MyNewLife

You guys have been doing so good with this! Ok here I go (another bad friday already!) B- 7:00 am Starbucks Carmel Frap and Oatmeal 8:30 am Starbuck Oatmeal with nuts S- Protien Bar L- 1/2 cups Pinto Beans and 3 slices of Candian Bacon S- I think Im gonna have cottage cheese.... D-TBD No Water yet! Carrie

WOW...that is truly AMAZING....What an inspiration!!!!!! You look wonderful! Carrie

Thank you for letting me join. You look fabulous yourself! I love having someone there with me to push through. I am trying something this week, I am trying to get my brain wrapped around the fact that I might have to eat a little more calories to get the weight going. That is really hard for me, but it seems like I cant get the scale to move! Good Luck! Carrie

Hi Elle~ Congrats and welcome. You have came to an awesome forum and you will meet a ton of wonderful people that is going to inspire, support, and give you really great advice! Im not from Sacramento, from Texas, just wanted to say Hi! Congrats on the 10lbs down! Carrie

Ok for me, when I eat and I know not to take another bit is almost like when you are eating now and you are VERY full and you just cant eat another bit, HOWEVER, in the past I would keep eating. NOW if I get that feeling that I am full, I stop, even if I am in the middle of chewing and food in my mouth, I spit it out! If I do swallow it or keep eating, my food will get stuck. I will slim, which is, for me, almost like your mouth watering but REALLY thick and clear. It will do this to try to lube the food to get it to go down. If I slim, my food is REALLY stuck. Sometimes it takes 15 mins to pass or I have had it take up to 1 hour and half to pass. Like Lisa said the band is very high, you feel it almost right between your breast just a little higher. When I slim, my band does start to "gurgle" sometimes its louder than others but mine is really not too loud. Its sounds and feels almost like your stomach growling, but is your "band" ..wow this is harder to explain than I thought....lol. This biggest advise that I can give you is take your time and chew your food really good. The first time I got "stuck" was when I got really lax and had just made the statement, I dont even feel like I have a band, and it reminded me REAL quick..uhmm yes Maam you do!...I thought I was going to DIE! It hurt really bad, double over holding my chest praying that it will go down and WHATEVER you do, do not drink to make it pass, OMGoshhh, It will only make it get stuck even more! There is several people who does not slim, but PBs, which means productive burping. This has only happend to me once and I hope it does not EVER again. I felt like I had to burp (this is gross, but you need to know) and when I did burb, the food came up into my mouth. It was a shock, I just needed to let a little burp out, up it came! There are some people who also when they slim, that it is automatic that they will have to throw up. Everyone is so different, you will learn it, but trust me it is going to have to happen for you to truely understand and know what to do and not to do, what to eat and not to eat, when to eat it and not to eat it. (time of the day). Your band will be tighter in the moring than night. It took me until my second fill to really be able to have good restriction. Something else that is Very strange to me, is it is very hard for me to determine if I am hungry. Before being banding, my tummy would growl and you know the hunger pains, well now, my left shoulder will have a pain in it when I am hungry. My tummy never really hurts anymore. Weird I know! OK enough rambling for now! I hope this helps. This is my situation and others may not experience what I do. Good Luck to all of you! Carrie

Kristi! Ok...Can I join in on Operation Size 10. I too am in 12's and would LOVE be that much closier to that single diget size!!!!!! WOW, NEVER thought I would be saying that... That is so awesome! You go Kristi! Carrie

Hi! I think the biggest thing for me was I had it in my mind that I could get the band, eat what I wanted to, just in smaller portions and the weight was going to fall off. I could not have been more WRONG. The band is the tool, it does not police what goes into your mouth, just the amount. You still can eat very bad things that will prevent you from loosing the weight. I am aware of the calories of everything I put in my mouth and I HAVE to stay away from fast foods, breaded, fried, pastas, anything fattening. Everyone is different, some people may can eat what they still did just in smaller portions, but for me, it does not work like that. I also exercise at least 3-4 days a week for about an hour at a time and the only drink that I pretty much drink is Flavored water and protien shakes. Again everyone is different. If I had to do it over, I would do it in a heart beat. I am more heathly with food and exercise than I have ever been in my life. I have a sister who has always been "the diet queen"...lol and I always have told her you could walk by her fridge and loose 10 pounds. She stated to me the other day, who would have thought that you know have became the "diet queen"!....It was pretty funny! Good Luck to you! Carrie

Happy 10 month B-Lated ! Carrie

Shelby, That to me is going to be one of my biggest! I dont think I have EVER worn a shirt tucked in. I cant wait to see the pics! Way to go girl! Carrie

Hi Lori! My friend that was banded with me has this same exact one and she LOVES hers. I have not real problem with pills but I just wanted to say that this is a great product for someone that needs one. Thanks for sharing! Carrie

Honestly, Im not sure of the differences. I do know that the South Beach Diet, I have done before and lost 50lbs on it, but of course gained it back. I did not stick to portion control or the types of foods I was eating. It has 3 phases (you can go on line and it will tell you which foods you can and cant have in each phase). The phase I think if I remember are two weeks at a time. The first phase is kinda like out pre-op...lol....Limited, kinda kicks in your weight loss. Each phase after that, you can add in certain foods. Most of what I do already is pretty close to this, I just need to slow down on how much fruit I eat a day, and add in more veggies...... Carrie

