luvmy2dogs

Janine you're doing fantastic. I wish I only had 20 lbs to go. lol

I completely understand that. Go eat a few big macs, or ice cream sundaes. hahahahah Don't get below that 40, or they will not cover it. Isn't that awful???

I had my band checked for leakage at my 2nd fill. He took everything out to see how much was in it, and then put it all back. He did say the Realize and the new A/P band is more flexible, and it takes more fluid to get restriction. The good side of that, he said, is that people do not throw up, get stuck, etc... the way they did on some of the other bands. I certainy feel your frustration. I had one night where I really felt like throwing in the towel. I cried and said "I'm a failure, and this is never going to work for me" I thought... Why did I have to be the one to have this surgery, and not get restriction until my band was full. UGH! I feel like I have some now, although I dont' know how long that will last, and I really don't have much room in my band for anymore fluid. I only have 1 cc left to fill. I feel like I will get to that 1cc long before I have lost my other 50 lbs.

You are certainly right. That can get very frustrating. Especially when you're making good food choices, and you're hungry an hour after you eat. Oh, and I don't eat the 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup of food people say they eat. I don't know how they do that. I've never had that much restriction. Even with my 3rd fill and at 8.1 cc. So.. if that is what we are supposed to eat, I'm still not there. lol Today for lunch I ate about 4 oz or so of chicken and a piece of cheese. That is more than 1/2 cup. I told my Dr. that I don't eat 1/2 cup and he said everyone is different. Do you know approx how many calories you eat a day. I have to count all of mine. Some say they dont have to count anything and I'm like... grrr....

vegors: What kind of band do you have? Also, did you try eating Protein instead of that big bag of quaker oats cheddar rice crisps. My surgeon told me that crunchy stuff breaks down real small when you chew it up, so it goes right through the pouch. Which is probably why you could eat the whole bag. Some lunch meat chicken breast, or tuna, or something else with dense protein may have been a much better option. Not to sound harsh, but some of the food choices you have made are not the best in calories/fat, and also not realy good for the band. The band works better with heavy Proteins, and not slider foods, or foods that turn very small like chips when you chew them up. I understand the frustration you feel regarding the restriction, as I just found restriction with my 3rd fill. I'm at 8.1 cc in my 9cc realize band. But... I never sit down and eat an entire bag of chips, or beef jerky. That stuff is loaded with fat/calories. A protein like chicken breast or something is going to hold you much longer than a beef jerky, or bag of chips as well. Just a thought. Also, I know the restriction will loosen. He told me that you can be tight, or to your sweet spot, and then drop 20 lbs, and it puts more space between your stomach and the band. Then you need more fill. Again, I feel the frustration you are having, but the food choices you are making need to change as well. We can not justify our anger at the band, if we are eating all the wrong foods. We can eat chocolate milk shakes all day, and the band will not work. As hungry as I've gotten, I haven't cracked and gone totally overboard. I still count everything I put in my mouth.

Oh, forgot to mention. There is an online support group for the Southside. It's a Sentara support group. I'll try to get the website for you. There may be other people that are going to the same surgeon as you. I think most on this Hampton Roads thread go to WLSC. Not sure. If you talked with some on that thread, they may have more info on the Dr. and their procedures.

I never heard of such a thing, eating at 11 am. My surgeons office does not do that. He doesn't say what time we should eat. I wonder what reason he has for that? Did he say? That sounds weird to me. Has anyone else reading this heard of that? High cholesterol probably isn't considered a co-morbidity because it's controllable with medication. Who knows... So is high blood pressure. What is your bmi again? Did you say 40. I know a bmi of over 40 is a co morbidity, and that may be enough for insurance to give the ok. Do you have any other issues your Dr. can list, like bad knees, arthritis. Whatever he puts on your medical records will help. Your surgeons office should be able to set up your nutrition appt. and your psych eval for you. WLSC does it all for you. You really don't have to do a thing. They file the insurance and everything. I exercise basically every day. I try to switch things around, so I don't get bored, but sometimes I have to force myself cause I don't feel like it. lol. I got an elliptical for Christmas, so I try to do either 30-45 minutes on my elliptical, or I do my aerobics tape. I hape a couple tapes called turbo jam from beachbody.com. They are fabulous. If it's nice out, I walk. I just came back from a 50 minute walk. I try to do at least 45 minutes of exercise everyday. I get bored, so can't do much more than that. hee hee But.. I do it every day. Once in a while, I'll skip Sunday. But.. some girls dont do it at all, and still lose the weight, so... The scale does not move for me if I don't exercise. But... like I said, up until now I didn't have much restriction, so the exercise got me where I needed to be. I figure if I eat 1200 calories in a day, and burn off 400 then that's not so bad, and and I'll lose weight. I'm looking forward to the warmer weather so I can do more outside stuff, like biking, etc... I'm going to pm you, and give you my private e-mail address. You can e-mail me anytime if you want. Where do you live?

