melzie_99

I did Weight Watchers to help me lose my last 20 or so pounds...it was easier for me to have the program help me chart my food and keep me accountable.

This concerns me a bit, as it sounds like what I have been experiencing! I will be seeing a new lapband dr soon (hopefully) as I have moved to a new state so I will mention this to him...thank you for the info.

I will offer my honest band experience, both good and bad. Have I had complications? Yes. Do I regret getting the band? Absolutely not. Here's a little back story... I was banded Jan 2011; highest weight was 284, lowest since being banded 165. My weight was in the 270's when I started this journey, so I can safely say I have lost about 110lbs. My normal weight is around 170-175, though I am up to about 177 due to being 5 1/2 months pregnant. While I will say the band is responsible for about 75-85% of my weight loss, I will honest and admit that I used Weight Watchers to help shed the last 20 or so because I needed the accountability. I unfortunately have been someone who has rarely if ever felt satisfied eating just 1c of food as suggested, but getting another fill would be too much for me. I currently have somewhere between 6-7cc's of Fluid in my band. Like Megan mentioned, reflux and vomiting are possible, even with the new bands. I actually got aspiration pneumonia as I would wake up vomiting and would then hyperventilate because I have a very sensitive gag reflex; the band only exacerbated this. It was to the point that I would wake up vomiting even sitting straight up sometimes, not just lying down. To this day I am aware that I cannot go to sleep within 2 hours of eating or drinking or risk having this happen. Another thing Megan mentioned was vomiting and having food from several previous hours come up; I have no idea how or why this happens but this has occurred to me. I have seen food regurgitated that I hadn't eat in 10+ hours, so perhaps my pouch doesn't empty properly...I have no clue. That being said, I do not regret my decision. I am healthier than I have been in about 14+ years, and I know I have the band to thank for that. Being banded helped me not only physically but also emotionally, as it forced me to find positive ways to deal with my problems instead of using food as a crutch. I feel so much more confident and believe I am finally able to be that person that was hiding under all those pounds. I can't tell you what your experience will be, I can only share mine. I accept the responsibility of knowing some of my issues were probably caused by the fact that I have not followed the 'lifestyle' to the letter...had I who knows if I would have had these things happen. What I do know is that, like I said, I am grateful for what the band has done for me and should complications continue then I will take the necessary steps, but I will not badmouth the band because at the end of the day I made the decision that was the best for me at the time.

I'm not going to lecture you, I'm honestly just fascinated that you WANTED to eat! I cried daily the first week because I was so tired of having to have my shakes/protein drinks every couple of hours and I had absolutely no appetite. It was so depressing to me initially to still be cooking for my husband and missing the food I used to eat but having no desire for it whatsoever...I felt like I had lost a friend! LOL But yeah, like the others said, I wasn't allowed soft foods for about 2 week and even then it was hit or miss; 2.5 years post surgery and I still can't eat some of the foods you tried.

I got my band in Jan 2011 and am currently 24w pregnant with my first. Surgeon asked me to wait at least 18 months before trying to get pregnant, which I did. Have had no fluid removed so still somewhere between 6-7cc's in the band. I've noticed my appetite has diminished these past few weeks, almost like it was when I first got the band, so I suspect my growing belly might be affecting things a bit. Otherwise my only concern/complain is that my port is beginning to protrude horribly and feels like it's trying to flip when I lie down, though this was a problem before I got pregnant due to weight loss. I've only gained about 5lbs, and my OB is well aware of the band and has no problems or concerns about it. ETA: Oh, and I'll be 32 next month.

Really depends for me; depending on what got me stuck I do have to go back to at least soft foods for a day or two because I guess my stomach get irritated easily. If I keep trying to eat those foods I continue to get stuck and then I really CAN'T do anything but liquids...

Wonderful responses from catfish and the others. I think the emotional eating component is the hardest thing to deal with as far as the band is concerned. Because you are physically unable to eat away your emotions you're forced to face a lot of demons, and it's HARD. The beauty of it all though is that as you grow into a new person physically you will also be growing emotionally, and it's a wonderful thing. I'm 2.5 years out and I still struggle sometimes with that urge to eat away my feelings but have been able to learn so much about myself because I've finally had to confront the things in my life that were keeping me overweight. This is a lifelong journey and we all stumble along the way. Congratulate yourself on taking the first step, and remember it DOES get better!

