vickielynn

Hi everyone, I believe I was the QUEEN of pbing. I had my surgury the end of September and had two fills by December. I was doing great, I was able to eat two to three ounces of filet mignon, some broccoli with cheese sauce, tiny bit of baked potatoe...I was in heaven. I could eat anything and everything, just not a lot of it. Then I was scared with Christmas holiday food, so I had another fill. Oh My God......from that day forward I pb'ed every day, I was sliming every day....I was miserable. I went for an unfil and my Dr. said I was at the perfect spot, but I begged for some fluid out. He reluctently took out half a cc. I still was unable to keep much down, still pbing and sliming. I went to primary doctor, and had him order singular. That was great because it stopped the sliming. Yeah, I thought. I still was pbing but only 4 times a week. But i was still unable to eat like i was in december. I began eatting all the slider foods, I did not gain any weight, but I was not enjoying my food. I had this surgury to enjoy food, just not so much of it. So off to the doctor I went, and told him I was fed up, needed help and asked for a total unfill. He unfilled me for two weeks and I was in heaven, I could eat everything and anything....and I had portion control. I went back for a fill twice since then and am able to eat more than I was in December, but i am not pbing, vomiting or sliming. I think i need a slight fill, because I am not loosing, but I am not doing an ounce of exercising, so I should not be losing. PLEASE if you are pbing even once a week you are to tight.......please talk to your doctor. It took me four to five months of hell, being afraid to eat, not eating, vomiting throwing up.....and for what.....to get sick.....never never again,,,,,go for a unfill....you can always put the fill in again...I am enjoying all the food groups in moderation...which is why we had this surgury to begin with. By the way what happens when you pb, or vomit your stomach becomes inflammed and swollen, so if you are pbing or vomiting daily, it will not get better by itself, it needs time to heal.....get an unfil and enjoy life again...Oh yeah and by the way, when i was pbing all the time, i did not lose one pound because i could not get in seven hundred calories a day......and most of the calories were from non diet drinks.....you can email me any questions and i will be happy to answer them for you

HI I have lost 55 lbs since 9-23-08. I did not lose any weight from 12-23 (last fill) until a few days ago. There are many reasons I did not lose any weight, some is I was I had a lot of phlegm. I know some people call this phlegm, slime, it is not. There is a HUGH difference. I thought I was sliming, but I was not. I had a sinus infection, that produced phlegm, lots and lots and lots. I was fighting to eat 600 calories a day, and most of that was protein shakes. I went to my Dr. and he took a look at my band under flouroscopy...he said it was perfect, that I dont need to have any saline removed. Once I was able to eat againg---and a little to much I have started losing again. I have lost 5 lbs in the last three days. DO NOT STARVE YOUR BODY, you will not lose weight. Everyones body reacts differentl, hang in.

Hi everyone, I was banded 9-23-08 and have lost a total of 55 pounds so far. I have had three fills and 1 unfill Friday. I was pbing slime, went to Dr. he told me I was filled perfect, I had a sinus infections with lots and lots and lots of phlegm......so i got a 1/2 cc unfill. Now I can eat and eat and eat...but am going to wait until the sinus infection goes away...I WILL not gain more than 5 lbs. I always say 5 lbs could be water weight, hormonal weight. I started at a size 18 now I am at a size 14. YEAH....Love the band, would do it all over again.

I was banded 9-23 and lost 20 pounds in the first month, since 10-27 I have lost 6 pounds. I am exercising and I am eating between 800-1200 calories a day. I document everything I eat, as well as weigh it. I have good restriction, I am not usually hungry in the morning, hungry at lunch but can not eat a lot. Dinner time is same as lunch. I force myself to consume those calories. I do not eat sweets that often. My weight is all portion control, so I dont know why I am not losing. I can eat everything and anything, I eat pasta, filet mignon, salad, nuts, crispy bakery bread, I was never a big sandwich eater so that is good. I dont feel like I am missing out on any one type of food.. I do have a slight problem though, since I have had the lap band I have had two kidney stones...anyone else have this issue?

