parisshel

I think one of the reasons we are warned against rice and small grains like couscous or orzo, is because if one were not to follow band rules, one could in effect experience a plugged up stoma as these little bits compact before they move thru the pouch. I'm sure I could follow band rules and eat these things, but I know that I need to avoid white carbs as they are my gateway drug. So I just tell myself I can't eat bread, Pasta, rice, etc and that's that. Easier for me that way.

Whichever WLS one chooses, one must comply, comply comply! My band surgeon is not the warmest person on Earth, but I don't need him to be my best friend. I need him to be educated, well-read on WLS studies, active in WLS research, and willing to share that information with me. I just read a lapband blog where the blogger decided her weight loss wasn't "fast enough" so she was going to get a fill that would allow her to take in her calories by liquid only. I just shook my head and thought "that is not the goal here." And the real tragedy is that she will find a doctor or NP who will consent to the fill, putting into place a trajectory that could very well lead to erosion or slippage. And she risks becoming another "band complication" statistic, all through her own faulty logic, with the complicity of the specialist allowing her to get restriction far too tight for the original intent of a lapband.

I remember how fearful I was the first time I ate out. What a victory it felt like that I could eat in a restaurant and not overeat. I love how the lapband has turned me into a normal-eater, making good choices in small sizes. Such a great freedom to know that the lapband is there keeping us moving towards good health and our goal weight.

Good luck! I bought a lot of mashed veg, etc at Marks and Spencers...made that stage very easy for me.

These fears are very normal. You may also be hit with "OMG What Have I done?" following the surgery. That's normal, too. These are big changes you are facing, and change can bring about fear/anxiety/doubt. What was helpful for me was to write a list of pros and cons concerning my decision. I actually took the list to the hospital so I could meditate on it the night prior to my surgery. I'm 8 months post-op (almost) and rarely look at that list anymore. My lapband and the changes it brought about are pretty much part of who I am now. But I'll never take it for granted and I am thankful for it, and for my courage to move forward with my decision to get it, every single day. It has truly changed both my brain and my body and how they both see and use food. No regrets, except that I wish I had not wasted my time trying to diet traditionally. So many years of frustration and deprivation spent in vain.

I was recently banned from a site (I didn't realize it was a pro-fat site) because I posted that I loved my band. Immediately following my post, band-haters started tearing me apart: "You are only 8 months post-op. Come back here in a couple of years and tell us then what a failure the band is," etc etc. When I tried to log back in to explain politely that I had a right to love my band, just as they had a right to hate successful banders, I found the admin had banned me! Lesson learned. Never venture into unknown forum waters.

I couldn't eat salad for a couple of months post op (and I wait post fill to see how I tolerate them). I ease into them by eating endive first (more band-friendly in terms of chewing to small pieces) but now I can eat all types of lettuce, with the exception of soft lettuces like mache or rocket (too spikey). I also add seeds or nuts to my little serving...so luxurious! Today's salad was endive, goat cheese, walnuts and bits of pear...all cut up very small.

I couldn't swallow carrots even before the band! And the thought of trying to swallow some tortilla makes my band tighten just thinking about it. (I put mexican food on lettuce leaves and eat it like a lettuce wrap.)

Glad they have ruled out stroke and such. The symptoms do sounds consistent with vertigo, which is not life-threatening per se but a real tough diagnosis to manage. I hope you feel better soon.

The massage table feels a whole lot wider now! Also....big news flash...last night I took a bath. I gave up on getting into the tub in 2007, when it just became too much of a risk that once in, I would not be able to get back out. Six years of showering, people! And last night, I just looked at the tub and said "I think it is time." So I filled that bath up and just soaked and smiled. My girls walked in (we have no privacy in the house, dammit!) and said "Mom! I've never seen you in the bath!" (They could not possibly know why I never took baths; probably thought it was a time thing.) I'm all get out ladies....this is MY time!

Me, too. I weigh each morning at 7am; but really go by how I feel in my clothes. They actually go hand-in-hand, right? Weight dropping = clothes looser. This morning I put on a dress I hadn't worn in 40 pounds. Pulling the fabric away from my body, I said to my older daughter "Hmmm...perhaps I should retire this soon." "Thin girl problems," she replied.

ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY PURPLE YODA!

I've made the first cut for a new position and the hiring committee is conducting interviews over the next two days. Because I'm currently overseas, I was offered two choices for the interview: conference call or Skype session. Six months ago I'd have opted for the no-visual conference call, thinking it would up my chances of being selected if they couldn't see how overweight I was and just go by my professional qualifications. But this time? I jumped on the chance to have the on-camera interview. Got my hair done, put on a great suit and jewelry, and feel confident that where I am weightwise will not dissuade the committee from pushing my candidacy forward. NSV! Even if I don't make the next round, or if I decide the job/move isn't a good fit for me and my family, I've already won this one by turning on that camera.

