2muchfun

It seems that many new and old bandsters don't understand how their band works. It's supposed to decrease your appetite so that you're less hungry or not hungry for hours after a meal. It's purpose is to help some nerves in your stomach relay signals to your brain that you've eaten enough long before you've eaten too much. Some foods will not give your pouch/band the pressure you need to stimulate those nerves. For instance, most of us could probably eat 2-3 cups of Soup. It goes right through your band and into your lower stomach. You might feel full but most likely, you're not satisfied. That's because the pouch and your esophogus didn't have to work at all for those fluids to pass through. Some of these Jenny Craig, smart ones, lean cuisine meals will not give you the satiety that 4-6 ozs of Protein and some veggies will. They're OK to eat as they are low in calories but don't expect to feel satisfied with some of them(there are exceptions). If you eat healthy food your band will help you to feel satisfied sooner and you will eat less. That is how I understand the mechanics of the band. tmf

You guys are putting far too much pressure on yourselves. This is going to be a slow process. You will probably average 5-6 lbs a month and some months 0 lbs. I was like you and was impatient to launch this rocket but it took me 4 months in Bandster Hell before I got enough restriction to feel some semblance of satiety. I can show you posts of my own where I whined and cursed that I was so hungry. I too was angry but there were people around here to calm and comfort me. I now know that getting restriction is not the holy grail. It's just the beginning of learning how to live with this piece of plastic in my body. You have to relearn eating habits, how to eat, how long to eat, what foods your band will tolerate and how fickle that little plastic prick is? If you're feeling any restriction to meats or breads you need to slow down, eat like a bandster and look for satiety signals. You already have the beginning signal that you are near the green zone so big fills should be out of the question? These satiety signals are not going to knock you in the head like a bell. They're subtle and ambiguous. Liquids/fluids will not give you any kind of signal unless you drink 24 ozs of the stuff and then it's a full feeling which is not what you want. Good luck. tmf

I went to 3 different seminars and 4 different support groups prior to being banded. No one every insinuated I could go back to work in one day(and I've never heard of anyone being told 1 day till now?). I was told some can go back in 3-4 days and some may take a week to recover. It was always ambiguous just as it should have been. And I highly doubt anyone was ever told getting a band was like going to a dentist. I guess I'll leave your little hyperbolic rants to yourselves but you're only kidding yourselves!

Try not to fall back on stress as the reason why you smoke. It's all about the addiction to nicotine. You'd want that smoke stress or no stress. It's tough, painful, but so worth it. tmf

Maui, a little too defensive? It's just a post pointing out that there are happy and unhappy people in both or all camps. I don't see where you were singled out but you seem to be making it all about you? It's not. Relax. tmf

Yes, let's pretend that posts like, "best of luck" as being helpful? The only obvious answer was express delivery.

I was in BH for 4 months so 4 weeks is awful but not fatal. I still eat a snack around 10:30 and 3 pm every day. Usually it's an apple, jerkey, fruit, a few bites of tuna salad etc. That gets me to my next meal just fine. Yeah 1500 calories is a little too much if you want to lose but should be fine just to maintain. And at this stage, that's all they really expect you to achieve. Sounds like you've got it all under control so just keep doing what you're doing.

Eat healthy foods, always!

So I'm sorry to be too graphic here but remember, someone filled your body cavity full of gas, they pumped fluids, medications, antibiotics and anesthesia into your body. They punched 5 holes in your abdomen, moved all your inner body parts around, shoved a tube down your throat, took an electric scalpel and burned away excess fat and tissue wrapped around your upper stomach, then wrapped a plastic strap around your stomach just below the lower esophogeal sphincter, stitched it in place with 5-6 sutures bringing your lower stomach up and over the band and then snaked a tube out of your body and then sewed another plastic piece to the muscle tissue on your rib cage. Now, thinking about all that has been done to your body, you're doing quite well aren't you? tmf

