TulipStar

Globe, Enjoy it while it lasts. When/If you get more fills, I doubt you will be able to keep up with that pace. I also travel a lot for work and pretty much don't eat anything. Mostly I have been going to Europe but I also have been in KL/Singapore. It may just be that I am too tight, but usually I bring my own oatmeal packets so that I can eat SOMETHING. I absolutely cannot eat bread, noodles or rice. On the positive side, my weight loss picks up when I travel as long as I watch the sodium. Those long flights have turned into hell lately as I cannot eat anything served on the plane anymore. I don't think I am tighter on the plane (bc of the pressure), I just think I am tighter overall.

WOW! Both of you are looking fabulous! Kimmie, how did you put together that montage of month after month of your face?

Hey, First of all, don't compare yourselves to others. The choice is yours and you have to step up and make the choice to let this work for you. Stop buying nutella (yes, I love it too). I had to stop buying ice cream bc I love it so much I will eat it all. I made the choice to do that. Why? Bc I want to lose weight. I have a vision in my head of me thinner, healthier (maybe w/ child, lol) and that is a goal that I want to reach. You also might need a fill to help give you more restriction. Although, nutella would probably go down no matter what restriction. You CAN do this. We can all do this. The strength is within you, you just have to find it.

I have had lots of noises and weird sounds coming from my stomach and throat. I don't think it means you are too tight. It just means you are banded :smile2:

I hate being tight. Just got a fill yesterday and I am sooo tight, having slight problems with liquids. When I say problem, it means that I can't chug liquid any more, I have to sip.

I have had 5 fills and am at 7.1 cc's. To compare at my second fill I was at 5.5 cc's.

You have the same fear as I do. That's why I have been trying to lose weight as quickly as possible bf the band stops working. In my mind that's why I think they say you should try to lose most of your weight in the first 12-18 months of surgery. I don't know if it's as effective after that, but it can help you maintain your weight.

I just got filled to 7.1 cc's and cannot tolerate anything in the morning. I tried to drink a cold coffee protein drink and it came back up and it wasn't even thick! Wow, I feel like I am almost completely closed off.

I wouldn't say that I "cured" it but I have relieved my symptoms. My cycles are more regular now. My SIL has PCOS and the Dr told her to lose 30 lbs to cure her symptoms. She lost 30lbs a year ago but still is ttc.

I want to see the results! Are you going to post them?

1. Depends more on WHAT I eat than how much. I can eat about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of food at a time (4 oz or so). If it is fibrous (like chicken salad) I can eat about 1-2 bites. If I eat something filling (like protein) then that lasts about 4 hours or so. 2. There are ways to go "around" the band and not lose weight. You can eat a lot of ice cream, Cookies, etc and they go right through the band. They have a lot of calories. Also, some people are slow losers. Exercise always helps the weight come off quicker. 3. Depends...I would think you can lose it in a year. It has been 5 months for me and I am down 60, but I know some who had surgery at the same time and are down 20 and some who are down 100. Everyone is different. I know that I do all that I can to lose about 3lbs a week. 4. I drink caffeine... As for driniking with your meals, you don't want to wash the food down thru the band, bc you won't get that full sensation. Also, sometimes if you are starting to get stuck, adding liquid on top makes it worse. 5. yes, ice is liquid. your dr can give you a list of liquids. Off the top of my head: clear Soup, Jello, sugar free popsicles... Good luck!!

I used to love to eat and reallly looked forward to eating. I still do look forward to eating, but once I start, I get a little upset bc I can only eat a few bites. Things have definitely changed since I got banded. I am still learning that I should 'eat to live', not 'live to eat'!

I actually gained about 3-5lbs before my first fill.

