JaxBandster

Suzanne I think you are probably at a good spot. As long as you are able to get down solid food (even though you have to be careful) then you are good to go. Of course, what matters most is where you are comfortable. If you can get by with being more loose then that's good as well. I have found from reading many testimonials that restriction is really a matter of personal preference. Some people want to be so tight they can hardly get anything down (which isn't recommended but some people still do it) and others are happy with the least amount of restriction. Just figure out where your happy place is.

If you are uncomfortable then you should get an unfill. You probably need just a small one from the sound of it. Protein shakes are a good source of nutrition as long as they are the low carb ones. I use Atkins Advantage a lot in the morning for breakfast or to supplement a meal when I'm on the run and don't have time to eat. Definitely stay away from the Instant Breakfast shakes and chocolate milk. Way too high in carbs. sugar free Jello and cool whip are extremely yummy as well as sugar free popsicles. There are drinks such as Fuze (again choose the low carb ones) that are very yummy as well. These are things that will help get you through until you can get into the doctor.

Holy smoke girl you are shrinking away!!!!!! What a difference!!! Sometimes other people can see more of a difference than you can and that's definitely the case here. You are doing a great job! Keep on swimming!!!!

Every time you get a fill it is like starting over from scratch. You really need to take it very slow and reintroduce all the foods that you might have been comfortable eating before one at a time. What worked prior to your fill may not work afterward. Having said that, if I were in your shoes I would do liquids and mushies for a couple of days and if you are still too tight then I would request a small unfill. Call your doctor to make sure what they recommend first though.

Make sure to reward yourself for doing such a good job!!!!!!!!

Congrats Erink! My 16W's have gotten baggy on me! Maybe I will try 14's as well! Or at least regular 16's! Keep up the great work!!!

I think you are making a wise choice. It is important to stay motivated and also arming yourself with knowledge. When can you get your fill tweaked a bit?

Okay here's mine At my heaviest Total of 65 lbs lost from my heaviest

Aveamora you are definitely slimming down! I can really tell a difference! February bandsters rock!

Ezma I can really tell a difference!!! You are doing so well!!! Keep it up!!

Amy you look fantastic!!!!!!!!!!! Keep up the great work!!!

Tap, don't cry! Peanuts have lots of protein!! You could have binged on something far worse! Don't beat yourself up, just move forward! Hugs!

Wow it sure is great to see everyone flocking back home where they belong!!!!! Apples I bet your husband was absolutely thrilled!!! Mine just doesn't want me to get too skinny! LOL For you guys that are experiencing slow loss and/or have no restriction, I would be demanding fills! We didn't get the band to have it empty! Yes we need to do it slowly but you should be getting fills every month. I just had my third in a large AP band. 6.5 cc's. I'm like Mac, I'd be pissed if my doctor wasn't doing what needed to be done to make sure I wasn't hungry. As far as hunger goes, make sure you are getting lots of Protein, it will definitely help. Try eating every few hours (small portions and high in protein). Don't lose sight of the prize, it will happen!

You need to come to the states!!! What a bunch of hoooey!

Thanks honey! I'm working on it!!!!!!

Try substituting one treat (the bad one) for another. Now at night I don't have ice cream, I have sugar free/fat free pudding (Jello packages, instant with fat free milk and they come in all flavors) with a couple of dollops of Cool Whip on top. It's absolutely decadent and only between 10-12 carbs (if you count carbs). I make sure to have a bowl if I behaved myself particularly well during the day and I have room to allocate for the carbs. I really feel like I'm being bad but I'm not. Give it a try

Man I'm definitely in your boat. My 22 year old son lives with us and he eats the same way. In fact, he's an eating machine. He says that he never gets full and that worries me a lot. He is 6'4 and probably weighs almost 400 (Our scale only goes to 350 and he pegs it out) He makes feeble attempts to eat right, but he still eats massive quantities. I too have considered getting him banded but it would be self pay for us (unless one of us gets a job that covers WLS) but like you, I wonder if he is able to get in the right head space to be successful. He is very stubborn and hard headed (wonder where he got that from ) and I don't know if his addiction to food will sabotage his band, i.e. stretching his pouch, etc. Is it possible too have Dr. C do a consult with him instead of Dana? You know how Dr. C is. He will call a spade a spade and if he feels your son's head isn't into it he will say so. I think he can also make your son see the light of day and that this isn't just a weight loss solution, this is a way to be healthy, fit and active again. I know that if I had the means right now that I would seriously consider it for my son. His weight really worries me not only from a health perspective but from a social perspective as well. He doesn't have many friends and I don't know that he's ever dated. I'm quite certain that's because no one wants to date a fat guy. He just wants someone to love him and it makes my heart break. Let me know how it turns out will you?

