Bardy

This is going to sound horrible and I am totally embarrassed but here goes:

I was banded in March 2011. I followed a pre surgery liquid diet and was supposed to drink Protein Shakes for a full month after the surgery. Yeah' date=' right. I ate at my birthday party April 1. I got back on track and started working out and lost 30 pounds. I lost my job in June so when I went for my second fill I had not lost a single pound. I have found every way possible to circumvent this band. I wish I had never gotten it in the first place because my issues and addiction to food needed to be dealt with first. I had my lapband done in San Diego and now live in Indiana. I am trying to find a doctor who will see me as I am having so much acid indigestion I could just cry. I'm pretty sure my band has slipped and I have no medical insurance. Please please think long and hard about the band. If you have any mental food issues like I have then this band is not for you. I would not wish this on anyone!! Good luck![/quote']

I have been thru all of this and more. I have had severe acid reflux after losing my weight and needed to learn more. How to manage this with antacids and other pre-emotive medications and also food choices and not eating at certain times. We all have to keep learning, with or without the band, to live healthier and know our own bodies. I definitely feel so much better having lost the weight. Even though it is work and definitely a balancing act. But isn't all if life?

God bless you all!

Hi!

My name is Angela. I am new here. I'm WAY overweight...but am looking forward to lifestyle/life changes! I have thought off and on about weight loss surgery for a few years...but kept thinking I would get it under control. In September I went to my orthopedic surgeon as I need a knee replacement and he handed me a booklet on weightloss surgery. I was so humiliated and embarrassed. I didn't tell anyone. But then I got to thinking about it and doing research and decided that lap band was the way for me. I found out in Novemeber that my insurance BCBS would cover the surgery if I met their qualifications - which I do. One of the requirements is that i do 6 months of doctor supervised dieting. So' date=' in November - right before Thanksgiving, I had my first meeting with a nutrionist and physical therapist! My doctor is on board and keeping track. So...I'm on my way....I am assuming that I will be having surgery in May! I can hardly wait.

Right now I'm practicing on chewing my food and trying to stay away from fast foods. (which this last year have been a staple for me - I commute 40 minutes one way to work and work long hours, so I got into the habit of eating breakfast and dinner in the car while I drive..ughhh..) So, now I'm eatting an apple and cheesestick for breakfast.... And...I'm riding a stationary bike 2 times a week...which is a lot...since I have sat a desk for many years.

But...I'm excited...this is the year for changes for me!!!!

Oh...hello!!![/quote']

Good luck to you Angela! It's the first step toward feeling better than you have in years! I know this because I was at 232 in December 2010 and had the lap band surgery and today I'm at 145 and a size 6 - down from a 16. I feel better today than 20 years ago!! It definitely is a journey and you have to be patient with the learning curve living with the restriction and learning to listen to your body and not keep trying to eat the same way as before. Remember the rule of thumb is to eat no more than a cup of well chewed food and eat very slowly.drink your liquids before eating. Wait at least an hour after eating before having more liquids. These are just a few notes for you after you're banded. Take it easy, one day at a time. Good luck and God bless you in the new year!

Deb

I have lost 55 lb. since I had surgery in May. I'm not happy with my loss and with everything starting to be saggy it makes me grossed out . Do I say something to my surgeon or the family doctor?

After a great weight loss saggy skin is to be expected. After you've lost all your weight you might want to have a consultation with a plastic surgeon regarding removal of excess skin. Unfortunately this is never covered by insurance and can cost quite a bit.

Deb

I find that I just have to constantly monitor what I'm eating and amounts, as well as continue to take the Prilosec and Zantac and tums alternately to control the acid production. I think it's just part of the deal when you have the lapband due to the restricition around the stomach (with or without any fills). We need to continue to just eat very small portions, chew carefully and not eat anything within 2-3 hours of bedtime ... it is a constant challenge, but I think it can be managed. It's just a PITB. Fortunately even without any fill I still am maintaining my weight at below my goal and in total have lost 90 pounds since getting the band in December 2010. Good luck to all of you!

I'm doing well - I try to just really pay attention to portions and have been maintaining. Regarding the acid reflux, I still have to manage it - take Prilosec OTC in the morning and Zantac in the evening and sometimes also chew Tums -- seems to be working. I feel a lot better but it is an ongoing balancing act for sure. I hope you feel better soon!

Update again ... I ended up going back to the doc, had an upper GI series to see if the band had slilpped, but no, it was right in place ... went and had the last bit of Fluid removed, and since there was irritation tood a while to ease into eating solids again, but doing well now. Still sometimes get the acid reflux at night, but have prilosec OTC and Zantac to take as well as tums and if I pay attention to when and what I eat -- like not eating too late, I can manage it ok ... It definitely is a balancing act. But I'm happy I can eat again without things coming back up -- I'm still maintaining at 140 and pay attention to portions and healthy eating habits. Thanks for all the input -- I will try the Omprazole too -- Hang in there everyone!

