BandedInBama

I say modified just because I had never even heard of the "5 Day Pouch Test". I was studying for finals-- stress makes my reflux worse-- I chose to start a liquid diet just so I could focus on studying and not barfing. I did nothing but liquids (mostly cream based soups because they were comforting to me-- and this wasn't a weight loss attempt, I was just trying to make it through finals) for 4 full days and then slowly added back in mushies and then regular protein. I found out about the Trademarked 5 Day Pouch test after the fact when I was researching my band and if it was possible that it could truly be helping me even though it's completely empty at the moment.

I was banded back in 2010. I *thought* it was gonna be a cakewalk and at first, it kinda was. I lost about 60 pounds, but never changed my eating habits or anything and managed to gain it all back. Because I wasn't following the rules and was eating too quickly and the wrong foods and drinking with my meals and stuff... I was literally throwing up every time I ate. I was also delusional enough to think that it was just a malfunctioning band and not that I wasn't following my rules. heck, I even thought I might have stomach cancer or something! My band was drained and I was sent to have my gall bladder out. I did. The vomiting continued. I just recently did a modified 5 day pouch test (was surprised to see that my idea was trademarked already LOL) and am DETERMINED to make this work. I, too, am self pay. I can't afford another surgery. But, I also can't afford being this unhealthy either. I'm so excited to meet others who have had the same or very similar experiences with the Band! I'm BamaGymnCoach on MyFitnessPal. Feel free to friend me! I need all of the encouragement and accountability I can get!!

Sadly, I was a self pay band in Mexico and don't really see my doctor very often. Or ever. LOL At the moment I'm completely unilled-- paying to see the doctor's office who does my fills in the area is VERY expensive so I want to avoid it if at all possible. Stinking insurance doesn't cover ANYTHING bariatric. I can't wait til I finish school and have insurance through MY job as well as my husband's!

I did some research and it appears that most post WLS patients eat between 1000-1200 calories per day. So, I decided that that would be good for me...And the first week or two I saw GREAT results, but now I'm a bit stalled out. I guess I would assume I'm not eating enough calories-- MyFitnessPal fusses at me when I don't hit at least 1200-- but... Calories in- calories out, I should be OK. I'm a student/mom/wife and not especially active at the moment. My BMR is supposedly not quite 1800 cal/day with no activity. So on 1200 cal/day, that creates a calories deficit of 4200 per week which should be 1.2 pounds. So... All that to say... How many calories do you consume in a day? How many did you in the beginning (I'm starting over, so I feel I'm IN the beginning, even if it's 4 years out)? Any tips for me?

I feel your (and apparently many others!) pain about those mystery PBs... In my case, it was my fault-- even if it took me 3.5 years to realize it. I was exepecting miracles from my band and not making the necessary changes in myself. Poor food choices, eating too fast, drinking with meals, eating sliders... You name it, I was guilty of it. Did I KNOW I was guilty? No... I was clueless. But I was. Good luck, my friend. I hope you can get to the bottom of your suffering soon. Maybe you're smarter than I was...

It's been highly recommended to me by a friend who had bypass about 10 years ago-- she SWEARS by it, but I've never heard of anyone else using it. Opinions?

I'm Melissa. Hiiiiiiiiiii. If you want my current situation, feel free to check out this post : http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/315695-starting-from-scratch-but-with-a-way-better-attitude-this-time/ If not, the basics are, I'm 36, I'm finishing nursing school in the Spring (May '15!) and will immediately start my Nurse Practitioner (God willing). I'm married (10 years in November) and have 2 gorgeous kiddos-- a 7 year old girl and a little boy who will be 5 in September. I've battled my weight my whole life, I thought, but looking back at pics from high school, apparently that was in my head. LOL It got real when I was in my 20s. I coached competitive gymnastics from the time I was 16 until I was 34. Then I walked away from that world (looooong story!) and into nursing. I'm super happy to meet everyone and would LOVE to get to know y'all for the support.

I really don't think it's that bands are a failure-- it's that its just so easy to get around their restriction. And as overweight people we KNOW ways to get our fix of foods (or I do, anyways)! I KNOW my band can work for me-- I also know that I cheated that puppy for almost 4 years, so I can see their concern. But, I've got friends who went the bypass route who have gained back pretty much all of their weight, so by that reasoning, all WLS is faulty, right?

