superluli

Yeah, the trick is really to only eat when ur hungry. I am on a 5 day conference at work, my band isn't working 100% yet coz I have only had two fills. Every coffee break there are pastries, baby sandwiches, dates, and everything! if I only ate when I was actually hungry this week would have been ok. But every two hours they give you something to nibble on! And it's in a hotel in the middle of no where! So this goes to show that eating when ur not hungry will still be a challenge even while being banded. Next week will be the week of lettuce for me to make up for this. I thought the band would eliminate those lettuce punishments but it's still there for now I am not complaining though, 9 kg down 31 to go!!

I have a friend who did the sleeve and hasn't lost weight, and another one who has done it and lost weight. I think you can fail with both. I know a few people that also failed miserably with the band and others who have become models! Statistics don't matter, your committment does. As for which to do, just decide which risks you're willing to live with more. I considered the sleeve but cutting out 80% of ur stomach was a hard decision. What if some time later you god forbit get a cyst or a tumor in ur stomach and have to have part of it removed, you'd only have 20%! I didn't check these concerns with a doctor though so this may be me being a bit paranoid. As for the band, it really is only a tool. I am a pretty crap bandster, I struggle every day to eat well. So I've only lost 18 pounds in 4 months (started at 209 pounds so i expected to lose like 30 pounds till now). I used to take Meridia before it was banned and it curbed my appetite so much I lost quickly and was able to eat better, so far the band hasn't had the same effect. But I only had two fills. I am hopeful that more fills would help. I also worry so much about this foreign object in my stomach and all the slips and leakages. From where I stand the band has been there for longer, so people are more experienced with it, and it's reversible. I am an emotional eater, if something terrible happens to my family or something I will need food otherwise I'd go crazy. It's comforting to know that if I need my best friend back it's only an infill away. But then again I am a pretty crappy bandster so keep that in mind when ur considering what I say.

Hey everyone, I have been banded for 4 months and I am slowly getting my act together and making better decisions. I have 5.25 CCs in a 10 cc band and so far I feel little restriction, I do get pains in my left side when I eat too much but other than that not much. One thing I do experience is that the first few bites of solid food always hurt a bit, but then by the 3rd bite it's ok. I can't describe the feeling but it feels like the food wants to go back up but it doesn't. So I stop eating a bit then continue and then it's ok. This doesn't happen with mushie food or salads. But for example a baked potato, a sushi roll. I have cereal in the morning no problems there but for lunch that's when it starts happening. I am not following a low carb high protein diet, so these things are part of my diet albeit with moderation. Is this normal? I want to get more fills since I get hungry too often and I can still eat quite a bit it I let myself

My first weeks were really hard because I really regretted having the surgery. Everyone told me I will feel this way then it will go away. So I let myself freak out a little but it goes away. You have good days where you feel positive and motivated an you have bad days. But don't let Your regret stop you from fully using your bands help. Get it tightened, it makes a difference I promise. Don't write it off as a bad decision yet, follow through and then see As for cheating, I am about to get shot here by the uber bandsters but here goes, go for something that is bad for ur diet but doesnt comromise your health. Like a milk shake. It's filling, sweet, bad and evil. But it is still liquid It'll satisfy your craving and leave you feeling guilty enough to carry through with ur liquid diet for a few more days but won't hurt ur stomach... Willpower will come slowly. I mean the whole reason we did this band is because our willpowers needed a bit of a nudge anyway, right? If we were that great at restraining ourselves why did we get banded to begin with? It's a marathon not a sprint.

I have had a couple of fills at 5.25 cc on an 11 cc band, I have only started feeling some restriction recently and by restriction I mean pain after I eat too much, so I really need to stop myself since I get no signals. I honestly have completely failed at cutting out carbs, god knows I've tried. So I try and follow the balanced plate thing, half of the plate green the a quarter red and a quarter white. But I just get so hungry! And it's hard to control what I eat when I am out. At home I am more successful but I am usually out all day and when the food I pack finishes, and I get hungry I find myself snacking on something bad! I don't even know how I lost those 18 pounds! I forget I lost them most of the time because I haven't even worked for them.. I eat less and better than my pre banded state but still waaaaay too much. And i've been at the same weight for 3 weeks! I just wish I didn't feel so hungry! I have only started working out yesterday, I have a foot condition (Having a high arch and being so heavy isn't good!) so it is painful to place pressure on my foot just by even walking. I kept waiting till I lost a few more pounds but then I gave up and started yesterday. Let's hope that and another fill would help...