My port protrudes quite a bit now that's I've lost weight when lying down, especially now that I'm pregnant. Can cause some discomfort if something rubs against it but otherwise I really don't notice it. I can lie on my stomach but it will bother me if I lie on my side for too long (again, exacerbated from being pregnant). Haven't had issues with roller coasters or flying, but for some reason it gets a little uncomfortable if I'm swimming (almost as if the buoyancy messes with it or something). Fills can be a little uncomfortable but the nurse always gives me a numbing shot beforehand so it's tolerable.

How did you guys find out you had scar tissue? About a year or so ago I had such bad reflux I ended up getting aspiration pneumonia because I would wake up vomiting on a regular basis and would then hyper-ventilate...it got bad enough that this would happen even if I dozed off sitting up, not just lying down. They did a slight unfill but I'm back to I think about 6 cc's and can't have anything to eat/drink at least an hour before sleeping or risk the reflux. That being said, I haven't had any x-rays of my band since my original swallow test so just curious what made your doctors check for scar tissue...

Gotta agree with the others...I'm 2.5 years out and still struggle with chicken. Your band is probably way too swollen at this point for solid food, and getting stuck can be very painful so please be careful! Big bites are a problem as well; I've had to learn the hard way about not cutting my food small enough on more than one occasion. Take it easy on the solids for now, and good luck!

I will be honest with you: I have been banded since Jan 2011 and I STILL struggle with my diet. I would have to say that after about 4 months out I have almost always been able to eat at least a cup or more of food at a sitting and not feel stuffed, and I have I think 6-7cc's in a 10cc band. I started my journey at around 275 (highest weight 284); I got down to my goal of 165 but am usually somewhere between 170 and 175 (pregnant at the moment so I'm up to about 177). That being said, I think you already identified your problem: you stopped tracking. I personally ended up having to do Weight Watchers to lose my last 30 or so pounds because I needed the accountability, and it did the trick. Some will undoubtedly argue with me on this, but I don't think it's realistic to expect an adult to eat half a cup of food for the rest of their life and be healthy and satisfied. That being said, I think one of the biggest mistakes we can make with the band is not listening to our bodies; there have been way more occasions than I'd like to admit that I got stuck or ended up in pain because I took too big of a bite or kept eating even though I was satiated. Emotional eating was a hard habit to break and I still have moments where I want to cram my face, but have had enough negative experiences to know better now. Remind yourself why you chose this journey in the first place, and don't be so hard on yourself when you have slip-ups; it happens to us all. Use the resources available to you, whether it be your doctor, support groups, or even posting on here. There are days when I curse my band, but I look back on the "life" I used to have and I thank God I had the opportunity to get the help I needed. Just remember to take it one day at a time. Here is a link to a page I have used when I feel like I have 'strayed' from the path (don't always do the full 5 days but 2-3 is usually enough to get the ball rolling)- http://www.5daypouchtest.com/plan/theplan.html . I wish you well and please continue to check in so we can see how things are going!

I haven't been on this site in forever, so it's nice to be posting again. A little back story: I was banded in Jan 2011; starting weight for this journey was 278 and my lowest weight so far has been 165 (my goal; lasted about a day...lol). I'm normally somewhere in the 170-175 range and I'm happy with that. At any rate, I'm currently 5 months pregnant with my first child and just wanted to reconnect with others having band babies. I have been very fortunate that I have had minimal morning sickness and though my appetite was voracious during the 1st trimester I didn't really gain any weight. I was about 172 when I got pregnant and am 176 as of this morning so weight gain has been minimal, though it fluctuates depending on my food/fluid intake. SOO...on to the questions: how much weight did your OB's tell you was okay to gain? Because of my weight history my OB said he would love it if I stayed within the 10lb range though 20-25 would be acceptable for someone my size. If things continue the way they are currently that shouldn't be a problem, but I have to confess I have a history of being a little scale obsessed so it worries me a bit. Other than my belly and a slightly bigger chest I look pretty much the same thank God, so like I said I feel very fortunate that things are going so well thus far. Port: *sigh* I have a love hate relationship with my port. Before I got pregnant I spoke to my surgeon concerning my port; it's not very noticeable when I'm standing but it protruded horribly when I would lie down, especially if I was a bit bloated. He told me my protruding was minimal and that it was something he would revisit after I had a baby but to leave it alone for now. Fast forward about 8 months and it now seems as though my port actually tries to flip when I lie down due to my growing belly; it's not horribly uncomfortable but it looks and feels awful to the touch. For those of you who are further along or have already have babies, should I just expect this to get worse? I know my port is stitched to my muscles, but I have this awful fear it's going to tear and I just moved to a new area so I don't even know where the nearest gastric surgeon is located. Finally: appetite. I have not had any Fluid removed or added to my band in probably about a year and a half; I think I have somewhere between 6-7cc's in a 10cc band. Like I mentioned earlier I ate like a cow first trimester but now there are days where I have to force myself to eat and after about 3 bites I already feel myself getting full. I'm having a hard time getting enough fluids as well . I'm not feeling sick or anything and baby seems to be doing okay, but has anyone experienced this and had issues arise later on down the road? I've never been at a place expect for right after a fill where I have been able to eat the suggest 1/2-1 c of food and feel full; I'm curious to try one of those pouch test diets to see if I stretched it or something but I know now is not a good time for that. Did any of you ladies have trouble eating while pregnant, and did you OB's express any concerns about your caloric intake? How will you know if you're not getting enough, or will that fact that most of us probably started a bit overweight be enough to buffer any possible nutritional concerns for the baby? Sorry for such a long post, but I look forward to hearing what others have to say. Thanks in advance!

