jetsy62

Went to dinner with the family yesterday. Ate baked flounder with crab meat, salad with low-fat Italian dressing, baked sweet potato, plain. Ate the entire meal with absolutely zero problem. I need a fill, right? No problem eating it at all. Just wanted to make sure before I go to the doctor next week and he tells me that I have enough and to "buckle down and get on with the business of losing weight". Like hello, if I could do that on my own, I would not have had this put in. Why did I eat it? Because I was hungry and could. I thought that is what this thing was supposed to do. Help me control quantity.

I too think they are from the devil! An evil more tempting than the apple was to Eve. I bet that one was either a candied apple, caramel apple fudge apple, something. My best advice to any newbies. Don't even go there, not once. Just make yourself believe that if you eat sweets the PBing, slime, pain, etc. will be so severe that you will be rolling around on the floor promising to never do such a dreadful thing again.

For me, the surgery was the easy part. Please try to calm down. It really is no big deal in of itself. You will be amazed at how well you do. There are always those exceptions but for the most part I believe most will tell you it was not as bad as they had feared. With that being said, listen to what you are told. Walk, take Gas X strips to the hospital, if you need a laxative ask for it because pain meds can cause constipation. If I had to do it all over again, the surgery is not what I would change What would I change? I listened and lost weight right up to the point that I was healed. Then I started to roll the dice so to speak and try foods that I should not, drink with meals, stopped exercising, etc. The weigtht loss had stopped. Last week I went back on the pre-op diet for 4 days and have been good since with my eating. Low and behold, I am losing weight again. Amazing how this little band works just fine when you listen and abide by the rules! Good luck and let us know how you do.

Although I don't think a lawsuit is warranted nor will you win, I do understand the frustration. I remember saying to both the surgeon and the therapist that I looked at the band as a severe form of behavior modification. My regular doctor gave me a diet pill that subdued hunger. It worked great for about 3 months then I don't know if my body got used to it or what but it quit working. It made you feel really uncomfortable if you overate. His nurse said that my results were typical and that after 3-4 months that seemed to be a common complaint. So, I thought the band would be a more permanent form of what this pill did. Both the surgeon and the therapist told me that with the band, if you overate you would feel bad, get sick, slime, etc. But no one told me about "cheating the band". To be truthful, I think I was better off not knowing you could do that. I was better off being "afraid" of the band for lack of a better word. I know I will get slammed for this, but I have purposely started to not chew my food so well, eating some things I shouldn't like celery, just to make myself feel uncomfortable. In some sick way I am hoping that if I do this enough, I can get my backside back on track. Yeah, I have an issue with food. It is my drug of choice. Go figure!

I think it is celery, but don't know for sure. SF jello is low obviously. Any other ideas. I know everyone has different tolerance levels as to what they can eat, but I was wondering regarding the caloric factor.

I regret that it does not work like I thought it would. I looked at the band as an extreme form of behavior modification, for lack of a better way of explanation. I thought that if I ate more than the 1/2 cup, I would slime, pb, etc. But that is not true. I have had three fills and still eat way too much. Even too much of "good" food is bad. Then of course when that is not working, being a foodaholic, I eat the wrong stuff also. I have lost weight, but not at all what I was hoping for. I get another fill in two weeks. Maybe that will bring me to the sweet spot others have talked about. So far it has been just my willpower, what little I have had lately. With that being said, I have already posted last month all the things that have gone wrong this year. Add to the list the death of my father very unexpectantly two weeks before Thanksgiving. I am also going to have another surgery on my shoulder after the new year. So between the accident, the blood clot, getting kicked out of the gym for being a "liability", my father's death ... yeah, need to get my head on straight. Just hope the next fill works.

No fill, but not because of the blood thinner. He said I lost three pounds while sitting on my backside, doing nothing, not watching what I eat, etc. So now that I am released by the ortho to go back to work part-time, I am to get my act together, start walking again, and the lapband doc will see me in 6 weeks. If I don't lose, then he will give me a fill and just keep me at the office a little longer to make sure everything is okay. So, back on with my weight loss journey. He was right when he said I needed to get my head back on this weight loss journey. When the accident happened all my attention, concern, co-pays, etc. went to getting the use of my arm back. While I still have a way to go in that regard, I do have some use of the arm back and I just feel better in general. Off the pain meds, feeling more productive, just things looking a lot better than they have been. So, back to watching protein grams, veggies, a little fruit and whole grain and walking. The hardest part is drinking the water. Still getting in only about 1/2 what I should but will work on that. And a little extra incentive. The company I work for just hired a temp and she had gastric bypass 4 1/2 months ago and has lost 95 pounds! But she does not look healthy and I am not saying that to be negative about the bypass surgery. She is losing hair, she sleeps in her car over her lunch hour because she is so tired and her color is pale/ashen and comments about how everything she eats makes her nausceous. She is a wonderful lady and really is doing a great job temping. I asked what she normally eats in a day and she is lucky to get in 600 calories. So I am thankful for the band and just being able to eat what I am allowed to eat. I will lose slower, but for me this just confirms I made the right decision for myself.

