Beedje

I actually discussed this with a few friends who have the band as well. We all agreed we are much tighter the week of our period and there are about 2-3 days that food can be difficult. Cheese/yogurt/cottage cheese work for me. You are not alone.

OK- for those who want to know. It has taken me 17 months to lose 106 pounds. I eat between 50-70 grams of Protein a day but if I can't eat that in food I do supplement with a Protein shake. My carbs are very low b/c I really only get carbs from veggies, crackers & maybe potato. I am someone who can not eat rice/pasta/bread. In the beginning I went to the gym 2-3 days a week and just walked on the treadmill. Overtime I started really enjoying working out & now I work out 5-6 days a week taking classes from Zumba to step aerobics to Spin. I now have a personal trainer b/c I needed to really start building muscle up and I have been training to run Bay to Breakers in San Francisco about 8 miles. (this is a personal goal I made for myself a year ago when I could only walk it)

The needle isn't bad and because you are lying down you won't see it. I am very lucky.... my doctor is very funny and talks to me the entire time so I really am not paying attention to the needle. Honestly I don't even notice it but everyone is different. I felt the same way, very nervous about the fills. After my 1st one I realized there was nothing to worry about.

I hope everyone has a great BAND week. Focus on one thing this week. Like maybe walking a few days or getting in your 64 ounces of Water. GOOD LUCK :0)

The best suggestion I was given was by my surgeon. Do not pick a goal weight, instead pick small milestones. That has truly worked for me. My personal goal was to get under the next 10. So for example going from 220 and then hitting 219 was huge. Every 10 pounds I felt like I had accomplished something huge. To be honest before the band I always felt so overwhelmed by the large amount of weight I needed to lose and somehow got very lost along the way. I had trouble seeing the end of the rainbow. Now with the band (losing steady) the small goals are not overwhelming b/c I can reach them :confused:

Don't be nervous about the fill. The doctor will offer you numbing medication before giving you the fill. I personally hate needles so I do not get the numbing meds because it means 2 needles instead of 1. The doctor will make you do a slight crunch to tighten your stomach muscle which helps find the port & then put the needle in. You will feel a little pressure for about 1 second as the needle enters the port & really then feel nothing after that. Within a few hours you will feel a little tightness in the band area & within a day or two (for me) the tighness goes away.

If you have any questions please ask..... I am very open and will answer any questions you may have.

Hi -I am 32 years old and had Lapband surgery 10/2007. I have lost a total of 105 pounds and have about 40 left to lose. I have had about 8 fills total and 1 small unfill. I recently had a 2nd very minor surgery 2 weeks ago to replace my port with a low profile port b/c I have lost so much weight you could see a slight bump ( don't let me scare you). To me I feel Lapband was a lifesaver. There are definite challenges but remember the postive outweighs the challenge. This is such a learning process and even now I am still learning. I am open to help if anyone has any questions or needs support. Support is the best thing you can get through this process. Good luck to all :wink:

I don't regret! I think getting the band was the best thing I have done for myself. I have lost 104 pounds & I am now training for a 1/2 marathon. Just like anything else the band has challenges, don't think it is easy. In the last year & a half I have taken it slow - I don't eat things I know will get stuck. I know I can't eat bread/pasta/rice and to be honest I don't care b/c the weight comes off :frown: I don't miss those things anymore b/c I am so happy with my progress. I will say that 5 days ago I made the choice to have a 2nd surgery b/c I have lost so much weight my port became visible by a bump on my tummy. My doctor stated that this was uncommon & mine was more visible than he had seen. The surgery was so easy - my tummy is just a bit sore but nothing big and SOOO well worth it. I now have a low port & it is not visible at all. I have learned that if you can get rid of the expectation of a certain number of pounds you want to lose each week & just be happy with any loss it helps.

