leroyspuds

I've had two fills with 5.5 cc in a 10cc band. I'm down 25 pounds which is 40% of my goal - yippee! The other good news is I had GERD real bad before being banded, but it's completely gone with no meds. I was on a plateau for about three weeks but I've started to lose again since I added exercise and limited calories to 1,000. I feel better than I have for years. I still crave foods I can't have, especially carbs, but it's not too bad. I need to learn how to cook - I'm getting bored with the same thing over and over. I'm resisting pre-packaged foods because they have a lot of sodium and other junk. If I was rich I'd hire a chef! Congratulations to everyone on their weight loss, and for those who are struggling I hope things will get moving for you soon.

I was on a plateau for while but have finally started to lose again. What did the trick was adding 1/2 hr of walking on the treadmill and counting calories so I didn't go over 1,000. Good luck Feb Peeps!!

I'm 5'1" and was 105-110# through most of my 20's. I entered college at 27 and that's when it started. Before that I did jobs requiring a lot of physical labor, then I sat on my butt for four years in school eating poorly. Then I started my career as an accountant and sat on my butt some more. It was stressful and I ate for comfort and entertainment. Big portions, eating out, fast food, candy, ice cream. I dieted off on and on for 30 years only to gain back any weight I lost. I hated to exercize. I finally said the heck with it and just ate whatever I wanted. Then came the sleep apnea, GERD, asthma, bad knees, high cholesterol, borderline high blood sugar, borderline high blood pressure. I finally said "that's enough!" I realized I was a food addict, just like any other kind of addict and it was killing me. My self-esteem was in the dumper. Took me three years and hitting nearly 200# (double my weight) to decide to give it up and get banded. That's how it happened! :thumbup: I'm a recovering food addict and the band is helping stay on the wagon! :thumbup:

I'm at about 5cc in a 10cc band. Right after a fill I get that tightness in my chest when my pouch is full, but that goes away after a few days. Sometimes I feel like the food is getting stuck as it travels down my esophagus. If I wait a bit that feeling subsides and I "could" eat more. For me the key is simply not put more than 1/2 to 1 cup of food in my pouch. You don't want to stop eating only because you're band puts the hurt on you. Also, you don't want to be filled so tight that you feel sick whenever you eat. Your sweet spot is when you can eat the right portion size and you're not hungry in between meals. As for plateaus, I was banded around the same time as you and also experienced that. What got the scale moving again was a reality check. I realized the band was only going to help with portion control and hunger and the rest was up to me. When I added added 1/2 hour of walking, made sure I got around 70 gm of Protein, and counted my calories so I didn't go over 1,000 the pounds started to drop off. I too was getting discouraged but seeing the scale go down again has been a huge relief! The band doesn't do it all and like any other weight loss program you need to rely on willpower to control yourself. I've always had a problem with that too as I think most obese people do. When the scale didn't move I felt I was failing and had to get tough with myself and kick it up a notch. The reward of dropping pounds is fantastic. You can do it! :bored:

I am no fan of the right wing or Tea Bag movement. However, it dawns on me from reading recent posts that we should all try to maintain the civility that we criticize each other for not having. Some of the posts here remind me of Congress. If we can't have a civil and cooperative dialog nothing good will ever come about. Everyone is entitled to their opinion in this great country of ours. It's OK to disagree with each other, but let's follow Obama's example of civility.

I've always disliked exercize regimens, but enjoy outdoor activities of hiking, kayaking, gardening, etc. During the winter I can't do those things so since my banding I haven't exercized. I was on a plateau for a while and as soon as I started walking on the treadmill the scale started to move again. I encourage folks to at least walk a half hour per day to keep that scale moving downward.

