sistasassy

Since being banded back in November of 2008, I have only PBed. I have never actually vomited, Thank God! My doc says to call for anti-nausea meds instead. It works for me.

The pencil eraser thing is working for me too. I tend to take to big of bites and then swallow down the big stuff. Then I am pretty well in a mess. I have started the baby spoon thing and the bites the size of a pencil eraser. They have both been working. I had steamed broccoli and cheese today. That was the first thing other than mashed potatoes that I have been able to keep down since my fill last week. Success! Now I will work on adding a new item each meal and cutting everything up first. I am also only using small dishes and small portions. If the portion stays down after an hour and I am still hungry, then I allow myself another small portion. It works and the scales love it! I am still in heaven over the broccoli and cheese!!!!

I seem to be in a similar situation. I am about 5 fills out and am pretty tight. I am questioning whether I may be a bit too tight. I only have a few spots throughout the day where I can actually eat and not PB. I am about 5 days out from this last fill and am contemplating having just a hair taken out. I think I could increase my calories a bit then which will kick start my weight loss again at a high pace than what I am at right now. I am losing at a snail's pace since this fill and think I am in need of healthy Protein and just can't seem to get enough in. I am not able to eat yet today and am inching liquids in at this point. I am over the half way mark so I am not complaining. People are giving me clothes because I refuse to buy while still losing. I guess that is not a bad thing either. Hang in there and keep "getting your skinny on!"

I would definitely call the doctor. I would also go to all liquids for a day or two while you wait to see him. If you are PBing alot, you have probably go everything irritated. The liquid diet should help to calm things down. If all checks out well at the doc, I would do liquids for a couple of days and then mushies for a couple of more. I am really sensitive to PBing and have had to do the same thing.

Some people do have trouble with port location. I expect this will be better in time, as you lose weight. I had to get unfilled a bit one night and came home looking like a pin cushion. It is not pleasant BUT it does get better with time. As for eating, I would do as your doctor advised. I am extremely sensitive to fills so I have to do a day or two of liquids and then a day or two of mushies to get back to normal. I do lose weight during this time so I don't complain. Your incision will be healed more at your next fill so it may not be as uncomfortable. I go in now, he finds my port, pokes the needle in, I sit up and start drinking while he starts adjusting, and voila! We are done! It does get better. Hang in there and look ahead to the thinner healthier you!

Slime is so nasty but is part of our new world. Eating slower is part of what I deal with. I get in such a hurry. You know, they used to sell stuff called "Slime". Maybe we should be packaging and selling the stuff. :thumbup:

They can stop you from getting your band. If you are not emotionally and mentally ready to get the band then you will have a hard time succeeding after surgery. I think you have to be ready to accept the challenges and the responsibility of being banded. I have some friends who want to be banded. Some would do well, others would not. If you are in a good frame of mind and are committed to working WITH you band, you will do well. If you are expecting the band to be a "fix all," you will fail. The band is there to help. Everyday, I still have to choose what goes into my mouth. Everyday, I still have to choose how often to eat. Some days I am starving all day with "head hunger." What a battle. I have had to learn to redirect my head from the "hunger" to something more constructive. You have to be willing to chew, chew, chew, and then chew some more. You have to be willing to not drink with your meals. You have to be willing to only eat a little instead of having "eating sessions" like we all have sometimes turned meal time into. You have to be willing to say no to slider foods (milkshakes, ice cream, chocolates, etc.) You have to be willing to call your surgeon and go in for an adjustment even if you feel like you had a bad month. You have to be willing to be accountable to yourself...and to others (people find out about your band and will want to know why you are not losing if you are not eating right). You have to be ready to hang in there for a month, or two, or three if you stall. You have to be willing to get up and move a bit. Exercise will help you live long along with losing weight. If you are ready to deal with these issues and make your band your "best friend", "someone" you are constantly aware of, then you are ready to be banded.

