ElfiePoo

The best part though is that you all have the tool you need to lose that weight again...and quit punishing yourselves. The band only does part of the work (removing the hunger). The rest is up to us and, let's face it, it's just not that easy changing a lifetime of bad habits and eating whatever we want, whenever we want. I still struggle with wanting to say "oh the hell with it" and go eat just because I'm tired of watching everything I put in my mouth. Some days I'm successful. Some days I'm not. But when I do screw up, I don't use it as an excuse to just keep eating. I get right back on plan. To the OP...my heart goes out to you because I had a complete unfill at one point and don't even want to think about the quantities of food I ate during that week because of hunger. I was so relieved to get my fill back a week later. Hang in there! .

The best thing you can do is to stop expecting your band to physically limit what and how much you eat. That's not how the band works, even if some doctors and band patients promote that it does. The band works by putting pressure on your vagus nerves which then tell the stomach to stop producing ghrelin, the hunger hormone. Once that constant hunger is gone, *we* are better able to restrict what and how much we eat because we don't have that driving hunger compulsion to stuff our faces. We'll still have normal hunger right before a meal, but once we eat a reasonable meal*, putting additional pressure on that band (assuming we have enough fill and are at our sweet spot), the hunger should abate for about 4 hours. *A reasonable meal is not 1/2 cup of food...the amount a toddler might eat. We are grown adults. A reasonable meal, according to my surgeon is 3 oz of protein, 1/2 cup of vegies and 1/4 cup of starch. Once I understood that, I discovered I didn't need 8.75cc in my band (and getting stuck and sliming several times a day - which my surgeon says is a sign of an overfill). I now have 6cc and am back on track. Oh sure, I still have days where I want to eat out of habit, but without that driving hunger egging me on, I'm better able to say 'no' and find something to occupy my mind and hands. C'mon...you can do this! The first step is stop avoiding your doctor! You think they haven't seen this before? First, eat a reasonable meal and if you find you're hungry (not just bored and craving), call and make an appointment for that fill. The band can't help you if you don't let it. The recommit to working your band. Don't wait until you're at your sweet spot. Start making changes now. Even if you just eliminate wheat and sugar from your diet, it will help with the cravings. Ok...so you're still hungry and wanting to eat. Then eat protein or low carb vegies (they're great fillers). Find something to do with your hands. I had no problems until evening and then I wanted to eat. I finally discovered that if I kept my hands busy while watching tv, riding in the car or whenever I'm physically idle, that desire to eat disappeared...because I didn't have the hunger driving me on to eat. Recommit! You've come this far! .

That depends. Are you hungry after a reasonable meal? If so, time for a fill. If not, then congrats...you're at your sweet spot for now (it changes). .

You're not alone. A lot of us struggle with the band and some of it is because we were misled about what restriction means. I am 14 months postop and for 9 months of that I was under the impression that restriction meant I would be physically limited on how much I could eat. Now I understand that restriction means 'cessation of hunger' after a reasonable meal. Unfortunately, most people don't 'get this' and end up getting fills until they're at a point where many foods are off their list because they get stuck and sliming and stuck episodes become the norm. I can eat anything I want. I just don't 'want' as much now that I'm not always hungry. If you had a fill last Friday, it's possible that you're still dealing with a bit of swelling...but it's also possible that at 8cc's you're overfilled. You might have them take you now 1/2 cc...or even 1 cc and then wait a week or two for the swelling to go down and for your body to react to the fill. When I get a fill I have absolutely no reaction for 2 weeks and then all of a sudden I'm tight for a couple days. In any case, when you're asking yourself whether you have restriction, look for a cessation of hunger after a reasonable meal...1/2 cup is not reasonable by the way and it's no wonder so many people get overfilled because they're still dealing with hunger. Toddlers eat 1/2 cup or more. We're adults. Anyway...my .02. YMMV. .

LOL...tucked it into your jeans...ROFLMAO. Thank you for the laugh this morning (she says as she tucks her own saggy skin into her jeans). .

I don't take Vitamins. I haven't had any hair loss. As for saggy skin, well that will depend on how overweight you are, how long you've been overweight, age and, most importantly, genetics. You can exercise to tone the muscle underneath but, sorry, there are no exercises for saggy skin. I hate that I have bat flaps on my arms, rolls of excess skin at the tops of my thighs just under my butt, wrinkles at my knees and boobs that I'll soon be able to tuck under my belt ...and know that despite my family's good genetics for skin elasticity, none of it is going to 'shrink' due to the fact that I've been overweight for 40 years and I'm now 54. In spite of that, I refuse to let vanity ruin the fact that I'm looking better than I ever have, in spite of the saggy skin, and am healthier than I've ever been. Insurance *might* pay for the belly and boobs since my doctor can make a claim that it's health related, but after seeing someone who's gone through all of that, and having had 2 people I know die of blood clots post surgery, I don't know whether I want to. I'm thinking a pair of Spanx, 3/4 length sleeves and capri pants are just the ticket. . .

