B-52

I have never vomited as a direct cause of the band....if you are vomiting and feel it is related to the band, then you need to call your Dr. ASAP....if you don't have a virus or stomach flu, then someting is serioulsly wrong..... People do not vomit because of the band.

I have never felt full with the band....i simply do not, and cannot eat anymore....it is as though I walk around all day long with the "Mental" thought, feeling, that I have jus finished a 5 course meal, even if I have not eaten anything since the day before.... The band tells my brain I am full, MENTALLY...so I do not have an interest in eating, or food....so no hunger or cravings....my tatstes have also changed...things do not taste the way the used to and after one bite I spit it out.... can you recall, say at a Thanksgiving dinner, where you ate so much that when someone put another slice of pie in front of you you waved it off and said you cannot possibly eat another ounce? Well, I have that feeling all day long, menatlly not physically, 24 hours a day..... But you were just banded this month.....it took me a few months and a few good fills to get to that point....and even then I had to learn to understand and adapt to what was happening.

The other day I was watching TV and eating grapes...I realized I was biting the grape in half, chew and swallow before eating the other half....I was not doing it because I was told to, I was doing it because it was comfortable and easy with the band.

Gotta love it...the sky's the limit when it comes to ingredients...I have been having a high protein smoothie, all my own recipes, since 2 months after being banded....and I can get 35gm of protein for breakfast.... ( I can't eat solid foods first thing in the morning)

I've had water come right back up on me, even if I have not eaten for 12 hours....especially when I'm running and forget..... That is also why I cannot drink while eating for it too will over fill my pouch and come back up.....it is a good trick when one gets stuck though.

Depends upon how much restriction one has.....it takes me the longer side for food to pass through mine....I eat till I cannot eat anymore....and that is a very small amount...I have to stop.....giving me automatic portion size and control....another characteristic of the Greenn Zone..portion control. Also, I have drank Water 20-30 minutes after eating and had it come back up with some of the food that was still in the pouch. I cannot drink while eating, or for a time there after for that reason. Other people will have different experiences....again, depends on the restriction one has.

I never heard of a "Soft Full" I always feel as though I just ate, 24 hrs a day....therefore I am not that interested in eating. But when I do, I will simply eat until I cannot eat anymore...what the band will let me....which is very little, small portion.

For years I have been hitting the gym first thing in the morning, around 5:30 am.....with nothing in my stomach but 2 cups of coffee and my Vitamins......I knew I was getting fantastic results but had no documentation to back it up.....untill now...I found this.....I knew I was doing something right. http://www.prevention.com/fitness/fitness-tips/morning-workout-tips?cm_mmc=Facebook-_-Prevention-_-fitness-fitnesstips-_-7StepsToLoveMorningWorkouts

Having lost all my excess weight and in the green for 2 years now, the only posts that concern me here are about "slippage" and "erosion" and I always pay close attention. It is a topic I always bring up with my Dr. on my visits also.... This is my opinion.....not that it does not happen to people, and I have my therories as to why it happens, but the majority of people here talk about "slippage" being caused by just about everything....it's like the "You'll shoot your eye out kid" syndrome.... Don't do this or your band will slip, don't do that because your band will slip.....it's used to justify about everything.... No one ever stops to ask "How" will doing this or that cause a band to slip??? No one seems to stop and examine it closley.... I read a post the other day and someone responded by saying you should not do that because it will cause your band to slip..."WHAT?" I wanted to jump through the computer screen.....then I look and see this person has only been banded less that a year...so, consider the source.... I have asked my Dr. about this and that, and he always gets a good laugh and asks where the heck did I ever hear that??? Just go and live a normal life and don't loose sleep over it.... The same is for ports flipping...it does happen, but do people really understand and ask themselves "Why?" and "How?" that can possibly happen? I have my therory(s) why it happens to some people.....and doing everyday activities is not one of them...(unless your band - port was never properly installed in the first place)

I had 3 fills total...first one was 4 weeks after surgery, then 2 more 4 weeks apart each..... Total of three fills, within 3 months of surgery....4cc's, 2 cc's, then finally 1cc....all the while using the "Yellw-Green-Red" chart on the wall as a quide..... That was 2-1/2 years ago, have not needed a fill since, and hav been in the green since 4 months after surgery.... Yes, my Dr. is/was very aggressive.....and he knew I was agreesive about this also so .....4 months to get to the green, then another 2-3 months for me to adjust myself to cope with the band, develop new skills and habits... I had difficulties and struggles within those first few months, but I'm glad I never backed down.....now it's a everyday, common, lifestyle without giving it much thought or worry... Only thing I need to be concerned about is that I rememebr to eat enough per day, and be sure i get all my daily Protein and Water requirements.... I also pay very close attention to posts concerning slippage and erosion, etc, and so far I have not seen anything in common.....a lot of therories as to why, but not much with a sound foundation.

If I drink while eating it does not push the. food through, nor does it make me fuller....it overfills the volume in the puch and comes right back up and out....so I cannot do it....unless I want an embarrassing mess on my hands. I It's like pouring Water into a funnel when there is something more solid there slowing down the passage, it overflows..... If you can drink with no problem while eating, then it's a question of how much restriction you have. As far as filer longer....I feel like I just finished a large meal 24 hrs a day....and if I feel like I just ate, then I feel like I do not need to eat anything more..therefore I have no interest in food, or eating..... Has nothing to do with drinking....it's there all the time, because my band is there all the time. And it's really more Neal than anything....the band telling my brain I am satisfied, even though I ave not eaten. Perhaps all day....