It's been 4 months and I have only lost 18 pounds out of my 88 goal. So this thread has officially gotten me depressed. I am finding it really difficult to walk the line, the band only helps a little so far. I am finding it very difficult to plan my meals I pack too little and end up super hungry and binge, I pack too much and I end up bloated and feeling bad. On the plus side i know that If I hadn't gotten banded I would have probably gained like 20 pounds this winter....

Yesterday I went out for brunch and ate a lot! I was surprised I could even eat that. I got a pain on the left side of my stomach too all day. I haven't had anything to eat since, it's been 24 hrs, and I feel much better. Maybe you ate too much? Two weeks ago I was also in a lot of pain - excruciating! I even posted about it- , and my doctor said stress or a cold can make ur band tighten up a bit. Took some meds ate mushier food for a few days and now I am ok. Maybe you are stressed too? Try going on liquids for a few days and see if it still happens?

Hey Everyone, I was wondering if someone has gone through this or not. I had my second fill 5 weeks ago, first 4 weeks were fine, i felt more restriction but not that much yet (at 5.25 Cc) and the doc said I'd need a couple more fills before things really change, and I was fine with that. Been gradually making changes. Out of the blue last week it started hurting A LOT if I ate anything that isn't mushy or liquid. At first I thought, maybe I ate too quick, maybe the band is working better now, so I cut out more quantities but it hurt with every bite however small and well chewed! The pain is mainly in my esophagus as the food goes down and left side of my stomach. But I haven't thrown up or felt the urge to do so. The doctor put me on a liquid diet for two days and gave me this pill called Controloc and told me try eating after those two days (which is today) we'll reassess in a few days. But I am worried, and I have a feeling it hasn't gone away yet so i'm too scared to try and eat solids. Has this happened to anyone? Could the band really tighten up all of a sudden when you're stressed or have a mucous-y cold?

I just googled sternum, that's exactly where the pain is! So I this is what 'stuck' meant? Wow! That does definitely stop one from eating huh? I thought if I eat more than I should I would throw up, and as long as I wasn't throwing up then I am eating enough for the band where I am at ( and since I am losing weight steadily I didn't mind enjoying what I could eat while I stil could ) It is strange that it kicked in so late, but it's such a relief to know that that's what it's supposed to be like. I guess now I REALLY have to adjust to a life without bread that amount of pain really takes the fun out of it...

I haven't had chicken or bagels since I got banded. I read on the forum that those are trouble so I avoided them along with steak and burgers and bread rolls, I stick to pita bread and eat just a little bit... I eat carbs, my lunch is a square of lasagna the size of my palm, and I try to make the lasagna as healthy as possible. Or I have some sushi. Or if I stick to veggies for lunch I get a grilled cheese sandwich ( in pita bread) for dinner. Everything hurt last week except the mashed zucchini, yogurt and Cereal. From the first bite down to the last. 4 weeks after a fill! I exepected that this could happen if I get too tight for what I am willing to put up with. But this came out of the blue. Just as I was getting ready to get another fill! Being on a liquid diet again has helped and the medicine as well, today I was able to eat something non-solid so I am less freaked out. I have re planned my meals to cut down even more, which I am fine with, I just wanted to know if this is the band doing its job or if something is wrong. Because the pain was excruciating! is it supposed to hurt THAT bad? So I won't be able to have a single bite of the things I love? I was kinda hoping I could still nibble of a few things here and there

I have like no restriction yet but chicken bothers me. I won't even try steak. I ground the beef and chicken and mix them with the veggies I eat. But I have never cared about protein so that is one of the easiest thing to adjust to.

