karina33

@@betty_s me to!! lol I hope its "the green zone" lol foreal....ive lost 20+ lbs but I don't feel much of a difference in my clothing yet

I get my next fill june 25 hoping for some more restriction I have 6 ccs in my 11 cc band and I have no idea what im going to get next im hoping another 3....my scale is dumb so I haven't really been weighing myself and my clothes don't fit a WHOLE lot looser but for right now im 21 lbs down and I have 59 more to go lol...I know this is a process but im so anxious to see ONEderland !!! praying to reach my goal by October !! I did eat some things I don't think agreed with my band I don't regurgitate or spit up or anything but I do get cramps and gas pains when I eat something that I guess doesn't agree I have to be more careful.... #StayingFocused

wow, i have been banded with plication for almost 2 yrs
and been on this forum for 2 yrs 4 months..where has the time gone?
i am happier today then i was when i started in Feb 2012...compared to
where i am now today..
the only (advice) i want to give is the following (take it or ignore it):
call your doctor if you are hurting or concerned or need (assistance w/questions can i or should i eat/do/drink) i strongly advise anyone to do what THEIR doctor says, not mine or anyone elses.. use common sense (you cant gain true weight overnight and you wont lose true weight overnight) eating more calories than you burn off will make you gain weight with or without any WLS reality is clothes sizes getting smaller is a accurate sign of losing weight (dont focus totally on the metal monster) you do not have to be at goal in six months...get there when you do...WLS has no expiration date and last but not least
believe in yourself to give yourself credit..you know if you eat too much of the not so great food chioices out there
dont say the WLS did not stop you..you stop you.....YOU can control yourself..(you wont step out in front of a train would you??)
WLS will help you but it wont be the save all as that part is up to you and me
be well and all the best to you.

I thought I was in the small PP club ... turns out, I was just fat.

My doctor gave me no rules for drinking other than to limit the amount of liquid with a meal. I guess to make sure I get enough food in.
So far, I've been okay. Which is a really good thing because pre surgery, I probably had three to four glasses of Water with every meal. (Which sounds crazy! How did I ever eat as much as I did?) Now it's just one glass.
I hate to admit this but until I read this post, I never knew there was a rule to not drink 30 minutes before or after a meal. (That's probably not good)

Just came from my doctor today. He said the drinking rule was made to prevent food regurgitation. If you are ABLE to drink with your meals, it's ok. Sometimes I do. sometimes I don't.

"to specific modified rules that only apply to me"
I cherry picked your post but must say, well said. Some of us adapt to our band to allow it to work for us. Some stick to the original rules. But we all have to seek ways to make this little piece of plastic work it's wonders.
Follow the band, when the band says no, I don't like that food, don't eat it. When the band tells us it's OK to have a beer, one beer, don't question it. Flow with what your band tells you. Don't fight it.
Very good Point B-52!

Rules such as these, and many others are broad general rules given to everybody in the beginning...my Dr. actually had me following his drinking before and after rule BEFORE I had surgery...along with all the other rules.
I asked why...and a few occasions, and the responses I got from him and everyone else was that once the band begins to function as it should, knowing these rules may be the only way to get through a day...and a new lifestyle...so begin to get them into your head now.
There is no way to predict how everyone will respond once they get to that place either...so all rules are broad and general....
I'm coming up on 4 years banded....I still follow all the rules, but they have turned from broad general rules for everyone, to specific modified rules that only apply to me.....
So back to drinking with meals...yes, I was taught 30 minutes before, and 30-45 minutes after.....NOW, that I know my band and how it interacts with food, etc, I find I can drink right up to I begin eating...then I have found, for myself, I CANNOT drink while eating without having everything come back up right there at the table.....and after eating, I take sips now and then and can tell when it is safe to drink again..sometimes 10 minutes, sometimes as long as 45 (rarely) so yes, I know food can still be there way after I'm finished eating...I had it come back up 20 minutes after....everyone is different, the band is adjustable! What one person finds true for them will not always be true for the next person....
It's all about personal experiences....
I tell my surgeon all these little variations I find different with me as opposed to what I was taught in the beginning, and he's fine with it...he had no way of knowing where I or any of his patients would be at this point.
Same goes for carbonated drinks,( I do with caution) crushing meds, (I don't have to) and of course eating habits (very hard to learn)....and there are many, many others.
Everyone is a little different, as you progress post surgery and begin living a new life, you find that new "Groove"...but in the beginning you have no choice but to follow the rules strictly, count calories and measure portions, and learn them...sooner or later there will come a time (hopefully) you will be glad you did.

