♥LovetheNewMe♥

Sounds like you are in the green zone, and you are right on when you say you fill satisfied. If you are filled properly you should have a feeling of satisfaction between meals. I eat 3 meals a day and am rarely hungry between meals. You should be able to take in 2-3 oz of protein per meal. Sounds like you are on your way, look at world here you come. Katie bar the door.

Stress can really force us bandsters to dig deep into our emotional behaviors and develop new coping stratagies. Sorry for you troubles at work, being a nurse myself and having dealt with passive agressive behavior of superiors over the years I feel your pain. Unfortunatly in our business not always the best people are placed or promoted to the correct postions. A good nurse does not always make a good manager, managing people takes listening and realizing that as a manager you do not always have all the answers and sometimes you have to back up and look at what your doing that is adding to the stress of your staff. I have been in management for more than half of my career and I can tell you that I have been challanged by my staff before and in an open meeting. Yes it made me mad but maybe if I had been listening to my staff they would not have had to take such drastic measures to get my attention. Hopefully your boss is a big enough person to realize that her behavior may be leading to the behavior or frustration of her staff. I wish you luck, the last think our profession needs is to lose good nurses who have compassion and caring and are trying to do the right thing for their patients. After all it is really about the patients not us! Good luck on your journey with WLS and do not let the stress of your job effect your success.

This is great, keep up the good work!

Southern Girl, we all understand how you feel. I also had gas for a while the initial weeks after surgery, Gas-x and phenergan were my best friends. I rarely needed any pain pills at all the gas pains were the worst for me. I ate so many Gas-x I thought I would become toxic. Each of us is individual, if you were to compare more do not lose weight before their first fill and if you read the literature this is suppose to be our healing time. This is as stated above a life time commitment and we would all like to wake up skinny, because I have always said, "I went to bed one night and woke up fat" It is also ok to be frustrated, and to whine and complain. I went through months of feeling sorry for my self because I could not eat like everyone else and than one day my brain finally caught up with my emotions. I still have occasional days that I feel irritated with what I can eat and not eat. Good luck to you and just remember we all have these days and moments and voicing it on here is better than eating. Good luck and we are all here so each of us can succeed.

garfield1461, Did you reach your goal. It is nice to see persons who have maintained their lose post here. I like you do miss some things that I am no longer able to eat but I do not regret my surgery, I know me and I wold never have been able to do as well as I have on my own. Lapband gave me back my life and I am thankful to my surgeon and all of my famliy and friends who believe in me and support me. I also keep a fat picture of my self on the fridge but I also keep a thinner picture of me beside it. A nice reminder of why I don't eat those things anymore. Thanks for sharing.

Emotional MorelGirl, I do understand how you feel. I have been banded for 16 months. I stayed the exact same weight for 5 months. I tracked my calories, I increased my activities, I too tracked and recorded every morsal I allowed to cross my lips, I increased my protein, I decreased my calories, I thought I was eating to many fats. Actually I almost drove emptional me off a cliff. I has my band adjusted 4 weeks ago and I drop 15 lbs in no time, first time the scales have moved in months. I can't explain it, neither can my physician. Moral of my story, hang in there, if your eating right and exercising the weight will come off maybe not as quickly as you want or would like but it will come off. Oh and I do agree, it is B*&^%T about the 3500 calorie to loss a pound. My BMR told me I needed around 1600 calories just to maintain my weight, I have faithfully ate 1000 to 1200 calories a day for over a year. Keep working it, at least exploding with words will burn some calorie and it's better than a piece of cake.

