donali

Congrats, Karen!! You are well underway!!

OMG!!! That is SOOOO me to a "T", Alexis! I know exactly what you are saying. Prior to banding, one of my greatest fears was going to one of those Chinese restaurants that serve the meals "family" style - where no matter what you order, they bring it out on a platter and everyone you are with expects YOUR platter to be passed around for them to help themselves. My, I can still feel that initial panic just describing those old days.... MY FOOOD!!!! MY FOOODDDD!!!! MINE MINEMINEMINE!!!" Now I'm like you much of the time - I want EVERYONE to share with me! Except on those occasions when I fear there won't be enough... I can feel that growling dog guarding my food raising its ugly head again. But that doesn't happen very often anymore, and usually only at the beginning. As soon as I've backed off some of that hunger, I'm like "FEED THE WORLD!!!" LOL I've told my boyfriend a million times now how much I LOVE sharing food with him. His appetite is very often small, and I adore splitting a meal with him, particularly when we eat off the same plate. There's just something so... nurturing about it, I guess, and also the bliss of knowing there is enough, and of course being in love... I just had dinner with one of my dearest friends, a naturally thin as a rail person, and now we always split an entre, and it just tastes and feels soooo good! There was enough left over today for one more person eating our portion size to have split with us. We just tossed it in the trash. Sometimes I feel so free!!!!

I think this is still the hardest part for me, 16 months post surgery. Particularly when I'm hungry. Now that I can't eat the volume I used to, it is painfully clear that I chose my portions based on how hungry I felt - add that to the "clean your plate" mentality, and it's no wonder I overate so much! These days, when I let myself get very hungry, I still initially think "super-size it!!!!", but I am much better at stopping when I am full, and either tossing the rest or saving it for another meal. Also, no matter how hungry I get, there are still some things that I wouldn't even try to eat because I know how uncomfortable it would be, and what a struggle it would be to get it down (subsandwiches, big juicy burgers w/bun, a whole loaf of still warm French bread with garlic/butter, stuff like that), so that's been a really good thing...:sick

Renata - What a perfect fairytale story!!! Ahhhh... how I love romance, and love, and romance... Congrats, congrats, congrats!!!

Movie??? Oh.... yeah.... lol I was just gonna have the popcorn & jr. mints... totally spaced the whole movie part... Don't they have some sort of place that uses popcorn w/extra butter mixed w/jr. mints as a filler? You know, like those kids rooms filled with those little plastic balls? That's what I want for Christmas...

You're doing GREAT!!!! Whoo hooo!!! Congrats!

Being wide open at night (free for all!!!) is a wonderful time to supplement with a large protein shake blended with a banana and ice. The icy drink will help you feel restricted, and the shake will help fill you up. Perhaps try that an hour after your dinner, or use it before hand if it doesn't keep you from eating your real food.

Weep me a river... :think When mine was leaking so much I wore a cumberbund pretty tight to apply pressure and hold my bandage in place, because I suddenly had an allergic reaction to the tape adhesive - itchy, itchy!! I wore that for a couple of days. Don't know that it really helped with anything, but I felt like I was doing something... I'm sure I didn't have to put up with this for more than 2 weeks, though. Sorry, kid...

Movie popcorn with extra butter and the giant box of jr. mints dumped out on top. And the movie was about...??? lol

Hey Lisa - So sorry your recovery is dragging on. I know days 9-10-11 were the worst for me in terms of how I felt, and thought I was doing. I don't recall having the symptoms you are experiencing though - as far as temp and diarrhea. Glad you're having this followed up. Did you eat/drink anything suspect in Mexico? Regardless, your doc's test should give you a handle on that. Keep on top of this, like you're doing, though. Hang in there, girl, and keep us posted as well.

Elizabeth - I'm glad you're going for a second opinion - I believe in cases like yours the doc usually will remove all the fill in the hopes that the slip will correct itself without needing surgery. Once the slip fixes itself, the refills can begin.

Vera, you are adorable. I love the hat in your first pic, and what a fabulous suit in the second! You're doing great - many congrats!!

Hi Kathy - I got the same thing from my Mom about going to TJ, but my mind was made up. I knew I had to do this surgery. I had no real idea what to expect, had not met any "live" people who'd had surgery with Dr. Lopez. It was just a shot in the dark based on one person's recommendation. I have not regretted my decision for even one second. Now I know several people I have met live that have had surgery w/Dr. Lopez, including myself. Dr. Lopez is great. Try not to worry too much!

