tmanning

Yesterday, I went back for my six month visit to the biomedical research facility that is conducting a long term study on patients having lap band surgery. (Participating in the study is how I had my surgery and all follow up fills done for free.) My first NSV is that I lost seven inches around my waist. My second NSV is that my BP was 110/72. My third NSV was when I stopped on the way home to Dress Barn. I immediately walked in the store and turned to the left for the "Women's" sizes. A sales clerk approached me to ask if she could assist me. I said "No, I'm just looking around." She asked if I was shopping for myself or someone else. I responded, "For myself." She responded, "Mam, you should be shopping in the other half of the store, the "Misses" Department. Guess what? She was right! I fit in size LARGE. LARGE never felt so SMALL. My final NSV happened as I walked into the gym. Approaching the door was an old acquaintance. I greeted him and told him hello, but I could tell, he just politely responded back, but didn't try to make conversation. Halfway through my workout, he approached me and said he hadn't even recognized that it was even ME, since I lost so much work..... The OLD ME was unrecognizable!!!! Not a bad day!

The last 7 months have kind of been a blur, my dad died and my husband and I have separated. So a lot of big changes!!!! I am thankful that even without any fills I am down 87lbs in almost 14 months. And that includes loosing the 15lbs I gained after my dad died. The difference this time is I am not going to beat myself up anymore and I will concentrate on the progress......

Day before surgery

Before a 5k last weekend

Why fight success? IMO-You should only get a fill if you are feeling hungry between meals. You sound like you're in a great green zone and we're all envious.
tmf

NaNa, thank you for posting this article. I've been banded for just under two months and starting to feel discouraged and turning to old habits. I REALLY needed to read this. Thank you

Hi all. I had my lapband surgery at the end of July and have been doing great since then. I've lost 40 lbs so far.
But this past week we have been moving to a new place and my schedule has been all crazy. I've noticed myself snacking here and there, when I wasn't before, haven't been drinking my Water very good, didn't track my calories, and have also been doing some late night snacking on Halloween candy. I'm back on track today but then when I weighed this morning to see the damage I had done over the past week, I was up 4 lbs! Granted I feel like some of that is probably Water, but I still feel so down on myself.
This is the first "slip up" I've had since getting my surgery and I'm feeling like a failure. I'm back doing well again today, but it was hard to see myself gain and even more-so, it's harder knowing I let myself slip like that again. What was I thinking? Just when I think I have learned better, those old demons wanna creep in.
Anyway.. just needed to get that off my chest. And now I have to let it go and move forward. Just goes to show how much this weight loss journey is "mental" as well as physical. Thanks for listening.

For me....I have no interest in food, and no interest in eating most of the time...in other words, no hunger...I know may people say no hunger between meals, but remember the band is adjustable and no 2 people are the same....so for everyone it is their choice...
Also, I can eat just so much, then I have to stop....making my portion sizes automatically set...AND making it impossible to over eat....
When I have those 2 things going for me, then I have good steady weight loss, which equals complete patient satisfaction....
It was hard work for me to get to that perfect balancing point, took a good 4-6 months after surgery with aggressive fills....there were a few times I wanted to give up and go and get some Fluid taken out to make things easier...but in my case, I'm glad I did not because things did settle down and I found that "Groove" I believe many people choose not to pursue it but fall short..which is OK because that is one of the good things about this surgery is YOU finding YOUR comfort level...and where YOU choose to be is not right or wrong, and should not be considered the ONLY avenue as some here believe...(Their way is the only way)
But once I did get through that difficult struggling period (Bandster hell)...it has been all an effortless coasting downhill ever since!!! Another perk I enjoy being in the Green Zone....for over 2 years now, consistently with no problems what so ever...
But again, it is important to know that everyone is different....there is no right or wrong, just examples of how everyone has found their success and happiness.....or lack thereof...and it is up to you and your Dr. how you want to proceed wit tis journey...no one Else's.

Is salad considered a slider? I can eat a lot without getting full. I don't use a lot of dressing.

