morningoasis811

I can't wait for my first fill... I have my second appointment on Jan 9th, hopefully they'll give me a fill this time. I'm glad I read this thread, it's hard to put it in to words, but It was said here. I want the band to tell me it's there, I want my money's worth you know. It's hard to explain to my husband. I have some decent restriction and am losing weight, way slowing down now. I can eat about 1000-1200 calories a day at this point, I get hungry every 2-3 hours, I only eat about a cup at the most each sitting. I'm excercising and all that jazz. I guess I just don't feel like a true bandster yet. I look forward to real restriction.

Coming up on 2 months and loving it. I'm losing about 1-3lbs a week. Hoping for a fill so I can feel the real affects of being a bandster and having the tools really work with and for me. I have no regrets. I view it as a tool. Yes I could lose 1-3lbs a week on my own with Weight Watchers, but the band is my will power on portion control, it does for me what I cannot do for myself! It has forced me to be consciously aware of how much and of what I am eating.

In my experience with the Medically supervised diet... it didn't matter what insurance I had. While I was on the diet I had UHC and my Doctor had me come in once a month for check ups (weight, cholesterhol and so on). I kept the same medical group, but switch primary care dr's and insurance, and Healthnet approved my lap band surgery based on my unsuccessful loss attempt ( I lost weight very well, but gained it all back within a year). As long as it's tracked and in your medical record they can use that data.

Yeah 200 pounds over goal weight seems like a lot. Maybe they meant you must weigh over 200 pounds or more. I have heard the same as the others... 40+ BMI and or 100 lbs over healthy weight (BMI of 25)

I think I may try some lettuce at home in a controlled environment before venturing out and ordering a side salad with my slab of chicken... I'm good with bread, i only eat whole grain for the Fiber, scared to try rice, ok with Pasta though I avoid it at all costs to avoid white carbs. I havn't tried raw veggies, I drink v8 and steam the hell out of my veggies, I still keep those mushy and to avoid the gas pain... don't need any help with that. I eat a lot of Beans. Fiber and Protein... it's like the perfect food (for me anyway) Thanks for everyone's input on the salad, I was starting to get worried.

Hello all, I desperatly miss salads. I love leafy greens and the crunch. I read and hear that lettuce is a no no... but for how long? Then I hear some people are eating salads... what's up? What happens when you eat lettuce? does it block the stoma? why are we not supposed to eat it? Please advise on your experience with Lettuce. Thanks:help:

Your situation sounds like mine. My doctor won't give me a fill unless I lose less than the average 1-2# per week. I was discouraged at first, but he knows best I guess...I go in for a second fill appointment on Jan 9th, we'll see how it goes now. I can tell that i'm able to eat more at each sitting now and I get hungry every 2-3 hours...we shall see...

That was my goal... 100 pounds in a year. I figure that's 8-10 pounds per month and 2-3 pounds per week? But I worry because I hear so many people hitting long plateus even with fills in between. I'm losing pretty good right now, so good that I didn't even get my first fill... I have to go back in January... I guess that's good. My Dr. only expects 1-2 pounds per week of loss and I'm at 2-4. So I'm a happy camper... for now.

I have to admit that I've indulged in some cookies the last two weeks... I've been to two cookie parties and lost my control. I didn't binge or anything, but I'd been picking at them. I hear you about the dumping syndrome... My Dr. was leary about giving the band to someone with a sweet tooth, he says that the dumping syndrome is the best deturant... I still stayed under my calorie limits those days I ate cookies, but still... that space should have been filled with healthy protien bearing foods.

That saying is so funny... I do believe I've come across that before. Sorry to hear you had a PB... can I ask what it was that you ate? Had you eaten that food before or were you trying something new since banding? Thanks for the warning sign... I'm always worried about getting one of those, nothing close to it yet...

I'm glad I read your post Suzy... my Dr. is super conservative... as I found out yesterday. I was denied my first fill at my 7 week follow up. He said I'm losing 2-3lbs per week and don't need one right now. At first I was all butt hurt about it, I guess I really wanted a fill to fell like a true bandster... but if JUST the band is working for me... then I guess that's good enough for me. I'm set to go back on Jan. 9th, we'll see how it goes then. Since my denial yesterday I've been thinking a lot and analyzing my restirction. I can eat about 1/2 -3/4 cup at a time, but I get hungry within 2-3 hours. So I was hoping for a fill that would help keep me full longer maybe... but i'm not sure that's how it's supposed to work. He says that it's good that I eat 4-6 1/2 cup portions per day to keep my metabolism up as long as I'm staying within my Calorie limits. So I guess I'm ok and still part of the club. I read up above someone saying they didn't get fills but were still losing weight by will power alone... I fear that... If I was going to lose weight with will power alone, i wouldn't have considered the band. I need that tool with my will power you know... My sick mind... at fist I thought, fine I'll stop losing weight just so I can get a fill. How sick is that. I instantly talked myself out of that silly idea. strange where the mind goes sometimes...

*Sorry* It's GLAD not Ziploc brand. 4oz miricle cups on the go.

