Jodi_620

Thanks :0)

During the weight loss phase I rarely allowed myself such things. Now that I am maintaining, I have my days where I can't eat certain foods and days where I can and after almost 3 years, I can tell beforehand what I can handle. Overall, if is not a tight day I can pretty much eat anything I choose just not a lot of it. I don't deprive myself of a small piece of cake or a potato chip or two on occasion and I wouldn't want to deny myself the pleasure of such goodies from time to time. I always make it priority to have my three nutritious meals a day then if I want a snack and am able to eat it, I do.

I don't understand the fear of going back to the doctor. Is it your doctor makes you feel like you can't go to him for an adjustment or is it some sort of guilt thing in your own mind? Part of having the band is keeping up with adjustments and diet. If you are eating too much or gaining weight don't feel bad, just go get and adjustment. If you don't use your band as it was intended you can't be as successful.

That is cool...mine comes out to 44.4%!

LOL, I guess I could have relayed that a little better :smile2: Actually, there are several muscles used to sneeze. But the only one in the lower area of the body is the diaphragm and that is mainly used to draw in air before the sneeze. Your chest and throat muscles actually finish the job.

I gave up all my bad habits at once and was a ball of nerves, having emotional fits of anger and tears and was just unbearable to be around. I went natural and took Sam-E. It has been used in several European countries for years for major depression. It took a week or so to kick in but it worked wonders for me with no side effects. You can get it at any drug store, about $30 for a month's supply.

Banded more than 2 1/2 years ago and I still weigh every morning, first thing after using the bathroom. IMO It is only a problem if you let it bother you. At first it was a motivational tool now it is a maintenace tool I use it as a tool to tell me how good or bad I did the previous day. Over this time I have learned how certain foods, my cycle and activity levels affect that number. Understand that 1-3 pounds either way means absolutely nothing...I can flucute that much within hours. During my weight loss phase, Friday was my official weight recording day all other days were just a guide. And I do remember a crazy period in the beginning when that darn scale was not moving but my clothes were getting too big; I've never been able to explain why that happened but I know based on stories from other bandsters it is does happen.

First, I love your post! :smile: I agree with all the above. I would also like to add, take a look at what you ate for your previous meal. Was it something that got your blood sugar spiking? That will throw me into a food craving frenzy every time so it might be something you should at least look at. Bread, Pasta, potatoes, rice, sugar could trigger this in some.

I had to eat liquids for two weeks, followed by a surgery, followed by two more weeks of liquids and two of mushies. Like anyone else, I still have to exercise and watch what I eat. And no matter what, I can never just take a day off and eat whatever I want. Easy way out? I don't think so. I always tell people not to confuse successful with easy.

My doc said no to coughing and sneezing. You use your abdominal muscles for that. It is no more dangerous to sneeze than it is to exercise. Yes, vomiting can cause slippage. Your stomach convulses as your wretch and that can cause swelling and slippage. My doctor recommends coming in for an emergency unfill if I get stomach flu. Otherwise if I eat improperly or vomit once or twice for any other reason, he recommends a day or two of liquids to allow time for any swelling to go down.

After four surgeries, I can say for sure that at least for some, hairloss can happen due to surgery. And two surgeons have verified this with me. The best explanation I received is that the body can go into "survival mode" shutting down non-essential processes (like hair). Add to the stress of surgery the severe change in diet and sudden weight loss and it is clear why a lot of us lose hair after WLS. Through this and the other surgeries, the loss has always been temporary and the cycle for me is six months (hairloss 3 months in, loss lasts for 3 months then I see regrowth). Taking Biotin (300mcg a day) and making sure you are getting enough Protein will help you through the cycle and encourage regrowth of nice healthy hair.

Soft foods like oatmeal or scrambled eggs for breakfast. Thin high protein soups, refried beans. My favorite go to food that I keep stocked at all times is chili. It has plenty of protein and flavor so it is satisfying and easy to get down.

I chew gum and even accidentally swallowed it post banding. I have never had issues with it. Not being able to drink after a meal I need the gum to freshen my breath. It is also a great way to satisfy a craving in a calorie/sugar free way.

If you haven't had a fill yet, your band is loose and you don't have to worry as much about overeating causing slippage. Of course I am not saying that you can go crazy with eating. It is when you get fills and are really restricting the flow of food from your pouch that overeating can cause slippage or doing so long-term can cause your pouch to stretch. Follow the rules...eat the right foods, chew small bites well, eat slowly and stop when you feel full and you should have no worries.