Well, I'm back - unfortunately I am developing more acid reflux even though I do not have any Fluid in my band -- not feeling well again - get hungry, try to eat a little mild food, then sometimes even throw up again -- don't know quite what's going on - maybe a hernia or something else interfering -- how do you know if your band has slipped?

Update -- I went to my doc and had all the Fluid removed from my band -- I feel so much better and haven't had reflux or vomiting since. I'm well below my target weight and still keep my portions small, but overall feel good. I think often folks get their band adjusted too tight for fear of gaining weight, and should rather get a little fluid removed and pay more attention to food choices and portions. It is an ongoing journey for sure, and there are sometimes other health issues to address. Good luck everyone.

Well at least I'm glad I'm not alone -- have been having awful acid reflux at night and same thing -- having to sit up or feeling it come up and burn my throat... I'm below my goal weight so am going in on Tuesday to have an unfill and talk about getting some Nexium or something for the acid reflux. I've been living on Tums and have not really been able to eat much either so I do think it's time for an unfill. I just hope the band hasn't slipped... I've been banded since December 2010 and feeling great otherwise. I also think I need to give up my white wine! oh well ... I'm happy to be a size 4-6 now!!

I can eat very tender steak or bbq'd carne asada -- as long as the meat is tender and chews up really well. I also can eat lean pork roast and sometimes shredded pork. It is true everyone is a little different and it is definitely trial and error. Sometimes chicken and turkey are too dry. Good luck.

26 pounds in 3 months is almost 10 pounds a month -- that is FANTASTIC!! Any faster and it wouldn't be healthy -- that is what I averaged for the entire time I have had the band and I have reached my goal after 9 months -- be ecstatic and enjoy -- you are on your way!!

The band will help you lose weight by only allowing you to take in a half cup of food at a time. Some foods go down easier than others -- soft breads will tend to get stuck and then you feel like crap and then they come back up. If you eat too fast and try to eat too much they will get stuck and come back up. It isn't an easy fix and you have to learn how to eat -- small bites chewed very well and take your time. And make the right choices -- Protein, veges and a little fruit -- I eat yogurt, fruit protein smoothies, I can occasionally eat a few bites of very tender steak, shrimp, salmon. It is a total commitment and an education - not just eating less. You need to commit to both and understand that it is a learning process. You will feel better overall if you choose the right foods and eat them in the small quantities. All of this is good information for you -- losing weight and keeping it off is not easy - but the lap band really is a great tool if you understand how to work it. I didn't end up exercising a ton, but kept walking and making good choices and definitely very small portions and 9 months after getting my band I am at my goal weight and have never felt better. With other diets like Lindora I felt deprived and starving -- I don't feel this with lap band. I can still "taste" foods I love, like a bite of apple pie, or a bite of mashed potatoes -- but I don't have to have a whole plate full. I feel more in control and that with the band I can really have the hope of keeping this weight off for good. Good luck to you -- I started at 232 and am now down to 148.

I was banded 12/3/10 and started at 232 - size 16-18. Today down to 147 and size 6-8! Beyond thrilled. Had 2 fills and last week took about .07cc out of band as I wasn't able to keep anything down -- feeling great today with 3cc only in the band. I eat VERY small portions and try to eat the right things - no breads or potatoes or rice.

I was banded December 3, 2010 and have only had 2 fills -- the last one in March. I still feel restricted almost 7 months later. I think some get adjustments too often and then have issues. I am still losing - have lost 80 pounds and am 4 away from my goal - yahoo!! When you first get a fill it feels very tight and you may need to ease in with liquids and then smooshies -- if you can't eat or drink much after a few weeks, your band may be too tight. I think as long as you are losing and not eating too much or feeling too tight you should be good for several months -- that has been my experience anyway. Good luck!

Deb

This was very helpful information about the stomach muscles and explains a lot of what I have had problems with lately -- thanks for explaining this!

Doreenviv, I had the same problem for a while about needing to PB right after I started eating. I think I was doing it just about every day for months, and when I talked to my surgeon about it, he explained it like this.

Your stomach has three strong muscles around it. These muscles are the ones that contract and relax, moving food through your system (and also cause your tummy to "growl" when you're hungry).

For a Bandster, we often don't have a lot in the stomach if we are not snacking between meals. When you sit down to eat a meal, these muscles are eager to go to work and are very stimulated when you smell the food, see the food, and first bite goes in and chewing starts. The stomach anticipates the food about to arrive and the muscles clench up all the way to the opening of the band. So if you eat too fast, with bites that are too large, the food can't go down at all and you'll start sliming and usually end up bringing it back up. My surgeon told me that the first 2 to 5 bites are critical in a meal.

