olwen

TOM and colds/virus are notorious for affecting restriction. it often follows that the week before and during make it tighter as does any cold etc. i was always like this and now on combined HRT the pattern has stayed the same. On the bright side, i have avoided the weight gain sometimes seen with HRT :thumbup:

i wonder if it might be a bit of water retention? i get a 'hangover' type headache/fuzzy plus my skin feels too tight for my body if that makes any sense? keep an eye on yr urine colour. dehydration and water retention go hand in hand, tho this may seem contradictory.

i think the egg problem is the revenge of all the chickens we are noshing now we are protein crazy!!! i can manage a runny yolk with a toasted soldier but any other egg form is too rubbery for me.

i ate normally post op (HA!!! if i d ever eaten normally i wouldn t need a band!!) it was my 3rd fill when i felt restriction kick in. i keep my band pretty tight and it took me about three years to realise that when i am full i get what i call 'bulls bum' sensation - i want to go to the loo! not in a runny tummy way, just that kinda heavy 'i will use the bathroom soon' way. to this day, i dont like that feeling - but i have come to valure it as i know while it is there i dont need to eat agin. Gross, but there it is.

you are working terribly hard - i'd start by grabbing some 'me' time, for enforced relaxation (long soaks in the tub, painting your nails etc etc). Exercise can come later. Ruts are too easy to fall in to so dont switch the tv on as soon as you walk in the door - put some music on n tidy yr house to some uplifting tunes now n then! N if fitting in a social life is not possible, grab a glass or three of wine now n then n dance around your lounge! You are not obliged to be exercising big time. you recently had surgery plus a drop in calories, presumably? your body will get into the groove of managing off less - give it time. Maybe someting more relaxing, like pilates/yoga might help tone plus help you park the day? i personally have concerns about heavy people bouncing around too much - knees n other joints need to be taken care of so easy does it is my motto. of course we should endeavour to exercise but it will come more easily to some thsn others. i never did a single thing apart from the odd walk till a game of tennis last week n my skin has shrunk back just fine. i did swing my lil dumbells when the mood took me but it wasnt often. dont beat yourself up but keep an eye on your emotional levels - not being able to 'engage' can be a hint of mild depression - big up to those who are keen on the gym etc but i never was - i hated it, hate swimming and all the messy organising of kit etc. Guess im one of nature's cats - give me a snooze on a sofa anyday - you'll find yr time - just dont beat yourself up as lazy! you sound anything but!!

am 5 years banded and have a plain sailing journey with a fair few fills/unfills - other than the necessary push to get the needle in have had no pain or struggles and good restriction/relaxing. on saturday i had a fill with a nusre at a well reputed clinic (she has filled me twice before so i know she is competent) but saturday was a battle - one attempt made me yell it hurt so badly - it did not feel like the needle had gone into the rubbery-resistance of the port - we got there eventually and tho i felt some restriction as i had a little drink i now have less than before my fill and am esting and drinking like a horse! i am going back on saturday for another fill but am now worried that the painful hit might have caused the tube to leak as, unlike the port, it is not self-closing after injection. Anyone any info on port revision (cost, location. anest etc?) or where i can get an x ray to see whats going on in there - it mught just turn out to be something simple, like an alien growing, but better safe than sorry eh?

just to update - fter the saturday disaster, i had another fill attempt last thurs - seemed ok but two days later - no real restriction - so tonight i ahd a fluoro xray and apirartion - had only 4 in should have been 4.5 - so allseems ok - no leaking or disconnected tubes etc - band n port n piuch all looked great (not seen them for a few years!!) so heres hoping this fill stays put - am very tight now but it should ease off after a day or two as i just got my period n this always causing tightening <nos how without Punch, eh?) anyway am just glad no leaks or revision etc. fingers crossed i can drop my recently regained 20 lbs n get back in my jeans! i squashed into them for the hosp visit n was mortified when he stood me up to drink the fluid n as my shirt was raised, this huge roll of flab was bursting over my jeans! that should keep me off the nibbles even if the band doesnt!!!

