I got the lap band in April of 2011 and was able to lose over 60lbs. Since I got married in August I started to slip with eating habits when I enjoyed myself on my honeymoon. I then started a very stressful internship in the fall with a hospice agency. I have very little time between school, work, internship, and my marriage and find that I stopped planing meals, stopped exercising, and started stress eating. Since my honeymoon I put about 20lbs back on. I am so ashamed of this but I want to put a stop to it before things get even more out of control. I am worried that I have stretched my band and my pouch. Is it possible for your band to stretch if you over eat for a while? If so how is this issue resolved? What happens to the band and the liquid inside it when you over eat?

I have started the 5 day pouch test (diet of 2 days liquid and gradually back to solids) to help tighten up my Pouch. I heard this helps WLS patients get back some feeling of restriction. I have also made an appointment to see my surgeon on Monday and hope I can get some help with this. I have also went grocery shopping and made sure to stock up on healthier food to get back on track. I plan to start up with the gym again 1 day a week. I know it's a small start but at least it's something. I started taking B12 because I feel tired all the time so hopefully this will help me get back to exercise.

Can anyone answer these questions Or has anyone been in a similar situation?

You can't stretch your band or tighten your stoma. You can stretch your pouch and esophagus if you overeat. The 5 day pouch test will help you to get back on track, determine if you need a fill...

It's great that you take responsibility for your regain and are getting back on track! Congrats on your marriage!

Thanks!

I have a 7ml band fitted 3 years ago. I lost 4stone in the first year, then nothing. I have 4.5ml in the band. And have suffered from pains and swollen upper tummy. Also I know I have scarring to the windpipe and esophagus before the band was fitted. I have had xrays and ct scans but they cannot find the trouble. What would the problems/symptons be if I have stretched my pouch and esophagus?

Dilation of your pouch would be very painful for me and I would imagine most of us. It would mean that I'm pushing myself beyond being stuck and sliming. There are some whose pouch and esophogus seem to not have the nerve endings that give them the pain that should be associated with stretching that would take place?

Being able to eat a lot of food does not equate to having a stretched or dilated pouch. It usually means you need a few fills and that your pouch(stomach) has become more efficient at pushing food through the stoma.

And usually when we bandsters overeat, we eat around the band with slider type foods that shouldn't have any effect on the pouch. jmo

Dilation of your pouch would be very painful for me and I would imagine most of us. It would mean that I'm pushing myself beyond being stuck and sliming. There are some whose pouch and esophogus seem to not have the nerve endings that give them the pain that should be associated with stretching that would take place?

Being able to eat a lot of food does not equate to having a stretched or dilated pouch. It usually means you need a few fills and that your pouch(stomach) has become more efficient at pushing food through the stoma.

And usually when we bandsters overeat, we eat around the band with slider type foods that shouldn't have any effect on the pouch. jmo

Thank you for your response. I haven't experienced sliming or being stuck from over eating. I have only had brief moments of getting stuck if I take too big of a bite of food or forget to chew well. I have eaten slider foods so I assume you are correct. I was just concerned that if over eating stretched anything that I would need surgery to correct it. I am relieved that this issue may be resolved with fills and eating better/less.

Just an update: today I'm on day 3 of the 5 day pouch test. I have completed 2 days of liquids and will have soft food today. I have lost 5lbs! It feels good to be movin forward again.

About 4 mths ago, I also tried the 5 day pouch test. For some reason, it didn't work for me. I've also gained 24 lbs since getting married last year, btw! My husband has gained 20 also. Blames me for "force feeding him carbs"! I hear that most people gain weight the first year of a new marriage. I guess we're so blissful that we forget to eat right! I've lost about 12 of those 24 lbs over the past couple months (on Atkins, something I swore I'd never do).

Good luck with the pouch test. I don't think I have an enlarged pouch, I have a minor slip tho so it doesn't really help for that! LOL. Congrats on your marriage also!

Didn't leave much advice! Just wanted you to know that you're not alone!

Marci

Marci, thank you so much for sharing. It is helpful know that there others dealing with this issue. I have lost a few pounds from the pouch test and hope that I will be able to keep it off and progress after the pouch test is over.

That is awesome that you were able to lose 12 out of the 24 you gained...keep up the good work! I was lol when you said your hubby claims the you force fed him carbs haha.

I can always tell when my pouch is stretched more than usual by the portions sizes I am able to eat.....I don't measure, weigh, just let the band dictate the sizes...(Green Zone) when I realize I am eating a little more than usual, I will go on a few days of liquids to let things settle down, and the pouch return to it's normal size.....

I do this at least once a month.....

Matter of fact, if I don't "Tighten Up" today, I'm gonna have to go liquids starting Sunday.....(dam March Madness get together s)

Talked it over with my Dr. and he agreed it is a good thing to do as maintenance.....when people come in with pouch dilation, he Rx's full Liquids...and if they cannot comply, which is why they have a severe dilation in the first place, then he will do a complete un-fill.....just to give the pouch a rest.....

The pouch and stomach are still the same characteristics, and boy did I ever have a large dilated stomach....BEER BELLY.....but from giving that a rest from eating so little, it has shrunk also!!! Which BTW, makes it impossible to fall victim to the so called slider foods.....