icebergslim

Hi ladies . I was banded in April 2013 and have lost 110 pounds so far. I'm 36 years old, female, starting weight of 326, 5'11 tall. I am far from an expert, but here are a few things that have worked for me:

- Warm liquids first thing EVERY morning (I drink plain hot tea. Anything with milk is too thick right away in the morning)

- Protein shake mid morning. I can't have a shake any earlier than about 10am or it won't go down well. My band is snug every morning, but loosens throughout the day.

- lunch around 1-2pm. I try to have a Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese stick, deli meat. ... something along those lines. I only have about 3/4 c. TOTAL of anything for lunch. The only carby thing I may have is crackers with my cheese (maybe 5 crackers total) or a small fruit cup.

- dinner around 6pm. I eat anything I'm in the mood for, with the concentration on Protein of some sort. I only eat 1 c. MAX at dinner. If I'm taking small bites and eating slowly I will feel completely satisfied from 1 c. or less.

- I try really hard not to snack. Sometimes I fail, but I have definitely learned not to eat anything after about 8pm. I will be uncomfortable and have indigestion if I eat shortly before I lay down.

None of this has been easy. I have fallen off the wagon several times, but I think I'm in a great place right now. I do think I've reached the green zone. I've been filled maybe 8 times or so in the last 14 months (I'm guessing but I think that's about right). I was too tight once so they took out a smidgen and I was much better. I've since had that fill put back in and a little bit more and I'm doing great.

I know how frustrating it can be to not have your band telling you when you've had enough. Just try your best to follow your Dr's food guidelines in the mean time. I use My Fitness Pal on my phone EVERY DAY to record my food intake. I don't want to underestimate the calories I eat and I want to track my protein to be sure I'm getting enough. Also, I want to have a legit record of my eating in case my Dr wants to look it over.

Good luck and don't give up! I hope you both see the weight come off steadily!

My stomach is always grumbling and growling. It's done that since day 1 after surgery. I burp as well. The band is preventing our bodies from quickly releasing all the air that builds up while we eat now. I think that's why I tend to have lots of little burps while I eat. I just ignore it. I figured out that hiccups are my "stop signal". Once I start hiccupping, my meal is over. ... or else I'll be sorry I didn't quit eating.

I am a little over a year out from surgery and I think I've hit the green zone with my fill from 3 weeks ago. My last three fills have all felt green zone-ish, but my Dr didn't think so. I felt like I was eating so much less (which I was), but truly I wasn't eating a small bandster prortion. The weeks ago, I got filled (probably my 8th fill in the last 13 months). I have been fine drinking Water, but got nervous because even Protein shakes were very hard to swallow. I was thinking I have to be too tight.

I pulled out all my band info from a year ago and went over it with a fine tooth comb. It made me realize that I am in the green zone. I need to drink warm beverages every morning. I do a Protein shake mid morning. I do a small, mid-afternoon lunch, about 1/2 cup, with bites the size of my fingernail. dinner is small bites as well, usually about 3/4 cup total. I have to be done eating a couple of hours before bed in order to let everything go down and not feel uncomfortable. I physically CANNOT drink with my meals. Even a sip is uncomfortable.

I see the importance of making my food as nutritious as possible, because I'm eating much less. I was nervous after this last fill, thinking I must be too tight. Now, 3 weeks later, I realize the importance of strictly following the rules. I only feel too tight when I'm taking too big of a bite, eating too fast, or eating the wrong food.

Hang in there everyone. Follow the rules. Don't try to eat around your band with sliders and non-band food. It's not always fun, but losing weight is the goal. We can do this. Like someone else said, don't get caught up in the # of cc's in your band. It doesn't matter. The green zone may have been at 5 cc's for me, and it might take you 10. We will all get there if we follow the rules and see our Dr regularly.

Wow..... That's AWESOME!

I could "feel my band" for a while after surgery. I think I was pretty swollen inside so I felt "restricted" from day 1. After a couple of weeks, the swelling had gone down and I could eat just about anything without even noticing the band. I think your feeling is normal. Just be sure to stick to your doctor's orders fir what to eat/drink after being banded. It's super important to do what they tell you to do. If it says only Protein Shakes and Jello for a week, then only have that for exactly 1 week. You will be glad you followed the rules in the long run. Good luck! You can do this!

I'm 36 years old, 5'11, girl, banded in April 2013, starting weight of 326.2, have lost 107 lbs in the last 13 months, still want to lose about 60 pounds. I have a pretty saggy stomach. Not a panni that hangs down, but just a bumpy stretched out stomach. I think that is mainly from being pregnant while I was overweight (14 years ago). My arms are a little bat wing-ish, but not horrible. My upper thighs are saggy, but not horrible. Plastics would probably be the icing on the cake when I'm at goal, but I'm not desperate to have anything done. You really have to wait and watch how your body reacts to the weight loss. Losing with the band is at a much more reasonable pace than with other surgeries. Your body will slowly adjust as you lose. Try not to trouble your thoughts with the "unknown". Focus on eating right and listen to your band. The rest well come in time. Good luck and hang in there!

