bandpal

A runny nose is one of my signs too, but for me it means I've eaten too much.

Thanks, guys! I was eating lunch as I was reading through this thread, and you all convinced me to stop when I wasn't hungry and put the leftovers back in the fridge! That's a real accomplishment, believe it or not - the word "leftovers" usually doesn't exist in my vocabulary. Part of the learning process for me is recognising when my hunger has been satisfied as opposed to when I feel full. I also need to unlearn the compulsion to finish everything on my plate, no matter how much there is. or no matter whether I am still hungry or not. The "diet mentality" that I have adapted throughout the years tells me that I am entitled to the food which I am entitled to. Putting food back or stopping short is like cheating myself! What a plan-centered mentality, as opposed to recognising and acting on my own needs! I need to know that eating until I am stuffed or until my plate is empty are false markers. I need to recognise the point at which I am no longer hungry, and stop eating. Since being banded, hiccuping is a sign for me that that point is near. Maybe I need to accept that it means even more than that - that it means it's time to bring my meal to an end.

Hot, Halfway, Honest, Happy and Homeward Bound -Bandpal's Periodic Update- Hi Nymphs, Hot It's 40 degrees celsius with a hot desert wind howling down the valley and kicking up clouds of sand. My three year-old and I are riding out the weather inside while the big kids are out with DW bowling and ice skating down in the city by the sea. He just scored a thumping victory over the old man at Candyland, thanks to a little clever card manipulation on my part, and after celebrating with a round of drinks (pink grapefruit juice for him, chicken broth for me), he's settled down on the couch for the latest adventures of Sammy the Fireman on TV. Meanwhile, I'd like to share a little bit of what's going on with this old bandster dad. Halfway I've lost 61.5 pounds since being banded on 21.11.07, putting me at 224.5 pounds, or 102 kilo. I haven't been under 100 kilo since you could take in the view of Manhattan from the observation deck of the World Trade Center, so that'll be a pretty significant milestone (kilometerstone?) for me. I'm more or less at the halfway point of the weight I want to lose. Meanwhile, it's Passover now, prime eating season for us Jews, yet I've actually lost weight during the holiday. Now, that's definitely a first. Honest My second fill, two weeks ago, is keeping me honest. Unless I eat or drink very slowly and in exceedingly small quantities, I can expect to see whatever I've eaten or drunk again, often in vivid projectile displays that would not embarrass the special effects crew of The Exorcist. Only yesterday, in fact, I narrowly missed covering my 14 year-old son, sitting across from me in one of our premier local seafood establisments, in a mighty stream of masticated scallops in cream sauce (leaving him, for once, entirely speechless). Finding the point at which I am full, before the food starts to back up, has been very challenging for me. I'm usually hungry when I sit down to eat, and it's hard to remember how important it is to eat slowly. Any tips would be appreciated - how do you know when you've had enough? This evening I managed to keep down two slices of steamed zucchini, each about an inch thick and two inches in diameter, each slice cut into 16 sections, four across and four down (I know this sounds really anal retentive, but I need to describe where I'm at). I ate the sections one at a time with a toothpick over 45 minutes. Besides that, the only thing that stays down are liquids, mostly clear and some full, and only if I drink them slowly. Happy Don't get me wrong – for all of this I am grateful. My appetite is much, much smaller, my stomach is shrinking, I am literally being forced to learn new and healthier eating habits, I am learning how to navigate various social and emotional situations without overeating... "je ne regrette rien", as they say in French. I can't believe what's happening to me. I have broken a pattern that was totally out of control, that was making me miserable, ruining my life and which I was convinced was going to kill me.I'm so glad that I was willing to take the risk, and that I had people around to support me. In the space of five months – hey, I just realized, five month banding anniversary was the day before yesterday, congratulations on month number 5, everyone – my life has changed. That's what I tried to tell my surgeon in the space of the two minutes it took to give me my fill, and he just nodded his head and smiled. He probably hears the same thing twenty times a day. Homeward Bound Next up for me is a three week trip back to the States for a family wedding. I'll be with my parents and siblings in the greater New York area for most of the time, and then we'll all travel down to San Antonio, Texas to watch my cousin tie the knot. Accompanying me will be my six year-old daughter, and I am looking forward to visits to the ballet, the zoo, toy stores and the rowboat lake in Central Park. I am hoping for a binge-free visit, one in which the people I am with and the things I am doing won't be overshadowed by my relationship with food Wishing you all sure steps forward on the road we are all walking together, Bandpal P.S. Next day's breakfast: 1/2 hard boiled egg, 1 cherry tomato and two depitted olives, eaten slowly with toothpick. Am now sipping fruit juice through a straw. I have to be aware enough to see what I need, and resourceful enough in order to get it.

