L12

That's still a little confusing; it is assuming food goes into the pouch and just sits there. Depending on the level of restriction and the type of food, it will go through at different rates, so though you may JUST finish 4 oz. of food, depending on that criteria you may not have 4 oz. sitting in your pouch. An unfilled band for many people creates no restriction and large amounts of food may still go right through, so different levels of restriction would seem to create different sizes of pouches--wouldn't they? I'm curious if he prescribes different amounts for maintenance? If he wants his patients to continue with the 4 oz. meals once they reach goal, those 4 oz. meals would have to significantly increase in their calorie (and probably fat/carb/sugar content), unless he just wants patients to add several Snacks a day in. My doctor is OK with up to a cup of food per meal, as long as you're not depending on slider/unhealthy foods and are still losing (if you're still trying to lose). My band is moody, so sometimes I can eat more than that, sometimes less--that includes three meals and a snack or two per day. Overall I'm actually still losing though I've far surpassed my goal and am at a healthy weight. I've even upped my calories--the only other thing I can do is get a slight unfill so I can eat a bit more. 4 oz. doesn't cut it for me now, and definitely wouldn't in maintenance unless it's pure sugar or fat!

It's probably something else, and not band related. It's been a couple of weeks, why haven't you gone to a doctor?

That depends on what you mean by "regular." One glass of wine every Sunday with dinner isn't a problem. Needing to drink every single day probably is! Doctors have different rules about alcohol--some say never again, some say in moderation. My doctor is OK with it, as long as I am careful about the obvious effects of alcohol consumption, as well as the empty calories it contains. I usually have between one and three drinks a week--some weeks more, some less, some none at all. I don't find that it affects me any differently, but since banding I've been careful to not get drunk (want to prevent the stomach effects of a hangover), only slightly buzzed once in a great while. :blushing: The only problem I've ever had with any drinks since surgery are frozen drinks; once in a while it seems a frozen drink will make my band clamp shut! I also stay away from shots; they make me queasy, though I don't think that's really a band thing, plus they can contribute quickly to the previously mentioned hangover stomach issues.

It sounds like you've got some restriction, but I would stay away from bread if it's giving you problems! Many banders have problems with bread; I do most of the time, but can manage a bit now and then. Some people do have problems with chicken too; moist meat, or meat with some kind of sauce or gravy with it helps some people. If everything but slider foods is getting stuck, you are probably either too tight, taking bites that are too big, or not chewing well enough. Also, make sure to drink a lot every day! I've noticed that staying hydrated keeps my band right at my sweet spot, but if I don't drink very much and get dehydrated, it can tighten and make eating very uncomfortable!

I'm sorry your friend is being a jerk! Those kind of comments bothered me at first too, but since I've reached my goal it's easier to shrug them off. I'm so much healthier, I have no more foot/knee/ankle pain, I'm more attractive, and I am now physically able to lead a very active lifestyle. Once you reach this place, it doesn't matter how you got there--chances are you'll be even better off than some of your unbanded friends. No one looks at me now and wrinkles their nose about the surgery; they just see a thin, healthy person. You'll get there too!

My doctor is OK with diet soda. I did drink it fairly regularly during my first year after surgery, but have lost my craving for it, and rarely drink it now. My doctor is also OK with coffee, as well as alcohol in strict moderation. Actually, water, Crystal Light, coffee, and alcohol are my primary beverages!

That is a very good point! How patient are you? I too did not have restriction right away--it took me about six months to get to my sweet spot, and I only lost about 20-25lbs. during that time. I was prepared though--I knew the band wasn't a quick fix, and I far exceeded my goals less than two years out. Bypass was tempting because of the faster weight loss, but the other possible health effects seemed riskier to me, so I was willing to go slower with the band.

Dehydration can cause cramping. Make sure you're drinking enough--for some reason my body seems much more susceptible to dehydration since I've been banded, and I have to drink A LOT in order to prevent side effects.

Portion control was my problem as well (not sweets or junk at all), and the band has helped me tremendously; if I can't stop myself from eating, my band definitely lets me know it's time to stop! I was 34 at the time of my surgery, and since then I've lost 125 lbs. One more pound and I will have lost half of my pre-surgery body weight!

Steak has never given me much of a problem, but I know it does for many others. Seafood has usually been very easy for me; once in a great while shrimp may give me a problem, but crab and scallops have been easy even when I'm tight. When I want to make sure I don't have a problem for a dinner, I make sure to drink A LOT earlier in the day, so that my band isn't tight from dehydration. I may also have hot tea or coffee, or start with soup before the meal, to help things loosen up. I don't usually have to go to much trouble, but when I'm tight those things tend to help.

My two year bandiversary will be on 12/31. I would have been content to maintain 15 or 20 pounds ago, since about June, but the weight has continued to come off without any extra effort. Since I really have no desire to eat more (and can eat pretty much anything except a lot of bread), the last couple of months I've purposely cut down on the lite and lowfat products I use, and even loosened up just a bit on "drinking my calories," but have still lost a few pounds. I still try to eat healthy while adding extra calories, but it's miraculous to me that I must go to any effort to STOP losing weight! :w00t:

Don't worry about the skinnies at the gym--someday you will be one of them! I hope no one is actually making an attempt to be unfriendly to you. If so, just ignore them if they want to play a completely pointless popularity contest--live in the grownup real world, not their eternal high school illusion. However, speaking as a someone who is now skinny, I just don't like talking or socializing when I exercise; I've always been that way, regardless of weight. Just remember it's not always personal if someone doesn't engage in conversation with you, even if you are a nice, friendly person.