I got banded at 208, not too far from 199. I had alarm bells set at different weights. I think in kg, so at 70 a small alarm rang, at 80 it rang again, at 90 it was louder, at 95 it was really loud. I was at 95 for a few years till i decided to get banded because I saw myself headed for the next big alarm at 100 (222 pounds). I am not being mean, and I am positive that elcee wasn't either - she's always very supportive and positive in her responses. I knew myself and I could see the path I was headed for - and once that realization set in I decided to take action. I honestly do wonder why it takes some people longer to get this realization and to take drastic action - but not in a judge-y way... in a 'hmm I wonder why that is' kind of way. I too did not want to 'wait' because I knew I was headed for more weight gain. Not because I looked down on bigger people or thought badly of them - not at all!! - but because it would have taken me even more strength and courage and a longer road - something I don't think I would have been capable of. I think it's really admirable that YOU have that courage at the young age of 23! It is impressive, and your achievement will be bigger than mine. I will have run a 10K you will have run a marathon. But we will both reach our end destination hopefully and catch up to elcee here who's lookin' pretty hot here

The funny thing with weight, at 208 I thought I looked like a fat cow, but I thought my best friend who was 220 looked MUCH better than I did and I have never thought about her that way. I also NEVER thought that about anyone but me. I haven't lost that much, but I'm always the fattest one in the room in my eyes. Even when I am around bigger people I always say, ah well they hide it better, they look more proportionate etc. But I understand how you feel, when people who are 150 complain I roll my eyes. But I guess she probably feels the same like I do... it's not logic, but feeling hardly ever are logic...

Hi, I got the lapband surgery done about a month ago and I'm getting ready for my first fill. But recently I heard a lot of horror stories about fills and how restricted I would feel. I want to eat reasonably - and still enjoy my carbs but in moderation, and now i'm worried I won't be able to do that. I want to be able to eat one piece of toast in the morning or evening instead of the 4 or 6 I used to eat, or eat 8 pieces of sushi as opposed to the 25 i usually eat, or 2-3 tablespoons of rice or Pasta instead of a massive bowl. Am I really not going to be able to do that? My friends tell me they've ended up avoiding rice & bread altogether! Is there a specific fill level where I can feel restriction but not deprivation? How will I know? Can I just tighten it to that level and then not just go further? Because If i live the rest of my life having 1 sandwich a day and 3 tbs of rice/pasta every other day i'm sure i'll be thin and healthy enough without being sad and miserable....

It's interesting how you change as time goes by. The prospect of eating so little gets less and less scary as you go along. I just got my second fill yesterday - i'm up to 5.25 now. I'm on liquids and I have no desire to eat or drink or anything! I sat at a full table for dinner - fried stuff and all and was so un-interested in food. I mashed some potatoes last night for when I move to mashed foods tomorrow and of course i couldn't help it and took one spoonful - and it was really more than enough. If I could get to a level of restriction where I feel like that all the time, I can imagine I won't even miss anything! My doctor said not to expect a good restriction before 4 fills - so far I've felt very little restriction. The evil part of me says enjoy what you can eat while you can, and the good part of me is like comon, we've done this for a reason! Be good. So it's a balancing act at the moment, and definitely more will power than band. So Shap, i would keep my expectations minimal for the first few months. I thought i'd lose twice as much by now, but that was too ambitious. And the looming prospect of not being able to eat makes me panic and want to stuff myself while I still can... What I am going to do with my doctor is plan my target meals and portions to something which is reasonable to both him and me. And i'll keep tightening till that target is satisfying. I got a bit demotivated by the amount and type of food that people eat on this forum, it makes me feel inadequate because I am not willing to do what they do. But I am realizing now that this was probably a process for them and they slowly reached that stage where a Protein and veg meal is something they are happy with. And I think you and I will slowly change - we just can't see it yet. P.S. Japanese people eat 8-12 sushi rolls for lunch or dinner and they are all skinny and healthy.

My band fills to about 10-11 CCs. I have 4CCs in it now and I feel like I am still eating too much. I KNOW i'm eating more than I expected. So I'm curious. Here are my limits for one meal of the bad stuff - which I am trying to limit (not completely remove, just limit): - Two eggs Benedict with one potato on the side and one pancake for desert! I thought I'd eat half of each plate - but I ate them all!! - 13 pieces of sushi rolls - Two grilled cheese sandwiches - a cup of rice - 4 slices of a medium pizza - A turkey Panini sandwich - A BIG chicken breast I got my fill exactly 3 weeks ago. It was my first one. The doc said I need minimum 3 weeks between each fill, so I am definitely going for another fill. I stop eating when I am satisfied. And I am satisfied with way less than my pre-banded self (i could have easily eaten twice as much as what is above) and I haven't thrown up. At all! And I've lost 4.4 pounds, but i have no idea how i've lost those! I definitely eat less, but I still eat! I read that sometimes your esophagus expands to take in more food when you're banded. Could that be happening to me already? What were your limits when you had 4CCs?