Hot, Halfway, Honest, Happy and Homeward Bound -Bandpal's Periodic Update- Hi Nymphs, Hot It's 40 degrees celsius with a hot desert wind howling down the valley and kicking up clouds of sand. My three year-old and I are riding out the weather inside while the big kids are out with DW bowling and ice skating down in the city by the sea. He just scored a thumping victory over the old man at Candyland, thanks to a little clever card manipulation on my part, and after celebrating with a round of drinks (pink grapefruit juice for him, chicken broth for me), he's settled down on the couch for the latest adventures of Sammy the Fireman on TV. Meanwhile, I'd like to share a little bit of what's going on with this old bandster dad. Halfway I've lost 61.5 pounds since being banded on 21.11.07, putting me at 224.5 pounds, or 102 kilo. I haven't been under 100 kilo since you could take in the view of Manhattan from the observation deck of the World Trade Center, so that'll be a pretty significant milestone (kilometerstone?) for me. I'm more or less at the halfway point of the weight I want to lose. Meanwhile, it's Passover now, prime eating season for us Jews, yet I've actually lost weight during the holiday. Now, that's definitely a first. Honest My second fill, two weeks ago, is keeping me honest. Unless I eat or drink very slowly and in exceedingly small quantities, I can expect to see whatever I've eaten or drunk again, often in vivid projectile displays that would not embarrass the special effects crew of The Exorcist. Only yesterday, in fact, I narrowly missed covering my 14 year-old son, sitting across from me in one of our premier local seafood establisments, in a mighty stream of masticated scallops in cream sauce (leaving him, for once, entirely speechless). Finding the point at which I am full, before the food starts to back up, has been very challenging for me. I'm usually hungry when I sit down to eat, and it's hard to remember how important it is to eat slowly. Any tips would be appreciated - how do you know when you've had enough? This evening I managed to keep down two slices of steamed zucchini, each about an inch thick and two inches in diameter, each slice cut into 16 sections, four across and four down (I know this sounds really anal retentive, but I need to describe where I'm at). I ate the sections one at a time with a toothpick over 45 minutes. Besides that, the only thing that stays down are liquids, mostly clear and some full, and only if I drink them slowly. Happy Don't get me wrong – for all of this I am grateful. My appetite is much, much smaller, my stomach is shrinking, I am literally being forced to learn new and healthier eating habits, I am learning how to navigate various social and emotional situations without overeating... "je ne regrette rien", as they say in French. I can't believe what's happening to me. I have broken a pattern that was totally out of control, that was making me miserable, ruining my life and which I was convinced was going to kill me.I'm so glad that I was willing to take the risk, and that I had people around to support me. In the space of five months – hey, I just realized, five month banding anniversary was the day before yesterday, congratulations on month number 5, everyone – my life has changed. That's what I tried to tell my surgeon in the space of the two minutes it took to give me my fill, and he just nodded his head and smiled. He probably hears the same thing twenty times a day. Homeward Bound Next up for me is a three week trip back to the States for a family wedding. I'll be with my parents and siblings in the greater New York area for most of the time, and then we'll all travel down to San Antonio, Texas to watch my cousin tie the knot. Accompanying me will be my six year-old daughter, and I am looking forward to visits to the ballet, the zoo, toy stores and the rowboat lake in Central Park. I am hoping for a binge-free visit, one in which the people I am with and the things I am doing won't be overshadowed by my relationship with food. Wishing you all sure steps forward on the road we are all walking together, Bandpal P.S. Next day's breakfast: 1/2 hard boiled egg, 1 cherry tomato and two depitted olives, eaten slowly with toothpick. Am now sipping fruit juice through a straw. I have to be aware enough to see what I need, and resourceful enough in order to get it.

That's great news to wake up to this morning, Kendra! Keep drinking those herbs and feeling better!

Besides projecting an air of openness and friendliness, Bandpal is an anagram for Lapband. Cute idea for a thread!

