Hello everyone,

this is the first time for me to post on this board i am kind of shy actually i hesitated a lot and i actually sent a private message to one of the members here asking for help, but seems she is too busy.

so i decided to come straight to you here..

I was banded on April 2005, So far i lost 95 pounds, I have been suffering with the last 10 pounds, I suceeded to hit 105 pounds loss but i always regain those 10 pounds.I though of getting my first fill, and i had it 3 days ago,cause i realized that this is enough i have to do something.. I got 1 cm filling,Uwont believe wht i have done after my first filling!!

First of let me tell u that the doctor didnt recommend going on 2 days with liquids he told me i can eat normally.. silly me ordered Pasta and fried food!!! and kept eating it along with the chocolate cake all day!!! I couldnt finish the order on one sitting ofcourse!.. I felt restriction and everything but i kept drinking Water so i can eat more..

I know there is nothing wrong with my operation , but is what i did yesterday reuin it?.. I hope not!!

am slow on losing weight so any recommendation?

Did i screw my operation?, What can i do to feel the kind of restriction i used to feel when i first had the operation .. i know the evil water thing is screwing it for me.

I need ur help and support, I know no one here who have done it.

Thanks a lot

I felt bad that you have not had any replies. I don't have any answers for you as I only had my surgery less than a week ago, but I did have a question. Your surgery was last April and you are just now getting your first fill in December? Did I comprehend you correctly?

Hey Gabi!!!

First of all, congratulations on your remarkable weight loss!! YOu should be very proud of yourself, you are doing awesome.

Secondly, you HAVE to get out of the habit of drinking to try and eat more. You MUST stop doing this, or you will run the risk of a band slippage or Esophagal Dilation/pouch dilation which is what I have. I have been banded almost 3 years and have been drinking with my meals to try and eat more food for at least 2 of those years. My esophagus problems were caused partially by this and partially by a too tight band. Thankfully I don't have any slippage problems but I put that down to pure luck.

I have cheated alot with my band, and I am now paying the consequences. Please try to change what you are doing so you don't end up with the same problems I am having. I will never cheat again - this has been a wake up call.

Hope this advice helps. If you are worried, you should see your doctor. Good luck with your journey

yes I agree,

You've done wonderful with your weight loss. I know it can be aggravating with those last few pounds I've heard lots of people say so, but so far I'm not that lucky yet but enjoy your wonderful loss and just try to go back to your bandster rules and you will get it off. Try not to cheat your band. Your so close and I bet you look great. Good luck with the last little bit, you can do it.

Guys, u are wonderfull!!

See i didnt know all this info, my doctor is kinda a person who doesnt talk a lot!, he just told me i had to follow a diet and thts it!! and avoid sugary stuff.

I was able to keep away from sugary stuff for the first year then now no:(

and yes my surgery was April 2005 and my first fill was 1 year and 8 month later!

I didnt know that drinking while banding is bad!.. so let me ask u this question to clarify stuff for me please..

Now i am eating and with the third spoon i feel like i need to drink or else the food wont pass through, I should have the water so i wont be choking, then i should stop eating after that even if i am still hungry?

is that what u are saying?.. I am sorry for asking too much but believe me no one here is helping me or giving me any info

For ur info: When i was banded i weighted 345 pounds, I kept losing weight so good untill i reached 290 then i stopped.. i pushed myself more and now am at 260-255!!then i got my fill as i told u 3 days ago and i am still hoping.

Will i ever be 160 pounds!?

did anyone here did it and reached their goals?

the thing is although my weightloss is noticable still i am fat, and some just kept on saying why dont u see what is stoping u .. as if i am doing nothing and i am not struggling.. i guess i cheat cause i dont find results..

thanks guys for ur awesome replies XOXOXOXO

Gabi,

When you say with the third spoon you feel like you need to drink or it wont pass through - that is EXACTLY how it should feel. The purpose of the band is so that it doesnt pass through. Eat slowly and once you do feel that pressure like it is stuck, stop straight away. The band is doing what it is meant to do. This is the feeling of fullness you get with the band. It's meant to be like this. As long as you take small bites and chew it alot and eat slow, this is how its meant to be.

I would suggest you find another doctor to talk to about this or really really sit there and ask your surgeon all of these questions. This is basic stuff they should have told you. I am sorry it has been so hard for you Sounds like you have not had a lot of support.

