♥LovetheNewMe♥

You look awesome! Congratulations!

Normal, mine rumbles a lot also.

Any amount can make a difference. You should not get caught up in the amount of the feel but the response to the fill. I have no idea how much is in my band but I know it works.

YOu need an unfill when you can not pass fluid or solid food. You need to do what Missy said, cut the food up smaller and chew, chew, chew. No bite should ever be of the old normal size. I eat for 20 minutes and stop. Your brain catches up with the stomach if you do this.

Most studies show that when you eat less than 1200 calories consistantly you lose lean muscle mass not fat.

WTG! Congratulations

XOXO, For one thing, part of your hunger is head hunger and this is something the band will never be able to fix and takes time. A couple of things, that may help is having a protein snack between your 3 meals a day. This should be low in calories but high in protein. Sometimes this will help you get past this hunger feeling between meals. I would also suggest that you meet with a nutritionist and review what you are eating with them and ask for suggestions. I know they told the majority of us to eat only 3 small meals a day but this is very hard and requires discipline and most of us have to have a snack. I get hungry sometimes but I drink more water or a beverage or drink a protein shake, eat a piece of fruit or some peanut butter. Your calorie in take and your protein intake is still very important to consisitant weight loss with the band. Sorry no miricle answers.

Glad your safe and back with us. Cyber hugs to you. I can not even imagine how hard these last few weeks have been on you and your family.

I guess I am the werid one on this board, I mix my shakes with water. Low carb is hard but it is so important to WL with the band that you eat more protein than carbs. Carbs make you hungry quicker and are digestd much faster than protein. You can have carbs but you need to make sure they are complex carbs not simple startches and sugars which are not our friends. You will have better success if you follow your physicians rules, rememeber why you got into this, like all of us we don;t follow rules well and see where that got all of us.

Mashed potatos was my first mushy and thined mashed potatos were my first full liquids. I added unflavored protein powder to mine just to make myself feel better. Do start measuring now, I did from the beginning. In the beginning it took me weeks to learn to eat a cup of food. I actually wondered how I would ever be able to eat that much at one setting but with practice it gets better and you will be able to eat the cup full of food. Just remember what you are eating in this stage and what you will be eating months down the road is totally different. Do not expect a large weight lose during these first few weeks, your body needs to heal and adjust to the band. Good luck.

I think that is different for everyone, "the yes moment" I knew I was steadily losing but I was about a year and a half out before I really stopped seeing myself as a fat girl. I knew I was smaller but I still felt fat, mine was not a number thing but a mental picture I had of me.

Good learning experience and good advice. Protein bars will give you gas, protein shakes are better and lower in carbs if you need a supplement. Did you know you can adjust your carbs, protein and what ever else you want to monitor on MFP. When you first enter your calories they assign the breakdown and it is much higher in carbs and fat then what we traditionally eat. I eat 40% carbs, 35% Protein and 25% fat. Now this is still a little high on the carb and fat end but it gives me 135mg of protein and 154gms of carbs. I was much lower in carbs when I was losing and really cut back on carbs after 2pm in the evening. I also got caught up in the greek yogurt for breakfast for months, thought it was ok because it was high in protein 15gms. It is better to eat things that require chewing and take longer to digest. But mainly do not be discouraged, I know you say, I only lost 1/2 lb but just thing you didn't gain and sometimes your body needs time to adjust to the new weights.

Gas, make gas-x your friend. It will eventually get better over time. I lived on this during my early days. Walking and moving around helps.

If you can only eat 1/2 cup at each meal and it takes you 30 minutes you do not need a fill. You should be able to eat 4 plus ozs of protein, a lean veggie and maybe a starch if still hungry. It takes me 20 minutes to eat and sometimes 15 and I can go 4 hours or longer. YOu need to make sure you are getting the 60 plus grms of protein, with out the protein you will be hungry. Are you drinking your fluids between meals.

