Sairy30

I get a soy sugar free mocha often. What I have found is the soy, though not "low cal" is creamy and also a source of protein. Ordering the sugar free mocha syrup doesn't have the funny after taste that the regular syrups have... (In my opinion). You do have to get used to a new flavor of Mocha, but it is still rich and good and I still really like it. If i order a sugar-free with non fat milk, the non-fat milk is just watery and icky.

Could you share your recipe for almond flour tortillas? Thanks!

Well from what I have been reading people are supposed to be having a lot of success with it. i have been banded since 2006 and have lost over 100 pounds, then started gaining back after a health crisis and being at the wrong fill level for a long time. I feel like because I had so much to lose, and still do have to lose, that the sleeve might be a better choice for me. I chose the band strictly because I was self pay and had it done in Mexico and it was affordable. From what I am reading the sleeve can be more effective than the band for some people. Just looking at options as I never reached my goal, and am somewhat frustrated and discouraged right now.

I have heard of people doing this as well and having success. My pouch was dilated at one point due to being too tight, and i had to have an un-fill and be on liquids for a while. I now look at it the same as when you get a fill you are supposed to be on liquids for a few days as your stomach adjusts, and it does always jump start weight loss for me, I suspect you are not quite at the right restriction level, and probably need another fill? I am at a little over 6cc's and it is a good level, but takes a while to get there. My first year was frustrating, and first few months I only lost 11 pounds. I lost a total of 60 pounds the first year and thought I was a failure at the band too, then I realized, 60 pounds is a lot more than I ever lost before... and continued to lose. Hang in there!

BTW, I have been considering revising my band to a gastric sleeve, and was going through the same process in my head again. If I do this, if I have to tell anyone, which would only be a select few, that I am having gall bladder surgery. It's a simple short operation... it's a little white lie, but I don't want to have to go through the social issue again. I have anxiety issues, it's my body nobody needs to know.

I am the same, I am self employed so when I left I told my assistant what I was doing, but that was it. I was only gone three days, and came back to work on day 4, (which I think you should take more time if you can). I told some friends, and I was always disappointed that they didn't care about my privacy. They said they won't say anything, but they of course, tell their husbands, sisters, mothers, and swear them to privacy too. And we all know how well that works. I sat at dinner with a friend and her mother, and her mother kept STARING at me, and finally she said, well I am just trying to figure out how your band thing works. I was HUMILIATED.. After i lost 100 pounds, I was literally cornered by some women that I knew at a business event asking me how I did it. I said extremely restricted potion size, calories counting, and exercise, which literally is what I am doing, but one lady said, I don't believe it, tell us! It was like a sitcom. I lived in a very small gossipy town. LOL Really it reminded me of being the fat kid in high school again when one of the most popular things was to ask me how much I weighed.... I have since moved. Not for that reason, but that part is a huge relief. My reasons for not telling is yes, I was ashamed that I had let myself get that big, and ashamed that I need something like surgery to control it, and terrified that it wouldn't work. That is just me. It's a personal decision.

I drink espresso with canned light whipped cream which adds the creaminess and sweetness and very few calories. It's my favorite part of the day and I have between 2-3 shots.

Also one thing to remember about Lap Band/WLS boards of any kind, when people have issues with their band they are going to discuss it here. Slippage, erosion, stretched pouch etc. are far from the norm of this procedure, but people that are experiencing it are going to discuss it, it's human nature in my opinion.

Me too had to get above 6cc's to feel good restriction. Everybody is different in how they respond and feel restriction. Keep the faith, it will happen.

The one thing i have found that is a huge treat for me is to use Redi Whip, or any whipped cream cannisters. The calories are only 15 for Two Tbs, which is enough to put on top of your coffee and less than one gram of sugar.

I gave up soda easily after being banded and switched to propel, gatorade, etc. Now I buy diet root beer and add fat free half and half to make it creamy. It is like a cheater root beer float. However it has Huge sodium content, so I don't drink it very often.

I make salads with spinach and don't seem to have a problem.

I recently started getting fills at Pacific Nutrition and Wellness, and I can't say enough good things about them. They also readily do fills for Mexican bands. www.pacificnutritionwellness.com they are located near Seattle. I was so grateful to find this clinic as I have had a hard time finding someone close to me. They also have nutritional and fitness programs. Really nice people!

I am not sure of exact amount for fills as I signed up for nutrition counseling and fitness program as well and the fills are part of the program... however the last place I was going in Olympia, I was paying close to $400 because I was not one of their patients.

Sorry to hear that you can't get the band, but I know several people who have had the RNY and are very happy. I think the mind set of , I will never get to have "this or this" again, is kind of part of a grieving /anxiety period that everyone goes through because the comfort we feel from these foods is like our best friend. Once it starts working for you, whatever you choose to do, you will be thrilled! If you try to eat sugars/chocolates and experience the side effects that come with it, you will no longer crave it. There are things you can't have with the band too. Try to see the procedure, whatever you have to do as a huge positive change in your life. I am considering revising from the band to the gastric sleeve. I was a self-pay on the banding and the financing was difficult and the cost of follow-up is also difficult. If your insurance is going to pay you are so lucky! You are getting a second chance on life!