i had my band 5 years ago. like you, i had a bad pain day then picked up over the next week. i had my op in belgium monday afternoon and flew back to UK weds morning, then drove my car home from airport about 40 miles. i had physically recovered when i got home but emotionally, i felt lost. i went to bed, not because i was ill or tired but it was the only normal thing i could think of to do. i lay there n out it cam e- i cried my eyes out 'my poor body - i only have one and what have i done to it?' - but this can be a natural blues time after gen anaest and it is a big decision we have made. I do not ever regret my decision, i swear that to you, but there were hard times, that i wont deny. like any addict, we have to withdraw from our drug and i remember sitting with two bowls - one to eat my small amount from, then overeat a bit, then chuck it up into the second bowl n do this over n over - this went on for about a week then i had a 'talk' with myself - but we have all these craves to break and i know of others who have also succumbed to this. There will be many highs n probably a few lows on your own journey but you will get there. its such a weird world to wake up to when suddenly, like a brake slamming on, the whole food groove has stopped dead. Over-shopping, over- eating, planning the next feed before finishing the current one - severing from your best friend/worst enemy. Iys a massive change n alterations need to be made. But if i cpuld offer one thing - share how you are feeling. forums like this are priceless - sure, there will be afew loons who exagerrate n frighten the life out of newbies, but on the whole, this site seems far more sane than the UK ones! good luck xx dont be afraid hon - you couldn t walk once upon a time n baby, look at you now!!!l!!!!

thank you so much - bedtime for me now but just had a quick read and very keen to read more tomorrow. Im amazed that pretzels etc are slider foods - i fear a rude awakening tomorrow when i read it fully! my cat has his head on the keyboard now so think thats my hint to bid you goodnight n many thanks again :cursing:

plus - i had always read the slipp[age showed as mad overtightness? would welcome any info please?

what is the five day pouch test, please? i seem to be in the same boat - i definitely got another half 4 days ago and i am no different - am filling in up on salads but this is not the way a fill goes for me.

are you saying your fill from 1.5 years ago has gradually faded or are you saying that you have had fills in the last 1.5 years but that what once would have kept you tight n losing/maintained is no longer having the same effect?

how inspiring to hear your story, and how you have decided to fight back n try again! As one of the naughty ones who keeps it very tight i feel it is likely, given the massive loss in short time, that u were maybe also living too tight but loving the results? Learn by it, hon. I am trying to find the courage to stay at a sane level of restriction but fighting the regain fear is the worst bit. i had determined yesterday to re-start my own journey behaviourally - <see my old timers thread> where two ladies posted good advice plus a link to a food journal site. I wonder if anyone could direct us to the bandster rules? i too have forgotten them very best of luck to you - and well done again for going back into battle :thumbup:

5 years banded, i mostly live in peace with my band, but i joined this forum after a bad fill last saturday - encouraged by the camaraderie onhere, i visited a clinic yesterday and was aspirated which showed last weeks fill had missed completely. so i had the elusive .5 put in and am now back to 4.5 which is my maintain level. this is also good as i feared my port had been damaged and leaking so at least now i wont need revision surgery. But typically, as a bandster who keeps it tight, a little voice in the back of my head is saying ' you wont lose any weight - its not tight enough' - and this is because i just drank a coffee n didnt pb it. i really want to beat this fear - made this decision a while back - so today i am playing tennis for the first time in 30 years - i have a match in the club tournament which i just joined 2 weeks ago so i cant back out!!! and having read many posts on here, am going to make like a newly banded person and keep a food diary. i hope this will help me focus on my intake in a positive way and take me back to the core rules of banding which i had seriously forgotten for the most part. Any other long termers gone back to the drawing board?