This is very normal but it does get better. Gas-X did very little for me too but a double dose would get some bloat out. Walking and moving around helped more. Making sure that you are emptying your bowels regularly is important too. Stool softeners are best (Fiber powders made matters worse for me). I wish I could say this goes away quickly. It didn't resolve overnight for me but definitely got easier week-by-week. I would venture to guess that I had gassy episodes for nearly 9 months. But for sure the first few weeks are the worst.

I rarely ever only ate 3-4 ounces and wouldn't want to be that restricted long term. I have always eaten more like 8 oz and with proper restriction and good food choices I have been successful at that rate. I eat dense food that stays in my pouch longer. I get fills when I eat more that a cup or I find myself getting hungry between meals. I rarely feel hunger. Your doctor should be allowing you to have the restriction you need and I would be demanding it. I would also not stand for being called a liar, why would you lie? It certainly won't get you anywhere. If he does his part and you do your part by eating lean, dense foods (go for natural healthy foods like fresh lean meat, veggies, fruit and dairy...my nutritionists rule is do 90% of your shopping from the outside walls of the grocery store avoiding the processed packaged stuff in the aisles.) and of course daily exercise, there is no reason why this should not be working. That is, barring any metobolic issues which were likely checked pre-op and barring issues with the band (doing a fill under fleuro should answer that). Sounds like it is time to put your foot down!

The complication rate that I am aware of is 9% overall, most of which are minor and reversible; major complications is less than 1%. I am at 2.5 years with no complications.

I've never had a problem swallowing them whole.

Be sure to follow the drs guidelines. I am told not to eat or drink anything four hours prior to the fill then liquids the rest of the day then build up to mushies and solids as they are tolerable. I remember how nervous I was with my first fill but it honestly wasn't bad at all. My dr. doesn't use any numbing agent and it still isn't bad; the feeling is comparable to a blood draw. I agree with Deanna, it is good to avoid looking at the needle and focus away from what the dr is doing. My dr did my first fill with fluoro to make sure everything was ok in there. For this, he inserted the needle, did a little fill then had me walk over to the xray machine. I drank a tiny bit of barium and some Water and watched how it went down on the screen. When we were sure that the water stayed down OK, he removed the needle and I was on my way. Don't expect too much from the first fill. It doesn't always have the full effect we imagine. Slow and steady is best and each fill will get you to where you need to be.

Google "tricep exercises" to get some ideas. I guess it depends on age, genes and skin condition but I can say that though I have excercised regularly for the past two years and a half years with a strong focus on problem areas, the excercise did develop nice muscle tone and pulled in the skin a bit but my arm skin never really snapped back. Maybe not what you wanted to hear but just my reality.

To make changes to your profile you click on "User CP" near the top left of the screen. The options are along the left side of that page. I am not exactly sure where in that page you can change your sex but user cp is for sure where you need to go for profile changes.

I was on Metformin to treat my PCOS for five years prior to getting the Lap Band. I have been very successful at losing weight and was able to go off my meds very quickly after getting the surgery. My cycles are perfect and my other symptoms are pretty much gone. I have lost weight all over including my belly.

All of the above. But also avoid processed and starchy foods. Breads, pastas, potatoes, flours, sugars rice etc. causes spikes and dips in blood sugar which lead to cravings and head hunger. And get most of your food naturally (fresh meats fruits and veggies rather than canned, boxed or jarred food). All of the presevatives and additives in processed foods have an effect on your appetite as well.

Yes, you will be fine. Hairloss can be caused by lack of protein but like others here have said it can also be caused by anesthesia. I had hairloss after Lap Band surgery. I have had two unrelated surgeries since and had hairloss for both. So I am convinced that for me, it is the anesthesia. Anesthesia is hard on the body and it causes your body to go into what is termed survival mode. You body shuts down non-essential processes and hair is non-essential for survival... The hair growth/loss cycle is three months. So the hairloss would occur within three months after the surgery, it can last up to three months then you should see regrowth. So you will be back to normal within six months. Just be sure to eat right and take your supplements. A Biotin supplement certainly won't hurt (a hair, skin and nails formula with 3000mcg of biotin).

They probably just stitched it up. Just like any other area on your body that is stitched, the stitches are only temporary to hold the tissue together while it heals shut. Could you get another hiatial hernia? Yes, there are no guarantees that you won't but hernias are common in overweight people so hernia repair during Lap Band surgery is fairly common. I and many people have had both surgeries toghether and all I can say is that 2.5 years later I am doing fine.