Yes, that would be painful......hurts thinking about it....

Under your ribs? Sure that's you port? How do you get fills..... Or do you mean on your abdomen below your lower rib.

Over eating, as well as smoking, gambling, chewing nails, etc, etc can all be attributed to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and anti-anxiety meds can help and alleviate it. I have been on every diet known under the sun before being banded....including these types of meds....helped a little, but like everything else not for very long.... Weight Loss surgery is/was the ONLY thing that took care of my overeating by automatically setting my portion sizes, and taking away my hunger - cravings 24 hrs a day... I will have to say it was not easy in the beginning...it is a big learning curve, learning new habits to cope with the levels of restriction I gained from band adjustments.....but after 4 months I reached that "Green Zone" and everything has been as simple as can be ever since....loosing all my excess weight in the process..... I believe in the band and what it can do if people let it and don't fight it.

Sounds like the band is trying to tell you something.....

I never understood the fear........it's not like the airlines serve full meals anymore..... I fly all the time on business....no difference....maybe it's the Vodka Tonics.....

I burp when I drink too much carbonated drinks....always on a empty stomach because of the band. Hiccups are another thing.....

I cannot live without my coffee.....started drinking it less than 24hrs after my surgery. I start the day with 2 cups before heading to the gym, then a few more cups during the day....give or take. I like it black....drank nothing but double espressos on vacation....I know with espresso they have to make it fresh from scratch with every order....

In a 14cc band, don't be surprised if it does not last...happens to everyone...at least you getting a taste of what it is all about, and things to come if you don't back down and resist change.... I've only had 3 fills, in the first 4 months from surgery, for a total of 7cc's, but in a much smaller band.....have not had, or needed a fill in over 2 years...I can "tweak" my band myself, routine maintenance, by paying attention to the feedback I get from the band, (portion sizes) and go straight liquids from time to time for a few days to let things settle out and return to a optimum state....

I know people who do not have regular 3 ,meals a day, but have maybe 6 healthy Snacks a day...works for them. It all comes down to how many calories consumed in a 24 hr period, versus how many burned.... For me, the band took care of head hunger....I may think I want to eat something...like a dough-nut in the middle of the day for no good reason, but one bite and my band immedialtley slaps me back into reality and I throw the thing away....after doing this 100 of times those head hunger cravings no longer exisit...kicked the habit by behaviour modifiction thanks to the band........plus I am not hungry 24 hrs a day....never understood the "just between Meals" thing...my band is there 24 hrs...not just between meals.

You cannot decide on a goal weight as if this was a diet and you turn it on or off....yes, I set goals, met them, and yet continued loosing whether I wanted to or not........ It is a new lifestyle, a lifestyle of eating "Normally" again (small portions, less often, nutritous food choices) along with regular exercise, the same way as "Normal weight" people do everyday and have not needed weight loss surgery...... Your body will adjust on it's own, and will reach it's optimum weight and body fat% and stop when it wants to.... So yes, goals are nice to reach, but they should not bee the need in themselves...adap the new lifestyle and let your body reach that staate of equilibrium... Also BMI's are not accurate...only good as a ballpark figure to get you in the general area....you can have different muscle mass % and different body fat%.....look at athletes....all muscle yet according to BMI's, they are overweight and possibly obese....

The port is anchored to the abdominal wall...stitches.....as one loose weight, and eats a lot less than they used to, the abdomen shrinks pulling the muscles tighter.....therefore you get that sharp trearing pain...it can happen at aanytime, not only exercising and eventually it will stop as your stomach gets flatter....There was a time I was getting it frequently, but eventually stopped....along with a smaller stomach. A good surgeon knows this and plans for it when anchoring the port....however I read so many posts about ports flipping I wonder if there are surgeons who "Cut corners"....anchored ports should not flip.

It's only been a month, your band has not had any adjustments yet, nothing has changed from where you were before surrgery other than you have this thing implanted in you, but it is not yet been "Turned on" or "Activated" All you're doing now is dieting, something anyone could do without weight loss surgery.....The secet is to get thee band working, and most importantly LET THE BAND WOIRK...you'd be surprised how many people do not let the band do it's thing and back down from change to only become a 50% statistic.... People really need to sit back and think about what the band is actually designed to do and how it does it.... I know I was anxious in the beginning also....you can imagine my disposition when I continued to GAIN weight.... But at 4 months I hit the green Zone, and at 12-13 months I was at my goal...I also continued to loose untill my body determined it was whee it shoud be at Fat% and weight.....

That is how it has been for me for over 2 years now....people say they are not hungry only between meals....I am not hungry at all, 24/7...the band is there 24/7, so why would it only work sometime??? I need to remind myself, and sometimes force myself to get a good meal in....I have gone full 24 hr. periods without eating, if I am busy at work for instance, and get home too late to eat anything..... Not only have I lost all interest in food, my tatstes for foods have also changed...things just don't tase that appealing anymore.... / /

Some say hunger is taken care of only between meals...The chart says "Not Hungry"....I am one that is never hungry, 24 hours a day...the band is there all the time, so why should the benefits not be there all the time .....never understood how the band can work just some of the time....but that's me, not everybody.... Also, I get automatic portion control...there is just so much I can eat, making it IMPOSSIBLE to overeat.....so things like buffets, parties, big holiday dinners, etc....don't concern me the slightest.....either does head hunger.... With all that I have had good steady weight loss, untill there was nothing left to loose (fat). And all that equals "Patient Satisfaction", YOU BET!!!! EASIEST thing I have ever done...nothing compared to the struggles of dieting.....