GuyMontag

I just wait until I feel the food go through. Maybe 30 seconds? I make it a habit of ALWAYS putting my fork/spoon/chopsticks down in between bites. I used to have a bad habit of getting my next bite ready before I had even swallowed my first bite. I try not to do that now.

It sounds like you suffer from something similar to what I do, you need coping mechanisms and yours are TV and eating. My therapist once told me I had a choice, I could find other ways to cope or I could cut some of the stress out that was causing me to need to cope. It's probably the same for you. You might consider therapy or just find healthier ways of coping. That's about as straightforward as I can be Good luck!

Usually your doc will tell you. Off the top of my head I want to say four weeks.

Now THAT is what Now THAT is what I'm talking about!

The more weight you lose the easier it is to feel the port. This is not unusual and can be a good sign of weight loss!

Multiply your body weight in pounds by .36 to figure out your daily requirement of protein in grams.

I think it would be funny if there were different tickers than just BMI and weight that we could use especially for bandsters like, "__ days since I last got stuck" or "I have gone __ seconds without burping" Lol. Any other suggestions? Maybe, "It has been __ days since I have eaten with my meal" or "It has been __ days since the waiter/waitress asked me if my food was okay." It has been __ days since my spouse/family member/friend has asked, Can you eat that?!? The possibilities are endless.

It took me about 9 months into the band to realize that I used food to cope. While I was losing I was on a natural high and when I hit goal all of a sudden I actually got depressed because I no longer had the high of losing. Once I had lost the weight and I no longer ate to cope I was in big trouble. I went to a therapist and he said I had to make a choice, either find a new way to cope or cut out some stress. That's why many people become alcoholics after WLS. They can no longer eat to cope and so they turn to another vice to take its place. Learning that you stress eat is helpful in the process though and is a great step in making changes in your life whether it be finding better ways to cope with stress or ultimately making the decision to eliminate some of the stress in your life. I'm trying a mixture of both right now but I'm not ready to cut out some of the stress that I probably should. At least knowing what I'm dealing with and making the decision to put up with it is my choice and it sometimes makes it easier.

I think constant support can make a big difference. Do you have any support groups in your area so you're not doing it alone?

I don't have any problem with rice but I'm just not a big fan plus I don't like the extra carbs.

Not fitting on a ride in front of my family was one of the catalysts for me to get WLS. I love being able to ride them now without worrying about something so embarrassing. Thanks for sharing!

I know what you're going through. I sure hope you're getting therapy for your eating problems because while the lap band will help, therapy can get to the root of why you are so obsessed with food. I'm not saying that from a place of judgment but of co-misery. I know what it's like to obsess over food and therapy can REALLY help in the long run. Just my $.02. Good luck!

Hot water bottle, shakes, pain meds, anti-nausea meds, LOTS of tv shows, movies, video games to keep you busy Beef broth, chicken broth, s/f jello, egg drop soup, G2 (low-cal gatorade), support!, a recliner.

Originally I only took NSAID's in liquid form for the first couple of years. Now I take ibuprofen in pill form when I need it which isn't really that often and so far I haven't had problems and I'm over 4 years out. My doc always said liquid motrin is fine because it doesn't sit in the pouch like a pill will.

My mother in law lives in Wellington and I've been considering relocating there. It's nice to know there are support options if I choose to relocate.

The only thing I was told was no NSAID's which includes ibuprofen and motrin. However, I have been told that I could take NSAID's in liquid form if necessary and this has been helpful because liquid motrin helps with swelling and is great if your band gets too tight. The main reason you can't take NSAID's in solid form is because they can sit in the pouch and cause ulcers.

If you're not sure and you do it anyway that's a sure fire way to give yourself an excuse to quit while on the journey. I don't think anyone should judge you for taking time to make sure you are committed before jumping in. At least you are taking the time to consider the toll and what level of commitment you are willing to give. The lap band isn't 'easy' and if you come back six months later with a fresh 100% committed attitude than you will definitely succeed. It's the people that just commit to it half-ass and only do it because it's free that seem to fail the most. I applaud you for taking this seriously and researching your options. Good luck!

Start slow. Couch 2 5k is a great program. Listen to your body. There's a difference between 'pushing through' when running and your body doesn't want to and actual pain. If you are in pain STOP RUNNING and take a break. If you run while injured you'll just make it worse. Good luck!

The green zone is loosely defined as being able to eat a modest amount of food and feel full for four hours. However, this feeling full sensation can be affected by many things. For example, if you eat a steak you are much more likely to feel full than say eating a bowl of cereal. Dense foods like meats, cheeses, and eggs tend to keep you feeling full longer. You can also sabotage your green zone feelings by drinking with meals or eating what are called 'sliders' like sweets, chips, or Soups for example.

Even just backing your fluid out to have it checked and then putting it back in will cause swelling as if you'd had fluid added. Trust me, I made the mistake once of having my fluid checked AND getting a fill on the same day. BIG MISTAKE. This isn't your fault and frankly sounds a little reckless on the part of your doctor. Once someone is in the green zone you should NEVER mess with their fluid. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! I hope you were compensated monetarily for your participation and trouble! Good luck.

I could always lose weight but I could never keep it off...UNTIL the lap band. I would never live without some kind of weight loss surgery. Life is so much better with it.

Mine was easy peasy. The mortality rate for lap band is .05% which is VERY low and 1/10th that of gastric bypass. http://lapbandvip.com/faq

Here's a very similar topic to help you out! http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/173277-lapband-acronyms-wlspbnvs/page__hl__nsv#entry2025133

On another note...and I should have said something in my first post...but you are not failing. This is a journey and a learning experience. I had to try several different diets, weight loss methods, etc. before I found what works for me. I don't count the ones that didn't work against myself or say I failed because at least I was taking the initiative to try and find ways to get healthier. Just because some of those paths didn't work as well as others I didn't get down on myself. You're not failing, you are just still trying to find true success. You'd be failing if you didn't try anything while you knew you needed to.

I'd get VERY small fills and go very slow with any kind of change. If you keep having trouble you might consider revision to another band or the sleeve.