curiousinoh

Can someone please help me. I have been banded for two years. I lost 45 pounds the first six months and kept it off. I'm now at 160 so I wasn't really really overweight but I still really want to lose 20 or 30 pounds. I cannot lose any more weight. I hardly eat because everything gets stuck so I end up eating crap in the evening because nothing goes down. I need honest advice. I have not been out to eat with anyone in two years. TERRIFIED they could tell because I cannot eat in front of people. I take TINY bites - it still gets stuck. I have friends who appear to eat normally almost but maybe just not as much and they have lost like 70 or 80. I was at dinner one night and could barely eat my Soup - she ate a salad, some bread, fried shrimp and a baked potato. I could have died! She must eat anything but just small portions of stuff because she's still losing and I have not lost any weight in 1.5 hours. Please I need HONEST comments how small are your bites. Seriously the only thing I can eat is like Pasta with VERY buttery alfredo sauce - taco meat with some sour cream - fried mushrooms - that's it! If it's not super greasy I can't get it down. I am going to have some more taken out but I need to know how small of bites are you actually taking!

Hey girl, Long time no talk. I was wondering how you were doing eating wise. I remember once reading where you said eating a chore and not enjoyable anymore. I have had six fills and I think I'm at 8ccs. Since surgery in December I have only lost 35 pounds but I only had about 60 to lose so maybe that's normal. My question is: I cannot eat anything hardly. I mean there is NO way I could go out to eat with friends or family unless they knew my situation. I can't eat anything. AT my last fill I lost about 10 lbs in two weeks. Since then I've lost nothing. I think my body is holding on to my weight because it's starving. I try to eat bacon in the morning. It comes back up. I usually eat cottage cheese every day for lunch and dinner well it's just a few bites here and there of whatever I can get down. Are you THAT miserable too or am I too tight. I literally avoid going to any type of restaurant with anyone and even my 7 year old who does not know says... Mommy what is wrong... EAT! I think I may need a little out!

Where is everyone? It's been slow but I am finally at 30 pounds lost. I knew with a low BMI I would slower but I can't wait to hit 50 pounds. It took me four months to have REAL restriction so now that I have it maybe it will come off faster. Good luck everyone.

4my4kids: You've lost 45 I've lost 23... Sorry you get nothing from me. HAHAHA

Glad you straightened that up. I was thinking... if she's losing 40 pounds a month since December - I'm definitely doing something wrong. HAHA

shmoopy: I think you are my twin lost at birth. My family always says I am too honest and too upfront. Reading your post was kind of what I was thinking. I too got this thinking "Oh yeah I'll just eat whatever and eat less so I'll lose" WRONG! Once I got real restriction WHICH I DID NOT GET UNTIL FILL NUMBER 4 I realized IF YOU HAVE real restriction you can't eat the stuff you use to. I cannot eat fast food. I cannot eat bread. I do not drink any soda anymore. All of which I could eat with fills 1, 2 and 3. Now that I am so restricted in WHAT I can eat I am losing (lost 10 pounds in last three weeks) Of course I can still eat any type of sugar - we all know that slides down but I dont. The band for me MADE me eat healthy. I cant eat an egg mcmuffin anymore - so I eat 3 slices of bacon every morning. I can't eat a big mac anymore so I eat cottage cheese with peaches every day for lunch - I can't eat burritos anymore so for dinner I eat a taco salad with no Beans and lots of sour cream to help it slide down. ONCE you get restriction you will lose weight if you dont have the sugars. Plus 45 pounds is not that much to lose BUT its exactly what I have to lose. I've already lost 25 so we're in the same place. I have 7.4 ccs in a 10 band. GET fills - they are the only thing that will keep you from eating the bad stuff and for one month have no wine or sugar and see if it kicks in.

I just can't imagine any of it being bad so I understand you feeling nervous about change but wont it all be for the better. You'll look better, feel better and most of all be in better health. Just because you are a big girl does not mean you have to be a big girl forever! We're here to help!!!!