I love my band and have no regrets, it gave me the push I needed to lose my weight. The one advice I have is, you have to walk into this with your eyes wide open. The band will only work if you work with it, it is not a quick fix and it will not stop you from eating things that are not healthy. I suggest doing all the before work, meeting with a nutritionist and a physiologist. Getting inside your head and finding what makes you eat is key to losing in my opinion. I am lucky, I have worked hard and the band has worked very well for me. As far as losing the weight and not losing the excess skin, this is a hard. I have lost all my desired weight. I lost 122 lbs and I am determined to tighten up as much as I can because I am choosing not to have a TT or any cosmetic surgery. It is hard but I am 57 and who at 57 does not have a few flaws. Like I said you really need to be mentally prepared for this process, my opinion is the mental part of this journey is the hardest and not facing issues before or early will prevent you from being successful,

I wish I liked to eat Venison but I just can't get past those big brown eyes I know it is a great lean protein but I just can't do it. Kudo's for making such a wonderful healthy meal and economical in these days.

My favorites: Ahi Tuna with seaweed salad. one tablespoon of peanut butter and a small banana. On a real peanut butter kick lately, and I love my oatmeal cooked with egg whites, fresh blue berries and 2 pecan halves.

I still watch the food network but I look at it as entertainment. I also am one of those people who love to cook and love making band friendly food, this is a forever for me and temptations will always be there and I chose not to look the other way but test myself instead. Makes me stronger.

Personal opinion, I would try other options before lapband. I know they will do the surgery for low BMI but I would try a personal trainer and join MFP. Log your calories and give it a try, what do you have to lose. I chose surgery afte failing multiple times at dieting and always gaining more back, I was morbidly obese and had many health problems. I wish I would have had the want power to lose weight with out lap band. I do not regret my band but sometimes I wish I would have tried harder and believed in my self.

Being banded is never a guarantee for losing weight. You lost 3 years ago because you played by the rules. Why so lack-a-dazical now. Try the 5day pouch test to get the carb cravings from your system, this should help you get your body cleansed of all this nasty foods you have chosen to eat over the past year. If you don;t get your self in check, I am sorry to say you will be that fat girl again. Find your innner strength and get your butt in gear and use the band as it was intended. Walk away from the junk and believe in yourself.

2 years post op and at goal weight. Is it hard, not hard but reality and sometimes reality sucks. It is change and you must embrace the change and remember always why you wanted this surgery. The band does not fix your mental hunger (aka, head hunger0 but it does stop you from over eatiing if you listen to your band. It does not prevent you from making poor choices and it will allow you all the junk food you can eat. I don't eat sandwiches and I will tell you I still miss sinking my teeth into a big juicy burger but the results for me are worth all the burgers in the world. The best part of the band, I have achieved my goal and have been able to maintain now for 3 months. it is hard work and it is not a quik fix. good luck

Suggestion: If you are traveling a lot in your van why not go to a lower calorie, low carb shake 100 to 140 cal and 25 gms of protein ( or only one scope of the shake)and pack some small protein snacks to eat through out the day while traveling. Because you are correct if using shakes and bars as a meal they will not keep you satisfied and you will be hungry quicker and be tempted to snack. Suggestions, Cheese Sticks, raw almonds (10-15), beef or turkey jerky, a sandwich on protein flatbread. (You can keep it in a small cooler) Not eating will not help you lose weight and will encourge you to snack and continue bad habits. Eating regular protein meals in very key to WL with lap band. Good luck and I know you didn;t ask for advice but I just like to put my two cents in sometimes nothing personal intended.

Yes, Last 30 lbs. I posted on one of my blogs back in Feb or March this year as an attachment it is a pdf file. If you can't find it let me know. The last 30 was the hardest for me and his web site was encouraging to me and he was one of the first who encouraged you to continue to push yourself. My MD, thought I should be happy, I didn't need a fill but was frustrated and had been stalled for 7 months. I was a sizOK was OKwas ok with that but I was still considered overweight and I wanted to be normal weight and I needed to get to 132 to be normal BMI. It was tuff but so worth it.

Love the new Ticker Missy, so festive. Also I love Dr Simpson's website, I found that early on during this journey and have read and reread everything they have to say. That office does a great job, his book the last 30 lbs was very helpful to me when I was at that point.