ABLOND

You are so right. I've let myself get discouraged so quickly. I didn't realize that I wouldn't have fill in my band immediately after surgery or that I may take months to get to where my band is working. No ones fault but my own, because I failed to research enough. Or had I found this site a year ago I Would of been a lot more prepared. But you are right with God all things are possible and without him I never would have gotten this insurance with the insurance I have. It was definitely a God thing.

I didn't know either. Thought the journey started as soon as I had surgery but for me, it didn't start till my 3rd fill 4 months after surgery. Disappointing but you get over it.

You are so right. I've let myself get discouraged so quickly. I didn't realize that I wouldn't have fill in my band immediately after surgery or that I may take months to get to where my band is working. No ones fault but my own, because I failed to research enough. Or had I found this site a year ago I Would of been a lot more prepared. But you are right with God all things are possible and without him I never would have gotten this insurance with the insurance I have. It was definitely a God thing.

You are so right. I've let myself get discouraged so quickly. I didn't realize that I wouldn't have fill in my band immediately after surgery or that I may take months to get to where my band is working. No ones fault but my own, because I failed to research enough. Or had I found this site a year ago I Would of been a lot more prepared. But you are right with God all things are possible and without him I never would have gotten this insurance with the insurance I have. It was definitely a God thing.

You are so right...I had my first fill 5weeks post op and had 2ccs and I now am 13 weeks post op and have 5.5ccs. I've lost a total 35lbs. Had my band been primed I probably would of lost more but I'm perfectly happy with my loss!!! Please don't get discouraged if you have a slow loss because eventually you will get there. Patience is the key to success and with GODS will everything is possible!!!????????????????

I have a friend who has had 10!!! And is still gaining weight....and each one was 1/2 cc or less, one month apart!
It's NOT about how many....
I have only had three....but my Dr. was very aggressive, and he knows I am aggressive also so we went full speed ahead....got that Green Zone in 4 months, then took another 2-3 months of a roller coaster ride getting things (Me and my attitudes Actually) under control and a "Groove" found....
I also do not like to compare how much I have to others...everyone is a little different...some people have not had a fill...(very rare, a lot of self discipline)
And my band does things for me that it does not do for many other people....does not make any of it right or wrong, it's simply the way it is....

Im just curious how many fills people have gotten to get to their green zone. Ive had 4 now and I still feel like I need another one but I also feel like im having a lot of fills. Im doing good on my weight loss (lost 45 lbs since September) but I still feel hungry in between meals. Ill eat and get full and then an hour later be hungry again. So it would help if I knew of other peoples experiences. Thanks in advance!

Soups are slider foods and most all of us can eat up to two cups of the stuff. Slider foods just slide by the band and give no help to feeling satiety. Have you seen this group of videos? Maybe they'll answer some of your questions. Dr. O'Brien's philosophy and techniques may differ from your own surgeons but they're still valid for many.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa3Lwt6ElIs&list=UL Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4jYJipQ7vc part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wbdhf44ZweI&feature=relmfu Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF3TCKUn3YI Part 4

We can't really tell you how you will feel in the green zone, :-)
As you know each doctor is different, each body reacts as an individual. My doc is also pretty aggressive with fills, but I know he is always there if I am overfilled also.
Usually our conversation goes like this, can you eat half or more of a hamburger? Can you eat a solid cup of turkey, chicken, etc? Or more? Do you feel hungry before four hours? Based on that, he decides if a fill is in order.
I feel like I am in the green zone. I can eat a few bites of omelet or 1/2 cup of yogurt in the morning. A cup total of Protein a little veggies. A 6 oz protein fruit smoothie. More or less five spoons of food. I have no physical hunger between meals. If I'm busy, I can easily forget to eat. I drink between meals, and will drink a greens plus drink to get concentrated fruit and veggies. It's difficult for me to eat in the early morning, but by ten, I can start my meals for the day. Hope this helps, everyone will have a different experience to share!

I didn't mention how much I'm eating because it's been sort of inconsistent due to my schedule. Typically, I've been eating yogurt for Breakfast. I eat the Dannon Oikos and put 1/4 cup of Nature Valley Granola in it. I can eat the whole container. I'm usually hungry again in about 3 hrs after eating that. I did eat eggs and bacon for Breakfast one morning although, it's hard to say how much on the eggs because it was scrambled eggs from the hospital cafeteria. I had 3 pieces of bacon with it and that was one of the times I overdid it. Needless to say, I was back to my yogurt the next morning! I generally have a serving of Protein such as fish, chicken or occasionally beef for lunch with some veggies. I don't necessarily measure the Protein but I kind of eyeball it. The surgeon gave me the reference of "the size of a deck of cards" so I try to stay pretty close to that. As for the veggies, it's usually about 1/2 -1 cup. Yesterday I had a lettuce wrap with a few slices of ham, a slice of cheese, pickle, Tomato, and mayo. I had taken enough to make a couple of wraps because that was a first for me but I ended up only being able to eat a single wrap and I was done. I eat lunch around noon and I'm generally hungry again by about 4 so I eat a Quest bar for a snack. I LOVE those things. I don't get off work until 7 pm so I try to just have something light for dinner but make sure it has a lot of protein.

I would go with whatever was suggested, mainly because you need the followup care and something in place in case of complications. If you can't get the band and after care covered, I'd go with the sleeve. I am pro-band and have friends with the sleeve and can honestly say I am biased. Because I am supportive of anyone who makes such a life-changing decision, I say go for it. You will be better off having it than not, just follow doctor's orders and question anything that doesn't seem normal to you. I have two friends with the sleeve, they have both been successful in losing their excess weight very quickly; the problem they are experiencing is the inability to STOP losing the weight. They are both well beyond their goals (22 and 27 lbs., respectively) and one is a walking skeleton whom I'm afraid to walk by too fast for fear of making her tip over.

