BrandNewDawn

You know, I just saw an episode of Oprah last week and she had a doctor on. The doctor said that many people are deficient in Vitamin D. He said our bodies absorb it through sunshine and that it only takes about 10 minutes of sunshine a day but because we have gotten so good at using sunscreen and covering up, we are not getting enough now. I thought we were still supplementing the milk with Vitamin D. I will have to check my milk carton I guess! He recommended taking Vitamn D, 500 IU twice a day. I take a multi-vitamin with 800 IU and I also take a vitamin D supplement with 125 IU plus calcuim and magnesium. He said to take the calcuim with magnesium to avoid constipation. I'm NOT a good pill taker so I have been hit and miss on all of this stuff but I am beginning to make a consistent effort with all of it now. I do not feel any different yet. Living in Southern California, I doubt that I am deficient in Vit D but staying OUT of the sun is a daily job for me. Hey, let us know if you feel different when you get your Vitamin D back up into the normal range. You can look it all up on Oprah's website too, the information is broken down into age ranges there. Dawn

My hair was fine up until about the one year mark, then it really stated falling out. I have been taking BIOTIN along with my daily vitamins and it seems to be helping. I think less hair is falling out now. I am just happy I did not end up with bald spots!

AngelaAnn, The BMI charts (tables, index) should give you a range of weights to look at. A BMI between 19 and 24 is considered "normal." My range at 67 inches is between 121 to 153 pounds. The chart I was looking at had a range of 128 to 162 for 69 inches. As for saying that we would be "too skinny" at lower weights, I think they are just being more realistic about what is obtainable for previously overweight individuals because we generally are NOT realistic in our weight goals (especially women). So, they give us the higher end of the weight spectrum as a place to start, more like a "let's get to this point first" before we worry about getting to a lower weight. Working for a weight that seems reasonable is a good place to start. And, although I've never seen any scientific studies supporting this, I have read that our bones could be heavier/denser and that we may have more muscle from carrying higher weight for an extended period of time which may be another reason why we are given initial starting goal weights at the high end of the BMI range. I'm working toward the high end of the BMI spectrum right now. I will decide if I want to work toward a lower weight when and if I ever get to that first goal. Dawn

I am 50 and I have lost 47 pounds with my band. I have more to lose but I need to exercise more and give up some of my personal splurges which I realize are holding me back. The lighter you get, the harder it gets but we all knew that already. We do have to contend with slower metabolisms and less energy than 20, 30 and even 40 year olds but so much of our success with lapband surgery is our own personal motivations and desires to change our unhealthy lifestyles. Changing the way we eat, what we eat, the role food plays in our lives, how much and how often we exercise, even how we look at ourselves and view our successes along the way. I think anyone willing to work at making those changes will see some degree of success but I believe the degree of success (and I cannot stress enought that this is my personal opinion) is up to each of us individually as we learn to work with the lapband (as the tool it is meant to be) in the fight against obesity. For me, getting a lapband was never about being model thin or wearing a certain size or seeing a certain number on the scale, it is about getting healthy and ending what I consider to be my lifelong bondage to food. I'm getting there but without my band, I would be right back where I started. Good luck with your surgery. Dawn

Stormy, Congratulations on reaching your goal. That always feels good. I watched one of those videos of a champion poledancer on youtube. Wow, looks like you need to have some pretty good upper body strength for some of those moves. Good luck with your pole. Dawn

AshleyMarie, I found them on LBT. Look under the support group section, then California. They are meeting on Wednesday mornings at 10:00 am at the library in Mission Valley by the IKEA. I cannot attend on Wednesday (not right now anyway) mornings. Maybe in the fall when my kids are back in school if they are still meeting. I will have to check back in September. Dawn

Canuck, The criteria is the number of times they post on the forum. Supreme: member is over 250 posts. Advanced: member is over 100 posts. Member: anyone under 100 posts but above Newbie posts I am not sure where the Newbie post cut off is, maybe someone else will know. Dawn

