B-52

Unless you have a significant restriction with your band, drinking with your meals will not be noticeable. But it is a good habit to get into now. When you have restriction, food passes through the band very slowly, accumulating in your pouch. The pouch can handle just so much volume. This is also your trigger to stop eating. If you drink water, with food sitting there, you will suddenly and drastically over fill your pouch! This can be painful, stretch you pouch, and properly make you vomit almost immediately! When I get stuck, I sip water to induce regurgitation and getting unstuck.

Before - 13 months Ago After - Jan 30, 2012

Mine is much more obvious than yours. I cannot wear tight t-shirts. Looks like a golfball right under a thin layer of skin. I can feel every nook and cranny of the port, plus the tube is obvious also. I do not have much fat at all on my belly, As a matter of fact it is hard. Been banded for 13 months, always been that way. People have asked me if I have a hernia. When I get my fills, the Dr. always smiles and says "Oh good, I like these easy ones"

Remember, aside from "White Knuckle" dieting, your band is probably not helping you with hunger control. I did Ok for my first fill. It was 4 weeks after surgery. between my first and 2nd fill, 4 weeks after the first, I GAINED weight. Because at the 4 week mark I was allowed to start "regular" solid food.

With The band I cannot tolerate meat at all. I'm not a vegetarian, not even sure what the true definition is anymore. When I was at my Dr.s last week, he asked me if I was getting any "Regurgitation" I told him I cannot tolerate any meats, that they always get stuck. He said that is not unusual at all, and did not relate it to my band being too tight or anything. Just taht it was very normal and sees it all the time. So I call myself the "Incidental Vegetarian"

I agree.....I have been in the Green Zone for some months now. That means a few things. #1, I cannot over eat even if In wanted to. It is physically impossible. #2...My hunger has been curbed to the point that food is the last thing on my mind. I have to remind myself I HAVE to eat. I can, and have, gone 12 hours without anything except my Breakfast Protein shake. #3...my tastes buds have changed. Things that I used to crave, I just don't have the taste for them anymore. Like Ice cream. Does not turn me on. Can take it or leave it. Things like cake, donuts, etc, will only get stuck. The only thing I need to do, is make wise food choices. For instance, I could eat Mac & cheese, but that is empty calories. So I go for the fish instead. Simple!

Some insurances, it is not a question if you will be approved. It is a procedure they will cover. All that is needed is that meet the criteria. My Dr's office told me at the initial visit, my insurance will pay. I njust needed to complete all the pre-reqisites. On the day they got the last report, my surgery was scheduled.

Simple question......WHY? I've been banded...I'm not on any diets,....I have no hunger....I have automatic portion control. Once you get in the "Groove", what's up with all the talk about shakes? You're allowed to eat you know. As in living a normal life.

Wait till you start back o regular foods....just as you did before surgery...I GAINED weight. But noyt to worry, Dr. laughed at me. Said I just didn't get it...and he was right. I'm now a few lbs from my goal weight after 12-1/2 months.

Ask your Dr.s billing office.

Eating too fast will overload your pouch and cause you to get stuck, have pain, and vomit. Think of your band, as a slow drain. Water in the sink goes down the drain very slowly. Turn the water flow up all the way, the slow drain cannot keep up with the amount of water filling up the sink, eventually OVERFLOWING the sink. When you have acheived a certain level of restriction, you cannot eat too fast, or too big of swallows, or foods that are too hard and solid. But you need restriction first! Otherwise the drain is running freely and you can eat whatever you want as much as you want.

It is definitley NOT a diet!!! It is a surgical procedure that will alter the way you eat, a Lifestyle Change! The term "Program" would only relate to the schedule you follow going through pre and post op diets and learning how to eat all over again. Once that is done, you live your life day to day without even thinking about the band, or any program you may or not believe you're part of.

I'm one of those who don't count calories, or measure/weigh food. I rely on the band to restrict my intake. And since my portions are small, all I need to do is make wise food choices. After so many years I just know what foods are good an waht bfoods are bad. And what foods have high protein.