After some research, I realize now that I have recently done a modified pouch test of myself. It started because of HORRIBLE reflux that was ruling my life-- I literally was throwing up everything I ate and was miserable. I put myself on a liquid diet to make it through finals (I'm in nursing school)... And my band started actually feeling like it was there again (I had it completely unfilled over a year ago because of the vomiting and in the interim had my gall bladder out). I researched stuff AFTER I did my makeshift diet and realize I essentially did the pouch test on my own. I'm fighting hard to lose my weight again... Hoping you can get even keel again. The drinking is huge, just because the band won't be able to do anything to help you there. Nor will it really help with the IVF drugs-- those things are killer. My BFF went through it herself. But ugh... I feel ya, hon.

Well, since I wasn't doing it as a diet, really, I had no restrictions to my liquids. I did soups-- mostly cream based just because I was stressed and creamy foods are my comfort foods. LOL But, it did give my stomach a rest which probably helped the inflammation at my band go down which put an end to the pain and stomach upset (and ultimately the reflex which was SO at the heart of my issues). I did full liquids for 4 days and mushies for 3 days after that. I'm back into solids, but eaten super carefully. I haven't thrown up since I started the liquid diet, nor have I woke up with burning sinuses (a common occurrence prior to this revelation) from reflex. You can do it!!!

2911, I'm right there with ya! I hope we get to follow one another's success! Last night was a ROUGH night for me. I battled head hunger from after dinner until I finally forced myself to go to sleep-- I didn't cheat and snack, but MAN I wanted to! I'm trying to approach this leg of the journey as an addict. I read some stuff from Overeaters Anonymous that talks about taking it ONE DAY AT A TIME. I can't commit to a lifetime of good choices, heck I can't even promise myself a week! But I CAN control myself one day at a time. It's a start, yeah? ????

Hi everyone! My name is Melissa. I was banded by Dr. Zapata in Monterrey, Mexico back in the spring of 2010. This is a bit long, but I gotta get it out... Maybe it'll help people who end up in my situation. Who knows? Unfortunately, I went into the surgery with a HORRIBLE attitude. I just sat back and expected my band to do ALL of the work for me without me actually making any changes. If I ate too much or too fast, I just threw it up. No big deal, right? Of course... I wouldn't even admit that to myself. I for the LIFE of me couldn't figure out why I was sick EVERY SINGLE TIME I ATE! In spite of all of that, I DID manage to lose about 60 pounds, but... Because of the vomiting (that again, I just couldn't make sense of) my band was ultimately drained and I was diagnosed with gall stones and had my gall bladder removed to help with the constant sickness. Lo and behold, I had my gall bladder removed last Thanksgiving (2013) and the vomiting didn't even slow down. Stress made it worse. I'm currently in nursing school and I WAY know about stress. We had finals a couple of weeks ago and I couldn't focus to study because I was literally throwing up everything I put in my mouth. So... To try to take my mind off of my stomach pain and puking, I switched myself to a liquid diet. That lasted from Saturday night until my final Wednesday morning. Amazingly, I felt a lot better. I wasn't throwing up. My constant sinus pain-- apparently the result of reflux while I was sleeping that was burning my sinus cavity-- vanished. I DID NOT DO THE liquid diet FOR WEIGHT LOSS. Remember? I was in denial. My band was just broken. It did nothing. Who the heck knew why I always threw up? Maybe I had stomach cancer... (LOL I swear I'm not usually so melodramatic) When I started eating solids again, I was reluctant. I felt a lot better and was kinda sad to think I'd be giving it up. So I did was professional students do. I researched. Guess what? People who don't respect their WLS and don't change their habits tend to have the issues I was having. A more. And giving my banded stomach time to heal with no puking allowed my band to actually make its presence known. So, I figured what the heck... I started back like I had just had surgery. Soft foods eaten slowly. No drinking with meals. Smart food choices. You know.... All the stuff I was meant to do the FIRST TIME around. And holy crap, it's like I've actually had WLS. Even with an unfilled band. I have restriction. I'm content with a cup to a cup and a half of food. I haven't thrown up in weeks. I've lost 20 pounds. Head hunger exists. I don't like it, but I can cope. Because dang it, I paid for this surgery and even if it was 4 years ago I'm gonna get my money's worth! So, that's where I stand. That's my story. And I'm back. And this time, dang it, I'm gonna do it right! ~ Melissa ~