ElfiePoo

Part 2...thank you if you're still reading. I met someone yesterday and had a 'ding' sort of moment. My new daughter-in-law's stepmother and I had an interesting chat at lunch. Apparently, 20 years ago she was almost 100 pounds overweight and started attending OA (Overeater's Anonymous) because she felt like a foodaholic. She had the same reaction to food that alcoholics have to alcohol. She could go a day or two without eating anything, but that first bite in her mouth for the day would send her spiraling out of control. That is *exactly* how I've felt about my eating. She realized that it wasn't all food. It was carbs and for 20 years has avoided them. She eats Protein, vegies and even fruit (fruit is restricted to 2-3 small servings a day if that). She does not *ever* eat potatoes, rice, bread or Pasta. Over the years I've made that same observation. I lost 70 pounds on Atkins. The first week was hell and I likened it to withdrawing from an addiction. I was bitchy, mean, nauseous, weak, dizzy, etc. This lessened through the 2nd week until by the end of that second week, the cravings stopped. I actually had to remind myself, and force myself to take the time, to eat. I never felt like I was dieting. Best of all, my blood sugars dropped to normal ranges without medication and my good and bad cholesterol numbers also dropped to the 'perfect' range. I was energetic, felt good and on a permanent mental 'high'. Then something would happen like a birthday party or a picnic and I'd think, "I'm doing well. I can have just a little bit of pasta salad." Then 'whammo'...within hours that craving was back and it was downhill from there. Just like an alcoholic. None of this is new to me. I've known this (my addiction to carbs) for years. I just never made the connection that if I want anything to change, then just like an addict I need to avoid my addiction...and it's not all food. It's just certain carbs (pasta, bread, potatoes, rice). I also realized that, like all addicts, I need a support group dealing with addiction and, while the bariatric center had a nice support group, they did not see eating as an addiction. So I looked up OA and found there's a meeting at 9:30 this morning...which I am going to attend. I'm also going to treat all carbs found in anything except fruit and vegies (low carb types) as an absolute no-no...not even for special occasions or as a treat. Alcoholics aren't allowed to have a shot of booze as a treat for being good. We know what happens when they do...and I know what happens when I do the same with that type of carb. I know that not everyone's weight problems are from an addiction but mine are and I need to face the fact that some foods are just permanently off limits for me because even with the band, I'm out of control. Right now I am physically and mentally craving carbs and am struggling not to just chuck it all in and eat until I pop. So I'm headed off to take a shower and go to my first meeting. I hope you all have a wonderful day! Melody .

Morning everyone. I've made a commitment to try and get in here on a daily basis since I look at this as my support group. I used to go to one at the bariatric clinic but, not only is it a 1.5 hour drive, they've changed the time so that it's not possible for me to attend. Even if you all don't comment, just coming here keeps me focused on what I've done and why I did it (the band) and what I have to do to keep making it work. I have to admit that I'm wondering why I got the band because I don't see what it is doing for me...although I 'think' I might be at my sweet spot since I'm so tight in the mornings that I even have to drink my tea slowly so perhaps that feeling will change. If I take too big of a gulp, I'll find myself standing over the sink wondering if I'm going to suffocate before it finds its way back up and out. My son and I went to Arby's the other day and I had a regular beef and cheddar sandwich. I took half the bun off and ate it open face and I was full just two bites shy of finishing it off. I'd say it was about a cup of food. What I have been dealing with lately is this compulsion to eat constantly. I can't be overdoing it too horribly though as I've lost 5 pounds in the almost 2 weeks since my last fill but still it worries me. I have a feeling it is from the carbs and, as much as I don't want to, need to do an Atkins style carb withdrawal to rid my system of them and get rid of these cravings. End of part 1

Remember...the band is not a magic wand. The weight will fall off when your eating habits change...less food, less junk...and when you have a more active lifestyle (which you may already have). I'm 10 months postop. I have a fairly active lifestyle but I do not exercise. By 3 months post op I had lost 30 pounds...and that's it until about June when I dropped another 32 pounds...which I immediately put back on in the next month from being too tight and eating slider foods because I was tired of being stuck several times on a daily basis. After my unfill I was fortunate to maintain the original 30 pound loss. Two weeks ago I had another fill and have dropped about 5 pounds but it's a struggle because I still do not have restriction and am beginning to think that sweet spot is 'in the head' and I may never find mine. At any rate, I wouldn't expect the weight to just fall off. Count on having to diet and exercise...or increase your activity in some way if you want it to start falling off. .

