cbreeden28

I had heard about it from others and at my 2 week post-op appt, my surgeon gave me a LapBand ID card that can be used at some restaurants to order off the kids menu or order half an entree. Just curious about anyone who has used it and which restaurants recognize it. I guess I could just ask when I get there, but kind of wanted to know up front if it would be accepted. My husband and I go out to dinner maybe once or twice a month and it would be nice to order smaller portions. That way we keep our bill low and don't have to drag leftovers home everytime.

I have only had 2 fills (1st--2cc's and 2nd--.5cc). I couldn't tolerate the initial 3cc's she put in (Water came back up). I definitely noticed that I have to chew my food much better, eat slower, and take smaller bites. However, as long as I do all 3 of these things, it seems like I can eat as much as I want. At what point will I actually feel full on less food to the point that I stop myself? I still get hungry between meals to the point that I just want to inhale the food. I have made this mistake a few times and paid for it. My PA said she doesn't expect me to need much more Fluid in my band beyond 4cc's. She expects me to be in the green zone between 3.5 and 4cc's. I found that amazing since so many people here have 6+cc's. I'm currently at 2.5cc's and I do feel it helping some, but I still get hungry between meals and can eat more than a cup of food. I just wish the band would kick in soon. I'm starting to get discouraged....

Doing my pre-op diet, I had been taking Viactiv calcium chews. They were wonderful and I loved taking my calcium. However, at my pre-op consultation, they inform me that I should be taking calcium citrate, not calcium carbonate. So, after exhausting myself in all the stores looking for chewable calcium citrate, I ordered some online from Opurity. They are awful!!! When I bit into them, I feel like I'm inhaling the powder or something. They are just so chalky and disgusting. And on top of that, I have to take 4 a day for my recommended allowance. What does everyone on here take for their calcium. I would love a pill I could swallow, but if not, something has to be better than these nasty chewables....

I had surgery in October and got my first fill on November 21. My PA put 3cc's in, but I threw up the Water she had me drink, so she took 1cc out, leaving 2cc's. I do fine at meals now. I chew really well and I watch portion size. However, I still get soooo hungry between meals. For example, this morning I had a bowl of Kashi high protein/high Fiber Cereal for Breakfast at 7:30. Here it is, 9:30, and my stomach is growling something awful and I'm painfully hungry. I'm drinking my water, but it doesn't help. When you get to the green zone, does this painful hunger go away between meals? In one way, I'm afraid of getting too tight and not being able to eat hardly anything, but then on the other hand, I want this hunger pains to go away. FYI, this happens even if I have a Protein bar/shake or eggs. I don't think it matters what I eat. I'm always starving about 2 hours later..... My PA told me she can have a Protein Bar for breakfast and it keeps her full for 4 hours. She is a tiny little scrap of a woman though and does not have a band. I couldn't imagine going 4 hours between my meals right now. The other night, my stomach was cramping and growling so bad while I was trying to sleep, I had to get up and eat a little something to make it stop so I could relax and fall asleep. I know that's not normal. At least, I hope it's not....

My doctor had a max BMI that he could perform Lapband surgery, but it's because my hospital is fairly new at the procedure. So, when I started, I was 326. They required me to get down to 292 before they would do the surgery. I think it's more to see if you are committed to the changes required in your eating habits. As far as I know, there is no weight limit to the Lapband. Also, there is no machine. It's simply a silicone band placed around the upper part of the stomach and can be filled with Fluid to make it tighter or looser based on how much you can eat and how long it keeps you full. Any weight you can lose prior to surgery will help. I know it's hard, but just take it one day at a time. And exercise....that really helped me loose my needed weight before surgery.

I bought a Leslie Sansone video called "Walk Away the Pounds Express". It's one DVD with 4 workouts (1,2,3,&4 mile). Right now, I do the 2 mile walk 6 days a week. I'm hoping to work up to the 3 or 4 mille, but there's no way right now. The 2 mile kicks my butt. I've only been doing it for about 2 weeks so I can't speak to it's effectiveness. Much cheaper and more convienent than going to a gym. My dvd cost $20 and came with a stretchy band to help build upper body muscle. I love it!!

