judych

hi there..... i know exactly how you are feeling. Gas retention was the worst thing i had to experience. The best you can do it take some meds for gas... there are a lot around to choose from. Im post op now two years.. i had big problems for about six months... dont get concerned by this, everyone is different. i just wanted to say, get some meds, wait it out. Im now free of all gas retention. It took a while with me but its great. In the long term you will be free of the problem. You may have to accept this for a short time.. maybe even a few months... but like i said, get some anti gas and ride it out. It does leave you. Good luck. ..i meant to say.. i had a hernia fixed as well. good luck.

hi there..... i know exactly how you are feeling. Gas retention was the worst thing i had to experience. The best you can do it take some meds for gas... there are a lot around to choose from. Im post op now two years.. i had big problems for about six months... dont get concerned by this, everyone is different. i just wanted to say, get some meds, wait it out. Im now free of all gas retention. It took a while with me but its great. In the long term you will be free of the problem. You may have to accept this for a short time.. maybe even a few months... but like i said, get some anti gas and ride it out. It does leave you. Good luck.

what happened with your first band?... want to share with us ? ....

...reading these posts again and some more thoughts. Im just starting to realize how much of a hold sugar has had on me.. whether its direct through the craving of sweets (lollies mainly) or wine or sweet foods.... If i deal with the craving in one area it breaks through in another area. So this is an addiction just like smoking is. Its sneaky because its hidden in a lot of areas of our diet. anyone else have big issues with sugar?

Lisa ... im nearly two years out... weight loss has definatly slowed down, but its post Christmas. Im discovering different aspects of how my body changes... for example, if im away from home, the band is most likely to be tighter. So ? that means... either i take a Soup with me if im dining with family or friends at a home... or if im in a restaurant, i order soup. Ive had some nasty experiences with not heeding this rule. I love seafood !! that means squid, prawns, scallops etc.. I would love to order and eat dishes with seafood... but bad experiences have taught me that i dont go there. Ive learned that i can eat small portions of scale fish though. It takes me forever but its way better than red meat, and sometimes, chicken. Do you have issues with the sizes of the meals that are dished out when we dine out? especially in pubs. Its horrendous. I had no idea now bad the size portions were until i was banded. I do have the occasional meal in pubs... but i have to either talk with kitchen staff about the band and have easy meals, or i need to take a doggie bag with me. At home im finding that my band will take scale fish a lot easier than most fish.. and most Protein ... so thats good. Its taken me all this time to really get to understanding how my body and the band work together. Another thing... some day, a glass of wine will relax the band before eating and other days it wont. I still think its mainly a hormonal thing.. .especially with women. Im losing weight, but its slow. I dont mind as long as im losing. thats the main thing. Also, that i can still enjoy my meals. good luck .

...another thought on this post of mine.... its like a slave and its master .....' YES MASSER''.....LOL...

hi Jack.. it doesnt take much fill to make life miserable. Been there and done that. lol. i hope that all goes well with you now. .. Ive been banded nearly two years.. lost about 34 pounds which is great, got some more to go though. Not really concerned about losing at the moment, more concerned myself about being able to live and eat comfortably with the band and the fill. In other words , establishing a new lifestyle that will last and be effective... even after nearly two years. It didnt happen in five minutes, for those of you who think the complete change is instant. ITS NOT. lol. I was vomiting , like you, everyday... couldnt eat much at all. Mostly Soups. I had a small amount taken out. We went on holiday, it was the same. i was very careful though as im aware that being out of routine can tighten the band a lot. Especially women with hormones etc. so... ...we came home from holiday and im still vomiting, sliming... yukkkk.... not nice. Not the way we are supposed to live, surely !! so i went back to the dr and got a miniscule unfill, very small amount... and it make all the difference. .. The band is still very much my master when it comes to meals but its more pleasant now. by the way, after at least 2 months , i had lost a kilo, which is 2.2 pounds. that was when i went back to have some more unfill. (about three weeks ago now ) Now, when i think ... i was on holiday, drank some wines, had more luxury easy foods etc.. i was really surprised and very pleased to know that i hadnt gained. Its a fine line we tread, for sure. Good luck. keep us informed ,wont you. ?? thanks judy

..just to add to this. Im finding that the combination of garlic, salt, lemon sliced, chilli, and vinegar are enough to make me feel satiated. its this combination that is working really well for me right now. Good luck

ive been banded now for coming up two years and i think this head hunger is the hardest hurdle to ever get over... so we have to dig our heels in and just cope with it. Ive been a smoker and as addictive as smoking is, eating is a far greater problem. I guess its because we are faced with the exposure to food in order to live. when we give up smoking we dont ever have to touch them again. I find though that grazing, very small amounts of tasty food, help me a lot. I dont expect that i will ever get to the point where i dont love food. Our family ''just love our chaff bags''..lol... and we all recognise that. AS i get older though im seeing that i need more spices in my food. I didnt realize that as we age our taste buds start to retire.. lol.. and thats a fact. Im beginning to think mine have just about all given up. they havent though. But my need is for more savoury spicy food as the taste buds are giving up. ive found a solution for that though... as my diet contains a lot of Soups still im using apple cider vinegar a lot. put it in my soups, over my salads and wherever.. i even put a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of orange juice. Its leaving me more satisfied when ive finished whats on my plate. i dont need as much food to feel satiated. i think its the amount of flavour we crave that dictates how much we eat.

Im sure in time you will adjust , but this seems to be a bigger problem than is talked about. The whole issue of our weight and how we see ourselves is the major factor in our problem. the mind is the largest and most active muscle in our bodies , for sure. Ive been banded now for nearly two years. Im 67, and although its been wonderful to see that i can actually be pretty again... can be stylish again, i still have issues with my body getting older. For instance, my legs and feet.. i will have to have some surgery this year to deal with varicose.. but, lots of us in this situation have other surgeries to bring us up to what we want to be. I know that giving yourself time to adjust and REALLY KNOW that you are pretty will make a difference to your responses to compliments. Believe me, you arent on your own. All of us have to go through this mental adjustment, how we see ourselves. I hope its not too long before you can accept a compliment from others without rejecting it for what it really is. ...just a compliment. Good luck to you.

you've had a bad go. Did you drink alcohol? are you drinking alcohol now? why i ask.... i like to have wine. Ive found though that it makes my stomach so acidic that i cant tolerate much either. I have had a lot of trouble in the last 21 months myself. I got to the point where i was having so much pain even inbetween meals that it was hard for me. i lived on antacids. i even went and bought somac. i was having nights where i was afraid to sleep because of regurgitation... and i would have to sit bolt upright. I was sliming and vomiting nearly every meal. My dr. visits were monthly, some months i would need some fill taken out, other months we would try a very small amount again. it was hard to get a good balance. Ive just had a fraction taken out again, about three weeks ago. Im not sliming now.... but i think im putting on a small amount of weight again. With christmas coming up thats going to create another issue in the new year im thinking. One thing i did find out though. Im now drinking orange juice about twice a day with a good two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in it. I started off with much less vinegar but have been able to build it up . this is extremely good in creating the right balance of alkalinity in the stomach. Wine especially is very acid. I originally started having more wine some days because it would relax the band some more but in the end the acid balance was all out and that didnt work at all. At the moment im having up to a half small cup of cider vinegar a day. its also helping me with my joints. Its got to be apple cider vinegar. i do have a lot of Soup. i add veges and meats to my soup... in fact i have 2/3 of my diet with soup. Im quite happy with that, Other than having cut up meat in soup, i do have difficulty eating meat myself. Pork isnt quite so bad. fish is o.k... so long as i take ages to eat it. My dr did tell me that it may be a good idea for me to become vegetarian completely. i dont want to do that though so im very careful but still have some meat. i dont eat much bread at all. i find it very hard to digest fruit. there are ways of getting around that though... for example the orange juice drink with the vinegar in it. i can only eat about a tablespoon of salad. i hope that your second attempt gives you much encouragement that it will work for you. its so good to hear that you havent given up. I believe that you will get there with perseverance. One thing for sure.. .we are all different. good luck

thanks for this Carlene... i agree with you all the way. I dont want to be ''blinded'' by the science of it all, but i need to find out what works for me. REading posts like yours helps my will power to remain high as well. this is a great forum. my advice? and advice you can live with ? dont worry about what others can or cant have. listen to your own body. Have lots of fluid... and very small amounts of food. Only time will let you know what you can eat and cant eat. My diet is great... but there are lots of things i dont have now. i dont care. im happy with it all... and satisfied. so, please dont stress. YOur band will let you know what you can and cant eat. Just dont try and push it. good luck/

