Hi all!

I have been doing really well. Even when I had poor restriction, I was still eating well and didn't have any problems. I've been losing weight and feeling like a good little bandster!

Now, 2 weeks after my first fill, and two months out from banding, I feel as if I've run into a wall!!

• I had two very bad PB's (one yesterday and another one today). Today's brought me to vomiting!! I am trying to eat small bites really slow, but obviously it's not slow or small enough. Also, I am missing the full signs. It's as if I go from fine to golf ball in one bite! Any advice...

• Drinking while eating. Maybe this is the problem. I have been really trying to not drink while I eat. Today, I didn't drink anything with my supper and that's where the problems began. I guess I need to get used to food consumption/restriction without liquid interferring.

• I AM STILL ADDICTED TO SODA!! Diet coke. I only had 5 oz of a 20 oz bottle today and I feel like I did well. The previous days I've had at least a 20 oz bottle, then maybe another can. I've tried iced tea, hot tea and coffee, which is helping, but I could use some pointers here too!

I will be re-reading the band rules this evening, and sticking to liquids tomorrow, to try and heal my stoma. HOPEFULLY, I didn't slip my band/expand my pouch with my bad behavior. Tomorrow's a new slate, provided the damage hasn't already been done...

Shesha:

I can only offer advice on the soda thing...

The only reason we bandsters can't have soda is that the bubbles in the soda expand our pouch, so long term you can dialate your pouch and end up having to get another band because you have stretched out your pouch to bigger than it was made to be.

Good luck, you have done good so far, and I must admit I read most of your posts, you have encouraged me in ways you will never know. So don't let me down now.....

With regard to the two PB's. I had a small PB last week my second in 16 months, just before AF started, I really struggled with some fish I ate for lunch. Fish is a difficult food for me. Its only becuase of my lifelong no vomit policy that I couldnt just huck it up and out, rather I slimed and was in pain for half an hour, did several giant hiccups. I nearly did the same dang thing again the next day, it made me stop and realise I was probably swollen and irritated from the day before and stop trying to eat something so sticky and difficult (sandwich) for pete's sake. You need to take it easy for a day or two.

WRG to drinking while eating - I tend to do this. Its never made an appreciable difference to me before, so I didnt break the habit. More often, I dont drink while I eat but I drink immediately after. Usually coffee. However I had another fill at the beginning of this week and now drinking after I eat does take away the fullness noticeably. So that's my new goal, wait an hour. Its difficult, I just had lunch and I really really want a coffee. I might go and clean my teeth instead. Its just one of those things - it wont kill you to do it, it wont even make any difference or it may help you if you give it up. You decide what you need to do.

Now, soda - I dont drink it often so I cant help - but there is no hardset evidence that soda expands your pouch and does you damage. Surgeons have conflicting views on this. But personally, I dont like it much so I dont drink it. If someone told me I had to give up coffee, I'd honestly rather be fat.

Don't beat yourself up. I too am having a hard time learning signs and eating right. I PB more than I should and slime even more. I also can eat more than I should. I go for my second fill next week. I hope that it will help me more. I do not drink diet coke anymore. I quit it way back in Oct.

Good luck.

Newbie here...and a couple of quick lingo questions...

What's "PB" and "AF"???

PS - Great info and advice here...thanks!

Jason

Don't beat yourself up. I too am having a hard time learning signs and eating right. I PB more than I should and slime even more. I also can eat more than I should. I go for my second fill next week. I hope that it will help me more. I do not drink diet coke anymore. I quit it way back in Oct.

Good luck.

What was your experience on your first fill? Did you feel restriction?

• I had two very bad PB's (one yesterday and another one today). Today's brought me to vomiting!! I am trying to eat small bites really slow, but obviously it's not slow or small enough. Also, I am missing the full signs. It's as if I go from fine to golf ball in one bite! Any advice... I don't have full signs. I will go from "fine" to "uh-oh" inone bite. I've come across many, many others who don't have full signs (also called "soft stops") either. I wish I did, but I don't. Also, it's not always a matter of how small or how slow. Sometimes here are foods bandsters just can't tolerate, regardless of how long they take to eat them. And sometimes there are just times when eating isn't going to happen (for me it's anywhere from 2 - 5 days before my period). If you're having a hard time, go back to the basics food-wise. Eat only the smallest bites, and put your fork down - foce yourself to wait about 5 minutes between bites, until you are confident that it's going to be ok.

