parisshel

I noticed this the last time I did aqua gym. I think a tighter swimsuit would resolve this. Maybe a tighter tankini type suit, as that would be easier to get in and out of when out of the Water, since it's two piece. Pulling on a tight, dry one-piece is already an aerobic workout by itself for me.

Throwing up blood? I'd call my band doc right away. That would be scary to me.

Keep following your band eating plan, and keep getting your fills. Some people feel restriction at 3.5, others not until 6.0 or more. You'll have lulls in your loses--it's normal--even at your sweet spot. But keep on your post op "diet", eat as if you are at perfect restriction, and keep filling until you are, indeed, at perfect restriction. I really shouldn't say "restriction". Let's call it "optimal fill level" for weight loss and satiety.

I totally get this. When you aren't filled to optimal level, it's just like a diet, with all the cravings, tricks to keep yourself feeling full, and frustration. When do you get refilled? I had an emergency partial unfill in late March and have to wait 3 months to get refilled. Until then, all I am aiming for is maintaining my loss. There's no way I'm going to lose weight without my band...I'm hungry all the time, my cravings are out in full force, and my portions are way too large. It's not a great situation, but it's not the end of the world, either. As long as I don't gain weight during this time, I'll be ok. It's a good reminder about how powerful and effective our bands are when they are correctly adjusted.

Sorry to hear about this. Just a thought: is your bike seat's height adjusted correctly? If it is too low, you will stress your knees when you peddle. When I first got back on my bike, I didn't realize this and it made for some painful rides. One of my friends saw a photo of my riding and told me that I needed to raise the seat a good 2 inches. He was right...now my rides (and knees) are great!

Not sure if you'll see this message, B-52, but I am currently experiencing (sadly) exactly what you describe in your post, due to a partial emergency unfill I had to have in late March. It really opened my eyes to the pure mechanical power the lapband has on both mind and body, and I miss that mindset. I've got 2.5 months to wait out in this state...this state I had a one-year reprieve from. Now, I'm just like I was pre-band. Dieting. Hungry. Counting the hours until I can eat again. Sending food home with guests because I can't trust myself around the leftovers. Forbiding my kids to even think about having Cookies, chips or chocolate in their snack cabinet because I'll know they are there and it will drive me nuts. I will never, ever take my band for granted (not that I ever did), nor doubt its effectiveness. May you and Catfish87 be quickly restored to your sweetspot and never have to fiddle with the band again.

If you are congested, that mucus will give you the sensation of a tighter band as it sticks around the stoma. A decongestant and/or mucus liquifier will help greatly with this. A hot beverage will also flush out the mucus from the stoma, clearing the path for your Breakfast. I've also read that bands seem tighter in the morning due to the build up of Fluid that naturally occurs when we are horizontal. (This also explains puffy eyes in the morning, and slimmer ankles...). Once up and about, the fluid will move downwards (see ankles, but sadly this time they evolve into cankles) which makes the band seems looser.

Tell him. If he isn't supportive, leave him. This will be an excellent way to see if he is a keeper.

Why can't you eat anything in a restaurant? You should be able to; if not, that's a bigger problem than not divulging you had WLS.

It's been one week since I got my band partially unfilled (due to a reaction to anti-inflammatories). Although I still have 3ccs in my lapband, it is almost like I'm not a WLS patient. I say almost, because thankfully those 3 ccs can be felt and I don't eat as much as I could if I were completely unfilled. I definitely eat more than when my band is at optimal fill-level; I'm eating around 1500 calories a day when to lose weight I can't exceed 1200 day in-day out. I do get full a smidge earlier than prior to being banded, so that's a small ray of hope that I'm not going to gain all my weight back while I wait out the three months until I can get re-filled. I weight myself every single morning. It's not because I'm obsessive, but I know that I can turn around a small gain much easier than not weighing myself until I've put on a load of weight. Right now my weight is up 1 pound (500 grams) from March 25th, the day I got my unfill. That's more than I gained when I went to the States for one month last year (I gained 1/2 pound on that trip) but at the same time, I'm still extremely inactive (my tendonitus is back and I can barely walk again) so I'm not burning any of those 1200 calories I eat by any form of dedicated exercise. Whereas last summer, I probably ate 1700 cal/day of American food, but swam, hiked and stayed active each day of my vacation. I just read a post from another bandster who got an entire unfill and gained back 48 pounds in 8 months. This scenario is very scary to me, and I am very mindful to eat as if I still have good restriction. It won't be easy, but it will be possible to maintain my weight loss if I stay at or under 1500 cal/day, front-loading my Protein and never touching any bread, Pasta, rice or other white carbs. (They spark up my appetite.) The most striking difference right now is how my mind has reverted back to my pre-band diet mentality. It's really amazing, and so wonderful, how a well-adjusted lapband changes both my mental and physical approach to foods. Since the day of my surgery, my brain just flipped a switch and I was never starving hungry, never feeling deprived because I couldn't have this or that, and I just ate my band-size portions in a very peaceful way. I liked my food, but it wasn't a central part of my day. There was nothing I missed eating, even though there were certain foods my band could not tolerate, notably the white carbs mentioned above, and shrimp. Now I'm back to being constantly hungry (even after I eat) and thinking about food a lot. I know exactly what is in my cupboards. I'm keeping my stomach full with lots of Water, Hot drinks and diet juices (I can't have carbonation)...and I'm counting the hours until I can eat again. This was exactly how I used to live when I would go on Weight Watchers, and the release from this dieter's mindset was, to me, the greatest benefit to having WLS, aside from the weight loss which just happened so naturally and calmly. The three months until I can get back to my optimal fill level are not going to be a cakewalk for me (OMG I SAID CAKE) but I'm focusing on how I can use this time to remember a couple of things: 1)Never take my lapband for granted as it, and only it, allows me to eat like a naturally-thin person. 2) Thank myself for being courageous and going through with the surgery, because this unbanded period truly shows me that without that tool, there is no way I would have ever been successful with losing weight, and keeping it off, had I tried traditional dieting "just one more time." I might also enjoy some shrimp today.

