JustDoIt130

Hi everyone! I have not been on these forums for sooooo long- and it was the band forums...anyways. I had my band placed in January 2012. All was well, I lost some weight- then I didn't. Had a hernia repair and band refill, but have been so off track for so long. I definitely learned to eat around my band. And now I have a constant lump in my throat that my doc things is ghost reflux- I don't feel any burning like typical heartburn, but have this lump in my throat- especially at night when I'm trying to sleep. And I wonder if it's from the band. I still have restriction, I still can get stuck but I eat around the band, etc. I have been doing better and have lost 25 lbs and I know that no WLS is magic. I just wonder if revising from a band to sleeve would get rid of the reflux, and I also worry about the foreign band in my body...idk, what do y'all think? I would have to be self pay this time, as I'm 99.999% sure my insurance won't cover it. But it would be worth it, and maybe jumpstart my health journey again.......

Hi everyone- another bandster suggested I try hoodia, and I was wondering if anyone had tried it? In doing some internet research they suggested there's a lot of fake product- does anyone have a particular brand they tried and seems to work? Or where to buy it? Any input is great and much appreciated- positive and negative. Thanks- Nickio

Hi NJ2NC! It's so great that you're doing so well! I had quite the backslide since my surgery, but didn't get quite to pre-band weight. So now I'm headed back down. I'm filled again, I think good restriction, and am really logging my food and exercising 3x a week. I've lost 10 lbs in the month of January. I just need to keep going when motivation lags- that, and I truly cannot eat ice creat. It is absolutely a gateway to all things unhealthy for me. One taste and I eat the whole carton. So no tastes for me! It would be nice to have some of us back and being supportive of eachother, I do think of you all a lot! Shannon- welcome to the world of banding! Nicki

I changed jobs and my new (crappy) insurance doesn't cover anything bariatric- and on top of that, my doc decided to stop practicing. I found a new doc, and for self-pay patients he has you pay $500 flat for a whole year of fills under fleuroscopy. You might shop around for something like that- and you could pay that out of an HSA or flex spend account. I went in to see him, and one fleuroscopy later he discovered I had a hiatal hernia, which I had surgery for about a month ago. Previous doc didn't use fleuro. If you go with the lower priced insurance, maybe you can use some $ for HSA or flex spend for out of pocket expenses. Good luck! Nicki

I was unfilled from being too tight and also needing a hernia repair. I'm about 10 days out from the hernia repair, and will start getting refilled soon. Just have to get my head right, and make it a way of life, not a diet. You can do it! I'm glad you're going to the surgery, and just to reiterate, it's never too late to restart, that's what is so great about lapband!

cheese and turkey/ham rollups are yummy, as are cheese sticks. I was banded in 2012, and just had a hernia repair- band totally unfilled, so I'm back to the beginning with being filled again. I got a bento box lunchbox on amazon, it has little compartments- sometimes a new something or other is motivating, like buying new exercise clothes. Good luck! Oh, I just saw you're a sleeve pt, I'm banded, but same Protein ideas!

Hi LadyB! Yep, surgery tomorrow. THen I'll heal and get back to being filled and have my fingers crossed that it will be as good as before or even better! How are you doing? I had a physical last month, and though the weight has gone way up , my cholesterol is good and my blood sugars are low! So overall healthy. Now need to work on the fat again! Nicki

Hi everyone! Otaknam, I feel ya, girl. I have been eating like I did before the band, and of course that did not help me lose weight back then. Becoming unfilled really emphasizes how our heads were not banded. Just hang in there. Do you log on my fitness pal or anything else? That will keep you on track perhaps. It is hard, not gonna lie. 126Dee- that has been my problem- eating bread cause I can, now, after not for two years. And my bad soda habit is back in full force. I have given myself until my surgery on 7/9 and then back to the "grind" even though I won't have any fill in my band. At some point I have to help myself and diet until I'm back in a sweet spot. Chrissy- why do you think your band has slipped? Does your doc do the fluro fills? I havent' been on my fitness pal in a zillion years- are you using that as a tool? I know, I need to get back to basics and just diet until I can use this tool again. Oh, and my surgery has changed from 7/2 to 7/9, which is a bummer, but oh well. I have a regular physical next week and I know I will have packed on the lbs which is my own dang fault. I posted something on these boards asking if anyone had gotten re-filled after a complete unfill, as my doc had said it was a 50/50 chance that my band would be as effective after the refill, and one person posted something about why would I go back to bad habits, even being unfilled. That was a good question- I guess my answer (and it's not a good answer) is because I could. I could have bread again, I could eat a "real" hamburger again. I could eat lettuce and tomato again (after being really too tight to eat that for awhile). My emotional eating isn't in check, never has been, but the band helped LOTS. So I still have work to do, and right now I don't have my band for support, but I am still worth it. Losing weight/keeping it off is hard. Nicki

