BetsyB

Add me to the "no" camp. That doesn't sound like restriction--it sounds like over-restriction. How long ago were you filled? My doctor says that, as you get closer to restriction, you definitely toe the line between good restriction and over-restriction. His "rule" is that, if you experience this kind of sensation in the days after a fill, but can keep liquids down (no need to worry about--or even eat---solids at first), it's okay to ride it out to see if, when the swelling from the fill recedes, you find yourself at a comfortable spot. If so, he recommends easing back into solids very gently and gradually. If it's been more than a few days for you, I think I'd give the doc a call.

Well, sure--you can lose weight without restriction. But then, what's the point of having had the band put in place? Some people do experience restriction without fills. Others of us are not as lucky. Being restricted doesn't have to equal vomiting, though. I've had a couple of episodes (usually with meds), but by and large, when I pay attention to bite size and chewing well---and stop eating after an appropriate amount (weighed or measured), I do just fine, even when my band is feeling snug. And it's true: throwing up post-banding is nothing like the vomit you're thinking of. It's just....regurgitating. No stomach acids, no bile, no gross stuff. Just mucus-enveloped undigested food. And the relief it brings is ASTOUNDING.

Yep, my first fill was 4 cc, and my second was right around 2. The third took me up to 7.3 cc---and that was snug at first, but not so much now, a few weeks later. It's so frustrating, but it just takes time to reach restriction. And there's so much variance--some people achieve it more rapidly. Hang in there---it is SO hard now, but it gets lots better.

I wonder the same thing as Jen---are you finding that you're choosing slider foods that go down (and stay down) easily? If you find that "regular" food--the dense Protein, veggies, etc. that are the foundation of a healthy diet---cause you problems, a little UNfill might help. I know this sounds perverse---and probably is not at all what you want to hear when you're HUNGRY. But if you have to rely on foods that move through easily, then your band may be too snug. It can be SO frustrating! I hope you reach a great spot soon.

Congratulations!

Nothing's wrong with your band. You just don't have restriction yet. It's not unusual---not by a long shot. I didn't feel restriction until I got to 7.3 in an 11-cc band. And now that I'm a few weeks out from that, I realize I'll need (at least) another fill. You're in the same boat we've all been in---many of us still are occupying the same boat. It's unfortunate your doctor did not prepare you for this. You ask, "What can I do?" Well, for starters, STICK TO YOUR PLAN. Being hungry doesn't absolve you of responsibility for this. Yes, you'll be white-knuckling it for a while. But you will get to restriction sooner rather than later---and then it will not be as difficult. "Testing" your band to see whether it can withstand wine, potatoes, and ketchup is just...well, it's rather akin to having a temper tantrum. I understand your frustration that things aren't proceeding as quickly as you'd like--and that they're not as effortless as you'd like (yet). But this is a pretty risky way to handle those feelings. How often will your doctor do an adjustment? I would schedule your next for the soonest possible time.

For my multi, I take either a Vitamin capsule my doctor's office sells or Bariatric Advantage chewable multis. I also take Vitamin D, Cal-mag, Biotin, a B-complex, additional pantothenic acid, selenium, Co Q-10, and chewable Iron on alternating days. Everything listed is something I found I simply did not meet minimum requirements for over a long period of time. (I track nutrients on Fitday.) Now I meet or exceed the USRDA for everything but potassium, which my doctor monitors (and will Rx supplementation for if needed). The Co Q-10 is a supplement he suggests all patients take daily---preferably for life. ETA: Since surgery, I have not been able to tolerate pills---at least, not pressed tablets. So, every supplement I take is either a chewable, a powder-containing capsule (breaks down before it tries to pass through the stoma) or a gelcap (same idea).

I tend to use the Protein powders without much doctoring---though instead of Water, I do often use almond milk. Sometimes, I blend unflavored protein with kefir or yogurt (or almond milk), frozen fruit, and a bit of flax seed. One thing I really do love is to combine Protein Powder, a slosh of almond milk, about 1/4 cup of canned pumpkin, about a T of sugar-free, fat-free butterscotch pudding mix, and a good dash of pumpkin pie spice. This is VERY filling--and does the trick if I really, really want something "dessert-y." I like that the pumpkin gives me nutrients I don't often get from dietary means these days. The Inspire protein powders at Bariatric Eating (flavored), as well as their PURE (unflavored) protein are outstanding. None of of the icky baby-formula-ish protein smell or taste. Next time you're shopping for protein, give 'em a try :ohmy:

Really?! You really believe that 30 pounds in just over 3 months is something to be discouraged about?! Have you ever been able to lose 10 pounds a month before, and know that you would keep it off? I was banded 8 days before you, and am around 39 down---so losing at just about the same rate as you are. I'm happy, my doctor's happy----it's a great loss! Banding is NOT GEARED FOR RAPID LOSS. It is geared for steady, ongoing loss of the kind most of us could not achieve pre-banding. We gave up before we reached goal--or regained if we did reach goal---because we couldn't sustain the changes long-term. The band is a tool to sustain the changes. 30 pounds since January 20 is a very good loss. My doctor (who has a very stringent eating regimen) is happy with FIVE-SIX pounds a month---and you're doing around 10.