I have heard different reasons given for NOT drinking and eating at the same time. The reason I have heard most is that drinking while you are eating will wash the small, well chewed food through your small pouch too fast. This will have two effects. You will be able to eat MORE food than your small pounch should allow. You will not retain a full feeling from the food that you eat if you wash the small amount of food out of your pouch and into your larger stomach below. I wait at least 30-45 minutes after I eat to drink, sometimes more and I have seen recommendations as high as two hours after eating on some other websites. For some people, it seems giving up drinking and eating together is difficult. But, one book I read pointed out that animals do not stop eating to go get a drink, they eat when they are hungry and they drink when they are thirsty. He also pointed out that you do not see many obese animals unless they are being fed by people. I use the Metamucil powder and Benefiber powder. Many people use the Metamucil pills and chewables. Whether or not you will have trouble swallowing a pill will depend on your restriction and the time of day you take the pill. I have trouble with all but the smallest of supplement pills so I take chewable or liquid forms when possible. Hope this helps. Dawn

Wow, I'm surprised this thread is still going. We seem to be firmly entrenched into two (2) camps, those who think this is just more multi-biliion dollar diet industry quackery and those who think this is a sound, medically tested way to lose weight. I thought the original post was asking for comments and suggestions, NOT what has essentially become a spitting contest between opposing points of view. Perhaps when we post, the poster should make it clear which point of view they are looking for, that way those of us who disagree need not apply. I agree with lisal, we are adults, we can make our own decisions. We certainly do NOT need 100% agreement or approval from others. If you try this stuff, I would be interested in hearing your experience with it. Primarily: What your side effects were? How restrictive the diet is? Results? How long did the results last after you stopped the diet and injections? How much exercise were you required to do? Good luck to anyone trying this stuff. Dawn

I'm sorry you had to experience that. I know it is hard. Not only will some people NOT embrace your decision, some will be downright mean. That is why many of us are very careful about who we tell. I have a sister that calls my lapband "a weird band-y thing." It is just her way of saying that she does not approve. Do not let it get you down. Some people are just going to be like that. Take care. Dawn

lisal, Sizes are strange thing! My "has always been thin" sister is 5' 9" and weighs around 135. She wears a size 6 on the bottom, size 4 top. She works out daily, always has. Her 5' 9" daughter is maybe 120 and wears a size 2. Neither one of them is size 0. I guess it must be our "big-boned" German girl heritage. Maybe our bones do weight more and take up more room in clothing too! Who really knows with sizes? They change them all the time anyway! So, LisaLaw could get down to 135 and she may or may not be a size 0. I weighed 135 when I was younger and I did not wear a size 0. Of course, that was a long time ago and back then there was no such thing as a size 0. Sizes pretty much started at a 2 back in the dark ages when I went to high school. I think the size 0 was added in the 1980's. But, then sizes could be a whole new thread of its own. Now, back to our regularly scheduled program. ;-) Dawn

LL, I would be very suspicious of any weight loss miracle drug that also requires you to only eat 500 calories a day. One, 500 calories a day is not healthy and you will not be able to get adequate nutrition on only 500 calories a day. Also, how would you be able to determine if the drug was "helping" or if it was just the severe caloric deprivation that was causing your weight loss? Many years before being banded, I actually tried one of those kinds of diets, 750 calories a day for one week, then up to 1,000 calories for 2 more weeks. I followed it to the letter and exercised about an hour a day, every day (I was very motivated back then) and I lost 12 pounds in those three weeks going from 148 to 136. I do not remember being hungry on that diet most likely because it was heavy on protein but also added lots of low calorie fillers. You know, eggs, cottage cheese, chicken breast, salad...we have all "been there, done that." Sounds unhealthy to me! And, if I could subsist on 500 calories, I would have been off my plateau a long time ago. Take care. Dawn

You know, it is weird, it feels really "odd" him being gone now. Maybe it is because he has been in the news as long as I can remember. I listened to the Jackson 5 in elementary school. Michael was 4 months older than me. What a long, strange ride he had! I agree with the "at what price fame" but could add the "money does not buy happiness." A not unexpected ending (at least not to me, I thought he looked deathly ill at his 2005 trial) to a superbly talented individual. May he rest in peace. Dawn

