Summerrain

Absolutely gorgeous!!!

First of all regardless of whether I have been banded four months or four years I have educated myself with this lapband process. I researched it for one year prior to making the decision so I fully understood what I was getting myself into and to be 100% that this was the right decision for me. My surgeon is a the leadind lapband pioneer here in Australia. Before my initial appointment with him I had a list of questions which he answered thoroughly. My appointment was one whole hour, I wasn't rushed through, it was easy to talk to and I felt comfortable with him from day one. Now lets roll forward to me being banded four months and having a "vast knowledge" in that time in relation to the lapband. No, I do not claim to know it all but if I come across something on the forums that hasn't come up with my surgeon or nutritionist I query it with them when I go in for my appointments, gaining more knowledge along the way. I am one of the lucky ones, had a smooth operation, smooth recovery, everything has gone smoothly so far. I have followed the rules given to me by my surgeon and after care team. As you read on these forums there are different sets of rules for so many different people and of course we are always to follow our own surgeon's instructions but to go out there and say you must never do this or that is wrong, you must follow your own instructions but as you can see so many people have been successful with different instructions. So many people who have the lapband really do not know how it actually works. I was confused by it all too but I made it a point to understand 100% how it works by reading, researching and asking questions even if I thought some of those questions were silly at the time. And of course I came across the no drinking rule in these forums (and I respect each person's individual rules) so even though it had been explained to me by my surgeon and nutritionist about the drinking and eating, I still queried it with him over and over and he explained that in the past they believed that if you did drink whilst eating then yes the liquid would make the food too much of a liquid and it would pass through the band and not help give that satiety feeling. He then went on to explain that after studies, conducted by him and his team that it was ok to drink provided you followed the one minute rule as you do with food to give whatever you have above the band to pass through so it helped trigger the communication between the brain and the stomach and at the right consistency. The video you posted is very outdated. When you take the right amount of food into your mouth you chew, swallow and wait a minute, the reason why you wait a minute is so your food passes through the band, the food does not sit in the little pouch above the band, if it does then that's when you get stuck episodes, pb's vomitting yada yada yada yada. Then and only then if you feel you need to drink then you sip, swallow and wait a minute. Not saying that's what you or others have to do, that's what my instructions are. I've dropped 80 pounds since pre op diet, which is 5 months and if I have needed to drink whilst eating I have done so by following the rules and have been fine and proof that drinking whilst eating is not something that should not be done. Now I am sure others who have been given the it's ok to drink whilst eating don't do well, one set of rules does not work for every single person. So yes only been banded four months and yes have been drinking with my meals and yes I have gained a lot of knowledge since being banded through experience and through asking questions. I'm sure as time progresses I may encounter issues and if I do then rather than say oh I know it all I will look into it further and be in contact with my care team to sort things out.

Congrats!!!

Ouch!! Have you tried taking the pill with some yoghurt? Apparently it's supposed to help pills go down easier.

Ditto to what everyone has said and patience. Also it's important to be in contact with your carers and be honest about everything. Part of being successful is the ongoing support after being banded with your team.

Nearly the equivalent of my 14 year old daughter.

Looking fabulous! Look at that waist and I must say you also look so much younger too.

First of all congrats. Four months is a long time, I had my first fill at three weeks then every two weeks but they were small fills till I got to where I needed to be. The advice I can give you is stick to your food rules no more than one cup per meal, get your Protein in and muster your will power and determination. Drink your Water and keep busy and if it gets really unbearable with the hunger then I'd let him know and hopefully he will start filling you sooner. Good time to start practicing taking really small bites of food and chewing well and stopping at the twenty minute mark too. I wish you well on this journey.

I'm finding that when my kids have junk from time to time I have a bite and it no longer has the same appeal to me as it did pre banding. Actually if you think about it, if you're at home, by the time you get in your car to drive to get take out or have it delivered you can have your food ready in that time. Cooking your own food doesn't take that long or preparing a healthier lunch to take with you is quick too, just takes planning.

