mom12

Michelle, Maybe now would be a good time to make another trip to OCC and get a real fill since your doc isn't seeing the will power side of things. You aren't forever away and with all of your hard work, you do deserve a real fill.

I had my 3rd fill and am fairly confident that I am very near my sweet spot. I can eat about 3/4 cup total. If I follow the band rules with this fill, I can get enough nutrients ( I use fitday.com to make sure). I eat about 3 oz. protein or add unflavored protein to something else I am eating when I feel a bit too tight for harder to chew protein. I then have room for a few bites of veggies, fruit and the carb of choice. I can't do bread, even whole grain unless it is really well toasted. I do much better with whole grain crackers. I do have potatoes because they go down really well but only a couple of bites because the nutritional value isn't great. To make sure I am getting everything in I have one protein shake a day with lots of fiber in it (that covers about 1/3 of my protein and all of my necessary fiber intake). I try to make sure that is the only liquid cals I am getting in a day but I find it hard in the summer because I love an ice cream. I make sure and only treat myself once in a while. I have decided as of today that the only time I can have ice cream is the day after weigh in and then only light ice cream. I don't have trouble keeping my cals down but ice cream is wasted on the band.

I got my 3rd fill yesterday in Thornton,CO and he gave me .8 more to fill me to 3.2. I am still on liquid but have to take the liquid very very slow so I am fairly confident that this is the one when I see how this tool works instead of just having to exercize extreme will power to help it help me.

We sing that song regularly at our church and I absolutely love it. Thanks for sharing!!! Blessings!

Awesome Kim, That is a wonderful milestone. Be sure and celebrate (not with food)

Yes, I do have some of this and use it when I make things myself but prepackaged things like sugar free jello, etc. don't use it, they use the chemical ones.

There are many answers to your questions through out this forum but I will give you a few right here. There may be foods that you decide to avoid in the future that are uncomfortable for you to eat but most things you can at least have occassionally depending on the amount of restriction you have. You just have to chew incredibly well, take really small bites and not drink while you are eating. This is definitely not the easy way out. For me it is the only way out because I have tried everything else and while I have always had temporary success I have been unable to maintain long term. You still have to work with your band, but it is a tool that works well. Think of it like this: Is weight watchers the easy way out??? I've done it and can definitely say no but it is a tool that can help. The Band is just a better more permanant tool than the ones you have used in the past. I was off work from Thurs - Sun. Went back to work Monday and while I was tired I was definitely able to do my job without any problem. This forum is a great place for information and support. You will find the people here very friendly and helpful. It is a place a visit nearly every day if not multiple times a day. Blessings!

I couldn't believe how great I felt. I was a little more sleepy than normal for 2 days but I just napped a bit which was great. I had no pain at all and was able to walk shop and enjoy the rest of my time in TJ. 5 days post op I felt like I needed to really rest for some reason but that was the only day that I even felt like I had surgery. I was absolutely amazed at the ease with which this happened.

I can't feel the band until I swallow something hot, something cold or something not well enough chewed. I could feel it after I first had surgery when the swelling was still there and I had to take very small sips (I believe it was the swelling I felt) not pain really but a little discomfort for the first 4-5 days. I didn't feel it at all from that point until I started on solids and then only for the first couple of days on solids until my 2nd fill. After my second fill is the first time (once I was recovered from initial few days) I could really tell I had a band at all. There were times I wondered if they forgot to put it in. I am going for my third fill today because while I can tell I have a band, there is little if nothing that doesn't easily pass through it right now. I was filled to 2.4 3 weeks ago and the restriction barely made it through the 2 day liquid phase so I am anticipating really experiencing what the band can do after this 3rd fill this afternoon.

I hear alot of good food ideas that are low calorie on here but many of them have artifical sweeteners in them which I avoid completely if possible because of their known poisoning effect as well as the deterioration they do of the brain cells( I need to keep the ones I have left) . I am having a hard time figuring out how to have a few treats without resorting to chemicals in my food. Anyone else in this boat?

Dr. Singh did 2.4 and there is still no restriction to speak of but he is going to give me another fill tommorow which is a little less than three weeks. I was glad that he didn't have a problem letting me come back this soon.

Thanks guys. All of my supplements are capsules but if I break them open they are down right nasty to get in so I am certainly hoping that I can take them even if I have to use warm liquid and take them very slowly. I guess it will be trial and error for me. Hopefully not too much error because that is just called pain

I am going for my 3rd fill and I am confident that I will have good restriction and be close to my sweet spot after it. I am currently taking several capsules a day for supplements. Will I still be able to take these?

Did use Thorton, CO. Very pleased. Dr. Singh does it without or with Fluro. I opted for without to save the $200 and he found my port easily and it was fairly painless. He took out the previous fill and found that only about 1/2 of it showed up but he did add 2.4 cc and probably would have added more if I could have been more aware of how full I felt. I have minor restriction and will be returning to Dr. Singh next week to have another fill. Hoping this one hits closer to the sweet spot.

Barb, Mine was done by the Fill Center in Thornton, CO and the cost was $349 for first visit w/o fluro (fluro would add $200). Future visits will be $165 w/o and add $200 for Fluro. Was your surgery done in TJ? Is the Doc you went to a fill center Dr. and what did they charge. I was pleased with Dr. Singh and he did give me 2.4 which was a decent fill although I do still need additional fill and will probably going back next week sometime.

It is probably the protein bomb that is keeping you from feeling hungry at all. I wouldn't complain about never being hungry though. Your body knows what you need just listen to it.

Don't worry about monthly. I ended up getting mine the day of surgery and it was not a problem.

Dr. Miranda says not to go off of Caffeine if you are used to havng it when you get banded. You don't want withdrawal while you are recovering

If you had a c-section this will be nothing. It is so much easier and has a much quicker recovery with little or no pain compared to a c-section. I was the last surgery of the day so stayed overnight but was back at the hotel early the next morning and spent the day resting by the pool, shopping and drinking tea. It was really no pain at all. I didn't even need the pain meds they gave me. The only discomfort was a small burp like pain in my chest, kind of like a had a burp stuck but that was it. Now 2 months later, I have to look very hard to even see 3 of my 5 incisions and the other two shrink almost daily. The only one that I think I will be able to see long term is the port one since it is a little longer. I have had port site discomfort on a couple of occassions if I over work my stomache muscles but nothing that didn't subside very quickly.

April is the month I have for reaching goal so that would be wonderful for me.

Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! Yes I am jealous and hopeful that my day will come!!

I just put a good sunscreen on them (face type) and go for it

Ladies is Sweet and Low made with nutrasweet?. It is a poison and they have done many studies on how it is really messing with people including causing weight gain

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Thanks Michelle, I knew it was out there somewhere just wasn't sure where.