Hang in there. Your reaction sounds like you're having difficulty due to swelling. As long as you can drink liquids, I wouldn't worry. It will get better. You might notice the same reaction after your fills. As my doctor said, be kind to your band. As for the sipping, yeah well they say to sip but by a month postop, I was back to chugging my Water without a problem. Even now, at my sweet spot, I can still drink as I did preop...most days. Occasionally, I'll find myself spewing water out through my nose or mouth as it goes down and rebounds. .

I'm a type II diabetic and have had my band for 14 months. Until two weeks ago (I think), I was taking Lantus in the morning and Humalog with each meal. Now I don't have to take any! My diabetes is controlled by my diet. The band works by putting pressure on the vagus nerves, which tell the stomach to quit producing ghrelin, the hunger hormone. This means that instead of constant hunger, we are satisfied for 4 hours or so after a meal. I eat 3 oz of Protein, 1/2 cup of vegies for lunch and the same for dinner but with an additional 1/4 cup of starch (rice, Beans or potatoes). I don't eat wheat products or sugar because both affect my blood sugar more rapidly and negatively and cause intense cravings. I will tell you that my biggest difficulty over this last year has been eating due to the ravenous hunger as a result of blood sugar shifts so the sooner you can get that under control, even with meds, the better. Here are some things that helped me. Avoid sugar and wheat products. Both will cause very rapid fluctuations in our blood sugar. Disregard any advice/orders by your nutritionist and doctor to eat only 3 meals a day. I can do that now that my blood sugar is under control but I couldn't before. I ate every 2.5 hours to keep my blood sugar stable. Here's how my day went... B: 2 eggs and 2 sl bacon or a low cal/low carb Protein shake mid-morning: hard boiled egg or 1-2 oz of cheese or 1 slice of a deli ham (about 1 oz) L: 3 oz protein, 1/2 cup vegies mid-afternoon: same as mid-morning D: 3 oz protein, 1/2 cup vegies, 1/4 cup rice, beans or potatoes mid-evening: same as other mid-meal Snacks Vegies should be low carb...green beans, asparagus, broccoli. If I want a starchy vegetable like corn or peas or winter squash, I count it as my 1/4 cup starch, not a veg. My .02...try eating the above type diet before you get the band and if you're still dealing with real hunger, eat protein or a low carb vegie instead of opting for the high carb stuff. If/when you get the band and you're on a restricted diet for awhile, the most critical element will be to make sure you get your protein throughought the day. Most surgeons say 60gm is what to aim for. I found that wasn't enough to keep my blood sugar stable on such a limited diet. I was probably closer to 120gm per day. Your goal has to be to keep your blood sugar stable so you don't get into the situation caused by blood sugar shifts. If i can help, please feel free to contact me privately.

I would start wondering about the intelligence level of your doctor. All he has to do is draw all the Fluid out to find out what's in there. That's where I'd start. Tell him you want him to draw all the fluid out to know for certain. .

What HB said. Bypass is so drastic and I often wonder what difficulties a bypass patient has during a pregnancy (for both baby and mom) since the bypass patient deals with malabsorption. .

I wore everything from a 7 to an 8-1/2 depending on whether I was able to get it in the right width. I'm now wearing a size 6. .

I don't take Biotin or any Vitamins at all. I haven't lost any hair as a result of surgery or my postop diet. From the day of surgery, however, I have made sure to get in at least 60gm of Protein a day...even if I have to drink it in a shake or Protein Drink. I use EAS Protein powder (Sam's Club) and it has 25gm of protein in one scoop of powder. I also bought a bunch of concentrated protein in fruit flavors from my bariatric clinic and would put 1/3 of the concentrated liquid in my Water glass. A full tube was about 40gm. That was when I was still on a postop diet. Now, I either eat 2 eggs and 2 sl of bacon or my Protein Shake for Breakfast and then 3 oz of protein, 1/2 cup of vegies and 1/4 cup of starch (maybe) for lunch and dinner and easily meat 60gm of protein per day. .

