Hi everyone! This is a support thread for bandsters who are approaching or maintaining their goal weight, whatever that may be. This thread will likely include monthly challenges for exercise and/or diet goals, which members can choose to join or not join at their leisure.

I read a book once called Passing For Thin, which was written by a woman who lost 150+ pounds through OA, yet never felt thin on the inside. That is one of the things thread is intended to discuss, as well as the other unique challenges and successes of a bandster who is now Passing For Thin. These issues could be related to food in the maintenance phase, upcoming exercise goals, self-esteem issues, relating to the opposite sex -- anything you confront in your new body.

Maybe in the course of discussing our issues, we will become thin on the inside as well as the outside.

Let the discussion begin!

....I had to choke down the first 6 bites, feeling it coming up, but not pbing. The last few bites were better. But I knew I needed the nutrients.

Has this happened to anyone?

I have not ever really had restriction, not since right after surgury, so this is all new to me.

Audree,

It sounds like you have "first bite" syndrome to me -- could that be it? I had it pretty bad when I first got restriction too. The only cure is to take even tinier bites (it seems unreal, I know) and to WAIT a really long time between bites for the first 3 or 4 bites (like 2 full minutes between bites), then you can probably pick up the pace. Mine lasted for about 3 months, then slowly got "better." I put the "better" in quotes because though it's nice to be able to eat more comfortably, it's also nice to know, with every bite, that your band is there.

If you think this could be it, you might want to do a search on the main forum, as (as you probably know) there's quite a bit of discussion about it.

Well yall, I got in a 6 mile run tonight after the slowest day at work ever. It's a good thing I have this office flirtation to keep me busy because my job is BORING right now....

Audree,

It sounds like you have "first bite" syndrome to me -- could that be it? I had it pretty bad when I first got restriction too. The only cure is to take even tinier bites (it seems unreal, I know) and to WAIT a really long time between bites for the first 3 or 4 bites (like 2 full minutes between bites), then you can probably pick up the pace. Mine lasted for about 3 months, then slowly got "better." I put the "better" in quotes because though it's nice to be able to eat more comfortably, it's also nice to know, with every bite, that your band is there.

If you think this could be it, you might want to do a search on the main forum, as (as you probably know) there's quite a bit of discussion about it.

Well yall, I got in a 6 mile run tonight after the slowest day at work ever. It's a good thing I have this office flirtation to keep me busy because my job is BORING right now....

That sounds like exactly what I am going through. Why do you think it took 3 months to get better?

I will try to do what you say. I tried to eat again, of what I thou9ght would go through fine, chips and got so stuck that I almost Pb'd and felt pain in my chest like a heart attack!!!!

It hurt SOOOOOOOOOOOOO bad!!!!

Like, you say, it is nice to finally know my Bandy is there!!!

Does your PMS time affect it too?

Do you ever have the 2 weeks to feel the restriction thing?

Thanks!!

The reason that it takes awhile to go away is as you lose the fat around the stomach, the band loosens up.

Do you guys ever get afraid of being tight? I have had such slow weight loss, at the same time I am afraid to get tighter because of all the trouble and problems Audree is talking about. I am just now getting back to where I can eat again. I want to lose, but it scares me when you read about all the problems you can get from being too tight.

One thing I am really afraid of is losing my band. I would hate to lose all the weight, and have something go wrong.

It's so nice when you see people that you haven't seen for a long time, and they tell you how great you look. I have gone through this so many times, with losing it and gaining it back. I want this to be for keeps and that's what makes me afraid to get too tight, having reflux, pbing, etc. All of that is what is supposed to cause erosion or slips. I hope I am making sense.

I know for right now, I can't get another fill until after I visit my dad, out of state. He doesn't know I am banded and I already made the mistake one time of going to visit him right after a fill and having him wonder why I can't eat. I don't want to listen to him lecture me on how I could have done this on my own without paying ten grand.

Why do you think it took 3 months to get better?....I tried to eat again, of what I thought would go through fine, chips and got so stuck that I almost Pb'd and felt pain in my chest like a heart attack!!!!....Does your PMS time affect it too?....Do you ever have the 2 weeks to feel the restriction thing?

I'm with Denise that, at least in part, weight loss includes loss of fat around your organs so you loosen up a little as you lose. My personal belief is that, perhaps more of a factor, is that your body simply gets used to the band -- learns that it is "normal" to process food that way. You read a lot about bandsters who are 18-24 months out losing their "soft stops." Many are already at goal (or at their long term plateau), so it's not an issue of weight loss for them, it's an issue of their bodies not responding in exactly the same manner as they did in the earlier bandster stage. So, for first bite syndrome, what freaks out your esophogus now, might not freak it out after a couple of months of training!

