2muchfun

I've found that to end a plateau one should mix up the diet routine. I wouldn't change anything about the exercise regiment. shake up your bodies metabolism by increasing your calorie intake by 500 calories/day or so for a week. If it's in a starvation/survival mode, the body might kick back into fat and energy burning mode again. It's worked for me but it's not foolproof. And sometimes it's mentally and physically challenging to consume so much. Or, go the other way, and reduce calorie intake to 600-800/day? I'd go for increasing first and then follow it up with something under or around 1,000? That's worked for me before but we're all diff as you know? One other thing. Try to stay away from processed foods of all kinds. Especially flour and sugar products. Maybe cut back on sodium and all carbs. Not entirely of course, but minimize them for a week? And talk to a nutritionist? It did wonders for me. tmf

Allow me to pile on. One of the most difficult things for new bandsters to learn is how to eat like a bandster. Small bites, big chews and slowing down will take care of most stuck episodes. Choosing your food wisely will help too. But, I'm over a year out and I too get stuck 1-3 times a week. And yes, it's no fun. Most of my stuck episodes are a result of distraction. Eating while I'm watching TV or waiting till I'm so hungry I take 2-3 bites so quickly they plug up the pouch. Sitting down to a meal, paying attention to bite size and time spent chewing will eliminate most all stuck episodes. Now if I can only practice what I preach? Now, looking on the positive side. You obviously have restriction and once you learn how to eat the right way you could be in or very near the green zone? Congrats to you for achieving this milestone so quickly! tmf

All of the foods you mention have been notorious foods for many bandsters. But not all. In the beginning, while you are healing, doctors want you to stay away from any foods that could cause you to get stuck or vomit. Both can jeopardize your surgery by causing the sutures that were sewn into the lining of your stomach to keep the band in place, to rip away and cause slippage. Just my opinion of course, but once the healing process is over you can experiment with these and other foods to see if your band will tolerate them. It seems that all of us have a different tolerance to many different foods. Complex carbs can be consumed by many of us but I would venture to say that all of us are very aware that these foods can cause a stuck episode so we take very small bites and chew oh so well. tmf

It is normal. Once the swelling subsides in your band area you will be more open. Sometimes it takes 6 or more fills to find the green zone. You're in bandster hell till you find some restriction with a fill. Good luck. tmf

I agree with the others. Make sure you find out how much fills will cost with insurance and without? I've seen so many people post here who lost their insurance and then had to go self pay but couldn't afford it? Some docs offer lifetime fills and others 6 months to a year. Some charge as much as $200(ridiculous) for a 5 minute visit. tmf

Peacoat??? Uh, congrats I think? Don't know what a peacoat is but as long as you're thrilled! There are a few on here who have not had a fill at all since surgery and are losing weight continuously. CarolinaGirl is one of them. I envy her for the fact that she has a plan B to fall back on should plan A slow down or falter. She said she's always got the fill to fall back on if all else fails. As long as you're losing weight and not suffering from not eating enough, I have to agree with your doc. Good job!! tmf

Your doctor should have a much better grasp on this than anyone here? Most surgeons aren't going to ask you what you want and will empty based on their experience with you and other patients? But, I'll venture a SWAG with maybe .25-.50 CCs? tmf

No food for me. It was if I'd not been banded for the first 3 months. I'm thinking very few of us experienced any difficulty eating anything the first 6 weeks or so. But then again, most of us followed the rules so the dilemma never presented itself. I would imagine that eating beef, dry chicken, turkey would be the most difficult? And mostly because it takes time to develop those eat like a bandster habits. Eat slowly, small and chew big! tmf

You didn't say how long you've been at this plateau? Plateaus are very common and can last 1-3 months but usually not till you're 6 months out. And this time of year is very difficult to lose weight. A cookie here, a fudge there can throw your weight loss plans way off track. tmf

You're kindof in no man's land right now. It does sound like you could use a small fill. Some bandsters don't want to change their eating habits. You know, eating slow, small and chewing big? And sometimes we believe we're already doing this, but maybe not? You should look for those satiated signs that you don't need to eat any longer? It's not how full we get, or how restricted we are. Look for being satiated for up to 3-5 hours between meals. If you're not there, maybe a small fill and a re-evaluation of how you're eating is in order? And plateaus are quite common. Even month long plateaus. Especially this time of year. tmf

