Shelley64

Don't stress out. We've all had these thoughts of failure because most of us have failed so many times before. I hit a 2 mo in Sept & Oct where I gained a couple and then lost a few and figured I was going to be the poster child of lap band failure. Even though my doctor is THRILLED with even a 1/2 pound loss per week (I'm not) they kept reassuring me that it's not a race and to just keep moving forward. Also, I felt like I was getting stuck when actually, I was full. It took me 9 months to realize just how little food I need. I was eating with my eyes and couldn't imagine that 2-3 small bites of something could actually be considered a meal. I also had to realize that I get to eat again in a few hours. I think "overeaters" treat each meal like the last supper....I know I did. I was all about the volume of food I could have. I based my satisfaction on how much I'd eaten many times. I can honestly say, almost 11 months out, that food is less important to me than it used to be. I still love to cook it, plan it, watch food shows on tv, try new recipes, etc. but I just can't eat as much. However, I can eat it again later. It's an amazing concept...Literally the light bulb went off above my head! Good Luck to you!

This happend to me just a few months after my surgery. I was traveling in a car (as a passenger) and we stopped at a convenience store. They didn't have any protein shakes so I got a protein bar instead. I thought I was chewing well enough, etc but apparently I wasn't. None of these people knew about my surgery and since I wasn't driving, I couldn"t pull over. I was too embarassed to yell...stop the car! Oh my, I learned my lesson. A ziplock bag in your purse is a great thing. I think my situation was aggravated by the stress and panic of the situation because I was trapped to some degree and that made the stuck thing even worse. I have found that eating with my hands/fingers in general usually spells disaster so if it's not on a fork, I try to avoid it! Good luck to all!

My surgeon told me that if your band slips, you can't swallow your own spit. My guess is your swelling has gone down since your surgery so you're going to be able to eat a little more. This is a great time to practice eating very small bites (eraser size), eating slow, chewing very well, etc. Don't drink 30 min before or after your meals. Your surgeon may or may not have put in fluid in your band during surgery....you'll find that out when you have your first appt. I'm about 11 months out so I'm not an expert but I've been through what you're going through now. It's all very overwhelming and 100% of your life's focus in general. It's perfectly normal. When you hear people say 'this is a journey'....it is. The first month or so after surgery is totally different than six months from now. You've got to practice getting good at living with the band. The new phases of your diet from liquids to mushies to real food. Seeing your doctor regularly, getting fills, adjusting to your new life. Trust me, it's all great but it's a journey. I'd like nothing more than to be at my goal but that's not the case. Everyone is different....don't get wrapped up in how much fluid you have in your band compared to someone else...it means nothing. You are you! It can take time to get the right amount of restriction to where you're eating a very small portion but staying satisfied for a few hours. It's a process and it simply takes time. You'll be amazed with what you learn about yourself over the next several months. Good Luck!

Thank you for sharing your story! I haven't been as open about telling people about my surgery for a couple of reasons which most people who have struggled with their weight can probably relate to. First, I don't want people to judge me, monitor what I'm eating, etc. Second, I thought I'd fail. I've failed at so many diets or failed to keep weight off that I did lose and I just couldn't deal with what other people would say. I'm not usually a person that really worries about stuff like that but when it comes to weight, I just couln't bear to fail again. Now, I've only lost 30-35 lbs in 11 months so I've had those "failure" thoughts go through my head but my cholesterol is down (even though I still have to be on a statin) my fasting blood sugar went from 176 to 102 and I'm only on 5 mg of blood pressure medicine just as a safety procaution by my primary doc. I feel so much better and I know that I will get to a healthy weight but it will just take longer than other people. I'd be happy at 160 lbs even though my bmi says I should be 140-145. Again, congratulations on your wonderful success and for posting your story.

I get a runny nose and a hiccup. Those are the "soft" stops you want to learn to look and feel for. I would strongly recommend getting the book titled "Band Wagon". It's an excellent resource and a good read. For about 3 or 4 weeks after my last fill, I was confusing full with stuck. I would get that tightness under my breast bone and then produce more saliva and I thought I was getting stuck cause I felt like it needed to come back up. If I'd only had a bite or 2 of something, my mind couldn't understand or comprehend that I could possibly be full...I had to be stuck. Turns out, I needed to slow down and realize that I was simply full. I'm amazed every day at just how little food I actually need. When you've been an overeater for so long and portions in general are enormous (hence the reason American's are so fat!) It's really hard to adjust your mind's view on what portion is actually necessary. This realization is a part of the journey and it's kind of refreshing. At first, I got a little mad when I couldn't eat something in it's entirety...I felt a little jipped but I had to work through that and say to myself....it's not like you're never going to eat again...if it was that delicious just have it again at the next meal. It seems so simple yet it took being banded to see the light! Good luck!

