slpcat

Well.. my doctor had me on liquids for 2 weeks after surgery :smile2: so ... when I first started eating a meal, I couldn 't eat much bc my stomach was getting used to eating again. But after a week of eating, I could eat anything I wanted and no restriction at all! It took me a LONG TIME to feel restriction. I hav a 10cc band and i now have 8cc in it and I can still eat 2/3 of my plate. One thing the band did right away though for me was cut down on my cravings. I was banded about 14 months ago and I am happy with my weightloss thus far but I could eat normal for 6 months or so after my band and I knew if I had told everybody and their mama, it would be hard to explain why I could still eat normally.

I definately think Oprah would do great with the lapband! I know several celebrities have been spokesmen/women of Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers but I always suspect lapband if they are able to keep it off. I know some people are able to keep off the weight without wls but most people are not able to do that. Just to clarify, I am not judging any celebrity for keeping it a secret but I wish they would be more vocal about it so more people would understand that lapband IS NOT your "typical" wls. It's so much safer and better!!! :smile2:

I wouldn't tell my lunch buddies or boss. Just tell them that you are trying to lose weight and you are doing a liquid diet to kick start your diet. Which is really not a lie because the liquid diet helps cleanse our liver and gets it ready to filter out the fat more efficiently.

I told most of my family but only a few know on my husband's side of the family. I also told one friend. I am glad I didn't make a big announcement or let everyone know because my weightloss has been fairly slow. There have been times I have felt guilty when someone has asked "How did you do it!?" and I say, "counting my calories and exercising!" Both of which are true but I have that extra help from the band. As far as whether or not you should tell or keep it a secret, I think that depends on your personality. If you are an open book and the type to not dwell on what others think, then I would say tell whoever you want to tell. If you are more private and do concern yourself with what others think about you, then I would say only tell people when you are completely comfortable with it. :rolleyes2:

You rarely hear about celebrities getting (admitting to getting) lapband/gastric sleeve/gastric by-pass. I am waiting for a well-known celebrity to come out and admit that they had lapband surgery. I think that would do a lot to educate people about it. Am I the only one that ever wonders about this?

Stupid, Stupid girls!

I was banded at the end of July and I am down 30 lbs so woohoo for u to already be down 34! That's awesome! I have had 3 fills and am currently at 7.2 in a 10 cc band. After the first two fills, I felt zero restriction. I could eat fast and not chew well and everything still went down just fine. Now, after my 3rd fill, I have had 2 sliming episodes and 1 PB. I didn't chew well :thumbup: I am scheduled for another fill in about two weeks. So for me, hopefully, I will be at my "sweet spot" after this next fill. You will get there. Hopefully the next fill will be your "sweet spot"!

THANKS FOR THE GOOD INFO. I agree with all of it! I def need to start counting calories, for sure! I

I appreciate all of your responses!! So informative! I was able to eat an entire plate of food last night :smile2: but then when I got up during the night to drink some water, I accidentally took a big gulp of water and it went down very slowly??? I guess the variation in restriction is my main concern but maybe that is just the way it is. I will call my dr. office closer to the time of my scheduled fill and ask them if they think I might need a few cc's or not. I definately don't want to be too tight.

I am 5'6" and am currently 190. I was 220 when I started the lapband process. I was banded at the end of July and my weightloss has been at a standstill for much of that time. I do admit that 4 lbs is ALOT in a week. I just want to make sure I'm getting the most out of my band. Maybe I can see if a steady weightloss (1-2 lbs a week) continues and if so, I should just stay at this current fill level ?????

I am at 7.2 in a 10 cc band. I had my 3rd fill on Dec 21st. My band is finally working! Hallelujah! I can eat most any consistency except hard cheese and some breads. I have to chew really well and I can eat a little over a cup of food at a time. I have lost around 8 lbs in a little over two weeks, YAY! Here is my question though:confused:. I have varying levels of restriction and I still get hungry about every 3 hours. Do I need a little added? I know it's not healthy to lose too much per week so I don't want to get so restricted that I lose too much too quick. Any opinions would be much appreciated thx

Thanks for the "medical explanation" that makes a whole lot of sense!

Yeah, what restless monkey said and . . . you may want to try this lil trick (I learned it with 2 previous surgeries) when you are about to cough/sneeze/laugh, press firmly wth the palm of your hand against your port area (not too hard but with some pressure). Not a nurse or a doctor so I'm not sure why it works but it worked after my c-section, myomectomy, and lapband:thumbup:

Thanks all for the replies/support. Your comments make sense to me. I have 3cc's in a 10 cc band and have zero restriction and that just seems odd to me, but I guess its normal.

I just started my weight loss journey but just a thought . . . maybe you could use your original diamond(s) and get a refreshed/updated ring. My SIL just did that and it looks great :tongue2: