Jodi_620

Happy to help...LOL, I am not sure about me writing a book though... As you and bandfun4me have both pointed out, having this surgery can bring improvements to the entire family. No more junk food in the house limited fast food and takeout replaced with healthy meals. Add to that exercise and hopefully your kids will learn this healthy behavior for life and never need to have this surgery

You are certainly welcome.

I don't have anything to offer except that I have been expecting the same thing. I am the only female left in my family that still has her gallbladder, even my sister who is 12 years younger has had hers removed. I have been having intermittent pain on my right side but more towards the back almost near the kidneys...so I am not sure it is gallbladder, I need to get that checked. My surgeon told me pre-op that a high percentage of his patients eventually need to have this surgery due to rapid weight loss. It is a minor laproscopic procedure, your gallbladder is on the other end of your stomach (away from the Lap Band) so I can't imagine it causing any issues with the band.

I don't remember exactly how much I lost initially but it was somewhere around 25 pounds then after two fills an average of 2 pounds a week thereafter. I had hiatal hernia repair done with surgery and had some issues with breathing so I believe that slowed recovery down for me just a bit. I took a shower the day after surgery. After about five days I was driving and making short shopping trips but I couldn't lift heavy items and I tired quickly (again due to the labored breathing). I was able to cook and clean about five days out too but I was a bit slower and a little sore so I needed to take a rest here and there. I had my surgery on a Friday and went back to work 1/2 day the following Thursday and Friday...back full time on the following Monday. There was still some pain but it was tolerable. Loose fitting clothing is a must for the first two weeks. Also I was not able to lie flat in bed for almost two weeks. I propped myself up on the sofa during that period. I have a German Shepherd. He is 10 years old now but still has a lot of energy. But border collies are definitely one breed he could never keep up with at the doggie park...Those little guys never stop!

For the most part I consistently lost a minimum of 2 pounds a week after the second fill. I used a calendar and marked my initial weight and on each Friday date, I marked my goal of 2 pounds lost the whole way through the calendar. Then I recorded my weight each Friday. Some weeks I lost more, some less. But as soon as a Friday came where I did not meet my goal I knew I needed to look at what and how I was eating and consider whether it was time for a fill. If I was not back on track by the following Friday I scheduled another fill. As long as I kept up with fills, weight loss stayed consistent up until I reached my last 20 pounds, the last 20 pounds are not giving in without a fight but I will keep on until it goes away. For me there were two key elements. Maintaining restriction and eating right. Carbs are an issue with me so I have been very careful with not eating processed and starchy foods. I eat solid foods that keep me satisfied longer, lean meats fresh veggies and fruits, Low fat dairy and whole grain Cereal with a Protein. For me, strenuous exercise was not key. I kept up with my normal activity and as the weight came off my energy increased. Walks became longer and more energetic and more got done in my day-to-day activities. I just recently joined Curves to start toning up a bit.

I had planned on keeping it a secret but after surgery, the weight started coming off and my diet had changed. I had to take time off work for the surgery and follow-up appointments and fills so it was just easier to tell everyone. And I have no regrets there, everyone was curious at first but for the most part supportive, especially when the weight started coming off. Fear of failure is natural. We have failed at weight loss our whole lives. I was sure that I would fail too and the thought of doing something so drastic and failing horrified me. But since everyone knew, I felt as though I was being held accountable. But honestly, If you stick with the rules and maintain your fills, you will not fail. Since everyone knows, there have been no huge social issues. I've had a few instances where we had get-togethers or outings with extended family and friends or lunch meetings at work and their choice of food or restaurant did not work for me and that makes me feel uncomfortable. I don't want others to have to change their plans to suit me so I just make due. When I eat out, I order regular meals and a takeout container, I keep 1/3 of the food on my plate and take the rest home for later. Honestly, I did not have an exercise program for the first 6-7 months. I have never really been a couch potato and as the weight came off, I developed more energy and became even more active. I have a dog so have always walked. Those walks became longer and more energetic and as the energy increased I also managed to ge more accomplished in the day. Now that I am closer to goal I am seeing areas that need some toning. I am not ready for the gym scene so I chose to join Curves. I like the environment and think it is a good starting point for me. It is just a block from my work and on my way and since it is a quick 30 minute workout I think it is something that I can stick with. I've only been a member for a couple weeks though...

