cbreeden28

I, too, was able to learn from her post. I received a fill on Tuesday that resulted in the gurgling and pain of being stuck that whole day and the next morning when just consuming liquids. I knew something was wrong and called the doctor right away. She had me come in and took out 1/2 of what was put in. I immediately felt better and was able to get liquid Protein down. I have a very small fill in my band, but am very close to the green zone.

It's very important for people to understand that those feelings aren't normal and you have to get back to the doctor ASAP for an unfill if they are experienced. I refuse to live my life in pain everytime I eat because of an overfilled band.

Gayla, I hope you can turn things around and make the band work for you again. I never perceived the band as a miracle cure for my obesity. I just wanted a tool to help me limit my portions. As of today, I've lost 27% of my starting weight. However, I started dieting on my own in April 2011, so it's taken me a little over a year to do that and 6 months of it were on my own with no band in place. I'm happy with my progress and I would like to lose another 80+ pounds in the next year.

Good luck to you!!

I didn't have any fill at surgery. My first fill would have been 3cc's, but I vomitted up Water afterward, so she took out 1cc. That left 2cc's. The next fill was .5 and each one thereafter has been very, very small. My PA said my band and stomach are very senstive to fills. This last fill, she put in a bit more than normal and I had to go back the next day and get some taken out because I couldn't get my Protein Shake down. I'm currently at 3.4 cc's in a 10cc band. I don't think I will be able to tolerate much more. Plus, I feel very close to the green zone.

My son was 22 months old when I had surgery. He stayed with my mom for 3-4 days until I could care for him on my own. My husband works nights, so I would have been alone with him at bedtime and such. He can walk, but I still lift him at bedtime and such. There is no way I could have lifted him right after surgery. I could barely stand and sit on my own. I say stay there with your parents until you feel comfortable on your own again.

Plus, in my case, the pain medication would knock me out for 3-4 hour stretches, so there is no way I could take care of him on my own post-op.

But recovery is quick. I had surgery on a Tuesday morning and by Friday, I was caring for him on my own again.

I use to eat after a fill with no problem even though they order 2 days liquids, 2 days mushies. However, I got a fill yesterday morning and the whole day, I couldn't even get milk down after trying to eat a bit of chilli for lunch. I just thought I was irritated and swollen. So, I gave it overnight, and this morning, I vomitted my Protein Shake up. I immediately called her office to get some taken out. She did this morning and now has me on Clear Liquids for today, full liquids for 2 days, and mushies for 2 days. She said some people are more sensitive to fills than others. If that was the red zone, I never want to see it again. It was like torture. I was starving, but couldn't get anything down. The fact that your stomach is irritated and too tight doesn't make the hunger pains go away unfortunately. As I type this, I'm super hungry, but can't have anything but clear liquids for the rest of the day.

Same here need2lose2!! So many bandsters preach about eating Protein first, then veggies, then carbs. But, I like variety with my meals. I don't want to just eat all the protein at once. I like to mix my bites up. I will usually just put the protein and veggies on my plate and mix the bites up. If I get all of that down, I may have a little bit of carbs if I want them. But, I can't just sit down and eat 3-4 ozs. of protein by itself with nothing mixed in between.

I usually have a few cocktails in the summer when we go to the lake for vacation. It's maybe 4 times a year. I don't think it's bad as long as it's not an everyday thing.

I was banded Oct 10, 2011. Since then, I have only lost 40 pounds. It's very discouraging, but I think I'm just a slow loser. I eat the right foods and exercise 4-5 days a week, but I always seem to weigh the same. My problem is, even eating my Protein at each meal, I'm hungry within 2-3 hours of eating. It seems my stomach is ALWAYS growling. As long as it doesn't go up though, I guess it will have to work eventually since I'm eating so far under maintenance for my body size.

I love salads!!! It's my go-to meal if the family is eating something that isn't "band friendly". I always make sure to add cheese and grilled chicken for Protein. I also add a few croutons for crunch. I also use low fat hidden valley ranch dressing. Yummy!!!

