JazzyJude

Ahh...like nursemom says, the docs at OCC have done soooo many, they can practically do them with the eyes close. I totally LOVE how they talk you through it. They announce what is going to happen next, so that you are 'surprised' at the unknown...not knowing what is 'next'. Like nursemom, I've had (3) fills already and it's a piece of cake. If you go in the "Fills and Fills doctors" section of this forum, you will see several threads of people going for the first, second or third fills and they will list their 'experiences' with each one. With mine, I just felt a tiny 'prick' and with the fluoro, the doc always gets it right the first time. It's a bit nerving with the silly darn needle 'sticking out' all by itself...but it's more of a wonder of "how does it stay there and not come out?" type of thing. Too funny! But, like I said, they are the experts! If going to OCC, you will always have fluoro because they too want to see how your band is and as well, your pouch. They will talk with you to see how you are doing, what you've been eating, if you lost weight, and they will make suggestions accordingly. THIS IS THE TIME TO ASK QUESTIONS...if you have ANY concerns! Remember, NO question is silly or stupid, if it is important to you. ASK, so that you will be at ease and get to know your band that much more. Also, your first fill is a 'primer' per see...meaning, you will not get an aggressive fill, as your band AND body needs to be adjusted, again, to the tightness. This is wear your portion control comes in. Remember not to eat more than 1/3 of what you use to eat and make sure you get in your proteins and not go over 1200 calories a day. You are going to be just fine, all of you. My first one, I was like you...then my 2nd and 3rd, I couldn't wait, knowing it was going to be a good thing for me! ((HUGS!))...good luck and keep us posted on how you are doing! Jazzy!!

Ashley ~ eating 1/3 of what you use to eat is in general. When you are banded, and especially having a few 'fills' under your belt, it may be hard to do that. As it is for me now ~ there is just no way I can. When I first started eating solids, I religiously, measured out the following food guideline at EVERY meal: ~ 3 to 4 oz (2/3 cup to 1/2 cup) PROTEIN (meat, fish, poultry, beans, eggs, etc) ~ 2 oz (1/4 cup) VEGGIE/FRUITS ~ 2 oz (1/4 cup) CARBS/STARCHES (rice, potatoes, pasta, etc) I actually got out my measuring cups and measured all my foods. I STILL DO! I love to cook and sometimes I can get distracted and I am serving more than I can eat. So, until I 'get it', I will continue to use the measuring cups. For me, I controlled my hunger pangs by alterating between the Metamucil capsules or the chewable Fiber Choice tablets, one oat 10am and one at 3pm. In addition, I drink a lot of water, at least 10 glasses a day. This helps with the mental hunger a lot and also, when I exercise, the water helps hydrates my body when I sweat. Hope this helps...

Hi Everyone! I am not sure if you know about SparkPeople.com, where it's another website for weigh loss support, but I currently use it mostly for my food/fitness tracking, which helps me be accountable to stay within OCC's weight loss guideline ~ a tool, that thus far is really making a difference for me. They are having their first convention and it's being held in San Diego! Yeah! AND, it's special to me, as it's going to be ON my birthday, Sat, May 2 ~ how cool is that? It is not practiced to post another's website, but I have OCC's permission to post it, click here SparkPeople Convention, as there is just too much info to post. In short, they will have Coaches do their talks; have a fitness activity plan early in the morning and at lunch time; hear motvated talks from successful people who've lost weight on their journey; and who are maintaining their goal weight, etc. When you arrive at the SD Convention Center, you will receive a T-Shirt and a 'bag of goodies' for participating. Check out their website! Hope to see you there! Jazzy!!

LOL!! Gosh if I am not gurgling and needing to drink water to help it...then my tummy is growling, which I feed it proteins! Sheesh!

