Pepper28

I was banded August 1, 2013......after 10fills and 13 months I'd finally lost my first 12lbs. So for an entire year I thought Id made a big mistake chosing lap band. But like a light switch and being filled to 8.2 in my 10cc band the weight began melting off. Only advice I have is to keep going for fills. Dont give up so easily. The band does work.

If you're hungry 4 days post-op, perfect, thats a tell-tell sign your swelling has already receeded. If youre NOT hungry and/or only comfortably tolerating liquids with no pain chances are youre still swolen. Do not force anything down U will hurt yourself

Ive gone from 206 to now 152-155........ It doesnt feel as good as skinny folk made it look when I was heavier. While I do appreciate the decrease in # on the scale & the size 18 to 8-9 but I dont really feel skinny until I pull out old fat pics. And its nothing like seeing the bones in my chest to really get me stoked!

Once the band is installed it may or may not be filled but the portion of the stomach where the band is now attached can become irritated & will swell shut. Clear liquids, Soups, & jellos until the swelling subsides. 6 weeks in I was eating as if Id had no weightloss surgery at all.

@@Ricksgal_1996 I take that back, i felt the restriction at 7.5 but 7.9 was when my problems started with the night coughs and when the bubble over my band developed. May want to ask nurse or doctor abt the itchy/scratchy throat. As long as theres no bubble no vomitting no reflux no night coughs you should be fine.

Ricksgal_1996 Itchy soar throat isnt one of the too tight symptoms, (I could be wrong) however, my problems did begin when I was filled to 7.5 in my 10cc band. I also had the perfect restriction there and was hardly ever hungry. My pouch had began to bubble over my band so they took .3 out so now im at 7.2 and I feel hardly any restriction at all now. (i was banded August 1, 2013) I go back in 2 weeks to see if the bubble is gone then I can get my .3 added back.

@@Didisom1 I had to chew my birthcontrol pills the entire 2 months that i was too tight & theyre pretty tiny pills. Only the xray & the Fluid they make u swallow will show a slip & how severe it may be. But if ur vomitting, that moves your stomach through the band & thats how the slip begins.

food restriction is one thing but u'll know youre too tight, even if Water goes down fine, but if ur having night coughs, night vomitting, sliming even though u've not eaten nor drank anything, ur too tight. Vomitting causes slips. Ive had 1.0 removed due to the above i go back May 7th for another xray to see if my slight slip has corrected itself. Ive not vomitted since the 1.0 was taken out & even though Im sleeping thru the night I fear I may be regaining that lost weight in the interim.

It took 7 months & 8 fills to feel restriction but it was the 8th month & 9th fill when I was filled too tight & finally lost 23lbs in 2 months at 7.9cc's in a 10cc band. Being too tight came with a liquid diet & night coughs & vomitting & terrible terrible reflux. So be careful what u wish for. Its hard to live life throwing up Water & liquids at work at church & in the malls, & riding around with a spit cup. I've since had 1.0 removed after an xray showed signs of a slip. I go back May 7th to see if the slip has straightened itself out so that I can get at least .5 of that added back.

At 7.9cc's in a 10cc band I lost 23lbs in 2 months but it came along with coughing & reflux for the entire 8 weeks. Went in & had an entire 1.0 removed they said my xray was showing signs of a slip. My band was originally positioned at 2:00 but the xray showed that its coiled around to 6:00 bcuz of the vomitting. Now I feel absolutely NO restriction at all & I fear regaining the only 20lbs ive ever lost. I go back May 7th for another xray to see if the band has returned to its original 2:00 position & also to see just how much Ive regained ????

@@duckydoom Love your story! I'll consider consulting with a nutritionist. Amazing how only a .5 makes a huge difference. Same for me...it was like an instant light switch between eating a cow and a .5 later on sugar free Jello and popsicles for weeks!

Just reading thru your post & I understand you're in a program at work which gives nutritional information to people who have not had wls? I find that if I stick to only those foods that do not irritate my pouch and I comply with my band's eating program I do just fine. My list of foods is exactly as yours. No meat, only the soft parts of the chicken, ground turkey, etc. I do live on Protein shakes, Soups, and salads, sugar free jellos, oatmeal, mushies. And yes its a VERY VERY miserable life, a very different life from my pre-band life where I carried around 60 extra pounds on my knees and ankles baring most of the weight, but I've accepted it as my New Normal.. Will I be able to tolerate this for years on end? for the rest of my life? I don't know. But its the sacrifice I'm willing to endure for the moment until I've gotten my weight under control. And if removing my band means gaining weight....I'll try and ride it out for as long as I must...

@shondelrobert Your band was merely "installed" last month. What they don't tell us in the consultation is that it could take months to get to the restriction level (sweet spot) where your hunger diminishes and your not able to consume the same volume of food at one sitting. I'm 7 months in and countless fills later and I "think" I've finally made it. It's been a long road. Some only take 1 fill, some 4, some 10...Restriction with lap band you have to sneak up on it, it isn't immediately out of surgery. If I were you, I'd stick to chickens and meats and vegetables for now. Stay away from sliders and junk foods that you can eat a lot of because they're filled with the most calories and will cause weight gain. Right now any weight loss will be from your very own will power and discipline.