FeistyNY

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July 22, 2008 = 199.2!!! Lost 101.8 lbs since surgery, 30 more to go ;-).
What can I say, Atkins (Mediterranean vesion!!!). Love my new lifestyle, banned all the carb and sugar cravings for life, its so much easier to choose food and snacks... Once in a few weeks, sometimes once in 10 days, I do "carb loading" = one or two meals a day whatever I can eat or want, mac and chees, ice cream, breads..
But only for one or two days, then must get back to basics, I dont trust my body to tell me when to stop, I must do it and then the weight continues to drop...

Oh yeah I had an unfill after that emergency port change, I was chocking and suffering for weeks and then finally went and got an unfill, .2 cc, I guess thats my sweet spot right now, since I am still losing weight...
Learned the hard way, dont suffer, there should not be a heartburn or any other discomfort.

Jan 27th, 2008 - (217 lbs) – 84 lbs lost since surgery
12th fill, total 3.5 in 4cc band

On Jan 11, 2008 had another surgery, my port was leaking. A week prior to surgery I woke up and wanted to swallow the whole refrigerator, could not stop, waited a few days and realized something was wrong, called the doctors office and had and emergency procedure, which was pretty much the same as original  surgery, except faster and less painfull.
So, now I have a low port, dont even know what it means, I have an appt with my doc on wed, will ask all the questions then.
From the day of the first leak to the surgery = 9 days, i gained 10 lbs, yup, as if I never ate so little, the hunger came back with a vengence, I was very very upset. I lost those 10 lbs 10 days later, but now gained 3 back. Weird feelings, cant eat or drink at all until 2-4pm, but after that until 9 get very hungry and eat too much, I will probably ask for another fill on wed, .2cc
In may of this year I started doing Atkins and have been on it since then, obviously its the right one for me, no sugar of any kind, no white flour and very few carbs. At first it was very hard, as if I was a junky getting off some drug, but now I am used to it and feel fine, of course I take lots of supplements and herbs to compensate for the little food that I eat.
Hair is still falling out, but I have lots of it, so...
I read some place that even if u r doing low carb but your particular body requires even 5 carbs less a day to lose weight, your efforts are useless, so... I tried to find my own number, approx its under 40 carbs a day and no food or drinks whatsoever after 8PM. If I eat or drink I will gain weight and/or will have a horrible heart burn, which scares me to death, I almost choked a few times in the past month.
Its been a very tough road, but I am still happy I have my band.

Cheers!!!

**** Feb 15h 2007 - (266 lbs) Same weight, have not lost anything or gained for that matter.
Had an upper GI, hospital doc was not happy to watch barium barely dripping down. My docs office called and said come in to talk to the doc because of the results of upper GI. "You are too tight and your esophagus is a bit stretched.." geez, no wonder I can barely eat or drink on some days, but on others at night I can eat well.
Anyway, she took 0.2 cc out in order to me to heal and be able to eat a little more. She said I need to eat more protein, I asked why I am not losing weight since I eat so little and her response was "you are in starvation mode".. nice, very nice..
So now.. 1st unfill - .2 cc = total 3.4 in 4cc band 
Lets see what happens now.....

**** Jan 4th 2007 - Almost one year anniversary! - (266 lbs) – 35 lbs lost since surgery 12th fill, + .2 cc = total 3.6 in 4cc band - I lost 3 lbs!
 I am very very happy, because it seems that I am a better bandster now then when I first started. My restriction has losened up a bit, hence another fill. I hope that if I continue with this progress I should be 80lbs less by the end of this year and guess what,  that is a big change for my body. I am older, lazier, my metabolism is slower, so this kind of a weight loss is a major accomplishment, taking into consideration that I do very little of exercising. I am planning to go back to the gym very soon . Because, I feel lighter, I look better in spandex and I know that if I add this to my small portion, my progress will be better.
Doctor was happy too, she told me that its not a major loss but still a loss and I feel and look better, which is very important.
She told me to get an upper GI, to see if the band has stayed in the original position and if I have not stretched my esophagus.

Well.. will keep you posted!!!!

