Kimmy in MD

I think maybe this was posted in the wrong section of the board. You may want to re-post in a more appropriate place if you want responses. Regardless, gaining a couple pounds when you start solids is normal and nothing to worry about. In fact, through out this journey you will gain a couple pounds each month as your body and hormones fluctuate. The good news is that you will lose more than you gain! Try not to get caught up in the day to day weight but keep in focus your over all weight loss pattern. Some people find that they need to only weigh themselves once a week in order to keep a better perspective. Keep up the hard work and the weight will come off! Best of luck to you!!

I think your choice of fill doctor is TREMENDOUSLY important! I have had 3 fills over a 10 month period. I know there are others that have had way more fills than that. If you remember when talking to Dr. Ortiz about fills he said you shouldn't need a lot of fills. That a couple of adjustments should be all it takes. He gave me the impression that there are Docs out there that don't always know what they are doing with the fills and if you get one of those docs you will end up needing a lot of fills. With that said, I NEVER went back to OCC for a fill. I wish I could have, but I live on the east coast and am a single mom. Traveling like that is not really a good option for me. Never mind the expense...It was about the time and the time away from home and work -- I just couldn't do it. All my fills have been blind. Do I wish I could see if the band is perfectly placed and it pristine condition...you bet, but I haven't. Have I done alright with my band and fills..I think so. I was fortunate enough to find a fill doctor that was also banded in Mexico and is extremely empathetic to the situation we are in. She is a dream in my opinion. She is aggressive with her fills. None of this gradually brining you up stuff. She gave me 1.50 on my first fill and then another 1.0 on the second fill. She follows the guidelines set by Inamed for the band, however she also take into account your personal results etc and makes adjustments based on that. For my second fill she backed off and didn't add the 1.25 that Inamed recommends because she felt that my results on the first fill had been great and that 1.25 was not needed. For my third fill she said she could go as much as .50 but only did a "tweak" of .25 cc and after that she told me she would see me in a year because that was all I would need to finish off my weight loss. And guess what...I am now 9 lbs from goal and she was right....again. My main point. FIND A GREAT FILL DOCTOR!!! If you can't find one...Go back to Dr. Ortiz. It is that important!!

WOW!! You are an amazing 15 year old girl. Your mom should be and I am sure is...very proud of you. You express yourself clearly and consisely. What a great representative of American youth. Best of luck to you in your journey. Congrats on your new band!!!

I am sorry but I have to agree 100% with Lindsay. I don't think her post was rude, it was brutally honest and what needed to be said. Not sure why people on here feel they have the right to tell others they or their posts are rude. I find that rude. If you don't want some tough love then why even post a post like this? How at such a short time should the bandster even know if they can eat solid food yet or not. They should not know this yet....period. I wish you the best angela2662 and for your sake I hope you get your head in the right place about this sooner than later.

Your post didn't say what size band you have, but if you have the 4.0 band then a fill of 2.25 cc and even 1.75 cc is pretty aggressive. My fill doc has me do liquids for a week after fill so not sure why you were trying to eat scalloped potatoes the next day? The band works, but you have to respect your band and work it right in order to get results. Good Luck!

Would love to see a few couple pics on here of couples doing this TOGETHER!!! Good Luck and congrats on your success so far!

i can feel mine. It feels like a quarter. i also have a lump in the area and the thinner i get the more pronounced it gets. wondering about getting a low profile port put in.

Frankly I LOVE IT!! I didn't undergo the surgery and pay for this to not have that change in my life. I am so happy to look good again and to feel attractive. The band is better than a facelift in my opinion! Only thing I don't like is people telling me I need to stop losing as I am not at my personal goal yet and really wish they would keep those thoughts to themselves. But I guess like everything, you take the good with the bad. Just enjoy and learn how to say "thank you"

i have this in my right thigh too. i mentioned it to my fill doc who happens to be an intern and she said it was mainly benign and nothing to be worried about. Just watch it for a few months. She actually gave it some medical name but I don't remember it , but it had a form of the word "paralysis" in it and the first word started with an "M". I also have no other symptoms with it but it did not start right after the band, it started about 8 months after banding and has been numb for about 3 weeks now.

YAYYYY UUUUU!!! that is AWESOME! ENJOY

So yesterday i had my third fill, just a tweak of .25cc. My fill doc said it should be my last fill as I am only 17 lbs from goal and this should finish up the weight loss portion of my journey. WHAT A GREAT FEELING!! She then told me that she would see me in 12 months. That the band needs to be maintained with like .10 solution annually or something. don't remember exactly. She said if for some reason I start gaining weight (this better not happen!!) I should call her otherwise I am done. Not quite there yet as I still have these last few pounds to lose, but thought it was a good time to start researching this. So what is maintenace like? Do you really have to do this annual maintenace she told me about? Do you do more than this? It is a little scary thinking that soon I will no longer be dieting. Heck I have dieted for 30 plus years! I don't know any different!!!

