Babe

i was banded Feb 16th and have hardly any restriction and no weight loss in weeks. going for my second fill tomorrow.

you've only been banded for 3 weeks. it's far too soon to even think about fills. i was told by Ortiz and Dr. Miranda to get my first fill 6-8 weeks post-op (i went at 6 weeks) and i'm getting my second fill on saturday. ideally, it would great to never need a fill. however, you most likely will need several. you're just about to start solids, so practice eating like a bandster right now. chewing a lot, eating small bites, monitoring your portions and not drinking with you food. give your band a chance to heal. keep in mind that every body is different. don't compare yourself with others. also, re: what dr. martinez said, the docs at OCC say that to every patient. they are describing an ideal and a hope, not necesarily the reality.

hi louise, never heard of this guy before. the only fill doctor i know in metro van. is Dr. Arseneau at St. Paul's downtown. otherwise, folks usually go to NW fills center in washington state or else they fly back down to OCC. i'm curious about the Dr. M you've mentioned. babe

back in january, when i started my pre-op, dr. miranda got me to start taking Chromium every day. after getting banded in feb., i just continued figuring it couldn't hurt. i'm about finished my bottle and debating whether i should bother getting another bottle. i haven't really noticed a difference with it (i'm not sure if it's the band or the chromium to be honest). are any of you still taking chromium since banding? is it worth continuing with?

those lattes and other fancy drinks are totally calorie packed. i've switched to Tall or Grande Americanos and add some non fat milk and splenda for my own healthier version of a latte. for a treat, i'll as for a kids sized non fat cocoa. it's only 8 oz and much less fat and calories than a fancier adult drink.

christy, i completely relate to your frustration as i felt the same way in the weeks post op. keep in mind that not everyone loses weight during liquids. in fact, you might even gain a couple lbs once you start solids. until your fill level is right, the scale is not going to be your friend. sometimes you'll lose, sometimes you won't. all you can do until your first fill is focus on healing, learning how to eat like a bandster, and start exercising. you may want to use an online food journal to track your food and exercise (fitday.com, sparkpeople.com, myfitnesspal.com, etc). also, start measuring yourself. focus on inches rather that pounds and you'll definitely notice a change. i know its hard, but please try to be patient with this process. 2 months and 1 fill out, and i'm still not quite where i want to be. but i have complete faith that when my fill is right, the pounds will drop. HUGS, Babe

JazzyJude, I've seen you mention Turbo Jam a couple times on these boards, and i'm really intrigued. I love kickboxing too, but i'm apprehensive about starting it up at my size. I'm not exactly in shape right now, but i'd really like to try this DVD out. Can you tell me more about it? Does it start out really intense like the infomercials show, or does it build in difficulty? When did you start the video (at what fitness level?) Thanks ahead of time, Babe

Great post Jude, thanks for putting it all together! Got a few to add: Cheese: cheese strings (LF mozza is my fave); ricotta/cottage cheese mixed with nuts, fresh fruit, dried cherries/cranberries, jam, or marinara sauce; Yogurt: Activia cup (perfect portion for a snack, topped with some granola for added fiber) Meats: baby shrimp meat (over salad, mixed like tuna salad, or just as is cause it's already cooked), salmon jerky, lox Misc: a tbsp of Nut Butter (peanut, hazelnut, almond, etc avail. at trader joes or natural health stores) alone or with apple/celery/cracker; Kelloggs Protein Water, yogurt cheese (strain your fave yogurt overnight in cheese cloth lined colander over a bowl - it will become a cream cheese consistence in the morning, flavor it sweet or savory and use like cream cheese) BONUS TIP: always keep snack size ziplock bags and small (1 Cup - ish) sized disposable storage containers in you pantry to pre portion out your snacks, meals, etc. i do it with baked chips, veggies, fruits, nuts, cracker, even my m&m's (yes i still eat chocolate) - it totally helps prevent grazing.

