adorkbl

Are you measuring your food? I could eat A LOT of food... if it was the wrong kind of food. For instance, I could eat 3 hard shell tacos from Taco Bell when drinking a mountain dew. Since I was drinking while eating the tacos they went down no problem. Then I would snack the rest of the night. I wasn't hungry. It was head hunger. Now that I am weighing my food, and eating DENSE protein, I find that I can eat 3-4oz of dense protein and 1/2 cup of green veggies and I am FULL. That is with no change in fill level. I don't drink while eating. Sure I still have the urge to snack, but I recognize that as head hunger and ignore the urge. It is important to evaluate WHAT you are eating as well as how much. Also rules like not drinking while eating are essential for success with the band. I would try going back to basics and pay attention to how you are feeling. If you are truly hungry before the 4 hour mark, then you need a fill.

Congrats!!! That is amazing.

You sound too tight to me. Vomiting daily is NOT ok. If you went from 7cc to 7.5cc... Have the doctor remove .25cc. You are probably extremely close to your green zone where .25cc will make a huge difference.

I drink right up until I eat. I make sure the Water is ice cold and I can feel when it is done draining out of my pouch. Then I eat. I don't drink until 30 or 45 minutes after I am done eating. They don't want you turning the contents of your pouch into a looser sludge that will drain quicker. Think of it like a sink drain. If you have a thick applesauce draining down, it will slowly go through. If you add water to it, it becomes thinner and will drain on through quicker. You risk your brain not getting the full signal if the pouch is emptied too quickly. Plus when you empty it out faster it makes room for more. It can create a vicious unhealthy eating cycle. Don't go there. Not drinking with or directly after meals is one of the most important band rules! As for gulping water. I can still take large sips/gulps but I have to wait for it to pass before I can chug some more. I don't think I could physically chug a whole glass of water at once without it wanting to come back up. It needs some time to drain.

Yeah. I did really good my first year and a half. I lost 100 pounds. I had my gallbladder out too but it didn't seem to affect my band. I developed a leak and that threw me off track. I didn't get my port replaced until last year. I did really good for about 4 months after port replacement, losing about 30 of the 56 I had regained. Then I had a really really rough summer and fall emotionally with personal issues and I stopped following the rules again. Right now I have been recommitted for about a month. I have lost 9 pounds again in the last month. When I follow the rules I do well. I wish I never pushed the band and learned how to eat around it. It makes working with it a lot harder. So far so good!! I come here often to keep me mindful and on track. I am done micky mousing around and am determined to be successful finally!

Fills done without fluoroscopy. Doctor inserts needle without the guidance of X-ray and there is no way for the doctor to observe your restriction. With fluoroscopy doctor has a visual for port access and can observe your restriction level under X-ray. I prefer fluoroscopy, but my new doctor doesn't do them that way.

Glad to hear all is ok. Now work on those chops!! Chew chew chew.

I don't think there will be a "normal" for you. You just had two back to back abdominal surgeries. Just keep sipping and stay as hydrated as you can. Glad to hear you are improving and there is no sign of infection. Yay!! Soon this will all be a distant memory.

EXCELLENT POST. I just restarted my journey after realizing the same thing!!

Welcome to the board. I hope you find the info here you need to be successful. A lot of people have their blogs linked in their siggys. I also tend to go to the blogrolls to find more banded bloggers.

Congrats!! That is awesome and inspiring. I am so happy for you that your new doctor experience was positive. It makes such a HUGE difference! Keep us posted.

Scrambled eggs are not always band friendly. I actually avoid them. So don't be scared. Try something that is moist and chew chew chew.

Great advice!!! The first bite syndrome can really throw off the whole meal and make it painful to eat. I think you are experiencing normal pain from perhaps not chewing well enough, or too fast. Hopefully the upper GI rules any problems out.

