HeatherO

I have unfortunately had the experience of sliming while driving, yuckkkkk. It doesn't happen much anymore now that I am a veteran bandster, it is easier to avoid. I can eat steak but it helps if it is cooked medium and it is a really great cut, like filet mignon. I have replaced quantity with quality post banding, lol.

I have been on a bit of a plateau lately as well. Halloween has also been really tough because I keep snagging that occasional piece of chocolate . . . and snagging . . . and snagging . . . and wondering why I am not losing, lol, it is such a mystery to me :0) I need to get back to charting my intake. I am not trying to lose so much as maintain right now . . . but I really, truly do not want to gain either. I am OK maintaining by eating healthy nutritious food, I am not OK with maintaining by eating crap which I have been doing occasionally over the last little bit of time. I have a tendency to keep doing what I am doing . . . if I am doing great and staying on top of everything it is easy to continue . . . if I am slipping up I keep making excuses and it is easy to continue. I wish it were just easier to change my mindset when necessary. Is anyone else like this?

I am sorry to hear that. The sooner you get it replaced the better. Not having restriction is a diet . . . and that really sucks. Do you know why the leak may have happened? How soon can you get the port replaced?

I think it is easy to get back into old habits once the band has been in place for a while. Sometimes I have to go back to one day at a time and start charting again. That seems to help me get back on track.

I tried everything to get rid of my acid reflux, but only one thing helped and it fixed it completely . . . an unfill. I think some of us are just ultra sensitive to getting acid reflux post banding.

Every doctor is different but this seems a little strange to me. When I felt too tight, my doctor definitely removed some Fluid. They say that if you are having to have solely liquids for breakfast and very soft mushies for lunch . . . it is in some ways defeating the purpose of the band. My doctor told me to no longer have Protein shakes for breakfast because it doesn't produce the normal satiety that is needed. Solid Proteins should be the start of each meal. Also some people have trouble losing weight when they are too tight. liquid calories are very easy to ingest. If most healthy foods are a struggle to ingest, it is only natural to turn towards things that go down a little less painfully. You may find that 1/2 cc of fluid taken out is a fairly large increment. Sometimes 1/10 cc of fluid makes a big impact when you are close to your sweet spot.

It is great to see a couple of new people from the Cleveland area. This thread isn't very active but I would love to get to know more people around the area. I haven't pretty much reached my goal since my last post on this thread from May. I am currently only 2 pounds away from a normal BMI at 142 pounds. I am not really looking to lose anymore right now and am mostly focusing on maintaining through my pregnancy. I knew before I got banded that I would lose weight . . . but the stats say typical loss is 50-60% of the excess. I really never even dreamed that I would be almost at 100% so quickly. I love my band . . . it has changed my life and is absolutely the best thing I ever did for myself. Congratulations on being newly banded scanlon21 . . . . you are definitely still in recovery and keep in mind that it only gets better from here. I am happy you will be joining us soon on the melting side of life, a_thinner_me. You will have to let us know when you get your final date.

A lot of it is in what a person is eating. They say eat the Protein first . . . when I don't do this, other items slip thorugh my band easier. The protein almost works as a stopper to slow the flow of the rest of the food. I never eat those things first which will slide right through the band. Also, are you following the no drinking rule? Drinking, even small sips, causes the food to flush through your pouch. You may need another slight fill as well.

I agree with Jachut, it all depends on where you carry it. You lose fat uniformly from your fat cells, but all of us have different accumulations of fat cells in different areas. I had a high percentage in my but and thighs, so I was looking thin and perfect up top, but downstairs was a different thing. I will always be heavier in those areas than others. It really surprises me that there are so many creams or exercise equipment that are supposed to make you lose in a specific spot. You can certainly firm up, but there is nothing you can do to shift where the fat cells are physically located (barring liposuction or a tuck). If you lose all over, than the desired areas are also going to be smaller.

I had it also and still occasionally lose a few strands, but I found that it was relatively short lived and resolved itself. I always took Vitamins regularly and Protein has always been a primary staple of my diet. I was doing everything right but still had a loss (however, I think if I wasnt doing everything right it might have been a much more significant loss). Also, it is important not to forget that we have given our bodies quite a shock. Our bodies deal with this shock in different ways and hairloss is one of those ways. People also experience hair loss during pregnancies, times of extreme stress or prolonged sicknesses. After reading many, many, many threads on hair loss, one thing I noticed is that for most people who had the hair loss start months in the past and were banded for most of or more than a year, hairloss stopped either on its own or with a little dietary/vitamin help. It seems to be an issue typically resolved over a few months . . . . as long as you are getting appropriate nutrition.

Since you are going to do it under flouro, I wouldn't worry too much about it because you can easily see what is or is not working. I found that after I had an unfill, my previous fill level was too much when I went to get filled again. The doctor explained to me that when you go through an unfill, sometimes the band settles slightly differently around your stomach and your sweet spot can move up or down. It is not unusual to find it has changed even to a lower fill level. this was a surprise to me.

Popcorn is too easy to eat, even when you are tightly restricted. It is also empty calories since there is not much of nutritional value and it can be very high in calories and sodium if you are eating it with butter. I use 0 calorie butter. Even with tight restriction, I can eat an unlimited supply of popcorn. Do you know how many calories are in the popcorn at the movies with their "topping?" You may be exceeding your daily calories just at the movies with this one snack if you are not careful. Soda, or any carbonated beverages, are also not healthy for bandsters, it is well known to stretch the pouch and almost every doctor bans it completely. For the health of your band, it should be avoided. I do like popcorn on occasion, but I only make it at home so I can control the calories. It is a great snack in moderation.