Hi Jen, I'm going for my first one on saturday. OMG, I am definitely eating too much, so i can't wait till fill day. maybe then i'll be able to start losing again. i'm not scared, but i do hope i haven't done something to mess up my band.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! btw, how did you get financing? was it through a canadian institution or thru cosmed?

it took me about a week or so for the gas to completely go. gas-x strips became my best friend. same with walking for about 10 minutes every hour. if you can get your spouse, or parent or friend to massage you on your shoulders and back that will really help. get them to include some firm tapping in the massage. for some reason that really helped break up the gas.

i'm curious about this too. granted, i've only just been banded, but i'd like to start planning financially for PS down the road. I'm probably going to need an LBL and a breast lift too (or whatever else they recommend). I'd love to know how much it'll cost here in canada. i tried calling False Creek Surgical Ctr. and they wouldn't even give me a price range over the phone.

robbyn, i love this !!! here's a couple i just thought of: you've been emotionally eating prior to weigh you've been less active than usual you've just had a fill you need a fill you're sick you've had a fight with you SO or child (or parent or sibling) you've drunk alcohol in the past 24 hours you've drunk alcohol just prior to weigh in your scale is wonky (yes that's a technical term)

sharon, i've got similar concerns with regards to sagging skin. mind you, i'm a couple months behind you and still have a long way to go, but it's definitely something i want to plan for (even if that means having an LBL and breast lift). i hope you're coming tomorrow night to our support group. i think i remember Patricia saying she was looking into it. she'd be great to talk to about this. also, i remember another long time bandster at the january meeting telling me she had had it done at false creek surgical center. i don't remember her name as that was the first time i met her. anyways, bring it up in the group and i'm sure you'll get some feedback.

i've only been eating solids for a few days now, so i'm just getting used band eating. i think i ate too much. i had about a bowl of food and then all of a sudden all this saliva started building up and i feel like i have to burp but i can't. i'm guessing that this is sliming and PBing, right? so i've been walking around my apartment and even took some antacids hoping it would help... when will this go away??!! a couple things i've learned: 1) eat slower and put the fork down between bites 2) measure out a serving (obviously it's less than a bowl-ful) 3) i don't like how it feels when i eat too much, so i will avoid it all costs!!! 4) it's going to take a bit longer than i thought to get used to bandster eating

i went to my favourite cafe around the corner from my place today for the first time in about a month (and the first time since being banded 3 weeks ago). the owner and i have gotten pretty friendly over the past 3 or 4 years, and today he said 'i can't figure it out, but you look different... i've got it, you've lost weight haven't you? it's really noticeable on your face! good for you!'. i've had a couple relatives make comments, but i haven't really taken them seriously. i don't know why, but for some reason, having a practical stranger notice the change has made me so happy... i can't stop smiling!

thanks for all the feedback guys! i'm so tempted to sign up for the spring pilates class, but i think i'll wait till the summer now. it's better not to risk it!

i'm a couple weeks post op and healing really nicely (not in pain or anything). i was thinking about starting up exercising soon and have been figuring out what i like best. the gym bores me silly, i'm thinking of pilates (done it before and loved it), kickboxing (going to wait till i'm more fit) or power walking. i'd like to sign up for a spring pilates class, but i'm wondering how long i should wait before doing any ab-related exercises?

i'm 2 weeks and a bit post op and i'm down 8lbs. I was hoping for more too, so i'm a bit disappointed.

have you tried Activia Yoghurt? They have both regular kind and drinkable... works like a charm.

JNLEBEAN, please stop beating yourself up. like countless people have said before, you can't unlearn old habits overnight - you've been doing it for years. use this opportunity as a learning experience, then forgive yourself and start anew at your next meal. xoxo babe

i'm not in much pain anymore eithe, but i'm still very tired. i've ended up with a terrible cold now. i've only lost about 3lbs so far. i know everybody's different, but i know of others who lost 10lbs or more in the first week so i'm a bit bummed. hopefully, the slow weight loss is only temporary.

hey debbie, i was just down the hall from you (the other brown chick). how's the recovery going?

i'm a week post op and i've got a cold. should i be concerned? most of my soreness and gas seems to have dissapated, and my scars are healing nicely, but now i've started coughing and i'm worried that i'll displace my band or something.

i'm day 6 post op and haven't had a BM yet. should i be concerned? i've got miralax and am tempted to take it, but i'm thinking i'll just end up with the runs because all i've got going in is liquid. the only reason i can think to take it is to alleviate some of the gas.