I have an appt. with my doctor for next week to discuss the possibility of him giving me a fill while I am on a blood thinner due to a blood clot in my jugular vein from a different surgery 3 months ago. I need a fill, I eat way too much with no discomfort. I am not convinced I have ever been at my "green spot" but my accident this summer stopped my visits to the band surgeon. Too many co-pays to be honest. Between the physical therapy twice a week, surgeon visits, regular doctor visits, the lapband surgery went on the back burner. But I just made my last car payment so I want to get back to him. Oh God, I am rambling, sorry. This is the deal. I was banded 9/08 and have lost 45 pounds but have not lost anything in 6 months. Had an accident 3 months ago requiring extensive surgery to put my arm/shoulder back together. A month ago they found a blood clot in my jugular vein. On Monday the ortho said he will give it another 8 weeks of therapy and see where I am at but I might be looking at more surgery for the injury. The medical doctor called yesterday to say they finally have my coumadin (sp) at a good level so I will be on that for 3 months in the hope of getting rid of the blood clot. There will no surgery until after I am off the blood thinner. When I called the band surgeon to see if they will give me a fill given the circumstances he wants to see me and get the specifics on everything before he decides if he will do it or not. So ... am I getting my hopes up or do you think he will make me wait the 3 months until I am off the thinner?

Hi everyone, haven't been on for a while because things just have not been good. Was banded 9/08 and lost around 45 pounds til 7/09. Not great but 45 pound is 45 pounds. Then on 7/29/09 I fell at home, broke my arm in three places, tore my rotator cuff, tore the tendons holding my bicep and had to have surgery. I now have an 8.5 inch scar, steel plate, 11 screws keeping me together. Then I got a blood clot in my jugular vein so I am on blood thinners trying to get rid of that. PT 2 x's week for the arm. But I was instructed not to do anything to increase my heart rate and I am not allowed to get any fills while on the blood thinner. I am sick of my arm not working (doc said I should be at 70% at 6 months) just getting depressed, still not able to work a full day, not able to do my treadmill, had to drop out of Curves because at present I am a liability since I can't get on/off the machines without help. And what am I doing ... turning to food. I have gained 5 pounds since the surgery on my arm and I can't quit eating. Someone help me please. What do I do? It was hard enough before my accident. I know it is depression, or at least I think that is what it is. Thanks for listening.

I am not sure why they don't want my heart rate to be going up for an extended period of time. I assumed it has to do with the blood clot in the jugular vein and not wanting it to break loose ... but to be honest I didnt' ask. When they told me about it they were saying all this stuff about being careful, not cutting myself, making sure to wear my seatbelt when driving because if I wreck a hard hit could make me bleed internally, be careful of even falling, watch for bleeding from my nose, ears and even eyes (gross), blah, blah, blah. The clot came, they think, from the attempt at a nerve block post-op that did not work. I thought about it last night and I was thinking I should go back on my two week pre-op diet. Maybe if I do something drastic it will get my head back on straight. I have to do something because I can't keep on this track. Thanks for listening.

I am so sorry for you that you have lost the band but so happy that you are healthy and on the mend. Three times I started a response when you originally posted but never sent them because all I could think of was that something was terribly wrong and you needed to get to the doctor's. Duh, you had that figured out. Prayers to you.

I find that I have to be extra careful in the am when choosing what to eat. Things seem to get stuck easier then. Also, the band is fickle. At least mine is. One time a certain food is fine, the next time, no, it does not like it and up it comes. But at least now I know when it is going to happen and make a beeline for the potty. And like another poster, when I go into someplace new, first thing I do is locate the facilities. So many changes in lifestyle after the band that nobody tells you about. Thank God for this forum.

I lost weight the first five months, then stayed the same for the next three. Decided to join Curves a month ago because it is close to work, all women, and I needed something low impact on the joints. Anyway, the scales are going down again. In fact, someone just made a comment to me about 15 minutes ago that I look like I am "losing a few again". So I would say yes, at some point, exercise does become necessary. Good luck.

I had surgery on Thursday and was back at an office job on Monday. My surgery went very well so that might have helped. Also, I was taken to my room at 5:30 pm (late surgery time due to a complication on the surgery prior to mine) and was up walking the next morning at 7:30 am. Walked every hour until I was discharged at 6:00 that evening. It hurt but was tolerable. And I did not want the gas to get too big of a jump on me and walking is one of the best way to "let fluffers".

Does anyone else do this? If I eat something and it is not too much that it comes back up but enough so that I get that wonderful pain saying you did not chew well enough, I yawn. Not just once, but a lot. Actually I yawn until it gets unstuck then the yawning stops. I tell ya', there really is alot of really weird little things that happen when you get the band. Oh well, at least we have this place to come and talk about things.

My mother told me last night that those people on the Biggest Loser lost more weight than I have so the band is not working! There you have it.

