B-52

I gained AFTER my first fill......for many, just because you had the band installed, does not anything until you start the process of getting it adjusted just right to suit you and your weight loss.... Took me months of aggravation, feelings of failure, etc..... Fortunately I have a Dr. that took the time to explain things to me....he even laughed when I gained weight after my fill....

In the early stages, first few months post-op, my Dr. would refer to the "Yellow-Green-Red" chart on the wall in the exam room....he would ask me to point to EXACTLY where on the chart I felt i was as far as hunger portion sizes, possible problems, etc....he would then compare my current weight with that room the last visit....ask a few other questions regarding exercise, etc, he would take it all into account, and then determine whether or not I needed a fill....and how much. I had 3 fills, one month apart form surgery.....the last fill was the charm, putting me into the Green..granted, it was not easy...I had to change my ways fir sure if I was going to continue...I could not continue eating the way I used to if I wanted the band to work optimally.... That was over 3 years ago...Since that last fill I lost weight steadily and consistently until I bottomed out....lost as much weight as possible...all fat, and no muscle, etc. I simply stopped loosing, but at a optimal place where my body determined it should be, not me.... I have not gained nor lost any weight in over 2 -1/2 years.... A short time ago I asked to have .5cc taken out....I started to take the band for granted, feeling like it was not even needed anymore.....My Dr. felt I was crazy, and should leave everything alone...if it's not broke, don't fix it....but he agreed to do it, perhaps to prove a point.... Immediately, things got turned upside down...my appetite returned, along with cravings...I began to eat more than normal at each sitting.....portion sizes increased.... Long story short, I went back and got the .5cc put back in within 3 weeks...now everything is back to normal, and I am happy as a clam again.... Do you need a fil??? Only you can answer that question....What is your comfort level? Your weight loss? Is the band working for you, at least the way you want it to?? Of all the posts I read here, I see many people have found their success stories and weight loss to completion following different avenues.... Bottom line, if they are 100% successful and have no complaints, then what else matters???? That is what it is all about anyway, right?

First, are you eating too close to bedtime? I had similar issues, along with reflux during the night, and I have learned, for myself, not to eat anything after a certain hour.... Second, I have been banded coming up on 4 years, and of all my Dr. visits, that is the one question they always ask....any problems during sleep...so it is something they are always looking out for.....not normal at all....

As soon as your Dr. clears you.......

No way would I stop coffee.....I had my first cup less than 24hrs after surgery...I drink it all the time.... But just because I do it, dose not make it correct and allow others to go against their Dr.'s rules.... My Dr. never told me no, or perhaps forgot to tell me no.....by the time I told him I was drinking it every day all he could do was shrug his shoulders.... Everything else was working fine, Coffee was not interfering.....

My surgery was on a Monday Morning...by wed. I had to get out of the house and do something, Thursday and Friday I stopped into the office for a few hours...everyone though I was nuts because who comes into work during their vacation? Following Monday I was back full time....I was also cleared at one week to go back to the gym, soak in hot tubs, do just about anything but the heaviest of lifting....

I fly all the time, and go through TSA Security with the band totally undetected....it's not going to set off store alarms.... Or like someone said, maybe they left the price tag on your band....

3 days of a diet and you want to quit....THAT IS EXACTLY Why I needed this surgery.... ANY DIET and after a few days I wanted to quit also...there were a few diets where I went a few months, lost a lot of weight, felt good about myself, only to gain it all back, feel like a miserable failure.... I could not, and cannot diet...I do not have what some people have as far as following a calorie counting, portion weighing, regime for any period of time. My PCP realized this, and refereed me to a Bariatric Surgeon.... Coming up on 4 years and things could not be any better....this surgery has done everything for me that I could never do myself..... My portion sizes are limited, I have no cravings or hunger....and since I eat so little, I make the best of what I do eat so counting calories does not matter in my case.... All I need to do is be sure I get my daily Water and Protein requirements...and I have found that exercising is essential to burn fat away....(not to mention the other health benefits) Now there are many different people on this forum with many different experiences....and I don't expect people to be like me, and people should not expect others to be like them....but the point is, THIS THING DOES WORK!!! You can continue to do it on your own and face the risks of Obese related illnesses and even premature death, or you can have surgical intervention and face the risks of surgery........

