Search the Community

I am 6 mths out on 10/04 and have lost 111 with 30 to go. I also have followed my Dr rules. I do eat 6 small meals a day and it works for me. I also do not drink protein shakes because I was told they were like slider foods and I would rather eat something anyway. I go to curves 5 days a week and walk 6 to 7 times a week. I think I am going to have to go to a regular gym before long, I feel like this last 30 pounds is going to take even harder work! As for what I eat let's start with what I do not eat. Rice, pasta, bread, soda and sugary deserts. I love yogurt mixed with fruit and kashi in the morning.( I do also drink a home made latte when I first get up) during the day I eat chili (homemade low cal) salad with meat and eggs and veggie, whatever meat I cook for dinner and veggies, snacks are laughing cow cheese on a wasu cracker, 100 cal snack, fruit, protein bar (I only eat half) I do watch my protein and drink lots of water.

I lost 127 pounds my first year. I counted calories and my protien to make sure I was getting enough. I never drank a protien shake after the first two weeks. I was pretty much a rule follower 1200- 1400 calories a day 64 oz of Water everyday (or more) never drank soda never drank caffinated coffee (I do now) Never Ever drank with my meals Exercised regularly (but not obsessivly) Ate what I wanted but really made healthy choices. However, if I wanted something that was a "treat", I had it. After that first year (it's been a year and 3 months) i got a little more lax. And my weight loss has shown that. I have only lost 5 pounds in the last 3 months. I think I need to get back to the basic rules and see if I can kick it back in to high gear. Good Luck to you!

I am 9 1/2 months out.... I have lost 124 lbs thius far and have 60-80 to go.... I just followed my Dr's advice and eat 1000 calories each day. I eat 1-2 Snacks and 3 meals. For each of the 3 meals I have 4 oz meat / protien, 1/2c veggies / 1/4c starch. Typicaly my day looks like this: weekday B-fast - Carnation Instant Bfast sugar free / skim milk weekend bfast- 1 egg scrambled, 1 slice wheat toast w/ suga free jelly / 1 slice bacon week day snack - fruit Lunch- 4oz tuna, cup of lettuce / onion, cucumbers/ fat free dressing / 3 triscuts dinner 4 oz meat (broiled, grilled or baked), veggie or salad and 1/2 small baked potato Snack - Skinny cow 100 calorie ice cream bar / mini box of raisins 64 oz Water Its not exciting...but it works!

Hi guys, I was just banded three days ago and have about 65 pounds to lose. Just wanted to pop in and say hi! I look forward to getting to know all of you and sharing tips and frustrations. :smile:

Thank you so much for posting this. Your story is inspiring for me and the timing couldn't have been better. I have been told today by my band doctor that I may have mechanical failure and I have to decide whether to remove my band. My story: I was banded 4/4/05. Initially I did very well, lost weight, felt good, no complications. About 6 months into it I starting having what the doctor told me was esophageal spasms and after several months of recurrent "spasms" that made me want to commit suicide, we discovered that they were gall bladder attacks. Since the gall bladder removal my weight loss has essentially stalled, maybe 20 lbs over 3 years then in the last 6 months or so I have gained 30! YIKES! From the time I was banded I have not been able to lay on my back for extended periods of time or sleep on my back. I wake with chest pain and pressure and I nearly always wake with a sore throat. All doctors tell me it's reflux. After 5 years of this "reflux", I started getting worried about the health of my esophagus so I contacted my band doctor. He says that some rare cases of "mechanical failure" occur where the esophagus just doesn't have the motility to deal with the device that's been implanted. We could try Nexium and if the symptoms do not improve, the only way to solve the problem is band removal. *I've done the Nexium thing before and haven't noticed any change. I'm willing to try again, but I think I'm headed for a tough decision here. It's like I'm losing a friend and I really fear gaining all of my weight back. He offered the VGS as an option, but I chose the band because I didn't want my anatomy altered. I want to cry.

Good morning. If you have already had surgery, was there anything you did ahead of time (like during the 6 month weigh ins) to prepare yourself for the surgery? Or, is there something that you wish you had did that you think would have made things easier for you? I ask this because i am wondering, would it be good as I get closer to only have 1 meal per day and drink shakes the other 2 meals to make it easier for the 2 week pre-op liquid diet?

