2muchfun

Not at all. I could hardly wait. It went just fine.

Donna, I've been craving a Memphis Burger from Carl's for months now. I decided to treat myself and went in to buy one. They don't make them anymore they said. I walked out without buying anything. I was proud of myself. So, I googled the ingredients and made myself one at home. A little too many calories but I accomplished my goal and now I'm fine for another 6 months. No guilt, I knew what I was doing.

Not sure if this will post or not? You may need facebook to see this? https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=565766076788142&set=vb.100000642645050&type=2&theater

1. Most likely you aren't taking small bites and chewing enough. It's one of the most difficult things for new bandsters to do. 2. No. I eat a normal diet of most everything but junk and fast food. I just eat less of it. I eat a lot of salads, veggies, salmon, chicken, low fat hamburger etc. I had some tater tots over the weekend with some onion rings too. Yuck. Why did I ever like those foods. My taste buds have done a 180 degree change. The crappy foods I once loved, I now detest. I love eating healthy and that's a first for me. 3. I knew when I could eat and be satisfied for 3-4 hours. I still eat a small snack twice a day but it's usually a cheese stick, apple, fruit, pickle or costco small bag of jerkey. I kept getting stuck though and had some taken out. My mistake. I now know I wasn't eating small enough or chewing enough. That was 8 months post surgery. 4. Eat real food. Real chicken, not chicken nuggets, Cook a slab of salmon. Eat vegetables, steamed or raw. Don't eat processed foods like white bleach flours or refined sugar or even large fruit juices. Don't eat chips, crackers, fast food. But don't kick yourself if you cheat every now and then. The world and your future won't change if you fall off the wagon here and there. tmf

Like I said, you may not understand how this works because no one HAS to drink protein shakes. They're helpful during the post op phase but only for a few days/weeks. The only protocol is once you're adjusted properly you must watch for satiety signals and obey them. That means you eat fruit, vegetables, meats and even bread if your band will tolerate it. Your husband may be right. He does know you better than anyone else? The band won't stop you from eating bad foods. If you want to lose weight with the band, you really have to make a change in the way you think. You have to think, "Am I Hungry"? And if you aren't, you don't eat. The band helps you to feel that satisfied feeling much quicker and with much less food. You can still continue to eat if you disregard the signals. Most of us can discern between hunger and cravings and we lose or maintain weight. If you go into this thinking the band will stop you from eating you're going down the wrong road. If you think it will stop you from eating oreos and chips, wrong again. It's not a quick fix, it's for people who have tried all other methods of weight loss and are willing to make a CHANGE in their lives. Did you watch the videos? tmf

Aint it great to have belts that reach all the way around your left side and look goofy?

Wow! That is quite a difference. Great job and great attitude.

Many of us found that the difference between getting the proper adjustment and too loose can be as little as .25 CCs. You could be one small fill away or 6 small fills away. If you can get your doctor to perform a floroscopy fill, you might find the zone quicker. tmf

There's no such thing as a lapband diet. We just learn to eat healthy foods in much smaller quantities. You should invest some time to research the band before you jump into it. It doesn't work the way you might think. With a lot of work on your part, the band can help you find satiety signals so you eat less. Watch these videos when you have time: Part 1 part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Alex's book "The Big Book on the Lap-Band" link is at the top of this page.

A major plateau may be different for everyone but for me, it's 2 months. And you're only 2 months out and you've lost 30. Many would love to have your success. One week does not make a major plateau. Just keep eating fewer calories than you burn and it will happen in time. Be patient. If you're exercising you may be replacing fat with muscle. It will show up as inches lost and won't appear on the scale. tmf

I lean more towards your PCP recommendations but would definitely seek the advice of a bariatric surgeon. tmf

You posted the same topic yesterday and the correct answer is talk to your bariatric surgeon. This is a complicated diagnosis and I seriously doubt anyone here would have your entire medical history to offer any better advice than your bariatric surgeon. BTW-You mention "your surgeon" but then go on to say you're seeking a bariatric surgeon? What kind of surgeon is "your surgeon"?

Fluids should pass through your esophogus, pouch, band and into your stomach in a matter of seconds.

Happens to most all of us. I still get stuck a few times a month. Learning to eat small and chew big is one of the most difficult things for new and old bandsters to do.

Nsaids will thin your blood and could make the lining in your stomach bleed, causing an ulcer. Especially right where the band is pressing on the stomach. My doctor says never again, but I still cheat if I go on a long bike ride and need help for aching muscles. I just don't do it very often. Maybe twice a month? tmf

Nsaids will thin your blood and could make the lining in your stomach bleed, causing an ulcer. Especially right where the band is pressing on the stomach. My doctor says never again, but I still cheat if I go on a long bike ride and need help for aching muscles. I just don't do it very often. Maybe twice a month? tmf

Warm liquids may make your stomach feel better and help with the nausea, but if you're stomach lining is inflamed from a stuck episode, cold/icy water should help reduce swelling. The stomach is a muscle and when you sprain an ankle or get a bruise, ice is what the doctor recommends.

Re: First bite syndrome? 5 months in, I too thought the same, but I really was not chewing enough or taking small enough bites. I thought I was eating small and chewing big but 5 months later I had an epiphany that I really wasn't. It's a combination of eating very samll bites, chewing to a complete mush and giving the bite time to pass through the stoma. I still struggle with this part of the journey but I'm so much better at it now. Your Doctor or even your nut would know and it's always a good idea to get a professional opinion. tmf

There's nothing stopping you from calling them up in 3-4 weeks if you're in bandster hell or feeling no restriction. All they can say is no.

I've never been one to measure my food. I try to keep the calories around 2000 a day at this time. Sort of in a maintenance mode right now. Waiting on the biking season to start here in Colorado. Once the snow stops here, I'll go to about 1600/day and shoot for buring an extra 600/day in exercise. We're all different and for me, exercise is my key to losing weight.

You might want to rethink the steakhouse trip? Most all doctors will require you be on liquids for 24 hours and purees for the next 24 hours. Eating a steak so soon after an adjustment could be difficult? Even unfills can cause some swelling in the band area. tmf

Are you able to eat soups? If you are taking small bites and chewing the food to mush, it's like eating soup. Just takes a lot longer. Regurgitating? You mean PBing or actually throwing up/hurling your food from your lower stomach? PB is OK as long as it's occasional but throwing up is taboo. Your post is also so similar to so many who, in this early phase, cannot differentiate between true hunger eminating from your stomach VS. just head hunger/craving food? Stop, listen to your band/stomach? I mean, really stop, and think about this feeling? Get in touch with your stomach. Is it hunger or craving? Are you really hungry? As far as not losing since last fill? Are you eating around your band now that you're getting stuck and regurgitating?

Mine asked me to eat pureed or soup the day before and stop eating at 6 pm.

This is the age old question? Egg before the chicken or chicken before the egg? Hungry before thinking of food or thinking of food makes you hungry? I find myself in front of the fridge every day looking at food. But It's so much easier now to stop, ask myself, am I hungry? Usually the answer is no, close fridge door. Can you differentiate between a craving for food vs. a pure hunger signal from your stomach/body? If not, you should speak to a nutritionist at least and possibly get some counseling from a psychologist? tmf