I went to my primary care doctor this morning and I am finally under 200 lbs. I honestly can't remember the last time I weighed less than 200. I have been hovering for a couple months but I think I'm finally in the "green zone" so the scale started moving! I'm so excited. Also, my fasting blood sugar was 102 and my blood pressure is in the normal range. Yeah!!!

I'm with BCBS Federal so lap band was covered. My BMI was just under 40 but I had high chol and high blood sugar so I got approved. Thank the good Lord! Best thing I've ever done for myself....wish I would have done it sooner instead of spending the majority of my 40's being fat and not enjoying life. This isn't for everyone but it's been really good for me. I had an very unhealthy relationship with food even though I ate a healthy diet for the most part, I just ate too much of what I could have. Fortunately, I buy, eat and cook real food (so many people eat every meal out from a convenience store or fast food) and I wasn't ever a big soda drinker so it's made living the with band easier. I understand nutrition and feel like I've created a balanced diet to be healthy. It does take a while to get the hang of it and find the right amount of restriction, etc. I really pays to have a great doctor and nurses who care about you, answer questions and don't just treat you like a number. I would highly recommend you purchase the book titled Band Wagon. It will be very helpful to you since you're in the beginning stages. It's literally a step by step walk through of a real person's experience with the band. I wish I would have had it before I had surgery. Good Luck!

I had surgery on 1/11/11. My fasting blood sugar in Oct/Nov of 2010 was 176. I went in for labwork in April 2011 and my blood sugar had gone down to 134 and now it's 102. That's pretty amazing. I started Zumba in May so for the first time in a long time I was putting diet and exercise together and it's paid off. Now, I'm genetically screwed when it comes to cholesterol and triglycerides but I thought I would do a little test on my own. In April, my cholesterol had gone down to 226 just from having surgery and losing about 20-25 lbs. My statin rx ran out in Sept so I decided to not refill it and just see if I could control with diet and exercise.....Well according to my lab work today, my Chol went back up to 277 and my LDL went from 133 to 192 so I've got to go back on a statin. Oh well, like I said, it's genetic. I'm just so excited to break 200 and have a normal blood sugar!

John, You've received very good advise in the posts below. Research is the best thing you can do. It is not for everyone but at 46, I had struggled to lose weight so many times only to gain it back. Life gets in the way and it's too easy to revert back to old ways. I got to the point where I literally dreaded going to the doctors office. My lab numbers were crazy (cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, blood pressure) and I simply got sick of it. I knew it wasn't a fix-all, but I knew in my heart that if I could just eat less, I could lose weight and be healthier. I've lose quite slowly but my health has improved dramatically! Research and follow your heart!

10 day pre-op liquid diet!

I have found so much help and guidence from the book "Band Wagon". I wish I would have had it pre-op but didn't get it til after. It's been so helpful. I've gone back and read several sections over and over again. It seems like a light bulb comes one time and time again. It's an easy read and the lady who wrote it is a long time dieter and band success story. She tells is like it is. Enjoy!

That is so awesome! We all want to see that scale move but it really does make you feel good when someone pays you a genuine compliment! Keep up the great work!

I've only lost 30 lbs in 10 months so I feel your pain. In Sept I had gained 2 from my previous appointment so I got a fill. I went back the last week of Oct and had lost 4 so my doctor was thrilled. He's totally happy with 1/2 lb a week. I felt like I needed to have some Fluid removed because I was struggling to eat. Sometimes I need 45 minutes to finish. He didn't want to remove any fluid and after I talked with the nurse, I think I was confusing feeling stuck with feeling full. I've had to adjust my brain to the fact that sometimes a few bites of something is all I need. It's so weird when you've been eating large volumes of food and have to adjust down to a fraction. It's taking a while to wrap my mind around it. I started doing Zumba in May and go 2-4 times a week depending on my schedule. I'm loving that which is a huge accomplishment in it's own right. I have never enjoyed any type of exercise so being able to keep up in a class for an hour makes me beam with pride. I was feeling discouraged because basic science tells me that if I'm eating considerably less than I used to and I'm exercising, the scale should be dropping. I just went in for a basal metabolic rate test yesterday. It determines the number of calories you burn just by being alive. (breathing, organ function, etc) Mine came out about 1600.....so If I eat 1400 calories a day and exercise, I should lose. I'm going to see the nutritionist because I don't want my body to start fighting me. I know you dont' want to lower your calories too much or your metabolism will shut down to preserve itself. I also know it's important to mix up your exercise between cardio and strength. In spite of only losing 30 lbs, my health and overall well being is so much better. I'm going in next week for labwork and my annual exam so I'm hoping my fasting blood sugar has come down some more as well as my cholesterol.