The reason you are not supposed to drink coffee is because it has caffein in it. Caffein is a diaretic, and now that we are banded getting in all the required water is tough.

HI, I could use some advice. I am stuck in all ways...I had my surgury 9-23, I lost 20 lbs the first month..Yeah..but I have lost ZERO since 10-23.....I am stuck at 208...When I eat sometimes the food gets stuck...this mostly happens at lunch time when I am at work....Other days I can eat anything and everything, in moderation of course. I exercise three times a week, two of those three are with a trainer. I calculate my calories exactly..I weigh everything and am eating an average of 1000 calories. These are not empty calories they are real calories..chicken fish broccoli zucchini chili eggs .....Please give me some advise on what to do...oh yeah the other thing is I have such a hard time drinking all the water I am supposed to I drink about 20-30 oz a day. How do I unstuck.

Hi, I would prefer to have this conference in NJ. If you look at south jersey there is Atlantic City Airport and Atlantic City for night life.

Hi, I was banded 9-23 and had a 3 cc fill on 10-3...I was able to eat anything I wanted I had no restriction. I could eat steak, roast pork, salad, bread, broccoli and on and on. I had another 3 cc fill on 10-20..omg now I think I know what restriction is. I am having an issue with understanding the word full. I chew, chew, chew and chew some more so I am still able to eat meat. My question....When I eat 3-4 ounces of something over 35 minutes I get this uncomfortable full feeling in my pouch area. It feels like the food is backed up into my esophagus...and causes discomfort. Does that mean I ate to much or is that the feeling of full, or am I streching my pouch. One time I had that feeling, then a 1/2 hour later that feeling went away so I ate two spoon fulls of clam chowder..omg I was in the bathroom salvating and I finally bent over at the waist and the food just slid out of my stomach..I did not vomit because my stomach did not retch..the food just slid right out, that episode lasted for 45 minutes. HELLLLLPPPPPPPP Thank you to everyone who will guide me on this part of the journey...prior to this I thought lap band was a piece of cake..lol.. vickie

HI, I was banded 9-23, first 3cc fill 10-3. second fill scheduled for Monday. Oh yeah I have lost 27 lbs. since my surgury. I did not lose anything before surgury I absolutely love my Dr. I have been totally honest and upfront with him. When I was supposed to be on Clear liquids for one week post op...yeah forget that....I told him at five days post op I went to full liquids and plan on going to mushies three days after that. He understood, just told me to take it easy on the food and go to the gym. I think because I was honest with him I was able to get a large fill shortly after my surgury. I can eat anything right now--had filet mignon last night with asperagus and rice. I just cant eat the whole thing, I divide everything in 25%. I also drink 60 oz of Water a day....yuch, but getting used to it. I find it easier to carry a bottle of water with me at all times, even leave a case of water in the trunk of my car so it is ALWAYS there. I do crave sweets sometimes but I found a way to trick my body. Again it is mind over matter. If i want ice cream I make a Jay Robb chocolate Protein powder, 2% milk, and a frozen bananna or strawberries or both. It is as good as a milkshake. If I am in a rush and want something sweet I will have some nantucket nectar orange mango drink...or if desperate will have a few sips of sunny d peach orange drink. That is really sweet, but satisfying....for now. We will see how it continues to work. I also found a great cook book that breaks everything down to carbs, protein etc...I cook one day a week, double the receipe and freeze. That way I am able to say I AM STARVING what can I eat that is good for me. I go to the freezer and I have cream of broccoli Soup, turkey bean chili, fratattas, black eye Beans with carrots. (I use my blender alot to make carrotts grit sized) cheddar onion grits. Have to shop today so I can make bananna bread and zucchini bread...by the time the week is over I have enough left so I can make new recipies and add to the old so I dont get tired of the same ol thing. I also found a wonderful way to "measure" what I am eating as well as a cool way to store. I make everything then when it is finished I ladel it into cupcake tins with liners, then freeze . It is a snap, I can pick up heat and eat on the run. As we all know this is a journey and we all need to see what works for us but it helps to have support.:w00t:

