TheBandedPeach

Yes, thank you that does help. Sometimes all i need is a little encouragment to keep going... Question though.... Does every Bander go through a few months of this in the beginning? Does it ever get easier to eat less? If so, then what is a typical period of time before it finally starts to "switch on" so to speak...

I plan on calling tomorrow to find out

I actually have no idea how much is in my band LOL! One of my main complaints with my doctors has been the extreme lack of communication which is why I needed to come on here. When I first saw this forum a few days ago, all these terms were new to me! I didn't know that we were supposed to know how many cc's or even what that was. I promise I will ask and find out on my next visit where I am at now and where they will put me. Yes, I keep track and like to journal my meals, calories & Proteins. I have not gotten as far as journaling my fats and carbs yet. I eat 2-3 meals a day at exactly 1-1.5 cups. I stay between 1000-1200 calories (the higher end being on weekends). The only thing that has made me lose any weight is the all liquid diets. I am restricted to gentle cardio exercising 20-30 minutes 1-2 times per week (just for now). I am most deffinatly eating my protein first and have doubled the amount of veggies in my diet. Sometimes for my morning meal I just do a 160 calorie skim milk Protein shake if I need extra energy for the day. All of my effort has been will power, as I hardly feel the band except when I sleep and roll around. When it comes to it supposedly having to do with triggering signals to the brain and telling your hypothalamus that you are satisfied, apparently that doesn't work for me, because I am always hungry 1-2 hours after a meal. I mean hungry in the sense of a growling, mumbling stomach, not "hungry" in my brain. It takes a LOT of effort not to just pop a bite or two of leftover chicken in my mouth or a slice of sandwich turkey 2 hours after Breakfast. My last fill was only my second fill and it was exactly 2 weeks ago (June 16th 2011 )and the scale has only been bumping up and down 2 pounds. <a href="http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/wK1fDVE/"> <img border="0" src="http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/wK1fDVE/weight.png"></a>

WOW THANK YOU SO MUCH ACADIA! You always have the most amazing posts and information and I so badly need to know the technical stuff! That's just me personally. I become fascinated and obsessed with these things, but I know that knowledge REALLY helps and my doctors are just AWFUL with communicated and I feel they never listen! This forum and people like you have for sure become a life saver!

Those who have been thin in the past have something to relate to and visualization, which helps a super ton. It's much harder on people like me and you who have been overweight our whole lives. We have no real visual or experience of living the life if a thin and healthy person. It really is a completely diffrent world, and it's harder for us to not only FIND that right state of mind, but to HOLD ONTO it as well, and I think that when we do finally start to feel that reality, it can put us into a temporary shock and then overflow of emotions after the shock passes. I believe it's totally healthy and that you are on the right track by getting to that emotional level. Some people take much longer to get there, or never at all, which is why they can't lose the weight.

That happens to me when I accidentally eat to much and feel full. It goes away after a little while. I found liquids did not help because it just made me more full, and it just went away on it's own.

This link REALLY helped me! It's a MUST READ for all banders. Someone else on this site had posted it.-----> http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

They don't usually fill you right after surgery. Your band needs time to heal, so right now the band is just a band. You still have to be gentle and only eat how your supposed to eat because it's so fragile right now, but the band will be extremely loose until your first fill. I was not aware of that in the beginning, myself. <a href="http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/wK1fDVE/"> <img border="0" src="http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/wK1fDVE/weight.png"></a>

It's possible it's just your body giving you little signals here and there that you need your nutrients. Our body gives us signs when we are full and when we are hungry, right down to a running nose or a cough! Watch for these signs when you start your solids too, to tell you your full. Just learned that the other day and it has made a world of difference to keep me from over eating!!! Just thought I would share

Well seeing as how the band seems to be all mostly physiological due to it sending messages to your hypothalamus, there is a chance that your psyching yourself into being sick when you eat, just like a person with anorexia does. You should set yourself up immediately with an appointment with the psychologist that should have been assigned to you by your surgeon's staff. Also talk to your surgeon about whether it could just be a psychological thing if they continue to find nothing wrong with you. Some surgeons don't even seem to really know THEMSELVES how it really works. The last thing you want to happen is for the band to give you an eating disorder like a person with anorexia. On the other hand, if the band is working that powerfully for you, you may be one of the lucky ones who only needs it there to work and not ever have to go to the extent of having it filled...or at least for a long time until your goal weight. Read this link that another Bander posted. It's seriously the best information I have ever seen or heard on LAP-BAND. The Lap-band is NOT about Restriction NOTE: you may have to copy and paste the link below into your browser. For some reason the above link does not want to work.... http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

I am COMPLETELY shocked that they tightened it right after surgery! My doctor refused to tighten in until the 6 weeks of full liquids was over! The band has to have time to heal before being messed with. I have come to notice just how different each doc really is.

MOST DEFINITELY!

wow, I never heard that! I'm gonna have to look into it!

MY coffee Protein shake RECIPE This can be used with regular or decaf Decaf Mocha Protein 4oz organic decaf coffee of choice 2 oz skim (lowfat option) or Real Organic Whipping Cream (high fat option) 1 serving organic whey Protein powder (any flavor) 1 tsp real organic vanilla extract 1 ½ tsp real organic chocolate extract or syrup 2 tsp Xylitol (or to taste) (healthy sugar alternative as well as a detoxing digestive aid) ~blend well~

Thanks Cwids ...I have a habit of over analyzing and researching everything to death, so never took the whole LAP-BAND thing lightly. I love this forum. So much great info!

