HeatherO

The Realize band takes a lot to get full, but once it is it seems to maintain for a long time. My last fill is still good since last April.

I had the same problems of pb'ing everything after my last fill. I discovered the problem was that I was eating too fast and not chewing enough for the new fill level. I also wasnt going on liquids after a pb to let my stomach settle. Perhaps if you spend a day or two on liquids to mushies, you might find that this fill may be OK. If you are following all the steps, the weight has to come off even if it is slow. How many calorites are you taking in daily? Are you tracking your calories and Protein daily?

Thanks so much for sharing your story. Middle school and high school years are the toughest, most trying years of your life. I always hear, oh I wish I were young again . . . but for me I never want to revisit the days of teenage angst. Everything gets easier for almost everyone when they move into their early 20's. Now you get to move into adulthood as a healthy, more confident young woman. The best parts of your life are only just beginning.

Hollie definitely has a point. Fish and chicken have really helped me lose because only a little fills me up fast, so I use that to my advantage. When I eat something that I know will pass easy, I eat something that won't pass easy first to help slow it up a little. This is the same exact reason why they say to avoid liquid calories and slider foods. What you eat makes all the difference in the world.

I was having a problem immediately after my second fill, but soon learned that the problem was me and not my band. I was eating too fast and not chewing enough. I thought I was doing ok, but I kept pb'ing. After a pb, I was also not going onto liquids for the rest of the day to give my stomach a rest. Once I realized what the problem was, I modified my behavior and found that the fill has actually put me at my sweet spot. I just had to learn more about bandster behavior. However, you should always be cautious. If you know that you are taking your time, chewing extremely well, giving your stomach a break for a day or two after a pb and still having constant problems than a slight unfill is definitely needed.

Excellent advice. I was recently playing with the thought of getting another fill, but decided not to because I can eat pretty normal things without hurting myself or pb'ing regularly. I had to question what the real goals are . . . and it is to eat healthy, normal food without being overly hungry or consuming too much while losing 1-2 pounds weekly. It is working for me being more open so I will stay where I am for now.

I noticed a problem yesterday. The Home & Forum page seemed to be similar. It was almost like I was getting redirected to the wrong link for a while. It seems ok again now.

How are you feeling now? Can you get fluids in? Did you go on fluids for 1-2 days after throwing up to give your stomach time to relax?

I am sure you can get this issue resolved with suggestions provided above. Definitely don't make payments or setup a payment plan at this point. Also, don't stop making follow-up calls daily until it gets resolved. The squeaky wheel gets the grease and this is a very important matter for you and your family. If you are diligent, this should be able to be resolved quickly. I am sorry you have to deal with this on top of being laid off and major surgery.

I suffer from occasional reflux and heartburn as well. Sometimes I get heartburn from not eating which is strange. Tums with a little milk usually help. It seems like a lot of people have the opposite post surgery. No reflux/heartburn before and now they have it, or vice versa.

Now I realize why you are asking this question, because it is the same question I asked myself 1-2 months out where I was starving. (It was also the same question I asked myself dozen's of times over the years before banding when I kept deciding to give it one more shot the old fashioned way) You are in bandster hell of course and becoming depressed is natural. We have all been there, or will get there in the future. A lot of us have read something about it before we got there, but you don't realllyyy understand it until you have lived it. It is a miserable time where you doubt yourself, doubt your band, doubt everything. It is true, your band is not really helping you at this phase. I stalled out on weight loss for several weeks at this point. The only way I could get it going again was to cut out processed carbs. I ate only lean meats and vegetables with limited fruit and was able to start moving downwards on the scale again. I did not lose much from a few weeks out from surgery through my first fill. My first fill brought me down a few pounds quickly. However, what little restriction I felt was gone within a week. I started stalling again and had to really start exercising regularly to keep a downward movement on the scale. I could keep losing, but I was losing super slooowwww. However, as long as I kept losing even a little, I wasn't so depressed. Then came fill #2. This was a real kick in the pants for me. I was pb'ing everyday for the first week and a half and had decided on an unfill. Then I realized that the problem was me eating too fast & not chewing enough. I also was not going on liquids for a day after a pb to let my stomach rest. I started eating more like a bandster and found this fill gave me great restriction, and I cancelled my appointment for a slight unfill. I have not had to get another fill since as of yet and I am still losing steadily around 1.5 pounds a week on average. When I was in bandster hell, every day was a supreme struggle. Now, it has become more easy because my tool is working with me. Once you are at the right fill level, you can find success as well as long as you follow bandster rules and eat healthy foods the majority of the time. You can also lose weight at this stage as well. Low carb worked well for me. I didn't restrict volume so much, only certain types of foods. Exercise also worked for me. What kinds of foods are you eating? Are you tracking them by calories and Protein? What are you doing for exercise?

