kgloverii

NEVER being able to lose with the band would require a complete medical workup with a doc, a detailed food journal, etc... Having a band is a very small part of the journey... my best friend and I were talking about it and she was like "You have it cause it makes you accountable right?" and at the beginning, it does help with that... but as you continue in your journey, for me, it is NOT an accountability thing anymore, cause I just have my full feeling and am ready to stop eating cause I am satisfied... You MUST have a TRUE commitment to the band. A true commitment is NOT just eating till you are full. You have to follow some rules. The most important eating rule FOR ME is NOT to eat and drink simultaneously. PERIOD. I can FEEL the food wash through the band with the drink... Anyone who is trying to lose and is eating and drinking together is self-sabotaging. Whether they want to admit it or not. You also MUST maintain a commitment to do the follow ups with your doc. If you are not losing at the 1-2 pounds/week rate (accepting an occasional plateau) you need to first look at that food diary, and second make an appt with your doc. A fill too much or too little will make it MUCH harder to lose and maintain that loss. I am down 53 pounds and it is NOT a fast journey anymore... but I am doing the right things and losing slowly but surely. I look better than I have in a LONG time... My mom congratulated me and I did that "Aw shucks, I don't deserve it, I had help" line and my mom was like "WAIT! Katy! You DO deserve congrats. You made a commitment to your health and you've done it. Many people go get the band and don't do the work to get where they need to go, but you've been consistent and bought into your success" and that is true. I have. So, every pound I lose, every size I drop, I raise a glass of sparkling water and orange juice and toast myself. Because I DO deserve congrats for doing my work...

I was talking with someone from work the other day, and she was asking me questions about my band... As we were conversing, I'd told her how I had gotten 'stuck' on a plateau for a bit, and finally started dropping again... She looked at me and said, "Katy... you know you're going to stop losing eventually, right?" I didn't notice what she'd said for a minute and then it hit me.... She was looking at me, and in her own way telling me I was NORMAL. Not viewed as FAT... My brain still hasn't fully grasped that yet, and I'm not sure when it will... I am at a 12/14 and still view myself as disgustingly blubbery... And I'm not where I want to be yet... but other people see me as 'regular...' Unbelievable....

What are you eating? Are you compensating for the PBing by eating liquid everything? That often promotes weight gain cause you are never full... I'd follow a liquid diet for 2 days or so to make sure your pouch is not stretched... Then make sure you're eating carefully, chewing everything... and if you don't have enough restriction, eat a bit bulkier foods if you can tolerate them. You may have to go back to get filled a couple times to get tweaked to the right spot. My doc told me not being able to eat much in the AM is a big sign I am there... and I agree... but everyone's experience is different. It took me 6 months to get a sweet spot, and I was very patient. My last fill, my doc told me that according to Inamed, their recommendation was 1 cc for the feeling I was looking for... he thought, but he recommended 1/2 cc since I was not able to eat much in the am. I told him to split it down the middle and do 3/4 cc. It was magic... BTW.. I have the VG band, a 10 cc band, so the fill amount is higher than with a 4 cc band... I am now at like 6.75 in a 10 cc band and perfect... for now!

I'd cut out all soda completely... whether it is Diet or regular... Soda is REALLY unhealthy whether it is diet or regular, and that doesn't include the extra stress that carbonation puts on your band. I know the 'I hate Water feeling" cause I've tried to kick that feeling to no avail. What I do is fill a glass with Ice, then fill it with 2/3 water and add 100% juice to top it off. My favorite is Orange Juice with Lots of Pulp, because even with 2/3 water, that pulp makes me feel like I'm drinking straight OJ. If I've got a kick for carbonation, I'll use 1/2 seltzer water and 1/2 juice. Not a lot of carbonation that way, but I still get the 'feeling' of soda...