I will apoligize up front for my post.
First and foremost I want to say, "Why are you eating spaghetti?" Spaghetti is not a protein and if you were going to eat it a cup is too much, even if your band will allow you to eat it you should have it as a side of 1/4 to a 1/2 cup and eat protein like a meat ball or something as your main course. Pasta, rice, bread all our made from white flours unless you go whole grain and they will increase in size in your stomach and make you feel very full and sometimes can even make you feel over full. None of these foods are worth the risk of causing your band to slip by over eating. If you really want spaghetti might I suggest spaghetti squash, add some sauce and a meatball or some chicken sausage. It really does taste good, try it. When you say you are still eating preband portions? Have you changed your plate size, try eating off a small plate and always measure your food. Changing eating habits and behavior is not easy and all of us struggle and back slide from time to time. But I have learned that if I do not measure I will over eat, If my band is not properly adjusted and I can eat pizza, pasta or bread, I will try and eat it. I will tell my self anything to justify why I want something or can eat it but honestly all it does is decrease my weight loss and make it that much harder to get back on track. You are not the only person struggling with the emotional side of eating, we all struggle with this if we are honest. Maybe what your body is telling you is you need to make better choices. The one thing to remember is always eat protein first, it makes you stay fuller loner, takes longer to digest and holds you between meals and keeps you from getting hungery. Good luck, you can do this.

Excellant post and you are correct as a team we can beat obesity. We just need to hold each other accountable and speak the truth. Good Luck to you!

Sounds like you are progressing well and you are correct to measure and weigh all foods, even though we all kinda know what a portion is it is better to rely on measurements to keep us honest. I continue to weigh and measure even though I am over a year out, I still think I have a tendency to guesstimate to large. As for solids they are similar to softs but require more chewing and digesting. Chicken and eggs over cooked or reheated are two foods a lot of us have problems with. Just remember to cut everything into small bites and chew, chew, chew. Good luck.

Shadow Stacy, along with the list of foods does this include your protein. Lean meats and fish? The protein is what will help keep you satisfied the longest between meals, it takes longer for protein to break downand digest. A lot of people are misinformed about how the band works. It does not prevent you from eating anything and it can not stop you from overeating. If the band is properly adjusted you should be satisfied with 3 meals a day and rarely eat between meals. If you drink while you eat it will wash the fluid straight through the band and also if you eat more than 3 meals a day and snack inbetween it also is harder to lose weight. I guess fortunately or unfortunately there are a lot of rules to follow and it does take discipline and life style changes. Sorry you are frustrated and I hope things get better for you.

Good luck and welcome to the family!

@ Bert, jitters can be a number of things, but low blood sugar comes to mind first. When you eat protein it takes your body longer to break them down than carbohydrates and your body can use these foods for fuel. If we eat foods that are simple carbohydrates, chips, crackers, popcorn, bread etc our bodies break these down faster and we get hungery again sooner than we should. Even though we have the band to help curb our hunger and reduce our intake we still have to think about what where eating and strive to eat 3 well balanced meals a day and if we do snack we should make the snack a protein not a carbohydrate, nuts, cheese, deli meats, beef jerky, peanut butter, etc. If we can eat these types of snacks in 1oo cals or less they will help keep us from straving and eating the other types of foods. Unfortunately even though the band is a big help, we all still have a lot of bad nutrition behaviors to unlearn, I agree with above statement about tracking what we eat, I track all my intake on myfitnesspal.com. It helps me but don't get caught up in the number of pounds it says you should loss. Use it to make sure you are eating what you should.

I think I lot of us are grazers if we are honest with our selves. Eating from the pots while cooking,(that doesn't count because it's not on the plate or a hand full of chips or cookies. And also if no ones sees you eat it, it doesn't count ,RIGHT! I sometimes find hardest part of the day is evening time. I do right everything down as I eat it all day long, I have an app on my phone so I can record if not at home with my computer and if I can't log on to my app I write it on a post it note. This may seem obsessive but we have to hold ourseveles accountable and that is hard. I have planned snacks during the day that I include in my daily food intake, they are always protein snacks. I do notice if my band is working right, I don't think about grazing as much it is when my band needs adjusted that I seem to have more issues with grazing. Remember, we are trying to change life long bad behavior with food and it is not going to happen over night. Write it down, no matter how small. Those bites add up. Good Luck!

