vlp1968

It took me 3 fills to feel restriction. For now, I would concentrate on eating the right foods, (low carb, low fat) even if your portions are larger than they will be once you have restriction. I also reccomend starting an excersise program once you are cleared by your doc. It has so many benefits, just one being weight loss. Hang in there, restriction will come. Best wishes!

I agree about the sugar, and it has lots of calories and carbs. If you really want prunes, I would eat the actual fruit instead of drinking the juice. However, I would stay away from both. If you eat dried fruit, I think too many calories and carbs slide down too fast.

Getting into a routine with your eating is a great idea. I don't eat exactly the same, but do have a limited menu. I eat lots of lean protien and veggies. eggs for breakfast, maybe with some lite sausage. I love perdue perfect portions chicken and marinated pork loin. I also eat flavored chicken sausage and lots of fish. I snack on nuts (1/4 cup) and cheese sticks. For fruit I eat berries, they are lower in carbs than other fruit. I buy them frozen since they are cheaper, and it's just me so I have trouble finishing a container before they start to go bad. Good luck!

As said above, Oysters should be just fine, as long as they are not fried. I am pretty sure they are high protien and certainly don't have fat or carbs. So actually they fit right into a good diet in terms of loosing weight. I would watch the bloody mary- empty calories and may make you less inhibited and therefore more likely to eat something you shouldn't. I suggest only 1 and factor in the calories. Enjoy!

I think it is so important to keep the "junk" out of the house. Very good advice.

Thanks, a very interesting article. I think my success was due to eating a designated amount and then stopping. That and regular work outs.

You are in what is known as bandster hell. The time inbetween surgery and when you get restriction. You lost a lot of weight the first 2 weeks, your body may be compensating. Overal your looking at about 3.5 pounds a week, which is awsome! Once your cleared by your surgeon to excersise I highly reccomend it. Start out slow and gradually increase your duration/intensity. There are so many benefits to working out, not just that it speeds up weight loss. It is so tough to get started, took me about 3-4 months postop. Now it's a matter of routine, although I haven't grown to love it. You are doing great! Keep up the good work.

For sure tommorow is another day, an opportunity to make bette choices. Good choices will be easier once you have restriction. It took me 3 fills to feel any restriction. For now, I would focus on eating the right things (I reccomend high protien, low fat, low carb) even if your portions are larger than they will be once you have restriction. Excersise is also something think about once your doctor gives you the ok. Start out slow and gradually increase your duration/intensity. I found it really tough to start, took me about 3-4 months post op, but it has now become a matter of routine. Some days it actually feels good. Hope this helps. Take care.

When I was tighter than I am now (I have lost all my weight and choose to keep the band pretty loose) I had a protien shake for breakfast. The band loosened up enough by lunch time to eat. However, since you seem to be experiencing discomfort all day, I would go in for a slight unfill. Just a little removed can make a world of difference. I am self pay as well, and I know it's expensive. I let that stop me in the past and suffered longer than I should have. I always sucked up the drive and the expense eventually. Hope you feel better soon!

Here's my advice- be sure you are working up a bit of a sweat when you workout. In my opinion if you don't, your really not working hard enough to get the results you want. Are you eating low carb, low fat? That has really worked for me, I lost 107 pounds in about 10 months. I also second the idea of getting a trainer. It really does help keep you motivated. I do weights with a trainer 3 days a week. Also, the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism is. Hope all this helps. Take care.

You are doing great! You have lost just about 5 pounds a week! That is awsome. I highly reccomend excersise. That's great your walking to work. It took me 3-4 months after surgery to get to the gym. It really does help with weight loss and so many other benefits. Keep up the good work!

Wanting to get back on track is the first step. You don't mention how your hunger is. I wonder if you need a fill. That's great your excersising. Keep that up for sure! I have found going on liquids ie. protein shakes for a couple days helps get me back on track. Good luck!

I have been banded about a year and a half. I lost 107 pounds in about 10 months. Aside from being too tight after a couple of the fills (vomiting, but it's not like regular vomiting, no heaves. The food just kind of comes right back up) I have had no complications. I don't know about the statisitics you mentioned so I really can't speak to them. I can say, with the right diet and excersise it is possible to loose more than 50 pounds in a year. You must remember everyone's body is different. Some just tend to be "slow loosers". I am lucky in that my body responds when I do the right things, always has. I ate very high protein, low carb and low fat. I did cardio for about 45 min. 4-5 days a week. I got a personal trainer and do weights 3 days a week. If you can afford one I highly reccomend it, it is very motivating and keeps you accountable. Not to mention that when you build muscle you increase your metabolism. It is a big decision, you are asking good questions. Good luck!

