luvmy2dogs

The throwing up thing is hard for me to understand, as I have never thrown up, pb'd, or slimed. But.. I'm not to full restriction yet. I have had some trouble with dry chicken or ham leftover the next day and cold, but it just went down slow and hurt a little. No vomiting, etc...I have talked to people that have had this experience quite a bit though. Mr surgeon told me this is less so with Realize. That I guess it's a little more forgiving and you dont' throw up, pb as much. Who knows. I'm sure you're just full.

Hi Jodi, sounds like you're doing GREAT! Way to go! One girl I read was also drinking while she ate. That was until her Dr. told her flat out... If you do, you will fail! The food will wash right through your pouch and you will not be full. How is she doing with weight loss? I know it's hard not to drink with your band, but she needs to overcome this. Why spend all that money on the band and not follow the rules. I can understand some slip ups, but she is defeating the whole purpose of the band.

I am keeping my fingers crossed. Last night I had a melt down, and wanted to throw in the towel. This morning I got up and was down 1 1/2 lbs, so I felt better. It's sooo hard. I think what discourages me, is I see so many that say this is a piece of cake. It has not been for me. It is a struggle. I now know what they mean when they say "This is just a tool" It doesn't take your desire away for those bad foods you shouldn't eat, etc... I think it makes it easier, but I'm hoping for a little easier with my next fill. :tongue:

Hi Kiz, your post made me feel a lot better, as I feel like we are in a similar place. My Dr. has been telling me the same thing, that I'm small on the "inside" so it takes more Fluid to put puressure on the stomach because there is more space in between. Also, when you lose more weight, it puts even more space. Why oh why does the restriction wear off? Is it because when you lose weight it puts more space there? I guess that makes sense. But.. what happens when we get to our max fill capacity? With the Realize I believe that's 9cc and my surgeon said they can push that a little further. I have never felt like I can just eat 1/2 cup of food. That is why I feel like there is something wrong. Maybe when I get to my "Sweet Spot" that will happen. My loss has slowed down substantially. I know it's still within range, as I'm losing about a lb a week, maybe a little less. I'm happy it's not going up. Thanks for the encouragement. I'm just going to keep trugging along and see how my next fill goes, next week. I've come way too far to go back, so I'm going to keep pushing forward. Thanks again! Luv

Hi Ready, Do you have the Realize band? Also, what size is your band? You're in CT? That's where I'm from originally. My dad had his lap surgery there. He's lost 180 lbs. He does not have the Realize band. He has the original lapband.

Yeah, the chicken breast is a challenge. It's ok warm the first night, it's left over cold the next day that is the challenge. Filet I can do just fine. Thankfully! :-) It's my favorite. Having it tonight as a matter of fact.

I'll try the drinking when I get hungry and see if that works. I don't throw up, and never have. Nothing has ever really gotten stuck. I can eat anything. I have trouble with really dry chicken if I don't chew it good. Not really stuck, but I can feel it and it hurts if I don't chew good. Only dry white breast.

Mine also said there was no difference, just read some have more restriction with the other. Like I said, my dad said he was NEVER hungry. I get hungry. It seems like you're having better luck with the original.