RH, also, I think high cholesterol is considered on of the items you can list from being obese. You should be ok with bcbs if your bmi is 40 and you have high cholesterol.

Hi Rh, what do you mean by not eating until 11 am? That seems late in the day. Who said you can't eat until 11 am? As far as the liquids, right after surgery you really don't get too hungry, as your stomach is swollen. Do you mean the two days after your fill. To be honest, this is the first fill I've gotten where really had any restriction, so I stayed on mushys after the last couple fills, and not quite liquids. I was hungry, and didn't have restriction, so I wasn't so great with the liquid thing. This time I am. But... the difference now is I have restriction. I've been staying on Protein shakes, etc.. and I'm really not hungry at all. It's pretty easy now that I have proper restriction!! HOORAY You will get there with the 50 lbs too. You'll do great!! My weight came off really fast at first. Over the last couple months, it has really slowed down a lot. To about a pound or 1 1/2 a week. It was starting to get a little frustrating, as I was eating right, and exercising like crazy. I know they say the lb a week is great, but when you are a daily weigher like I am, 1 lb seemed like nothing. lol Anyway, the first 30 dropped off like Water. You will see.... Right after the surgery, you're on liquids for like 2 weeks. That's hard, but you'll see the weight come pouring off. After you get on regular foods, it slows down a little. Especially if your restriction is limited. Some have it right off the bat. I really didn't have it until this last (3rd) fill, now I definitely have it. And.. my what a difference! I felt like before it was mostly will power and obsessive exercise. Don't worry, you'll see that 50 lbs gone in no time. It doesn't sound like you have a lot to lose, if 50 lbs will get you to 180. It's taking me 75 lbs to get to 180 hahahahha But... I'm just about half way to goal since 9/11. That is great! I worked for every lb. It has been a real struggle for me from about the first month or so...until yesterday's fill. I'm so glad it's going to get a little easier.

rhc, good luck, you shouldn't have too much trouble with BCBS. As long as all your paperwork is together and all info provided, it should go pretty smooth. Jimmilou... You're getting close. I'm thinking of you. Good luck Thursday with your surgery. You'll be in bandland soon enough! As for me, yesterday was my 3rd fill. Dr. T added 1.1cc for a total of 8.1 in my Realize band. I think I'm actually finally where I need to be with full restriction. I can tell a difference with just a little bit to eat. Plus... last night I was a little hungry before dinner, so I tried to eat a tsp of Peanut Butter. Never had a problem with it before. It was NOT a pretty sight. It got stuck and I couldnt' get it up. It took about 4 heaves before It finally came flying out. This was the first time I have ever thrown up eating anything. hahahahah Sorry for too much info. No more peanut butter for me. It's Protein shakes only for me today. I'm definitely going to give it my 2 days of liquid, and two days of mushys before trying anything solid. I'm nut hungry at all today. Anyway, who would have thunk peanut butter would bother you. Geez!

Mine was fixed during surgery as well. No heartburn since! HOORAY!! My husband is jealous Your surgeon should be able to see if it's there and fix it all at the same time during surgery. :-)

OMG! I'm just so excited that I had to share. I got the results back from my bloodwork for my cholesterol check. After 4 months and 46 pounds, my cholesterol is down to 131 from 248. Isn't that freaking amazing!!! 120-200 Is the normal range, so mine is actually on the lower range. I can not even believe it. I'm so happy because I can not take the cholesterol meds. This is all from the diet alone. This makes it all worth it for me. Yeah for my band!!

chaise, do you have the Realize band too. Just curious. I would be interested to see how many people with this problem have the Realize band. We should take a poll. :-) I too have never slimed, pb'd or thrown up. Have trouble getting full.

OMG Nancy! That is all so horrible! I'm so sorry to hear you had such a rough time. What does your Dr say? Have you seen another? I'm so sorry to hear about your mom and dad. I can see why you are so frustrated and scared. Why does your Dr. say you are not losing the weight? Is there still a problem with your band/port? I know they do say, sometimes this does not work. There can be complications, but they are rare. I'm so sorry you have to be one of them with the complications. Again... what is your surgeon saying? Where are you located?

The throwing up thing is hard for me to understand, as I have never thrown up, pb'd, or slimed. But.. I'm not to full restriction yet. I have had some trouble with dry chicken or ham leftover the next day and cold, but it just went down slow and hurt a little. No vomiting, etc...I have talked to people that have had this experience quite a bit though. Mr surgeon told me this is less so with Realize. That I guess it's a little more forgiving and you dont' throw up, pb as much. Who knows. I'm sure you're just full.

Hi Jodi, sounds like you're doing GREAT! Way to go! One girl I read was also drinking while she ate. That was until her Dr. told her flat out... If you do, you will fail! The food will wash right through your pouch and you will not be full. How is she doing with weight loss? I know it's hard not to drink with your band, but she needs to overcome this. Why spend all that money on the band and not follow the rules. I can understand some slip ups, but she is defeating the whole purpose of the band.