The only fruit allowed on my 2 week pre-op diet was all-natural unsweetened applesauce. I would mix some unflavored Protein powder in with it for added protein. Wasn't the best tasting, but it helped hold me over to dinner. I wasn't allowed any "foods". All my meals had to be broth, Protein shakes, oatmeal, cream of wheat, or greek yogurt. It was awful and I hated it, but I lost 18 pounds doing it. Honestly, for me the 2 week liquid diet post-surgery was worse. The first week wasn't bad because I was still in pain and didn't feel like eating, but after that, my appetite came back and I was still restricted to liquids only. I was never so happy to switch to pureed food in all my life. I'm now 7 weeks post-op and on a solid foods diet. I have lost 10 pounds since surgery and got my first fill last Monday. I still don't have good restriction, but I'm getting there. You can do it!! Just picture yourself skinny vs. food and decide which one you want more. I do this a lot in the evenings when I start craving Snacks.

When do these "signals" start. I'm 7 weeks out from surgery and have had one fill. I do have restriction on how fast and what I can eat, but as far as qty, I never hiccup during a meal or feel full. I don't have anything to tell me I'm full. Does this come later? As long as I eat slow and chew well, I can eat about 2+ cups of food.

I'm currently taking 2 chewable Flintstone Vitamins a day and the Opurity Calcium citrate chewable. I'm getting tired of the chalking chewable after taste. I asked my PA if I could switch to a gummy Vitamin instead and she said yes. My question is, if I switch to an adult gummy vitamin, can I back it down to one a day instead of 2? For the calcium, I can't stand these Opurity chewables. I will finish them, but then I need to find something else. Has anyone had any luck with the Citracal petite pills? They are made small and I would much rather just take a pill instead of chewing my calcium. All of the calcium chews in the stores are carbonate. I would love to find something like the Viactiv chews but have it be citrate instead of carbonate. I liked those....

My band was empty at surgery (10cc band) on 10/10. I had my first fill yesterday (6 weeks later) and she put in 3cc's. I drank 2 sips of Water and started having pains in my chest and a threw the water back up. She took 1cc out, leaving 2cc's. I think they start slow because each fill causes mild irritation and swelling. You don't want to just put in 5 or 6cc's right off the bat because it would probably make you sick. Some people can handle the max 3cc's on the first fill and some can't. I couldn't. I still don't have restriction and get hungry between meals, but I have to let my stomach adjust to the 3cc's first and then they can add more next month. That was an awful feeling that I never want to feel again!!!

1 to 2 pounds a week is optimal weight loss. It's the healthy way to do it. Some people may experience more in the beginning of their journey, but the closer you get to goal the harder the weight loss will become and at that point, you may only lose half a pound a week. Up until my surgery, I was loosing about 2 pounds a week. Since surgery, I have stalled somewhat, but my doc says it's normal. I got my first fill yesterday, so we will see where I'm at next week. I hope that if I have lost 8 pounds or more, they won't need to do another fill.

I'm with bromo. I plan on just having a few bites of everything on a smaller plate vs. everyone's elses jumbo plates. I just got my first fill yesterday, so I need to be careful and really watch what and how I eat. I'm kind of glad that I won't have that overstuffed feeling this year like all the years past.

No, I had some Viactiv leftover because my team had originally suggested I take those for calcium. Then, they changed their suggestion to calcium citrate instead, but told me I could finish the Viactiv's. I used those immediately after surger with no problems. I never took a liquid calcium supplement. I'm am considering buying a bottle of the petities though because I can't afford the calcium chews online. The one I found was Calcet (30 pieces for $13) and you have to take 2 a day. That means 2 packs a month at $26. The Citracal is the same price for 200 pills and you take 4 a day (2 at a time). That will last almost 2 months and can be bought at a store instead of online. Plus, they should be small enough to pass through the band with no problems. For the multi-Vitamin, I've been looking at the Vitacrave gummies. I would like to get down to one multi-Vitamin A day. I just have to find one with Iron...which shouldn't be too hard.

