flowers

Hi, Capitol Chick, another July butterfly here. I have gotten all my fills under fluro. My fill doctor starts showing me all my innards and I can hardly stand it. I have almost fainted all 3 times. She wants me to see how slow the barium drips down to my stomach so I can see how tight I am and my port and you can even see yourself breath which sort of puts me into a panic.

I dont think until you have proper restriction you will have much limit to what you eat. I still can eat more than a lot here say they eat at a time. Iv had 3 fills and as tight as they will allow me to be. I only have real trouble if I eat fruit. Different people will have trouble with different foods getting stuck once you are tight. If you were banded that recently, Im just guessing you cant be totally restricted yet, so yes, you can eat as much as you want. Im not a binger, but I can put away a full meal on a cruise at dinner. Thats sure more than some here say they eat. The band may slow you down, but its not going to totally ever stop you from eating more. I get up and walk around until I burp a little and the feeling passes and then I can eat more.

I read posts where the women say the Water makes them feel full so they eat less. Crystal lite should make you feel just as full and still has zero calories? costco has the 24 case of green tea on sale until March 1st and I got some of the mixed berry green tea. The tea is actually a diruretic and so gets rid of some water weight, so I was actually a little less the next morning after drinking some as a late night snack. (yes I know the weight loss was temporary). 165 lbs still looked good the next morning. Im about 7 1/2 months after surgery. Had the surgery July 9th last summer. I know some that are hitting their 100 lbs down by 8 months in, but I have a bunch of cruises, and always gain when I cruise, then have to relose, so Im a little behind some folks, but doing ok to me without drinking water. Just aint going to happen. I got enough things Im denying myself, something zero calories like flavored teas isnt going to be one. I also like the diet snapple oolong tea. Iced tea is my new treat.

I think unless you are on a prolonged liquid diet, you will lose slowly. Liquid diets have fewer calories and many mushy foods are higher calorie, such as adding mayo to your chicken to make them mushy. ... at least that's what I told myself. A big month is 10 lbs, steady, unless I have a cruise or special outings, such as in a few weeks Im going to a out of town wedding and 3 days on the road and not getting in my walking will obviously set me back that week. My aunts pies arent known to help with weight loss, so I know during those times I will not lose, and try not to gain. slow and steady wins the race. I see many who were banded around when I was who are already down over 100 lbs and try not to get upset. Comparing yourself to the best losers wouldnt make you feel better, just as long as you are losing. If I am walking every day I dont plateau.

I dont drink Water. I have not had one whole glass of water since I started this. Iv tried on other diets to drink water, which I dislike, and never seen any improvement, so this time Im not even trying. I do drink flavored water, even Fiber water from special K or southbeach for instance or crystal lite or ice tea, but not plain water. There have been recent studies that dont show it helps with weight loss. When I read those, I was like whew!!! let's me off that one, so now I just try and get in my liquids that I enjoy and have no calories.

I personally thought the Sleeve might be the best choice. I was never tempted by by-pass. The seminar I went to, the ONLY reason many switched over to by-pass was because insurance didnt yet cover the sleeve, but covered by-pass. You might look a little more at the Sleeve. Its been around for a long time for cancer, but only about 5 years here as a WLS.

I know how you feel. I feel like Iv lost so much until I see a picture of myself and realize Im not looking as thin as I feel, I still look .... errr fat. My stomach isnt going down as fast as Id like especially. You have done so well. Iv been banded longer than you and not yet where you are. What I do is count every 10 lbs, and Celebrate it when I hit it. Each 10 lbs took a lot of effort, so tell yourself, thats 10 down, and only look ahead the next 10 lbs. Dont try to make large goals that take too long, make smaller goals that you keep achieving.

Believe me fiber isn't enough for everyone. Besides my special K Protein that has added fiber, I had a large bowl of salad each day and a orange, and benefiber and fiber choice and every thing of fiber food I could find and it didnt do it. Sometimes your body needs more than just fiber. Iv had trouble all my life. Thank goodness you can buy it over the counter now, thats my opinion.