I posted this today on my blog and wanted to post it here as well! So if there are names or backstories that I mentioned...that is why...hahah! I didnt realize how long it was! In the name of reflecting on a year gone by, I have been working on this Bandiversary post. It is a mumble jumble of some of my thoughts, tips, rules (non-rules), and lessons learned since Tina the Wonderband took up residence in my body. This year has flown by and brought me so many wonderful presents, people, and experiences. I don't have all the answers...and our journeys, while on parallel paths in the same direction, can look very different. So here you go! Happy Reading! All doctors, clinics, bandsters, and rules, are different. They just are. And I am not a slave to any of the rules. I see them more as guidelines and helpful tips. For example, I eat Soup...a lot. Soup is a liquid and therefore, slides right down the old shoot. But I honestly feel rather satisfied with 2 cups of wonderful soup. I also now almost always choose soup if we go out to eat. I noticed this when we went to Lambert's for my mom's birthday. Lamberts did not have one soup option. I think I started ordering soup out as a rule after my October fill. It just became too risky to try solid food and a waste of money. And even though I can bring leftovers home, leftovers usually go to waste in our house. I just couldn't see spending $10 on something that I could only nibble at. It does not bother me, this soup fetish of mine. I can have a couple of bites of whatever Tracey gets and I am a cheap date. Drinking with meals. This was not that hard for me to give up. At home, I just make sure that I don't have my Water near me when I eat dinner. When we go out to eat, I drink about 4 cups of water before the meal comes. I drink right up to that point. I do not personally believe that water primes the band. Water goes right down people. It doesn't just sit there. For me, when I do try and be naughty (Cookies and milk anyone?) drinking with my food either hurts OR gets me stuck. Some bandsters measure, weigh, or journal their food. All the time. I do not. I do measure Snacks though. For example, if I am going to have some nuts, I measure whatever one serving size is and put it in a little baggy. This way I know what my calorie intake is for that snack. I do not do food journals, count carbs, or watch my fat intake. Those things, for me, are all part of DIETING. They give me horrible flashbacks and I find myself rocking in the corner with sounds of helicopters and gunfire in my head. They send me to a bad place. However, from time to time I have recommended online food journals to struggling bandsters who feel lost or out of control. Sometimes when we estimate our calories we forget things, round DOWN, or just lie! So it can be a useful tool. And whatever works for you is the way to go. The scale. Another rule I do not care for is the "scale rule". Even my wonderful Dr. Friedman told me not to weigh daily. I weigh myself every day, but only record the weight on Mondays. Mondays keep me motivated through the weekends. I do not freak out if my weight fluctuates during the week...I try to reserve such freakouts for Mondays alone. Your weight will go up and down. But weighing myself every day does keep me accountable for my actions. I eat better when I bring my lunch to work. While for dinner I can usually eat grilled chicken breast, some pork chop etc., leftover meat is a no-go for me anymore. It just gets too dry when I heat it in the microwave. This is one of the reasons I make soup and freeze it. But whatever you choose, make it something you can just grab...so you don't use the excuse "I didn't have anything". It is a rare, rare day when I eat fast food for lunch. And the only fast food I do eat is either chili from Wendy's or nuggets from Chick-fil-a. I am thankful for an amazing doctor, who surrounds himself with amazing staff. I think that having the right doctor is so crucial to success. Dr. Friedman let me decide when I needed a fill. I could come in week after week until I got restriction. I see him every time I go for an appointment and he is right beside me when I get my fill. I am honest with him. I tell him when I have been drinking Sunkist or snacking. I tell him what I can and cannot eat. He listens. I was a trooper through bandster hell. I stayed the course and did not go hog wild (pun intended) when I realized I could eat anything and everything. I was on my high from my preop diet weight loss. I knew what I had to do. Dr. Friedman told me upfront that the band does not work for everyone...that his biggest fear is that his patients won't lose weight. By God I was going to lose weight. I listen for the real hunger. One of the most important lessons I have learned is when I really need to eat. How many times do we say "OH I am starving"? A lot. And are we really? No. So I took this phrase out of my vocabulary. I might say "I am hungry"....but that is different than starving. When you are fighting headhunger, try and stop and say "Am I really hungry?" If the answer is no, try to resist munching! Drink water instead! Do something. Of course I still snack sometimes whenI am not hungry, but at least when I DO, I am tsk tsking myself! LOL I tell everyone about my surgery, if they ask. This will be a debate until the end of time...on Lapband Talk and on these blogs. There are just so many factors that go into making this decision, and I know that for everyone...their choice is their own. I don't think it ever occurred to me to hide it. For me, I tell because it can help others, because their is no shame in having weight loss surgery, because it can educate the ignorant, and because the truth shall set your free. I think about some of the ladies who have been banded because they have seen my progress. What if I had just told them I did it through watching what I eat and exercising (which is not a lie, but not the complete truth either). Would they feel like failures because "Amy did it the old fashioned way...why can't I?" Would they still be putting off the idea of surgery? I am proud of my choice and where I am today. You know ironically, I get the most negative comments about choosing WLS from fat people. Maybe bc the skinny people don't want to be politically incorrect? But as I think about it...yep...mostly my heavy "friends" are the ones who turn up their noses when I tell them about the band. But that's okay...I'll