Hope41

I've had two fills and have decided to hold off getting anymore fills unless needed. For me I want my band to act as a reminder which means I feel some restriction, but not strictly limited. We went out to dinner last night with a group (no one knows I had lapband surgery). I was able to eat a small portion of everything and have a glass of wine. I made smart choices and avoided the bread basket. I felt great throughout the meal. I was able to enjoy and control my portions. I got home and tracked my calories and was under 1800 for the day. It showed me I can eat out and stay in control. This is what I wanted the lapband for--a tool to help me gradually lose weight while still living life.

Thanks for this post. I have been the same weight for about 6 months and actually gained 5lbs the last month or so. I just got another fill yesterday but it's important for me to take responsibility for my poor choices such as too much wine and chips at night. I'm going to be checking in here more often as well.

I've been getting tiny fills now and then over the last year. Four fills of 0.10, with my last one in August. I debated getting one in September but my NP and I decided together to try modifying my food plan and waiting to see those results.
Well, I'm a stubborn old broad, and I resisted making serious changes right away. But here's what I did change over the last four months:
I gave up alcohol completely in September.
I gave up fried food in November.
I gave up my weekly carby Thai overindulgence in December. Do I miss it? Hell yes.
I gave up movie crapcorn completely in December. (Not movies though. I actually smuggled two pears into the movies a few days ago and got a little thrill out of that.)
I began planning, committing, and tracking my food to my OA sponsor and using MyFitnessPal again two weeks ago.
What happened? My band is talking to me again. I feel the stop signals very clearly now. I get the "enough" sensation on much smaller quantities. My dog is loving it because he gets the p rotein I can't finish.
Bottom line is, I had to clean up my food for my band to be able to do its job right. I'm filled enough. I know that now.
The band surgery alone enabled me to drop 2/3 of my excess weight without much behavior modification. Sure, I was eating less, and not eating between meals. But I was emotionally hanging on to my greasy, fried favorites and drinking with friends every weekend, not to mention socking away tubs of buttered crapcorn on a twice-weekly basis. And scratching my head as to why I stopped losing weight.
Making the changes I made above was an incremental process. I wasn't ready to do it until I was ready to do it. I'm really glad that my band stayed consistent while I floundered around figuring this out.
For whatever reason, I'm now motivated to get the rest of this weight off, and to follow the disciplined plan I have worked out with my OA sponsor.
This may or may not help somebody else. But if you're chasing the elusive green zone, and wonder if you really need more fills or not, see if cleaning up your food for a few weeks first makes a difference. It did for me.

Hi tootyoyo
Right now I have 7.9cc in my band and not in the green zone yet and I was freaking out why so much Fluid and feel no difference in the last 6 months. At the clinic where I get my fills they only do a very small fills every 6 weeks ( that's the minimum waiting time in between fills ), in the mornings I feel good, not hungry have my 8oz shake and satisfied till lunch. Lunch time small meal(sometimes only a small portion of Protein is good for 2-3 hours)but when the afternoon rolls around I can eat anything and everything if I want to. This does not stop even having a snack and a supper in between, it lasts all evening and all night. I asked the Dr that is doing fills to take all of the fluid from my band to double check if I actually have 7.9cc in my band or did some of the fills ended up in the muscle instead of the port. He refused to do it for a reason that my band being settled right now after a year of surgery and if he takes all of the fluid out it migh reposition itself and cause issues later down the road. So I wait another 6 weeks for .1 or .2 fill and go from there. I gave up on getting frustrated for not losing 2lbs every week, yesterday was a year since my surgery not in the green zone yet, lost total of 57lbs since the preop diet and kept it off so I'm in the better place than I was a year ago so it's all good. Don't stress about the volume, I hope it doesn't put you in red zone. One of my coworkers told me in order to fully succeed we need to be s bit on a tight side, it's bad if we get acid refluxes at night but to be a bit tight for certain food we all need that. I know I do as that's the only thing that will help me to change my eating habits ????

