KellyGram

When I found out I was pregant I was 43 years old and 15 weeks along. I had 2.5cc in my band and was pursuing a course of slow weightloss (2 to 3 pounds a month). I had just gotten below the 300# mark and freaked out when I learned it was likely I would gain back much of what I'd worked so hard to lose.
I immediately contacted a team that specializes in helping women who are pregnant post-WLS to manage their weight while ensuring good nutrition for their babies. With their guidance, moderate exercise, and with the tools I'd already learned regarding handing cravings and whatnot (see this post http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/147416-one-year-post-op-no-results-please-help/page__st__20__p__1787949#entry1787949) I managed to keep my weight gain down. The day I went in to labor I was 7# up from my pre-pregnancy weight, with an added benefit that keeping my weight down meant a smaller (7#1oz) baby for vaginal birth.
I experienced some nausea and had little room for food the last month of pregnancy and practically lived on frozen yogurt bars and Protein drinks, but did not have my band unfilled because I knew it wasn't my band that was causing the problem, it was my being so pregnant (my mother lived on popsicles on the last month of her 3 pregnancies, she said).
I'm 3 weeks post partum and just had 1cc removed from my band yesterday -- I'm struggling to keep down food along with all the Fluid I'm drinking (at least 64oz a day) because I'm breastfeeding and losing 4# a week is too fast.
I've dropped 27# from my pre-pregnancy weight, and I've done that by making sure to get up and around as soon as possible. Moving my body and keeping my metabolism up is integral to reducing my weight. I've been walking a mile (minimum) every day since the baby was 10 days old, first with the pram and now I'm wearing him in a baby bjorn for the walks and a few hours a day.
I'm 3.5 years post-op and down 90# with 90# to go. It is slow going, mainly because I've got PCOS and I'm a foodie (I like really good food rather than junk-food) who had portion-control issues. I've learned to address emotional eating and cravings, portion control (I use salad/dessert plates for meals now) and to move my body however I can (be it dancing in my living room, parking father away from my destination, or going for a swim).
So far, having a baby hasn't hijacked my weight loss -- it's increased my focus. I have doubled-down now that there is a little person dependent on me being healthy and here for the new couple of decades.
I suppose what Im trying to say is -- it can be done. The band is a tool, but in order to use it effectively over the long term, you have to develop tools to deal with cravings and portion sizes and food choices, and once you've got those tools down, the lap band is more of a back-up tool, rather than the primary method of weight reduction and maintenace.

When I found out I was pregant I was 43 years old and 15 weeks along. I had 2.5cc in my band and was pursuing a course of slow weightloss (2 to 3 pounds a month). I had just gotten below the 300# mark and freaked out when I learned it was likely I would gain back much of what I'd worked so hard to lose.
I immediately contacted a team that specializes in helping women who are pregnant post-WLS to manage their weight while ensuring good nutrition for their babies. With their guidance, moderate exercise, and with the tools I'd already learned regarding handing cravings and whatnot (see this post http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/147416-one-year-post-op-no-results-please-help/page__st__20__p__1787949#entry1787949) I managed to keep my weight gain down. The day I went in to labor I was 7# up from my pre-pregnancy weight, with an added benefit that keeping my weight down meant a smaller (7#1oz) baby for vaginal birth.
I experienced some nausea and had little room for food the last month of pregnancy and practically lived on frozen yogurt bars and Protein drinks, but did not have my band unfilled because I knew it wasn't my band that was causing the problem, it was my being so pregnant (my mother lived on popsicles on the last month of her 3 pregnancies, she said).
I'm 3 weeks post partum and just had 1cc removed from my band yesterday -- I'm struggling to keep down food along with all the Fluid I'm drinking (at least 64oz a day) because I'm breastfeeding and losing 4# a week is too fast.
I've dropped 27# from my pre-pregnancy weight, and I've done that by making sure to get up and around as soon as possible. Moving my body and keeping my metabolism up is integral to reducing my weight. I've been walking a mile (minimum) every day since the baby was 10 days old, first with the pram and now I'm wearing him in a baby bjorn for the walks and a few hours a day.
I'm 3.5 years post-op and down 90# with 90# to go. It is slow going, mainly because I've got PCOS and I'm a foodie (I like really good food rather than junk-food) who had portion-control issues. I've learned to address emotional eating and cravings, portion control (I use salad/dessert plates for meals now) and to move my body however I can (be it dancing in my living room, parking father away from my destination, or going for a swim).
So far, having a baby hasn't hijacked my weight loss -- it's increased my focus. I have doubled-down now that there is a little person dependent on me being healthy and here for the new couple of decades.
I suppose what Im trying to say is -- it can be done. The band is a tool, but in order to use it effectively over the long term, you have to develop tools to deal with cravings and portion sizes and food choices, and once you've got those tools down, the lap band is more of a back-up tool, rather than the primary method of weight reduction and maintenace.

I found that being faithful to the Pre and post op liquid diet has really shown me how addicted to food I am! It was hard and I have gone through times of anxiety and crying because I can't eat something and I'm hungry! I have forced myself to be strong because I don't want complications with my band so I'm trying to follow everything my dr says.
I think with the band, we stil have to tackle the issues of why we eat and still work on that! The band won't stop you from eating impulsively or emotionally or because you're addicted to food! You still have to be strong not to cheat. I know it's harder done than said. I struggle daily, but knowing and realizing my addiction has made it easier to say stop to myself and know that the impulse to eat something will go away eventually. It might be a few hours, but after those few hours, that food that seemed so important at the time, doesn't even matter anymore!
Hang in there!!!

