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GOOD FOR YOU, BIGPOPPY! I'm hanging in at 47, and playing up and down a pound. Hoping to hit the 50 this week. I find that Saturdays are my difficult day because we're Sabbath observers so there is more food around for the meals and sometimes company, and nothing to do so I get "nudgy" and want to eat. Then on Sunday, like today, I eat next to nothing all day. Can't get it down at all until evening. It's so weird. My restriction seems to change day to day. But, as long as I'm getting there, I"m not unhappy. I am going to NY to visit my family and my husbands. With a restriction that's not quite as tight as it was, it's gonna be an interesting week. Here's hoping and praying I can do my part and the band keeps me honest. I wish I could say I'm not worried, but I am.

I'm telling you ladies.....morning sex. No pain at all. An empty stomach does help. Also so does almost 50 pounds! He can actually stay just above me now without my belly pushing against him. YAY

Some people do split it up, but actually, why do that? It's all part of the same process and it's where you end up that matters anyway. ALSO, the variation between pre-op protocol is huge, with some people having 3 weeks or liquid pre-op and others, like me, only having a day or liquids and the wonderful clean-out with our liquid period after the surgery. So, the only way to look at everyone equally, and why would anyone want to do that, would be total weight loss overall. But we're all so different, and lose differently and are different ages, hormone levels etc. And we all start from a different weight. So, it's all very individual. Good luck with your loss.

Thanks, Mamakatken! I called for appointment, but am now waiting til Friday as the doctor's schedule may open up and I really prefer having my surgeon rather than one of the fellows do the fill. That will be 8 weeks between fills. You're doing great too. I noticed that we're close in all things. I'll be 57 next month, we started at the same weight, and we're both losing really nicely. GOOD FOR US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love this....we have our own Kama Sutra thread!! I have also had some trouble with pressure on the port and I can pass along one bit of advice that has worked for us. I experimented and found that I'm far more comfortable in the mornings as I have nothing in my stomach. Maybe because internally, it really takes a long time to heal, even though the band etc are safely in place. The nurse at my surgeon's told me 100% healing of all tissue can take up to 6 months. So, try it empty (yes, I do to the bathroom first also). I still don't have him lie down fully- he's on my lower stomach but stays up on his arms so it's not full weight. I'm far more comfortable. And once he's in, it's also good for the man to move back up and on his knees and the lady put her legs up, leaning them on his shoulders. If your back can take it, it's also very easy that way. I find that very easy for me.

LONGTOBETHIN- CONGRATS on hitting the big 40! It's great. Keep up the good work! We're all getting there day by day, 8oz of water by 8oz of water.

For those who need it (you didn't mention your weight), the band is not a magic wand, but a very, very effective tool for changing your life. And it is life-changing. No doubt about it. But it is a journey, full of good days and some discomfort and issues along the way. You can read about a million large or small complications and complaints here as well as the good news. But when I looked into this and read many posts, I found that no one was sorry they did this, even if there were difficult moments and even issues along the way. I'm thrilled I did this for myself (oh, and that's important- you need to be doing this for you!) Now let me tell you what the band is not.....it's not a panacea that will transform the issues in your life or marriage into fairy dust. You will be hopefully healthier, fit into clothes better, and start to feel good about yourself- giving you the strength to meet life's challenges better. But the band doesn't make your life change. You do. Your marriage, kids and all the other blessings or stresses of your life will still be there. My advise....take your husband along to any seminar you attend, to your initial dr. consultation, etc. If he is not supportive of this, it will make it very difficult for you- not impossible, but more difficult. You need a support system in place for the weeks immediately after surgery, for example. You may find that he will become more supportive when he actually learns what you will face along the way. And if your internist or surgeon is really good....they will do what mine did for my husband....they explained to him very thoroughly that my weight was in great part not within my control, and that even if I lost all the weight, I would most likely gain it all back and more as that's what happens to over 80% of people who lose weight on their own. He has to understand that your own body works against you in this, and that the band helps to override our DNA, hormones, etc. If he begins to understand this, you may find a true partner in the process. I hope so. I wish you the best of luck in your journey.

