Frustrated... Having a Hard Time w/ So Many Things

[ChelseaRae2011 0]

Hi everyone!

I was banded on July 28, 2011 by Dr. Arturo Rodriguez in Monterrey, MX. I new I was taking a huge gamble going to Mexico, but I didn't have health insurance and could never afford to do the surgery for myself....so when my mom suggested we go to Mexico together and she will pay... I was all for it.

Needless to say, I don't have a nutritionist or a lot of support here... I just got health insurance and so I think they will be setting me up with their nutritionist now. Anyway - I have huge issues with a ton of things that I have been experiencing and just need some advice, maybe some encouragement, etc.

#1 - Drinking while eating - I can't stop! I have tried, but it's impossible... well that might be a little dramatic, but I just don't have the self control. I have always been a HUGE drinker during meals.

#2 - I am at the point where there is not much restriction anymore... I can eat just about anything and I am worried that because my appetite is basically back to normal I am stretching my pouch or something. I don't want to destroy my surgery... but have about 3 weeks till I get a fill.

#3 - I crave a Diet Pepsi... will I NEVER be able to drink it again? How about Beer.... ? I have never drank Beer before, but lately I have been craving one so bad! Or what about carbonated drinks that are necessarily Pop? Like an italian soda or carbonated Water?

I just feel so limited now... and the weightloss is as dramatic as I thought it was going to be... so I am just majorly discouraged. I know this is why they make you jump through so many hoops in the states... so that you are well informed, unfortunately I am not.

Thanks for your help in advance.

[elcee 3,343]

When I was a kid my Mum used to tell me there is no such word as can't.

Think about it.

Why can't you stop drinking during meals? Not because you can't but because you don't want to. Put your mind to it and you will discover it's not that hard really. Have a drink before your meal - wait 5 min or so and then eat but don't drink whilst you are eating and for at least 30min afterwards but preferably longer. Your drinking during a meal is simply an engrained habit and habits can be broken. If you have a drink prior to eating then you are not going to be thirsty.There are conflicting opinions on drinking with meals even without WLS. Some people believe it aids digestion whilst others believe that it hinders it because it dilutes the digestive juices. What is known is that after WLS drinking with meals can affect the level of fullness. Imagine how annoyed with yourself you would feel if after spending so much money the thing stopping you from losing weight was a refusal to give up drinking whilst eating.

Watch this , it's quite interesting.

With a band a lot of people can eat anything - I certainly can. Restriction is not about limiting the foods that you can eat. It is about eating a smaller portion of food and then being satisfied /not hungry for approx 3 hours afterwards. It is not about feeling full or only being able to eat 3 bites of food or anything like that. Once you start getting fills you should find that achieving this is a lot easier.

There are lots of different opinions on carbonated drinks. You may find that in the future you can tolerate them and your Dr allows them but that is the future.

Stick to the rules. remember the band is a tool that you have to utilise it is not a magic wand that does it all for you and you will be successful.

[TKW 501]

#1 - quit drinking with your meals. you're washing the food through faster so you are not getting full and quitting eating.

#2 - you can eat anything because you are washing it through by drinking. Stop drinking with your meals. Restriction takes time, I had some restriction from the start, but not true, can only eat 1 cup of food restriction until 1 year after surgery, I still lost over 100 pounds during the first year. I maybe ate more than I should have at times but I made healthy choices. (and I never drink with my meal) Restiction will come, it takes patience. You would really have to stuff yourself repeatedly to stretch your pouch. If you do not have great restriction yet, the likely hood of stretching your pouch I would think would be minimal.

#3 - This one is up in the air. Some people are told they can drink soda, some are told they can not. I think if you have an occasional soda it is not a big deal. I rarely drink it but I have drank it. It really fills me up. Whether or not it can stretch your pouch is up for debate. You get used to it. I used to drink a lot of soda, never miss it or crave it anymore.

You have a great MOM! How is she doing? Use your common sence, make good choices and exercise. Exercise really make a huge difference.

You can do this, just don't sabotage yourself. make good choices and get some exercise and QUIT drinking with your meals.

[SageTracey 608]

Hi Chelsea. I'm sorry you are feeling frustrated but please remember that it is still early days for you. There is lots of great informational this forum so be sure to do lots of reading and ask lots of questions here- my personal philosophy on questions is that the only dumb question is the one you don't ask. And it sounds like you have your mom to share this journey with so why don't you encourage each other and work together? Best wishes.

[cheryl2586 3,053]

I dont drink with my meals however I do not agree with his video the food only stays in the pouch for less than a minute so that is so wrong of him to suggest that it stays for hours because it does not. Drinking with meals is however washing your food down. Just dont do it. If you cant stop drinking with your meals then you cant stop all the other things either. I dont think giving up liquids for 30 minutes is leaving you limitless

[Kimmypoo38 5]

You have to stick with the Lapband rules or it will fail in your weightloss journey. You can STOP drinking with your meals, if you make a concious effort to try. Don't put liquids on the table while you eat. You have to try because saying you can't do it is a cop out. Increase your Protein intake, exercise and stop drinking with meals will help you loose weight. If you don't master this then the band will not work. I really wish I could say something else that could help you on your journey but you have to go back to the basics.

[B-52 7,113]

As far as drinking with meals, I respond to it differently than what other people describe. Most people say it will wash the food through the band. With me it's the opposite.

I have a good amount of restriction. When I swallow, the food takes a certain amount of time to pass through the band, making me feel full and satisfied faster, and forcing me to eat small quantities at a sitting. (pouch?) I could eat a entire pizza if I wanted to, but it would take me all day eating very slow.

