DELETE THIS ACCOUNT!

You sound too tight. You're only eating slider foods which is not good. Plus, bands that are too tight can lead to slips, and that is definitely not something you want. Give your doc a call and get his opinion- not the nurse's opinion.

You look simply amazing!! Congratulations!!

I'm so glad you went to the doctor!! Keep us updated how it goes!

You will find after every fill you have to learn to eat all over again. Smaller bites, chew even more, pause between bites a little longer. Life with the band is a big learning experience, especially in the early stages. Hang in there, you'll get used to it

If you're eating until you feel full, you're eating too much. Here's a great link that explains it much better than I can: http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

I started with well over 200 pounds to lose, so setting short term realistic goals was really important to me. If I focused too much on the big picture, it was simply too overwhelming. I tend to set monthly goals. Or, milestone goals. For instance, I wanted to be down 100 pounds by my birthday back in June. I wanted to be under 250 pounds by this Christmas. (last Christmas I was over 420 pounds) For me, it keeps me motivated and works.

You look gorgeous!! Congratulations!!

Walk through your grocery store but stay on the outside aisles. In other words, stay along the perimeter. That is where all the healthier items will be. Perhaps you'll see a veggie or a meat to inspire you. Here's a great site with loads of recipes to try: http://www.emilybites.com/

There's no reason why not. The lap band all takes place above the belly button, whereas tummy tucks happen below the belly button.

My friend, you hit the nail on the head. Extremely well said. Wow. Excellent post. I hope others read it and take it to heart.

Honestly, I've kinda given up looking "nice" while I'm losing weight. I've lost 174 pounds over the last 11 months and I seem to drop at least a size a month, sometimes even more. What's weird is, the smaller I get, the faster sizes seem to drop too. I think I lost a good 60 pounds before I bought my first smaller sized clothes. Now, after only 15 pounds I can tell a major difference in my clothes. I replace my pants every 2 sizes I drop. Same with underwear. Bras I replace when I realize they're no longer holding the girls up (laughs!). Shirts I wear longer, currently I am wearing older shirts from the summer that are 4x (and really big on me) and a few newer 1x shirts I've bought this fall. If there is a Fashion Bug near you, I'd go and stock up on some smaller sizes to shrink into. They're going out of business after the first of the year and you can get some GREAT sale prices right now. Oh btw, I also shrank a size and half in shoes. I went from a 10W to an 8 1/2M. So, wait on shoes as long as you can, too.

That sounds horrible! I've never experienced that but I hope you're healed and doing well now. Best wishes.

Hello and Welcome! First, congrats on taking the first steps towards reclaiming your health It's totally normal to be nervous. I know i was downright scared. The best advice I can offer is to be prepared. Do your shopping for your first 2 weeks post op before you go into this hospital. Also, pack smart when going to the hospital. If you're staying overnight, don't forget loose comfy clothes to come home in an a robe to keep your bum covered when they make you walk the walls after surgery. As far as shakes, I personally really like the unjury. I tried multiple brands I couldn't even stomach. Best wishes to you!!

Just a small update. I started carb cycling again on Monday, after gaining 2.6 pounds while on vacation. I lost the 2.6 pounds plus another 6.5 pounds this week, for a total of 9 pounds. Needless to say, I'm extremely pleased. My plan remains to continue carb cycling until Christmas Eve, take a break and just restrict calories again for a week or two, then possibly go back and carb cycle again if I do any "damage" over Christmas and New Years.

A band too tight is dangerous and can lead to slips. If you call your doctor's office, tell them what is happening (in detail) and they still say they can't help you for a month then it's time to find a new surgeon. That would be completely irresponsible and downright dangerous on their part and you deserve much better than that.

Congratulations!

Well you're right, vomiting with the band is very dangerous and can lead to slips. We can't tell you whether or not you did any damage because we're not doctors and can't examine your band. If you're worried, make an appointment with your doctor to have it checked.

You'll have to ask your doctor about that one. They all seem to have different rules. I know I couldn't until I was 4 weeks post surgery.

First, you must realize that restriction in the band usually doesn't come until after multiple fills. It takes time. As far as "eating like a pig", that is up to you to control, not the band. The band isn't supposed to physically stop you from eating anything. It's your responsibility to control your portions and always will be. Stick to band sized portions (a cup or less of food per meal), follow your post op diet, and be patient. Best wishes.

There is no magic amount of fluid or number of fills. Everyone is different. Some need very little, others need a lot, it's all dependent on your anatomy, band placement, and band size.

There are cases when the band doesn't work, or fails, by no fault of the patient. However they are the exception not the rule. Most of the time, the person fails because they're simply not taking the necessary steps to be successful with the band. A great number of band slips are also the patient's fault, more often than not it's from having a band too tight for long periods of time, vomiting regularly and not seeking help from their doctor to stop it, carbonation, and even regularly over-eating. The band is work, make no mistake. But if you're willing to do the work and follow the rules, the odds are definitely in your favor to be successful.

Ugh yes, that's very normal. It's awful, I won't lie. This will sound crazy I'm sure, but I actually found sleeping on my stomach helped. I'm a tummy sleeper anyway and the pressure on my tummy really felt great and eased the pain. The trick is (and I learned this from a nurse after a c-section), not to try to roll onto your tummy. That will pull and hurt. Literally (carefully) crawl up the bed on your hands and knees and gently lower yourself onto the spot you want. When you want to get back up, do not roll, Again, bring your arms and legs under you and gently push up onto all fours again and ease yourself off the edge of the bed onto your feet. For me, this was a huge lifesaver and I've done it after every abdominal surgery since then.

sugar free Popsicles were a lifesaver for me, too. My doctor told me to sip from a little medicine cup and it should be gone every 15 minutes. It is a but tedious but it did help monitor my liquid intake.

YAY!!! That's so awesome!! Congratulations!!!