Lindsay

i love it! my doberman keeps me super active!

You'll also need to figure out WHERE you'll be getting your fills down. This is often an extra expense that people don't calculate, and then they're stuck for $$ when it comes to fill time. Not the best route to go, IMHO! I know for my fills, done here locally, I pay out of pocket (fills are 99.9% NOT covered by insurance plans, so you'll be paying OOP too) $150/fill. I've had (i think?!) 6 fills. As for while BEING in Tijuana, hotel is covered. And I think my room service bill came to $50, if even. It's very cheap (compared to the hotels I've stayed at!) - Shopping is crappy, so I wouldn't even bother while you're there. You'll also be eating well, so you should calculate the cost of 'real' food vs fast food, or take out. That can really make or break the band. The same with exercise. Those who exercise very regularly are far more successful, so investing in a monthly gym membership would be a great thing to consider now.

really have been watching my food ... and i'm down to 158 this week!!! :wub:

My first couple of fills were a challenge - I had a lot of fat to find the port through. I also had 'blind fills', that weren't done at the OCC, but rather just a lapband centre near me. I pay out of pocket, $150/fill. I think it was my 2nd fill that I was left with a large bruise. Not a big deal though. As time went on, the fills got A LOT easier - and by the end, you could see the port through my layers of skin. Don't worry about it. Just lay back, and relax. You've already been through the 'tough' stuff!

And on the flip side, imagine how hard it is, for him to see someone he cares about (you) running to the toilet every time you eat... and then you being pleased about your weight loss? He doesn't sound manipulative. He sounds like he's unable to really communicate what's upsetting him. He's right about you causing damage every time you vomit. The chances of your band slipping are huge, not to mention the permanent damage of every day vomiting. - Irregular heartbeat, low pulse, low blood pressure, weakened heart muscle, or heart failure. - Fluids and electrolytes problems, such as dehydration and low levels of potassium, magnesium, and sodium - Intestinal problems, such as constipation, irregular bowel movements, bloating, diarrhea, and abdominal cramping - Mouth problems, including cavities, tooth enamel erosion, gum disease, and sensitivity to hot and cold foods - Stomach problems, including ulcers, pain, and delayed emptying - Anemia ..and those are permanent issues. They will pop up, and never go away. Are you not concerned about going into heart failure? Basically that's what happens when your body has had enough. And often, there is no warning sign. He's watching you basically abuse your body, for weight loss. I'd leave too, to be perfectly honest. If you feel your appetite is 'out of control', it's not band restriction you need. It's psychological counseling to DEAL with the outstanding food/emotional eating issues you have. I know this won't be a popular post. But c'mon. We all have to responsible for ourselves. And not dependent.

muscle weighs more than fat

At the beginning, I had no issues with pills/medication. If anything, a multi-vit is necessary. Everything else is a plus. It wasn't until about a year into it, and my band was much more snug, that it became more of an issue. Don't worry about it, unless it becomes an issue. I can't take my med's in the morning. I'm just too tight.

The restriction a lot of people 'think' they want (or will get) will cause you to throw up almost instantly after swallowing. Which is exactly what they caution you from. So to answer your question HONESTLY, most of it is still will power. But no one likes that answer.

Metamucil Wafers Ingredients (http://www.metamucil.com/metamucil-fiber-wafers.php) Apple Wafers: Wheat Flour, Corn Oil, Sucrose, Psyllium Husk, Fructose, Oat Hull Fiber, Brown Sugar, Corn Starch, Soy Lecithin, Cinnamon, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Molasses, Sodium Bicarbonate, Ascorbic Acid (Preservative) Cinnamon Wafers: Wheat Flour, Corn Oil, Sucrose, Psyllium Husk, Oats, Fructose, Oat Hull Fiber, Corn Starch, Soy Lecithin, Cinnamon, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Molasses, Sodium Bicarbonate, Ascorbic Acid (Preservative) Inactive Ingredients Apple Wafers: Ascorbic Acid, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, Corn Oil, Corn Starch, Fructose, Soy Lecithin, Molasses, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Oat Hull Fiber, Sodium Bicarbonate, Sucrose, Wheat Flour Cinnamon Wafers: Ascorbic Acid, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, Corn Oil, Corn Starch, Fructose, Soy Lecithin, Molasses, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Oat Hull Fiber, Sodium Bicarbonate, Sucrose, Wheat Flour Active Ingredient (per dose) Psyllium Husk, Approximately 3.4 g Metamucil Wafers provide a great-tasting way to increase your daily fiber intake. Each adult serving of Metamucil Wafers provides 6 grams of 100% natural fiber. -- I just purchased a box of these, which wasn't cheap at $16.99 (cdn dollars) I've been feeling a bit 'clogged' lately, and find real/raw food tends to help a lot more than pills that are hard to keep down. *Fibre tip - always look for Psyllium Husk in any fibre product. It basically ensures it's a quality product, as it's the raw form of bran. Every 100 grams of psyllium provides 71 grams of soluble fiber. The box is large, with 56 wafers, 28 servings/portions - they come in handy little on-the-go packets to prevent over eating. 100 cal, per package. I opted for the "Apple Crisp' flavor, but I did see a chocolate variation on the shelf. It just contain larger amounts of artificial sweeteners, which I'm trying to stay away from. The little package of 'wafers' looks small, but it took me almost 15 min to eat one. While it's not dense, it's not dry and doesn't have that dry taste that a lot of fibre products tend to have. I would highly recommend these. They taste good, without being too sweet or dry. My rating (out of 4 stars): **** Positive: They contain a good amount of soluable fibre. Negative: Slightly high in sugar (6g) but that's probably why they taste so good!