Another thing to be aware of is that this site may be farmed for photo content by nerfarious marketers who will use our before and after pictures (well, not mine, as I'm not yet an "after") to push their acai berry, kale pills, enzyme or whatever snake oil they are selling to the public. Many high-traffic weight loss bloggers have found their photos next to "before" and "after" pics on those pop up ads that appear on your facebook page, without their consent (obviously). The marketer will even write a fake testimony below the stolen pictures, such as "This pill saved my life! ~ J.L., Kansas City."

I stopped fake sugar when I got banded, because I stopped drinking Diet Coke. That was my source of fake sugar. I do noticed that my sugar/carb cravings are greatly reduced. Not sure if it correlates with the lack of artificial sweetners, or the fact I don't consume as many direct carbs (no bread, Pasta, etc) but I'm so glad to have that out of my system. I agree with HotButterFly above that a bit of real sugar has to be better for one's body than masses of Monsanto-produced chemicals. It just makes sense.

That's just what we say when we are being polite.

I suspect I could eat anything if I cut it up small enough, but I stick to band rules, which for me are: No bread or breadlike products (hamburger buns, pizza, etc) No Pasta No rice, couscous, or small grains that could "plug up" the stoma No fibrous things like celery or asparagus. A really ripe peach would probably be too stringy/fibrous. No big ol' gobs of sticky things like Peanut Butter, although I can tolerate a thin spread of peanut butter on melba toast and I use this for a snack. Something I've noticed since being banded is that even looking/considering these items provokes a Pavlovian response in my mind. Right now at work there is a plate of pastries sitting out in the common room. Pre-band, I would have either eaten them or obsessed over them. Post-band? Just the idea of getting a hunk of bread stuck in my stoma turns me off immediately. This is the beauty of the band...naturally good choices are made, without that feeling of frustration.

That says everything about her and nothing about you. She must be such a sad person to have to denigrate others. Or maybe she was just crazy. I get a lot of comments (negative and positive) from crazy street people. That's just normal for a big city.

I fly longhaul international flights quite a bit, and have never had any discomfort from my band tightening in flight or post arrival. I do make sure, however, that I bring on board band-friendly food because I rarely can eat the traditional airplane offerings--too much bread, pasta, potatoes, etc, and not enough protein.

You look so pretty in that dress! Well done; all your work shows!

I can irrationally irritable if I don't eat on time. Much more so than pre-band. I wonder if this is a blood-sugar thing, because once I eat, I'm fine. But I need to be very careful about not letting too many hours go by without eating.

I remember feeling this way, too, pre-op. A mixture of high hopes and excitement and fear of what the band might mean in terms of change. Six months post-op and I have never regretted my decision. What a wonderful change from my previous "diet mentality." Freed of the black/white thinking I used to have (I was either "on plan" or "off plan"), freed of feeling hungry, deprived, frustrated and angry at myself and my food choices. I'm hardly thin yet, but I love looking in the mirror now. I love knowing that what I see is only going to look better and better. I love my energy level, my fearlessness, my self-confidence. So much has been restored to me by this decision. Welcome to this forum, where people will carry you along this wonderful path. May your next five days pass quickly...and on to the other side!

Hmmmm....doesn't Alka Seltzer contain asprine? Asprine is on the "no" list for bandster, due to stomach irritation. But check with your MD; periodic use might be ok.

Hi friends! My six-months postop bandiversary was Friday. While I thought I'd hit -40 pounds that morning, I'm still stuck at a plateau, where I've been for a week or so. I'm not upset, however; I weight 39 pounds less than I did six months ago. I'm so pleased with what the lapband has brought back to my life: courage, self-confidence, mobility, energy, happiness even during the most stressful of times (my BF had to undergo an emergency quintuple bypass three weeks ago, and these days are just crazy stressful for me right now). I feel great and what I've accomplished with the band has translated over to all other areas in my life..pushing up against my comfort zone in so many ways...including realizing a lifelong dream trip to Morocco coming up in October! This is something I've wanted to do forever but didn't feel the confidence to undertake. One of the best lessons I've learned from my band is to be brave and stretch beyond my fears. I'm so grateful I braved this life-changing surgery. The rewards unfold before me each and every day. Thank you all for being my support and motivational system.

Ha! Love this post and all the responses. Sure, it's immature, but I'd love for all the men who rejected me because of my weight to see me at goal so I can just show them my ass as I walk away from them.