As Adagray said, the band really helps with portion control and hunger. No more hunger pangs an no more gorging. It's also helped me not gain back what I've lost because it's a weight loss program I can't quit (without having the band removed.) The band doesn't help me control grazing, cravings, eating the right foods, getting exercize, and drinking 64 oz. I have to rely on willpower for those things just as before. The band contributes by limiting portions and reducing hunger and I contribute by: keeping all temptations out of the house and resisting them when away from home having only meals of lean Protein (70 gr/day) w/small amts of veges & fruit, no sugar or white flour eating no more than 1,000 calories & tracking with MyFitnessPal.com drinking my Water walking on a treadmill a half hour/day getting my fills to get to the sweet spot ASAP My band fights half the battle and I fight the other half -- and together, we're winning! :bored:

Maybe I'm the odd one out here but I don't think this is the easy way out at all. -I still crave foods I can't have. -I still want to snack between meals. -I still feel guilty if I cheat. -I still have to count calories. -I still have to eat lo cal, lo fat, lo carb foods. -I still have to force myself to exercize. -I still have to force myself to drink 64 oz of Fluid. -I still have to cut out most carbs and starches. Sounds like every other diet I've been on! I don't think it's easier than other weight loss plans, but there are advantages to having the band: limited portions, keeping hunger at bay, helping prevent re-gain, and you can't quit! But like everyone else in the world trying to lose weight it still comes down to willpower and lifestyle changes.

We're busy and stressed and eating healthy takes time, thought and effort. Crafty CEO's have found a way to profit from this by providing pre-prepared foods, like a drug dealer offering instant gratification. On the back end they profit again by selling us diets to repair the damage. It truly is a horror worthy of a Steven King novel. I was one of the afflicted. The physical abuse I subjected my body to had started to show -- sleep apnea, high cholesterol, GERD, bad knees, borderline high blood sugar. I only hope my body will forgive me for the years of abuse. Hopefully my abused metab-o-workers don't decide to rise up and take revenge! :smile:

Spartan, you're a joy! :smile:

Banded 2/22/10 - I read somewhere that the band is the most effective for people whose biggest problem was portion control while grazers and junk food eaters would have a tougher time. Here's my experience so far: The first few weeks were the hardest, but they went by fast, like a dream now. Once on solid foods and after having two fills I'm never hungry in between meals and it doesn't take much to fill me up. I do crave forbidden foods from time to time, but not as bad as before being banded. Sometimes I feel a little down when I can't eat the things I used to (bread, rice, Pasta, junk food), but it's not like I think about it constantly. Food just isn't as important any more and I find pleasure in the things I can eat. I am having a hard time with noshing in between meals though. Fortunately, I only keep healthy foods in the house so it's not too bad. I think a lot of willpower is needed with the band. That's something I wasn't good at before. Now, the band motivates me to stay on course because I don't want to fail at this. I'm finally not dieting anymore; it's just "eat this - not that." That's the lifestyle change I've been needing all along and the band is giving me the kick in the butt I needed to make that change. :redface:

Hi Gals, I was banded 2/22 and had my second fill yesterday. I'm between 5 and 5.5 cc in a 10 cc band. Total 21 pounds lost over nine weeks, which is nearly a third of what I need to lose. I'm happy to have lost that and not gained it back. I lost 2 pounds during the three weeks after my first fill. I would have been happier with a couple more pounds lost. Though I ate all healthy foods per my plan I probably ate too much. I'm hoping the second fill should help with portion control. The fill nurse said this fill will last longer than the first and that I'll likely need one or two more down the road. I believe as I move closer to the sweet spot, focus on portion control, and add some exercise the scale will start moving a little more. Like my old hiking partner used to say "slow and steady wins the race." KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK FEBRUARY BANDSTERS. WE CAN DO IT !! :biggrin:

I get them when I eat too. I asked the fill nurse about it yesterday and she said it's common.

1. Was able to hike in the mountains this week without having a heart attack. 2. Had to tighten my watch and bracelet. 3. Had to break into my stash of smaller jeans and shirts and box up my largest shirts and pants.

___________________________________________________ My story is nearly identical to yours. Pre-op diet one week, banded 2/22, first fill 3/31, second fill today. Total loss 21 lbs. Lost 2 pounds since the first fill over a three week period. Congratulations on losing 23 lbs -- that's fantastic! As others have said this quick loss was mainly due to the restrictive post-op diet we had. Most of us are not going to lose the rest super fast. But if we're patient and follow the rules the weight will come off. Just read all the sucess stories on this site and it will give you faith that the band really does work! Just think -- what happened before when you lost weight from dieting? You gained it back right? Well, now you're keeping it off and losing more. You're doing great!

