magkai1

I'm so enjoying reading people's posts and different angles on this topic. There are so many facets and so many things to think about. I just thought of one thing that is so lame, so bad, but why not share now after I've gone this far? My husband and I have been together for 14 years and he has never, ever, ever said one thing about my weight struggle. Nor has he ever given me "a look" or a comment about it. Believe me, I appreciate this as I grew up with a father who said things all of the time and gave me looks and stuff about his displeasure with my weight. But just now I had this awful thought: is my husband insecure, so that is why he's been with an up and down in weight wife without complaint? Or perhaps he's super secure. I don't know. I do know that if he were the one that has weight issues up and down, it would affect me. But then again this weight crap is my big life issue. I suppose that fat or thin, weight will ALWAYS be my issue, huh?

Congratulations, Kristi! Don't worry, you're not going to wake up and find that you are back at 238. This is YOU now. Enjoy it! I hope you feel wonderful in your healthy body.

I'm really enjoying reading all of these posts. Perhaps we can all keep in touch when we are doubting ourselves or had to deal with an uncomfortable situation. Lisa, I LOVE your landfill reply!!!

You gals rule!

Angie, You are rad! I have always appreciated your candor in posting and that appreciation just grew with your response to me here. Thank you! I also feel as though the band is helping me confront some of my issues with weight. I can honestly say- "I am not hungry and yet I want to stuff my face anyway!?!?!?" 95% of the time I walk away from the kitchen and find something else to do. I believe that part of my overeating is habit and boredom. I suspect there are others on this forum who can relate to this issue. I hope to hear from them, too. Again, thank you Angie! Margaret

Hi all, This may sound weird, but have any of you felt a little scared when the weight starts coming off? I do. I almost feel like overeating to balance it out. I know some of you will say that I should seek therapy for this issue, and I probably should at some point, but I know that right now in my life it is not going to happen. I've been in therapy before, when I was in my early twenties, and I feel I have a good grip on "my stuff". I've lost weight a few times before. I remember "developing" early, like around 12, and having grown men flirt with me. I put on some pounds and the attention went away. I lost weight in my late teens and was kind of pissed off that all of the men around me who had previously ignored me were suddenly coming on to me. It pissed me off at how shallow these men were. My latest bout of weight gain follows the pregnancy and delivery of two healthy babies. And now the weight is now sloowly coming off. It does feel really good physically but I also find myself feeling....the only word I can put to it, is scared. Have you felt this way? I'm hesitant about clicking "post" but I'm going to! Thanks for reading this. Margaret

Definitely call the OCC; let us know how it goes. Good luck!

I am very new to this lifestyle but to me you sound too tight. Please call the OCC and get their advice. Let us know what they say. Good luck!

Congrats!!

Hi Lindie- I don't know the answer to your question but I think a phone call to the OCC first thing in the morning would be prudent. Let us know what you find out! Margaret

Very interesting discussion. I look forward to what Lori posts about this after speaking with Dr. O.

Great job, Carrie! I love reading your posts; they're very inspirational to us, no matter what stage we're at. Thanks for sharing and congratulations!

Yes, your birth control pills will still be effective. Nothing is changing in that regard! Margaret, RN, BSN

Congratulations!

I didn't feel any restriction after surgery so I had a fill exactly 6 weeks post-op. Still trying to figure it all out. Sometimes I feel restriction and sometimes I don't. Weird. RevyD, that is fantastic that you do feel restriction just from surgery.

Wow, Carrie - you look amazing! It's so interesting how your weight loss completely change your face. You don't even look like the same person. I hope I can have similar success. Thank you for posting your inspiring photos!

I remember Dr. So specifically and emphatically saying NOT TO drink water/fluids even if stuck because of the risk of stretching the pouch. Today I experienced this and just walked it off, per Dr. So's instructions. After a lap around the house I had an involuntary cough and up came the culprit and I felt fine.

I'm looking forward to checking out these pix!

Thanks, Sabrina. I feel like today was my first official day in my new "band" life. I had to rush off to a meeting this morning for school so I just had coffee with milk and a few swigs of drinkable yogurt. For lunch I split an egg salad sandwich with my mom. But I took one side of the bread off and used the lettuce as bread. I couldn't finish the sandwich! I got so full I got that pain in the chest. Dr. So said to just walk those episodes off. My mom lives in a long narrow house - I walked the length of it twice and it still hurt. I involuntary coughed and a little bit of egg salad came out. In the afternoon I ate an apple and this time it went down fine (I hadn't read your post yet, Sabrina). For dinner I had a really small piece of turkey meatloaf with tomato sauce on it (a new find at Costco). And I think I'm done with food for the day. If THIS is how this band thing rolls, I'll be totally satisfied. Thanks for reading. And by that I don't mean, thank you for actually being capable of reading (though that is a nice thing, isn't it?) but more of a thank you for reading my post.

That's a great post. Thank you for sharing it. It's so true! Who says getting surgery (and likely paying for it out of pocket) is easy? Pshaw. This is why I have chosen to share this information with some and not all in my life. You're inspirational with your weight loss - please keep posting. I just had surgery so I love reading stuff from people like you, a little further along on the journey.

I didn't cheat on the 21 day diet at all. I've been sort of vacillating between liquid and food since ending those first 21 days after surgery. I think I have been doing well, but not well enough to want to weigh myself. I also got a bit carried away with Halloween candy. I love candy. Thank goodness all the good stuff is gone now. I even returned an unopened bag that we had so I wouldn't be tempted! I'm just confused because I thought I would feel noticeably tighter right away; I did notice it with an apple but not a bean burrito. Wack!

Odd. I almost gagged on an apple but I was able to tuck away a bean burrito tonight. WTF? Post fill #1! Looks like I'll be going in for #2 in a month.

How do you know that the OCC gives more aggressive fills? I'm curious.

If I don't feel much restriction when I eat tomorrow I will make another appointment - 4 weeks from the last one. I don't know why Dr. Ortiz chose the larger band for me. Lots of abdominal fat perhaps?

I love you, people. You're so supportive and comforting. Kristi- I just noticed that you lost all of your weight THIS YEAR. WOW!!!!