2muchfun

I've not had your expeiences but right now my band is rather loose. Occasionally I get stuck for a few minutes but it's always my own fault for taking much too large a bite and not chewing properly. I may go back to the doc in January and get a fill. That could speed up my weight loss plan. My band(tool) is similar to where your band is in tightness I would think? However, I'm still losing weight, although only 1-2 lbs a month now. I'm OK with that. But, my point is, I could fall far away from the bandwagon if I chose to do so. I don't. For you to get back on the wagon with the limited tool you have, you will have to make adjustments in the food you eat and your exercise regimen. There is no miracle pill or comment that can make you start eating healthy again. No one can make you start walking, biking or exercising in your living room but you. You must already know what you have to do because it wasn't that long ago you did it. Recognizing it here is a first step. Putting together a plan of action and making a commitment is the next step. You CAN do it. You know you can and to be healthy, you must. tmf

Depends on who's doing all the heavy lifting

I cooked but I cooked healthy foods and my wife didn't mind. She's down 25 lbs so far. I didn't mind being around food all that much so it wasn't difficult for me. Cook them some health food. That'll shock em into fending for themselves? tmf

I had no pre op diet but post op I munch on beef Jerky when I feel the need to chew. Of course, if you're supposed to be on a liquid diet that won't work. But, after surgery, you won't be doing a whole lot of chewing so keep that in mind? Other chewy food would be deli ham, turkey, beef? Keep it low cal and it's naturally low carb. tmf

Ask your doctor? I'm sure he gave you a diet to follow? Every doctor's protocol will be different and they even change it to fit each individual patient since we all come in different sizes and complexities. Since the goal of a pre-op diet is usually to reduce the size of your liver, I'm thinking anything with processed flour in it would be a no-no. Most programs want you on a low carb diet and crackers aint on the list. tmf

Geezzzzz is right! You take care. Remember, Jim Henson(Muppet creator) died from not getting medical attention. tmf

When your band is tight enough to begin to restrict food passing through. Usually after 1-8 fills. You can tell you've hit some restriction when you continue to eat as you did before surgery and food stops in your pouch causing a stuck episode. tmf

I did get stuck on some kettle chips this last summer. They were a little on the soggy thick side and very chewy. Can't eat kettle chips (

No pre op other than 1 day of liquids and then 4 days after surgery. tmf

chips and crackers usually are considered slider foods. Maybe you have something else going on? I've never had a stuck episode with chips or crackers. tmf

Getting stuck now and then really isn't a big deal. This will sound crazy but you need to get stuck once or twice just to see what it is. It's not all that bad. I don't recommend anyone make a habit of it but if some stupid fear of something as minor as a stuck episode is creating your phobia, get over it and eat a chicken breast or a good steak tmf

Steroids, cough syrup, meds? Think about it? Hard for your body to lose weight when it's preparing itself for illness. It's going to slow your metabolism to a crawl and hang onto as much fat as possible. Besides, most of the weight you aren't losing is just Water weight anyway. If you're taking all the meds you say you are, your body is probably hoarding fluids. And you should not be concerned about losing weight until you have your first fill. You're still in the healing phase. tmf

You should fill out your profile so we know more about you and can help you better. tmf

Bandwagon. Get it. It's a book by Jeanne McMillan and the link is at the bottom of this page. tmf

I had to see a nutritionist at my own cost for 6 months prior to surgery. $40/hr.

