springirl

I am posting becaue I want to encourage the slow losers, like myself. I think I finally have the right level of restriction, after 5 fills and it makes a huge difference! I got another fill almost 2 weeks ago and I am down about 5 pounds. I really notice a big change in how much I can eat, even in the evening when my previous fills did not work as well. So just hang in there and be diligent about getting the fills. They are the key to success. Spring 1/10/03 278/230/165

It is definitely the tortise and the hare story with the band and the RNY. Like was said above...we all crave instant gratification or we wouldn't be here in the first place. That quick dramatic weight loss is so appealing, but I am grateful to have the band because I know 2 to 3 years down the line I can have it adjusted and I will continue to lose weight if I want to. RNYers do not have that option. One of my good friends had the RNY in April 2002 and stopped losing weight at 75lbs. She needs to lose about another 40lbs. She is frustated and depressed. She really wanted the band, but her insurance would not cover it. She can eat much much more than I can and feels like her pouch is very stretched out. She is now considering Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig to get the rest of the weight off. The RNY is not a "slam dunk" for everyone. My doctor who is very experienced with both surgeries told me on Friday when I was getting another fill, that 3 years out the results of both surgeries almost equal. He said that the RNY patients gain back 10 to 20% of their weight after about 3 to 5 years. Also remember that the band does not alter your anatomy, everything stays intact. It is reversible if necessary and can be loosed for pregnancy or illness. As someone else said the band was only approved 2 years ago. There are not many people 3 years out. The ones on this board who are are very successful. It does take more work and patience, but the end result will be a healthier body and with fewer side effects. Another note about the DS. I think that is a dangerous surgery. I researched it extensively. I met with about 40 people who had it and there were many there who had stopped losing weight at a certain point. I think those people were in the extremely morbidly obese category with over 200 lbs to lose. Most had not even come close to their desired weight loss. I know a woman who had the DS about 3 years ago and she is a nurse and she is having severe problems with her teeth and she had great teeth before the surgery. She believes it is related to non absorbtion of nutrients. She also has a terrible time with some of the more known side effects like extremly foul gas and elilmination. She can't eat everything she wants although she tries. She eats a very unhealthy diet and now is lactose intolerant. If she eats any dairy products she has to run to the bathroom. As Leo said, this is a personal decision for everyone. Just be sure you are getting all sides of the story. If you want health and safety and continued weight loss past 2 years, then the band would be a good choice for you. Of course there are no guarantees with any of these surgeries. What works for some might not work for others. You have to participate in your own recovery and not depend on the surgery to do all the work. Good luck with your decision. Spring

We are all so different, you never know what the exact right level of restriction is, until you get there. My doctor is conservative and believes in raising the restriction slowly to get you adjusted to smaller portions. At first I was kind of upset about this, but now feel that slower may be better. I just had my 6th fill last Friday since my surgery in January. I don't even count the first three because I never felt any restriction. I first PB'd on my 4th fill like you. It is important to remember when you first get a fill you could be more swollen around the band area in the first few days to a week after. The swelling may eventually go down and you will be less restricted than you are now. That has been my experience. My 5th fill was close to my perfect restriction and I was on the fence about getting the 6th fill, but I thought that I could use a little more and so far it seems to be a good decision. I am not posting any amounts because what works for me might not work for you. We are all anatomically different. For some people 1 or 2 fills are enough. Good luck, I am sure your latest fill will help you a great deal. I always schedule my next fill for 1 to 2 months out in case I need it. I can always cancel the appt. if I don't. Spring

Don't worry about starting soft foods too soon. I'm pretty sure I started soft foods before I was supposed to. Remember, you are not restricted now until you have your first fill. You should start to see the band do what it is supposed to do and fill you up sooner and as a result you will eat less quantity. If your band had slipped you would know it. I have made some mistakes along the way. I am 7 months out an down about 45lbs. I am very happy with my weight loss, but just wish it was more. I think one of the reasons it has been slow for me is that it has taken 5 fills to get me at the right level of restriction, American doctors are usually more conservative with fills than the Mexican doctors, so you shouldn't worry about that. Also, I kind of stayed in the soft food stage for months and months, when I should have been eating more solid foods and chewing, chewing, chewing. My doctor recently told me that was very important. I also learned I ate a lot faster than I realized. Slowing down has been a difficult behavior adjustment for me. I know that will change with time. Also, water is so important. I am now starting to drink more water. Everyone says it makes a big difference. Of course the hard part is that we have to wait at least 1/2 hr. to 1 hour before we can drink liquids after eating. I hope some of these tips will help you along the way. Good luck with your fill. Spring

I am so glad to hear that things are starting to get better for you. Spring

I would be careful about your doctors advice. You can eat around the band. I have had a slow weight loss because I still have trouble with sugar in particular. I am now working on that issue with a counselor and a kicksugar website. The band will definitely help with quantity, but I am finding that it is going to take some time and some work for me to get to my goal weight. I do know however, unlike diets in the past, that I will get to my goal weight. That is what is different with the band. It offers us the hope that regular dieting did not. We have a tool that will help us, if we use it properly and learn how to work with it. For some of us, we just need to be patient and work at changing our behavior and our thinking and not just what we are eating. Also, don't compare yourself to others on your band journey. I am learning we all have a differnt path and for some it's easy and for others it is a little more difficult. I wish you much success. Spring 1/10/03 278/238/160

