptations. I feel my restriction loosening yet again and am in a panic wishing I had gotten a fill yesterday while I was volunteering. Oh and I found out fills are free for volunteers, they said it was the least they could do for us!! WOO HOO!!

I hit 91 today!! I was afraid to count all my loss from the weekend since I did take a Water pill before my weigh in, but it has all stuck except for one pound!! I decided I would take my Thurs morning weight as official! Come on 100!!!!

Exactly... restriction, good eating habits go hand in hand!

You expressed it very well!

Free fills... GREAT benefit!

I hit -100 lb today and you will be there soon, to!!

Congrats!!

Oh does anyone else have a issue with pain under the right breast????

Do you have a gall bladder??? Sounds suspiciously like gall bladder.

[IndioGirl55 32]

Thanks, Janet. I get down on myself sometimes. I see all the tickers of other banders and I feel defeated. I know I have alot of "head work" to do. You know my father was an alcoholic.....now I understand how hard overcoming an eating addiction can be. I believe I have that addiction gene. I guess admitting it is the beginning of this new journey.

Arlene - You are doing fantastic - I think I had lost like 52 lbs by Xmas last year... and we were both banded in July so please please don't sweat it - It will come off !!!

Yes Admitting to the problem is the hardest part and the beginning of changing it...

I have alot of addiction problems in my family - and ex-bf's so I understand (well as much as you can understand) addictions - I have done alot of reading etc on the subject and for us you just replace the word drug with food - it is truly our drug of choice and that's what it is a drug,

IMHO a druggie or alcoholic has it easier than us - they just say no to booze or drugs - where we have to have food to live - so every day we are tempted to indulge in our drug of choice..

You go girl - You are Woman- You are Strong and YOU WILL GET TO GOAL :huh2:

Okay, I get what you guys are saying now. I was reading it as though you needed to do well on your 'diet' and eat like you had restriction even if you didn't. Not sure I am making sense, but I see what you are saying about eating around the band etc. I've read so often on these boards about folks getting such tight restriction that they can't eat Protein, eat lots of 'slider' and soft foods and then complain they aren't losing because they have super restriction. When in fact if they had less restriction and ate like a bander should, they'd probably be doing a whole lot better. It's not about how tight you are but about how satisfied you are on the right foods.

Angela, 3cc may or may not be enough for you. Only you and your dr. will know. While 3cc's might be enough for one person to be at their 'sweet spot' it may be too much for another and not enough for another. We are all so different. Janet is right about not being so concerned with the # of cc's in our bands. Janet and I are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to fills. I think she has had only 2 or 3 and is at goal and over a year out from surgery, while I am only 6 mos out from surgery and have had 6 fills plus one prefill during surgery. My dr. even has a patient or two that have reached goal with great restriction and no fills, while I have 11 cc's in my band it's a 14cc band.

Ok Lori - You are making sense I understand - and I am happy that you miss understood her post - cuz you were worrying me that you kept your band very tight and that's what you were relying on to lose the weight and not changing what you are eating or how you looked at food..

Ok I feel better - and yes there was a lady at my docs office who didn't get a fill for like 8 months - You are right we are so very diff and the #'s to get us to our sweet spot are all over the boards.

Yep I had 3 fills and almost all of the 3rd fill removed except for .01 - so really I had 2 fills and one tweak - I think I have 5 in a 14 - but wouldn't swear to it...

oh ya Kathy - I would be pissed at your doctor - did you tell him about the steak... Yes you might not be making the best choices - but it's also about restriction and I really beleive that from our conversation you are in need of a fill - and yes making better choices.

I was lucky cuz I was at home for the most part of that 1st yr - didn't travel much and I eat at home 99% of the time. I know that when I am at a restrauant that I want and usually do order with my old brain - but again I always do have left overs - but the problem is a chees enchillada isn't the most healthiest choice of dinner :0)

[IndioGirl55 32]

CONGRATULATIONS :huggie:PHLY :cursing:

:Dancing_sad:100 LBS GONE :huh2:

:frown:

[Apples2 19]

Woooooohooooo, Phyll!!!!!!! Congrats on the 100# mark!!!

Run and get those earrings off the dresser and get them planted in your ears!!!!!!!

[Charlene K 1]

Woo hoo! I second that ! Congrats Phyl on 100lb loss!:huh2::thumbup::cursing:

[Apples2 19]

I am just going to share a little on my take on fills, restriction, etc. It is such an individual thing. I have a 14cc band...I have had two fills. I know of people in my support group with the same size band and they have had over 10 fills/unfills/fills/unfills. I like staying just a little hungry. I am not saying I am hungry all the time, I am hungry at the appropriate times (about every 3 hours). I, too, struggled a few months ago. Teetered on the edge of getting another fill. So happy now that I didn't.

I think that my biggest fear with the band is living life with a band that is too tight and having unnecessary problems. I really do not feel like I am at that "sweet spot" but what my band does for me is really curbs my appetite when needed. I will reassess my restriction situation in a few months and get a fill if I feel I want more restriction. Until then, I will go through life "with a little help from my friend...the band" and I will also hang onto my newfound eating habits. It is so freeing to be rid of the food cloud that ruled my life in the past.

I would say that once the eating habits are changed and restriction is a help (not tight) life is so good.

[Apples2 19]

OOPS...very inconsiderate of me.......WELCOME to the newbies on the thread

[angelawebb-designer 0]

Thanks for all your help. I will make an appt for another fill after Christmas and go from there. I will also get some exercise in. Talk to you soon!