I don't recall the exact instructions from my surgeon but I try to give myself a decent buffer... except when I'm treating myself to a glass or two of wine with dinner. Then all bets are off.

You lose fat when you consume fewer calories than you burn. There are dozens if not hundreds of people who find the green zone but don't lose fat because they can't control their cravings/bingeing.
Most of us lose some weight shortly after surgery. This 10-20 lbs is mostly Water weight. Just having the band usually helps most of us eat smaller meals but not small enough to lose fat. After 1-5 fills most of us feel the restriction and many lose lbs but much of it is pure willpower and following the rules.
If you reach the green zone and follow the rules you should lose 1-2 lbs a week.jmo
tmf

I cant say it enough. I'm SO HAPPY with the decision I've made regarding the lap-band!!
At this point, I'm 2 1/2 weeks post-op, and have lost a total of 30 lbs, including the pre-op diet, 11 lbs since surgery. My energy is up, my attitude is great, and I'm following my doctors orders so I don't mess anything up.
Today was my first day back to work since May 8th, because I took a week for surgery which happened to be the week before my already planned 'staycation'. I'm actually really glad i had 2 weeks off, because I was really sore until about day 10. My clothes that I wore 2 weeks ago are already loose!
I think whats helped me so far, is just keeping a positive attitude. I never once complained about the pre-op diet or the post-op liquid diet. I got moved to mushies after 7 days, which seemed pretty quick compared to some others here, but I'm enjoying actually chewing my food and seeing what concoctions I can come up with in the kitchen. I've felt very little ACTUAL hunger, its just listening to my body instead of my mind that I need to keep up with. It also helps that I have a super supportive fiance!
I love this site and all the helpful tips and support I've received so far! I just wish all other wls would be supportive of our decisions. I've seen a lot of hate for lap-bands recently and snarky comments about why someone would every choose the band over rny or sleeve. I guess I cant change them, and just not worry about it tho.
I guess the point of all these random rambles is to say "thanks!" for all those that have given tips, tricks, and encouraging words. And if you're a newbie, listen to your doctor and stay positive! Its seriously helped me so much!

