Hi all,

I just wanted to post some things I've learned on my personal LBS journey and wanted to share. Just for the record, everyone is different, and uses the band differently. This is what I have found works for me.

1. Background-I had surgery 1/19/09 (my new birthday). I had issues with my 3rd fill and was throwing up, sliming, pb'ing every day-NOT HAPPY! Had a complete unfill and felt like a new person. Gained and lost 8lbs over a vacation and with the unfill. Put 2cc back in the band first of July and everything has been AWESOME...onward.

I have determined that I NEVER want to fight my food, throw up, PB or slime again with my band. Having my band too tight was MISERABLE for me and I will NEVER, EVER be that tight again. I realize some bandsters WANT that type of restriction, I DO NOT (my personal decision).

To that end, I have done extremely well with my lightly filled band and haven't had one issue at all with any type of food since. In general, I am not hungry all the time, but do get hungrier at night vs. during the day.

I have found a couple things that have REALLY kick started my weight loss I wanted to share.

1. Slimquick pills-LOVE LOVE LOVE these!! I bought them to help with my nightime hunger, but I got so much more! The biggest thing I LOVE with these pills is that they help with my Water retention. I have always kept water weight, but these pills keep the water from staying..LOVE that! The other thing I love is the nutrients and "boost" it gives me all day. I will not ever be without these pills again..ok..next

2. Nutrisystem-LOVE this! I work a lot (thank god) and have a REALLY hard time preparing my lunches, etc. The food is EXCELLENT, easy to take traveling and GREAT to have on hand. All foods closely match appropriate glycemic levels, have TONS of Protein and Fiber, and just ROCK! I have one every day for lunch, then eat other proper diet foods for bfast & dinner

3. Fiber One cereal-LOVE them! They are so GREAT tasting and fill me up in the am, and get me started with 35% of my TOTAL daily requirement of fiber for the day. LOVE them!!

I have had quite a journey so far trying to figure out what I can do to get my body to let go of the fat, and these things are what I do everyday and have helped immensely.

I would like to reiterate again, this works for ME!! I am not advocating anyone else do the things I do, this journey is a personal one to each individual. I just wanted to post my ideas for anyone who might find some part of this post interesting or may work for them.

edited to add..obviously I don't work for any or all of these companies and am not paid to advertise for any of them. Just my faves!

well i appreciate the info girl, i am waiting for my lap band date it will be soon, trying to lose wieght on my own so i'll try some of your tricks thanks again larry

i think i will try the slimquiks...thanks for the tips.

cb, you are right on with the tightness issue. I think however yes, many here do prefer to be tighter. I do disdain from it though because I don't think so many really realize the danger in having and maintaining a tight band. It is really not healthy and one can end up losing their band. I certainly don't want that to happen to myself.

I lived with a tight band since last Thanksgiving. It was the worst experience of my life. I thought the tighter I am, the more weight I will lose. Quite the opposite. I began to gain my weight back because I could not eat properly at all. I started to get used to drinking my calories and of course you can get over consumed with calories quite quickly with that.

I got some unfilled about a month ago, and like you I WILL NEVER get that tight again! I can eat normal food again, and I have never felt healthier in my life. I'm able to do my strenuous workouts again, which I stopped doing because I never had the energy or proper nutrition to be able to do it anymore.

I make sure I'm getting a well balanced meal all the time, because like you I have found a healthy eating plan to go along with my lap band. I'm doing weight watchers. I do sometimes take the Slim - Shots liquid too to help control my appetite even more. I don't always, but it does help when I need a little extra something. All it is, is coconut oil. It's actually a healthy oil and coats the stomach. I like them, but they are pretty pricey.

Anyway, I just want to say that's great for you, and I am in total agreement with your decision. I too refuse to ever feel that softball in my chest, or vomiting or sliming or whatever else comes with a band that is too tight.

We did this to be healthier... THAT is not healthier. That's just another form of an eating disorder, and I've had enough of those in my lifetime - from one end of the spectrum to another.

Now it's time to eat well, healthy and balanced and get my workouts in order and take good care of my body and my band.

