HamuChan

I have never personally known anyone who has gained their weight back and I do know a few people with the band. But since the band is relatively new who knows. But, when you think about it logically I really think you would have to try to gain it back. I would think that if weight gain begins then you can just go and get a fill. But maybe they're something that I'm missing. On the other hand, if a person became an ice cream and milkshake addict and refused to give that up they'd gain back no question. Or if they drank Coke and didn't follow any rules. Hmmm, now you've got me thinkin'....

I'm so happy for you Margo!! You're going to LOVE your band. Be prepared to be skinny!!

Sorry everyone is not perfect but... Not everyone can get a perfect fill everytime. Sometimes it's too tight, yes. Those people need to see their doc quick. But some of us swell more then others so it takes longer to get off of liquids after a fill. Some people don't realize that not everyone's bodies are the same. I, for example, swell extremely easily. So if I am going to have this band work then I am going to have to deal with liquids when my stomach acts up. If I go and get an unfill everytime my stomach swells then I'll be at my Dr's office waaaay too much. I do agree that people need to be held responsible for their own behavior. If someone is taking too big of bites or eating too fast then whining about PB's doesn't make since. On the other hand, it may be taking that person longer to adjust to a new style of eating. Everyone is different, keep that in mind. After reading this post many people will feel uncomfortable about writing about their problems for fear of being judged. I know that I will never complain again on this board knowing that all I am doing is "frustrating" people. Interesting post. But, I must say that I wholeheartedly disagree.

Ever since I got my band about 6 weeks ago I have really not been able to eat meat or really eat much of anything. Which is great! Just what I wanted. So I have been supplementing my diet with Boost & Ensure for Protein and vitatmins. But now I am SO SICK of them!!! I know that I need them but my last sip nearly made me sick! I can't beleive that these actually taste good to me! Ick! It's fairly normal to have problems with meats at first right? I hope my body adjusts better or else I will be having to slug down nasty shakes forever!! Any good tasting ones out there??

Wow, you guys gave me the greateat ideas!!! I defintely try some beans. Also, I'll start dipping my beef, pork, and chicken in Heinz 57 sauce. I love that stuff. I love this board bc you guys always help me out so much!!! Thank you!!

I got my first fill today and am about 6 weeks out from surgery. At the time of the fill I felt fine then I started to get worse. It started with tightness in the throat, I guess that's normal. Then pain in the shoulders, ok that's normal too. Now it has grown into terrrible pain in my jaw on both sides and a splitting headache. Talk about referred pain!! Plus when I first came home I was able to drink Water fine, no worries. Then I tried some tomato Soup, big mistake. After one spoonful I had a HUGE golfball and then a few minutes later was overcome with nausea and had to throw up hard. Now I'm sitting here wondering how I am going to be able to take my pills and wishing that I could take some Advil or something to combat these referred pains. Am I just unlucky or is this all normal? I had some major problems with swelling in the beginning. So much so that the Dr wants me to do full liquids for a full week after the fill. Maybe my stomach is just freaking out again and swelling up? I have nonstop terrible nausea and really wish I had some phenegren to put me to sleep and stop the nausea. I pray that I feel better tomorrow.

Not been too great. I was up until 5am with dry heaves. It was SO awful. This morning Clear Liquids go down fine so I will keep on truckin'. I figure as long as I can get down fluids then I should be ok. I din't mind the liquid diet, but I do mind if I can't get fluids down or if I am nauseous all the time. Do doctors charge for unfills if you're paying for the fills yourself? I REALLY don't want an unfill because I want this to work. I just need to give my stomach a break so that the swelling goes down.