But you have done the work yourself. Think about it...you weren't losing until *you* stopped eating the carbs. Now you are losing. The band doesn't stop you...you do. The band will let you eat most carbs. Ice cream is a fine example. Don't sell yourself short. It is your own will power that has made the difference here. .

I'd make sure this doctor knows his nurse lied. If she does this enough, and enough patients tell him, she'll be history. Here's hoping your port hasn't flipped! Good luck on Monday. .

You all are so fortunate! My breakfast is usually a Protein drink which is fine since I'm not much of a breakfast person, but sometimes I would love to have some eggs and toast. I'm so tight in the mornings that I have to be careful when drinking my tea or I end up taking too big of a gulp and then standing over the sink to let it come gushing back out! It usually takes me 30 minutes to drink my hot tea and when I'm done I have to wait another 30 minutes before I can drink my protein drink because I feel too full. .

It is most likely referred pain from some part of your band rubbing on your diaphragm. I had this pain in my left forearm from the day after surgery until about 2 months ago. It most likely quit because I'd lost enough weight that the band was able to sag a bit. A lot of people have this pain and it does go away as we lose weight. If you pay attention to it, you'll notice the pain is less or goes away completely depending on the position in you're in. When I was standing, no pain. Almost always had it when I was lying down, but if I pulled my left arm above my head and slightly twisted my torso, it would go away. Sitting in a car, it would ache horribly. You're never sitting as straight up in a car as you would in a chair at a table and I think that slight recline was just enough to cause the pain. Actually, I still get that occasionally. .

PBing is 'productive burping'. It doesn't involve throwing up although there may be some sliming. What's happening is that the food is trying to go through the opening...and is...and the burping (the air coming up) is the way your body is clearing that little opening, allowing the slime and food to now make it through the opening. When I'm truly stuck, there is no burping. Just pain and lots of slime. I'll usually just sit calmly for a minute or two and try to relax and let it unstick on its own. If it doesn't, I'll take a huge gulp of Water which results in a rebound effect. I can feel it moving the stuff in my pouch and then the water and usually the offending object comes right back up like a gusher. This is not throwing up. Nothing is coming from my lower stomach and there is no heaving of stomach muscles. This type of throwing up is worrisome since there is the potential for a slipped band or erosion on the stomach by the band if done enough. .

I'm one of the ones who voted 'no'...my reason was posted above. .

Just because the parent gives the official consent, it does not mean that the minor has not also given their consent. If it's a case of a parent wanting the band for the teen and the teen not wanting it, then I agree that doing the band surgery would be the wrong decision. If the teen has been a part of the whole process from start to finish and makes the decision to do this, then it might be the right decision depending on the teen. As you said, studies are showing that for some teens it is a good option...just as it is a good option for *some* adults. .

Love this analogy. .

Speaking as someone who was too full for months...sounds like you're too full. I was getting stuck at least once (usually more) times a day despite taking tiny bites and chewing it to mush and then swallowing that bite in 2-3 swallows. When I finally went in to the bariatric clinic, they said that's a sure sign of being too full. The always ask if I've been coughing so I think that's another although I haven't had that particular problem. Call your doc. .