The instructions I received from OCC is as follows: Day 1 thru 7 (including your surgery day) ~ 'clear liquid' stage, with the exception on Day 4 to add drinkable yogurt. There is not calorie counting and drink a 1/2 cup at a time, throughout the day, as many as you want. Day 8 thru 21 ~ 'creamy soup' stage. Again, no calorie counting during this state either, Drink 1/2 cups at a time, throughout the day, as many as you want. Day 22 ~ start you 'solid' stage. Here is when you start to measure your foods (3) meals a day and no more than 1/3 of what you use to eat, and up to 1200 calories a day. Exercises: ~ WALK, WALK, WALK! This is the best exercises from here on in. You will build stamina, breathe better, and sleep more soundly. At first, do LOTS of mini walks to get rid of any gas bubbles you may have lurking in your joint areas or upper region of your body. The gas is mostly from your surgery itself, to pump up your mid section for easy access to get you banded. ~ NO strengeous exercising for the frist 3 months, so you and your band can heal properly. Right now, your stomach is totally piss at you for being 'restricted' with a band and is frustrated. Give it time to adjust and for any swelling you may have. Don't rush and get too antsy on this ~ you don't want to risk band slippage. Good Luck with your weight loss...keep us posted on how you are doing!

Unless it has changed since I was banded in Oct 08, you could do full brisk walks after 3 weeks and then after 3 months, the heavier core (like your abs and stomach area). You need time for the surgery itself to heal properly as well as any swelling inside. Also, you don't want to risk band slippage if you move or twist around too much, too quick. Don't be in too much of a rush. Walking is the best exercises the first 3 months.

OOPS...I saw this after you posted the very thing on my post regarding my 3rd fill. Yeah, like Karen mentioned...maybe you took too big of a gulp? I agree with going easy on the foods. But if you are concern, call the doc and inquire.

Sabrina...if you're concern, call the doc and inquire. Hmm, could it be that you might have taken a big gulp and didn't let it go down all the way before going back to sleep? Since you are getting more fills, you may need to learn to take smaller sips. Although, I don't get tight in the evenings but the mornings I do and then I drink WARM liquids to get me going. Be careful eating too...don't want to start PBing or slime either. Keep us posted on how you are doing...Good luck babe

OK...I just had to post this bit of information. Who would have thought a ".2cc" would make a difference? IT DOES! I am totally amazed! I get fuller now and I am stumped! I work with numbers, so this transition to me is unbelief and so I am adjusting my food intake currently as to my restriction. I an NOT tight, just fuller faster than I've had before. I now really make sure I somehow eat breakfast, as it really does make a difference on how I start my day. So, I am eating cereal and bacon to get in some fiber and proteins. Lunch, my band starts to open up a bit and can do the beans, soups, VERY little bulkier food such as chicken or pork. Eating lots of steamed veggies and having more fruits. Dinner I pretty much pick on, as I cannot eat a full meal just yet. I drink a minimum of 10 glasses a day now, some with lemon slices, the Essential Green TeanAntioxidant Water Amplifier (Pomegranate Green Tea with Acai Berry), Crystal Light 'to go' packets (LOVE Cherry Pomegrante for Immunity), and Ocean Spray Cranberry 'to go' (my fave is the Grape right now). I continue to walk between 5 to 7 miles a day, split between before going to work and after work, before I eat. I do LOTS of exercises, minimum of 60 minutes a day and do strength every other day. So, I am kicking butts right now...and I FEEL GOOD!

Hi Sweetie! For me, ithe rates are a huge difference. When I last talked with Lori, she said if you are getting a fill ($100) and need a ride ($99), it's $199 total, no matter if being picked up from the airport or from the Border Station park and ride parking lot. If the rates went up, I am not aware of it, as I don't use this service. As I live in San Diego, it was cheaper by all means, to drive to the Border Station (20 min) and park the vehicle at the Border Station ($8 for the whole day). $6 per person, both ways, for the Mexicoach bus ride and the taxi ride to and from OCC was $10 for both hubby and I. So, basically, it cost us $30 plus gas. So it was worth it for us this way and not worry about anything. It took us a total of 45 minutes from the time we left the Border Station on the Mexicoach, to the bus station, and taxi ride to OCC. And when we left OCC, to take the taxi to the bus station and back to Border Station, it took less than an hour, and that includes going through Customs. We hit a good time!!

Way to go Karen! Hope your recovery time is good for you and for once, just relax, act like a queen and dictate! LOL Keeping you in my prayers babe! ((HUGS!))...