Hi everyone. This thread is helpful in getting everyone's input and outlook. Let me preface my post by saying that I have not had a fill yet. I was banded 7 weeks ago, I had my apt. yesterday for a fill, but the Dr. said I was doing fine with losing 2-3 lbs per week and he'd see me again in Jan. I am overly conscious of not wanting to stretch out my pouch (self inflicted damage). So with no fills I feel that I have pretty decent restriction. I will typically pack and plan my meals for 1 cup servings, but I break them down in to shifts. I eat part of my breakfast at 8am and part at 10am. So I'm eating 5-6 small meals a day about 1/2 cup each. I feel my magic number depending on time of day and restirction is about 1/2 - 3/4 cup unless it's soup or something liquidy. I find myself getting full quickly on 1/2 cup after about 20-30 min. But I get hungry again within 2-3 hours. So I pace myself all day. I know we are warned against grazing, so that's why I pre-plan, I measure, I educate myself on portion size and eyeballing because you're not always going to be able to measure, and I record my food after each meal online, and I stay between 700-800 net calories per day. Seems to be working ok for me. Reading everyone elses experiences has certainly helped in my personal benchmarking. *Tip, I have found the Ziploc brand disposable tupperware makes 4oz containers, you get like 6-8 per package for like $4 these are a perfect 1/2 cup! When I open a can of Beans, I just portion them out and put them all in the fridge, easy breasy! I have also found that using baby spoons and forks, along with small salad plates (especially when eating out) helps a lot!

Hi Cota129, I'm going in for my first fill today. I currently eat about 800 cals a day, I have some good restriction. Like I can eat 3/4 cup portions at a time and be full... but I get hungry like 2-3 hours later. I'm hoping that with the fills I'll be able to stay fuller longer... I'm assuming that's what will happen. I'll check back in here and let you know though. I could easily be doing 1000-1200 cals a day right now, but I'm very cautious about moving forward too quickly. My paperwork says to be at 1000 cals at this point.

I had my surgery on 10/25, I took the food phases post op really slowly. I stay around 800 net calories a day. I get full after 3/4 cup of food, however, I get hungry every 2-3 hours, but I get full pretty quick, I chew really slowly like they say, and try to finish my meals after others I'm eating with. I'm hoping that with my first fill tomorrow, I will be able to stay full longer... and not get so hungry in between. I'd like to do the 3 meals a day, but right now I'm at 6 mini meals. The doctors information really helped. Good luck, let us know how you progress...

Hi All, I'm a newbie scheduled for my first fill on Dec 12th. I tried searching and reading for what a Flouroscopy actually is, however all I read is whether your Dr. uses one or not when you get a fill. Someone mentioned that it's better to have one, because you get more accurate fills and you can see it going in or something on a screen???:help: Please share your expereince and knowledge with me. Thanks

swtacey1977 - let me/us know what your surgeon says. I have my first fill appointment with my surgeon this Wednesday as well, so I'll check with him. It's embarrassing at work, they are really loud and deep. Just one at a time though, so people think it's weird or don't know what it is because there aren't more of them. So Fun!:clap2:

Crishell, thanks for sharing your epiphony. I keep track of everything on Calorieking.com (recommended by my nutritionist). so I do a pretty good job of monitering on a daily basis. I'm glad to see that this tracking has paid off. I know I gained weight pre-band to not paying ANY attention to what I ate and not caring. I too find it VERY challenging to get in all of of my Water (in between my 6 mini meals all day with the waiting 30 min) but I can tell I feel better and my digestive system works better with more water for sure. Water and Protien are my top priorities for sure. I also find it challenging to get all my protien in while staying under my perscribed 800 calorie a day limit... I play around with meal plans and find good fits, so I make it work. but it is a little bit of work. It pays off though. I need this time to make new healthier habits. I try to get 20 grams of Fiber in a day, so I need more carbs to do that, but I seem to be losing ok.

Caution? Like do you have to chew the hell out of it? why does it cause a bad reaction?

THAT was the funniest (LOL for real) thread I've read so far. Thanks for the link. I have had no PB'ing or barfing yet. I got STUCK once with a pill because i didn't sip enough Water with it. that took 2 hours to pass. So... NO on the lettuce and the rice is what i've been hearing... Thanks

ADM07, thanks for starting this thread. I was just about to post to see if what's going on with me is normal or indicative of a fill... Wheetsin - thanks for the checklist! I'm scheduled for my first fill on Dec 12th, I'll be nearly at 7 weeks by then. I have been very good with portion size eating 1/2 - 3/4 cups of food at a time and working at staying between 600-800 calories and 60-80 grams of Protein per day. I've also started excercising. Weight loss has been slow and steady, just about 2 pounds per week for the last 3 weeks or so. My main thing is that i'm hungry between meals, so I eat about every 2-3 hours, I keep thinking that with a fill I'll be able to eat fewer times per day and stay fuller longer. Thanks to all the seasoned bandsters for your advise to us newbies getting fills.

B - 8oz NF milk w 3/4c plain cheerios L - 3oz deli roast beef, 1/2 c TJ's tomatoe soup, 1/2 pack baby carrots (microwaved soft) S - 4oz 1% cottage cheese D - 4oz BBQ chicken breast, 1/2 c BBQ beans 40 min walk at lunch

Yeah, I burped a lot the first 3 weeks. I also get random hiccups one at a time. Now at almost 6 weeks out, I still hiccup a lot during the day. I stopped drinking with straws at 3 weeks and the burps lessoned and so did the farting.

Kittee! That is awesome, congrats! Hey, so what are you doing thats working? Are you watching your calories? Excercising? Keeping a food journal? Portion sizes? Share your successful methods with us.

Groovy, thanks. I just signed up for one!