@Hope: I had to switch to Vitafol-One because the generic ones I prescribed were just not working...love them! I have no trouble taking them and there's no fish oil so nasty aftertaste.

I was told 18 months; I think it was about 2 years to the day when I found out I was pregnant (miscarried but got pregnant again in Feb and am currently 5 months along)

I've gotten mixed messages on this one; I guess it depends on your starting weight. If you've lost most of your band weight then they'd probably tell you no, but I've known women who got pregnant like 2 months after getting banded and their doctors were okay with them losing weight because they had a 'buffer' to work with. I know my doctor told me to wait at least 18 months after surgery to try and get pregnant (it was a little over 2 years since surgery for me) so I don't think he'd be thrilled if I was still losing weight while I was pregnant.

Well, it's halfway through the month but I'd still like to join; I'll just set a smaller goal...lol. So here goes! Name, real or screen~Melanie Goal weight for May 31st~185 Weight on May 1st~198 Age~30 Dietary goal for May~recording all food eaten Exercise goal for May~exercise at least 2x/week Personal goal for May~be more positive about how I look Date banded~1/10/11 Total weight loss since banding/pre op diet~75 lbs What is your favorite flower~ purple roses Oh, and my starting weight as of 5/13/12 is 193.4

I was pretty miserable the first week after surgery; lots of pain from the gas they put in your abdomen during surgery, plus I had some depression from not being able to eat, something that my life had revolved around for so many years. I think it's good to stay nearby, and walking is supposed to help, but I guess I would be worried about overdoing it so soon after surgery. Sitting in the car was VERY uncomfortable, so not sure how you'll be feeling to do a road trip...

I've jumped on the 'wrap' bandwagon and decided to give it a try, as a have a pretty good pooch in the belly and my arms are awful. I'll let you know if and how well they work when I get them!

I still struggle with this one. I have been banded for almost a year and a half now and have lost a good chunk of weight (over 70lbs). Because of all the blood, sweat, and tears (literally) that have come with this journey, I am proud of what I have managed to accomplish. I have told a few select people about the surgery, and while most of the responses have been positive or neutral, I have met a few people who decided to give me the whole "you could've done it without surgery if you tried harder" speech. It makes me feel bad when I see others who have lost just as much weight if not more than me without surgical intervention, but I feel I made the best decision for me. That being said, I have chosen to pick and chose the people I share my story with.

I wonder if not chewing well enough is my problem as well! I recently had a slight unfill due to recurring reflux issues that ultimately led to me getting aspiration pneumonia (sad part is the dr's nurse was against my unfill until this occurred). Now it seems like everytime I eat something I get these horrible rumbling/gurgling noises like my stomach is working overtime to digest my food. I will try chewing more and see what happens; glad to hear I'm not the only one with these issues!

My dr didn't set a goal for me either, but said a good weight range for someone my height and build (5'5.5''/medium build) should be in the 155-165 range. I initially set a goal of 145 to be in a good BMI range, but have decided to aim for 155/160 and go from there. I haven't been that weight since college and was pretty thin then (IMO), so not thinking I will shoot for 145. I say set a goal 20-30lbs over your ideal weight, see how you look/feel, and go from there. It's up to you at the end of the day; good luck!