The safety issue that arises with Alli is this: when your intake is as low as it is post-banding, and you are eating carefully and cautiously, you are taking in an amount of fat that is consistent with what your body needs to carry out cellular functions. If you use a drug that removes a percentage of that fat, you may experience deficiencies. The typical American diet gives TONS of leeway for "losing" dietary fat by malabsorption. The typical bandster diet has far less latitude. As a rule, we no longer need Alli to pare our fat absorption down. If it doesn't prove harmful, it is certainly not likely to be particularly helpful. And as I recall from when I used it (preop), it's not a cheap med. I'd rather save the $$ (and make sure I have enough fat to keep my skin and hair happy, to transport fat-soluble Vitamins, and to help with cell functions that keep me physically and emotionally sound).

Doctors, like everyone else, have preferences. Their recommendations may be based on what they think is best for a patient---or they might be based on the surgery they think is more fun, or produces the fastest (and most gratifying, for them) results, or because they don't like the level of long-term followup required with the band, or even because they make more money one way or the other. My doctor did NOT recommend GBS for me. In fact, he said he would recommend against it. He does perform bypass routinely, but he believed me to be a better candidate for the band because of my history, my eating habits at the time, my obstacles to loss (I had already identified that I lose at 800-1000 calories, and significantly changed my behavior, but needed help with hunger), and I was "only a little morbidly obese" (in his words LOL). If you trust your surgeon---know his reputation and have built a good, trusting rapport with him, then perhaps his recommendation is a good one. Perhaps it is not. If you get the sense that your surgeon does not support banding, it might be a good idea to find one who is. It is NOT unheard-of for less-than-enthusiastic doctors to make the follow-up period, during which you seek to achieve restriction, really difficult. Better to have a doctor who is behind YOUR decision and will do whatever is necessary to help you succeed. (And yes, I would flat-out ask. I'd say, "You've indicated that you would prefer to do bypass. If I choose banding, are you committed to helping me achieve success with it?")

:ohmy::laugh: Anne, you crack me up.

I am perversely relieved that I am not the only one who noticed the wiping issue in some stalls---even some handicap stalls. That knee-level dispenser---brilliant design, guys! :ohmy: Thank GOD it's not an issue I have any longer---I remember being SO perplexed when I first experienced it. Perplexed and humiliated.

The scars are tiny---really, quite miniscule. Really, they pale in comparison to the deformity caused by obesity and stretch marks. I figure that most of the aftereffects of obesity and banding can be removed by a skillful plastic surgeon if they really, really bother me when I reach goal. But truly,the surgical scars aren't even on my radar-they're there, but they just don't register when I look at myself. The positives of the band really, really outweigh this little drawback. Good luck with your decision!

This has long frustrated me. The governmental recommendations have consistently been tailored to the American public in a way designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Instead of trumpeting the need for 60 minutes/day, the message has been diluted for years. If that had resulted in a nation of people who actually moved their bodies each and every day (as was their rationale), it would represent a victory. But instead, it utterly de-emphasized the importance of exercise, and helped create a nation of NON-exercisers. Certainly, personal responsibility is paramount. But when the agencies we look to for guidance downplay the role of exercise (as they have for the past 3 years), then those who do actively seek guidance are shortchanged. This article appeared in the NYT yesterday. The same information appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association in March, 2010--as well as in other sources within the last couple of months. But the information is NOT NEW. The data were published by the government in 2008. At the time, it was broadly acknowledged that they would represent "too much" for the American public---the belief was that, upon hearing that they need to exercise for 60 minutes, most Americans would say, "I can't do that!" and therefore do nothing. As a result, the recommendations barely made a blip on the radar at when it was introduced. When it did receive attention in the mainstream media, experts hurriedly explained that the 60 recommended minutes did not need to be continuous, and could include activities of daily living. This did a huge disservice to Americans. Helping them stick their fingers in their collective ears and sing, "LA LA LA LA LA! I can't hear you!" in the face of important data was wrong, wrong, wrong. Downplaying the importance of exercise did not result in a population that eagerly embraced the watered-down 30-minutes-most-days stuff. It created a bunch of people who think that "running after" their toddlers or walking from the parking lot into the office is exercise. It created a deluded America. This kind of paternalism is so harmful. Shielding people from information that is crucial to health is wrong. It is up to the individual to change his or her behaviors--but decisions should be made with all of the available information. I'm really glad that it's finally being addressed. Not that I feel strongly about it or anything LOL

I played with the same 1.8 pounds for several weeks after my last banding. I totally understand your frustration! Plateaus aren't, usually, a signal that we need to do anything tremendously differently. They just tell us our body's gotten the "message" that huge chunks of us are disappearing, and they need to hang on for dear life. You've lost almost 61 pounds! Your body is taking a breather. That's all. Thing is, it can't hold on to the weight indefinitely. The weight will start coming off again. Hang in there! If you've examined what you're eating and your exercise, and they are consistent with promoting weight loss, the loss will resume. If you can see room for improvement, though, now's a good time to make it. Do you journal your intake someplace like fitday? I lose best with ~100 g protein/day and <50 g net carbs. I also don't believe in starvation mode. I know it's a theory that's used a lot---by "fitness experts" in the media, for example, but the peer-reviewed research does NOT support its existence. It just doesn't. Well before my banding, I discovered, by really paying attention to my journaling, that I lose best at 800-1000 calories/day (with significant exercise). THAT is what drove me to banding; it is a difficult level to achieve and maintain because of hunger, and the band is the tool to deal with that. I'm not suggesting that this is the correct caloric level for you, or the right mix of Protein and carbs. Your journaling will reveal that. I AM suggesting that you dispense with the controversial "shoulds" and do what YOUR body requires. You were losing very well. Chances are, you are in a normal plateau. But if the stall in any way correlates with your statement that you're trying to increase calories to prevent a stall, well---the logical conclusion is not, "I'm in starvation mode," it's, "Wow-adding X calories/day caused a stall!" Certainly, play around to see where you lose the best. But know that the starvation effect is controversial at VERY best. Good luck--I know it's terribly frustrating!

Many people cheat. Most feel hungry and deprived. Most seem to accept that hunger is to be expected, though. It seems as though you've got the mistaken impression that others miraculously aren't hungry, and you are the sole sufferer. This makes you mad. But you couldn't possibly be more wrong. The hunger doesn't go away for anyone during the preop diet. The emotional lability and the intense cravings might, once you start drawing on your glycogen stores (which will NOT happen if you're eating sandwiches and beans). But hunger stays. EVERYONE IS HUNGRY. You are approaching this as though you are special, and need special handling. But you're not. You're one of probably hundreds of patients in your doctor's practice, alone. And all of them ---and almost all of US---have had to follow this diet or something similarly restrictive, and survived. YOU WILL BE HUNGRY. Chances are, you will be hungry for several months after you are banded. Hunger does NOT absolve you of the responsibility to follow the rules laid out for you---now, and postoperatively. If you want to be in the best possible condition for surgery, use this opportunity to get your head on straight. The preop diet is great practice for what is to come. If you cannot manage shakes only, call your doctor to ask for ways to SAFELY modify the preop diet. S/he may allow you to do 2 shakes a day, plus a meal of lean Protein and nonstarchy veggies, for example. Or, s/he may have another regimen to suggest. Instead of looking at this as ungodly torture, it's time to shift your thinking: you are about to be given an amazing gift that will enable you to lose weight you'd given up hope on losing. The things you have been asked to do are difficult, but they are emininently doable. DO THEM.

Spartan's answer was wonderful. I'd just add that it's a good idea to take a bariatric multivitamin.

Congratulations, Bree! That is an awesome accomplishment!

I understand your concerns, and shared them. But I still go out, and still entertain---and still have fun. I don't always eat everything--but that's not really governed by "can't" as much as it is guided by what my body wants and needs. It gets easier!

I do have one. It's a pretty silver bracelet that looks like a "normal" piece of jewelry. I wear the badge on the inside of my wrist. It lists my name, that I have a Realize band, my drug allergies, and my ICE number. If/when I replace it, I will add a line indicating that nasogastric tubes must be inserted with fluoro only. (For simplicity, something like, "No blind NG tubes.") ETA: I got mine from laurenshope.com. They have lots of really pretty ones.

Poo! I didn't make it on to the spreadsheet. Well, y'all have to tolerate me, anyway. (I mean: may I please still participate?) My progress in the challenge is below :thumbup:

No, not too fast. As long as you're really prepared, emotionally and informationally. Do you feel prepared? If not, what do you need still?

Well, health is a consideration--but to be frank, I didn't have comorbidities, so it wasn't my primary motivator. (I do have a very sick husband--and do feel it's important for my kids to have ONE parent who is as healthy as possible, though.) Mostly, it's how I feel in my own skin---and how I look. I want to feel like myself again. I want to look like myself again. I've never really experienced any sort of professional or other discrimination based on weight--at least not that I'm aware of. But I've been very good (well, bad!) at limiting myself. Not any longer, though.

This is different from most surgeries in that your relationship with the surgeon is long-term. You need to be with a group that meets your needs--because you will be relying on them forever. The rate your current group is working, seeing another doctor will not slow down the process markedly. All that said, 6 weeks is on the far low end of wait time for a date. I know you're impatient--we all were! But you will be banded---and soon! good luck :thumbup: