shonette

I am so sorry to hear what you are going through but don't give up on your band. It is a tool that will help you to gain your weight lost goals once you find that right place for you. I too have had two bad experiences with overfills and being too tight, but I had to figure out what works for me. I can't eat certain foods that may be okay for another person. So many people have advised on some good options to follow to correct some of your band issues. Eating smaller bites, chewing very well, not mixing food and drink at the same time. My band sometimes has a mind of its own because it’s tighter at certain times of the day and others food can be tolerated a lot better. I just have to be in tune with the different signals it gives me and I then determine what to eat and how much. I can tell when I have had that one bite too many ,because I have the worst feeling in the world in chest but after 10-20 minutes I can feel it start to move. There is no easy answer to give to you, but listen to you body and take things slow. Every single person with a band is totally different in how their bands work for them. Continue to fight towards your goal because it's a daily process. Have you lost any weight so far?

<P>I pray all goes well with Amy. I know my life has truly changed since I had my surgery. Thank God for my band!</P>

<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">I want to agree with finallyncontrol about the words never. A lot of times your doctor and nutritionist gives you the experiences of other patients. Always remember, everyone's band does not work the same. What some people can eat with no problem it's very difficult for me. I can eat bread but very little and on rare occasions. At different times of the day my band will react differently. Normally my band is a little tighter earlier in the mornings and later at night. Therefore, I don't eat foods at those times that I have had bad experiences with. On the other hand, a couple of weeks after a fill my entire diet may change because I have more restriction than before. That's why you will have to learn to listen to your band and figure out how it works best for you. I always have people coming to me asking what I can eat. I tell them anything I want to eat but in smaller portions. That is one of the major adjustments with having the band is portion control. You have a lot to learn but it will all come in time. Just take this road one day at a time and follow the rules of your band until you learn what works for you. I do wish you the best of luck.</SPAN></P>

<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Whatever your goal is I encourage you to stay focused and try new things. I research a lot of different thing about having a band, and I determine what works best for me. You have lost a lot of weight and the rest will come in time. My doctor always reminds me that the weight did not come over night and it's not going to leave over night. I think -overall you are doing a great job.<IMG class=bbc_emoticon alt= src="http://www.lapbandtalk.com/public/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif"> </SPAN></P>

Today I am sitting here at my desk at work thinking back over all the things I had to go through to get to this point in my weight lost. This has not been an easy road to travel, but I thank God every single day for the endurance to follow it through. My first initial visit with my surgeon seemed like yesterday! I was explained all the things I had to do in order for my insurance to approve my operation. I felt so doubtful once I left his office about having the surgery. I've learned to pray first to seek God's will for my life, and I knew something needed to change in my life. It was not the will of God for me to continue to be over weight and so very unhappy with the person I was. I asked God to give me the strength and the will power to do whatever it took for my insurance to approve my surgery. Once my appointments were made with the different offices, things started to roll by pretty quickly. The longest process for me was the six month weight lost requirement. I was really angry for some reason with the fact of being on another diet! I knew diets did not work for me on a long term basis, therefore I really thought it was a waste of my time.(LOL) To be perfectly honest, I just wanted to be banded and start my new life. Looking back now, there were a lot of things I should have done differently and taken the advantage of but I didn't. One of the main steps in my pre-lap band process was my psych evaluation. I was told from the very beginning the hardest part in this process was going to be the mental aspect. Surely, I was mentally prepared to handle having the band and everything that came with it. Looking back now, I was not as prepared as I had convinced myself to be. I really learned a lot about my band the hard way. I had to learn a lot of different things by trail and error. I would read so many blogs and hear others say to listen to your band. I really had no idea what they were talking about, but thank God today it has all made sense to me. Having this band for me is a day to day learning experience on what I should or should not do. I am finally to a point that food is not controlling my life, and I can say no to food and be okay with that. I have learned to eat only what I need and it's okay to save or trash the rest. I no longer feel obligated to eat every single thing that is placed on my plate nor do I feel like dessert is always eaten after a meal. My quality of life has changed so much in many ways. I do know that I have to finish this race at my own pace and continue to be focused on my food choices. This is really a life style change and there are no quick fixes to losing the weight. Today I am very proud of what I have accomplished. I have never lost 50 pounds in my entire life, but today I have done just that. Hooray for ME!

