Littleroo27

That is too cute, thank you!!!

I don't eat a lot of the lunchables because of the calorie count, but I looked up the snack packs and the turkey/mozzarella are only 130 calories each, so eating the two pack is still only 260 calories. High in sodium? Um, yeah, but I don't add salt to anything that I eat, and my health stats are perfect (except for the fact that I'm super fat, of course!), so I can handle it once in a while. I did a little better today. Not great, but better. Had purple grapes and cheese for breakfast (about 1 cup total). I did get some trail mix at work (my weakness), but much less than I usually get, so it's a start. Lunch was leftover turkey and pork & beans with cottage cheese. Dinner was two lunchable snack packs. Evening snack = 2 single servings of sugar free jello pudding. Yup, I know that some of those foods go straight through the band, but I went for the sugar free jello instead of the chocolate ice cream in the freezer. baby steps! A few minutes ago I went to the kitchen and stared into the fridge, closed the door, and got a huge glass of ice water, because I recognized that I was thirsty, not hungry. When I went to the big store today (that's what we call Costco & Sam's club!) I bought a package of baby bell cheeses. They are awesome for snacks because they are tiny but really fill you up. And - SOLID, unlike the cottage cheese, lol! Tonight, instead of sitting on the sofa all night watching TV and surfing the web, I pulled out boxes of stuff that I'd moved back home with (yes, I had to move back in with my mother at 28, sigh) and they have yet to be unpacked. I went through a bunch of them and either tossed or sorted the stuff in them. Not only did I find things I'd been looking for, but I kept busy so I didn't do boredom eating, which is about 85% of what goes into my mouth. I also pulled out my loom knitting stuff so I can start making scarfs again and keep my fingers busy and away from the snacky food. So... small steps in the right direction with a long road left to walk!

Since you seem to have this down (and good for you!), I have a question. Would you consider ground turkey to be a good food for a bandster? I can't eat red meat at all, so last night when the family made hamburger and Pork & Beans (an old family favorite), I had turkey & Pork & Beans. Low in fat & high in protein, though obviously not the MOST healthy meal ever, lol. I'm trying to replenish the fridge with more solids as I run out of the semi-solid type foods. And when my mom asked me if I was getting any ice cream at Costco, I reminded her that there was a good reason that neither of us is losing weight, and didn't buy any for either of us. One of the "easy" foods that I enjoy are Lunchables snack packs. Turkey chunks, mozzerella cheese, and itty bitty ritz crackers. The Protein is filling and good for me, and the ritz crackers clog up my band just enough that I don't dare keep eating, lol. I need to work to add in more fruits and veggies, but for now, I guess portion control is A number 1.

Actually, I almost NEVER eat fast food, and when I do, it's grilled chicken / baked potato type stuff. I never ever eat anything fried (IBS + fried food = OUCHY) or super high in fat. I have two major problems. 1) I snack at work to keep myself going. I have yet to find a good low-fat snack that I can eat over an afternoon. I bag of popcorn would do it if I could eat popcorn, but I can't... I am currently using wheat thins as my snack of choice. 2) I suck at portion control. While eating good solid foods helps a lot, I don't always eat good solid foods. For dinner, I love cottage cheese with sliced peaches. But I go way over the cup I'm supposed to be eating. For breakfast, I usually have cup of purple grapes & cheese cubes. At work, I buy lunch. It's usually fairly healthy, and my portions are usually pretty good. It's the afternoon snacking that kills me (see #1 above). My work can be incredibly dull, and I feel like if I'm not shoving something into my mouth, I will take an involuntary nap. At home, I have cottage cheese, fruit cups in light syrup, low fat / sugar free pudding, lunchables (turkey or chicken), or sometimes a frozen meal. If I had any one of these, I'd be fine. it's the grazing throughout the night that kills me. I just always seem either hungry or munchy. I TRY to realize when I'm really thirsty and drink water instead, but it doesn't always work. I think if I'd get back into a workout routine, it would help a lot. After I ranted at myself earlier, I went downstairs and put in "Sweatin' to the Oldies 1." A serious flashback, but at least I don't die while doing the workout! Mom and I rarely eat together, so even though we have the same bad behaviors, I don't think it should be too hard to break out of that mold if I make myself do it. Maybe I need a food schedule... like 1 cup of veggies at 3 pm, 1 cup of fruit at 6 pm... something like that. I don't know. Thoughts?

