Do you have a December Date?

[Vickie 0]

any December people out there? How are you all doing? I get my first fill soon.:thumbup: Ive only lost 6 lbs so far.

Debi-- Six Pounds? That's good. When were you banded? I was banded on the 9th of Dec. I've lost 15 or 16 pounds. We're in a healing process right now so I'm thinking these pounds are an extra bonus. I'm thinking we're suppose to wait 8 weeks before a fill but it looks like many of the December bandsters "Holiday Hotties" have already gotten their first fill. I'll probably wait until the 10 of February or so.

Good Luck,

Vickie

Edited January 15, 2009 by Vickie
spelling

[JoannMarie 0]

Hi all, Anyone else waiting for their 1st Fill? My insurance changed since the surgery ajnd the new Co has to reauthorize the whole thing!!! :mad3:Have lost 21 # since surgery but it is so easy to eat too much w/o the fill and I've plateau'ed. I try to fill up on liquids but am concerned if it is posible to stretch the pouch .. anyone know ??

Hi Sue,

Yes it is possible to stretch the pouch. You don't say what kind of liquids you are drinking - but you should NOT be drinking anything carbonated. Also, fruit juices or other sugery drinks should be avoided because they are empty calories. Liquids (non carbonated) will not stretch the pouch because they go right through. They also won't help your hunger issues - because they go right through. If you are hungry between meals - you might need a fill - but that does not seem to be possible right now for you. Try eating hard Protein - a hard-boiled egg, a piece of hard cheese (like cheddar or swiss), an ounce or so of low fat deli meat (turkey or lean ham/roast beef), even a few walnuts. Carbs, such as fruit or bread, probably won't help you a lot, as they convert quickly to sugar and will just make you hungrier. Make sure your meals consist of at least 3-4 ounces of hard protein (chicken, fish, turkey, beef, lean pork) eaten first, then 1/4 to 1/2 cup of green and/or leafy vegies. Everything should be cut into very small pieces and chewed 25-30 times before swallowing. Don't take more than 20-30 minutes to finish this meal and don't drink any liquids with your meal. You should be able to last 3-4 hours on this type of meal. Again, if you are hungry sooner, try the small amount of protein. Protein stays in your pouch longer than anything and is the only thing that will reliably keep you satisfied till the next meal. I find this works pretty well for me. Even before my fill when I was feeling no restriction to speak of - I limited my food intake in this way and was surprised to find it really did keep me satisfied enough to follow the same plan at the next meal. I hope it helps you.

[sue in ne 1]

Joann Marie,

Thanks, I was using thickened Soups ( milk based) ff yogurts, etc ;not empty calories. But find i can consume more than 1 c. Also found I can eat things like a cookie, a donut hole and am not stopping at one ... - I am reverting to my old habits and have no restrictions. Am a mess. Tried not cooking to stay away from food but then there are only carb loaded foods around when I need to eat... Will start cooking again and freeze items- Will try cheese and focus on Protein again..

[JoannMarie 0]

Good luck, Sue. My DH has pointed out to me - this is a whole new ballgame! Trying to change old habits, retrain your brain, as well as your tastes, none of it is easy. The hardest for me has been to STOP when I am full. For several days I was having pressure pain in my lower chest/upper stomach. On another thread, several of my experienced friends suggested kindly I was simply eating too much. I backed off a lot - the next day it was better, and the 2nd day it was gone. My fill has helped some, but I can still eat more than I should (small bites and chewing well can work against me, too LOL). I am having to be very cautious about that. I am back to measuring 3/4 to 1 cup of food, heavier on the Protein. When that is gone I stop. 99% of the time I am satisfied with that - get up and do the dishes... It has been working - BUT - I have to think about it and consciously DO IT every time I sit down to eat. I don't know if it will ever become second nature - I hope so, but don't expect it. That's okay - the band is a great tool to help me do what I need to do. The fact that I am satisfied and walk away is a positive step, I just need to keep it up whether I have good restriction or not. We are just getting used to this whole new way of eating, have a lot to learn about ourselves and our new bands. Keep on workin' it.

[sue in ne 1]

Joann Marie, I too am back to measuring. Th eyeball estimating works in a pinch but the size tends to creep. i did avboid Soup , except as a snack, yesterday and things went better Thanks for the encouragement. I was heading in the wrong direction...

[barngal2003 0]

I got my first fill yesterday. Only 3cc in my 10 cc band. It's a start. Apparently I am also getting in too much Protein and have been told to back it off a little. I'm supposed to be getting a minimum of 60 g per day, and I've been getting like 105 g a day. I get hungry and I eat low-fat, low-sugar, high protein food...but my dietician said that I can damage my kidneys by getting too much protein. Today I tried to get in less, and I only had 1 snack today, and I still got in 73 g of protein.....apparently I've gotten too good at getting it in?? Hope all is well with everyone else!

[Vickie 0]

My first fill will be Feb. 2, 2009, I'm a little apprehensive but not nearly as scared as I was on the plane going down for the surgery. I having my fill here at home.

