Hi everyone--I thought I'd listen to some advice from one of the other monthly groups and start one master thread in which we have an ongoing discussion/updates. I don't know about you all but I certainly spend most of my time on these boards on the pre-op forum and the general forum, not here. It would be nice to have just one thread to go to once in this forum.

We can maybe start out with introductions?

As for me, I'm going the "online privacy" route for now (paranoid that people I haven't told about this will somehow stumble across me on this site I guess, which is crazy, I know) but I can give you the big picture:

You can call me Penny, I'm 27, single and live in the Washington, DC area. I have a background in politics (which is why I live in DC) but now I'm a librarian which is much cooler and way more fun (trust me on that). Oh, and there's no "Marion the Librarian" thing with me either. One of the things I hear most frequently (besides the cliche "you have such a pretty face") is "but you don't LOOK like a librarian", which is another one of those bizarre backhanded compliments that you never really know how to take.

Personality wise, I'm kind of dorky, big into public radio and books and popular science. Oh, I'm also a little on the paranoid side (as you may be able to tell from earlier in this post). Beyond that I'm just kind of silly and friendly, VERY much so into traveling and I'm an aspiring "green" domestic diva (but that's not going so well).

Amen! One day at a time! One pound at a time!

I agree with you Charlene

I agree with you Charlene

I read about your promotion on the other thread.......CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!

The first week after my fill was great but yesterday and today I sure feel awhole lot tighter. Any of ya'll get tighter later?

The first week after my fill was great but yesterday and today I sure feel awhole lot tighter. Any of ya'll get tighter later?

Yes, it takes a week for the fill to settle. You may have to get it tweaked if you start to pb or can't eat protein.

Hello!

I've been reading this thread from day one, but not posted in a long time.

I have never been "too tight" and I'm at 11.5cc in a 10cc band. I know, I should think that's a good thing, but I am a worrier. I had good weight loss the first year and am down about 115 pounds total today. But I have been yo-yo-ing the same 5 or 10 pounds for months now. I still need to lose 40 pounds to be in the "normal" BMI range. I would be happy to get below 200 and stay there. My last fill was 1cc in November and I'm seriously thinking I may need another soon. This last week or two have been tough as far as head hunger goes and I have been snacking wayyyyyy too much. Just need a swift kick in the seat of the pants, I guess.

Good luck to all!

Leigh

Alabama

320 / 296 / 205.5 / 160

Woo Hoo for a 115lbs! That's great, How much over 10cc's will your Dr. go? I have a 10cc band but they said I only have a fill level of 9cc's. OH, and nice to see you posting with us. Glad to have you back.

Charlene, Thx for the advise. I'm hoping it gets better before I have to go back. So far no pb and no reflex or heart burn so I'll wait it out a couple of days. Just seems like really cold things just shut me down, while hot stuff is no problem.

Hello!

I've been reading this thread from day one, but not posted in a long time.

I have never been "too tight" and I'm at 11.5cc in a 10cc band. I know, I should think that's a good thing, but I am a worrier. I had good weight loss the first year and am down about 115 pounds total today. But I have been yo-yo-ing the same 5 or 10 pounds for months now. I still need to lose 40 pounds to be in the "normal" BMI range. I would be happy to get below 200 and stay there. My last fill was 1cc in November and I'm seriously thinking I may need another soon. This last week or two have been tough as far as head hunger goes and I have been snacking wayyyyyy too much. Just need a swift kick in the seat of the pants, I guess.

Good luck to all!

Leigh

Alabama

320 / 296 / 205.5 / 160

Consider yourself kicked........now, welcome back.....we need all kind of support. We have hung in here because we can't do it alone. I did not know you could have more fill than the band holds.......where has it gone? I only have 5.3 in my band and sometimes it is too tight. I guess we all wear our bands differently. Anyway, got any good tips.....please share....wow, 115lb loss. AWESOME!

Consider yourself kicked........now, welcome back.....we need all kind of support. We have hung in here because we can't do it alone. I did not know you could have more fill than the band holds.......where has it gone? I only have 5.3 in my band and sometimes it is too tight. I guess we all wear our bands differently. Anyway, got any good tips.....please share....wow, 115lb loss. AWESOME!