I made this post about 5 years ago on another site a few years ago and it was very helpful to newbies so I thought I would post it here
"Disclaimer, this is from my OWN journey and also seeing thousands of other lap banders journeys over the years"
1. If you drink COLD liquids or cold things the band will tighten up.
2. If you drink hot liquids the band will loosen up.
3. Most women that have menstrual cycles tissues around the band will tighten therefore causing the band to tighten up while menstruating and then loosen up right before or after a cycle.
4. The band will tighten if you get stressed about something, always leave a little wiggle room for unexpected tightness of the band, otherwise those who are very tight may find themselves not able to swallow their spit and cause irritation.
5. For many people the band will tighten during flying or even high elevation, those who live in mountainous terrains above sea level may experience a tighter band than those who live in flatter areas.
6. The band is tighter for most in the mornings, when you lie down this cause it to tighten further, something about how the saline moves around in the band which causes it to get tighter when you lie down.
7. When you have a GOOD FILL level you will notice you can't eat as much while sitting down, so don't cheat and stand up and eat!
8. When you have a GOOD FILL level, you will NOT be able to eat and drink at the same time, trust me, this will cause PBing and vomiting and cause the food and liquid to stack up and there is no where to go but back up. (This is an update to this one, many people can eat and drink at the same time, so this may be on an individual level).
9. When you are tightly restricted avoid, grilled chicken IN PUBLIC, make sure your meat are moist, example when I eat salads I add lots of dressing in order to eat this at work without getting stuck, but salad dressing is fattening, but it' not fattening only if you are only able to eat about 5 bites of it and get full/satisfied.
10. To avoid slimming and frequent vomiting (which may cause slippage or a stretched pouch if done daily) make sure you take pea size bites and chew and wait until you feel the food go through, the food IS SUPPOSED to gently ease down your esophagus slowly without PAIN, if you are having painful eating, you are not eating properly OR you are way too tight. Also if you are in public and eating at a restaurant you may want to order a hot tea or Soup to prevent first bite syndrome, typically the first bite is the toughest. Some people disregard this and they may vomit and if this is done regularly you will be on your way to become a revision patient.
11. Eating with the band will become very easy when you learn your band and signals of how tight you might be, your restriction WILL NEVER BE THE SAME EVERY DAY, you will have some days a little bit looser than others, THIS IS WITH ANY RESTRICTIVE SURGERY INCLUDING RNY OR THE SLEEVE, but the band is a bit more finicky since it is filled with saline so you have to eat accordingly based on how tight you are, However,...restriction should NOT vary a great deal, meaning one day Soup and one day 2 whole Big Macs...lol, if your restriction varies that much you got a problem and need to see your doctor to make sure you are properly restricted or if you have a stretched pouch.
12. Clearing the pouch out daily -- THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR LIVING with your band in peace! this is what I do to clear my pouch out daily, I make sure I drink Water after I eat before I go to bed, also chew about 2 papaya tablet from (GNC) this also helps clear my pouch out and avoid any indigestion while I lay down at night and I have a good night’s sleep even if I eat very close to bed time. But this will NOT work if you have a slipped band or esophageal issues or band damage.
13. Some foods may irritate you more such as spicy foods, fried foods, chocolate, mints, onions, coffee, these things may cause heartburn in some and may not in others, I can tolerate them as long as I don't overdo it, but taking a pepcid or other heartburn meds will help.
14. Getting food stuck - I've been stuck several times and it is not a good feeling so I try to avoid it as much as I can, the first thing I would do if I get stuck is excuse myself in go somewhere private and raise my arms and take deep breaths and message the middle of my chest this has helped me many times to prevent vomiting and when I message my sternum between the breast this will help move the food down, the food will either slide down or you will throw it up.
15. If you are truly stuck you may have to see your surgeon for an emergency unfill, you will know if you are truly stuck, this may cause breathing problems and can be quite scary and repeated vomiting, but as soon as the food becomes unstuck, most of the time you will feel better immediately.
16. You should ALWAYS be able to eat solid food, even if it's only 5 bites at a time you should be able to eat solid food with your band, if you get a fill and you have trouble with liquids, you are too tight and this will eventually cause problems.
17. It usually takes about 3-7 fills until you reach your sweet spot safely, If you can never get a good fill level, sweet spot, meaning too tight or too looseyou may want to change surgeons and seek a band surgeon only -- your fill giver may not be filling you properly, it should not take that much time to reach your sweet spot, your sweet spot should not be painful or have nightly reflux or pain or vomiting, the sweet spot should allow you to eat a few bites of solid food and you get a signal to stop eating like a hiccup, burp, sneeze, runny nose, and you may feel like you have eaten a thanksgiving dinner on about 4-5 oz of food.
18. The band will restrict dense solid foods better than soup or liquids, you will get fuller on these foods quicker, the band is designed to restrict solid foods, if you are too tight you may not be able to eat healthy foods that are required, which may result in no weight loss.
19. How to know if you are in trouble (deep do do) with your band, Reflux is that slippery slope type issue and should ALWAYS be of concern to lap banders, any time you get a new fill and if you experience reflux that is frequent, you should see your surgeon immediately, there are two types of refux with the band that needs to be CLARIFIED.
20. If you plan on going VERY tight with your band use common sense and puree your food, because eating solids on a too tight band will be a nightmare and you will eventually slip your band, if you don't want to remove saline, puree! and drink Protein drinks and when you lose the weight you want, reduce saline, because you will surely cause band slippage if you attempt to eat "regular solid food" on a too tight band for long periods of time (but word of caution, this may not work for everyone and can be very dangerous to some).
How can you tell if your band is about to slip?
1. The dangerous reflux that indicates band slippage or (pouch dilation) is when it awakes you from your sleep and vomit and nasty liquid starts to shoot up into your nose and mouth, or a constant dry cough that is not associated with a cold. THIS REFLUX REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ATTENTION from your surgeon and possible saline reduced and Upper Gi to check your band.
2. The not so dangerous reflux is when you are in the green zone and you ate too close to bedtime and you wake up with "stuff" in your mouth and have to spit it out, what I've done to correct this type of reflux is to drink Water before bed along with a few Papaya enzymes (from GNC) which helps ease digestion and move food through a tight band from the upper pouch to lower stomach to clear out that food.
3. However, you should NOT get reflux often WHEN YOU ARE TRULY in the Green Zone, if your reflux is every night despite taking the precautions of clearing out your pouch and not eating too close to bedtime, you are probably in the Red Zone and need some saline out or you may have other issues that needs to be followed up by your band surgeon.
What to eat and how much should be discussed with your Nutritionist, but most who have success with their bands walk or exercise DAILY, eat lean Proteins first and veggies and drink water, it's just that simple.