Red, Everyone one is correct, you are in bandster hell. It took me two fills, went for my second fill two weeks after my first fill, to feel restriction. Try not to get to discouraged, this is the process that most of us face. The stress of it will drive you crazy! I wanted to post this for you. I know things are easier said than done, but this is your "roadside assistance" from me for the day! This was a post that I posted a WHILE back. I was VERY frustrated with everything....... I had lunch with a friend of mine that was banded two years ago and is a size 4 now. I have been getting so frustrated, today is 4months for me! I have decided I HATE SCALES. I was weighing everyday, then twice a week and then once a week. My friend told me to stop EVERYTHING that I was doing and to live, just live life. She told me that I have now went from being obessed with food, to know being obessed with scales, protein, fiber, weights, walking, everthing I do or say is about this band which will cause so much stress and depression. She could have not been so correct. I think I thought ok, I have the band, the weight is going to fall off, wow was I WRONG! The more I was wrong the more obessed with doing everthing correct the more discouraged I was getting because I was doing everthing correct and the weight was still not falling off. I hope that makes since, feel like I am rambling. I have decided to live, just live life. Keep eating the correct food with my exercise but just live. This has been for the past week or two. Well guess what. I went for my third fill yesterday and am happy to report I had lost 9 lbs of fat and gained 3 pounds of muscle since my last fill a little over a month ago. Red, you WILL do Great! Carrie

Hey Sabrina, Just wanted to say that I think you are doing great. I know with my "old habits" that this has to be hard. I have never had an unfill, but I was talking to my husband last night and I think that i am going to start the South Beach Diet again. I did this in this past and it really helped me with what I am suppose to eat and not eat. I just dont know if I am going to do Phase 1 for two weeks, kinda scared I wont get in my calories. I have been eating a ton of fruits the past couple of weeks, and the fruits is at moderation only in phase 2&3. I dont know maybe this is something that could help you, with the carbs anyway! Keep us posted! Carrie

Hi! I agree with alot that has been said. I like the South Beach Replacment meal bars. The peanut butter chocolate is my FAV. They give me my sweet kick. They are 180 calories with 12 grams of protien. Maybe try some fruits as well. I cant seem to find a 100 calorie snack pack that I dont want to eat more than one of...lol. They seem to go straight through my band, so I do stay away from them. I think its important that you do find something that you can eat, you dont want to have your body to go into hibernation mode and start storing! Good Luck to you! Carrie

Thank you very much! Glad to see your around! How has everything been going? Carrie

RevyD, Thank you! I remember when I made the choice, there was not stopping me. I think I drove everyone around me crazy! That is all I talked about. I think the biggest advice I can give you is research and educate yourself with everything you can about the bad. Read the pros and cons of the bad. Make sure you understand what changes you are going to have to make, what foods and drinks you will have to give up. Ask yourself why you are doing this, search deep. I think this is what helped me so much. I did not go get the band and say ok whats next.....The more you are aware of what is going to happen and what you will have to deal with, the better off you will do! This board of FULL of information and very helpful people that will answer all of your questions. Good Luck and keep us posted! Carrie

I am scared to death to drink carbonated drinks, I wont touch them for the world. I was told that cabonination COULD cause your band to stretch and even could cause band errosion....YIKES! Honestly not sure if this is correct, but I will not take that chance. Carrie

Ashley, Love the pics! You can tell a BIG difference. You are just too cute! Carrie

Hi Guys! B- I had protien Bar and a Banana....180 for the bar and around 110 for the Banana S-Coffee, Protien Shake made with water....First time to try, not to bad! 110 caloires L- I had one shimp wrapped in a half peice of bacon...about a table spoon of cottage cheese and ate about half a turkery patty....Two plums I would say bout 300 calories??? S- Protien Bar and 6 seasoned crackers ..260 caloires???? D- 3 oz of Salmon, 1/2 cups of Bushes pinto beans and 1 1/2 plums, one of just too ripe! 375 calories Calories....1300 +....higher than I thought I would be! around 55-60 oz of water.... No exercise, had to take the kids to meet the teacher tonight! Carrie

Hi Ashley! I add a little milk with two splenda packets and some almonds to mine. I dont make mine real thick. It is VERY good! Carrie

RevyD Welcome to the board.. You will find some WONDERFUL friends here and great information. I havent lost the 100lbs yet but I am working very hard to get there! Good Luck to you! Carrie

You know, I dont think you are eating enough calories. How are you doing on your Protien and WATER intake. I think these two are really important. I think you did GREAT with logging your food, this will help you SO much! Way to go! Keep up the good work! Carrie

Hi Guys! Ok...Here I go, being honest about this one! B- Starbucks - Carmel Frap...double blended and did not ever get it light....eeekkk! Then ate oatmeal with nuts... L- Turkey Burger (homemade) crumbled over Baby Spinach leaves with 2 lbs of Vingerate dressing...1/2 cup cottage cheese and four strawberrys. S-Protien Bar S Again....Two plums D..Four shimp wrapped in 1/2 peice of bacon each with 2 tbls of brown rice...... Drank 1 20 oz glass of water with fresh squeezed lemon (YUCK)... :-) but is suppose to be good for you! Drank 2 20 oz with crystal light drop in Did P90X for 54+ minutes - Back and Arms....Did not do the AB Ripper afterwards... :-( I did ok all day but did REALLY bad with the Frap...! LOADED with calories and Sugar! Carrie

Lisa, Thank you, this means alot coming from you. I think I am one of your biggest fans and you have inspired me SO much through out this whole process! Thank you for EVERYTHING and all the encouragement you gave me before being banded, up until today. Carrie