elcee

How long post op are you? What exactly are you eating, how many fills have you had, are you exercising...... More info needed to be able to offer any advice.

Didn't you notice that she did it on purpose?

I agree that for me those bites are too small. I need a bite that is big enough that I can still get my teeth into it and actually chew it. If the bite is too small it just slips straight past. But that is what works for ME. If Mis and others find that having smaller bites is what works for them then that is fine. This is a very individual process and everyone needs to figure out what works for them. Some other things that I don't do that others may include:- Following a low carb diet. Eating Protein first. Logging calories ( I've tried and it's way too much like hard work) Only eating a cup or half cup of food ( I don't measure I eyeball it) Some of these differences could be because I am in Australia and our Drs seem to approach WLS differently, but it is more proof that there is not a one size fits all solution.

Hospitals are the worst place to be sick - all that noise is not conducive to rest and recovery!

It seems to be a common problem a couple of years out and I have no idea why it happens. Something similar happened to me earlier this year too. It's really annoying as it seems that if there is enough fluid for some restriction then reflux occurs - if at a level where there is no reflux then there is no restriction either.I would love to know how and why the 2 are connected.

Remember everyone is different. I could not eat bites as small as those in the picture you are talking about. I find if a bite is too small , it is easier for it to slip down without being properly chewed. i need something that is big enough for me to get my teeth into.

That sounds like a lot of fun

You are eating less and losing weight so presumably the answer is yes the band is working.

Ours is around $1.40 per litre. Apparently there are 3.785 litres to the gallon so that means we are paying $5.30 per gallon and that is Aus $ which are currently higher than USD so we are really being ripped off.

Have you had your thyroid checked?

There are plenty of people on here that have had minor slips that have corrected themselves after an unfill. Fingers crossed that it's all going to be OK

As Mis says stomach growling does not = hunger. Mine growls all the time. Yogurt and almonds are slider foods they will not sustain you for very long. You also say that you are so tight that you are having a hard time getting anything down. I think that you may be too tight and may need some Fluid taken out. That might sound counterproductive but then you would probably be able to eat more satisfying foods such as chicken and meat that should sustain you for longer. Contrary to popular belief tight is not the best way for a band to be.

In Aus our Drs don't like us to use shakes - they prefer patients to eat their calories, not drink them.

The most widely used band is the Lapband by Allergan, the second most widely used is the Realize band which I think is also known as the swiss band. The other one I have never heard of but saying that i am sure that they are all much of a muchness. You should probably base your decision on the surgeon and the aftercare rather than the type of band.

Maybe I should have a tattoo on my forehead - FFP!

As far as I am aware the band does not affect your ghrelin levels at all.

How old are you? If you are young and still anticipating having children then I would advocate using hormonal birth control as it is pretty effective at sorting out cramps. If you have finished having children then maybe you should think about having a hysterectomy. I had one last year and it is great. No more cramps, no more heavy bleeding that lasted for weeks on end etc.

It also means that the Dr may be quite happy to revise from a laparoscopic procedure to an open procedure if they discover that your liver is in fact too big. You on the other hand may not be so happy when you wake up and discover that you have a much bigger scar than you anticipated and probably a lot more postop pain and a more difficult recovery.

I know how you feel. Most people would probably think that after 3 years that you would have everything down pat and that you wouldn't have to think about it anymore but that is so not true. If anything I think the longer you have had your band the harder it becomes to maintain.The band definitely changes from when you are initially banded and it becomes so much easier to eat things that were previously hard, plus it does not seem to control the hunger as well. That for me is the biggest issue. We all know what we should eat and we can do it when our hunger is controlled but when it isn't then it is impossible to stick to a lifelong diet. You may have to bite the bullet for a while and actually follow a "diet". Just until the weight comes off again. Plan your day and plan for those evening Snacks . Good luck, I am sure you can do it.

I have been told this a couple of times lately. If you think about it then it's quite a strange thing for a person to say. I mean if I looked like a needed a band then that would mean that I was still overweight and therefore the band would not have worked. The fact that I don't look like I need/ed a band means that the band has done it's job!

Who says you can't have a glass of wine? According to my Dr wine is good for you (in moderation).

Icestorm - I'm doing well thanks. Maintenance a bit harder at the moment than it has been but in the big scheme of things all good.

I thought it was more to do with not eating stuff that has been farmed or processed. So no grains, wheat etc because they are farmed and the cavemen would not have had them. Also no sugar because it is processed but then how do you fit a cocoa bean or coffee into the diet - they may not have been farmed but they would take a lot of processing! And you can't have real milk even though it is natural as that would have involved farming but you can have almond milk????

If you want to follow a caveman diet then I am sure that it is fine. Some berries, nuts , seeds and the odd bit of woolly mammoth or sabre tooth tiger when you are lucky enough to catch them no problem. But on FB this morning I saw a recipe for a Paleo pumpkin spiced latte. The ingredients included coconut or almond milk, coffee, cocoa, pureed pumpkin.......... These must have been dam lucky cavemen! Theoretically some of them might have had cocoa and coconuts but then it is unlikely they would also have had pumpkins, it would all be dependant on where you lived.But even if they had them would they really have been able to process them to use them this way and if they did then what is the difference between them using and processing a coffee bean or using and processing a stick of sugar cane or a grain of wheat! Are these people that follow it delusional or what?

Shemar Moore although Reid and Hotch aren't bad either.