♥LovetheNewMe♥

Awesome, congratulations!

You can also go into your settings and make some adjustments from your profile. Mine used to do that and it drove me crazy, I just have mine set to notify me of specific events or peoples responses.

Sorry your having issues but this is normal. Eggs and shrimp can be hard if band is working until you get used to this fill. Maybe try smaller bites, seriously take a bite no larger than your pinky nail. I know that sounds crazy but a normal bite after a fill will trip you up everytime. I have had plenty of times when I knew I was not getting the nurtrition I needed. So make sure your doing viatamins, and if all else fails drink some protein. In the beginning eggs, chicken, lettuce and bread of any kind gave me issues. If you are still eating the way you are I would not recommend a fill, only get a fill if you can finish your plate of a cup of food and are hungry before 3-4 hours after eating. I have only had 3 fills in 2 years, most days I am not hungry and have to remind myself to eat. good luck.

Agree wth comment above most change the texture and if you add too much it changes the taste. Protein is such an individual taste, I had so many texture issues in the beginning and I could not stand the sweet drinks. They reminded me of Ensure that I used to give my patients and all of them made me gag. I loved latte's so I found some on a web site that reminded me of this and I could mix them in 4oz's of water and I could tolerate. Like I said everyone is different and it is trial and error. Jay Robb makes an unflavored protein but I can taste the whey in it. I guess my favorite is called Pure Protein from Bariatriceating,com. It runs about 25 dollars a bag. I would mix this in 2 ozs of water and added to a Starbucks latte in my early days. A skinny Latte made with SF syrups, skim milk and no whips. Good luck.

Congratulations and welcome to the group. My best advice is learn patience and follow the guidelines as explained by your physician. Get plenty of rest now, drink your fluids so not to get dehydrated and walk around to get rid of the gas. The first week the gas pains are the worse, walking, Gas-x and pain meds are your friend. My last bit of advice, don't expect mircles in the beginning, you need time to heal and this is a life style change and as we have all learned it takes time to change old habits and develop new ones. Good luck to you and we look forward to reading your blog and supporting you through this change.

Now I am just the opposite of line dancer, I can not stand the pre mixed I like the powdered kind. If the flavor is the issue or the milk base you could go to a Vitamen Store or GNC and purchase something called Isopure. This comes in a bottle, it is 40gms of protein and it sorta tastes like koolaid, there is still some after taste but it is tolerable. I like the grape and pineapple. The nutrition info is 140 calories, no carbs and 40 gms of protein There are a dozen or so flavors. As I stated I have come to like the powdered protein, it has taken me two years. I used to order from a web site called Bariatriceating.com. They make the best unflavored protein powder I have used, it does not change texture of food and I used to add it to my yogurt, soups, latte's and mashed potatos. Hope some of this helps. It is hard in the beginning but it does get better.

You can't fix stupid people, well some people think you can but, I don't. He is in the same catagory as those people who think WLS is the "EASY" way out. Can I have a show of hands from all on this site who think this is the "EASY" way out. I did not think so! I rest my case. So sorry he hurt your feelings but your time and energy is not worth wasting on his ignorance. You will meet people like this along your journey but your going to make them all eat their words. So Show them what you are really made of and just let their words roll off your back, You will do this and show them all!

You may have ate too much, to quickly or when you drank the liquid it just pushed it back up. It happens sometimes even if you do everything right. I have noticed that if I feel this way and I try and push it down with liquids it always comes back up, so I have learned to walk around and take deep breaths and try and let it pass on its own and it usually does within a few minutes most days. Hope your feeling better.

ok, I was going to say something profound, so just read my mind, CG.

Congratulations Missy this is awesome.

Remember you just had the surgery and there is nothing in your band. Normally they do not put any Fluid in your band for 6 weeks. I know, that is not what you wanted to hear. This process takes time and patience. Your body has to get used to this new thing inside your body. I thought I really understood how the band worked until I got my first fill at weeks and had to really chew my food for the first time. Before your first fill it is not uncommon not to lose weight and to not fill full between meals. My best advice is to drink Protein, protein stays with you longer and makes you feel full longer. I purchased unflavored protein and added it to my cream Soups and yogurt in the beginning so I would stay full longer and get in enough protein. Keep blogging and stay active on the site. I am two years out and still find this site to be helpful and motivating, I think of it like AA, I need the support of the people on this site to help me stay focused and what better way to stay focused, Help others be successful. On a second note, prayers to you and your family, so sorry your husband has been deployed. I can not imagine how stressful that is for you, I am so thankful for people like your husband who protect our country.