Ok your title got the better if me and I had to read this post, my reaction, "rolls eyes".

I've had one incident of intense vomitting and that was six weeks ago and I'm fine and I had fills at that stage, just stuck to liquids for a few days as I was so sore and not hungry. I mentioned it to my doctor as I was afraid I had done damage and she said it was rare with only a few times to do damage, it has to be constant vomitting over a long period to start having complications with the band. Just take it easy till you feel better but let your team know they will reassure you.

I see a huge difference, you're looking great! Yesterday I bought a top in large in a normal clothing store, I didn't try it on as in my head I still felt I was too big for those sizes and it was reduced from $40 to $5 so too good of a bargain to pass up for when it would fit, tried it on when I got home and it's huge on me. I just kept looking in the mirror with the biggest goofiest grin on my face. Go try on smaller clothes as the others have said and even though your brain won't cooperate the smaller sizes will be proof as to how far you have come.

I agree this is a great thread. Congrats on deciding to be banded. I also agree the preop part was the hardest. I had to do one months worth and by the end I would be gagging just preparing my liquid meal but I stuck to it as I was determined to make the change and follow my surgeons instructions and prepare for the journey ahead. Since being banded I have not had one protein replacement meal and told my surgeon if I have to have any post op I just couldn't as they would make me ill. I didn't worry so much about protein requirements on my liquid/mushie stages, I just made sure I stayed hydrated as I wasn't hungry for the first three to four weeks, once I started on solids then I was strict on getting the required amount if protein every day. Until you get to the greenzone you'll have to muster up all your will power and determination to stay within the amount of one cup per meal or spread that meal out over a few hours. Some days were hard but I kept myself really busy doing other things. You need to stop eating at the twenty minute mark because that's when you reach satiety and that's what we aim for now not the full feeling like in the past. Satiety is when the hunger feeling has gone away, it gets much easier as you get closer and hit the greenzone. Up until you hit the greenzone is the time to put all the new rules into practice, it doesn't happen overnight but with persistence it will eventually become second nature. With the band since I started the whole process including pre op and a few extra pounds before my liquid diet I've dropped 80 pounds. Yesterday I took my daughter and a friend to a clothing warehouse, normal size clothing. I found one top in large, it was a looser type style and in my head I was like there is no way I will fit into it but I'm going to buy a large and keep it till I can wear it, it was too good of a bargain to pass up. I tried it on when I got home and I nearly fell over backwards, it was huge on me, lol. Ill be able to take it in but I am so used to buying from large women's stores that I haven't realised I can go to normal stores now and fit into some of those clothes. There are ups and downs with the band, there are weeks if total frustration at times but if you keep chugging along its so so much easier than not having the band. Best decision I've made regarding weightloss and keeping it off. I can easily walk an hour and not feel like Im dying at the end of it too these days. Love the feeling of feeling lighter and being able to move around quickly without my body creaking constantly.

