msdeevee

I was given a tip by my former lap band coach to have a cup of hot tea about 1/2 hr before a meal to loosen up my band. When I'm very conscious of what I'm eating I do that in the am and as soon as I walk into a restaurant I order a cup of hot tea it does seem to help. It doesn't help you to over eat but it lessens the chance of a PB or just not being able to take in more than a bite.

Wow, it seems a lot of us are experiencing stress. I just got over a stressful period too . My family came to town and always wants to stay with me. Our lifestyles and beliefs are completely different and I have to walk around my own house on eggshells so as not to have constant tension in my house. When they're here I don't eat on plan and I decide to have a drink every night just to de-stress. I can't eat much with my band now (which I like) but I was eating the wrong things. I have definitely heard and read that stress causes the band to tighten up so maybe if you just wait out this stressful time it will loosen up. I hope you find at least a couple of things that can sustain you until this trialsome time has passed and it will. Maybe some light Soups or Protein Shakes sipped a little at a time. Tylee I wish you the best too with your surgery.

I have no regrets about the band even though I am not losing as fast as I want. If you are having trouble with your last fill and feeling too tight and can't eat that's a problem. I know when we're newly banded we feel ...fill, fill that's what I need. My Dr is very conservative with the fills and at first I was so frustrated with it but now I see the wisdom of it because it gives me time to work on my head hunger, emotional issues. I'm not saying that's your problem, this is my issue. Go on Youtube and see Skymoon82 latest video about not being afraid to get a slight unfill. I hope you feel better soon.

I'm glad it went well for you. See we're not crazy the Dr said your first Dr was holding your fills hostage What your first Dr was doing defeats the purpose of the band. Happy losing now.

I'm at about 5.5cc's and for now I do feel good restriction. I feel full after a few bites. I am under stress now so I am not eating properly meaning that I'm not eating much but I'm eating the wrong things and not really keeping up my protein intake as I do when I'm really watching myself. I am not always full but I am satisfied with less food. My experience is about what I thought it would be after having surgery. I am grateful for my lap band but I have had one distraction after the other since being banded and I don't feel like I have really had the time I need to get into a good solid program. I joined a gym a couple of weeks ago and my PA says that will help me to start losing more steadily. I still have hopes of being at or close to goal by my 1 years surgiversary.

You'll be fine . I was depressed too about not being where I want to be . I thought I should be at least 60 lbs down by now but I'm not. I stopped comparing myself to others. I am down 40 lbs which is 40 lbs less than I was last year and I am not gaining it back like I have in the past. I'm hoping too that the warmer weather will help me to get up earlier and exercise more to boost my losses. exercise will also elevate your mood. You will do it stay strong and be determined to meet your goal.

Thank you so much, I think I am getting there by realizing that I have to ditch the alcohol which leads to snacking. I also have to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day at least 5 days a week. Thank you for the support. I hate that this thread has slowed down so much because I really need the support. This has happened to me so many times since being banded the bottom line is we have to follow the rules as you know. Sometimes we self sabotage so I totally understand the I don't know why.

Yes, I have found that there is a steep learning curve with the band. I am not where I want to be at least 60 lbs down but I am down almost 40 and if I had not been banded God knows where I'd be. I have found the band to be harder than any plan I've ever done but I have no regrets and know that if I had lost it otherwise I would have been back up in my weight. I hate the stalls and the plateaus but at least the scale is going down and I know that would not be the case with anything else. I have learned that I cannot drink any alcohol because it stalls me so in my case having those drinks on the weekend just caused me to have back to back stalls. So for the next 6 months I'm ramping up my exercise by joining the gym and watching my portions and quality of food and I'm sorely in need of a fill which I'll get on 3/9/10. I'm also going to do a 24 hr detox every Monday. I still have hopes of reaching my goal by 8/16/11...my 1 year surgiversary. We will all make our goals.

Hey everyone, I came looking for the thread because I guess most of us are approaching our 6 month surgiversary. Mine will be on Wednesday too . I was banded 8/16/10. I am down 39 lbs but like some of you have said I can be doing much better . My biggest problem is the weekends my Dh and I are in the habit of eating out all weekend or getting take out. I also like to have drinks on the weekend. So whatever progress I make during the week is set back on the weekend. I am recommitting to my band for the next 6 months still keeping the hope that I can be at or close to goal by my 1 year surgiversary. I have to follow the rules every day and stop the drinking on the weekends. Alcohol stalls me and bloats me so no more for now. Failure is not an option.

