Kalipso2

i've had similar problems lately but i've always been able to make the stuck food come back out by PB'ing. after a few days of this happening i asked myself what i was doing wrong. then it hit me... i wasn't listening to the band. it was telling me i was full but my brain was telling me that the food smelled so good and looked so yummy that i should continue eating... even though my band told me i was satisfied. it's ALL part of the lifestyle change. you'll think twice now before eating those extra 2 or 3 pieces next time!

i went to my parents for dinner last night and i made a comment that i was hungry. my mom asked "isn't that why you had the surgery... so you wouldn't BE hungry?" duh... everybody gets hungry eventually!

they took my picture at the surgeon's office but i also took my own before pictures. a close-up of the face, full body front, fully body side. the face pictures REALLY show the weight-loss quickly. you won't be disappointed you did!

i'm single, no kids and was self pay. i live paycheck to paycheck and yes, i was worried... i'm still worried. the first couple months are hard because your food bill doesn't really go down in price. that doesn't happen until you're restricted. my grocery bill is now cut in half. i still live paycheck to paycheck but i'm MUCH happier and self confident now!

i have light skin and my scars are dark. at first i was worried about if they'd ever fade but now i think of them as my "battle to be thin" scars... a reminder of everything i'm working so hard for. i'm not ashamed of my scars and when i lay out in the sun i lift the bottom of my tankini up so my stomach gets some sun too... i feel very comfortable showing my scars.

I was worried too and had my Living Will and Power of Attorney forms completed and given to my mom. I made sure I was on the organ donor list. I made sure I had family and friends agreeable to take care of all my pets... even my mean cat. Worrying is part of this entire process. By the time of your surgery you'll probably find 100 reasons why you think you should cancel but something about the band led you to all the reading and research I'm sure you've done. Yes, there are stories of erosion and slipped bands. It happens. But if you look at the statistics you'll find that most people live happier, healthier and thinner lives!

I've only been banded for 2+ months and I already LOVE my band!! I've never been complimented so much in such a small amount of time. I love how much money I'm saving on groceries. I love not sweating after only walking 100 feet. I love the fact that I sleep SO much better at night. My list could go on and on and on... Can you imagine what I'd have listed if I had been banded a year ago???

i just talked to my dietician this past week because i was afraid i wasn't eating enough. i have a slimfast at 8am, string cheese at 12pm, slimfast at 3:30pm and about 4 ounces of chicken around 7pm. she said i'm getting the Protein i need so isn't overly concerned about the low calories. i'm not hungry and i feel good so it's working for me.

What an awesome birthday present, Heather!!! You've worked so hard and i bet all that struggling had to be worth it when you got on the scale this mornin, right?

i have the lap-band and had 1.5cc left in the band during surgery. it's really not a lot to feel any restriction though.

i was self pay too. i thought about it long and hard too. it's going to take me 6 years to pay off my surgery but it is SO worth it!!

feeling hungry 2 weeks or so after surgery is absolutely normal! the swelling in your stomach has gone down and now you're left with no restriction since most doctors don't fill a band during surgery. you're in Bandster Hell right now... this is the hardest part of this entire journey.... you're banded but not restricted. go in for your first fill. chances are you might not feel restriction even then. sometimes it takes a few fills before you feel any restriction so you need to stay in contact with your doctor. find out how often you can go in for fills. my doctor does them every 2 weeks i think. don't get discouraged yet!!

i'm not sure how to respond to this... i started the process in March... got banded in April... 1st fill in May and 2nd fill in June. during all this time, i've only seen my surgeon twice. the 1st time was during my initial consult and the 2nd time was the day of my surgery. BUT, he is an excellent surgeon and i did a LOT of research on him. even though i've only seen him twice, he's answered numerous emails from me. yes, i was a little put off at first by never seeing him again but... he's a surgeon, not necissarily a fill-giver. his practice is extremely busy and you have to make appointments at least a month in advance but i've never waited for more than 15 minutes... ever!

