jrae

I was having similar problems like you. Even tho I didn't want an unfill because i was afraid of gaining more weight, my NEW dr insisted I have one. Then slowly my dr added Fluid & low & behold I started losing finally! I was too tight to keep down good solid Protein so of course I was starving & hungry & eating sliders - which make you feel like you have no restriction. It's a vicious cycle! Try getting some fluid out then follow the program: protein first, then veggies, then carbs. Drink 8-12 glasses of Water. Walk or do something active 30 minutes a day. Don't give up. No one was more shocked than I was that getting fluid out would actually make me lose the weight! Good luck.

I was having similar problems like you. Even tho I didn't want an unfill because i was afraid of gaining more weight, my NEW dr insisted I have one. Then slowly my dr added Fluid & low & behold I started losing finally! I was too tight to keep down good solid Protein so of course I was starving & hungry & eating sliders - which make you feel like you have no restriction. It's a vicious cycle! Try getting some fluid out then follow the program: protein first, then veggies, then carbs. Drink 8-12 glasses of Water. Walk or do something active 30 minutes a day. Don't give up. No one was more shocked than I was that getting fluid out would actually make me lose the weight! Good luck.

It sounds like you had a horrible & traumatic experience! I always had problems like you are describing - keeping down Water in the office but then even tho I was on liquids- tightening up & not being able to keep down water! It's sooo frustrating! Try scheduling your fill early in the week, then if there's an issue, your dr will be in the office. Also try 1 cc at a time. Good luck -hope you feel better! :-)

I was too scared to go see my surgeon again. I actually hated him & didn't trust him. So I got on myfitnesspal & starting logging my food. I started reading this site like it was a text book for a final exam! I found a new dr. You are not a failure. You are a person who knows what you need to do. Forgive yourself and move on. Best of luck & keep us posted! :-)

Thanks so much for your writing. It brought tears to my eyes! You have a gift and I'm glad you are here to share it!

If I were you, I'd start counting calories. Most people who don't are shocked to find out how much they're actually eating. It would be a good place to start so you can get an idea where possible changes can be made to help you.

This is not a race. This is not a diet. This is a new way to live life. 800-900 calories seems low. Unless you are tiny you need around 1200 calories a day for a 1-2 lbs loss each week. Some weeks you lose, some you don't. Just keep plugging away, get enough Protein, drink lots of Water, exercise. You will get to goal but it will take longer than you expected. Good luck!

More than likely the problems WERE directly caused by the band. If the OP didn't have GERD pre op and had issues eating with an empty band, then the band has to be the cause! There is nothing you can ingest, other than large doses of NSAIDs, that can give you these symptoms and results. So many are having this exact type of complications, it cannot be coincidence.
I've had my band empty 4 months and I'm still getting stuck, sometimes on liquids. My band has caused scar tissue to grow around the stomach and under the band. I have reflux too. I was completely compliant. I had only 3.5 cc in my 11 cc band.
Telling someone that the only way complications can happen is through noncompliant eating is just wrong and blames the pt for the failure of the device.

I started over too- had a bad dr - was too tight. Lots of damage to my esophagus & hernia. I was unfilled for a few months then new awesome Dr slowly added fills. During this time I started using myfitnesspal & logging all my food. That was my eye opener. I didn't want to count calories but it's the way I lose so I resigned myself to it. I have hypothyroidism too & slow metabolism but the weight is coming off slowly but surely. I look at it like a lifestyle now, not a diet. Good luck & don't give up. You have to work at it but the band will help control your hunger as long as its not too tight & you can keep down solid Protein & veggies. :-)

You don't mention if you've been eating your Protein first along with veggies. Also myfitnesspal is what got me on track. You may not be aware of how many calories you are actually consuming! Good luck!

I think it would be best to go back and visit with your nutritionist to get a refresher course on the appropriate way to eat.
1. No drinking 30 minutes before, during, or after meals
2. No more than 1 cup of food at a meal
3. Protein first, fruits and veggies second, carbs last
4. Make sure to get enough Protein per day- body weight x 0.3=grams needed per day
5. Be mindful when you eat and ONLY eat until you are satisfied, not full.
6. Do not eat when you're not hungry
7. Eat filling foods- whole grains, meats, etc and not processed crap
8. Don't eat liquid calories, including sodas or coffee creations. The band is only meant to work with solids.
9. Make sure to exercise some every day. Include weight training a couple times a week because this will help with your long term maintenance.
10. Buy a food scale and join a site like my fitness pal, lose it, or sparkpeople so you can log food and stay accountable.