If you had a hiatal hernia repair at the same time as your lap band surgery (which is common) this can cause pain in your left shoulder for a while. This may also be a symptom of fullness for you. Take some liquid tylenol for the pain, also a heating pad on your shoulder might help as well.

Gibson I know it must be extremely frustrating to be losing slowly; however, on the bright side, that will give your body more time to adjust and for the skin to reshape around your body! Also, you weigh less than when you started this whole ordeal so any progress is good. Slow and steady wins the race right? I don't know if there is anything you can change in your diet to help move things along. All I can say is to make sure you are getting plenty of Water (or other sugar free fluids), get plenty of Protein and watch your carbs. Of course, you already know this Just keep up the great work! You ARE making progress! If it makes you feel any better, I've heard of people losing a lot slower than you so you aren't the slowest by a long shot! Take care of that finger and your cold!

Time for a before and "so far" picture The first is me at my heaviest of 277. The second is me right now at 215.5. I am 5'8. Had my surgery Feb 7th, 2008. I had lost 7 lbs before my first pre-op appt but this is the result of my cumulative pre and post op weight loss. Still have about 45 lbs to go.

I have to back Crystal up on her comments. The band is not about starving or depriving oneself of essential nutrients. One of the reasons that people choose the band is because other weight loss surgeries have a tendency to result in malnutrition. The wonderful thing about the band is that it allows your body to absorb the nutrients that you consume. The optimal band restriction should allow you to eat at least a few ounces of Protein, a quarter cup of veggies and maybe a few bites of carbs if you have any room left. Protein is extremely important to our diet as well as fat. You HAVE to have a little fat in your diet. I know this for a fact as my best friend has been going to an endocrinologist for her weight problems. She weighed over 400 lbs and has lost 50 by barely eating anything. The doctor just told her yesterday that she is suffering from malnourishment especially a Vitamin D deficiency which is mimicking the symptoms of fibromyalgia. The woman is living in pain because she isn't getting the nutrients she needs because she is desperately trying to lose weight. As it turns out, her weight problem is specifically linked to a disease which is attacking her thyroid. She is under strict instructions to immediately begin eating again in order to get the nutrients she needs. My point is that we can take our efforts to lose weight too far to the point of it being detrimental to our health. Trying to feed your body one bite of food at a time and expect it to burn fuel efficiently is unrealistic. Give your body the fuel it needs to keep your metabolism fired up and you will lose faster than if you starve yourself. Be healthy.

Just took a new progress photo! I'm loving my band!!!

You hit onederland??????????????????????? Hooooooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh I can't wait until I get to knock on Mr. Onederland's door!!!!!!!!!! I hope he'll let me in too!!!!! :thumbup: :thumbup::hurray::thumbup::)

Becca In the grand scheme of things you probably didn't do so bad. I mean, what you ate was extremely healthy. Yes you indulged a bit, but I know you are like me and 99% of the time you are always watching what you eat carefully. I have already lost the pound I gained from my cookie binge, so if you do gain a pound back just behave for the next couple of days and it will be gone again. I think it is important to not feel extreme guilt when indulging occasionally. I think it is okay to indulge as long as we realize what we are doing and immediately make plans to get back on track, just like you did with the Protein shake. Otherwise, like I mentioned in my confession above, you eventually begin to feel deprived and that will eventually lead to sabotaging your diet or feelings of depression. I want to know that if I feel strongly that I want to indulge, I can. Just like anyone else who eats "normally". The way we ate before wasn't normal, but now we do and normal people splurge every once in a while. They just don't splurge every day like we used to! So, I hope that you really enjoyed your chips and salsa and the flan. I hope you savored every bite and now are ready to resume eating like a bandster! You're doing great my fellow bandster buddy! Hugs!!

Lots of Protein, lots of fluids. I know they tell you to only eat three times a day but at this point it's really more about healing than it is about weight loss. Try eating meat and/or cheese Snacks between meals. Make sure when you eat your meals to eat your meat first, veggies second and starches last if you have room. Make sure you also recognize your new full sign. If your nose starts running, you feel pressure in your chest, you hiccup, burp or anything else, stop eating. Drink lots of fluids as they will help alleviate your hunger. Drink your Protein shakes. Hope this helps.