dlynn1635

Hi Jennifer, my surgeon didn't put me on a weight loss path prior to surgery either. As a matter of fact I only had to do the liquids for seven days prior to surgery just to make sure the liver was not too fatty during the surgery. Afterwards I stepped on the scale on the third day and had lost 7 lbs!! I was elated!! But then as the second week came around... OMG I was sooooo hungry I could have eaten my first born and not felt guilty about it!! I went in for my surgery follow up and met a woman in the office who advised me to drink drink drink. If I was getting hungry between meals, drink Water, Protein water/shakes, Fiber water, anything that was not high in calories drink it and it would hold me til the next meal. And surprisingly it worked for me. In between meals is really the only time that I am able to get my fluids in anyway so it all works out. My surgeon offered me a diet pill to help me til I had my first fill but I turned it down because I wanted to make the changes on my own by changing how much I eat without a pill. And so far so good, my weight has been on a steady decline ever since. It took me three fills to get to the point of not being so doggone hungry but thank God I was able to tough it out because it has paid off. Like everyone says on here, we are all different what works for one may or may not work for you but it can't hurt to try it and see. Good luck to you!

Great convo Reverie and Jess!! Reverie, you were the one that advised me about 4 months ago to up my calories since I was working out so much... Thank you for that advise because it did work. Jess check with the office where you go to have your fills done, they may have recipes that they can give you. The place that I go, the nutritionist puts out new recipes every week so when I go in I just check to see if there is anything that sounds good to try. I also watch a LOT of the food network and I tweak the recipes that catch my attention to be healthier when I cook them, like using olive oil instead of vegetable/peanut oil... I can send you some recipe ideas if you would like them, just e-mail me and let me know... I am a pretty good cook even if I say so myself and my husband and kids (teenagers) have really been enjoying the new way that I cook. Lots of luck to you!

I hope you are feeling better this morning!! I have only had one stuck episode where puking was actually a relief! I don't think the shredded wheat was a good idea on the same day as a fill... But we all do silly stuff from time to time . I find that if I can't get something to go down easily, sipping something hot like tea, helps to moisten it and go down. Go back to the band basics, liquids for a day or two, soft mushies for a day or two and then solids. You need to give your tummy time to heal from this. If it doesn't get better by this evening you may need to have a slight unfill. Take care and good luck!

I went through the same thing early on and asked for advice on here. I was eating about 500-600 cals per day and exercising 5 days a week cardio and weights for an hour and a half and not losing according to the scale but I was losing inches according to my clothes . The advice that I was given was to up my calories to about 1200 and I would start to see that scale move again and low and behold they were right!! I dropped 10lbs in a week!! What worked for my then is not working for me now that I am closer to my goal weight so I will have to make the necessary adjustments to get moving again. The lapband journey is never dull, boring or predictable. It is different for us all and you just have to keep trying things until you find what works for you. I find high Protein and 1200 cals a day have worked well so far and maybe I need to go up to 1400 a day to get the scale moving again. Good luck and the advice about talking to the nutritionist is a good one!

EASY WAY OUT???

A cough could be indicative of your band being too tight. Call your doctor and see what they recommend you do. If they added fluid to the band during surgery they may have to remove some. Good luck!

I am 44 and have lost 60 lbs, banded 07/14/2010. I don't really have any sagging skin. I have noticed that as my stomach goes down it has kind of dropped into this little sag of what I guess is fat that still needs to burn off! Overall that is the only body part that is not cooperating with my weight loss. When does the stomach go AWAY? LOL... I seem to be stuck at this 60 lbs for the last 2 months and I still have 30 more to lose... Any suggestions?

I am 5'8" and started at 273 lbs. I have been told to eat anywhere from 1000-1200 calories a day.

I haven't tried to eat lettuce since I first started eating solids again about 5 months ago! I could not get it to go down (iceberg, romaine, butter, spinach) the leafy veggies don't agree with my band and I was very disappointed because I LOVE SALADS!! So I compromise and eat all the raw veggies my band can tolerate without lettuce (cauliflower, cucumbers, beets, celery, corn, avacado, NEVER EVER RAW CARROTS). I think that the band is not the same for everyone. What one person can eat doesn't necessarily mean you can. All you can do is try it and see if it works for you.

