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Never been told no straws either.

That is exactly why diets fail. We need to stop at looking at food as good and bad or allowed and forbidden. It is far more sensible to regard food as always or sometimes foods. I got banded because I was sick of dieting. I wanted to be able to eat what I wanted when I wanted - exactly the same as thin people do. Most people who have a healthy relationship with food do not obsess over every mouthful. They listen to their bodies, figure out exactly what they need at that point and eat it. If I want to eat a piece of chocolate I will and hopefully because I know that itis OK to do so I will stop without finsihing the whole bar. Preband chocolate was forbidden food so it held a much greater hold over me and I was far more likely to finish the entire bar than I am now. For me the band has been about not dieting, listening to my body and eating any food I want in moderation. It has been about trying to develop a healthy relationship with food. Some of my choices now are far healthier than preband.I have just eaten a slice of melon because that is what i really fancied. It is not the easiest food for me to eat now and actually causes a little discomfort going down. I could easily have thought forget it let me have some crackers/yogurt/icecream whatever instead as they would have been far easier to eat but I persevered with the melon. I don't think this is bad at all. At least you didn't have lunch and icecream!

Sorry to hear this. As far as I know they only replace the band.If there is nothing wrong with your port/tubing they should be able to connect all that up.

My Dr says that they now unfill people prior to any kind of surgery. The reason for this is the nausea and vomiting associated with anaesthesia can sometimes cause a slip.

I use bio oil on mine. I started using it just before Xmas cos I noticed I had some stretch marks. They are now all gone. My scars are not very noticeable either but I don't think that is because of the bio oil.Teh only scar which yiou can really see is the biggest one and its not that bad at all.

I seem to remember my dietician telling me that in the liquid stage there are lots of foods allowed that are not recommended later on. Things such as custard, flavoured yogurt, fruit juices etc.Fine for the liquid phase but too high cal for later. Admittedly ice cream was on the list of foods to avoid. Not because of the high cals but because of the lack of nutritional value. So long as this was a one off then in the big scheme of things it doesn't really matter. I must be a really BAD bandster because whenever I get a fill I go for ice-cream afterwards. Why? Because the drive to my Dr's is approx 90 minutes each way and because it is in the same area as some of Melbournes best icecream shops. I don't get the opportunity to go there very often and as I have to remain on liquids for the rest of the day I figure icecream is a reasonable choice! I suppose the difference is that this is a planned snack and not a spur of the moment thing. I am sure though that lots of you bandsters must be raising your eyebrows in horror! Lol

I also know straight away that I have a problem. Even when its due to having eaten too much it quicks in straight away.

Can't advise on the ps as I haven't had any, just wanted to congratulate you on your amazing loss. You have done brilliantly - if I recall correctly you had problems in the beginning didn't you? So glad you persevered and have done so well. You must be feeling amazing.

The question is does the sweet spot exist? Please forgive me here but I am going to compare the sweet spot to the G spot. Some people swear it exists and that it enables them to have far more satisfying sex. Many people have satisfying sex but believe that if they can find the G spot it will be better so they are not totally satisfied. I think that weight loss and the sweet spot are the same.You are successful. So far you have lost half the weight you need to lose although you have not found your sweet spot.You are looking for some magical place where you will be able to eat just the right amount,not get hungry, the weight will fall off and all this will happen automatically.Although many people swear there is a sweet spot I am not so sure. I have lost all my excess weight but have never experienced what I imagine the sweet spot to be.I can eat small portions that keep me satisfied for a reasonable length of time but I do still get hungry. Not the kind of hunger I would have had before and it is hunger that I can deal with by having sensible planned Snacks.I certainly couldn't exist on 1/2 cup 3 times per day which is what some people seem to be looking for. You need to be very careful of not getting too tight whilst searching for that elusive sweet spot and you also don't want to get into the fill/unfill cycle as that can cause problems. You also say you are eating things that shouldn't be able to get through.This confuses me. What SHOULDN'T be able to get through? Ideally you should be able to eat anything. Whether or not you can or can't eat something is not a measure of perfect restriction. You have to remember that the foods which are the worst because they are high cal and low nutrition will always go through no matter how tight you are. So maybe you should continue to focus on what you have been doing as obviously it works and stop worrying about that elusive sweet spot!

