kychick1294

The band isn't for everyone and I strongly suggest that you really research your options and what surgery would be best for you. I've lost about 20lbs in 2 years!! I'm completely annoyed with myself for picking the band so quickly. I lost 10 the first week and from there on its been a lose/gain battle. I worked the band to a tee for about 7 months.. If lose 3-4 lbs one week and gain it back plus 2 lbs the next. I was mentally and emotionally drained after it and just have up. Got all my fills and had good restriction but the weight just wouldn't come off.. Could not get lower than 320. I'm the kind of person who needs to see the number on the scale dropping.. If it doesn't I lose motivation. I'm trying to get approval for the bypass or sleeve as we speak. Now my neighbor lost 100lbs in 6 months, never has gotten a fill and eats all the fast food she wants... She doesn't exercise but her smaller portions did the trick. I have a serious food addiction so I need that fast weight loss to keel me going! Everyone's different so just do your homework!!!

So I had fallen off the wagon and went back to my stupid eating habits. Luckily I hadnt gained anything but I had only lost 18 lbs since Sept 19th. On that day I got my first fill (3cc's) and everything kind of stayed the same. I have been able to eat just about anything I want and rarely got sick unless I swallowed something or drank milk right afterwards. I went back to the doctor this past Monday and he said he was going to bump me up some more. He filled it up another 3 cc's and sent me on my way. I followed the liquid/mushy stuff for a day..but on day 2 I had made some egg salad and was literally only able to eat maybe 2 or 3 bites of it before I felt it right at my throat. Mind you, I have never really felt any restriction before except when eating too fast. Today I brought some scrambled eggs with bacon and cheese and was able to eat 3 bites of it, and lunch was pretty much the same way. Do you think this is too tight? Or should I give it a few days and see if it loosens up a bit? I'm not hungry, tired...nothing. Just worried that I may not be getting enough in everyday. But after seeing those pounds stall for so long, Im actually happy to be feeling the restriction on a cup of food. Any suggestions?

I was banded about 6 months ago, and 3 months later my hair started falling out by the clumps. I literally was cleaning the drain everytime I showered because it was full of hair.. my hairbrush was the same way. I have thin hair anyway and it has never held a curl or anything...but I eventually got to the point where I had to start scrunching it just to make it look decent. (I've NEVER been able to do it before, but somehow I made it look presentable) I had a friend who had the gastric bypass done and the same happened to her. She told me to take B5 and Lysine. I started taking it immediately and my hair is almost back to normal.. I noticed an immediate difference! I got it cut to make sure there were no more dead ends, and now I can wear it straight again since its layered. I notice new hair coming in everywhere (although its gray, thats ok I'll take it!!) Give these a try and hopefully they will work out for you!!

So...I was banded on July 29, 2011. For my insurance I had to do a 6 month dieting period before getting my approval. During that time I lost 30 pounds on my own by just doing low carb. So I had my surgery, lost 10 lbs in the first week and then went back in September for my first fill and was down another 8lbs I think...but since then, its all been down hill. First of all, after surgery the protein shakes made me sick..I would literally gag and throw them right back up. It wasnt the taste, it was the nasty gritty taste they had. I tried to do the pre-made things and they were either too expensive (yea Im a cheapie) or they had too many carbs for my preference. So needless to say in November my friggin hair starts falling out, and I mean by the clumps. I had to start scrunching my hair everyday because if not you could see thin patches everywhere. Then my weight loss just stopped.. I know it was partly my fault because I wasnt following directions exactly, but compared to my old ways I figured I was doing a pretty good job. I was 325 in September when I had my fill, and had been eating the same foods and stuff but the weight just stopped. This went on for the next 6 weeks, which lead us to Thanksgiving. I finally just gave up and said forget it. I had been doing reasonably well with my food choices, but I just went all out and have been eating whatever Ive wanted since then... and here it is March and Im still 325. We had a weight loss challenge here at work for 6 weeks in Jan/Feb and I really buckedled down when it started. I was working out all the time, eating perfect and the scales said I had lost 7 lbs in 3 days. So I was 318, so the following week I go to weight myself and all be danged it I wasnt back up to 322. It just seems that no matter how hard I work out, how good I eat... I just cannot get out of the 320's!!!! I have been embarrased and havent went back to the doctor because I dont really wanna hear them.. I am hard enough on myself as it is. I dont understand whats went wrong..its like I lose motivation and then just give up ( like Ive done my entire life, hence the reason Im fat lol) I know I need another fill, and I hear all these stories about the green zone...but when I eat right now I never feel restriction unless Ive eaten a good portion of my meal. (I actually get full on normal amounts of food, Ive always overeat my whole life...so when I can have food leftover on my plate then my mind tells me Ive done a good job, even though its more then I should be able to eat) Im just tired of the friggin mind games Im playing with myself and need some kind of motivation. My brother had the same surgery in Dec and has lost 40 lbs so far...my neighbor lost 100 in 6 months! So Im feeling like a failure, like Im doomed to be fat forever. Anyone have any suggestions to get back on track??

