CallMeJim

I too have the APL band. I had my fourth fill in May, 2008 to bring me to 10.2cc and have had good restriction ever since. This thing works-- I just need to follow the rules!! I suspect you'll soon hit a point and won't need more, and the amounts added as you go higher will be less and less.

Merry Christmas Everyone! I'm doing well and thankful for a year with my band. It has been an amazing ride-- lots of ups and a few downs. My weight loss has slowed but it is my own fault. I still have good restriction and the band works great IF I FOLLOW THE RULES! Unfortunately I haven't been following the rules as consistently as I should the last couple months. The great thing is that I haven't put my weight back on!! This has never happened to me before. I'm plotting an all out post-Christmas rededication to get my weight loss back on track. I had an appointment with my doc the other day for a periodic flouro check of my band. He said it looks great and cautioned me strongly, as he always does, to limit my intake to <4 oz. (by volume) per meal to avoid band slippage. If I'm eating the right foods, I find that quantity to be enough. Problem is, I love those "food lubes" (sauces, sour ceam, condiments, etc.) that limit the effectiveness of my band. Ah well-- I've come a long way and have along way yet to go, but I'm going to keep plugging away. Hope you do too!

I rechecked with my doc and he said never to take capsules (e.g. Celebrex) unless I empty them into food such as applesauce and chase them with enough water to rinse the pouch well. He said short regimens (10-14 days) should be ok but they want to avoid long-term use if at all possible. He said NSAIDS can lead to erosion. He also said I could buy the gel-caps, freeze them, then cut them in half and take them (or liquid, or opened capsules, or split/crushed pills). The main concern appears to be not letting it sit in the pouch for any significant length of time. Finally, he said I could take some Maalox or a pepcid chewable to help protect my stomach when taking these meds.

...take them (Ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin, Celebrex, etc.)? If so, how much do you take and for how long? Have you had any problems? I know we are supposed to avoid them because they can wreak havoc on the stomach, but I have some other problems and need them from time to time. I'm paranoid about taking them and have really restricted myself and tried to just deal with the pain. My doc says they're ok in short stints (e.g. 10 days or so), but must avoid taking them "like candy." So far, I have not had any problems taking them. Pre-band, I was pretty liberal with them and never had any issues. What has your experience been? What has your doc told you? Thanks!

Greetings Everyone! Glad to hear you are all hanging in there. My weight loss has slowed quite a bit, but it is still coming off and that's the key. In the past, when I would stop losing I'd get discouraged and almost immediately start regaining and soon be heavier than when I started. With the band, I have been able to avoid that yoyo. I've had weeks where I gained a little, but then I get back on track. It's fantastic! My last fill was in May. I still have good restriction, especially when I follow the "rules." Funny how that works. I'm sure I could go tighter and lose faster, but I really want to avoid damaging my band/stomach. I love this thing and don't want to take chances. I want it to last a lifetime. My main struggles-- evening grazing!! I seem to be able to eat more at night, and I compound the sin by making bad choices. At the very time I need to be really limiting myself to solid Protein that will help my band do it's job the best, I sabotage myself with junk! Grrrr.. Also-- alcohol-- I'm not a big drinker by any means, but I do enjoy a little wine once a week or so and I've found that besides being a band no-no in terms of liquid calories, I also wind up eating more junk after I've had a couple of glasses. Finally- I'm a little concerned about my quantities. I've read so much varying information from people, but my doc is adamant that I need to stay between 1/3 and 1/2 cup of food per meal and eat more frequently if need be. He says overeating is by far the main cause of band slips. I stay pretty close to those limits and am generally satisfied, but I do eat more sometimes. Have a Happy Thanksgiving and stay the course. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and having the right expectations is important, at least for me.

SB-- I don't think it is anyone's business except yours. You aren't under any obligation to disclose your medical history to others. I am also playing it fairly close to the vest because of my past failures. I've been up and down so many times and humilitated by gaining all I had lost and more, I just do not want "everyone" to know I had WLS until I really feel confident that "this is it" and I will be able to keep it off. Plus, I still have a looong way to go! I have received a number of compliments on my loss, and that's wonderful, but I just say thanks and tell people I'm working hard on it. I will, however, make an exception for an overweight person so that perhaps they can be helped by hearing about the band. I learned about it from a friend and am very grateful that he was willing to share. I love my band and would definitely agree that it is a journey. I want to do everything I can to protect it (and my stomach) and avoid problems down the road. I don't ever want to lose it. It's weird though-- one week I'll lose a half a pound, the next I might gain a pound and then the next I might lose six-- all while keeping approximately the same routine. It's very easy for me to get discouraged in those weeks I'm stalled out, but it seems like those are the times I notice my clothes getting more loose and people making comments about my weight loss. Anyone else experience that? I do exercise about 5 times a week and like to tell myself (don't know if it's true or not) that my body is swapping muscle for fat during those slow times and maybe that's why the loss is slow, Just can't give up... And those weeks where the scale has a significant drop? WOW! What a great motivator!! My band works great when I follow the rules. I have noticed a tendency to slip into old habits in terms of making bad food choices so I have recently gone back to tracking what I eat on the daily plate (www.thedailyplate.com). It's a bit of work but helps me really see what I'm eating and actually helps hold me accountable to making better choices. My goal is still so far off I can't think even about it so I'm trying to focus on more short-term goals. I'm almost to the point of moving one of those big old 50 pound weights on my scale and that means a lot to me. I still weigh more than most NFL players and getting under 300 is a big deal for me. I NEVER want to go back. I guess we just need to stay after it, be honest with ourselves and keep looking for ways we can improve our approach. The "rules" are there for a reason and, at least in my case, make a huge difference in whether or not I make progress. Hang in there Knockouts-- we can succeed long-term! Twoterville three pounds ahead-- Yahoo!!