Let me clarify. I was not agreeing with the thread starter, I was agreeing with BT that food plans are not for me because they make me obsess more!

Hi Kerry. The op is very popular over the pond here in Oz. It has been available here for longer than in the US and our dr's probably have more experience. In the US a lot of Dr's still seem to favour bypass rather than banding. I have been banded a year this coming week and am extremely happy. I have lost all my excess weight and now feel(and hopefully look) fantastic. I no longer have high blood pressure and don't need to take the meds anymore. I can eat just about any food so long as I follow the rules of small bits, eating slowly etc. I would do this again in a heartbeat. My only regret is that I didn't do it years ago. If you want to ask me any questions please feel free to PM me. Lynn

I went on a low fat/cholesterol diet years ago and guess what happened - my cholesterol went up! That is because cholesterol is something that is naturally produced by your liver and if your body doesn't think you have enough it will produce more! I completely refuse to take Statins. I hold the view that they are a great big con that drug companies produce in order to make as much money as possible from a huge percentage of the population.Plus they can affect your memory cause joint pain etc. There are a number of Dr's out there that believe that the high cholesterol thing is a big myth but of course theirs is not the popular view! I think that maybe I am a bit of a closet rebel. I don't agree with the popular view on lots of things e.g global warming. So long as I keep my weight within a healthy range and eat a varied , balanced diet I am happy to take my chances without these drugs!

Well I am also close to Melbourne but in the country where it tends to get a bit colder. We live on a 5 acre plot with 3 horses, 2 dogs, 3 cats and a sheep! We definitely have different seasons. the autumn trees are stunning and I love to see all the daffodils in spring. The downside is that it is very cold in winter and we get quite a bit of fog. Our little town is close to Ballarat which is an old gold mining city with some amazing heritage and architecture. Our house is fairly large(although probably not by American standards), modern and open plan. Personally I'm not that keen on open plan but that is how they build all the houses over here. There are no high schools so my son has to catch a bus into Ballarat to school every day.He plays footy(Aussie rules) for the local U18 team and he is also a member of the junior CFA(country fire authority). Life here would probably be too quiet and boring for some but I love the peace and tranquillity.If I need some culture then it's not that far to drive into Melbourne for a show. The town we live in is not very big and because I have only been here 2 years I don't know too many people. Have started to meet a few more recently through classes at our local neighbourhood centre which has quite a varied programme.

No I haven't had the same experience. However last Saturday we went to friends for dinner and I must have imbibed a little too much wine.LOL. Woke up in the middle of the night feeling headachy and nauseous. Now preband in that situation I would make myself vomit which generally would help make me feel better a lot quicker. Well I tried that and of course it wouldn't work(probably a good job as there is a risk of slipping the band). I cannot believe how horrible not being able to vomit feels! it took me until Sunday lunchtime to start feeling human again.

I had a similar situation to yours. My PCP refused to refer me so I went directly to the surgeon. However i live in Australia where our insurance is different. For me I was covered for the op but had to go back to get a referral for the fills. Once I was banded the Dr couldn't then refuse to give me a referral!

I was offered a balloon as I had a lower BMI. I told the surgeon I would much rather have the band as the balloon as only temporary. He did agree that the potential to regain the weight once the balloon is removed is very high. As high as for those who have been on diets, successfully lost weight and then found that they couldn't actually keep the weight off. I think that describes most of us.

Yes when you are told you have to have mushy food you have to have mushy food. It is part of the process. It is very easy not to chew enough or for part of the food that you are busy chewing to slip down unchewed. Advancing your diet too early is one of the major causes of slippage. Follow your Dr's instructions, don't try to second guess them.. They are there for a reason. Remember the period of time that you are on the mushy part of the diet is only a very small part of your life. It will be over quicker than you think.

I have got rid of High BP meds.

I agree. As an adult I want the freedom to be able to make my own choices - good or bad.I don't want to have someone constantly telling me what to eat, when, how much etc. In fact that was one of the reasons I got banded - so that I could stop dieting. I do believe though that it is important to learn to listen to your body and hear what it really wants.When you do this you might be surprised how often it wants really healthy stuff. Sometimes mine wants:- A nice hot bowl of oats. Nice thick homemade veggie Soup Roast chicken Othertimes it wants A piece of cake chocolate. So I listen to it. If I ignore it and eat what I am supposed to then I run the risk that I will eat what I am supposed to and then think stuff it and eat whatever it was that I wanted in the first place anyway.By not having any forbidden foods they also lose their hold over you as you know that you can eat them if you really want to. I am sure one of the reasons I got fat was because I had to finish my healthy food first before I could eat dessert.Now if I want cake instead of lunch I go for it!

