SageTracey

My surgeon asks the same questions at each appointment: How long do I feel satisfied after a meal? What are my portion sizes? Can I eat bread and red meat? How much weight have I lost (on his scales)? He uses my answers to determine whether I need a fill or not. Twice now I have gone in knowing that I didn't need a fill and he agreed so I didn't have a fill on those occasions. When a small portion meal keeps me satisfied for three to four hours and I am still losing weight, I definitely don't need a fill. Good luck.

It was surprisingly simple for me. After making all the excuses in the world to myself as to why I couldn't lose weight, I did a complete 180 degree turn when my husband said he didn't want me to die. I was heading for a heart attack, stroke or at the very least a wheelchair due to being grossly overweight. Now I have to slow down so that gorgeous man can catch me.

feel free to friend me on my fitness pal. Same name as here. Best wishes

best wishes for your cancer treatment. I hope you come through stronger and healthier and ready for the next stage of your life

My surgeon removed all but one of mine at my one week check

All good signs that your band is working. Now you just need to adjust your eating to live with the band. Smaller bites, chewed to death and smaller portions. I get the shoulder pain if I over eat, and sometimes I get hiccups as well!

The machine could be a piece of hospital equipment used to move patients rather than anything to do with the actual band.

Can't help you there. What does your Dr say?

How many calories you should eat depends on a range of factors such as your height and weight, activity level etc. I have seen people with bands eating as few as 250 calories per day and that really worries me because our bodies still need fuel to function. I am 172cm, 98kg and aim for 1300 calories per day. I am now quite active and eat most of my exercise calories back because I use myfitnesspal.com to monitor my calories and exercise, and that is what they recommend. Is this working for me? Hell yes! I have lost 51kg since starting this journey. However, if you are a different height or weight or have a different activity level, you would need a different amount of calories. Get some advice that is specific to you whether it be from a nutritionist or by using a site such as myfitnesspal.com

Congratulations on making such great steps to improve your life and to set a good example for your son. I would suggest that you work on your punctuation and grammar to improve your employability. I hope you find something soon.

Don't wait for tomorrow to start again. Do it right now! That may sound harsh but the longer you leave it to get started again, the more chance there is that you will have another hiccup. I speak from experience - oh well, I've screwed up the diet today, I'll get started again tomorrow - and then I used that as an excuse to eat crap for the rest of the day! I was my own worst enemy. I was banded in April this year and have lost 112lb and I still screw up. This afternoon I ate a piece of chocolate cheesecake at work. Tonight I'm eating out with friends so I could just wait until tomorrow to get back on track. But I'm not going to wait, I have to do it right now. dinner will be a small, healthy choice and then it's exercise time to burn off those silly cheesecake calories. That way I'll wake up feeling good tomorrow and it will be an easier day! Good luck on your surgery and your journey

You haven't screwed anything up yet so don't be so harsh on yourself. Or to put it another way - stay strong and committed to reaching your goal. Restriction takes time and a varying amount of fills for everyone. In the meantime, just practice your new banded eating habits, get a little bit of exercise going and you will feel even better. And when you do achieve restriction, you will be well placed to cope with it. Good luck.

I first reached restriction on my 3rd fill which put me at 5.5cc in a 14cc band. Then, as I lost more weight, restriction disappeared. My last fill was an extra one cc and has kept me at restriction ever since. However, I could eat more if I was willing to suffer the discomfort and other side effects, not to mention the lack of weight loss success, so I don't. I am not an angel and I do slip up from time to time, but I made the decision to go through surgery to make a life changing approach to my eating, so I am committed to getting back on the wagon each and every time I slip up. Right now I am regretting the chocolate cheesecake I had for afternoon tea. But tonight I will exercise to burn off those calories and I am already 100% committed to finishing out today properly. It's not all about restriction. It's about the choices each of us makes and living with the consequences. Good luck on your journey.

Definitely follow YOUR doctor's advice. But for the record - mine has never suggested I shouldn't/couldn't drink coffee before or after my surgery. I drink three cups a day with no ill effects and I have lost 112lb in 8 months.

Your surgeon is the expert so why not go back and ask his/her advice on whether you need an unfill or not. Chewing on one side of your mouth is a learned behaviour and over time you can learn to chew on the other side - I know, I had to do it! Good luck

You would be unusual if you did have restriction after one fill.it typically takes several unless you are extremely lucky

Actually, depending on how much you have to lose it is possible . I lost 100lb in six months. I have not been perfect but I have worked very hard at following the eating rules and exercising. I haven't joined a gym but am doing lots of walking, cycling, swimming and, my favorite, dancing. Good luck on achieving your goals but also, don't beat yourself up if you don't quite make it. It takes a long time to gain this much weight and it will take time for it to come off.

I'm not a lawyer but it seems to me you say in this post that the band broke as a consequence of you trying to eat something you should not have eaten. I would be most concerned about the dr who failed to investigate when he was adding so many fills, but I don't think you can blame the band manufacturer.

WTG! You doing so well. Congratulations

My surgeon told me half a cup three meals a day. However, even with good restriction, I find I need a very small snack twice a day. My calorie goal is 1300 which is perfectly achievable. I exercise daily and have lost 108lb. good luck.

Restriction will come in time and possibly with more fills. You said you are eating less than pre-band so that is great. In the meantime, continue practising your bad eating behaviours and when you do achieve restriction, you will be well placed to handle it.

Perhaps you can prompt him back into action in a different way? One of the most powerful things that husband said to me was that he didn't want me to wind up in a wheelchair or to lose me. try reminding your husband of how special he is to you and that you want him around I your life for a very long time.

Just hang in there. This is a great time to practice those new eating habits - super slow and plenty of chewing. Restriction will come with fills but in the mean time, it's about making the lifestyle changes that will let you enjoy success with the band. And don't beat yourself up if you make a mistake here or there. You are only human and the important thing is to get up and get going again. Good luck

I start to hiccup if i eat too much. If I eat too fast I feel a great lump in my chest and have learnt to stop eating until it passes. That can also hit if I eat when stressed eg today my son was involved in a car accident, fortunately minor, but I had terrible trouble eating dinner.