<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">I am so glad to see that things are going well for you. It gets better over time, and you will learn what does and do not work well for you and your band. Some days I am able to eat certain foods and the next day my band may be a little tighter than before. You just need to learn how to listen to your band to determine what works well for you. Don't judge yourself by others too much, because we all react differently when it comes to certain foods. I do wish you the best and I pray your weight lost continue. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Once you feel up to it, working out will maximize your weight lost.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I break my workouts into two parts.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I do some in the morning before work and the remaining at night time before bed.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I also walk as much as possible while I am at work.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Those are just a few things that help me!<IMG class=bbc_emoticon alt= src="http://www.lapbandtalk.com/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif"> </SPAN></P>

It sounds like you are very focused, and you know what needs to be done and you make time to do it. I struggle with finding time to fit everything into one day, and still make time for myself and working out. I have a 5 year old son who requires a lot of my time once I enter the front door from work. I also have my 18 year old daughter to assist with my grandson whose 6 months old today. Sometimes, I feel so overwhelmed with my day to day responsibilities, but I can not lose sight of my weight lost goals and all the things I need to do to lose weight. I do hope things continue to get better with you and have a safe trip.

I wish you all the best with losing the weight. I know it's not easy for any of us to lose the weight, but our motiviation will take us through those difficult times. It's seem like you are doing an awsome job!

I went to my doctor yesterday for another fill. The last time I was seen by my doctor over a month ago, I had some fluid removed due to being too tight. I now have a great fear of being too tight due to some of the unpleasant things I experienced. If any one has ever been too tight, that is one feeling you will never want o experience again. Therefore, I am very careful to monitor how tight I feel during my fills. I rather get a little less than too much. I have realized that being too tight is just as bad if not worst as being too loose. I currently have 4.85 cc's of fluid in my band. I probably could have gotten a little bit more, but I did not want to run the risk of being too tight. I have more restriction than before my fill yesterday. Overall, I am very pleased with that. I was also very pleased with my fat mass going down. Before my surgery, my fat mass was 151. ( ) and now it's 129. ( ). I was very happy to see that my body is losing a lot of inches. On my last visit over a month ago my fat mass was 133 and yesterday it was 129. For some people that is no big deal, but any time I have numbers going down instead of increasing it’s a very big deal for me. I now know that all of my efforts have not been in vain. I use my electric stepper several times a week, and my kettle bell on alternate times. Overall, I eat the foods I should and my water intake has increased. I do know my weight is coming off, but time plays a lot into my overall weight lost. This site has a lot of wonderful people who take the time to share their advice on how they handle different situations and just the love and support is amazing. Today I wore a pant suit that almost fell to the ground when I put on the pants. I was not expecting that to happen. Everything I think nothing is happening, I can find the small accomplishments and compare them toward my overall success. My clothing seize has gone from a 26 to 18. I do feel pretty good about my weight lost and all the hard work that has gone into it. This band is not a quick fix, but each person has to be willing to put their time and efforts to make it work for them. I thank God every single day for this opportunity to be healthier mentally, and physically as well. I have learned that the scale does not determine my overall weight lost success!!! I do have one big dilemma: I was taking a prescribed diet pill during my six month diet period pre-band. I now have considered getting one more prescription filled to aid my weight lost. I really don’t know if this would be the right thing for me to do. This was one of the reasons I wanted this band was too due away with diet pills etc………. Your opinion (s) would be greatly appreciated!

I am very sorry to hear that you have been going through some tough times. However, it is human to return back to those things which provide us with the most comfort. For most over weight people, that comfort is food. When we have learned for years to over eat, we have developed a negative relationship with food. Food is nonjudging, it can't put us down, and it makes us feel good only for that moment. Therefore, we are eating to fill an emotional void in our lives. After we have consumed a ton of food, we become aware of the unhealthy choices we have made and the affect it has in our life. Honey, stays focused and know that you are not alone. I started my journey over a year ago, and I have been banded almost 6 months now. Each and every single day is a challenge and a battle in my mind towards food. I am really not able to consume large amounts of food at one time, but it still hard at times not to desire to eat like I once did. Today I am going in for another fill and I am praying to reach my sweet spot with this fill. This is a wonderful site and it has a lot of wonderful people who are hear to assist you in any way they can. I pray all is well with you and things will work out for you!

I am very sorry to hear that you have been going through some tough times. However, it is human to return back to those things which provide us with the most comfort. For most over weight people, that comfort is food. When we have learned for years to over eat, we have developed a negative relationship with food. Food is nonjudging, it can't put us down, and it makes us feel good only for that moment. Therefore, we are eating to fill an emotional void in our lives. After we have consumed a ton of food, we become aware of the unhealthy choices we have made and the affect it has in our life. Honey, stays focused and know that you are not alone. I started my journey over a year ago, and I have been banded almost 6 months now. Each and every single day is a challenge and a battle in my mind towards food. I am really not able to consume large amounts of food at one time, but it still hard at times not to desire to eat like I once did. Today I am going in for another fill and I am praying to reach my sweet spot with this fill. This is a wonderful site and it has a lot of wonderful people who are hear to assist you in any way they can. I pray all is well with you and things will work out for you!