I have been a member here since 2007 and at one time I was a contributing member. I have been gone from the sight for several years now but I am back. I am writing to tell my story in hopes that I can find some much needed support and also maybe give a word or two of advice to those who think they can outsmart the band, eat around it and most importantly, to those who are abusing the band or using it as a crutch instead of a tool. This story is long but I believe it will help so many and possibly even save someone’s life. I hope I am posting in the right area, if not, maybe a mod can move it.
I got my band on December 10th of 2007 and I was very excited and hopeful that it was going to be the answer to my prayers. I weighed about 380 pounds the day of my surgery and wanted desperately to find a way to get control of my life-long emotional eating problem. Although I lived in Phoenix, AZ, I had my surgery done near Denver, CO because I found a U.S. based doctor that provided the band at a discounted rate and I did not want to go to Mexico. I was a cash pay patient and I had to borrow the money from my dad to get the surgery so I needed to find the best bargain for my money. My husband and I drove to Colorado to get the surgery done and 2 days after my surgery, I got in a car and traveled back from Colorado to Arizona with my new saving grace installed and a sense of hope that I would finally be able to lose the weight that had been making me miserable most of my life. Just like most people, I was given rules/instructions about only full liquids the first 2 weeks, the basic band diet of how much to eat afterwards, no soda, no drinking with meals, when to get fills, etc.
With the band in place but no Fluid in it yet, I was yet to experience this thing they called restriction and I was eager to get my first fill so I could start to reap the benefits of my newly installed ring of hope. During the first 2 weeks, I was hungry! I mean I was VERY hungry and full liquids was just not cutting it for me. I tried my best to stick to it but after about 5 days, I decided that I would just try to eat ONE french fry and “see what happened.” I ate one and oh my goodness, it tasted soooooo good. I waited a few minutes and nothing happened. Nothing! Ok, so maybe I will try one or two more since obviously it is not doing any harm and I didn’t have any fill in yet. What could go wrong, right? That night I ate about 10 fries. The next day, realizing that nothing bad happened from my french fry episode, I started adding little bits of solid food here and there and by the end of day 8, I was eating small portions of solid food a few times a day.
On the morning of day 9, I woke up and I was just not feeling right. I was cold and no matter what I did, I could not get warm. Having 200+ pounds of fat to insulate me, being cold was something I was not accustomed to. I was always hot so this feeling of chills was definitely something new for me. I also started noticing that my stomach was making this loud gurgling sound. It sounded like the stomach fluids were working overtime and my stomach ached. On a hunch I took my temperature and was shocked to find out that I had a fever of 102.9. I asked my husband to take me to the ER since it seemed that there was something possibly band surgery related going on.
Long story short, I ended up having a micro-perforation in my stomach and almost died. They admitted me to ICU and the local Lap-Band doctor said that the doctor that performed the surgery had pulled the stitching too tight and left a very microscopic tear in the stomach tissue. I admitted to him that I had been eating solid foods too soon and he said that may have aggravated the issue but was not the cause. I was put on nothing by mouth for 14 days. I could not even have an ice chip. The doctor said that I had a 50/50 chance of my stomach healing on its own and if not, they would have to do surgery to attempt to repair the small tear but that it was a very dangerous surgery and could be fatal. Thank God that after 2 weeks of nothing by mouth and an IV bag full of proton pump inhibitors, the tear healed on its own and I was released. Because of the tear, I had to wait 6 weeks from my release from the hospital to get my first fill.
The time came for my first fill and I was so excited. I have a 14cc band and they started me off with 5 cc’s of Fluid. I had the fill done under flouro so I could see that the fill slowed down the flow of liquid. I wanted more but the fill doctor said I had to take it slow and adjust it slowly to the right amount, until I found my sweet spot. With 5 cc’s of fill, I still did not notice any restriction at all so I made a follow up appt for more fill 4 weeks later. This time when I went in, they added 4 more cc’s and I was at 9 cc’s in my 14 cc band. For the first time, I was starting to notice restriction and I was able to eat way less. Although I did have restriction, I wanted more because I felt that I could still eat more than ¾ cup at a time so I made a 3rd appt and had more fill put it. This time they only added a little less than 1 cc. I swallowed the barium under flouro and I could see that the flow was much slower this time. They handed me my bottle of Water and asked me to slowly drink it and let them know if I had any issues. After a few sips, I could feel the Water sitting in my esophagus, waiting to slowly trickle down but I did not tell them. I finally had really good restriction and although I should have had about ½ cc removed, I left with the additional 1 cc of fill. This is when things really started to change and the weight started to drop off. I could barely eat 2 tablespoons of food and I was pb’ing several times a day.
Even though I finally could not eat very much at all and had super tight restriction, the emotional urge to binge was still there. I can’t believe I am admitting this but there were several times that I would go to a fast food restaurant, order a couple of cheeseburgers and fries, chew them up in huge bites and spit them into a bag, just so I could feel that sense of relief I used to get from binging. Thinking back on it, it was really gross and more importantly it was really sad and should have been a warning sign that I have emotional eating issues but like most people, I turned a blind eye to what was going on in my own body/mind/life.