Annabell and Fig: Hang in there. I felt exactly like you until two weeks ago when I got my 4th fill. I am not not able to eat a lot of things which is what I wanted but it is still a shock when you realize you CAN'T eat the stuff you've been eating the last couple of months. So enjoy this because it IS coming to and end. You will freak the first few days but then you'll start losing and be like... Wow... I can do this. No matter how tight the band you can still eat snack stuff it goes right down so stay away from that junk or you wont lose. Today I had ONE bite of chocolate pie and I moved on. Since my 4th fill two weeks ago I have lost 9 pounds. That's amazing to me. So I am finally there I guess and it kinda sucks not being able to eat the good stuff but that's what we paid for I guess. But what I am realizing is.... I do not need all that food I was eating. I'm eating 1/4 of what I ate before IF that and I'm really never hungry unless I just forget to eat at lunch. Once you get there you will actually feel like something is WRONG at least I did but then the scale went down and down and I was like... Ah ha... maybe nothings wrong maybe this is the band actually doing what it's suppose to do. Email me any time.

Dana, I feel your pain. I was banded on 12/30 and until my 4th fill two weeks ago had only lost 13 pounds. I was so frustrated because I could still really eat anything I wanted so I wasn't losing any weight. Last week I had 7.4 ccs in a 10 cc band. And, now I am like.. WHOA.... I can't hardly eat anything BUT since then I have lost 8 pounds! So what I have realized is I guess this is what the band is meant to do keep you from eating breads, pastas, etc. I too have trouble with lots of foods. Yesterday I made a omlette with chopped up steak (in a majic bullet type thing) and cheese. I could not eat any of it because I cooked it in the microwave long enough that the egg was FLUFFY! It made it dry and would not go down no matter how small a bite I took. I am now eating cottage cheese and peaches for lunch almost every day - isn't the best but I'm using the band as a tool to eat healthy. So this AM I made another omlette with diced/shredded (not cut in pieces) up turkey sausage (2 patties) and an egg but this time I did not let the egg get fluffy - I made sure the egg was a tiny bit on the runny side and I ate it right down - well tiny bites but ate it all and it was good and made me full. Please email me if you want to stay in touch. I may be a bit on the tight side too but I decided to take advantage of it right now. I ate a footlong hotdog from Sonic the other day but it took me 45 min and I had to take tiny tiny bites but I figure if I can eat it I'm not too tight. There's just some things that I know now I have to give up. Basically I look at this like I finally got my jaw wired shut but it's my throat closed up. :>))))) What is your weight loss so far and what weight did you start at?

I had FOUR fills before I got really good restriction so before my first fill I ate no differently than before surgery. Please know this - and many people are deceived by this... you lose weight because you CANT eat a lot of foods anymore - not just because you seem fuller faster. I can't eat anything I ate before but I never get full. I have to eat tiny tiny bites to get food in. I personally think they should call this the throat band because you lose weight because your throat closes up I guess. I know I always thought restriction meant smaller stomach... uh... wrong... it means can't eat anything - it wont fit. You will throw up - TRUST me you will but after a few times you learn... well I can't eat that anymore and then the AHHH HA light comes on when you realize I HAVE To lose weight now I can no longer eat all that good stuff I use to. I ate a footlong hotdog the other day from Sonic - it took me 45 minutes. It's a real shocker but I'm finally dropping weight so it's worth it. In other words if you dont get a fill I don't believe you will lose any weight and will probably continue to gain. Do the fills you can always have them unfilled but you went this far -

My fills are a breeze. Do not believe what you see on utube. My dr. gives me a tiny prick of numbing medicine and 10 seconds later the bigger needle goes in and I do not feel one thing. When they are done I am always saying... Wow that was so simple. And, here's my opinion - you are eating carbs for Breakfast and no lunch so of course you are able to eat A LOT at dinner. Start eating Protein for breakfast and EAT something protein based for lunch. I had four fills before I had restriction so for me having a band with no fill was like having no band. Get the fills. It's what you did this for. Good Luck.