To be honest...I don't know. I'm almost 11 months past surgery and I haven't lost any more at this point than I'd already lost by 4 months postop. For the past 6 months I've been dealing with all of the problems of being overfilled (without realizing it) and then unfilled. I felt myself fortunate to keep from gaining back everything I lost in the first 4 months but it has been a bit frustrating to just maintain. I would have to say that my band has yet to do its job. Perhaps I'll feel different when I find that sweet spot between being able to eat more than I should at one sitting and being so full I can't eat the things I need to (Protein and vegies). I thought I did on this last fill and passed up a fill last Tuesday. Now I'm wishing I had gone in. Oh well. I didn't expect the band to be this high maintenance. Then again, even if I hadn't done the band, I would still not have done the bypass so, since I guess I'm still ahead of where I was at this time last year, perhaps. .

Denise: Beach? Geez...it's almost October! HB: I couldn't afford Disney either because we barely scraped up enough money to send my youngest son on his senior trip to Italy. He then spent 6 months arranging our trip with his two brothers and my husband's siblings for our 20th anniversary. I'm going to really enjoy this vacation because I didn't have to pay for it (thus feeling guilty at all the things I could/should have spent the money on). Christie: Don't make me hurt you. Popcorn is my weakness so I don't even have it in the house. Yes I knew it was a slider food. Lynn: Congrats on finding a doctor closer to you and I'm jealous of your trip to Tasmania! Have fun! Well, think I'm off to bed. My middle son (the one in the Army) is getting married tomorrow morning. He and his fiancee decided to do a very quiet ceremony at the courthouse with just us and her parents since he's being deployed to the middle east in two weeks. The official wedding will take place in the spring when he comes home on leave. So guess I'd better get my beauty sleep.

And this is where we ultimately disagree. I believe the parent has the ethical right and duty to do what they feel is best for their 14 year old. They know that teen better than anyone else. But as I said in the other thread, I'm not going to belabor the point. We all have our opinions and one thing I've learned about internet interactions is that nobody's mind will be changed. So I throw my .02 out there and you can either agree, disagree or ignore it...just as I will do when reading the opinions of others. .

Betsy, Making the statement that all young teens are not good candidates is like saying all adults *are* good candidates. It depends entirely on the person in both cases. I've gone to group support meetings at my bariatric center and they do have some young teens there. They're doing better than the vast majority of adults and appear to be (from their weight loss and what they have to say) more committed than the adults. I'm not going to belabor the point though since I know people have their own opinions and rarely change their mind. This is just mine based on my experiences. .

You say you could have changed your lifestyle before you got to this point. Obviously you couldn't because you did get to this point. Or did you make the conscious decision to eat until you weighed 440 lbs? I'm thinking not. .

I buy the EAS chocolate powder at Sam's Club. $25 for 5 or 10 pounds...can't remember. I mix it with almond milk for a protein drink that has 160 calories, 3 carbs and 25 protein. I drink 4 of these a day...one for breakfast, one between lunch and one between dinner and one in the evening. It tastes good with no aftertaste and is very satisfying.

Ding ding ding. This is the point I was trying to make in another thread where people thought 14 was too young to have a band. If a 14 year old is expected to diet and exercise and keep the weight off successfully, then logic follow that an adult should as well. These parents are sending a mixed message. "You have to go through torture to lose this weight and keep it off, but since we're adults we're going go the easy route." Keep in mind I'm not suggestion that the band is 'easy'...but that's the message and impression that teen will most likely take away from this. I'd like to see the followup on these kids 2-3 years later. I'll reserve my opinion until then. .

There are many high calorie foods that slide through a band even when you have restriction. That's why it's a tool and not a magic wand. I know from experience that even when I had too much fill, Pasta, Cookies and other like stuff just slid through the band while chicken, beef and vegies were getting stuck on a regular basis no matter how small a bite or how well I chewed. I like how you put that though because it's not the lap band that fails us...it us we who fail the lap band if we don't follow the rules. My surgeon does the band on teens and it doesn't make him a bad surgeon just because he disagrees with the surgeons you know who wouldn't do it. Opinions vary...and thank God nobody gets to determine how we raise our children except us. :smile2:

