Oregondaisy

It will happen. That's where I am now. I counted calories for so long, that now I know from the portion size how much to eat and it's 2nd nature to just eat the portion that the band lets me eat. I don't have to count calories anymore. There are times when I go nuts, from some sort of social event, but I get right back on track the next day, and whatever I gained from "falling off the wagon" is gone within a couple of days.

That really is the most important part of being banded. That was the real difference for me. I always started eating junk whenever I hit a plateau on any other diet. Not losing anyway, might as well eat. Stinkin thinkin. There were so many times I didn't lose for weeks since I have been banded. Then all of a sudden, the scale would move and I would be so surprised because I wasn't expecting to drop 5 lbs in week. It was because I kept following the bandster rules, eating small portions, lots of Protein and veggies and didn't give up and eat junk when the scale didn't move.

The pb is not the bad part. It's the food that is stuck until the pb comes. First your mouth fills up with thick saliva which is your body's way of trying to get the food unstuck. It's really better to get it over with than stay stuck. I used to stand over the sink and keep spitting the slime into the sink. While I was bent over, the food stuck would usually come up. I haven't done this in months and usually it happens from being too tight. Basically, it's throwing up, but without all the stomach acid. The food usually pops up or you burp and with the burp comes some food. That's why it's called pb productive burp. I have had all out puking that went on for over an hour. Where I would just keep throwing up more slime and little pieces of food. It's best when this happens to not try to drink and just let your stomach rest. It's really best not to be so tight that you have to pb at all.

I asked Alex to make us a sub forum under food and nutrition. He said "no problem" We should get moved there soon.

I had a very easy recovery. I know it's not as easy for other people. I think it's because I was already exercising every day so I was in good shape. I never had any pain what so ever. I had it on a friday and went back to work on mon. I have a desk job. I feel great now! I love being about to wear cute clothes. I am sure the reason I have such a great boyfriend now is band related. He is very into fitness. I don't find it difficult at all to live with a band. The first few weeks are difficult when you are on a liquid diet. It's very important not to cheat while you are on your post op diet. Your stomach has to heal without digesting foods that make your stomach move so the band can heal on the stomach properly. My daughter has had gastric bypass so she was all for me getting the band. I never told my dad because I didn't want to tell him I paid ten gran to lose weight. Most people don't even know I have a band. They can tell I have lost a lot of weight, but I tell them I changed my portions, gave up junk food and exercise a lot. All of this is true. I love not feeling hungry all the time. Hope that helps!

Beverly, I had a friend request from you but it's gone. I would be happy to add you as a friend. I just kept forgetting to do it. I am not sure why we need to have our friends listed on our profiles. As far as I am concerned, anyone banded can be my friend!

I can ask Alex to do it. It's a good idea. There have been several different threads going on about low carb eating. It would be good to have them all in one place.

You will hear this over and over. The band is just a tool to make losing weight easier. It's definitely not a magic cure. You have to be dedicated to stay on plan. The band will not stop you from eating junk. I call them the C foods. Candy cake and chips will all go through the band like it's not even there. Having the right fill makes all the difference in the world though. Once I started getting full on small portions, I just felt too full to snack. You can definitely eat around the band if your head isn't in the right place. Head hunger is worse than actual stomach growling hunger. There is nothing that will control head hunger other than dedication to wanting to lose.

Chrispy I never would have dreamed I could have found such a great guy on match.com. There are just so many losers in this town. This certainly has been a dream come true. You and I are both a match.com success story!

Really,your band won't slip at this point. Slipped bands come from too much fill and throwing up constantly. I am sure you will feel a little better every day. I am glad you are seeing your dr. wed. . You should ask every question you have. You could start writing them down if you're afraid you'll forget to ask something.

I was wearing baggy clothes that didn't fit me at all when I had lost about 40 lbs. I wasn't into buying clothes that I wasn't going to be able to wear for very long. Finally, it got to a point to where I had to buy some new clothes. That is when everyone started commenting.

That 1/4 cup is a load of cr@p. I would never eat like that. Pretty much if you avoid junk food and eat healthy low fat protein veggies and fruit, there is no reason you have to be limited to itty bitty portions. The band won't let me overeat.

For some reason, the band gets tighter overnight. The band reacts to hydration. Most people are tighter in the morning. They say it's because overnight, your body becomes slightly dehydrated. I always start the day with a glass of warm Water. Warm things open the band.

Missy, good luck in your search. Having the weight loss really makes it so much easier to get on those web sites. I used to be scared to death that I would run into my ex and now I hope I run into him. I have lost so much weight since he broke my heart, and I will have a great looking guy with me when I do run into him!

I never even used my pain medication. I had a very easy recovery but I can't say everyone is like that. I don't agree that you should keep a tight band. It's a very fine line having perfect restriction and being able to eat everything in small portions, or being too tight and throwing up all the time. The people that are very tight and throwing up a lot, actually aren't losing well. I have read on here many times that someone will get a slight defill and they start losing again.

I think if you hit on WasA's name in the left hand corner, it will bring you to a screen that says send an email to her. It's delivered through lap band talk, but it goes to her email address. If she doesn't come back to this thread for awhile, feel free to ask me anything. I am not a nurse, but I know about the problems she had with the band and how much she loves her dr.

Yes, weights are important. What are you eating? People who have trouble losing really do have to limit their carbs to only good carbs and not very many of them either.

I am very proud of you froggi. You are very young to be so committed. I am glad your doctor will fight for you.

Hey that's pretty cool that we have some sleeve people here! I would get the sleeve in a heartbeat if I had any problems at all with my band.

I have never used the sticks and I have low carbed off and on since the 1970's. They are sticks that you test your urine to see if you're burning fat. My dr. has told us from the very beginning 75% protein, and 25 % veggies and a little bit of fruit. It's how I have always eaten anyway when I dieted, until I "fell off the wagon" which I did very badly over the weekend. I went to a family reunion and ate brownies all day. But I am back on track today! I have always found I can still lose if I am under 30 carbs per day. some days I do have 30 and some days it's way less.

I was always complaining in the beginning when I went on long plateaus. It's very important during this time to not give up. Every other diet I ever went on, I ate junk because "I wasn't losing anyway so I may as well eat" The band has made all the difference in the world. I didn't lose fast or even steady every week, but when the scale moved when I didn't expect it to, I knew the band was working. I knew my portions were so much smaller, that the scale HAD to move eventually.

Honesty, hardly anyone knows about my band. I didn't want people saying "how much have you lost now" I also don't like people knowing I paid 10 grand to lose weight. I just went out to lunch with 6 other women on Sat. and none of them have a clue. They know I have lost a lot of weight over the last year and a half but I tell them the truth. I have changed my eating habits, I exercise 6 days a week and I changed my portion sizes. This weight loss was not overnight. It's also pretty important that you don't keep your band tight if this is how you want to go. It's the puking that gives people away. I was too tight for about a week and had to live on Soup but I just told people I had a late lunch, or I wasn't feeling well. I wasn't feeling well when my band was too tight.

We are proud of you too. Your insurance company isn't going to give you a hard time and say you can lose weight on your own since you're doing just that, are they? That would be horrible.

Peaches, are you planning to self pay? You don't have that much weight to lose for an insurance company to pay. Hardly anyone in my life knows about the band. It really depends on how tight you keep your fill. I can eat way more than 2 bites of food. Plus when I go out to eat with friends, I know which foods go through the band easily. Feel free to ask questions. It's the only way you're going to learn about banding. I lost weight very slowly so it was not that unusual and people knew I was trying to lose weight.

Congratulations Froggi! That's awesome that you're doing so well even without a band!