Cazzy

Your post is very common mainly because almost every one of us has had the same experience 6 weeks or more into this journey. Seems like most all had selective hearing when we went through the seminars, research and nutrition meetings? I know I did. I really thought I'd immediatly start losing weight and feel satisfied with a small meal. HA! Not a chance. Some are lucky and it does work that way but for most, not!
You'll be in "bandster hell" until you get the fill that gives you enough restriction for the band to work it's magic. That may be 1 fill or 6. No one knows. Till then, like our esteemed forum member B-52 says,
"Until there's restriction...It's just another diet"
tmf

Well having had my abdominoplasgty and brachyplasty in May 2012 am feeling fully recovered and am now going for my thigh lift. My sugeon is going on maternity leave in december so it was either having to wait till next year and another summer interupted by surgery or to get it done asap. My surgery date is the 18th October 2012..
Just to give you an idea of what my poor surgeon has to deal with i am showing 2 pics
one pre-op with my very loose skin on my thighs and one of my thighs in my marena compression leggings. I love these compression legs and although expensive are so worth while, the difference it made to me not having this baggy skin showing on my legs with normal leggings made all the difference in the world to me.
 
Most of you wont get skin as bad as mine as i had to lose a lot of weight and doing the amount of cycling i do my legs are just muscle and skin now, my age was against me and so was being female but i am hoping this surgery will make the difference i need to feel able to wear my cycling shorts or even a bathing suit !

Just an updater my breast lift surgery is scheduled for March 23rd 2013 .. the final piece of the puzzle for me, I cannot wait to get rid of these saggy lumps on my chest ! at the moment i am a 36/38 DD I am hoping for a C cup. My other surgeries have all healed really well, i need a small revision to the sagging skin still remaining around my knees after my thigh operation, but am really looking forward to finishing having to have all these operations. I never imagined that when i had a lap band fitted i would end up with 23 hours worth of plastic surgery too !

To be honest I have not had one Protein drink since preop, had to do a month of Optifast, they make me gag and I hate the taste. I never have used Protein powders, I get all my protein from food. I wasn't too fussy whilst on the liquid stage, I just made sure I stayed hydrated and started taking a liquid Multivitamin till I could take tablets. Once I got onto the mushie stage then solids then I concentrated on the right protein amounts.
As advised by my nutritionist and surgeon I am to eat my protein not drink it. I've had hair loss but that is a normal process for some with big weightlosss, that only lasted about six weeks and not due to lack of protein but a normal thing that often occurs with big changes to the body.
I religiously take a Multivitamin every day and every meal I have protein and either salad or vegetables sometimes carbs.

I am over 2 yrs banded with no complications and like other longer term bandsters we tend to drift away but do visit back again sometimes !

I am over 2 yrs banded with no complications and like other longer term bandsters we tend to drift away but do visit back again sometimes !

I totally agree with lellow, i have lost all my weight with no protien shakes at all, i think its a marketing thing in the US they certainly dont push Protein Shakes in the Uk.. Just eat good nutritional food at whatever level calories u burn best at, normally around 1000 - 1200 and u will lose weight but also remain healthy
Might be an idea to see a nutritionist tho, these are just opinions from members normally based on experience so its up to you how far you take it, but always seek your own medical / nutritional advice if you need to .. Good luck with the number crunching on the calories

I am over 2 yrs banded with no complications and like other longer term bandsters we tend to drift away but do visit back again sometimes !

I am over 2 yrs banded with no complications and like other longer term bandsters we tend to drift away but do visit back again sometimes !

I am over 2 yrs banded with no complications and like other longer term bandsters we tend to drift away but do visit back again sometimes !

Weight-Loss, I will Go Through It!!
Not To It!!!
I Hope You Understand That!!! (Today, I Did Not Eat Cake At The Office Baby Shower!!!) Go Me!!!
Strength and Power Comes In Numbers!! Not Members!!!

I totally agree with lellow, i have lost all my weight with no protien shakes at all, i think its a marketing thing in the US they certainly dont push Protein Shakes in the Uk.. Just eat good nutritional food at whatever level calories u burn best at, normally around 1000 - 1200 and u will lose weight but also remain healthy
Might be an idea to see a nutritionist tho, these are just opinions from members normally based on experience so its up to you how far you take it, but always seek your own medical / nutritional advice if you need to .. Good luck with the number crunching on the calories

I am over 2 yrs banded with no complications and like other longer term bandsters we tend to drift away but do visit back again sometimes !

In my opinion, you need to eat real food. The band works best when you have hard Protein. It keeps you full for longer, and lean Protein is low calorie (if that's what you're worried about).
My dr had very few rules but a big one was 'don't drink your calories' because liquids go through your band fast. And personally I think a person can't live off Protein shakes for their whole lives, so it's a good idea to learn how to prepare and eat good quality food that will be something you take with you for not just now, but into the many years you will have to maintain your weight.
I just did a liquid diet after a fill and I can tell you I was hungrier on Optifast than I am on hard protein despite the two having a comparable number of calories. This is the time for you to make lifelong change. A protein shake diet is (in my opinion) not sustainable for a lifetime.

In my unprofessional opinion, yes.

You need to fill out your profile so we can better help you.
When was your surgery?
Keep in mind the amount in your band is completely irrelevant. 4.2 may be nothing to one person and too much for another.
My first thought is like TMF, you're likely eating too much, too big, and not chewing enough. However if that isn't the case then you may need a slight unfill.
Best wishes.

Yes. And too much, too big and not chewing enough.

You'd be surprised,lol

The quote at the bottom of your signature should be attributed to Yoda, who was a character in the movie Star Wars.

Great post and so true! Thank you for your insight and if you ever see me stepping out of my boundries please PM me.
W e all need to keep this in mind when advising others, after all we are not bariatric Doctors.
Thanks for sharing!

I was told that it may fill me up and since we already are eating so little they didn't want me to feel full and not be able to eat my proper amount. Personally, I do drink sometimes before eating (not recommending you to go against your surgeon's advice, it's just what I do) and haven't had any issue. In fact, sometimes if I am feeling "tight" I will have a cup of coffee or hot tea to help loosen it up a bit. I don't drink right after a meal though.

I comply with the rules of no drinking before eating, but was just curious as to why we have to do this? It does not make logical sense to me, liquid passes on through so it's not filling up the pouch above the band to hinder eating my Protein and other food, but I definitely understand not drinking after eating because it does fill you up after food and sometimes comes up. Anyone know why we can't drink before eating? Just curious is all.

http://www.lapbandta...-off-new-study/

I am extremely pleased with my decision to get the Band. Again, we have to work the band, the band doesn't work us, it's only a tool just like a pencil if we don't pick it up to write, it's not going to write on it's own. WE only get out of it what we put into it.

OK I just have to share. This is a very small victory but a victory still. I have been on my pre op diet since January 16th and its been going pretty well. I figured I made it past the hardest part with great success so it should be smooth sailing until banding on the 30th. WRONG!! yesterday I was craving everything... ice cream, pizza, chocolate, you name it I wanted it. My son had m&m's and I considered just one (what could it hurt right?lol). Now here comes my proud moment.....I MADE IT THROUGH THE WHOLE DAY WITHOUT CHEATING!!! Yaaaay! Like I said....a small victory for most but to me it was like climbing Mt Everest. Today I am back to feeling good about things and so far no cravings. I know there will be many more days like yesterday in my new future but I now feel confident I can get through them and still be here the next day to feel proud again. Thanks for listening to me "brag"!! :-)