Sorry you're not feeling well Holly! I was banded on 7/29/11 and it was a real rollercoaster for me too. As soon as I woke up from surgery I can remember gagging on the tube they had down my throat, and I had the worst back pain I've ever had in my entire life. I was given 3 different doses of Dilaudid and it wasnt even coming close to kickin the pain. I had to get up in the PACU dept and stand against the wall while my mom and husband rubbed my back. The first night really kicked my butt. I couldnt lay on my back or on my sides in the bed because when my belly would flatten out it felt like I was gonna rip open. So the only comfortable way I could sleep was on the couch, with 2 pillows behind me and I leaned my head up against the back of it. I think I slept like this about a week. I finally got to the point where I could lay on my side with a pillow propped right up next to my belly..but I could only get maybe 4 hours at a time in before I would hurt. I went back to work 4 days after surgery,, and I wish I had taken more time than that. I got tired and very cranky really easily. I remember being a week out and I was in bed crying like a baby because I thought I had made a mistake. Even though I knew this was the best thing for me, I felt miserable and was just hurting, tired, hungry, uncomfortable etc..and I finally just had to break down. After my crying episode I was fine lol.. Best of luck to you!

Hey there! Welcome to the site..it has been a life saver for me. I was banded on July 29th 2011 and I started out at 375lbs...lol so dont feel bad! I had to do a 6 month pre-op diet and I lost 30, and Ive lost about 30 since the surgery. Should be a lot more but I kinda fell off the bandwagon, and still am not exercising!! I know, its ridiculous! Good Luck with everything!

Thanks for all of the help guys! I have put all my pills in my purse so I wont forget to take any of them. My hair has never been super thick, and I mean it doesnt look terribly bad now but I am freaking out. When I put it back in a ponytail I can tell that its thinning around my temples. I really hope this passes because I dont know if I could handle wigs and all that stuff. I like to shower, scrunch my hair up and go!! Fast and easy! I dont know what the problem is with this protein stuff.. I can stand the carnation IB, but I get really tired of eating and drinking. I know that sounds crazy, but Im just not into food like I was before. I can take a few bites of something and just be done with it. The shakes I was drinking before were like 32 ounces in one bottle but they had 3 scoops of powder in them and I drank it throughout the day which equaled my entire daily amount. I do eat alot of protein, but had fallen off around the holidays with all of the carbs and desserts. I had gotten into the habit of eating my meat first then moving on to something else...but I was putting little spoonfuls of nothing but carbs on my plate!! I swear we know better, so why do we do stupid things like that?? If I could kick my own rear, I really would lol..

