egnebs

:unsure:Out of curiosity, since the pouch is about the size of 1/2 a cup (4 to 6 oz)....if you EAT 1/2 cup of food, by the time you chew it it's about 1/4 cup....so do you estimate how much the chewed portion will be or measure dry quantity before eating... To me it makes a difference as far as what amount goes into your pouch

I have been having lighter colored stools for a while, but not sure if that is because of what Im eating or if something is going wrong with the gall bladder or something else. I dont seem to have any problems or concerns...just lighter colored stools and occasional what seems to be like a light case of heartburn or indigestion especially on the left side below my ribs towards the front. Any one else experience this..... Oh.! By the way..not losing any weight either:frown:

when you get to perimenopause or whatever..does it seem to have an effect on houw your band reacts to food? Or when it is time for your period? Im not retaining extra fluid, it just seems like the band has gotten tighter since starting to experience some of these symptoms and Im wondering if its just coincidence

Is it just me or does your period/beginning of menopause seem to have an effect on the tightening of your band Not really sure if its just coincidence or not

I am one of those people who has to go slow with fills..I currently have 5cc in a 10cc band. I got all the way to 5.5 and couldnt eat 800 cal a day and didnt lose a thing..but yet when it was at 5.3 I had lost 9 lbs that month and got greedy and wanted it tighter so we went to 5.5 and it backfired so he took out.5 for this past month. Gained 2lbs and going back tomorrow for a fill and hopefully lose some more...Hang in there!! I was banded in March and its a slow road...but its all downhill!! I didnt gain it overnite and wont lose it that way either..but I WILL lose!!

This will be your best decision!!Hang in there! Try the GASX strips..they are great. do some things to get your attention diverted..You can eat soups, you can eat jello, there are a lot of things you CAN do..including stay occupied by other things besides eating. I had my surgery on Fri and back to work on Monday and havent looked back. Its a lifestyle change..not another fad diet that wont work more than a week or two...its the best thing you could have done for YOURSELF..this is positive!! Dont feel sorry and down in the dumps!

My doc gave me a card: Hungry? Big meals? Looking for food? Yellow zone. Add Fluid Early and prolonged satiety? Small Meals Satisfy? Satisfactory weight loss or Maintenance? Green Zone. Great! Difficulty swallowing? Reflux-heartburn? Night cough? Regurgitation? Poor Eating Behavior? Red Zone. Reduce Fluid. Its put out by the Lap Band System Australian Center for Obesity.

I guess they had the surgery and then they really got the wakeup call that something needed to be changed drastically

Ok....Im not 50 yet but its close enough to start casting a shadow! Its only 8 mos from now. My weight loss is sssoooooslow. and I was banded in March 2008. I have a doctor appt next week for a fill ( I have had 3 fills for a total of 4.3 in a 10cc band) Sometimes it feels like I have good restriction especially if I eat something too fast or dont chew well enough...other times its like I can eat everything! I know the band is only a tool, though, and even though I can eat an egg and bacon for breakfast and a half sandwich and a few chips for lunch and maybe a 3/4 chicken breast and broccoli for supper.....I still need to watch my portions and my selections and not just eat the soup cause its easy, the chips cause they disintigrate, or the ice cream cause it tastes good and goes down easy. Its hard to change my habits and watch my portions and lose weight even with the band at times....but the band is a tool that needs to be used properly and my eating habits do not always use it correctly. What Im confused about is, why I dont seem to be losing even though I have been eating the correct foods, albeit maybe sometimes more than the amount I should(calorie intake is approx 1200-1500 by keeping a food journal) I have joined a gym and am now going 5 days a week for an hour a day,,,walking at least 2 mi at 3.5 mi hr and doing the bike for at least 2 mi with 70rpm that keeps my heart rate to approx 130. Can my metabolism really be this slow??!! Is it possible I have a thyroid problem even after all the changes Ive made? I have a doctor appt next week to do some bloodwork about it.

Wow!! 80 lbs in 4 mos!!!!!

