Kalipso2

i admit... i didn't give up diet soda pre-surgery but i did post-surgery. i figured i'd go thru the caffeine withdrawl while i was in pain after the surgery. i had to go 6 months post-surgery without carbonation and it was TOUGH! i counted down the days 'til i was able to drink my diet pepsi again. thankfully i have a surgeon who allows carbonation... some don't!

luckily i can eat chicken... otherwise i'd be screwed because that is basically the only Protein i like besides eggs. try dipping your chicken in a low calorie/low fat sauce or not cooking it as long. the sweet spot is a gray area... i always thought my sweet spot was just finishing a meal without throwing up. that's not it. to me my sweet spot is knowing that swallowing one more bite will make me throw up... knowing that feeling. does that make sense?

i'm 2 years post-op and i burp just fine : )

to answer your question... if you eat more food than your pouch can handle, you throw up. i did have a problem with a dialated pouch from eating too much but i was also vomitting a lot too.

i don't know about size being a factor... i only had to lose 80 pounds total to be considered "normal" and i was banded with a 10cc band. i only have 4.4cc right now and can't tolerate being any tighter. at my highest i was at about 5.2cc and threw up after almost every meal.

yep, that's what i usually do... switch something up whether its eating different food or changing my exercise routine. good luck!

i was also told not to think of post-surgery as "dieting" when i asked if it would be okay to join WW after surgery. they consider it a lifestyle change. eating healthy, low fat, high Protein foods since you won't be able to each a lot of anything. always eat your protein first (so lots of chicken, turkey, fish/seafood). if still hungry add in a veggie. some people can tolerate red meat but i'm not one of them. most of us can't eat bread and you should stay away from Pasta (or carbs in general). hope that helps!

i was a skinny child... people used to joke that i'd blow away if it were too windy. in high school i wore an "average" size 6 and my older sister and i used to share clothes. my earliest memory of me gaining weight was when i was 21. i used to go to mcdonald's every morning for a sausage mcmuffin (or 2). one night my boyfriend was driving my car and dropped me off in front of a store while i ran in for a minute. when i got back into the car, the entire passenger seat and floor was covered in mcmuffin wrappers. i used to hide them under the drivers seat and he found all the wrappers. he asked me what the hell i was doing and it was like a slap in the face. from that point on i gained weight each year. i'd tell myself... i'll diet when i can't fit into a size 10 jeans. then it was size 12... 14...16... i knew i had to put an end to it. here i am now... almost 39 and fitting in a size 10 jeans! i'm not at my goal yet but still working towards the size 8!!

getting put under for my lap-band surgery was the first time for me and i was just as scared as you. i had never even had an I.V. in my hand before. (i think i was stressing more about the I.V. than being put under!) while i was waiting for my turn in the surgery "waiting room" i asked for something to calm my nerves... how funny is that?! they told me i had a half hour wait before i could have anything and no more than 5 minutes later i was being wheeled into the operating room. i'm not sure why my surgery got expedited but if i had been wearing pants i probably would have peed them : ) i got wheeled into the room. i saw my surgeon for a minute. one nurse took one arm off to the side, another one to my other arm. they put the mask on my face and i don't think i took 2 breaths and i was out. next thing i knew i was in the recovery room being woken up by annoying nurses. i just wanted to sleep! oh and i thought i had to pee. i guess i was still nervous enough to want to pee my pants that i didn't have on! seriously though... being nervous is expected. everyone is nervous beforehand. i even filled out a living will and a DNR just in case something bad happened. (my mom wasn't very happy when i handed her THOSE papers!) just consider that day the beginning of your new life!

i'm probably one of the few who have mixed emotions about my band. i'm 2 years post-op and still struggle every day with eating. i thought i had done enough research and i thought i was ready but i'm i'm not 100% sure i would do it over again if i had the opportunity. i've had a lot of problems since being banded. i was over-filled and was experiencing severe acid reflux. i would literally wake up choking on my own vomit. even after i got somewhat of an unfill, i still had bouts of throwing up from over-eating which caused the top of my stomach to dialate... folding over the band, which can cause the band to slip. i think i'm FINALLY at a point where i'm not over-filled, have no more acid reflux and don't throw up after meals BUT that doesn't stop me from WANTING to keep eating. you have to learn to listen to your band and not your brain... its like having the devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other... your band will tell you when you're full but your head tells you the food tastes so good so keep eating. after 2 years... it's still a struggle. BUT i am happy with my body. i'm no longer in a deep depression. i love shopping now. i'm not embarassed walking into a bar. i just feel good.

