hopeendures

Hi Melanie, So sorry to hear about your bad experience. You sound very discouraged and frustrated, understandably. This is, afterall, a huge commitment, both financially and emotionally. I do have a couple of suggestions for you, and maybe a little perspective. In June, I will be celebrating my three year Bandiversary. I regularly tell people that it's the best choice I have ever made for myself. I am living at goal weight, and loving life. But it didn't come easily. I have had three fills. The last fill seemed to put me in a perfect spot, as I coasted to a stop in my weight loss as I approached my goal, and without changing anything I have maintained my weight now for just over 9 months. That's the happy part of the story. The other side is simply a balance. Was it worth it? Oh yeah! My struggles were: I couldn't eat anything easily, or quickly, except ice cream and cheetos. Eating a diet of ice cream and cheetos is not conducive to weightloss, plus, my hair starting falling out. The solution, stop eating ice cream and cheetos, and invest in a variety of Protein supplements. (New whey liquid shots, protein plus bars, protein powder) and keep making the ongoing effort all day of getting in at least 30 grams a day. I discovered by accident, that I could eat a three oz serving of chicken if I cut it into small pieces, and nibbled at it over a couple of hours, allowing as much as 20 minutes between bites. (Yes, I have grown accustomed to eating most of my meals cold.) Armed with the knowledge that I could eat most foods, if the bites were small enough, and the time between was long enough, I started applying the method to everything. I rarely eat out, because of the time issue. I go out often, but I order nothing. I have saved a lot of money this way. I was lethargic, and listless, which turned out to be a Vitamin deficiency. The solution: I tried chewables, and liquids. Neither were very palatable, and it was easy to "forget". Then I got gummy Vitamins. Children's gummies, which are delicious, and manageable for the band. I felt like I wasn't eating anything but I also wasn't losing weight as quickly as I had hoped. I started tracking everything using daily plate. I am an easy keeper. I don't need a lot of calories to sustain my body. The more weight I lost, the less calories I needed to consume to keep losing. I was drinking a lot of calories and eating more than I thought. Daily plate helped me realize that I was consuming more than I thought, and a lot of those were empty calories, with little or no value. I recognize that I will never be able to eat and drink like people do who dont' have the band. I don't miss it most of the time, and every time I hear, "you are so tiny!" I file it away for times when I am feeling deprived. I hope you find something here that will help you. And by the way, I had my surgery in Mexico, and have had no medical support. My support came from a handful of other bandsters in the area. Maybe you can find a group, or form one. Good Luck! Hope Endures!

I too have batwings, although that's not my biggest issue. My butt fell down, and is now hanging well below where it belongs....big folds of skin draping down just below my rear, and my inner thighs are awful too. It's sounding like about $13K to have them both fixed. It is frustrating to have done the work, and made the sacrifice, and accomplished so much and still look in the mirror and feel disgust. Clothes hide it from the rest of the world, but I still have to see it daily.

I've been a bandster for two years. I am 9 lbs away from my goal. I am wearing a size 4 pants. And I still have fat days! Most of the time, I am happy, and proud of how I look, but not all the time. It sounds crazy, even to me, but there are days when I feel self conscious about my weight, like I am still large. This, in spite of the fact, that even people who never knew me before I lost weight call me "skinny" and "tiny", and the people who did know me all along rave about how tiny I am. I don't "feel" tiny. In my head, I am still a chubster, even though I know better. I do a lot of self talk, and reasoning trying to get past this little mental issue. Anyone else ever experience this phenomenon?

Have you had skin reduction? I had abdominoplasti, and breast lift, but I need my inner thighs done, and my backside is kind of droopy too. Abdominoplasti helped my self image tremendously. I found it so disheartening to get the weightloss work done, and then still look in the mirror and be disgusted. I wasn't expecting to be stripper material, but I would like to be able to wear a swim suit without having to hide my legs. I am pleased to report, however, that all through my weightloss effort, I kept reminding myself that being thin, (like having money) would not automatically guarantee happiness. Thin people still have problems, and challenges. However, I am unbelievably happy most of the time. I am in love with the man of my dreams, and he thinks I am beautiful, and my job is going better than ever, and I feel healthy. So, it may not automatically guarantee happiness, but it does allow it!

That is a great point! I think about regaining the weight too, although I am pretty confident, with this amazing tool, that I will not. As a lifetime dieter, I struggle with normal eating behaviors. I have dieted since I was 9 years old, and I still have a tendency to feel self conscious if I am in public eating something not diet friendly. :smile:

In June it will have been 2 years. It has not been the easy road I expected. It has not been problem free. However, when asked if I would do it again, I always answer the same. YES! The lap band doesn't make it easy to lose weight. It makes it possible. For those of you considering a lap band, try to be realistic. For those of you struggling somewhere in the middle, be encouraged, it can be a long haul, but it's wonderful. And for those of you who have finished your trip already, congratulations!