I've been banded for nearly 2 1/2 years and I'm thrilled to say I'm maintaining my weight loss, I do so with a 5-7lbs flex on the scale but I've learned not to freak out about it like I used to, but after 3 weekends in a row of birthday celebrations I just feel like crap. I notice I'm craving things I normally don't and when I walk away from the cravings instead of feeling victorious I feel miserable because I have that feeling of deprivation so I decided today was the day to tune and detox my body so I can fight the rearing head of the carb monster!
It's amazing how making the right and wrong food choices totally effects every aspect of your life!
So thankful I have this little tool to help guide me through moments like this! A few days of bringing myself back to basics is just what I need!!!! Reeling myself back in so to speak:-)
Has anyone else tried this? Did you notice the carb cravings diminish?

My port is constantly quite painful. When I saw the doctor's assistant she said it is common for the port to be painful because it is attached to a muscle and when you lift something it makes the port painful. She told me not to worry, but it has been years and it hurts every minute. Plus it swells up like I have a walnut under my skin. I think I am going to try to see another surgeon to see if this pain is truly normal. I would really like to know if anyone else has this problem.
In addition to that I also have had pains throughout my abdomen for the last five months. I just had a CT scan and the radiologist told my doctor that it didn't show anything at all. I am now waiting for an appointment with a gastroenterologist. The pain is not in my stomach, but seems to travel all around my abdomen. With all my tests showing nothing, I am now wondering if my band is causing problems that cannot be seen on a CT scan. I am not throwing up and I don't feel my band is too tight so I just cannot figure out what the problem is and neither can my regular doctor.

I feel the same way, a year in October I have 7cc in a 10cc band had 7 fills since December 2014, sometimes 0.3cc sometime 0.2cc which makes no sense to me why very small amounts but it is what it is. I have no restrictions at all, if I want I could eat as much and anything I want like I never had a surgery. Have not lost any weight in 6 months but have not gained any either. Working out 4-5 times a week. I hope one day I will start losing weight

Have been banded for 3 1/2 years; never drink alcohol or carbonated beverages.
Did you trying drink pineapple juice? Sometimes the enzymes will help you.

I'm right there with you! I've been seeing small increases here and there and then I tighten my belt and get back to the basics those come off then I start relaxing again, not being so mindful and there they are again. I've been swaying 5-7lbs for about a year now. It's ok but I just want to get control over it so the 5-7 doesn't become 20. In my opinion maintenance is a lot more trying then the weight loss. I think it's because we've hit where we want to be but we're no longer fitting into different sizes, our new us is now just us. The comments have stopped and everyone now just sees us as us, they don't remember the "old" so in a way we forget too?

That's exactly how I feel ????

Hi everybody
24 days WFL and I lost 15 lbs after 7 months stall, yes wine was definitely the cause for not losing anything for that long. I knew that was the case but I wasn't ready to quit drinking wine or quit drinking period. Well I invested way too much money and my time to sabotage my success so I told my self this is it, get on with the program and figure it out what's the right path, drink wine and stay overweight or quit wine and get healthy. I chose to get healthy and only when we are ready to make that commitment things will work out for us. We made a commitment to get banded but we had no clue how difficult will be to adjust our lifestyle completely as bandsters.
I love support we have on here and it can only get better from here
Thank you everyone
PS. Do you guys have Facebook page for Bandsters? Would love to join

Hi everybody
24 days WFL and I lost 15 lbs after 7 months stall, yes wine was definitely the cause for not losing anything for that long. I knew that was the case but I wasn't ready to quit drinking wine or quit drinking period. Well I invested way too much money and my time to sabotage my success so I told my self this is it, get on with the program and figure it out what's the right path, drink wine and stay overweight or quit wine and get healthy. I chose to get healthy and only when we are ready to make that commitment things will work out for us. We made a commitment to get banded but we had no clue how difficult will be to adjust our lifestyle completely as bandsters.
I love support we have on here and it can only get better from here
Thank you everyone
PS. Do you guys have Facebook page for Bandsters? Would love to join

We are one and all but Pilgrims on a journey to find redemption from the dark attraction that makes our individual Over Eating a daily travail.
That so many potential paths are open is a mixed blessing, as there seems no way to predict which leads to our own personal mountain top resulting in satisfaction and triumph.
None of us can be certain we will succeed, and I thank those here who are kind enough to share their thwarted efforts.
Leaving the Land of the Morbidly Obese is not easy, as *something* drags us back all to frequently.
That the spirit continues seeking to overcome in so many ways despite frustration and turmoil is uplifting.

