lawgirl

One night and released the next day. The key is to get up and walk (or shuffle) because this will help with the gas pains that inevitably come after surgery. Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle.

One night and released the next day. The key is to get up and walk (or shuffle) because this will help with the gas pains that inevitably come after surgery. Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle.

Tip #1: I took progress pictures of myself in the same outfit (sports bra and exercise pants - not my finest look) and in the same room (bathroom with a locked door). It was shocking to see the progress and really helped to remind me how far I've come. I still pull those photos out when I'm having one of those "I'm SO fat!" days. Tip #2: Track your calories (myfitnesspal.com works for me and its free) to hold yourself accountable. I have never restricted myself from the food that I want but I limit the quantity. I'm always surprised by just how much you can drink in calories alone - shakes are my weakness but a lot harder to justify if I take a second to look up the calories. And if I still want that double mocha shake with extra whip, then I adjust the rest of the day. Tip #3: Exercise. This helps with your mood, motivation and you can see the results quicker than dieting alone. I will always remember when I "found" muscles in my arms. So exciting!
Good luck and just remember that this is a journey not a race.

You might really want to take a look at your liquid intake overall. Bandsters typically live their lives in a constant state of slight dehydration. It's really important to make sure you are getting enough liquids. Most people I know are tight in the morning and loosen up as the day goes by.

I know it!! Someone replied to my post on the january bandsters page and here's what she found out. Thanks for the advice.
Originally Posted by Sunshine2
I'm reading my doctor's food brochure right now, here is what they say on food getting stuck:

1) Try relaxing and take deep breaths
2) Walking around will help also

If it has not pass after a few minutes, use the following to help:
Mix 1/2 teaspoon of meat tenderizer, 1 oz Water, and 1 tsp lemon juice, mix well and sip.

This will assist in reductin the size of the object and should clear the opening.

So, there you have it, a remedy for stuck food.

It might be a pulled muscle. After being banded for almost two years, I suddenly had a reoccurring sharp pain on my left side, below my ribs, that would leave about a minute. Turned out to be a pulled stomach muscle. I went to a massage therapist who specialized in sports injuries. She rubbed, stretched and pushed my stomach muscles like a medieval torture device but the pain went away and hasn't returned.

I hit my plateau at the beginning of this year (actually started going up the mountain again!) and got another fill. With the additional fill, I've dropped about twenty more pounds and another dress size. But it has taken a while to adjust to the new tightness - it's like I just got banded and have to relearn to be nice to my band again.

I hit my plateau at the beginning of this year (actually started going up the mountain again!) and got another fill. With the additional fill, I've dropped about twenty more pounds and another dress size. But it has taken a while to adjust to the new tightness - it's like I just got banded and have to relearn to be nice to my band again.

Bert99, based on your own unfortunate experience I can see where you might take a jaundiced view of the whole Lapband thing, but jumping on poor Hummingbird who offered understanding, concern, and a logical suggestion was a bit harsh. And as for lap band surgery being the easy way out- well, I reckon you've discovered it isn't easy at all. We still have to take responsibility for what we eat and how we eat it.
On the chance my own experience will help, I'll share it. If it doesn't help, ignore it. I am not paid by a surgeon to write nice things about the band and I am not in the "wonderful" phase of the band. It has taken me two years and three months to lose 84 pounds. I've had ups and downs and looong plateaus. It has not been easy. I don't expect it to be much easier in the future, but I have learned some things that help me through the rough Patches.
My band invariably feels tight during the early part of the day. I struggle with this, some times more than others. This week has been a particular challenge because I long for the emotional comfort of freely eating whatever I want. Of course, eating for emotional comfort eventually packed a hundred extra pounds on me.
If I insist on eating early in the day when my band is tight, the food will come right back up. If I eat too much, up comes the food. If I don't chew well enough, same thing. If I wait until I am relaxed, actually hungry (and not just wanting to eat), and then eat a controlled portion of easily chewable food- well, life is golden. Most of all I have to guard against overeating, which means something quite different back in the days before the band. Overeating now can mean two bites. I know that feeling of too much food in the pouch- it is miserable until it is gone, one way or the other.
It is a pain to have to pass up invitations to lunch because I know I am not going to be able to eat, but I've discovered my friends and family are quite understanding about my dietary limitations. We go for walks instead or get together to sew or garden or ride the horses. It is a continuing pain in the neck to not chew well enough, overeat, eat when I'm not hungry and end up having to walk around to let the food settle or actually go get rid of it in worst case scenarios. Sometimes I am better off just going back on liquids for a day or two and letting my stomach relax. Easy way out? Not on your life. But I can live with it because it is working for me.
If the band is too much of a problem for you, by all means have it removed. But the weight gain you report is not a side effect of the band; it is the result of too many calories. That's not going to change once the band is gone. Overeating is an eating disorder, just like bulemia and anorexia. Hummingbird's suggestion to find a counselor to help you deal with that particular eating disorder is a good one. Please don't discount it.
Good luck to you.

Maybe you were too strenuous and pulled something? I have only been banded for 6 months so I only know what it felt like when I healed and started doing exercise. How soon can you see you dr.?