vangirl

Hi everyone, I am going to the OCC on April 15 (this coming Wednesday) for my 3rd fill and staying the night at the Lucerna. Anyone else going to be there at the same time? -Vangirl

That's awesome Carrie! Congrats! -vangirl

Thanks Dawn It has definitely been frustrating, and it does feel like my body is very reluctant to let go of this weight. The harder I try, the more stubborn it gets. Sometimes it feels like my body and brain are an intertwined puzzle, and I haven't yet figured out how to crack that puzzle. I've been thinking a lot about what several people have said on this forum, about just living life and focusing on living and eating healthy. It's interesting, that straining and working very hard to stay at 1200 calories a day has not really taught me how to eat healthier or helped me overcome emotional eating. I certainly can control my calories (for the most part), but the effort creates a great deal of stress around food, as well as that ongoing feeling of deprivation and emotional hunger, just as any regular diet would do. In my mind, that is NOT success.

I too wish I was one of the lucky ones who lost a lot of weight in their first year. So I really empathize! I wish I knew what to say to encourage you, as I feel like I'm in the same boat. I know that what has helped me not give up (apart from spending all this money) and stay motivated and on the course is taking stock of the Non Scale Victories: being able to fit into clothes I haven't worn in five years, being able to poke around and feel bones I haven't felt before, being off my diabetic medication since the surgery (a huge NSV for me), being more flexible, being able to walk faster, living life in a healthier way than I did before, etc. From the beginning of your post, it sounds like you have already been taking stock of your NSV's, which are no small victories. Good luck with your journey! -vangirl

I think I was picked up at 7am. They will tell you what time they're coming, or will call you at the hotel to let you know. As for pre-op, it was really quick. The first thing was getting the IV inserted, I think they drew some blood as well, but I can't recall. Then, a meeting with Dr. Miranda, and another doctor to do an ECG. After that, I was shown to my room. I was second in line for surgery (may have had it around 9 or 9:30am, but can't recall). After my pre-op, I just had time to go to the bathroom and get into the gown and paper underwear when they called me in. Oh yes, somewhere in there, while I was waiting, they gave me an ativan, and Dr. Ortiz came and talked to me for a bit. It was all very fast.

I feel like this is what I need to have drummed into me. I've been reading similar messages on this forum, that you need to stop obsessing over food and start living life, and it makes sense. It's a little tough because I too don't want to get further behind by not counting the calories and keeping things under control, at least until I can rely on the band to do it for me. But what you (and others) are saying makes a lot of sense. Thank you for this post!

Wow Carrie! That is an awesome turn of events! I'm suspecting that I need to follow what you have done, to just let go of all the obsessing and just live my life, in a healthy way. And hide the scale! Thanks! -vangirl

I pretty much have been doing what has been suggested on here, and on other threads that I read regularly. Keeping my calorie intake low (but not too low), drinking at least 2 litres of water a day, getting enough protein, tricking my body occasionally by having a bit more on some days, keeping regular exercise, etc. I even had 13 vials of blood tested a few weeks ago which pretty much ruled out medical abnormalities. If there is a medical disorder, it hasn't been diagnosed or tested for. It is precisely because I've been doing what I'm supposed to be doing that I'm frustrated. If I had been overeating or not following the rules, then it would be a lot less frustrating because at least I'd know the reason why it's been so slow. The frustration is also compounded by the fact that I know I should be losing a lot more for the weight that I'm at right now, as well as my age. Anyway, I just needed to vent, which I find helps, and I appreciate the support from everyone. One thing I'm not going to do is give up, because after spending all this money, giving up is not acceptable. I've got a third fill coming up in April, and hopefully this will make it less work for me, and I can actually start to rely on the band more than my own willpower.

Thank you for the hugs and supportive words Robbynoel I do have hypothyroidism, but I recently had bloodwork done, and my T3, T4, hormones, iron, and everything is fine. I even took a water pill last night to get rid of excess water (and ended up going to the bathroom all night long) because I knew today (Friday) is my weighing day, and so I can't even attribute it to excess water. My weight loss seems to have followed the pattern you mentioned, of losing a big amount and then going along slowly, except I didn't really lose a lot for that initial big amount. I remember even when I was on the pre-op and the post-op liquid diet (and following it totally faithfully), I was amazed at how little I was losing back then. It's interesting you mention the scale, I think that I did better in previous weight loss attempts when I didn't own a scale. In fact, I purposely didn't buy one until I started the pre-op diet and needed to check my weight loss. It's terribly how numbers start to mess with your head and create so much stress around food and exercise and everything to do with weight loss. I would like things to be much easier on my mind, where I can just let the band do its work and not obsess so much about everything. I've even heard that stress and worry around weight loss can make your body hold on to it, but I don't really get the mechanics of how that works. Anyway, thanks for listening to me, I just needed to get it out. -vangirl