I think the main thing that they are consistant on is to NOT drink while eating as this will push the food out of the pouch too soon. My surgeon and nutritionist say not to drink 30 mins before, during, and 30 after eating. This way you keep the feeling of fullness longer. I am not sure how long the food actually stays in the pouch but I find that when I follow the program as prescribed I do well and have no problems, its when I try to change it up that I have issues. Really... the band is different for everyone and it is trial and error in finding what works for you as an individual. I have found that some of the suggestions on here that have worked for some either work or don't work for me... but the ones that do have been great. Some people can still eat things like pizza, tacos, bread, tacos, Beans, chips, crackers, rice, Pasta and the list goes on and on of the things that we are told to stay away from and it doesn't bother them. Then there are others that can't get them down even if we wanted to on a cheat day. My nutritionist told me at the beginning that this was going to be a lifestyle change and she was right. I have had to change how I think about food and how I eat based on what my band allows me to have. Fortunately for me the healthy stuff is what goes in best for me. Good luck with your jouney's and remember to just experiment and find own route to weight loss with the band...

I had my surgery July 14 2010 and yes, the colder the Water the harder it was to go down. Even now ice water does not go down well, I tend to drink it room temperature and it goes down much better. Remember to sip and not gulp so as not to create air bubbles. Hope this helps.

Personally I would be hard pressed to stay with him as my doctor. Honk is right, you are expected to lose about 50% of your expected weight in the first year. Unless you find that you are losing weight with no problem without the fills I would probably find another doctor. I didn't have this surgery to NOT lose weight as I am sure that you didn't either. I would have another talk with him and if he is still not willing to budge then you have to make a choice on whether to stick with him. Just my opinion... Good luck!!

Thanks for responding everyone!! I guess the closer you get to goal the slower the weight comes off. I was banded July 14 and I do have to admit that my exercise habits have slacked off considerably and it is hard to get back in the groove! Congrats to us all on our accomplishments! I have another 35 to goal and I am praying that I can have it off by the summer Would love to hear from some others!! It is encouraging to hear the success stories and maybe we can be a motivator for those that are struggling.

I am curious to hear how all of the July 2010 Bandsters are doing! So far so good for me although I have hit a plateau and not lost anything for the last month and a half, I have maintained and not gained anything back. I had a fill early January and ended up being WAY too tight, had .3 cc's removed and felt much better but had lost 11 lbs in 6 days. I have managed to keep even that off which puts me at 55 lbs lost. So for now I am trying to figure out how to get the weight dropping again. I have an appointment for a fill tomorrow and maybe this will be what I need to get moving again. So that is it for me for now... Would anyone else like to share?

I have been using GNC Amplified Wheybiolic Advanced 60. I give you 60 grams of Protein in one shake and I use it to replace eating breakfast. I usually get the chocolate but they have it in an array of different flavors and so far I have been extremely satisfied with it. I don't usually add anything to my Protein shakes, mainly because of the added calories but also because they tend to be so heavy just by themselves it would be impossible to drink the whole thing!! Hope you find something you like!!

I have BCBS and go to the True Results office in Richardson, TX. I have never had to pay for a fill. I think it may depend on your plan. I would call them and ask why you are having to pay. I thought it was included in my pricing for the surgery or something? Not really sure how that works. Good Luck!

I know the feeling! I had the same thing happen to me last month, had a fill was fine for 2-3 days and then I couldn't eat or drink anything. Went back for an unfill and had lost 11 pounds in six days!!! What a relief that was ... Now my weight is at a stand still and I can't seem to get it moving again ... I have not gained or lost any weight since... Any suggestions? Glad you are feeling better!!:waytogo:

I weigh at the same time every day. My scale however changes every time I step on it. Yesterday I lowered carbs an today I was 174.6 in the morning. Stepped back on it again and it said 174.2. Again...175 then 176. I need a reliable scale. But regardless, I still am not at my previous weight of 173. This period thing is killing me. I know it is part of the problem. Oh one morevquestion. Do you all eat 1 piece or 2 pieces of chicken( leg and thigh). How about eggs 1 or 2. Just questioning my portions. I agree with everyone else... Stay off the scale. If you can't, ask your husband to hide it from you and only give it back once a week, i.e. Monday mornings... For my meals I do 1/2 cup solid Protein and 1/2 cup fresh veggies (anything but broccoli carrots and lettuce cause I can't get them down and cooked does not agree with me either)... I went through the same thing at about 2 mos after surgery and it about drove me insane! But I went out and bought some whey Protein Powder that I would mix with skim milk in the mornings and drink for Breakfast and MAN did it make a difference for me! The weight started coming off again and has not stopped since! So just experiment and find what works for you. The people on here are full of great information and suggestions. I have learned a lot from the members here!

