Cheryldee

I have been banded for almost 3 years now and I am still on my journey. I would tell everyone that is thinking about banding that it is totally worth it, but it is not the FIX to all your problems. It helps me greatly with my Portion Control, but I can still suck down a chocolate malt from Sonic like nothin! It is a tool and you still with have your ups and downs... just hopefully more downs! I have been at my current weight for the last year. I am a bit frustrated, but it is my own fault. Half the time I wake up, get going and dont eat until 2 or 3... then I will have a piece of chocolate or six while I work and not realize how much I had. So I have the typical struggles of choices just like I did when I was fat, I just dont have the huge portions that I use to eat. My goal this next year is to start my day ... EVERY DAY with my protien shake and get my metabolism going early. Have my fruit as my snack and continue to do my walking .. Im not a huge exerciser, but I do walk 1 or 2 miles a day. I still struggle with my protien as some chicken and meat I have a hard time keeping down. So I have gotten used to grabbing for the mashed potatos and other sliders.... typical choices again! Just have to refocus my attention to the task at hand and get back at it! Although I am thrilled with how far I have come, I still have more to go. Anyone getting started, just know this is a journey and LapBand will take you part of the way.. like me.. but the rest... YOU will have to have the willpower to do... Im also addicted to Crystal Light... but thats a WHoLE nother story! LOL!

I agree with all the comments above. I think staying active and working out will help your body with the elasticity and the skin, but I still have areas that I believe no matter how much i work out, they will never be firm and tight again without additional surgery. Sagging skin or not, you will still be happier and healtier than you are now.

I have found that many times I sabotage myself because after a fill I will eat something too quickly and get it stuck and have to purge.Or I fail to wait the whole 24-48 hours on liquids.. stupid me.. I know... But then I have irritated my band and it will swell up on me that starts a viscious cycle of liquid days to soft food.... to absent mindedly sticking something in my mouth and not chewing it properly and having to start completely over again when it irritates my band.
This has been MY issues... and since I KNOW what im doing I have no one to blame but myself when I screw up like that.. but I was just wondering in your case if you tried to eat something too quickly following the fill.. or maybe you were doing the same cycles as I did.. but definitely if you can not get ANY liquids down, you need to get in a get some taken out so you dont do any damage! I always start my morning with first a Hot Green Tea.. then about an hour after that I drink my Protein shake.. but I have never had much luck with eating in the mornings.. .. Best of luck to you... Im going in next week to have just a small amount put back in.. . I tend to be able to eat way more than I should in the evenings... and have been bad about my portion sizes for that evening meal since it tends to go down easy. So Im hoping that will help! I have not gained much back, but dont want to either!

I think you need to see your Dr and honestly tell him/her what you are doing. Maybe they can suggest some nutritional therapy groups or get you into other groups that would help you. Obviously you have discovered through this process that there is more to this than just food. It is emotional, mental and many other factors and issues come into this besides just the food. Dont give up on yourself though and i wouldnt give up on your band. Remember that you are worth it and your health is worth it! Go see your Dr. and get back on the right path !

yes.. I agree with you B-52, and ducker... there are some people that should never be banded. I have talked to some of them who come to me wanting to know about how it helped me. Im sure you get those same conversations. I think people who have bingeing issues are going to find themselves in a whole world of trouble if they dont fix that emotional issue first before getting banded. You binge with a band and you can do some real damage. There were issues that I found out about myself that I didnt realize and had to emotionally deal with them along the way... I still deal with some. I envy you B-52 for having it be second nature. Im not there yet. I still have to tell myself to eat and not get so famished that I start grabbing for things that are the wrong things. That is my biggest issue... not the portions or chewing.. just making sure I eat frequently and dont put myself in situations where Im so hungry that I eat too quickly etc. I think this conversation is a great thing to help people figure out that although we talk about "the rules" and all... it all boils down to making good choices.. and Lap Band cant help you there... you have to still make wise decisions and if emotionally you are not ready to do that you should THINK hard before you band!

I think it is also because your stomache has been through a tramatic experience and it will be naturally a bit swollen from having that band attached to it. So once that goes down.. you will regain your hunger ! It took me about 3 days but it will return.

I think I have seen some of the posts you refer to. I think it is wrong to tell people Its OKAY to break the rules... but the fact is, we are human, we got this way because we had eating issues, and it is unrealistic to think that we are going to be perfect everyday!~ I just try to keep my comments to where I understand that we all have made mistakes..but get back on the right track and dont make things worse. Have I eaten a milk shake when I know it's a cheat... yes. Have I tried to nibble on things thinking if I ate it slow... it would be okay... Yes... Did I learn from each of those experiences... Oh yes! I definitely think people need to Listen to their Dr's and do everything they can to follow the rules. But when you screw up..know that you are not alone and get back on it. With your medical background, you definitely could add a whole lot of insight to some of those people who make those statements. Be sure to correct people when they incorrectly tell someone poor information.. They may not be doing it intentionally and you could help them both.

People are human and no one is perfect. If I could follow the rules to a T I prob wouldn't have been overweight in the first place and needed the lapband. I've screwed up plenty of times, am I proud of it? No, but I am only accountable to myself. Sometimes it's helpful just knowing that you aren't the only one having a struggle with this journey.