WOW!! Congrats. P90x is a TOUGH KICK ASS WORKOUT!! I have other workout DVDs by the same guy and beachbody.com but I have to admit I had to return the P90x as it was too much for me!! So you have my utmost respect!! I wonder if now that I have lost over 60 lbs I could do it? maybe I will check that out. Anyway, back to your inital post about the plastic surgery. I TOTALLY AGREE!! So many of us are so quick to turn to plastic surgery and for awhile I was feeling like maybe I should want plastic surgery too, but I have decided against it....at least until I prove that I can't improve my body on my own. While I am not doing the P90X workout, I do walk about 6 miles at least 5 days a week, do Ab work (should do it more frequently) and 300 push-ups about 5 times a week. I have found this is lifting the muscles in my chest and while it is not "enlarging" my breasts there is a definite lift to them. My legs and behind are solid and my abs are getting more sculpted every day.

i am sure the diet would probably work ( i haven't even looked at the plan) as eating/losing is simple less calories in and more calories burned equals weight loss. The band is a tool that will help you with portion control and hunger control. You have to do the eating part and consume less calories, so if you think it is healthy and a plan you can sustain for life....go for it.

I have a long "body pillow" that I use next to me. It gives me the same sensation as sleeping on my stomach but it better for my back, neck and band.

i had a golf ball size lump under the larger scar. still have it to some degree, my fill doctor told me it was fluid and that it would go down eventually.

YAYYY UUU!!! That is AWESOME!!! Congrats!! Post some pics!! love looking at them!

I am not having additional surgery when I hit goal weight. I realize that it is a personal decision, but I am 46 years old and I think there should be parts of my body that are not the same as when I was 20. I don't think losing the weight has made a difference in that aspect. Am I thrilled with how my body looks without clothing?? OF COURSE NOT! What woman is? But I have learned to appreciate what I have and feel it beats the alternative. Don't get me wrong, i fight gravity in other ways. I drink a ton of water (always have), I exercise almost daily by walking 4-6 miles, do 300 push-ups every other day (this does lift the breasts) and ab work when I remember (wish I remembered more!) A very wise hair dresser once told me, that I needed to not be so critical of myself all the time and to realize that if someone is close enough to see me without clothes or that I have a small pimple or something, that is not what they are thinking about anyway. If they are, who needs them!! Good luck with your decision!

That is a GREAT NSV!!! CONGRATS!!! I have 2 pounds to go until I leave overweight and hit NORMAL!!! I can't wait!!

I am deducting mine and I paid for it from my HSA. Just because insurance didn't pay, does not mean it was not needed. go for it! I am going to take a look at your photos but come on now you have gone from 225 to 165 and you can't see the difference? that is quite hard to believe. Are you still wearing the same size? I highly doubt that is the case. Maybe you have body morphing issues and need professional help with this if you don't see a difference.

I buy the specialK protein water at Walmart. I find it in the area with the diet aids and protein bars. Speaking of which, I need to pick some up!!!

exercise will not hurt and the key is reducing fat from the liver. exercise will help with this. Get moving girl!!

Sucking on ice while eating is allowed if you really need to. I find myself doing that sometimes.

This is freaking AMAZING and AWESOME!!! So glad to hear from someone that is more than a few months out with their band and are successful. Good to know you can pick it again when needed. Congrats Kris!!

I weigh once or twice a week, except after a fill, then I weigh just about daily because I tend to lose quickly after a fill. I LOVE IT WHEN THE SCALE IS MOVING DOWN QUICKLY!!! About measurements....I SO WISH I HAD MEASURED BEFORE MY SURGERY!!! It would have been very motivational to see the change in the inches....but alas, I did not. The first time I measured was at my first fill. My fill doc does the measurements and takes a "before" photo for her file at your first fill. However, at the second fill, I was like, aren't you going to measure again? and they were like no, we only do it at the first fill, but if you want us to we will, so of course I said yes, please measure, well they said my waist increased by 2 inches between fills, but I was down 2 sizes from the 1st fill, so I don't think their measuring was all that accurate. I found it depressing!! Good Luck!!

I don't get my fills at OCC and have had 2 fills since being banded in May 2008. My doctor requests creamy soup stage liquids for 7 days after my fill. At first, I didn't know if I could mentally do it again and really had trouble adjusting. I thought in my mind if I only got through the 21 days of liquids the first time I wouldn't have to do it again -- ever. WRONG!!! But I managed to make and guess what, nothing terrible happened. The new restriction typically takes away the hunger during that time. I usually eat really hearty creamy soups like cream of crab, potatoe cheese, french onion and brocoli cheese. I don't worry about the calories in the soups and eat as much as I want. Sometimes 2 bowls for dinner if I am really hungry. With both fills I have lost about 20 lbs. in about 6 weeks time, so I don't question her request any longer. Good Luck!!