Honestly, I didn't see a true reduction in how much I could eat until my third fill. Now I eat about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of food two times a day, with one evening snack of maybe 1/2 cup of yogurt or sugar free pudding or cucumber slices or something healthy... Some days I can eat a little more and some days I can hardly get anything down... On the days that I feel that I need more calories I will sip Water while eating to get more in. The reason I do this is because I find that most days I am not getting enough calories and Protein in. Not sure if anyone else does this but I had reached a point where my weight loss stopped because I work out and wasn't able to get enough calories in. Everyone's experience with the band from what I have read is different. Take advice and fit it to your particular experience. This has definitely been a learning process of what works for me and I can say that I have been very happy with the results. Although I had began to get a little discouraged early on because you see some people talk about all of this extreme weight loss in a short period of time and you begin to wonder what is wrong with you and what you are doing. Just keep in mind that the band assists you with gradual weight loss 1-2lbs per week, 4-8lbs per month and your jouney will be a lot more pleasant... Good luck!!

Thanks Zeniada! You know I have experienced that to some extent just not this drastically... I guess so long as I can get something down then I will try to wait out the two weeks... I am also going to call the Dr office to see what they suggest I do. The main problem with being this tight is that you tend to mostly drink and I am having to watch my intake and pay closer attention to calories...

Has anyone ever experienced getting a fill and being fine for about 4 days and then all of a sudden you are too tight and can't get food or much liquid down? I had a fill done on Tuesday and I was able to eat and drink fine until late Saturday night. I drank some hot tea before bed around 11pm and it wouldn't go down very well. Spent the rest of the night coughing and then threw up once from coughing so hard. I was able to eat and drink a little on Sunday and now today I am still struggling with drinking!! I have to take small sips kind of like the first day after surgery. I have absolutely no appetite and I am just wondering if I should go in for a slight unfill??? Opinions and suggested WANTED!!!

Has anyone ever experienced getting a fill and being fine for about 4 days and then all of a sudden you are too tight and can't get food or much liquid down? I had a fill done on Tuesday and I was able to eat and drink fine until late Saturday night. I drank some hot tea before bed around 11pm and it wouldn't go down very well. Spent the rest of the night coughing and then threw up once from coughing so hard. I was able to eat and drink a little on Sunday and now today I am still struggling with drinking!! I have to take small sips kind of like the first day after surgery. I have absolutely no appetite and I am just wondering if I should go in for a slight unfill??? Opinions and suggested WANTED!!!

I was also told that if I am not hungry not to eat. But I was also told to make sure that I get my Protein everyday. Since it is hard for me to get in enought solid protein everyday, I drink a whey Protein Drink in the mornings that has 60 grams of protein and since I have been doing that I have noticed a tremendous increase in energy and I have been averaging 7-10 lbs loss per month... Like someone else said, we are all different and what works for one may not work for you. It is a lot of trial and error until you find yours. You have to learn what you can eat and cannot eat because of the band and it changes with each fill. Talk to your surgeon and your nutritionist to see what they feel is best for you and listen to your body. Make sure you are getting enough protein daily and remember to take you vitamins! Good Luck!!

I was at a point at the very beginning where I was exercising 5 days a week (running, walking and resistance) and I did not drop a pound for about 2 weeks!!! Talk about disappointing and frustrating... Well a couple of people on here told me to take a look at my calorie intake and to make sure I was eating enough. If you are not getting enough calories the weight still won't come off when you are exercising... I knew that I was eating healthy so my food choices weren't the issue. I started to eat more and incorporated a whey protien drink in the mornings for Breakfast and dropped 10 lbs in a week!! I know sounds impossible huh? But if it hadn't happened to me personally, I wouldn't believe it either. Now I have been averaging 7 - 10 lbs a month weight loss although I did have one month I only lost 5 lbs but that was still good and that was due to not having a fill that month. So in essence keep up what you are doing and make the adjustments accordingly and you will see the results. The weight will come off and you will be FIT as well! Good Luck!

I ate my tuna salad... ect with cottage cheese during the soft mushie stage. Although I read on here about people that eat things such as crackers, bread, toast, chips and hard taco shells... I can't get any of these things down no matter how much chewing I do. I was banded 07/14/2010 and though I do wish I could eat a little bread from time to time for the most part I don't miss it. Good luck with your journey!!