My band is very sensitive. I only have 2ccs in my band and if I am stressed, I get tight. This makes eating during the day difficult since I am a teacher and I don't EVER have duty-free lunch. This means I have a Campbell's soup-at-hand every day for lunch. I ate a small container of red beans (JUST THE BEANS, NO RICE) today for lunch, and I promise I had to slow down because it almost got stuck. Jeez. Tonight, I will have a small serving of pastalaya...yummy.

I wish I were more sensitive. I have been told (not by my doctor, but through some online research) that my band can probably hold about 14cc's. The port tubing can hold some of the fluid. Right now, I can eat most anything in just about any amount. I get a little stuck now and then but as soon as it comes up, I can keep on eating. So some of recent maintenance is primarily due to will power, which is a VERY limited commodity for me.

Leigh

I read about your promotion on the other thread.......CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!

Thank you so much.

kimaly - My band since I got my last fill has been really picky. Sometimes I am tight in the morning and sometimes at night. I do the soup at hand alot to at lunch. Right now I eat more of a "meal" at night. I do liquids and stuff during the day.

Thank you so much.

kimaly - My band since I got my last fill has been really picky. Sometimes I am tight in the morning and sometimes at night. I do the soup at hand alot to at lunch. Right now I eat more of a "meal" at night. I do liquids and stuff during the day.

I'm kinda doing the liquid Protein morning, I try to get my meal in at lunch and most of the time since the last fill I do the liquid protein dinner. Pro Joe has become my best friend this week.

I wish I were more sensitive. I have been told (not by my doctor, but through some online research) that my band can probably hold about 14cc's. The port tubing can hold some of the fluid. Right now, I can eat most anything in just about any amount. I get a little stuck now and then but as soon as it comes up, I can keep on eating. So some of recent maintenance is primarily due to will power, which is a VERY limited commodity for me.

Leigh

You know it's possible they may have needed to use a bigger band on you. I'ld talk to my Dr. and find out what the problem is. When I got my band they tested it and told me I had a 10cc band and my fill level was 9cc's, The other people that got banded the same day I did all had a 4cc fill level in the same 10cc band I had. Each person is different. But I would wonder why they didn't put a 14cc band in in the first place, That way you could have held a little more. Sorry to hear your struggling so much with it.

Did I tell y'all I went to a nutrition class at Dr. Garths new office? It was a support group. I was the only one banded there. All of them were bypass. They don't pb like us , but their food restriction is the same. Anyway, when the nutritionist showed us what we should be eating I couldn't believe it.....too much food for me. The thing is with me..... I am hungry after I eat. I think I need a fill, but when I do eat protein.....I slime on the first couple of bites. This has been going on since I started having Fibromyalgia. I think it is water retention. I am going on the 18th so I will find out.

Also, my doctor said the best diet book out there is THE BECK DIET. It is on behavior modification. I ordered it from Amazon. Doctor's don't recommend diets so I thought I ought to pass this along. Please excuse me if I already told you.

Did I tell y'all I went to a nutrition class at Dr. Garths new office? It was a support group. I was the only one banded there. All of them were bypass. They don't pb like us , but their food restriction is the same. Anyway, when the nutritionist showed us what we should be eating I couldn't believe it.....too much food for me. The thing is with me..... I am hungry after I eat. I think I need a fill, but when I do eat protein.....I slime on the first couple of bites. This has been going on since I started having Fibromyalgia. I think it is water retention. I am going on the 18th so I will find out.

Also, my doctor said the best diet book out there is THE BECK DIET. It is on behavior modification. I ordered it from Amazon. Doctor's don't recommend diets so I thought I ought to pass this along. Please excuse me if I already told you.

Actually, Charlene, if you slime after a couple of bites of protein, you may be a tiny bit too tight. The fibromyalgia may be causing you to be tighter than usual. You may want to think of getting maybe just .1 or .2ccs out and see if that helps.

Actually, Charlene, if you slime after a couple of bites of protein, you may be a tiny bit too tight. The fibromyalgia may be causing you to be tighter than usual. You may want to think of getting maybe just .1 or .2ccs out and see if that helps.

You just confirmed what I was thinking. This did not start till I started on that medicine for FM. I will probably have that .1 taken out next month. I am so hungry, but I think it is because I can't eat enough protein.