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Congrats on the weight loss! My best suggestion is to reintroduce regular foods slowly and carefully. Take very small, cautious bites to make sure nothing is going to get stuck.

I still struggle with this, even having lost almost 150 pounds. I catch my own reflection in store windows and I pause thinking "holy cow that can't be me!". I'm still shocked when I try on clothes 6-7 sizes smaller than I was wearing last winter and they fit. Pictures are how I put it in perspective. I have a folder where I keep pictures of myself starting from a month before surgery up until recently. I take a new picture once a month. It's only when I look at those pictures next to each other that I really see how much I've changed.

I'm watching it right now, honestly it's awesome. Lisa is saying how it's a tool, and how if she doesn't deal with her emotional stuff she'll gain it back. Dr. Oz even said he thought bariatric surgeries were the most under-used out there. They're both actually very informative. I'm rather impressed!

Granted this is just my personal experience, Phentermine isn't good. As you stated, you will lose when on it, but either you stop taking it and gain it back or your body grows immune to it and you still gain it back. Diet pills are very much a temporary fix. I would stay far away from them. Again, just my opinion.

I would do it again in a heartbeat, my only regret is that I didn't get it years sooner. The gas was pretty uncomfortable the first couple days post op but it passed pretty quickly. I had my surgery on Friday and by the following Wednesday I was back to my normal routine. I've lost almost 150 pounds in about 9 months. I absolutely love my band.

I find flat bread works well. I can still have normal whole grain wheat bread so long as I take really small bites and eat it later in the day when my band is looser. I've even hadate a sandwich with a knife and fork because it's easier to take small bites that way.

Oh believe me, I know, I'm guilty of it too! I get all these grand ideas of how I'm going to lose some amount in a set amount of time, realize how unrealistic my lofty goals are, and reluctantly adjust them. Btw, I started off about where you are as far as weight to lose. So far I'm losing quite well. If I can do this, you can totally do this too. Best wishes!

I am good about eating healthy 90% of the time, 10% of the time I eat whatever I want just because I want it. For me, it works. To think anyone is going to be "good" 100% of the time is completely unrealistic. Honestly, anyone who says they are is either God or lying, and I seriously doubt God needs a Lap Band At the beginning it was tough. Shockingly, the longer I ate healthy the more my taste buds changed. I actually crave things like salad now. I guess the longer I eat healthy the easier it gets. I feel so much better and when I eat junk I can really feel the difference. I get sluggish, sometimes my stomach even gets upset. It's almost like it's own aversion therapy. It's a learning process and it's also a forever battle.

Honestly? I'd make it at least half that to be realistic and not needlessly disappoint yourself. The average amount lost is 1-2 pounds a week. You're aiming for 5 pounds a week. That isn't realistic at all. I'd aim for 10 pounds, it's still more than 2 pounds a week. Just my opinion. Best wishes.

food isn't supposed to get stuck. The band isn't supposed to stop you from eating anything, it's not it's job. It's supposed to keep you satiated on less food for longer periods of time. Are you eating a cup or less of food per meal? 3-4 hours is right on the cusp of how long hunger should be satiated for, so if you do get a fill, I'd get small one so you don't accidentally go too tight. Best wishes.

Oh that sounds heavenly, thanks for sharing!

Everyone's anatomy is different, so while say 2cc may not help one person at all, it may be very tight for another. How much you have in your band is irrelevant- how you feel and whether or not you're satisfied on a cup or less of food for many hours is what matters. Don't worry about how much is or isn't in your band, all that matters is how you feel and how it's working for you.

That's not a purse, that's a hoola-hoop gone horribly wrong lol

The only time I've heard of insurance covering complications for self pay patients is if it's a life or death situation. Otherwise, typically speaking, they won't pay for anything band related, complications or not.

No it doesn't sound like you are. You should be able to go a minimum of 4 hours without hunger. It will come, it just takes most people a little time and multiple fills.