Hi, I too have the Realize band, and am feeling the same frustration. Today I felt like throwing in the towel. I am at 7cc in my 9cc Realize band, and don't have a whole lot of restriction. I feel like most of this is will power and obsessive exercise. After my last fill which took me to 7, I felt a little more restriction, but not in the amount that I ate, only that I wasn't as hungry in between meals. Now that seems to have worn off. I feel hungry more. I could probably eat a whole lot if I kept going, but I just make myself stop when I think I've eaten enough. I feel like this will fail, and I will never have true restriction. UGH! It's so frustrating. I read those with restriction only eat 1/2 cup or so. I eat waaaay more than that. I stop before I even feel full. Some that have the regular band and not the realize seem to have way more restriction. I feel like I made a mistake, and maybe I should have gotten the other band. My father has lost 180 lbs, and had his surgery 3 years ago with the original lapband. He doesn't understand when I say I have NO restriction, and the scale is moving so slow. He said he had it from the start, and was NEVER hungry. UGH! What's wrong with me? He keeps saying I don't know what your Dr. did to you? He lives in CT, and me in Virginia. He started at well over 400, and I started at 254 and I have lost about 46 lbs. But.. trust me, it has been a huge struggle. I exercise every single day. I feel hungry alot. The scale is moving like a snail. Only about 1 lb per week, maybe even less. In the last 4 1/2 weeks I've only lost 3-4 lbs. Am I overreacting. I am sooo scared I'm going to get to 9cc on my next fill, and still not have restriction. Any advice??

Beth and Jimmie, good luck to you both. You will do great. You will love Dr. T. He's a great doc. Carla, you're doing fabulous! I'm only 4 months out, but the band is the best thing I ever did for ME! If I never lost another pound (hopefully that doesn't happen) it would still be worth it. It's amazing what this 45 lbs has done for my asthma. Now if this weather would just get warmer so I can go outside. I'm tired of indoor exercisie I want to WALK!

I had a small problem with ham at Christmas. I think I swallowed too big of a piece. It didn't get completely stuck, but was really painful going down. The other night I had leftover pork tenderloin, and thought I could have the same problem because it was dry, so chewed it to death. When I eat steak I only eat filet, so that's probably why I'm ok with it. I bet my next fill will limit me even more. We'll have to see. I still don't full restriction yet. I should with 7cc I think, but I don't. I can still eat waaaay more than the 1/2 cup of food they say I should eat with full restriciton. So.. I'm guessing I don't. I could eat a whole plate of food if I wanted. ???

I know I should just tell everyone I had the band, but I guess I just don't think it's everyones business. I don't want to hear "Oh, you took the easy way out" because this is certainly NOT the easy way. I have struggled eating the right things, and giving up the bad things I love. I certainly have not found it easy. So, I'm afraid if someone said that, I might punch them out. hehheeee

Hi Pat, Great to hear from you. Do you not eat steak because you can't or because you choose not to. So far, I don't have any problem eating anything. Nothing gets stuck. As far as telling the hostess I'm dieting, I did that. Sometimes that doesn't work. They said "Oh, you can cheat one day, etc" I just ignored it and ate the amount I should have. Also, I do eat breat, but only whole grain. I have one piece of wheat bread with Peanut Butter for Breakfast every single morning. I think everyone is different. I also think the new realize band is a little more forgiving with that. I hear things don't get stuck quite as much. But.. who knows, just what I hear. I think everyone is just different. I try to never eat white breads, Pasta, etc... I really try to stick to the food I should eat, and avoid the ones I shouldn't. I do also have wine now and again, so... :-) Oh, I do have a question. I had a fellow bandster tell me we shouldnt' drink milk, because it's a liquid calorie. What are your thoughts on this? I drink a glass of milk every evening. Skim of course, but I drink it. Dr. T never told me I couldn't have milk. What do you guys think?

There... I fixed it. Just one ticker. lol

GREAT JOB GINA!! Geez, why the heck can't I get rid of one of these tickers. I'm showing two. I'm always having issues with these things. hahahahha:tongue2:

HI, You MUST go in to this thinking that this IS just a tool. It IS NOT a miracle worker. It's very different from gastric bypass. Suzie explains all of this in your 3 hour food meeting. She explains it well, by saying that with gastric you WILL pretty much lose all your weight. If you eat the sweets surgar, etc... you will get sick. Therefore, most don't eat it. We, with the band CAN eat it if we choose. She says with gastric you have to make good food choices later, not at first, cause you will lose it. With the band, you have to make good food choices right from the start, because we CAN eat the bad stuff. We don't have as much restriction from the start as the gastric folks do. I always wondered what they meant by this being just a tool, and I have now seen it. You MUST make the food choices. The deiting IS much easier with the band, as you don't get as hungry, and you fill up sooner. It is a tool that helps you in that way. A great one if I might say. Think about how difficult it was dieting with no band, and always feeling hungry. If you ate 1000 calories a day without the band, you would feel hungry constantly, therefore falling off the wagon much easier. But.. with the restriction of the band, it makes it much easier, but you still have to diet and eat the right foods, and exercise. It's NOT going to take the weight off without doing that. You can eat all the crap you want on the band, and you're not going to lose the weight, or you're going to put it back on later if you go back to your regular eating habits. Not to sound harsh, but it will happen. I've seen it happen with so many of my friends. I've also seen it happen with many gastric bypass patients. You have to make the commitment to not let it happen. Otherwise, don't have the surgery. I know that sounds harsh, but it's the truth. I met a guy at one of my fills that said "If I could only stay away from the Milkshakes" EEEEEEK! You can eat candy and milkshakes with the band, just like you can without it. It doesn't limit the items you eat. But... if you do, you will not lose the weight, or you will gain it back. You have to make the decision from the start that you are willing to give these things up, or eat them in moderation. Not saying you'll never be able to have that milkshake again, but it you do it regularly like now, and eat the same things you do now, you wont lose the weight. I'm only 4 months out, so certainly not the pro., but have seen how this is just a tool, and you still have to make the right food choices. Just like a diet. Only you're not starving all the time while you're on it. That's the best way to describe it. A diet that you're not hungry on. Trust me, it does help. It's a great tool. But... the willpower also comes in to play. There is still cake, and candy, and milkshakes, and Pasta, etc... out there. You WILL want them. It doesn't take away your desire for them. You must push them away and say no. It's easier to do this if you're not starving. Sometimes I struggle. I love sweets. But.. I know if I eat them, this band will not work for me. I am petrified of gaining the weight back. I said this to Dr. T. He says it's good to feel scared. The more scared you are, the more you're willing to push the bad foods away, and the better care of yourself you'll take. But... if you go into this thinking it's a miracle and you're just going to lose weight automatically, its not going to happen. And.... I have seen, you may struggle for the first couple fills. I did. You may not. Everyone is different, and you may be hungry for awhile. You have to fight it. It does get better. Gina... sometimes I feel like I don't get full too, and just stop myself when I think I had enough. I think I've discussed this with you. People say this will change as I get to my so called "sweet spot" with my fills. But.. I just keep thinking back to my husband saying "Is this as hard as dieting on 1000 calories or less without the band" I say "NO" I would be starving. I'm not starving. Sometimes I don't even get hungry and it's like 2:00 and I say "Wow, I need to eat" hahahh Can you imagine that happening without the band? So.. It does hlep. My second fill helped a lot. I don't get hungry in between meals at all. You will stray and have a few things you're not supposed to. But.. you'll get right back on if you see the scale not moving. Dr. T also says that those that weigh themselves regularly, do better. They stay more disciplined. Anyway, the band is great. You will love it, and you will do great. But... you also have to go into this thinking you will have to diet. It definitely is just a tool. It's a great one. Good Luck! You'll do fine. Those that have gained their weight back, I'm sure will tell you, they eat bad things again, and have changed some of their eating habits back to the old ways. Hey, I'm not saying I'm always going to do great, I'm just saying I'm scared to gain it back, so I'm going to do my best not to, and follow the eating rules. :-) that's really all you can do. Sorry for the book girls! hee hee Hope everyone is doing well. Janice