I got my band in October 2007, and DH and I had always said we'd notice a definite difference in our grocery bill... Well we haven't--- I've become a TOTAL FOODIE. I've gone from eating to fill my stomach to wanting great quality food that I can savor the flavors from, enjoy the textures, and change up the pairings in order to really make the meal something extraordinary. In the process, our family has decided to stop eating processed junk (the kids miss their Cheerios!), and instead focusing on eating primarily organic foods, minimally processed, no artificial anything... we've ALL given up soda, chips, cookies, etc and instead relish the fresh organic local produce I buy on a weekly basis. Our newest "favorite food" is this bread we've found called "Ezekial 4:9." OMG it is unlike ANY other bread we've tried... and it is truly something that makes my tastebuds rejoice... Anyway, I just wanted to share one of the consequences of Lap-Band and wonder if others have experienced the same thing... In fact, if anything, our food bill has gone UP. It is funny, I am a total Target shopper and love checking out their organic food line every time I am in there... I went to Wal-mart for the first time in 3 months or so and walked through the food section... I was actually REPULSED. There was nothing in the food section that was remotely healthy... it was all processed junk full of additives... I've become a food snob... :thumbdown: And to think 7 months ago, I would have eaten anything that wasn't nailed down... :cool2:

I put it on my credit card... The BEST debt I could ever have accumulated. No regrets....

I think your sweet spot will stay sweet until you lose some more weight, and that band is looser. You'll have to eventually get "topped off" as your hunger increases....

I hit my sweet spot after fill #4. I no longer crave food all the time. My mindset about food and eating has totally changed. I no longer order based on what the portion is going to be (is it going to be enough?!)... I am a total 'foodie' now where I sit down and really ENJOY the taste, and the texture of my meals. You'll know your sweet spot when you can eat enough that you are satisfied, and then you are satisfied for a longer period of time. I eat what I want, in small quantities till I am satisfied... I don't PB at all, because I STOP when I feel satisfied...

Will continued consistent use of Miralax or any other laxatives create a physical dependence?

I am not familiar with either of the docs, but did want to say that if your PCP is someone you trust, it can't hurt to go with the guy he recommends, as long as you feel comfortable with him. Good luck in your decision!

1) Satisfaction with food... AND LIFE. I finally know what it feels like not be be hungry all of the time. 2) The ability to wear cute clothes. I was tired of the tents I wore before and love being able to go to the juniors sections for the hottest trends... 3) The ability to run after my kids and KEEP UP. Looking forward to DOING stuff instead of dreading it....

I used to be that friend as well. A friend of DH had gastric bypass and I thought it was the 'easy way out' etc. Well, I finally realized, I was tired of always being hungry. I was taking a courageous step in order to be healthy FOR ME and MY FAMILY. I do agree with PP's. There is an element of jealousy. And there is an element of that person somewhere deep down, thinking they are better than you... and/or that through the weight loss, you will somehow be 'better than them' later on. You will encounter people who will want to sabotage your efforts, consciously or subconsciously. And no matter what you do, no matter how many times you explain your reasons for your surgery, they won't understand. And they may never understand. You will lose friends. They will drift away because too much of your friendship was wrapped around food-- i.e. eating out. Or because there will be that mental thing that they can't get over. And that will be their loss... When I hit the 'sweet spot' a month ago, I really had an epiphany. I sat down with DH, who never has had a weight problem in his life, and explained that who I was pre-band was ME being the BEST I COULD BE. My weight was not due to emotional eating. It was not due to lack of willpower. I did the best I could. I had hunger that was not satisfied. And the sweet spot FINALLY made me realize how satisfied I was with food AND LIFE. I have no compulsions to consume anymore... not just food, but it effects how I shop at the store, how I think about things. Until you get that, you don't understand... there will be a part of you that will accept blame. I know I sidetracked, but I just wanted to show you how sometimes, we can't control our thoughts until something changes them... that may never happen for your friend. And don't feel defensive for their words. As my friend Oprah said, "When you know better, you do better"--- sometimes people just don't know...

I am a daily weigher as well. I do not think it is an obsession and I do NOT freak out about a pound or so up or down. I am aware of fluid retention and constipation, hormonal fluctuations, etc. I like to keep myself accountable, and the daily weight check does just that. So far it has not failed me.

I have been banded for about 6.5 months... I have that issue as well.... I get stuck, take my laxative, and the weight loss starts up again... I only do it about once a month... but it does the trick...

Hi all, Just wanted to introduce myself. I had the band placed 10/23/07 by Dr. Ortiz in MX, and have my follow-up care through Dr. Mark Pleatman in Bloomfield Hills. I started at 235, and am now at 189... I just found my 'sweet spot' and couldn't be happier with my band!

I have adult ADD and was diagnosed 2 years ago with it. I currently take Adderall and it truly has been a miracle drug for me. For me, when I am medicated, I definetely am more organized in thought, as well as in my eating habits... And the little 'boost' of energy gets me to the gym more regularly.