1000 calories a day...correction. judych hi.... im adding to this post. it was interesting to read my comments so close to having lapband. Now im two years out in march. Im finding that my weight loss has slowed down a lot. Im not thinking about losing weight any more. Im just eating what i can, and there is a lot that i cant eat so its good. lol. However there is the occasional binge where i have some sugared sweets. lol.. not often though. I dont have bread anymore... im very careful about what meat i have now. i have a lot more soups. For me, its more important to have flavour than quantity. Know what i mean? i cant stand bland foods. Im 67 and im thinking now that my taste buds are wanting to retire.. lol... but im not letting them ! i have spicy soups a lot. Everyday at least one meal. I have a cup of soup at breakfast time. thats quick, easy and good on my tummy. i usually have the spicy soups at lunchtime. My preference is Thai. i add lemon slices, apple cider vinegar, etc to it and its lovely. Tea" i usually have a very small portion of what the family are having. Some days my band is 'off' and i know i cant eat much.. but i have more soups those days. I have cracker biscuites... often with some cheese. i like that. I find im eating inbetween with snacks. I went on holiday in august for three weeks. I like a glass or two of wine. red wine. i had that but still had some restrictions because i was away and the band was tighter. anyway, it didnt matter, i ate fish a lot. when i went back to the dr. i had lost a kilo (2.2lbs) without even trying. Im getting hungry between meals. im just getting a couple of dry crackers out and having them. Thats become a part of my diet now. Ive lost more weight in the last couple of weeks... i still have about 8 lbs to go before i get to my desired weight. My dr says im fine as i am but i have arthritis and know i need to take more weight off my knees and feet. Im at 12 stone and 5 ounces right now. ( thats 12 x 14 + 5..). we are in summer now which is easier . i dont have the appetite for heavy foods i had in winter.. thats good. i can eat a very small amount of salad. Really, when i think of it... im not depriving myself at all. just eating way smaller serves. i still get hungry but the dry biscuits take care of that. im happy.

im sure you can improve your weight loss by sitting down and working out a better eating plan than you have. Do you have a lot of bread, Pasta etc ??.... if you cut back a lot more on those empty carbs im sure you will notice a difference. Have you tried having one meal of Protein replacement a day? even that would help out im sure.. Do you eat sweets? ice cream?? if you are eating these kinds of foods you will have to look at changing your eating habits... at least modifying them a lot. Ive lost about 35 pounds in two years, coming up two years. I could have lost a lot more but i have had wine, chocolate, some sugary lollies... things like that. I dont eat much bread, about two slices a month.. no cakes, but i do eat dry cracker biscuits. I know if i cut out these items i would lose a lot more weight. its a matter of what is the biggest priority with you, as it is with me... theres no easy way out. Good luck.

..im two years out from banding come next march. I havent lost all the weight that i need to lose yet, although my dr says im fine as i am. because i have joint and feet problems i know i need to lose more.. anyway... i have only about 3cc in a 12 cc band... i cant seem to cope with anymore than that at the moment. i just had a very small amount taken out two weeks ago. i was not good for months with that little extra in and im just settling down now. Im not losing and not gaining but at least im able to eat without discomfort and having indigestion all night. sometimes i dont follow the amount guidelines i should.. like, for example i get really hungry for a good feed of veges. it may take me longer than a half hour to eat it but i feel i need it.. so i have it. That doesnt always happen though. mostly im pretty good with portions. They arent as small as some have but not huge either. If i eat more than i should at a meal i can be sure that through the night im unwell and have to sit up all night. not nice. My lack of self control has always been an issue with me in the past. Good thing is the band cuts right across that. Im so glad that it does. some days i can only have soups most of the day. thats fine. i just have soups that i like. im lucky that i like soup. other days i can have more solid food, and foods that i really enjoy, like crackling from roast pork. so, its a day by day thing. I know that i cant take any more fill than i have right now though... too much discomfort. It will be interesting to see if i ever can take more. im about three months between visits to the specialist now.

Karan... youve done well since the surgery. So you havent had problems befoe with vomiting, or sliming after eating? And this episode was after you had a cyst removed? you didnt have a general anaesthetic did you? just a local one? Did you have any discomfort in your stomach just before you threw up? how long were you feeling off before vomiting? Ive experienced quite intense pain before vomiting, and i was well aware that there was something going on in my stomach as well. I had inflammation and had to have a small amount removed. If i were you, i would have some ice... crushed ice, or perhaps an icy pole ? ice is very good if there is some inflammation going on. .. If it was just a local anaesthetic you had, it could be a co incidence ... but then again, if you were anxious about having the procedure done, your band could have tightened a bit. that happens to me as well. Ive learned that when im going to be rushing or stressed in any way that im better off just having Soup. IM way better eating successfully at home than when away. I suggest that you treat yourself with lots of ice. When you need to have something to eat, just have some clear Soups for about 12 hours and see how you go. If it doesnt settle by then see your dr. It was the dr that suggested to me that i use ice with my band. It was reading other experiences that showed me that the band can tighten... any number of reasons can cause that to happen. so, i suggest that you try the ice and then just have some clear soups... see how you go. let us know how you get on.. judy