I know that stat was given out during my seminar. The lady turned to me as the lone hold out for the band and asked, "are you going to be satisfied with only losing half the weight you want to lose??!!". Of course I said no, but I knew I indeded to get to my goal. Iv got a lot more stubborness and determination than most people I know too. Im aware what the stats mean. Im also 5 7, and know I would be unhappy if I couldnt get below what you weight now, because on me with a small frame Id still look too heavy, hence my goal with a BMI less than 20. What is success for one isnt success for another.

I was self paying, and Im 58, and wish Id lost the weight when I was your age. Im sure thats why its so hard for me to lose, age makes it harder. The loop holes are you have to change what you eat, throw away the bad foods. Snacks are mostly slider foods and go down much easier than protein, like baked fish which can sit in your pouch and make you feel full if you dont wash it down with a drink. Im deciding about allowing myself a 100 calorie chocolate snack that Costco has on sale right now, afraid I will do it every day and Iv been pretty rigorous about anything junk food wise since I started. One lady in my seminar I went to gained weight on the lapband and got diabetes and was there to get bypass. She hadnt gotten her fills and maintained restriction, said she worked out of town all week and never found a place for fills on the weekend (she didnt try imo). The band is more work to keep your fills tight, no doubt. 50% success rate on the band, so 50% are considered failures.

I think a lot of it is you have to have self determination. It hasnt been nearly as easy for me to lose as I had hoped with the lapband. I have to push myself to exercise to lose, the band is no help there. I have to say for me its as hard as any diet Iv been on, except I think there is a little help at night for when I normally want to snack, that part is easier. I still can eat anything and put away about as much food at meals. You still can gain weight if you dont watch what you eat. .... Im determined to lose it, thats the difference, you have to want it enough to change your food and exercise, the band only helps with appetite.

I think the product is hokey, and if they want to use fake pictures, that pretty much tells you the product is hokey. Would you really want to be associated with this product? It better be really big money!!! lol, just kidding. Guess it does depend on how much you need the money though. I couldnt do it.

2 pieces of a 18 inch pizza to me is pigging out. I was back up to 169 this morning and blaming eating both pieces of pizza. My mom tried to tell me I should have just had one. Maybe its my band, but I got more help the one week I got phen fen drugs from a doctor (taken off the market the week after I started). They helped more with my appetite than my band does. My band does help a little with late night snacking, but I can still eat a good sized meal on cruises .... unfortunately. Gained 5 lbs on a 5 day cruise I got back from last month. My experience says you are still going to face temptations. The band for some stops them, but my fill doctor wouldnt fill it overtight so I cant eat and drink, so it also depends on your fill doctor. The more times you say to yourself "just this once" the slower the loss will be, but at least Im still heading down overall. .... feeling guilty as heck about that last piece of pizza. You hit a nerve with your post, a guilty nerve. I have too many of those indulgent "just this onces". Then I beat myself up.

Since this post wasnt up where the posts usually are for a certain month's surgeries, Im hoping it is ok to jump in here? As someone who has been there done that, dont use that as a excuse to PIG OUT. Some people have trouble with one food or another, mine is fruit, but I have never had trouble with bread. I kept thinking ok, after this fill it will happen but I can still eat bread. I brought home one of those deluxe, everything loaded 18 inch pizzas from costco tonight and I ate two pieces. I did skip lunch so was starving. I dont know how many calories in 2 pieces, but hopefully not too much over my daily 1200ish that I try and stick to (plus my Cereal this morning). No sense unless you just want to pig out and need a excuse to yourself to eat everything in sight before surgery. Remember you wouldnt have any restriction for months after your surgery. ... but you wouldnt be able to have pizza for a month after surgery, I did 3 weeks of mushys, but its not goodbye to most foods forever. You will probably be able to eat most anything, except maybe in the morning will be more tight. I just didnt want you to pig out and regain and think to yourself you were giving up pizza or any other food forever. I dont have it very often, but I eat subs from subway and other bread foods still too.

I had spent $180 to go see a doctor who prescribed something with 5 refills .... guess what it is, exactly the same as Miralax. I went to Walmart after I read this thread and read the ingrediants again, exactly what I was prescribed and paid about $27 for a smallish container. I went and joined costco today, and bought two of the two packs. If you dont belong to Costco, you can still buy it online. With the shipping minus the $6 coupon it came to $32.XX (thats without belonging to Costco, for two 30 day supplies). You dont have to be a member to use their online site, but they add a couple of bucks, but the same amount would cost you over $40 even at Walmart which is the cheapest place around here.