I was banded on 1/11/11 so it's nice to see someone else posting that had the same surgery date. I'm one of those 60-100 lb folks but I really understand where you're coming from with having a larger amount of weight to lose. I see so many posts where people who had their surgeries in May, June and July have lost twice as much as me and its discouraging. What I have to remember is...I was a slow loser before the band so that's just my fate in life. I have settled into the thought process that this is a journey and I'm going to have to be patient with myself assuming that I'm following the rules and doing things right. I still struggle with food issues and am often mad that I can't finish something that really tastes good. Also, food was my "go-to" when I was tired, angry, stressed or whatever. Now, I simply can't take a box of wheat thins and a block of cheese and chow down. Everyday I have to make myself think about the things I'm doing today that I couldn't or wouldn't do this time last year. You have taken the best step towards getting to your goal and you've done an excellent job so far. Keep up the good work!

Night eating is usually not based on hunger but "want". I've been a night eater my entire life so I know what you mean. The first piece of advise I'm going to give you is to nourish yourself properly during the day. It doesn't sound like you're eating any protein. You need to eat breakfast to get your metabolism going. Drink a protein shake after your coffee. Eat a small protein snack a little later...handful of pistachio nuts. Get protein in at lunch along with your non-starchy veggies and then have a protein/veggie dinner. Plan your after dinner calories into your daily total. If you know you're going to eat at night, plan for it. Some nights are harder than others if you're not able to distract yourself with an activity. Have some things on hand that aren't going to screw up your whole day if you eat them. greek yogurt, sugar free pudding, sugar free popsicles, protein bar (read the label....they hide sugar in protein products and call them healthy. Also, read the book titled Band Wagon. It's a teriffic book and will give you tons of info and insight into the journey you are now on!

I would recommend reading the book titled Band Wagon. It's an easy read, very insightful and really gives you someone's personal journey from the point you're at now all the way through pre-op, post-op, life with the band, etc. I didn't get the book til after my surgery but I found it very helpful and I really learned some things even though I did a ton of research prior to having my surgery. She's funny too so that make the book fun to read. I think this book will help answer some of your questions and it give you a road map of what to expect. Good Luck!

My advise is....DON'T TELL ANYONE except your family and super close (non-judgemental) friend (s). Seriously, it's none of any body's business and people who don't have food issues simply can't understand why a heavy person can't lose weight. It's so easy to say...just eat less and exercise more! If it were that easy there wouldn't be any fat people around. Trust me, people will judge you for not losing quick enough, loosing too fast, hitting a plateau, seeing you eat something they don't think is a good choice, making comments about the weird food you do eat....the list goes on! Keep it to yourself! I only told my family and my best friend (who lives in another town) and I am SO glad. I hit a 2 month plateau and I haven't lost a lot anyway but I'm so glad I don't have people saying..."well she sure wasted alot of money to only lose 30 lbs. or she could have done that without having surgery!" Only I know how much the band has helped me get control over the amount of food I eat. I still struggle with wanting everything under the sun but in reality I can only eat a small amount at one time.

I've been thinking about investing in the BodyMedia Fit device. The gal that teaches my Zumba class wears hers faithfully. She said she burns about 600-700 calories teaching a one hour class. I've been doing Zumba about 3-4 days per week and I just don't think I burn that many calories because the scale just isn't budging! I'd like to know if any other bandsters are using one of these devices and what your opinion of it is. Thanks!

Congratulations! I'm just about 1 1/2 lbs away but I want to see it on the official scale at my doctors office first. My stupid scale at home hates me and depending on how you lean, you can get a 2lb difference either way. ha ha Way to go girl! Keep up the good work!

I know you're going to hate hearing this BUT......this is a journey. Lapband is not a miracle quick fix. I was banded in January and have only lost 30 lbs. I was a slow loser before the band and I'm still a slow loser. Your body will fight you with everything it has. The minute you start restricting calories and moving more, your body thinks you're trying to starve it. Don't compare how many cc's you have in your band to someone else. It truly means nothing. Each person is so different. Your stomach is a constantly moving organ and restriction can change throughout the day. Being only 8 weeks out you're still healing to some degree so work on getting good at eating very small bites very slowly. Practice makes perfect. I still screw up and I'm 10 months out. It's hard to be patient but you will get there. I was just at my doctor on Weds complaining that I'm 10 months out and only down 30. I lost 3 lbs in the last 6 weeks and they were thrilled with that amount. I'm not thrilled but that's just me. There are people out there that lose all their weight in just a few months and some that take a couple years. There are a number of people that NEVER get a fill and lose all their excess weight! It's hard not to compare yourself to others especially when you're new at it. Just keep on!

