DELETE THIS ACCOUNT!

It seems to me repeating the same .5cc fill and unfill is a bit useless. You know it's too tight in but not enough when it's out, so why bother repeatedly adding and removing the same .5cc? Why not try a smaller fill or removal? Like .3cc? Heck I've had fills as small as .1cc.

There really isn't a "normal" first fill amount. Some get very conservative fills others get whopping huge fills. It depends on your anatomy, your doctor, and your doctor's willingness to listen to your needs. Be sure to drink Water before leaving the office, this way if you're too tight and the water gurgles back up you'll know and can immediately get some taken right back out. It lessens the chance of going home to find out you're too tight. Good luck tomorrow!

I have a lot of pics on Facebook, ironically I'm very open about having the Lap Band on there too. But, it's securely locked down and no one can see anything unless they're on my friends' list. I have to be careful- I have a freak'n batsh*t crazy scary ex that I have gone to great lengths to assure he can't find me nor my children. He also has no idea I've lost 230 pounds since he last saw me- in fact I actually went right by him recently and he had no clue it was even me. I don't want that to change nor for him to use web pictures to somehow track me down again.

Yes I have

Cravings are really hard, but what I've found is the only way to beat them is to go cold turkey and not give in for a couple days. It's rough, but it's usually after a day or two without the chocolate (or other sugar) the cravings stop. If I eat sugar, I crave sugar, so I really try to stay away from it.

((hugs)) I'm sorry, I didn't want to upset you. I just thought I needed to share this here so everyone could be aware how unsecured and public our pictures are.

If you're only 2 weeks post op, are even supposed to be having solid food yet?

No idea what it could be, but if it continues I'd insist they do a doppler of your leg just to be safe. I'm sure it's probably nothing but blood clots are deadly serious so it's always better to error on the side of caution. Best wishes

Actually, if you're eating until "full" you're likely eating too much. The idea with the band is to eat until satisfied, aka no longer. The Green Zone is essentially the ability to be satisfied on a small amount of food for a long period of time. In most cases, a cup or less of food for at least 4 hours. Here's visual of it:

On Facebook, we can at least lock it down so no one except 'friends' can see our posts and pics. I guess I always knew this very public but I figured no one would stumble onto a Lap Band forum unless they're a bariatric patient or researching it. When I saw all those pictures on that website, it was a huge reminder how little (if any) control we have over anything on this website. I don't want my pictures all over the internet. I hated to do it, but I felt I had no choice but to remove all my photos from this site.

It can feel like a lot of things- pressure, pain, discomfort, etc. It can be in your chest or throat or any variation of the two. I know this probably isn't a helpful answer, but the first time you're stuck you know it and there's no guessing.

...and I've deleted every pic of me from the website. It's just not worth the risks.

Yeah...uncool. I may have no choice but to delete all mine.

Oh I saw, they were horrible and cruel. It blows my mind people can be so ignorant and mean.

I wondered the same thing. Usually if there is anything even remotely relative to us in the media, he makes a post about it to share it with us. I don't remember anything ever posted about this article here.

I'm no doctor, but I'd be willing to guess it's from the air pumped in during surgery and the pressure on the vagus nerve.

I recognize some of those people, too. If they agreed to have their pictures used- awesome. But if they were used without their permission and/or knowledge, that's a problem.

Slimfast actually does make a high protein shake- it has 20g of protein per bottle. You just have to really read the labels because they're usually right next to the lower protein ones.

This is strictly my experience, but if I told my surgeon that he'd insist I get a tiny unfill. In fact 3 days after my last fill I was back in getting .2cc removed for that very reason. I could drink fine but couldn't eat jack without discomfort. When I called his office to ask, their response was "how soon can you get here?" If I can't eat healthy foods in reasonable portions without pain or discomfort, then my doc says I'm too tight. (and I agree) Best wishes.

Shockingly, down another pound. At 191 today.

It depends on what you use it for. The article states: "The researchers tested the apps to see which of them incorporated 20 behavioral strategies from the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), steps commonly touted by physicians to help their patients lose weight and control their diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Of the 20 DPP strategies, goal-setting for weight loss and diet were most commonly included in the mobile apps, with 93.3 percent of apps having weight loss goal-setting features and 90 percent having diet goal-setting features. The third most common strategy was calorie balance (meaning users could compare the calories they ate to the calories they spent) with 86.7 percent of the apps having this feature. But beyond those three, it was hit or miss when it came to including any of the other 17 DPP strategies." We're band patients using the apps strictly for tracking- not dietary advice or support. That's what our surgeons and nutritionists are for. We (mostly) don't let the apps dictate how many calories we're allowed either because that is also the job of doctor or nutritionist. For the reason and way Lap Band patients use tracking apps, this study doesn't really apply because we do get all the 20 DPP strategies from our medical staff and aren't looking for the app to replace it. Just like our bands, the apps are just another tool at our disposal.

Heartburn and acid reflux are very different, the biggest being that reflux causes stomach acid to back up into the esophagus above the band. I have known of a lot of band people who have harmless heartburn but acid reflux is not harmless nor is it "normal" with the band. It's actually pretty dangerous and can lead to some severe band erosion. If I were in your shoes and were having reflux rather than just heartburn, I would insist the doctor figure out the cause so it can be treated and stopped. It's way to risky with the band. Best wishes.

It's a matter of what figuring out what works best for your body and metabolism. Some people do find that artificial sweetners cause sugar/carb cravings. In fact, there's been studies done recently suggesting that people who drink a lot of artificial sweetners can actually lead to obesity and diabetes in some people. Here's the info: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57593133/artificial-sweeteners-could-lead-to-obesity-diabetes/ If your body is telling you artificial sweetners are a problem- listen to it. A big part of the journey is figuring out which food lifestyle is best for you. People have a wide range options, everything from low fat, to low carb, and everything in between. None are "right" or "wrong" it's just a matter of what works best for you. Best wishes.

Down a pound, now at 192

With all due respect, just because you read it on the internet doesn't make it true. The Lap Band cannot not cause cancer anymore than a bracelet around your wrist can.