I assume the taco's had minced beef with them? I find mince to be a bit of a slider food, I can eat heaps and not be full. Shrimp on the other hand can be dry and chewy and has a tendency to get stuck. I am also a year out and some days some foods go down and then the next time I try they don't. Many people have said here that the band is fickle and I believe it is true. Stress affects it, illness, hormones, your hydration levels etc etc.

The longer you can go for after eating without drinking the longer you should stay satisfied. My Nut says a minimum of 1hr afterwards but longer if you can. The point is that you want the food to stay in the pouch for as long as possible so as to not feel hungry again. Drinking soon after eating washes the food through quicker and you will get hungry quicker. At first an hour sounds like ages but it isn't really. Just make sure you have had a drink before you eat.I find it hardest in the morning when i am hanging out for my second cup of tea. In the morning I get up, have a cup of tea, shower , get dressed and drop my son at the busstop. Then I can eat when I get home which means i have a 20 - 30 min gap between drinking and eating. I then tidy up, check emails , lapband talk etc and before I know it the time is up and I can have my cup of tea. It may seem hard at first but you soon get used to it.

You started off skinny. He didn't leave you when you got fat so why should you leave him when you get thin AGAIN. Some people really don't get it do they.

I agree with 123crod. Stop looking for the full feeling. Full after being banded is different. What you should be aiming for is satisfied. Eat the recommended amounts, stop and see how long before you are PHYSICALLY hungry again.And yes this is far different from head hunger. Most of us eat for reasons other than hunger e.g Habit, boredom, because its there, because it looks good, because everyone else is eating it. Counselling sounds like a good suggestion. You also need to look at what you eat. Some foods will fill you up for a lot longer than others. Solid Protein is the best. Steak will fill you up for longer than mince ,mince will fill you better thah mashed potatoes etc.So if you are not making the right choices that could also be part of your problem. Between meals you may get hungry but then you should have a drink. A full drink in a short period will help to fill you up - sipping over a long period of time won't. Does your Dr allow Snacks? Mine allows a small planned healthy snack midmorning and mid afternoon if i need it. Things like vegie Soup, yogurt, tinned tuna etc. Hope some of these suggestions help.

I only have one child at home - my 15year old son. No his weight hasn't changed in any noticeable way apart from what you would expect from him growing. He eats like a horse and does not have a weight problem.This is probably due to all the exercise he does. Horseriding, Aussie Rules football 3 x per week etc. Our family still eat the same foods as we have always eaten. The only difference now is that I eat smaller portions. In fact if anything my husband and son should be gaining weight as they often eat what I can't finish - especially when eating out! We have always eaten a well balanced diet. I also cook from scratch and only use convenience foods occassionally.The main difference is that I don't buy all the snack food that I used to buy before.I used to go through numerous packets of biscuits(cookies) in a week. My son's diet is fairly well balanced - well balanced between healthy foods and fun foods! His normal daily diet would consist of something like. Breakfast. Cornflakes or weetbix + crumpet lunch at school. 2 rounds of sandwiches with meat/cheese/salad veg, apple, packet of crisps Afternoon snack. More cornflakes! dinner Meat/chicken + carb + veg. Usually has seconds! Evening. Yogurt. drinks would be Water, cordial, fruit juice(I try to restrict this), tea or coffee. Sometimes he will have a chocolate bar as well. he may have a problem when he gets older especially if he stops exercising. But for now he is fine.

It sounds as though you have probably torn the stitches on your port. There is no harm in phoning your Dr for peace of mind, if they have a weekend no available. I very much doubt though that they will do anything before Monday anyway. You will probably be advised to rest and take it easy and take painkillers for the pain. I am not sure what the Dr will do if you have torn the stitches. I think quite often they will leave it as if it is still more or less in the correct position it should be fine. If it has moved dramatically then you may need a future surgery to correct it but I don't believe that is always necessary.It all depends on whether or not they can access it to get saline in. Good luck.