I am keeping my fingers crossed. Last night I had a melt down, and wanted to throw in the towel. This morning I got up and was down 1 1/2 lbs, so I felt better. It's sooo hard. I think what discourages me, is I see so many that say this is a piece of cake. It has not been for me. It is a struggle. I now know what they mean when they say "This is just a tool" It doesn't take your desire away for those bad foods you shouldn't eat, etc... I think it makes it easier, but I'm hoping for a little easier with my next fill. :tongue:

Hi Kiz, your post made me feel a lot better, as I feel like we are in a similar place. My Dr. has been telling me the same thing, that I'm small on the "inside" so it takes more Fluid to put puressure on the stomach because there is more space in between. Also, when you lose more weight, it puts even more space. Why oh why does the restriction wear off? Is it because when you lose weight it puts more space there? I guess that makes sense. But.. what happens when we get to our max fill capacity? With the Realize I believe that's 9cc and my surgeon said they can push that a little further. I have never felt like I can just eat 1/2 cup of food. That is why I feel like there is something wrong. Maybe when I get to my "Sweet Spot" that will happen. My loss has slowed down substantially. I know it's still within range, as I'm losing about a lb a week, maybe a little less. I'm happy it's not going up. Thanks for the encouragement. I'm just going to keep trugging along and see how my next fill goes, next week. I've come way too far to go back, so I'm going to keep pushing forward. Thanks again! Luv

Hi Ready, Do you have the Realize band? Also, what size is your band? You're in CT? That's where I'm from originally. My dad had his lap surgery there. He's lost 180 lbs. He does not have the Realize band. He has the original lapband.

Yeah, the chicken breast is a challenge. It's ok warm the first night, it's left over cold the next day that is the challenge. Filet I can do just fine. Thankfully! :-) It's my favorite. Having it tonight as a matter of fact.

I'll try the drinking when I get hungry and see if that works. I don't throw up, and never have. Nothing has ever really gotten stuck. I can eat anything. I have trouble with really dry chicken if I don't chew it good. Not really stuck, but I can feel it and it hurts if I don't chew good. Only dry white breast.

Mine also said there was no difference, just read some have more restriction with the other. Like I said, my dad said he was NEVER hungry. I get hungry. It seems like you're having better luck with the original.

Hi, I too have the Realize band, and am feeling the same frustration. Today I felt like throwing in the towel. I am at 7cc in my 9cc Realize band, and don't have a whole lot of restriction. I feel like most of this is will power and obsessive exercise. After my last fill which took me to 7, I felt a little more restriction, but not in the amount that I ate, only that I wasn't as hungry in between meals. Now that seems to have worn off. I feel hungry more. I could probably eat a whole lot if I kept going, but I just make myself stop when I think I've eaten enough. I feel like this will fail, and I will never have true restriction. UGH! It's so frustrating. I read those with restriction only eat 1/2 cup or so. I eat waaaay more than that. I stop before I even feel full. Some that have the regular band and not the realize seem to have way more restriction. I feel like I made a mistake, and maybe I should have gotten the other band. My father has lost 180 lbs, and had his surgery 3 years ago with the original lapband. He doesn't understand when I say I have NO restriction, and the scale is moving so slow. He said he had it from the start, and was NEVER hungry. UGH! What's wrong with me? He keeps saying I don't know what your Dr. did to you? He lives in CT, and me in Virginia. He started at well over 400, and I started at 254 and I have lost about 46 lbs. But.. trust me, it has been a huge struggle. I exercise every single day. I feel hungry alot. The scale is moving like a snail. Only about 1 lb per week, maybe even less. In the last 4 1/2 weeks I've only lost 3-4 lbs. Am I overreacting. I am sooo scared I'm going to get to 9cc on my next fill, and still not have restriction. Any advice??

Beth and Jimmie, good luck to you both. You will do great. You will love Dr. T. He's a great doc. Carla, you're doing fabulous! I'm only 4 months out, but the band is the best thing I ever did for ME! If I never lost another pound (hopefully that doesn't happen) it would still be worth it. It's amazing what this 45 lbs has done for my asthma. Now if this weather would just get warmer so I can go outside. I'm tired of indoor exercisie I want to WALK!

I had a small problem with ham at Christmas. I think I swallowed too big of a piece. It didn't get completely stuck, but was really painful going down. The other night I had leftover pork tenderloin, and thought I could have the same problem because it was dry, so chewed it to death. When I eat steak I only eat filet, so that's probably why I'm ok with it. I bet my next fill will limit me even more. We'll have to see. I still don't full restriction yet. I should with 7cc I think, but I don't. I can still eat waaaay more than the 1/2 cup of food they say I should eat with full restriciton. So.. I'm guessing I don't. I could eat a whole plate of food if I wanted. ???