It happens. Be good, eat what your doc tells you to eat. You may be hungry until you get a fill that gives you some restriction. tmf

Please fill in your profile so we can know you better and advise you better? tmf

I'm not sure how you could possibly get enough nutrition out of that much food? You might ask him how many calories he's suggesting you consume? Unless that golf ball was loaded with fat I don't see how you could get over 600 calories a day? I guess if you're satisfied with just that size of meal it should work? tmf

I've tried one small part of it and yes, it's very tough. I settled on the 10 minute version of it. There are about 6 different routines that last 10 minutes each. I like the video they sent except they spend way too much time trying to sell you other stuff. tmf

Your stomach is just another muscle that is susceptible to swelling just like the rest of your body. Think about the lapband as if it were a ring around your finger? If your body(finger) swells due to TOM, sodium, alcohol, carbs(complex and simple), stress and anxiety, so can the gastric lining of your stomach. This can be the perfect time of year for most all of the swelling reasons previously mentioned. The lining of your stomach can swell making the stoma a very small opening for solids to pass through. Go back to liquids, cut back on sodium, alchohol and sugar. If tomorrow is the same as today, call your doc. Just my opinion of course. tmf

Medicare is only 3 months away and I'm thinking it's time.

1/2-1 cup of food per meal is suggested. Every doctor will be different but most don't recommend a set amt of calories. It's going to depend on your sex, size and activity level. tmf

For years I've tried to understand why I was fat. My mother and father were not fat and I was an only child and no one ever made me eat anything I didn't want to eat. Crap, I have no excuse other than I'm a gluton?

I looked at your profile. Welcome to one-derland! tmf

First, please fill in your profile so we can know you and help you better? As the other comments pointed out, this is normal and should not be of any concern. I lost 12 lbs the first 2 weeks and then nothing the next 3.5 months. Plateaus can last weeks or even months. Although, you are not far out enough to even experience a plateau. BTW-If you don't know this already, throwing up is a huge no-no. Your stomach will wretch and convulse to eject whatever is in it and this can tear apart the sutures holding your band to your stomach. Remember, you have a very small upper pouch and still a large lower stomach. So when you vomit, both will be gyrating to force whatever is in there out. tmf

So true. Over these holidays I'm finding myself standing in the kitchen for some reason and grab something to munch on even though I'm not hungry. Old habits die hard. tmf

I bike but I bike mostly paved trails and some pebble based trails. Usually it's a 15-30 mile ride but since my bike is a Gary Fisher Crossover, I get a good workout with all the hills around Denver area. I've never had joint pain from biking. I can't walk or run anymore due to bone on bone knee pain. I think tennis did my knees in many years ago. Since my knees are so bad, I sometimes get cortizone shots but the best I've found for knee pain is synvisc. It lasted 5 good months and now that I'm at the end of my 6th month, I can really feel that it's wearing off. Going down stairs is a killer. So, I hope to go in later in January for my injections. tmf

My experience was similar but now, 6 months later, I can look back and I know I would have done things different. I too was getting stuck a lot. So, I went in to have a small amount removed. Since then I've been too open and seldom get satiated on small amounts of food. I look back and I now understand that I believed I was eating like a bandster but I really wasn't. I still ate too fast, too much and chewed too litte. I'm going in next week to have that small amount of saline put back in. I believe I can now eat like a bandster and get more from my band. Cheryl is right. Make sure you're getting enough Protein and look for the satisfied signal. No need to feel full. You spent so many years with that feeling and so many of us relied on the feeling to sooth and compensate for us. Eat slowly, eat small and chew big. tmf

There's no reason to feel like a failure over an unfill. An unfill is just you be proactive and tweaking your band so that it works it's magic for you. And it probably won't be the last time. Our bands are not static and can lose Fluid on occasion which would mean you need a fill. No fault of your own of course. Then there's our own bodies? We retain Water, suffer edema in our gastric lining and many of us have colds and other episodes that effect the band. So having an unfill is the same as having a fill. Why not call it an "adjustment"? After all, you will need these adjustments for the rest of your life. You're doing the right thing as almost everyone of us have done so many times. tmf

Try this(link below). What you ask for is posted nearly every day but there is no sticky post. If you just watch carefully you should see what you ask for. Or, perform a search in the box up above in "Forums" for things like Pre op or post op instructions post op diet etc. http://www.peachtreebariatrics.com/docs/Gastric-Band-Patient-Manual.pdf