You should probably switch doctors NOW to avoid any issues with authorization, coverage, or hefty bills. There was a mixup at the hospital regarding my insurance coverage, but at one point they had me paying almost $2400 dollars to meet the catastrophic cap ($3000) for Tricare Standard (the catastrophic cap amount depends on if you're considered active duty or "other"). Since I actually have Tricare Reserve Select, my catastrophic cap is $1000 dollars, so I really only owed a little over $600; the hospital finally issued me a refund three months later. Though Tricare covers 100% of the cost, supposedly that only happens after you have paid the deductibles and copays up to the catastrophic cap. I had paid about $400 in deductibles and copays the year of my surgery, so they covered the other $600 up to my catastrophic cap. However, I have seen a lot of Tricare peeps on here say that they had no out-of-pocket expenses with Standard. I don't know if they already met their caps, or if they had surgery at a military hospital (which I think lowers/eliminates some/all fees?), but according to official Tricare policy, you owe the copay and deductible up to your catastrophic cap. With that $2400 mixup I had for my surgery, I did a lot of research into Tricare policy--hopefully it helps!

I don't really like most children's menus; they often have many of the same foods (chicken tenders/nuggets, grilled cheese, hamburgers, etc.), things that I just don't care to get at the restaurants I go to. Besides, I love leftovers! I typically get a regular entree; once in a while I'll just get an appetizer or Soup.

I've been on Lexapro since before surgery, and I haven't had any problems taking it. When I first started it I gained quite a bit of weight, but it hasn't impeded my weight loss. I used to take Paxil and Wellbutrin, too (both pre-band), and I actually lost weight on both of those.

I wing it too. When I was first banded, I really just wanted a break from years of journaling every bite I ate; I thought that eventually I'd have to go back to tracking calories at some point. But I've surpassed every goal I've set thus far without journaling or counting calories, which helps me to feel so NORMAL about food and eating! If I ever start to gain weight or something, I'm not against it if it will help me, but the band has enabled me to eat to live, not live to eat.

It's strange, but if anything, I find myself gravitating more towards heavier people for friendship after losing weight. I remember how it felt to be overlooked and not really be seen or appreciated. It makes me sad that when I was much younger and thin, I did the same to heavier people, and sometimes even said or did negative things--I definitely learned how much it can hurt. I never want to pass up what might be a beautiful person and a friend, no matter what they look like on the outside. We've all got parts of us that are more or less attractive, inside and out.

If you have Tricare Standard, you don't have a PCM. You might have what you consider to be your primary doctor, but Standard does not recognize a Primary Care Manager for you, as it does not require you to get a referral to see a specialist. Wait and see what the surgeon requires, go get it done (who knows, they may find other comorbidities), and then they will submit it all to Tricare to get authorization for surgery.

I lost less than 30 lbs. in the first six months after banding; it took quite a while to get to my sweet spot. Now (after TWO YEARS on 12/31) nearly half of the old me is gone! Usually I get aggravated by the newbies who want immediate results from the band, now it's your husband bugging me, LOL! It will happen eventually, and it would be MUCH better for your relationship (both now and once you've reached goal) if he would give it a rest and let the band work correctly--even if that means a slight unfill for you. I just about DARE him to come on our forums and complain; I think he would get an earful and an education!

I have lost over 100% of my excess weight; I hit 100% at about 18 months, and have continued losing slowly without really trying. I was banded 12/31/08.

Though Tricare does not require a supervised diet, the doctor can require you to participate in a supervised diet before he agrees to perform surgery. When I was investigating doctors, one in my area required all patients to do this regardless of their insurance requirements; if you didn't want to be a part of his program and do the diet, he wouldn't be doing surgery on you. That's not what I wanted, so I went with a doctor who required no more than what Tricare requested.

Tricare Standard does not require a referral (neither does Tricare Reserve Select); only Tricare Prime does.

When it comes right down to it, aren't most medical treatments "cheating?" Organ transplants, amputations (and subsequent prosthetics--how dare they use a fake limb!), vaccinations... Shouldn't we all just let nature take its course?

I can see where my port is when I look in the mirror, but I don't think most people stare at my stomach long enough during the relatively few times it is on display (when I'm in my bathing suit) to notice anything. I can definitely FEEL it much better now that I've surpassed goal weight, and it is sometimes uncomfortable to lay on my stomach. I'm hoping to lose just a few more pounds and more body fat, and it will be more noticeable then, but I don't think it will be too bad, at least not in comparison to how my stomach looked before I lost weight. I might look into the low profile port at some point for comfort's sake; my doctor only offers that as a revision after weight loss.

Mmmmmm, I second sandwiches! I can *sometimes* have a little bit of a sandwich, but not often and usually just a few bites. Stacking up meat and the fixings on a plate and eating with a knife and fork is something I do quite often; also cheese, meat, and crackers (like Lunchables). Some sandwiches are harder/just not the same to eat without the bread though, and I DO enjoy really good bread...:crying: But I don't miss sandwiches enough to regret all of the weight I lost!