Teresa - You are almost to your second week? Meaning, you are still in your first week? It is very likely that as you heal your restriction will ease up - it's still early!!! I wasn't hungry until the end of my 3rd week. And if you are not ready to move to thicker liquids on the doc's schedule - then DON'T!! There is nothing wrong with taking the changes slower - just don't take them faster. Newlapper - as long as you are on liquids, any liquid is fine. Most docs do not require the liquid to be Protein. I am not advocating you going against your doc's orders, but since you already have...

At 5'6" and 270, my basal metabolism would burn 1940 calories with a sedentary lifestyle. I don't know your height, but you must be about the same height as I am. Bear in mind that I am NO expert - I just have done some reading about metabolism, and as we all know, what works for one person doesn't work for another, so do not take anything I say as gospel truth. I am just putting this out there as one possible thing to look at that may or may not work for you. According to many metabolism sites, the way to keep your metabolism functioning and still lose weight is to consume the number of calories required by your basal metabolism, plus up to 200 more. Basal metabolism is the number of calories required just to keep your body alive - breathing, heart beating, kidneys, etc. If you only consume that many calories, the number of calories your lifestyle requires will kick you into a calorie deficit, and you will lose weight. The idea in the metabolism theory is to reduce your calories gradually in response to your ever-changing basal metabolism to maintain greatest health and steady weightloss. It takes more calories to keep a person alive at 270 than it does to keep them alive at 206.5 - so my basal metabolism has dropped from 1940 calories to 1664. Since I do not log my calories, and my weightloss plateaus for long periods of time, I cannot vouch for the validity of this viewpoint, but there are lots of people who do, and then there are lots of people who say they cannot lose weight if they eat more than 1200 calories a day - period. There are a lot of factors in metabolism, the greatest being muscle mass, and then of course physical activity. I know of no way to accurrately measure how many calories I really burn at rest, so I just go by what "they" say. I will say that I know I probably hit my basal metabolim calories and more most of the time, and have lost 96.5 pounds in 16 months. I am about smack dab in the middle of the lapband stats of 1-2 pounds lost each week - I average about 1.5. I could lose weight faster if I exercised more (and kept from going so high on my calories), but I'm not sure I could maintain that behaviour for the rest of my life. So I am trundling along like I am, doing things I feel I can maintain as a permanent lifestyle. Again, you have to find what works for you, and what makes sense to you. And then, whatever you choose to do, you have to realize that if you don't continue to do that, you cannot expect to maintain your results.

This just BURNS me up - people's fills are so individual, NO ONE can make a statement like that accurrately!! There are people who are tight enough with NO fill. You can NOT be hung up on the numbers of your fill - as is said regularly on grads and smart bandsters, there are only 3 types of fills - too little, too much, and just right. It doesn't matter what the number of ccs it is - is it too little, too much, or just right? That is the only criteria you can ever go by. Most people seem to go by 1/2 to 1 cup of food. I don't measure, I don't count, but I guess that's about what I usually eat. Sometimes way more, sometimes less. You need to stop when YOU get the signal to stop. If you are full at 1/2 cup, don't keep eating because others are eating 1 cup. You really have to be in touch with you, and what works for YOU. It is very important to have a doc that knows and understands the lapband - not someone who transfers RnY rules to all weightloss surgeries. They are NOT the same.