Hi everyone! Banded in January 2012, at my lowest I'd lost 83 lbs, now gained a bit back from eating around the band (ice cream, my nemesis) and have lost about 70 lbs. I have never felt full, but was restricted enough to not be able to eat as much (11.5 cc's in a 12 cc band). So my doctor closed his practice and I went to see another lap band doc. He does all his fills, etc. under fluro- so he discovered I had a hiatal hernia. He has taken all my Fluid out, I'm on a "band holiday" and will have the hernia repaired July 2. Then after the recovery from that he said we'd refill the band. But to the question- he said that at surgery he can make the band "look" like it should, but it's 50/50 if it acts the way it did- he said sometimes it doesn't snap back elasticity wise and so it doesn't work the same. Now, with 11.5 cc's in a 12 cc band, obviously it was stretched a lot. So what has people's experiences been? After a complete unfill, and then being re-filled, has your band worked like it did the first time? Of course, now I have changed jobs and my new crappy insurance doesn't pay for anything bariatric (luckily it does pay for hernia repair!). It's weird being unfilled, I ate a real sandwich with bread instead of just picking out the filling. I love my band, and won't go crazy while unfilled- don't want to undo all my hard work! Nicki

Enjoythetime- it's complicated, ya know? You are right, of course, just don't go back to old habits! Well, as we all know, that's easier said than done. I assume (and perhaps wrongly) that once banded and filled to proper level you haven't had to be unfilled? I guess what I am trying to say it what Parisshel has said- if I had willpower, I wouldn't have needed the band. And I practiced good habits because I HAD to- the band made me. Like B52 says, the band is doing this, not me- because history had proven that I couldn't sustain weight loss for the long haul on my own. It was much easier to do my part with my band's help. But- I will not backslide, I can still exercise and log my food and be on a diet- I've done it before and I can do it again until I start getting my fills. It's just harder- the band was around my stomach, not my head, and I still have work to do around emotional eating, which I am doing. So- is there anyone with experience about getting re-filled after a complete unfill and how that worked for them? Nicki

Yah, the fluro was interesting. I knew I had a lot of fluid in the band, holy cow! And I was definitely eating around the band big time. The past couple of days being unfilled have been kind of fun, I ate a sandwich for the first time in a couple years, ha ha! You have done so well, I would be happy to get to 165 or so! I know I'm going to have to watch it with no fill. My hernia surgery is scheduled for 7/2, and luckily it is covered (except for our huge deductible, oh well). The doc said that the kicker will be when they start refilling the band to see if it will work the same way, or if it was too stretched out. Who knows, with all that fill in it, if it will bounce back well, but honestly I think it will- and even if I just get a bit more of the full feeling without being so super tight. Time will tell! I am glad to have this tool- and the doc said I am a band success since I did get down to 201- and am now 213. I just need to get back to exercising and logging my food. even though it's hard. I will private message you my info so even if I fall off here, we can still keep in touch! Nicki

