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 :-).

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?

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.

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!

Hi Katy - I didn't tell many people about the surgery before I had it because I knew people had a negative view of WLS. I still keep it to myself because people (even those I consider friends) often think they know better than me and my doctors :-). I have not regretted the surgery at all. I used the lapband as a reboot for my eating practices. I did not have pain after at all. The day of the surgery was actually the most difficult - nerves, pain, fear. I think having second thoughts is natural. You need to do what is best for you and not other people.

I live in North Florida about 45 minutes North of Gainesville, Go Gators... I cannot believe you got flurries. That is pretty cool. I am in the Tampa area, and there was frost on my car yesterday morning.

Where do you live, Sharpie?

I just wanted to congratulate you on getting back on track. How is that going?

Congratulations on the surgery. Each doctor does things differently. My doctor suggests liquids after the fill. I have not experienced any nausea. I did want to respond to your other question about gas though. I get it a lot and sometimes it is pretty severe. It seems my diet, which consists of mostly veggies, still triggers my IBS. Good luck! It is great that you are excited and thinking ahead.

Hi Deborah - Me, too. If you want to chat, send me a message :-).

Sometimes it seems like a daily focus for me. I just got a small fill because I need to get back on track, and I am hoping that will help. On the one hand, I do not like to see the scale go up, but on the other hand, I am so much better off today than I was before lap band :-).

Hi there! I am in Florida, too :-). Going back to the doctor is a definite first step. My doctor is pretty regimented about follow up appointments, and I know that helped me a lot. Good luck!

Hi Ginger - I am sorry to see you are frustrated. Ironically I just had a sticking problem from something I eat all of the time. I think in my case it was not the food, but the speed in which I ate it. Have you maintained a 69 pound weight loss for five years? What types of foods are you eating now? Are you going back for a fill soon? I think everyone is very different in his or her approaches to losing and maintaining. For me, I stay away from processed carbs most of the time because eating those types of foods is what caused me to gain weight and over eat.

So, just a random question ... besides trying to eat dinner earlier, does anyone have a good suggestion to avoid acid reflux at night?