OK, I have no scientific proof that fluid evaporates but think about it, the band is made of plastic or some synthetic material, right. Think of the band as a membrane, sort of like a Foley catheter we put in peoples bladders. We may put in 5 cc's but when we take it out we may only get back 4.8cc's so where did the rest of it go. The membrane of the bladder of the band has to allow the body to absorb some of the liquid. My point was to not get caught up in how much fluid is in your band but how your body reacts to the band. I know some people who have never had a fill at all and have been successful with weight loss. The main purpose of the band is to teach you portion control, a lot of people do not like that statement and want to get fills so they will not eat as much but honestly there is only one thing that can make you successful with lapband and that is you. Because only you can control what your fork puts in your mouth. I realize what a scary thought that is, it was for me. But if you really understand that it is you that has to control your behavior and not the band than you can be successful. This is a life style change and it is an emotional journey, you learn that your past feelings about food and how you used food have to change. Food to me is nutrition, it is not a coping mechanism or is it something I think about except when it is time to eat. I rarely get hungry, I eat when it is meal time. May sound strange but it is how I have reprogrammed my behavior with food.

The band is fickle, I am two years post op at my goal. but I still have days when I struggle with what to eat. I still don't eat well early in the morning, I drink my warm tea or coffee but have just excepted, I need to wait an hour or so before Breakfast. Chewing food is second nature now because I have had way to may episodes of what it feels like to throw up when you don't chew so a little negative reinforcement goes a long way. I can eat most anything I want, I do not graze. I eat 3 meals a day, I drink 2 Protein shakes a day and I exercise. I try to get in 80 plus grams of protein a day and most days I am successful. I do think a lot of things I do are second nature, but I still weight my food and I still log everything I eat every day. Honestly, I would not change a thing except I wish I would have done this sooner. I honestly love what I have been able to accomplish with my lap band. If you follow the rules and really apply what you are learning, portion control and exercise you will lose weight. I never think about my band, I just think that I have learned to eat healthier and finally know when enough is enough. I consider my band a little insurance policy, it does let me know if it does not like something I do. I am obedient, I listen and don't do it again.

On a second note, I have no idea how much is in my band. I tried to keep track in the beginning but it is normal for some fluid to evaporate overtime. I also noticed so many people on this blog become so obsessed with how much they had in their bands. I have only had 3 fills and i unfil in two years, I know there is fluid in there but I could care less how much. On your point though, physicians should answer questions, when they don't it only makes patients think they have something to hide. I am a nurse and I believe patients have the right to know everything they are taking and why. Your theory may be correct because a lot of people get wigged out over very small things.

Two years post op and I still burp like a sailor. Not very lady like but oh well.

One last bit of advice, make sure you have found a protein drink you like and better make sure it is a couple of flavors. I found that what I liked before surgery and what I liked the taste of after surgery was different. I could not stand the sweet taste of some of the premixed drinks and switched to the powdered brands rather quickly. I drank a lot of protein in the beginnng and actually I still drink them twice a day for added protein. Again Good luck to you.

Glad to see your having your surgery, good luck and we will all say a prayer for you. I know you have been working on this for a while best of luck and love and prayers sent your way.

Honestly every one is different. I eat little red meat, pork I do fine with, chicken can sometimes be dry, especially if reheated in microwave, shrimp I can eat, bread--it depends and it has to be toasted and ususally it is just not worth it. Rice is a no for me, pasta yes but such a small amount I rarely eat it, seeds, nuts, popcorn... I have no problem with. Pizza only if it is cracker thin and only a very small piece again not worth it. Peanut butter yes some days, I love natural peanut butter. Eggs yes neve had a problem with them. Fried and greasy foods, that would be a no for me everytime I eat them they make me sick and bread foods do not go down well or they fill me up to fast so I can't get enough protein. I can eat aspargus but brocolli which I love I struggle with, corn is a little hard. Lettuce, especially the leafy kind and spinach and greens cause me problems I have PBed more over greens than anything I have eaten in two years, I think it is because they are harder to chew in small pieces and they slide down and cover my opening (well at least that is my thought process) I can eat most anything if I want it, but some foods make me feel fuller faster than others and do not allow me to eat all of my protein, so I chose not to eat them. Also on fruits I stick to berries and bananas. Apples and oranges are hard for me.