I am just passing on some information about what happened to me pre-band. I had fairly bad reflux and then I went on the Atkins diet before I was banded and I haven't had it since. I used to pop Zantac like candy. I have several other friends that had this same experience. It was amazing to me to realize that my formerly high carbohydrate diet was causing my terrible reflux. When I cut out bread, pasta, rice and potatoes and lots of sugary foods...it went away completely. After you have the band, most of these things will be more difficult to eat anyway. If you are concerned, you might try a low carb diet before banding and see if it works for you. Spring

You are just a few days out from your surgery and it is not uncommon to have swelling aroung the band. It will restrict you much more now than you will be restricted, even in a few more days. It is very good advice to stay on mostly clear or thin liquids until the swelling settles down and you are not having so many "saliva episodes". Also, have you noticed if it happens more frequently in the morning than it does in the evening? I am 7 months out and still get "saliva episodes" particularly in the morning. I have read, possibly from one of Sue's posts a while ago, that the saliva collects in the esophogus when we are in the prone position. If you have been lying around a lot, as you probably have during this initial healing stage, it might be a good idea to get up and move around. Think gravity! My doctor had me up and walking the same day as my surgery. Also it important to realize that we are all different in how we react to the surgery. As long as you can keep fluids down, this will probably pass soon. Just remember to treat you band gently during this phase and go slowly with whatever you are taking in. If you are still having a problem in the next few days and are worried then you should call your doctor. Good luck! Spring

Good luck with your next fill. I'm sure it will help! Spring

Larry, You are a "green horn" in Band Land. It is just 6 weeks since your surgery. You are right, don't worry until you get the right restriction. I could eat almost normally until about my 3rd fill. I have had 5 fills(I don't really count the first one at 0.8) I am now at 2.6. My weight loss has been slow...I have lost 40 lbs in 7 months. I have a good restriction now, but still need a little more fill to get the scale moving again. My doctor is conservative and says most of his patients will need between 4 to 6 fills to get to the right restriction. I will have my 6th one in three weeks. One thing you must learn as a bandster is that everyone's journey is so different. I have read of many people who have lost a lot of weight with only one fill. Also, my doctor says it is important not to compare the quantity of fills because it is so individual. Right after a fill you should stay on liquids or soft foods for a few days. Tightening the band can cause your stomach to swell. You will be much tighter for the first few days until the swelling goes down. You are also right about soft mushy foods vs. more solid foods. After 7 months I am finally getting that I shouldn't eat what easily goes down. I was in the soft food syndrome. I am trying to eat more solid food, and I PB a lot because I am a die hard non chewer. That is the behavior I most need to change. I eat too quickly and don't chew enough. Now I am eating a lot more salmon and tuna and sometimes I mix it with pre-packaged broccoli slaw and shredded cabbage and a little salad dressing. I know that may not sound that appealing, particularly you being from Texas with the anit-broccoli movement, but it is crunchy, it makes me chew a lot and fills me up quickly. You also may not be a fish person, but you could try shredded chicken or beef in a salad. I find lettuce even though it is soft, it takes more chewing to get it down. Also, I don't eat bread, pasta, or potatoes... they tend to get stuck easily at my level of restriction. Good luck and just remember to be patient our weight losses, what we can tolerate food wise and our level of restrictions are all different. We all have to find our own personal combination of things that work. Spring

First of all it sounds like you definitely need a fill. I am a veteran of fills and eventhough everyone is different as to where their sweet spot is...I was not restricted at all under 2.0cc of fill. I currently have 2.6cc of fill and although I am quite restricted right now I will be getting another fill in 3 weeks because my weight loss is slow. I am 7 months out like you are and I have only lost 40lbs. I am disappointed that the weight loss hasn't been faster, but I am also grateful for the 40lbs gone. I feel so much better! As for 3 meals a day, from what I have been told by my personal trainer, who is a fitness guru and may other medical people in health and weight loss...6 small meals a day is optimum and keeps your blood sugar level more even. It doesn't overload your system with a lot of food at one time that creates an insulin response. It will keep you more satisfied and less likely to overeat at one meal. The band is a perfect tool for this way of healthy eating. When we reach the right level of restriction we can't eat much at one meal to begin with. According to my doctor, he wants his patients to get in 60 to 80g of protein a day and that is hard to do in 3 meals with a properly filled band.Good luck with your next fill! Spring 278/238/165

Welcome to band land! I get the hiccups fairly frequently. I am quite restricted with 5 fills. It is the way my band talks back to me and lets me know I either need to slow down or stop eating. If I am in public or with a friend I actually say out loud "it's my band talking back to me." I find it humorous and I am always grateful when I get the hiccups because it is a reminder that the band is working! Enjoy those hiccups!! Spring

