Thats All Folks

Well it's true there is no fill standard but it there couldn't be one. No two patients are the same or need the exact same thing. Due to differences in anatomy, some can take big fills and need lots of Fluid in their band whereas others need very small fills. A good example: My doctor tried to put 3cc in at my first fill and I was literally gurgling up Water. It was way too tight and 1cc immediately had to be taken back out. Fill schedules are relative to the surgeon but most vary between 2-6 weeks. As far as the fill amounts being negotiable, some doctors will but most won't at first. Again to use myself as an example, at the beginning I wasn't given a choice in the amount (but I was fine with that, I trust my doctor completely). Now, if I feel I need fill, I will discuss how much I want with my doctor. Part of that is because I've had my band over a year and he knows I know the rules and won't walk around with a band too tight. I look at it like this- we trust our surgeon to cut us open and put a band around our stomach so we should trust them on what is best for our fills too. Just my experience

Actually, a band too tight often leads weight gain. When your band is too tight, people often resort to slider foods or develop "soft calorie syndrome" leading to weight gain from not eating the right foods. Have a look at this article: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/page/index.html/_/support/post-op-support/tighter-isnt-always-better-r118 Plus, reflux is a major red flag sign of a band too tight. You don't need a fill, in fact you still may need some Fluid removed. I would recommend seeing your nutritionist to get back on track by eating the right foods in the right quantities. Best wishes.

Yes, it will slow down. However as far as the sagging skin, that will depend on your age, how long you've been overweight, skin elasticity, and genetics. Some people are super lucky and can lose over 100 pounds with very little excess skin. Others lose the same amount and have a lot of excess skin. Unfortunately, losing weight slower doesn't mean you won't have sagging skin. Best wishes.

Congratulations!!

That is awesome!! You should be very proud!!

I know you're probably sick of hearing this, but it really does get better and soon. Keep in mind you're likely a lot more emotional than usual right now, too. Not only have you been through surgery and are likely Vitamin deprived from the post op diet, but there is something in the anesthesia that can make people very emotional and depressed. When you combine all those factors, it's no wonder so many of us go through the very emotions you're going through right now. Hang in there, it's about to get a lot better for you and very soon!

Good luck tomorrow! I'm sure you'll do great and we'll see you on the other side!

Actually, it sounds like the PA is right. You're losing 1-2 pounds a week and you're not hungry. It sounds like the band is doing exactly what it is supposed to do. I think you may be expecting the band to do something it's not supposed to do. The band isn't supposed to physically stop you from eating. This is why it's so important to stick to band sized portions. If you look at my signature you'll see a great link. Have a look, I think it will really help you a lot. As far as weight loss, you're right where you're expected to be. There isn't supposed to be a quick weight loss, the average is 1-2 pounds per week. Some do lose faster than others but it's the exception not the norm. Best wishes. It sounds like you're off to a good start.

Welcome! Night reflux is a major red flag of a band too tight. You really need to contact your surgeon as soon as possible and let him decide if you need a little unfill. You must be close to your goal weight, yes? Those last 20-30 pounds always seem to come off painfully slow. You already work out like crazy so the only other thing I can think of is your calories. Do you track your calories? If not, that would be simplest way to assure you're not accidentally eating too many (or too little) calories. Best wishes.

I think a lot of us (dare I say most of us?) on these forums have some sort of eating disorder, even if most haven't ever been formally diagnosed. I mean, let's face it, you don't get to a point of needing weight loss surgery without having a seriously dysfunctional relationship with food. I've never been formally diagnosed with anything, however I am very much a binge eater. Before I was banded, I ate such massive quantities of food it's not even funny. What's worse is the fact I often did it in secret so no one would witness me eating an entire cake or a whole pint of ice cream. I knew I had a problem and I was ashamed of it. I think the fact you're in therapy for your binge eating puts you light years ahead of a most people. You have an understanding of your issues and professional support to deal with it, which is something most here don't. I can tell you this about binge eating in the band- it's crucial you feel you have control over it before the surgery. The thing is, you can still binge eat with the band if you really wanted to. People learn how to eat around the band all the time. There's also slider foods that go right through like liquid- and as dumb luck would have it most slider foods are stuff like chocolate and cakes that people do binge on. The dangerous part about binging with the band is that chronic over eating can cause the band to slip. At the end of the day, only you know if you're ready to take this big step and get the Lap Band. Best wishes on your journey

I think it's more the idea that as your weight goes down, your calorie needs also go down, so you have to burn more calories to continue losing. For instance, my base metabolic rate when I was 400 pounds was 2512 calories. But now, at 226 pounds, my base metabolic rate is now 1755 calories. So, I could have lost weight consuming 1800 calories a day when I was 400 pounds. But now, I couldn't. But keep in mind almost all of us are already taking in very low calorie diets so you're not going to have decrease your calories as you go down. Again, to use myself as an example, I consume about 1200 calories a day. Even if I weighed 130 pounds, I'd have a BMR of 1338 and my daily calories would still be less than that. I hope that helps explains it!

