Fauxnaif

Just think! At three years out, you will most likely be at goal and you can ask your friends how much they have gained back!:cheeky

I started at 319. Almost 350. I have had my band 3 years this week. I took time out to have a baby and am at a total of 108 pounds lost. Got a good fill again after not having one for over 1 year or 1.5 years. I am still losing. I have about 30 pounds to go! It can be done!!!:glasses

Graze all day Drink small sips of Water with meals Figure out which foods go through easily and overdo those PB then eat some more Unfortunately, there are lots of ways.

He's my doc and he's great!!! Any specific questions?

Just the rest of that day (after getting a fill about noon).

Well, have you had a child? :cross-eye I was banded before I had a baby and I had never had surgery before. I thought it was very uncomfortable. But looking back, I barely remember it. Plus, there are good drugs available. It's really not that bad. It's more annoying and uncomfortable. But healing comes fairly fast. If you've had a baby, it will be a snap!!! If you're virtually decided, I wouldn't let worry about pain stop you. It's mostly fear of the unknown. FN

I have a tight fill. No-nos for me include: oranges any bread product rice coffee in the morning before about 9 asparagus potatoes Pasta of any kind

I bought the online version and saved it on my computer. It is a good book and really has some good tips and guidelines we all need to be reminded of.

Here what mental hunger/head hunger/emotional hunger is: Take your situation below. Mental hunger is: why don't you stop when you are full? Why is it that you are so attached to the feeling of eating, the yumminess that you do it even though it has negative consequences (obesity, obviously) for you? Why can't you get your needs-whatever they are-met in other ways besides eating? I say this not to be rude or with a know-it-all attitude. I have been dealing with these issues myself-for years. I could even deal with them and NOT overeat but until the band I never could lose significant amounts of weight. The good news is, the band (along with dealing with these issues) has enabled me to finally do it.

It takes quite a while to get the hang of this thing! I can totally relate to your frustration. I think that when you can get another fill, it will be easier. But until then, concentrate on really trying to feel the subtle messages of fullness (burping, hiccupping, runny nose, feeling conscious of your throat, etc.). Use this as a learning experience. The band has many benefits-one of the greatest is teaching us patience. BTW, I don't think what you are eating is that bad. Just be sure to emphasize the Protein.

I got my band in June 2002 and am still very pleased with Dr. Rod.

I did! I highly recommend him! I am going back to him for my fills even though it is a 6 hr. drive (we make a weekend out of it). There is a group at yahoo.com for his patients and you can find out lots of information about him. He is very caring, his nurses are awesome. He is VERY accessible my phone. Call him if you haven't already. Here is his website. http://www.joseband.com/ He is awesome!!!

I drink a couple of glasses of milk for extra calories and protein. It works for me.

Amen! I was sooooo hungry, too!!!

True or False? --- banding is better for large eaters, by-pass for those who eat normal amounts of junk food or sweet tooths. I think banding or the bypass can help either. True or False? --- banding has a higher long-term success due to the ability to re-fill versus a weight loss window. Yes, but we can't indefinitely get fills. There does come a point where some bandsters get reflux. I do agree with this statement overall. The weight loss with the bypass does slow after about 18 months. True or False? ---- you do not lose your hair with banding. Some do; some don't. True or false? --- banding requires much more will power and ability to avoid fattening high calory foods like chips, sweets, carbs. which could prevent any weight loss. I think it does require more will power. But you'd be AMAZED how much will power you can have when you aren't starving! True or False? ---- if you don't lose the weight within your 13-15 month period with by-pass, you are stuck since your body will have become efficient at working on less caloriesand make it near impossible to lose more. Eventually this is true. True or False? --- many people with banding only lose a small amout of weight in the first two years and often require up to four years to lose 100 or more pounds? Many people lose 80-100 in the first year. I am a weird case because I took a year off to have a baby.

Yes, I'd be happy with that loss. It's VERY good. Fauxnaif -86 pounds 48 more to go!

Good idea! This is true!

I take wellbutrin and have ever since I have had my band. It hasn't been a problem.

Oooh! I'm so excited. I've never been called that before! See, the band is opening all sorts of doors for me!!!

I just had a son after losing 90 pounds with the lapband. My last fill had loosened up so I didn't get an unfill. I was willing to, if needed. I only gained about 20 pounds during the pregnancy and I felt so healthy and good. My son came out very healthy and we're all extremely happy. Now I am back on track and losing again after a fill. I would have felt very, very worried if I had had the bypass (about nutrition for the baby and all that). Having a healthy son and a fairly easy pregnancy without gaining much weight has been an unexpected side effect of the band. It has been more important than the weight loss in a lot of ways. I know without the band I would have gained over 50 or 60 pounds. Keep the faith. People have A LOT invested in their choice of surgery (esp. when they have done something irreversible and dangerous) and will put any other surgery down. I laugh when I see some of the myths about the band on OH. I wanted to add that my mother had a bypass and has regained her weight and is now thinking of the band.

I just want to be able to wear a ladies lextra-arge from most stores. I'm not sure what size that would be. A 14? 16? I don't want to get super-skinny either. That's just not me. Fauxnaif -80 50 more to go (incl. 20 pounds of baby weight)

I do this too. Only because of my recent fill. It's a really good fill but it does bite me in the butt at night. I wake up coughing up too. I started taking an antacid pill at night and it's basically gone.

I've been eating 1/2 ice cream containers every night. I guess I will stop when they are gone. We have about 4 left. They are only about 170 calories each and I probably need the calories but this certainly isn't the best way to get them!!! I just thank God we bought the little individual things instead of the big half gallons!

I took almost two years "off" from the band to have my baby and just recently got a fill with good restriction again, so I feel like it's different this time. To me, restriction feels: -painful if I go too quick or ignore the subtle feelings of full With my new fill, it is tighter and I am paying more attention to the subtle signals. It feels like: -a slightly heavy feeling in my throat, not pain but slightly full -I truly do not want to eat more -I have to go slow with liquids even and can't drink more than about 1 cup at a time I LOVE RESTRICTION! BTW, I have a 9cc Inamed band (not approved in the U.S.) and have 4 cc in it.

I agree with Betty. I cannot eat bread or Pasta and only some potatoes. It seems like good restriction to me. But it's whatever you are comfortable with. Oatmeal has a way of swelling up and filling me up really fast too. Also, it's rare that (when I have what I consider good restriction) I can eat much at all before about 10 in the morning. I would try Protein first, chewing very, very well.