Audree, I can eat almost anything in terms of textures. I don't have the problems with breads and pastas, eggs, etc. that so many report -- yet the ONE thing that I cannot tolerate in any kind of quantity is chips. They just gum up and cause the pain you described. I can eat maybe 5, but any more than that and I'm in real trouble. Maybe you're the same way....

In partial response to you and in partial response to Denise, yes, I experience pretty radical fluctuations in restriction based on my time of the month. 2 weeks out of the month (5 days around ovulation, 7 days around period), I'm a little too tight. The rest of the time, I'm a little too loose. I'm more too loose than I am too tight, and I choose to be that way because I believe being too tight is dangerous to our bands long term and again, I'm with Denise, that the worst thing that could happen would be to lose my band. I find there's not much I can do to help these fluctuations in restriction. It's just part of being a woman, I guess. I'm ok with it. I lose weight during the 2 weeks I'm a bit tight, and I might have a binge or two on the 2 weeks I'm loose (though I try not to), but I don't want a fill.

Lastly, I got in 4 miles this morning and am meeting with my trainer for strenth training tonight. My scale oscilated between 164.8 and 165.0 this morning, but settled on 165.0. When I changed my ticker this morning, I realized that I now only have TWENTY-SOMETHING pounds to lose until goal. Isn't that crazy?? Totally "normal" women want to lose twenty-something pounds all the time. Guess I'm more Passing For Thin to the outside world than I realize....

Have a good day, all.

The reason that it takes awhile to go away is as you lose the fat around the stomach, the band loosens up.

Do you guys ever get afraid of being tight? I have had such slow weight loss, at the same time I am afraid to get tighter because of all the trouble and problems Audree is talking about. I am just now getting back to where I can eat again. I want to lose, but it scares me when you read about all the problems you can get from being too tight.

One thing I am really afraid of is losing my band. I would hate to lose all the weight, and have something go wrong.

It's so nice when you see people that you haven't seen for a long time, and they tell you how great you look. I have gone through this so many times, with losing it and gaining it back. I want this to be for keeps and that's what makes me afraid to get too tight, having reflux, pbing, etc. All of that is what is supposed to cause erosion or slips. I hope I am making sense.

I know for right now, I can't get another fill until after I visit my dad, out of state. He doesn't know I am banded and I already made the mistake one time of going to visit him right after a fill and having him wonder why I can't eat. I don't want to listen to him lecture me on how I could have done this on my own without paying ten grand.

I actually don't see how I am right now as a problem. I am very content with my restriction. If I don't have some type of "stop" built in, I can't stop eating. I would rather be this way and get what I paid for. I haven't pb'd since this fill. Getting stuck isn't too fun, but it passes and usually takes my appetite away.

I would love to stay exactly this way until all my weight is gone and then at the end be just a tad looser, but not much.

I am enjoying not being hungry and not being able to eat a lot, just like after surgery. It gives me an awesome feeling of control over my battle with food and hunger.

I hated being a slave to being sooooo hungry and dieting!!!:faint:

I'm with Denise that, at least in part, weight loss includes loss of fat around your organs so you loosen up a little as you lose. My personal belief is that, perhaps more of a factor, is that your body simply gets used to the band -- learns that it is "normal" to process food that way. You read a lot about bandsters who are 18-24 months out losing their "soft stops." Many are already at goal (or at their long term plateau), so it's not an issue of weight loss for them, it's an issue of their bodies not responding in exactly the same manner as they did in the earlier bandster stage. So, for first bite syndrome, what freaks out your esophogus now, might not freak it out after a couple of months of training!

Audree, I can eat almost anything in terms of textures. I don't have the problems with breads and pastas, eggs, etc. that so many report -- yet the ONE thing that I cannot tolerate in any kind of quantity is chips. They just gum up and cause the pain you described. I can eat maybe 5, but any more than that and I'm in real trouble. Maybe you're the same way....

In partial response to you and in partial response to Denise, yes, I experience pretty radical fluctuations in restriction based on my time of the month. 2 weeks out of the month (5 days around ovulation, 7 days around period), I'm a little too tight. The rest of the time, I'm a little too loose. I'm more too loose than I am too tight, and I choose to be that way because I believe being too tight is dangerous to our bands long term and again, I'm with Denise, that the worst thing that could happen would be to lose my band. I find there's not much I can do to help these fluctuations in restriction. It's just part of being a woman, I guess. I'm ok with it. I lose weight during the 2 weeks I'm a bit tight, and I might have a binge or two on the 2 weeks I'm loose (though I try not to), but I don't want a fill.

