kathousefl

I have not been on the boards for a while, but I thought I would check in today and wave hello.

I am sorry about the BF :-(. Where in Florida are you visiting?

That is great @needtorecover. I am happy you are feeling better and starting to see the results.

It does take a while for the fills to kick in. I am glad the first one is slowing you down. Eating slow is important. I think everyone looks at their post diet surgery differently. For me, I completely changed my mind set and eating habits. I stopped eating processed carbs for a long time. Actually, I didn't eat any fruit for a long time either. Now I eat some fruit and processed carbs, but it is few and far between. I don't look at the band as negative reinforcement. I see the band and weight loss as the opposite. I completely understand where you are coming from regarding that thought process though. You should be proud of yourself for taking this monumental step in the right direction. Hope is such a great motivator :-).

Hi @@needtorecover - I just saw your post. You will get through this. Are you writing down what you eat? Are you sticking to a particular diet? When is your first fill scheduled? The band has been a great tool for me. I used the surgery as a restart button for my way of eating and thinking about food. It hasn't been easy, but the band has made it so much less challenging.

Thanks, Julie. I am glad I am not alone :-).

Congrats @Djmohr. When I started shopping for pants, which I had not worn in decades, I thought I would be ecstatic if I could fit into a 10. I am now wearing a size four. I realize pants today are not the same as they were when I was in my 20s, but I never wore anything smaller than a nine back in the day. Ironically, I have also discovered that I am petite. Who knew?

@@Mommyfrid I agree with @@gowalking that you should go see your surgeon. The follow up visits for me, even if my weight is static have been important. That being said, remember the band can help with physical restriction, but ultimately it is up to the person to conquer the food demons. There are lots of support groups out there that can help you cope with any food addiction or head hunger issues, if you have them.

So, I realize that saline is Fluid and shifts around, but lately my lapband seems to be a bit fickle in what food it digests smoothly and what it does not. Does anybody else have those issues?

That happens to me every once in a while. If it happens two days in a row, there may be some swelling, so sticking to a day of liquids or soft foods would help. My doctor explain once that because the saline in the band is Fluid, tightness can be fluid also, Good luck!

@@katy -Most restaurants have grilled chicken, beef or fish in my area. So, not eating bread, potatoes, Pasta or rice has not really been a problem for me. As you can imagine, I eat a lot of salads. On a side note, before I had the surgery, I was a vegetarian. Switching to a diet eating animal Protein was a big change for me. And, yes, I do take the leftovers home. Often times I have lunch for two days, which is a good money saver :-D.

Katy - I am sorry people have been negative. Some of the people I told were that way, quite a few people have made negative comments, and they don't know. You know what is best for you though, so ignore them all :-). For the record, I do go to restaurants. Chain places are great for me because they are now including calories on light menus. I still avoid most processed carbs (bread, rice, pasta) and I have no problems eating out.

For a long time, I avoided all complex carbs and sugar, which included alcohol. I am not a big drinker, so it was not a big deal for me not to have any. Technically you can have anything you want :-). Being mindful of the calories is important though, especially if you like to snack while drinking or like to drink a bottle of wine instead of a glass. I may have been overly cautious, but during my pre-surgery seminars, one of the nurses made a big deal about the fact that many people don't lose weight because they drink their calories. She told a story about a patient who was upset that she was not losing weight, but she refused to give up her multiple sugary coffees. I found little ways to reward myself, but I am now way more conscious about ingredients, Protein levels and carb levels than I ever was.

That is an interesting question. My surgeon was/is really big on follow up. I saw him once a month for the first year and then once every two months after that. I was getting fills at the beginning pretty regularly, but I honestly do not recall how much and how often. I went for a while without getting any, but recently had a two small fills. It really does fluctuate by person You don't want to be too tight though. For me, having regular follow up appointments, with or without fills, was very important.

Hi there fellow Floridian, Congratulations on getting banded. I agree with the other posters that being patient is a good thing. Everyone loses weight at different speeds. For me, I decided to change all of my eating habits drastically when I was banded. I followed my doctor's food suggestions very strictly. I found that eating real food (mostly protein and veggies) was the key, along with writing down everything I put in my mouth :-). I am one of those people who does weigh every day, but some people get discouraged since weight loss is not instant, so focusing on weekly goals is probably more realistic. Good luck!