Meduseld

Thank you so much! Yeah, I don't understand how it can. I can see if maybe there is a lot of food in the pouch and it just sits there, but if it's empty, I think it would just seep to the lower part of the stomach. And yes! It takes me FOREVER to drink one can of coke. I take small sips and almost "bite" the bubbles out of it. It seems to go down just fine. Thanks for your help!

I drink Crystal Light and Diet Snapple mainly. I'm just talking about having a few carbonated beverages when I crave them. Like I said, this isn't something that's every day at all. And "a few times a week" is probably pushing it. It's more like once, maybe twice a week. I'm wondering if there is any damage to the band. Some doctors say that carbonation doesn't do anything while others say that it stretches the pouch. I wanted to know everyone's opinon on it. I also notice that if I have a carbonated drink, having ice in it makes it much better. I think it flattens it out a lot and it's actually quite nice to drink. I do that and usually drink it on an empty stomach to keep my pouch from being "inflated" in case what they say is true. I don't get all gassy when my soda is on ice. Anyone else find this?

Hahaha! That's fantastic! I've gotten a few looks before because it can be really loud, and I'm gonna use that one!

I know I don't get enough Water and I never have. xD I'm pretty honest about that. I don't like drinking water constantly. Water is great, but I don't like too much of the "taste." I would have to drink water when I wasn't really thirsty and I have a hard time doing that. ...And that's why powdered drink mixes were invented! I don't drink too much straight water at all. I make big pitchers of powdered drinks (low cal, of course) that I can pour in a bottle and take with me. It tastes like fruit punch, but is fantastic. Also, Mio is great. You know, the stuff they squirt in the water bottles in the commercial? Tastes fantastic and lasts a good while!

I just started exercising regularly. Elliptical is my best friend. No knee pressure and a good amount of calories burned in even half an hour. I generally burn about 360 in 35 minutes. Good luck!

Oh yes, it can definitely be a little sore. I was banded on April 25. The one incision with the port was on my pant line exactly, so I definitely had some pain. Also, it's much bigger so it takes longer to heal. The smaller ones didn't hurt me much either after a day or two. Hot is okay. Your body is probably just trying to fight any bad bacteria that may be in there. It's only been a few days, so it's okay. Just make sure that it doesn't leak anything for that's a sign of infection. My band port incision didn't get infected, but I had a smaller one that did. If you're in trouble, you'll know, I promise. As for now, get some R&R and keep an eye on it. Take your pain meds and take it easy. Good luck on your journey!

It makes me so sad when I have to throw clothes away. xD My poor mother bought me all these beautiful clothes for an internship from Lane Bryant this summer that are 26/28 shirts and 28 pants. I now wear a size 18/20 shirt, which is generous, and a 22 pant. I have them in my closet, knowing that I will never fit in them again, but I have yet gathered the courage to donate them. They're SO nice and my mother paid so much money for them. I don't have the heart to donate all these beautiful clothes!

Getting stuck is normal generally after a fill, but it shouldn't be something that's a regular occurrence. I think it's generally what you're eating. Bacon is really hard, and if you're going to eat it, you have to chew chew chew. If you chew that much and it still doesn't go down, you probably just can't tolerate it and may either have to give it up or try again another time. As for the French Dip, we've got all kinds of wrong going there. The bread is probably what got you stuck! I have had to perfect how to eat bread since my band. I can't have the "hard" kind like my beloved sourdough. I have to have soft, thin bread that I can chew until it's practically liquified. And lunchmeat is tricky. You have to chew chew chew. If I were you, I'd take it easy for a while. I've learned how to eat bacon (chewing. A lot.) and sandwiches (just the other day), but it's a matter of trial and error and what you can tolerate. If you want to try again later, you can. Just make sure you really chew and that you are near a toilet or something just in case you need to throw up. Eating is an art with the band, but an art that is really worth learning.

The good thing about it is that at least the ones that come in the bag are generally low cal. It's only one hundred and something calories for the whole bag, which in the scheme of things, isn't all that bad. We could, you know, inhale ice cream that slides instead. -shrug- I'm happy that I'm not the only one! I thought I was alone on the popcorn thing! I always get so scared that I've stretched my band, but then I sit down to my next meal and I can eat normally (for a banded person), so I don't think I have. xD It still scares me though. What other slider foods have you encountered? I'm just curious since you've had the band so much longer than me.

Yup! It's one of those very few things that goes right through my band. Kind of like yogurt and ice cream. I can "cheat" with it. I've eaten whole bags before after the band. I don't suggest this, but this is my experience with it. Doesn't bother me at all. Just chew well!