<rant> Okay, I'm sitting here, contemplating my caffeine addiction. I had been pretty much off of caffeine for many months - not a conscious effort to avoid caffeine, but a conscious effort to drink more Water and do herbal teas - the herbal teas I was choosing just happened to be caffeine-free. Anyway, the last several months of this fill I got in October I have gotten into the habit of drinking a big mug of hot tea with half-and-half and artificial sweetner first thing in the mornings, and that has snowballed into about 4-5 big mugs of hot tea each day that I am at work. My big mug holds two of those cardboard coffee cups worth. I am only using one teabag per mug, however the teabag sits in the mug until it's empty. So figure at least 4-5 teabags worth of caffeine each work day. Monday and this morning I woke up with a rip-roaring headache. Headaches are unusual for me. So I've been trying to figure out why, initially thinking it was a lack of sleep, but now I'm thinking it's overnight caffeine withdrawal. On to the rant. I have been sweetening my tea with a liquid sweetener called Huxol that I got from Germany. I like it a lot, and my friend brought me 4 bottles when she came to visit last year. I can't get it here in the U.S. because it contains saccharin. Remember saccharin? It's been banned in the U.S. for forever, it seems, after the FDA determined that it could cause cancer at very high doses (doses that seem impossible for a human being to consume each day for the length of time it would take to get that result). So, because of my caffeine addiction, I have been running through this sweetener like there is no tomorrow. I am now on my very last bottle, and I only have 2 inches left. I figure I am going through about .25 inches a day. My DBF has been tasked to get me some more, but he has been to 5 different stores in Germany, now, and has not seen hide nor hair of Huxol. I could ask my friend to send me some more, but she's on the German economy, and it would cost a fortune in postage, where as DBF can use the U.S. post through the military. I am starting to panic... without the Huxol, the tea will just not be the same with SweetnLow, or Equal. I cannot stand Splenda. I am facing.... (da da duuuuuh!!!!) the end of my caffeine habit as I know it. This displeases me (in spite of the suspect headaches :sick ). So, I'm pissing and moaning to myself about the fact that saccharine is no longer available in the states (sing along with Gilda Radner: "Goodbye, saccharine..."), thinking that I'm not that thrilled about being protected from myself and my bad habits by the FDA. And then it hits me - alcohol and cigarettes are legal, and cause waaaaay more damage everyday, at everyday usage level than saccharine ever did/could, and THEY are not illegal!!! (no offense to drinkers/smokers out there). Now I am doubly pissed! I could not possibly drink enough saccharine to be afflicted with the diseases those poor mice came down with. Does anyone else see the irony here? I think these caffeine withdrawals are making me downright mean and unreasonable... Caffeine should probably be banned, too.... shhhhhhh!!! Don't tell the FDA!!!! lol </rant>

You're not throwing up, right? I can't eat potatos for the most part, where as other things that clog people up don't seem to bother me as much. Something about those potatos... Sounds like you're okay - wow!! You're really keeping up the weightloss speed even though you are so close to goal - congrats!! I would do everything you can to avoid the once a month reflux - it will add up. You probably know the reflux avoidance guidelines (in order of least to most aggressive): 1. Do not over eat. 2. Avoid acid producing foods/drinks, like caffeine, chocolate, peppermint, orange juice, spicy food. 3. Do not lie down after eating (I think they recommend a 3 hour wait?) 4. Do not eat or drink 3 hours before bedtime. 5. Take an OTC med to control reflux. 6. Elevate the head of the bed (helps keep the esophagus above the stomach so there's no backflow). 7. Get a slight unfill.

My take on too tight (from more mild to severe): 1. Dissatisfaction with the small amount you are able to eat. 2. You are not able to eat sufficient calories/nutrition. 3. Pain when eating. 4. Inability to keep down solid foods such as meats/poultry, but no probs with "easy" foods. 5. Vomiting in spite of chewing well and eating slowly. 6. REFLUX/Heartburn. 7. Inability to drink fluids.

lol - Darcy, thanks for the kind words, but I think butt kissing is too high in calories to do it...

It's really hard to guess what fill you should get. Band placement affects the way fills feel, as well, and your new band placement may or may not result in the same feeling you had before. Hopefully your doc will give you your fill under fluoro, and base your fill amount by how fast the barium travels through the band. In my opinion, that is the safest way. But lots of docs don't use fluoro, and do all their fills "blind." I would explain your concerns to your fill doc, and then rely on their expertise to help you get a fill that works for you but is not too tight. If I were you, I would track my calories on www.fitday.com for a few days so you can have an idea of how many calories you're taking in. I eat 1500-2000 calories a day, and should keep it around 1500 to lose. Fitday will tell you what your basal metabolism burns based on your height and weight - you can find that under the activities section. You should be able to eat your basal metabolim calorie requirement and lose. Although not necessarily very quickly, if I am any example. The thing is, if you're losing, then whatever you're eating is fine. If you're not, time to evaluate your eating/exercize for possible improvements. Don't drink with your meals!

I really don't do many liquid calories, except for the half-n-half. The Protein shakes for dinner are maybe once or twice a month, if that. All the rest of the calories are real food (and candy, Snacks, etc... ) I don't diet, and some days I eat waaaay more than others, but can almost NEVER eat as much as pre-band. I do try to get a lot of fluids in, as it helps entertain me and helps keep me from eating when I'm not really hungry. Plus the Water helps flush out the by-products of burned calories. The tea I have been drinking is regular old Bigelows or Lipton, but as soon as I run out of my sweetner I'm going back to herbal teas. Which I guess means I'll be dropping the half-n-half, too. The herbal teas I drink most often are peppermint, green tea and an herbal red (can't think of the flavor at the moment). Glad you found your way back here! There's not much yelling on this board, although I tend to yell that people are TOOOOO tight! Good luck - you can do this!