Does anyone know how much the band itsef costs?(ballpark figure) My hospital has overcharged before, but since its a preferred provider, I have to go there. They charged me approx $9,000 for the band itself, the insurance co said only about $3700 would they pay, and I have to pay 30% of that amount....whereas I think the hospital just charges so much so they can get my $1200 AND the ins co $$ $3770. Does anyone have any answers or have they had the same problems?

Maybe someone out there knows the answer to this. I had my 2nd fill last week. In the dr office they told me to swallow some water to see if it went down(my dr does fills in his office, no flouroscopy) and initially it didnt, so he removed a small amount and the water went down real slow. He only has 3.8 in a 10cc band. Since the fill, I have been able to drink real slow and eating has been almost non-existant and it seems like for the most part, its too much effort to even try eating, although the first couple days I was on liquids, then to mushies and now trying solids. My question is "why does it feel like no matter what I drink, including water, it feels like there is a knot at the end of my esophagus and if I continually swallow small drinksof water, it actually goes easier than several smaller drinks....also, it seems like no matter how little I eat or how long I chew and liquify the food, it seems almost like there is a knot about where the band is. It doesnt seem like I actually get a full feeling, just that when I swallow food, it goes straight to the band and has a hard time going through....although that part is understandable. What is the feeling like when the food just goes to the pouch and then fills and waits to digest?" I need to know exactly what to watch for because it seems like I cant swallow water as easily as something like creamed soup or mashed potatoes and I want to be able to tell my dr exactly whats happening and to be able to get the most productive fill when I am at the office. Iwas banded 3/7 and have only lost 16 lbs by the dr scale and I know Im well under 1500...more like 1000 to 1200 cal a day

What does a good fill feel like versus being too tight? I can swallow water pretty good and eat mashed potatoes REAL slow...about a teaspoon or two. I had my 2nd fill yesterday and am now at 3.8cc in a 10ccband. Eating super slow on the potatoes or else, "Here they come again!" Im thinking its because I just had it done and am probably pretty tight, but not sure. Drank warm cocoa this morning and last nite. Just have to drink REAL slow

Sometimes when I eat something like a banana or a piece of meat...I can feel the restriction because I probably didnt chew it up well enough. After a few seconds it seems to go down and go away. Is this because it is finishing going down my esophagus? Or when it goes down does that mean that it has slid down through the pouch and through the band into the stomach? I have had one fill and for the most part dont feel hungry much, but sometimes I get hungry and eat about 1/2 to 1 c of food, and Im wondering if Im eating too much because there isnt much restriction, or is it just sitting in the pouch or has it gone down to the main stomach because there isnt much restriction. I dont want to stretch the pouch!! In the doctors office for the fill, they have me drink water and water just gurgles and then makes me burp, but its like it has air with the water and it just kind of twists and then goes down. I dont eat much at meals and try to eat nutritious food instead of soft easy calories. Last nite I had 1/2 baked potatoe and 1 teas barbecue to go on it. It seems like that should have been way to much to eat. Im doing fair on the weight loss and have lost approx 25lbs since March 7. when I had surgery. Lately it seems like in the mornings I am more hungry that I had been and eat way too much between breakfast and lunch, although after lunch and through supper I hardly eat anything. I am due for a fill April 29 and need to know exactly what to pay attention to (and know I have more restriction) so the doc can give me as much fill as I can hold safely so I can continue losing. Unless there is a problem he does the fills in his office and he only had to stick me once and swallowing the water afterward, there was no question he hit the port.

They say that the band is a tool for you to work with...if you are not willing to work with it and stay away from the liquid calories and at least try to eat healthy foods...then the band is NOT for you. Im sure the band has saved more people and made more people healthier than not. Nothing in this world is without complications and the band is just a tool that only works as good as its user. Some people have problems, or allergies or other various things that go on such as a doctor not inserting the port correctly or not making sure the tube is connected correctly (it really should be one piece and not able to come apart) or your body just doesnt want foreign things in it.. :thumbup:Personally, my doctor did a fantastic job and Im blessed to have had it done. for all of you with problems with it...I say an extra prayer for you and pray that you will find a way to lose weight that is right for YOU.