It took me a LONG time to listen to my band. I don't think my head was 100% in the game. I did really good for the first 6 months until I had my gallbladder surgery and then a port leak. Then I let everything go. I stopped following the rules. The last few weeks I have re-committed and am actually LISTENING to my band. I am consistantly losing 1-2 pounds a week. I stopped eating out. Completely. I measure and weigh my food. I use smaller plates. I eat 3.5-4oz of dense Protein (usually Salmon) and 1/2 cup of green veggies (usually asparagus). And I stop. Sometimes I want more. Sometimes I feed some to the dog. On those nights when I can't eat as much, my "stop" signal is tightness in my chest, runny nose, hiccups, or I sigh. If I don't chew my first bite well enough I get stuck and slime. It is AMAZING the difference when you slow down and follow the rules. A month ago I was eating out ALL the time with hubby, drinking with meals, eating waaay too much. I had the same fill level as I do now, but was eating around my band. I didn't want to deal with it. I didn't want to stop eating those foods. I didn't want to stop eating ice cream. If you follow the rules your band will make itself known. I never get that full in the gut feeling. It is more of, I'm not hungry anymore. I evaluate each bite... Am I eating this because I am hungry or because it tastes good and I want more? Hopefully someday it will become less concious and more natural.

Thank you!! I may have to try that. My sugar cravings are insane sometimes!!

This is one of the biggest things I am working on. I am doing so good right now with my eating and losing weight since I recommitted. Then I read about bad experiences, and about people who are miserable, hate their band... etc... and I get all depressed and worried that my success will be short lived. Stay focused on your experience. Everyone is different!!

mocaba: Thanks for sharing the edit on the recipe. I am on a big kick of trying to encorporate fresh ingredients, and limit my usage of pre-packaged goods. I make chili a lot, it is one of my staples. I am excited to now get rid of the seasoning packet!

I love sushi!! I still have it. Lots. lol. I usually order sushi that is light on rice and heavy on the raw fish. My favorite sushi is all raw fish wrapped in cucumber instead of seaweed. Goes down like a dream and is packed with Protein. I can eat between 2-4 pieces depending on my fill level. I always drink my hot miso before hand as well as some hot green tea. Really relaxes things.

Lol... my mouth was watering reading the menu. Sushi is my most favorite thing ever. Yum!! You shouldn't have any issues with the miso soup. It is basiclaly broth with tofu in it. tofu is super soft. So that should be fine. The fresh tuna on a rice cracker. Just eat the tuna off the top. If it is fresh and raw, it should mush up fine in your mouth and go down no problem. I would stay way from rock shrimp. Shrimp is not very band friendly for me and a lot of other bansters. Ster clear for now. Skirt steak... forget about it. Too soon after surgery and I literally haven't had steak in years because of the band. Nigiri is actually perfect for you. It is a piece of raw fish served over rice. Just eat the fish and don't touch the rice. There are plenty of options for you. Just stick to the soft raw fish and stay away from the rice and steak. As mentioned above.. just pick it apart and move it around your plate. No one will be paying attention to what you are eating! Oh, I always drink hot green tea before I eat sushi. It relaxes my pouch.

My absolute favorite Protein powder is BSN Lean Dessert Whipped vanilla Creme. It is VERY good!! Not chalky AT ALL. I mix mine with soy milk in a blender cup. My second favorite is Vanilla Premier Protein ready to drink. I like that I can grab it and go when I am in a rush in the morning. Protein Powder: BSN Lean Dessert Flavor: Whipped Vanilla Creme I buy it at: vitacost.com Ready Drink Protein: Premier Protein Flavor: Vanilla or chocolate [i prefer Vanilla] I buy it at: costco

So sorry about your complication!! How frightening that must have been initially. Glad you are on the mend. I hope everything is smooth sailing from here on out!!!

Read a book. Do an activity you enjoy. Something to get your mind off of the obsessive thoughts of the food you want. Don't give in. Divert those thoughts!!!

Please be careful. You are 14 days post op and still healing. Vomitting is such a violent action on your stomach. Dangerous even for a fully healed bandster. You will have those moments where you are weak. Find a way to stay strong until the moment passes. When that little voice in your head says "I shouldn't be eating this", listen to it!! I know that lil voice popped up!! Hang in there. Once you can move onto solids, hopefully today will be a good lesson for slowing down.