The doctor told me yesterday absolutely no sugar and no wine. Those things go strait to your fat cells and will keep you from losing weight. I will try to stay clean.

[JoannMarie 0]

Hi Vickie,

I had my first fill on Jan 9 - after checking to see how I was feeling my surgeon deadened the area of the port and all I felt was some poking and prodding as she manipulated the port to find the right spot. It absolutely did not hurt and was over in just a few minutes. She had me drink some Water which went down okay, told me to have mushies the rest of the day and take it easy the next day - patted me on the back and was out the door. My restriction is pretty good, I have had no trouble with any foods and I'm able to stop eating when I am just satisfied, with no hunger between meals. My next visit is early Feb and she is planning another fill then depending on how I am doing. So far so good.

I stay away from sugars most of the time - has never been a huge temptation for me, thank goodness, but I notice if I have sweets I can continue to crave them, so I just don't start that merry-go-round. I had not heard that about wine. I have had a couple of small glasses of wine since surgery. Here again, I've not been one who drinks often, but I do enjoy a nice dry wine now and then when we go out.

[Vickie 0]

Hi Joanne:

I appreciate your comments that you submit. They are all in agreement with my doctors papers and it's good to read them again from someone who is going through the same thing I'm going through. I hope my fill is as easy as your's was and that it helps me with this challenge.

[pmcfarm 0]

Hi everybody...well I'm a bit behind on my posting. Finally finished everyones posts from mid January and it sounds like we're all doing great with a few little bumps & detours to remind us no journey is a srtaight A to B route. Well, tomorrow is my 2nd post-op appointment and it's planned to do my 1st fill. I think it's time because this last week I probably could really overeat if I wasn't measuring my food portions (and believe me that's only for my own personal accountability). DH bought me a 1/2 cup measuring glass (Anchor Hocking from Walmart...looks like a double jigger). We live in a very small rural community & for years DH and I have eaten 2-3 meals a day at the local family owned resturant...now I have my very own small luncheon plate & they have been such a great support (and now that I'm approaching 2nd childhood...they give me Kids buffet prices!!!). Everybody remember, even when we hit a bump, life is still good! Hugs to you all...MarilynC:smile:

[Vickie 0]

I got my first fill today and like Joanne said, it wasn't that bad at all. The only problem is that I don't feel any different as far as restriction. I'm a little disappointed.

I'll give it a few days and see if there is any difference.

[StartingOverNJ 0]

I was banded 12/2/08 and it has been a very rocky road. Not going to rehash all the details but I was in and out of the hospital 4 times due to surgical side effects.

My surgeon took pity on me and I had my first fill last Thursday. Feeling some restriction but hopping for more when I see him again in March. That said I'm still down 24 pounds from the date of the surgery but it was more than that a few weeks ago.

Heres hopping the rest of 09 is better than 08!

[motivated 2]

Hi there! Wow, I was banded on Dec. 2nd and won't get my first fill until next week! (it was supposed to be yesterday but my Dr. went to a conference) Next week can't come soon enough... the past couple of weeks have been difficult for me. It's great to hear how well most are doing.. Keep up the good work!

[JoannMarie 0]

Hi everybody...well I'm a bit behind on my posting. Finally finished everyones posts from mid January and it sounds like we're all doing great with a few little bumps & detours to remind us no journey is a srtaight A to B route. Well, tomorrow is my 2nd post-op appointment and it's planned to do my 1st fill. I think it's time because this last week I probably could really overeat if I wasn't measuring my food portions (and believe me that's only for my own personal accountability). DH bought me a 1/2 cup measuring glass (Anchor Hocking from Walmart...looks like a double jigger). We live in a very small rural community & for years DH and I have eaten 2-3 meals a day at the local family owned resturant...now I have my very own small luncheon plate & they have been such a great support (and now that I'm approaching 2nd childhood...they give me Kids buffet prices!!!). Everybody remember, even when we hit a bump, life is still good! Hugs to you all...MarilynC:smile:

Hi Marilyn,

That's exactly what I am doing - measuring my portions. I really try to stay with that, but restriction is not great after my first fill, and I've gone over a couple of times. I'm also trying to log my food, but that gets really frustrating at times. Dr said to keep my intake at 1/2 to 1 cup per meal. I may be a little over that some meals, but mostly sticking with it. It's me, though, not the band - yet. That's okay - I know it's going to have to be me doing 75% of the work anyway. I have my 2nd fill this Friday and hope I have a bit more help from the band. I started my exercise CD last week and doing well with that. It is a Wii game called My Fitness Coach and I like it a lot. I plan to get the Wii Fit also, but the Fitness Coach was just the cost of the game and available. Wii Fit is hard to find and more expensive. I do think it will be worth the cost, though, as it has a lot of activities available. Fitness Coach is a workout program that is tailored to your own fitness level as far as time and intensity is concerned. I plan to do both programs, as they are different in the exercises available.

I hope you continue to do well.

[sue in ne 1]

Hi All, Just finall had my 1st fill today- really easy! ( Dealing with the new insurance Co was harder. Plus, I'm down 29# since the surgery!!

Hope everyone is doing well.