ValleyGirl

Okay, how did I not notice until NOW that you are from Vancouver Island...or did I know that?! What part? My husband is from Ladysmith, went to UVic, and I used to live in Courtenay. Anyway, yes, the forecast for these parts looks great for the rest of the weekend, enjoy!!! ANd good work on the pre-op!!! Sabrina:)

If you look at my stats at the bottom of this post you will get a pretty good idea of how things may happen. I lost on the pre-op and during liquid phase, but then I GAINED when I went back to solids and had no fill. After my first fill, I started to lose again but as it loosened (from loss of fat I guess) I GAINED again. I don't have the willpower to lose consistently without good restriction...you can see the pattern below. The good news is, despite some plateaus and even some gains along the way, I'm still down more than 70 pounds in nine months! I'm certain you will start losing once you have good restriction, but that can take a few fills to feel. Until then, you'll have to use willpower more than band power, which is very difficult. Good luck! Sabrina:)

My kids were three and five when I was post-op and they came down with stomach flu and I had to pick them up to run them to the toilet a couple times when the "barf bowl" wasn't near enough. I was SO freaked out about the lifting and also getting their flu but everything turned out fine. Just try your best not to lift them if you can avaoid it-give them lots of cuddles instead!!! Sabrina:)

Welcome to ONEDERLAND!!!! Sabrina:)

Are we posting in this section? If so, let's get a thread started for Saturday! It's way too quiet on here on the weekends. Sabrina:)

I like the Muscle Milk light as well! Sabrina:)

If you're going to OCC, they will give you a package with all of this but it's seven days clear (juices, tea/coffee, broths, water, gatordae etc) and then you move to full liquids (cream soups, yogurt and yogurt drinks etc). Luckliy it is soup season and there are some really delicious soups out there, plus recipes in the forum if you search "recipes". Sabrina:)

Andy, are you doing the liquid phase right now? If so, there are some really good soup recipes in the recipe section of the forum! Sabrina:)

I was on the road from 8am-7pm and didn't plan ahead, which is always what gets me in trouble. The good news is I exercised AND drank lots of water! B- Kozy Shack ready grains hot cereal 180 cals/2 grams fat/8 grams protein (LOVE LOVE LOVE this stuff!) S- cofee with flavored light creamer 30 cals/0 fat/ 1 gram protein L- Wendys small chili 190 cals/ 6 grams fat/ 14 grams protein D- McDonalds mini caesar salad (note to self...read nutrition info BEFORE eating it) salad had 110 cals, 4.5 grams fat and 3 grams protein.....ADD THE DRESSING and I might as well have hada burger and fries!!! I only ate half the pack, but still the cals were 130, 15 grams fat (29 if you eat the whole pack!!!) and less than a gram of protein- not a good choice ...neither was the sundae that followed....270 cals, 6 grams fat and 5 grams protein -total calories 910 - total fat grams 33.5 (no idea what a good range is but I'm guessing it's a lot lower than that) - total protein 31 grams (need to up that I see) ***walked/ran an hour on treadmill today and drank 5 bottles of water!!!

sounds good. Sabrina:)

Welcome back! I weigh around the same as you and I have a feeling this is where my body wants to "settle in" but I could be wrong. Did you lose most of your weight in the first year and then it halted or have you been losing over the whole three years? Just curious. Sabrina:)

I was completely unfilled and now have 2 cc's total and feel great! What does Dr. Arsenau say? Sabrina:)

B- nothing because I had to fast for blood work S- tall skinny cinnamon dolce latte and Starbucks biscotti L- got stuck waiting in second doctors office for almost two hours so I ate a large bag of Crispers from the corner store, ugh! D- half chicken breast baked with shake-n-bake, 2 tbs mashed potato and half cup salad with light dressing 3 bottles of water seems to be all I get in per day....I have a bladder issue (awaiting surgery) so this is hard for me:(

B- coffee with milk and Kozy Shack Ready Grains cereal L- 4 slices hot lean capicola and 3 whole grain crackers D- 1/2 cup cottage cheese and 1 cup (or more) grilled peppers and onions treat- 3 tsp home-made blackberry crumble with non-fat cool whip

