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::tracy::

LAP-BAND Patients
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Posts posted by ::tracy::


  1. Wow, this thread is pretty much dying, where are you all, hahaha...........wow, it is nearly Xmas, can't believe it, I am even going to stick up the Xmas tree next week.

    Well last time I talked to you all I was going thru' problems with fills etc............still struggling, I am not dealing well with the band and am seriously considering taking out the saline for now..........I am constantly PB'ing and it is very stressful and embarassing, I want to be able to eat a sandwich and be full, but I am regurgitating EVERYTHING.........does anyone else find their band is unpredictable in the morning and only settles at night???

    Cheers to you all

    XX Amourette:smile:

    Ok here are my tips ...

    Yes my band is very unpredictable in the morning. i tend to stick with very soft foods until after lunchtime. Night time is when i have my more luck with eating.

    As a rule, if you PB once during the day, you will do so again for the rest of the day. If i do, i go back to liquids/soft foods for the day and take it easy.

    You have to be super patient with it!

    Some things that help me with eating are ... before i eat i drink a glass or two of Water ten minutes before. This makes a load of difference for me. It clears out the pouch of any gooey stuff and makes it easier for the food to go down.

    I read in a lapband book i was given ... you should beable to eat 1/2 cup of food in 20mins. i talked to a lady and she was saying you need to eat little fingernail sized bites and put your knife and fork down between each bite. Really slow eating and teeny bites is the key.

    As for eating a sandwich ... i can't eat a sandwich, i would PB trying. i can not do bread. Try different foods. i have become quite inventive as i am intolerant to alot of food. i am quite unlucky in that regard ... or perhaps lucky as most of the bad food i just can not eat now. It took me a good 6 - 8 months to learn what i can and can not eat ...

    The other thing is ... never ever drink during a meal ... i am sure you have been told that though! That is sure to cause a PB.

    As for an unfill ... it can be a good idea, you would be surprised at the difference just a half a ml unfill can make.


  2. Hi all,

    It has been a while since i have posted here. Have been busy with life!

    Weight loss is going well, i have just come out of a slow patch where i only lost a couple of kg over a couple of months. i had a 0.5ml inflation though and it made all the difference to me. i am now back on track, losing my 3-4 a month. yay.

    Quite exciting too ... i have just about reached a little mini goal ... i wanted to lose 35kg by christmas ... i decided that the day i had my banding done. The rate i am going i will be there by the end of this week ... not to bad ... a good month early.

    i really can't believe this worked as well as it has.

    So exciting!!


  3. i don't have any reflux issues ... and i don't think anyone in my support group does either.

    things i do struggle with are ...

    eating in the morning. If i try and eat in the morning it gets stuck ... then i am unable to eat again until later that night or the next day. my mornings are now Protein Shakes.< /p>

    i am unfortunately one of those people that struggles with alot of different foods. Perhaps it is fortunate though ... because it makes losing weight easier!

    i don't eat bread very often now, i can't eat most takeaway food ... especially mcd's burger king, fish and chips, pizza ... all the bad things. They all get stuck. i don't eat alot of red meat ... however i never really ate it before so that is not too much of an issue for me.

    i am not going to sugar coat that it has been easy ... cause there are days i want to cry and just be normal!! It is huge changes to make, a life time of habit to break! i forget to eat slowly, i forget to take little bites ... i have to work really hard to eat the way i need to.

    However it has been totally worth it! i would do it again if i had the choice. Most days are ok though.


  4. hey everyone, am new to this so am not too sure if this is going to go to the right place! :thumbup:

    I am in the process of getting a band, havn't got a date yet but have been for a few appointments and have got the psych this week, but am really excited and hope to get it done soon to be on my way to better days :mellow:

    It is quite scary reading everyones problems with the pre and post diet is it really that bad????

    Also I havn't told anyone except for my mum and 1 of my friends that I am getting it done, what is the consensus on this?

    i didn't find it too bad. It is just one month out of your life ... not much really!

    There are ways to make the opifast taste better.

    Yes it does get tiresome after a month of drinking shakes ... but trust me that the time immediately after your surgery, you don't want to eat really anyways!

    I would do it all again for the outsome so far.

    Tell whoever you are comfortable telling. i found most people were very supportive, there have been some less supportive along the way but that means little now i have lost almost 1/3 of my total body weight and over half of my excess weight! Totally worth it!

    Good luck with your journey and keep us posted on how you go.


  5. Thanks for the great advice Tracy. i'll let you know how i go. One more question for you? Did you tell everyone you have a band or have you quietly lost weight and everyone thinks Weight Watachers is working this time? Apart from my closest friend and family i have kept it quite but not sure how i will handle going out for dinners etc when my eating is restricted.

    Hi Chris,

    i didn't tell anyone for along time. I had a few close friends that knew but that was all. i would just say when people commented ... i am eating less and exercising more. It wasn't a lie ...

    Now though i am more comfortable with it and just tell people ... but it has taken me a long time to get to that point. i was really insecure about what people would think, that they would think that i am taking the easy option. Though those close to me have seen it is not the easy option.

    As for eating out ... i still struggle with it. i almost always end up over eating when i go out ... as i feel like people are watching how little i eat ... and to be honest, a few of my friends comment on how little i eat now. Compared to before, i used to shovel food into my mouth, i have always been a fast eater!

    As bad as it is ... you can become quite skilled in the art of reguritation ... in the event of over eating ... though not a recommended practice by any stretch of the imagination.

    i can't offer any good advice about how to deal with social events, especially sit down meals ... other than do what you do at home, eat slow and don't finish your plate. It really is a tricky one.