Just checking in to keep up with my August rushers. I have had a long haul and have figured out (I think) a few things along the way. My weight is coming off very slowly but it's coming off. Like a lot of you I seem to have been at a stall in my losses but with the help of my lap band coach and learning the band I think I am coming out of it. I have learned to really concentrate on my protein intake while trying to keep my meals low. I am still waiting to get my 3rd fill but I've had to cancel my last 2 appts because of the ongoing snow storms in NY. Since I've been keeping my protein intake up I have lost another couple of pounds. I've also been trying to fit in more cardio. This coming week I'm thinking about doing the fat flush smoothie shakedown to give myself a real boost. My focus is going to be to get to 199 before February is over to make up for lost time.

Scaredy cat here. I was banded on 8/16/10 and my loss has been very slow. I expected to be down at least 50 lbs by now. It seems that every lb. I lose is a fight. I told my sister today that it seems that I lost weight easier before I was banded. I know in my heart though that I'm older now and I can do better with my exercise and the weekends are tough for me as far as eating on the straight and narrow. So yes, I am afraid of not losing and if I do lose and get to my goal. I'm afraid I will gain it all back and more. Dee

Wow, I loved this thread. I've been looking for an exercise that I can do and really work up a sweat and burn some fat. Also hoping for something that will become addictive and I will want to do it all the time. I just bought my dance Nikes because I tried doing turbo Jam today and my knees are aching now. I already have the Zumba DVDs and Zumba Kinect. Now I just have to find a class . I checked on Zumba.com and there is one within walking distance of my home. I hope they just let you pay for the class and not the whole gym membership. Thanks for the info everybody.

The thought of vomiting all the time made me delay my surgery for a long time. You can read some real horror stories around these parts. i hate vomiting. Since being banded in August I've only had 1 incident of bringing something back up because I let myself get too hungry and took that first bite of some dry turkey too fast. My neck looked like a snake swallowing a mouse!! It wasn't like regular vomiting it's more like a hard burp and that bit of food came back up. That's why they call it a PB = productive burping. Don't let that sway you from your decision as said above if you follow the rules it won't happen much or even at all. Dee

Just to put it out there and have some accountability. I'm starting all over tomorrow. I'm constantly complaining about not losing more but I really can do a lot better with my eating and exercising. The weekends are really my downfall. I do well all week and then on the weekend starting Friday night I want to have some wine or a drink and i eat stuff that I shouldn't . I'm going to give myself a fresh start tomorrow morning and I will do a colon cleanse along with eating well. I will measure my portions and journal on Livestrong and get at least 30 min. of exercise for at least 5-6 days a week. I'm making this promise to myself . I will hit my 50 lb mark by mid February. Dee

I am told that's what you call a soft stop. It could be hiccuping, burping a couple other signs I can't think of now. My soft stop is when my nose starts to run. Meaning if you take one more bite you maybe in for a Pb or sliming. My stomach gurgles audibly too a lot and I have had more gas since being banded than I've had my whole life. I sleep with a can of air freshener by my bed. I am just trying to accept this as part of being banded. Dee

You did this surgery for yourself and yourself alone. It is nice to have your friends praise you and be happy for you but for many reasons it just may not happen. I have lost 35 lbs so far and only one person has said to me "oh, you've lost weight!!" That's why I've only told a few people. and I'm actually glad about that because I've gone up and down so many times I'm not really open to answering any questions about my loss. During this time you're going to be your best friend. So be that and don't further complicate your life by investing to much in how others feel and think and what they say . If your friend is obese and not able to do anything about it no doubt she's jealous of your progress. Take this time to focus on you alone and accomplishing your goal. Don't look to others for praise . Make yourself proud and praise yourself.

My HBP is totally weight related too. I have also been taking 2 meds to control it for several years. Once before I was banded I lost a good bit and my BP was so low that I passed out and had to be taken to emergency. When I went in for my 2nd fill earlier this month my BP was 117/80 which is good but I've continued to take the meds. When I go for my next fill if it's still low I will call my PCP and make an appt. I would love to be off those meds.