Down another two pounds overnight!!! Five to go and I'm back to where I was before the unfill. I had a feeling it would come off fast and I am glad my hunch was right. I don't have great restriction, I'm still hungry every couple of hours, but I'm determined to make this fill work cause I never want to be so swollen/irritated that I spit up liquids EVER again! Sabrina:)

B- Coffee and Mango and Rasberry smoothie made with 1% milk, fresh-frozen berries only. S- Tall Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte and Starbuck BIscotti L- Sandwich meat (chicken breast and lean hot capicola) with a few pretzels and small veg plate D- grilled salmon, wild rice, and peas ( only about 4 bites cause rice started to get me stuck) CHEAT- 9 squares of cadbury fruit and nut chocolate bar.....and I don't even like chocolate but had a bad craving for it all of a sudden. Strange. Still lost two pounds over night!

Smiley, I'm 5 foot 6 and would like to be a size ten also so whate ver that "weighs" works for me! Sabrina:)

I wish I knew the answer. I was unfilled for only three weeks and got 2 cc's put in Saturday. Since then I have an ache in my lower left side too, with the same burning you mention around the port area. I'm not feeling very restricted so I know I'm not too tight. What I don't know is where this pain is coming from. I've never had pain after a fill....although this one was a little different because he said my port has tilted since last time so it took him a few tries. :-? I'll keep checking this thread to see if you get any answers. Sabrina:)

B- 2 coffees with flavored light creamer S- whole cup of sweet corn, yellow pepper and summer squash soup L- Wendys small chilli D- 2 home-made chicken strips dipped in hot sauce .....then half a cup of blackberries (I just picked) with fat-free cool whip 3 bottles of water, will try to get in more tomorrow

I go to Starbucks almost every day. You can get a skinny latte and it tastes just as good plus has lots of protein in it. Of course, if it is a trigger for you, then I will support you staying away!!! My fave is the Tall Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte- love it! Sabrina:) ps-sorry of my Starbucks Facebook status yesterday sent you on a bender, lol!

A quick update on the weight gain......three of the NINE pounds I gained with no fill for three weeks has already come off- less than 48 hours later!!! Sabrina:)

Thanks Lisa!!! I actually feel pretty skinny, which is weird cause I weigh 188 pounds. I need to lose another 28 (doctor says 40 more ) but I am worried about my face. I don't want my face any skinnier, but I want my body smaller. I'm wondering if eventually my body will just start to lose just where there is actual fat and my face will settle where it is. The way my head is in this pic, it looks a bit chubby still but it is actually getting too thin....which can make you look older, I think. Thoughts? Sabrina:)

So over it!!! Just please remember (so I don't have to say TOLD YOU SO, lol) that it is a slow slow slow process and you will hit plateaus and wonder why you did it. That is NORMAL but very disheartening none the less. This will not be easy but it will be easier than everything else you have tried. There will be good days and bad....a break-up is never easy. Yes, you are going to be breaking up with some of your favorite foods and even though you know they are not good for you, you will miss them now and then. It's those times I busy myself with the new healthier relationships I've formed here! When you need to vent, we are here! Sabrina:)

Shelby, since you seem to be on an exercise kick (good on ya) I would think that the arms could be salvaged with the right exercises. The arm lift is the one thing I, personally, would hesitate to do because of the scars. But then I have never seen any in person. I have a friend who had so much botox she can hardly move her face but she thinks breast implants are crazy and said she would never "put a foriegn object in her body"...her words, hahaha. It's funny how we are all so different. I would love a breast lift, tummy tuck, and might even consider doing something with my upper thighs but the arms scare me too. When she was alive, my grandma always used to say, "if you don't know what to do, don't do anything at all". It might sound like procrastination but that always stuck with me and has held me back from making some hasty decisions in the past that, looking back, I may very well have regretted later. It is my nature to be impulsive, so I heed her advice when I am struggling with a decision and eventually I decide on waht's right for me. Take your time to think about this one. There is always next Xmas. Sabrina:)

Looking good lady!!! You must be so happy! Sabrina:)