I am self employed and sometimes during the day I have to be places where I can't stop and eat. I take small pre-packaged cheese slices with me. One slice has a lot of protein and is about 80 calories. It stays with me for a long time. How long a particular food will keep you feeling full also depends on your level of restriction. I am quite restricted right now after 5 fills and a small piece of cheese that is less than 1oz. will hold me for a couple of hours. If you are not very restricted that might not be the best choice for you. Also I drink a protein drink in the morning that keeps the hunger away for hours. It has 40g of protein, plus I use a cup of soy milk that also adds protein. Later in the day, I can eat more and it will take more solid food to satisfy me. If I knew when you had your surgery and if you had any fills, maybe I could give you more helpful suggestions. Spring

I am a slow loser also. I had 2 fills by 7weeks after surgery. The first two fills did nothing for me. With the 3rd fill I had better restriction, but at 7 months and with 5 fills I am still losing slowly. I have lost 40 lbs since January. I am thrilled to be down the 40 lbs., but of course I wish it was more. I'm in my 50's so my metabolism is slower. From what I have read, the weight loss with the band is so individual. It is so hard not to compare ourselves to others, but the bottom line is that it will work if we work with it. I am finding it to be quite a learning curve. I think I expected the band to do most of the work, and I have discovered that while it helps a great deal with quantity, I still make the choices about what goes in my mouth and they are not always the best choices. The key according to my doctor and his weight loss team is PATIENCE!!! I do know that for the first time in my life I have hope that I can reach a normal weight. There will be some ups and downs along the way, but the band will be a tool that helps get me to my goal. So hang in there, possibly get another fill and be patient and try not judge your progress at this point. Spring

I am also into my 7 month and I have hit a plateau at a 40lb weight loss. I have been eating foods that I know sabotage my weight loss and I get back into that negative thinking, feeling like a failure and mad at myself. That is old familiar thinking. Maybe some of us revert to places that are comfortable for us even if they are destructive. I too have PB'd a lot and often wondered if I was using bulimic behavior. You are not alone. The difference this time, versus dieting in the past, is that I know I have a tool that can get me to a normal weight. I never had that confidence with other dieting methods. We have such ingrained patterns of behavior that are so hard to change. I heard recently from my Surgeon and his support team that PATIENCE is the number one thing we need to remember as Bandsters. We did not get this way over night and we will need time to change. I am confident that I can change and already have in many ways. I am sure that you have also made many changes that you need to give yourself credit for. I don't eat anywhere near the quantity that I used to. I don't eat the refined carbs that I used to. I still have a problem with sugar that seems to be my last bastion of old behavior. With time I do believe that I will modify that behavior as well and make better choices like Kiera said in her wonderful post. Lately I have been focusing on breaking the plateau with exercise. Today I am going to my first session at Curves and also hope to buy an eliptical machine. I am determined to get to my dream weight and with the band in place I truly believe that dream can become a reality even if the course isn't as smooth as I had hoped. We are all looking for the magic and the bottom line is that the band can't do all the work. On some level I know it is disappointing, but in end, our efforts to reach goal will be more rewarding. Good luck and believe that you can achieve your dream! Spring

I was just told by the dietitian who heads my support group that soft foods can sabotage the band. I am guilty of trying to eat foods that go down easy like chili and refried beans, turkey hot dogs etc. She suggested that I eat more real foods and chew the hell out of them. I have stayed away from salads, but she said to eat them. I recently started using prepackaged broccoli slaw and mixed it with canned boneless salmon and a little salad dressing. It is crunchy, low carb and I have to chew it to death to get it down. I can't eat much at one time. She said if you are eating more than 1 cup of food at a meal, that is too much. Last night I ate a fairly large seafood salad. I think it is time for another fill. Spring

The are great, but just don't eat too much...they can cause severe gas!! I know from experience. Spring:D

Hi, My name is Spring and I had my Lap Band surgery in January of 2003 at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles. I adore my doctor, Dr. Scott Cunneen and would highly recommend him. I'm in my 50's so my weight loss has been slow. I have had 5 fills (I wouldn't count the first one)...some of us need more than others! Now I feel I am at a very good level of restriction. My starting weight was 278 and I have lost 40 lbs since my surgery. I am down 60 lbs. from my top weight in 2002 and I am getting into clothes I haven't worn for 3 years. I am thrilled to have this tool to help me acheive a normal weight. I have been overweight and on diets since I was 9 years old. Now I feel I have a chance at a more normal and much healthier life. My life has already improved a great deal. I have a goal to lose 75 lbs. by the end of the year. I will keep you posted. Spring

The effectiveness of each fill varies from person to person. I have a good restriction at 2.6cc's. My doctor says not to compare numbers on fill amounts. When I was at 2.3 I could definitely eat more than I do now, but feel like this restriction is better and I will probably add a little more at my next scheduled fill in Sept. In my opinion, the amount of food you are eatingis OK, but you may want a little more restriction to hit the ever elusive sweet spot. I couldn't possibly eat what you are eating right now. As long as you continue to lose weight and are happy with your progress then you don't need a fill. I am in my 50's and the weight loss has been slow so I am going for a fairly tight restriction to get the scales moving downward. Good Luck with your continued success. Spring