The band does not prevent you from eating any foods unless it's too tight. You may need a small adjustment. The times you can eat whatever you want are the times you need to look for the satiety signals. Just because you can eat whatever you want doesn't mean you should eat all that you want. Eating like a bandster includes chewing your small bite of food to a mushy/soup like consistency very similar to Soup or yogurt or Cereal. If you can't eat grilled meats it may be because you aren't taking small bites and slowly chewing it enough? Any meat cooked for just a minute or so too long can cause the meat to be too dry which may cause the band to reject if not eaten properly. jmo tmf

I know your comment wasn't directed at me but I really paid no attention to calories but I did eat healthy. I ate about 2000 a day. I managed to maintain my 12 lb loss till I got my 4th fill and then the weight loss took off. I had dieted for so long that I just refused to diet anymore and just waited on that fill that would give me restriction. I also ate healthy food so I wasn't hungry all the time. The band did seem to enable me to eat a little less food so I wasn't able to really pig out. tmf

call your doctor as soon as you can.

Yikes. It's like you could take the VSG out of the forum and replace it wit LGAB?

So, you've been banded for 5 weeks? Most of the bandsters would love to have your success(22 lbs). This is a phase of the journey my doc and apparently most docs skip over. It's called bandster hell and you'll be here until you get a fill that gives you enough restriction to feel a higher level of satiety for a longer period time. Go ahead and b***h and moan as most of us did too. Won't do any good but use this time to learn to eat healthy foods and practice eating like a bandster.

I feel for ya. That has to be so disappointing? We all work and battle so hard with this band, it hurts to see a soldier go down. Keep in touch and let us know what your next journey will be? tmf

You know, I lost 12 lbs after surgery and then nothing for the next 3.5 months. Then I had a nutrition consult that turned it all around for me. I thought I was eating right but my nut corrected me. Glad I spent the time and money. Getting my 4th fill helped too. Plateau's suck, but you should be measuring yourself to see if you're losing inches? Replacing fat with muscle will make the scale stall but it's a good stall. tmf

Just don't continue to be an idiot. Depends on how much you ate? If it was a 16 oz hershey's almond bar kick your own a$$. If it's just a couple of bites walk it off. FYI-I have two hershey's dark chocolate bliss cubes every night. It's like 50 calories? Not going to sweat it. tmf

Here is the full series for you newbies: Part 1 part 2 Part 3 Part 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HB_Qy1nI5Y Obrien exp lapband example

Watch this but always do what your doctor tells you to do. Dr O'Brien is probably the most well known of all Bariatric surgeons and was a pioneer in gastric banding. Rule 5 Liquids

Yeah, that one minute is like an eternity aint it? I tried the one minute maybe twice and it's just too long. I try to pace myself and as time goes along you learn how fast you can eat to avoid stuck episodes. But waiting one minute would make each meal an hour long for me. I think my molars may be more efficient than some as I can mush that piece of steak in 12 chomps. tmf

If you can consume, swallow and pass shakes, soups, yogurt etc. then you may not be chewing enough or taking small bites? The trick to eating meat and veggies is to eat very small bites, chew a lot, take a few breaths between swallows(not bites) before taking the next bite. You must chew the food to a mush(Soup like) consistency to avoid getting stuck. So, if soups go through just fine, then why do other solids stick? Not chewed enough? You could very well be a little too tight too. If you can't adhere to the chewing routine then have a little removed. Maybe .1-.25 CCs? tmf

You will only fail if you decide not to follow through and fall back into old habits. Once you are banded you will have an all new mindset.

You will only fail if you decide not to follow through and fall back into your old habits. Once you are banded you will have an all new mindset.

You're the designated replier to all those topics people post that they are so sad and frustrated that they had surgery 3 weeks ago, had not lost weight for 2 days and gained 1 lb. K?

Short answer is no, no need to wait. Guzzle away. The reason we eat "Food", chew, swallow, wait, is because it takes our pouch one minute to pass most food through the pouch and into our lower stomach. Fluids pass through the band/stoma nearly instantly and give no or very little pressure to the vagus nerve(the nerve that stimulates satiety). My appetite came back in 3 days