Good morning, folks... Well I'm 10 days away from leaving for Disney and wouldn't you know it but my husband has been contagiously sick for the last two days. I'm throwing hot honey tea and food through the door and told him he's not allowed out of the bedroom until he's better...and I'm sleeping on the couch. I *will not* get this ick and get sick in time to spend my week in a Florida hotel room! So far, so good. I've been doing beautifully since my last fill almost 2 weeks ago. Dropped another 5 pounds so I'm closing in on Onederland...again. It was so frustrating to be in Onderland and then gain almost 15 pounds back due to being overfilled and eating slider (high carb/high calorie) foods to deal with the hunger from not being able to eat. Fortunately I didn't gain any more in the 7 weeks after my unfill. I'm not worried about whether or not I'll make it before Disney because I'm just thrilled to be losing again. Yes, Denise, I have tried to urp in a moving toilet. Only it wasn't a gentle 'let the slime come back up with the offending stuck food', it was a real gusher pre-band. I should've opened the little trap door but didn't, so can we say "rebound"? I won't go into detail except to say that we had to pull into a rest area so I could wash my hair...and the rest of me...in the sink. My sweet husband wiped down the mess in the bathroom. Next time he can pull over and I'll hurl by the side of the road. Shad, I can relate. I bypassed my fill this past Tuesday, but now two days later am once again not restricted...but have no intention of getting a fill 4 days before I leave for Disney. The idea of getting something stuck and then heaving into a nicely landscaped bush with thousands of witnesses just does not appeal. Looks to be another nice day today so, weather permitting, I'm going to finish up my yard work. Oh...an NSV moment the other day. Last summer, I paid my son and his buddy to do all this stuff because after 15 minutes my back ached so badly that I had to just sit down and supervise. This year I'm doing it all myself with just a bit of help from my son in moving heavy stuff (arthritis in my thumbs makes it unsafe for me to lift them...which is how I lost my Sophie :smile2:). Ok..off to get some stuff done... .

Once I started getting fills, even without restriction, salad and things like broccoli were a no-no. I'd get stuck every time. At some point, we realized I had too much fill and I had them back it down to 6cc...no restriction. I left it like that for 7 weeks because 2 weeks after the unfill, I could eat salads again and I didn't want to give that up. I finally went in for a fill and they put in 1cc...and I can still eat salads! In fact, it used to be that I couldn't eat salads at 6cc. Don't know what changed but I'm not complaining. If you look at the mixed salads in a bag, they give a number rating based on texture and tenderness. I eat the mixed baby greens because they are the most tender. Romaine is still a thing of the past for me. .

I don't think weighing yourself daily is the problem. It's what you do with that knowledge. If a pound (or 2 or 3) gained is cause for depression and setting your feet moving towards the fridge, then it's a problem. Otherwise, it's just information. I get up every morning, go to the bathroom and then step on the scale in my nightie. If I've gained a pound or two, I'll mentally go over what I've eaten the previous few days. If the pounds gained make no sense, I figure it's just Water fluctuation and let it go. Generally within a day or two, I'll see a rapid drop of 4-5 pounds if this is true. If, by looking back, I realize it's because I've been sloppy in my eating, then I consciously make the decision to tighten up my eating habits. Again, within a few days the scales stabilize. I don't stress about it. It's just a way of monitoring. My official weight loss day is Monday. That's the one I record. .

That would be cool! I'll have to take a look at the DVD's then. .

That was my point Shurmeka. :smile2: The media has done a great job of telling us how irresponsible, defiant, rebelleious, etc. young teens are but that has not been my experience. No doubt some are...but there are just as many who are well behaved, respectful, obedient and compliant to those in authority. I've also been temporarily successful at losing weight since I was in my teens...but it always came back because all I was doing was tamping down that hunger through sheer willpower. The band...even at 14...would have helped with that...just as it does now. I know the misery I've gone through for the past 40 years and I wouldn't wish that on anything. Being fat has affected *every* area of my life and I'm still dealing with the psychological affects of being ridiculed, not being able to live a normal life, etc. I couldn't deny a 14 year old the opportunity to not go through what I did. .