I think the answer to this may be the same for other people with addictions to things like narcotics or alcohol. How many times have you heard someone with a drinking problem say, I can't have just one. Is it not the same for us chronic overeaters? For many of us here, or perhaps even most of us here, food is an addiction. Some people decide on wls when the either have an epiphany or reach rock bottom. If you come to a point in your life where you are going to risk your life by going under the knife to solve an eating issue, this is frequently a catalyst for change. For me, banding was my last choice and I never came lightly to this decision. I have been on a dieting, binging, obsessing, emotional roller coaster for too long. It was eating up too much of my life. I am done with that lifestyle, and therefore, I have a band and I control my eating 90% of the time and don't obsess over the 10% where I don't. Like overcoming any addiction, you have to be ready to commit to a change. The desire to eat unhealthy from time to time will not go away for most of us, but we must take personal responsibility for our choices. Some of us will succeed and some of us will fail, but the important thing is to work hard to overcome those things that have ruled our lives before.

You can find it along with other Protein options from The Vitamin Shop but I don't know if they have that store in many places. GNC is another option.

I decided to get banded before we got pregnant and it is working out very well. I gained almost 70 pounds with my son and was scared to death of another 70 pounds on top of my current 225. I really wanted to have a healthy, enjoyable pregnancy and I feel that now I can. Also, it will be a lot more fun trying for a baby with a few less pounds holding me back. I also am looking forward to a cute little baby bump instead of people not being sure if I am pregnant or just heavy.

I can't share from personal experience but would like to know the answer to this one as well. My husband and I are interested in having a baby next year.

I feel your pain. I have dealt with alcoholism in my own family which made for a very rocky, unhappy childhood. I hope he sees the light at some point. I really hope the parents can start seeking help to understand how to deal with this addiction to stop enabling him.

Happy birthday!!! There are other ways to pamper yourself, perhaps a manicure/pedicure :0).

Slumping really helps :0)

I have only told my husband at first. I now have 1 friend and 1 family member that also know. I kept it hush, hush because I didn't want people watching/analyzing my every move. That has worked well for me, even six months out.

Pressure in the juncture just below my breasts. However, restriction if I overeat is also a big pain in my neck, literally :0)

That is awesome!!!! Go band, go band, go band.

Actually being stuck is a lot more painful than a pb. You want to avoid pb's but they are not terrible and absolutely nothing like vomitting thank goodness.

Atkins Advantage taste pretty good. I also drank the Isopure pre-mixed clear drinks after surgery and they were not bad . . . not good, but not bad either. Watch your caffeine intake if you ingest a lot now. It may give you headaches when you try to stop. I take a CVS brand called Spectravite. They are reasonably priced adult orange flavored chewables. I like them because they actually taste good. Normal Vitamins cause me to burp a wierd taste sometimes, sorry if it is TMI. Since they are chewable, they are super easy to ingest as well.

It is perfectly normal at 6 days out. I think I had some variety of pain near the port (nothing significant or related to possible infection) for the first two weeks or so. I also got occasional twinges. It went away and then started up again once I started abdominal exercises. It is normal and is just taking a little time to heal.

I am not really hoarding food, because no one really will eat the things I eat in my house since my tastes and diet are a lot different than my son and husbands. I find that I am still buying too much stuff. A lot of stuff is now going to waist. It is like I am still buying to feed my previous appetites which are now gone. My cupboards and fridge are filled to overflowing, why???