As was already said the carbonation expands the pouch and it is believed that that expansion could cause stretching. The gas can be painful for some as well. Another point, I was a 6+ 16oz. bottle a day Diet Pepsi drinker and when I quit I noticed that I didn't crave food as much. There are currently studies that show that diet drinks may actually cause weight gain and cravings. Apparently the artificial sweetner and additives used in these drinks change your metabolic structure and your brain chemistry...makes me glad I kicked my Pepsi habit.

Success is of course personal. I have been dieting my whole life too. We are the same age. I went from a BMI of 40.2 to 26.4 in 8 months so it certainly is not a pipe dream!

You should not be experiencing pain. However it is very common to start your day off tight and get looser as the day progresses. Having a cup of hot tea or coffee before breakfast and lunch can help to loosen things up a bit. I eat softer foods for these meals, scrambled eggbeaters with cheese or oatmeal cooked in milk for breakfast. For lunch I am a little looser and hot tea an hour before gets me loose enough to tolerate Beans, fish or tender chicken. I can eat a little more for dinner than for the other two meals.

Identifying the difference between full, satisfied and hunger is difficult for many of us. Most of us who have been overweight rarely gauged our need to eat by true hunger so we have a hard time identifying what we are truly feeling. It is an important part of being sucessful with the band and one of the biggest reasons why we are always reminded that the band is just a tool. There are struggles that we have to sort out ourselves. The stomach does not have any nerves. There are hairlike nerves that hang down at the top of the stomach. When a person eats, the food fills the stomach from the bottom to the top. When the food reaches the top of the stomach and reaches those nerves a signal is sent to the brain that you are full. With us bandsters, eating gets us to that point much faster and with less food. We need to learn to identify true hunger, head hunger, gas/digestive sensations and dehydration. First, if you are uncomfortable after eating then you need to review whether you ate too fast or too much or are too tight. You need to be sure to put your fork down between bites to give your brain a chance to get the full message before you become too full. For the first several months you will probably have a severe amount of air in your digestive system. You will hear a lot of noise especially after you eat and it will sound like your stomach is growling. You will feel pressure and sensations that my make you feel like you need to eat. Eventually that problem went away for me. Moving around and taking GasX will help until then. That empty feeling in the pit of your stomach probably means you are not drinking enough Water. It is a sign that your lower stomach is drying out. Drink a ton of water between meals. A good way to tell if you are getting enough is to watch the color of your urine. Drink enough water to make your pee clear, not yellow. We all know what head hunger is. Craving certain foods even though you are not hungry. Or feeling satisfied but wanting to eat a little more. You need to identify it and not give in. I tell myself that I can have what I am craving but not until my next meal. Then I do something to get my mind off it. Usually by meal time I don't even crave that food anymore. If it is stress or boredom that makes you head hungry then do something to get out of that situation. Watching processed carbs helps to control head hunger too. I have my meals the same time every day. I know that I stay satisfied at least five hours between meal. If I think I need food sooner than five hours I try to identify what else besides hunger might be making me want to eat. I drink a couple glasses of water and keep myself occupied and wait to see if it will pass and it usually does.

Here are details of my fill history. Thought it might help you understand what the journey to the sweet spot is like. Fill #1: Felt a tiny bit more restriction but no real difference. Fill #2: Much better but still eating more than I wanted to. Fill #3: Felt just right and thought I had already hit my sweet spot. At this stage though, I still had excess fat around my stomach so I lost several pounds within two weeks and lost that sweet spot feeling Fill #4: Ditto of Fill #3 Fill #5: Sweet Spot! I've had one more fill since then to jumpstart weight loss after the Holidays. I think that this will get me to goal.

When were you banded? What are you eating?

Same to you

22 years for me ! Believe me, eight months ago I couldn't have imagined it myself. I have been heavy my entire life so I had never been in a size 8 or a size 10 for that matter. Thanks for the congrats...It will happen for you.

I took it as part of my treatment for PCOS, it helps control blood sugar levels. It may help with your cravings a bit but the best thing is to do as your doctor has already told you is to get this stuff out of your diet. Find low carb and sugar free alternatives to what you are craving and eventually those cravings will get better. Every time you eat those processed carbs, your blood sugar will spike real quick then it will dip real quick leaving your body looking for another quick spike. The only way to get off the craving roller coaster is to stop eating those foods. It can be done, I have insulin resistance and it was extremely hard for me to get that stuff out of my system but I did it. I no longer need my meds and I rarely crave that stuff...it feels good to no longer have that stuff control me.

