shortgal

It's accurate that GBP patients have dumping syndrome if they eat sweets. I'm not an expert on GBP but I have a friend that had one and she can still eat sweets, although perhaps smaller amounts than previously. The problem is addictions ( like sugar) can be transferred to something else. So even GBP (just like banders) will substitue other foods to get what they crave. Can't eat cake? Just eat chips! There is nothing that will completely make us stop eating other than wiring our jaw shut ( and even then, we could get milkshakes through the wires). The band and GBP can only "aid" us. We must help the band work. Many GBP patients can and have put weight back on. Look at Carnie Wilson! Food is our addiction and our bodies will look for a way to get our addiction in, if we are not careful.

Maybe you're not having food that is "solid" enough? Pierogies are kind of soft. Try firmer protein for a couple meals and see if that doesn't satisfy you longer. And if you're hungry after dinner ( me, too) can you have an apple or some cottage cheese with fruit or a sugar free popsicle? Just so you don;t feel deprived.

A lot of people on the forum call it Isopuke! LOL. I can't say I love them, but I don't mind them. I still use them if I need to get extra Protein in. I can drink 1/2 bottle and get 20 gms of protein with only 80 calories. Hard to beat that much protein for so few calories. I prefer it very cold and i like the apple melon, Alpine punch and the pnieapple/orange/banana. If I had an atkins shake instead, I'd only get 15 gms protein and it would be twice the calories. I'd rather eat my calories!

We want all the dirt when you get home! Remember it's a blind date for him, too. He might be just as nervous.

There is a Fill Center USA in Miami.

the lady in your town with the band, might have stopped getting fills to get a better restriction or she is eating around the band with slider foods that are high in calories and go through the band easily.

You can call the number on the back of your ins card and ask them if it's covered in your policy and what their requirements are. Many ins. co. require a BMI of 35 WITH 2 co morbidities, like diabetes, sleep apnea, HBP, high cholesterol etc. Without co morbidities, generally they require a BMI of 40. some require a six month supervised diet before they approve etc. so just call and ask them! Tell them you're considering weight loss surgery and want to know if your policy covers it. If they say yes, then ask what is required for approval. Good Luck.

I finally went for a walk today. The weather is improving. Forty five mins and about 2.5 miles.

This is a life long battle. We need to keep our wits about us as food is everywhere waiting to jump back into our bellies! It's so easy to let our guard down or kid ourselves that we have conquered our addiction. Battle one: get the weight off. Battle two: keep it off!

Try a GNC store or Vitamin Shoppe. You can find their locations online. then read the labels for the best ones.

If you could lose 72 pounds, you can lose the thirty. Just keep focusing on the prize at the end. There is always someone on the forum going through the pre-op liquid stage, so always someone to commiserate with around here!

You know one thing about the band is it's adjustable. some banders prefer a slightly looser restriction than others. You might lose weight more slowly than those with tighter restriction, but that's a choice you can make. I don't slime or PB, my weight loss I would say is slower than some, but I don't have issues with eating chicken, steak, apples, salad etc. I do want a bit more restriction (tightness) in my band, but I'm not one that wants to be so tight, that normal healthy food doesn't go down. I have given up some food by choice. I've eaten a portion of one piece of pizza in the last 3 1/2 months. I rarely eat bread. I don't eat a whole dessert by myself, I take a bite of my husband's instead. Some banders keep their band a little tight to lose the weight and then a small unfill, so they can eat a little more once they've reached goal. That's an advantage to the band, it's adjustable and we can use that in a way that suits us. The band has given me a little extra willpower to say NO to those foods.

That had to be a terrible disappointment after all the hard work you've done. What does the Dr. say is the next step?

Did this start after the last fill? Sounds like reflux, which can happen with a fill that is too tight, and you might have just a little too much fill. If that's the case, a slight unfill usually helps.

Good Luck tomorrow Sharona! Once you get home and feel up to it, check in with the CT family.