*** Some of my favorite quotes :-)

 "Caution: Hungry Dieter - May bite if provoked!" "Without ice cream life and fame are meaningless" "If you're going to walk on thin ice, you may as well dance." "A conscience does not prevent your sins. It only prevents you from enjoying them."

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**** 11/9/2006 - (269 lbs) – 32 lbs lost since surgery 11th fill, + .2 cc = total 3.4 in 4cc band (lost .2 someplace.. hmm) I lost 7 lbs, wow! I just came back from Jamaica and boy it was fun, and I lost 7 lbs, that is after eating very little of good stuff and lotsa desserts, geez. I guess dancing every night 2+ hours does help, hehe So, I am happy with the weight loss, and really feel that I am close to a sweet spot, but was worried that as usual I lose a few pounds and lose my restriction... So.. I saw Dr. Shaw today, was actually happy to have a different opionion, even though I love My Dr. Kurian, she is great! Anyway.. after I told him my long boring daily story ... no liquids or food until past 1PM, he said its a classic esophagus spasm syndrome, hence I have to eat very slowly and Veryyyy small pieces of solid food. If I stick to liguids I wont lose much weight.... Okay.. lets see how long this will last and I am so eager to be 50 lbs less by my first anniversary.. oh well.. hope dies last :-) Will see my doc agai in 4 weeks! 

**** 9/28/2006 - (276.3lbs) – 25 lbs lost since surgery 10th fill, + .2 cc = total 3.4 in 4cc band I gained 1 lbs, not happy, but not really upset. These were the weirdest 3 weeks of my whole lap-band journey. At first I could not eat at all, and then a few days later the hunger came back with a vengeance. I cant eat or drink for that matter in the morning. Lunch I can sip hot liquids and then eat slowly some protein and some snack. I cant really say that I eat a lot during the day, actually pretty average bandster portions. But, when I get home at night, the dinner is a nightmare, I cant get enough or feel satisfied. I start with some soup or tea to relax my spasmic throat and then I have some fish or chicken. I soon as that food settles I get very hungry and keep on eating till I cant breathe. So... this experience is very strange and I am not happy that each day is a different adventure. I can never predict what and when I would be able to eat and I think my body is having a fit. I don’t know.. this 10th fill (3.4 cc) and I definitely feel it. My throat clamps up on me if I eat too much and until 4PM I cant even drink hot drinks, well barely.. Okay, no more complaining, I shall continue and see where this leads. I am still hopeful. 

**** 9/7/2006 - (275.3lbs) – 26 lbs lost since surgery 9th fill, + .1 cc = total 3.2 in 4cc band I lost 3lbs in two months, I am happy! So, since my last 8th fill .... The first three weeks I was in heaven, I had hit the ever elusive "Sweet spot", wow what a pleasure - eat a little, get satisfied, don’t puke and move on about your life without being hungry for a few hours!!! Now that’s what I call having a built-in support system. I lost about 7 lbs, then the fourth week the hunger started to come back and every week it was getting worse and worse. I tried very hard to fight it, but as I know, it’s a lost case. When I am hungry I lose any logic, reason or

**** 6/21/2006 - (278.2lbs) - 23lbs lost since surgery 8th fill, + .1 cc = total 3.1 in 4cc band I lost 1.1 lbs in three weeks, I am still happy! Ok, lets see, the fill was painless and quick. My Doc is wondering why I need another one, but gives it to me anyway, because I tell her that I enjoy being tight. She almost gave me .4, but I panicked and asked only for .1. Last time even .1 made me tighter, especially now when I am so "filled up". I prefer going there every 3-4 weeks and get .1, wanting to arrive to my "sweet spot" slowly. I am very afraid to be too tight! Clothes are very lose, yieepi!! Otherwise I am not being a good bandster - no exercise, but lotsa house cleaning. I eat low fat ice cream every day and I do tend to find easy foods ;-(.. I hope someday I will follow the rules closer.. Oh go ahead punish me, as if losing weight so slowly is not punishment enough ;-) 

