auntbrat

I also use MyFitnessPal as an app on my phone. I love that it syncs with my Fitbit. I love them both.

Beneprotein is the best unflavored Protein mix I've tried. I love Jay Robb tropical dreamsicle flavor. It took me 3 years to find that perfect flavor. Beneprotein is the best unflavored protein mix I've tried. I love Jay Robb tropical dreamsicle flavor. It took me 3 years to find that perfect flavor.

First of all I just installed the iPhone app of lapbandtalk and I am just figuring it out. So not sure how this will show. Please add me in MFP. I am auntbrat. Thank you. Brandi

I highly recommend you read Bandwagon by Jean McMillan. It has a very thorough list and explanations about our new lifestyle. And I know you've heard this a thousand times but be patient. I'm one of the most impatient people on the planet. It is a process but you will get there.

I've been there and actually am still battling emotional eating. I see a therapist to deal with the problems that drive the emotional eating. I do a lot of reading on the topic too. Eating Mindfully by Susan Albers has been very helpful. Any Geneen Roth book is great as well. I also find that exercise really helps keep my appetite down. I've had my band 3 years and after one year my surgeon told me I had failed and should consider bypass. I had no restriction and for the past 2 yrs I totally gave up. But in October I started with a new surgeon and he checked the fluid in my band and said it was nowhere near full. Now I have restriction and it's a great thing - finally!!!! But I sure wish I hadn't wasted 2 yrs completely giving up and gaining weight by emotional eating. I just take it one day at a time and am learning how to break old habits. I wish you well. I know you can do this.

I'm sorry you're having problems with the band. I also was a self pay because my insurance at the time didn't cover bariatric surgery. My current insurance agreed to pay to have band removed. I was thrilled at the time. I didn't want it removed until I had approval on bypass. My insurance denied removing band and converting to bypass surgery. They said unless I have a mechanical failure with the band they won't convert it. I am still so frustrated. I meet all of the criteria for bypass and they still won't do it. I would guess that you have a pretty good chance at getting coverage for it. I wish you the best.

I really like it. My doctor suggests mixing it with Carnation Instant Breakfast and it is pretty tasty. It's a bit pricey but they all seem to be. I add a scoop with other protein flavors and I can't taste it at all or smell any funky smell.

It's been 10 years since I had my reduction and I didn't have the band at the time. But based on my recollection of recovery the protein shakes will be good. You won't have much of an appetite for a few days. I wish you the best on your surgery. You will be thrilled with the outcome.

My doctor has me sign a form each time I have a fill and the form has instructions such as for me to stay on clear liquids for 48 hours. But my previous doc only had me on liquids for 24 hours after a fill.

I'm in a similar spot with the band and wanting to revise to bypass. My insurance won't cover the sleeve so I have to go the bypass route. I have talked with some who had the band removed and had the bypass or sleeve all in one surgery. My doctor prefers to remove the band and let the stomach heal for a few weeks and then do the second surgery. My doc submitted documents to the insurance to approve band removal and they denied it. We sent an appeal today so hopefully they'll approve it. I paid for the band myself in 2009. I'm frankly torn now because my new doc checked the Fluid in my band and I still had much more room in the band. The previous doc had told me it was full and there was nothing more to do. So now that I've had more fills the band is helping me more and I'm not sure what I should do. I never imagined I would be in this predicament.

I saw them at Walmart but I bought one at a small local grocery store. They should hopefully be easy to find. Tasty treat.

You have to mix the shakes with a blender, a magic bullet ( you can buy cheap version at walmart for about 20) or you can buy one of those blender bottles with the wire ball in it to mix it well just by shaking it. Stirring them doesn't blend enough. I hope your diet goes well. I know it is a pain but in the end it will be worth it to establish healthier eating habits now.

Just to echo what everyone else has said, I wouldn't worry about not having any restriction at this point. It took several fills over quite a bit of time for me to get there. Unfortunately, I fell into old eating habits in the meantime and really did sabotage myself. But it sure sounds like you are in the right track now and losing at a good pace. Be careful and keep up the good work.

Yum! Thanks for the tip. I'm going to look for it today.

I was banded in El Paso Tx by Dr. Applebaum in April 2009. After several fills over the next year he told me the band was full and I failed and should consider bypass. Since I was a self pay and my insurance at the time didn't cover bariatric surgery, I gave up for a while. Now I have insurance and went to a new surgeon who said I had 7.5 cc in a 11 cc band! I couldn't believe it. He added more fluid and it has made a huge difference. It has given me hope again. I think it's worth it for you to look into that possibility. Just don't give up like I did for so long. I wasted a year and a half because I let my doc take my hope away.

Have you gotten a second opinion on the level of fluid? My original surgeon told me the band was full and when I finally got a second opinion I found I was nowhere near full. Just a thought. I wish you well. Brandi

Thank you for your input. I think you're both right that my body is starving and holding onto every ounce it can. I talked with the dietician today and she suggested I do 2 shakes a day to substitute meals and one solid food meal per day. I think that's ridiculous. I am just going to stick within my calories and eat my small meals.