So right on with this post. I met with my nutritionist during my 3rd fill and she nailed down some reasons why I wasn't losing. I think too many people poo poo the contributions a good dietician or nutritionist makes to your weight loss goals. BTW-And from my 3rd fill on I began my real journey of losing weight and understanding how my band works with my body. tmf

It is so refreshing to see someone so happy with their weight loss. tmf

2 cups of what kind of food? I can eat 2 cups of hamburger helper, spaghetti or any other slider food but eating 2 cups of chicken would be very difficult. And I agree, I doubt you have a stretched pouch. Most likely the band may have a leak or the fat surrounding your stomach has melted away giving you less restriction and allowing food to pass through much easier. It's like being back in bandster hell? tmf

I ditto Missy's comments. It took me 6 fills to get to the green zone. The first 2 did nothing and the 3rd gave me a little restriction. tmf

As long as you can down fluids I would stay where you are? What do you mean by tight? It takes some major adjustments to eat right with the band once you get close or in the green zone. Anyway, give it a try where it is and see if the swelling goes down. I've seen many posters here wait a few days and the band loosened enought for them to continue without an unfill. tmf

You can eat anything your band will allow you to eat. Some of us can eat anything and some bandsters must restrict what they eat due to food getting stuck. Some bandsters stick to a low carb diet and there are some who eat anything they want. But the goal of the band is to help you feel satiated with less food. I find that eating a turkey sandwich made from deli turkey and a thin 100 calories bread helps me feel satiated much quicker than some other foods. I do mix it up and may eat a taco(low cal and low carb) or chicken chili or even a lean cuisine. The point is, the band helps me feel full or satiated much quicker than I was pre-band. I don't need to eat 3 tacos or a thick bread sandwich with extra chees and chips to feel satisfied. Obviously eating less food should mean you are consuming fewer calories. I too love sushi and I've had sushi a few times this year. The problem with sushi is it's so difficult to take small bites so be very careful. Sushi falls apart so easily after you dunk it in soy and wasabi you feel like you have to shove the whole piece in your mouth. Don't do it. Find a way to take small bites and watch out for the seaweed wraps covering the stoma in your stomach. The wrap or some unchewed veggies could get you stuck very easily. I'd say the rolls can be the biggest hazard since they are so big sometimes. Ask the sushi chef to cut them into smaller slices. On more thing. Sushi is like a slider food for me. Eaten the right way, it slides right through the band and you won't get that satiated feeling you will from eating Protein first. tmf

I love these posts. It didn't work for me(or I didn't do the work) so it won't work for anyone. Sorry Liz but there are thousands and thousands of people the band has helped to lose weight and to tell everyone "don't do it" is irresponsible. I do have to agree that no one should get a band or any kind of WLS, UNLESS, they have tried everything else. I guess Liz didn't do that. So, the band was the panacea 4 years ago and the next panacea will be eating hollistically or going back to Atkins? Liz, we're not all made equally or the same. What may work for you may not work for everyone. Even dieters who have tried every diet imaginable aren't always successful. But to those who have tried everything, I would recommend looking at the band. But I would also recommend staying in your own country for your surgery. If you do decide to go outside your country make sure you have a lot of support options because you will need them. The surgery is just one segment of WLS. Support and follow-up is just as important. And also be aware that the band may not be your cup of tea and it may not enable you to lose the weight you wanted to lose. But make sure it's the last resort and not just the next grapefruit and beets diet that no one can survive on. tmf

Getting stuck often is also one of my problems. Not nearly as much as you two but enough to piss me off. I'm a lot like Marci though. I forget to eat slowly and take small bites. I know it's mostly my own fault but I think I'm making some progress. It's mostly the distractions that cause me to eat fast. Eating while watching TV can be a problem. I was trying to grab a bite at the airport Monday and grabbed a egg mcmuffin and ate it too fast when I heard them calling to board my plane. I spent the next 45 minutes sitting in coach feeling like crap. I don't usually have to PB but it does seem to relieve some of the pressure. Curvy, you are close to your goal, about as close as me. Hoping we both get there soon. tmf

I had hit a plateau myself a few months back and I added insanity to my workout plus I bike nearly every day. I too lost 10 lbs but in 30 days. I have bad knees and I'm 64 so I had to make some alterations to the workout to adapt it to my own physical problems but over a few weeks I was able to make it work. tmf

Looking gooooood! BTW- pre op is before surgery and I believe these were all post op(after surgery)? tmf