2muchfun

Yeah, no big deal if you don't hit your daily nutrition goals this early in your journey.

I've had to change our red meat eating to only tenderloin(filet mignon) type beef. It's lower in calories, easier to chew but costs three times as much as sirloin.

Yes, this is Bandster hell. It can and usually does take more than 1 fill to raise you above Bandster hell. It took me 3 fills and 4 months to leave that phase and I only lost 12 lbs in the process. From fill #3 on, my life has changed. The amount of saline in your band means nothing. Why? Because some people need no fills and some need 13.9 ccs to find the green zone. Each of us have different anatomies, different sized stomachs, different stomach lining thickness, different placements of the band. No harm in asking for an office visit sooner. I did it twice and glad I did. We all want this journey to launch and no reason to sit back and wait for it eh? tmf

Many people have similar stories but this is not the time to be concerned about losing weight. The first 30 days are a time of healing. If you happen to lose weight during this phase it's just a bonus!

You wont get much from your band till it's adjusted properly. Till then this will be just another diet!

Where is food getting stuck? Top of the throat or near the sternum?

Just because you can eat anything doesn't mean you should? This will be a diet for you till you get the fill that takes you back to the green zone. Good luck.

It was difficult for me too but I had a consult with my nutritionist and that made all the difference in the world. Check with your nutritionist. One or more hours of one on one can develop into a better understanding by the nutritionist of what your lifestyle and eating habits are. tmf

Your doctor is a little extreme but he's the boss. My doc just says 24 hours liquids. Docs don't want you to chew gum since it's not digestible in a short period of time and if you swallow it, it may get stuck in the stoma causing you to go to the ER. I've never chewed gum as a habit or daily routine so this was never a problem for me.

My fav: "That’s right. You better not eat that."

Way more valid than a lot of the points being made in this thread. I have a good friend who lives there and loves it. On some island I believe. Veering even further off topic, my first venture into retail back in the 60's, we used the word Charleston as our cost code for all products since it's 10 letters long and there are no repeat letters. So, if a car stereo sold for $200, and cost us $120, the code would have been HCN . Sorry, stupid comment but stupid is as stupid does

Why do you think you're stalled? If you're not hungry, how many calories are you consuming? It's basic math sometimes. If you consume 1200 calories/day and burn 1800, you should be losing about 5 lbs per month? Or, losing 5 lbs of fat but adding 5 lbs of muscle for people who are active?

Debbie, No credit needed. I probably plagiarized the idea from someone else?

Ms Grinder, Re: Disappointed with weight loss- Just an FYI, I've been around here for years and I've seen many newbies attack the band with partisan studies as you have. You are not the first here to make these arguments. There are other studies that document just the opposite. It's fine for you as long as you need the validation that you made the right choice, but it's not alright to attack others here who have also made informed choices for themselves. Your study takes in older bands using techniques(with a very small sampling) that are no longer valid. Newer bands and different surgery techniques along with better follow up have resulted in better outcomes than the 44% cited in your study. The sleeve seems to be a great option and I would never suggest that it was anything less. We all have to make these decisions for ourselves. Until you walk in our shoes(you know)!

Need2lose, I didn't read all the posts here but I read your comment regarding stomach growls and your interpretation that these meant you are hungry? That's just something most of us used as an excuse to eat again. Read this article. It may help you understand how your digestive system works. http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/digestive/stomach-growling.htm

No reason to feel frustrated till your band is adjusted property. It's not really a plateau till it's at least a month. What you're feeling is normal for many who come here but it's just fear from past experience. Let it go. If you're an emotional eater don't dwell on what you can't control. You're still in the "out of your control" phase of the journey. 7 lbs is a lot of weight although it's mostly Water weight at this point. And, I only lost 12 lbs the first 4 months. I too was frustrated and pissed off. But it got better just like everyone said it would. Chin up!

The band won't stop you from eating an 8 oz steak and potato. I can do the same but I don't want to because I'm no longer hungry by the end of 6 ozs and a salad. That's up to you to get in touch with your body, your band and your emotions and look for that feeling of satiety. But, stress can mask feelings, making it hard to get in touch with your body. Your doctor is right. Best wishes and prayers for your little grandchild. tmf

Agree with all the previous posts. My biggest fear for newly banded patients is drinking to the point where you get sick or hung-over to the point of hurling your guts out over the white throne. This kind of over indulgence could cause a slip or erosion. I do drink now, but alcohol affects me so much quicker now so it's usually one beer or one glass of wine.

What an inspirational story. I saw this comedian on Letterman a few weeks ago. He was talking about how fat he used to be. He said, "when you're fat, it's amazing how quickly you run out of oxygen just bending over to put your socks on". I'm para-phrasing of course, but you get the gist. So true for me. I remember those days. And life was difficult. Thank you lapband and Merry Christmas to my lapband and all lapband forum members!!! tmf

My surgery included lifetime fills at no charge. I guess I won't bitch about it?

Debbie, if you are still hungry between meals it could be like Terry said. Too many slider foods. oatmeal, Soup, runny tuna are all slider foods. That means they slide through the stoma with virtually no effect on the vagus nerve. Foods like omelets, chicken, fish, meats, deli meats, brown rice, veggies, hamburger are harder for the esophagus to push through the band/stoma. The peristalsis contractions are higher which theoretically help us to feel satiety sooner and longer. Foods that slide through don't require the contractions as much so give less satiety. Typical Breakfast for me: Egg white omelette with turkey sausage, sprinkle of low fat cheese=250 calories. Egg sandwich with slice of ham, slice of cheese on a skinny bread bun=325 calories Lunch: Similar sandwich or skinny bagel with deli meat. Sometimes I'll have a thick progresso soup if I'm short on time. dinner, Salmon with a salad. Or hamburger patty with salad, or brown rice. I still snack a little between meals but I keep it to apples, 1 oz of jerkey, half a skinny bagel with low fat cream cheese. I'm usually good after dinner. I make sure I get a lot of Protein so I seldom feel any cravings in the evening. This is what works for me. tmf

If your doctor is aggressive with fills levels, he may be trying to protect you from having a stuck episode which could cause your stoma to completely shut off any flow of food or liquids due to excessive swelling. This is a dangerous situation to be in so early in your journey so follow the orders as best as you can. tmf

Could be one of two things. 1. Swelling around the stoma area restricted the food and caused a little more irritation and increased swelling. 2. Swelling around the stoma area caused food to back up(eating too fast?) and made your esophagus expand which can also be an irritant. Sticking to liquids or soupy meals for 24 hours should reduce the feeling? I recommend cold drinks to aid in reducing inflammation. Maybe chewing on ice chips or add ice to your Water and/or shakes? Call your doctor if it's too painful though. tmf

Susan and Alex. The quote button isn't working.

Jaye, Actually, many of the forum members would support your comments but we recently had this discussion till the topic was frozen by admin due to some nasty comments on both sides. Your "in your face" approach doesn't really fit in here and even though I agree with your view on Obamacare there's no need to be rude and nasty. Just agree to disagree.