mrslamica

Sounds a lot like my situation. I started at 272 (2/2010) and my lowest was the low 220's (6/2011). I got pregnant last March and and all of my Fluid removed due to my fear of morning sickness (which I never got)...what I DID get was Preclampsia - which slowed me down A LOT and of course the "mommy muchies" that caused a spark in irresponsible eating and resulted in the gaining of ALL of my lost weight back - PLUS 10 LBS!!! I just went last week for my first fill and after 2 HOURS, 14 needle pricks and a trip to my Bariatric Surgeon's office (usually NOT protocal) they finally found my port. Talk about feeling 2 inches tall...the way he looked at me and said "now, young lady - we need to get you back on track!" Now granted, he didn't know I had a TERRIBLE pregnancy and that was why I had unfilled - he only knew I had unfilled and I was heavier now than I was 3 years ago when I first enterd his office for my consultation. Don't give up...I'm not. I, too am considering WW as a suplement to my band as I admit I have a food addiction - and a handful of medical complications that make it a total b*tch to lose any weight (PCOS, Metabolic Syndrome and just plain ole LAZY jeans). I'm also doing Couch to 5K with a friend to hold myself accountable for some kind of physical activity - not to mention Zumba on my Xbox 360 Kinnect. For ladies like us, it's not just cut and dry - use the band and lose weight...we have to get creative. The key is to be CREATIVE and not get DISCOURAGED. Think of this as a season, a short one at that. Feel humiliated now but triumphant later. Accept the reality of your situation but don't let that define the outcome without a FIGHT!! The sweetest wins are often the toughest fights. Good luck and feel free to PM me if you need to

Hi there! Well, here I go again...I'm starting over. I was originally banned in 03/2010 and successfully lost 62lbs. Unfortunately, I had to be unfilled COMPLETELY in April 2012 due to complications with my pregnancy. As a result...and my irresponsible eating habits, I gained all of my weight back plus 10lbs. So, here I am, starting completely over...and it's bitter sweet. I didn't lose as fast as I'd like to - so in a way, this is like a "do over." This time, it's going to be different. I am a seasoned "bandster" and I now realize that my niave idea that my band is a "Magic Button" that will allow me lose tons of weight effortlessly was just plan stupid. I now know that it takes HARD WORK and a DEDICATION to changing the way you think, eat and live. I am a mommy now and my life isn't about me anymore...I want to live as long as I can so I can watch my son grow. Although, I do not have any health issues at this point in my life, I almost died carrying him...and I know it wasn't ALL because of my weight but I can't help but think it had SOMETHING to do with it. Believe it or not, watching him fight for his life for 8 long weeks changed my opinion of food altogether...it's one of those "ah ha" moments you have where your realize what was important yesterday isn't important today. Well...until 10/10/12 food was a priority and a luxury. Now, it's a necessity but only the good stuff. I don't expect myself to wake up one day and magically not have an addiction to food but I have made more than one positive step towards stepping away from the table and onto a treadmill (or Xbox Kinnect in my case)! So here's to a new year, a new baby and a new Lauren - I'm pretty freakin phsyched

Yes, it would be easier to stay away from the carbs...but much easier said than done. I mean, most of the woman on here CAN'T have carbs with restriction...that's been another frustration. As a note...I'm honest by saying I eat carbs but I don't over indulge...I've never been that type. Also, my surgeon told me I needed to eat whatever I wanted, just within the portion restraints (and the obvious "no no" foods). I even stay away from ice cream and other sliders. I am also considering a nutritionist to help me pin point a problem.

Another question... wouldn't I have pain if my band slipped? Or wouldn't I have trouble eating/drinking? The only kind of pain I experience after my Fluid removal is the gas pain. What about dilated pouch - is that painful? I will research the 5 Day Pouch Test.

Thanks, I'm thinking seriously on it. I just want to make sure everything is okay with my band - I'm scared to death it's damaged or my pouch is stretched.

On average, I'm probably eating 1000-1200 calories a day. Before I had to have Fluid removed I did not feel full - I would stop eating because I was so miserable I could eat anymore. I would pb or throw-up almost every day (sometimes twice a day) since I have had fluid removed, I can eat approx. 1cup to 1.5 cup of pasta-like stuff or like a chicken sandwich, etc. Surprisingly, I feel full now (just had dinner) that I have had some fluid taken out - I think I was too tight...or filled too fast and that really hurt my progress. Drinking with meals - that's one concept I had an easy time grasping. Rarely do I even sip during a meal - only if I get extremely thirsty do I do that. I usually wait 15-20 minutes after meals to drink but it's NOT Water (usually) it's something like 1/2 and 1/2 tea or lemonade. I do not drink soft drinks AT ALL but I do have like iced coffee or a latte in the morning. As far as exercise goes - for approx. 6-8 months I walked every morning and I still slow to no weight loss. We have recently moved and I need to find a gym or hook my Kinect back up. I've also had my hormones and thyroid checked and they came back normal. I have a normal menstrual cycle and my cholesterol and blood pressure are normal (thank the GOOD LORD)!