**** 5/31/2006 - (279.3lbs) - 22lbs in total since surgery 7th fill, + .1 cc = total 3.0 in 4cc band I lost 4 lbs in three weeks, I am VERY happy! 7th fill in 4.5 months, wow, who knew? The niddle pinched a little, but as usual no biggie. I am very happy about my weight loss, since I've been eating lotsa ice cream :-( yup, the easy happy food, but hey since I dont really eat much of other stuff, I guess the total calorie count does count! No much else to report, I am two sizes down yieepee!!! size 20 jeans are comfy and do not cut out my circulation or breathing abilities. Next vist in 3 weeks, will see if this "sweet spot" is near by, damn it! Later! 
control. So.. the few pounds slowly creeped back up. I was supposed to go for another fill, but got very sick, coughed my brains out for about 4 weeks.. Anyway, went to the doc, got my 9th fill and guess what? Wow wee, I Love it, back to that happy state. I will go back in 3 weeks to get another fill. I stepped on the scale 3 days after this fill and sure enough 3 lbs less, I LOVE MY BAND! Till then… 

**** 5/10/2006 - (283.5lbs) 6th fill, +.2 cc = total 2.9 in 4cc band I lost 2.5 lbs in three weeks, I am happy! As usual, the fill was painless, doc was happy with my weight loss. She wondered why I wanted another fill, since I am losing weight. I need another fill because by late afternoon into the evening the flood gates open and I can eat way too much. Well, more then I think I should in order to continue losing weight. I think I am getting the hang of this thingy :-), right after the fill I have to continue on liquids and mushies for much longer then I expected (about 7-9 days) and only then switch to solids. I found out the hard way that if I dont follow this routine, I tend to PB much more often, get very frustrated and eat around the band. Yep, I learned what tastes good, makes me happy and goes down way too well. Oh, a funny thing happened on the way to - I went thru customs and my wonderful titanium port beeped. They had to "pat me" and when I told the lady that its my port she asked what its for, I said "its used for sticking needles inside, in order to fill me with fluid" haha, she just squirmed! :-) and let me go! I feel very very very tight now, almost no liquid in the morning except for 3 table spoons of cream of wheat. But as the day goes by I can eat mushies ;-) Next appt in 3 weeks, I shall see if I need another fill. I figure its a catch up game, as I lose weight, my insides shrink as well, hence a need for more fills/restriction. 

**** 4/19/2006 - (285.5lbs) 5th fill, +.2 cc = total 2.7 in 4cc band I lost 5 lbs in two weeks, yipee! This is the biggest loss yet and I love this restriction, I am not fighting it anymore. I am learning to drink/eat liquids and mushies for 7-8 days post fill and then slowly I introduce the solids. "The drainage" = my esophagus seems to open up at night a lot, but in the morning only small amount of warm liquid and nothing else goes down. I think I may need another small fill, as when I lose a little weight and the swelling goes down, I can consume more then I think I should. I would like to stay with 1/2- 1 cup of food if its possible. So my next appt is in three weeks and I am very excited about this new progress. I am slowly learning that this elusive "Sweet spot" is a wonderful state. Regards... P.S. still being a bad bandster, no exercise at all, looking forward to my vacation next week, because I am planning to do a lot of dancing and swimming on the Island of Jamaica , ya Mon! 

**** 4/5/2006 - (290.5lbs) 4th fill .3cc in 4 cc band = total 2.5cc. Lost 1lb according to docs scale. Now I know that for at least 3-5 days I need to drink liquid and eat mushies. Last time for the whole 7 days I was PBing, everything felt like a marble ball. But on day 8, the flood gates opened and I was able to eat small portions of anything I wanted without pain, thanks God! NSV!!! - Clothes are falling off me, especially pants!!!! Weight wise its nice (-13 lbs), but not a huge amount, but size wise I believe at least 2 sizes. I refuse to buy anything new now, I want to wait and use my old clothes and then... Oh boy, watch out MasterCard, here I come :-)

**** 3/28/2006 - (289.5lbs) One week post third fill and I am fighting it :-( Not a happy camper here, all over sudden 2 days after the fill, I can't eat anything without pain :-( I chew and chew, but only liquids are going down nicely. So, the first 4 days I ate cake and ice cream, I know bad, but I was hungry and I still managed to lose some weight. I did not eat a lot. I need to learn how to chew-chew-chew, otherwise I PBed almost every day twice a day. I am cranky, because my mind and my eyes are not in sync with my stomach, still. I do feel like I just want to eat something and not worry about it getting stuck........oh well and this shall pass.. 

**** 3/22/2006 - (290.5lbs) 3rd fill .7cc in 4 cc band = total 2.2cc According to my docs scale I lost 4 lbs. Not too bad for two weeks and no exercise whatsoever. I do watch what I eat and keep it low carb/cal. Doc said that I probably wont be able to handle breakfast and will be pretty tight. As previously, no discomfort while getting the fill, she is really great! For the rest of the day on Cappuccino SlimFast, not bad at all, as long as its cold. And it does keep me full, better then regular protein shakes

**** 3/14/2006 - (290.5) One week post 2nd fill, I lost some Yieepiii!!! I do feel some restriction and do eat about 50% less then last week. I am following the bandster rules, I eat mostly protein, then some veggies and very little carbs. I stay satisfied much longer now and that makes me very happy. My 3rd fill is next week, I cant wait, I hope the size of my meals will be reduced more :-) I find that I need to get my head and my eyes in sync with my stomach, lol I tend to buy and order much more then I can actually eat. And every day is an adventure, I wake up and think .. ok.. what type of food is going to choke me today, haha Yup, I cant eat a lot of stuff and if I dont chew-chew-chew, I am in pain :-( See ya....!!!! 

**** 3/8/2006 - (294 lbs) 2nd Fill - .8cc in 4 cc band = total 1.5cc Ok, so I am up 1 lbs, not a big deal since I can eat a lot, less then prior to being banded, but still alot more then before. I am not sure if I feel a lot of restriction, but definetely some. I am back on liquids then mushies. I am worried a little about what I should eat and how much, I am trying to prevent "episodes". I've had 3 PBs since being banded, obviously did not chew enough or it was too dry. Scary feeling :-( I have not been a good bandster, I have eaten sweets more often then I should and I have not exercise at all. So, yes I deserve not to be losing any weight. My next appt in two weeks, I am pretty sure I will get another fill. Lets see what happens then. I guess I am waiting for miracle to happen and for me to lose my appetite or at least have it diminished so I can make better choices. tah-tah.. till next time 

**** 2/15/2006 - (293 lbs) 1st fill - .7cc in 4 cc band My first fill went smoothly, no weight loss or gain. I expected to feel more discomfort, but there was no pain, and I chose not to see the very long needle lol. I am on the full liquids today, tomorrow mushies and the next day back to soft foods. Hopefully I got a little restriction with this one, because I can pretty much eat anything, but I try very hard to keep the portions small and low fat/cal. Going back to see my doc in 3 weeks. 

**** 1/27/06 - (293 lbs) - First post-op appt. Went to see my doc. I am doing great, no pain, healing well and I lost 5 lbs. I cant complain, I've been eating little but often and I blend/whip/liquify everything in sight LOL (using my favorite kitchet gadget "The Magic Bullet Blender). Yes well, I try to keep it low fat/cal, but I need variety and my problem has always been the amount, which is still limited due to internal swelling. Feb 15th is my first fill, cant wait and hope it works. I get on the scale daily (I know, I know...), but old habits die hard. Will update as often as I have something interesting to report. 

*** 1/14/2006 - (301 lbs) Home and banded!  :-( <-- Geez, I gained 7 lbs of fluids LOL Hi all, well, I am on the other side and back home, a little sore but not too bad. Here is what happened to me yesterday on 1/13/06 Got to the hospital around noon, was very calm. Got prepped, saw my doc and even got a kiss from her, then taken to the OR!!! Geez, I totally freaked out :-( I guess I got scared and panicked, started sobbing, lol the room was very intimidating, I wish I had seen it before. Not to scare anyone here, but it does look like the execution room :-( Two nurses were calming me down and after a few min I composed myself and went to sleep. Woke up a hour later and was told that all went very well and I am on my way to a healthier life. Now I have 5 bullet holes on my stomach, LOL Will keep u posted on my progress ... Thanks to all the members, I am learning a lot from you dear people! 

**** 1/13/2006 - Friday the 13th - Day of the Surgery! 

**** 12/10/2005 (41 - 5'7" - 294 lbs) Got approved in one week!