I tried daily plate also, but you know what happens....you start on one and you become accustomed and changing becomes too hard. I love mine too and it's made such a difference that I'll just stay with it. I'm sorry to hear the pilaf bit you. I've been okay with rice. In fact, I have to be careful because if it goes down, it's eaten. I told my dr. that it's a problem when I'm with other people and we're all eating and talking. I end up eating more (and it goes down). He was funny....he said I have to learn to "push the food around on my plate alot" to pass the time away.

Mine also said 6 weeks and gave us the go ahead when I had my first fill. What the surgeon didn't tell me was that that the go ahead meant the band was now safely healed in place and I couldn't hurt it having sex. HOWEVER, sex was very uncomfortable bordering on painful. Further investigation told me that although the band can take it at 6 weeks, the abdominal tissue may take months to really heal and form scar tissue to protect the port so sex can hurt. An interested husband can make all the difference because other positions than missionary help to make the difference. And with some experimentation I've also learned that sex is far more comfortable when my stomach is empty- which makes sense. So, it's morning sex for now and still no pushing on the spot. So use the morning light, but wait 6 weeks to ensure a healthly healing.

Every doctor has his own protocol, but I can clearly say that many ban pasta bread pancakes rice etc, at least for a few months. Toast is much better than fresh bread as dough can get stuck. My doc bans all for 6. There is some flexibility but if one is newly banded, don't take the chance of getting food stuck. Sticky rice is especially difficult. Now, that said, two months later and I find I can eat rice, I am just very careful and chew and wait a long time between bites. I have whole wheat crackers and they are okay with everyone and fine with me. Add one new food at a time and do it days or even weeks apart. Just think about it.....even if you can eat bread early on......why slow down the weight loss and have the potential for uncomfortable sticking when it goes down. All I know if I've followed the advice from my doctor, who is very conservative, and I'm down 45 in 9 weeks. So for me, participating, and not leaving all the work to the band, is working so far. Good luck

There was a discussion of food diaries a page back and I just wanted to add that I've kept one pretty much since I went on solids 4 weeks after surgery. I keep listing and calories. I use myfooddiary.com. I realize there are free food diary sites (this one is $9 per month) but it's the one I understand and am comfortable so it's a good investment. The only times I don't track is when I've made a stew or something with so many ingredients that I don't want to spend the time trying to figure it out...especially if I make it up as I go along and no recipe. Also if I'm at someone's house and they make something complex. But I use it 90% of the time, and when I went to the dr for a follow-up today (he didn't think I'd need a second fill for a while so no fill today), he was thrilled. Said I was ahead of the curve on loss- I'm down 45 today! I think writing it down all day helps me get enough fluids, and helps me see where I am going - I do adjust what I eat end of day by how many calories I see. This was unexpected. I never thought I'd count calories after lapband, but it helps me....it really does. Just thought I'd throw in my experience with this.

I'm sure you've heard this before, but you are a heroine to me. Good on you, and may we all have the same success. AMEN. As to breasts, like you I don't see them as being an issue. Happy to have the girls healthy! And a bra takes care of much of it. Like you, I'm likely to have a tummy tuck down the road....but I need to get there first. Unfortunately for me, I'm older and my thighs got very heavy and resemble cottage cheese so I'll never look like you do in your "afters". I'm so glad to see someone do as well as you have, and I'm just gonna work to be the best me I can whittle down to and be happy and stay healthy with what I've got.

THANK YOU, Rugman. Great explanation. And yup, we are the ones going to do it. My therapist hears all about the Forum and she thinks it's something like this that can make that bit of extra difference. To have postitive, ongoing support is priceless. My starting BMI was 55. I played on the internet last evening and found those old charts. According to them, at 5 ft 2 in I shouldn't weight more than 132 ish. That means in their world, I started out 183 pounds overweight. Now, I dont' expect to be 132 pounds, but it was interesting because 60% of that is 110 pounds. That would put me at 205. I want to crash the 200 mark and feel that anything more (or less) is gravy. Ideal target is 160-170. So, I feel that this is all very doable. Thanks again.

GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE! Long weekend over, and back to work. My band seems to be back to work again as well. Second tight day in a row. I'm beginning to think that I have an amazing band- looser on Friday night and Saturday so that I eat more- then it tightens up for the rest of the week. COOOOL. LOL. I'm not sure how cool it really is. I woke up today in pain when I tried to roll onto my side in bed. Left side impossible, right side simply uncomfortable. WEIRD I thought. As if I'd done something to the band. Here's the ick part.......I went to the bathroom and let's just say it was more than I'd gone for a long time....... and then I tried lying down again, and ta-da.....almost all the pain gone. So, yet another piece of info. When my system is very full, everything's uncomfortable- I'm going to the surgeon for a follow-up tomorrow so if it happens again tonight I'll ask, but I'm finding that the anecdotal stuff we discuss is often far more than the surgeon's know. This actually goes right in line with helping to solve my other recent issue....sex is easier in the morning when there's nothing in my stomach. Less pressure. Huge difference. I'd hate to think the two acts- sex and bathroom- we're that connected- but the evidence is in LOL!!!!!!!!!! scale down another 1/2 pound. Good start to the week. Bye

I have a question for anyone --- A couple of pages back there was a discussion about the percent of weight loss that is average for lap banders. I believe it's 56-60 percent of extra poundage. My question is- 50 to 60 (or more) percent of what number? The weight from those old insurance charts? From some other published "ideal weight" roster? And as they give a range, would you use the high, low, or some abstract average? I really want to know what number to use. Anyone?

LYNN1215, I'm in exactly the same place you are. Eating well, but eating more and aware of it but not stopping. I had an uncontrollable Saturday. Of course, what I call uncontrollable now is nothing what that meant before. Now it means getting to 1800 calories- before it would be what, 3000? I also want another fill, but then after yesterday's eating and feeling like everything was just sliding on down, today I can barely eat. I had liquids all day- and they didn't even go down well. Tonight I had some veal stew- soft and warm- and that went down but I really don't feel great. My band seems to be tighter some days than others- even with the same food. I have been losing (getting a bit slower) and I see the doctor on Tuesday (no fill- just a follow-up). It's a month since my one fill of 2ccs. Yesterday I thought "GET ME A FILL ASAP", but today, I feel very constricted. So, I just don't know what to do. I guess I'll just talk to him about it. I'm going away for a week on the 16th, so I wouldn't go before then anyway, but this is yet another twist in the roadmap. Happy to be down close to 45, but wanting more!

Found it. I had put in women instead of woman. You had it both ways. I found the original email. YAY. Now I'm going to go look. Take care and thanks.

I tried it- thanks for the "cryptic" way of wording it....but when I go there it tells me the site is closed and for sale. HAH. Guess that's that. I'll try again. Maybe I did something. I appreciate the effort. Thanks.

ELAINE- I had three weeks of liquids after banding, then a week of mushie/soft and then when I hit week five I could supposably eat regular foods, but I was on mushies at least a week longer. meat is the toughest to eat. I haven't even felt like having steak. I've stewed veal with veggies, making the veal so soft it was easy to eat. But you'll have your own schedule, and while it may feel like you want to push ahead and eat everything, it's infinitely better to take your time and really really really let your body heal and the swelling around the stomach go down. It's a natural time to really lose as well. Good luck.

Hey Cindylew, I've got to look at the site you're talking about here and in your answer to me. What's the address again? There are still plenty of times I revert to "mushies". I make my salmon, tuna and rarely, chicken salad, in my food processor so that it's like a pate or creamy. Much easier to eat. Tuna salad really gets stuck and hurts- too dry if not pulverized. And egg salad is good also. The meat I've had has been ground beef- I think of it as meat's mushy version. I havent' had Pasta at all. I"m going to try rice noodles because I want to make Pad Thai. I have a feeling it won't go down well, but I want to try. MUSHIES RULE!!!!!