It is really hard to not eat sugary stuff I know!!! At least your quantities are a lot smaller so the band is a great tool in helping to aid portion control. In a perfect world, we would all be able to resist junk food. If only it were that easy!!

Hope this helps, Gabi. You need to sit down and have a long chat with your doctor and get all the information you can.

Look after yourself and I am happy to have been able to help you.

Suzie

Thanks dear Suzie!! I am wondering how i lost all these pounds and i have no clue or idea about these info!!

Okay, I may be too annoying but have final question..

If i really stopped with the third or even the fourth spoon that means i will be getting so little clories through out the day, little than what i should have.. and I heard this will destroy my metabolism.. I am asking that cause i dont have ay opportunity of changing the doctor for some issue:(..

I never understood the mechansim of the surgery!!and after nearly 2 years now i am getting to undestand it!!.. funny right?

or ignorance i have no idea:(..

I am just thanking GOD i came accorss this site! it was a god send.

I hope i didnt do any bad thing to lap acting like that!

any more stuff i should know I will be more than glad!

XOXO

Hi Gaby, I read through the posts, and thought of something that may be part of the problem. Suzie mentioned it, but I thought maybe it needed to be carefully detailed. Each bite of food you take should be a small bite. Like would fit onto a baby spoon, not an adult spoon. Then you need to chew it VERY well.....and when you think it is nothing but mush, then swallow it. If you eat properly, by making sure most of the food you eat is protein, followed by vegetables, and eat it in the manner described, you will be able to get by nutrition wise. Eating small bites, and chewing well, should allow you to eat more than 3 bites.

Something else to think of is that you may feel full right now after 3 bites due to some swelling due to eating so soon following a fill. It doesn't sound like the swelling si too bad, since you can drink food past it.

When you get that feeling that you need to drink to push the food through, it is your signal to STOP!!! Then you will remain full feeling for several hours, eliminating the want for sweets and junk food...you will already be full. This will allow the last of your weight to come off. Plus as you lose more weight the band will loosen up again, and you will be able to eat a bit more.

You can get in proper nutrition eating less, if you pay attention to WHAT you eat.

Take some time to read through the different threads, and you will gain valuable information.

You have done an awesome job for not having any info, and no fill---I am impressed!!!

Now get back to basics, and you can get the last of your weight off easily!!

Kat

Thanks Kat:)

Now I get it and at the same time am mad at myself for not knowing all of these stuff.

The question now, after i got used to this eating and drinking behavior, is it easy to recover from it, or let me rephrase it: If i starting taking the steps u provided me while eating, does that mean when i stop i wont be hunrgy?.. if i was still hungry should i keep on doing this untill i get used to it and i am not hungry anymore?

What are the symptoms that i can know from that i screwed the operation?

U also mentioned Protien and Veg, does that means i am no longer allowed to carbs?

Thanks again for the help and cant wait for more plz!!

Hi Gabi....

well you may still be hungry, yes, until you get your fill to a good spot, then the hunger should go away. I have had 2 fills, and am NEVER hungry now. My Sister in Law has had 3 fills, and an unfill, and filled again, and still feels hunger, but not as badly she says. When you get to a proper fill, it will help---A LOT!!!! For now, eat a reasonable amount, and then get up and try to find something to do, to take your mind off of food.

If you were to have screwed up your band, you would be having severe reflux I would imagine. Although an erosion I understand causes no pain. I cannot answer that, as I do not know the asnwer, but your Dr. should. He may not be a talkative man, but he should be willing to answer direct questions. Make a list of questions to take with you to the appointment.

As for not being allowed carbs, yes you can have some, just keep them limited, and only after filling yourself with mostly protein and veggies.

Relax, and try to eat healthy foods in a healthy way, and try to remember how you felt before you lost all the weight to give yourself inspiration not to eat wrong!!!

Good Luck!

Kat

Welcome Gabi

Listen to the girls above they have some wonderful advise and have put it clearer than I ever could...i just wanted to drop by and say welcome...it is Wonderful that you have found us...and we look forward to hearing your progress.

Becky

Gabi,

You have gotten some great advice here..all I can add is that when I eat and start to get full, I hiccup two or three times...I know then I am full. My boyfriend, who had gastric bypass, his nose starts to run when he is full and so we both know when to stop.

