MeganMatters

I'm curious --has your pain persisted? I had surgery in July 2008 and started to feel the same kind of pain in February 2010. It's never gone away. I've done all the imaging tests--diet elimination-- the only think consistent is the location. I used to get some relief by bending to my left side to muster up a burp. But within the last 8 months, that doesn't work at all. I'm just looking to see if others are as uncomfortable as I am. . . I'm scheduling a bad adjustment for next week. Hoping that the removal of some liquid will help.

Hi everyone. I have a little update on this topic.

I had struggled with the morning tightness for almost 2 years.

Last December (2011) I had a horrible experience with my band's attitude problem (as I liked to call it). I had gotten used to it being very tight in the morning and quite loose in the evening. I had even gotten used to spitting up 3-5 times a week. Anyway, on December 19th, my band decided (or my stomach. . .whatever) that it wanted to be so tight that I was unable to swallow my own spit. This was the most frightening thing EVER. In my attempts to swallow spit and Water for that matter, I ended up vomiting. This is the only time I have ever vomited with the band in.

A few phone calls later, I was back with my surgeon. She took out .5 cc's. I was on liquids for 5 days --still my idea of pure hell.

In the long run, I love that I can each an egg for Breakfast at a normal time like a normal person. I love that I have only spit up once since December. I still hate that I can eat a normal sized meal without feeling any restriction.

I want to think the band can work, but almost 4 years post surgery, I was as successful losing weight before the surgery than I have been after having it.

A little update. I went to see my surgeon last Monday. She did not want to give me another fill. I understood that, noting the fact that eating is not happening in the am. As for my mid afternoon/evening issues, we're trying a few new approaches.

1. Do not force myself to consume calories in the morning. The whole you have to eat breakfast thing, she said, is not really proven, it's just assumed. So if I have no appetite, then there is no reason to be eating.

2. Eat more plant based Protein. Not sure why--something about my body sustaining better with soy/beans and such better than with meat. I've been totally vegetarian for the last three days. Good think i know what to do with tofu!

3. ANd this one, i have yet to do, because I hate exercising. HATE HATE HATE it. . . . anyway, they want me to go for an aerobic walk just after work to help hold off hunger. I guess when one works out, glucose is released from the liver, thus holding off hunger. Not really sure if I'm buying it, because the last time I was in a workout class, I was always hungry throughout and after the class.

4. And finally, I'll be getting a resting energy test to discover what my current calorie burn actually is. My surgeon thinks I'm probably around 1100.

I'm aware of the differences between hunger and random weird stomach sounds. Hunger comes with discomfort, random sounds do not. Trust me, it's legit hunger.

Today's lunch was 3 oz of chicken breast, spinach/carrot/snow pea stir fry mixed with about 1/3 cup of wheat penne. I ate the chicken first, then the veggies then the Pasta. I took 25 min to eat, concluded at 12:40. I was starving at 3:00.

Your stomach grumbling does not mean that you are hungry. Mine makes noises all the time, often so loud that other people can hear it. I am not sure why but it is not because of hunger.

Thank you so much for sharing. I'm really looking for others with this issue. It drives me crazy. I want another fill to help with afternoon/night time issues, but am afraid to lose my ability to even eat lunch. I like my Protein shakes, but certainly am not interested in drinking 2 a day forever. I wish I could control my band externally. It would be great to adjust as my tightness changes.

Thanks again for sharing!

Megan

I laughed out loud at the vegas buffet comment lol. My band is the same way. I don't even try to eat anything in the morning anymore. Puking everyday got old fast so I won't even attempt breakfast or a solid lunch. I have a Protein shake at noon and then dinner anywhere between 6-8:30PM. Sometimes when we eat dinner earlier (closer to 6) I still get stuck. However if we eat dinner at 7 (or my band just decides to loosen up earlier) I can eat anything and everything. I usually always have a REALLY healthy dinner. I love cooking and am very innovative with recipes. I'm always satisfied after dinner which is usually 2-6 ounces of protein...I don't eat pork, red meat, or poultry, so my Protein is always seafood or soy protein and sometimes legumes. Occasionally I have a veggie and rarely do I have a carb (although I don't limit myself...if I want to eat some rice or Pasta or potato I do...I'm not a restricter). However after dinner, I am generally able to eat EVERYTHING. And since my binge eating is SO BAD at night its often a recipe for disaster (and this issue isnt really about my band...its my head). Its a bummer but thats just how my band works. If I were a binger in the morning, that habit would quickly be broken. Anyhow, Im just trying to work with it. And therapy is helping. Im rarely ACTUALLY hungry at night. Its almost all in my head.

I've played around quite a bit with what and when I'm eating. Last night I had about 3 oz of lean pork, green Beans and a salad at 6:30. Again, by 9:00 I was grumbling. When I say grumbling, we're talking horrid discomfort with audible sounds able to be heard across the living room.

