MamaMichelle

I had my first fill last Friday and Dr. Romero said that there are different rules for your first fill than from all the other fills you will get in your lifetime... 1st fill Rules No food for 6hrs before the fill No water for 1hr before the fill Liquid diet for 3 days after the fill 2nd Fill (and beyond) Rules No Food for 2 hrs before the fill No water for 1hr before the fill No liquid diet after the fill **Dr. R says that he encourages people to go and eat a regular meal 2hrs after these fills to test the restriction level and that way if you are too tight you can return to the OCC within a few hours for an unfill.** It seems that 1.7cc's is the standard/maximum that they put into a 4cc band on your first fill (I say this because out of the 5 of us who got our 1st fills that day 3 got 1.7ccs and 2 got 1.6ccs) I think they do this because hopefully they can avoid needing an unfill from your 1st fill...

All of the street vendors have calculators so even if they don't speak that good of english they will show you the price in dollars using the calculator. Jacklynrae- my husband had a breakfast sandwich at Burger King and it came with southwestern style eggs and refried beans, lol just shows you how different things are in other countries...

Dr. Romero is the fill doctor that did my fill last weekend, so maybe send an email to him and copy it to Dr. Ortiz as well explaining your situation!

I saw this on another board!! I don't watch soap operas but the other day as I was sitting in a waiting room in the doctor's office (I think that's where it was!) the Guiding Light was on. At first I thought I was crazy or just band obsessed but then I researched it and its true. One of the characters on the Guiding Light has a story line right now about band surgery! Does anyone watch this? If so, are they treating the story line fairly and giving accurate information? I was really just blown away! The band has made it to the soaps... go figure!

Hey Hanna- Glad you guys made it back safe, hope Meredith is feeling better! I bet your husband and the little girls were so happy to have you home!! I posted my take on our trip on my blog if you want to read it... Will you email me all the pictures you took when you have a chance?

So wonderful to hear Cathy!! June will be here before you know it!!

Here you go: http://www.bellplantation.com/

Thanks for all the responses, gave me a lot to think about... I really was happy at 145-150 and I decided that for me I would rather focus on a set number of lbs lost and give myself a goal date to reach that # of lbs lost... Soooooooo I have changed my goal to 147 which will put me at 100lbs lost and I have set my goal date to be 01/01/2009 losing 100lbs in 1 year will be tough but with my Band as my safety net and you guys as my support system I really think I can do it!! Who knows once I reach my goal by the end of 2008 maybe I will try to get down to 130lbs by the end of 2009!

We totally missed you too babe, we have decided to plan a 1 year bandiversary trip to Las Vegas at the end of Feb 2009 so you for sure have to be there then!! I am taking pics on the 28th of each month, so 8 more days!

Yes it is made from peanuts, here's what it says about the product on their website: Through a unique process created by Bell Plantation that does not involve the use of any chemicals nor does it alter nature's balance in peanuts; over 75% of the fat is removed from the peanuts. Essentially, the oil is squeezed out of roasted peanuts and what remains is our famous powdered peanut butter.

The 2 cookbooks discussed here as well as the lapband for life book are all paperback!

I was initally booked for surgery on the 29th but I wanted to be able to have an extra day to recover and since my flight was getting in at 11am it was possible to move my surgery up to the afternoon of the 28th. I chose to fast from midnight the night before my arrival (the 27th) so I didn't have anything to eat till 5pm on the 28th but I was fine. Here's an hour by hour account of my day of surgery experience for those who asked about the same day arrival/surgery timeline: http://www.lapbandforum.com/index.php?showtopic=5161

What wonderful news Wendy, you've only got a few more days till surgery... Hopefully you will be able to keep up the smoke-free streak going after being banded as well!!

Can you try to get everyone to go out to eat for diner, maybe suggest a place you know your mom LOVES to eat and then when you're there just order a soup from the menu. If you think that is still too obvious, order the soup as an appetizer and a healthy chicken dish for dinner and then say you are so full from the soup you just couldn't eat a bite of your entree, then have the waitress pack it up to go then let your hubby can have it for lunch the next day!

According to Dr. Romero stopping when you're full and not drinking with meals are the most important rules to follow to prevent any band complications, either slippage or stretching of the pouch!

That was always my favorite part/challenge of the biggest loser, when they used weighted vests that weigh as much as they have lost to simulate the weight they used to be carrying on their bodies... For anyone that's feeling down about only losing 10 or 20lbs go to the sporting goods aisle at Walmart and pick up a 10lb or 20lb dumbbell you'll be shocked at how heavy it is!!

By week 2 I was doing 1 full cup of liquids at a time and my pouch wasn't stretched at all according to Dr. Romero (I just saw him for my first fill on Saturday) so if you are doing 3/4 cup you should be fine... One thing he said that I didn't know was that drinking during your meals is how most people stretch their pouches, I thought it was eating past your full point that would do the most damage but he said it was the eating/drinking combo that does the most damage!

Sounds like you are doing just what the doctor ordered!! I too was using a measuring cup for my liquids in the first 2 weeks then as my swelling went down I was able to drink more!!

Yes I was using creamy peanut butter, I ordered that powdered kind but it won't be here till the 22nd... I make my shakes in the blender with ice to make sure the PB is really mixed in well as I said before in another post just the name PB implies that peanut butter would be a stuck food (lol) so I wouldn't suggest just eating by itself (and definitely NOT with bread)

Sorry to hear about your struggles Lisa... But as you can see we have all been there! The band isn't a miracle cure all but it is a reminder that food is meant to be fuel for our bodies, if you can try to start eating like you already have had your fill, small bites, lots of chewing, stopping at the first inkling of fullness- this should help you get more in tune with what you're eating and hopefully start you on the losing path again... A lot of people suffering through "bandster hell" have returned to their pre-op diet regimen (2 shakes and a lean cuisine) to prevent weight regain before their fill date, yes it is hard but if you were able to loose a few pounds on that same meal plan before surgery you should be able to at least maintain your current weight and hopefully lose a few lbs before your fill... Please don't be discouraged!! YOU CAN DO IT!!

Lol Thanks, back in High School and College I used to hear that a lot but I kind of figured since I got older I didn't look as much like her anymore... but I guess the truth is that as I got FATTER I didn't resemble her as much... It's silly but it's good to hear again, feels like I am getting closer to the old me... you just made my day!!

I had great success using protien shakes in the place of meals, I too was never really hungry so the shakes went down easy didn't make me retain water like salty soups did and they tasted great! I too went through a weight loss plateau because I was only getting 800 calories a day, but I was already drinking 5 shakes each day (160 cal each)... so I started drinking just 3 shakes a day but adding 2 tablespoons of peanut butter (making it 360 cal each shake) that gave me about 1000 calories each day and that's when my weight loss started up again!

For me my main 2 are: Being able to walk/run without my thighs rubbing together Wear a bikini, well actually look smokin hot in a bikini

The only person that knows about my banding is my husband and of course all my lapband buddies here on the forum! I have seen a few friends since losing weight and they have all asked me how I have done it and I just say eating less and working out (which as Blazn said is totally true) I don't want to have to deal with all the questions or concerns (however well meaning they may be) it's just not something I want to share with people...

There is a sub forum for lap band over bypass bandsters, I bet you can find some support there... Here's the link: http://www.lapbandforum.com/index.php?showforum=10 Good Luck!