Hi All~ I went for my 3rd fill yesterday at OCC and Dr. Acosta put a .2cc fill in. I now have 1.8cc fill in my 4cc band. At first, I thought ONLY a ".2"?!? For some reason, I felt like it was not worth the trip. Now, this time, he told me I am NOT eating enough calories, to again, UP my calorie intake, as I am doing daily cardio and strength/weights training every other day (knowing I need to have a rest in between strength days). I was ranging anywhere between 1200 to close to 1550 a day. So I need to revamp my daily menu accordingly. Right now, FOR ME (as everyone is different remember), he says I shouldn't do daily protein shakes, as I need to EAT the proteins as much as possible. I need to get into this routine habit to continue with my weight loss journey. But, when doing heavy core exercises, to have a one, but not daily. Dr. Acosta was training a person to do fills, so lots of questions were asked so she knows how to reply/ask, etc. Again, no numbing rub or shot before he stuck me with a needle and I didn't really feel anything except the 'pressure' of him going in. He placed his fingers where my port was and spread apart to make my skin taunt and then announced he was going to insert the needle and that was it. He wrapped the sanitary cloth around the needle and proceeded the process with drinking the 'strawberry margarita'. It was still cool to see on the screen, my stomach and watching the fluids go down! I asked a few questions and here's what he said: ~ Why only a ".2" fill? He said everyone is different and they use the fluoro to guide how much of a fill is enough. I previously had 1.6cc fill and he measured and I still had the same amount of saline in my band. My pouch was not stretch and all was ok ~ good news!. He did say, because he can't see the throat area, how the wonderful "pink Margarita" barium flows down, he can only see where it starts to flow into the newly pouch. He watches several times as I sip, to see when the flow starts to be 'ragged' per se, where it doesn't do an evenly smooth flow. Once he sees that, he stops and that is your fill for the day. ~ How much food should I now be eating? To continue with eating no more than a 1/3 portion of what you use to eat, but eat more caloric food items, as I am exercising more. NO liquids, to go right ahead and continue on with the solids. Because I am over 5 months post op, my pouch and band are healed, strong and sturdy, and can take the solid food and since the fill was a tiny "tweak", my stomach won't swell at all. He asked me how I was doing since my last fill in Dec and I told him I was going up and down and now plateauing ~ BUT, I am losing inches. He said that was understandable, and expected, since after the 3 months post op, you immediately started to exercise more than you have before being banded and you are building muscles. It will take a little more time for your body to adjust what you are doing every day and not to weigh constantly (which I do currently twice a week, as I am doing those (2) Biggest Loser Challenges! UGH!!). He said my attitude plays lot on how I will lose now. So if I feel frustrated from getting off the scale and I am the same weight or more, I may eat the wrong foods to 'comfort' me. If I feel good, I may either under or over eat to celebrate, which neither is good. He did compliment me in drinking 10 glasses of water a day though and don't drink over 12 galsses a day, for me. I didn't feel any different yesterday at all, like I never went. Today, is a different story! Because I didn't 'feel the difference', I started to eat and then find I was FULL! Interesting...I had no 'warning' and next thing I knew I couldn't eat any more. So, I looked at what's left of my grilled chicken and saw that I ate not even 2 oz. I did exercised today before coming in to work, so I will add a protein shake today. Also, I will start adding the unflavored protein powder in my soups, stews and chilis. As I don't do coffee, I will also add to my tea or hot cocoa. So, all in all, this trip to TJ was good. I had NO issues coming or going to OCC. We parked at the Border Station and took the Mexicoach to their main station and took the taxi to OCC. Frederico was the same cabby we had back in Dec and he remembered my hubby and I! YEAH! He said, "I've got cards (business card) this time!" When we were done at OCC, we just had the front desk call him and he picked us up right outside OCC and took us back to the Mexicoach station and waited for the bus to take us to the border and was back to the parking lot 45 minutes later! YEAH! Got through Customs with no issues at all. My appt was for 10:30a, but didn't get in until 11am...but I think the DST between San Diego and TJ may have played into it. While I was waiting for my appt, hubby went scouting for some Kahlua (oh yeah!) and I did the same thing Kristy did with having the front desk order my meds from a nearby Pharmacia. While I was getting my fill, they had already came and went ~ AWESOME! BUT, Ive since discovered yesterday, at the bus station, there is a Pharmacia right there and they were even cheaper, at least $3 to $6 difference. So if you have the time to browse, it may be worth to shop around for a cheaper price. Here's hoping for my sweet spot for awhile! Jazzy!!

