shortgal

I don't have an answer for you, but see these posts and it is definitely a problem that shouldn't exist. If I had a heart problem and I moved, I could easily find a new cardiologist to treat me. I would suggest you contact some association like is there a American Bariatric Surgeons Assoc? Or contact your band manufacturer and ask them for help. I think ( hope) as more and more people become banded this will be less of a problem.

Forgot to mention the rate of weight loss on X amount of calories depends a lot on what your current weight is.

I voted 1000 to 1200 but some days i take in 800. Some of the 800 calorie days are to jump start the scale if it's slow and sometimes it's because of a fill (like today). I'm a little sore and just didn't want too much. Full liquids again tomorrow and then soft food. I am always fearful after a fill of what I can eat and generally go very slow with food, my intake those days is usually lower. I find the sooner in the day I eat, the more hungry I am all day, so my "best" days are those that I wait until 11:30 or 12:00 to eat. Whether I can do that or not depends on my fill status and hunger!

There's a thread for high BMI banders that you might want to get on board with for support. Good Luck, it's a big challenge for us all and you've already had great success.

Pattypoo: amazing how a fill can change our attitudes. Congratulations on onederland! We're close to the same weight, but I'm short so my BMI is still high. Because of my height, I don;t think I'll ever achieve or at least maintain a "normal" weight. I'd have to be under 128 pounds. For a brief period in my life I was 128 ( just out of high school) but never for long, so I don't expect to be able to maintain that now at my advanced age ( LOL) I'm ok with that! 140 would be ok. TYMAN: There are two threads for the challenge, the original post and then the week one update. Did you post on both?

Busdriver: There are exercise DVD's available that you can use to "walk" in front of the TV. "Collage Video" sells them. But another thing to consider is that at your lower BMI, while walking is great, it can;t be the only factor. One mile is approx 100 calories burned, so walking 3 miles a day and not changing your food intake, would only equal about one pound lost every 11 days! And 4 miles would be one pound every 9 days. That's why lthe best losers combine both deit and exercise. Of course, I'm not one to talk, I haven't walked since Thanksgiving ( about one week before surgery) so I know it's harder to do than say! Get your food intake back under control by logging and track your Protein. That will allow you to see where the problem is. OR do you need a fill? Congratulations on beating the smoking. Taking on both challenges at one time must be very difficult.

Got a fill today and have some hope that I can achieve my goal (as small as my goal is) for our Valentine Day challenge. Hope (and fills) are good things! I put my goal at a 6 pound loss (yeah, I know, not much compared to the rest of you) but now I'm actually hoping I can get 8 off. Hey, two days of full liqids after my fill, can't hurt either. I was a nervous wreck at the fill today because of getting stuck last night. The nurse has been banded and she understood completely, that helped.

thanks marimaru, I'll look for previous threads!

Is there anyone reading this thread that knows how to start a poll asking people about their experiences flying with the band? I would think there'd be more flyers than scuba divers, with business and pleasure travel being at an all time high. Maybe questions about do they expereince tightness and how close to restriction they are??? Can someone help? Oh but not under the complication forum. I see this more as a side effect than complication.

Hi, I'm a slow loser, too! At over six weeks out, I still cannot get to even 20 pounds off! I was a slow loser before being banded, so I'm not surprised about it. I'm older (56), female, not very active in my daily life (grown kids), no exercise right now, so it makes sense that I'll lose slow. I don't have restriction now, so I just pretend I'm on another diet (hey it's January, I always dieted in January) and count my calories. Hope some restriction comes my way soon. Just grateful at this point that scale hasn't gone up, it might be slow but it's going in the right direction. We have to hang in and follow our band rules!

I feel bad for those struggling so soon after surgery. I was "lucky" i guess, in that I did feel some restriction or lack of appetite for a few weeks. Hunger is now back, so I understand. I figure I've been an expert at dieting all these years, so while I don't have good restriction, I just tell myself I'm on a diet and I count my calories etc. The whole world is on a diet in January anyway, right? I have also been afraid to "test" my band on many foods, so that has helped keep me in check. Hang in there, it has to get better!

Hi Tina! I am in Ffld County and was banded 11/27/07 ( about six weeks ago). For me, the banding process has been a good one, slow progress but the scale continues to go in the right direction. Right now, I do not have good restriction with my band, (but that will come shortly,) so I still have to watch carefully what I eat and I still track my calories. Be sure you have been educated completely on the "fill" process with your band, so you don't become discouraged if your weight loss slows down after the first couple weeks. Your pre-op diet is similar to what I had. good Luck on your journey. shortie

I found it hard to even chew the papaya tabs while I was stuck, but I did, hoping it would help. I will definitely tell them today at my appt, but I hope it doesn't change my fill, because I really feel I need it. They keep me on liquids two days anyway. Once I get restriction, I hope I can once again stop counting calories, but without restriction, I need to know that I'm on track. It's so easy to "fool" yourself and pretend a few things didn't count if you don't add it up. My son is getting married late Sept and if it wasn't for that, I would just take my time and go thru the band process gradually, but I know buying a dress will be hard enough and trying to avoid being disguested with myself when shopping and I'll have to start looking in July, so time is running out. Before surgery, I was walking 3 miles about 5 times a week. then I had surgery and the weather here changed and I haven't gotten back on track with that. I know I will again when spring comes, it really made me feel better.