Hi LadyB- great minds think alike! Well, here's what's up with me. Last little fill in December 2013. I changed jobs in January, and the new insurance (super sucky insurance) doesn't cover bariatrics at all. Also, my surgeon closed. So, I got a recommendation from Carolina Girl on the boards for another doc, and had an appointment for today. Since I'd be self pay, it was $500 for the year of fills/unfills, etc, which I thought was a good deal. So I went today. My appointment was at 8:20. I got there at 8:15, signed in, did forms, etc. At like 9:30 I still was in the waiting room, so I asked and they said, "you're next." Great. So they take me in to the fluro room, which I had never had done, and I did the barium swallow. I could see it was slow- and I had already decided to ask for a slight unfill, as I'd been eating around the band and just felt like I was too tight. So I sit in a room, and sit and sit. At 10 I finallly go out and tell them I'm going to just have to reschedule cause I'd been there so freaking long, and the woman said, "you really shouldn't go, your band is practically closed off, he'll be just a minute, please stay." So I did. So, turns out I have a hiatal hernia. And that's one of the reasons why I have never really felt full. The doc was great with explaining things to me, he said the hernia was probably there from the beginning but obscured by the fat around it, and now with the fat gone it is now making my pouch expand up into the diaphragham (sp?). He said I was a success at the band as I'd lost the weight expected. He did say it was 50/50 whether when they refill the band it works the way it has been- he said it might not rebound elasticity wise, he said there's no way of knowing. So I'll get this hernia fixed the week of July 4, then after a month or so- or I cant' really remember what he said exactly- they can start refilling the band and then see if it works like it should. I am positive it will. So he took out all my fluid today- 11.5 cc's in a 12 cc band! I did have bread today, for the first time in 2 years practically, which was fun, but I'm really going to have to watch it with this. I really want to start drinking diet dr pepper again, LOL, and I might have one or two, but I'm not going to get back on that bandwagon. So that's it with me- I know if I log my food, etc, I'll still be successful. He explained why I never really felt full- since the pouch expanded above the diaphragam, I never got the neuro signals that I was full, so it's not like "oh no, the full feeling is gone now." I never really had that, was just uncomfortable eating certain things or felt full because of the size of my pouch. So, I'm a little bummed- DH was on me to get an unfill as I was totally eating around the band, and gaining some weight back because of my ice cream addiction, and now this- but I guess it's better that I find this and repair it and get on with the journey. I have to say, it's been great this afternoon drinking big glasses of water! So, I'm super glad things are going well for you! I just need to get my mojo back, deal with this surgery for the hernia (not looking forward to the hair loss due to the anesthesia), and soldier on. I really don't want to gain weight back- more than I already have. Nicki

Hi Lady B- that sounds like an awesome doctor's visit! New boobies, LOL. The thing is, my doc closed his practice, so I need to find a new one, but really don't want to go to a new one without needing a fill or anything and just pay the visit. But I probably should, just in case something happens and I need a bariatric doc. I would LOVE to see your pix! I was religious with pictures every week for awhile, now it's been probably over a year since I added to those. I am at 211.8 today. I went to my primary care doc yesterday for something not weight loss related, but mentioned how I keep sabotaging myself. She recommended the weight loss drug Belviq, she said that a patient she had that just loved to eat just didn't feel like it- emotionally, not physically. So there's a 15 day free trial, so I decided to try it. I wont get the Rx til tonight or tomorrow, I'll let y'all know what I think. You're supposed to take 2 pills a day, but since I have the lap band, I think I'll start with 1 pill and see how it goes. Everyone have a great day! Nicki

I will definitely give this a try- emotional eating (bored and mad, usually, LOL), is my downfall.

Hey everyone! I'm back on track....again.....no one said I was perfect at this! Thank goodness I can always start again. I love My Fitness Pal, truly I do. So, my new insurance does not cover anything lap band related- or bariatric related. Whatever. Glad I'm really in a good spot with this, fill wise, but it's still a little worrying. Oh well, I won't borrow trouble. How is everyone doing? Nicki

I suggest a website called marriagebuilders. It's great for building a strong, affair proof marriage- by meeting each other's needs, and by putting things in place that would prevent being able to have an affair.

I know B-52 often references his bandster hell, and how he actually gained weight until he was at "green" spot fill wise. He totally gets the bandster hell- we all do- when the band is placed but not filled it's not going to restrict anything. I too can eat around my band and battle my head hunger still, but I love my band and know without it I would not only have lost 90 lbs, who knows how many more I would have gained! Nicki

Oh my goodness, I hear you! I have been on another weight loss site for YEARS- about 10- not focused on bariatrics- and one of the members posted this,which is just what I needed to hear, and might be good for you too... **Progress toward your goals is never going to be a straight line. It will always be a wavy line. You'll go up and then come down a little. Most people get discouraged when they slide a step back after 2 steps forward. They think they are failing, that they have lost it. They're simply in step with the natural rhythm of progress. Once you understand this rhythm, you can work with it instead of against it. You can plan for renewal. Pessimists don't want to plan for renewal, because they don't think there should have to be any. Pessimists are all-or-nothing thinkers. They're always offended when the world is not perfect. They think taking a step backward means something negative about the whole project. "If this were a good marriage, we wouldn't HAVE to rekindle the romance," a pessimist would say, dismissing the idea of taking a 2nd honeymoon. But an optimist knows that there will be ups and downs. And an optimist isn't scared or discouraged by the downs. In fact, an optimist plans for the downs, and prepares creative ways to deal with them. You can schedule your own comebacks. You can look ahead on your calendar and block out time to refresh and renew and recover. Even if you feel very "up" right now, it's smart to plan for renewal. Schedule your own comeback while you're on top. Build in big periods of time to get away - even to get away from what you love. Because coming back will be that much more exciting when you've been renewed. ~Steve Chandler - from the book - 100 Ways to Motivate Yourself ** Isn't this great??? Nicki

