waitingpatiently

My band is a size 10...I have had 3 fills and have 3cc in my band. I have a monthly appointment where I can have an adjustment if needed. I'm 3 months out today!! Try not to compare yourself to others.....how many/how much will differ greatly between patients.

Thanks for doing that lisa!! I thought I checked in on the 8th..but I must have forgot to. I was 194 on the 8th and 194 today (use for the 15th)....This is the first week the scale hasn't moved for me....I tried to add a few carbs to my diet (from 40g to 50g) a guess my body didn't like that....So I'm working myself back down to the 35-40 range....sad....I love carbs...sniff, sniff

I was faced with a similar problem last month and seeked the advise of our fellow bansters....their wisdom is always welcomed. I have been doing well with sticking to a low carb/high Protein and loosing about 1.5-2.0 pounds a week....so I didn't know if I should get a second fill..............but I did recognise it was "me" doing all the work and not the band...but I didn't want to risk getting a fill then having to give up some food (like chicken) that has been a key element in my success.On the other hand, I can eat anything I want...in just about any quantity....so one bad week could do a lot of damage. I discussed it with my doctor and we decided to do small fills 1cc at a time...that way when it begins to get harder to loose and I "need" to find resctriction I won't be 7cc and 4 or 5 fills a way. so now I only have 2.5 cc in a 10cc band. he said when I get a fill that I actually notice...we will slow down. (he thought that would be at least 2 more fills)....then when I need help....I will only be 1 or 2 fills away to restriction and won't have to start with an empty band. Seeks to be working for me.

I don't "think" I can feel it......but sometimes I do feel something around where I think it is....but I wonder if its where I had a hernia repaired and not the band--but I do always wonder. I keep meaning to ask the doctor at my visits...but I always forget. I have however felt it when food passed through....only a few times...but it was in the beginning and I thought maybe I still had a little swelling or maybe I hadn't chewed my food well enough...it wasn't painful, but definately a foreign feeling.

My doctor doesn't recommend it....he says 3 meals a day and you have 30 mins to eat it. That being said...... You know your body better than anyone else....so if its working for you I say go for it.--just make sure you aren't conviencing yourself that its one meal that is divided in half. I could see where it would be very easy to accidently add extra food to each meal...thinking it wasn't large enough. Seeing only 200 calories on a plate and thinking thats a meal might be hard...even though another will be coming in two-three hours. I would make sure you weigh and track your food religiously. Join myfitnesspall.com if you need help recording it.

Don't fret...I think a lot of us can feel our ports. Mine is very obvious to the touch (not so much visually). It feels like a half egg sitting about 3 inches below my last left rib.

My doctor basis it on how I'm doing.....am I hungry, am I still able to eat everything,how much am I eating. So if you are able to keep foods down, you are hungry between meals and are eating more than you should then yes...most likely he will let you have one if you want it. However at 3 weeks, I was just getting to the puree stage...so I'm assuming your doctor is moving you a long quicker than mine....I didn't get my first fill until 5 weeks out---and that was considered a week early. Since you think you still have swelling, have you had a hard time keeping certain foods down? I really don't want to be too tight.

Here's my thoughts: Your calories are coming in at probably around 600 thats fine for pre-op...but you should get a few more a few weeks after post-op. It looks as if you are just getting the bare minium in Protein with maybe just 60 grams. and your carbs look low. You didn't mention what veggies are in your salad and how big it was...I mention it because I can eat my weight in veggies...but some do have carbs. Not saying that you should eliminate them, but you do need to count them. I think, if if were me, (with the blessing of your doctor of course) I would do the 2 shakes a day and a light meal for pre-op. It seems to work well for a lot of soon to be bandsters....and most have a good weight loss with it. Its hard, but I thought it was worth it. I would weigh myself at breakfast and come back at dinner and would have lost a pound..it was the coolest thing. Something else to consider, is that UTI....my guess you are retaining Water as well. hard for the body to get rid of it when there is infection.painfull too. So that is also a contributing factor as well. I would also recomend myfirnesspal.com ...it will help you track both your food and exercise and you can see where you are at. After surgery...it will come in handy to see what calories/carbs/ exercises levels are working for you. Feel free to add me...same username:waitingpatiently Try not to get too flustrated....this is a journey and will take time....I know it feels like you are slow to start, but you will catch up....be patient. Good Luck!

Both. But I just saw a recipe on myfitnesspal where you make your pizza crust out of cauliflower and cheese...the whole pizza is less than 400 calories and everyone said they couldn't eat the whole thing. I'm thinking that might be worth a try.

May I ask what you consider low carb? I know it sounds silly but I was once helping someone with there "low carb" diet...and discovered we had very different ideas about what "low carb" means..apparently in her mind 125 was "low carb" because that was half of what she used to eat. And while I think its great she was able to cut them down to half..125 is NOT low carb.---So just wondering.

I was glued and prefered the bath. I have a deeper tub and wouldn't put too much water into....kept it low enough not to touch any incisions.

I use the New Whey Protein shots 42 grams in 3.8 oz. Walmart sells them. I find that they are good mixed with crystal light. I will also blenderize ice and pour the protein/crystalight mixture over top....makes for a great slushy. I do find that the powder Proteins hold off hungar longer. Thats probaly because most of the shots have collagen in them....My doctor didn't want me to use them for pre-op but was ok with them after surgery (week 4) because I would be getting protein in through real food.