I know, I know. It's rough sometimes. First I can eat much more and then I get a day like today.....can't get much down at all. Everything gets stuck. It's as if eating more yesterday sort of made everything swollen, or tighter. It's day by day. Today I barely got down a Protein drink. Have had 7 glasses of liquid -just had a glass of lactaid milk. So I've ended up having little protein so far. dinner is a veal stew, which went down TOO easily the other night. But today, everything is slow and sticking. I tried a cracker- the same tight I had 5 of yesterday, and today - it got stuck and hurt bad. So, how does the surgeon decide when to do another fills. When my days are like this, I don't need another. But then I have the eating days as well. OKAY, SO WHEN DOES IT GET EASY????????????????

HI everyone. I have been off the boards for a bit but coming in to say hey and check-in. I'm still wavering between 41 and 43 pounds off. Making me nuts. I go down and bounce up a couple of pounds. I'm yearning for 45. But then I'll just be yearning for 50 I guess. I go to the surgeon on Tuesday, but not for a fill. I only could take 2ccs at my first fill, so he didn't think I'd need one for a long time. I'm not so sure about that right now. I can drink more at a time, and eat more at a sitting. Yes, some things don't go down as well as others, but I can get pretty much anything down if I chew well and wait for it to drop down. I'm eating less than on "diets" in the past, but I am eating quite a bit more than a couple of weeks ago. Very sudden change. I'm going on vacation in about 10 days so a fill will need to ait until after I come home. Even if I can only take 1cc, it might close the gap a bit. It's only 10 weeks since surgery, and I haven't developed the changes needed to do this "on my own" . I see the creeping up of calories a little at a time. I'm not gaining, but losing next to nothing this past week or so. Anyway, enough complaining. How's everyone else doing?

Thanks so much. Knowing the "ideal" weight is the trick, isn't it? I phoned the nutritionist at the surgeon's office and she told me I could eat a little less than the 77 originally given me, but not to go under 60. That's good, because there are days now and then when I just can't get it all in. But usually, there's no problem Thanks again,

Hey Indiogirl, I found so many congrats note that I went back to find out what was happening.....CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW. Gives all us old broads hope. SO much for it's harder to lose when you're older. You go girl. Great! Hello everyone! Been on and off- mostly off. Things moving along. I'm down 42.5- need to update my siggie I think. I only had a 2cc fill my first time out (June 5) but I'm still feeling nicely restricted - especially if I don't chew well or wait long enough between bites. Happily, no nausea, pb'ing. I'm being very careful. I'm eating a bit more than I was, but I'm staying around 800-900 calories a day. Tonight I tried two new foods. It's so interesting. I tried a bit of pizza. Didn't go down well. So that's it for pizza for a while. Then this evening I gave nigiri sushi a shot. No seaweed. YAY! I was able to eat 3 pieces. The bad news is it took almost a half hour LOL. Not important enough to do very much. I used to eat sushi constantly. Wouldn't run for more right away, but it is nice to know that I could do to a sushi lunch with colleagues and have a little. All in all, I'm a happy camper. NOW, if only I could really get my emotions under control, I'd be really good. Still a lot to work on......

When I went for my appt with the nutritionist, I was told based on my weight, etc. I needed to take in 77 grams of Protein a day while healing. No one has told me to have less and my surgery was 8 weeks ago. I know that SOMEWHERE I saw a formula for figuring out how much protein I should have now that I'm over 40 pounds thinner. Just can't find it of course. Does anyone know the formula to which I'm referring? It wasn't the .4% g/lb....it was a more complicated formula. If anyone knows it, or if anyone weighs about 270 and was given an amount, that's what I'd go by. Thanks very much.