I was banded 12/30 and had my fourth fill on 3/30 at which time I got real restriction. You could have months before you get restriction. Don't expect it this soon or you will be very frustrated and depressed like I was. I have lost 7 pounds in the last 7 days so I am finally there but it took a while. BE patienT

If you can eat anything than you might was well not have the band. It took me four fills to get good restriction and when you get it you will still be able to eat sugars - they slide down but you wont be able to eat LOTS of other things like bread, pizza, Pasta, etc. If you can still eat everything than you need A LOT more ccs in your band. Dont get a band and then not fill it. Tell the dr. to fill her up!!!! I am a sugar freak too but after I got restriction and found how hard it was to eat the desire for sweets went away also.

Thanks so much. I did get my 4th fill last week and have lost 6 pounds already. I'm happy about that but am having a very hard time eating anything but a hamburger patty I make myself at home. Im worried I may be too tight but I'm going to wait at least three weeks to see if things loosen up.

I was banded on 12/30 and have not lost any weight in two months. I had my fouth fill on Tuesday. I have 7.4 ccs in a 10 cc band now. I hope this is finally the fill that makes me feel full. I have only lost 14 pounds since my day of surgery! What is your progress?

I use to go to a restaurant and get one or two refills of soda. Now I get water and when I'm ready to leave there may be 1/4 of a cup missing from huge glass. I take tiny sips like someone else said just to keep the food moist so it doesn't get stuck. There are many times that I find I dont even take the sips. I never thought I could eat w/o drinking but after a few weeks of being at home and simply NOT bringing a glass to the table you will be surprised how you learn to live w/o it.

You're profile says you had suregery 3/2010. That must be a mistake. Also at 170 PREOP you have to know it would take you a lot longer to lose. You only had 40 to lose to begin with. Most have 140 to lose so that last 40 is very slow to come off. I agree with the previous person no surgery will help if you don't make some healthy changes. I know how you feel, I had this thinking I'll just eat like I did before but not as much. WRONG!!!!!!!!!! When you are restricted you find eating bad stuff isn't worth it. My habits changed out of necessity and now I am losing! Good Luck!

Cywhite: Regarding taking the phentermine? Does your dr know you are doing that? And, I poll this ? to everyone - isn't the reason for doing this to stop the dieting and the diet pills. I wouldn't think with the small pouch taking diet pills would be very good for you. I'm just curious. In all my research (a year of reading this site I have never heard of anyone doing that)

I too was banded on 12/30. I have only lost 13 pounds. I have had three fills. I have restriction to the point I can't eat FAST or BIG bites but I can still eat about anything if I take an hour to do so. ha I am getting another fill next week. It will have to be a small one or I wont be able to eat at all but I never feel full so I am sure I am not at any type of sweet spot.

Wow... we were banded around the same time. You've lost 70 pounds in 3 months? I've lost 12! Dang!!!!!

Oh my lord you are 8 days post op and expecting weight loss. I'm 3 months post op and have only lost 12 pounds. You are expecting way too much way too soon. Some lose really fast others like me lose slow. Don't get so frustrated this soon or you will be flat out pissed if you end up like me in three months. I have had many regrets since I've only lost 12 pounds. And, I'm eating no sugar, no fast food, no soda.... so it's NOT me.

I had a consultation the monday after Thanksgiving so it was probably around 11/26 and I had surgery on 12/30. It can be done quickly if you want it done quickly. I have a flexible work day so I was able to go to the psych visit, nutrionist visit and the pre op testing when they had an opening.

Tia, I was self pay so I didn't have to do all that, but I think it has to be six months of dr. monitored weight loss so I am not sure you can to to a consultation with six months of documentation hin hand. Not sure the insurance would accept that. Good Luck.

I was banded 12/30 by Dr. Morton and so far everything has been great, BUT I do not have restriction yet and I've had 3 fills. I know they say it takes three to five but I wanted you to know I'm 2 months out and feel like I did before surgery so do not think it happens overnight. I've only lost 10 pounds since surgery. I did not do a pre op diet so it's been all post surgery weight, but others have lost quite a bit more.

I had my 3rd fill today and so far I feel no difference at all. I was at 6 ccs and they put in .7 today so now I am at 6.7. If I dont feel anything in a few days I am going to call and ask to come back in two weeks and not wait the entire four weeks they normally make me wait.