I was banded in 2007 in the USA. Struggled the entire process. Acid reflux, burping, not being able to keep anything down even will 2cc in my band. I'm traveling to Mexico to get it removed on Aug. 7th by Dr. Alvarez. Has anyone had any experience with Dr. Alvarez?
Has anyone had their band removed and felt like a failure?
I hope to get a sleeve in a few months!

A lot of banded people cannot do bread I would stay away for now getting stuck is an awful and can be painful been there

Good luck with your surgery. I hope you get approved. My husband had the lap band in 2012. He wishes he could have sleeve. He has trouble keeping things down. He is very good about will power and so he has kept majority of his weight off with a small slip here and there. I am having sleeve in November and he said if he could do it over again he would've chosen sleeve.

Hi everybody
24 days WFL and I lost 15 lbs after 7 months stall, yes wine was definitely the cause for not losing anything for that long. I knew that was the case but I wasn't ready to quit drinking wine or quit drinking period. Well I invested way too much money and my time to sabotage my success so I told my self this is it, get on with the program and figure it out what's the right path, drink wine and stay overweight or quit wine and get healthy. I chose to get healthy and only when we are ready to make that commitment things will work out for us. We made a commitment to get banded but we had no clue how difficult will be to adjust our lifestyle completely as bandsters.
I love support we have on here and it can only get better from here
Thank you everyone
PS. Do you guys have Facebook page for Bandsters? Would love to join

Hi everybody
24 days WFL and I lost 15 lbs after 7 months stall, yes wine was definitely the cause for not losing anything for that long. I knew that was the case but I wasn't ready to quit drinking wine or quit drinking period. Well I invested way too much money and my time to sabotage my success so I told my self this is it, get on with the program and figure it out what's the right path, drink wine and stay overweight or quit wine and get healthy. I chose to get healthy and only when we are ready to make that commitment things will work out for us. We made a commitment to get banded but we had no clue how difficult will be to adjust our lifestyle completely as bandsters.
I love support we have on here and it can only get better from here
Thank you everyone
PS. Do you guys have Facebook page for Bandsters? Would love to join

We just might be on to something here, Ladies...
I've had another wine-free day and I feel terrific. Let's keep each other posted...!

My WFL is working!
A success story to share.
I was banded 7 months ago - December 18th, 2014. Since then I have been a great and compliant patient - modifying my food choices, increasing Protein, eliminating white foods (rice, Pasta, breads). And TODAY - this very morning - the day after my 46th birthday, I have lost 50 pounds. HOORAY!
What is a WFL? WINE-FREE LIFE. Sounds silly to give it a goofy acronym, but I'm trying to stay positive here.
Up until 3 days ago I was stuck at 47 pounds lost. Like REALLY STUCK - the scale has not moved in 9 weeks. I was at 212-214 for weeks and weeks and weeks... the culprit? Red wine.
I love fine wines. (My husband is snorting and reminding me that I love cheap plonk too, but that's another story). In another post I detailed how this love came about because of receiving training in the 1990's in wines, varietals and vintages.
ANYWAY.
My enthusiastic (to say the least) consumption of wine has been stalling my progress with my lap-band. The band reminds me what I can and cannot EAT, however it is not fussy when I throw high-calorie bevvies (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz...) down my throat. The band does not restrict fluids, and so I have been joyfully justifying my 3-glass-a-night (roughly 500 calories) indulgence but reminding myself of how little food I've eaten.
Reality check - it doesn't work that way.
It takes 3500 calories to 'create' a pound of weight. If I do the math, I've been consuming roughly 4000-5000 calories a week in WINE alone. (Hello, AA?!) So although my caloric intake through food may be down, and my exercise up (I started walking 18 kms a week), I'm derailing my weight loss because of wine.
SO!
I finally realized this last week. I think I was in denial. Last week as my birthday approached, I decided on a WFB - wine-free birthday. (This is huge for me as I Celebrate anything and everything with wine). I went wine-free a couple of days before my b-day. Today it's the day after and I am down THREE pounds. THREE POUNDS. Remember - the scale hadn't moved in weeks. Coincidence? I think not!
So for those of you who are booze enthusiasts, regardless of your WLS method, those calories add up. I am enthusiastically (with only a small sob) going wine-free, and enjoying a WFL - Wine-Free Life.
Woo!