There are pros and cons for every WLS. I researched all of them and decided on the band for a number of reasons...and discovered a reason or two afterward that made me glad I chose the band. 1. The long-term outcome for bypass, sleeve and band are comparable. Yes bypass and sleeve lose more quickly in the beginning but at the end of 2 years, sleeve and band statistics are the same as far as weight loss. 2. The band is less invasive and reversable. Recovery time is much faster. 3. The band is adjustable. The sleeve is whatever it is. 3. The most important reason: The band works by putting pressure on the vagus nerves, which in turn tells the stomach to quit producing ghrelin, the hunger hormone. When this hunger is suppressed, it becomes more doable to make good choices. Sleeve patients have that part of the stomach removed that produces ghrelin so they get an immediate hunger cessation...the reason for the rapid weight loss their first year. *HOWEVER*, the body in that year learns how to start making it again and after the first year, it is producing that hunger hormone again. According to a recent bariatric report provided by my surgeon, they are seeing a rising number of sleeve patients coming back for a band in order to control that hunger...and they speculate on how many more there are who can't afford that second surgery. I've had my own difficulties adjusting to life with the band, but I am 14 months post op and have no regrets. .

Not only will it not treat bulimia, but most surgeons won't even do a band on a bulimic since there is a very high risk of band slippage, erosion, etc. The band will not stop the bulemic from bingeing...which means the purging they do afterwards will continue...and the continual stress they put on the band area creates a greater risk of problems. .

Fran, For a long time I was not able to eat solid foods for breakfast, but I could go 4 hours with just a Protein drink so I didn't worry about it. Then for a few months I had no problems with solid food for breakfast. For some reason, my band is tighter these past few days and I'm back to Protein drinks for breakfast and, I agree, it seems to be normal if we want to have enough restriction the rest of the day. Is it possible you're going too long between breakfast and lunch? When I do that, it doesn't matter that I'm eating lunch, my blood sugar levels have dropped enough that I'm still fatigued for hours. Same thing if I don't drink enough Water. You might try having a protein snack mid-morning (a hard boiled egg, 1-2 oz of hard cheese)...maybe even mid-afternoon. I tend to avoid carbs (except those in vegies) at my lunch meal because just 1/4 cup can set me up for mid-afternoon fatigue. Might not be an issue for those who aren't carb sensitive.

My doctor said I should be able to eat 3 oz of Protein, 1/2 cup of vegies and 1/4 cup of starch (maybe). I should not have to chew my food smaller than a pencil eraser...and I should not have any episodes of sliming or getting stuck. If I do, it's a sign of an overfill. .

After reading so many posts where people think restriction means the band should physically limit how much they eat, it is so refreshing to read these posts. I wish doctors would quit using the word 'restriction' because it implies the wrong thing and so people, in an attempt to get that physical restriction (raising hand), end up being overfilled and the sign of an overfill is sliming and getting stuck. I can also eat whatever I want. I can also eat as much as I did pre-surgery *but* with the band controlling the hunger, I can eat my 3 oz of Protein, 1/2 cup of vegies and 1/4 cup of starch (maybe) and be hunger free for 4 hours. Which means I can pass that McDonald's, vending machine or bakery without stopping. .

The only thing that worked for me was to get rid of all sweets including artificial because just the taste of sweetness set of cravings. I also eliminated all carbs except those in vegies. No Pasta, no bread...no wheat products of any kind. I can't have just 'one' because I can't control the cravings that follow. .

Fran said it well. I don't love my band, but I'm glad I did it despite the long learning curve. I also don't know whether or not I would've gone for the band if I knew that it wasn't going to physically control how much I could eat. However, it has gotten rid of the hunger so now I just need to relearn new eating habits...like keeping my hands busy even when watching tv or riding in a car. In the past, when I didn't do a diet perfectly, I'd give up for a month or two or 12. Now, I feel like I can't give up because the band is there and it's almost an obligation to keep on trying. So the weight comes off slowly...but it comes off. .

Julie, Your doctor's approach doesn't seem reasonable, *but* if you aren't hungry, then your band is working. At the point where you are hungry, then that means you need a fill and you need to have a doctor willing to give that fill. I'd talk to your doctor and find out whether he's going to do that. If not, my .02...I'd find another doctor. .

Heather, Some people get enough pressure on the vagus nerves with just the band to shut off the the ghrelin. Some of us need fills. If you aren't hungry, then you're one of the lucky ones. From reading posts though, I think some people are looking for the band to physically restrict the amount they can eat. .

I'm happy just to have a neck. Swan-like...in my dreams. .

I have a 14cc realize band and at 8.75cc I was overfilled according to my surgeon because I couldn't eat my Proteins and vegies without getting stuck or sliming...but yes, I could still eat the quantities I did prior to surgery of many other things. When I finally understood 'restriction' meant cessation of hunger and not physically limiting the amount I could eat at a sitting, I found my sweet spot was 6cc. I can eat a reasonable meal and not be hungry for 4 hours. .

Shads...wait...they moved the old one over your belly? They didn't take it out so you now have two? I'm sooo confused and have visions of you as a teletubby <running...fast> .

Yes, please...I would love to have a face to put to the name. .