I usually do iceburg lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, shredded cheese, grilled chicken, bacon bits, croutons, and dressing. Great meal that's low carb and calorie and keeps me full for hours.

If I have them, I also cut up a hard-boiled egg. This adds more Protein.< /p>

You are very early in this journey. You've only had 1 fill and was banded in March. It's normal to possibly gain some after surgery because your body is healing and re-adjusting to everything. Plus, with no restriction yet, you can eat just like you did before. Be patient and wait for more fills before beating yourself up. It doesn't do any good. Just try to stick with healthy foods as much as possible if you are hungry.

Also, if you are hungry...eat. Just don't eat the bad foods like cakes, ice cream, chips, etc. Stick with yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese sticks, etc. That's how I got through bandster hell. When I got really hungry, I learned to turn to good foods rather than the junk I use to eat.

Good luck to you.

P.S. It's very hard to gain 5lbs. in one week. I would be willing to bet it's Water retention from a lot of sodium intake or that time of the month. Try increasing your Water intake. That will help with water retention. Weight again in a week. You may be surprised.

Thanks, I'm going to do that. I currently workout 4-5 days a week for 45-60 minutes each day. I just feel my body needs more than I'm giving it and it's fighting me. I'm going to start netting around 1400 cals a day and see what happens....

Thanks and congrats on finding the green zone so fast!!! We are similar in our fills. I have a little over 3cc's and I'm close to the green zone. Probably need one more to curb hunger between meals.

Jenelle1434, I think a lot of people have this problem but don't realize it. They keep cutting more calories or increasing Protein but still don't lose because they're too afraid to increase calories.

I did the same thing, btw. I was eating about 1000 calories a day, increased to 1100-1200 daily, and have lost another 23 pounds in the past month.

Mis73, so even on days you workout, you eat only 1100-1200 calories? Or do you eat back your exercise calories? I've been netting around 1200 calories a day for the last week and I gained a pound this morning.

MFP does not take WLS into consideration. Because you have had WLS, your body doesn't require as much food as before. This means you eat less and make sure that you are getting all necessary Vitamins, Protein, etc.

This doesn't make sense. My body doesn't know I had WLS and it still requires calories to function. For example, my thigh still requires the same amount of energy to move and function as it did before WLS. The surgery shrunk my stomach, but it didn't change my caloric needs to function normally....

I can say this, as I've been eating 1200 a day, my weight loss has slowed compared to what it was doing when I was eating 1600-1700 a day.....

I have been using MFP since last April when I started my 6 month supervised diet. I lost 46 pounds pre-op following MFP's guidelines. After my surger in October, my doctor told me I should be eating 1000-1200 cals a day for good weight loss.

However, MFP and a lot of members tell me that I need to be netting about 1600-1700 cals to be healthy and lose weight. When I tell them I net around 1200, they tell me it's not enough to keep my body functioning.

So, who is right? Will I still lose weight if I eat so little? Right now, I'm not in the green zone, I've been going purely on self-control. I usually end up netting around 1200 cals most days, but as of late, I've stalled. I even gained a pound this morning.

I calculated my BMR and TDEE. My BMR is 1867 and my TDEE is 2240 for a sedentary lifestyle. I exercise 4-5 days a week for 45-60 minutes. That would put my TDEE at 2887. If I only eat 1200 cals a day, is that really healthy? I would think eating 1000 cals less than my TDEE would be great for weight loss, which would put my cals at 1887 per day!!! That's more food than I can eat...

So, which is it?

My surgery was at 8am on a Monday morning. That first day after waking up was horrible. I could barely keep liquids down. It would cause me to dry heave after drinking just 1 oz. of broth. I was kept overnight and had to keep my liquid Breakfast down before I was allowed to leave the next day. I was discharged around lunch time the next day. At home, the worst part was trying to sit down and then standing up. Once I was down, I felt fine, but the sitting and standing felt like pulling in my stomach. I used the pain meds they prescribed for the first 2 days at home and then I was okay without them. Soreness completely left by the end of the week.

One serving will not hinder your weight loss. I still eat carbs every day and am loosing 1 to 1.5 pounds a week. I keep my carbs under 100g per day, which will allow you to have your croutons and potatoes (just watch portions). The carbs to stay away from are the processed, sugary carbs (donuts, Cookies, snack cakes, chips, Cookies, etc.) I avoid all of these. But, I don't see any problem with having a serving or two of "white" carbs each day.

Myself, I can't tolerate any kind of bread, whole wheat or otherwise. But, I do have Pasta and potatoes occasionally. I just watch my portions. Croutons aren't going to wreck your weight loss.

Same here, I have lost good amounts of weight in the past, but I eventually got tired of the routine before I reached goal and I went back to bad habits. I lost 46 pounds prior to surgery in order to qualify (my BMI was too high for my hospital to perform). It took me only 5 months to do that, but if I had continued on without getting the band, I don't think I would be where I am now. The band is my backup if I ever try to overeat. I physically won't be able to. Sure, sliders can still go down with ease, but that is where my will power comes in.

I also find that if I give in to my cravings and treat myself to a small dessert once or twice a month, it helps keep me focused on my journey. I still get to eat my favorite foods, just in smaller qty's and less often than I was pre-band. I started my insurance required diet in April 2011 (1 year ago today actually) and as of today, I've lost 84 pounds. That's an average of 1.6 pounds loss per week. Very healthy weight loss and I couldn't be happier. I'm hoping to lose another 92 pounds to reach my goal weight of 150. I've never been 150 in my adult life. I'm so excited!!

That excitement keeps me going.....that and my band.

I have had 6 fills since surgery in October and I think I'm getting close to the green zone, but sometimes I don't know. Here is how I feel:

Satisfied with about 1 cup of food per meal, but could eat more if I wanted.

Getting hungry within 3 hours of eating a meal.

Need Snacks in between bfast, lunch, and dinner because my stomach is growling so bad.

Eating about 1300-1500 cals a day; any less and I would be miserable trying to sleep (I've tried it)

However, with that being said, I get stuck often even when eating slow and chewing excessively. For example, on Saturday, I had 1/2 cup of cottage cheese with sugar free blueberry jelly. I got stuck. How do we get stuck on cottage cheese. I stopped when I felt it and it eventually passed without having to vomit, but my stomach was still growling and I was still hungry.

What is the balance between having a band tight enough for good restriction, but not too tight to cause stuck episodes with each meal? My foods are always hit and miss. What I get stuck on this week, may go down fine next week. I don't do bread, crackers, or rice anymore because I can't tolerate them. But, it makes me mad when I choose good healthy food, chew well, and still get stuck. Makes me want to schedule an appointment to get the damn thing taken out.

When you are in the green zone and have good restriction, how do you feel when you've eaten enough? Does the band stop you or do you measure your food and eat only what you put on your plate? If the band stops you, what do you feel?

I've always loved my Pasta dishes. With the band, I have cut back drastically on my portions and how often I fix it, but I can't eliminate it all together. I did away with bread, rice, and potatoes, but I just couldn't let go of the Pasta. Spaghetti is my favorite meal at home. I just eat a smaller portion and take my time. It hasn't affected my weight loss at all.

I think pasta is only bad when you add lots of creamy/fatty sauces (for example: alfredo sauces).

As long as I can fit it into my calories, I will eat it. My total carbs for the day are usually around 70-100g. Again, I have lost 80 some pounds doing this everyday. Not all carbs are evil.

I know certain foods are supposed to be off limits to bandsters, but yesterday after a cookout, my family went out for ice cream and I had some. It was the first ice cream I had since before my surgery 6 months ago. It was fantastic and I savored every bite. Plus, I loved the fact that I didn't have to worry about getting stuck while eating it.

I'm back on track this morning and feeling great, plus I got on the scales this morning and I'm down 2 pounds!!

It definitely won't be an every day or every week thing, but it really felt great to treat myself since I have restriced my food so much in the last year (strated supervised diet last April to prepare for surgery).

