LuckyGirl

I try to eat right and get my protein in but when i need a snack I either go for a 100 calorie pack of popcorn (my band loves popcorn) or some FF pringles or something like that. I find that i can only eat a little and my stomach starts to turn which is my band saying, "okay that's enough." Shelly is right - make sure you are eating 3 meals a day so your body is getting fed. If not it will go into starvation mode and not let go of a pound!! take care~!

Hey Tinker, I hear the frustration in your post! Please remember that this band is not a miracle maker but a tool. I too am 6 months out and have lost 48 lbs. I know for a fact that when my weight loss slows down or stops it's because i am not moving enough or i'm eating bad stuff. It's so easy to eat bad carbs and stuff like that because they go down easy. Make sure you are getting your protein in every day - and that means drinking a shake for breakfast. You have to start up your metabolism with something in your stomach first thing in the morning. Get something down around lunch if you can that's healthy and with protein and make sure you eat your last meal a few hours before bedtime. Drink your water, take your vitamins and excercise as often as you can and you will see the pounds drop. If not, you need to see your doctor!! Hang in there - remember that you are 40lbs lighter - would you be if you didn't have the band? Think of this band as the blessing that it can be and make it work for you - take control and rejoice at each smaller size that you buy! good luck!

sounds like you haven't gotten to your tight spot. it took me 3 fills. when i got to 1.5 in my 4 cc band it was a night and day difference from 1.25. i came home and tried to eat and i could feel the food hit my band and stop! it may take time and money to get it right but once it is you will know it and feel restricted! good luck, h

if you have slimed and pb'd you may have caused your stomach to get a little inflamed or swollen which would lead to it being too tight. that happened to me. i would either go to liquids for a day or two to see if it settles down and then slowly introduce solids or i would get an unfill to see if that helps. tough call but i've learned that this thing is very sensitive and if it gets aggravated it will let you know. if you are sliming or pb'ing then you are putting food down there that can't make it.... good luck!

i think that the full feeling is probably one of the biggest misconceptions - at least for me. i thought before the band that i would eat some food, it would hang around in my pouch for a while - slowly feeding my stomach and giving me a full sensation. that's not how it is though. it hangs around in my pouch and it hurts or feels uncomfortable until it goes down - only then does it feel good. i get little burps when i know it's finally going down. i guess that is part of the deal - even though it's not that fun - i like the scale going down so i can put up with the uncomfortable feeling. although i've had my fill out for a week to let my stomach rest after a bad overfill and i have to say -eating without discomfort has been grand - but i've gained a few pounds. can't wait to get filled tomorrow!

I was thinking of asking for 1.3 or 1.4 - but I'm scared 1.5 would be too much. I was 1.5 last time but I had started at 1.0 then 1.25 then 1.5. I'm so scared now and I don't want to get too tight!

I had to have all of the fill taken out of my band this week because I was overfilled last week and must of aggravated my stomach too much and had bad reflux for a week. They have taken out all of the fill so i can rest my stomach. I had 1.5 in a 4cc band in and was doing great. When i tried to jump up to 1.75 it was too tight. Now when i go back next week they said they would put back in 1.5cc. Do you think this will be okay or is that too much after being totally empty? Advice from anyone in this situation...

Hey Paula, don't get greedy! i was at what i now know was my sweet spot. tight in the morning, better at lunch and pretty good at dinner. never really hungry but felt i was starting to eat too much. losing about 1-2 lbs a week sometimes less...... anyway, i thought i'll go get a little fill just in case i'm getting too loose and ended up being miserable, refluxing and last week had to have it emptied. i get a fill on tuesday. anyway, i've realized i am going to take it easy and not get greedy and only when i'm not losing at all and starving am i going to fill!!!!! so, if you are good i'd wait or just get a touch put in!

No, it won't be done under flouro. You are right - better too little than too much.. I am learning that this thing is so sensitive and needs to be treated with a white glove! some people who report problems realize that sometimes it was the way they treated themselves so I want to be super careful and cautious. thanks for the advice Alex! h

Hey Merced, are you feeling better now? I've only had my band 6 mos. with absolutely no issues until i got a fill. I didn't stay on liquids for 24-48 hours and must have aggravated my stomach. They said the stomach is super sensitive and the slightest irritation can cause it to swell. i had to get all of my fill out this week to let it rest. when i go back in next week to get refilled i am going to take it very easy so not to aggravate the situation. sooo, my point being that i think you are right about not slipping but having irritated that little sensitive stomach! glad you are okay! h

I met someone who had only lost 30 lbs in one year with her band... I would think 82 lbs. is darn awesome! Is there anyway on this earth that you could have lost that weight without the band - and have the possibility of keeping it off? Maybe - but doubtful~ I say REJOICE over these 82 lbs and be proud - you've earned it!

Butt- That's so funny that you posted that you were fat tonight - i went on and checked my bmi - first time since surgery and was at 29.5 - down from 37!! I told my husband - I'm not obese anymore - just overweight!!! Then I did his bmi too and it was 29.6!! I said we have the same bmi - yeahhhhh!!! Can't wait to get to bmi of less than 25! 42lbs lost since 12/19

Bexley, are you getting enough fiber? I agree with Wasa - track your calories!! I've only been losing 1-2 pounds a week and I know when it's my fault that I'm not losing!!