[IndioGirl55 32]

I am just going to share a little on my take on fills, restriction, etc. It is such an individual thing. I have a 14cc band...I have had two fills. I know of people in my support group with the same size band and they have had over 10 fills/unfills/fills/unfills. I like staying just a little hungry. I am not saying I am hungry all the time, I am hungry at the appropriate times (about every 3 hours). I, too, struggled a few months ago. Teetered on the edge of getting another fill. So happy now that I didn't.

I think that my biggest fear with the band is living life with a band that is too tight and having unnecessary problems. I really do not feel like I am at that "sweet spot" but what my band does for me is really curbs my appetite when needed. I will reassess my restriction situation in a few months and get a fill if I feel I want more restriction. Until then, I will go through life "with a little help from my friend...the band" and I will also hang onto my newfound eating habits. It is so freeing to be rid of the food cloud that ruled my life in the past.

I would say that once the eating habits are changed and restriction is a help (not tight) life is so good.

Well said Apples - My thoughts exactly...

Thanks for all your help. I will make an appt for another fill after Christmas and go from there. I will also get some exercise in. Talk to you soon!

Angela

Happy to have you aboard -:huh2:

This is a GREAT GREAT GROUP...:cursing:

Call tomorrow to make the appointment - you don't need to wait til after Christmas you can call tomorrow heck - it would be great to get in before Christmas if your restriction sucks - Being filled doesn't mean you can't eat - it helps you from over eating.

[phyllser 3]

Thanks for all the kudos!!

I took the earrings to TOPS with me... just in case!

So, after we all dried our tears, the TOPS ladies helped me put them in!

[Great2BThin 5]

CONGRATULATIONS :huggie:PHLY :cursing:

:Dancing_sad:100 LBS GONE :huh2:

:frown:

Awesome, CONGRATS!! I bet those diamond studs look awesome as well as the shirt!

Ok Lori - You are making sense I understand - and I am happy that you miss understood her post - cuz you were worrying me that you kept your band very tight and that's what you were relying on to lose the weight and not changing what you are eating or how you looked at food..

Ok I feel better - and yes there was a lady at my docs office who didn't get a fill for like 8 months - You are right we are so very diff and the #'s to get us to our sweet spot are all over the boards.

Yep I had 3 fills and almost all of the 3rd fill removed except for .01 - so really I had 2 fills and one tweak - I think I have 5 in a 14 - but wouldn't swear to it...

Oh no Janet, I am glad you don't think that of me anymore! I have definitely changed my eating habits. Sometimes I don't know who I am anymore in that regard. No more chips for dinner. I am a very good little bandster and abide by my surgeons rules at least 90% of the time. I'm not saying I am perfect, I do have my 'treats' once in awhile, but those treats are small, planned and not every day like they were before because you know I was always going to start that diet 'tomorrow'. I eat Protein first, veggies 2nd and if room starches. I have needed a lot of fills but am no where near 'super tight'. I can eat 4 to 8 oz of solid Protein. I do remember my surgeon telling me that I really needed the smaller band but for some reason the way my stoma was they couldn't get it fastened so I have the larger one, he prefilled it for that reason and I think it's taken me more fills for that reason to get to proper restriction. For a month or so there I got fills almost every week or two and was concerned I was leaking or something, but every time they took out the Fluid first to verify and it's always there. He said it was due to losing the 'fat pad' between my band and stomach. It's rare for me to eat 'slider' foods, I have to really be careful as I could get back into a chip or popcorn habit really easy. I tend to even stay away from the mini bags of microwave popcorn because all it does is trigger my cravings for the 'real stuff'. I liked it oil popped the old fashioned way on the stove with a stick of butter. I allow myself a rare treat when we go to the movies. We don't like many movies playing these days so that's very rare (twice since banding) but I do plan on seeing Marley and Me when it comes out. But all my meals are solid protein first, no sliders, unless you count oatmeal or egg beaters as sliders for Breakfast.

However, I don't know if I would've changed my eating habits this much if it hadn't been for good restriction in my band, if that makes sense. With the good restriction, it made me much more mindful of the foods I was choosing. I find myself now choosing the right foods most of the time. I've become much more focused on health and nutrition especially since I found out I have that Vitamin B restriction. But it has spilled over into other areas of my life too. Heck I am even going to the dentist for a check up on teh 30th. I am a big baby when it comes to the dentist and tended to only go when something hurt really bad.

Edited December 19, 2008 by Great2BThin

[JoannMarie 0]

Congratulations phyl!!!! 100 pounds gone! You are a rock star!!!

[bochs 0]

Hi girls, (Tonight is Wednesday). I am having a hard time this week. Still getting in my exercise but cheating on junk. I hate myself.:huh2:.I went to the grocery store today and got everything I need to start over. I got to get sugar and carbs out of my body cold Turkey. I am still at 52 lbs. I was 55 but gained 3 lbs. We are having an ice storm tonight. I got alot done today. I have been busy, busy, busy.

PHYL---- :cursing: CONGRATuLATIONS! YOU ARE DOING SO WEL!! I can't imagine what it will be like when I get to that point. I am excited for you!!! I am also going to change my eating around and see if I am still having restriction. I am not worried about the CC's in my band, I just want to be sure I have plenty of space left in case I need another one. It's like I am kind of afraid to use too much. Don't want to be too full. I think I am pretty good now, just misbehaving. I still have to loose another 55 lbs so I need to pay attention. Glad to hear everyone is doing well this week

Beckyo:drool: