Humming Bird

I never did put anything in a blender except smoothies. It just kinda grosses me out. I would stay away from noodles and dumplings though, even blended.

Why would you stand up to eat? If you are not too tight and everything is ok with the band, why not just get a new port in a better location?

Chili , cottage cheese, salad, hot soup from the deli on days you leave work on your lunch break?

With me most of the time it's soup (about a cup I guess.... I never measure) *OR* cheese and crackers. I don't eat them together. The crackers will soak up the soup and swell.

If you gained 70 pounds it sounds like you need to go get a fill. When was the last time?

I can no longer eat any type of sandwich. I think in the beginning they sometimes tell you a list of foods that may cause problems. After you have been banded for awhile and reach the green zone you will figure out which foods you have to avoid. I have always kept fairly tight restriction and eat small salads often. They are in no way a slider and are so much better for you than a PBJ.

It sounds like he's married?

old thread, but I have some thoughts about it today...... I do not think self-filling is a good idea for all the reasons others have stated. One thing that does not make sense to me is the mention of filling other patients. I don't know how the medical field works, but I do know in dental (me), I have to hold a license to give injections. If someone were to fill thier friend or family member and that person gets an infection, I would think they are setting themselves up for a charge of practicing medicine without a license. That could mean prison time and fines and more .... I would think it would be worth going to and paying for someone who knows what they are doing and has the proper liability insurance.

I can only speak about my own experience, but the "hurt" is VERY different with the band. It stops me from overeating very well. When I reach my full level I can not eat even one more bite. If I take one more bite, depending on what type of food I'm eating, it will cause a great deal of discomfort or it will cause me to throw up. It is very different than that Thanksgiving dinner feeling of full. VERY different. Eating around the band would be like living on things that are high calorie and slide through easy. It would be like eating ice cream for every meal. I think I would get tired of that fast.

My surgeon put in 2.7cc during my surgery and I reached the green zone at fill number 2. I too did not go through much bandster hell.

You look great! I am so happy for you!

I will never understand why they would take out ALL the fluid when it seems like just a tiny unfill would have done the trick.

No, I can not eat rice, pasta , bread .....

You sound like green zone to me.

It sounds to me like your mind is messing with you a bit. I know the feeling......you want every single pound gone right now. 5 weeks is not that long. Give yourself credit and keep your eye on the prize. It takes some time. One year from now you will be basking in success.

I eat nuts and popcorn sometimes. They are not slider foods for me as they fill me up pretty quick. I have to make sure I chew them well or they will cause discomfort. I drink a glass of wine several times per week, but didn't have any alcohol for the first 6 months.

When you say you were at an eight and now you are at a six are you talking fills/ cc? It sounds to me like you need to go get a fill and get back to the green zone (if you were ever there).

Too funny, I read it this morning and had a good laugh. I think she likes your after pic.

I have not been able to eat a sandwich or wrap from day one (2 1/2 years). The good news is that you can get creative and find things that help satisfy the crave. I can eat a few reduced fat wheat thins with my sandwich stuff on them (chew, chew, chew), or wrap the stuff in a piece of lettuce. or roll up a thin slice of lunchmeat with things inside .......

I like the roadside lemonade in the summer. They disolve pretty good, but even do better if you put them in a water jug with ice/water and shake a bit, then let it sit a bit, then shake again.

At first (the first year or so) the band and all that goes with it were on my mind 24/7. Over time it has been getting much better for me. I now don't obcess over it. A few years before I got the band I mastered keeping my stress level low. Of course life happens and the stress comes, but in general, I try to keep stress out of my life. This is why I do not count calories or track anything else with the band. I keep a good fill level and accept banded life for what it is.

Adjusting the band and finding the green zone early in the journey is great. It makes everything so much easier. I've found that after some fat shrinkage between the band and stomach I needed a tiny fill to stay in the green zone. After that some of the fill does go away (osmosis or something) and I need a tiny fill every 10-12 months or so. Not much effort at all is needed after that. Just live life

I was at 5.3cc by my 2nd fill. It did bring me to my green zone/sweet spot early in the process. I didn't need another fill for 10 months after that and now I just go in about every 10 months or so for a very tiny tweek fill to maintain. At 2 1/2 yrs post-op I'm at 5.7cc. I am so glad I didn't have to go in as many times as other bandsters do for teeny tiny fills to reach restriction. I really do beileve it has been the key to my success. Just follow the rules after a fill ..... liquids, then muchies .......

Don't eat before you go for a fill. Sometimes they forget to tell you that.

You may find much better support and info right here ar LBT. I would not go back to that negative group. If you want to meet with banded people face to face, maybe you can look up members of LBT that live near you and set up a coffee group or something. For me. lapband has been so very easy, magic, and a quick fix! I love the band and would have never been able to take off all this weight without it.