NN32- I know how you feel. A few weeks ago I started getting frustrated because everything I ate hurt so i started eating things that don't like chips and jelly beans... I haven't eaten protein like i used to. I don't eat much meat - just too much trouble. I don't feel hungry so when I do feel like I need something in my stomach i eat a granola bar or something... there was a few days when i felt nauseous every time I ate a meal so i called my nurse. she said that we sometimes get into a rut and only eat carbs that aren't good because they are easy but we neglect our body without eating the protein. i don't want shakes or smoothies... so i guess this is part of this process. figuring out what works for us. i'm laying off the sweets for now.

Hey everyone. I like the idea of staying here rather than traveling to different posts by months - it's easier to find. Progress is slow but steady. Down 38 lbs. (203) and I am happy with that but want to be down 50 by the start of school in fall. I plan on starting water aerobics this summer - love that -and continue with weights. I have a good fill right now but am starting to notice that I can actually feel the food "drop" into the stomach sometimes. I wonder if this means I'm getting loose.... It doesn't happen often but I had never felt that before. Maybe I'm starting to read my body better. I am also noticing it more uncomfortable to lay on my port at night. I wonder if this is because i have less fat there than before?? Anyone feel that too?

Are all of you getting enough fiber? I know when my scale doesn't move I take a scoop of ground flaxseed and ground psylum husks and mix it with o.j. and the scale will start to move - usally do it 2 to 3 times a week.... I think skinny people poop a lot. Just a thought....

I was banded 12/19 and have lost 37 pounds. I always thought - before I got the band - that you eat a little, it stays in your pouch and feeds your stomach slowly. This may be true but I find it feels so uncomfortable while food is in the pouch. Like an ache. I feel so relieved when it's all gone down. Does anyone feel that way? I thought it would be a comfy satisfied feeling but it's not so comfy. Or maybe it's just those initial bites because after 10-15 minutes the ache goes away and i can eat a little more... So weird. I find too that the scale stays pretty much the same for about a week and then all of a sudden drops 2-3 lbs. Overall,I'm happy with the weight loss. It feels so good adjusting to each stage. I can wear some pants for a while and then they get so loose, so i move on to the next smaller size and they start to get loose. Love that!

Hello everyone, i'm at 33 lbs. - would like to be around 40 but I've been on 3 trips between march and april (a cruise, the hill country, and chicago) so I'm okay with 33 plus I had an awful chest cold so I didn't work out for a couple of weeks. Okay, enough excuses... one more trip to boston in a few weeks and then i really won't have anything else to blame the slower weight loss on. I plan on being very active this summer because I want to be over 50 when school starts back in August. Everyone seems to be about the same as me or better so i feel okay - i think we're all doing great!

I can't each much, usually a shake or very runny grits with a slice of ff cheese stirred in. I usually don't loosen up until late afernoon. Although i do love crunchy stuff. Like whole wheat crackers. they are my friend since I've had the band!

I voted yes and feel so grateful for my band. Like Moses said - it's so nice to see the scale move down. I get on my scale everyday and usually it stays the same for a few days and then drops and then stays the same and drops... Used to go up and up and up. Also, each day I like putting on clothes and seeing how things fit me differently. Like, my top roll is smaller, my legs look slimmer, my arms aren't as jiggly. All of this is because I have the band to help me control what I eat. Sometimes I get frustrated but it's all worth it

Congrats on your new commitment to your life! I love my band - after having for 4 months and having lost 33 lbs. but sometimes it really sucks. Seeing other people eat wings or a burger - knowing that would kill me if I tried to eat those things - but that is old habits talking. If your band is tight enough you should not feel hungry and crave foods like you used to. Plus, it's so nice to be wearing a 14 again and people are starting to notice and calling me "skinny." Yeah right not quite but I will be soon! Hang in there and keep working hard - you'll do it and you'll look and feel fabulous! thanks for sharing!

You are all so right about the excercise. I excercise 3 days a week at the gym doing cardio and weights. Just doing that helps the scale drop. When I work out, I lose about 2 -3 lbs a week. When I skip a week i maybe loose 1 or not at all! I'm a believer plus i feel great.

I have 8 to go!!! I too have been putting in extra workouts just to get there faster. I can't wait! I'm just happy to be wearing 14's again!!

I slime and spit too! I pace around the house... Sometimes if I feel like somethings starting to clog I lift my arms up over my head and it seems to help - really attractive in a restaurant:-) I almost killed myself on two triscuits (they are the devil) and a tator tot another day. I am now learning parts of the day to stay away from solids - like morning - no way! I avoid PB's at all costs - they suck!

The first week is the worst - by two weeks I felt 100% back to normal. I have to say - I don't care how long the band is good for - I'll keep going back for a new one for life if I have to. The reason - I love the band and can't imagine not having it. A friend of mine from my support group said she had a small complication and had to have all the liquid removed for 1 week. She said the feeling of hunger came roaring back. I don't want to ever feel that again. Don't get me wrong - sometimes I really miss a hamburger but I wouldn't change my new life for that beef!