I have certainly discovered that there are times when I cannot eat certain foods. For instance, I cannot eat eggs in the morning, but after work, they are ok. And yes, the feeling you described does sound like being stuck. Usually it's closely followed by a mass production of slime, and (depending on what is stuck) foam. The first time it happened to me, I was on a date. A first date. Oh...I love my band, but that does not rank among my favorite band memories!

It's One year, and 8 months since my initial surgery. I discovered my port was flipped around month 5. I had a Mexican surgery, and to get it repaired here was astronomical. I finally bit the bullet and flew to Mexico, and got it fixed just a couple weeks ago. Including airfare, the cost was less than half of what it would have been here. Since I have had it repaired, I have lost 18 lbs. Those first days are rough. Even Water was chancy, and I spent a lot of time sucking ice cubes. But it's settled down now, and I am feeling normal again, and falling in love with my band all over again!

Do you know that if your fill is too tight, it creates a great chance for failure? I had my first fill in August. It was tight. I can barely get Soup in sometimes. At first I lost weight this way. But eventually, the drive to eat caused me to find ways around it. I have fallen into some very bad habits. Things that I can still eat are all very bad for me. chips, ice cream, cream Soups, chocolate! I have not lost weight in 4 months. I cannot eat veggies, or meat of any kind. eggs, and cheese are difficult. Bread is impossible. I find myself feeling like I don;t know how to eat anymore! I decided to go get some saline removed, only to learn that my port had flipped over, and I need a surgery to fix it. The surgery costs almost $5K! So I cannot do that now. So, the point is, be patient, keep following the rules, and wait for the sweet spot to be achieved. If you get it so tight that you cannot eat the things you need, you will likely eat things you shouldn't. I don't regret my decision to be banded. But I would advise others to not be too frantic for a tight band.

I'm not certain what caused it. I am a horse enthusiast, and I did have an incident on a young horse where I was jarred pretty hard, and actually hit my port site on the saddle horn. I suspect that is what caused the stitching to come undone. I had my first fill after that, and was not flipped at that time, but if the stitching were loose, a few more weeks of active lifestyle probably would do the trick. I had no symptoms. The first I knew was when I went to get an unfill. The flipped port should not affect my ability to eat. It's really unrelated to the stomach, except that the twist may put another fraction of a cc of saline into my band.

I appreciate all the replies. I've been very frustrated. Most meals out involve one or two, (or three or four if I am particularly stubborn that day) trips to the restroom to dump the upper esophagus. Mostly, nothing that isn't purely liquid will go down. And there are so many high calorie liquid things to consume, and I am often very hungry, even sitting in a restaurant, with a meal in front of me. My stomach is growling, and I cannot eat (or drink) after the first bite. But...on the bright side, I have monitored my nutrients, and take Protein shots, (42 grams a day minimum) and other supplements in liquid form. They taste nasty. But that's not the problem. The problem is, I find myself prowling often, and drinking chocolate milk, eating chips, crackers, and candy. I make a lot of Soups. If I find that I can eat on a given day, I drink something with it, to keep it going as long as possible. I know ALL of that is defeating the purpose of the band, but I do it anyway. I have lost down to where I am only 40 lbs from my goal. (62 lbs in all), but most of it was before my first fill, or immediately after. So, all of this, (this whole thread), wasn't about gaining sympathy. But to hopefully help those who are new to the band to realize that tighter doesn't mean faster weightloss. I was so pushy about having it tight, that my fill doctor did it....now I can't undo it. (without surgery)

Hey Andrea, Congratulations on losing 49 lbs so far. And you managed to do much of that without any help! Impressive. My band is only a 4cc. I have pretty good restriction with only 1cc of saline. In fact some days I can't eat much of anything, and it's a chore to make sure I have had sufficient Protein, and other nutrients. (using Daily Plate makes it possible to track that). I can't eat any kind of beef, or pork, ever. Yet...even with all this restriction, my weight loss occasionally stalls entirely. I spent 2 weeks at a stand still. I finally got back to tracking my intake, and discovered, to my horror, that I was managing to drink a lot of extra calories, and drinking while I ate, just because I had head hunger, and I wanted to be able to eat. Once I identified the problem, and got my caloric intake under control, I started losing again. Push your doctor for more restriction. And if he will not give you more, there are doctors who will. My doctor pushed mine to the very limit. She slips in the needle, and puts some saline in, then has me drink some Water. If it goes down without a pause, she adds more saline. If it seems to stop, she backs it out a bit. Once it's just right, she removes the needle, and then we hang out for a few minutes, with me sipping water, to make sure it's not too tight. This is how she did my very first fill. Remember, your doctor is the expert, but he also works for you! It's his job to make the band work for you. It's ok to get aggressive about your own treatment. Good luck!! Keep us posted!