I do this to myself as well- as Scarlett O'Hara says, "after all, tomorrow is another day!" I am so used to using food for rewards, comfort, to alleviate boredom or loneliness- it's a hard habit to break (cue the Chicago song). You're practically to maintenance- and I believe that with maintenance will come selected "treats." Just eat right and exercise today! Nicki

Hi everyone! Chrissy- I feel ya, girl. All I can say- LOG your food! I'll see you on MFP, LOL, and you'll see me. It is totally a journey, and remember, with the lapband we can always do the right thing. Heck, y'all have seem me through a MAJOR backslide, and I'm still here (I consider this most recent backslide a minor one, LOL). I like what Karen said- make a decision each day to make good decisions. And if you slip up- well, that means you're human. It's not a fatal failure! Just begin again. You can do it!!!! Karen- btw, thanks for your words of wisdom regarding my medical records- I have them all now, and as soon as my insurance kicks in I'll find a new doc (Carolina Girl on the boards lives near me and recommended her surgeon, so that's good). You had great advice for Chrissy. I'll have to print out one of my before pix and put it on my bathroom mirror. You're right, each day is a new day to make good choices! NJ2NC- HI!!! You're doing so great! A size 12, I'm jealous! I finally am in an 18, the first time in like 9 years I wore a size with a 1 in the front, not a 2, LOL. Good for you running, you go, girl! I am so sorry about the separation/divorce- I hear you on the comfort foods, I do. If I can ask- and if you don't want to answer that is of course totally fine- did your wls have anything to do with your marriage problems? I'm asking beacuse though not going through a separation/divorce (which is a long process here in NC!!), it's still been a stressor on our marriage- DH isn't the most supportive...and it's frustrating. Well, yay me for not eating a TON of ice cream last night , though I really wanted to- I didn't eat ANY!! And, I didn't eat DS's chocolate chip cookie from chick fil a that he didn't want because it was "too chocolaty." I told him I wasn't at all sure now that he was actually my son!! LOL I stuck to my plan, logged all my foods and lived through the craving. Everyone have a great day! Nicki

you should be getting 60-80 g Protein, I think. You should track your calories on something like My Fitness Pal - it's an app and also on the computer. It will track calories, protein, carbs, etc. You may be eating more than you think- or maybe not, it's true what 2muchfun says, you may be building muscle- and I also agree that a little more aggressive exercise will probably speed it up. But you're only 3 months into this, it does take awhile to reach optimal restriction, and it is not a super speedy way to lose weight. Also, I noticed your starting weight is *only* 198- compared to someone like me, who started at 284, your weight loss may be slower as you don't have as much to lose. You're doing great! Keep it up and hang in there. I really do recommend logging your food, though, that is one of the keys to my success- when I don't log, I tend to eat many more calories than I should. Nicki

Hi there- Lady B, I'll have to check out that site. I am day 3 of back on track- got up to 208 as of this morning, but think it's really more like 207 ish. I'll lose that and then onward and downward! I love my fitness pal. And all of you too! Nicki

So you were banded on 12/5/13? Just over 3 months ago?

Hi Misslex, welcome! I think the 5 day pouch test kind of shrinks up the pouch, and also gets you mentally back in the game. The mental stuff is where I struggle, for sure! Lady B- we're here to help eachother, and I know that's always where everyone here is coming from. I need tough love from people who understand what being banded is all about! We're going to get a snow storm here in NC, yay! Ice and "wintry mix" and 1-3 inches or so of snow. Nothing like Karen has been getting up in MN, but still, for us southerners, LOL (I'm actually from Iowa, but my blood has thinned after almost 15 years down south!). Everyone have a wonderful day! Nicki

Hi there- LadyB, no offense taken, ever! You're right. I need to get back in the saddle. I think maybe the 5 day pouch test will be something I do just to "reset." Thanks for the tough love, it's needed!!! Karen- wow, you're so lucky, getting all that done! I wish!! Keep us posted. And I'm not sure that there are any men on this thread- I don't know if there ever were, actually? I actully wonder about this- like, B-52, who posts here, always says how he CAN'T eat this and that, how his band won't let him- but I know I sure can. So I wonder if sometimes men don't have the emotional thing - and the monthly thing, obviously- that I do. But then, men can of course be emotional eaters. I don't know- maybe my band isn't tight enough, but ice cream sure slides right on down! As does the stupid crap I sometimes choose to eat. Nicki