OMG, what is wrong with me?? Have I gone nuts!!? I got hungry and thought ok I'll have a bowl of ice cream. Why? That damn gallon has been in the freezer torturing me for weeks. I thought to myself, the faster I eat it, the faster it's gone and not torturing me. I know, that makes no since. My mind somehow had me convinced that if I ate the ice cream it would make my weight loss easier!! I had 3 HUGE bowls!!! I am stuffed full of ice cream and feel like crying. It's too late, I can't rewind time and change my decision. I must have had 1000 calories of ice cream. I am going to gain 5 lbs in one day!!! I have no self control!! Why couldn't I just stop? I know why, it was the creamiest, sweetest, most delicious ice cream ever!! (it came from Braum's) Every bite was heavenly, until my stomach felt like bursting. My brain flew out the window for about 20 mins while I ate. HELP ME!!!! :cry

Yeah! I would have eaten the ice cream and dinner before the band, I forgot about that. I guess it's good that I made it dinner instead of making a real dinner. Ya know, I am going to cheat every once in a while, because I'm only human after all. But, I definately have to limit those cheatings to less than once a month!! I wonder if that's realistic?? Thank you for the support! I feel much better now. Now let me go eat that chocolate that has been torturing me....Just Kidding!!

Ok ok, I know that it should be expected to gain weight when we finally switch back to solids from liquids. But, when I see 5 pounds come back after losing 16...I feel like a failure. I did what I could to prevent it, but it still happend. I want a HUGE fill so that I will have super duper restriction. When will this weight gain stop?? How can I slow it down?? Lots of exercise maybe?? I know I'm being a drama queen, but I was so excited about the lap-band that I could hardly contain myself...watching the scale go up is something that I hoped wouldn't happen. I am so tired of being fat!!! I am tired or snoring and not sleeping well!! I am tired of being unable to jog or climb up stairs without being winded!! I AM FED UP WITH MYSELF!!! Whew...thanks for listening.

After reading her story, my complaining about anything is ridiculous. She has been through more in her life than most anyone her age, and I am so sad for that. She is in my prayers. Also, she said that she is looking for a live liver donor. How does that work and how do they know if they have a match? I would be willing to do that to save a life, no question. But it might only be for family...I know nothing about it...

I finally have this lap band, the thing that I have been wanting for years. But, I am scared to death that something is going to go wrong. :nervous Either erosion, a slip, or an infection... Is there a way that I can prevent these things from happening to me? Or is it just random who it happens to? I will do EVERYTHING right if I just knew how to avoid those problems. I hope nothing goes wrong...I am being waaay too paranoid huh? I am still on liquids and am scared to try anything but milk and clear stuff. I think I just have that worrisome personality. Help me to not be so scared!!! :paranoid

I finally decided to tell my best friend that I had a lap band and guess what her reaction was?? Of course, she's skinny...perfect body. She says, "So this thing will help you control portion sizes? Why don't you just try and eat smaller portions? Then you wouldn't need to get the surgery." Gaaaaaah! I respond with, "That's the point, I can't control my eating. That's why I needed this." Her response, "Well I think all you have to do is eat less. Smaller portions!" OK! OK! How can I possibly expect someone without an eating disorder understand the thinking of someone with one. But she's my BEST friend! Now she must think that I'm "weak" or "taking the easy way" out. "Oh she must be so hopeless if she can't lose weight without surgery!!" :angry Her last comment was, "It must be nice to have something FORCE you to diet. I don't have that." I know what you're thinking..."this is your best friend, why is she being so mean to you about this?" Well I have come to the conclusion that she is clueless on this matter. She doesn't know what it feels like to be obese or have an eating disorder. She has never been addicted to anything, so she can't understand that way of thinking. How could she? So I can't blame her, she will NEVER understand but I still love her to death. At least I have you guys.

Ok, look at this site. http://droakleymd.com/index.php?page=debate So is this page full of BS or do they have any hard facts? I came across this page randomly and am thinking that either these people are off their rocker or banders have been poorly informed. Obviously this company feels threatened by the success of the lap-band. What are your thoughts when you read things like this? Just curious.

Welcome!! I felt my port "pop" into different places right after surgery. I thought maybe I had flipped it, but it stopped popping around and setted in eventually. I bet your muscle tissue will firm up and it will settle into a spot. LBT is a great supportive site that will help you through the whole process. We hope to see you again!