Robbynnoel, Sorry you have seen an increase in your weight. I lost 11 pounds in about 4 days when I was sick in February. I loved weighing 170 pounds but I knew I would not stay there and I felt terrible. Dehydration is a bad thing. I never felt worse than I did then. It took most of March to get back to 178 and most of March to feel better again. But, I will take a well hydrated 178 over a dehydrated 171 any day of the week. I do not recommend food poisoning as a means of rapid weight loss either!! You may need to reassess you starting weight by a few pounds to make up for the diuretics that you used to take unless you were drinking a bunch of water to make up for it. Just a thought. Take care. Dawn

LisaLaw, I'm just curious by nature so you know I had to Google Canada+Diabetes and it looks to me like Canada is just as concerned about their expanding number of diabetes cases as the good old USA. So, I guess that means some of the fat, miserable and obese Canadians do get diabetes. I thought most countries had fast food and highly addictive carbs now!! But, the only place I have ever visited in Canada was British Columbia and that was 16 years ago so I have little experience with all things Canadian!! Seems like a really pretty place though. Dawn

LisaLaw, Congratulations!! I've been stuck at 178 since March. I'm looking forward to finally getting off this plateau myself someday. I need to get down to OCC for a fill. I have to get a new passport first though. Like you, I am now at a weight that my body has always liked "hanging out at." I think it might take a complete nutritional re-work to get me off this plateau. Enjoy!! Dawn

Smiley, I have an unflavored one from UNJURY that is about as good as I think protein powder can get. Like you, I have taste and texture issues with protein powder. This UNJURY stuff is the best I have ever had as far as texture, blends well into drinks. The colder your drink is, the longer you will have shake it but it will blend and not leave all that chunky, globby stuff on the sides like many others do. Taste, well, you will know that there is protein powder in your drink (mostly because of the protein powder smell I think) but I put the unflavored in my crystal lite and it does not overpower the flavor of the crystal lite. UNJURY is online only as far as I can tell so that is a downside if you are looking for somethin quick. They only have a few flavors and the only thing they warn against is putting the protein powder into liquids hotter that 130 degrees because it will change the texture. I have tried all the flavors, (chocolate, strawberry sorbet, vanilla, chicken soup and unflavored) and the only one I really do not like is the chicken soup. I do not use protein powder very much any longer but these were the only ones I could ever tolerate. The site has some good information as well. Just Google UNJURY. Hope you find something you like. Dawn

SamanthaW, I have 1.4CC's in my 4CC band. I had 1.9CC's last fall but that was way too tight and I went and had some removed. I need a fill now though. I still have morning restriction and some days it will last all days but most days by the evening I can eat anything, even bread. Plus, I have been at a plateau since March. I need to get down to OCC. I would call OCC and get their opinion. However, if you have restriction and you are following the rules (especially the NO drinking and eating at the same time rule) I would wait and see what happens with this fill. See how long your restriction lasts. From what I understand, you have to eat to a level of discomfort fairly regularly to stretch your pouch. Except for the eating/drinking thing which can stretch it because the liquid backs up behind the food and expands the pouch. I do not know for certain though, that is why you should call or email OCC. Good luck. Dawn

AngelaAnn The ONLY time I have had heartburn (so far) since I have been banded was when I was too tight. I went in and had some fill removed and the heartburn ceased to be a problem. I know other posters have said they get heartburn if they eat too close to bedtime. I do not know if smoking causes heartburn. High acid/spicy food can and I guess coffee can although I have never had a problem with coffee. Hope you find the answer to your question on Thursday. Let us know how it goes. Dawn

Stormy, I have a book that talks about adjustments (fills). It says in the book that the needle used to adjust the band is designed specifically to pass through the silicone part of the port without damaging it. It says that if you use the wrong kind of needle, like a regular hypodermic needle, that kind of needle would remove a small core of silicone, which would then leave a hole where the saline would eventually leak out. Then, of course, you would need a port replacement. The book stresses that you should never have the band adjusted by anyone who is not completely familiar with the process and has the appropriate equipment, (the right specialized needle). I supposed in an emergency situation, you might want to remove your own fill. I cannot think of another reason why you would want to risk destroying your port. I can completely understand why someone might remove their fill in an emergency and why they might not care if they destroyed their port doing it. I would think that there could be some risk of infection as well. Nurse or not, I personally do not think removing your own fill is a good idea and I cannot imagine anyone doing anything like this unless it truly was a last resort. The thought of poking a needle into my own abdomen over and over again trying to find the port is enough to put me off the idea. Dawn