I'm having a frustrated moment and need to rant. No matter what I do, I can't seem to lose more than half a pound a week (or get below 230). I've tried everything, from upping my exercise, to lowering my calories, to increasing my calories, to trying all sorts of fat-burning supplements, and nothing seems to do anything to make this weight loss happen at a faster rate. Right now, I'm working out at the gym 5-6 times a week and exercising all of my willpower to keep my calories around 1200 a day (no bandpower yet, just willpower) and yet only half a pound a week?! It seems I could have (and I did have) better results without the band. What's the point of spending all this money and getting scars on my body for results that are so small, they hardly seem significant? I mean, I could gain 2.5 lbs in just a day, and yet it's taken me six weeks to lose even that much. I have also experimented with fat-burning supplements, including chromium, green tea capsules, and Acetyl L Carnitine, and I've found that those do not make my weight go off any faster than not taking them. I've even tried not eating past 7pm this past week, and that didn't make a difference either. I can't understand what is wrong with this, why the scale is just not moving, no matter what I do, sticking with the program, doing everything (to my knowledge) that I'm supposed to be doing, and avoiding the things I'm not supposed to be doing. Hell I could have been doing all of this without the band. Sorry, I'm just so frustrated and had to vent it out. Almost 4 months post surgery, and just a little over 20lbs lost. Yes I know that losing slower is better for long-term and blah, blah, blah, but for someone as heavy as me (and I'm only in my 30s), it should have been at least twice as much as that. I really should be losing 1-2lbs a week, and I can't for the life of me figure out why I'm not.

Wow, it sounds like plastic surgery may be inevitable for me down the road as well. Does anyone know if these LBL's, tummy tucks, etc. cause visible scarring?

Agreed! I think you will be very happy with choosing OCC.

This is the first time that I've lost weight where my skin hasn't bounced back and remained as taut as it was before. For the first time in my life, I see sagging skin, not just around my stomach (which I expected) but around my legs and arms. This got me wondering, for people who have 100+ pounds to lose, where does all that excess skin go? Does it shrink back eventually, or once you're past a certain age, is excess skin an inevitability? I especially would love to hear from people who have lost 100+ lbs. Did your skin ever get back to normal after your weight loss? Thanks, Vangirl

Bandiva, I appreciate your sharing what works for you on here. It helps to generate ideas, especially for folks (like myself) that have plateaued and need try new things to shake things up and find what works. What I'm seeing on here is that different things seem to work for different people, and one thing doesn't necessarily work for everyone. I myself have at times resorted to going back to all liquids for a day or two, but that's because I haven't reached my sweet spot yet and am still on all-willpower and little band-power. I still rely a lot on protein shakes (or bars) to ensure I get the protein in when I don't have time to prepare a meal or get enough protein from my solid meals. Right now I'm trying to avoid eating past 7pm (or no later than three hours before sleeping) and hopefully this will have an impact. As for my choice of protein drinks, I personally like Whey Gourmet, it is only 120 calories and has 23g of protein. -Vangirl

Sorry to beat this further to the ground, but as a psychologist, I had to give my two cents on the importance of having a little tact and compassion. The purpose of this forum is to support, not to denigrate or make others feel bad about themselves. Lord knows many of us on here have experienced a lifetime of feeling bad about ourselves and having those bad feelings compounded by the lack of support and understanding from people around us. We might disagree with what others on this forum have to say and what their methods of weight loss are (I certainly have disagreed with some stuff that is posted on here), but it is just as easy to make one's point respectfully and tactfully as it is to do so bluntly. It doesn't hurt to give a little consideration to how our words and tone may affect someone. To Angela, In my experience, the band helps to curb physical hunger and slow down the rate of food going down, but the mental hunger takes longer to go away, and some people still fight with that months or years after getting the band. I've had two fills so far and I rarely ever feel physically hungry - it's almost always purely mental. And I still do get hungry, 3.5 months post-band. Having said that, having adequate restriction and reaching that 'sweet spot' seems to be the critical thing that makes the band work for people. And you don't have any restriction in your band yet, so don't beat yourself up over being hungry. -Vangirl

I get mine at Save-On-Foods.

You're welcome JazzyJude I too had forgotten about the lemon water and even the whole diet cleanse until yesterday. I started the lemon water thing yesterday, and already I feel a difference. I don't know what stores in the US sell Stevia, but I imagine you should be able to find it in most health food stores. I wonder if GNC might even have it. I recommend the liquid serum version of Stevia rather than the powder because the powder doesn't seem to dissolve very well. At least mine doesn't.

