crazycatlady

Hi writegirl, Did you have these stomach issues b/4 the band? I did but not to this extent. I was not a good candidate for the band & made a big mistake since I was not a volume eater. I just was desperate to lose the weight & didn't want to accept the fact that I had to work for it. I have since adopted the eating habits of bodybuilders & do heavy weight training/cardio 5 days a week & have my best body ever. I'm 52 & get hit on regularly at the gym by 30 somethings, go figure! I tell them I could be their mother to scare them away. My point in telling this is I have learned that everyone has the power to change if you are willing to accept that it will take hard work & dedication forever, not just until you lose the weight. I am not afraid I will gain the weight back, even though I might, because I know I did it on my own & can do it again if needed. All I care about is feeling better otherwise nothing else matters. Have have recently tried digestive enzymes & will be going to a natural medicine doctor, which will cost me lots but what other choice do I have? Good luck to you & if you need any advice on how you too can be your smallest size ever(I'm not selling anything) don't hesitate to ask.

OMG! I have the same thing except I have no restriction & haven't for a long time since I've experienced this since I was banded in May 2008. I have had numerous tests but nothing shows to be wrong. I'm having the band removed in Dec. since I cannot live like this with all the pain, bloating, growling & embarassing gas! The band doctor assures me it's not the band & the gastro doctors have told me there is nothing they can do since nothing appears wrong to them. I have actually lost all the weight I wanted to but only b/c I have changed the way I eat & started exercising 5 days a week. This stomach issue has made my life hell though so I cannot even enjoy my new body since I feel like crap most of the time not to mention I paid for this myself. Please let me know if you find anything else out. Thanks!

Does anyone else experience bloating/gas more than usual after a fill? I'm in such pain I'm considering having all my fill taken out. This pain is just not worth it. I AM NOT TOO RESTRICTED EITHER!

Since being banded in May '08 I have had lots of issues with excessive gas/bloating & recently added nausea to the mix. This has not been a good investment in my opinion since I have had to work so very hard & suffer with all these issues to only lose a total of 25 lbs since surgery. I've had to be unfilled completely twice due to being too tight once & having to have an endoscope. We are working back up to a decent restriction level, of which I have NEVER had except for the overfill that once. In the process of getting good restriction I find that I had an extra amout of gas & bloating problems. Does anyone else experience these symptoms when they aren't properly restricted? It seems if I'm unfilled I'm OK & if I'm close to a "sweet" spot I'm better but in between I have major problems.

I had to be completely unfilled.

Tue, Wed, Thurs: Nothing...SICK! I've had a stomach bug & have been surviving on crackers & anti-nausea meds. I actually think a lot of my stomach issues are due to lack of restriction. It seems when I'm not restricted I have these problems. Anyone else have these issues which mainly consist of horribly loud growling, bloating & gas when their not restricted?

Monday: 50 min. legs/calves No cardio, felt very tired & weak :laugh:

Friday: back/biceps (graduated to 20 lb dumbell curls only 1 set but have to start somewhere!) 30 min. treadmill, 20 min. elliptical Sat: OFF Sunday: chest/triceps 30 Stairclimber, 20 Crosstrainer elliptical

I don't want to be a downer but in my personal experience it truly depends on getting your restriction right. I have been banded since May & only lost 20 lbs. I work out 5 days a wk vigorously & feel this is the main reason I have lost this much. I still haven't found my sweet spot but I also had to be unfilled around Thanksgiving for becoming too tight. For about 2 days I finally had the restriction that took my cravings & hunger away but then due to stresses of the holiday the band swelled too tight & ALL the fill had to be removed. So... to answer your question, I eat reasonably but I don't count or measure & eat fast food because I hate to cook. I do try to make better choices than b/4 just because I need this to work but I still eat junk so that is why I haven't lost very much in 8 mos. The 2 days I had good restriction that kept my hunger in check was a taste of how it's suppose to work & I cannot wait to finally be there for a while. I haven't lost 1 lb in months so it can get frustrating. I have exercised off & on in the past but when I saw this wasn't going to be as easy as I thought I got off my fat ass & started back. Exercise does so much more than shape your body, it feeds your mind. If you have never REALLY been into it I highly recommend anything you can to get active & after a while you will see what I mean and hopefully crave it's benefits. Good luck to you!

I am so glad you started this because gas has been the worst part of this experience. I wake up with horrible trapped gas/bloating/rumbling & NOTHING helps it. I have been to doctors & even had a cat scan but nothing shows up so I know it's just gas pressure. I have noticed that it gets better the tighter I am. (I was recently unfilled & working my way back) There is nothing more miserable than NOT being able to get it out either way. Weightbearing exercise, like walking or running, helps.

Can I ask what is the purpose of a sauna? I sweat enough doing cardio to go sit in heat not to mention I live in a sauna 8 mos a year in Houston. Wednesday: OFF Thursday: 80 min. Legs/Calfs/Shoulders 30 min. StairClimber (torture chamber) I can go longer on any other machine but this one is a killer. Says I burned 230 cal in 30 min. so I had some cheetos when I got home.

lu...I know what you mean & I went in there yesterday with disappointment all over my face & he even said he could see it in my eyes. He is actually a very good surgeon & cares about his patients, took the time to call Allergen(?) & talk to the head guy concerning my case. Doc told me that he was told to take it slow as to not create anymore trauma to the area that was still healing from the unfill situation. (I DID need to be unfilled completely come to find out) He had the surgery center (where they do fills because of the flouroscope) send pics of my last fill to his office so he could show me where there was still a weak area that needed to heal & being agressive could possibly cause more damage or even another surgery. I certainly don't want that so I left feeling better. He did give me a script for some phentermine though. Since I get my fills at JourneyLite free for life (thank God) he said he wants me there on his surgery day in 2 wks & will do my fill so that he can make sure everything is good & will fill me with as much as possible whereas the center can only put in 1cc max at a time, I think. Thanks for taking the time to respond!!

Please don't misunderstand...I have no restriction which to me makes it like not having the band therefore I'm back to relying on my will power which is none. As I stated b/4 if I had restriction the way it is suppose to be I wouldn't be as hungry & more able to make wiser choices & eat less as well. I'm not stupid in that I think I can eat whatever I want just because I have the band. I know better but I also know how it's suppose to feel from when I had my fill at Thanksgiving. It would have been perfect but I stressed out from the holiday/family/cooking, etc. & it swelled on me making it too tight. The doctor on call was not my doc & he was an ass as well & wanted to make sure he wasn't bothered again during the holiday w/e so he completely unfilled me. I have done all that ya'll have suggested short of seeing a counselor for which I will not. I don't need head work I need restriction.

Hey jmegirl let us know what the doc says about the latte. I feel the same as you about these. I tried to wean off but I feel so much better when I have one, if only a tall. Actually my nutritionist said since it contains mostly milk (I don't get topping on mine)so it also has approx. 8 grms protein. But I still try to eat something b/4 lunch around 9:30-10.