catlover602

The 2 week preop diet was the hardest thing I've done in my whole life!!, lol. But I did it and lost 20 pounds. I backed out from surgery the first time too thinking I could do it on my own. My family and coworkers insisted I could and I listened. Boy was that a mistake. Read as much as you can on the lap band. Watch videos by Dr. Paul O'Brien on youtube. You got this. Good Luck.

I know how you feel. I am 4 months out and still get hungry. I need to ask myself if I am really hungry or if it's just head hunger. Every fill I get helps me out a little more. Hang in there.

Name- Carol Age- 48 Location- Phx, AZ Date of Surgery- 7-3-14 Current weight- 216 / 11-2-14 on home scale. I post weight on weight ticker from my last Doctor visit only. Weight loss since surgery- 48. I also lost 20 pounds while on my 2 week pre-op diet. Goal for November- To walk more. Cut down on Peanut Butter.... Favorite thing about Thanksgiving- Cooking a turkey and feeding it to the feral cat colony I care for. I TNR. Weight loss goal for November- To be 210 on my home scale on 12-1-14.

Coffee was on my liquid phase post-op, so I have never avoided it. I have 2-3 cups daily. I enjoy coffee and don't plan on giving it up. I was never told not to have coffee.

I think after a fill, we need to be careful with what we eat because we never know how our band is going to respond after a fill. I have never gotten stuck, or hope to never experience it. It is still a challenge for me to chew, chew chew my food! After a fill & liquid day, I try to stick with Protein and a little veggies. Thanks for sharing. I am still learning about my band. I go in next week for an appointment. In my after care instructions it mentions if I ever experience a stuck episode I am to go on liquids, soft, reg....

I say if your insurance covers it, go for it! What ever will help you reach your goals. From what I have read, the band is not for everyone. Many get the band removed and have success with other types of WLS. I wish you all the best on becoming healthier.

I hate to tell you this but it is not going to get any easier. I am 3 months post-op and today I found myself so hungry. I have had 3 very small fills, and even though I am able to eat a little, I usually get hungry 1-2 hrs after meals. I really try not to snack, but it can be hard. The band does not stop us from eating. It does not restrict anything. What it will do, when we reach the green zone is keep us from getting hungry 4-5 hours between meals. Allowing us to only eat 3 meals with no Snacks. All we can do until then is watch what we eat and exercise. We'll get to the green zone. It just may take more than a few fills. Hang in there. I am

I'm in n/w phoenix. I was also banded at true results of Scottsdale. has anyone been to the monthly support groups? Does anyone know of any LB support groups in phoenix? thx.

My addiction to food was killing me. My health insurance would not cover any type of WLS. So I chose the lap band. I paid for the surgery myself. It was what I could afford. My choice would have been the sleeve. With the band you have to go in for fills until you reach the green zone. This may take some time... You are blessed to have insurance that covers WLS. I am blessed that I could pay for my surgery. Best wishes to you.

I don't think the band is suppose to stop us from eating anything, or any amount of food. That is up to us. The band is to help us not get hungry between meals, and to stop us from snacking. We can still eat all through the day even if we are not hungry, small amounts of course. Those are habits we need to work on ourselves. If I eat something that does not agree with my band, I usually won't try it again.

So happy for you. Really happy for you that your insurance covers WLS. Wishing you all the best.

Walking everyday helped so much. I also had to sleep sitting up/on a recliner for the first month. It was just too uncomfortable to lay down. This band is a learning process. I'm still learning. Remember small bites, chew, chew, and protein first. Good Luck.

Wow! Congratulations. I am so happy for you. I enjoy following you. Thanks for sharing. On to Onderland!

I am almost 3 months out and I have never gotten stuck. I hope to never either... I need to really pay attention to the size of bites of food I take, about a nickel size. And I make sure food is real mushy before I swallow it. If foods do not become mushy after chewing for half a minute, I spit it out. That usually means that certain food is not going to work for me. You might want to look over your after care instructions on what to do after a stuck episode. It might mean liquids for 24. Good luck. These are all new eating habits that we all just need to work on. I still have to remind myself to put the fork down between bites and wait a minute.

It is tricky when the port is tilted to get a fill. today I went in for my 3rd fill and another NP was there and had no problems giving my fill. The NP said as I lose more weight, the port may tilt back? Is there an x-ray tech on site where you go get your fills? There's one on Monday and Thursday where I go so I always make sure to schedule my appts on those days, in case I need an xray to locate my port. Good luck.

congratulations! you are an inspiration.

This sounds interesting. I'll be following. Thanks tmf. I'm going to watch those videos. Good luck.

Congratulations.

Thank you. Yes, it does exist for some of us. On the way to it, lots and lots of things and habits are examined, changed, discarded, new behaviors and thoughts to replace them. I hope you are one who gets to the green zone, it may take a few more fills, I've seen as high as six on this site before, some providers do more at a quicker pace than others. Try to really focus on what you are learning along the way, I'm directing that right back to myself as well. :-)

Yeah!! Thank you.

Including the 2 weeks pre-op diet I've lost 50 pounds. My tickers are current. I update the weight after every doctor visit/fill. My next dr/fill appointment is on the 25th of this month. I also walk 5-6 days a week. I'm happy with my weight loss, it's just the hunger I have been experiencing between meals. thanks.

Does "The Green Zone" really exist? I am about 2 months post-op with 2 small fills. I watch what I eat, and I am thankful for my lap band. But there are days when I get hungry an hour or two after I eat... I stick to Protein and count calories. What I'm asking is, will there really come a day when I will have a meal and then be satisfied for up to 4 hours until my next meal? It sounds hard to believe considering the struggles I am having. Thanks.

I had a 4cc fill during surgery. Then a 1cc fill 4 weeks later. Then I had to have an unfill of .6cc 4 days after my first fill. On my second fill, last week I had a .3cc fill with a total of 4.7cc in my 10cc band. I go back to doctor at the end of the month to see how I am doing. Until I reach "the green zone," I measure and count calories and walk 5-6 days a week. I'm feeling good. Good luck.

I found out my port was tilted on the first fill. The NP was able to give me a fill both times I've been in. I have no idea how it tilted. I do not know what it means to have a tilted port, since I am still new to this. It doesn't seem to be a problem though. The tilted port was discovered during an x-ray when the NP couldn't locate it on my first fill.

Hi. I understand what you are going through. I have had one fill of 1cc and then had to return and have .6cc removed because I was having a hard time drinking fluids. Yes I am hungry, but I could never have lost this weight without the band. I have questioned the surgery myself with could I have done this on my own? And the answer is no. The band has helped me eat smaller portions. I do get hungry between meals, but I try not to give in to eating. WLS is not an easy way out like so many people think. I hope to reach the "green zone" soon, but until then, as I have read on this site many times, it is just another diet. Hang in there, you are doing great.