Besides the restriction, what are you eating? (including portion sizes) Posting your diet is usually a quick way of telling on what's really going on. Even with the band, you still need to really watch every single thing you eat. The band is definitely a LONG TERM solution. While you maybe eating a bit less than you did before, you still have to put on your 'eating properly 100% of the time' hat. That's the ONLY way you'll get results with the band. Eating HALF a hot dog, instead of a full hot dog isn't going to give you the results you're looking for, nor develop the eating habits & lifestyle change you will need to be successful with the band. As for the price of fills, I'm paying of pocket as well ($175 each) but I was well prepared for quite a few fills - I ended up getting at least 6, over about a years' time, to get to that sweet spot, you're speaking of.

I know there have been LOTS of threads on this exact topic, so I suggest you doing a search, just so you know your comment/question isn't an uncommon one. But, it took me almost a year to get to my perfect restriction point - and that was about 5 or 6 fills later. It's a long process, getting to the sweet spot, and typically takes a bit of time.

I agree with what everyone else has said. Getting another fill will not help things ... it will just make it a lot more difficult. I'd stay where you are.

I too, just carry this card.

Carrie, my one indulgence - a non-sweetened iced coffee, with a bit of cream ...YUMMMMMMMMM!

thank you again, everyone! I still can't believe it most days. !!

You have the band because it works just like an appetite suppresent. What are you eating?? Please post a few days of your intake, as that usually tells the story. And your exercise/fitness?

Zero calorie jello doesn't exist - remember that even artificial sweetener DOES have calories. But yes, all of those choices are fine! As for the spray dressings - they're full of chemicals. Just go with vinegar (balsamic is my fav) with a 1 TBSP of flax oil or olive oil. That's all you need for dressing, plus, you'll get getting in a healthy fat, which will help with your energy levels during low carb dieting.

I had the time frame of 6-8 weeks between each fill, and that's what I stuck with.

With my current restriction, drinking water is tricky, and i've had to stop from being the guzzler. once you get your first, second .. etc fills, and you start to feel restriction, you'll know - it's different for everyone, but for the first half a year, I had little to no restriction, and could literally drink freely. Enjoy it while you can!

Thank you everyone. My biggest challenge has been controlling my binge eating, which is close to impossible to do with the band and the restriction I have. Mind over matter, right?! Debbie -- I'm 5'8" (and a half!) Just proves a # of the scale doesn't mean a lot. We all carry our weight differently.

I can barely believe it, but the hard work has completely paid off for me. I'm down 91 lbs! I exercise every. single. day. (-->at least 45min of HIIT cardio & I weight train at least 3x's a week) I eat extremely clean. And I food journal. That's the big secret everyone talks about on here, for success. I finally cleaned my closet over the weekend -- Bye size 18 jeans. Good bye 2x shirts. Hello size 10 mavi jeans! I feel amazing. I'm excited to enter the next chapter of this journey: Refining my body fat % and increasing my lean body mass. My current weight is 164lbs, but I'm not watching the scale anymore.

NO. Google it. You'll find a shit load of reviews, that poo-poo them. Total waste of $$.

It didn't slow down for me, because of the fact it's solids - it was more of a 'still eating like crap' thing. That's usually the case. If you watch every single thing you put in your mouth, you will lose weight. Especially if you're taking in less calories than you're burning ... Just make sure you're exercising at least 45 minutes a day, and of course you'll see results. And I would highly recommend starting a food journal. You'd be surprised how many cal's we all took in pre-band.

Are you food tracking? Posting what you eat for a week would probably tell the story... Also, you don't feel restriction, because you haven't had a fill yet! Once you get your fill, things will be completely different, and your caloric intake will probably go down by half. But really, the proof is in the pudding, so to speak. Please post your diet.