  6. Yeah, it is normal, nothing to worry about at all. 8kg is an awesome start. We all tend to lose alot from preop diet and immediately post op. That period until the first fill can feel like forever and i know i worried terribly i would put it all back on. (that didn't happen though).

    i can't say i felt hungry ... though i did feel like i could eat as much as i wanted. i guess the key is making the good food choices.

    It wasn't until my second fill that i felt real restriction. i am now at a point where i need more restriction due to weight loss.

    It can take a while to find that "sweet spot" with restriciton. A really good indication that i read in the lapband book i was given ... you should beable to eat 1/2 a cup of food over 20mins and feel full. It said you need to eat very slowly, putting your knife and fork down between each mouthful and never finishing whats on your plate.

    I have found that a very good techique to use, early on i would (rather hubby would) dish me up much larger meals and a life time of habit would see me trying to eat it all. Now i dish up less than i think i will eat ... about 1/2 a cup of food ... and go with that. i haven't suffered from malnutrition ... despite what others may think will happen only eating that amount of food! i am fading away though ... but in a good way.

    All the best on your journey. If you can join a support group, it is hugely beneficial ... we have one here in HB. Otherwise find good people to keep in contact with ... as it is very encouraging to know what you are feeling and experiencing is really quite normal.

    keep us posted!!


  7. Hey, great story. i love hearing peoples successes ... all too often we can get caught up in what is not going right.

    However i do have to say ... you men ... you make me so jealous at the rate you lose weight!!! Haha ... good on you!!

    i have to stay i am so pleaed with my own journey so far. i am over half way to goal in 7 months ... can not complain at that.

    i just invested in a punch bag, pink boxing gloves, dumbbells and resistance bands ... this is to add to my already full on cardio work outs ... lean muscle burns fat!!

    i love the new me!!


  8. i had quite a while off as i was banded just before xmas and had holidays in there.

    However i could have gone back after 10 days i guess. i had planned on going back after 6 but it didn't work out as i still had the little staples in my tummy and they were uncomfy ... once they were out though, i felt alot more comfortable.

    Just see what happens, take it easy.

    The other thing that can prevent an early return is of course ... liquids in ... liquids out. i haven't read all the posts to see if anyone has mentioned it ... but i know it was a problem for me. I never went too far from the bathroom!!


  9. There is not alot of nutrition in those.

    i am much the same, i tend to go to what is easy after a fill and feel pretty rotten, but i try to get in some Optifast or even some kind of fruit smoothies ... something like that.

    Of course you have to do what your surgeon says, however looking at that list i would guess the sickness is coming from lack of nutrition during that time. Our ketones increase ... which is an awesome sign of fat burning ... however elevated ketones can make us feel sick!!


  10. i have had a few issues this week with my band, i had a gastric bug and my poor little tummy got inflamed and i was unable to swallow for a period of time. Had a little sleep over at the hospital to get rehydrated ... i then proceeded to drive 4 hours to the lovely lovely offices of David Schroeder in Hamilton to get deflated.

    Andrea and David there were a god send in my hours of need.

    :thumbup: Big Thumbs up to them both!!

    It was an immediate relief!


  11. Well i am over half way now. I am so pleased with my results so far. Certainly lots of hard work, but totally worth it.

    Sorry to blow my own trumpet ... but i am sooooooo happy!!

    i must to some before and after pics


  12. i confess ... i am a gum swallower!! i have been all my life! If it goes in my mouth and i chew it, i swallow it. i don't even think about it ... i just do it.

    This is the reason i have not chewed gum since i have been banded ... actually no ... once i did but then i remembered i have a band and i spat it out before it was even fully chewed.

    i envy those who can chew with no problem and without fear of swallowing ... i do like gum.

    i am very much a mints girl now ...


  13. i noticed no difference after my first fill either, it wasn't until my second did i get any restriction. And for some it is the third or forth.

    As for stretching it out ... this is my thought ... when i eat too much now ... i feel it, i feel the food hasn't gone through and it hurts! I would say if you are getting no pain/discomfort the food is moving through and if you are not "pigging out" then i would say there is little risk of stretching the pouch.

    i totally understand your frustrations ... you have spent all this money and you now want it to start working now. Don't be too rushed though ... it can take time to find your "sweet spot".

    Time and time again i read in these forums people worried that this might happen or that might happen ... in reality there are a minimal amount that this happens too. Of course none of us want to be that minority however I don't think it is worthy of too much concern or worry. If you follow the instructions of your surgeon, you treat your band nicely, listen to niggles and pains ... then there is little more we can do.

    We are all so individual with the band, put the same band in a 100 people and you get 100 different experiences. Use others experiences as a guide, not an absolute on how it should work for you.

    All the best for your fill on the 9th!

    hugs


  14. yes agreed ... it is a blessing in disguse!! IT used to be the time of the month i put weight on ... now ... it is when i lose the most ... just to the fact eating is so ... challenging!!

    i do think i am at my sweet spot though ... i am losing about 1kg (2.2pounds) per week ... perhaps a touch more ... it is all sweet otherwise!


  15. no, it is not too tight. i see my surgeon regularly and he is quite happy where it is at.

    you were quite correct in your assumption, i as making reference to tightness/restriction ... not food choices. My food choices are quite limited now as i can not tolerate meat for the most part, bread ... all the usuals. Again the food types that came with no surprise to the surgeon or myself for that matter.

    i have only had two fills, i am at about 4.5 or 5 ... something like that ... not sure to be honest. i am certainly not looking for another fill, i have been at this since feb ... so if i think i was too tight it would have become evident before now.

    i will discuss it with my surgeon today anyways ...

    thanks

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