I entered a similar weight loss contest among those who dont have the band. To me my band just doesnt help me that much. Maybe its not working right, but I sure have to work just as hard to lose as I ever did, so I dont feel dishonest. Turns out among about 8 of us hanging in there, Im about 4th ..... maybe after a month. Two guys are blowing me away, one is down over 20 lbs in less than 6 weeks, one gal is down 10 who started 32 lbs less. My other reason I dont feel it is cheating is they started losing with the contest. They could lose that easy first 20 - 30 lbs and Water weight. I was already started so I had no easy weight left to lose. Im down 10 since the contest started and Iv worked my arse off for every lb.

I lost this weight once before on Nutrisystem. I went on a cruise and came back like 7 or 8 lbs up and didnt stop there. Then my Dad's heart went out beat and he had one problem after another and almost died twice and I had quit my daily walking. Its hard to be serious about losing weight when parent is dying and put yourself first, sometimes you find it hard mentally. You have to make time for yourself. If you are like me you wouldnt lose unless you exercise and burn calories and you just have to do it.

Maybe I can try again to explain. Technically you can be filled 10 cc, or more because of the tubing, but they will not fill you past the point where you can drink and eat, whatever point that is. That's why I barely could get a fill last time. She put in .5 cc, and wanted to take out .2 cc and I had to talk her out of it. She thought I was too tight. Its not uncommon to read that others have 7 or over 8 cc in their 10 cc band, its very individual how much they can put in. Im going to wait until I lose about 30 lbs since my last fill and maybe go in then and let her tighten it up a little more. As you lose weight there will be a little less restriction so they can fill you more and then once you reach goal once a year is usually enough.

For the first month you probably wouldnt be allowed to eat regular food. After that I could eat just about anything. There is a thread in another section where folks list which foods they have trouble with. I have the most trouble with fruit, but it varys from person to person which foods they have trouble with.

Im not sure Iv hit a sweet spot, but I have been filled 3 times and the fill doctor says she wouldnt fill me any tighter. She watches with fluoro and does the barium swallow so she can see how fast the barium goes down. I got 1.8, 1.8 and .5 cc in a 10 cc band. I probably wouldnt bother getting another fill for quite a while. No point. I was a little to tight on my cruise in Jan. to eat in company, but yet at home where I kinda nibble dinner at a computer I dont notice the restriction.

I flew the day after surgery. I decided to come home a day early (mistake). I changed my flight and had to wait over 3 hours for my flight, then had trouble in the dark finding the shuttle to where I parked. I was exhausted when I got home. I even stopped to grocery shop on the way home, Im the only one who can drive and needed chicken broth. I did rest most of the next day and was ok. PS the really hard thing was having to remove my shoes and then put them back on and tie them. I was travelling by myself from El Paso where I crossed the border for surgery. Should have stayed the extra day I guess. Durn airports making you take off your shoes.

Mexican. We split something.

You know Im still not sure the lapband helped me. I took off over 80 lbs before. What I hope is the lapband helps me KEEP IT OFF. Yes, I can diet and lose, but keeping it off is the harder challenge, long term. I decided to get the band while I was qualified, because I never plan on regaining this weight again, and I do hope the band helps me keep this promise to myself. I was one who came out of surgery feeling like I was starving. I could have eaten that Mexican meal I saw the next day too Im sure. Iv been able to eat anything once I got past that first 30 days of healing. Chin up, you will get thru the first month. Luckily I didnt have to do liquids very long. I went on to 3 weeks of mushys.

I think you have to pat yourself on the back to keep encouraging yourself. I see other folks who are at or near 100 lbs down since surgery, and tell myself, at least you are losing. You cant always be the biggest loser. Think of the rabbit and the tortise, the slower mover won because he stuck it out.

Katy, Im so sorry to hear your band has slipped. The fear all of us have has happened. I hope your surgeon gets it done. If he doesnt then you need to see someone else who will. I guess he doesnt think waiting until the 27th will hurt you, so for now maybe you just have to trust his judgement. Wishing you not to be in pain though...