Just a comment on your "first bite" syndrome. This is a common complaint amongst bandsters. I read an excellent suggestion on how to avoid this: take your first, small bite. Wait for it to pass the stoma...give it two full minutes before you take you next bite. This can prime the band (sort of tell it that food will be coming in) so that you don't get stuck on the 2nd and 3rd bites. For some reason, there are people that suffer from this first bite syndrome. But if you bite, swallow and wait, it should result in you being able to eat the rest of your band-friendly portion without any stuck incidents.

My surgeon says the band can stay in for life, if no complications. His protocol is to loosen the band, however, once you've maintained your goal weight for a couple of years. This is due the the fact the body recognizes a tighter band as inflammatory, and as one ages, this isn't optimal. I recognize that not all surgeons follow this protocol.

With a fill of .2 you won't feel any restriction whatsoever. That must be the primer in your band. You are recently banded so it's normal that you've got no restriction yet. It takes months and several fills + following bandster eating protocol to arrive at your optimal spot for weight loss with the band. It's all about time+fill+eating correctly.

I know another bandster whose band tightens after a workout. She actually uses this to her advantage, instead of getting a fill, she just works out daily to keep the restriction going.

I WISH more people would comment on my weight loss and ask about my surgery. I'd talk to anyone for hours about my experience, but I guess my friends/acquaintances are just too discreet to ask.

Wonder if the autopsy on Peaches Geldor will reveal that her death was due to some type of appetite-suppressant auto-medication? (Ritalin or other.) Both ends of the weight spectrum can be hazardous, indeed fatal.

I've had a physical reaction to barium in the past, much like what you are experiencing now. Hope you feel better soon!

Everybody experiences fills differently. I am unfilled to 3 ccs (10cc band) and I have zero restriction. But I'm coming off of 6 ccs. Perhaps it will be enough for someone newly banded, and building up to a sweet spot. Yes, you need to be careful to follow post fill protocol because your stoma will be irritated by the fill itself. You'll feel instant restriction just due to the inflammatory nature of fills...then, after that calms down, you'll know (or not) if this is the optimal fill level for you to take you where you want your band to take you.

Beautiful observation of this NSV. Thanks for sharing this with us.

Ha! Never a dull moment! And yes, Ryan Gosling is most certainly, a thing of beauty! I agree Ryan Gosling is a jewel to look at but his ears? Abnormally small. Once you notice this, you'll always be focusing on his ears in every shot. I mean how does he find earbuds to fit?

yupper! our minds work alike. similarly, "i have lost 100 pounds but i still hate myself and my body and everything makes me miserable. does anyone else have this issue? i was really hoping losing weight would make me like myself. i dont know what to do." ummmm... does the phrase "professional help" mean anything to you? maybe not. Oh yes, those. Let me say this loud and clear: the day I hit goal, I will not be thinking "I hate myself/I don't recognize this body of mine/I miss being fat." I will be running out in the street, stark naked, pointing at myself and yelling "LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME!", so delighted I will be.

This is indeed a great thread. I'm not bored on this site [yet]. probably due to picking and choosing what I'll read. But sometimes I'll stumble upon a post so incredibly...searching for the word....inane? scary? ridiculous?...that I just shake my head and wonder why why why? This is always a post where someone is having an obvious ER-qualifying situation and they are asking the interwebz for a collective opinion. "I haven't been able to eat or drink anything for one week. Has anyone else had this happen to them?" I have to hold myself back from typing Honey, please get off your computer and get yourself to the emergency room. But then I recall Darwin, and I just move on to the next post.

My first meal after my band was pureed potatoes and pureed meat. I remember being very fearful of eating anything solid.

That doesn't sound normal. I'd see a doctor; something is backing up in there.

Oh my. You've been through a lot. I'm glad you are out of pain now. Your loss is impressive and I totally get the desire to keep it up with revision surgery. I'd do exactly the same. Rest now, and good luck for your next step.