How much was originally in your band before the unfill? It would make sense to me that you need to go back to close to that amount again. I could understand if the Dr. doesn;t want to fill the same amount all at one time. If you have an appt on Friday, then he told you to come back, right? So maybe he is just getting you slowly back to close to the original amount of fill?

I was tired of having food control me instead of me controlling the food. Why can't you go on a cruise or to a nice restaurant after banding? After a couple months of healing and post op diets, you can go out to eat, you just won't eat as much and your food choices (if you want to lose weight) will have to be healthy choices. If you feel you still want to eat as much food as you do now, then maybe you are just not ready for weight loss surgery. Food as a "great pleasure" as you describe it, no longer felt that way to me. Food became my enemy, not my friend and was destroying my body, but without the band, I felt helpless against it's control over me. I was totally ready for surgery. I was mentally prepared for recovery, for liquid diets and the whole journey.

I'm in CT. are you, too? UHC would have covered my WLS, but I was unable to provide the 5 years of documentation. Long story.

Totally normal to have fears, it is surgery. But I knew, for me, it was my last chance to lose the weight, before more of my body deteriorated. I am happy with my decision. I know the battle with my weight will continue the rest of my life. I have no delusions that the band is a magic wand that will allow me to eat whatever I want and stay thin. I know I'll have mis-steps along the way. However, I believe if I lose my way, I just have to get back to the basic rules of band eating and I'll be on track again. At points, I expect the band and I will work 50-50 and at times I've worked 70% and the band 30%. We're a team, sometimes I work hard and sometimes the band works hard. Good luck with yur consultation!

Hello Debbie, Welcome to the forum. We all have fears about something. I tend to build up the fear much larger in my mind than the actual event turns out to be. I used to faint, yes, pass out, when they drew blood! Then I realized it was because I just didn't understand the whole process and it really didn't hurt as much as my brain told me it would. I am so much better now and my fills do pinch, I can't lie, but not as much as pinching my hand in something or a bad fingernail break or getting cut on glass or a sliver. So I try to use those comparisons to ease my mind. If I'm nervous at those times, I find I talk to the person incessantly, to distract myself. Then I realized, maybe distracting them with my talking, while they were coming at me with a needle might not be too smart. Ha Ha! Just educate yourself as much as you can about lap banding, as information is powerful. You'll make the right decision for you.

So good to hear you're feeling better Kendra. And smart one you are, making a plan, so you don't get overtired and can handle things better. Nice photo, from the head shot i would never guess you need to lose a single pound. Now me, I show lots of my weight in my face, I packed those pounds on a short frame! Red cowboy boots on and kicking!

Thanks Mike, but way too late and no better ins. option available. I already pre-paid and had surgery in Nov. didn;t like to pay when I knew I had coverage and met the guidelines and I was not hiding info, as I had really been overweight for many more years than 5. My circumstances were just unusual in why I didn't have the proof. I offered explanations on why I didn;t have the proof, but they didn;t care. I had fought with them for over 6 months and just wasn;t going to wait anylonger.

Can I see a difference? Oh, yeah. Hope you had fun!

I ended up using what I thought would be my plastic surgery dollars for the band surgery. Darn! But I will find the money for some PS anyway. Face and neck lift is number one. I needed the neck lift before I had the band. Hereditary. Next would be panni and thighs. Arms, well I'll need it but not sure I'll do it. The $17,800 i spent on band would have paid for a lot of the above.

Would she say the same thing to a very small breasted friend that was considering breast enhancement? Probably not, plastic surgery is considered different from WLS. Makes no sense, we don't need bigger breasts for health, but getting rid of 100 pounds we do. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against plastic surgery, but just against the opinion that WLS is any different of an elective procedure and can produce live saving changes. You're completely right, she is ignorant. She is a STUDENT nurse, not a doctor and not YOUR doctor. There are lots of nurses on the forum and there are several doctors that have been banded themselves. Tell her to shut up and until she is willing to get informed about the band and is able to have an intelligent conversation about the band with you, there is nothing to discuss. How can she advise you about something she knows nothing about?