I think TriCare probably covers it as they want you to be healthy and not have so many medical problems down the road. It will help your health and help you to stay around and be healthy for the children growing up. Maybe your husband is worried about you getting thinner and others looking your way...who knows. But in the long run, you need to do what is best for you and those little ones and your husband will probably come around....especially when he sees how good you are looking and you are with HIM. The procedure is not that bad....a few sore muscles and a couple small scars and you are on your way! Learning a different way of eating so the band can help you is not bad either. You just have to start thinking positive and not think about food. A couple of times of not chewing something enough will cure you of a lot of cravings. The first couple weeks are the worst for most because of being sore or on a liquid diet...but thats not that bad. And when you sit down and eat at home or out afterwards...eating smaller portions isnt bad when others are stuffing their face, because all you have to do is satisfy your little bitty pouch and watch everyone around you getting bigger and you are getting smaller!! Its great for the self esteem and you have a world of support in this website!!:redface:

Hang in there...it will get better! Some good days..some not so good,,,but its worth it!! And if you use it right, it will work for you!!

You're doing grea t...sounds like you have things under control! My doc told me something about a machine like that, but he called it "the magic bullet" blender and he said he got one at wal-mart for about $40 and he loves it! I was going to check it out....

How can you tell if you have restriction...short of vomiting or PB? I got my first fill yesterday and when I drink water..it feels kinda like it doesnt go past the bottom of my adams apple for a few seconds,,,then it goes away. I ate some cream soup last nite and it seemed to go down ok....I just ate real slow. Water seems to bring the effect more than anything....although Im not hungry Just wondering as I dont want to push it and end up sick!!:puke:

Im glad!! I have to really watch how much I drink. You have done great with your weight loss! Im not sure if it is because water goes down easier and faster than thicker liquids that it creates that feeling or what...but I definitely notice it!!

I was banded 3/07. I followed the liquid diet and went back to the doc on the 18th and he put me on mushies. I have only been eating a protein shake for breakfast, maybe a sf pudding mid morning, mashed potatoes for lunch or cup of soup, and then a small piece of tilapia steak and possibly mashed potatoes(1/4 cup) for dinner and then another protein shake before bedtime. I have been walking at least 30 min in the evening 5 days a week. I dont seem to be losing any weight and I thought I would. I pay attention and as soon as I start feeling full, I quit eating. I also drink at least 1/2 gal of fluid a day..mostly in the form of Crystal Light. Anyone have any suggestions?:thumbup:

I understand increasing the walking and the speed, but what exactly do you mean about increasing the complex carbs? these are the things my doc said to eat on the mushie part. I can eat yogurt instead of the SF pudding and increase the water instead of the Crystal Light w/artificial sweeteners. He doesnt have me on vegetables yet, although I have been eating 1/4 to 1/2 c of mixed carrots and peas occasionally and making sure they are chewed well. Occasionally I eat oatmeal (instant plain) instead of the protein shake first thing in the morning or occasionally Cr of wheat (plain) Not sure what else to eat at this point. V8 juice?

I have a desk job that involves a lot of sitting,,,,although at times I walk around quite a bit. Im just a little discouraged because of not losing weight much like others seem to have done during their first few weeks. My doc said the 2 protein shakes a day is enough at 21gr apiece plus the Tilapia has about 20gr protein and then whatever else I eat....its definitely more than 60gr a day, but it varies on how much more. My first fill is supposed to be April 1st and he said I would have to go back to liquids a few days to see how it goes.....if all goes well the next fill is supposed to be about the first of May. Its getting closer to summer and I just want to be able to fit into shorts. My daughter just took it into her stubborn head and has lost about 25 to 30 lbs since Christmas just by cutting portions and drinking water..upping the exercise a little..only eating til she is full....but she is only14!! I want to be healthy losing it though, so Ive been eating just the things on my list and in the portions designated. Guess I need to do something to get my metabolism fired up! More walking or yardwork!(doc wont let me do anything but walk til after next appt, though)

I was banded 3/7 in Conroe Texas. So far so good! Lost 15 lbs already. There are some other shakes that you only have to drink 6 or 8 oz to get at least 20gr Protein per serving....just have to look at them close and see which ones you like. Personally Id rather drink less and get more!