It is important to realize that the band helps with portion control, but it really doesn't control what we eat. There isn't any malabsorption to make up for poor food choices, the way gastric bypass does.
So, for those of us who are banded, dropping weight isn't just about what you eat or how much. You have to move your body. Walk. Swim. Use resistance bands. Garden. Dig holes and refill them. Do anything to burn calories and raise your metabolic rate.
As for the band itself... I had one fill two months after surgery and then it was a year and a half before I could do the followups because I moved out of State to take care of terminally ill relatives. I lost very little in those 18 months, and while many would consider that a failure, I consider it a success because I didn't gain weight.
After my third fill, things changed. I stopped feeling hungry all the time, and got more restriction. Once I dropped another 30# it was a lot easier to move my body and from there I've noticed a huge difference in my fitness level as well as my weight.
The band is a tool for weightloss, but it isn't a substitute for tackling the reasons why we got fat. Me, I'm a sensualist/foodie who also has PCOS. I love good food and I used to eat too much of that good fool, and coupled with the endocrine dysfunction of PCOS, losing weight is very challenging. I have to stay on top of my foodie-impulses (which the band helps with) and make sure that I'm exercising in order to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. I've also used hypnosis to help with eating-as-self-soothing and to help re-program me to enjoy exercise.
I firmly believe that in the long run, what we get out of weight loss surgery is the effort we put into ourselves.

I'm 3.5 years post-op with 90# down, 90# to go. I just had a baby 3 weeks ago. I kept my band fill at 2.5cc but just had 1cc removed because I've been losing weight too fast (4# a week) mainly because I'm struggling to find room for food and drink the fluids I need to keep up my milk supply. I'm also worried that losing weight too quickly will reduce the milk supply as well.
Anyway... I've got PCOS, which makes losing weight very challenging, even when I'm eating right and exercising. I also had an emotional eating / boredom eating problem that I've developed the tools to address, and a foodie's craving problem that I've also developed tools to address. I'll share them below:
I'm not a perfect eater, but I've developed some coping mechanisms and strategies to help me stay on track. I've learned how to handle cravings, for example. I know when to re-direct and when to relent. I know when to stop indulging (most of the time) and I know when to get rid of something tasty because I can't resist the temptation to keep indulging.
Redirect: This strategy starts with a question: Am I really hungry, or am I bored/nervous/upset? If the answer is yes, I really am hungry, then I try to redirect focus from the death-by-chocolate cake I am craving to a Protein or granola bar or a piece of fresh fruit--ie, to something healthier that tastes good, too. If the answer is no, I'm not hungry, I'm bored/anxious/whatever, then I redirect to an activity that gets my mind and/or body off the comfort-food focus. Depending on the craving and the reason, I may meditate to calm myself, or take a 5-minute yoga break, or go for a walk, do some weeding/chores, take a bath, masturbate, or take a time-out to touch base with what is really going on inside me (ie administer some emotional first aid).
Relent: Relent, for me, comes after multiple attempts to redirect. If I've eaten my healthy mandarin and I've done my chores and I've finished writing an email or whatever other tasks I've put to myself to in order to get my mind off the craving and I still want that cake (especially if I've craved it for a few days), I'll go buy a single-serving cupcake or something, both as acceptance of the craving, and as reward for the work I've done to earn it. If I absolutely have to have a slice of that $20 death-by-chocolate cake and they don't sell it by the slice, I'll buy it at the bakery, ask them to slice me a piece, and then give the rest away to the people working there, or as samples for their customers. (Yes, it raises eyebrows, but no one has refused me yet.) Then I relish my $20 piece of cake, eating it slowly, savoring every bite. I don't bring home more than one serving of a craved food anymore. It's too easy to say to myself, "Oh, I'll bring this whole cake home and share it with my family" and then end up eating more than one serving because I don't want it to go to waste or because it is just that good.
I suppose I should have the self-discipline to be able to eat just one serving of something I crave and leave the rest alone for others or for another time, but I don't. And I am self-aware enough to accept that. I'm also self-loving enough to get over the whole self-sabotage / self-punishing thing for my supposed lack of will-power, no longer hating myself even as I am rewarding myself with a tasty treat. Today, I allow myself to eat that thing I really want, but just one small serving. And I give away or toss away the rest. I may feel a little foolish for eating what amounts to a $20 slice of cake -but- I figure that it's $18 worth of extra calories I'm not adding to my waistline, and given the work I have to do to take off just one pound, it's f-ing worth it.
So--this is how I've learned to deal with food cravings over the years, and how I managed not to gain weight during my pregnancy. I practice self-awareness and self-acceptance, a bit of self-discipline, and a lot of self-love. I'm as flawed, outrageous, and complex as the next person, and what works for me may not work for others. Still, it's worth sharing if even just one person benefits from it.

Hi all,
I'm looking for support. My lap band has sprung a leak for a third time, three surgeries later, and this time, I'm pregnant.
I've gained 12 lbs in the past month since the band emptied, and all my food issues are coming back, compounded by hormones/hunger.
I'm determined to get through the pregnancy without blowing up. I've maintained an 80 - 100 lb loss for 6+ years despite my band breaking within the first year.
I've already located a local doctor to replace my band once the baby and breastfeeding are done, but in the meantime, I'm white-knuckling being without my training wheels.
Is anyone else going through this or something similar?
Thanks
Kate