PrincevilleGuy

Doing really well - down 58 pounds (260 to 202), feel great, diabetes is gone, HBP is gone, don't miss the pills at all. On long vacation right now and in a garden spot (kauai) it is always so easy to overeat and let your guard down. But I am holding my weight and as long as I don't gain, I am ok with delay in meeting my goal. If I eat anything - even a tiny snack within 3 hours of bedtime, I am getting acid reflux. Taking Omeprazole near bed time. We are in a rental condo but did manage to get a couple 2x4 scaps and put one under each bed post. Both helped. But the key is apparently no eating in the evening. I take a med for phantom pain (I am an amputee from an accident long ago) and I get a huge appetite in the evening period after I take the med. So needed to NOT eat anything and my huge hunger are not complimentary experiences. The reflux leads to a dry cough - doc says acid burns vocal cords. Also can do damage to esophagus. I am not sure if the band is just too tight but I am in a location (Kauai/Hawaii) where there is no medical support for the lap band.

Thank you for the advice and you do look great. I am close to taking that picture. Even though I am on vacation in hawaii and this is when rules get broken, still losing a little bit and may go under that magic 200 threshold in a day or two. I am an amputee and normally wear a "around the house" lighter weight leg and that is what I weigh with. I have to guess how much heavier my ocean/do lots of things leg might be. Try as I will, I can't balance on one leg on a small scale. have gone 5 nights without reflux. Your help and others is the key. No food after 8pm and taking prescription strength Omeprazole at 8pm seems to help a lot. did you know OTC Omeprazole at walmart is 1/2 the strength of prescription....so I am told anyway.

I found, after a point, that I needed to search harder to find the right adjustment. I got it way too tight and pretty much could not eat anything. had a house full of guests so could not do anything but did lose 3 pounds that week. they took out 1/2 ML of Fluid and it is close but still a wee bit too tight. I think from my view, once you get the band right, the results will follow. Yes, you can't cheat with candy, and ice cream. If you are doing that, you are on the wrong track. You definitely need a surgeon and support staff and likely someone to help with diet choices. But having the band at the right tightness will limit you to 1/2 cup of food at a time and if you avoid the bad stuff (anything with sugar - no sodas, no ice cream, no Cookies, no candy), unless you eat 15 times a day, you will lose. Get back on track, get professional help (you have to have help to do the adjustments) and things should improve. I was adjusted 7/15/11 and am down from 260 to 202 now. Yes, there have been a few hurdles and now i do have some problems with reflux when I lay down but on the whole, I love it. john

Same experience and feel the only solution is chewing until it is liquid and not pushing food down too fast. It is hard to break old habits and even harder when you are with a group who is eating like the "good ol days". I do tend to drink some water with meals - I know it is a no no but it helps with that feeling and worst case, when it gets bad, I just bring it back up and start over on slower with a lot more chewing.