First of all, the fact that you have kept your 70 pounds off is a HUGE victory!! Give yourself a lot of credit, girl!! Without your band, I bet you'd be on the way back up. The bypass in not a guaranteed success, either - my sister had that done, lost almost all of her weight, and after her 2 year "window" of losing opportunity, has since gained most of it back. So, you were throwing up a lot. As you have found out, you do NOT have to have stomach wrenching vomiting to slip your band. First of all, you must promise yourself that whatever else happens, you will avoid throwing up at all costs. If vomiting comes upon you suddenly, and that is a frequent occurence, then you MUST be willing to get at least a slight unfill. Comparing fill levels is not helpful, really, because everyone is so very different. Some people don't need fills at all! It seems as though many people are waaay too tight in my opinion. Since you've already had problems with that, I would start with very conservative fills. My normal work day eating: 1 quart Water on the way in to work 1-2 very large mugs of hot tea with 1 to 2 tablespoons of half-n-half and artificial sweetner. After the tea has gone down, 1 cup of lowfat cottage cheese with 1/3 cup of bruschetta sauce mixed in. Hot tea/water as desired until lunch. 4-6 oz of meat (chicken/steak/porkchop) Hot tea/water as desired until time to leave work. 1 quart water on the way home. dinner is very varied - sometimes I have a big Protein shake blended with a banana, Vitamins, cocoa and ice. Sometimes I have Panda Express 2 item with both Mandarin chicken and eat half the chicken, rice and noodles and save the other half for the next night. Sometimes it's 4-6 oz of some sort of meat. If I go out for dinner, I'll have the salad with bleu cheese dressing, and the meat from my entree, possibly the veggies if there are any, and bread if I can get it down. Many days get interspersed with sweets/chips if they're available, but I rarely buy them for myself, so it would have to be freebies. Weekends I usually end up eating only two meals. Maybe a bowl of high Fiber Cereal and soy milk, or two eggs and a piece of buttered toast. Then a meal at a restaurant on Saturdays. Sundays are usually a sausage patty and scrambled eggs, a cookie or two after church, and 4-6 oz of meat for dinner. I know - I am WAAAAAY low on veggies. I'm working on that, off and on.

Hi, and welcome! The compulsive overeating is a complex issue - how much of it is due to eating in response to triggers other than physical hunger (head hunger), and how much of it is due to a true saitey defect (physical hunger)? You will definitely want to address the head hunger, as being banded will help with the quantity portion of compulsive overeating, but it can't do too much with the quality/frequency. For some people, NOT being able to eat a large quantity of food is enough to force them to find other ways of dealing with life. For others, they learn to graze non-stop, or eat things that go down easily, like ice cream, candy, chips, etc., or they do things they know will allow them to consume more, like drinking with their meals. If some (or all) of your compulsive overeating is due to a physical hunger (saitey defect), the band tones down the hunger enough for most people to make better choices in what they eat, because they are not starving all the time. I believe the band can help most people, but we need to do our part, too. We have to make more nutritional choices and learn to move our bodies more. Moving our bodies more gets easier as we become smaller, and making more nutritional choices is made easier by the lessening of physical hunger, which leads to weightloss, and which makes moving easier. We also need to find other ways to deal with life's ups and downs that do not involve food. If you are willing to make these kinds of changes, I believe you will have a successful band experience.

Hi Cindy - Wow, it really sounds as though you have been through an ordeal. Congrats on your marriage, and losing 70 pounds!!! Whooo hooo! Can I ask you - were you vomiting a lot before your band slipped? Usually that seems to be the main culprit in band slippage. Did you vomit only occasionally, everyday, at all? Did you continue to eat when you were full to the point of pain? Sorry for all the questions, but I'd like to avoid slippage if at all possible, and NOT vomiting seems to be the main advice and I'm curious if that holds true in your case. Anyway, you are afraid to get a fill because you think being too tight contributed to your slippage. I would have to agree that is probably the case if you were vomiting a lot because you were too tight to keep things down. How does your new doc do fills? Does he use fluoro? If you get a fill, and it ends up being too tight, you could have some removed. It sounds as though you know what too tight feels like. Please, could you give me a little more specifics? Maybe I could give better advice.