Dear SkinnyJill, Thank you very much for your encouragement and support. Guess what - my restriction eased significantly during the day today. I was able to keep down pea soup for lunch and yoghurt for dinner, so I think things are moving in the right direction. But the best experience was simply being able to drink a nice, full, tall glass of water. Ah, the simple pleasures of life. I hear you on passing up on your fill - why get it if you don't really feel you need it? I held off on this fill until more than three months had passed. It's not like there's an unlimited amount of space in the band, you know? I want to be able to use it when I really need it. Your training experience sounds great (and congrats on the weight loss!) - I'm going to have to get me some of that at some point. I've had lifelong difficulty spending quality time with my body, I'm sure the input from someone else would be very helpful for me. Thanks again, your words really helped, -Bandpal

I had my second fill on Thursday, April 10th - made the two and a half hour drive across the desert to my doctor's office in Be'er Sheva. He was half an hour late, and although I had the first appointment at nine p.m., I didn't make it out of there and back to my car until nearly ten. The fill itself was nothing - lie down on the table, a swab of local anaesthetic, needle in the chest for a few seconds and button up my shirt on the way back out the door - but I had to stay and drink two glasses ofwater to make sure they went down. I made it home by 12:30 am. This was a 2cc fill, so I'm up to 5cc in a 10cc Swiss Johnson & Johnson band. It's very tight. I've slimed up saliva a few times, but it seems to be loosening up a bit even though I haven't even thought seriously about trying to eat. I've been on liquids since Thursday, which means I haven't had anything to eat in three days. Having been on liquids for a week after the surgery has become a point of strength I keep coming back to. So much of our eating is by choice, isn't it? Out of want, not need. When I think I want to eat, sometimes I remind myself that I made it a whole week on liquids and nothing happened to me - so do I really need whatever it is that I want? Now I'm back to liquids, and I know I'm not going to start eating again until I feel ready, until I can get thick liquids down without bringing them back up. It's amazing, meanwhile, how I'm nearly never hungry, and how much more clarity and presence of mind I have when I am not thinking about what I ate, what I'm going to eat, what I would eat if I could, etc. Go Nymphs! - Bandpal

I had my second fill on Thursday, April 10th - made the two and a half hour drive across the desert to my doctor's office in Be'er Sheva. He was half an hour late, and although I had the first appointment at nine p.m., I didn't make it out of there and back to my car until nearly ten. The fill itself was nothing - lie down on the table, a swab of local anaesthetic, needle in the chest for a few seconds and button up my shirt on the way back out the door - but I had to stay to drink two glasses of Water and make sure they went down. I made it home by 12:30 am. This was a 2cc fill, so I'm up to 5cc in a 10cc Swiss Johnson & Johnson band. It's very tight. I've slimed up saliva a few times, but it seems to be loosening up a bit even though I haven't even thought seriously about trying to eat. I've been on liquids since Thursday, which means I haven't had anything to eat in three days. Having been on liquids for a week after the surgery has become a point of strength I keep coming back to. So much of our eating is by choice, isn't it? Out of want, not need. When I think I want to eat, sometimes I remind myself that I made it a whole week on liquids and nothing happened to me - so do I really need whatever it is that I want? Now I'm back to liquids, and I'm following the same routine I did after the operation. I know I'm not going to start eating again until I feel ready, until I can get thick liquids down without bringing them back up. It's amazing, meanwhile, how I'm nearly never hungry, and how much more clarity and presence of mind I have when I am not thinking about what I ate, what I'm going to eat, what I would eat if I could, etc. Tlwempen, I hope your surgery went well. What a lousy break - but you sound like you rolled with the punch pretty well. Let us know what's going on. SkinnyJill, how did your fill go, and how's the personal trainer working out? Longhorn, we are all rooting hard for you... All the best, hope to hear from everyone soon, Bandpal

Dear Kendra, Welcome back home. I wanted to share the prayer that I've been reciting for you (in Hebrew), part of the daily ritual which is recited three times a day: Heal us, O Lord, and we shall be healed; help us and save us, for you are our glory. Grant perfect healing for all of our afflictions. May it find favor before You, my God and my ancestors’ God, that You speedily send perfect healing from the heavens, spiritual healing and physical healing to Kendra daughter of Geraldine, along with others who are stricken. For You are the faithful and merciful God of healing. Blessed are You, L-rd, Who heals the sick of His people Israel. Kendra, under the blue skies, amidst the green valleys and against the mountain peaks of my desert home, I send this prayer upward, along with a hug and a big dose of hope, strength and encouragement. Be a good longhorn - proud, fearless, independent and free. By the way - I have a friend here who was diagnosed with fourth stage ovarian cancer which had metastized to her spinal Fluid. That was four years ago and she is alive and kicking, thanks to excellent medical care at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem (including Taxol, by the way), her loving friends and community and her incredibly obstinate Brooklyn-born nature. She actually signed her body away to the medical school at Tel Aviv university when she learned how ill she was, and now we joke about how they're going to charge her interest when she finally shows up there, many years from now. Her name is Michelle and if you'd like, PM me and I'll give you her email. She would love to hear from you. Love, Bandpal