Haha, no shame in that! I could totally see myself going for that AA cup if I could afford it - I can't wait to get rid of those Ds!! (I like the beyonce type body - exactly what I am not ) Man, being a woman is hard huh?! Men just take their bodies for granted! No child birth, no periods or menopause, higher metabolism and they are always warm in the winter while we freeze. My brother can out-eat the pre-banded me by a LOT - and he still in ok shape. It's a man's world in deed! You and the others on this thread have made an amazing transformation - through different ways! You should really be proud! Congratulations, and well done I am a bridesmaid for my best friends wedding in September. We're discussing dresses and It's sooo hard to imagine or anticipate what size i'd be wearing then and how I'd look! I look at the models and I keep trying to decide, do I pick whatever is most slimming, or will it not matter come September? For once I have hope in not being the fattest one at the wedding! 2 days till my next fill!

I read your story and you just basically wrote the plan that was in my head for the next year. I too started from a 36-37 BMI and my target is 22 BMI and I really hope what worked for you works for me. I cannot wait to start exercising again. I love competitive sports and dread going to the gym or a work out class. I am really looking forward to getting to a stage where I can play squash regularly (I used to play well as a teenager) It's funny, I also remind myself that this is only temporary - i will lose weight, get the band unfilled and manage on my own - but deep inside I know I won't do that. You definitely are a success story - because you CAN have everything. A great body AND yummy food (albeit in less quantities) I am not from the US, I'm from Egypt, and mostly everyone I know who's succeeded with the band has followed what you did. My lapband doctor recommended that exactly. He said eat what you want, but in little little quantities, my nutritionist also recommended I stop stressing about everything, relax and let the band work its magic as long as you avoid sweets and high calorie drinks (which is a non-issue for me, i have no sweet tooth whatsoever) I feel like people from the US use a different approach than people from elsewhere in the world. You're not the only Australian who has shared similar experiences. I want to ask you something since we are similar in starting and goal BMI, why did you need a lower body lift and breast augmentation? I was hoping my skin would shrink back without any 'help'... is that not realistic to hope for?

Yeah I must say most of the posts don't make me feel that great. Constantly being told that eating carbs= failure and that these foods shouldn't be in your life to begin with was how I gained all this weight to begin with. My first diet 12 years ago was to go from 135 pounds to 120 by cutting out carbs. When I quit got bored got stressed and relaxed a bit about the diet my weight creeped up to 140. And I have done this process over and over again till I reached the 208 that I was pre surgery. I have lost and gained the same 30 pounds over and over again in he past 3 years doig exactly what people do on this site. Protein veg low carbs no 'fun' food. I just can't do it. And no matter what you tell me cauliflower and lettuce are not 'fun'! You eat them coz you have to! I too will continue to eat what I want. By if I have a slice or two of pizza or a few sushi rolls for lunch I'll stick to fruit and veg for other meals. And if I can't imagine goog a day without bread then I'll have a slice of toast! It may not get me to a size two but I will see how far it gets me and then decide if I want to put in more effort. I didn't get to where I am because I ate a piece of toast, I ate ten! I ate a full medium stuffed crust pizza with cheesy garlic bread and chocolate for dessert and got hungry 8 hours later and ordered a burger. So perspective is good. I hope it is gets better which is why I posted this, to see at what point in ur band does it work better. Kudos to all you who have cut out all the bad stuff. I really hope you maintain that attitude about food for the rest of your life. I could only maintain it for 6 months tops, and relapsed heavily afterwards. Finally I'd like to say that I have observed what my thin friends and family do, and they don't crave anything and don't deprive themselves of anything. They just eat far far far less than I do. They eat the same pizza I eat but over 3 days not 30 minutes, they balance out one bad meal with two good ones. They don't say ah well you already had a bad lunch what's the point of veg now just go for that cheesy deep fried whatever and tomorrow is a new day like I did for so long.