Note: the frozen meals I eat for lunch always have 15+ grams of Protein, I always eat the chicken/shrimp first, veggies second and if there is a carb, i eat that last.

Megan

It sounds as though the foods you are choosing are not dense enough to be digested slowly and give you saiety. Instead of a lean cuisine which generally has very little of anything in it why not have some chicken and salad or tuna and salad etc. At dinner have some meat(chicken, fish etc) vegies and a small portion of carbs.Again that should keep you full for longer. If you still find you are hungry a couple of hours later why not have something healthy like fruit + yogurt or a piece of cheese .........

What you eat makes a huge difference.

I am writing because I want to know if other people have this issue. I had surgery 7/2008. I had issues feeling restriction and it took a long time and MANY fills. My last fill was 2/2010. I am well over 7cc. I lost weight like a rock star in the beginning, but I was hungry all the time. My lowest weight was 227 in 6/2009, I'm now at 245, just 30 lbs below my surgery day weight of 275. I was at 308 when I started the whole journey. I have been a size 18 since september 2008.

I am very tight in the mornings. I can't even eat a scrambled egg. I have no appetite whatsoever. My mornings consist of coffee and a Protein shake or nothing or cottage cheese. I start to growl at about 10:30/11:00 am. I eat a normal lunch. . . lean cuisines, maybe a loaded salad, a chicken taco. I am then starving all afternoon. I get extremely snacky. When I get home, dinner feels like a 24 hour vegas buffet. I can eat anything! (ok, almost anything).

I know that I struggle with food choice, so if you're reading this saying--well, honey, you just shouldn't eat that--I know. I know exactly how many calories are in everything. 11 Doritos has 140. There, see.

So tonight, I ate a trader joes indian food thing. I ate both servings in the pack. Chickpeas in a yummy glop (410 calories) and a salad with homemade dressing. I ate that at 6:50pm. It is now 9:40 pm and I am grumbling. dinner is horrid for me, because I know that I shouldn't be able to eat normal person portions.

So if other people have this issues, I would love to hear from you. I feel like a freak of lap-band nature.

Thanks, Megan

Jachut, Thank you. My problem is--I'm not loosing any more. I've been bouncing between 241 and 246 for months.

I went into this expecting some frustration. I just find it annoying that I'm eating at the same level I was when preparing for the surgery and still feel just as hungry just as quickly.

Right now I am focusing on tracking and keeping my calories around 1200-1400 a day. Funny that right after surgery I was struggling to get in 800. . . . patience!!!

Thank you everyone. I had my fill--did the liquid, mushy thing for a week and have been adding things into my diet.

I'm still frustrated at how quickly I feel hungry. For example, today I had a toasted high Fiber english muffin with a scrambled egg and a piece of turkey bacon at 10am. My tummy was talking like crazy by 1.

I think I am going to start documenting how long things keep me full. I already track my food--but the time of satisfaction sounds like a better indicator.

Here's to getting and staying below 240. . . . it's been my demon number!!

cheers.

I was banded on July 24

Fill 1, 2cc on Sept.3

Fill 2, 2cc on Nov 4

Fill 3 is scheduled for tomorrow.

I basically feel like I can eat anything I want. Nothing gets stuck, nothing comes back up. . . . If you have found your sweet spot--what do you eat for lunch? How long do you stay full?

I'm eating 6in subway sandwiches without a blink. Is that seriously normal??

Thanks for your words!!!

WOW. I'm glad my little outing created such great conversation.

This was only my second time out to eat since surgery. I hope that those of you who are embarrassed to show your card or ask for an accommodation will reconsider.

Yes, we technically elected to have this surgery, but I know that if I did not make this choice I would have died in my 50s. I do not see it as a choice. I view this as my life saver.

I know that I can just order a big meal and take a to-go box. However, I still feel like a restaurant limiting anyone's ability to order a smaller portion is just annoying. Surgery or not, any person should be able to order a smaller portion. Why is that a big deal??

I plan to keep asking for that kids menu, and depending on who I'm with, I'll surely pick of others' plates.

I still love OG, and will probably return. I was just disappointed in their refusal to work with me.

oh and it was the OG in Federal Way, Washington

I also had pretty sharp pains. I call my doctor and she explained that it was probably the stitches dissolving. It felt like a needle was poking me from the inside. It also only happened when I sat down. Not too fun, but the pain is gone now.

Good luck!!

I went to lunch with my mom and sister yesterday. We went to Olive Garden. Our waitress was great, but the manager was a huge ass!!

I had asked the waitress if I could see the children's menu. I also handed her my special diet card. She told me that she was not allowed to let me order from the children's menu, but that she would show my card to the managers and ask for me.

Well, they said NO. Seriously. . . I couldn't even look at it!! LAME.

I ended up eating some of my mom's chicken breast, and a few shrimp from my sister's plate.