I will admit eating in the Green Zone can be a challenge for many people, and many people will continue to try to eat 'normal' meals which WILL cause vomiting, heartburn, reflux and eventually band slippage. If I plan on going into the Green Zone I have to be mentally prepared for it, because I know that I have to be EXTRA careful with a tight band, more-so when I am on the loose side.
I try to keep my meals moist, regardless of what I eat, now I am in the green zone, and I would not dare eat grilled chicken, if I want chicken I have to compromise and eat dark moist chicken to prevent vomiting and heartburn, it's the small price I pay to stay in the green zone, and seeing the scale move and prevent vomiting, reflux and heartburn.
Also I chew papaya enzymes sometime to clear out my pouch and food should ALWAYS go through the band without vomiting as long as you take pea size bites, I am currently in the green zone and I really don't have to chew my food that well because I am not too tight.
Heartburn can be cause by many things, it can be cause by eating spicy foods, eating too much food on a tight band, vomiting, and sometimes when we THINK we are in the Green zone we are actually teetering in the Red zone. Sometimes, getting on a PPI (acid reducer) can help, but it should NOT be used to mask a too tight fill adjustment.
One way I can determine if I am too tight is -- I test my new fill out, if I can eat 1 soft boil egg PER MEAL, or about 1-3 oz of moist chicken WITHOUT vomiting, reflux or heartburn, I have truly achieved the Green zone and another test I use is -- when I drink Water, there is always a brief delay when I am in the Green zone...if the Water sits in my chest I am too tight and I go back immediately to a little saline.
I agree if heartburn is unbearable, you need to see your surgeon, you should NOT be in misery, the sweet spot DOES NOT CAUSE MISERY -- that's why they call it "SWEET" when you are at the sweet spot, you get satisfied quickly on small amounts of about 1 cup and your food gently slowly passes down our esophagus to your pouch into your lower stomach WITHOUT misery.
Sometimes removing only .01cc can make a huge difference.
Good luck

I such I could get excited as my wife does. I still have days when I tell myself "so what you've lost 100 pounds. You're still 160 pounds overweight!" But then I realize that I just need to do it again (lose 100#). I've done it once - I can do it again, right?

As I've been losing the wright since my June surgery, I haven't been purchasing smaller clothes. I've just been tightening my belt and tucking my shirts in a little further. This morning when I weighed in I was down a total of 100.1 pounds! Took the day off and HAD to buy new pants as my old ones were more like clown pants. On my June 11 surgery day my pants were size 60 waist ( can't believe I just posted that in public!). Today I bought all new pants size 50 waist! They feel so much better than my clown pants. Even better I realized I'm finally in the green zone! It's a happy day!

I had my second fill yesterday and I can really tell the difference. Hopefully you will see an improvement with you next fill also.
My surgeons says the the first fill gets you in the neighborhood, second fill on the street, and by the third fill you will be home. In other words it is a gradual process.