FASCINATING information Dave, thank you! This is probably the best info I have gotten yet since before my surgery! LAP-BAND fills... restriction I asked the very same questions as Jennypenny and started to regret ever getting the surgery until reading that. Kinda wish the Docs would have filled me in earlier on about this...excuse the pun.....

Yeah, I forgot about the dry mouth thing! That was the biggest pain for me. I asked the nurses to give me those green mouth sponges with one glass of ice water to soak them in and one spit cup so I could suck the water off, then spit it out. They don't allow you any water for hours after surgery and you will feel drier then you have ever felt in your life. Another hospital gave me this mouth gel to put inside my mouth for moister. Kinda like a lip balm, but for the inside instead.

I totally made myself coffee protein shakes every day with espresso! They say not to drink coffee because it makes you more hungry, but the reason it makes you more hungry is because it gives you energy and speeds up your heart rate, and when you have more energy, you burn more calories so it kinda contradicts itself.

I DID THE SAME SORT OF THING! BEST Protein shakes EVER!

I feel the same! I wonder how much they get payed for each fill?... It's your body. We did this and put ourselves thru hell to get this surgery in hopes that we would start losing weight and getting healthy immediately. We made the decision to change our lives by doing this because we needed help. We needed a tool that works and does it's job, so we should be able to take control of what is done to our own bodies thereafter, as well. Unless they tell you that something terrible could happen to you, I would demand it be tighter along with more personal attention from the assigned psychologist and nutritionist. Explain how much your able to eat and how easily it is to eat it, if you haven't already. When I told mine that I was able to easily eat an entire 6" turkey sub LOADED with extra veggies and still did not feel full, she finally listened that it was too loose. If we had gotten our stomachs cut off with the gastric instead, our stomachs would be that small anyways right from the beginning!...right?...

Hi everyone, I am new to the forum and looking for other Dr. Tiesenga patients as well as anyone else who wants to share stories. I have had some complications along the way (3 months post op, down 22 lbs. 13 of those pounds was lost during the 5 day pre op clear liquid fast.) and losing weight at a snails pace with my wedding only 6 months away! I wanted to know if anyone else has experienced extreme abdominal pain since their first fill? It's put me in the ER four times in less than 2 months with no answers except that it must be gas. I'm sorry to say that I do not believe that it is just gas. I have never experienced anything like this pain in my life and wondering if it's possible that the first doctor who filled me may have punctured the port and saline is leaking out? I am allergic to saline drops when they are put in my eyes.

Thanks Elcee. I am unsure of anything right now. I have had a CAT scan, endisopy, scans for gall bladder twice, and 2 ultra sounds but they cannot find the problem. It may very well be a coincidence that it started the same day of my first fill, but for now I am questioning everything until I figure it out. Thanks again

I agree with the other posts that it is much better to find a liquid that helps you "go" more often to release any blockage that can hold the gas in. Peppermint tea and pure apple juice most definitely helps you poop. (sorry for the bluntness) Pain meds help more for the tenderness that the band is causing while it heals.

I feel you! It was the same for me and I thought I was the only one at the time! Hang in there because it will pass, it just takes a little while. I know it's scarey for now, but this forum is so helpful and you are fortunate to have found it early on!

Hi, Make sure you have people who can help take care of you at least the first entire week after surgery for sure! You will be much weaker then they tell you to expect. Although they say it is not a major surgery, any surgery has a heeling process afterwards. I had NO IDEA how helpless I would be afterwards! Thank goodness my mother and Fiance' were around, because I would not have made it on my own very well. Make sure you are prepared at home with liquid or crush-able pain meds as well as LOTS of Gas-X strips and chewables. Gas is what causes the most pain, so if you can get that out of the way, you will feel way better. Since you will be spending a lot of time in bed, make sure you have books and stuff to occupy you. Make sure you rest and walk, rest and walk, rest and walk. Also, since you will be doing a LOT of Protein shakes the 6 weeks after, it is SO HELPFUL to own a magic bullet blender or somthing similar! I love using flavoring extracts like vanilla, Almond, strawberry, etc... to switch up the flavors of the shakes. I never got bored! In fact, I switched up the flavors so often, I soon went back to wanting just plain vanilla again. Vanilla whey protein tastes the best in my opinion, as well as gives you the option to really experiment with flavoring. Also, since you will only be sleeping on your back for a couple weeks after surgery, you might want to make sure you have good padding and pillows for your bed. If you share your bed with your spouse, make sure he or she understands that you will need to take up more room with pillows and do things slightly different in your nightly routine. Since sleep can also be hard to come by after due to being in one position all night, you may want a gentle sleep relaxer. Calms Forte from Whole Foods Market is a great one and all natural. It is very gentle and does not make you drowsy the next morning. By the way... please talk to your doctor first before taking any of my own personal advice. Everyone is different and you may have a different experience or health than me. Blender (Magic Bullet) Liquid and crush-able pain meds Gas X (LOTS) Pillows/cushioning Flavoring extracts for Protein Shakes Good reading material & stuff to occupy the time