So I had my lap band done on July 29, 2011. I loved the protein shakes before that, but afterwards the texture literally made me vomit. I tried to put them in soups, shakes, puddings, etc..but nothing was working. I even tried mixing the concentrate stuff with water and that didnt go well either. I dont know if it was the texture or the taste of them..but I couldnt tolerate them. I went to the doctor a few times and told them what was going on and they kept recommending different things, and I tried them with no luck. So eventually I got fed up and just stopped doing them ( I know, I know so stupid, believe me I am kicking myself now). I dont know if I got a terrible case of the "stupids" but I just didnt take my vitamins or anything.I felt great after surgery and kept telling myself I didnt need all of that. Well fast forward 4 1/2 months and my hair is coming out. Everytime I take a shower I have to clean the drain out. Didnt really notice anything too bad until this last month...so naturally I am in panic mode. I know I shouldnt have been so hard headed (scary thing is I'm a nurse and I know better! I know I am sooo stupid, you can all yell at me later!) So, I am forcing myself now to drink these shakes. I literally hold my nose and drink 8 ounces at a time and then wash it down with some water to get the gritty taste out of my mouth. I am taking my vitamins and even went and got some B5 and Lysine ( I have a friend that had the bypass and this is what she took to help with her hair). I call the doctors office again and tell them and she told me she didnt think my hair loss had anything to do with my surgery..??? She said that she had never seen anyone losing hair with the lap-band before so unless it was a protein deficiency then she had no idea. So..my question is.. has anyone else went through this? And any pointers on how to stop all this hair loss so I'm not bald within the next few months???

Sooooo... I had surgery July 29, 2011. I should have been working out for a few weeks now, but with 2 jobs Ive been lazy and just havent. Im a nurse and I feel like I walk 100 miles at work, so when I get home I just wanna sit down and relax before bed! I went and purchased this video at Wal-Mart called "30 day shred" by Jillian Michaels. It looked like a very good routine and the video is only about 20-25 minutes long..I figured it would be a good way to jump start my exercise routine. Boy was I wrong!! I did the video, which consists of strength training, cardio and ab work.. you do little intervals lasting 2-3 minutes. There are 3 levels, and of course I started out on Level 1. I can honestly say that in those 20 minutes Jillian got cussed about 8 times and called everything but a milk cow. When it was over..I was laying in the floor..hair soaking wet, panting like I was gonna die. I have also cussed her for the past 2 days because I am forced to waddle around like a penguin because my thighs are so sore!!! I was seriously thinking I had hurt myself because the pain was ridiculous. It hurt to stand, sit, walk...you name it. Woke up this morning feeling a little better, but my thighs and butt still feel like Ive been beat with a baseball bat. This video is no joke!! I am starting to think that Jillian Michaels was sent here to earth, by Satan himself..to torture little fluffy people like me !!!!The doc told me to take a few days off and then try to do it again..so those are my plans. My mistake was..trying to go from being inactive, to being a super buff fitness expert lol! My advice to you is..buy the video, the workout will really kick your butt...but if you dont exercise, then try walking for a week or two just to get your body used to it..if not you will be left with a case of the "waddles"like Ive gotten!! I went back for my 6 week checkup ( was supposed to be a month, but I had to reschedule)..and I had only lost 7 lbs Doc said I was doing great and no reason to be discouraged..but I still find it a little disappointing. .I was hoping for atleast 10-15. I did get a 3 cc fill, and Ive had no problems from it. It was done under fluroscopy and was actually painless...I didnt even know he had stuck me.. repeatedly. He couldnt get it straight in the port because I had a seroma ( Fluid pocket) that had come up around the port..so he had to go through it..so about 10 sticks later ( and again I didnt feel anything!) he finally got it and filled me up! Had no soreness or bruising afterwards either..so it was a pleasant surprise. He took the needle out and tons of fluid came right behind it...which he said was a good thing. So most of it drained out this first time, and he said if I have to get another fill then it will probably drain out again and I would be ok. Hope everyone is doing well!!

I also had a NSV today..I am buying my nephews class ring, and he had all of the sizers there at home..when I got married in April 2008 my ring was a size 10, I put the size 9 on and it fit perfectly...so one ring size down!!

So, I had my surgery on July 29th and I go in for my first fill on Spet 12th. I am down about 50 lbs, but 30 of that was from my 3 month pre-op diet. I am able to eat small amounts, about a cup full and Im full. I know I shouldnt have, but I have tried different foods..veggies, fruit, bread, etc to see if I could eat them and everything has went fine. I havent really eat anything terribly bad, and Im sticking to my protein for the most part. My problem is, is that Im stupid and try to eat too fast, or swallow bites that are too big ( Yea I know, I wanna punch myself in the face all the time lol ) I havent gotten stuck (Thank You Jesus), but if I do eat fast, then I can eat more and then I feel stuffed afterwards...but if I sit down and take 20 minutes for each meal, then a cup will do me. I dont think its the band that needs the adjusting, I think its my brain. Im still goin to eat and thinking I should order these huge portions..and one cup of chili does me just fine if I just follow the directions. I have started to eat some, and then put my food down and wait 5 minutes then eat a little more..and this seems to help. So, should I get the fill, or just slow the hell down and start following directions?? Sherry