Mine just started doing that today for the first time! Must be a glitch?? It has popped up 4 times already. :rambo

I have the SAME thing! Mine isn't gas though...I don't think. I am three weeks out, gas pain should be gone?? I have sharp stabbing pains on my left shoulder, especially when I exercise. I spend many hours at night holding my left shoulder in pain. It comes back every evening and is gone when I wake up. STRANGE!!

I know that I am not supposed to drink while I eat. I have just started eating solids so I am trying to follow the golden rules. Today for lunch I left the Water away from my table to take away the temptation. After my first bite the problems began. I have NEVER in my life attempted to eat food without a drink so I knew that this was going to be hard. Nothing wanted to go down my throat! It just stuck there! I felt a dry pastey feeling like everything was clumping together and not wanted to go down. I ended up having to run over and sip some water so that I wouldn't choke! Ok, what now?? What am I doing wrong?? How can people eat without water?? The food just clumps up and feels dry in my throat. I need help guys. Any ideas?

Ok, I have another question. How long after I eat can I drink? 30 mins? 1 hour?

Ok, I have read here that people recommend sugar-free Jello and sugar-free popsicles. If you are on the liquid diet stage and your body is already getting very few calories from just water, juice, and broth; why cut calories in popsicles and Jello? You don't want to starve to death. Your body will shut down if you don't get enough calories. I never bothered to get anything sugar-free during clear liquid phase. It just didn't seem to make sense to me. What do you guys think? :ermm

I decided to get the band a few years ago, I pursued it and here I am. My husband is as big or bigger than me. Has elevated liver functions from fatty liver, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol. The big problem here is that he is the most stubborn person that I know. His parents spoiled him ROTTEN and he has eaten whatever he wanted from day one. He ALWAYS gets the double cheeseburgers and super sizes. I told him that to not take care of your body is selfish to your potential children and to me. And he always says that he will "try harder." But NOTHING ever happens. I got the lap-band for him, me, and my potential children (have none yet). I love him so much but I don't know how to explain to him that this has GOT to get drastic. He needs a lap-band!!! But could he even stick to it without slipping his band!?? I am SO worried!! You can't force someone to get the band! Especially someone like my hubby who is as stubborn as a mule! Have any of you recommended the band to someone you loved? Maybe someone who is stubborn as well? Just curious.

My grandparents died really young from heart attacks and I never wanted that. You gotta ask yourself, how many morbidly obese senior citizens have you met? I have met very few, if any. My guess is that most morbidly obese people die young. Well, so says the surgeon general anyways! Good question!

Compared to other surgeries, the lap-band is a cinch! I was nervous too, but a few days out I knew it was the best decision I ever made. The first few days there is some pain in the diaphram and gas pain but besides that it's pretty simple. Trust me, you'll love your band too! :cheeky About the fills...I am only two weeks out, so you'll have to talk to one of our veterans about that. Be prepared for liquids for a while!! And lots of weight loss! :banana

Ok, this is going to seem like a stupid question. In fact, I know it is. I hate meat. I was a vegetarian for 2 years and didn't even miss meat at all. Then I developed anemia so my dr told me to eat steak. So I ate meat, in limited amounts. When I never ate meat I never even thought about Protein. In fact, I begin to wonder if I was getting any at all. Now I am a bandster and I am told that protein is very essential for us. For someone who ate very little protein to begin with, what is the difference now that I have a band? Is protein needed to lose weight? Or just to be sure that my hair doesn't fall out? Please don't think I'm a dummy!! :cheeky I never took any nutrition classes in college so all I know is that bodybuilders need lots of protein. Thanks!!

Hello all! I was recently banded and am anemic. As in, I need to take in much more iron than the average person. Unfortunately iron supplements have a HORRIBLE side effect on me (an embarassing one). My physician recommended steak, but that's a no no with the lap band. Also, liver is so nasty that I can't bare to choke it down. Anyone know of any iron rich foods that are lap band friendly? Last thing I need is fainting spells. Thank you!! :Bunny