2muchfun

If you can eat as much as you say, you should wait about 2 weeks beyond your last fill and schedule another. Be very careful though. Tight restriction can sneak up on you just like that. tmf

Mine is named #*@~%!

Tracy, your before and after pictures are just stunning!! tmf

Yeah, these bands have a mind of their own eh? One day she loves chicken and the next, no way, get that white chicken breast crap outta here. One week it's oh sure, you can eat egg beaters and then the very next day, nope, not today pal. I do have to confess that about 50% of the time it's me. I eat too big too fast or didn't chew adequately. On the positive side, it's a reminder that she's still working and that we better not forget about her(it). tmf

Are you from Blackfoot? My first job out of high school was at the Kraft Foods cheese plant in Blackfoot. Graduated from Marsh Valley. tmf

Rowing is a total body workout so yes, better than walking. But 30 minutes on a rower would be excrutiatingly boring if not too much work, imo. I'd mix it up. 10-15 rower, 10-15 walking, 10-15 lunges, squats light calesthenics or step aerobics? tmf

This topic comes up often. You're fairly new to this so give it time. I think many of us struggled with this dilemma in the beginning but as time passes and you learn to communicate with your band, you learn how to drink before you eat and come to accept the fact we can't guzzle fluids when we eat. I assume you understand why we can't drink and eat? It's fairly simple, it's believed that a full pouch triggers the vagus nerve to send a message to the brain that we have eaten enough. Passing fluids through the pouch while eating will flush food through the portal too quickly as if it were a slider food. You don't want that. You won't feel satiated as quickly and may continue to eat too much food. Your doctor probably prefers you to not drink and you should follow his orders. But, there is still an ongoing debate over this subject and some doctors allow their patients to sip Water a minute after each bite. tmf

Shawn T's intensity is good. Of course, we large people have to make adjustments and compromises with many of the workouts as most of them are designed for young viral and thin adults. I also searched youtube for exercises and found many that would work. There's really a large section just for women. Check it out. BTW- Strength exercising doesn't have to include weights. Lunges, squats, pushups, steep hill climbs, pullups, burpees are all very good strength workouts for men or women. tmf

I had an unfill about 6 weeks ago myself. I was getting stuck too often. PB'ing and sliming most every day but I was losing weight and didn't want that to stopo. Finally decided it was no way to live and got a small unfill. Now all is sort of good. I know we shouldn't compare our journey to others but I rarely get satiated. I'm hungry every 2-3 hours. I'm eating less of course and still losing so that's a good thing. Still love my band. tmf

Now that I'm about as tight as I want to be I'm missing those fills and the additional weight loss afterwards. Two days of liquids seemed to stimulate my weight loss too. I've tried doing liquids on my own but I can barely make it through one day unless I'm ordered by the doc. Oh well, still losing, just not as fast. tmf

I agree, a nutritionist is only about $50 for one visit and the support groups are free. tmf

You can always go to the bar at the top of this page and click on surgeons. You can see all the local surgeons for where you live. If you live in CO send me a message if you want the scoop on doctors? Not that I know them all but I do know some good seminars and nutritionists. tmf

It's not a diet, it's how you eat. Slow, small bites, chew, you know, all the stuff the nutritionists told you before surgery. I assume by "normal" you meant like you would eat normally? We're not normal anymore. As time goes by we may resemble normal but in the beginning, while we are trying to lose weight, we have to follow the band rules. Also, if you've been given a fill or two, you may find that your band does not like some foods, like bread, red meat, dry chicken and fish etc. And if you're like me, your band may seem to have a mind of it's own. My band is female and she kicks my butt if I get distracted and eat big bites or eat too fast. Some days she's fine with chicken and others, no way, get that white crap out of my pouch. Sorry, it's just how it is. I don't really care cuz I'm so stinking happy with my weight loss I don't care what I can't eat(stolen from Pink Dahlia). tmf

I was on solids about 4 weeks out so I don't see any harm unless your devouring prime rib or some other big red meat item? Yeah, bandster hell sucks. You'll be hungry for some time till you get that one fill that helps you feel satiated. Like forum member B-52 says...."Until there's restriction...It's just another diet" tmf

If you are eating like normal and have got a few fills, you may be tight enough for some foods to get stuck. Don't eat normal, eat like a bandster. Many of us get hiccups when we have had enough to eat. Stop eating when you get hiccups and let your pouch do it's job. tmf

Dr Georgescu will do fills in Thornton but I don't know what he charges? Snyder charges about $10K for the lapband. tmf