I was banded March 2010. I have lost 44lbs since my surgery - that's my problem. Before my surgery, I joined this forum and began reading all the success stories from women who lost upwards of 100lbs in the first year! I was super pumped - I didn't start loosing hope until I realized that I was losing weight at a snails pace and it wasn't working as well as I thought it was going to. At my tightest, I was 7.5cc in my band - I could still eat bread, Pasta - pretty much everything but I had severe acid reflux and I had 2.5cc removed last week and now I can eat ANYTHING, guzzle Water, eat fast, the whole 9 yards - like I'm not even banded! Could I have slipped my band or stretched my pouch?! The only thing I can attribute my slow weight loss to is my lack of exercise because I CERTAINLY wasn't overeating...if anything I was under-eating! I'm feeling defeated...I went through the pain and expense to have this done as a TOOL to help me change my life and I am not discrediting the 44lbs that are no longer on my body BUT I'm not normal - not when all these folks are posting their magnificent weight loss stories! I am in a unique position because my surgeon is in the process of moving to a different hospital and opening up a new fill center. The old fill center is still open but when I went to have my Fluid taken out the woman took 30 minutes and 20-30 jabs to find my port and I was traumatized...I'm scared to go back and she never answers questions. I'm thinking of calling my surgeon's office and asking if I can come talk to him a little bit about my concerns because I'm starting to regret my decision to have the surgery in the first place - and I really hate that feeling:( as I am usually a "glass half full" kinda gal. I guess my main questions are: (1) Is it possible that my band flipped? (2) Could my pouch be dilated? (3) Could my pouch be stretched out? If so, is that fixable without surgery? (4) Is anyone else losing this slow? Is it normal? Thanks in advance - any advice is greatly appreciated.

I have the same pain, banded March 12, 2010. It's behind my sternum and tums sometimes helps. Mine gets so bad I cry. The funny thing is, it stopped when I went from 6cc to 7.5cc. I had some removed last week and it's back (. I personally don't think it's acid reflux...bc I had that too and it feels different. I have spoken with my Dr. and he wasn't concerned but the fact that I'm doubled over in pain is concerning...could it really be just gas?

On the weightloss end- you might just be a slow looser OR you might not be able to eat enough to burn fat in your body! I definately think you are too tight, they might do an unfill and do your fills more slowly and gradual. That is what my doc has done...he won't do more than a .25cc per visit. On throwing up - 1 of 2 things is happening: you are too tight and need an unfill or you are taking too big of a bites or gulps and have a sensitive gag-reflex (which I have). The only way to know is to have an unfill and make sure you are taking small bites and chewing 20-25 times per bite. I am a slow looser - 65lbs in a year and I excercise and eat right...some of our bodies are just SLOW! Be patient and I would definately suggest having an unfill...sounds like you are way too tight.

I was having the same problem...it was because I have a VERY sensitive gag reflex...also I was eating too fast and too big bites. Are you concentrating on the following: 1. Your bite of food should be no larger than the tip of your thumb. 2. You should chew each bite 20-25 times. 3. It should take you atleast 20 minutes to eat your meal. If you are doing all of the following it MIGHT be that you are too tight. But in my case, I was not. It was my gag reflex (and it wasn't really me throwing up- no heaving or hard straining- it was more of a spit up or the food simply coming back up effortlessly) and me not taking small enough bites and chewing well. Hope this helps!

Just joined!!! This will be my first official challenge, even though I was banded on March 12th- things have been sortof slow, I am down a total of 33.5 lbs and I am beginning to add excercise and NO CARB diet to my lifestyle. I have had a few set-backs (wedding planning, dad had a severe heart attack and double bypass surger- NOT overweight or bad eater and some family situations that have been stressfull). But I am making time and energy for excercising especially cardio and weight training for my stomach and arms- gotta look GOOD for my wedding in 2.5 months! Good luck everyone, here we go!

Hi guys, banded March 12th 2010. I've had a very slow loss thus far- 33lbs. BUT I have also been planning a wedding and my dad had a MASSIVE heart-attack and double bypass surgery in September so I missed 3mos of fills. I just went yesterday and it's liquids for 2 days- minus the bite of noodles I snuck last night (I chewed them up really really well even tho my soontobe hubby told me NOT to eat them, he was right). I am hoping to looooooose more and at a faster pace since this fill will put me at 6.75cc and the nurse said between 6.5 and 7.5 is most people's sweet spot! I love the Bariatric Institute of SW GA...those girsl ROCK!!! I had a lot of questions and felt discouraged yesterday only loosing 8lbs in 3mos, but she reminded me it was a LOSS and not a GAIN and that jumping back on the bandwagon was easy since I am through recovery and through the rough spot! I am very very hopeful that this is my restart to loosing- since my wedding is in t-minus 99 days and counting. If I can loos 5lbs per week I could loose 70lbs before my wedding...which would kick me out of the 200 club and put me right at a size 14, which was my original goal- I'm just gonna have to work REALLY REALLY hard and Water, excercise, water, excercise...like it's NOOOO tomorrow!!! Wish me luck!!!

You're healing. You're hungry bc of your clear liquid diet...that would also explain the headache. I didn't stop hurting until the 5th day...that's when it got better for me. Hang in there and make sure you are getting enough liquids in, the headache might be bc of dehydration...my doc had me drinking 64 oz of Fluid daily...and really still does! Be prepared from now for the next 3-4 weeks its gonna be what we call "Bandster Hell" where you are hungry- and you will feel like you can eat whatever you want...but you have to remember that you are healing and NOT to push the limits! In 6 months, this healing period will seem like a distant memory. What doesn't kill us only makes us stronger!!!

Maybe I should clarify- they were peanut butter crackers...it's all I have at work right now...I guess I didn't say it, but I KNOW they aren't good for me, that's why I'm asking for assistance.

Can't do artificial sugars...it gives me pain in my stomach...but I might wanna try the canned chicken (don't like tuna) and see if that helps me any...thanks! Oh yeah...Greek Yogurt is too sour for me.

Hello, I was banded on March 12th 2010. I currently have 6.5 cc in my band. I still have snacking cravings-today has been really bad. I've tried crackers...and even some backed lays...but I'm still STARVING!!! I know about the normal "fruits and veggies" ideas for Snacks, but does anyone have any inventive ideas to help ward off my hunger in between meals. I go for another fill Aug. 16th...which I will need as I have restriction, but I am not at my "sweet spot" as of yet. Please help...I'm starting to beat myself down about my food choices !!!

It affects me that way too. I could never figure out why I would have those pains in the night when I had my Crystal Light and I figured out it was the artificial sugars. I have quit that and now just do 1/2 1/2 tea with lemon and I am satisfied. My Dr. told me the best thing to do was to use natural sugar- but in extremem moderation (like the tea) to add a little sweet, but not damage my body. I understand you being worried, the first couple times it happened to me, I thought something was wrong with my band...then, by process of elimination, I figured out what it was- removed it- and now I'm happy!

I can't eat near as much as I used to...I don't think that is the problem I am having, but I am still able to eat more than a cup at one sitting to get full. Thanks for the responses, it's hard to stay positive about this when I DID spend so much money on this "tool" and it's just not working as well as I thought it would. I don't expect a magic bullet by any means...I know this is going to be hard work. My problem is not at the amount I loose per week...I just want to be loosing and NOT at a stand-still.

Okay, I was banded on March 12, 2010. I have lost 25 lbs since surgery...which is mediocre. I went for my second fill last Wednesday and I got on the scales this morning and I am GAINING weight!!! I am sooo frusterated at this point I have been gaining and loosing the same 3lbs for the past month and a half and I am sick of it!!! I walk/jog 4 days a week, I eat nothing but Protein protein protein (60 - 80 grams per day), I don't drink with my meals, I'm not doing slider foods or sugary drinks. I stay away from caffeine and carbonation. I am doing things by the book getting 1100-1300 calories per day in ( I cannot loose eating less than 1100)...and still NOTHING!!! :biggrin: Maybe I need to vent or maybe this was not a good idea for me to do this. I am starting to feel pretty hopeless about loosing because I am not...and have not for almost 2 months now. My restriction is there...it's not great but I don't feel as though I am over eating...I just don't know what to do at this point, those old feelings of "I'll never be thin." are creeping back up and I don't like it...I'm a little scared and a little worried.

Try a spoon full of peanut butter...low fat, low sodium, reduced fat (whatever). Thats what I do when I get extra hungry...like pains. That has been my secret weapon!!!

I was banded March 12th and I'm going for my 2nd fill next week, but I wanted to do some comparing as far as how much I eat versus what you all eat at one meal. I have a sneaky suspsion that I am over-eating and I DO NOT WANT TO STRETCH MY POUCH!!! Some background about me...my nutritionist says I CAN and SHOULD eat whole-grain breads and pastas but in moderation according my my diet serving sizes. I am interested in how much you eat portion wise and what types of things you eat. Thanks!!!

I'm down for 25lbs!!! Here we go!!!