I do mashed potatoes and gravy on mushies with some fat free sour cream BUT the carb count can be high in the potatoes so don't get carried away. I find that they are easy to get done on tough days and are filling. I also do the refried beans. I get mine at Taco Bell and load them up with sour cream, nacho cheese and a bit of the ground hamburger. Again, don't get carried away. Remember to keep the portion small and don't be afraid to put it in the fridge for later. Applesauce, SF pudding, anything pureed as well. MY doc (now this is mine and perhaps yours does not feel the same so check with him) said that anything that could be pureed and thinned was fine.

My body is super sensitive to fills as well. I only have about 4ccs in an 11cc band. My fills have to be relatively small or I . swell shut. I got a .75cc fill yesterday and spent most of the evening swollen shut. Today I am getting coffee to go down, so far, but know that I would be in a mess if I even attempted thin mashed potatoes for at least another 12 hours. I will be good in a day or so and will be able to eat regular food, just smaller portions, again. I do drop close to ten pounds each time I get a fill like this, though. I like this kind. Makes it go fast. I then stall for about three weeks but it gives my body time to adjust to the weight loss. It seems to work well for my body and my system. That first 24 hours is rough at times, especially if I swell completely shut. I have done the ER thing to get a bit out but we only take enough to be able to get some Water down and then we stop there because the swelling will go away.

I think a small fill and a bit of exercise will knock you off that plateau. OR, you may need to increase your calories a bit. I have been pretty much stalled for almost two months and finally increased my calories by about 500 a day and I am losing again. I was not really even hitting 1000 per day and now I am doing well again. Perhaps give that a try.

I am so swamped right now in my life. I have been crazy busy working and my friends and family are consuming the rest of my time. I would love to have someone who could help me update the spreadsheet. It needs to be someone who is familiar with spreadsheets, who has time, and is willing to help out. Please email me at benham@apostoliccenter.org if you are interested. I am neck deep in a project currently so it may take a couple of days to get back to you. I miss everyone here and miss being able to get and offer support! I can't wait for my life to slow down but don't see it doing so in the next few month. That is a good thing, though, in this economy. God is forever carrying us through this storm. Let me know! Teri

I have had some trouble with PBing over the past month or so. Gained 5 pounds after not being able to eat hardly anything for 5 weeks. I have now lost those 5 and am headed to the doc today for a tiny fill. I am close to that sweet spot but seem to over shoot by just a bit right now. I think it is so important to be working closely with your doctor to get to that perfect spot. We want to lose weight but we want to be able to eat healthy too.

I have heard of it being done this way before. In my opinion, it mostly just lets the doc know how much is in there. My doc does not care how much is in there as long as I am comfortable and losing weight. I only have approximately 3ccs in an 11cc band. I was over filled the first time just because it was new to both of us but now he is very conservative and I get under 1cc each time. I am going in tomorrow and am actually expecting a slight slight slight unfill. I have been having trouble getting anything beyond mushies down for a month. I have lost good weight but need to be on regular food.

I added a column that shows how much weight loss to date for each of us as we update our weights. It automatically calculates the weight loss for each of us so there is no extra work involved for me. Thought some of us would like to know kind of where we all are in that area. PLEASE NOTE: There are many who do not update frequently or have not updated at all for a very long time so there may be some low weight loss numbers that are not accurate. Anyway, feel free to browse the sheet and have fun! Congrats to all the losers! I know my weight is not coming off at race car speed but it IS coming off. I am happy happy happy about that!

Wow! This third fill has been a doosy. I still only have under 3ccs in an 11 cc band. I only got .75cc on this third fill. Since last Wednesday, I have kept down 3 chicken wings. I can do warm and hot liquids but normal food would come right back up. This evening, I did, finally, get down a few tortilla chips with a four layer high Protein low fat dip. LOTS of normal burps (the food is going down kind of burps) but no PB. Thank the Lord!!!! I was fixing to call the doc in the morning to go in for a slight unfill. I have more trouble with fills than anyone I know and I only get small ones. What is the deal? I eat right. I chew well. I eat slow. I don't eat crap that is bad for me. This whole week, I have been supplementing with protein Water and Protein shakes but only AFTER things won't stay down. Soooooo weird.

