rosiered

Glad I could help................nobody said it would be easy........... but it does work ........you just have to work with it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Old habits die hard but we can make them D I E !! :cursing:

I've been banded for almost 3 months and the hardest thing for me is realizing that my hunger is not from my stomach but from my head! My Dr gave me a good hint that goes through my mind everytime I think 'm hungry........I wait for my stomach to growl ........if it's not growling I'm not hungry!!!! I'll usually drink something and I keep myself busy. During the week I'm much more disciplined mainly because I don't want to be sick at work and I bring my breakfast and lunch. Dinner I usually try to have some kind of frozen diet meal. If I feel like dessert I take a sugar free pudding put some fresh berries on it and 2 tbs of cool whip and I feel like I'm cheating but I'm not!!! It's hard to break old habits but we wouldn't be here if we were all able to. It's really a head trip and the thing about the band is that it really is hard work but it pays off. I am satisfied quickly eating small portions and I have already lost more weight than I have in the last 10 years trying diets. On the weekends I get antsy so I walk my dog a lot, go to Farmer's markets, go window shopping, my apartment is cleaner than it's ever been and I learned how to knit and crochet. So hang in there ...............you'll find the answers and you'll find what works for you and stick to it. :thumbup: Good Luck!!

I had been considering weight loss surgery for over three years before i really did anything. In those three years i did a lot of research and talked to a lot of people. When I finally decided to do it, I had a huge support system and all my family, friends and co-workers were aware of my decision. I was banded March 6th and as of Friday lost 37 lbs and I am feeling absolutely wonderful. I have more energy than I have had in the last 25 years and I am very fortunate because everyone is very supportive and a lot of people are very excited for me. I really don't care about anyone that has anything negative to say, and I would much rather be the one to have told everyone what's going on than have everyone trying to figure what's really going on ! The final decision ...to tell or not to tell is an individual one. Good luck on your journey!!!:tongue2:

I also have 5cc's in a 14 cc band. My first fill was April 14th with 3cc's and then May 9th with 2 more cc's. I get full quicker but I really have to make myself aware of how my stomach feels. I find a lot of my hunger is head hunger and not stomach hunger. This to me is the hardest thing to get used to but I'm starting to know the difference. I have a problem with bread or anything else I don't chew really well or if I'm eating too fast............ I do feel that smaller amounts fill me up. I'm looking for my sweet spot too. Good luck !!!!!

It was a revelation to me when I realized something I always knew; this band is a tool that will help us do something we never were able to do LOSE WEIGHT, but it isn't going to do it on its own. If you made the decision to get banded then other options weren't working for you. You have to get motivated and when hunger hits try to figure out whether it's real hunger or head hunger. I am 2 months post-op and I am still stuggling with figuring out whether I'm really hungry or not!!! I keep myself busy and when I know I'm really not hungry but want to eat I take my dog for a walk or go for a drive or re-arrange the living room or go on the computer. I know it sounds crazy but it works for me! Once you get your first fill you'll feel a little fuller quicker but probably still think you're hungry at times. We didn't get where we are by being able to control our eating and I wish we could be brainwashed at the same time we're banded, but it's all about behavior modification and it's something you have to work at if you want to reach your goal!! I know you can do it ....and we all need to B A N D together!!

:rolleyes2:you were banded 4 months ago and you've lost more than a lb a week. my dr thinks you should average 1-2 lbs a week. you must have some restriction to be losing weight. i have had 2 fills so far 5cc's in a 14cc band sometimes I feel restricted and sometimes i don't but i think it depends on what i'm eating.

I kept asking my Dr how would I know if my band slipped and he told me that I would continously be vomiting. I think what's happening is the same thing that happens to a lot of us. Right before your first fill you feel like there is no restriction at all. I even gained a couple lbs. before my first fill! Initially you are swollen from the surgery and I think your body is adjusting so sometimes it feels like you can't get anything down. Then as you heal you feel like you can eat anything. Once you go Wed you'll feel so much better. I only had 1 fill so far and I am scheduled Fri for my 2nd one and I can already feel that I need it !!! It's a matter of finding just how much you need in your band to make you able to eat but feel real full. Good luck!:wink2:

How did your Dr. visit go and what stage of eating are you on now? I go back to my Dr. this Fri 5/9 don't know if i'll get a 2nd fill or not. Went to my endocrinologist last night and I'm down another 5 lbs making 35lbs so far ....hallelujah!!!! Having been this weight for 25 years. The journey has begun!!! good luck to you and I hope your eating food by now lol.