I just got my first fill today. I'm 6 weeks out from surgery. I've only lost 6 pounds since surgery. My PA put 3cc's in my band and had me sip Water. After about 2 sips, I started feeling pressure in the center of my chest, started to sweat, and my mouth was watering. I told her it was hurting and I felt like I was going to throw up. She started getting stuff ready to remove some Fluid. Before she was ready, I vomitted up the water I had drank. She then removed 1cc and I felt much better. I was able to drink the water with no pain and so far today, I have drank water, ate Soup and cottage cheese. She has me on liquids for 2 days and purees for 2 days after that. She said there is some irritation after a fill and you have to allow your body to adjust before going back to solid foods right away. I really wasn't prepared for that, but luckily had brought soup for lunch. So far, I feel fine, but I'm hoping it doesn't take many fills to get to the green zone....

Humming Bird, congrats on your awesome weight loss. I hope to be in your shoes someday. Loosing 100 pounds in a year has been my goal all along. I hope my band experience mirrors yours. I would love to be able to eat just enough to satisfy, but not be able to gorge myself until I'm miserable. My worst times are late in the evenings after dinner. It has become routine to snack while watching my shows. I have been doing good as of late and I try to avoid doing it, but my band is empty and so it's all on me right now. I just keep telling myself that at least I have not gained since surgery. I have lost 6 pounds since 10/10 which isn't a lot, but at least I didn't go up. I would like to start dropping about 10 pounds a month. Is that feasible once I get to restiriction? Also, how much exercise do you do? This is where I struggle also. I have a 2 year old and my husband works 2nd shift and getting to the gym is hard. I ordered some workout dvd's to do at home after little one is in bed. I got the Leslie Sansone videos with multiple workouts (1,2,3, and 4 mile walks)

Thanks so much for this post. I'm only 5 weeks post-op and it's very hard to stay focused and disciplined at this early stage. I'm eating right and exercising, but the scale isn't moving. It hasn't moved in weeks. My first fill is this Monday and hopefully it will start helping me. I'm so ready to see 100 pounds lost on my ticker!!! I was able to lose 30 pounds by exercising and dieting 3 months prior to surgery and I lost another 20 on the pre-op diet. However, it seems like my body has just quit loosing weight. I bounce between 272 and 274 every week. What I wouldn't give to see 270 pop up one day..... It is very hard for me to understand how this is going to work right now since I'm not seeing any progress, but your stories really inspire. Hopefully, in 6 months, I can come here and share my success with newbies. Thanks to all of you for your help and encouragement!!!

I buy the large 32oz. containers of Chobani Greek non-fat plain yogurt. The secret to low carb yogurt is the sugar content in flavored yogurts. Most fruit flavored yogurts will be high in sugar and carb. I get around it by buying plain greek yogurt and adding my own sugar free jam, splenda, or some other flavoring. Greek yogurt is going to be much higher in Protein than regular yogurt. The plain Chobani greek has 22g per 8oz serving and 6 carbs. I add splenda to mine and eat it, but lots of people add fresh fruit, granola, or sugar free jam. I like the large containers because it's more economical that way. The only place I can find them around my house is Martins. Not sure if you have those out that way. You can buy the 6oz individual containers of Chobani at food Lion and Kroger.

I wasn't a large baby or toddler, but I think by about the 2nd grade, I started to balloon up and it just kept getting worse. By middle school, I was officially the "fat kid". I haven't been under 200 since high school. In 2004, I started Curves and dieting. After about a year, I went from 261 to 235. It was the lowest I had been in my adult life. Then, I met my husband and with all the dating and going out to eat, I slowly gained every bit back and then some. I weighed 280 when we got married and 318 when I gave birth to my first child. When I started my journey in April of this year, I weighed 326. That is the highest I've every been. My surgeon made me lose 35 pounds before he would do the surgery (he only has clearance for a BMI of 50 or below). So, I was able to get down to 280 by the day of surgery and am currently at 272. I hope to never see these numbers again as I continue to go down. I'm still in the beginning though and it's all on me to make right choices and not overeat. I have no fills yet (first one next Monday!!!). My mini goal right now is to get to 235. That is my weight when I met my husband. I'm so excited!!!

But these are calcium carbonate. My PA told me calcium citrate is better absorbed and should be used instead...

I did see those Citracal petites and thought about getting them, but I didn't know if they would be small enough with the band. If I could just take a pill, that would be awesome!! Do you know if it's just 1 pill a day of the Citracal petities?