..and happy Turkey day to all you out there in America… from me in Australia, who doesnt Celebrate thanksgiving, even though we all should. I have to wait until Christmas Day to have my bite of turkey, so someone PLEASE think of me as you are chewing? lol.

im willing to talk about my experiences…. if anyone wants to ask me a question please feel free ….

i haven't had this problem but at times my hair has been something i prefer to hide. Have you girls tried using a really nice head band? not a scarf but a wide band, about three inches wide. i have one. How i made this up… i bought a length of banding which is normally used for sewing Tshirts etc…. the band material is very elastic. So, i bought a metre. Then i made up a wide black band from this material. That would be twenty years ago? i made it so that i could wind it twice around my head. It makes a really effective hair band, and with some stronger makeup and earrings it looks great . I think this would help while you are going through the process of hair loss and restoration. ive never had a bad day with mine… even though my hair doesnt fall out, it still looks ghastly some days, and this band makes such a difference. If you could make something up, do your makeup to suit… I'm sure it will help get you through the stressful stage of hair loss and renewal. I feel that the sooner you stop worrying about losing your hair the sooner it will settle and grow back. I hope this has helped.

….'' use your imagination''…… sorry, type here…..

Im just so sorry that you are going through this. I know how important my hair is to me, to make me feel more feminine. I really feel for you. but, i think that i agree with the drs.. it will grow back. You have lost a lot of weight. Your body has gone through some tremendous changes . Hair loss often happens with huge body changes. you are young, if you are having a healthy diet. ( and only you know the whole story about that) then there is no reason why your hair won't be replaced in time. How do you wear your hair at the moment? is it long or short or in-between? perhaps a hairstyle that will help to hide this temporary hiccup will be the answer. Im positive though…. it WILL GROW BACK. Please try not to get too upset about it all…. just use your imagine and work around it for the time being. Let us know how you go. You could try taking Hair, nails and skin Vitamins as well… they help to target the hair, skin and nails. Incidently, whats happening with your nails? are they soft, brittle? break easily?...

hi all. Well, its coming up two years since i was banded. ive lost about 35 lbs… the last four months ive not had much weight loss. Ive been having issues with heart burn .. really bad. I put up with it for so long hoping that i could manage it myself without losing any fill. but, after nights of sitting up in bed afraid to sleep because of the problem, i knew i had to go back and get some fill taken out. I was weighed and had lost about 2.2 lbs over that time, at least i hadn't gained. another problem that was developing was the fact i was turning to foods that i shouldn't have been eating, foods that were easier to digest… like mashed potato, cream, Pasta, not good. I knew i had to do something. anyway, i had about a 1/4 CC taken out on wednesday. My stomach is still a bit touchy but nowhere near as bad. AT least now i can sit and eat something without the pain. Even through all this I'm so pleased i had banding done. My eating habits most likely would never have changed without the band putting limits on me. Im the sort of personality that finds discipline very hard unless i have a powerful motivator. I certainly have it now. lol. With summer coming our way (Aust) I'm looking forward to more salad greens than before. i was really concerned because i wasn't getting the nutrition that i needed. Now i have a better chance of a rounded diet… just a lot less than i used to eat. whats happening out there with those of you who have been banded about two years? Have you had issues like me? judych

ouch…. isn't that the most horrible sensation? that happens to me a lot. Im finding that I'm still having some problems of a night. it could be still too much food at evening meal. I need to cut back even more i think. right now its five hours since ive eaten and i have discomfort just starting to build. ive had a quick zee to help settle it down. how long is it since you had some removed from your band?

.. more on this as I'm thinking about it all. Im so grateful for the lap band. Im now in fitting jeans that i never thought possible… I'm 67 and i look better now than i have for many years. I do appreciate the band and i want to be more sensitive to all the changes i need to make. It has to lead to a far better health. Not only from the outside looking at the body but also from the inside…. where we can't see but it certainly dictates how we live.

thanks for sharing the site with me. It was me to a ''T''….. eating Soups, cream , chocolate, easy digest biscuits, all those things that wouldnt help me at all….. I'm hoping now that i can adjust to a normal diet. It will take a day or so more for me to know how this unfill will help me…. its got to. appreciate your input. thanks