You know what I admire your honest posting, ty. You said you indulged a little bit more than you have been eating, Im sure it wasnt like pre banding, you just had a little bit extra and you know what that is fine, we are still allowed to induldge from time to time. I personally got the lapband to stop dieting and develop a healthy relationship with food. Do I still eat "crap"from time to time, hell yeah I do!!!! Do I make myself feel guilty for eating the "crap"? Nope!!! In the past I would have stuffed my self silly with "crap" now I can have just a little sliver of the so called "crap" and not feel guilty and enjoy it like a normal person. I have two beautiful slim girlfriends, they eat what they like and they exercise and always have. I've observed them eating, no matter what they are eating when they are satisfied they stop which is usually at the twenty minute mark and they don't shovel food into their mouths, they take the time to eat. Cheryl I have to disagree on one of your comments, you don't always have to eat crap to put on weight. I grew up in a european household where my mother homemade everything, even the vegetables on the dinner table came from the vegetable patch my father had in the back yard all year round. No one else in my family has or has ever had a weight issue, only me, why? Because I always ate more than I needed to, I remember my mum telling me as a little girl after going for a second helping of dinner, haven't you had enough. I was constantly hungry. My mum never bought crap, or take out, she cooked every single meal from scratch. I was just different. When I had my three children I was so afraid they had my gene when it came to food and weight. I didn't want them to have weight issues, especially my beautiful daughter. From the time they started solids I cooked every single thing that went into their mouths, I never bought the store baby foods, I made sure they were active every single day, I encouraged them to take up a sport, we tried many different ones till they each found something they loved and enjoyed. I taught them that moderation is the key with food, I taught them no food is off limits, I taught them to eat healthy 90% of the time and junk food from time to time is ok. I rarely buy my family take out, when the kids are with friends they will sometimes have McDonalds or some other fast food. We all got fat for eating too much (and not necesarilly crap food) and not being active enough. The lapband is teaching us to eat like normal people and to become active and that's why it works. I felt like a failure for so many years because even though I taught my children to have a healthy relationship with food I just couldn't apply it to myself. I constantly went on diets, constantly deprived myself and constantly failed. I needed professional help which I sought out, finally at 49 years of age I am succeeding and I know I will get this weight off, better late than never, with the help of the lapband, the lapband has taken away that constant hunger, the lapband has helped me get back in control, the lapband has made me feel like a normal person with normal eating habits. Without this lapband I would constantly be struggling with my weight and on the never ending yo-yo dieting cycle. It felt like I was born defective in some way when it came to my hunger levels. Food is a part of celebrations and holiday festivities, it has been for thousands of years. Some of us just forgot to say enough is enough. Christmas is around the corner and it's my turn to have it at my home this year for my family (twenty people), for the first time in years I am not afraid of this Christmas because I know that even if I do have that little something extra it's fine and it will be worked into my new daily eating habits I have acquired with the lapband and I will do extra walking the day after. Being lapbanded is not about deprivation it is about a healthy approach towards foods in moderation and exercise. So to the original poster ty for posting and being totally honest with your food intake on a day of festivities and also showing how even though you ate some things you normally dont eat you ate it in moderation so you are well on your way to understanding how to live your new lifestyle regardless of how long you have been banded. Time to get off the soap box lol.

The worst thing you can do is get depressed. You induldged a little, you are allowed especially around holiday times. Get back on track, do some extra exercise but do not get depressed. You need to change that way of thinking.

Actually this demo is partially correct, the only amount of food in your pouch at the one time is that little bite you have swallowed, that's why you wait one minute for it to get squeezed through. If you have that much food sitting in your pouch then drink you had better run to the nearest bathroom fast.

I've been drinking with my meals if I need to, per my surgeons instructions, I don't gulp if I need a sip I sip water wait my minute or two then continue. Down 80 pounds now and the drinking hasn't washed my food through nor left me hungry. You still need to follow the minute rule like between bites to be certain the food has passed through. Some can drink and they are fine and others can't.

Hope you all have a wonderful day and remember if you ate just that little bit extra just exercise a bit more next day and no guilt feelings!! Enjoy your food!

5 and have faded nicely, only a red line where my biggest incision was.

Have it made with low fat milk and decaf, otherwise if its only once in a while enjoy it how you like it and count it into your daily allowance.

Wow I'm flabbergastered, fills are part of the lapband process. Sure some people are lucky enough to not need any BUT fills are part of the whole process to remove that constant hunger and to help you eat less, why in the hell would you have gone through having the lapband put into place if they don't understand you will need fills. Sheesh you might as well go out and buy a car and say ok I have the car but I don't need the gas to put into it to make it work. Hope your new team are better educated with how the lapband works, best wishes to you. You know this new journey can be stressful enough on us without having an incompetent care team.

Well done!!!

Am loving this thread, everyone is honest with no put downs. To date it's the most inspirational post and replies I've come across.