The first month or so after surgery I had soreness and pain around my port site. Remember they had to make a place in your abdominal fat to secure your band to so a little soreness and pain is normal. That is one reason they tell us not to bend over(from the waist, squat instead) the first six weeks post op. Also no heavy lifting. As far as chocking and difficutly swallowing, everyone is different. All surgeons have different post op diets, some keep you on clear liquids and full liquids longer. Mine allowed me to eat solids after 10 days. I had to use my pain medication off and on for the first week to 10 days and the medication for nauesa for the first month. If you really feel uncomfortable, call your surgeon, that is why we pay them the big bucks. Your surgeon or office should be avalibe to answer your questions and concerns. The pain does get better and you barely notice you have a port unless you bump it. Some times my panty hose or a skirt or pants that are to tight can make my port hurt. When was your surgery? Have you been back to your WLS for posp op check up? Good Luck!

Drinking wth Lapband can sneek up on you very quickly. I have a one drink rule and only after I have had some food. There is a reason for my rule. I had an experience last year around this time of the year. We were out with friends and I had eaten my usually small portion but had a large portion of wine. Thank goodness I was with my husband and good friends or it could have been a diasaster. I really never had thought about it before that night, I knew the potentional to become quickly intoxicated was there, but had no idea how fast it could sneek up on you. Just be careful and make sure you are with friends if you drink outside of your home.

Your feelings are normal and it is worth it. You really can do this and once on your journey you will ask why did I not do this sooner. We were all scared, this is a big step, you have made a decesion to make a hugh change that will impact the rest of your life for the better. Good Luck and keep us in the loop.

At I wanna be a losr. My starting weight was 248 and I currently weigh 168. I would like to weigh 148. To hit my goal I need to weigh 138. (goal set by the charts)

Glenda, you have not wasted thousands of dollars. I know you read my blogs and have heard me preach about this being a tool. I also had wonderful ideals that I would never have to watch another calorie in my life and had hoped that my band would tell me when to stop. But I have come to realize that the band will do all of those things but only if I listen and stick to the plan. I hope and pray I never have to have another fill, I like being able to eat just about anything I want these days, know that I have to be accountable to my self. I have restriction and I am in the green zone. You can do this, and it does take a lot of will power in the beginning until you get to the sweet spot but once there it is easier but never forget it is still you managing your behavior not the band it is there as a friendly reminder when you do something really stupid. Like eat to fast, not chew or over eat. The one thing I have to be careful of now is not drinking while eating, in the beginning I did this very well but the longer your banded the easier it is to slip back into some bad behaviors. Good luck and keep blogging. Diane

Jennifer, believe in your self. Yes this is hard, and I think we all thought this would be our saving grace and all knowing answer to life long diet frustrations. But the one thing we all still bring to the table after lap band surgery is our behavior. That bad behavior you refer to is not going to change overnight just becasue some doctor put a band around our stomach, it takes time. As for self control, none of us have it. If you took my band away todo, I know I would gain weight. I struggle daily with making healthy choices and rewiring years of bad behavior. Holidays coming up and lets just all admit it, it is going to suck,,, If we let it. I appreciate your post and getting out frustrations on paper costs us a lot less calories than a snack. This has been my hardest conquest, learning not to eat when I am furstrated or worried. You can do this, and do not reqret telling others, that is our one thing that makes us stay accountable to ourselves. As for your friends telling you to use self control, sadly they are correct but you are also correct if we had self control we would not have a band around our stomach. I call my band insurance, it is that little extra I have to pay ever day just to make sure I have a safety net and a healthier life. You can do this, think of this as a small road block. Best of luck and know we all believe in you and know you can be successful.

Glenda, so glad to hear your doing better. We all go thorugh these frustrations from time to time and just need to help each other through the ruff spots. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with family and friends.

Jennifer, believe in your self. Yes this is hard, and I think we all thought this would be our saving grace and all knowing answer to life long diet frustrations. But the one thing we all still bring to the table after lap band surgery is our behavior. That bad behavior you refer to is not going to change overnight just becasue some doctor put a band around our stomach, it takes time. As for self control, none of us have it. If you took my band away todo, I know I would gain weight. I struggle daily with making healthy choices and rewiring years of bad behavior. Holidays coming up and lets just all admit it, it is going to suck,,, If we let it. I appreciate your post and getting out frustrations on paper costs us a lot less calories than a snack. This has been my hardest conquest, learning not to eat when I am furstrated or worried. You can do this, and do not reqret telling others, that is our one thing that makes us stay accountable to ourselves. As for your friends telling you to use self control, sadly they are correct but you are also correct if we had self control we would not have a band around our stomach. I call my band insurance, it is that little extra I have to pay ever day just to make sure I have a safety net and a healthier life. You can do this, think of this as a small road block. Best of luck and know we all believe in you and know you can be successful.