I was banded 2/22/10. I started with 2.5 cc in my band and had a fill on 3/31 for a total of 4.5 cc. For about a week after my fill I felt restricted. I lost 2 pounds after the fill because I was on liquids for a couple days. Haven't lost an ounce since. I can eat way too much now and will be going in for another fill in a week. My surgeon's office said everyone is different and you need to pay attention to the signs that you need a fill -- not losing, can eat too much, and hungry between meals. I worry about being filled too much and not being able to swallow my own spit! But I guess it's trial and error to get to the elusive sweet spot. What size band to you have and how much is in it now?

Banded 2/22. Lost 21# (inc. one week pre-op diet.) Weight loss seems to have stalled the last couple of weeks. Log all my foods (myfitnesspal.com) and have been w/in dietary guidelines for everything. Had a fill 3/31 and have 4.5 cc in a 10 cc band. Definitely feel restriction and can only eat small meals. Rarely hungry anymore. The band is doing it's job! I need to improve on the following: --only averaging 5 of the 8 cups of liquid daily-need increase --not exercizing, 57 and sedentary-need to get off my butt --snacks between meals, only healthy stuff & still w/in plan Maybe a few tweaks on these things will get things moving again. How are the rest of you February bandsters doing? Don't hear much from the February group.

I'm seven weeks out and finally made my first mistake - and boy did it hurt! After dinner I was quite full but went to the cupboard and started mindlessly pounding down cashew nuts - just like my good old pre-band self. I learned quickly, "Hey this band really works." I was in excrutiating pain for hours. Felt like someone blew up my pouch with a bicycle tire pump. I had tremendous pain in my chest with a ton of gas. Anyone else have a similar experience? Lesson - you can't run, you can't hide, cuz you have a lap band inside! :biggrin:

Yes, I was wondering if I was stuck. What does it feel like to be stuck vs. just being too full? I didn't experience any sliming or Pbing. I'm still trying to figure out what my banded body is trying to tell me. Any info would be appreciated. This morning I ate about 2/3 of a scrambled egg and a few bites of ham. I think my stomach is still sensitive from yesterday's experience. Might be a good idea to stick with liquids today. What do you think?

Free Calorie Counter, Diet & Exercise Journal | MyFitnessPal.com This is a great free program for counting calories, carbs, protein and fat consumed during the day. It's very easy. A lot of folks don't believe in tracking this stuff but it helps me plan my menu and get enough of what I need. Once on regular foods how many of these do you get per day, or what is your daily goal? calories ____ protein ____ carbs ____ fat ____

IMO, psych evals for lap band are a joke. Just another hoop the insurance company makes you jump through to cull out prospective bandsters and save a buck. The fact that we all got to the weight we did says it all. We opt for the band because we lacked the willpower to control eating on our own. Duh! :smile2:

Get the sleep study ASAP - if you have sleep apnea you're in! That's what qualified me with BMI 37. Good luck.

First fill 3/31. Nurse gave me a shot to numb it -- it hurt like a bugger! Didn't even know she's injected the saline so I guess I was pretty numb. I'd almost rather not get the numbing shot if the fill only stings a little.

Banded 2/22 with 2.5 cc in band. Felt no restriction. First fill 3/31 which added 2 cc. Eating only full liquids until tomorrow. Then mushies for a day, then back to soft food until Wednesday. Then final stage -- full normal foods. Total 4.5 cc in a 10 cc band. I can definitely feel it and have to be careful with eating now. I get a tightness in my sternum sometimes. Will loosen up I guess. Sure hope I can handle normal foods.

My doc's instructions were: surgery day and next day - clear liquids next 7 days - full liquids (cream soups, yogurt, non-sugar pudding) next 3 weeks - pureed inc. mashed taters, tuna and chicken salad next two weeks - no more pureed, but soft meats and veges (like ground beef) after that normal foods I started w/2.5 cc in my band. I now have 4.5 cc and have one more week of soft foods. I was never so happy to have mashed potatos! Recently, a hamburger patty! Whoo hoo! You'll be there soon so hang on and let that band site heal.