GoingforGoal

thb, Hello. I didn't know if you were experiencing this personally or if it was just a research q. But yes, you can technically gain weight post fill. Examples: 1) First few fills may not get you to green. Some people may not feel any restriction at all depending on how aggressive/conservative the doc fills them. As a result, they may struggle with hunger, portions and food choices. Resulting in weight gain 2) Too tight? Than there's the bandster who gets too tight of a fill and either they don't recognize the symptoms or are so #'s focused they deal with it. As a result, this bandster does not eat proper foods to avoid getting stuck. Rather, they eat sliders and justify higher cal foods like milkshakes. And, you can stall or gain weight as a consequence. Hope this helps

JF, I understand your frustrations. However, it also feels like you are discouraged because either you had higher expectations (expected wl/month) or you are comparing results to others. 23 lbs in less than 3 months is pretty on par. Always aim for the healthy 8lb/month wl goal. This is a much more realistic goal and is much more achievable than the whopping 20+ losses some may experience (especially upfront). I don't know why we get it in our heads that quicker loss is better- it's actually harmful to our bodies. I also struggle with understanding where and why we start expecting things we never accomplished preop. I think many of us buy into the extreme stories where someone loses 100 lbs in 3 months and we hope for the same results. But there's a huge spectrum of loss (in all 3 surgeries), the real goal- lose the excess weight. Keep to the rules, stay vigilent with food choices/portions and wl will follow. I just wanted to chime in to say sometimes we need to focus on the mental obstacles as much as the physical ones. You'll get there, just keep going

Woops forgot to add, if you are gassy, perhaps a change in diet would help to. We all know spicy food and things like Beans cause gas, but did you know these do too: (From UMICH) Maybe we are eating too much of something and didn't realize it was causing the issue Gas Producing Foods Foods which cause a normal amount of gas (allowed): 1. meat, Fowl, Fish 2. Vegetables: Lettuce, Peppers, Avocado, Tomato, Asparagus, Zucchini, Okra, Olives 3. Fruits: Cantaloupe, Grapes, Berries 4. Carbohydrates: White Rice, chips, Popcorn, Graham Crackers 5. All nuts 6. eggs, Jello, Fruit Ice Foods which cause a moderate amount of gas (may need to avoid): 1. Potatoes 2. Eggplant 3. Citrus Fruits, Apples 4. Carbohydrates: Pastries, Bread Major gas producers (avoid): 1. Vegetables: Onions, Celery, Carrots, Brussels Sprouts, Cucumber, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Radishes 2. Beans 3. Fruit: Raisins, Bananas, Apricots, Prunes, dried fruit 4. Carbohydrates: Bagels, Wheat Germ, Pretzels 5. Peas 6. Green Salads 7. Bran Cereal / foods high in bran 8. Brown rice 9. Leeks, parsnips

Hello hello Whenever you are becoming atypically symptomatic, considering an unfill is the way to go However, you'd be amazed how much a smidge of an unfill can do. The closer to green you get, the lesser amount of fill or unfill you need for major results. Even 0.1-0.3cc can release the stoma enough to allow better passage. And if you are gassy at least it can pass in one pass and not a zillion little ones that last all day long hahahah.

Hello again, The band is designed to stay with you for life. I know logically it sounds like once it's done it's job that it's no longer needed. However, what the band is really designed to do is help with the maintenance phase of your loss. Many of us can go on diets and lose (maybe not all of it, but with a little effort we can knock of 10, 20, 30+) but we are all quite terrible when it comes to maintaining that loss. The trick with the band is that not only will it help with your wl maintenance, but I can share personal stories as to how it helped me through some difficult times when diet was simply not the priority (examples: pregnancy, accident resulting in dehabilitating pain/rehab etc) in which I gained zero pounds despite not eating optimally. Additionally, no matter what surgery you pursue, one thing is for certain. To have your brain catch up to your new way of life/eating takes time and reinforcement with good practices. I am 4 years out and just getting to a place where I feel I have finally understood how to eat and balance through moderation. I dare say it'll take years of practice to truly drive those principles and practices home. I would be putting myself at great risk for regain if I elected to take the band out before I had full confidence I could maintain on my own. Like I said, the band helps with maintenance, so it still helps with things like hunger and portion control. I have heard of other successful bandsters electively taking it out. I know some regain stories, but I surely don't know the statistics (does anyone have a resource w/ this info???) for success rates with elective band removal. But I think what most people do is instead of removing the band, they remove the Fluid. This is a great trial and error as well. Take the fluid out for one year .If you can maintain on your own, voile, perhaps removal may be appropriate for you. I would highly encourage this route before just taking it out completely without a trial. Hope this helps

Bandista is right. Postop can make you feel and look pretty distorted. I gained 10 lbs after cosmetic surgery and it was all in my stomach. It took over a week for the fluids to subside. Give it time. Stay mobile and hydrated to help the process

Hello Hayley and congrats on your decision to pursue WLS. I've been banded for 4 years, lost over 100 lbs and am now at goal/maintaining. To undergo surgery is a serious decision and sometimes our reasons to choose one procedure over another can be arbitrary. Examples include: Are you insured? If so, what does your provider cover? What kind of lifestyle can you most relate to, comply with and see yourself living? Do you thinking monthly checkups for the first 6 months than annually is asking too much? Which potential risks are present and what is the back up plan if those risks arise? etc. It really comes down to personal preference and which surgery you think will best suit your circumstances and goals. I chose the band because it was the least invasive. It's a laproscopic procedure so the recovery is quicker. Working full-time and having children made this appealing. The rules were not too burdening and there's only a few of them. I had a healthy fear of bypass because my friend's daughter passed away from bypass complications, she was in her 30's. The only thought I had was what was the backup plan- there isn't one sometimes. I wanted options and the more steps it took to get to that point was ideal. It felt safer to me. I am not here to push on surgery over the other. But please recognize a few things while you do your research: 1) Most wls patients are not on these forums sharing their stories so you will only get a small insight into what 'most' patients have experienced on this forum, 2) for every good story, you can find a bad one (in all 3 types of surgery). I want to emphasize listening to personal stories of success/failure and not someone's opinion based on things they heard- it's simply inappropriate, 3) Also understand that complications can arise spontaneously, but many of them arise due to patient noncompliance. Those stats shouldn't reflect on a procedure's capabilities. Recognize that if you are noncompliant you can sabotage your wl efforts no matter what procedure you undertake. Living with the band, for me, has been easy. I adopted the rules readily, I have learned to adopt a mentality of eating in moderation and am maintaining without deprivation, I am very vigilent with keeping my band at it's optimal restriction and respect the band so that it remains a safe tool. I don't regret my decision at all and fully endorse the band for those who feel it's right for them. Best of luck with your decision and your wl journey.

OMG I love Grumpy Cat, he is my hero hahahahah. Someone just gifted me his new calendar- BEST GIFT EVER!!! ahha Anyway, side note, email is down right. My after pic was uploaded and posted, but is now gone MIA. Tried to upload again and there's no option to do that right now. I think they are working on things in segments so periodically expect features to be down. PM was never installed here except in the chat room. Hope that comes back, I feel disconnected too. I also hope they add additional chat rooms.

Not sure if anyone responded, but yours is visible to me

Oye, this is my husband to a T. He is also banded and loves PB. Tries to justify it as a Protein snack. But not when it becomes a daily go to food. I told him no more PB and he's losing weight again. Normally I say moderation, but if you got butter on the brain, it's time to keep it on the grocery shelf where it belongs hahaha PS ROLL TIDE, SO happy we beat LSU

Not sure what you are disagreeing with me on. But I too find the band the easiest thing ever. But I still follow rules, the band is not doing 100% of the work. You can't take out food portions, food choices, exercise and everything else and think it'll result in losing all your weight. At some point you have to buckle down and worth with your band.