I got banded in September of 2007 at 307 lbs... currently I'm waffling around 300 lbs. I was down near 260 for a while, and then I found out my band too tight, and had to be completely unfilled... and gained 30+ lbs. now I have a fill again, and I lost a few lbs, and then gained them back, and now I'm so frustrated and mad at myself. I was so hopeful when I got the band that I would be down in the 100s by now. Even the upper 100s would have made me a happy little camper! Now I feel like I've spent the last two years doing NOTHING, which I know is not true, but the result is the same. I know the band is a tool and not a magic want. The problem is, I feel like I've completely forgotten how to wield it properly. I may or may not have proper restriction right now, as I'm honestly a bit scared to get too tight again. I know that more than another fill, I need to learn how to control myself. Portion control, calorie counting, cutting out certain foods, exercising, I know in theory how to work the band properly. The problem is putting all of the rules into practice. I could join Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Slim 4 Life, or any other program out there, but I KNOW THE RULES. My problem is following them! I think that a part of my problem is simply that I cannot eat all of the foods that are low in calorie and/or good for you. I suffer from IBS, and even though it is 99% under control right now, it's under control because I don't eat things like raw veggies, popcorn, and other gut-destroying foods like raisin bran and other whole wheat products. I can't eat fruits high in citric acid, which cuts out a lot of yummy options. I don't cook, and I'm bored with frozen foods. So many people on this list are SO SUCCESSFUL and I have to admit - I'm jealous. If I asked how you did it, you'd probably respond "I ate the right things, exercised, and worked hard." I think I need a kick in my plus-sized pants. My mom isn't losing any weight either, and I think she's doing the same things. Neither of us are working out at the moment (though I was losing weight when I was working out on the Wii...) and we eat the same foods. I'm turning 30 in 2 weeks, and though I'm very happy with myself (ignoring the whole part where I lost my job and had to move in with my MOTHER at 28!) for the most part, I'm frustrated that I went through all the trouble to have surgery and I'm not working the band like I should. Do I regret having the band? Heck no. I'd probably be 400 lbs by now if i hadn't. At the very least, it keeps my weight stable. Now I need to work on getting it DOWN. I could use a motivational speech, a success story, a plan, an idea, or just someone to tell me to get off my butt and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

Wednesday I got my 2nd "re-fill" at Midwest Surgical Centers. I'd only lost 3.2 lbs, but that's fine by me. I'd spent the previous 2 months gaining 30 lbs, so any loss is great! I feel a nice increase in restriction now, and am trying to be a good girl and measure my food so that I don't eat more than 1 cup in an hour. We had an office pot-luck today... I did good but not great. My lunch was no more than a cup, but I had to have a slice of pudding-cake (flan cake) too! I didn't feel extremely painfully restricted after, and I didn't yack anything up, so I'm probably okay, but I need to work on the will-power!

Oh my god, I feel you. I gained around 30 lbs in the 6 weeks I was unfilled. Now I'm just starting to lose it again. I went from 8 ccs to 0 ccs and am now at 3. I think I've lost 5 lbs in the last month, which is good - a hell of a lot better than gaining 30, right? But it feels so awful to have to re-lose that weight you worked so hard to get off!!! I must say I'm very proud of you for eating like a "normal person" while on vacation. When I had no fill, I was hungry ALL THE TIME. I felt like if it was standing still (or even moving slowly), I would eat it. I'd completely forgotten how fast and how MUCH I ate before I was banded... and I don't want to go back there again! Littleroo27

There are other posts about hotels that you can find suggestions in, but my mom and I stayed at the Lucerna last November and loved it. It was beautiful and they were so incredibly helpful. I was banded in the states about 2 1/2 years ago and was going down to TJ for my mom's surgery, so I was the one that spent most of my time in the hotel room. If you're going in April, you and your travel partner will be able to enjoy the pool (at least you will before your surgery, right!) in the beautiful courtyard. It was too cold when we were there. http://i394.photobucket.com/albums/pp23/littleroo27/Trip%20to%20TJ <---pics here!