Hi everyone, I was banded on 3/6/08 and I am very grateful for having lost 30lbs. so far. I was wondering if anyone else has been banded with hypothyroidism and what the results are. Originally when I was researching and talking to Doctors they told me that I would still lose.....it may be a little slower than someone with a normal thyroid but there still would be a loss. I met a woman in the waiting office one day who had lost 80lbs in one year with thyroid disease but she said she had to execrcise vigorously. I'm happy because with much dieting I was never able to lose 30lbs and I already have, but I was just wondering if there are any bandsters out there who are like me and what your experiences are!! :thumbup:

I had this too. I also would go numb if I was standing for a real long time. After checking it out with Dr.s I was told it was my sciatica nerve laying on my muscle and my weight was aggravating it. It's amazing how much is related to weight. Now 30 lbs lighter after being banded March 6th, hardly feel it at all. I hope when you start losing weight you will feel it go away also. Good luck!! :smile:

I found some chewable multi vitamins online which are specifically made for "bandsters". They are called BUILDING BLOCKS, I'm not sure of the website but you can Google it. They were the most inexpensive (less than $20 a month) and they have the most amount of units in them than all the other ones I compared them with. Good Luck!:w00t:

I am in the same place as you. Was banded 3/6/08 lost 30 lbs up till my first fill 4/14/08. Have not lost anything since then. A little frustrating because I really haven't changed my eating habits. Someone told me to try and do liquids twice a week and that will start the losing up and someone else told me to increase my food intake and that will start the losing again. I'm really confused but I see Dr. Fielding May 9th so I'll ask him or the nutritionist when I'm there.

Hi I had my surgery March 6th with Dr. Fielding also. Had a 30lb weight loss from the pre-op till my first fill on 4/14. Have been eating small portions of very healthy food but can't seem to lose any more weight. I have to go back May 9th to NYU we'll see what happens. You have had much success with your weight loss. What do you eat?

Hi..... I'm in NYC and was banded March 6th at NYU Medical Center. The experience was a wonderful one and almost painless. I lost 27 lbs. from pre-op till my first fill which was April 14th which was a wonderful feeling (had to readjust my car seat to drive). Then lost another 3 lbs when I went to my primary Dr. My problem is and I'm sure this happens to a lot of us .........I guess I thought the weight would just fall off of me and it's not............it's a struggle!!! It's a struggle not to eat when I don't think I'm full and I don't know what I want and I feel like picking and I have to do all I can to control my cravings. I do believe the hunger is in my head and not my body because sometimes I wait for my stomach to growl to test my hunger and it takes much longer than you would think it would. The thing is that I knew the band was just a tool and we have to do all the work but I didn't think it would be this hard. I also bought a scale for the first time since 1980 and I've become a little obsessed and when I see no loss I get a little depressed. I would love to hear from all of you with some good advice............thanks !!:tt2:

I can't tell you without grossing you out how awful my constipation was. It wasn't bad until about 2 weeks post-op and I can't tell you how long I used to sit there waiting for something, anything to happen!!!! I started taking Milk of Magnesia b4 going to bed and it really started helping. Now I try to make sure there is fiber in my diet and that helps but I still need the MOM every now and then. Just be sure to do something before it causes problems. Good Luck !

Thanks everyone for your input. It really helps so much to hear other people who are experiencing or have experienced what I am experiencing. The main thing is that we all have to "band" together and help each other out thru these rough times. Once again, thanks and let's help to keep each encouraged. :redface:

I was taking Centrum chewables but switched to vitamins that are specially made for people who have had lap band surgery. I found them online..... there are a few brands available but I went with Building Blocks which are on the bbvitamins.com website. They were the best for the money with the most daily units in a dosage.

I am 5 weeks post op, my sister bought me a book as a gift called "WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY FOR DUMMIES" this has helped me so much with all the feelings you go through before(the fear) and after surgery (the regret). I think it's OK to feel the way you do, but I assure you as you begin to lose weight you will feel so much better.

Your legs are probably hurting if during your brief hospital stay they put those boots on you to prevent blood clots. After my surgery my calves felt like I ran a marathon. Are you drinking shakes mixed with milk? Sometimes you can get real bad gas...try using lactose free milk and see if it changes.

I had my surgery the same day as yours in NYC. I have already been to my Dr.twice 1st for surgery follow-up and just went this Monday for my first fill - felt kinda strange. I had a 30lb weight loss from the onset of the liquid diet 1 week prior to surgery up till now. Last week I had problems with feeling hungry and I'm hoping that the adjustment takes care of it. After surgery my Dr. had me on liquids for 10days, then mushy for 2 wks but then reguar food. After the fill I was on liquid for 2 days and mushy for the next 2 and then regular. I can't believe u r still on liquids u must be going crazy!:rolleyes2: I used to make a few tbsps of instant mashed potatoes and it wld satisfy me.

I HAD SURGERY MARCH 6TH I LOST 30 LBS SO FAR AND HAD MY FIRST FILL MONDAY. It was a strange feeling but ok. I used to get real full real quick after surgery but last week I had a really hard time staying full and not feeling hungry. I had to do 2 days liquids and now 2 days mushy before going back to normal food. I'm having a really hard time with knowing whether I'm really full. I feel like I'm waiting for some kind of sign or for everything to come back up in my throat. It's such a mind trip when you don't know the difference between being full and being hungry. I still watch everything I eat and my portions are small but I still am having problems figuring whether I'm full or not. I think what I feel is gas and not hunger pains lol. :rolleyes2: