mrslamica

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.