Hey, Sorry I didn't see this sooner. I had multiple procedures done at once so my answer is not so straightforward. I am currently 5 weeks postop so I'll answer these q's in hindsight. 1. Work, I am not working currently. However, I have 3 kiddos and a ranch. So depending on how active your job is, I would say 1 week is essential, 2 weeks better as long as there's no lifting. You don't realize how much you touch, lean on and sleep on your arms until you had an arm lift lol. By end of week 2 you can do your own dressing and incisions will have healed allowing you to be less cautious 2. I needed help the first week getting things like sports bras on (again, I had a breast lift/aug too). It hurts to pull (so think pulling a tight shirt down) for the first 1-2 weeks. But after getting dressed, I felt like I could manage most other things except heavy lifting. 3. My scars are exceptional. I was most fearful of my arm procedure because I've seen some less than sightly scars and results. I was amazed by how much he took off and how fine the incisional line was. He really took his time. Some days it's straight, thin, pink and other days (due to use) it puckers a tiny bit and is more red. However, they say it takes up to on eyear for it to fade to it's final color. Also, they say if you've had previous surgeries (like c-section) you can expect your scar to heal similarly to those. Fortunately Ive had lots of surgeries and they have faded to almost unnoticeable lines. 4. Cost. Again I had multiple procedures costing me total 22k. 3500 was for the anesthesia room, 1500 for the op room. I thin arm lift was 3-3500 but again discounted. Depends wehre you live, how many procedures etc. Hope this helps

Welcome Mona. So glad to see a 10+ yr veteran and would love your insight on the forum. Congrats on maintaining for such a long period- outstanding.

Laughing..puhlease. Most of us did have a 'last supper'. Trust me, it may seem that you are giving it all up now, but it'll be reintroduced later on. Whatever you do, do NOT eat after the time the hospital said to. That is not optional because it will delay or cancel your surgery Good luck

Sweet, How far out are you? When was your last fill? and What size portions do you usually eat? Examples of lunch for myself would be: 1. Can of turkey breast mixed with lowfat mayo on top of a small bedding of salad and a greek yogurt 2. Today I had ham steak (approx 2 oz) and 1/2c cottage cheese w/ 2 diced grapes 3. Chili with some shredded cheese and ff sour cream (1 cup total) 4. On light days Im not super hungry is when I do my Soups 5. 1 boiled egg and 2 pieces of turkey bacon mixed w/ salad greens & dressing 6. Half a veggie burger with toppings (no bread) and bonne bell cheese and yogurt

I agree And I apologize for any misperceptions. I really am trying to carefully word my responses to not be offensive because I know that this is a sensitive subject for all. I don't mind open exchanges, sharing stories (good and bad), just an open mind and ear Laura, I am not saying people can't share their experiences. But unfortunately this site has become our home to and so I'd like to send some positive waves about the band. I have not been hostile nor adversarial, please refrain from doing the same. This has nothing to do with first or last words, I'm merely having conversation???? Well, before we dead a dead horse. I will just say good luck on your journeys. Peace

Please understand that I am not coming here to be adversarial. I have complete respect for everyone and their choices. Again, I have no qualms. Perhaps see it from my perspective. Ever since we merged I have been primarily in the LB forums as well as the chat room. We have had sleevers and bypassers comment on our forums, so I would deem it appropriate to peruse through yours and comment as well. I came here because I was curious to see how different the forums or content is. When I read this post, it was compounding to the dozens of posts and chat conversations that were anti-band putting bandsters in a peculiar position. This is from day one of the site launching. Noone (from any surgery) wants to have to defend their decisions. And I am inclined to believe noone wants to have their decision be attacked. I am not trying to derail from her story. I appreciate the story. I think I respond more to the responses and how hasty they can be. I just wanted to share that despite one person's setback, to keep an open mind to the positive stories you will come across. I've tried to share mine and it was minimized because they were convinced the band was not a good thing, how sad is that? Fortunately I am 4 years out and well established in my journey, but I fear that newbies and those doing research are not going to get the essential and unbiased support they deserve

Congrats on getting RnY Hope you find "healthier you" soon Reminds me..time for a flouro checkup appt

ahhaah Carolina ahahhah I think the President's health could be factored in, but if that's the case, than everything from age, risk factors based on race, family history, habits (ie eating, smoking, hazardous recreational activities) would all be put under the microscope. Reality is, you are dealing with probabilities which are never guaranteed. In reality you are talking about a 4-8 yr span. Pretty unlikely being fat for 4-8 yrs will put you in your grave. Being fat is one of the last acceptable forms of discrimination in my opinion. It's easy to see thus easy to judge. There are just as many thin people who are equally unhealthy (if not more) than obese people, you just can't see it.

I'm personally not interested in internet warfare nor drama. I think once people start meeting new people from all 3 forums and things become more personalized the hostility will diminish. I am looking forward to sharing information, supporting people through their struggles and successes and meeting new friends (already have). Good luck on your journey

Hello Again I too am a Master's Prepared Registered Nurse, Nurse Educator, and patient advocate. As nurses, we understand the importance of unbiased evidence and educating the public on complications to ensure they make the best medical care decisions for themselves. I am very receptive to learning about all the complications pertaining to the band and am aware these can arise at any moment. However, what we don't have going for us is strong or comprehensive statistics to truly gauge the following: 1) # of complications patient induced (noncompliance issues, preexisting conditions etc) 2) longevity of the band (old bands vs new bands) etc These forums are not an appropriate gauge for frequency of complications as most bandsters (and patients of any surgery for that matter) are not participating. So I am just inserting that there can be an offset in good vs poor outcome stories especially if you are only exposed to the stories from ex bandsters getting revised. Again, I have no qualms about any procedure. I do not claim the band is the best, just the best for me. I have alot of information to share, just want a fair opportunity to share it And if it makes you feel better, I know all about getting lost in the medical system (snicker). I reside in Canada, can we say socialized medicine was created to lose patients. (snicker)

Oh yes, that too ahhahah. That's the other thing. This is the time to prepare for winter/holiday sabotage ahha. I live off the principal of moderation. So I'm already prepared for that once a week gathering whether it be thanksgiving dinner, company party or or or. I eat pretty clean during the week to compensate for these high cal splurges. And I limit my splurging to that one dinner or event. I don't carry it out like the old days where I would say "ah hell, I messed up bad might as well eat more." lol Best of luck and HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Hello all you sleevers It's been fun getting acquainted with everyone from all the different forums. I am a bandster and wanted to reply to this post In no way am I going to minimize your experience- at all. I feel horrible that you have undergone so much pain and complications. That is not what you signed up for and I get that. I also understand that when we have poor experiences and outcomes we have nothing but our own experiences to share and typically use that experience to advise, educate and mentor others. But I want to stress that these severe complications are still in the minority. I don't know what it is, but our bodies are unique enough that some will accept while others will reject everything from foreign objects, organ donations, and a long list of surgeries. It's complete crap when our bodies don't 'cooperate' but for many, these procedures are still live saving and they suffer no complications. It's how the dice rolls as they say. I will not try to sound off as any expert when it comes to the sleeve or bypass procedures. But they too pose their own risks and issues, some temporary some long term and some unique unto themselves that bandsters would never suffer. Not trying to compare/contrast, nor take the position the band is better/best. Just that no matter what surgery we have, we must be diligent to the fact that complications can arise. I wanted to chime in mostly because after speaking w/ many sleevers this past week, I have an impression that they have heard nothing but the horror stories with the band. But with this site merger, I think it's important that everyone understands that there are many successful bandsters (me me me lol) and newbies who are either getting or have recently had a band placed and we are in need of support just as much. Please take the time to listen to their stories, their successes and understand that there are just as many good stories, if not more. (One last note of the day (snicker) Also remember that many band failures are not band related, rather patient induced. Just like with other wls, if you are noncompliant you can't blame the doc, can't blame the apparatus/procedure. Each surgery has rules. We were all educated on the rules, the risks etc and despite this, some will fail themselves in the process. So please let there be a distinction between random and patient-induced complications because I feel there is a huge gap between the two). Thanks for listening. Best of luck in all your wl goals.

Hi Frederic, It's not uncommon for people to gain during the winter months. My speculation is that we stay indoors more. Which means we have alot more down time to contemplate things like food, hunger etc. Head hunger, boredom etc lends to more snacking or eating more frequently/off schedule that we are normally accustomed to. This is when you need to get busy, new hobby perhaps. Sometimes we don't notice how much more sedentary we become. This is not saying you were uber swamped, were an exercise nut and can never find time for meals. Rather, simply getting out for lunch meetings, going to stores more frequently, visiting friend or having weekend plans kept you busy enough that meals worked around your life rather than the opposite. Just be mindful of any of those subtle changes and make up the lost time/busyness.

Yep, sounds like they'll fit you for a CPAP And you are absolutely right, it's a check box for insurance approval. I too was lower BMI and when I got diagnosed w/ sleep apnea, that was my only comorbidity and was enough to get approved.