At this point, it had been about a year since my surgery and the weight was coming off at a steady pace. I was down about 125 pounds since my surgery date. On a daily basis, I was pb’ing 10+ times a day, every time I attempted to eat even the tiniest bite of solid food. FYI: This means my band was too tight! If you are unable to eat solid food without pb’ing, after properly chewing and taking very small bites, there is a problem. Even though I knew this, I ignored it because I was finally, for the first time in my life, losing weight! Since I was unable to eat solid foods, I lived on creamy Soups, mashed potatoes, pudding, ice cream, etc. As time went by, I noticed I was able to eat more and more of the slider foods so I made another appt to get more fill put in because the weight loss started really slowing down. In hindsight, the problem was not that I needed more fill, the problem was that I was eating high calorie slider foods because the band was too tight to eat solid foods and this was slowing down my weight loss. I also started taking little sips of fluid with my food because I noticed that I was able to eat more when I did this. I was emotionally eating, just like before, but I just changed the way I did it. In hindsight, I should have had about ½ cc of my fill removed and then I would have been able to eat about ¾ cup of solid food without pb’ing and if I would have followed the band rules and ate properly and healthy, I would have had absolute success. However, this was not the case with me. I wanted to do it my way and my way it was.
I went for another fill but this time I used a different fill provider that did not use flouro. I had another cc of fluid put in and that made me have a total of almost 11 cc’s in my 14 cc band. Then a few months later I had another cc put in and to make a long story short, at the end, I had almost 12.5 cc’s in my 14 cc band. Over time, even with all of that fluid in my band, I was able to start eating more solid foods. By the end of this fiasco, I could eat an entire McDonald’s hamburger and a small fry. I knew something was wrong. It had to be. I thought I had eroded, or was losing fluid or something. Something had to be going on because I could eat way too much for the amount of fluid I had in and what used to make me pb was not even phasing me anymore. I went for another appt to see what was going on and had the doctor that uses flouro to look at everything while I was under flouro. All the fluid was still in the band, there was no leak. He said I had really good restriction but was concerned because he noticed my esophagus looked enlarged and said that I needed to go on liquids only for 2 weeks and then come back to see if the esophagus looked normal again. Sadly, he did not remove my fluid at the time and that was a HUGE mistake on his part. He should have taken out the fluid but he didn’t and I left the appt a hot mess. I tried to stay on liquids for 2 weeks but it only lasted a couple of days and I was back to just like before. I did not return for the 2 week follow up and continued to do the same thing I was doing because my biggest fear was to have all the fluid removed and be able to eat like I did before the band and gain all the weight back that I lost.
For more than a year I continued with the same amount of fluid in my band and eating slider foods and drinking with my meals and just continued on in this craziness. In January of 2011, I was standing in my kitchen and I started to feel really sick like I was going to pass out. I had my husband take me to the hospital and they ran some test and told me that I was anemic and my blood level was low, indicating that I had some sort of internal bleeding going on but they did not know where it was coming from. I was admitted to the hospital and they ran more tests and didn’t find anything and sent me home. This horrible feeling of passing out continued for months and each time I went to the ER, they told me my blood levels were low but just above where I needed a blood transfusion. I had no insurance so I was only able to get care at the ER. In June of 2011, I ended up back in the ER and they admitted me this time. They did an endoscopy and colonoscopy looking for the source of the slow bleed. They found it on the endoscopy. It was coming from my esophagus! I had stretched it out so much from the fill being so tight that I had caused a small tear in the tissue. Once again, here I was in the hospital with another tear! Only this time I did it to myself. The doctor said my esophagus had turned into a stomach and the area where my esophagus ended and my stomach began had become one. They removed every drop of fill from my band at that time and after 2 more weeks of nothing by mouth, that tear healed as well and I was released and feeling much better. A year later I had another Endoscopy and everything was back to normal again. I never had any of the fluid put back in my band and over the last 2 years, I gained back every single pound I lost, plus some. I now weigh 400 pounds.
This is my biggest warning: If you are finding that you can eat more and more and you are pushing yourself and the restriction is lessening, there may be a problem. For me, my esophagus had turned into a stomach and was holding entire meals! If you cannot keep solid food down the majority of the time, then you are likely too tight. I used the band as a crutch instead of a tool as it was intended.
I am starting over again and have an appt for a fill tomorrow. I am going to do it right this time and I will actually follow the rules this time. My life depends on it. I have to lose the weight or I am going to die. Period. I would be happy to elaborate on anything for anybody, just message me. I will be hoping for support from fellow bander’s and if I can help anyone at all or answer any questions, please let me know.