WELCOME to Bandland Fabi and Ashley! YEAH!! OK, remember to sip, sip, sip and walk, walk, walk! Do lots of mini walks, not long ones and don't sit for long periods of time. Sretch from time to time to move any gas bubbles you may have in you. Hang in there...you just had surgery. Your port area may be sore for a couple of weeks, but every person's body is different. Don't wash off the surgery glue where your port is, as it keeps in dry and holds the incision well. After it starts to do it's peeling, then you can apply Maderma to soften the skin and scaring appearances. when laying down, I used a pillow as a 'buffer' to roll on my side for comfort. Remember on day 4, if you want, you can have some of those wonderful drinkable yogurts! Good luck and keep us posted on your weight loss! ((HUGS!!))

Hi sweetie! I feel your pain as I have plateaued too. There can be a number of reasons: ~ trying too hard and focusing too much on both the food and exercises, which causes you to stress out ~ doing too much strength training and not having a rest period in between. Should do every other day ~ calories should be consistent but some days you can 'trick' your body and have a high caloric meal ~ weighing yourself the same time every time you weigh. Morning weigh in is best, as you build muscles from doing your daily routine throughout the day ~ sometimes your body is just being slow by nature ~ are you eating enough proteins? ~ drinking your water? ~ building muscles mass, which will make you either gain or stay the same ~ maybe you've lost inches, but the scale is the same? This can happened, like me. My body lost a lot and it hasn't caught up with the weight yet. You need to live your life too and just be patience. Don't be in a rush...take the time to enjoy yourself a bit and don't focus too hard. I know, I know, but you know you didn't gained your weight in a few shorts months, so dont expect that of losing weight either. Review your goals and rewrite them if you have to make smaller, reachable goals to achieve them quicker. One good thing...you haven't gained back any weight, right? THAT is a good thing! YOU CAN DO THIS! Hang in there babe! ((HUGS!))...Jazzy!!

Hi Luv ~ first, congrats on you being banded and may your weight loss journey be a good one! You've just been banded and you may have swelling still. You need to give yourself some healing time, like any other surgery, for your stomach and band to adjust to their restriction thus far. Granted, your band and stomach is quiet upset at you so you want to progress from liquids to solid foods to ease the process and to make it a comfy transition in between. At OCC, the patients does a 21 post op care. The first stage is the 'clear liquids' for 7 days; the 2nd stage is the 'creamy soup' stage (full liquids) and then we progress to the 3rd stage, solid foods. When going on the solid stage, we 'test' ourselves to have softer foods, such as an omelet with bacon and cheese and salsa, oatmeal, cottage cheese, pinto beans and cheese, fish, etc. Then progress to the harder foods such as steak, chicken, nuts, etc. Like Lindsay, we don't want to stretch our pouch by risking eating the wrong foods too quickly. After the 21 days, when on solid, we shuold eat 1/3 of what we use to eat, 3 meals a day and up to 1200 calories total for the day. Now, after 3 months post op, when you start with the heavier exercises (strength training and cardio), you may want to up to calories as you will be burning calories more. As for restriction, at the time of your surgery, your band is empty of saline, so your band and you can heal together and get use to having the band around the stomach. Between 6 - 8 weeks post op, you will want a fill to continue with your weight loss. And you will continue to follow your doctor's instructions on your diet program you're on until you are not losing weight and schedule another fill down the road. Everyone is different and will travel the road differently...listen to your body and be sensible. You have an incredible adventure ahead of you! Hope this helps...good luck and keep us posted on how you are doing!

Hi Everyone ~ I though I'd share a very interesting article from HealthDay News regarding Zinc: Health Tip: Your Body Needs Zinc Zinc is an important mineral found in almost every cell in the human body. The U.S. National Institutes of Health says that zinc stimulates the activity of approximately 100 enzymes, which are substances that promote biochemical reactions in your body. Zinc supports a healthy immune system, is needed for wound healing, helps maintain your sense of taste and smell and is needed for DNA synthesis. Zinc also supports normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood and adolescence. Zinc is found in lots of foods, and oysters contain more zinc per serving than any other. But if you can't get your hands on oysters or don't like them, there many alternatives. Red meat and poultry provide the majority of zinc in the American diet. Other good food sources include beans, nuts, certain seafood, whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals and dairy products. Zinc absorption is greater from a diet high in animal protein than a diet rich in plant proteins.

