ValleyGirl

To you too Judy! For those (includig you) on facebook with me, I just posted video of an adorable song my daughter sang for me for mothers day! Have a listen! Sabrina:)

Finally.....199....at least for today! No unfill yet since I've been able to eat anything but I have scheduled a check-up because I still have this wierd tenderness under my ribs on both sides (not just around port) and I'm always paranoid something is wrong. Lap bands and hypochondriacs don't mix well! Should know what's up by Thursday. Sabrina:) ps-My 20-year high school reunion is June 6th and I had a mini-goal to be in a size 14 dress for it so I bought one and I've ALMOST got it zipped up but need to lose about five pounds by then. I really hope I can do it. The weight loss has really started to slow now.

I couldn't have survived without my morning coffee- I was never told not to have it! Sabrina:)

Super grumpy here too!!! I was even worse during my 21-day liquid diet. I remember cursing at work one day and a co-worker said, "Oh my, I've never heard you swear.....it's like hearing Santa swear!" I'm usually very bubbly. Prepare the friends and family and hopefully they'll be more patient. Sabrina:)

I am very tender on both my left and right side under rib cage....a totally different feeling than being stuck. Almost like pulled muscles.

Can you describe the pain Nicole? I have a feeling I'm following in your footsteps. I want to get a check-up soon- just waiting for teh swine flu stuff to pass so I can convince someone to go woth me. Sabrina:)

I'm not trying to be negative (and God knows I hope they are wrong) but when I went to an info session for lap band a few years ago, they said that "most" people will lose 60% of their excess weight and keep it off. Some more, some less, but that is the average I was given....and not through Dr. Ortiz, either. He may have different (better) stats. At the time I thought, "I'm okay with that....even if I get to 200 and stay there and not gain another pound, I can deal with that....I just don't want to keep gaining and gaining and gaining and find myself 40 years old and over 300 pounds". Well, here I am at that 60% loss (from 256 to 200 in about five months) and I'm starting to freak out. Is this it? Am I done? I WANT IT ALL OFF!!! I want to lose that last 40 pounds so bad but the scale is not moving, up and down the same few pounds for a few weeks. I'm wishing that I never heard that darn statistic. Have I subconsiously stopped my weight loss having this info in the back of my mind? Anyway, I'm sure I'm not making you feel better. Sorry. I just thought I'd share my thoughts on this. Mona is right, though. Imagine where we'd be without it! Scary thought. The scale might not be going down but it's not going up either. I can see how simple it will be to maintain once at goal. Trying to get to goal is going to be the hard part. I hope some people who have will chime in and provide words of wisdom for all of us! Take care. Sabrina:)

Get as much rest as you can. Congratulations! Sabrina:)

I don't know what to say about your stomach hurting when empty. Mine only hurts if I eat too much. It has never hurt when empty and I'm very very rarely hungry. I do love oatmeal though, and find it very satisfying! Sorry I can't be more help. Sabrina:)

Yes, what changed? Fill us in!!! Things were looking so bleak on the weekend. This is wonderful news for you! It's a difficult journey so I think having some stumbling blocks along the way (and being able to work through them) makes you want to succeed all the more. If you just snapped your fingers and everything fell in to place, you may not appreciate the opportunity as much and may not have as good results. YOU REALLY have to want this `cause it is so hard some days. Sabrina:)

200 today!!! I'm going for an unfill this week, so I'm pretty sure I'll be hanging around this weight for a while now...onederland is so close, yet still so far away! How's everybody else doing? Sabrina:) ps- it's my 5 month bandiversary today!