Lastly, I got in 4 miles this morning and am meeting with my trainer for strenth training tonight. My scale oscilated between 164.8 and 165.0 this morning, but settled on 165.0. When I changed my ticker this morning, I realized that I now only have TWENTY-SOMETHING pounds to lose until goal. Isn't that crazy?? Totally "normal" women want to lose twenty-something pounds all the time. Guess I'm more Passing For Thin to the outside world than I realize....

Have a good day, all.

Thanks JulieNYC!!!!

That was an awesome explanation!!!!

I am also like you, that I can eat anything. There has been no food that I could not eat, but I guess I am in a totally different ball game now. But chips were the thing I could eat too well.:faint:

I think I am a little more restricted since it is a day or so before my period. I always tend to retain water around this time, like 3-4 pounds.

I am actually enjoying where I am, I am not pushing things so I am not stretching the pouch.

I think another part of my problem is that I have NEVER taken small bites and chewed well. Since I never really have had restriction, I take MONSTER bites and don't chew well. Normally, pre band I don't like to really chew and swallow my food with chunks in it. I never put my fork down and just keep on shoveling the food in.

So, now I am learning that I have to take smaller bites and wait some between.

But thank God I don't PB. I think I get stuck and then have the pain because I take another bite and keep on swallowing what is in my mouth after I feel stuck.

I actually don't see how I am right now as a problem. I am very content with my restriction. I

I hated being a slave to being sooooo hungry and dieting!!!:faint:

Audree, I wasn't trying to say that you're too tight or that you're doing

anything wrong. I am just worried about getting another fill and that

I will be too tight. With the last fill I got, it was very difficult for a little

while. I need to loosen up some more, and I'll probably get some more

so I can start losing easier again.

It seems to be such a fine line between being over filled, and having it

just right. I am just so afraid of having problems that I've read about

here at LBT. I have always been a worrier, and I worry about slippage

and erosion all the time.

It seems to be such a fine line between being over filled, and having it just right. I am just so afraid of having problems that I've read about here at LBT. I have always been a worrier, and I worry about slippage and erosion all the time.

I think that's another issue we face at goal -- not that we don't think about it before, but at goal we have fewer weight issues, so the ones left are magnified. I don't worry so much about a slip because that is generally fixable with a surgery, and I accepted long ago that there was a possibility of follow up surgery if I opted for the band. Erosion, though, is super scary to me because it jeopardizes my ability to be banded period. THAT is scary. (I know there are stories of super bad slips where the person couldn't be rebanded, but I think that's kind of like worrying about lightening striking me -- extremely unlikely and nothing I can do about it anyway.)

Denise, I think you're right to worry and to protect your band by keeping it on the loose side. It's a smart move.

Well yall, someone give me some dancing bananas because today is the day I'm officially by the BMI charts no longer obese.

I'm OVERWEIGHT! WOOHOO!! So exciting.

And on the morning of my date too -- how cool is that.

Julie - You are the inspiration of all times! Makes me almost want to go to fitday and do the 800 calorie thingy - maybe it's time? You rock baby girl!

Love Your bandster Mommy - Betty

Julie you are amazing!!!!!!!!! :confused: Isn't that the best feeling???

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Julie:

Way to go!

Have a great time on your date and enjoy your new status!

Audree, I wasn't trying to say that you're too tight or that you're doing

anything wrong. I am just worried about getting another fill and that

I will be too tight. With the last fill I got, it was very difficult for a little

while. I need to loosen up some more, and I'll probably get some more

so I can start losing easier again.

It seems to be such a fine line between being over filled, and having it

just right. I am just so afraid of having problems that I've read about

here at LBT. I have always been a worrier, and I worry about slippage

and erosion all the time.

I was afraid of the same thing!

They had me do the "toast test" right after the fill to see if I was too tight so they could unfill if needed. They have me drink Water then eat a 2 pieces of toast. Then they check me under fleuro again to see how it is going. The are so through at OCC.

Then he likes you to hang around town for the day if you can so if you are too tight, you can come back and get a slight unfill.

It is best to sneak up on a fill then get overfilled.

That sounds like a great way to do it Audree! My dr. only gives us a glass of water to drink. When he had me too tight, the water came back up. Then he took a little bit out. All I know is, I seem to lose the most right after a fill when I can barely eat. Then I get stuck on these maddening plateaus.:think

Julie!!!! You did it!!!

Congratulations!!!

:Banane30::Banane30::Banane30::Banane30::Banane30::Banane30::Banane30::Banane30::Banane30:

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