@@2babutterfly hahaha my wedding ring is a little looser I guess that's one for the books! lolol

oh this is true I will take some tonight and post later! thanks@LilmissDiva Irene

There will be NSV's you never even knew would be an NSV someday. Clothes fitting is only one of the probably hundreds in a list! Try also side by side photos at least monthly but I used to do weekly. Also, use a measuring tape and measure everything. I used to even measure my neck and wrists which sounds strange but as they went down even a quarter inch it gave me a reason to be happy and feel good about my efforts.
Not only that but is there anything you notice physically you can do now that you once couldn't when you first started?
Stay strong and above all stay positive!

My name is Joann and today I am encouraged! I am 43 years old and am currently 316lbs. I am abodopted so I know nothing about by biological parents. I do know know that I look in the mirror and I see a smaller person hiding behind my face. That may sound weird but it's true. I just got married last May to my best friend! My husband is the biggest and best support! He loves me the way that I am but encourages me to be the person I want to be. If that is a smaller person than he supports me in that. He may be more excited for me than I am!!! I have two sons and they are both excited for me and this journey to begin. As for the rest of my family, I have chosen to keep this to myself for now. Although I love them, they can be very judgmental and I need support not critics right now.

At this point, I have completed all of the paperwork and am waiting on my consultation with the doctor. Knowing that I am that much closer fuels my fire! I am getting antsy!!! I am soooo ready!

I have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, osteoarthritis, and sleep apnea. For a long time I had the attitude that I am a full figured black woman, this is my lot in life. But once I got married, I started nagging my husband to go to the dentist and doctor, to get himself together FOR ME! Then one day I looked at myself in the mirror and said, "Girl...you need to get YOURSELF together!!" And that was the day!

Just like all of you I'm sure, I have spent thousands of dollars on diets, programs and gym memberships. I am over that. Now I ride my bike and swim, it's free and I love it!

So, here we go! I look forward to reading more success stories and getting feed back on my progress and questions. I thank God for groups like this! May you all be blessed on your journey!

@@gowalking this Is true bc although I have lost 21 lbs I don't feel a really big difference in my clothes yet...

Hello everyone. One year ago today I started my 3 week liquid diet to prepare for my lap band surgery. It was both one of the most exciting and scariest days of my life. At that time I weighed 360 pounds, had severe sleep apnea and just felt lousy in general. I was unmotivated and my world revolved around my lazy boy chair and my office chair. I was in a major rut in my career, and if I was to be really truthful only had a few more years left to live. Twelve years previously I had lost almost 130 pounds and gained it back with in four years so I knew how difficult the change would be.
Today I weigh 213 pounds and I can't remember when I felt this good. I walk an hour everyday and have so much energy to burn. My sleep apnea is gone and I feel in total control of my life again. My marriage to my wife has never been stronger and now I am get ready to embark on a career change that I should have made five years ago. This surgery has freed me from my prison of obesity.
What have I learned this time that I didn't know when I lost the weight last time? The most important thing is that this is a lifestyle change and not a diet. This will never end to me. I just eat less than I did before. Sure sometimes I give into my cravings, but instead of eating a gallon of ice cream at one time, I eat two scoops. Everything is in moderation. I am what most people would call a fussy eater. Very much of a meat potato guy. I am a little more careful than I used to be but I can still eat all the same foods (but in much smaller portions) I did before with the exception of carbonated beverages. I really believe switching from a 2 litre Diet Pepsi to Water made a huge impact on my success. I have also learned to forgive myself when I slip up and have a bad eating day. Before if I messed I would use it as an excuse to sabotage my progress and go off the wagon. Now if I have a bad day I just start back fresh the next day. Even people who are natural thin have bad eating days but they don't let it become an everyday thing.
I have been very lucky as I have had very few side effects what so ever. The three week liquid diet was the hardest part, followed by the first three weeks after surgery. Since then no problems what so ever. I have only PB'd once and probable only had a dozen stuck episodes when I forget to slow down my eating. I have deliberately kept my band relatively loose 3cc in a 14cc band because I was afraid to have it too tight and experience a lot of the trouble I have seen some people go through. I just keep it tight enough so I can go 5 hours with out hunger pains and it has worked for me. I use it like a tool but not as the only means to succeed. It won't cure your head hunger or your cravings, but it will keep the hunger pains away.
I am now 13 pounds away from my goal weight so I have been slowly trying to adjust to more of a maintenance mod now. I really feel that I have a toll that can help me succeed going forward. I am going to attach a before and after picture that was taking about 6 weeks ago. I know some people like these pictures as motivation so I hope it helps. Thank you to all the people on this board who provided me advice, especially in the scary beginning stages. You all helped reassure me. Thank you.

I'm always about 2-3 lbs heavier on my doctors scale, so I go mine haha

Always go by the scale at your Dr's office, that's the scale that matters for all official matters. That said it wouldn't be a bad idea to sample other scales immediately after going to your Dr's office to one that is as close as possible. That way you feel more confident with it. I have a Taylor scale and I got it from Target for about 25 bucks I think. It's always pretty close to what I weigh in at my surgeons office.

ill go to target and fine one this weekend lol thanks @@LilMissDiva Irene

thanks so much !
@@2muchfun

I was wondering if everybody follows this rule, not drinking 30 min b4 and 30 min after...I try very hard not to..30 min before is ok..but I usually have to have a sip while im eating...really trying to break this habit....but I always feel guilty when I do it... like im pushing the food right through even tho I still only eat small portions ...

wow 100 lbs lost in 3 months great motivation! keep up the great work and thanks for the tip!