What would you say is the most important lesson or lessons you've learned about eating since you've been banded, and how has this contributed to your weight loss? Portion control, learning to weigh and measure my food and really find out what a portion is. American people eat way to much and expect way to much when served in a restaurant. I think what I have learned is if you want to be thin you have to think thin and realize that thin people do not over eat. * How are you sustaining your motivation to continue forward? A picture is worth a thousand words, I keep pictures of "FAT" me and "THIN" me side by side on my Fridge, on my mirror and on my bulletin board in my office. I do not want to ever forget how big I was because I do not intend to ever go back there. * If you've experienced any discouraging set back moments, how did you deal with them, how long did they take to pass-- and what sort of specific strategies might you suggest that could work? I did experience discouraging set backs, I was banded in October 2010, I lost very well for the first 6 months than I injured my knee during exercise and plateaued for 7-8 months. I had to have knee surgery and it took me 4 months to recover from that. How did I stay positive, I believed in my self, I never gained during that period. What helped me most was this web site, personal friends, family and attending support groups. I lived on this site in the early months. * Have you ever worried about being a complete failure at the band, and then gotten over that worry-- if so: did you tell yourself certain things that helped or do certain activities that reassured you? Yes to be honest I have worried about failing, but I hate to fail at anything and that same worry has helped me be successful. I used to talk to my self every morning in the shower, I also wrote an affirmation on my mirror that said, You are Beautiful, and you can do This! I wrote it in Hot Pink Lipstick! * What is the proudest accomplishment you've made relative to your band journey thus far? When I could do jumping jacks! When I first started working out I was so clumsy and could not even do a stinking jumping jack. I felt like such an idiot at the gym. * What are you looking forward to doing next in your journey? OK don't laugh, but I am trying not to lose any more weight and maintain my weight. Now I know that sounds really silly coming from a once fat girl but it is harder than you think. I am trying to balance my intake and my exercise so I don't get any thinner. If I lose any more weight I will not look good. I know Tiff problem to have, I hope you all can get to this point and understand where I am. * Where do you see yourself 1 year from now and how are you planning to get yourself there? I am working out and trying to prove that I can tighten up this tummy of mine, it looks so so, I do not want to have any more surgery and would just like to have my thighs look just a little bit better. Think I forgot to say vanity was one of my issues. lol * What sort of goal setting do you do in general, and how do you motivate yourself to keep going to wards those goals? I set mini goals along the way, I have been doing this for 2 years so i set size goals. I used to buy something that was to tight and try it on weekly until it fit. I also rewarded my self when I hit goals and no not with food but with shoes and jewelry and new hair color and new hair doos etc. * What is the most difficult thing about having the band and what makes it worth it anyway? Learning to chew my food, I have been a nurse for 33 years. I spent many of lunch and dinner times "hurry up and eat the patient needs you" and it was hard to break this habit. But learning to chew has helped me to enjoy food and the lose of weight is worth it. OK, now everyone knows way to much about me!

Another bit of info for you, you will find when you do decide to drink again that your body metabolizes alcohol much differently post band than pre band. Meaning, you get drunk a lot faster (speaking from experience) I used to be able to handle martini's and knew when I needed to stop, now I go from I feel OK to oops I had one to many. So be careful and if you do drink, make sure someone is there that will have your back. And you are right it is NOT WORTH IT! Now days my drinking is very little and I consider my self a cheap date both eating and drinking. Good luck!

I know it may sound weird but the yogurt may have been to thick, I had trouble with textures in the beginning and even though I had no fluid in my band I had some trouble swallowing some thicker foods. There is swelling in the beginning and some people it tales a little longer to tolerate foods that are thicker than clear, maybe back down to protein shakes and some cream soups with a little unflavored protein in them. In the beginning I did about 1 -2 oz of liquids every 1-2 hours for a few days. It does get easier, if you keep having the same problem call your surgeon and let them know. Hope you feel better, good luck.

Talk to Carolina Girl she had the same procedure and is several months post op, she may be able to give you some pointers.