Green zone is that wonderful place where your band is neither too tight or too loose but just right! It can be hard to achieve but you know when you are there- you can go 3-4 hours without hunger or even thinking of food. You can keep down solid protein- meat- & veggies without vomiting or sliming or pain. 1 cup of food is satisfying- I am NOT saying "stuffed"- you are satisfied.
Stuck is what happens when you don't show your band respect- you eat too fast, bite is too big, or it's a difficult food to process like pizza or dry meat. It starts to hurt, feels like you swallowed a rock or need to burp. As it progresses it makes you sweaty, stomach churns, mouth fills with saliva, chest pressure, sharp pain & nausea. Sometimes it will pass on its own. Sometimes you will vomit suddenly & unexpectedly. It's awful but it teaches you to slow down & pay attention to your food.
Hope this helps. Good luck! :-)

Green zone is that wonderful place where your band is neither too tight or too loose but just right! It can be hard to achieve but you know when you are there- you can go 3-4 hours without hunger or even thinking of food. You can keep down solid protein- meat- & veggies without vomiting or sliming or pain. 1 cup of food is satisfying- I am NOT saying "stuffed"- you are satisfied.
Stuck is what happens when you don't show your band respect- you eat too fast, bite is too big, or it's a difficult food to process like pizza or dry meat. It starts to hurt, feels like you swallowed a rock or need to burp. As it progresses it makes you sweaty, stomach churns, mouth fills with saliva, chest pressure, sharp pain & nausea. Sometimes it will pass on its own. Sometimes you will vomit suddenly & unexpectedly. It's awful but it teaches you to slow down & pay attention to your food.
Hope this helps. Good luck! :-)

Both terms make perfect sense now...Thank you!
Green is GOOD, stuck sucks

I am good about eating healthy 90% of the time, 10% of the time I eat whatever I want just because I want it. For me, it works. To think anyone is going to be "good" 100% of the time is completely unrealistic. Honestly, anyone who says they are is either God or lying, and I seriously doubt God needs a Lap Band
At the beginning it was tough. Shockingly, the longer I ate healthy the more my taste buds changed. I actually crave things like salad now. I guess the longer I eat healthy the easier it gets. I feel so much better and when I eat junk I can really feel the difference. I get sluggish, sometimes my stomach even gets upset. It's almost like it's own aversion therapy.
It's a learning process and it's also a forever battle.

Hi Stephanie,
I went to my 'loseit' app to my days so I could track 3 meals from my daily plan....
Breakfast: Calories: 204 / Protein 15.2
1 mini whole wheat bagel (toasted) (put 1 tsp butter on each side)
2 egg whites (make omlette style adding 1 tsp butter to non stick pan) Melt cheese inside and top
1/8 cup of shredded fat free cheese
3 tsp. smart balance lite butter
Mid Morning snack: Calories 119/ Protein 4.5
1 small apple (remove skin)
1/2 cup skim milk
Lunch: Calories: 190/ protein 15.7
2 ounce tuna fish canned in Water drained
1 tbs. lite mayo
1/2 cup of mixed greens salad
1 tbs. rasins
Mid lunch: Calories 50 / Protein 1.8
15 Pistachios
Dinner: 204/Protein 15.1
4 oz. chicken dark meat without skin
1/4 cup of brocoli
1/2 small baked potatoe
2 tbs light sour cream (add dried chives for x flavor)
Total: Calories 767/ Protein 52
***Snack can be made up the balance with whatever you have left over - Make it light, could be ice pop, Jello, applesauce, fruit, sugar free drinks, etc.. (just make sure whatever the total is for the end of day make up the balance)
You can download a free app called LOSEIT, this will help you tremendously with everything you eat.
Let us know how this went for you, best of luck hon

I'm sorry you're frustrated.
I know this won't be easy, but you need to stick to a cup or less of food per meal, regardless of whether or not you're still hungry or can physically eat more. Not only is it important for calorie control but especially important so you don't stretch your pouch.
If I were in your place, I'd start counting calories. You might be surprised how much you're really consuming. Most people who don't count calories and struggle with weight loss have a "holy cow, I eat that much?" moment when they start. food can be really deceptive. A good example: I went to a restaurant and was going to have an open faced tuna sandwich on half an English muffin. I figured that would be my best bet, right? Wrong! It was like 700 calories because of how the tuna was prepared, and ironically, a child size cheeseburger had almost half the calories and was a better choice. If I wasn't counting calories and didn't check it before ordering, I'd have ordered the tuna not realizing what a horrible choice it was.
I have used an app called Lose It! since the day I got home from the hospital. I truly believe I owe a lot of my weight loss success to it because it's kept me accountable.
Best wishes to you.

