Hi everyone! I am so excited to have found this app! The info on here is great! I am 25 yrs old, have struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember and I'm excited to be making a change! My surgery is scheduled may 4th so about 3 weeks away. I had a couple questions though:

1). How do you avoid this painful burping I keep hearing about? Us it from the food you eat or how fast you eat?

2) do I really have to give up drinking from a straw? Putting my mouth in a cup kinda grosses me out

3). I have heard about how people gain back the weight, but don't understand how that happens? I thought the band was supposed to restrict u from eating too much? If you start to gain you would need to get another fill to fix that right?

Thanks for your help! Looking forward to the journey

For burps...I stocked up on Cinnamon GasX strips for after surgery. It helps. Do not eat or drink too fast. Sometimes it is due to your band being too tight. But after surgery, it is because of the gas and surgery.

Little helpful hint. I survived on Crystal Light Lemonade poured over Sonic Ice. I would chew on the ice. And GasX. But you will belch, I do, a lot. Just let it out. LOL.

My doctor said that I could still use a straw. I just bite on my straw while I am sipping, keeps me from drinking too much too fast. Either that or I drink out of Water bottles.

Some people find ways to still eat. Or they do not keep a good restriction.

I have awsome restriction. However, we went on vacation. The travel food of choice in our van was funyuns. They desolve. I could not refuse them after sitting in that van for hours. Then Easter came along and so did the chocolate. I have kids...

Just stay away from the BAD foods. Do not push yourself to try and eat things you know should not. Like if everyone around you is eating pizza. If you want it, just pick at the toppings. Do not eat the crust. Trust me.

Over the past few months I have not lost anything. I have been up a pound then down a pound. Because I have been grazing.

That is another thing. Dont graze. I have found that Listerene strips are great for killing cravings.

Hope this helps. Good luck to you.

1. I never had any kind of burping or gas pains after surgery, so i can't speak to this

2. It's been almost a year for me and I DO drink from straws. I haven't had any fills, so that may be the reason it's not an issue for me, but I drink relatively fast and using straws and have never had a problem.

3. you CAN eat around the band, eat the wrong foods. if you eat slowly enough, you can eat almost anything. The band isn't a magic wand that makes you stop eating. It will help with the head hunger eventually (at least it has for me) and you won't be able to take big huge bites of anything without chewing it for ages and ages, but you can still eat foods that are high in calories or with poor nutrition. see the post above regarding chocolate. There are slider foods that melt/disolve/ go down easily and they aren't always the best choice.

stick to Protein first, then veggies, then if you have to have it carbs or sweets...in that order...and you will be ok.

allow yourself to "cheat" every once in a while and not feel guilty, but do your best to stay on track and you will have more success. good luck to you.

1. Take small bites, eat slowly and chew, chew chew!!

2. I've been drinking from a straw since day of surgery and haven't encountered a single problem

3. It's easy to "eat around the band". If you eat sliders, such as ice cream, for example, the band is useless. If you drink while eating, the band is pretty useless. Worst of all, it's pretty easy to "graze" while banded. Also, if you fail to maintain your band it's pretty useless.

burping. take gasx and walk. It is not from the food at all. It is from the surgery and the way they put gas inside so that they can see inside you.

I use a straw when i drink water from a LARGE cup. I guess bending the straw would be a good idea..

The lapband is really only a tool. Before it gives restriction, you will have at least 4-6 fills. During the time you do not have restriction. You will have to want to lose the weight and follow the rule given to you. Measuring your food, eating slowly, chewing it like crazy. Not drinking with meals and not drinking right after a meal will be part of the rules to follow.

After having the surgery I see no reason to want or even think about eating around the band. Winners with the band do not do that. They want to lose the weight so they follow the rules. For me I abstained from the wrong foods and that is why I am a successful person. I am a winner. i walk 3 miles a day and do water aerobics. I am 64 years olf and lost slowly. but I got there~89 lbs gone.

How do they gain weight? They eat the wrong foods, don't have regular check ups and fills at their apts. They do not really want to be thin and healthy. They do not exercise. I do not want to continue saying these things. It is not progresive and I kow you really want to be progressive. right? I will be pleased to help you if your request. Ilene lizybird@aol.com