I've been gaining and loosing the same 5 lbs for 3 months. Was at the Dr last week, both agreed I was in the Green Zone and did not need a fill. But just to see what happens he gave me 1/2cc. I've \been dropping weight like crazy, should be at my goal very, very soon. I'm a little over 12 months banded.

EVERYBODY goes through that. I remember the morning of the surgery asking myself "What the heck am I doing?" But then I remembered this is something I havebeen wanting and working for so long, and honestly my health, and life for that matter relies on it. I am at, or very near my goal and I do not regret it one bit! I used to love food also. Now, I really don't think about it that much!!

Was this your first??? My first fill was exactly 4 weeks after surgery, 4cc's. Felt absoulutley nothing! 2 nd fill was 4 weeks after that, 8 weeks after surgery. The feeing of any restriction came and went that month. It was not untill my 3rd fill that things really began to change.

Sounds like you're doing fine. Within the first Phase you should not get hung up over certain things. There will be plenty of tome for that later on along your journey. Have you been back to the Dr. since surgery? Aside for my one week post-op visit, I had my first visit at the 4 week mark where I got my first fill.

Asisde from having surgery, nothing has changed that will alter your eating habits - hunger. It takes a series of adjustments - fills to get the band working properly. As far as post-op. I drank as much as I could with whatever I was allowed! I did not care about calories...aqnd certainly should not be concerned with loosing weight right now either. It's allmabout healing and getting well so they can move on to the good stuff.

How long did you go before these symptoms started and you took action? Just curiuos if you can be ok with a tight band, and then suddenly have problems, or do you realize right after the fill it is a problem.

THAT IS SO TRUE....Food is way down on my list of things I need to think about everyday!

2 years, you did not say how many fills for a total in your band. Second...have you ever had a Body Fat % done? BMI's are not very accurate and misleading. They are good for a gross measurement. There is a running back for the NE Patriots, who is the same height as me, but weighs 10 lbs more! I would not call him fat or overweight. I'm not saying I'm an professional athlete, just saying BMI's can be decieveing. 3rd...I have been at a plateau for 3 months, loosing and gaining the same 3 lbs! Went to the Dr., weighed in and showed a 3 lb loss since my last visit..3 months prior. After asking all the standard questions, we both agreed that I am in the Green Zone and clearly do not warrant another fill. But purely for the heck of it, he gave me a 1/2 cc fill just to see what happens. That was tuesday. Today is saturday and I have lost 4-1/2 lbs! I must have been tetering on the ledge for 3 months, and that 1/2 cc pushed me over to where I'm falling. Not sure where I'm going to land. Like the Dr said, let's see what happens.

Your Post title says "Don't Get A Lapband" when your post clearly has issues with the Doctor. NOT the band. Very misleading to newbies posting here.

I have been a member here over a year. During that time many people have complained and commented, Myself included, how negative and contradictory the posts can get here. It is true. But having said that, it is alos a please to know that anyone here can express their opinions and thoughts on any topic without feeling any restraint. It is up to the reader to be critical as to what they wish to digest, and what they wish to spit out. And for that freedom, I am grateful.

Things like taking small bites, chewing thoroghly, putting your fork down between bites, drinking withn your meals, small portions, etc, etc, etc. Are all things they teach you from day one because they want you to start to learn what will become a neccessity once the band is doing it's job. For me, it is impossible to take large bites/swallows....I HAVE to wait between bites/swallows or else. And I can definitley NOT drink while I am trying to eat. All those things are now nesseccary or I will experience problems.

Just because a person has had the surgery dows not mean anything has changed. Having the surgery means the band was put in it's proper place. Now the next phase is to get the band properly adjusted, with the proper amount of fill, to get the band working properly to where your food intake is restricted. If your food intake is restricted, so is your calore intake. That plus excercise and getting your water in will equal weight loos. It's that simple.