Sounds like you're right where you should be...just watch it doesn't tighten up more. Mine has and now I'm needing an unfill:(

Sorry to hear this heartburn is happening to you too Lisa. I just talked to the sweet Dr. Martinez on his cell (I can't believe I can just call the surgeon like that!). He agrees on liquids for a few days until I can get an unfill. He says a complete unfill is the way to go....and then start with a smaller fill in a few weeks. Not what I wanted to hear, but better to be safe than sorry. Sabrina:)

I just read over the recipes and I doubt I'd be able to eat a lot of the foods listed for days 4 and 5....confirming my suspicions that I'm probably going to need an unfill very soon. The soups sound wonderful but those hard proteins freak me out. I'm going to give it a try anyway! I need two days of liquids to get this heartburn and pb'ing in check anyway. It would be nice if this 5 day plan finally got me under 200 too! 200.5 today............SO close!!! Sabrina:)

I've been having heartburn the past few days (burning in the back of my throat) and I have pb'd twice in two days; however it is my TOM. I have read that heartburn means you are too tight. I can drink normally and can eat normally most of the time so I'm hesitant to unfill but if heartburn is, in fact, dangerous, I need to know so I can arrange an unfill. Can it wait a few days or does this warrant an emergency unfill? Again, no problems with liquids at all. Sabrina:)

Angela, I didn't know if it was my imagination because it seemed to start right after I read your post, but I'm now having heartburn too. There are days I think I'm too tight and plan for an unfill and then the next few days I am fine so then I decide to stay at this fill level. Today I am too tight for sure. I just tried a couple bites of baked potato and it got stuck....mushed up potato!!! After thirty minutes, the pressure in my chest was driving me nuts so I went and bent over and up came slime and potato but this time I could taste stomach acid like you have when vomitting- no wrenching but I could for sure taste the acid and that has NEVER happened, even though I have pb'd before. I guess I'm going to need an unfill too. I remember reading somewhere that heartburn was a bad sign but I can't remember why. Please tell me everything they told you. Thanks. Sabrina:)

I'm glad to hear you don't need to be teeny-tiny for a tummy tuck. I'm certain if I had one NOW it would make a huge difference in my body since most of my weight is there- typical post-babies body with small arms and legs and this big muffin-top hanging over my pants, ugh! I thought I'd need to be somewhere in the "normal" body weight range (normal according to those unrealistic charts) but now I may aim for the ps when I'm in the 170's. Is there any reason it's better to wait to be at a lower weight? My ultimate goal is 160 pounds. I don't want to or expect to be lower than that. Sabrina:)

I'm not much of a cook so I can't help you with soup recipes although I LOVE LOVE LOVE Habitant pea soup, which I believe is a French-Canadian product. I ate it a lot during the liquid phase cause it is so filling. I'll ask my sister (a soup Goddess) for some of her awesome recipes and post when she gets back to me. Sabrina:)

I think you'll find the next fill makes a HUGE difference. I went from 2.4 to 3 cc's and it's much easier to stay on track now. I'll bet this will be the one that kick-starts that weight loss for you!!! Keep us posted. Sabrina:)

The roller-coaster ride continues.....back up to 202 today. Argh!!! I need the universe to hear this loud and clear, so feel free to join in, hahaha........ I WILL BE IN ONEDERLAND BY THE WEEKEND I WILL BE IN ONEDERLAND BY THE WEEKEND I WILL BE IN ONEDERLAND BY THE WEEKEND I WILL BE IN ONEDERLAND BY THE WEEKEND I WILL BE IN ONEDERLAND BY THE WEEKEND I WILL BE IN ONEDERLAND BY THE WEEKEND Thanks and have a great day! Sabrina:)

Dr. Arsenau is BANDED????? That's the first I've heard of that! When? Where? What's his story? That's so exciting! Sabrina:)

Angela is right. It's totally normal to have no restriction with first fill. Most people don't get restriction until the second fill and some take even more. All our bodies are different. It took 3 fills for me, 3cc's in a 4 cc band. Sabrina:)

I had port pain last week when I was sick and coughing non-stop. It has since subsided so I'm not too worried but if you are, send OCC an email. Sabrina:)

It always amazes me how much YOUNGER everybody on here looks afetr losing all that weight. Wow! Way to go! Sabrina:)

If it feels like the area is irritated, I would do a couple days of liquids. Sabrina:)