RestlessMonkey

I haven't ever really experienced this phenomenon...because I don't eat Breakfast usually, I drink a Protein shake. But...sometimes even my AM coffee felt a little funky, so I asked my doc about it (he's great). He said HYDRATION seems to be the major culprit. He said if you are well hydrated then the band is loose, if not, then it isn't. In a way, internally, water is a lubricant (NOT saying it is mucous etc! ) but think how dry your skin and lips can get if you're dehydrated? Internally if we don't have enough water, things restrict and tighten up. Water them and they relax again (this is really generic, not trying to be scientific but just give a visual). SO he said people who get at least 64 oz of water a day (not all at once either, LOL but spread out) don't usually have the fluctuation issues. I mentioned this to a friend really struggling and it may have saved her band; she said it changed her life, because she hadn't been drinking much of any water, just other things. She said the first day she got her 64 oz was almost miraculous. My restriction now is very consistent. AM/PM doesn't matter, I think it's worth at least a try if you are fluctuating widely and haven't been getting the water in.

The MAJOR cause of slippage is advancing one's diet too quickly. I don't want to scare you but you really should call your doc tomorrow and tell him/her what you've eaten. Depending on what it is, he may want to check you out to make sure you're ok. Especially if you've overeaten enough to gain 5 pounds (assuming you didn't just eat salt!) then you need to tell your surgeon.

I combed through them on Amazon and I love it because of the customer ratings. I read through and found a couple I felt were what I was looking for! Sounds like you've already been given that tip; good luck! In fact one of the two I bought was the one you downloaded! :thumbup: LOL

I agree with the other posters. I'm a native Texan and "the border" covers a HUGE area. Are you near Laredo? Corpus? El Paso? Texarkana? Brownsville? Makes a diff. I'm in San Antonio and LOVE my doc. Period. He too makes you sign a paper promising not to get pregnant for 1 year. And yes the band does not MAKE you diet. You do that. The band helps you if you work with it. But it isn't in control, you are. I don't eat like I used to, right now as I'm losing, but I can. It isn't a "diet", it's life. Right now I've found that certain foods keep me full for a LONG time. So I choose those. Most people don't eat thinking "Hmm, I want to choose THIS item to eat because then I'll be hungry again in 2 hours and have to just suffer". The band slows some foods down more than others, so if I pick those dense foods (like steak, for example) I am full for 6 hours. It's a no-brainer and the weight is falling off. So don't let the truth intimidate you. Yes you must eat differently to lose, but that is true of any WLS, any diet, for any (healthy) person. Do what you've been going, you'll get what you got. Eating differently, though, is so much easier when hunger isn't gnawing at you all the time! Good luck!

To quote Madonna (zounds have I lost my mind, who quotes Madonna) "We are living in a material world and I am a material girl". Fat and rich. Indubitably. And Wasa, profound as always BUT...if you're rich, you don't have to camp, you can stay in a 5-star hotel! :thumbup:

I've never ever honest to goodness had anyone be intentionally rude to me unless we were fighting. Seriously. I know fat people are discriminated against, but people are always nice to me. I asked my husband once after reading a thread similar to this on a Weight Watchers Board "am I just clueless? do people jeer at me and me not notice?" and he told me "no, EVERYONE is nice to you. I don't why" LOL I'm generally cheerful and friendly and upbeat; maybe that's why? I don't give them a chance to be pissy?

I live in San Antonio. Heat and humidity personified. Doesn't impact my band at all. What DOES impact most people's bands is hydration...if you aren't well hydrated you tend to be tighter. Well hydrated=looser. And when it's hot, if we don't up our water intake (not tea, not crystal light, but plain old water) we can get dehydrated. If you are swelling that means you need water (odd I know but the water needs to be in your system circulating, not holing up in your extremities! ) Drink more water...if you swell it will lessen (assuming you don't have kidney disease or heart issues) and your band will remain "sane" instead of tightening up. :thumbup:

To each his own...but there is no way I'd let ANYONE put ANYTHING into me without knowing what and how much. And I was that way before I went to nursing school! Good grief. How will he know if it's leaking? Sloppy at best. I'd find a new doctor. That's just insane. Would you let someone give you a shot of, say, morphine and say "I don't know how much I gave you it's different". Good lord. I know saline isn't morphine but someone needs to know about that medical device in you and the buck stops with your surgeon.

I think your best course would be to ask your surgeon WHY. There is some new rumbling that super tight may = more problems with the band (no evidence that I've read, just innuendo and anecdotal stuff) so maybe he's reluctant because of something like that. Ask him. Don't jump to conclusions!

I lost 42 pounds pre and post op then slowly regained back about 15-16 of that over the ensuing months until I FINALLY hit my sweet spot on May 7, 2009 at 10:15 AM (but who remembers those things LOL) Now I'm down almost 68 pounds...over 2/3 of that since May 7 of this year. It varies...My average appears to be about 1.75 pounds per week, taking it from when I started the preop diet.

Are you guys getting sufficient (at least 64 ounces) of WATER each day? (not crystal lite, not tea, just plain old WATER)?

Actually I'd check with your nutritionist, because.....lap band is about portion control, not calorie counting. While the other posters are correct that there is a big discrepancy in wt. vs volume...most of us are told to eat 1 cup, eat 1/2 cup etc. Weight (and the calories) aren't really an issue. If this were WW or another "diet" I'd agree that it is probably weight, but with the band? Maybe not. Ask to be sure!