Hi Gina, Great to see you! Good to see this thread is finally picking back up for the New Year. This must be our year!!GOOD FOR YOU doing the 5 day pouch test. It does look intense. I don't know if I could go back to those liquids. Hi all, welcome to the new year! EEEK! I still don't have full restriction. I keep thinking something is wrong with me. I'm at 7cc in my 9cc band, and 3 1/2 months out. I feel like I'll be to my max fill in my band by 6 months, and not have lost my weight. Does anyone else feel like that. That is my biggest fear. I still don't have full restriction at 7cc. Or to the "Sweet Spot" as everyone talks about. I still feel like a lot of this is will power and obsessive exercise. I did great over the Holidays. Didn't cheat much food wise, but did have some wine with family a few days. Never made those Christmas Cookies, so I didn't graze on that stuff. I had my first challenge this past Sat. night with eating, when a friend invited us to dinner. I haven't told anyone I was banded other than a couple immediate family members, and one friend. This friend has us over and couldn't have made the worst possible food for being banded. UGH! For starters was Italian wedding Soup. The bowl was enourmous!!! Full of meatballs. I ate the soup, and was incredibly stuffed. It was a full meal sized bowl. Then she brought these Adult Grilled cheese sandwiches made of Italain bread and all kinds of bad stuff. She got the recipe off the family channel. I saw them come to the table and about croaked, thinking... I can't eat ANY of that. Plus, I was stuffed from the soup. Then... that's not all... She brought out these Italian sausages wrapped in pizza dough. She called them pigs in a blanket. I think she made everything she saw on the food network that day. Oh, and to top it all off.... I had brought a bottle of wine, and she didn't open it, but made these Kaluah heavy cream chocolate liquor drinks. OK.... How in the world do you get around a situation like this when you haven't told anyone you were banded. I did say I was dieting, ate the soup, and picked at a tiny bit of sausage from the pigs in a blanket, and pushed the grilled cheese around on my plate before my husband finally came to the rescue saying "I'll help you with some of that, I'm still hungry" THANK HEAVENS FOR HUSBANDS! Anyway. I want to know how to handle this situation next time. I don't want to be rude and not eat what they make, but.... I felt like she thought I didn't like it. I WAS JUST STUFFED! OMG. The bowl of soup was enormous! Any advice for next time? Again, food could not have been much worse than that for a dieter. EEK! Also, how many calories should we actually be eating in a day? Sorry for the book! ha ha Welcome back everyone and to the newbies. Let's keep this thread alive this year! It's great support. Terri, I exercise every day as well. Either on my elliptical, or my Turbo jam aerobic tape. It's an awesome tape by the way if anyone is interested. It's by Beach Body. beachbody.com They are awesome!

HELLLLOOOOO! Anybody out there hahahahah where in the world is the Hampton Roads Peninsula people? Well, I have my 2nd fill today, and I'm soooo ready for it. I'm down just about 40 lbs. How is everyone doing! Does everyone have their shopping done?

Hi Harley, Great to hear from you. Thanksgiving went well for me. I had a bunch of family here, so the eating was a little hard. Overall, I did really good. I did have one small piece of pumpkin pie, and did my elliptical for 40 minutes after to try and burn it off. hahahahha I ended up losing 3 lbs over Thanksgiving!!! I'm certainly ready for my next fill. It's on the 18th. My first one really didn't do much to give me restriction. I'm beginning to thing someone is wrong with me. I feel like right now it's more about will power than band power. I guess we'll see how it goes on my next fill. I'm certainly going to tell Dr. T. I started putting my tree up last night, but got tired and didn't finish. I usually do it the day after Thanksgiving, but with the family here and all. Anyway, great to hear from you. PM me sometime. Hello to all you missing in action Hampton Roads/Peninsula people. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Hello Hampton Roads People!!! Just checking in to see how everyone is doing after the food filled Holiday!!! Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

GOOD LUCK BRIDGETTE! YOUR SO CLOSE TOO!!! You'll both do GREAT!!

EBONIE, You're getting so close . GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!!!!

Also things like cottage cheese, yogurt in between help a lot. Oh, and cheese. Everyone loves cheese.

Also things like cottage cheese, yogurt in between help a lot. Oh, and cheese. Everyone loves cheese.