Long story short - 3 years in and all weight regained started with new surgeon who added Fluid to band that gave me restriction 3 weeks ago. Was very excited about whole thing and restarting my loss. Dietician suggested I do 2 weeks of Protein shakes to jump start this again. I lost 10 lbs the first 10 days and was very happy but in past 2 weeks haven't lost another pound. I'm sticking to my calories of 1000 to 1200 and getting right amount of protein. I don't understand how I am not l

I hate my iPhone it cut me off sorry. How can I not be making progress? I am walking and increasing the speed and distance bit by bit. Isn't it too soon for a plateau? I just can't believe I can cut back my calories by several thousand and start an exercise routine and not make progress. I'd appreciate any words of wisdom you may have.

Thank you for your kind words of support. I'm taking it one day at a time dealing with the emotional issues. Yes, we will have to get through these hurdles together. I wish you the best on your journeys as well.

I am a food addict and I struggle with depression and anxiety issues. This band experience has me spiraling out of control emotion-wise. I was covering over all my feelings with food and my reaction to that and to feeling all the feelings now that I don't have food, is overwhelming. I have turned into a total rage-a-holic. I find that there is just a lot of anger that I'm dealing with that is coming up now that I don't have food. My psychologist has assured me that my feelings are not going to kill me but I have to learn how to feel them. She said that in the end this is going to help me be healthier emotionally. I know this is true but at the moment I am an emotional basketcase. If anyone else has experienced this or something similar, I would appreciate your input on how you deal with it and how you get through it. Thank you.

December I think there was a big problem with your surgeon. I was a self pay as well. Banded in April 2009, list some then regained. In March 2010 my surgeon (who couldn't have been more unsupportive if he tried) told me the band was full and I had failed. He told me to consider bypass which I of course couldn't afford. I went to a new surgeon this month since my insurance now covers weight loss surgery. I was set on getting bypass. He checked Fluid in band and it was nowhere near full!! He added another cc to what was in there and it made all the difference. I actually have restriction now! I would strongly encourage you to get a second opinion. And you are not a failure! You're trying to get healthy. Don't give up please.

I was banded in April 2009 and lost 30 lbs. I went to see my surgeon for several fills over the next year. I have to admit during this time I was so discouraged that I began eating around the band. Of course my weight went back up. I saw him in March 2010 and he said the band was filled to capacity and that I should consider bypass. That wasn't an option for me since my insurance at that time didn't cover it. I asked him if he thought I could turn things around and make it work. He said that was unlikely. I let him take away all my hope. I lived the next year as if I didn't have a band until I learned my new insurance covered weight loss surgery. I scheduled an appointment with a different surgeon who came highly recommended to me. I was so excited to have hope again. I went to my consult fully intent on talking about getting the band removed and having gastric bypass. He talked to me about my history with the band and then said he wanted to check what Fluid was actually in there. I was shocked to learn that there were only 7.5 cc in my 10 cc band! He said it was too early for him to declare that surgery a failure and I would need to get more fills to see if I can get back on track. He added 1 cc at that time. Initially I was completely devastated about not having bypass right now and having to work with the band. But by the next day I was able to clearly see this is another opportunity to make this surgery work. Once I got past the 48 hours of Clear liquids after the fill, I discovered I have restriction! I'd never felt it before like this. The dietician suggested I act as if this is a new surgery and stay on Protein shakes for 2 weeks. I have had just little bites of lean chicken here and there but am toughing it out with the shakes and am losing. I hope that if there is anyone out there who feels their surgeon's treatment is questionable, please get a second opinion. I never felt comfortable with my surgeon and the way he treated me and I regret not seeking care from someone else. I am looking forward to working with the band and am so happy to have hope again.

Thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement. I'm very excited about this new chance and I'm going to work hard with this. I wish you the best as well on this unusual journey.

Meli, Amen! I understand exactly what you are saying. I walk around with this horrible guilt. I feel like I'm being judged for not having lost much weight since the surgery. I had surgery in April 2009 and have lost 40 lbs. - 30 of that was within the first 2 months. I feel the same guilt about going to the doctor and am afraid of being told I'm a failure. In all honesty, I have not always been compliant with the dietary requirements but I also have not hit the "sweet spot" with the fills yet either. I am now consistently eating the right way and exercising. I know I need to do my part. I have been trying to get an appointment with my surgeon for several weeks now and have had trouble. I really feel like something went wrong with my last fill. I have had no restriction and feel like Fluid was removed rather than added. He wasn't available until Jan 22nd but then he had to cancel due to surgery of his own! I understand that things happen but I've been trying to get in for months. I had to request that I get a fill with another doc in his office otherwise I was going to be on hold for another month or so. They fit me in on Friday. I hope that goes well. Thank you for your post. Try not to get discouraged. Keep me posted. Brandi