When I just plugged your numbers into a BMI calculator it came up at 30, which is obese, and does fit in the range for Lap Band. I'm not sure if you're self pay or looking for insurance coverage, however I do know for what they consider a "lower" BMI most insurance companies look for two co-morbidities.
It's a big decision. There's two different aspects I'd look at this from:
First, being as your BMI is in the obese range, you're smart to be trying to tackle your weight problem before you wake up one morning in the morbidly obese range. Personally, I wish I'd done something years before I finally did.
The second part is, you need to realize that while Lap Band is a great tool it's just a tool. You mention emotional eating and nighttime eating as being your problem. Unfortunately the band won't fix either problem. The band is meant to satiate hunger with less food for longer periods of time, satiate meaning no longer hungry. It won't stop you from eating and it won't fix your brain. It's something a lot of us with bands struggle with. So, if you do decide to go forward with the band, I would also suggest counseling as well to help fix the problems the band can't.
Lastly, do your homework before making a decision. Reading these forums is great for anecdotal evidence and real life experiences but do the medical research as well. It's a life changing decision and educating yourself to the facts is crucial to make a good one.
Best wishes with whatever you decide.

OK, here's my advice, and please take it in the spirit I intend it, which is trying to be helpful. You've had a long, difficult road and I'm sorry for that, but you have two choices. You can either let the problems define you or you can adapt and overcome them. The first thing I would do is watch this 4-part video series recommended by my surgeon. When I was lost and couldn't find my way, these videos helped me get back on track.
I'd also start being an active member of this forum (or one of your choosing.) It really can be a good thing to hear the advice of others and give some advice to people who are going down a road you've already traveled.
Don't let the difficulties of the past define you. Every day is a new day and you have the choice to make it right or let it get the best of you. Sorry if this sounds a little harsh, but if things are getting to the point where it's affecting other parts of your life you need to get a handle on it.
If it get's bad enough, seek professional advice from a counselor. I have a feeling once you watch the videos, you'll have a path back to the groove.
Hope this helps.
D.

I made 2 decisions when I decided to do lap band .
#1 I WOULD NEVER COUNT CALORIES AGAIN.
#2 I WOULD NEVER SPEND A DIME MORE ON ANY DIET GIMMICK, NO Patches, NO pills, NO EXCERCISE EQUIPMENT . NO DIET books, NO MIRACLE ANYTHING.
Having said that I decided for the first time in my life to eat what I was told {Protein first} and I would eat it in the quanity I was suppose too . {Up to one cup 3 times a day} And I would haul my a$$ around the neighborhood in a fast walk at least 5 days a week. I have lost all the weight, I feel great and I look a darn sight better then I did as that diet chasing and fad crazy woman always looking for the answers .
I had to rid myself of all my theorys ,calorie counting and worries and listen to what the experts said and it worked for me. And it was so much easier to just eat when I was hungry take my Vitamins and stop when I was suppose to. I am so much happier and free .

Here is my current list:
Edamame ( I buy it frozen. Microwave it, add salt)
banana carb master yogurt mixed with 1/2 cup kashi go lean honey almond flax Cereal.< /p>
Special k pop crackers with cottage cheese
Salmon in the pouch
Individual fish filets flash frozen in pouch- you can pull out 1 or 4. I love tilapia, cod, perch or flounder. They thaw quickly & can pan sautée.

I agree with Mis73! Do not reschedule! See your dr. & don't beat yourself up so much! I did the same thing recently where I fell off the wagon for 2 days. I was so scared thinking I'd lost my motivation and was heading for a downward spiral but as quick as it came, the urge to eat everything left. I got back on the plan & wasn't nearly so hungry or thinking about food so much. My 2 day binge made me gain 1.5 lbs but 3 days later I dropped 4 lbs! Go figure. Sometimes our bodies do funny things. It's just a bump in the road! Good luck. :-)

...and I just teared up reading that lol. Wow.
Thank you so much for posting. So inspiring and heart warming.

It is a constant battle, but you can do it. I am three years post-op and I just started over in July. I challenged and cheated with many band for the last year and a half.
Then one day decided it was exactly what they said. ....a TOOL to help. So I changed into the forum and read and read. Figuring out how everyone make it actually work. Do not wait until tomorrow to start....
Start Now!!!!! YOU can do it. Best of luck