Thank you for the feedback. I've been hesitant to get one but I think it could really be beneficial. I'd really like to know how many calories I burn during Zumba. I'm putting this at the top of my Christmas list! Thanka again!

I'm in a similiar boat so I feel your frustration. I've lost 30 lbs but have been the same for probably 3 months. I eat about 1200 cal a day and I do a Zumba class 2-4 times a week. I too watch my carbs and sugars and need to do better on my Water intake. I think it all boils down to metabolism. Our bodies are pretty smart and some of us have really efficient systems. I've tried mixing up my diet by raising or lowering my calories by 100 from day to day but I haven't seen much change. I'm going in next week to have a BMR study at the hospital. My insurance will pay for it so I decided to do it. It figures your basal metabolic rate. The number of calories you burn just by being alive....breathing, organ function, digestion, etc. Once I know exactly how many calories I'm burning at a resting state, then I think the nutritionist will be able to help me with a correct calorie count. I think your case could be your're not eating enough calories. I know that sounds weird but your body may think you're trying to starve so it hanging onto your fat reserves. The last thing you want to do is lose muscle and your body will give that up before it gives up fat! I'd try eating a little more for a few days, stay off the scale for a week and then weigh yourself. I'm going to post after I have my BMR study so keep an eye out. If it works and I figure out the secret, I'll scream it from the roof tops!

I feel your frustration. I was banded 1/11/11 and have lost 30 lbs. I was a super slow loser before the band and the curse seems to have followed me. In spite of that, I feel great, my lab numbers have improved and I'm able to do Zumba a few days a week so those are serious non-scale victories. I went to my bariatric doctor on Weds and thought I might need to have some fluid removed. Sometimes I struggle to eat...feel like I'm stuck after just a couple bites. I've been careful not to eat between meals but when you only eat a tiny amount, it's easy to get hungry again in an hour or so. I also think my metabolism is fighting me. I'm eating a fraction of the calories I ate before the band and I'm doing Zumba 2-4 days per week and I didn't exercise at all before. I'm no math expert but eating less and exercising more should equal weight loss. Well my doctor didn't want to remove any fluid from the band and thought the 3 lbs I lost in 6 weeks was excellent. The nurse suggested that I get my basal metabolic rate (BMR) study. It's called an indirect calorimetry. You can do a BMR online by putting in your age, height and weight but this is an in-depth test done at the hospital. It determines how many calories you burn just by being alive...breathing, organ function, etc. Once I have that, I'm going to meet with the nutritionist at my doctors office and figure out just how many caloires a day I need to be consuming to lose a little quicker. If I could lose 1lb a week consistently, I'd be a very happy camper! Can't wait til that scale at the doctors office has a number less than 200. I'm having the BMR test done next Weds so hopefully this will get me going in the right direction.

I've been wondering if there is something wrong with my metabolism because I'm not losing and I'm getting pissed, I'm eating a fraction of the calories I ate before the band and am doing zumba 2-4 times a week. I never exercised before. I should be losing a pound a week but I've been at a stand still for 2 months. Surgery was on 1/11/11 and I've only 30 lbs. A couple years before the band I went to a weight loss nutritionist who did that metabolic rate measurment. I had little electrodes on me and sat breathing by mouth into a machine. At that time, she said I needed to eat less than 1395 calories a day to lose weight. Now that I'm 2 years older, 30 lbs lighter I'm guessing that # has probably changed, maybe allowing me more calories. Well, regardless, I eat about 1300-1500 a day but the stupid scale will not move. I've asked for a body bug for Christmas so I maybe this will help me figure out if I'm eating enough or if I should be exercising more. I know I need to do some strength training in addition to Zumba but I can't afford to join another place right now. thanks!

I had lapband surgery on 1/11/11 and to date I have lost 30 lbs. I haven't lost anything over the last 2 months and I'm frustrated. I don't regret having the band for a second because my health is greatly improved. My blood sugar is better, my cholesterols/triglycerides are improved and I'm off my blood pressure medicine so those are HUGE victories. I have always been a slow slow loser and seem to be weight loss resistant. I'm eating half of the calories I ate before the band and I'm now able to do Zumba 2-4 times a week and I never exercised before other than an occassional walk. I simply don't understand how I'm not losing at least a pound a week. I've had regular doctors appointments and have had several fills. I believe I have 7 cc's in a 14cc band. I have good restriction in fact I'm not able to eat much at one time unless I can spread it out over a half hour. I may be too tight but I'm wondering if my metabolism is just screwed up. The though of just holding at a 30 lb weight loss makes me want to cry. I'm happy with my results but I'd really like to get another 30 lbs off. Any suggestions?