Very interesting article that I thought I'd share. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Some of the most firmly held beliefs about weight loss are unproven or downright untrue, according to an analysis comparing concepts promoted in the popular media with data from the scientific literature. The findings were published online January 31 in a special article in the New England Journal of Medicine. "False and scientifically unsupported beliefs about obesity are pervasive in both scientific literature and the popular press," write Krista Casazza, PhD, RD, from the Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and colleagues. The authors discuss a total of 7 myths, along with refuting evidence. Here are some examples: Small changes in food intake and/or exercise will produce large, long term weight changes — This idea was based on the old idea that 3500 kcal equals 1 pound of weight. But it does not take into account the fact that energy requirements change as body mass changes over time. So, as weight is lost, it takes increasingly more exercise and reduced intake to perpetuate the loss. Realistic weight-loss goals will keep people motivated — This idea seems reasonable, but it is not supported by evidence. In fact, several studies have shown that people with very ambitious goals lose more weight (eg, TV's The Biggest Loser). Slow, gradual weight loss is best for long-term success — Actually, a meta-analysis of randomized, controlled weight-loss trials found that rapid weight loss via very-low-calorie diets resulted in significantly more weight loss (16% vs 10% of body weight) at 6 months, and differences in weight loss persisted up to 18 months (Int J Behav Med. 2010;17:161-167). A bout of sexual activity burns 100 to 300 kcal per person — With intense sexual activity, a 154-pound man burns approximately 3.5 kcal per minute. However, given that the average amount of time spent during one stimulation and orgasm session is about 6 minutes, this man might expend about 21 kcal total. But, he would burn about 7 kcal just lying on the couch, so that amount has to be subtracted, which gives a grand total of 14 kcals of energy expended. The article also explores 6 "presumptions," or widely accepted beliefs that are neither proven nor disproven. Among them: Eating Breakfast prevents obesity — Actually, 2 studies showed no effect of eating vs skipping breakfast. Adding fruits and vegetables to the diet results in weight loss — Adding more calories of any type without making any other changes is likely to cause weight gain. Eating fruits and vegetables is healthful, however. Weight cycling, aka "yoyo dieting," increases mortality — The data are from observational studies and likely confounded by health status. Finally, the authors offer 9 facts about obesity and weight loss that are supported by data, among them: Moderate environmental changes can promote as much weight loss as even the best weight-loss drugs. Diets do produce weight loss, but attempting to diet and telling someone to diet are not necessarily the same thing. Physical activity does help in promoting weight loss and has health benefits even in the absence of weight loss. For overweight children, involving the family and home environment in weight-loss efforts is ideal. Providing actual meals or Meal Replacements works better for weight loss than does general advice about food choices. Both weight-loss drugs and bariatric surgery can help achieve long-term weight loss in some individuals. According to Dr. Casazza and colleagues, "The myths and presumptions about obesity that we have discussed are just a sampling of the numerous unsupported beliefs held by many people, including academics, regulators, and journalists, as well as the general public. Yet there are facts about obesity of which we may be reasonably certain — facts that are useful today." And they conclude, "While we work to generate additional useful knowledge, we may in some cases justifiably move forward with hypothesized, but not proven, strategies. However, as a scientific community, we must always be open and honest with the public about the state of our knowledge and should rigorously evaluate unproved strategies." Original article: http://www.medscape....warticle/778600

I am so incredibly sorry for your losses ((hugs)) I can only offer tips based on what works for me, but maybe they can help you too. My "biggies" for losing weight and staying on track are: Tracking and logging the calories for every piece of food I put in my mouth. It's the only way I can be certain I'm not going over my daily calorie allowance and it also holds me accountable to what I eat. Never eating more than a cup of food per meal Eating at least 60g of Protein a day Drinking TONS of Water. I sip either water or green tea pretty much all day long. I don't eat if I'm not physically hungry, even if that means skipping a meal or eating at weird times. Best wishes to you, you can do this!

I have no problem taking pills. Just don't crush or break any pills without checking with your pharmacist first. Some are time release and if you crush/break them it can cause an accidental overdose. (in fact that's the case with most ADHD meds)

They look yummy! I've not tried them, but I definitely would!

It's not that anyone doesn't want to hear your story, but when you post incorrect information (like about people converting to sleeve) people are going to correct it. It's not personal we just don't want more false info floating around out there. Best wishes with your choices.

First, congratulations on your weight loss! I have a couple of people like that in my life, too. The first time they made stupid comments like that about my weight loss, I corrected them. The second time I changed my settings so now these people can no longer see posts about weight loss or my pictures. Problem solved

I find the same thing- as do many others. Sometimes, you do need more calories to lose weight. Congratulations on your success!

So funny because I'm normally not on anything but my lap top, but last night I was on here via my phone. This morning, all the notifications I answered were still there plus a bunch of new ones. I'm pretty sure I missed some in the mess, too. I gave up trying to figure out which I'd answered and which I didn't. Perhaps this is a glitch? I'm not sure.

That's just too cool! I actually hit a "magic number" point this morning too! Congratulations!!!

That sounds about right. I had my first fill a month after surgery.

Once you have adequate Fluid in your band, trust me, it doesn't suck. You will easily be able to go 4 or more hours without hunger after eating very little food. I honestly forget to eat and skip meals entirely because I'm not hungry. Hang in there, it gets much easier and better.

For mine, no it wasn't. The reason is obesity doesn't cause it nor would losing weight cure it, like it potentially can diabetes or high blood pressure. But, you will have to check with yours specifically to be sure. They all seem to have different requirements.

Here, I found it http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html