...that restriction varies day to day? One day a small amount is more than adequate and the next it isn't! I agree with Jack on the portion practice thing but I think it would be easier to train my mind if the same portion size provided a similar level of satiety. Jachut-- great summary-- You summed up my thoughts well. I too often start with more on my plate and don't finish. Of course, in the old days, I'd have several plates and ALWAYS finish. George-- AMAZING results-- and without a fill? Wow! I do think the band is more forgiving when empty so you definitely have some flexibility on portions. What's your secret?

I had plantar fasciatis (sp?) a few years ago (it's amazing how many people have had it). Got some Berkenstocks for around the house and bought a few pair of $45 insoles for my shoes and in a few weeks I was healed! I couldn't believe it--wonderful. Now it's my achilles and the exercises are only somewhat helpful.

I turned 50 last September. It was like someone flipped a switch! I have aches and pains in places I didn't know I had! Foot, hip, back-- you name it. I work at a desk and if I sit for any length of time I hobble for awhile when I get up and start moving around. I exercise regularly (Nodric-Trak X-country ski machine) and I do some stretching exercises for my achilles. Before the band I would just load up on ibuprofen or Celebrex or Aleve or some other NSAID but I am very careful about taking anything now. Anyone else deal with these issues? How? It's getting depressing because I seem to come up with something new about every month! I'm hoping weight loss will help....

Mom always told me to eat my vegetables... You're doing a great job regardless. You've been doing Atkins for a long time-- way beyond where most people (like me) can't take it anymore and gain all their weight back, so I'll bet the band is helping. I'd say keep chewing. I think you're absolutely right- if the band is not filled to the point of good restriction, food will indeed go right on through. Maybe you need more fill. I understand our bands will hold a fair amount more than their advertised capacity and as you lose weight the fat pad on your stomach gets smaller and you need to fill to compensate (at least that's the way I read it). Doc says that occurs about every 30 pounds of weight loss. I've read about other people who had just a tiny fill and it made a big difference. I do think flouro is helpful. All of my fills are under flouro and the doc will watch as I drink barium and tweak the adjustment based on what he is seeing. I think slider foods are things that, for whatever reason, will slide through the band. If I eat a dry piece of meat I can easily get stuck. If I drown the same piece in some sort of gravy or sauce it goes down easily. I want to find a happy medium-- edible without pain yet stays in the pouch for a good long while. I need to chew more like you do. It's weird too-- snack foods like Cookies and chips, though dry, cause me no problem. Perhaps it's the fat content. "Healthy" type crackers can get stuck if I'm not careful.

Good pics. Speaks to a problem I have always had-- I waaayyyy underestimate portion size.

Turler-- sounds like my doc and your dietician are coming from the same perspective. Good example Felicia-- I guess my doc is correct about veggies being mostly water. The volume measure is more pertinent to dense protein I suppose. I measured steak and Italian sausage (last two meals) and found that 1/3 cup came to about 1.8 oz so I guess 1/2 cup would be about 2.7 oz. or so. This morning I'm having 1.8 oz. Italian sausage on 1/2 a biscuit with 1/2 slice of American cheese. I'm about half-way through it. not full yet but getting there.

I have two docs that share the practice and they are a great team (ASBS Center of Excellence). They joke around and go back and forth a bit on the best way to eat. They both say we need to focus on the dense Protein (no sauces, gravies, etc.) first but she is fine with a meal that also includes veggies, bread/pasta/rice, etc. He says just EAT meat and forget all that other stuff to make the band work best. Yes-- he says veggies are mostly Water and so will detract somewhat from band performance. I think he knows meat only is not practical and is really just making a point, but he has suggested that I have the veggies later as a snack. He wants to maximize the amount of time food remains in the pouch. I have to admit, when I follow his advice I do get full faster and stay full longer. But-- I have to have the variety or I'd get so sick of meat I wouldn't be able to face it. So-- sometimes my meals are protein only, but usually I'll mix it up a bit. Regardless- the "slider foods" concept is very real and will definitely negatively affect band performance. I too can always stuff more in but I am trying to learn to stop at the first (or second or third) sign of reasonable fullness. I will usually burp or hiccup as a sign that I am getting there. I guess that's my "soft stop." Does anything like that happen to you? Doc is adamant about portion control to avoid stretching the pouch. He says to eat again in an hour if I am still hungry (usually turns out I am not). I have had the same question re. chewing and I think that is probably exactly why you don't have problems. You are much better than I at chewing! I figure if the goal is to make the food stay in the pouch for a long period of time then maybe it would be better to swallow big chunks without chewing (haha) rather than "liquify" it first by chewing it to death. Don't do it!!! I haven't actually tried that intentionally, but I have eaten too fast and failed to chew properly. Ouch Ouch Ouch! Pure misery.