I don't follow any plan. I eat when I am hungry and stop when I am satisfied. I don't eat between meals. I don't count calories or fat and carb grams nor do I measure, weigh or keep a food diary. Yes, we are to focus on Protein, if you get a serving of protein with each meal you should be OK if your intake does not add up to 60 grams, then supplement with a shake or something. I also watch my processed foods. I go for fresh natural foods like fresh meat, fresh/frozen veggies, fresh/frozen fruit, whole grain Cereal and dairy. I avoid processed foods that come out of a can or a box, I avoid processed carbs made from bleached flour and sugar and I avoid starchy foods. I watch what types of food I put into my body and the band controls how much. Eggbeaters with lean meat and cheese and veggies or oatmeal cooked in skim milk with fruit are good Breakfast choices. Lean Proteins, Beans, colorful veggies and high Fiber fruits are great choices for your meals.

Suzanne, We are pretty close on all our stats! I am still wearing some baggy size 10's to work and have some size 8's that have a little room but still fit OK and I am hoping to be able to hold out until I lose the last 17 pounds before I buy any more new clothes.

I had a program fee of $470.00 payable prior to the first consult and not billable to insurance. That covered the initial consult, Nutritional evaluation and follow-up visits with the dietician, Support group attendance, Insurance coordination, Coordination of all pre-op tests (interaction with PCP to gather test results) and one visit with the personal trainer. I also had to pay $500.00 for two visits to the psych. Fills are billed to my insurance and paid by them 100%

How about trying to find another doctor?...sounds like this one is not offering you any support. Something is definitely wrong if you have had severe pain for a year and have not been able to eat solids for that amount of time.

Is there an acutal fever (hot to the touch) or just nerve sensitivity? Nerve sensitivity is normal. I had it bad between weeks 2 and 4. The internal sutures holding the port and tubing in place have been stitched to muscle and nerve in your abdominal wall and as it heals you can get a lot of sensitivity. Just the touch of light clothing was painful. But if there is actual fever there and it is hot to the touch then call your surgeon that could mean that you've developed an infection.

You are doing great Haley!!!! Ahhh yes, the feeling of baggy jeans is great...but wait until you feel the feeling of jeans that are a size or two smaller than those baggy jeans!!!! I started in a size 18 went to my "skinny jeans" packed away in my closet (size 16's) after a couple months. Wore those until they got too big then went out to buy new ones. I grabbed 14's and they fit with some room so I decided to see if I could get into 12's and I did!!!! I danced around the fitting room in glee! As you keep losing weight you'll find that feeling doesn't go away either. I am currently in a size 8 and when I got two pair in this size they fit like a glove, not too tight but close... I decided at that point that I would be happy if I didn't lose another pound. But those size 8's are getting a little loose in the back end and the feeling is just as good as it was in the beginning. :drool: I used to hate shopping for clothes but now I love it!!! (Is that a good thing or bad??? )

You have not really started using the Lap Band for weight loss yet. The first few weeks have not been for weight loss but for healing...weight loss has just been a fortunate side effect of liquid/mushy diet. The meaning of Bandster Hell is the period between when you go on solids to when you start getting fills and really using your band. Weight loss often stalls and weight gain is even common but that is alright and perfectly normal, we've all been through it. You have done some drastic switches to your metabolism in the past 4-6 weeks and now it is a little out of whack but it will normalize. Just be patient and try to stay calm. This was a stressful time for me too, there is a lot of worry and concern over whether we are doing things right and whether this will work for us. But if you just do what your doctor says everything will be just fine.

Woo Hoo! Now THAT was a fantastic Super Bowl game!!!!!! I had to be up at 4AM so I am soooo tired this morning but it was worth it.

My guess would be that maybe you ate just a little too much.

What were you looking for in responses? I have re-read everyones response and I don't see anyone saying negative things, nobody said you got a cheap doctor, I didn't say you have been lied to but your coordinator did give you misinformation...until I see something to prove otherwise I will stick with that opinon. We all stated what we know about the longevity of the band, what would you rather we did? Have your coordinator give you documentation to back up what she said so that you can see it for yourself and perhaps post it here so that we all can be informed. I would think you might be relieved to hear that perhaps the bad news you got from your coordinator is wrong...go figure.