Just follow your doc's prescribed post op diet and you'll be fine! You should still be on liquids only and those shouldn't cause slips/pbing. (Lap band vomit is different from vomiting say from a stomach bug, because it doesn't have bile or stomach acid in it. It's usually caused by taking too large a bite of food, not chewing a food well, or overeating...NOT overdrinking) If you get nauseated, though, call your doc. A major cause of early slips are eating inappropriate foods too early post op, so hang in there with the guidelines your surgeon or nutritionist gave you and let yourself heal...and don't worry!

There is nothing I can't eat (Thank you, Dr. Cavazos!) I have great restriction (2 oz of steak keeps me full for 6 hours) but I can eat bread (white, not toasted) pasta rice fiberous veggies chicken breast shrimp etc. You name it, it is NOT off limits to me. I am so glad!

Nope. Never have, with the band. This isn't a diet. It's life. I am not going to weigh and count every bite of food I put in my mouth for the rest of my days. Personally when I "diet" I become food obsessed. This is so much better! I did weigh my steak one night and found I can eat about 2 oz before I'm full...but that's it. I have to have something I can live with, but we're all different

I can eat anything (thank you, Dr. Cavazos!) but I have found that if I choose more dense foods like steak or chicken breast, or part of a hot dog (with bun), burger, or something like chick fil A (can only eat about 1/3 of chick fil a...don't use mayo yucko) they keep me full for a good 6 hours. I can eat about 2 oz of steak, never weighed the chicken. Foods that are softer go through more quickly and I get hungry faster.

Call your doc. It could be several things but even if it's very minor (which is likely) you need to treat it ASAP or it can become major (heartburn will cause erosion in your esophagus over time). So call first thing Monday and get checked out.

By now this has probably resolved! I hope it worked out for you. I can give you some things I've learned to do on the rare occasions I get stuck (because I HATE it! so I chew like it was my last bite of food! LOL) 1. Papaya Enzyme aids in digestion of Protein. I found some at the local grocer and sometimes it does the trick. 2. Some people take a sip or two of Water...which, when you are stuck, usually comes RIGHT BACK UP and often brings the offending food with it. Some people do a yoga position called down facing dog or something like that (sorry i don't remember the exact name but if you are a yoga fan that will probably be enough for you to figure it out...if not, doesn't matter!) Good luck! OH and realize after a bad incident you MAY think you're stuck but just be sore. My doc recommends after a bad "PB" to go on fluids for a meal or two and let things settle down (and see how you feel).

Since you always had good portion control (which is the point of the band) I'm shocked the doctor didn't steer you in a different direction than the band...since it's just one option for weight loss. However...this sounds like something you should discuss with the nutritionist. Do a food diary and s/he should be able to help you, and can refer you for tests if your bowel issues strike him/her as odd. Good luck!

He needs to check back in with his surgeon. Tell him if the surgeon says he's ok you'll get off his back...that you love him and want him around for a LONG time. Because yes, he shouldn't be that tight, or it may be something simple like he eats too large a bite or doesn't chew well. He's done well...so praise him and try to make it more like a bargain than a threat (although you know him best!) Good luck!

The two biggest things MY husband did for me, both preop and post op: 1. He believed in me, even though I've dieted and gained about a million times (I weighed 150 when we were married in 1985) 2. He did NOT eat around me while I was on liquids only. Period. My moods didn't swing but I was so darned happy to have the band (FINALLY!) it would've taken flood, fire and grim death to harsh my buzz any. She's lucky to have you; I'm sure she'll do fine with support like you at home!

If your surgeon AND the anesthesiologist act like it's not a big deal, it probably isn't. As my Granny used to say, don't borrow trouble. Start your preop diet and get the cardiac clearance. Good luck!

Yep! I do! in fact, right now I'm doing a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch, and protein and some veggies for dinner (with my banding surgeon's blessing and close oversight) and it is WONDERFUL! I actually go for HOURS without even thinking about food and let me tell you, I'm 54 and this is the first time in my long life that I've done that consistently for days on end. It is simply wonderful.

Go to the doc who's been doing your fills and have him check you out. You may have a slip or erosion OR it may be something minor that, if treated promptly, won't give you any long term issues.

AND...the throwing up you are doing is referred to on here as "PBing" (P B for productive burp) which happens usually when we don't chew well, or take too large a bite, or overfill our pouches by overeating. The bite of food can't go through the band (either because it isn't chewed, is too large, or your pouch is already full) and it has to go somewhere. Most of us spit it back up, or "PB". Usually that is accompanied by a bit of mucous (called "slime" on this board) which is our body's way of trying to lubricate the offending food to move it OUT of there. While PB isn't like vomiting (no stomach acid or bile is involved) it isn't good to do it a lot because it can mess with your band over time. Check to make sure you are chewing very very well and taking small bites of food. For many of us, drinking while we eat can also cause that "too full" sensation and a PB, so either for that reason or because of some body of data that indicates drinking while eating can wash food through (and negate the band) most of us are told to refrain from drinking for up to 1 hour (time varies) or MORE after meals. If I were you I really would use the guide lines on the official lap band web site.