sincere thanks to you both for yr replies. after i posted i then thpought - hmmm now io need to set up a journal - n lo n behold! the recommendation for fitcom - have had a quick look n it seems perfect for me :biggrin: thank u so much for that :thumbup: n the second lady - i did worry bout sliipage etc n did struggle with heartburn etc n night coughs when stupidly tight but i do have a lil perspective now n am ok with tight but not tooooooo tight :laugh: i played my tennis match today n got slaughtered but i did win a few games n was just eleated to have run round a court for 2 hours :frown: i'm back!!!!! the demons came a-calling - just coffee till late afternnon then a slim finger of low fat cheese plus a half stick of celery - but insanely loose tonight so made a veg curry - for me, i seem to have a head mess where, cos i spent a coupla hours preparing n cooking my curry from scratch, i equate this with being out of control. many times i have emptied the full contents of my freezer (never much in it really) plus the full contents of my fridge, into the bin. as i am single n generally buy food daily, the fridge tends to hold mostly condimetns for the chosen meal of the day. but sometimes i feel out of control when i have anything in the place. does anyone else have this issue? i have summarisd this behaviour as me being a natural purger - im the same with my wardrobes n drawers, not just my kitchen cupboards..... not enough in, i worry - too uch in, even if it is salad, i feel over faced n panicky. someone please tell me its not just me?

i lost 11 stone - about 160 lbs? people do treat me differently but its now that keep my eyes down n try to avoid gazes as i find it a bit uncomfortable to be stared at pretty much all the time. i have mostly no idea what people are thinking - some are openly complimentary which is obviously nice but i feel odd when nothing is said just the stares - but what beggars belief for me is that people feel some god given right to comment on something so personal as yr appearance - not yr frock or shoes but yr body! you wdnt dream of marching up n commenting on a facial scar or a disablity of a limb etc so why do people think they can be so intrusive and have a free for all about weight, bigger or smaller? if a larger woman comments on my figure i feel obliged to explain about my band as i remember too well feeling inadequate when i was bigger and wdn t want to fool anyone that i was naturally this slim - i guess attention is ok on a day when you feel a bit glam n the hair etc has all gone right n you kinda feel good - but just going to the market in my scruffs? i just want to be left in peace.

may i share my thoughts here in a non-judgemental way, please? i feel a few factors need remembering - it can be quite shocking to see the portion sizes which make for a meal for a well-restricted bandster. it is not a side-plate, it is hardly even a saucer... and while a mostly liquid life sounds grim, when i have my correct restriction, that is how i live - a small coffee goes down in stages, no glugging a full big mug anymore - nothing really till evening - maybe a nibble of a lil something - my band always opens up early evening so i am able to eat but must chew well etc - 'slider' foods can be a temptation but i love cheese so this is a big feature of my diet - am trying to be vegetarian so it helps to struggle with hard meats. beans on a small piece of toast or a can of sardines on toast is a typical meal for me. But it is such a personal thing, weight and being banded - that lifestyle works for me and i live in terror of having to lose my band and regaining - i do try to keep a grip on the fear but its just how i am - and i will admit that 5 yrs banded, i still cannot believe when i look in the mirror and see the slim me - dont jump on me - but i am stopped by strangers and told i am stunning on a regular basis - it bemuses me when i think back to the taunts and looks of repulsion at my heavier times - for me, the trade off of a very restricted life is how i look and feel now - my nails, skin n hair are in great condition - when i have an unfill (xmas and summer holiday) i enjoy a good pig out but physically my body doesnt deal well and i feel lethargic n not as healthy. I think the poster was very brave to share her situation - she wasnt promoting it as the way to live - just sharing -and i ll bet there are many readers who are silently acknowledging that what she worries about as 'starving herself' is their reality n how they live. These forums are invaluable - rightly a place to support and celebrate but of equal importance is the safe, anonymous place to expose yr demons - even typing it out can help - and if we are honest, didn't a good number of us need banding due to emotional inbalances regarding food? There are bound to be some who after banding and weightloss, just swap demons - i have. Please dont let this forum be regulated into an overly 'happy-clappy' zone - the darker, less comfortable posts are of equal and possible greater help. 5yrs banded, i know how to control my weight - i'm stil working on the other stuff good luck to you all, whatever stage yr at :thumbup:

thanks for yr reply - i will have the measure done - my body's water retention is off the scale at present and my blood sugar is up n down like mad - i put this down to the massive increase in food n body a bit thrown by it - i just dread the thought of getting bigger..... but a few related threads show that a port revision isnt a biggie so we ll see?