Sorry to start a new thread on this, but I couldn't find the earlier topic where people were discussing the various cleanses they were doing. For those reluctant to use a packaged detox or cleanse product for whatever reason, there are some natural cleanses that work quite well. I myself am going to start doing some of these, as I feel like my body has been retaining a lot of stuff lately. One suggestion is drinking warm water with lemon juice (add stevia and make it lemonade!) in the evening before going to bed and in the morning upon waking, and doing this for several days in a row. Drinking in the night will allow the lemon-water to cleanse through your system while you're sleeping. Lemon juice is also a natural diuretic. Another suggestion, which I've also used with success, is eating some grapes at night before going to bed. Works the same way, by gently cleansing out system while you sleep. No need to worry about runs or accidents during the day. A few years ago, I did 4 weeks of a complete dietary cleanse, which worked wonders on my body and my emotions too. The guidelines (to the best of my memory) were as follows: No sugar, salt, caffeine, dairy, nuts, or alcohol Absolutely nothing that came pre-made in a package (e.g. no breads, pastas, sauces, cookies, juices, frozen dinners, etc.) It had to be all natural foods. Only 3 tablespoons of olive oil or olive oil cooking spray. No butter or other forms of fat. No artificial sweeteners, only Stevia allowed. Only chicken or lean fish allowed (weeks 1 and 4 only) Fruits and vegetables allowed, except for avocados. I think there were some limitations on certain high-sugar or high-calorie fruits, like bananas and grapes, but I can't recall completely. Potatoes the only carbs allowed - no grains or even legumes allowed. I don't remember if rice was allowed or not. Possibly brown rice was ok, but again, can't recall completely. Spices and non-salted seasonings allowed (e.g. Mrs. Dash, Bragg's seasoning, Miso). No soy sauce. Lemon water, grapes, liquid chlorophyll recommended as above. Because it is a detox and not a diet, it's not supposed to be something that is continued indefinitely. It was the hardest food plan I ever followed (except for the pre-op diet ) but I felt amazing during and after. Eliminating salt and pre-packaged foods had the biggest effect on me, as you don't realize how much salt and artificial-ness you put into your body until you detox from it. I don't see myself doing the entire thing again (too hard, and my lifestyle makes it difficult to stick completely to all-natural foods), but I would borrow certain elements from it.

I too am not losing, and have actually started to gain some weight. I have 3.2ccs in a 4cc band, and I could definitely use more. I still haven't had any of the signs of fullness - food getting stuck, sliming, and pb-ing. I do feel full for a longer period of time though, and bread-type stuff takes longer to go down unless I chew it really well. So it forces me to eat slower, which I suppose is a good thing. I've been sticking to around 1200-1500 calories, so there's no reason why I should be gaining. I'm pretty good about getting enough protein in, so it can't be a nutritional issue. I've recently joined Curves again, which I hope will trigger something. It was suggested to me that 1200 a day (which I've been aiming for) may be too little. It's hard to get my head around the idea that you might need to eat more to lose weight. And maybe each person's threshold for where that optimal calorie intake is is different. In any case, I've emailed Dr. Miranda about this, and I hope she will be able to give me some advice which I can share here, for anyone who's in a similar situation. Edited to add: I just realized that I've actually GAINED weight since my second fill. My daily calorie intake in the past two weeks has been less, on average, than during the entire month of Jan and leading up to that second fill. And that's correlated with the weight gain. I don't get it at all.

I found benefibre helped me with the constipation, and it dissolves completely just like it says it does. I dissolved it into Gatorade. However, yes, it will likely cause the runs. Liquid in, liquid out. That will probably last as long as you're on the liquid diet. I found cream of potato soup (without potato chunks) helped a bit with slowing down the stool.

Totally recommend the gatorade. For the first four days, that was pretty much the only thing I could handle. I couldn't even drink that much water because of the swelling, so the gatorade really helped prevent me from getting dehydrated.

I agree with Julie and JazzyJude as well. It sounds like it might be time for another fill. I have around the same restriction you do, so I know I'll have to up my fill eventually once these five weeks have passed. However I do notice that I am less hungry in between meals and stay fuller longer with the current fill I have. It definitely helps to control the food when you have less free-floating hunger going on.

A 3 oz piece of chicken breast is about 20g of protein. A 4 oz salmon fillet is about 19g of protein. So if you eat 3-4 oz of protein from whatever source (which would be around the recommended 1/2 cup serving) three times a day, you have enough protein. So yes, the protein bullets/supplements are not necessary for the solid foods stage, unless you are getting no protein in one or more of your meals. Some people like a high protein diet for a variety of reasons, so may want to supplement their food with bars, bullets, etc. However, too much protein can become toxic for the body. If you get in the protein in your meals (which can be done even in vegetarian meals if you choose the right foods), then you are not going to be protein-deficient in your daily nutritional intake.

Totally agree. There is such a thing as too much protein, and the majority of the world doesn't actually eat close to the amount we eat here. Plus we do get protein in non-animal sources, which are often much lower in fat, cholesterol, etc.

We don't get protein bullets here in Canada, but I still make my own protein shake concoction almost daily, which gives me 23g of protein, 170 calories, and a whole lot of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fruit/vegetable extracts, and other good stuff in one shot. Occasionally I will have protein bars to get that protein in, but I have to be very careful, because they go down very easily and are chocolatey, so it's hard to stick with just one. I'm trying to get a system in place so that I have them just at work (where it's hard to take time away for a proper lunch) or only have one or two lying around the house at any given time.