Girl preach on!!! I totally agree. I've lost almost 150 pounds, I still have over 100 to go, and let me tell you not a single moment of it has been remotely "easy". Four weeks of liquids post op, measuring every thing I eat and logging every single calorie for the last 9 months. Don't even get me started on sitting at a restaurant frantically looking up food on Lose It to try to order something that won't bust my daily calorie budget. Or worse, praying I don't get stuck while eating in public. I had a birthday party for my son here this past weekend. My house was stuffed with cake, candy, chips, ice cream, and pizza. I had a single piece of pizza for dinner and small piece of cake, which is great. The problem is, all the leftovers don't just poof when the guests do, so I was left with a kitchen that turned into one big binge temptation. Yesterday I finally couldn't take it and threw it all out. And the expense!! I have had to replace my entire wardrobe a couple times. I even had to replace every single pair of shoes I owned. Fall came and I didn't have a single long sleeved shirt or even a sweater that wasn't 6 sizes too big. Because I'm not done losing, I'll have to replace it all yet again come spring. I love shrinking sizes but it's not cheap!! I love my band and would do it again in a heart beat, but nothing about it has been "the easy way out".

When I just plugged your numbers into a BMI calculator it came up at 30, which is obese, and does fit in the range for Lap Band. I'm not sure if you're self pay or looking for insurance coverage, however I do know for what they consider a "lower" BMI most insurance companies look for two co-morbidities. It's a big decision. There's two different aspects I'd look at this from: First, being as your BMI is in the obese range, you're smart to be trying to tackle your weight problem before you wake up one morning in the morbidly obese range. Personally, I wish I'd done something years before I finally did. The second part is, you need to realize that while Lap Band is a great tool it's just a tool. You mention emotional eating and nighttime eating as being your problem. Unfortunately the band won't fix either problem. The band is meant to satiate hunger with less food for longer periods of time, satiate meaning no longer hungry. It won't stop you from eating and it won't fix your brain. It's something a lot of us with bands struggle with. So, if you do decide to go forward with the band, I would also suggest counseling as well to help fix the problems the band can't. Lastly, do your homework before making a decision. Reading these forums is great for anecdotal evidence and real life experiences but do the medical research as well. It's a life changing decision and educating yourself to the facts is crucial to make a good one. Best wishes with whatever you decide.

First, please fill out your profile so we can better help you. It would all depend on your current BMI. 40-50 pounds for a 5'10 woman may not mean a higher BMI but 40-50 pounds for a 5'2 woman can be a huge difference.

Night cough is a red flag and can be a sign of being too tight or a slip. I'm glad you're having a scope done but you also need to have a barium swallow so the position of your band can be checked. Best wishes.

Two things- Yes, .2cc can make a world of difference. Even .1cc can be the difference between too tight and the Green Zone. You say "My portion size that I can eat is still too much." Please realize the band isn't supposed to restrict your portion size or physically stop you from eating anything. You have to restrict your portion size and stop eating, that is your work to do. The band is supposed to satiate your hunger with less food for longer periods of time, but just because you're no longer hunger doesn't mean you can't still eat more. There is a popular saying among bandsters "just because you can eat something doesn't mean you should". Best wishes to you.

I am so so sorry for your loss, Rob. My heart goes out to you. Congratulations on being banded and welcome to the forums!

How long after your fill bringing you to 6.8cc did you start having problems? If it was a considerable amount of time, you might want to request a barium swallow just to have your band checked. Best wishes to you.

As elcee said, I've only heard of 4cc bands being used years ago, but they're no longer recommended by the makers or FDA. Now the gastric bands range in size from 9cc-11cc I've never heard of a 3.5cc band or maximizer. Are you sure you didn't possibly mishear him? Btw you should fill out your profile, it would really help people responding to you a lot. Best wishes to you and I'm glad you're feeling better. Being too tight is not only miserable but dangerous so you were very wise to get a slight unfill.

Welcome Paul

Congratulations! You look awesome!