Not exactly "Stuck" with liquids.....but can feel like it at times.... Imagine a funnel....you can pour liquids into it, and as long as you don't pour too much to fast, it will pass through the narrow opening without any trouble..... Now pour a large amount into the funnel...what happens? It sits there for it to pass and eventually go down...OR...it can overflow over the top onto the floor..... Also the consistency of the liquid matters also...water to a milkshake.... Everyone's opening is different size...some smaller, some larger....the band is adjustable.....so the experience will vary from individual to individual.... If you are recently banded, then it is probably still swelling that is making you tight....either way you need to slow your drinking down.... I have no problems or complaints with my band, but when drinking Water I have learned not to gulp....and I still forget at times, especially at the gym or doing yard work in the sun....

Not a single problem....no restrictions, and consequences weight wise, for me.... I live a day by day normal life without fear of gaining weight...diet is a four letter word... Of course, if your new to this, and are still trying to loose weight let alone get "In Your Groove" so to speak, then the rules are entirely different....don't jepordize this before you really get started....

Bread, and everything related...donuts, cakes, pasta, bagels, rolls, tortillas, etc, etc, not to forget pizza, was the first thing to go, and I have not had any in almost 4 years now...... Bottom line, I feel better off without it. The same went for red meat....better off all around, The only thing I can eat, are crackers...but even then, they have to be a certain brand.

I know I'm the exception, but sliders don't effect me the least....I can buy a pint of ice cream, and can only eat so much and that's it,

Almost 4 years now, and I still cannot take big gulps of anything...with or without food....

Looks like you were recently banded? If so, the best thing to do is regular visits to your Dr. with honest reports about how you're doing.....it is his/her goal to be sure the band is doing what he/she intended it do. I would not second guess anything at this point....after a year or 2 you will get to know all the little idiosyncrasies about YOUR band, in regards to you and not anyone else's experiences....all are different., and it's important to learn to know and listen to your band.... What I may tell you what I do in particular situations, may not be true for you...and can even cause harm.... I have learned it's one thing for veterans to share war stories, and it's another thing for those just starting out....that's why this forum can get very confusing with so many conflicting views... BTW, after surgery, even after my first fill, I started to gain weight...Dr, said to me "No big deal" until we get the band and me, adjusted just right...took around 4-6 months, and everything has been smooth sailing ever since....that was over 3 years ago.... So stick with your Dr.....ask him/her these type of questions.

I eat (and drink) what I want, when I want....not just like the pig I used to be....more the way a normal should,,,which brought me back to a normal weight,,,,and a normal healthy lifestyle with nutritious food and plenty of exercising, not ever having to worry about diets and weight loss again....(as long as the band remains the same) Best thing that can possibly happen.....

Because my wife and I both work with long hrs, we eat out frequently.... I always start with a pre-dinner alcohol drink.... Now it gets tricky...I have ordered Soup and salad, and/or an appetizer before my entree, but then find myself not being able to finish that, and cannot touch my entree at all....so I'm careful with the pre-meal treats. I will let my wife order something and I will pick at it.... Entree, something high Protein....since I don't eat meat, it is usually fish. I will stay with fish first, before moving onto the side, because if I start with the sides I may not be able to get to the important stuff....I have learned the hard way. Many times when I go out with co-workers, etc, after a few drinks and time to order, I will order 2 items off the appetizer selections, and that's it.... Again, maybe a salad and shrimp for instance. I am always finished long before everyone else, so when it's ready for dessert I am able to order also....but again, cannot finish it. There are certain foods I will never eat again, due mainly to the band...like Red Meat for instance. And since I eat so little nowadays, no matter what I pick off the menu, I try to make the best choices...and when I'm finished, I'm finished....that simple! So restaurant, parties, cook outs, it's all the same for me with the band. It does not change.