I'm about to run out the door (I'm at work waiting for my ride), so I'll just throw you over to this post for now! You can jack that thread, since I started it http://www.occforum.com/index.php?showtopic=11719

Yeah, I have to agree with everyone else. Rice = EVIL. I can have it in soup or something, but not on its own. Chicken depends on how it's cooked... if it's nice and moist, or if I can add a sauce to it, it's not too bad. I've PB'd a LOT over the past year while my band was too tight, but I never slipped it, so I don't think one episode is going to hurt it. Your stomach may be a bit swollen for a day or so, but then you'll be good to go!

Mom continues to yack up. I'm gonna call the clinic and tell on her if she doesn't call them tomorrow!!! While it's true that you may need another fill, it also sounds like you're eating so carefully to begin with that you may never hit that hard stop, thus it feels like your band isn't working. I know, I know, that's what the doctor told you too, and it may be 50/50. One, you were eating soft foods that go through much faster. But two, you may also need more of a fill, since you were able to eat an entire wrap, including the bread bits. This may go against everything in your controlling, diet centered mind, but why don't you pick one day (a fun weekend day?) and chose for that 24 hours not to measure your food. Eat only really solid things (sandwiches, chicken breast, vegetables, etc), and wait until the BAND tells you to stop, or until you really feel full. Write down what you ate and how much you were able to eat before you felt that urge to stop. This could give the fill doctor a really clear idea of how lose you really are. I look forward to my next fill. While it's been a joy to eat pizza for the first time in 2+ years (thin crust, chicken, mushrooms & spinach), I'm willing to give it up for the restriction. However, even with just 3ccs and very little restriction, I've noticed that I'm almost never really hungry anymore. That ravenous orange monster from the WW commercials lived with me 24/7 while I had an empty band, and now he only creeps up once or twice a day. Such an improvement. I've also been being a big girl and working out! Not constantly, and not for long enough to call it a "routine" but usually my attempts at exercise last 3 days. Then I hurt so much that I never do it again. But using my Wii and all the exercise games that you can buy, I've had fun (gasp) working out! I do think I overdid it a bit tonight. I did 30 minutes of cardio, which was fine, except my right knee is telling me that I need a chiropractor to put it back in place properly, lol. Stupid joints. Yay heat patch and a comfy bed! Night night world : )

Poor Mom is PBing left and right. I swear, if she doesn't call the clinic tomorrow, I'm gonna call Mitch (our fill dr) and tell on her, lol. I got home today and she said "I didn't throw up once today!" and I said "That's great! Did you eat solids?" Her response: "I had cereal for breakfast and soup for lunch." Ummmm, yeah. You're TOO TIGHT, woman! Learn from my failure!

I just want to remind you that "sneaking up" on your sweet spot is not a bad thing. Mom got her 2nd fill last week and is now at something like 8ccs... and she's been yacking up everything she eats ever since. I told her to call the clinic today and ask about getting a slight unfill, but I don't know if she has. Of course, she's also been eating things like thin crust pizza and toast. You know - everything that sticks in the band when you have restriction! Me, I'm only at 3ccs right now and while I can eat a fair amount, it's still a fair sight better than when I had no restriction. I've been trying to work out a couple days a week, and I think I'm down 5 lbs since my re-fill. You might just be over-thinking your band... I mean for me, unless I'm in the toilet yacking up what I just ate, I'd try eating a chocolate cupcake, I don't care how much I just ate! That's why I need the band in the first place :-D Beth

While it's true that not everyone does well on the band (some people have unexpected swelling that closes of their stomach, etc), I would strongly advise you to go somewhere else (run, as fast as you can!) and have them look at your band first. Maybe something is wrong that can be corrected without removal of the band. Maybe you're too tight, causing your pouch to enlarge. Maybe you're just too tight. maybe your band slipped. Maybe you have allergies or athsma or something else that caused your organs to swell and cut off the opening into your stomach. At the very least, even if you decide to have the band removed, it's important to make sure that nothing is really wrong that could physically hurt you while waiting to have the reversal surgery. I hope things get better for you soon (hugs). Please keep us up to date about what happens. Beth

I spent 2 months with no restriction and gained... a whole lot of weight. 30-35 lbs I think. THAT was depressing! Got 3 ccs added in last week and am already feeling better. No more being hungry 24/7. No more eating the entire contents of the fridge for dinner. My restriction isn't great, and I have another fill scheduled for Feb 1, but at least I'm pretty sure I'm no longer gaining 5 lbs or more a week!!!