I have had 3 surgeries since being banded- a tummy tuck/boob job, minor procedure to correct fluid build up from tummy tuck and also a face lift. I did not have any fluid removed for these surgeries. Of course, my surgeon knew about the band. I would go with whatever your surgeon reccomends for you. This was just my experience.

Sorry you are having such a rough time. Wanting to get back on track is the first step. I am wondering if you do need a fill. Getting stuck every once in a while doesn't mean you don't need to be a little tighter. You may be eating too fast, not chewing enough et... It might just be the food as well, bread and pasta can be very difficult. If you are having a lot of hunger I would go in and talk with your surgeon. Too get back on track you might want to do a liquid diet of low carb protein shakes for 2-3 days. I would then eat a low carb, high protien, low fat diet. Lots of lean meat and veggies. Berries for fruit are relatively low in carbs. If you need a fill, you can worry about portions once you have better restriction. Excersise is a key factor. It works wonders for weight loss. If you are not already doing it I highly reccomend you start. Start out slow and gradually increase your duration. If you can afford a personal trainer I highly reccomend it. I meet with a trainer 3 days a week for weights. It really helps hold me accountable. I was lucky to find someone I just love. The half hour goes by pretty fast. Well that's my advice, remember loosing weight comes down to calories in and calories out. That being said, I also believe a low carb diet helps as well. Keeps your blood sugar from spiking. Hope all this helps and best wishes!

That is great! It is such a wonderfull feeling to fit into smaller clothes. I think it's even better than seeing the scale go down, although it's close lol. Keep up the good work!

Great job! Seems like you had fun. Keep up the good work!

I think I have read about putting vasaline on the areas that tend to blister. As said above, be sure to wear socks and good, comfortable sneakers. I bought a pricey pair of sneakers at a place by me called Fleet Feet. They have people there who really know what they are doing and helped me to pick out a pair. Maybe there is something like that near you. Great job excersising! Keep it up as best you can!

The above post offers great advice- I second it. I also encourage you to excersise- it not only works wonders for weight loss but also will help with your anxiety, it's a great stress reliever. Start out slow and gradually increase your intensity/duration. It took me about 4 months post op before I hit the gym. It has now become habit. I admit that I haven't grown to love it, some days I have to really make myself do it. I do weights with a trainer 3 days a week and that really helps keep me on track. I highly reccomend it if you can afford it. As far as eating, I would start out with eating the right foods, low carb, low fat, high protien. Lots of lean meat and veggies. You can worry about portions a little down the road. I am also wondering if you need a fill, or are you relying on "sliders" and that's caused the weight gain. Best wishes!

My port became visible as I lost weight. I talked to a nurse and was told it would cost 4,000 dollars to have a low profile port put in. It doesn't bother me enough to spend that kind of money. I don't plan on wearing a bikini (at 42 I think I am a bit too old lol), and it doesn't show in my one pieces.

That's great you are finally going to a psychiatrist. The know much more about issues like bipolar than your family doc. I take 2 meds for bipolar. One possibly causes weight gain but it didn't for me. I lost steadily on it. I would take the meds prescribed for a couple weeks and see how it goes. If you are doing all the right things and still don't loose than you can decide what to do. For me, I'd rather stall in weight loss for a bit than suffer with deppression/anxiety. Good luck!

Glad you are doing so well. The third fill did it for me too. Take care!

I would think your discomfort would stop in 2-3 days or so. That's how long it took me to feel like myself again. Congrats on your surgery!

10 pounds in three weeks is just great. That's over 3 pounds a week! My suggestion is to cut down on the carbs. Potatoes have lots of carbs, as does milk. Yougurt and cottage cheese also have semi-significant carbs (greek yougurt has less). I stick to low fat cheese for my calcium- very low in carbs. Milk also has lots of calories- I believe you are better off eating your calories rather than drinking them. As far as restriction, just know it will come. It took me 3 fills to feel any restriction. Another thought is excersise. You don't mention if you are working out. Of course get clearance from your doc. but 3 weeks out you should be fine. It works wonders for weight loss. Start off slow and gradually increase your speed/intensity. Hope all this helps. Take care!

It is normal to be tighter in the morning. Feeling stuck on a 1/4 c of food isn't ok. I would call your doc. for sure and tell him/her what's going on. In the meantime I would supplement what your able to eat with protien shakes. Hopefully those will go down ok. I use myoplex lite, you can get them at Sams or Walmart. Hope you feel better soon! Take care.