Glenda, you have not wasted thousands of dollars. I know you read my blogs and have heard me preach about this being a tool. I also had wonderful ideals that I would never have to watch another calorie in my life and had hoped that my band would tell me when to stop. But I have come to realize that the band will do all of those things but only if I listen and stick to the plan. I hope and pray I never have to have another fill, I like being able to eat just about anything I want these days, know that I have to be accountable to my self. I have restriction and I am in the green zone. You can do this, and it does take a lot of will power in the beginning until you get to the sweet spot but once there it is easier but never forget it is still you managing your behavior not the band it is there as a friendly reminder when you do something really stupid. Like eat to fast, not chew or over eat. The one thing I have to be careful of now is not drinking while eating, in the beginning I did this very well but the longer your banded the easier it is to slip back into some bad behaviors. Good luck and keep blogging. Diane

Glenda, you have not wasted thousands of dollars. I know you read my blogs and have heard me preach about this being a tool. I also had wonderful ideals that I would never have to watch another calorie in my life and had hoped that my band would tell me when to stop. But I have come to realize that the band will do all of those things but only if I listen and stick to the plan. I hope and pray I never have to have another fill, I like being able to eat just about anything I want these days, know that I have to be accountable to my self. I have restriction and I am in the green zone. You can do this, and it does take a lot of will power in the beginning until you get to the sweet spot but once there it is easier but never forget it is still you managing your behavior not the band it is there as a friendly reminder when you do something really stupid. Like eat to fast, not chew or over eat. The one thing I have to be careful of now is not drinking while eating, in the beginning I did this very well but the longer your banded the easier it is to slip back into some bad behaviors. Good luck and keep blogging. Diane

Glenda, you have not wasted thousands of dollars. I know you read my blogs and have heard me preach about this being a tool. I also had wonderful ideals that I would never have to watch another calorie in my life and had hoped that my band would tell me when to stop. But I have come to realize that the band will do all of those things but only if I listen and stick to the plan. I hope and pray I never have to have another fill, I like being able to eat just about anything I want these days, know that I have to be accountable to my self. I have restriction and I am in the green zone. You can do this, and it does take a lot of will power in the beginning until you get to the sweet spot but once there it is easier but never forget it is still you managing your behavior not the band it is there as a friendly reminder when you do something really stupid. Like eat to fast, not chew or over eat. The one thing I have to be careful of now is not drinking while eating, in the beginning I did this very well but the longer your banded the easier it is to slip back into some bad behaviors. Good luck and keep blogging. Diane

Jennifer, believe in your self. Yes this is hard, and I think we all thought this would be our saving grace and all knowing answer to life long diet frustrations. But the one thing we all still bring to the table after lap band surgery is our behavior. That bad behavior you refer to is not going to change overnight just becasue some doctor put a band around our stomach, it takes time. As for self control, none of us have it. If you took my band away todo, I know I would gain weight. I struggle daily with making healthy choices and rewiring years of bad behavior. Holidays coming up and lets just all admit it, it is going to suck,,, If we let it. I appreciate your post and getting out frustrations on paper costs us a lot less calories than a snack. This has been my hardest conquest, learning not to eat when I am furstrated or worried. You can do this, and do not reqret telling others, that is our one thing that makes us stay accountable to ourselves. As for your friends telling you to use self control, sadly they are correct but you are also correct if we had self control we would not have a band around our stomach. I call my band insurance, it is that little extra I have to pay ever day just to make sure I have a safety net and a healthier life. You can do this, think of this as a small road block. Best of luck and know we all believe in you and know you can be successful.