I have only been obese for about 5 years.... I could still do everything I wanted to....hike, ski etc. It wasn't until 2 years ago when we headed out to hike and I was so winded and all my joints were hurting that I thought "what the heck!! "....So I gave myself until my 40th birthday to get it under control...to say the least it didn't happen. I would loose it all only to return to eating 1200 calories and slowly start gainnning it all back..I finally decided that even though I could get the weight off I could never stick to a 1000 calor a day diet without help....enter the lapband!! Im down 42 pounds with about 29 left to go.Hopefully I will have restriction by then and will be able to maintain the 1000 calories a day for maintaince

I have pcos as well............Diagnosised 22 years ago when I actually was an athelete and skinny (something like 140 pounds). I was too young back then to realize what all it effected....I thought it was just a fertility issue. It wasn't until my 17 year old daughter gained 60 pounds in year and I took her to a endocrinologist and she was diagnosised with it that I had this "ah-ha" moment and realized thats why I have had such a problem keeping the weight off after my 3rd child inspite of only eating 1200 calories a day. I finally just gave up. As for dairy.yes I do eat it. Probably about an ounce of cheese every other day. A low carb yogurt every day and really no milk because it wasn't something i "loved" anyway so i switched to almond milk for my Protein shakes. I have eliminated dairy from my diet for a time to see if I noticed any difference in weight loss or the way i feel....but I didn't...so I added it back.--you may be different. I think if you haven't already embraced the low carb lifestyle, then when you do...you should really notice a big difference in the way you feel.

I use the under lined principles of low carb/ high Protein and have had what I consider a good result. I try to keep carbs at around 35-40. I eat mostly lean Proteins ( at least 70g), followed by low cab veggies with the ocassional fruit. I keep calories to about 900. And while I do try to keep moving, I realy don't push it. about a 30 min walk or eliptical daily at a leisurely pace. (If I exercise too much more, I have found my appeite increases substanially and I want to eat more....probably more than I burn.---I do allow myself a few days each month to increase my carbs and calories. One, this lets my eat those carbs that I might be missing like fruit, english muffin, oatmeal..., but I also think it confuses my body and keeps it from getting to comfortable. I have lost 42 pounds in 17 weeks,,,thats about an average of2.5 pounds a week. But the biggest difference is the way I feel!! Wow what a difference!! My energy level is 3 times what it used to be. Now that I am under 195 pounds....I have noticed a slight decline in the weight loss department. Maybe more like a 1-1.5 pound loss weekly, so its my plan (starting next week) to shake things up. Start adding a few more calories and bumoing up the exercise a little....I might also lower my carbs to nothing for a couple of days in hopes of entering ketosis. Hopefully this will get the scale back up there to the 2 pound a week mark again. If this is something you decide to try, I love exchanging low carb food ideas and recipes.---just let me know.

I use 1.25 scoops of Jillian Micheals and that gives me 22 plus 3 for milk (only use a little) so about 130 cal/25 protein/7 carbs

Mine got better. I was never a burper before the surgery, but for about a month after I did. But now I only have the sensation as if I had to burp, but don't..like I have a bubble trapped. I hear others describe it this way as well after they eat......mine is the opposite. I tend to have the feeling when I'm starting to get hungry then it subsides after I eat. Stangest things with being banded.

In the sense that it is a protein I think it would be fine....Not sure if its the perfect choice only because I would think it would be high in fat with the skin on it. I was told to keep my dinner to something the size/calories of a lean cusein. But every doctor is different ...some don't have you even do a pre-op. So I would just try to get clarification on what calorie count you are expected to maintain.

Congrats!!! I wish you the best of luck!!

Yep....I went to put on some high heals the other day and sure enough the didn't fit. I never even thought about my feet getting smaller. Oh well...I will just add that to the shopping list. Looks like I went from a size 9.5 to an 8.5

Never a good sign....If you aren't short of breath normally then it needs to be brought to your doctors attention.

No problem here either....just need to chew and chew. That was the one thing I told my doctor that I didn't want to do without. They are a vital component to me being sucessful. I think if I went in for a fill and couldn't eat them any more....they would have to take the fill back out. I eat them so often and they make keeping my calories low easier. Just take it slow the first time...and make sure to chew. Maybe start with a small one first.

go to tickerfactory.com and create your design (make sure to add password) when you get the the last page copy the bbd code in the box go back to your LBT site and under settings select signature scroll down and past your ticker in the edit box.....you then can type under it if you want to add additional info. in the future just click on your own ticker and enter your password...update any changes....the new info will automatically update on your LBT profile.-- hope that helps

I know its very dissapointing, but its better to be safe than sorry. If there is a underlinning heart condition, it doesn't mean you won't be able to have the surgery, but that they will need to take special precautions. But from the surgeons point of view, they need to know what they are dealing with...I think your doctor made a good call. When after my surgery the first thing the surgeon told me was " don't take any more blood pressure meds"...I had had a few very low reads during surgery and he said they weren't needed any more. I had lost weight before my surgery and probably didn't need to be taking them anymore. Had you lost weight before surgery? It might have been enough that you need to have the dosage adjusted.

You are young, so my biggest concern would be going the next 60 years of my life with only half of my stomach. There is no going back. With the band you have time. Most likely you will be a sucess and won't have any set backs, but if you do.the band is removable. Since you are in your child bearing years you will be able to have the Fluid removed while pregnant and then filled again when ready. I would worry about the malabsorption issues there may be when pregnant and having a bypass or sleeve. lastly, since you don't have hundreds of pounds to lose, I think the band would be a better choice....Slow and steady is a munch better plan. My 2 cents worth.