Talk to your doctor. I am down 104 pound and hit a plateau at about 80 lost. I had a small fill which got rid of the munchies and continued to watch what I ate. I maybe lost 5 pounds in 2 months and then without me making any changes I started to lose again. I think sometimes your body needs a break. If you are getting the munchies you probably need a small fill. Good luck

104 for me

I have lost 103 pounds & I have about 40/45 to lose. Funny you mentioned your port moving. Recently my port has become very visible when I am lying down. I went to see my Dr. & the port had actually turned slightly. I don't have any pain related to it. He was able to do a fill but it was definitely more difficult than usual. I am actually having surgery in 2 days & the Dr is going to remove the old port & put in a new low port. He said also doing a lot of Core work (abs) it could slightly turn the port which is why he thinks mine turned. I decided to have the surgery now b/c my Dr was willing to do it. He said at this point it wouldn't make a difference if I waited or did it now. Personally I wanted to get it done before summer. Good luck.

The best way to get rid of the gas is movement. I know you probably don't feel like walking but if you do you will feel so much better so much faster. I slowly walked starting the day of surgery & it helped. Even if you can only walk slow, I promise it will help. Good luck

Just remember there will be tough times but in the end you will be happy with your decision. Listen to the Dr. & try foods slowly. The slower the better. I am so happy I decided to get the band. Good luck... You'll love it.

I have been banded for 16 months, 101 pounds lost and have had about 8 fills. I haven't developed a cough at all since surgery. Any other symptoms?

I have been taking the same liquid Vitamin since banded 10/07. They sell it at both costco and Sam's club and it is about $13-$15 a bottle, 1 bottle per month. It is a red bottle called liquidmax or vitamax. It tastes like a handful children's Vitamins but you can get used to it quickly. I have had 2 blood work ups since my surgery and both were great and my doctor was quite pleased.

Don't think you are alone. I had surgery 1 year ago and yes it is so hard to stick to liquids only before surgery. I was a snackaholic =) and the night time was the worst. I put a paper on my frig with the date of my surgery in huge black bold print to remind myself each time I felt the urge. I know it is hard now but you can push through it. It will be worth it in the end.

It is hard to say.... I have had 3 fills and each time I feel restriction immediately after but it takes about 2 days to fully feel the result of the fill. If you get what I call "peanut Butter" stuck in the throat feeling it could mean you need to chew more or eat slower. Try eating extremely slow and chew really well.... if you still feel the stuck feeling after a few bites then welcome to restriction. =) FYI - For me if I hiccup then it is my body telling me I am done. If I take just one more bite after a hiccup the food will come back up.

I am 4 months post op and the crust of pizza doesn't agree with me. I actually went to a pizza place tonight with my family for dinner and I take all of the toppings off of the pizza and eat them. I make sure the pizza is full of veggies or I order the BBQ chicken pizza because the toppings without the crust are filling. I agree any fast food to me is just not worth it!

I would like to say what you are going through is not normal but unfortunately you are on the right track. I am 4 months post op down 40 pounds and I have had 3 fills. Each fill gets me closer to that sweet spot that ever lapbander wants to be at.... the one where you eat very little and are dropping pounds. Since surgery I have not been able to eat in the mornings so I opt for Protein Shake. If I try to eat to early I either vomit or slime both are not fun. I would be concerned if you feel like everthing is getting stuck or you can't keep anything down. I can tell you that if I don't chew enough or if the Protein I am eating is to dry it does feel like it is tight but it will pass. After my fills it usually takes me a week or so to get back to spicy food... greasy food doesn't agree with me at all. I hope this helps and it sounds like you are headed towards your goal.

Bobi

I was banded on 10/3 and lost quickly right after surgery. I just had my second fill on 12/13 and each time I feel restriction for a few days and then somewhat back to the way I felt before the fill. I have just decided if I want to see weight loss I have to act as if the band is working for me. I have been working through the hunger and getting results. My trick .... Protein protein protein. It helps to get full faster and stay full longer.