I, too, have switched to Starbucks. That and Lipton sugar free Tea - Citrus Flavored. I carry a bottle of the tea in my purse everywhere I go. That an instant Crystal Lite packets. You can toss those in Water if you are out to eat. I HAVE had a tiny sip of a soda here or there but nothing that would even be able to be counted as a full swallow. Just a taste and I know I am happier with the other things that I am allowed to have.

I think PBing would also depend on what you are eating. I know I could eat mashed potatoes or pudding till the cows came home and probably never PB. BUT, if I can only eat a few bites of regular food and I am done. I will PB every time if I don't really watch what I eat, how fast I eat, and how much I chew. It also depends on the day and the TIME of day as well. I can't eat anything in the morning but I can drink. I can eat better after about the first 2-3 hours awake. My fills are being scheduled for every 4 weeks at this point and we are doing small ones. I am somewhere between 2 and 3 ccs. I can't tolerate anymore than that yet. I have an 11 cc band.

If you are still on mushies or soft foods, I would pre-pack my own food. If you are on regular food, just eat but eat light. Your band will stop you. I eat everything my family does, just smaller amounts. I have found that I don't have to deprive myself of anything this way. I have had cake, pizza, all sorts of "junk". I even had taquito's with chips and salsa tonight. I have had chips and salsa the past 4 nights actually. My hubby made a huge mess of salsa and I love it. I have lost 3.2 pounds since Monday. I just don't eat a lot. I eat what would be a smaller than normal portion and stop there. I stay right around 1200-1500 calories per day. I eat over 50 grams of Protein per day and do not eat carbs with every meal although I do not really count my carbs. This seems to work for me although it may not work for everyone.

I tell ya, my second fill really made a difference. I am doing so much better and have fallen way off my little plateau. I am doing well with avoiding PBing now but still learning to stop before sliming. Getting the hang of that one too but slowly. I just eat too dang fast. I am learning to slow down and take smaller bites and to chew chew chew!

I think this is definitely a conversation for the Powder Room. As for the poster, I think it is a matter of what is comfortable and what is not. If you have trouble, try having your fiance up is Water intake. If it still causes problems, then discuss an alternate ending.

My first thought when I got stuck was to panic. The big question pops into your mind: "What if I can't get unstuck, what then?" I quickly found that what won't go down will come back up. I have also found that if I let nature take its course that it will come up without literal vomiting. For me, if I sit on the toilet and lean over a trash can it sort of "falls up". I had a lot of stuck times between my first and second fill. Now that I have had my second fill, I am finding that I do not get stuck as much and that I get the "full" feeling instead and I am learning to stop before getting stuck. I have also found that if I have something to drink such as a glass of Water or a cup of coffee (decaf) about an hour before I eat that I don't get stuck. I guess it is that "opening up the band" thing. Cold drinks seem to open it in the morning and warm seem to keep it open during the day.

I had my second fill and have fallen off my little plateau. I am now losing again. I guess this shows that the fills really do make a difference. I am not able to eat as much as I was towards the end of my first fill and am having to learn when to stop. That has been hard but not as hard as after the first fill. I think we are learning, guys and gals!

You sound super tight. I would go to liquids only for a couple of days. If that does not help then I would get back to the doc asap. I was that way with my first fill only I could not even swallow my own saliva.

Call your doctor and ask. He is the one with the expertise. We are only your peers and are all in the same boat. Please, call you doctor. He may say it is ok.

Stuck is awful. I seemed to get stuck a lot between my first and second fill. I think it was the learning to eat slowly and chew really well part. I noticed that if I let myself get too hungry I would not pay attention and then I would get stuck. All part of the learning process, I think.