GoingforGoal

Sweet, embrace the green ahhaha Congrats

Hello! Ok..To start you do not need to apologize, that's what this site is for Tips on slowing down. Put your fork down between bites. Don't get your next bite ready to go whilst you chew. Chances are you are going to put another bite into your mouth before finishing the first. This is also helpful because in order to appreciate when you are satisfied (aka not hungry aka full < I say full so I won't exclude it) you need to evaluate after every bite. It's not like before where when you ate alot suddenly you feel like you are carrying around a baby. Rather, you are alloting time for the vagus nerve in your throat to be stimulated by your growing food pouch. This nerve than in turns sends a signal to your brain to say you are full. If you speed right past that, it's more likely you'll overshoot that and get to the uncomfortable stage where you stretch out your band. Now with that being said, if you are new and you don't have alot of restriction, this may take awhile before you can actually appreciate a fullness in your pouch that makes you feel satiated, so be patient it will come. Other tips for slowing down, don't talk or get distracted while eating. I can't even eat w/ my kids. More than likely they'll ask questions, or I have to tell one or the other to stop doing something etc. I've noticed I would hurry to swallow so I can speak in time. Bad news and not a good idea. So if necessary seclude yourself until you get a real handle on this. Instead of carrying around baby utensils, take time to precut your food and than you can use a regular fork. Just be sure to pick up one bite at a time. A smaller utensil doesn't accomplish this, and I agree, is not flattering at all ahhaha. I know there's tricks we do in privacy, but I really tried to acclimate to real life circumstances and trained myself to eat accordingly.

Hello Congrats on your wl. I too am 4 years out and at goal. Unfortunately I do need cosmetic surgery and am getting it October 8th. Don't worry about offending anyone, perhaps all the girls should start a lbt calendar <wink> Congrats again, you look great

There's so many factors.. 1) how aggressive or conservative is the doc. There are some docs that fill to restriction, let it subside over a few weeks and add a little more etc until green is reached. And than there are some who move like snails..0.5cc every time. You'll be in the grave before you reach green <chuckles> It would be a good idea to ask your doc their approach 2) what gets me to green wont get you to green. Some people can feel green (at least for awhile) around 4 cc, others are beyond 9cc and still waiting to feel it. So there's no real target we can give you. It depends on your anatomy, the size band and how sensitive you are to the fills 3) nothings permanent..tweaking is common, especially when you have your band for a long time so plan long term not just this go around 4) 3 fills is pretty puny. usually insurance covers the first year of fills because they recognize the above issues. Tsk tsk on them. Sorry hon, time to load up the piggy bank

lol Mamma, it's the truth. I always weigh 4+ lbs more at the docs. Mostly because I've eaten, I'm fully clothed etc. But I just remind myself of my weigh in at home..no problem. But this just threw me for a loop hahahaha. The worse part was Im in Canada and they do kg. I had to go home and do my conversions. It was worth the wait

*Thanks* Everyone

<hugs> good luck and congrats See you in bandland, onederland and the goal line

OKOK It technically involves a scale, but not really lol I weighed in this a.m. at 150.2. I had a fill scheduled for this morning and so I go in and get one done. It's customary for them to weigh you in, so I weighed in clothes and all minus the shoes. Don't you know..that scale said 148. I wanted to focus more on the fact that this was the FIRST time in my life, I've ever weighed less at the docs office opposed to at home- and that's DRESSED! Ok, I think this high will keep me happy for an entire week ahhaha

I have Greek yogurt w/ fruit everyday (100 cals) Great source of Protein (8g). I would 'guess' that the fruit part is what the doc or nutritionist is balking at, beings that it is sugar. But balanced with a clean diet, there is no way this is going to thwart your wl unless you have one too many of them. I am not sure where you are at in your wl journey. If for example you are postop I suppose you won't want to eat yogurt w/ fruit nonstop because the cals can add up quickly. But if you are on a regular diet it's not a problem. Would love to hear your docs/nutritionists rationale. Thanks for sharing

No joke ahhahaha thanks

It usually takes a few days to a week for the initial swelling to go down. A few more weeks for the band to adjust to eating/drinking and than you should be acclimated at that particular fill. Despite being yellow, green, or red, the band will adjust daily. A variety of things from dehydration and hormones to stress and illness can cause the band to be tighter. This can range from day to night or day to day...either way, proceed cautiously with every meal until you gauge if the band is tight or not so you eat appropriately

Oh noooooo.... Scary that her first thought was miscalculation and was willing to bypass a leak. Did you happen to notice the color of the Fluid, was it yellow or cloudy- a classic sign of a leak typically. Hope it really was miscalculation or ?? I dunno..just not a leak

Hi Redesigned, The band truly is a living experiment, indeed. Sometimes we allow the numbers to get in the way of reality. For instance, if the average fill in a 10cc band is 5cc, people feel that surely they should be at green if their last fill brought them to 8cc for instance. Not so! Finding green is truly a 'listen to your body/band' decision. Sometimes it's learning exactly how to read those signs that can be most difficult. I'll do my best to help you on that. Let me preface this by saying, everyone experiences the band differently from day 1. We all have different timelines as to when we first felt hungry, or felt restriction, or which foods fill us or which foods are no foods that get stuck consistently etc. So these are generalities, try to apply it your circumstance. So, yellow is very easy to identify. That's the phase where you don't really appreciate any true restriction. You feel hungry between meals sooner than the standard 3-4+ hrs, when you do eat you can eat more than the standard cup and it's typically self will that's controlling your portions and food choices. The way you are describing your situation, you sound yellow. Green...ahhh green! This is a tricky land to be in. Because in reality, there's many shades of green. But first, let's just define it simply. Green is when you feel satiated between meals for at least 3-4 hrs. Green is when you are losing weight. Green is when your portions are under 1 cup and eating over 1 cup is uncomfortable. Green is when you can actually appreciate band restriction, where the food collects in your upper pouch and slowly passes through the stoma. This is something you can physically feel, whereas in yellow it feels like 'preop'. This is also typically the phase where most stucks occur because our stoma is smaller and is more sensitive to eating too fast, too large of a bite, or too overeating. This is when band rules are a must and we have to really follow our sensations from one bite to the next. So let me back peddle real quick..shades of green ey? YES! I am not certain if this is an old bandsters experience or not, but I'm experiencing this in the maintenance phase. Please don't disregard this, because this may apply to you in an earlier phase. After getting back on my diet, I decided to get a tweak fill. It had been 3 yrs since my last fill. And it brought me back to green. But after the fill inflammation subsided and the stoma adjusted to eating/drinking again, I felt signs of green. But not like I did early on (first 6 months). So I got another tweak. Again, better..but not perfect. And I go tomorrow what I think will be my last tweak (these tweaks are 0.5cc although tomorrow's may only be 0.1-0.3cc) for that perfect green feeling. (See above for what that feels like). If any one of these variables is lacking, I say tweak it. The band really tests our patience. There is no set timeline. There is no set green fill volume. It's highly individualized. So get more of a fill and keep going until you feel green. Other thoughts: I cannot overeat at green. I literally can feel the stretch in my pouch when I eat over 1 cup because the food slowly passes through the stoma. It's uncomfortable and it's negative feedback. I resist eating that much because I don't like the sensation and I fear it'll result in an unnecessary stuck episode. This is the blessing of the band. It gives you new sensations you didn't feel presurgery. The food sitting in your pouch is what activates the vagus nerve to send signals to the brain that you are full. And that is how we feel satisfied or full on a mere cup. But being in green is a requirement, otherwise it's just like having no band. But than there is the red zone. You don't want to overshoot it by not being able to eat properly (frequent regurg, avoiding too many foods that get stuck, drinking meals instead of eating, difficulty with liquids, getting insufficient calories because you can only eat a bite or two per meal etc). Despite logic, this kind of restriction will actually cause the body to cease wl. So RED is baddddd ahahha Hope this helps hon

Without knowing your husband's concerns, my only advice is this... You need to dig your heels in and learn to rely on yourself if you want to be successful. His lack of support, will show itself in other ways. food sabotage, pressure to continue cooking regularly/eating out, perhaps withholding compliments and observations of wl etc. Who knows..I don't know him. But there's potential for real emotional havoc which is always a wl obstacle. So this is about you, your commitment and staying strong. I share this because I have similar issues and it made getting off track easy as pie. Until I did some soul searching and turned it around. I'm now at goal and it was the greatest gift I could give myself.