Trust me, the 800 calories was just two days and it did seem to break the barrier of the scale not going down. At 56 years old and being relatively inactive right now, I have to avoid 1200 calories, but 1000 seems ok. My new worry... I have my dr's appt tomorrow and I just had the worst "stuck" episode I've had. I've had one or two mild stuck events in the whole six weeks and now the night before, I get a bad one? I tried the papaya enzyme and pineapple juice ( even tho' it seems impossible to drink or chew when you're stuck), i walked around for about 10 minutes and it finally came up. I was eating some fresh berries and I guess I didn't chew it well enough. But in the last week, I've felt like I didn't even have a band until tonight's event. I have a 10cc band with I think 3cc in it.

Trust me, the 800 calories was just two days and it did seem to break the barrier of the scale not going down. At 56 years old and being relatively inactive right now, I have to avoid 1200 calories, but 1000 seems ok. My new worry... I have my dr's appt tomorrow and I just had the worst "stuck" episode I've had. I've had one or two mild stuck events in the whole six weeks and now the night before, I get a bad one? I tried the papaya enzyme and pineapple juice ( even tho' it seems impossible to drink or chew when you're stuck), i walked around for about 10 minutes and it finally came up. I was eating some fresh berries and I guess I didn't chew it well enough. But in the last week, I've felt like I didn't even have a band until tonight's event. I have a 10cc band with I think 3cc in it.

I'll be watching for answers. I am scheduled to fly and am worried about it. Not sure that enough people will see this thread "as a complication" and wondering how many answers you'll get. Maybe start a "poll" in another topic thread, if you don;t get many responses?

I'll be watching for answers. I am scheduled to fly and am worried about it. Not sure that enough people will see this thread "as a complication" and wondering how many answers you'll get. Maybe start a "poll" in another topic thread, if you don;t get many responses?

Stay away from the scale? I can't do it. We went away for the weekend and I had no scale and couldn't stand it. I have to know the number, especially right now, when i have no restriction! Mostly, I check often to be sure I haven;t gained. If the scale goes up or doesn't go down even a little in five to seven days, then I get back on to 800 calories for two days. Problem is, I want to be feel full on 800 calories and I don't.. Right now with no restriction, calorie intake has climbed to 1200. My next appt is tomorrow! I hope, hope, hope to get at least a little restriction at least for a week! My dr has been willing to fill about every two weeks, but they are small fills and I had nothing placed at surgery like some others. I can live with going down slowly and I can live (unhappily) with staying the same (until I get good fill) but I can't take going back up at all.

Well, you must be doing something right, you're 2/3 of the way to your goal!

Are you trying to rub it in? HA... LOL. Sounds like you're in a very good place and I hope to be there soon. You feel good, no hunger, so sounds like no problem. When ( if) hunger returns, schedule a fill! Good for you. My next fill is tomorrow. Hope to get exactly where you are right now!

Krsitin, way to go, you are on fire with the weight loss! As for me, Tues (fill day) can't come soon enough. This is the most hungry I've been in the six weeks since surgery. Hope some restriction is close for me!

I am not far enough post op to offer suggestions, but I have seen other posts on the forum that address this. The advice seems to be go back to basic: Lots of Protein all day and most of it should not be liquid Protein, don't drink after meals , eat your protein first, veggie second carbs last and track your calories and protein for about a week to see how much you're eating.

I had terrible heartburn for years and had an upper GI series that showed a hiatal hernia. The surgeon repaired the hernia when he placed the band and so far no more heartburn! Plus, I have found even with only a small weight loss, my bladder can go longer between stops.... now if my knee would feel better, ( i had a torn menicus, repaired but have never gotten back to 100%) I'd really be amazed!

10 pounds sounds like a huge number to acheive, to me. Next fill is Tues... please I hope I get some restriction, even if for one week! I would love to make even my small valentine's day challenge, of a 6 pound loss. I find I can now eat almost anything. Last week for two days, I kept my calories at 800, it was VERY hard. Can't wait for Tues.

did you ask her why she felt bypass was better for you and what it could offer you over the band? Bypass is more expensive, will she get paid more? Don;t want to imply that was the only motive for that comment, but sometimes you just never know what their thinking. Dr's are regular people too, with issues etc. I went to a plastic surgeon about something and asked if a small second procedure would help inhance the first requested surgery to get the results I wanted and he said " well yes we could do that second procedure". Well, I know he can do it, but the question was would it help me get better results... he didn;t answer that. I of course would have paid more for the added on procedure. Just a thought.