So, what I've done is literally take a pea-sized bite as my first five bites, and take about 30 seconds between those bites with my fork down. I chew until it's disintegrated, and I'm not really swallowing as much as it just disappears. Once my stomach realizes that there's more food coming, it relaxes and I'm able to eat and not PB.

This may not work for everyone, but it took me five months to finally get some answers to this and I have not PB'd since I started doing this except for some scrambled eggs the other morning (which I'm always tight in the morning and usually I don't eat at all). I also found that definitely not drinking during a meal has helped and was also a cause of PBing - I make sure I don't accidentally drink by not even having a drink next to my plate. If I dump a bunch of liquid on top of anything I definitely will be seeing it again!

As for the two hamburgers - I haven't been able to sucessfully eat white soft bread since the day I was banded, but that's just me. With fills, your band opening is about the circumference of your pinky finger - it's not easy to get larger items down it, especially if it swells up.

Good luck, I hope this helps you as it helped me!

Banded on 12/3/10 - Highest weight was 232 now down to 156 almost to my goal of 150 -- may go down to 145 depending on how 150 looks -- don't want to over do it but feeling great!

I agree - 10 pounds in 24 days is awesome -- if you lose 10 pounds a month that's a great rate -- I was banded in December and have lost a total of 80 pounds -- only 5 away from my goal -- and that has been about 10 pounds a month. You don't want to lose any faster than that as it isn't healthy. I only had 2 fills and feel like I'm at the sweet spot -- although sometimes I feel like I don't eat enough - I think eating more often with tiny portions and keeping the Protein up is the plan. Good luck - you're off to a great start!

Deb

Your young age will be an advantage for you but there is really no formula. Depending on the amount of loose skin, it will only stretch back so much -- consistent exercise at least 3 times a week will help - check with a trainer or someone at the gym. You will really have to wait and see when you start to lose weight. I am a lot older and have lost about 80 pounds - 12 away from my goal and I do have a little saggy skin -- it won't go back any more so I will have to weigh whether or not to have a surgery - it isn't really enough to bother me too much, but we'll see... Good luck and stay healthy!

I'm actually having the same exact situation -- just got my second fill on Thursday and can hardly eat anything. I think I'm going to give it a week and if it still is this way maybe go back in and have a little removed -- i do think it is a little extreme at this point but will wait a few days to see if things start to ease up a bit. Good luck.

Deb

I have found that I need to eat really slowly and small bites chewed well. I have been able to eat tuna salad, chicken salad, soft cooked veges, some fruits -- but all need to be eaten and swallowed very slowly and then wait to feel that it has gone down before taking another bite. You should definitely talk to your doctor -- perhaps your band is too tight. Hope this helps. Sometimes it can be frustrating but hang in there and remember your exercise and Water.< /p>

The thing I keep hearing is that we need to have adjustments every few months -- sounds like you need a fill to get things going again -- I'm sure you will do well again, we just need to get those fills and make sure we stick with wise food choices and Portion Control.< /p>

I'm in the same boat -- haven't yet had a fill and have to wait until the 13th - I am sure that it wlil give more restriction and make it easier to tell when you are full. Also we need to remember to try to eat more slowly and not drink Water too soon after eating, choose the Proteins first, etc. We need to get to the "sweet spot" with the band feeling the restriction and then eating less of the right things. Hang in there!!

Deb

I too have not yet had a fill -- and feeling hungry. I try to control portion sizes and stay away from the carbs but sometimes it's hard. I had scrambled eggs this morning, a Protein Bar at lunch and lots of Water -- I will have some turkey and a salad tonight and probably another Protein Drink, but I do still feel hungry. I can't wait for my fill on 1/13 so I can feel that restriction for the first time. Hang in there -- we can do this!

Deb

I did the same thing in the last 2 weeks -- ate small portions but more varieties of things than before so that is probably why the weight gain. I haven't yet had a fill so hopefully that will make a difference in feeling more restricted so I will eat less again -- and I will probably go back to the liquid Proteins and then mushies to get back into a more conscious eating pattern -- we still need to make the right choices (protein and veges rather than carbs) and get the exercise in -- I hope to start a better routine with going to the gym a couple times a week to start and building up -- don't fret, I'm sure with a fill and getting back on track you will start losing again -- I think we all go through this at different times and just need to get back on track. Good luck and hang in there!

Deb

I really am not an expert and haven't even had my first fill yet so haven't experienced the feeling of restriction, but am actually looking forward to it as I feel like I probably ate too much over the holidays. As far as getting back on track maybe you can try going back to the Liquid Protein diet for about 3 days and then mushy foods for 3 days and then shift to the measured foods -- making sure you get your Protein first and sticking to veges and fruits - cut out the potatoes and breads and just basically start over and train yourself back to the good habits. Just a thought, hope it helps.

Deb