give them time. A year later, I still think of food all.the.time. This by no way means that I am hungry. In fact, the only time I feel real hunger anymore is in the morning before Breakfast. I have read about those people who after being banded, food just became something they "had to do". I used to really hope for that day to come. Eh, it just might never happen for me. I did learn this year that there are actually people who do not think of food all the time. This was mind boggling to me...and still kinda is! Funny, but it seems that those people who do NOT think of food all the time are thin. Who would have thunk? There are foods I do miss...and they all involve bread. I miss peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, hamburgers with buns, hot dogs with buns, cinnamon rolls, oh cinnamon rolls, Stuffing my face with cookies and chugging milk , pizza, Big Macs...It's a good thing I have the band huh? lol I set goals. Mini goals, about every 3 months along. I made these goals preband (for the first 6 months out at least). I have met every goal. Don't be afraid to set these mini-goals. Right them on your calendar, a post it note, on the fridge, or on the wall above the scale. Exercise. I have yet to become an exercise fanatic. Right after surgery I started walking to get ready for my first 5k. Then we did bootcamp/interval training for awhile. Now we just do what sounds good. I play WiiFit once in awhile, we go walking, we are going back to bootcamp, Bandita and I did Zumba. Exercise is an area that I could improve on. Another rule that does not work for me: Not eating in front of the t.v., computer, while reading...etc. They say that when you eat you should be focused solely on your food. No distractions. They say this well help you eat slower and take smaller bites. This is not true for me. For example, when Tracey and I eat at the table, or with family...I tend to eat MUCH quicker. For several reasons. First, I feel a need to keep up. Second, have you ever adopted a dog or puppy that comes from living with lots of other dogs? They eat so quick bc they are afraid that someone else is going to get their kibble. Somewhere deep down I am still afraid of not enough kibble to go around. So, when Tracey and I sit on the couch with our tv trays...I eat much slower. When I am reading a magazine or surfing the net...I eat much slower. It gives me something to do, something to put my fork down and entertain myself with. Things that have changed: Where I shop. What I eat. How much I eat. I cook more. I try new and different foods (but that doesn't mean I like them all). My love for Tracey. I love him even more. He is so proud and supportive. I can cross my legs. My lower back pain, my pee sneezes, and shin splints...they are all gone. The amount of people who read my blog. The amount of blogs I read. The amount of friends this blog has blessed me with. My pant size. My shoe size. Things that haven't changed: My self confidence. My facial hair (still the same amount...I was hoping for less). My attitude. My complexion. I thought it would clear up a lot. The way I see life. My obsession with food. My thirst for Sunkist. The way I act with, towards, and around other people. How many pictures I take. How I wear my clothes. My finances. My job. My dislike of a the majority of vegetables. Things I have learned: Peanut Butter cups and sunkist do not mix. Well, they do...but then they erupt out of your nose. Eating a muffin in shame in a bathroom stall is not a high point of anyone's journey...but your blogger friends will love you even when you share the shameful moments. You can walk a 5k at any weight. And most likely you will not be the last person to finish. It is better to set a goal and not reach it then not set a goal at all. Tweezers may come and go, but apparently whiskers are forever. Life's journey is long. You better take snacks. (okay, I stole this one from a calendar). I really do have bones in my body. I cry happy tears in dressing rooms, and am also known to cry tears of frustration. I always want more. Poopies will never be the same. Good bye big girl poop. Hello chicken nugget poop. I have no boundaries. Just when you think it can't get any better....it does. And finally, the biggie. Why was I able to lose 120 pounds in 12 months? Why Amy and not everybody? I have given a lot of thought to this question and I am not sure I have the answer. If you think about it...I could have lost more. There are certainly bandsters out there who have done it (Mary for example) and others who are well on there way. I could have lost more by making the right choices, working out harder, etc. I did not have the perfect year. But that's okay! I personally think that for those of us who start at a higher weight, we can lose a little faster at the beginning....so you could say I had that going for me. There are the things I think are out of our control: Genetics, history, body shape. Even though I was 327, I was solid as an ox under all that fat. Perhaps my muscle mass helped in the beginning as well? There are two things that I think really made a difference in my weight loss. The first is this blog. This blog and all of you who have become part of my life helped to keep me accountable. When someone tells you that you are an "inspiration", it makes you want to keep inspiring! I didn't want to let anyone down. I knew that I would be honest with you guys. I shared the ups and downs. And seeing others make it into a new pant size, or run a 5k...inspires me. The second reason I have lost this weight is...Because I knew I could and I would. When Dr. Friedman told me that the band does not work for everyone, I made a choice that I would not be one of those people. I was not going to have a surgery just to "eat around the band". I wanted to be his star patient. I wanted to be the person on the commercials. I wanted to be a success story. And I wanted to be more than a statistic. Of course, all you have to do is read through my blog to know at times I had a few doubts and questions, but overall...I knew big things (and a smaller body) were possible. And you have to believe. I was at a great place in my life. I had support from Tracey and my family. I was at a good place mentally. It was just the right time. So that's it! That's all that I could think of! I hope you made it through and I can't wait to see what this next year brings! Thank you for everything. Yours- Amy