It's virtually impossible to stretch your pouch out when you're not filled. That's why people get complete un-fills if their pouch does stretch. The food / drink goes straight through the band an into the larger part of your stomach. Even if you eat way more than you should, it will only stretch the part of your stomach under the band.

Drinking during / right after eating can have another side effect too - that of making you puke. For example, if you just ate a slice of toast (for those who can actually eat toast) and then drink water, the bread can swell, overfilling the pouch, or gum up, which can cause food to stick. Both result in a return trip for your meal. Trust me, it's not fun and something to be avoided at all cost!

They really are awesome. He explained everything to me. What I was seeing on the X-ray, why certain foods go down and why others don't, how to avoid certain problems, etc. Can't wait to go back! Weight Loss Surgical Center 8101 W 135th St. Overland Park, KS 66223 www.moreoflife.com Phone: 913-541-0230 Fax: 913-492-0154 Main Office: 800-777-6812

I know it's only day 2 of having restriction, but any day is a good day to be happy with what you've done. Today I used the Wii Fit Plus for 17 whole minutes of exercise! Considering how incredibly out of shape I am, I think that's a good start. I love the Wii - it makes moving fun instead of a chore to be done. Maybe tomorrow I'll go for 20 minutes!

WOO HOO! Watch me do the snoopy dance in joy - I have fluid back in my band! I was slightly terrified that when I went in to have my band re-filled that they were going to take one look and tell me that my pouch was still dilated (stretched / too big), but thankfully that didn't happen. My esophegous and pouch looked great, and I was able to get 3ccs added back into my completely empty band. Sadly, over the 2 months I was restriction-less, I gained enough weight to put me just 12 lbs below my surgery weight and 26 lbs below my top weight. Part of me feels depressed that the past 2 years were for nothing, but I'm trying to be positive and just get back on track. Instead of feeling hungry all the time, eating too much, or feeling deprived of food, I was able to eat a normal breakfast (egg & cheese english muffin) and a normal lunch (3 oz tuna salad with crackers). I had an afternoon snack of fat free pudding. I haven't felt hungry at all! I'm sure that over the next few weeks my restriction level will lessen, but I have another appointment set up for February 1 to follow up and get another fill, if necessary. In the mean time, I'm starting to feel less like a ravenous beast and more like someone who can control the amount that they eat, can eat slowly and still feel satiated with small amounts. I also have to say that this fill was awesome. I went to a new clinic after I found out my band was too tight. They do every single fill under fleuro while you're standing, for maximum accuracy. Also, the barium didn't make me gag. It was almost sugary sweet instead of chalky and tasteless. I know I have about 25-30 lbs to re-lose now, but I'm 100% ready to do it. I'm doing my best to make sure I don't eat more than 1 cup at a time, because I do NOT want this happening again. Lap-Band hell, indeed. Having no restriction certainly felt like it!

She got filled on the 18th at this clinic in the area that does ALL of their fills under fleuro. I have an appt there on the 6th of January. She got... I think 5.4 ccs.

how many butterscotch cookies can fit in a cup, do you think? LOL! God, I hate having no restriction!!!! Mom PB'd for the first time last night. She was less than pleased by the experience, but I think she's happy to have some restriction!

It's certainly worth a try!

Wow, I'm replying to my own post - is that egotistical? I just had to whine a bit, I guess. Mom bought me a pair of "fat pants" yesterday to get me through until I can get re-filled, as my fill level is at ZERO right now, and my eating is... not good. Weighed myself last night while trying on new fat pants... in 1 month and 5 days I've gained 22 lbs. *insert 4 letter words here* I have an appointment scheduled with a lap-band clinic for January 6 to check my pouch and (hopefully) get filled again. Mom had her first fill yesterday and said they did a great job. She thought I'd be really happy with them. Unlike the doctor who gave me a fill without fleuro (when I was likely already too tight), they do ALL of their fills under fleuro, then have you come back about a month later to see how everything is progressing. It's going to be a long haul to get this weight back off, but it won't be the first time I've re-gained and re-lost. It's just soooo frustrating to see the numbers move back towards my surgery weight. All that work, and 2 years... for this??? Yes, this is why I got the lap-band, and why I love the lap-band... it's just so hard to feel like it's there, but it's not DOING anything... and I'm scared I'm going to get another fill and then stretch my pouch again because I don't know how to keep it from happening!