a word of warning to all you newish bandsters. It's a good idea to order something you have had success with before. My first restaurant experience involved a 20 minute sliming session. (and yes...that was on a first date...ouch)

I agree with lovegrapes. When I go to a restaurant, I don't tell the staff I"m banded. I don't try to get a special deal. If it's a regular restaurant, I share with the person I'm with. If it's a buffet, I usually ask if it's possible to just buy a cup of soup. But on a date, recently, the fella told me "order whatever you want, don't be shy." Well, he ended up thinking I was shy, since I ordered the trout, and then, ate 2 bites of salad. One very small nibble of garlic toast. Maybe an ounce of the fish, and 2 slices of cooked zucchini. I did not box it up, because leftovers really don't work for me. But the meal was delicious, and the company was pleasant, the service exemplary, and regardless of how much I ate or did not eat, I feel the price was fair. It has been a big adjustment though. I used to go to restaurants to gorge on delicious foods prepared and served by someone else. Now I go for social reasons, or just to get sustenance, which doesn't have to be much! Mexican restaurants work great, where I can order one taco. But overall, eating out is no longer my first choice of recreational activities....and it used to be! It's just not that much fun anymore!

Looking to start a support group in Central Oregon. Let me know if there is interest in this area.

I'm with everyone else. First fill was entirely painless. And although I had the same experience that crzytchr had with Water not going down and having to remove some. Except my doc never removed the needle in between. On the topic of people communicating in this thread, kudos to you guys. Apologies and explanations go a long way toward a peaceful community, and I appreciate both of your attitudes in this little confrontation. Agreatknead, apparently, you and I have the smallest band made. My fill doctor, (not the same as my surgeon) commented on it being a better band than is typically used in the U.S. Were you banded here?

Of course, using the daily plate means you will also have weigh and measure your food. And some of the weights and measures on the daily plate are in metric, so occasionally, you may have to use a converter. No big deal, here is one I use: LabPixies - Coolest Gadgets On The Web Just commit to a week of weighing and measuring, and tracking. It may seem like a hassle, and part of the reason for the band was to avoid this type of thing, but a problem exists, and needs to be identified. Besides, compared to what you have already been through, this is nothing!

Hey Lisa, I know how frustrating it is! I had great success the first month and a half, and then hit a complete stall. I spent three weeks in bandster hell! I was keeping a journal, using the daily plate Calorie Counter, Diet Tracking, food Journal, Nutrition Facts at The Daily Plate and being so conscientious. I thought I really didn't need a fill, because I was still getting stuff stuck often as well. But, I finally went and got one, and guess what? VOILA! I'm losing again! You've been given some good advice here. Yes, do journal. It's a great tool for identifying problem areas. (if you can bite the bullet, and be brutally honest with yourself), but I would say a fill is likely to help. Good Luck!

I had my first fill yesterday. It was a long wait, but it's done now. My doctor told me to have nothing by mouth for the three hours before the fill. Then I had 24 hours of Clear Liquids, and 24 hours of mushies, and tomorrow I am back to regular food. If I can eat it. Man alive, this adjustment is an adjustment. It's tight, but not so tight I cannot drink clear liquids, so long as I sip slowly. Food...well, even with mushies today, my total caloric intake for food was about 300, and that was a chore. (I did supplement with some Protein shots.) All in all, it's interesting, and exciting, but not all of it is just whoop it up fun. In fact, anyone who points an accusing finger and says I took the easy way might find themselves eating through a straw while their jaw heals! hmmph! lol

I was asked out for a dinner date. We went today. I was sipping Lemon Water, and we were having a nice visit. All was well. I ordered Ahi, and nothing else. It was good, and I have tried ahi before, and eaten it without incident. This day, though, that was not the case. I was trying to focus on chewing thoroughly, and eating slowly. I was paying extra close attention, because this was a first date, and I really didn't want it to turn into dinner AND a show! But, soon, I have that stuck feeling. And the feeling that I cannot swallow my own spit. And he is talking, and I am trying to keep it together until he pauses, so I can make my escape to the bathroom, and some privacy. I did manage to make it to the end of his story, and then hurriedly excused myself, and, with all the control and dignity I could muster, bolted for the restroom. Once there, I massaged just above the stomach, and spent five minutes sliming into the toilet, and managed to clear things up. And I am thankful that it was only 5 minutes, because I've had longer bouts. So, word to the wise on dating....be CAREFUL what you order, and how you eat it!

Thanks Denise...it's always good to someone who has already succeeded! I suppose if this turns into more than a couple dinners, I will eventually tell him about it. But, for the moment, I just don't feel the need.

I haven't had a fill, and can't get one until my doctor returns from Vacation the end of August. Luckily, I have a fair amount of restriction without it. But if you read the forums, there are many many threads all about fills, and how they feel, and what to expect.