shoot, everyone slips. i had a doughnut 2 weeks after surgery. just because you're banded doesn't mean you're brain has changed it's habits yet! don't feel guilty and don't beat yourself up! tomorrow is another day! it's better that you fed your craving instead of holding it in and then trying to binge on an entire cake a week from now!

i was banded on 04/21/08 and i've PB'd more times than i'd like to say... all completely my fault until i got the hang of things. i went from the pre-op liquid diet to the post-op liquid diet to mushies then had my first fill which put me back on liquids again for 3 days. by the time i was able to eat real food i was ravenous as well as a little restricted and i went off the deep end. i learned pretty quickly what i could eat and what my body will no longer handle. i also learned that just because i'm banded and my body doesn't allow me to eat more than a 1/2 cup at a time, my brain still thinks the food looks and smells too good to stop. that has been a very painful lesson since my 2nd fill 3 weeks ago. hopefully now that i'm listening to my stomach and not my brain my PB'ing days are over!

i've only been banded for a little over 2 months and i've already learned how to eat around the band. i've had a couple of set-backs by binging on chocolate bars BUT i want to lose this weight SOOOO friggin bad that my want to be thin is stronger than my want of bad food. you're going to slip and cheat but you just have to get right back on plan the next day!

congratulations on the band AND the no smoking! that's real dedication to a healthier lifestyle!! i don't know what kind of slimfast you're drinking but after my surgery up until my first fill i drank the slimfast optima milk chocolate. not supposed to drink that now because its too high in sugar and carbs but you should be okay until your first fill. put the can in the freezer for about an hour and i swear it tastes like a milkshake!!

OMG... i took a picture of my incisions about 3 days after my surgery and the belly in that picture was NOT the one i left with... lots of gas! lol i live in cleveland but was banded in cincinnati by Dr. Curry. congrats on your new banded life!

yep... it's what i've heard at least. i think they can do a blood test to see if you've been smoking but i've never heard of anyone actually getting cancelled. maybe it's a scare tactic?

my reason of getting banded probably is the worst reason.... growing up i was skinny. my parents used to say they were afraid the wind would knock me over. through high school i remained thin... a size 6. after high school i started gaining weight. i would tell myself if i got up to a size 10 jean i would diet. then it became a size 12... 14... 16. it didn't help that i would binge and then take laxatives to lose weight... sometimes up to 15 in one day. i didn't believe they would hurt me so i ignored my therapist and doctors worries. i was forever comparing myself to other people. why is my sister smaller than me and she had 2 kids? wow, i'm the biggest person at work! it was all about self image and self conciousness that sent me to the lap-band. i tried the laxatives. I tried Weight Watchers. I tried going to a nutritionist. i always gave up. now, no matter how good the food looks, smells and tastes, i know i can't over-eat. it has been a constant struggle, especially during the past month since i have great restriction! it's amazing what happens when you really listen to your body and what it tells you!

i don't think you'll have to lose 35 pounds in 2 weeks.... that's way too unhealthy. they just want you to lose as much weight as you can on the liquid diet so it helps them during surgery by shrinking the liver to make it easier to install the band. go by your march weigh in weight. i'm not going to lie though... the pre-op diet is VERY difficult especially since you know you still can eat if you want. the 2-4 week post-op diet isn't much easier. i don't know how much weight you have to lose but my BMI was relatively low and i have less than 100 pounds to lose. i failed miserably at my liquid diet. i actually gained 3 pounds! it was a stupid risk to take but too late to change now. be strong!

i want to be able to cross my legs without having to grab the leg and pull it up!

you will get hungry... the band won't stop that... everyone gets hungry eventually BUT you'll go longer periods of time between eating. you'll eat less and get full faster.

hi, my name is kris and i'm a food addict lol i was just "crying" to my mom because food smells and looks SO good and i'm physically satisfied after a few bites but my head wants to keep eating. i SO want to keep eating but i know if i eat one more bite i'll end up PB'ing in the bathroom. maybe try calling your doctor to see if you can move up from clear liquids to full liquids? the slimfast optima milk chocolate saved me from going crazy! i put it in the freezer for an hour and it tastes like a milk shake AND stops the hunger for 3+ hours. stay strong!