Best wishes to you!

To get the last bit of my weight off, I did Lite n Easy, which is a home delivered system here in Australia. It worked so well for me - it always did, but the cost of it and the eventual monotony of having what you eat decided for you would always see me going off it again at about six weeks and gaining weight. This time, I didnt regain.

However, its a massive waste of money for a banded person! I threw out a good half of the dinner every single night and saving and reheating really didnt appeal to me night after night after night. And I do eat bread, but there was too much of it in the breakfasts and lunches for me.

well i appreciate the info girl, i am waiting for my lap band date it will be soon, trying to lose wieght on my own so i'll try some of your tricks thanks again larry

dido. especially the slim quicks.

cb, you are right on with the tightness issue. I think however yes, many here do prefer to be tighter. I do disdain from it though because I don't think so many really realize the danger in having and maintaining a tight band. It is really not healthy and one can end up losing their band. I certainly don't want that to happen to myself.

I lived with a tight band since last Thanksgiving. It was the worst experience of my life. I thought the tighter I am, the more weight I will lose. Quite the opposite. I began to gain my weight back because I could not eat properly at all. I started to get used to drinking my calories and of course you can get over consumed with calories quite quickly with that.

I got some unfilled about a month ago, and like you I WILL NEVER get that tight again! I can eat normal food again, and I have never felt healthier in my life. I'm able to do my strenuous workouts again, which I stopped doing because I never had the energy or proper nutrition to be able to do it anymore.

I make sure I'm getting a well balanced meal all the time, because like you I have found a healthy eating plan to go along with my lap band. I'm doing weight watchers. I do sometimes take the Slim - Shots liquid too to help control my appetite even more. I don't always, but it does help when I need a little extra something. All it is, is coconut oil. It's actually a healthy oil and coats the stomach. I like them, but they are pretty pricey.

Anyway, I just want to say that's great for you, and I am in total agreement with your decision. I too refuse to ever feel that softball in my chest, or vomiting or sliming or whatever else comes with a band that is too tight.

We did this to be healthier... THAT is not healthier. That's just another form of an eating disorder, and I've had enough of those in my lifetime - from one end of the spectrum to another.

Now it's time to eat well, healthy and balanced and get my workouts in order and take good care of my body and my band.

Best wishes to you!

EXCELLENT post!!

I love when someone else can put down in words how I feel, you did that for me!

Best wishes to you too!

whick slimfast product u buy the day one with hoodia or night one?

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I am stll in the process for getting an approval but I am spending everyday gathering new information on how to be succesful wtih the band. I have read over and over again how a tight band is not a good deal. I have also noticed that people who had it too tight - stoped loosing after 50 lbs or so.

I do have a question. I know that some pills are a big no no after the surgery because they damage the puch and the band. Are slimquicks Kosher to user post surgry? Just wanted to make sure they were approved by the doctor. I know they work very well so i am thinking about adding that to my regime but wanted to make sure first.

Thank you!!! :thumbup:

Edited August 28, 200917 yr by Stacy1980

whick slimfast product u buy the day one with hoodia or night one?

I don't know if you are asking about slimfast or slimquick, they are 2 totally different things.

If you just mistyped slimfast, but was referring to slimquick, I take the pills. There is only one pill available (to my knowledge) and they don't specify Hoodia or night. The powders do, but the powders didn't taste that great so I opted for pills. Hope that helps.

As far as getting the OK from the doc, he said it was fine. However, you should always check with your doctor first, don't rely on what mine said to me :w00t:

Thank you very much for sharing. This was a great post.

Just a question about the Slimquick pills. Do they contain stimulants. I would like to try them, but can't take stimulants (like extra caffeine)?

Thanks!

just reading about alli the diet drugmim starting to wonder if any these drfugs are good for us.there was another 1 that they pulled that was damage to yr liver.wondering if any of them is good for us and that one was fda approved

Why Alli Might Be Your Enemy - That's Fit here is what i read

ok been a few weeksthe people who got the slimfast did it work?was just wondering