I use MFP to track nearly every day. Mostly so to be sure I'm getting enough Protein since I tend to "under eat" because I'm in the green zone. (Crazy, but true). I have always been a little OCD about tracking food, calories, protein, etc, which probably comes from my 20 years on weight watchers. I'm glad I track, because it holds me accountable and keeps me from over indulging on sliders. I was told by a Dr that healthy adults should just try to keep your carbs and protein even every day. If you eat 90 grams of protein, try to stick to around 90 grams (or less) of carbs. I'm not saying that theory is 100% truth, but I have been keeping that in mind since I was banded and it seems to be working for me.

You look great! How are things a couple weeks out?

Good luck! I had very little discomfort after the surgery. Most of my issue was being tired from the anesthesia. Stay positive and try to follow your Dr's rules as best you can. Looking forward to your updates!

Congrats on everything so far, Chad! Although I'm a girl, I'm 5'11 and I had almost the exact starting weight as you. I had surgery in April 2013. As of yesterday, I hit 100 pounds lost. I still feel numb. It doesn't seem real. The last 13 months have really added up. I did have a 3 month stall this past winter, but I got my head on straight and got a fill and lost 18 pounds in the following month. I just started consistently hitting the gym about a month ago and I feel so good. Focus on your food choices and just get the exercise when you can. Good luck! Keep us posted!

I'm not sure about Carle, but there is a support group that meets at Illinois Bariatric Center, over near Prospect and Olympian Dr. That's where I had my surgery. I'm not able to attend the support groups, but everyone in that office is super friendly, so the group is probably very inviting. I don't think it matters where you had your surgery, you can still go I think. Maybe give them a call. Good luck!

Thank you for sharing! Your post shows that you have worked hard, and it's so encouraging to see your progress. I'm 2.5 months post op and for the first time, I can envision my potential future by seeing your pics. Thanks again, and congrats on your success so far

Way to go!!! I hit 299 myself last week.... if 299 feels this great, I can't WAIT for 199

Keep up the excellent work. I'm right here with you!

I am having the same issue, Kimmipuff. Any suggestions on how to get my picture to show up in the little box? Thanks!

I need help with this... I can't get my profile pic to download, same issue as Kimmipuff. Any suggestions?

Congratulations!!! Your hard work has obviously paid off! Thanks for sharing :-)

Congratulations!!! Your hard work has obviously paid off! Thanks for sharing :-)

Love your post! Congratulations!!!

Jennifer - If you can believe it, you are an inspiration to me! We have very similar starting points... and my ultimate goal is the same as you, too! I think it's great that you have already lost 43 pounds and you have just had 2 fills. I know it seems like our goal is very far off, but every single pound will get us there.

Please hang in there, take a deap breath, and reaffirm to yourself that you WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN!! I know it sounds corny, but I have been trying to practice "positive self-talk" throughout the day, just in my head. I remind myself that I can to this, other people have done this, and other people have lost way more than the 165 pounds that I need to lose.

Keep your chin up!!

I was banded on 4/16 and I had the EXACT same concern. I asked my Dr at my 1-week and she said that is totally normal. It doesn't hurt to ask your own Dr to be sure, but mine said that the whole muscle that runs up & down through your abdomen will be sore due to the port being stitched to the muscle. It can cause your muscle to spasm because it doesn't "like" having the port stitched there. My Dr said the discomfort will subside over time and your muscle will stop "resisting" the port. Again, everyone is different, so you probably want to mention this at your next appointment, but I think it's a normal part of the healing process.

Just had my 1 week post-op yesterday and this was my very first question for my nurse! I think I'm drinking a little too fast. I'm so used to guzzling Water, but I need to slow it down with my new band. I just hiccup one time, one really big hiccup, and then I know I need to slow it down.

Wow! You are amazing! What an inspiration!!!

I was instructed by my nutritionist to start my Vitamins on day 2, along with my full liquids. Full liquids include my Protein shake. I was told to have 1-3 Protein shakes per day during this stage since we aren't able to consume dense protein yet.

Good luck!

How exciting!! You will be so happy once your band is in place. I'm on day 2 post op and feeling better and better as the hours pass. I was able to drink my Protein shake this morning, very slowly, but I drank the whole 10oz within about 15 minutes. It feels good to have some substance in my stomach.

I was able to take my outer bandaids off this morning and I took a shower.... it felt so good! I can't believe how small the incisions are. The one over my port is about 2 inches long, but the other 4 are super small.

I am so glad I made the choice to get a lapband. It still doesn't seem real to me. I can already tell that I am more in tune with my body. I'm listening to my stomach signals and following the rules.

Best of luck to you! It will be here before you know it :-)

Kelley.. congratulations!! I totally feel your pain with the gas. It does get better! I was able to drink around 32oz today and I ate Jello and had a couple of popsicles. I only had about 150 calories, but my nutritionist said that I'm making good progress. Strangely enough, I'm excited to have my first post-op Protein Shake tomorrow. Good luck with Day 2!!!