There are published diets associated with it, but I believe it is more of a protein-centric type of eating http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_diet .

I love to cook and am CONSTANTLY surfing recipes. Before I got my band adjustment I went on a 3 week vegan diet. I did lose 20 pounds, but after 2 weeks, it got really boring. LOL. My friend is on an 80% 20% paleo. He doesn't need to lose, he is just a workout exercise nut. The 20% being that he likes to go out on weekends and gets carbs from alcohol :/. LOL. I like the paleo idea, and now that I am back to a decent fill level, am going to be focusing on protein recipes, so will pick up everyday paleo. I also have the challenge of I cook for my elderly father and trying to keep weight on him, and keep it off of me. sheesh.

For me typically it is a very quick and easy procedure. Some places (particularly for your first fill) they will do it under Flouroscopy. For me the first time was more nerve wracking just because I didn't know what to expect. But truly, it is like getting an injection, plus it is less painful as there is no muscle involved, just some pressure and a small poke and a little more pressure. They locate the port under the skin either by feel, or during the flouroscopy, pull the existing saline out of your band to see how much is in there, then put it back in with the additional amount. Then ask you to drink water to make sure you are able to swallow. After that you should be on a liquid diet for 2 days so that your body can adjust to the new level. Also some places use Lidocane (sp) but I have never needed it. It really is hardly a poke at all.

I make a smoothie for breakfast with whey protein, 1/2 cup non-fat milk, tsp of peanutbutter, flax meal for fiber, 1/2 an apple, and frozen fruit to make it shake like (or add ice cubes). I thought it would be a pain to do, but I really look forward to it now. I'll add pretty much with whatever fruit I have on hand and it is very filling and yummy. I am not a breakfast eater, but this is how I combat that. It works well for me.

For me, this kind of sounds silly, but when I am on liquids, I make sure i have plenty to do that day so I don't think about food... I think half of it is hunger, half of it is thinking about food but if I fill my day up, it is easier to cope with.

I got my band in 2006 and lost well over 100 pounds. My plan was, if the band didn't work for me, I would revise to the RNY. Now I have gained some of the weight back due to (unrelated health issues) an over fill, dilated pouch etc. When I decided on the band back then, it was purely financial, I was self-pay and had it done in Mexico. Had I been able to, I probably would have opted for the RNY because my BMI was over 60, however I was not willing to have that done in Mexico and the cost in the US was too high. Now I also am considering revising to the sleeve if I can't get my band to keep working for me. It is a tool and you do have to change your lifestyle period. Even with the RNY and the Sleeve they all involve a long-term commitment to changing your lifestyle or they won't work for you either.

I never had trouble with hair loss, however hair is a good indicator of good nutrition. Whether you are losing it or not, if you see a dramatic change i/e it doesn't look healthy or normal to you, nutrition or other health problems can contribute to that, particularly with hair loss. Nobody knows your own hair better than you.

I agree with the above advice, I've been banded since 2006. I think it sounds like you are not quite at the right fill level. For me, when I first was banded I only lost 11 pounds in the first few months, and felt like I had totally failed at weight loss AGAIN . Then, the first year, I had lost 60 total.. with a lot of work which bummed me out. But then I put it into perspective.... 60 pounds IS a LOT, and to do it over a year's time, is appropriate weight loss. I wanted it fast because I want instant satisfaction, part of the reason I have a weight problem to begin with LOL... then I went in for another fill, and got to the right level where it was really working for me. I didn't constantly think about food, and my band told me when to stop eating. Not with pain or other "signals" but because I felt full with a small amount of food. I have lost a total of 160 pounds. I do agree with the above post, if you are disillusioned, give yourself a "re-start". It will bump your metabolism and get your mindset back where it needs to be.

Dr. Kuri is awesome, he did my band too. They are so attentive, and when I was researching I was also impressed by the number of bands he has done, and also had heard that he has provided training to a lot of the US surgeons. When I was down there my best friend was so scared that I was going to Tijuana for surgery that she called in the middle of the night because she couldn't get a hold of me, (as I went alone) and they put her through to Dr. Kuri who took her call and talked her down from the "edge" LOL. Any surgery can have complications and all have mortality rates, it is a risk. I've found on lap band boards you are likely to read about complications because it is often where people go for answers. In my opinion, the mortality rate of obesity is a lot higher than the surgery.

Hi, I might be late on this topic as I am new to the board, but I am in the Seattle area, and I use Pacific Nutrition and Wellness in Edmonds, www.pacificnutritionwellness.com, they are fantastic. They do Mexican Band Fills and are super knowledgeable. I am just getting back on track with my band after being too tight for almost 2 years and gaining some weight back. Now I am at a good fill level, and starting to lose again! When I first got banded, I was living in Wenatchee and driving south of Olympia for my fills for a while... as I could only find one place to do Mexican fills.