NJGirl32

Get the fill-you will be fine as long as your doctor isn't agressive with the fills. Tell him about going out of the country. After my first fill I could eat just the same as I always could-no real difference until my 3-4th fills. He told me liquids for 1 day and then back to regular eating. You will need to be in control of your eating on your vacation because it is highly unlikely the fill will make a dramatic difference. Enjoy your trip!!!

Yes, 6 week waits for fills are standard. Mushies for 4 weeks seems a little much-but not terrible. You can get pretty creative with mushies-and some mushies are yummy! Good luck!

Congrats!! It's exciting and scary at the same time! Be VERY careful with food now that you have restriction. You may not be able to eat some of the foods (especially bread) that you use to eat. You'll need to chew more than ever!! Good luck with your journey!

Dear Shrimp,

We have had a long and yummy time together. I always looked forward to seeing you in resturants and tasting you in my mouth (hee-hee). But things simply haven't been the same likely. I don't like the way you have been treating me the last few weeks. I have been so sick over this (literally) that now I must say goodbye-maybe not forever-but I need to do this now. I will miss you, but I won't miss the way you treated me.

Fondly,

NJGirl32

Did you tell your doctor the type of work you do? I think most people are okay to go back to work after a week, but if you have a very physical job that can be different. At the very least he should have put some restriction on going back. I have a desk type job and I returned after 5 days. I was sore abd bloated for a few weeks and didn't lift anything heavy.

Hope you feel better

I also have been struggling with this!! I get all the tell tale signs too-runny nose, hiccups, burp-you would think I would stop-I am learning though. I am also slowly learning to take a while to eat and chew. The minute I don't feel right I try to stop and even spit out anythingthat's still in my mouth. I have also found that when I am about to feel uneasy I walk around and even go up and down stairs to help move things along.

I was sick on shrimp 3 days ago-so what did I eat today? Shrimp! But I took smal bites and only ate half-plus it took me a longtome to eat it. The secret really is not to wait until you are starving -plan snakcs and eat every 4 hours. I didn't have lunch today and when I came home I was really starving-probably ate too much but fortunately I was okay.

Congrats!! What a great feeling!!

Funny you should ask because today I was realy hungry for the first time in a while. I only had yogurt for Breakfast and around 3pm I could hear my stomache growling-I was really hungry. I remember thinking that is was weird because I usually don't get hungry.

In the beginning stages (prior to a good fill) you may feel hungry more often and that is completely normal.

Yes, you can eat around the band because ice cream, candy, etc. seem to go down real easy-but if you eat proetins first it will curb the urges.

I saw a teacher I work with and I always thought she had surgery-she had lost a lot of weight-but I noticed that she is putting in back on. That's where having the option of getting a fill is awesome. People who get gastic bypass don't have that option at later stages, That's why I love the band-there is an adjustment option that other surgeries simply don' have.

Tonight I went out with friends to a fancy resturant with friend for their 25th anniversery. I was worried about it since last night was the shrimp mess. I ordered soup-good move! Then I order salmon in some maple sauce-it came with 3 ravolis which I gave 2 away. Well is was delicious!! I had a tiny piece of brad (very tiny). I gave a little of my fish to my hubby to try. I have 2 martinis (hey it was a 25th anniversery!! Well is was a HUGE success-no problems at all and every thing was the perfect size for a banster, however Iam sure some others thought there could have been more food on their plates! lol I feel so much better today. I think I just had a very bad night last night and maybe I need to give shrimp a break for a while?

Funnily enough, even though I dont have problems in general with bread - Subway bread - ugh. I can get some of it down but its a very risky food for me. Doughy breads are definitely harder. I watched my son down a foot long and was gobsmacked, I cant fathom anymore how somebody could eat SO much in a sitting, let alone so much bread. Do you really love Subway? I just dont get why people like it, but we all have different tastes. I really really want a meat pie today (an Aussie delicacy) and I know they're full of lips and assholes rather than identifiable meat!

OMG!! LMAO!!

