Tamiko

I have been banded for a total of 10 months and have only eaten out 3 times all of those times were with people who have not been banded nore do they know anything about it. Well all 3 experiences was terrible. The first time was with my favorite food before band (ribs) I haven't touched them since it got stuck so bad. So months later I decided to eat out again thinking I would chose to eat fish something I know I don't have a problem with and that was terrible I had to keep getting up from the table to go to the bathroom thinking it would pass or it was going to come back up and it finally passed about the third trip to the restroom which was kind of embarrising because I was thinking what are people thinking when they see me constantly going to the restroom. Well I get over that experience and had to take the rest home in a doggy bag which I couldn't eat anyway so that was a waste. So about five days later I went with at friend to a chinese restaurant I have never had a problem there before either and it happend again this time the food came back up. I think my problem is by time I take three bites my friend is through with her food and she is just sitting there so I try to hurry up and that is not good for me. Has anyone had experiences like this while eating out or am I the only one?

I just had my 4th fill a month ago, but I still am having a problems eating slowly, so almost everyday I throw up something. I am trying not to stay in the soft food phase, but I can't even go out to eat with out having to get up and go to the restroom. I have been doing it today, I can not keep anything down and know I feel a little pain in my stomach. I don't know if I should have a little removed or try to eat slower like I should. I will do only liquids for a few days and maybe some swelling will go down if that is the problem? Has any one experienced this.

Thanks for the advice. I am going to try to do the liquid thing for a while. I really think it is me because I can eat all the bad stuff like (cookies & candy) with no problem. I think I should try smaller bites and eat slower, but I can drink liquids with no problem. So I will give it a few more days and see what happens.

Mines was pretty high. I am 5'11" and when I had my surgery I weighed 420. They put me on a liquid diet a week before surgery and I lost 10lbs, but because I passed all my tests I didn't have any problems and my surgery went fine.

I almost jumped out of my seat. lol scary!

I understand how you feel. I was in school in the spring semester and that's when I had my surgery done. I couldn't miss that much school so the doctor did my surgery on a Thursday and I had to be back at school the following Monday. It was pure hell. My classes were Monday, Wednesday, adn Friday. So I had to suffer through it and when I got home all I could do was relax and if I was in too much pain I had to take a pain pill. But it got a little better everyday. I had to sleep on the couch because that was the only way I could get up without hurting to much. It will be okay. It just seems that it will take for ever to heal but you will.

My first was when I was in Nashville visiting my friend. We had went to O'Charles restaurant and I had ordered my favorite meal before surgery RIBS. It was my first time eating it since my surgery. I didn't eat all of it and I ate slowly. I was the last one to finish but evidently I didn't eat as slow as I thought because as soon as the waitress came with the ticket I felt this incredible pain and my eyes started watering and it felt like I couldn't breath. My friend was asking me if I was okay but I couldn't talk so she was looking concerned and I was trying to pay the waitress as fast as I could so I could get out of their but it finally went down when I walked around a bit. My friend thought I was having a heart attack. It sure felt like it. I haven't touched ribs since.

1. What is your first name? Tamiko 2. How long have you been banded? 9 months 3. How much weight have you lost? 40lbs 4. What was your favorite food pre-banding? Spaghetti 5. What is your favorite food now? Spaghetti! 6. Are there any foods you can't or don't eat? Roast Beef 7. What is your favorite snack food? Popcorn 8. Has your SO changed towards you in any way since you were banded? A little 9. What are some of the things you can do now that you couldn't do before? Walk up the stairs without passing out Lol 10. Do you have any pets? What kind? None. I wish I had a dog. 11. Wht would your dream vacation be if you could go anywhere you wanted? Hawaii 12. If you won a million dollars, what would be the first thing you would do with it? Buy a house 13. What are your favorite books to read? Mystery, suspense, and horror 14. What is your favorite TV program? Everybody hates Chris

Has anyone ever experienced back pain when they get stuck. Mine starts to hurt in the upper part of my back never in the middle but kind of to the side.

I too have the same problem. I will schedule another fill (which will be my fourth this yearn since Fed.) today. The last fill was good for awhile but I couldn't control my eating. I just for some reason could not eat slow and reverted back to my old habits which caused me to have major pb's almost everyday. So the restriction has losened a little. When I go in for my fill I will make sure that I start back drinking water and my proten shakes everyday and eat slow as possible. I can't begin to tell ya'll how much money I have wasted this month on food because I can't finish it. So I will give myself a new start with this next fill and try my best to do everything like I am supposed to. I just have to take it one day at a time.

You have my vote.

I just posted another subject in the Food section earlier today. I have found myself doing this (chew and spit) and I was wondering if I was the only one who did that. I don't know if it is a bad habit but it gives me the satisfaction of tasting a certain food but not absorbing all the calories. I have on occasion pb and it came back up but not on purpose I really don't feel safe doing that because I am afraid of the band slipping. Eventhough when my doctor did my procedure he put stiches around the band giving it a better attachment to my stomach to prevent it from slipping.

I think I have developed a bad eating habit that I need to stop. Of course before surgery I could eat alot and know it has been 7 months since my surgery but when I order take-out and bring it home I eat only a little about a cup and 1/2 then I am full, but I hate to have the rest around so what I do is chew it then spit it out. The first time I did that I was grossed out by my actions and know it seems so normal. I only do that by myself but I need to stop and either save the food for later or throw it away. Am I the only one with an habit like that?