<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">I would like for everyone to know that the weight did come off when my water intake was increased. It is not an easy thing to drink all of that water but the reward is sooooooo worth it. When I don't have enough water for the day, I can tell it all over my body. I also use the color of my urine to gauge if my water intake has been sufficient for that day. If the color is very light to clear I know my intake was sufficient.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If it’s a golden color my body is suffering dehydration which is not good at all. Therefore, I know I need to drink more water to flush my system out. I really do appreciate all of the heart felt advice my LB family so openly give to me. I do know that someone else's experience can be more valuable than all the money in the world. Therefore, drink, drink, and drink until your body tells you it's enough!</SPAN></P>

Thanks Formerly LoseIt.<BR><BR>What is a body bugg and where can I purchase one? I think that would be another good option to log my food. I once joined Weight Watchers years ago, and that was one of the things I really hated was all the logging of what I was eating and my water intake. I guess that is the price one pay for success!

Finallyncontrol and jmunks2000: I think both of you are correct with your suggestions. I will change the amount of calories I am eating daily. Normally, I do eat the same foods and the calorie counts are around the same amount. It's funny jmunks2000 that you asked about my water intake, because yesterday I was on the computer researching the effect of water intake with your weight lost. I then realized that I was not getting enough water intake daily, and that was one of my biggest problems. As of today, I will confuse my brain on what I am eating and the amounts of food I am eating. I will definitely increase my water. My body has always retained fluid and I would take prescription water pills, but that started to have its draw backs with the water pill’s side effects. Therefore, I was always on and off again with the water pills. I really need to make sure I keep my body hydrated with water daily. With the combination of all of these things, I really pray to see some changes within the next couple of weeks. Again, I really do appreciate everyone's advice and willingness to assist me in my weight lost. That is why this site is so wonderful!

Finallyncontrol and jmunks2000: I think both of you are correct with your suggestions. I will change the amount of calories I am eating daily. Normally, I do eat the same foods and the calorie counts are around the same amount. It's funny jmunks2000 that you asked about my water intake, because yesterday I was on the computer researching the effect of water intake with your weight lost. I then realized that I was not getting enough water intake daily, and that was one of my biggest problems. As of today, I will confuse my brain on what I am eating and the amounts of food I am eating. I will definitely increase my water. My body has always retained fluid and I would take prescription water pills, but that started to have its draw backs with the water pill’s side effects. Therefore, I was always on and off again with the water pills. I really need to make sure I keep my body hydrated with water daily. With the combination of all of these things, I really pray to see some changes within the next couple of weeks. Again, I really do appreciate everyone's advice and willingness to assist me in my weight lost. That is why this site is so wonderful!

Thanks I will give that a try. At this point, I am willing to give anything a chance that's reasonable!

I really don't understand why the scales are not moving for me. I try really hard to follow all of the lap band rules that I have been given and those that I have researched. I have limited the amount of sugar that I eat or drink. I eat very little sugar in my diet and the majority of things I drink are almost always sugar free. I eat small portions of food and I target eating my protein first. I try to work out at least 3-4 times weekly if not more. I can honestly say that my workout times are not long but they are within 3o minute periods. I may do some in the morning before work; I finish up that afternoon before bed. I try to get as much walking in at my job as possible daily. I work at a retirement facility, and I make rounds in the building as much as possible to get more walking in. I get a good bit of exercise daily even on my job. I have pretty good restriction but it maybe time for another fill. A couple of weeks prior I had some fluid removed because I was too tight, and I was unable to eat very little to no meats. There are still some foods that I am still unable to eat like apples and sometimes certain meats. Therefore, I was debating if getting a fill at this time was a good idea. I try really hard to stay clear of high calorie foods that go down easily. I just choice my foods carefully that are still high in protein, and I do eat slowly to avoid the stuck feeling in my chest. That is a very unpleasant thing to experience. In spite of the scales not moving, on a good note my clothes sizes continue to go down. When I first had my surgery, I was wearing a size 24-26 plus, but now I wear 18-20 clothes. Yesterday was my birthday and I wore a clinging red and black dress size 18 and it fitted me perfectly. I felt wonderful yesterday wearing that dress. If there is any advice anyone can offer to assist with the scales not moving for me, I would be more than please to hear it.

It is such a blessing to hear that you have been cancer free almost a year now. It is wonderful to feel so much better about yourself with the weight being gone. I will continue to have you in my prayers and have a blessed and wonderful year.