Does anyone else do this occasionally?

I do great until I sit down and eat with someone..I try to keep up with them and then I am sorry..I am also left sitting at the table alone, eating cold food...My son suggested that I put only half of what I plan on eating on my plate and heat up the rest when the other is gone. ( basically heat back up in the microwave) Then I will have warm food. When I am alone , I use my phone as a discraction or the TV ...everything against what we teach our kids..But in between bites it helps to surf or gaze at the tube, it slows me down. I think that now a days we are all in such a hurry and that leads to "situations" for Lapers !

No more eating on the run !

^^SAME HERE!! I'm so tired of eating cold food because by the time I'm about done, my dinner is cold and everyone has left the table. Our dining room is right beside the living room and I can see the TV from the table so I use that as a distraction to eat slowly. I also put the fork down between every bite. While I'm feeding my son, this works great because in between my bites I will feed him, but when he's done, I find myself wanting to hurry to get done. I've gotten much better with this though. The worst for me is when I'm really hungry and I try to eat too fast because I'm so hungry. I'm still eating over a cup of food and getting hungry in about 2-3 hours so I know I'm not in the green zone yet. I can't wait for it though!!

This has been happening to me also, but only after a fill. Today is the first day I'm back to a regular diet after my fill on Monday and I fixed some egg beaters with cheese this morning for Breakfast and the first 2 bites caused a stuck feeling that took forever to pass. I didn't regurgitate, but it was uncomfortable for a good 30 minutes after those bites. I then drank some hot coffee and tried to resume my meal, got stuck again so I stopped. Just now, I tried eating a wedge of cheese (mini Babybel), took 2 small bites and felt that feeling again. It's very frustrating. I'm eating the right foods and I'm starving, but I can't get the food to go down. I only have a little of 3cc's in my band so I can't be too tight. And it only does this on certain days. Other days, I eat just fine all day without any stuck episode.

My diet consists of mostly Protein (like everyone here), but I also need some variety. I eat veggies, fruits, and carbs. One of my fave Snacks is eating Triscuit thin crisps with a wedge of laughing cow cheese. I can't eat any bread, so I figured this was a good way to get my whole grains in.

At my appt yesterday, my PA actually got on me about eating them. I didn't understand it. Don't we need whole grains in our diet?? I understand low carb and all, but you still need the good carbs don't you? I don't eat a lot of other carbs either (rice, potatoes). My one carb choice that I can't stay away from is Pasta, but I fix it myself in healthy ways and watch portions.

I just didn't understand the problem with eating Triscuit crackers. It's much better than my old snack of Townhouse crackers, BBQ chips, or Little Debbie snacks.....

I also started out in a size 26. I was 326 the day I started my physician's supervised diet last April. I have lost 79 pounds since then and am in a size 20 right now. It's great to dig out old clothes that I had gotten too fat for and have them fit now. The smallest size in my closet is an 18, so it won't be long until I have to start going shopping for some 16's. It's so exciting!!

Congrats to you and enjoy your Easter looking and feeling fabulous!!

I weigh once a week I cant do the daily thing. I believe its depressing especially if you dont lose. Why should i stress myself out like that I made a vow when I got banded to weigh weekly only. Although tempted I bypass the thought to weigh in. When I was dieting in the pass, I weigh like that but no more. Good luck.

Do you see changes more clearly doing it this way. Like steady downward progress instead of up and down?

I'm not in the green zone yet, but I started dieting and exercise 6 months prior to surgery and in 11 months, I've lost 80 pounds. 33 of those pounds were lost post-surgery (Oct 2011) and the rest was between April and October of last year. At the beginning when I first drastically reduced my caloires and began exercising, I lost around 10 pounds per month. After the first 6 months, it slowed a bit and I know loose about 6-7 pounds a month. My doctor is happy with anything between 1 and 2 pounds weight loss per week. My goals are set up to lose 6 pounds a month just to be conservative. Once I hit the green zone, I hope to lose closer to 8 pounds a month.

Good luck to you!!