I was banded Jan 24/08. Have only lost 12 pounds (including pre-op diet). I have had 3 fills and am at 5.75 cc of a 10 cc band. If I eat anything solid, I pb, but I can manage mush and soft foods though. Just tired of baby food. Am using my treadmill for an hour every other day and I'm up to walking 3 miles each time now. So I guess I'm making some progress! I thought I might be further along than this so I am getting a little discouraged. Maybe I had unrealistic expectations. Also, I chose to tell no one but my husband about the surgery (not even my kids) so I don't have a support system to help me (athough my husband has been fantastic).

Hi,

I was banded just last week and I went into the procedure full of hope. I was put on a liquid diet but I just couldn't stick to it so I've been gradually weining myself back on solids since just a few days after my surgery. I was kind of shocked that this was even possible. I thought there'd be more contriction. But I'm determined not to mess up this opportunity. I'm eating much less than before. And I'm trying to stay away from those foods that are absolute no-nos. I just can't fail. I feel this is my last chance and as long as there is someone out there that has been successful then I know I can do it. Maybe the lapband itself won't help me as much as I hoped it would but I just have to adjust and make up for the difference. I feel it starts with being honest with yourself and asking what excatly you're putting in and if you know deep inside it isn't enough, then you can't blame the surgery but yourself. I'm just trying to be optimistic becasuse a lot of what I hear on this board isn't. But I'm hopeful and I wish everyone luck!

Cpurvis,

Have you taken measurments at all? I was discouraged by my results one month, but my Nurse suggested I start keeping track of my measurements. With all the walking you are doing, it may be possible that you are gaining muscle and losing inches, rather than pounds. I haven't had a PB yet (and I was banded almost 4 months ago...7.2cc in a 10cc band), but you may want to talk to the doctor about that. The band works best with solid foods, so if you can't get solids down, then that may answer your question. If you are eating only mushies and/or liquids, then you may be consuming too many calories.

As for what lanejane said about having no restriction...just wait. I didn't really feel any restriction after the first 2 fills, but I just had fill number 3 on May 16th, and I think I am very close to my "sweet spot". Trust me...you will start feeling it more and more with every fill.

Just some things to think about...good luck and don't get discouraged!

I was banded Jan 24/08. Have only lost 12 pounds (including pre-op diet). I have had 3 fills and am at 5.75 cc of a 10 cc band. If I eat anything solid, I pb, but I can manage mush and soft foods though. Just tired of baby food. Am using my treadmill for an hour every other day and I'm up to walking 3 miles each time now. So I guess I'm making some progress! I thought I might be further along than this so I am getting a little discouraged. Maybe I had unrealistic expectations. Also, I chose to tell no one but my husband about the surgery (not even my kids) so I don't have a support system to help me (athough my husband has been fantastic).

Hi CPurvis

Have you talked to your doctor about the fact that you pb when eating solids? The purpose of the band is to allow us to still eat everyday food, just less of it and I would be concerned about the issue that you are only able to eat mushy food. Maybe you actually need an unfill to enable you to eat more. Are you writing down everything that you eat? It can sometimes help you to see it written down as you can add up the calories/kj. It can be surpirsing how many kj's we can put away when eating mushies!

Also, are you chewing your food enough times before swallowing? I find that now I have my 4th fill if I don't chew enough I get a severe pain in the chest which is my reminder that I am banded. Sometimes people try to avoid this reminder by eating mushies and again I don't feel that this is how the band is supposed to work.

lanejane,

You are risking long term problems with your band by going to solids so soon, including slippage and erosion. It's not a matter of what you can get down through the band; it's a matter of the band not being healed into place around your stomach, and you are causing your stomach to move by eating solids. Really asking for trouble.

cpurvis, you really sound like you are too tight. The band doesn't work on liquids and mushies. If you can't eat solids, then you can't get the band to do what it is supposed to do, which is to restrict the amount of solid food you can eat.

Guess I'm in my mommy-scolding mode today; sorry. But I hate to see people get discouraged or risk their health because of what they might not realize about the band.