I was banded on July 29th, so I am almost exactly 2 weeks out myself. I am feeling the same way as you Alan.. If I chew correctly and take my time then I am full on a little less than a cup. I know since I have started real food back that my weight may go up some..but I feel that I am satisfied right now, and if Im feeling this way on my next appt then Im not going to get a fill.My problem is trying to eat too fast lol.. its hard to break old habits, and if I do eat too fast then I end up eating too much because my brain doesnt get the signal fast enough..My big thing is gonna be working on these habit changes..as long as the scale is moving down, then Im ok! Good Luck!!

I was banded on July 29th. I went back for my 1 week follow up and I had lost 10 lbs!! I had to have my staples removed ( all 32 of them, wasnt really expecting staples for laprascopic surgery, but actually I liked them better than stitches!) Some of the staples pinched a little when they came out, but it made sleeping in bed alot easier because I felt more "held together" than when you do with stitches. My doctor has always said that I could advance my diet as tolerated. I did mostly liquids and soups and stuff for the first week but Ive been on solids this whole week. I have no fluid in my band, but still feel really good restriction on it. The only problem I have is that I want to eat too fast, and my brain is still bigger than my belly. I went to Steak n Shake with my husband last night for dinner and I sat down and was thinking of all of the things I wanted to order, and I had to step back and make myself realize that even if I wanted to eat all of those things...I actually couldnt. I did order a cup of chili with cheese and onions, and a side order of cottage cheese. If I eat fast, then I dont get the signal to my brain and I end up eating way too much and feeling sick..but if I chew everything and take atleast 15-20 minutes then I can clearly tell when I am full. I ate that one cup of soup and had to take my cottage cheese home with me ..it was actually my breakfast this morning. The first week or so I was kind of regretting my decision because I was sore, couldnt sleep very well, wasnt working and was on mostly liquids.. I would go and try to walk around places as much as possible to relieve the gas pains, but my family would stop and eat and I would just feel so down in the dumps. I wasnt mad at them for eating, and I told them it didnt bother me..I wasnt hungry..but emotionally it was devastating to me. I finally called the doctor and told him I was going back to work (4 days post-op) and I started eating the soups, and progressed into regular food from there.. Now I am happy I made this decision. Althought the scale did say I had gained a pound since my weigh in 5 days ago...but its ok. Ive started my exercising this week and I am commited to making this work... I think my head is my biggest enemy, and the games it can play on me are ruthless. I was on a 3 month pre-op diet and lost 27 pounds, along with the 10 Ive lost post-op makes me right at 37 lbs... Im ok with that. I was alot bigger than most of the readers Ive seen. I was 375 on my first consult appt.. now I am 338 pounds. I still have a loooong way to go, but theres nothing better than getting out of the 370's, 60's, 50's, 40's and eventually the 30's... I used to think 100 lbs seemed impossible, but now Im almost half way there... Good Luck to you all, and all my love!!Sherry

I called the office this morning and they told me if I was handeling the full liquids then I could go to the pureed meats..The tuna could literally be sucked through a straw. I took an ice cube tray and filled it and left it in the fridge. They told me the pain is probably from the gas..I was finally able to go to the bathroom tonight and it helped a little. I ate some creamy soup and drank my shakes today but this pain in my chest is the worst..I cant even describe it really. I am going to stay off my meats for a few days and try to get my liquids in..I made the tuna because my head was telling me I wasnt getting enough to eat, and I think Im just trying to rush myself into feeling better. It also doesnt help when I have to sleep sitting up on the couch, but its the only way I can get comfortable. I bought some creamed soups and pudding mix so Im going to stick with that until the end of the week when I get my staples out.. Im trying to be positive, but I really feel rough. Hope you all are feeling better!