I had my surgery last year, (August 2013) and of last Monday, February 17th, had only lost 30 pounds. Had another fill last Monday. Definitely feel restriction now. Started watching my carb intake very, very, closely. Have lost 5.5 pounds since last Monday ; ) For some reason, it all clicks now. The food intake, Protein, exercise & no carbs!!! I'm very happy & ready to get the rest of my weight off......

Libb, I'm confused on your reply to chasingadream....what "graphic" did she/he include? If you are talking about the ruler that appears below each of our posts I'm sure they meant nothing by it as it's a "signature" that is attached automatically (once we add them) and not something that she/he added to upset you.

Libb, I'm confused on your reply to chasingadream....what "graphic" did she/he include? If you are talking about the ruler that appears below each of our posts I'm sure they meant nothing by it as it's a "signature" that is attached automatically (once we add them) and not something that she/he added to upset you.

Oh no! You and I seem to be so simliar...in our starting weights, weight lost, surgery date, and end goal. I keep worrying that I have something wrong because I feel tenderness, bumps, not sure what is the port, band or hernia repair. I just ate a can of cream of chix Soup, yes the whole can. I am not full, I had no trouble getting it down. This is after a 5cc fill today? Can that be possible? I'm nervous that these large portions are going to cause damage.

Question for y'all. I take 4 pills everyday in addition to my chew-able Vitamins and supplements. Two are small enough I don't have a problem taking them whole. The other two, which are actually two doses of the same thing twice a day, are fairly big, and I cut them into 4 pieces.
My question is, I know we're only supposed to take one pill at a time, but how long do you wait in between swallowing pills or pieces of pills?

I arrived for my banding surgery yesterday, 2/13/14 @ 2:30 p.m. in San Antonio, Texas, and was on the road back to Austin, Texas at 5:30 p.m....I was not nervous going into surgery - more like a kid in a candy store, I was so excited....I lost 7 pounds during 2 week low carb pre-op diet (I was hoping for more, but heck, I'll take it)....the procedure was pretty straight forward - preformed a pregnancy test, took my vitals, and started an IV...the surgeon came in and said are you ready and I said, "More than you know!" - the anesthesiologist came in and gave me something through the IV that made me dizzy, as he said it would. I was wheeled to the surgery room, moved to the operating table, then given the anesthesia that really burned as it went in, again as the doctor said it would....next thing I knew, I was waking up and had some serious gas pain at the top of my stomach, got some Gas-X strips, got up pretty quickly after fully waking, changed clothes, did some laps around the room and off I went....
A little sore today, and a little gas pain, but nothing unbearable - very doable, actually...and I am not taking any pain medication (I could, but choosing not to unless I am just extremely uncomfortable)...I have had VERY little gas pain, if any, in my left shoulder, not bad like some people have had...also slept pretty good last night - propped up with some pillows and woke up only 2 times...
I only have one concern, which I was surprised about yesterday and today.....I'm hungry....my understanding was that I wouldn't be hungry for like the first week after surgery and here I am hungry on the day of and day after so far...of course, I am still doing what I am supposed to do - only liquids, but thought it was odd...any one else have this issue when they got banded?
Overall, a great experience and I am ready for my new banded journey!!

I buy the XRated from Hi Health. It's tasty, reasonably priced, yummy with almond milk. I have one of their member cards so I get BOGO 1/2 off when I go in to stock up. The powder is high in Protein, very low in sugar. It works for me.

My favorite is OhYeah! It comes in a premixed 14 oz. bottle and is also lactose free. The best part, besides the taste, is has 32 grams Protein..Yes 32 grams and it comes in a variety of flavors. Yum

Syntrax Matrix - Cookies and cream flavor, with almond milk, sometimes half a frozen bananer, mmmmmm

Thanks for asking secret! It has been better but not completely. I successfully ate a few meals after doing liquids for 24 hours. Last night I spit up sushi, which I've never done before. It was always a "safe" food for me. I felt mostly due to the chopsticks! And then at work they ordered pizza for us. I have successfully eaten this in the past as well. I chewed my 20 times and waited a minute in between each bite. It's very frustrating:( getting ready to eat enchiladas. Hope it goes well! At this point, I don't think I'll be getting the fill I'm scheduled for in march!

I agree with aj, however, I wouldn't eat anymore solid foods until the doctor okays you to do so.

Some times some people that are not or even had a fill will be able to eat solids , but just follow doctors instructions for post op eating and you will be fine , yes we all get scared at first and if you are not sure about any thing put that call in to the doc to make sure so it will ease your mind , to me you sound o k , but if it was me I would call my doc. to ease my mind .

Hello have not posted in a while I was Banded November 12 2013 with no Fluid in my band , I have lost 21 pounds and now I go for my fist fill this upcoming Tuesday.. Need advice on what to expect. The first fill is done in the hospital, My doctor said so he can put the maximum amount in band.I have no restriction I can eat what ever I want I just choose to make better choices. Other than the slow weight loss and the challenge of staying on track this has been the best decision of my life!!!

This is true, many surgeons do follow these phases as mine did. However not all doctors do. If your doctor has not placed ay restrictions on you and you are still worried about it, and even if he has and you are worried your best course of action is to give your surgeon's office a call and see what they have to say.
If you are that hungry and having that much difficulty they may want to see you sooner then Feb. It never hurts to reach out to your doctor for clarification. They are there for you, and if you have a nutritionist it wouldn't hurt to have a consultation with them as well.
Best of luck to you as you move forward on your journey!