I think I have seen some of the posts you refer to. I think it is wrong to tell people Its OKAY to break the rules... but the fact is, we are human, we got this way because we had eating issues, and it is unrealistic to think that we are going to be perfect everyday!~ I just try to keep my comments to where I understand that we all have made mistakes..but get back on the right track and dont make things worse. Have I eaten a milk shake when I know it's a cheat... yes. Have I tried to nibble on things thinking if I ate it slow... it would be okay... Yes... Did I learn from each of those experiences... Oh yes! I definitely think people need to Listen to their Dr's and do everything they can to follow the rules. But when you screw up..know that you are not alone and get back on it. With your medical background, you definitely could add a whole lot of insight to some of those people who make those statements. Be sure to correct people when they incorrectly tell someone poor information.. They may not be doing it intentionally and you could help them both.

Contact your insurance first and try to go through whatever hoops they are going to require of you. Insurance has gotten so much better about allowing weight loss surgery than when I went through 3 years ago... I had to do self pay.. ouch!~ but I dont regret it at all.. I figure I saved that much money in the food I was consuming without the band... I would also attend all your local seminars and see what doctor's group you like the best, look at their certificaiton and how long they have been practicing.. all that! Take the time to do your research before you jump in!

You have to be very careful not to fall the pattern of NOT eating until 2 or 3 though.. that has been a huge issue for me and ultimately is keeping me from losing the last bit I have to lose. Your body wont start burning that fat until you start it's engine... So make sure you are getting in that Protein FIRST thing in the morning with either a shake or something. It is so easy to get going in your day's routine and just not eat... because if your like me, I really am not that hungry in the mornings at all... but it is a BAD habit to start !

I have my protien shake in the mornings because I can not tolerate breakfast at all. I also have not had bread, Pasta, and rice pretty much for 2 years now. Occasionally I will try to eat some sushi and usually can eat ONE... . I used to miss the bread/pasta... but not so much anymore. I would like to be able to eat rice, but it tends to clump up on my and just make me miserable.. so I avoid it. But the main thing about breakfast for me is I think my band is pretty tight in the mornings.. and doesnt seem to losen up until around 1 or 2... I know that everyone is different when it comes to that, so my experience may be different than yours and many others. But that is how I solved my breakfast issues... just with my shake in the am. Then usually grapes or fruit around 10 or 11... then I typically have tuna salad or chicken salad with a few crackers at lunch. My main meal is usually around 5 or 6. If I had more willpower I would stay away from my snacks.. but I tend to have some wheat thins in my desk that I snack on around 3 or 4.. which is my downfall right now.

Wow... I guess Im just tolerant to pain, but I had surgery on a Wed and went back to work the next day! I didnt take any time off at all. (except surgery day)... I didnt take the pain meds or anything but used Gas X strips to help with some bloating and uncomfort. I really really REALLY think that the sooner you are up and moving and getting around the better! It works the gas out of your system faster if you are moving. Im a teacher, So I was on my feet the whole time, walking. Was it painful...? I remember just some bit of uncomfort if I would turn too quickly or try to pick up something from the floor.. but other than that I didnt have issues. I do recall thinking that I was really kinda "out of it" on that Thursday (day after surgery) probably because the meds hadnt completely left my system... But I remember that I had something going on at school that I had to attend and needed to be there... so I did it. ( I did have my husband drive me to work that first day though...)

Hi there! I recently had surgery, but wanted to chime in here and give you some support. Although exercise immensely helps you on your journey, diet is the biggest factor. There are other people here who have not exercised but have lost a good amount of weight. They stick to a specific calories and eat good quality foods. They follow the rules- Protein first, small bites, portioned foods. They usually do not eat anything considered a "slider"- chips, Cookies, ice cream, calorie drinks, etc. From what I've read, most people can eat a very, very large amount of these slider foods. Not only are they terrible for you, but they are heavy caloric items. I guess the first thing to really analyze is what you eat on a day to day basis. I would keep a completely honest food journal for a week and then really look at the things you are putting in your body.
On another note, you cannot rely on the band to stop you from eating something. The band should help you feel fuller longer, but you have to eat the right foods (no sliders, protein first!) or else they just slide through the band. I would personally recommend that you get a complete unfill and start again like it was day one. This includes getting back to the week of liquid diet and progressing from there. If your surgeon has been a good Dr, then there is no reason to see someone else. I would consider a dietician to help guide you for now. They will be able to give you a tentative menu idea and help you out.
Remember, the only person who will make you lose weight is you.

First thing I'll ask. Are you eating small bites and chewing extremely well and eating slowly? Your meals should take 20-30 minutes. When you do this you give your mind enough time to calculate if you had enough. Next, I would suggest that you use a small plate. Using a large dinner plate tells your mind that you must eat everthing on it. At first I would use a baby's spoon because I just could not take small bites and eventually I got used to it. No more baby spoon for me. lol Last, I would suggest you get into a support group. Most band doctors provide these support groups and are usually free. You will learn lots there. Be careful with the throwing up. Lots of throwing up will eventually cause problems. Good luck to you. You can do this. jake

This is the mental part of the band that no one can prepare you for. It was amazing to me how many issues like that I discovered that I didnt know I had issues with. It took me two years to finally get to the point where I didnt feel like I had to order a plate at a restaurant. I always felt like I needed to have my own plate.. and would end up wasting all that food or trying to eat something I knew I shouldnt have tried to eat. I would just get used to eating on a really small plate and only put the correct portion out.. no more no less... learn to eat really slowly so that you can not finish way before everyone else does and then be tempted to try to eat more.. and I usually chew ice or gum when Im done so that Im not putting more food in my mouth.. although I have been told not to chew ice as it is just Water that I am slowly flushing down my food... but it keeps me from making myself miserable or sick... so maybe it isnt as bad as that!