Hey Stormy, I am sorry to hear about your family problems. Don't we all just have at least one "way out there" relative that we all have to deal with. It sounds like you knew this "might" happen but just did not want to believe it. Well, now it has happened. Being stressed and upset is not going to put things back they way they were. I'm not a lawyer but unless your sister had your Mom's permission (power of attorney, trustee of her estate, etc.) to sell her things, you might want to contact an attorney to see what your Mom's legal rights are. Sometimes the phone consult is free. Or, try the police like Louise suggested. Those types of "interventions" into what is usually habitual bad behavior on the part of the "relative" can usually end in a no contact type situation though so you might want to think through what you want your relationship with your sister to be at the end of all of this. That is a decision only you can make. Good luck. I know you are in a hard place right now. Take care of yourself. Dawn

BellCurveBabe, I think you are on the right track with taking smaller bites and chewing your food better. I have never heard of a doctor recommending we stick our fingers down our throats although I know it is tempting just to get a little bit of relief. I also do not recommend putting liquid on top of the food. To me, that is like trying to pour water through a clogged drain. It is just going to back up and add even more pressure on top of an already uncomfortable situation and it clearly by passes the "don't drink and eat at the same time" rule. I, like Christy26, cannot eat and drink at the same time anyway, my restriction does not allow it. Along with taking smaller bites and chewing better, try to learn your body's unique signal (we all them) for letting you know when to stop eating. It is hard to stop or not just try to take that one extra bite but that will be the bite that comes back up or causes you problems. This has been a struggle for me and I still struggle with wanting to try "just a few more bites" when my body is telling me I have had enough. There used to be a really good post about soft and hard stop signals like a single burp or a runny nose, even watery eyes or a deeper than usual breath, tightness in your chest. Everyone can have a different signal. I get the tightness most of the time but occasionally, I will get the runny nose. Weird. Good luck with your band. I wish you much success. Dawn

Congratulations Denise, I'm looking forward to seeing the updated photos. And, you and I are both 5'7" and close in weight so I am really excited to see what your surgery results look like. I want to do surgery in the future, saving my pennies for it right now plus I would like to get closer to my goal weight (155) before I schedule sugery. Glad to hear you got that steroid thing under control. Hope your back is feeling better. Happy Bandiversary! Dawn

Leslie, Been banded since March 2008. Lost a total of 45 pounds including 6 pre-op. (39 post-op) Need to lose 20 to 30 more pounds. Current plateau at 178 since March 2009. I do not need a fill, I just need to "fix" my still lousy eating habits by eating a healthier, lower fat diet and stop the evening snacking. These things take time! It would not hurt if I added more exercise. I only exercise about 3 times a week right now. Lap band is not just about losing weight. It is about changing bad habits and about healing the mental and emotional pain that causes us to overeat. Everyone has a different story. Some seem to be more successful than others. Personal motivation most likely accounts for their greater success. I am happy with my lapband. I would still weigh 225 (or more) without it. Dawn

Stormy, I like oatmeal too. And, you can thin it to an almost liquid consistency if your fill is a little tight. You can do the same with those wheat cereals (Cream of Wheat, Malt-O-Meal) and Instant Grits (my husband is from Georgia). I sometimes eat protein bars. You can take very small bites and chew them well. Like Sabrina, my stomach does not hurt when empty and I have never had an appetite in the morning, even pre-band so eating breakfast is a challenge for me. I am just not hungry and I just do not want to eat but it is important to get some food so I have a latte usually and food a few hours later (or at lunch). As for keeping our stomachs full, I thougt we were supposed to only eat three meals a day without snacking and be able to go 3 or 4 hours without getting hungry. Now, I do eat snacks and I have most of my trouble with hunger in the evenings. Not very helpful with your stomach pain, sorry! Dawn