One meal is nothing in the grand scheme. No worries. Oive oil can be good for you as long as it's in moderation just like all foods. Please fill in your profile so that we can better help you? I don't know if you are pre or post op by your post? tmf

You should fill in your profile and get a ticker so we can better help you. You're only one month post op and you've had 3 fills? That's rather unusual? Most of us only had 1 fill the first 6 weeks. Many of us didn't start losing for many months so you're normal. Until you get a fill that gives you restriction you probably won't lose much. I lost 12 lbs the first 2 weeks and then nothing for 3.5 months. I'm not alone. It takes time and probably no one told you that you will not lose fat for a while. Like the forum member B-52 says: "Until there's restriction...It's just another diet!" tmf

It took me 4 months and 3 fills to feel any restriction. Then another 2 months and 3 fills to finally get to the green zone. Still, I was a little too tight so I had to go back around my 7th month to take some out. It's a learning process as to how to eat. If you're eating slider foods, it's not going to work. It does sound like you're ready for another fill. Be careful what you ask for, one fill can take you right to the zone or beyond. Like it or not, this is the way of the band. I never gave up and always kept a good attitude towards the band. If you've been reading this forum there are many who post similar stories to mine. It takes time and you have to be patient. Get that fill done asap and meet the next stage in your journey. BTW-I understand the frustration. Most of us were never told it would take months beyond surgery to start losing fat. I too wanted my fat losing journey to start 30 days after my surgery. But it didn't and now I'm well on my way. Like forum member B-52 says: "Until there's restriction...It's just another diet!" tmf

For many bandsters getting stuck occasionally is the norm. It is for me and I can usually attribute the episode to eating foods that my band does not like or eating too fast, too big a bite or chewing inadequately. It doesn't happen often anymore as I've learned the hard way that I need to pay close attention to what I'm doing and follow the rules. You will also find that your band is tempermental. Mine is and has a mind of it's own at times. Foods that pass through easily one day may get stuck the next. If you get stuck every day you may need an unfill or you may need to follow the rules a little better? If you are getting stuck once or twice a week I don't see a problem? BTW-Ham is one of the foods that give my band problems so I'm not surprised you had a stuck episode. Even if it's thin sliced, a small chunk can cover your portal and block incoming foods. Take smaller bites and chew more or, don't eat ham. tmf

Sounds like you're near the green zone so make a huge attempt at following the rules for a couple of weeks. Sounds like one more small fill could get you there. tmf

The band doesn't stop you from eating anything as long as you take small bites and chew a lot. I eat: Tuna or chicken salad on a 100 cal thin bread. Leftover chicken. Lefover tacos. Leftover meatloaf. Fruit. Deli turkey sometimes on bread. Shrimp, chicken etc on a salad. Eat healthy though. Make smart choices like lean chicken and very lean beef. You'll find that your band does not like some foods so that will dictate what you can eat. And the lapband can be very tempermental and unpredictable. One day it loves chicken and the next day you're stuck and sliming. Slider foods will always go down easily but you will eat too much if you rely on slider foods. tmf

SURPRISE!!! Welcome to "Bandster Hell"!!! I'll bet no one told you about this part of your journey? No one told me. I found out about it at a support group meeting about 7 weeks post op. I'd like to say this is a dirty little secret that doctors neglect to tell us but in reality it's a good thing that we go through this. As you get fills you will try to detect if you are getting any restriction. It's like listening to your band. It helps you to begin to communicate with your body, your stomach and your pouch. The learning curve is long. It may take you 4-6 months to get acquainted with your band and develop that love/hate relationship we all adore. So, I was in BH for about 3.5 months. After I was told about this phase I decided to eat healthy but no deprive myself from being satiated. I probably ate too much but I didn't gain and I didn't lose after the initial 2 weeks. Jen is right so eat light, eat Protein and get those fills. tmf

Out of pocket cost? Hard to say? Depends on your deductible, co-pay etc. My $1500 deductible had already been met so I guess I probably spent $1500 out of pocket? Some wierd costs come up that I didn't plan on? Sometimes the doc will use an assistant and he was out of network so insurance didn't pay for it. That was $400. Fortunately I have lifetime fills for free and all my bariatric doctor visits are free. tmf

I get the toofattoexercise comment. Just don't wait too long to get into that fitness groove. I laid off for many years and now my knees are shot so the only real workout I can get is biking. But I do love my bike trips. And unfortunately, work will always be there eh? tmf