Hi there and welcome! Everyone is different. Some people don't have any loose skin, some do. For example, this guy at my work lost 140lbs in less than a year after lapband and he says he has no loose skin. However, I am 30 and have lost close to 60lbs and have some definite loose skin already and I am far from goal. I have done so many things to make this better, moisturize w/ cocoa butter and nivea skin firming lotion every day completely all over my body. The only thing you can do it wait and see.... :smile2:

Check w/ your dr to make sure. A 5 hour car ride should be ok after 2 weeks. I flew on a plane for a 4 hour trip 2 weeks after surgery.

I don't really miss eating as much as I do certain foods. But, I know how you feel, bc pre-band I was so afraid to lose my lifestyle and the feeling of being so full and numb. I wanted to lose the weight, but I still wanted to eat. Now though, food does not rule my life. I eat bc I have to, not bc I want to. You will get there too. Many of the reason we is it tied to emotions. You will have to work on this connection. For example, I used to graze all day at work sitting at my computer eating chex mix, pretzels or something crunchy. The more stressed, the more crunchies I would eat. After the band I couldn't do this and had to figure out why I was doing this in the first place. I realized that the reason I ate crunchy things was bc I was stressed and my jaw became really tense, almost like I was going to grind my teeth and to relieve it I ate food (lots of it...bags of chips, chex mix, etc). I kept filling up, but it never solved anything. Anyway, I can't do that anymore so I have to learn to deal with the emotion in other ways (I'm still working on it).

I used to eat chicken every day, but since my last fill, I haven't been able to eat ANY chicken without it coming back up. No chicken noodle Soup, no chicken breast, no chicken salad, etc. That left me in a world of hurt bc the only meat I eat is chicken. I started bruising bc of a lack of Protein... And then yesterday I discovered chili. YUM! So yummy and filling... lots of protein! I am in heaven!:biggrin2:

chew it every day. I have since 1 day post op. My doc says it's not an issue.

I can still eat it. But only about 2 pieces total.

I would do it again in a heartbeat (even though I had a complication and had to have revision surgery). The band helps you stay on track, which is different when you are just on a diet, you can revert back to your old ways, but the band keeps you in check. Also, 1-2 is the norm they communicate, but everyone is different. I know one guy who lost an average of 20lbs a month. I have been averaging about 12 lbs a month (3lbs a week) and that was with a month of not losing bc of complications!

I weigh every day when I feel like I should be losing. For example right after I get a fill, I weigh every day bc I know I am losing. If I know I have been eating a lot, I will weigh only every couple days. It's like denial for me You are in "bandster hell" and are going to continue to gain unless you control your eating. After a couple more fills you WILL feel restriction, trust me (us) and you will miss those day of bandster hell when you could eat certain foods. So my advice is to enjoy it while you can, bc you are soon going to be on your way! I too "only" lost 20lbs at 5 weeks. We are all different, so stop comparing yourself to others. The band is only a tool, so you have to help by counting your calories and exercising. You shouldn't be eating more than 1,000 calories a day. Keep a food diary, it holds you accountable for what you eat!!

You can be as rough as you want. You won't even know u have it except for when you eat. My dr said that after the band has been there a while, there is tissue that grows over it, but not in bt the stomach and the band. Meaning that your body forms a protective layer over the top which can actually help it stay in place. The only reason I asked this question was bc I was worried about my body "rejecting" the band or trying to attack it bc it was invasive.

Welcome to bandland!!! I had to have a heparin shot too. My "adventure" was just like yours. except that after the 5th time they poked me to try to get blood (to check if I was pregnant), she spilled the entire vial of blood on me and my gown. What a site!!! The bed, my gown everything was covered in blood and this was before I had surgery!!

Last week they put me up to 6.7cc's and I am pretty tight, but I don't know if I am at the "sweet" spot yet...

A lot of it is genetics. I have only lost 56 lbs and have loose skin already... I have lost a lot of weight before and got my insurance to pay for my tummy tuck. It was a long and exhausting process..I got denied twice and appealed, I think it took me almost a year to finally get approved. that was for my tummy though, which could cause rash, back problems etc. I think it would be harder for them to cover arms/legs, etc.