I can't WAIT to be in the 100's

I just weighed myself this morning and I hit the 30 pound mark, YEA!!

I just UNFILLED! Also banded Dec 2012. Noticed after 4th fill I would regurgitate Water as well as vomit most Protein. I am horrified to start gaining!!
But I am only down a total of 44 lbs. and the 1st 20 came off in the 2 months following surgery.
I hope this will show a really difference since I haven't seen any weight loss in 3 months just the same 3-5 yoyo pounds.
I realize this is a tool and cant believe some of the " I was banded 3 months ago and Im down 60+ lbs!" Stories on here. The stories that surely influenced me to chose this surgery.
Now with this unfill I am being scheduled for an endoscopy and we are talking possible slip.

I am sorry to read your post. Did you ever find out the reasons for having so many difficulties with eating?
Success with a band means "having your head in the game", and sometimes the psychology part is more difficult than the physiological aspects of band life.
Having your band emptied of all fluid does not necessarily mean the end of your journey. I have had my band empty for 4 months now, and I have been able to continue to lose weight. Not at the pace I did earlier, but I am approaching my goal weight now.
Perhaps if you continued to follow the eating rules, and made a commitment to exercise you can still be a success story. I know that the only way I will reach my goal weight is with continuing to exercise.
The band is a highly self empowering tool...you can still be the success you wanted to be.
Best wishes with whatever path you choose...

I had surgery on the 26th of August and my first fill was a week ago today I have now lost 40 pounds since surgery !!!!!!!!! I already feel restriction from the fill and feel great!!!! I would do this surgery over and over again I had no problems and have completely redone my life I eat totally different no Cokes no breads and walk 2 miles a night I'm loving my new life

Went for a fill today. Since my surgery on July 17, I've lost 36 pounds and since my preop in May, a total of 54 pounds. Dr. said my weight loss is excellent. . I get a little discouraged sometimes because I don't think it's coming off fast enough but I keep reminding myself "slow and steady wins the race!" Feeling good!!

Ok, I went to the mall today just for the heck of it and went to a sale rack. I asked the salesperson if they had dresses in a size 20 or 22. The sales lady tells me that that there are no plus size dresses in the store. She tells me that dresses only go up to size 18. I said we'll why do they sell plus size tops and pants up to size 6X but no dresses, she didn't know why. Anyway, I go over to a sale rack of size 18 slacks. These slacks were originally $52.00 marked down to $10.98 with 40% off the sale price. Well, even though I hate trying clothes on in the store, I decided at that great price I had to try them on. Well guess what? These front zip, front hook (no elastic waistband!) fit with room to spare! I checked to make sure I was seeing right and that they were really size 18. Yup, they were! I was at my highest weight in a size 28 pants. Oh, and I got a size 1x blouse as well. No more 3x blouse. I still think I'm dreaming lol but the last time I wore a size 18 was way back in the 1970's.
This may seem like a silly post but I still think I'm dreaming! Please wake me up lol! Tell me I'm not
Dreaming! Woo hoo!

same here. the only things I don't eat are those things I choose not to eat. otherwise, I eat what I want...just a lot less of it. don't worry about mourning food. many of us go through that stage. but when we see the results, who cares about what we don't eat anymore. like I've said before, there isn't a food on the planet that tastes as good as seeing myself go from a size 26/28 pants to a size 14/16.

Sometimes the best thing to say is nothing at all, just avoid him. If you respond to his messages it will just open a door that you might not want to open. I have been in a healthy relationship for 3 years now, and he knew me before I lost 200 pounds so I feel real confident in our relationship. But sometimes he can seem distant, but he just likes to have his own space sometimes. Good luck!

I just got an email from the center where I exercise asking if I would be willing to be the Spotlight Member for the October newsletter!!! ME!!??? I can not believe it. Granted I have been there almost every day since May 24th but Im soooo flattered and proud and just cant believe it!

5 months ago I didnt want to go to the grocery store and now I will be in the spotlight!! So crazy!

I'm sooo excited! I am working really hard and it's amazing when other people notice! Seriously never could have imagined I would be in the spotlight for a fitness article!! MIND IS BLOWN!!!

Push yourselves!! This journey is AMAZING and it only gets better!! This feels so much better than french fries taste!!

Feeling proud today that is for sure!

My scale does the same thing. I was told that when it does that it needs new batteries.I haven't tried it yet though.

I was banded on August 21st and am not due to have a fill until next Tuesday. In the last day or so it appears that I no longer have the band. I am to eat normally and I am hungry more often. Is this normal? Like I said, I've never had a fill, but there appeared to be some restriction the other day.