honestly, the craving doesn't go away... or hasn't for me and i'm 2 years post-op. if you liked ice cream before surgery you're still going to like it after surgery! i think, for me, it's going to be a constant struggle. it honestly gets to the point where the internal struggle is so huge that i literally have to talk myself out of eating too much. you either listen to your stomach (or band) that will eventually tell you "No More Food!!!" or you listen to your head that tells you "One More Bite!!!" you're so used to just eating that one last bite that turns into finishing everything on your plate. even with the band, the struggle will be there BUT i do allow myself the occasional treat of a small vanilla cone or some snack sized chocolate!

i'll keep looking around too and let you know if i find anything! carpooling would be great!

i thought i felt my band too but during my last fill i had it under xray and i had him look at my port location too. it turns out is the tubing i'm feeling, not the band.

i was banded april 2008 and have only lost 42 or so pounds and my surgeon still considers me a success case because i lost 60% of the weight i needed. from the sound of it, you do need a fill. if i eat too much or too fast, i almost immediately throw up because the food starts backing up into my esophagus. it also sounds like you need motivation to get back on track. attend a support meeting and meet people who are also struggling or who can offer an ear to listen. the other night i splurged for the first time in forever on fast food. i got a jr. bacon cheeseburger and small fry from wendy's. i ate the entire burger (minus the bun) and fries and that's the most i've eaten in over a year in one sitting!

i'm having the same problem, sandi. i live in cleveland but had my surgery in cincinnati. my free fills are now expired and have begun searching closer to home for maintenance. i did call the University of Akron and was told they only do fills on patients that were banded there. so i'm very interested in the responses you get!!

yes, slider foods are bad... they're easily digested foods like ice cream or milkshakes or mashed potatos... foods that move very easy past the band that are high calorie or high fat. if all you ate was ice cream all day and night, you'd gain weight... even with your band!

good for you!!! it's a great feeling, isn't it? you deserve to toot your own horn! this process isn't as easy as it seems so every pound lost should be celebrated. i just bought 2 new bathing suits and i can't wait to wear them!

it made me happy to read your post! i too have the 10cc LAP-BAND® and have 4.4cc right now. i thought something was wrong because if i go any higher than 5cc i am over-filled. when i read that some people have 6 or 8cc's i was jealous. now i know i'm not alone! there are some days that i feel over-filled at 4.7 but other days i feel like i can eat and eat and eat!

i chose to tell people because my eating habits have changed so drastically. people will notice that you're only eating a quarter of food that you normally would eat. there are certain foods i can't eat... like hamburgers and bread... so it makes it difficult going out to lunch with co-workers or friends.

yesterday was my 2-year BANDiversary. i'm not going to say i'm not happy i had the surgery because i am. i feel so much better mentally as well as physically BUT.... it's a major decision. it's a lifetime effort that has been the most difficult thing i've every had to deal with. it's not the magical cure of just not feeling hungry so the pounds just melt off. it's so much more than that. even 2 years post-op, every meal is a battle. do i listen to my band that tells me i'm full or do i listen to my brain that wants to keep eating because it just tastes SO good? it's a mental game and when the brain wins i have to pay the consequenses by vomitting and risk my band slipping. just do a lot of research. talk to as many people as you can that have been banded. maybe i'm the minority and most people have dealt with being banded easier than i have. i just wanted you to see a side of someone who still struggles even after the weight has come off.

being 2 years post-of, i know my band well enough to know when i need to eat. i know if i eat an entirely high protein meal it will last longer than if i eat carbs or liquids (soups). most of the time you need to rely only on eating when you're hungry BUT you have to make sure you're getting in enough protein too.

fortunately my doctor allows diet soda 6 months after surgery. i haven't had any problems drinking it other than a gurgling sound of the carbonation going thru the band when i drink. it sounds like my stomach is growling but 10 times as loud!

although my band doesn't allow me to each many carbs, i do eat the ones i can keep down. for instance, i can only eat the crust from a slice of pizza but not the rest. i can eat baked or mashed potato but not french fries (even if they're oven baked). i can eat pretzels but not chips. i DO think it has affected my weight loss though. i'm sure i could lose the weight quicker if i stayed away from the "bad" carbs!

i would most definitely suggest a slight unfill! you should still be able to eat comfortably but just get full faster.

i haven't considered a revision but i have considered a reversal. i have had nothing but trouble with my band over the past 2 years. yes, i've lost 60% of my weight but it's been at a very high cost. i now have severe acid reflux and my stomach folds over the band if i get the slightest fill. i have a 10cc band and only have 4.4cc in right now. at one point i had around 5.5cc but was constantly throwing up from the acid reflux. *sigh* my fills and unfills have been (thankfully) covered under my initial surgery fee but my 2 year anniversary is coming up and that means i have to start paying for my fills and unfills. i'm aggravated. i'm sad. i'm scared. but my doctor considers me a "success story".