Anyway, I cannot drink with my meals, because with the food slowly passing through the band, the liquid has nowhere to go. I have had episodes where it came right back up, as opposed to washing everything down. So I can't drink while eating! Period.

The food does sit in my pouch for a while.

Have to wait 20 minutes after a meal before I can drink, if I feel I need to.

Can't help you with Pepsi or Coke, gave up those type of soft drinks years ago.

Why can't you drink beer???? I'm not a big drinker, but I do have a beer or 2, (or 3 or 4) say at a ball game or out on the boat, etc. Just can't drink it fast, and can't drink with any food.

Only thing You have to watch is the carbs.

[54Shirley 105]

I first think about my calorie intake for the day, shooting for 800-1200 calorie window, with 60 to 80 G. of Protein

So then I figure out my meals.

I drink with every meal that I have. It's to painful to try to eat by itself. So I eat some, and drink some, so I don't get stuck.

I checked this with my Surgeon, and like he said I am to sensitive ! So if this works, then do it...

I eat 3 meals a day, that way.. and a snack ? Well if its wet like light yogurt, I can do it without Water.

Even mushies would get stuck for me, and you bet I chew it up well ! So I drink some Water.< /p>

As long as I stay within that window for my calorie intake,,, I'm fine..

Pop is not a good thing because it's carbonated. I drank a glass of ROOT BEER one summer, and I thought it was going

to kill me... Could be me though ! But I know he said no pop, alcohol, or chewing gum (could slip down, and get stuck.)

So I am a Cheap Date... LOL..

Hope that answers some stuff, that's how the band works for me, and I am very comfterable with it.

Shirley.

[healthychange 1]

You can do this! But - you have to follow the rules. Stop drinking with meals. Limit yourself to 1,200 calories a day and make sure you get 60 grams of Protein in those 1,200 calories. If you plan your meals and then eat them slowly and carefully, you will get full on less food.

You don't have to be perfect all the time, but if most of the time you do well, overall you will do well.

Good luck - and stick with it! It will be worth it!

[elcee 3,343]

the food only stays in the pouch for less than a minute

This is not a proven fact. This is merely a theory espoused by a handful of Dr's. Yes it is now believed that the food passes through a lot quicker than originally thought but it certainly doesn't only take a minute. Even Allergan do not know how long it takes but they still state that the food is emptied slowly from the upper pouch into the lower one. The reason I know this is because I asked them the question and they called me, we had a long conversation and they could not give me an accurate answer.

There are a number of factors at play - stimulation of the vagus nerve, slower emptying of the pouch and also it is now believed that the food "bounces" 3 or 4 times before passing through. However the funnel comparison is still a good one. Whilst the first bite may pass though in a minute or so the rest of the food will start accumulating on top and it will go through slower. Think about it - if all the food went through in a minute you wouldn't ever PB . Also when you have been eating and then you take a bite that gets stuck it is not only the food that was stuck that you regurgitate it is generally also the food that would have been sitting in the pouch that gets regurgitated too.

The difference between regurgitation and vomiting for those who are unsure

Regurgitation is food from above the stoma, it is not digested or mixed with stomach acids/bile and looks (and tastes ) the same as when it went down.

Vomiting is from below the stoma. The food is partially digested and is mixed with stomach acids/bile. It tastes awful and vomiting is a horrible experience.

Sorry if the description is gross but a diferentiation needs to be made.

[springtime2992 0]

When I was a kid my Mum used to tell me there is no such word as can't.

Thank you for that information, I got my band in 3 wks ago in Belgium, I live in Ireland. I am trying to follow everything I was told, but there are times when its hard. I just hope after my first fill, I won't feel so hungry,

thanks Spring

Think about it.

Why can't you stop drinking during meals? Not because you can't but because you don't want to. Put your mind to it and you will discover it's not that hard really. Have a drink before your meal - wait 5 min or so and then eat but don't drink whilst you are eating and for at least 30min afterwards but preferably longer. Your drinking during a meal is simply an engrained habit and habits can be broken. If you have a drink prior to eating then you are not going to be thirsty.There are conflicting opinions on drinking with meals even without WLS. Some people believe it aids digestion whilst others believe that it hinders it because it dilutes the digestive juices. What is known is that after WLS drinking with meals can affect the level of fullness. Imagine how annoyed with yourself you would feel if after spending so much money the thing stopping you from losing weight was a refusal to give up drinking whilst eating.

Watch this , it's quite interesting.

With a band a lot of people can eat anything - I certainly can. Restriction is not about limiting the foods that you can eat. It is about eating a smaller portion of food and then being satisfied /not hungry for approx 3 hours afterwards. It is not about feeling full or only being able to eat 3 bites of food or anything like that. Once you start getting fills you should find that achieving this is a lot easier.

There are lots of different opinions on carbonated drinks. You may find that in the future you can tolerate them and your Dr allows them but that is the future.

Stick to the rules. remember the band is a tool that you have to utilise it is not a magic wand that does it all for you and you will be successful.

[Thee-O 15]

Chelsea,

Time to get your head right. I was the same as you regarding drinking with meals. But, I understood, there are rules to this lifestyle change and yes, this is a lifestyle change. If you want it to work for you, then you have to make the mental changes that is required to do it. Getting surgery for your obesity means changing the things in your life that helped you be unhealthy.

Beer? You shouldn't be drinking your calories if you can avoid it and Beer is nothing but liquid carbs.

The band can only do so much for your weight loss. It can't change your habits. ONLY YOU can do that. The quick you start to change them the sooner those good habits take over. You can do. Each day is your day to seize Chelsea.

Getting surgery was a big step, but the rest of the path rests on your shoulders. You can do it. But you have to want to do it.