You lost 70 lbs in 7 years...gained 40 of it back...only to loose that 40 again... When you lost that 70, then later lost the 40...what would you say was the "Key" to loosing weight? If you had to give advice to someone else who has had lap Band surgery, on how to loose 70 lbs...what would you tell them? What does it take....??

I'm assuming you have just been banded....it takes a while, a few adjustments both to your band and yourself, before things start making any sense....until then all we can do is diet. My first fill was 4 weeks after surgery....2nd fill was 4 weeks after that...between the first and 2nd fill I gained weight!! I was upset, afraid to face the Dr. and what he might say.... Know what? he laughed at me...said all beginners have a tough time grasping the concept of how this is supposed to work...then assured me, not to worry, it was his job and goal to not only perform the surgery, but then to get it up and running after surgery.... Today when I go see him, he is very happy indeed with his work....and so am I...

I had WLS because of one reason.....I could not control my eating...I ate too much and could not stop on my own.... Lap band surgery has changed that for me entirely..... However, just because my food intake has been brought under control, I still had to exercise, perhaps more than ever, to burn off all that excess fat I was storing away all those years... I am around SCI's, Head Trauma, CP, every disability imaginable....it's what I do for a living...although 90% pediatrics, there is still no excuse for not exercising..... You know what I mean....

The rules are set in place for an individual to learn no matter what foods they eat or how their band is adjusted....They started me following rules long before I was banded , which at the time made no sense.... When I questioned them about this, it was explained to me that I had spent an entire lifetime of eating improperly, and that after WLS, sooner or later if I am going to be successful, I am going to have to start eating differently or the band will not do a thing for me.... So it was important for me to start adapting a new way of doing things, things I am going to have to learn in 6 months, to undo what I had been doing for my whole life.... It's not a question as to whether you have to or not, it is a question that that is the way you approach everything you eat from here on in..... After you have been banded for a few years, and you and your band know each other very well, then you can start bending the rules here and there....knowing you are not interfering with the bands function. An example for me is drinking with meals....I was told, before I was even banded, I could not do it...20 minutes before, 45 minutes after....very silly rule, of course I could drink with meals....did not do a thing if I did....but it was a rule they wanted me to me part of my lifestyle.... Because now, having everything set properly for me, I CANNOT drink with meals....so I can now understand why they wanted me to get used to the fact early on......

You don't get low blood sugar? I didn't feel hungry but I knew I needed some Protein. I once took as much as 70 units of Lantus every night, plus oral meds throughout the day.....it is because I don't eat like I used to, lost much weight and exercise, that I take nothing for my Diabetes and my Blood Levels are always good.... Plus, no one said you can't snack....or drink...

No offense, and I am trying to be supportive, but everything you said....I did not see anything that has to do with Weight Loss Surgery.....how is your band? Are you listening to it? Is it even talking to you..... The way we ate when we were first banded was all about dieting alone....because the band was not adjusted and functioning yet.(Aside from a few exceptions I read here) What you describe was the way I was for the first 4-6 months until the band took over... How much do you have in your band? Your last fill? If it were me, and my band suddenly...or gradually for that matter, stopped performing after these years...I would be telling it to my Dr. to find out what went wrong....

Hiccups to me is the first sign I'm about to get stuck, and I better stop.....when you get stuck, you'll know it....with the slime and all.....and in my opinion, I would NEVER drink anything carbonated to relieve it.... I do sip warm Water while standing over the toilet....that seems to speed up the process and gets it all out.... That has been my experiences, anyway....

I returned to my Dr. exactly one week after surgery for a post-op follow up, check for infections, ask routine questions, etc.... It was then he released me to go back to the gym, and also released me to soak in a hot tub or swim, etc.... So I went back 100% one week later, with his blessing....

Emotions, stress, illness, you name it and there was always a reason for me to over eat....that was the problem with all the diets I've been on in an attempt to loose weight.....so as a last resort I had Weight Loss Surgery to do what I could not control myself....