I share the same experience. I am in Egypt, and my Doctor's main recommendations were to watch out for Sweets, chips, Nuts, Alcohol and high sugar/fat drinks. Only use them as rewards once in 1-2 weeks IF you're losing weight. He said other than as you get tighter you'll eat less and you'll lose weight. If i were able to do the low carb diet or Atkins, then I wouldn't have needed to get banded in the first place! I have observed thin people and how they eat for a while now. I live with one, my sister. She eats everything - it's all about portion control. She has no cravings like I do. Whatever she wants, she eats. But all with the right quantities. And that's exactly what the Doctor told me - i've tried dieting for years, i am sick of it. I want to eat everything - the good, the bad, the horrible - but be happy with just a little bit of it.

I wasn't planning on testing it to be honest - i am really paranoid about throwing up or being in pain, I just found myself gradually eating more over the past 3 weeks, getting hungrier quicker. And whatever I ate, i hardly felt any pain - unless I ate really quickly and didn't chew properly - and I haven't thrown up or anything. Which is why I'm surprised - i was mentally prepared for eating much less and I did so the first week, then it was gradual, i got hungrier, i got headaches - which I usually get when I don't eat enough... Yesterday I started measuring what I pack for lunch - I am trying to stick to 1-1.5 cups of food per meal for now before gradually getting it down to the recommended 1/2 cup. And I packed fruits for when I get hungry between meals. It seems Highland was right - it's still more will power than band at this point.... I definitely DO feel some restriction - since before getting tightened I could eat WAY more than what I do now. But 4ccs felt like a big number... Perhaps when I go in next time he'll put in another 2ccs to step things up a bit. I hate feeling like a failure - i'm only just beginning - i still have 74 pounds of my 88 target to lose - the first pounds should be the easiest to lose......

I just had my first fill last Saturday and I am a complete and total wuss about pain and needles. It was soooo ok! Really, just the needle going in - which is such a slight inconvenience then he pushes in and it feel weird but no pain. He fills and you feel nothing - it takes like 3 minutes. I went on a completely empty stomach - i wanted to leave 8 hours before I eat, but I slept late so I hadn't had any food in me for 24 hours by the time i did it. Immediately you feel full - you'll feel like you did right after the operation, as if food is stuck at your throat. I stuck to liquids for whatever was left of the day and the next day. Then stuck with mashed potatoes and Soup Monday and Tuesday. Yesterday I ate toast and it was fine - i ate two and that was definitely the limit - i was too scared to try any more. I just had some Pasta with white sauce and it went down easily. I am eating more than I thought I would, but less than I did pre-band so restriction will take time i guess.... Tonight I am trying sushi, let's see how that goes. I usually eat 25 pieces, after getting banded without fills I was down to 16. So I will see how many I can eat now. I want to be in the 6-8 range. In the mornings it's hard to have an appetite - then it grows as the day progresses. My appetite is still very much there After the surgery I lost like 12 pounds, and I gained 4 pounds in the 3 weeks before getting my fill - i ate like i was saying bye to everything - my last burger, my last pizza my last everything! I realize now I did that too soon, I can still probably eat all these things. I am still not making good choices, Pasta, bread, all my usual crap, but I do have less cravings. But I realize I need to make an effort and not rely on the band completely. My band fits around 11 ccs, my first fill was 4 ccs which I understood is quite a lot for a first fill. I expected to eat less. So i will go get another fill as soon as the doc okays it. After ur fill stick to liquids for 2 days, mashed stuff for 1-2 more then switch to solids.

I am a determined person. When I decide to succeed at anything I do it. That all stops at food! I cannot control myself! I like pampering myself, If I want something, I get it. Be that an ipod, a car, or a pizza. It works for me in areas outside of food, because what is want is usually very reasonable and well within my abilities, and I can control it when it's not within my abilities. With food - I just want more! Carbs carbs and carbs. If a meal has no carbs in it, then it's not worth having!! and I'm no fan of dessert. I find that people who like desert do better - because you cannot have a bowl of chocolate, that's just too sweet! but you can certainly have bowls and bowls of french fries. As a kid I was not happy, now that I control my life all I want is to be happy. Food makes me happy. Being thin & healthy would also make me happy. Now I just gotta find the right balance between both, enough food to make me happy, but not so much that it gets me fat and unhappy

Thank you! I will definitely get in touch if I need further guidance!!

See I'm like you, I don't want to take out carbs completely! I'm ok with a slower weight loss, if it means I get to enjoy my food - however little that may be. So for toast, the crispier the better? You look fantastic by the way! Great job!!