I really think it depends on the individual. I have been banded for about 5 weeks now, and of that time, I have had about 3 weeks of period, yet I still lost weight. I imagine that a lot does have to do with bloating as the previous poster mentioned. So, if you are one who tends to bloat, expect that during your period things could be slower. Good luck!

I must be your twin, well your taller twin (5'5") I started at 195 BMI 32.4 and my goal is 130 BMI 21.6. That is 65 pounds. I was banded 10/20/09 and I want to be at goal 7/4/10. So I have 9 weeks to lose 16 pounds so I better get busy!

i was banded on the 19th of october. so i wish you all the luck.. its great to see a few guys now getting the band welldone for taking the first step to a new you... for every one i think christmas is going to be the hardest.. i have been ok aint lost much in the last few weeks so im looking forward to a fill in feb...

I had been considering the Lap Band for a long time. I did alot of research and finally attended a Weight Loss Seminar. After going to the Seminar, I completely changed my mind. I am now going to have the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. Several reasons have actually contributed to this decision. The VSG is MUCH more appealing to me. I do not want to have to worry about slippage, erosion, fills, etc. Nor do I want to have the foreign objects in my body. But what also affected my decision was my insurance company's lack of willingness to pay AND the Surgery Center's lack of compassion. My first choice for WLS (for the Lap Band) was Southwest Medical Center in Lafayette, LA. When I went up to the desk to register, I was asked for my ID and insurance card. When I showed them a Louisiana Medicaid card, they asked if I also had Medicare, and I said no. So she handed my card back to me and very rudely announced that Medicaid will not cover any weight loss procedures alone, and that I would have to be on medicare as well. Problem is, I am not old enough to have medicare, nor am I disabled. So I told her that I would consider cash pay if the price was right, and I walked over to the scales to begin my sign in. After attending the Seminar, I got a feel that these people do not have very much compassion. There was a lady in there that must have weighed about 500 Ibs and had a trachea tube in her throat. She was VERY sick and had a hard time even speaking. She struggled to ask questions, and the answers to her were just so blunt, no compassion behind it. I felt so sorry for this lady. She was informed that the waiting list for Medicare / Medicaid patients to even have their first initial consultation is about 10 months. I was flabbergasted! So she asked if there were any way that she would be able to be put on the top of the list due to her condition. She was told no, Medicaid has a list and you are put on the list in the same order that you apply. Nobody is given priority. So this poor lady could die between now and then, and Medicare / Medicaid couldn't care less. The next day, I received a phone call from a patient specialist asking if I'd made a decision about the type of surgery I was interested in. When I said that I had gone in to find out about Lap Band, she cut me off and said that I could not get that surgery because I only had Medicaid. So I stated that I would be willing to be a cash pay patient, so long as I just have the surgery. She said that I could not be a cash pay patient! My mind was blown! I asked her again... please repeat that? Are you saying that I CANNOT pay you cash for surgery? Like you will not take cash? Since when? She told me that Louisiana law prohibits Medicaid patients from having procedures that are medicaid approved, and paying out of pocket. In other words, Medicaid INSISTS on paying for the surgery if it is a covered procedure. Needless to say, I do not give up THAT easily. I made more phone calls, spoke to someone at the hospital itself and she explained the VSG to me in more detail. She also explained to me that the procedure is not covered by ANY insurance, so I will not have to fight with Medicaid to pay for my surgery. Needless to say, with all of the positives taken into consideration, I am 100% sold. I went yesterday and had my initial consultation with my surgeon and he has already scheduled my surgery! I don't have to worry about a 2 week liquid diet because I carry the majority of my weight in my legs and not my abdomen. I will only have to be on liquids for 24 hours, including Magnesium Citrate, and I'm IN! I'm SO excited. My surgery is scheduled for February 25, 2009. I would definitely recommend the VSG over the Lap Band any day!

Oops Im tommorow one week out sorry...meds...