WELCOME Angie! You are making the best decision for you. Please browse through the sections and view some posts and read up as much as you can. Researching is the best preparation for understanding the success you can have for your weight loss journey! Good luck and please post if you have any questions or concerns.

AshleyMarie! Good luck babe...thinking of you! We will see you on the other side welcoming you! SDGirl...I from San Diego too! I live in the Clairemont Mesa area... ((Hugs!))...Jazzy!!

GREAT post and thanks for sharing! You inspire me and I needed to hear of this success of yours. Keep up the good work and so glad you and your band are working so well together!

Ah Carrie sweetheart...remember me saying some focus too hard on the food, which could stress you to frustration? So glad your friend was there at the right moment for you to grasp what she was saying and it hit you at the right time. Now you can go about your daily event, knowing what you've learned about food portion. You are doing great and so glad you are living your day. I am doing (2) Spring Biggest Loser Challenges (on SparkPeople) right now and it's all about menu planning and fitness tracking for me right now and it's awesome! I can't believe the difference it has made for me and my band! I no longer worry about my food intake. I now can plan ahead and know how much proteins I am eating every day, the simpler way. I now walking a minimum of 5 miles a day - yeah! I drink 10 glass of water every day. With this and my newly colon cleansing I did, I lost 9 lbs in 2 weeks...so for me, it was great, as I was on a plateau for quite some time. Carrie ~ best of luck to you babe. Focus on you living the life you want to do... ((HUGS!))...Jazzy!!

WELCOME to Bandland Lindsay! Oh, nothing feels better than being home in your own surroundings to make you heal quicker! Yes, do lots of mini short walks thoughout the day as those 'hidden' gas bubbles lurks around the joints area. And as Dana say, don't sit too long of a period...and if you do, raise your arm up towards the ceiling and stregth slightly and then the other arm. Also, do shoulder shrugs and rolls to ease tension and moving any gas bubbles you may have. Sip, sip, sip and don't inhale any air as you drink ~ no slurping...LOL! If you haven't used the Benefiber, use it to help with the roto rooter plumbing. I use both, either the chewable Orange Creme tablets or the unflavored benefiber. Both are good. Good luck and you are in for an amazing ride...keep us posted on how you are doing! Jazzy!!

I am going for my 3rd fill on Sat, Mar 21 at 10:30am...so hopefully to see some folks there! Good luck to all!

THANK YOU Lisa and Karen for your input ~ valuable lesson to learn. I guess I am, again, trying to speed things up being so new with the band and really, what you've said makes total sense. So, forget the fat burners for me and just have plain green tea, which I thoroughly enjoy. I totally appreciate ANY inputs, suggestions, etc ~ even the side effects, etc. Karen...thanks for speaking out, between the two of you, I am making a better choice for myself. ((HUGS!))...Jazzy!

HI sweetie...when I had done this many moons ago, I treated it like a "lemonade" as Vangirl says. Either use real lemons or lemon juice, enough for a 16 oz (a water bottle is fine) and if you want to sweetened it, use the liquid Stevia or any other liquid sweetner you prefer. Back in my days, regular regular white table sugar was all I used. NOTE: Table sugar is actually better for you than the artificial sweetners. But I like to try the liquid Stevia, as I like the quickly dissolving action the liquid can provide instead of the powder/granulates, where I have to constantly keep shaking to mix well. Here is what I am doing: Drink close to 2 oz (1/4 cup) of water from the water bottle, add lemon juice (if using the brand Real lemon juice, maybe 2 Tbsp worth), and currently, I am sweetening it with regular white table sugar until my order of liquid Stevia comes in.

Has anyone been doing the Green Tea Fat Burners and how are you doing with them? I tried them while on the Dual-action cleansing program and I liked it a lot. I am thinking of using these fat burners while doing the lemon water cleaning Vangirl posted. Some feed back please.