I buy 32oz. containers of Chobani 0% plain and add splenda and granola to it. It's very yummy and tons of Protein for few calories and carbs. I sometimes buy the Chobani 0% vanilla for a change, but the carb count is higher. The protein in greek yogurt is amazing though. I alternate my morning snack from cottage cheese to greek yogurt. It helps get me from bfast to lunch without starving too much. I'm only 5 weeks post-op and have no restriction so it's all a matter of will power right now.

Hey there HDQT!! I'm also 1 month post-op and my hunger is back in full force. I went into the surgery on 10/10 at 280. As of Friday, I'm at 272. I try not to focus on the numbers too much. I focus on how I feel. I eat when I'm hungry and only enough to satisfy. My calories have been around 1200-1400. At the beginning, my cals were around 900-1000 and I didn't loose anything. I think I was in starvation mode. I upped my calories and incorporated some more high-Protein Snacks and started loosing again. I think the carbs you are eating is fine. After all, low carb diets aren't good long-term. I still eat Pasta and potatoes, but I stay away from white bread and rice. I choose the 100% whole wheat bread if I want a sandwich or something. As for the pasta, if you make it yourself and add your own sauces and spices, it's not bad. I also go by myfitnesspal numbers and it has worked for me. Since April (when I started my journey), I have lost 54 pounds using MFP as a guide. My husband is a truck driver and it's also difficult for him to snack healthy and exercise. He also works nights. My suggestion would be some Atkins Protein Bars, Pure Protein bars, peanuts, almonds, cheese cubes, and Peanut Butter. These are my go-to foods when I'm really hungry, but it's not a meal time. You are doing great and hopefully, after a fill, you will see a difference. My first fill is scheduled for next Monday. Good luck.

I'm really trying to follow the rules my doctor gave me, but my stomach is always growling. I'm only 4 weeks post-op, so no fills yet. It has been a struggle to keep my calories under 1200 a day and sometimes I can't sleep at night for being hungry. I'm getting all my Protein and Water in, but it doesn't seem to help. I'm afraid the hunger is going to get to me eventually and I'm going to binge on something. Anyone else experience this and if so, what did you do? I wasn't really expecting to feel like this after surgery....

Sorry, but that doesn't sound right at all. I'm only 4 weeks post-op, but my dr. already told me that once I get in the green zone, it will be 3 small meals a day, 30 minutes to eat, nothing to drink 30 min before or after a meal, and 80-100g of Protein each day. It's possible that if you are only eating 60g a day, that's why you are hungry. The protein helps keep you full longer. My doc said I should be able to eat a meal (1/2 to 1 cup of food) and stay full for 4-5 hours. Any Snacks in between should be very small and protein rich (such as peanuts, Protein Bars, tuna, etc.) I would just try and find another doctor that will give you a fill. It doesn't sound like either of these doc's know how the lapband works or how to use it. Most people require 4 or 5 fills before reaching the green zone. I'm patiently waiting for my first fill in a couple weeks.

I have been banded 4 weeks now. I started my soft foods diet today. I have lost 5 pounds since surgery, but the last 2 weeks, I have been bouncing around the same 2 pounds. One week, I'm 273, the next, I'm 274. I don't get it. I just can't seem to get under 273. My appetite is back in full force and I'm finding it very difficult to stick with my eating plan. I have been craving all type of things. I eat one serving at dinner and I spend 30 minutes eating it. I wait 30 min after eating before drinking and before I go to bed, my stomach is growling so bad I can't fall asleep. I'm getting in all my Protein and my calories are around 1000 to 1200 a day, but I'm starving!! I don't get my first fill until Nov. 21. Did anyone get anxious and frustrated the first 6 weeks after surgery? I don't feel any different now than I did before the surgery. I can eat as much as I want (but I don't), and haven't had any problems with getting stuck. I really hope this gets better. I even upped my calories to 1300 to see if that helped boost my metabolism and it just made me gain a pound. Based on my weight and height, my BMR is around 2400, so eating more than a 1,000 calories under my BMR should equal weight loss, but it isn't. I just want to see results so badly. I would be happy with a routine 2 pound a week weight loss. I don't want to lose lots at one time, just steady weight loss. Not this back and forth stuff. I'm about ready to throw the scales out the back door.