I was the same way. I really had no appetite for the first 4 months. I focused on recovery, eating precisely what was on my food lists and relished in every TB I could eat hahahah. I think I ate clean for 6 months before I had my first dabble in sweets (my son's bday cake). I was so relieved that I was satiated 2-3 bites into the cake and I was done. I learned to eat in moderation. However, the cravings did come back. The difference was I did not feel guilty eating any type of food because I either compensated for it in the other meals that day and I would restrict those foods for once a week. That way I didnt feel like I was eliminating any foods and it typically quieted those cravings enough I felt content. Take advantage. Don't feed cravings that are not there

Breakfast- 1 packet natural oatmeal, 10g almond slices, 10g dried fruit, cinnamon (or add artificial sweetener) or 1 egg, 2 slices turkey bacon and cheese slice (or shredded melted into egg) Lunch- 1 can turkey breast, 1 TB mayo, and 1 greek/fruit yogurt or 1 can progresso lite Soups (this can be broken down to 1/2 can with sides of fruit, lunch meat, or cheese if preferred) or chef salad (just keep an eyeball on calories to not overindulge) ideas: boiled egg, sliced meat, cheese, kidney Beans & veggies or good ol' bandster chili ahhahah dinner grilled chicken with veggies (or go kabob style) or fish with a Quinoa and veggie mixture (finely chopped veggies, or simply garlic/mushroom, or ??? whatever you like) as a side or veggie burger (no bun) with veggie sticks and/or fruit Just some examples. I am very low cal. My target cals for each meal is Breakfast: 200 cal, Lunch: 250 cal and Dinner: 350-400 cal. I get at least 60g of Protein in daily and eat my heavy protein foods first with each meal. I try to keep my carbs for the morning or afternoon If I have cravings, I satiate them at lunch time so that it doesnt carry over into late night snacking Get back to drinking LOTS of Water or crystal lite or icetea etc Try to wean back on Snacks and get back to 3 meals per day. Takes a few weeks to adjust but just take a away a snack a day until you get there hope this helps

HAHAHAHAH Bayou "man in a boat" ahhahaha OKOK sorry..to answer the Q I too am getting a TT. I asked the surgeon about that. He said that yes he can do that, he'll just curve the incision to pull more up. SO it's in the plan, but I have no idea what the outcome will be Just be sure to tell the doc that's an area to be addressed

Im a calorie counter. So for instance, if I'm eating canned chili I will measure by the cup to ensure I'm not overeating calories. However, I always make sure it's not more than 1 cup of food. But when I cook chicken for instance, or add almonds to my oatmeal, these are weighed to get the right # of calories I'm targeting. When I was first banded, I cooked and measured alot. It was a great foundation to learn what I was putting in my body, it gave me complete control over my food/volume etc. And most importantly, I learned how to 'eyeball' my food and understand what my portion size should be. This allows me to go to a restaurant and eat under 1 cup or know how many cals (estimate) I was eating. A good rule of thumb for the restaurant though is eat a portion smaller than your first. Eat your Protein first, veggies next, carbs like potatos/rice/pasta (if you still eat those) last. Oh another good idea...when I go to restaurants I always use my phone to lookup their dietary menu. It lists the calories for all their meals. This allows me to predetermine what I'll eat and I eat guilt free. Than all I have to do is focus on portions rather than calories/portion etc. Restaurant menus are deceiving, what 'sounds' healthy typically is not!!! And to answer your last q..when I started I was strict 3 meals. Than slowly I added Snacks. I continued to lose and than stalled out. So now I am back to 3 meals because I think I was over snacking lol.

You wait. You accept that you are transitioning. Than you made a rationale decision after you've transitioned. What you are experiencing is not 'the band', it's post op. Having surgery to remove the band will only further delay your recovery and not get anything accomplished (pain nor wl). You have to get mentally tough for this next month. Not long after, you'll look back and shrug like it was no big deal. And one month will seem like nothing, compare to today when it seems like an eternity. You put the work in, you got the surgery..give it time and start some positive thinking to counteract the negative emotions. Good luck

Hi Brit, Sliders are 2 things: 1)foods that can pass through the stoma without much resistance or 2) foods/liquids that can help normal foods pass through the stoma easier. Examples of sliders are liquids, foods that melt into liquid state, or solids that have lots of liquid that helps it pass. Foods that pass easier: any drink, milkshakes, icecream, yogurts, Soups, chocolate, Cookies, sometimes cake (usually any junk food ahhah) Foods that help foods pass easier: sauces, dressings, broths, applesauce, (there's tons of example and I hope others will share theirs..but this is a good example to derive from) While on topic..a side comment Sliders are often referred to in a negative light. Examples are drinking your calories to avoid getting stuck. You tend to consume more calories if you do liquids (think milkshakes, junkfood) and people often either gain weight or are not getting the right nutrition. However, sliders are also a +. For instance, I usually have trouble w/ chicken no matter how well I cook it. But if I put just a little bit of sauce, it's enough to help it slide through (not quickly but it doesnt bind and eventually get regurgitated) (same w/ pork chops and applesauce . This is a huge PLUS and we should be mindful of how to use certain foods to assist us if we have trouble foods that are actually good for us (like chicken)

I am not phased by what you 'think' of me either my dear. I have made a contribution to this site and helped many people through their hardest times and not all of them are band related issues. I will give all of my resource and compassion to those I feel compelled to help, it's not a requirement. Please don't be so self righteous that you think can categorize me or stereotype me or "know" who I am off of a mere post or two. Why don't you look up my profile, and see ALL the posts I've posted. Get a REAL gist of who I am and how I address this site/forum. Just because you got the short end of the stick, doesn't make me a culprit. If you haven't noticed, quite a few people LIKED my post. This is another way to SUPPORT my opinion/post. Don't be so foolish to believe I (and lellow) are the only ones who believe a direct approach is sometimes warranted. I personally was disinterested in advising someone AFTER the fact. Rather, I was more interested in another point. The point that you don't have the luxury to think after the fact w/ the band. You put a foreign object in your body. Abuse it, and it will bite you in the ass period. Respect the band. You don't have to respect me! Again, you don't know me. So tell yourself whatever you feel necessary. But you still don't know me. And just so you know, lellow and I have the EXACT same attitude (snicker, sorry lellow but you know it's true bahahahahahhahah)

Please run this by your doctor first. A liquid antiinflammatory may be warranted to help you (like liquid Motrin) Drink only hot fluids at this time, even if it's just Water. Sip frequently and get rehyrdated. Dehyrdation will cause the cells in your stomach/esophogus to shrink causing more restriction Go and buy some Protein shakes for nutrition. Refrain from solids for at least 24 hrs to allow the existing inflammation to not be agitated and to subside If this last for more than 24 hrs, you need to find a fill center in the area and get an unfill. Can't find one, go to an ER. Dehydration happens rapidly and can cause severe lethargy and overall sense of illness. In the future, avoid fills before traveling (not sure if you had one, just putting it out there), always have a fill center contact for the area you are traveling, be sure to hydrate well while sitting in the airport, on the plane etc (this is overlooked as we spend hours in security lines, waiting rooms and on the plane itself), refrain from foods w/ salt to encourage hydration, go easy on your eating as to not agitate your band in case it is sensitive to subtleties like elevation etc. My husband travels for a living. Just got back from an 18 hr flight from Africa. He is also banded. He does not suffer from any side effects. So either you are dehydrated or your band IS indeed sensitive and you need to take precautions in the future

My friend's daughter also passed away from Gastric Bypass. She suffered complications immediately afterwards and never recovered. I know we often hear anti-band arguments, but I just can't get around how drastic and invasive this procedure really is. I am SO sorry to hear of your loss. Just to think all she wanted was to be healthy. Please, in her memory, live your life to the fullest. Lose every other pound in her name. And may you see the band as the gift that it really is. Again, so sorry

HAAHHAHAHA right Yes, you need to take small bites and chew thoroughly. No the food does not need to be eraser sized nor do you need to chew it down to the consistency of Water. Let's be sensible here. If I had the time to cut all my meals into pencil erasers, I'd never actually get to eating it. I would consider my bites to be more the size of a grape. I do not have difficulty chewing that size of food adequately. One of the key points to be made here is listening to your body & the band. I am very self aware when I eat. I anticipate soft signals with every bite. When I feel my pouch feel slightly filled, putting the slightest pressure on my stoma I stop. Than I wait a few minutes. Either the food will pass and I will still be hungry and I'll eat more or I will feel satisfied and be done. This is all about experimentation. I would definitely recommend pencil erasers immediately after surgery. As you transition into solids, go slow and don't force 'normal pre-band' habits. However, eventually when you are well established you'll start to experiment with new foods and you can experiment with food bite sizes. You'll find your happy spot. On the other hand, if you can take full bites (think burger and sandwich bites) and eat with no problem, that's a great indicator that you are too open and ready for a fill

good to know