It is amazing what people eat and how big the portions are in resturants!

Cancel your fill if you are losing weight and feel in control! Tell them you will call them to reschedule when you feel you need a fill or simply schedule an appointment for 3 weeks (you can alwasy cancel). Don't get the fill if you are doing good-my fill is tight and it does have it's problems.

Thank you so much for all the comments and support!

I don't PB all the time, but it does happen now and then. I am guessing that I probably didn't chew enough and maybe even with shrimp I might need to cut small pieces instead of taking the tail and eating it that way.

Geeze I really don't want an unfill because i is helping control my portions and I still have a long way to go. I can drink liquids with no problem at all and meats in small portions. I just disocvered a new quick food item I can have-McDonalds! Yes, you heard me right-I ordered a snack size chicken (grilled) wrap with sauce. I didn't eat the wrap part but the chicken and lettuce was the prefect size for me. The best part is it was under $3.00.

This morning I still attempted to have 1 egg and 2 slices of bacon. I could only manage 1/2 slice of bacon and 1 bite of egg. When will I learn that my band can't do mornings?? I had a yougurt with granola mixed in instead and it felt much better!

I can't do a baked potatoe or veggies. I can do mashed potatoes though! Og Soup would have been a REALLy good idea! I will definitely order soup tomorrow-thanks for reminding me about that! I use to love salads and all kinds of fruits-now I can't really eat them. I can't do side dishes unless they are mushies.

I am going to a seafood place tomorrow so I'll have soup and a nice flakey type fish or maybe crab imperial.

I had a tight fill August 23rd. I have had good days and bad days during the last 6 weeks.

I have tailgated and was able to eat a small portion of each meat. I have been able to eat crab legs out to dinner, but I have also not been able to eat much either. I need to take a long time to eat and to eat small portions. In general I eat very little portions. Ice cream and candy goes down fine-and I need to be super careful not to eat around the band.

I didn't really want to get an unfill because I figured this fill will eventually losen up-but it hasn't happened yet! How long before a tight fill were you able to eat regular amounts at meals?

Another dinner down the drain! Went out to a bar to Celebrate a firend's birthday with a bunch of people. I had 3 shrimp and the slime started. I wentto the bathroom twice and I knew (from experience) it was going to be a bad night in bandland. I told my husband my side was hurting (I have had side pain for the last 2 weeks and they can't figure out what's wrong) but the real reason I wante dto leave if I could tell the shrimp did not land well-3 friggen shrimp! I tell him to stay and I will drive home. I ask him to get the car and while he's getting it for me I PB behind a car in the lot-had no napkin so I had to use a pad I had in my pocketbook to wipe with. I drove home hoping for green lights (it was only a 5 minute drive). The bad news is I have an anniversay dinner to go to tomorrow night -yet another dinner!!

My hubby is pretty much the only one who knows I had surgery. I don't tell him when I PB. I don't see the point, plus is that info that I really need to share. Why ruin his dinner? Do you guys tell your partners or friends when dinner isn't going down right? I would think they would get sick and tired of hearing about it.

I dread going outto eat with people-does it get any better? I read of vetern bandsters who still only manage a teeny portion at dinner.

I have learned that I must always carry napkins and some platic bags with me in the car and even in my pocketbook-just in case.

Do you ever feel like a closet PBer? I hope it gets better!

This is a learning process-keyword is process. You don't really know for sure what's going on under the postings that are worried about weight loss. Maybe they had a horrible day that day-eating the wrong foods-who knows? Maybe they have lost 50 pounds but are still wearing the same pants or maybe no one has even noticed. This forum is a place to seek support, encouragement, and advice. In my opinion-some whining is okay and even excepted. You may call it whining- but i really view it as fear. Aren't you whining about people whining? lol

Go to a Center of Excellence-they are the pros when it comes to this type of surgery. I never once had to call an insurance company myself-nor did I have to do a supervised diet-but your insurance may require it (or not). Don't go through this without a center of excellence-they are amazing. Even if you need to travel-it will be worth it!