I was obese because I could not control my eating....I ate like a machine, as though I was trying to win a contest.
Lap band surgery, a few adjustments (fills) to find that sweet spot (green Zone)
I now eat like a normal person, I do not follow any particular diets, do not count calories or carbs although some foods are obviously crazy high stupid and should be avoided by all people, WLS or not...and in doing so my weight came off, surpassed any goals I set for myself, and settled out at a place that is a direct correlation to my new lifestyle, which is eating normal again and being active for health reasons.
This is permanent, I do not want anything to change, will not get Fluid taken out for that would put me back into that abnormal lifestyle.
I don't believe in maintenance...been there with crash diets where after loosing weight you slowly re-enter a normal lifestyle.
I enjoy eating the things I like, drink the things I want, go to parties, family get together s,nice resturants .....live day by day as any other routine day......have absolutely no side effects......occasionally I will take too large a swallow or something that is too harsh for the band, and I will be reminded right away I am stepping out of bounds...the band is always there, like a watchdog.
The majority of the time I don't even think about having WLS...
For me, it is similar as someone who has had total knee or total hip surgery...you have a problem, and have surgery to correct it....followed by a year of rehab and learning how to get on with your life, and eventually start running 5K's again.
Why would I want anything to change? Why would I want to undo what was accomplished??
Would I want my dentist to remove my caps in a few years? Ophthalmologist tell me I can stop wearing contacts because it's been years now?
Maybe my cardiologist can undo the surgery he did on my heart a few years ago because I am doing so well and healthy right now....
I had a problem, had surgery to correct it, and now will live the rest of my life having that problem fixed.
Everybody has a different belief and approach to WLS, and I respect that....I don't expect people to do things simply because I do......It's all about loosing weight and getting your life back.....and THAT is the point to it all.
And of course, my Dr. will someday suggest something I am not considering....but until that day, if it ever comes......

Hmmm... what an interesting question, Alex! As a relatively new bandster (8 months post-surgical this month) i have had the band adjusted in tiny increments tighter, certainly not looser.
I've heard about people de-filling their bands prior to flying. I'm curious about that as I tend to swell up on long flights. A few years ago I flew Toronto --> Hong Kong --> Thailand (22 hours non stop) and experienced swelling of legs, arms, sinuses... last year flew Toronto --> Vancouver and blew up like a balloon - I had tender, painful "cankles' for 3 days. I'm scared to imagine what a flight will do to my band, thereby impacting my ability to eat normally, or at least swallow fluids!
That said, if we did have a trip coming up, I'd be hesitant to get a de-fill as it's taken me 8 months to finally hit the green zone... to deliberately un-do that is (almost) unthinkable.
I'm curious to hear from others out there who have had the experience of adjusting your band down... then up again.

@@csg Hi - sorry about the delay in responding - I was on a wilderness vacation and without internet (what a treat!).
Yes I was indeed tempted to overeat before I was in the green zone. This was case of me looking at food through my "old" eyes, rather than listening to my band and paying attention when it told me, "YOU HAVE HAD ENOUGH - time to STOP". I would overeat (old habits die hard) and then feel ill/bloated or have a "sticking" episode.
I learned pretty quickly, even when I was not in the green zone, that I needed to listen to my body more and realize that I no longer had the capacity to eat the way I used to.
No, I never did slider foods like ice cream. I don't have a sweet tooth and I dislike creamy anything! So for me, cutting out flour, rice and Pasta were the trick for me to begin my weight loss. That and listening to my band. When it gave me a cue that I was sated, I would stop. I watched Dr. O'Brien's "8 Golden Rules of lap band" videos again and again and again until the information was drilled into my head. These helped me a lot!
The kicker for me was cutting out all alcohol (see my other post - "my wine-free life") and then I started exercising on a treadmill (seriously - a freakin' treadmill!). Those two things have been instrumental in kick-starting my decent down the scale.

I never stopped, or cut down on my coffee. Starbucks or otherwise!!!