hi, So sorry to hear about this misfortune. Doctors like all people are allowed to have an off day. Why would you switch doctors because of an overheard conversation. As far as the law is concerned you are talking about HIPPA laws and having a conversation with a staff member who they are assisting is not against the law. The next time you go to the Doctor I would mention to him/her that you heard him talking to his assistant about ....and you were concerned he was talking about you. It could be he was talking about someone else, and since he did not say the patients name there is no HIPPA issue. I do not have blue dye in my port it is clear saline. Also ports are easy to fill unless they have moved, flipped etc. It is almost impossible to tear the tube, puncture the tube etc. I have accessed hundreds of ports, some are tougher then others, some you have to manipulate to turn them, but all in all if the dr. has done this procedure before it takes about five minutes to complete. Talk to him,....he is your doctor..he is the one guiding your journey...do not accuse just talk...good luck

I had surgury on 9-23,fill in 10-3,...lost 26 lbs to date. Lucky for me i guess,.....anyway..My dr is awsome, he gave me a specific diet to follow post op. three days of clear liquids, five days of full liquid, five days of mushie food then regular food. Like you in the beginning i was starving but then i started to workout and lose weight soo i am much more motivated. Now when i go to the gym i see how many calories i am burning doing the exercise that I hate. you dont get restriction until the fill, but you do need to follow your journey...you did the surgury now follow through, it is not a magic pill. I have food cravings, but i am learning how to substitute foods for those cravings. I was sick this week today first day I can did not eat "normal",ie breakfast lunch snack dinner snack. I had a protein shake at one, then at six omg i was starved, made two eggs, cheese and sour cream, along with 4 ozs of onion cheese grits....I am still stuffed...not stuffed pleasently full. You have to figure out what works best for you. When I crave ice cream I eat a yo baby yougur-----made with real milk..That satisfies me or i will make a protein shake with ice cubes and half a bananna and i am tricking my mouth thinking i am drinking a milk shake. Hoope all goes well for you if you have any questions dont hesitate to ask..oh yeah be sure to drink at least 60 oz of water a day or you will get headaches

I had surgury on 9-23,fill in 10-3,...lost 26 lbs to date. Lucky for me i guess,.....anyway..My dr is awsome, he gave me a specific diet to follow post op. three days of clear liquids, five days of full liquid, five days of mushie food then regular food. Like you in the beginning i was starving but then i started to workout and lose weight soo i am much more motivated. Now when i go to the gym i see how many calories i am burning doing the exercise that I hate. you dont get restriction until the fill, but you do need to follow your journey...you did the surgury now follow through, it is not a magic pill. I have food cravings, but i am learning how to substitute foods for those cravings. I was sick this week today first day I can did not eat "normal",ie breakfast lunch snack dinner snack. I had a protein shake at one, then at six omg i was starved, made two eggs, cheese and sour cream, along with 4 ozs of onion cheese grits....I am still stuffed...not stuffed pleasently full. You have to figure out what works best for you. When I crave ice cream I eat a yo baby yougur-----made with real milk..That satisfies me or i will make a protein shake with ice cubes and half a bananna and i am tricking my mouth thinking i am drinking a milk shake. Hoope all goes well for you if you have any questions dont hesitate to ask..oh yeah be sure to drink at least 60 oz of water a day or you will get headaches

HI, I was banded 9-23 and weighed 248 .. had a 3 cc fill on 10-3, had follow up appointment with Dr and weigh 222...a total of 26 lbs. in three weeks. I am very suprised at my weight loss because I can eat everything..hamburgers, salad, a rib of celery, rice, pasta.....and on and on. I guess the reason I lost so much weight so fast is because the reason I weigh so much is because of portion size, I am not a sweet eater, I am more meat and potatoes...and when stressed sometimes a salty snack. I am working out with a trainer 2 times a week and working out a total of four times a week, I am using my plate to track my protein and carbs, I cook all day once a week and found an easy way to make portion sizes easy to follow and easy to freeze. All the cooks out there can laugh but this is the biggest help for me. When I cook my low carb foods, soups, breads etc, I double the receipe and ladle the contents into a cup cake pan. That is about four ounces of whatever I am making, no more guessing of portions. When I make fritattas instead of an 8x12 baking dish and cutting into 8 pieces I use the muffin pans and presto 8 exact measurments. This also makes freezing a breeze because they dont stick to each other and I dont have to individually wrap everything, I let the item cool then drop into a gallon ziplock freezor bag. Now I need to figure out what I can do with soup...lol. My body is sore from exercising and losing so much weight so fast...my concern is ....I have lost quickly...when does my body say ok enough is enough? and plateau? Vickie