Don't tempt yourself to drink when eating. either don't order anything to drink or order Water and put it on the other side of the table. With your current fill, or what I have experienced, drinking while I eat only compacts the food down over the hole...I will get sick then...I learned this real quick.

I just got banded on Monday and of course I'm in the liquid stage but I was amazed to hear that Gabi didn't need a fill for so long! I guess I understand alittle more now. Yesterday I was busy and didn't get much to eat (drink) until about 3 and then I was so hungry I made myself some soup - pureed and thinned - I ate a half cup and it didn't seem to satisfy me, so then I ate a sf fudge cicle, then when I was making supper for the family I ate another half cup of soup - and then a sf jello cup, along with water, all of this was between 3 & 6 - I was miserable!!! I thought it was gas, I took gasx, laid down, used a heating pad, took a hot shower, walked - after about 1-2 hours I finally felt ok. Now after reading these posts I'm thinking I must have over ate. What do you think? I didn't think I could over eat when I was on liquids. I usually feel a kind of hunger all the time. I know its still early and I'm just beginning to "feel" my banding. Then to top it all off I woke up this morning with TOM! A week early! And I'm catching a cold, sneezing constantly and have a sore belly!

Gabi, this is the best place to go for advice. You've gotten some fantastic advice here. No need for me to repeat it. It's so important for you to be honest with yourself and try to stay motivated. Keep your eyes on the prize.

My mother was having a similar problem. She kept saying food was getting stuck and she wasn't eating much. When I had lunch with her one day, I noticed that she was taking the same size bites she was pre-surgery. Once I made her aware of it, she's been concentrating more on her eating habits and feeling much better.

Best of luck to you...you've done a wonderful job so far.

Gabi, the only concern I have is how serious you are taking those extra 10 lbs. Ordering pasta and fried foods is the worst of the worst girlfriend. If you want your fill to work optimally you have to sacrifice those foods and get on lean protein and vegetables. I know this from experience and I've been able to lose more rapidly by following the band rules. Recommit youreself NOW and you can do this. If you don't feel your fill is enough trust me when I saw 2 or 3 more you will definitely not be eating more than 1/4 cup of that pasta. Good luck.

Gabi...please to go 'use cp' and edit your signature to add in your surgery date, beginning weight, current weight, height....that way people can give you replies based on your own personal situation...that's important)

Gabi......are you saying you have not had a fill all this time???!! If so, you have not really had a functioning band all this time! You've done it by yourself, which is pretty remarkable. But, if you're like most of us with eating disorders, you won't keep it off.

I am shocked that your surgeon did not give you more instructions and guidance...have you looked thru your paperwork again to be sure there's nothing in there?

You will probably need 2-3 more fills to be able to have a functioning and effective band. The band surgery is just Step One....what you do afterward is what makes the band work. There are many eating rules you must follow to keep off the weight or to lose more (and to care for your band):

Eating guidelines:

No carbonated drinks....ever!!!

No liquids during or for one hour after a meal....ever!!

Drink at least 64 oz of liquids a day (Protein supps count, caffeine drinks

do not)

No fried foods, no sweets (there are wonderful Desserts you can make

with Splenda, etc, though....you don't have to suffer)

Take in at least 60-100 protein grams a day.

At each meal, take in your protein foods first, then eat your veggies next.

To keep your weight loss moving and to control your cravings, eliminate

all white carbs from your life (i.e., starches...white bread, pizza crust,Pasta, rice, potatoes, corn, etc).

Don't every let yourself get too hungry...or too full.

You need to start tracking your food intake on a site such at www.fitday.com so you can monitor your carbs, calories, etc. Don't try to keep your calorie count too low....you'll stall out, especially as much as you've already lost. Most of the new research says you need about 1000-1200 cal. a day to continue to lose.

If you are not sure of what foods have Proteins, carbs, etc, google and find lists of good protein sources (meat, Beans, peas, etc)

Find yourself some good protein supplements and use them for the rest of your life to protect your muscles and hair. Make sure the ones you use are for bariatric patients, not athletes. There are some excellent, good-tasting products out there so don't settle for something you don't like.

Exercise is important to keep your muscle mass as it should be and to keep your heart healthy. Vitamins are also important. Make sure you have blood work done every 6 mo to prevent anemia, low potassium, etc from sneaking up on you.

Best wishes....

I hope this helps you. Again, I'm impressed you've done what you have essentially on your own. Let me know if I can be of help.