Thank you all very much! I've started to slowly lose (yay!) again, so I think I'm going to be okay. Gonna head out to the gym now, actually! One benefit of college: free gym membership! Thanks again, Elizabeth

You are in the stage that we call "Bandster Hell." You are not restricted yet at all, so technically, there's nothing making you feel fuller than if you had no band at all. I went through this stage, and you just have to push through it! I promise that once you hit the "sweet spot", all the waiting will be worth it. As for now, eat healthy, exercise, and concentrate on your food. Think "Only eat until satisfied." That's how you are going to eat with the band. Take it as practice! Good luck to you! Elizabeth

Not gonna lie, my last night before surgery, I cheated on my pre-op diet (I had been religious about it, so it wasn't awful) and had my "last supper." An entire box of Panda Express filled my tummy that night. I've never been able to eat an entire thing since. However, at some meals my mother put about as much food as I would eat on my plate (she had a gastric sleeve) to see what I would be able to eat. You don't have to eat JUST that. Your stomach isn't meant for that yet. But I would definitely experiment. Eat what a bandster would eat and then wait about 10 minutes. Then just continue normally. Just get a little feel for it, and enjoy that "last supper."

Isn't Georgia a hugely obese state as well?

If you want my honest opinion, here it is. See the clicker down there? That's 73 pounds I have lost since I got my band on April 25th. You have had the band for three months and I sincerely think that calling it a failure this early would be a big mistake. It took me about three months to start losing regularly. I have slowed WAY down these past two weeks. Why? I was eating about 500 calories a day and just could not get myself to eat more. On top of that, I was exercising religiously. When you are eating that little, your body goes into starvation mode and holds on to everything. Eat more, and please don't be snappy to people that tell you something that you don't want to hear. It's a public forum. Secondly, you're going to eat pretty much the same way with whatever surgery you get, so if it's not working now and you're doing all that you say that you are, then the surgery is not going to make a difference. It's your body. Just another reason to up the calorie intake. My doctor would have a heart attack if he heard how little I've been getting in lately. Everyone here is trying to help and support you and instead of throwing in the towel, I think you should work with what you have before you cut yourself open again. This is a slow process, not a quick fix. My mother had the sleeve and had complications of her own. That wasn't a quick fix either. Every surgery you are going to get has its challenges. If you are at least not going to try to get across these, I doubt that you will be happy with the complications that come from a surgery that is more permanent than the band. Best of luck to you on your journey, Elizabeth

The person above pretty much answered the questions, but I can tell you one thing. I was barely 18 when I got the band on April 25. Since then, I have lost 73 pounds and I am still not even 19 yet. Best decision of my life, by far. But because you are so young, like I was, you really need to be sure and be completely 100% dedicated. This is not something that can be taken lightly. I put in over a year's worth of thought and consideration before I went under the knife. Kids our age tend to try the "fad diets" and lose motivation quickly. This is something that you have to be absolutely sure about. DO NOT rush yourself towards this decision and if you haven't already, try conventional dieting first. This is kind of a "last resort" kind of thing. It was my last resort. My mother got a gastric sleeve and lost 200 pounds. She inspired me to get the band. I had an example and I watched her go through it, so I knew what to expect and the amount of dedication it really takes. I'm 18 and I did it, but I know a lot of 18 year olds that would not have been able to handle it. Good luck! Elizabeth

I'm from Grapevine! That's scary! Who is doing your lap band? I love D.C., but it's just me. I find it to be an incredibly beautiful city with so much history. The architecture blows my mind still. It is way more expensive to live, but I hear wages are adjusted accordingly here, so it does not hurt people as much as we might think. A movie ticket is like $11.25 here. I thought that was absolutely ridiculous when I first came up here.

I actually just moved from the DFW, Texas area to go to college in D.C. Are you in the actual Dallas or a suburb around? I don't feel the band at all. The only sensation I ever get from it is feeling full. As for the port, I can feel it if I press pretty hard on my stomach, but it's not like it protrudes badly or anything. Avoid that sickly look simply by being healthy. Get the proper nutrition always. That is the best thing you can do to avoid that. Elizabeth

Yes, it happened. I have lost seventy pounds since my surgery on April 25! I am so excited! I literally got off the scale and cried. I don't know why 70 is such a big thing, but I just now started noticing a change in my appearance. I didn't even realize how just HUGE I was, and now I look at myself and I feel so much happier about the way I look. I'm nowhere near done, but even if the weight loss stopped here, I'd be happy. Look at me! I haven't been this thin since I was a freshman in high school (now I'm a freshman in college)! I just can't contain my excitement! You can even see a part of my college suite in the background of my after picture! The first one is at my Dad's pub with, of course, my dad. I think I'm around the same size! This is my my sophomore year of high school! This is me before and after lap-band surgery (so far!). 70 pounds down!