calorie king website or pocket size book has all info you need for all fast food and most restaurants

Hi, I am a nut when it comes to finding recipes....I have scoured Barnes and Noble and came up with the best best best cookbook. It is a cookbook that is all about low carbs and counting carbs. A lap band is a lifestyle change not about a diet, but we all know that. So basically all our doctors say low carb low carb. Well, diabetics must adhear to a low carb diet for life, so I read the cookbooks for atkins, south beach, no white stuff....on and on I can go, but the book that is awsome is the Betty Crocker Diabetic cookbook. It has everything from Soups to Desserts to main meals, cream of broccoli Soup, eggs fratatti, fish, meat, custard. It is amazing and I dont mind the low carbs. I am actually doing so well with this cookbook my blood sugar is running low so I have to add a few more carbs into my diet. I am also dumping ketones into my urine...which means not enough carbs...Hope this helps vickie

I had my banding done 9-23, then 3cc fill on 10-3, went out to dinner last friday ..ate soup and 2 oz of flaky fish, started to get the same pain you described. Did not think to much about it just thought the soup was rich and upset my new stomach. I went to work on saturday, in the am i was fine but as the day progressed sooooo did my pain. I ended up in the emergency room. I was admitted for four days with dehydration and kidney infection and kidney stone and pneumonia. Now the crazy thing is i drink at least 60 oz of water and then other liquids a day....I exercise with a trainer twice a week....how this happened they dont know....just be careful of pain that gets worse. By the tiime i went to the ED i had a 102.8 temp. Tallk to your doctor, and by the way my port is on the right side of my body hope this helps

Good morning, I would love to have a few if not more conversations with you about your journey. I just started mine on 9-23....my doctor is great but very very quiet. I lost nine pounds in six days and he basically told me to start going to the gym that the walking i was doing was good to maintain but not to lose..ugh..so yesterday I signed up for a gym membership and a personal trainer. I go for my first fill Friday at 6:30 am double uggggh..although he is coming in 30 minutes early so I am not to late for work..like i stated before a great doctor. My issue is since I have not felt restriction, because i have not had a fill...I need advice on all sorts of things...right now I am able to eat basically anything healthy..so i am eating for breakfast an egg beaters fattata..egg beaters, minced onion and green pepper little bit of cheese..I weigh it out so I get 175 calories according to the cookbook..I have a 35 gram protein shake 3 gram carb around lunch time if i am out, or i will have tuna with lemon or home made cream of broccoli soup..(its made with chicken stock and sour cream) also low fat and low carb, dinner I have a great white chili type of soup (butter beas and white beans minced onion chicken broth and ground turkey). My problem is at 9 pm I am famished...so I am still good and i have 4 ounces of cottage cheese...still hungry I try a sf jello still hungry make some hot tea....finally hunger subsides..am i depriving myself during the day and at night i am making up for it....or just habit of eating late...I work until 8pm three nights a week. I would love to hear what you are eating. thanks for offering to help.