Good luck!

I agree that's WAY too much Protein. I believe I read here that the body can only process a small amount-I don't remember how much but I believe it was under 100. Unless you are entering a body builder contest and need the extra Protein to build up mass I would say it's a lot. Talk to you nutritionist and see what they recommend.

Also, protein shakes have a lot of calories-they want to wean you off them and now seems about the right time. My NUT said to have only 1/2 a Protein shake as in between meals (2 halves a day) and the rest of your protein should come from food choices.

Sounds like you are doing great-congrats!!!

I am not telling anyone (except 1 friend and my hubby)-that's it. I like it that way. People have asked me how I lost the weight and I tell them low carbs and watching my portion size-which is the truth.

ARe you really lying by saying your excerizing, eating smaller portion, etc.? No, you are not. It's totally up to you, but you shouldn't feel obligated to say anything. And if you do say something, be prepared that it will spread!

I also agree that everyone is different and what one person can eat another person might have problems with-it's a real learning experience! For me, pizza is a great big no-no! Every time it causes me to get very sick and it's simply not worth it!

I avoid bread, although sometimes I take a teeny, teeny piece. I have found that doughy breads are not good for me at all. Oddly enough, thin crisp types are fine. I could eat hard taco shell, but not a soft one. I can eat mashed potatoes, but not french fries. I haven't done salads or fruits like I use to-but in small amounts I can. You'll learn what works for you and what to avoid.

I really admire you wanting to not rely on the band as your main tool for losing weight, but why couldn't you have done that without having surgery? Was the surgery necessary? I am just curious about it since you haven't had a fill. Do you feel any sort of restriction or is it just an empty band sitting there in case you need it?

I like your post about behavior modification-and it's really a thought provoking question that I have been thinking about recently.

If I am being completely honest I must say that eating is not a pleasurable experience for me anymore. I can't eat much and when I do I need to do some PBing or run the the bathroom several times. Today I was thinking that I am starting to think of eating more as a chore-no joy in it anymore. Is that behavior modification in a strange way? Is my brain reworking it's outlook on food? I don't know-all I know is I use to enjoy going out to eat and eating-now there is so more more thought about what to order, what might happen, chewing, no drinking while eating, taking small bites-so much thinking!! Before I use to eat mindlessly, now it's a VERY mindful experience.

I know if the band comes out I will probably gain it back. I have been on hundreds of diets and gained it all back eventually.

So, I really don't know what the answer is....

Match.com is where I met my hubby. I have heard of a lot of couples finding success on match.com. Go to a sight that you need to pay for-then only serious men will be there-ones truly looking for someone special. Free sites attract all kinds and I wouldn't suggest going on them. Don't limit yourself to chance meetings in this computer age. Meet in a public place and for a drink/coffee. Don't spend months emailing only to find out you are not compatiable-try to meet after a brief correspondance. You will go through a lot of duds though-but he is out there-that special someone!

Definitely be honest-he needs to know this info in order to judge the anount of fil needed. If you don't feel any different in a week I would call and try to bump up your appointment a week or 2 earlier. Your next fill should make a big difference! Good luck!

I went through the same feelings thinking maybe I am one of those people who this just won't work for- BUT my last fill put those fears to rest! I have 4.5 in a 10cc band and it makes all the difference in the world!! Once you are properly filled you will feel completely different. I simply can not eat anywhere near what I use to eat. Even if I really want to eat by band prevents me from doing so.

It can take a while though-that's something I didn't realize before being banded. I thought the weight would simply just drop off each month and quickly. You will absolutely get there and then you'll have an entire new set of worries like: If I eat this will I get stuck, am I getting enough proteins/water in?

Hang in there-your next fill should get you a lot closer to your sweet spot!

I haven't heard of that for the early stages of the lapband, but it's probably getting you prepared for the upcoming months. It could take me 45-60 minutes to finish a meal 3 months post op.

I would think 30 minutes should be fine to finish 1/2 cup of food!

Good luck