• Drinking while eating. Maybe this is the problem. I have been really trying to not drink while I eat. Today, I didn't drink anything with my supper and that's where the problems began. I guess I need to get used to food consumption/restriction without liquid interferring. I drink with meals. Well, I should rephrase that. I sometimes drink a little with meals. It's really becoming less and less b/c I only really do it when I'm eating out (I've noticed this lately), and when I do go out, I drink so little that I get tired of paying $2 for an iced tea that just sits there, so I've stuck with water... which is tap water... which I hate... so problem almost solved. But honestly, for me, drinking with meals was never a problem. I never ate more because I took a drink. I was always full within the same amount of food. Worst case - I drank too soon or before something cleared. When you do that, you know it immediately.

• I AM STILL ADDICTED TO SODA!! Diet coke. I only had 5 oz of a 20 oz bottle today and I feel like I did well. The previous days I've had at least a 20 oz bottle, then maybe another can. I've tried iced tea, hot tea and coffee, which is helping, but I could use some pointers here too! Hmm, I gave up soda cold turkey after surgery, which wasn't hard since I was never a big soda drinker, and had already weaned myself down to caffeine free Diet Coke... and at that point, it was just about hte carbonation. Screw the soda, I wanted to feel the burn. Umm... something you could do (a RNY friend used this) is to flatten your sodas before you drink them... swish the bottles around or something. She did this in the beginning, and eventually it just wasn't worth it anymore so she quit.

jaysd74 - try this thread for abbreviations: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/abbreviations-and-they-t7959.html

AF = "Aunt Flo", a euphamism for menstruation.

If you're having bad PBs, go on liquids for a day or two and give your stomach a break, then ease back into your food, being very careful to eat slowly, and small bites. I have started eating with a seafood fork, to prevent me from taking too big of a bite.

Newbie here...and a couple of quick lingo questions...

What's "PB" and "AF"???

PS - Great info and advice here...thanks!

Jason

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=7959

Here you go, here is a complete list of abreviations, this will help

I have also been addicted to Diet Coke to the point where I drank nothing else, if not that then at least soda water. When I went on liquids before the surgery it seemed easy to give up and I have not had any for 5 weeks and I am fine without it. I drink water with a little sugar free lemonade in it. I need some kind of taste.

I think what helps is to realize that this is serious stuff and that the band is just a tool, we have to do our part, the band alone will not do it and the thought of stretching the puch by drinking it is too scary for me. I had to pay for the surgery which maybe an extra motivator. I am so afraid of doing anything to screw it up and I know this is my last chance. Once you are off it it becomes easy and I don't seem to need it anymore. The desire is gone now, have taken a sip a few times but didn't want any more. I also kind of think that Diet Coke makes you more hungry.

jaysd74 - try this thread for abbreviations: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/abbreviations-and-they-t7959.html

AF = "Aunt Flo", a euphamism for menstruation.

THANK YOU!!!

AF - I'm laughing at myself right now...it's like getting that preverbial price check on condoms over the loudspeaker at the grocery store!

THANKS!

Jason

I was also a diet coke addict before the surgery. I was banded on Feb. 9th and gave up soda cold turkey. Recently, I have taken a sip of my husband's at dinner but nothing more. However, my doctor said that I can have soda six moths after surgery. I was excited about that. I just wonder why I can have it in 6 months if it can cause damage to my pouch. Strange??

I was a Coke addict as well pre-surgery. I don't crave it at all now. I switched to unsweet tea with Sweet and Low, so I still get the caffeine.

Drinking Coke always made me want more Coke. It didn't really quinch my thirst, but I drank it for years. One difference I've noticed is that I was getting these sores in my mouth, and I don't since I quit carbonated drinks.

My doc says no soda for 6 months too. He has been doing these for a long time and says there is just not enough evidence of pouch stretching but I just don't care for it now. Before surgery I would drink at least 6 reg. cokes a day but quit them cold turkey the day of surgery and just don't want them anymore.

I had my third fill and started getting food stuck a few times a day until the light bulb in my head lit up and I realized I'm eating the wrong things and I'm eating them wrong. From that moment on I paid very close attention to what I ate and how I ate it and I rarely ever have anything stuck and if I do it's because I'm in a hurry and take too big of a bite without chewing well. I also use small forks and spoons and plates.

On the soda thing. I was a pepsi addict and drank regular pepsi all day everyday until I had my seminar. From that day forth I quit soda all together and the last time I had beer was the weekend before surgery. I've had nothing like that since. I do still crave the pepsi off and on but I now drink tons of Water and if I need flavor I drink propel or iced tea.

Good luck! You're doing great!