I am one of those that fights head hunger and self-sabotoging. I drink water but not what I should. A friend suggested keeping ice cubes and sucking/crunching on them. It really is working. I bring a baggie of ice cubes to work also and keep it in the freezer. At home I beat the heck out of the cubes to make them more like chips. It is crazy I know, but crunching them little suckers makes me feel a lot better than drinking water.

Although I thought I was well informed, I wasn't. I expected to lose 10 pounds per month from the get go. It has been more like 5 pounds averaged out. And I did not count on that horrible time after you have healed but before the doctor gets you filled to the point that the band actually starts working. That in between time is hell. I finally got restriction about 8 weeks ago and am losing about 1 pound per week. I don't regret having the band because I am thankful for the 40 pounds I have off. But for me, I see my one year anniversary coming up in a few months and it will be about 1/2 of the weight loss I was expecting. Looks like SLOW but steady will be the way for me.

There is a lot of misinformation out there regarding LB and GB. Everyone knows about the bypass because that is what the doctor's push in my area. Not so much the band. Therefore, most people just assume they are pretty much the same thing when in fact we all know they are not. I can't tell you the number of times I have heard "but so and so had surgery and they lost 10-20 pounds per month". Well, I am losing about 5 pounds per month. I would be losing more but I am not doing what I am supposed to be doing. So it is not the band, it is me. But that is another subject, another post. If I had to do it all over again, I would have kept it a much better secret. It was just hard with working for a small company. When I am missing, everyone knows it. Just keep on, doing the best you can, and stay on this site. There are a lot of very helpful people on here. And some that are not afraid to give you a kick in the backside when needed. Good luck.

I was banded 9/08. Lost 40 pounds in 4 months. Have stayed the same with maybe a 1 to 2 pound swing either way. I swear I am self-sabatoging. People started saying they could tell I was losing, had to buy new clothes, could bend over easier, etc. You would think that would all be motivators. Not for me! It's like, OMG, I am losing weight, now time to eat cookies. What the heck is wrong with me? I really am beginning to think that somewhere deep in me there is this sick thought process that says I am not worth being a normal weight. It sounds stupid even typing this but it is not a joke to me. Since I have not lost any weight in months, I am finding myself thinking things like "see, not even lapband can help you lose weight" or "why did I even go through all this when it is not going to work for me". A friend suggested that maybe I need to talk to someone, a therapist, psychologist or something. Any opinions? Anyone else experience this?

Just got back from the Doctor. Lost 1/2 pound, damn this is frustrating. Anyway, I complained because I have not lost any weight in 12 weeks so he agreed to a 1 cc fill instead of the .5 cc that he normally does. I told him I can eat 1/2 grilled chicken breast, a cup of broccoli and a cup of carrots in one sitting. He says way too much so he agreed (after some pleading) to the 1 cc. Anyway, got the numbing medicine. Then he stuck the needle in for the fill and kept saying he could fill the port but could not hit it. He took the needle out and says "oh, so that explains it, the needle bent". I say "what". He says "it wasn't bent when I put it in, and you do have a lot of scar tissue (already knew that), but that is pretty impressive to be able to bend a needle this big that bad". I just kind of sighed and he got another one. In in 5 seconds and all was good. I just pray this works.

It did not hurt at all so don't be afraid. I was kind of embarressed, but I am not really even sure why. It's not like I choose to have scar tissue. Just one of those "you won't believe what happened to me" moments that I wanted to share. We really should write a book.

OK, I have a 10cc band. At least that is what I think I have but the PA said they could actually put more than that in if necessary so I don't know why it is called a 10 cc band. Anyway, my doctor is very conservative on fills. I thought I would finally be there after my last fill but I don't think I am. This was 3rd fill since my surgery in 9/08. I have lost 35 pounds. My problem has always been night time eating and it still is. I am basically dieting but at night I eat. And too much. Like last night. I went to my mom's after work. I ended up eating probably two cups of salad with low-cal dressing, 1.5 cups of spaghetti with meat sauce, and two slices of garlic bread. I know, why the he$$ did I eat the spaghetti and the bread. Because I could. But I thought the band would make it so I could not hold that much. I was full, but no sliming, no pb's, didn't even feel exceptionally full. Full, but not over full. Not even a little bit. What the heck is wrong with me? I don't know for sure, but I am guessing I have somewhere around 4-5cc in the band. Is that not enough for a 10cc band? Sorry if these questions seem dumb but some of you on here are so knowledgeable that I would rather feel stupid and ask and get answers instead of just not understanding.

Any way you cut it, you have lost 81 pounds due to the lapband. Whether it be pre-op diet, whatever .... you lost the weight because of the band. That being said, when before in your life have you lost 81 pounds in the same time frame, if ever? You are doing great, continue on the JOURNEY. Like already said, this is a journey, not a race and you have the rest of your life to participate because the way I see it, the journey is never really over. The band is a tool that enables you to make a lifestyle change.

BearBandit, you have lost an incredible amount of weight in a short period of time. Can you give us some tips? I was banded a month before you and I have lost only 1/2 the weight you have. I need to get my water intake up and I am now doing cardio 7 days a week come hell or high water. I would really appreciate any advice, insight, etc. Thanks in advance.