It was all fine in the end , but I was just pissed on the princeable. Because they refused to let me order from the kid's menu--I ordered nothing. Losers

I had to lose 16 lbs. This stuff worked for me. . . so it's worth a try.

TRACK your food intake!!! fitday.com is fantastic

I ate about 1200 calories a day

64 oz of Water a day

Fiber is very important. I would eat a high Fiber english muffin with a scrambled egg on it every morning. Veggies veggies veggies!!

I also kept my carbs low.

I hope some of this is helpful. You CAN do this!!!!

Hello hello!

I am currently ending my 2 weeks of mushies. I do not recommend carbs. Carbs = Bad!! You obviously need some, but pureeing Pasta is not a nutritionally sound choice. Stick with veggies, Protein and your Protein shakes.

I tried to puree chicken, and I just couldn't eat it. I marinaded it, cooked it, pureed it--and while it was really something that I would have happily chewed. It was ICK!

My favorite foods have included:

**Pureed refried beans--I eat them with thin taco sauce

**sugar free pumpkin pie--I found it somewhere on here. 15oz can of pumpkin, 1 can of skim evap. milk, 2 beaten eggs, 1 cup of splenda, 1.5 tsp of cinnamon. Pop it in a pie tin, bake at 350 for 45 min. YUM!

**Pureed cauliflower. Boil it, add some milk or light sour cream, puree the crap out of it. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Just remember that pureeing intensifies flavors, so things will taste more salty or garlicy. . . .

best of luck!!!

I did not have a required 6 month diet either. Here is my time line

February 21, Seminar

April 18 & 21 All obesity institute appointments (blood work, ekg, psych exam, PT, Dietitian, nurse practitioner, & psych eval)

Lose 5%

June 24, Surgical consult

July 24, Surgery

It was almost 5 months to the day. It could have been faster, if I had lost my 5% faster. . . . but hey 16 lbs in 2 months is pretty damn good.

Hope that helps!!

I recommend that you call your dietitian. What you eat is such a huge part of this process. Try going back to basics--high Protein, watch your carbs. Are you drinking any calories--those are dangerous. Do you journal your food intake?? I've found fitday .com to be very helpful.

Best wishes to you!!

The gas was hands down the worst part!! Especially when it put pressure under my rib cage. I found that laying on the side that hurt really helped. Also, my sister would pound on my back. I don't know if it helped in the long run, but for the moment it felt amazing.

You'll be fine, I'm sure!!

GNC vanilla whey Protein.

Favorite things to add. . . .

instant Decaf coffee

cocoa powder (the kind for baking)

cinnamon

Peanut Butter (about 2 tsp. . . the calories are worth it, especially when you'll be on all liquids)

2 inch chunk of banana

Best wishes to you!!

I was banded on the 24th and just started my mushie stage. I have not thrown up at all--nor have I felt the need to. I only felt a little nauseated when I woke up. My anesthesiologists was amazing!

You will do wonderfully!

Thank you so much! I just started mushies yesterday. I started feeling hunger pains only 5 days after surgery. . . and I told myself to suck it up!!! Thanks again!

Frypan,

I was banded the same day as you. The gas pains had me in tears, so I totally feel your pain. This week has been better, but just yesterday, I felt that familiar pain under my rib cage and in my shoulder. Make sure you stand up and move about. I also found that if the pain was in my left side, I would lie on my left side--it really helped!!

As for weight loss. . . I track everything on fitday.com I was told to have 600-800 calories a day. 60g of Protein, at least 10g of fat, and no more than 100g of carbs. Fitday is very helpful--they do the counting for you!

Best wishes!!!

Kayacee, It is so encouraging to hear that your nerves are not out of control. My surgery is on Thursday, and my head will not stop. Think think think. Shut up self!!

I wish you the best tomorrow. I will be thinking about you!

I just went to the store to pick up my liquids. . . this is what I purchased:

Butternut squash Soup

sugar free Orange Jello

V8 Spalsh, Light in strawberry banana

Organic chicken broth

Gatorade

Crystal Light (not really nutritious--but darn good!)

sugar free syrups to put in my Protein shakes--orange and raspberry

Decaf instant coffee

Make sure you look at the calories and carbs. 8oz for 110 cal or 8oz for 50 cal makes a big difference!! Also, might not be a bad idea to ask your dietitian how many calories a day they would like you to be drinking. Make sure you down the Protein first!!

I know that once I start the liquid thing (which I don't have to do until 1 day before surgery), I will probably get more creative.

Best wishes to you!!!

Hello everyone. I'm in Corvallis!! I Feel very lucky that working for the state has given me such great insurance. My surgery is on July 24th!! Less than one week. ahhhhh!!!!

My process had been with The Legacy Obesity Institute & Oregon Weight Loss Surgery in Portland. Dr. Halpin has been great! If anyone is curious about their program, I'm happy to answer questions!!