I posted back in September that I started C25K but I couldn't get through W1D1. I re-started it last week and I am so proud to say that I did so well. I am so pumped. Today I did wk 2 day 1 and I am so proud of myself. It just takes a little pushing and motivating yourself. I'm doing it on my treadmill and I am just elated with myself. I hope I keep it up . I would love to sign up for a future 5k but I'm gonna give myself some time . Dee

Hi Jen, I had to cut out the alcohol period. It was sabotaging me. I was sabotaging myself. I would do good all day and then want a drink at night to chill out from all my frustrations and distractions but then with the drink I would grab a handful of chips or nuts or something else not good. I was stuck at the same 26lbs down for about 2 months. Once I stopped the alcohol my weight loss has started to pick up again. I'm now 36 lbs down and just started C25K. I would be at least 50 lbs down if I never started back up with the alcohol. I'm gonna subscribe to you on YT I just realized that we are both August rushers. I agree with the other poster. Of course you are struggling only having 1 1/2 cc in your band after all this time. I thought my surgeon was conservative. He put 1cc in my band on surgery day. I'm going for my 3rd fill on Jan. 5th and I'm now at 4.5cc which is good because I do feel restriction. I think by my next fill or maybe the one after I'll be at or pretty close to my "sweet spot". You are losing weight basically on your own and by sheer will power. The band is supposed to be a tool to help us get to our goal. Your tool is not helping you because your Dr is not letting it. What the heck, you have to lose another 30 lbs before he gives you a fill in 6 months? I have never heard of this before . Dang, you'll be at goal by then or pretty close to it. A Dr told you that the fat is turning into muscle? No such thing....fat is fat and muscle is muscle. You have burned fat and have built up your muscles. I think you should try to talk to your Dr . but this is just my humble opinion. Dee

Be very careful about alcohol. This is coming from someone who loves a nice cold drink frequently. One good thing I have done since being banded is that I have not had any carbonation at all...not a drop. My drink of choice before LB was rum & diet Coke. Since LB I love vodka with diet Snapple iced tea. When I drink I find that my weight loss virtually stops and my inhibitions are lowered and I start to snack on nuts and other Snacks I shouldn't have. Not losing weight after surgery is devastating for me so I had to make a decision to stop drinking on the weekend. Since I stopped that my weight loss has started to pick up again. I know that when I go on vacation or have a special occasion I will probably have a drink again but just drinking casually on too many occasions is not worth it . If you just have to have it maybe we need to seek other help. Think about all the reasons you got banded to start with and all you had to do to get banded.

WOW!!! this is so incredibly generous!! there are still some good people in the world. If there's anyway you can take this offer please do. You sound like you need to find a good support system. Take this opportunity to stand on your own two feet and to show your DH and most importantly yourself that you can make this journey with flying colors . I wish you the very best. Dee

Yeah it happened with me too. Did your Dr put any in on surgery day? When I went for my first fill my PA told me that I already had 2.5 cc in my band and then she added another 1cc so for my 1st fill I had a total of 3.5cc. I had my 2nd fill on 12/1 of only 1 cc so that bought me to 4.5cc now. I am feeling some restriction but I am not yet at my "sweet spot". What I did was to make my next appt for a fill on Jan 5th. while I was right there in the office because they only do 1cc at a time. I kinda think that to be conservative with the fills may be a little better. It's not so pretty reading the stories of those that are over filled and have to go in for an emergency unfill. We'll get there slowly but surely.

I had my 2nd fill today. My Surgeons office is very conservative so I only got an extra 1cc bringing me to 4.5cc so far. According to their records I've only lost 20 lbs so far. They did not weigh me on day of surgery so they don't have my surgery day weight according to my records I'm still holding at 26 lbs down. I just joined a challenge on YT to exercise 30 min a day for the next 30 days. That should put me into a good habit. I made an appt while at the Surgeons office for my 3rd fill on Jan. 5th so I'm challenging myself to lose 20 more lbs by then. I know it's aggressive but I'm going for it. I have to kick it up. Go hard or go home!!

I bought my BB back in July being proactive before being banded on 8/16. I am not loving it at all. I hate going on line and logging in food . I just hate it. I have only worn my BB maybe a total of 1 week or less since I've had it. For me for now it was a waste of $300.00 as I'm looking at it sitting in the box on my dresser.