Has any one had any friends who wanted to have surgery also but didn't get approved? My friend and I have been friends for 6 years but for the last three years we both had been looking into getting weight loss surgery. She is a lot smaller that me I weigh 380 she weighs 250, but she was quick to give up after we were turned down twice. I kept going because I have diabetes and knee problems. I cary my weight well and people think I am smaller than I look but I am not. So I went by myself the last time and went through a lot of test and finally got approved. I had my surgery in Feburary and have only lost 40lbs. On top of that everyone always asks how the weight loss is going and that makes me want to scream because it is a lot of work that I have to put into it to have control. I have to chose not to over-eat and eat the wrong things. It is not like this surgery will do everything for me. Which I have come to fell good about my decision to have lap-band in stead of GBS. I am learning how to say no. Well today I get a call from my friend and she says that she is going to the same doctor that I went to to see if she could get approved for GBS because she wants to lose it fast and she says that I am losing mine too slow. That really hurt because I am working my a_ _ off to get this weight off and she doesn't even know the half of it, and by the way she told me she was jelous of me when I had mine done. I would never do her like that. I just needed to vent and share.

Thanks for the encouragement. I feel like what she said doesn't matter. I never gave up and countinued to keep going even after I was denied 3 times in the course of three years. I put in the work to have all the tests done and do everything my insurance company said and then they finally approved my surgery. She told me she wished that she had not given up and I too agreed with her, but I can't let her regrets kill my joy over what I have done. I would still be their for her eventhough she wasn't their for me. I know how much she wants to lose the weight she has gained but she wants it to come off quick as possible. I mean who doesn't, but is that the healthy way? She doesn't seem to care. Her aunt had the surgery 5 years ago and she was extremly sick right after, she bust her stiches by over eating and had many more complications that made her lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time. She has gained and lost over the years but she has managed to still maintain her weight and my friend sees her option better because she lost it so fast. I told her everyone is different and we all lose weight at a different pace. Hopefully when she talks to the doctor maybe he can get through to her better.

I too have had problems with fries. After my third fill I finally was not able to eat them without pb and just recently I had my first pb that lasted longer than a few minutes and resulted in it coming back up. I go for my 4th fill Thursday and I am not even going to try to eat french fries or bread for that matter because it has the same effect.

I was wondering since I am stuck at a certain weight can I try fasting for a week to give my body a jump start. All I would drink is protein drinks, juice watered down and lots of water. Has any one ever tried that?

Thanks for the advice. I have thought about it for the last few days and decided that it may not be a good choice. I will go for another fill and have a talk with my nutrionist again to see what she says.

I had my surgery on feb 3 of this year. I have lost 35lbs since them, but everyone can tell because the see the inches plus the few pounds, but since I work and go to school a lot I don't have time to eat right and the only thing I can do is the liquid, but I don't know if I can go longer than a week. It would be a challenge.

I guess it depends on the type of tummy tuck whether it is a full one or a mini-tuck. The scar goes from hip to hip,like a big smile.

I finally went and bought a scale Friday (Weight Watchers Scale) because it goes up to 380 and I weighed my self and I had lost 4 more lbs. For some reason I go from 380 to 382. I don't know why.

I finally hit the 80's that is 380. I weighed myself today and was shocked to see the dramatic weight loss. I just started walking an hour in the morning and 30 minutes at night and the weight is starting to come off and an alarming rate. It has given me motivation to work even harder.

It seems I am at a stand still. I was banded on Feb 4, 2005. I started out at 420 lbs. Before the surgery I lost 10lbs, after surgery I lost another 10 within the 6weeks stage of liquids and mushies. So far I am only 388 and I keep going from 388 to 390. I feel like I should be losing more. I just had my third fill a few weeks ago. The restriction is fine but I feel like maybe I should go on a liquid phase until monday and start fresh. Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I am going to see the nutritionist friday 29 of july and get on a better plan. I am not eating meals like I should. I think that is a big part of why I am not losing more weight.

I have been friends with this girl I meet at work for about 3years know. She is not overweight by my standards at all. When we first started hanging out she always wanted to go out and eat. On the other hand I don't like to eat out because I know that I will just eat again when I get home. Low and behold I gained about 30lbs from the constant eating out over the next 2 years. I started telling her about how unhappy I was about my weight and she would tell me I needed to exercise more and eat better, but she would turn right around and offer me candy and chips and when I would give in and eat it I would tell her that she needs to stop offering me those things. She would say well why did you eat it, just say no. If that wasn't the CRAZIEST thing I ever heard. If I could do that I wouldn't be as big as I am know. So when I told her that I was having wls she seemed happy for me, but know we don't do anything together anymore I guess because I can't eat like I used to (which was eat mine and help her finish hers). I also have a little more self control than I did before. Which she seemes to have started to pick up a little weight and know wants to exercise with me. Which I have 100s of pounds to lose she only has 20 or more pounds to lose. I feel like if I start working out with her that will bring me down a little because I know that when she has lost enough she will stop and I of course will have to keep on going by myself like I have always. I do'nt know what to do about this situation. I really needed to vent.