I am sorry that my blog was somewhat confusing to you. There were some details that I did not include to make my situation very clear. I hope this will clear things up. I went to my appointment to get a fill however; the PA thought my band was too tight so he took .25cc out of my band. Therefore, I was a little disappointed because I was expecting to have more added and not taken out of my band. However, the PA was correct about my band being too tight. By that afternoon, I was able to eat any kind of meat. Before, I had the .25cc taken out I was very restricted on the things I could eat which was mainly proteins (meats). My situation was a lot more than just discomfort there were times I had to throw up to get some relief from the pain. That's not a good situation because I could have caused damage to my band. So far I've had 4 fills, one unfill, and one minor adjust for being too tight. Kelly just food for thought- just because you can eat a whole plate of food should you really want to do that. Once you learn to get your portions under control- restriction happens a whole lot faster. Our stomach is a muscle that will shrink over time that's why the band is considered to be a tool to help manage in reaching our goal. If you continue to think you need a large amount of food to be satisfied that' what your body will respond to. Good luck on this journey.

Well it appears that me and my band have under gone several changes since it's been put in. I made a last minute appointment this past Tuesday to get another fill or adjustment. When I started explaining to the PA about some of the things I was experiencing, he determined that my band was a little too tight. You can only imagine that was not what I wanted to hear. I really had not lost any weight since my last adjustment and I was having a very difficult time eating meats. We all know that our protein is one of the most important things we need to eat on a daily basis. However, I had started to make poor food choices to compensate for not being able to eat meat. I was eating more carbs which I really did not need to be doing. They were things that did not provide me with the appropriate nutritional value I needed daily. My meal time was becoming a time that I really hated due to the pain and discomfort I experienced. There are still some foods I continue to stay clear of but thank God meat isn't one of them. Within hours I could really see a difference when I ate meat. I am still learning to listen to my band. I would hear others make that statement so many times before, but slowly a lot of things make more sense to me. When something doesn't feel right it's always a very good idea to discuss those things with your doctor. This band is a tool and we have to make sure our tool is working properly in order to get the maximum return with our weight lost. I go back on the 28th of December and maybe my system have re-adjusted and I can have a little more added in my band! It's crazy for me to say this, but weekly even though the scales are not moving I continue to see changes in my clothes. I am still very happy that I have my band, because it has really made a positive change in my life. I have learned that having the band isn't a quick fix, but a slow and continuous process to work the band toward my weight lost goal! I still have pretty good restriction, but a little more will be even better.

I really do appreciate all of the wonderful encouraging words everyone had to share with me. I do believe this is one of the greatest sites to be apart of. It is so wonderful to be apart of a compassionate group of people who share the same pains, hurts, and life experiences as I have. Again, thank you my lap band family for always being honest and seeing the positive when I am not able to see it for myself.

My husband asked me yesterday if I would like to ride his bike with him on 12-15-10 to give out toys for Toys for tots. I felt really honored :blushing:that he wanted me to ride with him to give out the toys for the children. Every since he asked me I have started to become really paranoid about doing it. I really have not lost the weight I would have wanted to loose, but I have lost a good bite. I don't want to look like the Chick-fil-a cow on the back of a motorcycle:ohmy:. He asked was I okay with my weight lost if so he wanted me to ride with him. My husband has never been the type of man who was embarrassed of me being a larger size woman, but I know he always wanted me to be smaller. Now I have started to become very self-conscious about the way I will look riding with him. I have never had much of an appetite lately but today I've been extremely hungry. I know a lot of what am experiencing is my nerves, because I have never done anything like this before. For most people they would not understand what the big deal is to ride on a motorcycle with your husband. For an over weight wife it's a very big deal because I have never really ridden on the back of a motorcycle, and to ride in an event like toys for tots. I really don't want to agree to do this with my husband and back out at the last moment, and he may never ask me to ride with him again. I just need a little help and support with this one. :smile2:

Thank you so much finallyncontrol for the advice. Thanks God I have gotten that bill taken care of and removed totally from my account. Yes, my family has been informed that I need some personal time for myself. My daughter is very responsible with the baby, and I really butt in a whole lot more than what I should. I do notice that I take over and she allows me too without a fight (smile). I recently pulled my mini stepper from under my bed and placed it in my bathroom. I have made my half of the bathroom my workout area. I have 5pound weights, resistance bands, and my mini stepper to use whenever I wish to workout. I really work out a lot more (5-6 x per week) since I have those things within arms reach.

You are such a special person who always provides encouragement and support for others on this site. I really pray that God allows you to continue to be so successful with your weight lost. I think you are doing an awesome job. Continue doing what you are doing because it is working.

I was thinking the same thing myself. I will check on that today. I should not have to pay for anything since you put it that way.