HI, Good luck tomorrow with the trainer. In the past I had a trainer who had his own studio--he also trains Bon Jovi. The first week I could hardly move. ...he worked me so hard. It is not totally his fault, I did not tell him I was sore..and did I pay, I had to slide down my stairs on my butt..I could not lift my legs but I continued to go to him twice a week..I loved him as a person, but I think he over trained me..I hated the thought of going hated being there but liked it when i left. Needless to say after six months I quit...that was prior to being banded. Today I joined a gym and signed on a trainer...I asked for the senior trainer..lucky for me he was available, I told him I am a person who will do whatever told and not complain and I told him the above story. I had an awsome workout..I worked out for one hour heart rate 125's felt the burn but do not feel terrible..I actually liked working out and am looking forward to going tomorrow. The most important thing is to be honest with your trainer, and every trainer trains differently..I know what I need is motivation and someone that is going to push me through the last three reps of whatever I am doing.......I love this guy...I get my measurements tomorrow. Also if the trainer you selected is not "in your mind", then you can ask for a different trainer. You are paying them to notice when you are getting weak and when you need more.....You only get what you give in words in the beginning...I would be exact on what you are doing at home and what type of support you are looking for. best of luck Vickie

:teeth_smile: Hi, My name is Vickie and I am looking for a banding buddy/mentor. I was banded on 9/23 today I am 225 lbs. I am 41 and a RN that works in an administrative role. I live in Toms River New Jersey. I am a single parent with 2 kids 19yr and 17 yrs old. They are happy about the surgury but they now are learning to cook for themselves. It is funny my son is turning out to be a good cook and my daughter (the youngest) wants the frozen pizza, and hamburgers, and oh yeah I taught her to make chicken cutlets..with broccoli and egg noodles, that has become her new favorite. I cant say what my new favorite is because I am still on the clear liquid diet until tomorrow..then I get full liquids.....aren't I lucky? LOL I did cheat last night though, I had a sugar free pudding....I was hungry, son being a pain and my stomach was upset from drinking a fuze, so I needed something to coat the stomach. I dont feel bad cheating because I am allowed full liquids tomorrow and I did do well the rest of the post op period. I am walking a little bit, I should walk more--but the weather has been bad--can I make any more excuses??? Looking into joining a gym..but that is expensive. I go back to work Thursday so I will get plenty of walking then. I have stocked my refrigerator with all the Protein drinks and bought the Protein powder, have sugar free yogurt and made home made broccoli Soup...found a Great cookbook for when I can eat real food..it is awsome, breaks it all down into calories fat carbs and carb points. Have a follow up appointment with my nutritionist and metabolic Dr. looking forward to support group middle of next month. I would love to have my own personal buddy to help guide me on the right path to a healthier better me. I would appreciate hearing back from someone who has been on this journey and is willing to banter back and forth about issues both good and the bad. Looking forward to hearing from a buddy, thanks for reading my bio. Vickie

Hi, I just had my surgury so I am not sure.....but I can tell you that if your daughter eats or drinks to much artificial sweetner the side effect is gas and diahreea.

DO NOT OPEN!!!!!! Extended release is made to be taken whole, there should be a warning label on the side!!!! If you open capsul you will not get the benefit of the extended release!!!!!!! Please call your pharmacist.....or any pharmacist can help you as the VA is hard to contact. Just call the pharmacist and tell them what is going on and they will help you, you dont have to get the prescription filled there to get the information...please, please call a pharmacist to get the most accurate information..

Hi, My name is Vickie and I had my lap band placed two days ago 9-23-08. I am so excited to start this journey to a better me. I am excited to become a healthy person again, and it wont hurt to look great again. I was skinny (even did a TV commercial) until I got pregnant and had my son 19 yrs ago..from that day forward I never lost that 100 pound baby weight.....lol. I am a single parent to two grown children...I want to lose 70 lbs......My journey begins and I am on that ever lovely clear liquid diet then will upgrade to full liquids on Monday. I would love to hear some success and uh ohs from people that have been on this journey awhile. It is great to hear successes but I feel it is just as important to hear about the uh ohhhs, because that is the behavior we all have that has to stop. I am looking for an experience lap band buddy to communicate with and guide me. Thanks for taking the time to read about my journey and hopefully we can talk soon. Vickie:smile2:

thank you i think your advise is great I am on day 4 post op and am on clear liquids and am not hungry.....wondering why so many people cheat...not worth it in the long run