For me, language is closely linked to identity. The puns, metaphors and analogies that I use express who I am as much as they aid me in saying what I want to say. When a situation is called for where I need to abandon these friends in the name of communication, I have a difficult choice to make: focus on getting my message across or seem boring, dull and colorless. All too often, I make the wrong choice. Imagine trying to express yourself in another language - even then my reluctance to stick to simple communicative language has lead to non communication at best and hilariously embarrasing incidents at worst. You can learn alot about yourself by what language choices you make. It's ironic how often the goal of communication comes in second (at best) when we open our mouths! On that note: WasaBubbleButt, I haven't read a post from you in a dog's day!!! Under what bushel have you been hiding your light lately? Don't be a stranger!

Hey Susannah/Shoshana - hope you had a happy Purim down under! Congrats on your weight loss. Have you ever been to Israel before? Where are you from in Australia? We get groups of students on gap year programs (AUJS and IBC) visiting us on our kibbutz during the winter. It's always fun to have Aussies here. All the best, stay in touch.

I've been banded for four months and have had one fill of 3cc in a 10cc band (details below). It's been nearly three months since then. My level of restriction varies during the day. In the early morning I can ony drink hot liquids. If I take a nap, I'm pretty tight when I wake up. At other times things go down easier, but if I eat chicken or meat I have to cut small pieces, eat consciously, chewing slowly and pacing myself, or I get stuck real good, and boy, it ain't pretty. I've completely stopped eating bread, pizza or baked dough products (good riddance) so don't know what the experience of eating them is like. I guess I've got restriction. I've lost 21.13 kilo in four months with no pre-op diet; about 13 kilo in the first month and 8 since then. Guess that works out to .66 kilo or about 1.5 pounds per week for the last three months, after the big post-surgery loss. I'm happy with that, and I'm motivated to continue.

130 pounds... that sounds familiar! That's how much I had to lose when I was at my high weight of 286. I've since lost 46 pounds, over a third of the weight I need to lose gone in only four months. Believe me, if I can do this, then the devil better go out and buy himself a pair of ice skates. The way I feel now, he should make a date to go window shopping soon. You can do it, ColoradoChick!

Damn right, you will get there, Sades. I laughed too when my therapist suggested banding, but the thought that kept coming back to me was that I wanted a level playing field. Every time I tried to lose weight I felt like I was playing against the other team plus all the fans at a 45 degree angle uphill. Something had to be wrong if it was that hard, if I was that hungry. Since I've been banded, I've never felt the physical hunger that was an every day, every minute plague for me beforehand. That makes it easier for me to confront and tame the mangy pack of bad habits which grew in the shadow of that hunger. The challenges I've had in these past few months have been fair and reasonable, and I've risen to most of them with the help and inspiration of the people I've met here. You are one of them. By the way, I read this on another thread and just loved it. Pass it on: "I do not follow all the rules, all the time. But I follow all the rules some of the time, and try to do better every day."

If there are Israelis here (either in Israel or anywhere else), don't be shy - there are at least two of us here already! Chag Purim Sameach, let's all stay away from Oznei Haman together, b'seder?

"I do not follow all the rules, all the time. But I follow all the rules some of the time, and try to do better every day." Maziemommy, those are the best words I have read in a long time. Thank you all for your wisdom, honesty, inspiration and hope. I'm in!

I was banded four months ago tomorrow. I've lost 46.5 pounds since then, with the encouragement and friendship of all of you here. With hope and faith in continued growth and accomplishment - Bandpal

Dear Firebolt, Marissa, MarilynC, Skinny Jill, Ovahkummer. Towens, Tlwempen and Longhorn (all steady posters to this thread going back a few months), I just want to say that I really miss this thread. Hearing your voices, voices that have been on this journey with me since Day One, has been a help and a comfort along the way, and it's unfortunate that we seem to have hit a lull in communication. Silence can mean many things; what does it mean for you? Is this a tough time? Or are you just breezing along? What challenges have you faced along the way? What milestones have you passed? What victories have you celebrated? Please share them and let the rest of us share in them and benefit from them! Wishing each and all of you happiness, initiative and some free time at the computer - Love, Bandpal

I say it's time to bang a shoe (or a boot, better yet) on the table over at MD Anderson. I like what Coltonwade said about being pushy - you need to be an advocate for yourself with the health people, or get someone else who can run interference for you. Thinking about you often - is there any chance of me getting to see you while I'm in San Antonio? (May 8 - 10) I hope we can at least talk on the phone then. -Bandpal http://www.russiablog.org/Krushchev-boot.jpg

I want to share something with you. When I was in my late teens and early twenties, I used to make my self throw up after eating too much. I don't know if I qualified as borderline bulimic (I certainly lacked the appropriate physique), but it was something that I'd do fairly often. One night (I don't recall the exact circumstances – whether I choked on something coming back up, or caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror or whatever) I had a rare moment of clarity. I felt myself decide that I was done making myself throw up. I'm not talking about an intellectual resolution. I knew all about those. Overeating was wrong, after all. I was ruining my social life. I was causing my parents grief. Of course I'd stop. Right now. It made such good sense. We all know for how long those decisions last. But in that moment in my parents' bathroom I experienced a meeting of mind, body and soul such as which I had never known before. I just didn't want to do it any more. What ever I got out of doing it just wasn't worth it any more. And I have never made myself throw up after bingeing since. Ever since then (actually, for some good while before then, as well) I have been waiting for another moment like that – a moment which would lead me to walk away from overeating. Years of pain, guilt, anger and humiliation came and went. Divorce and failed jobs came and went. Weightwatchers, OA, Atkins, self help books, therapists, dieticians, came and went. But my moment never came. Once again, I don't remember the circumstances. But time after time in the past month, three months after having been banded and one month after my first fill, I have walked away from bingeing. Not because my cholesterol is high, not because there's diabetes in the family, not because I don't want to leave my four young children fatherless – but because I just don't want to do it any more. I think the physical consequences of bingeing with the band played a big role in bringing me to where I am now. I don't want to slime, don't want to hiccup endlessly, don't want to feel masticated food rise in my throat, don't want to feel that awful "stuck" feeling and know that what seems like the most natural impulse – washing it all down with a cup of Water – will only make it worse. I just don't want to do it any more. I won't say I've stopped completely – that I've never binged on things that are easy to swallow or chewed relentlessly on things that aren't, but it's happening less and less often. And when it does, the slower rate at which I now eat and the quicker rate that I fill up at make it harder to binge, and the thoughts which come to me – how I paid for this operation, how people are counting on me to succeed, and how hard I have worked along the way – make it harder still. So more and more, I walk away. I drink water. I go to sleep. I phone a friend. I take a walk. I drink some more water. Because I've had my moment. Bingeing just isn't worth it any more. I just don't want to do it anymore.

I find this a wonderful checklist to look over when I am feeling off or not losing weight. It's from somewhere else on this site. Enjoy - hope things get better. - Bandpal How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted: You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment1. Are you eating 60 grams of Protein a day 2. Are you eating 25 grams of Fiber 3. Are you avoiding all liquid caloriesa. Soup can be sign of “soft calorie syndrome” b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram(1) It’s also a stomach irritant c. fruit juice is just sugar Water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can’t just eat what’s easy c. cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals 6. Are you eating too much junk a. chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, Cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don’t avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of Calcium daily 8. Do you always eat the protein first 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. meat or fish (1) 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards b. Vegetables (1) ½ cup – the size of your fist c. Starch (1) If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don’t need much (2) Avoid: rice, potatoes, Pasta 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great(1) Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine (2) The body has no way to break down artificial fatsa. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body B. You may need a behavior adjustment 1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you’re not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait. 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small Snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won’t be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it’s a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive – compulsive thoughts (1) Obsess about something else b. Perfectionism (1) All or none, black and white thinking c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as “good” and “bad” e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriateportion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and largeportions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables a. Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (6) Peppermint a. Baking soda toothpaste (7) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (1) Tylenol is OK n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider 4. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if a. You have a squeezing, tightness or heaviness in your chest,especially if the discomfort spreads to your shoulder, arm or jaw or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, irregular or fast heartbeat or nausea. These could be symptoms of a heart attack. b. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise. c. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you also have nausea or fever d. If you throw up vomit that looks like black sand or coffee grounds. Or if your stool is black, deep red or looks like it has tar in it. These are symptoms of bleeding and need immediate attention. (Note: Pepto-Bismol or other medications with bismuth will turn your stool black. Iron supplements can also make the stool tarry.) e. If your pain is severe