There is definitely a lot more superficial attention, that is for certain. However, that is flattering but not much more than that. There is so much more to finding the right person. Confidence increases when you lose the weight for almost all of us . . . and that is a definite bonus as well. However, I know a lot of heavy people that are great in the relationship department and have no problems meeting people. I also know plenty of thin people that just kind find someone that meets their needs. Normal weight helps but it is only a small piece of the pie. More and more people are finding success by meeting people via the internet because you can so easily pre-screen and those things that are most important (beyond looks) become apparent over time. I met my husband online in 2005, we were married in 2007. He loved me heavy, he loves me thin, he loves me period and we are very, very happy together. I would highly suggest it for anyone who is having difficulty meeting the "right" person . . . but please be careful because there are some not so great people on line as well.

I agree with you completely. After losing almost 100% of my excess weight to bring me to a normal BMI, I couldn't be more thrilled. I love, love, love my band.

My urge to binge went away almost completely . . . I just wasnt hungry. It would occasionally pop-up on a rare occasion but usually on a baby scale since I had no capacity. However, I later discovered that the binge monster only goes into hiding. After an emergency unfill . . . I was HUNGRYYYY and food again became an obsession where it was barely a secondary thought before. I have discovered that binging for me is both psychological and physical. I would say that the band when I am restricted definitely cures it by 95%.

I am almost 11 months out and could not be more happy with the results. I have lost darn near 100% of my weight bringing me to a normal BMI. I went from 18/20 XL to 6/8 Mediums. I did have an issue with sudden tightening of the band leading to an emergency unfill. Later discovered that it was caused by pregnancy, lol. I love my band. Thank you, thank you, thank you my wonderful band.

I frequently travel to NYC so it would be a good location for me personally. I also agree that NJ is close and cheaper while still allowing people to see the big apple with minimal fuss.

It is definitely a combination. Sometimes my band does the work . . . but that only lasts for so long. When I hit a plateau I have to reassess what I am eating, whether I am tracking it, how my exercise is going, etc. To keep losing it is all give and take. When it is working without effort everything is great, but when it stops working I have to take the initiative to make it start moving again.

You don't have to have a huge fill, you can start small. You can also drink plenty before you leave to make sure that things are making their way through. I understand your fear in that I had an issue where my band closed up on me and went from good restriction to inability to drink Water over a few days. Nothing is more uncomfortable or frightening than that . . . it was absolutely awful. I was also scared of a fill for a while . . . but if you take it easy it is no big deal. You know now that too much too fast is not good . . . all you have to do is take that first step. You should be proud of yourself for maintaining so well empty.

I went with a hair change and got some "help" with my clothing choices through friends that are way trendier than me. I really like the thought of a tattoo as well . . . great idea.

Either increase your intake or get a slight unfill for maintenance purposes. Sometimes just adding a couple of hundred calories in the form of fruit or other healthy snack is enough to keep you in maintenance mode.

I agree, overeating is not the same as binging. If overeating is an issue, I think there is no harm in bringing it up. I remember being honest about overeating . . . and one of the follow-up questions was whether I think I have ever eaten more than 5,000 calories or more than a days allotment in one setting. I know I was an overeater wanted 2nds or even 3rds on occasion, but never to the tune of 5,000 calories. I wouldn't really worry about the overeating part, after all, how many of us who became obese didn't overeat . . . you have to overeat to be obese and there is no way around it. Another thing they are trying to determine is if you really, truly understand what is required of you post banding and how to make this lifestyle choice work for you, and if you are capable of committing to it. If a person has regular purging activities to go along with it such as with bulimia, then I would think there is a definite possibility that they would not be approved. However, for anyone who has this issue I think it is good to be honest because banding will not fix it and it needs to be addressed to find ultimate weight loss success.

30 something surgeries is not enough experience, regardless of bedside manner. I would suggest you look for a different doctor if at all possible. I would also have concerns for follow-up care with such a dismal outlook on success and lack of patients. I have lost almost near 100% of my excess weight to bring me to a normal BMI, even after a partial unfill due to being preggers. The journey is what you make of it, if you are wiling to give it your all over the long term, you can lose a significant amount. With that being said, and not to just be a nay-sayer, banding really is not for everyone. I have been reading threads long enough to see that there are plenty of people who fail and sometimes even gain weight post banding and either convert to another surgery or give up altogether. There are some serious questions people should ask themselves before choosing banding . . . 1) Are you an emotional eater, if so, how do you intend to deal with it? You need a plan and the ability to follow-through on this one. Some of us need counseling or extra support to make it through this one. Eating can be an addiction and is for a lot of us. 2) Are you a grazer who eats small amounts throughout the day? If so, banding wont prevent grazing and is more helpful for those who overeat during their primary meals. 3) Are you prone to eating sweets or junk food? These items slide right through the band no matter how tight you are.

It is different for everyone. I found I had to have a lower fill level . . . and then it is gone completely. Either I am never hungry but cough throughout the night with reflux (I have even spit up on my pillow a couple of times which is rather unpleasant) . . . or I deal with a little hunger and having to be more careful with my diet but can sleep like a baby. I never had reflux in my life prior to banding.

You just need to keep sipping all day. I have noticed over time that when I am not drinking enough water my weight loss stalls. I have to drink to keep losing.