The bandster "rules" as I remember them (many of these rules are variations on rules for RnY patients to maximize the benefits of their pouch). These are not necessarily in any particular order: 1. The Water rules: I. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day.<O:p</O:p II. No drinking with meals - the liquid either washes the food through the pouch/stoma faster allowing you to eat more before feeling full, or it makes you "stuck" and you PB.<O:p</O:p III. Waterload prior to mealtimes so that:<O:p a) you're hydrated your pouch gets that initial stretching so that the "full" sensation can kick in sooner. Even though the water should pretty much drain right through, the stretching effect can last 30 minutes or so, which helps you to feel less hungry. To waterload - start drinking water an hour before you want to eat. About 15 minutes for you want to eat drink as much water as fast as you can until you feel full.<O:p</O:p IV. Wait at least an hour after eating before drinking again. Again, this helps the pouch stay full longer, maximizing the stretching/full sensation.<O:p</O:p 4. CHEW CHEW CHEW. Worst case scenario, inadequate chewing can result in obstruction requiring doctor intervention to remove the offending piece. Less drastic ramifications of inadequate chewing can be severe pain and/or recurrent vomiting until the offending piece has been expelled. 5. SLOW DOWN when eating. Eating too fast, even if the food is well chewed, can result in your pouch filling faster than it empties, resulting in the “golfball” feeling (which is really, really painful/uncomfortable), and/or vomiting the overflow. 6. Eat solid foods. Solid foods pass more slowly through the stoma, allowing the pouch to fill and create the stretch that turns off hunger and creates a feeling of satiety. 7. Protein first, veggies, and then if you have room, other stuff. Since your portions will become much smaller, you must make every bite count nutrition-wise. Get your nutritious foods in first before you indulge in empty calories, otherwise you will be too full to eat the stuff your body needs to be healthy. 8. Stop eating after 20 minutes. It is possible to eat so slowly that the pouch empties either at the rate of eating, or faster than the rate of eating, which means you can eat too much in one very long sitting. Limiting your eating to twenty minutes at a time helps keep your portions under control. 9. Avoid liquid calories. liquids generally pass right through the stoma and don’t create a lasting feeling of fullness. You can really go overboard on calories by consuming caloric liquids. (Yes, ICE CREAM is considered a “liquid”… ) 10. Keep up with your correct fill level - too loose and you will eat more than your body needs before you feel full. Too tight and you will resort to mushies/liquids and eat around the band (or vomit a lot, which is the number one cause of slippage). 11. No carbonation (CONTROVERSIAL - many do anyway) The number one reason cited for this is to avoid “stretching” the pouch, as carbonation expands. Personally I don’t buy that, since the pouch is not a closed system and gas can be belched up to relieve pressure. I would be more concerned about the high acid content and the possibility of that damaging the lining of the stomach. Regardless, some docs say “okay”, some say “never”, some say “as tolerated”. And regardless of what their docs say, some people indulge in carbonation. Some find they are unable to handle carbonation, as it is just too uncomfortable. Others have no problems with it, and still others will make some effort to eliminate at least some of the carbonation before drinking the beverage, either by letting it go flat naturally, or helping it along somewhat by stirring, shaking, etc. 12. NO NSAIDS!!!! These types of medications can cause ulcerations in non-banded patients, so are particularly dangerous for banded patients where the medication in pill form has a chance to be caught in the upper pouch or stoma and lay against the stomach wall, burning a hole in the lining of your stomach and possibly increasing your risk of erosion. Also, it's not just the physical presence of the pill in the stomach that is problematic. There's something about the way the drug works in our bodies that causes increased susceptibility to ulcers and bleeding. Liquid Tylenol is generally recommended as an aspirin substitute, but always check with your doc before taking any medications. ALWAYS check with your band doctor before taking any kind of medication. Many band docs will closely monitor those patients that must take NSAIDs for whatever reasons. http://lyberty.com/encyc/articles/nsaid.html NSAIDs : non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Aspirin (Anacin, Ascriptin, Bayer, Bufferin, Ecotrin, Excedrin) Choline and magnesium salicylates (CMT, Tricosal, Trilisate) Choline salicylate (Arthropan) Celecoxib (Celebrex) Diclofenac potassium (Cataflam) Diclofenac sodium (Voltaren, Voltaren XR) Diclofenac sodium with misoprostol (Arthrotec) Diflunisal (Dolobid) Etodolac (Lodine, Lodine XL) Fenoprofen Calcium (Nalfon) Flurbiprofen (Ansaid) Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Motrin IB, Nuprin) Indomethacin (Indocin, Indocin SR) Ketoprofen (Actron, Orudis, Orudis KT, Oruvail) Magnesium salicylate (Arthritab, Bayer Select, Doan's pills, Magan, Mobidin, Mobogesic) Meclofenamate sodium (Meclomen) Mefenamic acid (Ponstel) Meloxicam (Mobic) Nabumetone (Relafen) Naproxen (Naprosyn, Naprelan*) Naproxen sodium (Aleve, Anaprox) Oxaprozin (Daypro) Piroxicam (Feldene) Rofecoxib (Vioxx) Salsalate (Amigesic, Anaflex 750, Disalcid, Marthritic, Mono-Gesic, Salflex, Salsitab) Sodium salicylate (various generics) Sulindac (Clinoril) Tolmetin sodium (Tolectin) Valdecoxib (Bextra)<O:p></O:p> Note: Some products, such as Excedrin, are combination drugs (Excedrin is acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine).<O:p></O:p> Note that acetaminophen (Paracetamol; Tylenol) is not on this list. Acetaminophen belongs to a class of drugs called analgesics (pain relievers) and antipyretics (fever reducers). The exact mechanism of action of acetaminophen is not known. Acetaminophen relieves pain by elevating the pain threshold, that is, by requiring a greater amount of pain to develop before it is felt by a person. It reduces fever through its action on the heat-regulating center of the brain. Specifically, it tells the center to lower the body's temperature when the temperature is elevated. Acetaminophen relieves pain in mild arthritis but has no effect on the underlying inflammation, redness and swelling of the joint. Paracetamol, unlike other common analgesics such as aspirin and ibuprofen, has no anti-inflammatory properties, and so it is not a member of the class of drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. <O:p * Naproxen Sodium " Naprelan contains naproxen sodium, a member of the arylacetic acid group of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)" "The chemical name for naproxen sodium is 2-naphthaleneacetic acid, 6-methoxy-a-methyl-sodium salt, (S)." 13. Be extremely careful of food/products that expand with water. Rice, Pasta, potatoes and bread are the most common food items that people have problems with. These food items either swell in liquids and/or tend to combine in the pouch into large, globby, sticky balls that are too large to pass through the stoma, which results in the “stuck”/“golfball” feeling, and/or vomiting until the offending piece is expelled. Eating these foods in combination with other, less sticky foods can often help reduce the incidence of problems. Fiber products, such as Metamucil and psyllium husks SWELL in water to many times their dry volume. VERY, VERY dangerous if this swelling takes place in the pouch. If you need to add fiber to your diet, try a non-bulking agent such as Benefibre. If you do taking a bulking agent such as Metamucil/psyllium husks, be sure to wash it through with lots and lots of water so that it will bulk in your lower stomach, not your pouch. 14. Avoid Vomiting/PBing (productive burping) at ALL Costs. Vomiting/PBing is the NUMBER ONE CAUSE of slippage. In addition to being the number one cause of slippage, vomiting/PBing usually results in (and/or from) an irritated stoma/pouch, which causes swelling. Continuing to eat after a vomiting/PBing episode is likely to increase your chances of repeating the episode, and people can be caught in a vicious cycle where they eventually will have to get an unfill to allow the stoma/pouch/esophagus to heal. The best ways to avoid vomiting/PBing: a) CHEW CHEW CHEW SLOW DOWN your eating c) Avoid overly dry foods. Help lubricate dry foods with gravy/sauces. d) Avoid/be extremely careful with foods that swell/recombine in the pouch, such as rice, pasta, potatoes and bread. Take extra care to consume these items slowly, and chew them very well. e) Avoid/be extremely careful with foods that do not breakdown well even with chewing, such as hardboiled eggs and rubbery foods like calamari. The “After the Vomiting/PBing” Rules: a) Stop eating immediately Do liquids only until the next meal. c) If you still have problems at the next meal, do 24 hours of liquids before trying solids again. d) If after 24 hours of only liquids you still have problems, you should probably make an appointment with your band doctor, and stay on liquids until you can be seen by them. e) If you are unable to tolerate even liquids after 24 hours you MUST see your doctor right away. Dehydration is a very serious risk. 15. Don’t Cut/Crush Pills without Doctor Approval. You shouldn’t have to break/cut/crush your medications as a general rule, but people on the tight side, or those who must take very large pills oftentimes will have problems. NEVER break/cut/crush a medication without checking with the prescribing doctor first. Some medications are meant only to be taken in whole form, and it can be dangerous to take them cut or crushed. Time-released formulas are a good example – cutting/crushing a time-released pill means you would get too much of the medication too quickly. 16. Get a prescription for an anti-nausea medication and keep it on hand. Phenergren is one of the common medicines for this, and comes in oral and suppository forms. If you have a tendency towards motion-sickness, make sure you take Dramamine or the equivalent BEFORE the motion-sickness activity – I believe 30 minutes is the suggested timeframe. Read the instructions and plan ahead.<O:p 17. Don’t Skip Meals. Eating regularly helps keep your blood sugar stable, and helps keep you from being too hungry at the next meal and then eating too fast or too much.<O:p 18. Exercise. Exercise is always an important part of a healthy lifestyle, and will help keep your metabolism revved and your goals on track. Exercise also increases muscle mass, which takes up less room than fat mass of the same weight. So even if the scale isn’t moving downwards, you’re losing inches – plus, muscle is what burns fat, so the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism. This is why men generally tend to drop weight more quickly than women – they generally have more muscle mass, so their metabolisms are faster. <O:p 19. AFTERCARE. FOLLOW-UP, FOLLOW-UP, FOLLOW-UP. Regular follow-up with a band doctor will help ensure your success and band health, and keep problems to a minimum or nip them in the bud. If your banding doctor is far away, make sure you line up an aftercare doc BEFORE you get banded. This cannot be stressed enough.<O:p 20. Be your own best advocate. Learn everything you can about being banded, and the common warning signs of trouble. TRUST YOUR GUT. If something doesn’t feel right, CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR. Sometimes relatively minor problems can escalate into major problems because of delay in diagnosis/care.<O:p 21. Find and participate in some sort of support group. Most people are more successful when they have a support group. Plus it's lots of fun, and you learn a lot about being banded, and life in general. 22. Do not lay down sooner than 2-3 hours after eating. Laying down with a full pouch can cause reflux. 23. Do not leave reflux untreated. Reflux is a symptom that something is wrong – you are either too tight, are eating too close to bedtime, or are suffering from an esophageal problem. Unfortunately, reflux is the bain of many long time bandsters. If you are already following the guidelines for reducing reflux then you need to see your doc for prescription antacid medication. It is critical that you do NOT leave this untreated, as stomach acid in the wrong places can cause severe damage, and create pre-cancerous conditions.<O:p</O:p "ACID REFLUX CAN KILL YOU. YOU CAN ASPIRATE STOMACH ACID, GET REALLY BAD PNEUMONIA AND DIE." - GeezerSue<O:p</O:p The only solutions I know of are modification of diet/habits, medication, reduction/removal of fills, band removal (worst case scenario).<O:p</O:p You may find that something specific you are eating/drinking is contributing to this problem. If you're not interested in having a little fill removed, you may try eliminating these things from your diet for a while, and see if that makes a difference: 1. acidic juices/fruits, like citrus 2. caffeine - coffee, tea, chocolate 3. spicy foods Guidelines for reducing/avoiding reflux (in order of least to most aggressive):<O:p</O:p 1. Do not over eat. 2. Avoid acid producing foods/drinks, like caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate), peppermint, citrus fruits/juice, spicy food. 3. Do not lie down sooner than three hours after eating.<O:p</O:p 4. Do not eat or drink 3 hours before bedtime.<O:p</O:p 5. Switch evening medications to morning if okay with your doctor.<O:p 6. Take an OTC med to control reflux.<O:p 7. Elevate the head of the bed (helps keep the esophagus above the stomach so there's no backflow). 8. Have your doc prescribe anti-reflux medication.<O:p 9. Get a slight or complete unfill.<O:p If these things do not help you, you must seek the care of your physician for additional help. 24. After the fill protocol. Most docs recommend doing only liquids for a day or two after a fill to allow the stomach to adjust to the new restriction and allow any residual swelling to go down. Also is a cautious way for you to test out your new fill level.

Hi guys! This forum has been wonderful and provided me with so many answers, but I have a new question that I can't find any info on... I was banded a week ago tomorrow, and have been drinking lots of fluids. At normal meal times I tend to have a bigish glass of diluted apple juice and a small cup of broth (yumm:tired). I feel nice and full afterward, but it just occured to me that I may be stretching out my pouch with so much Fluid at once. I just went and measured, and I'm drinking about 2c of juice, and 1c of broth. That's 3 cups and my pouch is only supposed to hold 1.5 cups! Anyone have any thoughts? Think I've done any permanent damage?

When I did synvisc it was 3 injections, but the hyalgen was 5. I did synvisc 2 times and finished my 2nd round of hyalgen the week after my surgery. I found a pain management group that do the injections under sedation and they use a dye injection to make sure it gets 100% into the joint. It has really helped. I have also tried pain patches, they make one that is called lidoderm and it is non narcotic. I used them for 6 weeks while I waited to have the hyalgen approved and they really helped with the pain. Maybe there is an alternative to the celebrex? ~Mandy

I am post lapband 3 weeks now with Dr Wright at the Nix and have gained 2 lbs since banding. Eating right, no problems with eating foods. Getting 600-700 calories a day and climbing. But no weight loss. Cannot fit into my close anymore due to stomach.

Hey Cagstorm- You getting any sleep? How's the new baby and your wife? Hope all is well. Now, I can't update my signature because the batteries died in my scale and I and my hubby keep forgetting to get batteries. It is really killing me to know. We did get them today so tomorrow morning I will update. Things have been slowing down for me and I am getting a little more hungry than I had been; so I guess it is time for a fill. I am scheduled for 1/3/08 so I hope that I can do well until then. My goal is to lose another 5lbs by New Years Day. I hope that I can do it because this will be a very big milestone for me. Under 300 for the first time since my 3rd son being born so about 10 years or so. I have three boys 14, 13 & 10 so you are well on your way to keeping up with me with regard to boys. Funny thing is none of them plays football. They decided that they like the Patriots so much that they did not want to miss the games on Sundays if they played. They are baseball players. I have got to admit that I do not care for baseball as much as football. Congratulations on the Cowboys 11 player Pro-Bowl picks! The Pats had about 5 or so. My boy Brady, Moss, Mankins, Vrabel, Wilfork & Light. What happened to your boys on Sunday? Cindy (aka Hollie) PS: Hollyberries is the name of the Country Store that my husband and I own in MA.

Hi Anni, I haven't updated for a while. I see Dr. Monk (same practice). I've lost 75 pounds since surgery in August 2009. Actually lost those 75 by May of this year. Then I started having issues with being too tight -- coughing at night when I laid down, losing 2 or 3 pounds a week because I couldn't even keep Water down. Dr. Monk took out 3 ccs and has only put 1/2 back so far. I think I need a little more because I haven't lost any thing since the partial unfill. I'm well past the dr's goal - 45 pounds in 3 years. I wanted to get to lose 88 pounds, but I'm thinking I am just fine at 75. I'm healthy - went off all meds within 2 weeks of the surgery - and loving life. Good luck. Brenda

Spend this time telling yourself you are worth doing this. Write down the reasons why you are doing this. Realize you are probably getting better nutrition RIGHT NOW, with this pre-op diet than you got in the last several months. You are not starving to death, you are not going to be malnourished, you are doing the best thing for your heart, body, mind and soul. Use this time wisely. Learn to sip your Water, clean out your closets. Start looking for smaller clothes and getting your clothes that may already be too large into bins. Go get your Gas-X, your after surgery Vitamins (ie Optisource or whatever). Start walking more. Remember liquid in and liquid out, and be careful if you get gas, to get to the bathroom, because after a few days, you may think you need to fart and there's water in there. The words never trust a fart take on new meaning. Stay busy. Think of the next month or two as just a small obstacle to having a whole new, better life. Remember the sleeve is only a tool. Don't go into the surgery thinking the sleeve does all the work. It's UP TO YOU, to work the sleeve. Now is the time to dig deep and be proud of what you are doing. If you can make it through this next two weeks, it will make it easier to get through the following month, which then opens up the rest of your life to a new and healthier you. Believe you are worth this next two weeks and you will do it. Day 3 & 4 are always the hardest. After that it's all downhill. If anything stay positive, smile, and the happier and more motivated you go into this surgery, the happier and more motivated you will come out of surgery. I believe in myself so I didn't cheat, I went into this with full knowledge that I was going to put 100% into it. Believe in yourself.

My surgeon says NO Snacks.... Not never, not no how..... Well, I'm usually pretty good with that. I don't snack mid morning or mid afternoon. BUT..... I go to Water aerobics three times a week. I get home around 7:30 and I'm RAVENOUS. Something about working out in the water makes me exceptionally hungry. I can't wait an hour before dinner is ready, and that's my weak time. I hit the chips and crackers. I've discussed it with my surgeon, and he has now allowed me to eat a light snack BEFORE working out on my aerobics days. The only things he allows are a dozen almonds, a piece of LF string cheese, a slice of turkey lunchmeat or a tablespoon of Peanut Butter. Those are my choices. I've tried it a few times and it does hold me off. He's also told me I should be eating dinner earlier. That won't happen. It's either 8:30 at night, or not at all. I'm not going to get up at 4:00 am to exercise in the morning. They don't even have water aerobics at that hour. right now.... I'm doing the best I can.

i think most strict programs say no Snacks, but it's my body and i do what i want--as long as it's food that won't hurt my band. I do, however, notice i lose less when i snack (i'm in a snack mode the last week or two). i bought a few different kinds of 100 cal. packs and i will never...do that again (ok well i'll try not too, hehe). See, i eat them because i like the taste of them..not because i'm hungry. i stayed the same last week because i had 2 snacks a day...these 100 cal things..ugh. i need to cut it out!! so my answer is use your judgement. you know what is right and wrong..and what is overeating and what is not. ya know? some weeks you may need it...others you may not.

Thanks!! Good Luck on your surgery!! This has been the BEST thing I have ever done for myself!! In one week I've lost 8.9 lbs!! This would never have been possible with out the help of the Lap Band!

I spent the day at home ironing watching Oprah....then I got dinner all prepared before going out for a ride, home to cook , cleaned up and watched Survivor...feeling tired now so am heading to bed to catch some zz`s I hope everyone is having a good week, I am glad its Hump day (Wednesday Middle of the week) for me tomorrow. We have got a busy weekend and the following week ahead of us , with distributors comeing downunder for a week of meetings we will be putting on a BBQ Sunday for some that arriving on Saturday (2 from USA, 1 from Denmark, and 2 from the U.K ) we have 2 coming from N.Z mid week for just a few days too , so it will be dinner out a couple of times as well.. I am going to be very tired at the end of it all...:thumbup: My daughter will be leaving for London at the end of the month also :thumbup: I will miss her , but by the time she comes home I hope there will be less of me for her to see...:w00t: Good night all...Wishing you all the Best with your new way of life , I am coping well no major problems ..fingers crossed it stays that way... Nite..:glare:

I have tore my port away from the muscle 3 times. I've had two revisions to sew it back in place and needing a third just cant afford it. Pretty painful for a few weeks. With you child this will be hard but avoid any unnecessary bending!

I am coming up on my year in 01-21-10 and I have lost 80lbs i want to be at 100lbs by my anniversary date...on the other hand i have benn eating like crazy and not working out like I should.. i am going to start back working out Wednesday of this week and really watch what i have been eating. I tried to get a fill in october but it did not work they had to take it out i could not swallow or eat anything the band was just to tight so i figure i will get another fill in january that should help my appettite....