n2win

Thank you all; this has been very helpful!

Congrats!!! Your should journal this victory, pull it out every so often, and read in your own words how hard you worked but more importantly how rewarding it felt!

Great link... thanks for sharing Ladydiva!

Thank you for sharing Westie. Your journey is inspiring!

You look fantastic!!!

What a wonderful feeling! You look fantastic, congrats on all your hard work.

You look amazing!!! -HUGE CONGRATS-I'm 24 days post-op and down 25 lbs. Just curious what your exercise routine consists of?

You need to google your symptoms: dumping syndrome (form of diarrhea) is common after gallbladder removal. What happens is that without a gallbladder the bile released by the liver does not have a mechanism to put out just enough bile after a meal. Instead, the liver will just dump bile into the stomach, too much bile/too soon, causes diarrhea. You should have been given diet guidelines to follow (having the gallbladder removed, in addition to LB guidelines) fatty and rich foods need to be avoided.

Hazelsbliss nailed it. Take in what you need and can apply and file 13 all the rest. I actually like reading when things go wrong to keep mental notes for "just in case" but of you tend to worry just stop reading a negative thread and move on to something useful. Also your weight post-op will fluctuate so be gentle on yourself. (I'm 24 days post-op & 25 lbs down)... I am making a new commitment to weigh max twice weekly... then wean from there

Your in a crunch.... so I would only eat the toppings and avoid the bread as much as possible (but stay to your portion size on the toppings).

HA! I was trying to do the math when I scrolled down... 100 lbs in 2 months... I know of a guy that lost 70lbs in 3 months from a gastric sleeve. Maybe it was supposed to be 2012(not 2013)?

I hope to be where you are some sweet day -B-52-, but for now I simply cannot. I was not raised in a home that had Snacks, cokes or made us "clean our plates". I am also the only fat person in my family. As an adult I did not pig out, but I grazed and nibbled enough to get me a nice place in the morbid obese category... so it's my fault & I take responsibility. I am blessed enough to have a friend that has had the band 6 yrs and has stayed at goal (110-115 lbs from heaviest 212) with occasionally walking, watching carbs & sugars but mainly watching her portions. I exercise daily, keep a food diary, eat with baby spoons and most importantly measure my portions. I have even tried to "eyeball" them and when I scooped it up to measure and see how close i was.. holy smokes... Wrong every time... so i will keep practicing. Also before keeping a food diary I had no clue how some foods appear to be healthy but are really horrible choices... someday I hope it all just clicks into place. I am glad this works for me, its hard, but I'm happy for my commitment and i am really sad when I hear others cannot lose but are consuming: fried chicken, Mac & cheese, bread and a couple of veggies at one meal. Nope that's not going to work for any bandster. I learn from others mistakes and occasionally tell them what woks for me but we as adults do not have to follow anyones advice like its gospel. This site has been a fantastic resource to help me fill in the blanks. Also that pouch was not meant to hold 2.5-4 cups or more as one serving size... (would I like to keep eating when my 1/2 cup is gone?) SURE at times but I'm training myself to Stop! (It is hard at times but I do not want to start the ole' excuses... but I need more than that, it's not enough, I cannot eat such a small amount). I must retrain my body to the LB way of life. So measure portions for accuracy, log food to keep me honest, learn true caloric counts of food and stay within my current doctor required 800 calories/day, exercise daily and eat with baby spoons... whomever said this was the easy way out is delusional!!! I'm not pushing what works for me on anyone else but hoping it just simply helps them.. just like your post (and countless others) have helped me!

I was banded July 16th; saw the nutritionalist on July 25th; and scheduled for 1st fill tue (aug 6th). My information instructions are extremely vague so I'm turning here for help. What are some guidelines about chewing? (all my packet says is to chew well) What size bites do you take? (my packet says small---define small) What are some tips on drinking? esp. taking smaller sips? (I still catch myself gulping) Any information is appreciated!! I do not want to fail and not sure where else to find this information.

Does anyone know the current sizes of Lap-Bands?

This is very comprehensive... thank you!

Thank you Lisa, this was very helpful. I asked and I have an 11cc band.

Hummm, keep us posted. I had a fill, then had to swallow the barium under fluoroscopy, but have never heard of it done like yours.

This has been interesting to read. I have never considered difficulty from: flying the friendly skies! We have a trip planned in the spring for Rome and I will have to make the necessary accommodations.

I was banded 3 weeks ago and have not made it past mushy's. I had my first fill yesterday, and you guessed it, had to start liquids all over again! Solid foods are not even in my horizon. This is a completely different world when it comes to food, so just keep asking questions and seeking more knowledge; this forum has wonderful people to help you!! I had several hiccups my first few weeks, and found the LB food journey a little tricky, but it gets easier. Remember: you are eating to live, not living to eat! I just keep telling myself: this would not be my first choice of food to eat, BUT I cannot eat the same as I did before and expect a different response!!!! Try eating with baby spoons (if mushy's your bite should be 1/4 full), get the gerber size 4 oz containers and when it's gone... that's it... meal over (it should take 20-30 minutes). A food diary will SHOCK you as to how many calories you are actually consuming & when you know you have to log in a food... oh man, does it keep you honest! Also have someone check your diary, my hubby looks over mine (another form of accountability), and he actually watches me eat and will occasionally tell me to slow down a tad... Hello! Also, I started a little note book and began scribbling down hints from this forum that I thought would be useful in the future. Good luck!!!!

Had my first fill yesterday and to my surprise when the surgeon went to access my port he actually aspirated roughly 7 cc of Fluid from the port site....(my poor husband said he internally freaked out)! I know this is not uncommon after surgery, especially when no drains are used, occasionally the body just doesn't reabsorb all the drainage. All is well, no fever; the site has no s/s of infection. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this?

Hey, I could tell he was "digging" around a little and kept thinking to myself ....REALLY, he can't find it... then... Oh crap, my port has flipped or something! I started to get flushed and felt like i was going to pass out, that's when I picked up my head and immediately knew what was happening when I saw the syringe. food for thought: whomever thinks getting the LB is the easy was out is delusional, because this is far from it! It has only been 3 wks and I have worked really hard to measure food, log all my food into a spreadsheet diary, exercise daily, follow-up apts, post-op fill diet, considering all food choices... this is NOT easy; it takes dedication!!

Oops hit send... I cannot wait to hear any new data from those who have had it. I hope it is another successful addition to wls.

Very informative! This was not even discussed as an option during my consultation; which is now understandable being in a pilot stage. I first learned about it on this forum. I find it extremely interesting and cannot waiting

Thank you for responding! This pocket was also under the incision (port site) but NO: tenderness, redness, swelling, warmth or drainage. I have been afebrile and the incision itself looks unremarkable: clean edges, well approximated, scab gone, only faint bruising remains. The drainage was Not purulent, so I was relieved immediately! I have not read any posts regarding this issue, so just thought I would reach out & ask. Surgery was just 3 weeks ago, so this was just a minor shocker (more for hubby) lol, but I will continue to closely monitor.