I was down for about 4 days. I was pretty smart though. I did it on a thursday so I got friday, saturday, sunday, and monday off. I came back to school tuesday. I was sore for a few days, but nothing major. Pain medications are great. Just make sure that you get up. Laying there for days only increases the amount of time it is going to take you to heal. Move a little more each day and you should be up in no time. And yeah, don't wear pants. If you do, wear like pajama ones with an elastic waistband. It's easier on the port AND you'll fell really comfy. Elizabeth

Hi Montana! I am currently 18 years old and a freshman in college. I was banded April 25th as a senior in high school, a month after my 18th birthday, and since then I have lost 71 pounds. I started out at over 320 pounds, and now I'm around 250. It definitely makes college eating easier considering I physically CANNOT eat too much. Now I can move, keep up with my friends, and just feel better. The band was a great decision for me, but you have to make sure that you have a support group around you, especially with friends etc. If your friends go out and try to pressure you to eat with them, it can be a bad thing. Just make sure you have a backing behind you and you will be okay. Good luck on your surgery! Elizabeth

14 bags of sugar!

Hi everyone! So I'm a freshman in college, a fresh crisp 18, and I am having a little trouble with my band. Or more specifically, with my Protein. I love college and am having an absolute blast, but this campus is not made for the protein lover! I know that I am definitely not getting enough protein and I need some serious assistance. I have lost 20 pounds since I came to school on August 25th, which is good, but the problem is that I have not been eating the right amount protein. I don't count it all, but I am 100% sure that I am protein deficient. I honestly try to find protein, especially in the dining hall (I have a meal plan) and I find that my options are limited. Generally in the cafeteria, I have three protein options. There is one place with usually some protein, but half the time it is fried, covered in some calorie-filled sauce, or just gross. There is another station where they "grill" you chicken. Great, right? Not. They basically pull this dry, awful tasting, brick-like piece of chicken out of a tin and put it on your plate. The third if yogurt, which is great, but it gets old. I have a little fridge in my room that I try to fill with healthy stuff, but I only have so much room! Right now, looking in my fridge as I type, I see tuna, cottage cheese, some fruit, some pickles and pepperocini, some light Baby Bell cheese, some diet margarine, and Diet Snapple. In my freezer I have some frozen fish filets (which I just cooked a batch of to eat for a while) and frozen GoGurts that I use for Desserts (Try it sometime. It's actually pretty nice AND low cal.). I think it sounds pretty good in general, but my fridge is full! The only plus I have found is that on campus there is this smoothie place that lists the amount of calories in every single one of their smoothies, and their protein one has 25g of protein and about 250 calories. I'll sometimes get these in the mornings when my band is tight and I really don't feel like eating anything for a while. But other than those, I have yet to find a seriously good source of protein on campus. There is so much junk junk junk (Starbucks. My weakness.), but not enough healthy options. What do you all suggest I do? I do not have a lot of money to buy food because I'm in college, but I can't find anything to fill my protein needs! I HATE Protein shakes with a passion and I don't want to have to resort to them for all my protein. I like food, and I wanna eat it! Thank you all! Elizabeth

I don't have a blender! :'( Do you know if it's possible to make something without one? Are you SURE they taste good? These seem really appealing to me, actually. Every Protein Shake I've tried is so UGH and they pretty much make me sick. I like this. Only a few ounces with 50g. No blender required. Liking it.

Oh good Lord. I know how it feels to not be able to eat half a sandwich, but be able to eat more Reese's Peanut Butter Cups than would make up that half a sandwich. College is a blast, but it's definitely incredibly hard sometimes. I live in a dorm in my own room, and the best thing I do for myself is just get rid of everything fattening. Seriously, just throw that stuff OUT. So even if you get the munchies and you give in, you're at least eating something healthy. It's actually good that you can't handle half a sandwich. That's about normal. Stuff that's solid like that sticks in the pouch longer and keeps you full for hours. You need to be eating stuff like that. Protein is a big part of nutrition, but it also keeps you fuller, longer. As hard as it may be to part with the candy, you've gotta do it. Oh! And ice cream is one of the very few things I can cheat my band with. If you think about it, it's practically liquid. Once it gets in you, it melts and goes right through the pouch. Ice cream's a great thing to have (and one of my favorites!), but only every once in a while. You can definitely cheat with it. If you really want to keep it in the house just for Snacks, then get the individually serving size packaged ones and make sure you only eat one! Best of luck to you! Elizabeth